Dear MLSE

An Open Letter to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (owners of the Toronto Maple Leafs & the Toronto Raptors):

I just wanted to commend you, as an organization and your unwavering commitment to the fans.

For those of you who don't know, the Raptors' organization is having a "Fan Appreciation Night", occurring February 3rd. And their way of expressing their appreciation for the fanbase is via an exciting, half-time performance by a contemporary musical artist....(wait for it)....

For those of you who weren't alive in 1990, that's Vanilla Ice (né Robert Van Winkle).

Not to degrade the artist known as Vanilla Ice, but, the last time he was popular/relevant, the Raptors were still FIVE YEARS AWAY FROM EXISTENCE.

Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment: If you want to express your appreciation to your fans, perhaps you should choose a performer who is popular NOW...or was popular--oh I don't know--in the last decade?

Or, since this is the NBA's lone Canadian team, how about showcasing a Canadian band that is up & coming now?

No?

OK, so, "Canadian" obviously wasn't one of the parameters when you were making your choice. Nor was "current" one of the criteria. I could suggest that "kitsch appeal" was your main requirement, but that's really reaching.

If you have something against current bands, why not pick an act that was popular, exactly, fifteen years ago? The Raptors came into existence in '95, you could have chosen a performer who hit it big that year and you could have formulated a marketing tie-in with a band that was popular the year the Raptors were born!

(I'm pretty sure Hootie & the Blowfish are available...)

The point is, Vanilla Ice, is, simply, an embarrassing choice!

It's embarrassing now, to even discuss!

And it's going to be horribly, painfully embarrassing that night--even more embarrassing than the team that the Raptors are playing that day! Yes, it's going to be more embarrassing than the 2009-2010 Nets (and I didn't think that was possible).

The fans aren't going to be in to it..because...well...it's VANILLA ICE...and it's not 1990!

And it's going to be embarrasing for Mr. Ice...he's got to know how ridiculous he is!

Then again, a precedent was set by the NBA last year (specifically, the Denver Nuggets) when Vanilla performed a half-time gig at a Nuggets/Hornets game (see evidence below).

Thanks, a lot, Denver.

I feel bad for him.

I feel bad for the fans.

I feel bad for those of us who were in high school when "Ice, Ice Baby" came out and, as such, still know all the words to that insidious ditty, despite our best efforts to excise it from our minds.

I can't decide if I want to be there for this train wreck or not...on one hand, as previously mentioned, I'm embarrassed.

But, on the other hand, if a 3-legged talking dog comes to your city, you don't miss the meet 'n' greet!

I'd be a fool to miss this spectacle!

See ya there!

Regarding My Favourite Movie: I Am Torn

I'm not experiencing indecision on the identity of my favourite movie...it is and will likely always be "Harold & Maude". I absolutely adored it from my very first viewing (in 1997) and have loved it ever since.


It is beautiful & brilliant in every conceivable way...story, writing, performances, cinematography, music...everything is perfection!

It's the music I want to address.

All of the songs on the soundtrack are by Cat Stevens (this film came out in '71, so he was still "Cat" back then).


My favourite song is "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" which was written especially for the movie and can be interpreted as the unofficial "theme" song of the film. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, it makes me dance & it inspires me--it's that good!

Recently, I realized that its formerly feline songwriter/performer, now known as Yusuf Islam, had given T-Mobile the rights to "If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out" to use in a commercial.

ARGH!

And therein lies my dilemma.

I don't even care about the whole "selling out" aspect, that's not what bothers me.

What I simply cannot reconcile is as follows:

On one hand, every time it comes on, it makes me happy...I sing along enthusiastically! I smile!

On the other hand, a generation (or two) are only going to know this fantastic ditty as the theme to a T-Mobile commercial and that is heart-breaking!

I can't believe that a Cat Stevens-related trauma is causing me such distress.

A Tale of Two Concerts

In the past couple of weeks, I've gone to a couple of concerts--both of which had been eagerly anticipated. The first, on May 7th, was Bruce Springsteen and the second, on May 16th, was The Tragically Hip.

I had been yearning to see Bruce for, oh, let's see...about 25 years. "Born in the USA" was the first album I loved in its entirety. That summer, I'm pretty sure I wore that tape out and had to buy a new one, due to continuous, ridiculous playing.

When I learned he was playing Toronto, I was incredibly excited--granted, he hasn't been relevent, in terms of "my music" in many years, but I had heard that the man and his band could still put on an incredible show (that turned out to be true..I'll explain more on this later...). In any case, I really wanted to be there. More importantly, the pre-teen me from the "Born in the USA" summer really wanted to be there.

As for the Hip, they were huge in my later years of high school and through my university years. I was never a crazy fan. I never saw them. I even went to university in their hometown, hung out with various folks from the Hip "organization"...just never caught a show. I did attend a show at which they performed, a music/camping festival in the early 90s, north of Winnipeg. I slept through their performance. So, I figured, I was due. I owed it to this band, this classic Canadian institution, and myself, to finally see them live.

I ended up getting tickets for both shows, which was fortuitous since they both sold out almost instantly (in the case of the Hip, they ended up adding like 5 or 6 more shows to the original 1 they had intended on playing at Massey Hall). I was super pumped.

I was counting down the days til the Springsteen concert. I had seen his half-time performance from the Super Bowl this year and it was, in a word, hot. When he literally blind-sided a cameraman with his crotchal-slide..well..c'mon...good times!

Anyway...I met up with some friends before the show at the always enjoyable "Harbour Sports Grille" near the ACC. Had a few cocktails and headed over to the show. The anticipation in the crowd was palpable. I'm sure I was radiating excitement and, if we could have bottled it, a new energy drink could have been invented right there and then.

Bruce came on, did his thing. And it was clearly "his thing". It was very much like a musical or an opera--an extremely well choreographed performance. Little passion (other than pre-orchestrated passion). It felt like that episode of the Simpsons where Spinal Tap played and said, "We were told they knew how to rock in Shelbyville. But nobody rocks like...[looks on the back of his guitar] Springfield!"

He pumped his arms a certain number of times per song, he said, "I can't hear you...Toronto..." no matter how loudly the crowd was pandering...I just didn't get it.

That being said, my friends who were with us, and had seen him several times in the past, really enjoyed the show. So, perhaps it was simply unrealistic expectations on my part that led to my disappointment.

Then again, there were several reviews in local papers that echoed my impression of the show...so, to each their own, I guess. The Bruce Springsteen train will inevitably keep on rollin'.

As for the Tragically Hip...

I had a great Saturday, to precede the show. Went for a big walk with the dog in the park, came home and ate lunch and watched the start of the Jays game on TV. Then I went out to run some errands in what became POURING RAIN..came home an hour or so later and the score remained the same...and watched the Jays win the game!

We went out for a lovely sushi dinner to our new favourite sushi place, Momiji, with our friends Chad & Sarah who had procured a sitter for the evening so we could all go to the show.

We were looking forward to treating them to a nice dinner, since they have been opening up their home to us (and the gargantuan gaggle of hippies we call friends) for YEARS for fun gatherings. Unfortunately, I don't currenly have a home suitable for entertaining--unless it's backyard weather...Chad & Sarah had even agreed to host a surprise birthday party for Brian, which occurred the previous weekend, and we all had a great time.

Naturally, we all ate too much (this place is reeeeally good) and headed to the show.

Massey Hall is one of the best venues in Toronto at which to attend a concert...the accoustics are incredible, it's aesthetically gorgeous, we usually get really good seats..and The Hip put on a pretty good show. The light/stage show was amazing!
Gord Downey is either seriously OCD or just has an incredibly crazy/kooky/jerky stage persona.

He also sweats more than any man I've ever seen.

I've been on stages, I know what those lights can do to a person! I also have a friend named Schwa--he sweats so much that he brings no fewer than 5 shirts to summertime concert--all this and I'm pretty sure Gord could give Schwa a run for his schweat.

He changed shirts a few times during the show (and there was an intermission) but for the entire evening he toted a white hanky/scarf thing with which he mopped his continually dripping brow--he'd then proceed to throw the sweat-soaked napkins into the audience, and certain fans were strangely compelled to fight for possession of these drenched tokens of rock star juice.


One of the problems, occasionally, of seeing shows at Massey Hall, specifically (and in Toronto, in general) is that the crowd is lame. Quiet. Seated. Bored. Indifferent. The great thing about this show was that not a single person in the entire place was sitting the entire time!
As anyone (with a soul) from Toronto can attest, they've been at a show (or a sporting event) and been yelled at for STANDING or DANCING. Yes, you read that correctly. At this concert: Everyone was standing and dancing. And it was a joy to experience (at a non-jamband show).

My Weekend in Chicago--Part II!

Saturday morning we awoke in Chicago--woohoo!

It was just as cold, if not colder, on the Saturday and, as such, we decided to hit the Lux (again) for brunch, since it was so close.

My brunch was great. Since we were heading back to the hotel after the meal (instead of heading right off to an event), I was able to bring what was left over from my brunch in a take-away box to snack on later...it was pretty much a full-size meal...Oh, and, in case you were interested: They make a kick-ass Bloody Mary there. :D

And, in case you weren't aware, the Bloody Mary recently had a birthday--75 years! Gotta love the Bloody Mary...to quote a friend of mine, "Cheers to the Bloody Mary--telling hangovers to 'fuck off' for 75 years!"

I headed over to the convenience store and received a call from my (then very pregnant) friend Gill in California...almost the first thing she said was, "Wow, you sound COLD!"

We had a nice chat while I picked up a few things at the store before heading back to the hotel.

Our plan was to meet up with some friends for dinner before the concert we were going to that night. My buddy Bryan works with the band and he said he'd be done setting up around 6 so he could meet us for dinner then.

I spoke to our other friend, Duck (an awesome guy whom I met many years ago at a music festival..I'm thinking Vibes '02?...anyway, we run into him from time to time, at various music events...now he happens to live in Chicago, so it we were excited to see him). Anyway, I told Duck the plan, such as it was, though we hadn't quite decided on a location, yet, for dinner and he was pretty much game for whatever we suggested (my kind of guy!).

Upon consultation with various sources & the folks who were to be attending, we finally decided on a highly recommended Costan Rican restaurant, not too far from the venue where the band was playing, called "Irazu". Everyone seemed to be enthused at the idea of Costa Rican food...though nobody could confidently attest to what "Costan Rican" food would entail (I guessed "lots of beans & rice" and that turned out to be fairly accurate).

We were warned it was a very small restaurant and they didn't take reservations. After all was said and done it appeared there were going to be 7 of us for dinner...when 3 of us showed up early to try to get a table (in light of the "small place, no reservasions" tip), we were told they wouldn't seat us until our entire party arrived..oops..


So...we waited. I spoke to Bryan on the phone, who was running late...very late...

We had also been told that this resto was "BYOB"...though we didn't find out til we had already arrived that, unlike restaurants in Ontario, it wasn't "BYO" wine and they charge a corkage fee, it was BYOW(hatever booze you want) and they don't serve alcohol otherwise.

This reminds me of a note about Friday night at the basketball game that I forgot to mention...if you go outside at half-time at the United Center, in Chicago, you're allowed to bring your drink out with you! That's crazy! (at least for Canadians) In Canada, the only time you can bring a drink outside is if they have a heavily contained patio or some such nonsense...in Chicago, you can just walk outside, put your beer on the garbage can, light up a smoke..or walk away...I was shocked!

Anyway...

Luckily, since Bry was running late, I had time to go over to the wine store, conveniently located right across the street.

It was a very, very cool place--the architecture/design of the interior was amazing. Unencumbered by the rules governing alcohol sales (and, I assume, interior decorating) in Ontario, this place looked like a cozy restaurant in a ski lodge..semi-low lighting, walls done up almost like a log cabin, candles in beautiful glass domes scattered about.

The folks who worked there were so nice--we got into a great chat about Toronto (and baseball) and travelling. And, as wine-store owners should, they really knew their wine! They helped me pick out a couple of nice reds (excellent suggestions from the folks at the store) and headed back to the restaurant.

We waited a few more minutes and Bryan and his crew finally arrived--turned out, 2 of them (whom it was great to see) were just dropping him off, which left us with 5 for dinner. Unfortunately, they didn't have a table for 5, nor would they allow us to pull an extra chair up to the table for 4 they did have. We decided to split up the group, Bryan and I sat at a 2-seater and Brian, Duck & Mike at another table.

So we ate dinner and the food was pretty freakin' great. I think we all had a good time. Afterwards, we all headed over to the concert venue. It was well before the show and we were lucky enough to be with a guy who works with the band so we actually got to hang out on the band's phat (yes, PHat) bus. Seriously, these buses have everything! Wow. Had a drink. Marvelled at modern technology at all the fancy shit you can fit on a freakin' bus. Good god.

I think we might have been kicked off the bus at that point (though no one said that specifically) so we all headed into the venue.

We had to stand in a "special line" since my friend very generously had put us on the guest list. After waiting an interminably long time (in the insanely freezing lobby, due to the doors being open), I finally got to the front of the line and told the guy I was on the guest list. He could not find my name. I insisted I was on the list. He insisted I was not. I saw another friend (who was with the band) walk by and appealed to him--he pointed out that they were looking for my middle name, instead of my first name, on the list, and that I am on the guest list and I get "all access" passes immediately.

Thanks, Mike. You rock.

So we finally got in...beautiful venue...my friend told me that we should meet him backstage...so we approached the wings of the stage...naturally, I had no idea where I was supposed to be going...the security guard at the edge of the stage stood tall and imposing, til he saw our "all access" passes and then he backed right off immediately..unfortunately, I had no idea where to go...so I texted my friend and he came and got us. :)

Anyway, we were escorted backstage and got a little tour...saw the crowd from the stage view..had some drinks...even got an interesting mini-tour of the bowels of the building....

All in, it was a great night. :D

My Trip to The Cleve! (Part I)

This past weekend, I took a roadtrip to The Cleve! The original purpose was to see the Raptors play the Cavaliers on Saturday...I mean, how frequently do the Raptors play an away game, within driving distance, on a weekend? Hardly ever!! Of course we had to make the trek.

Then I discovered that a band I like, Ekoostik Hookah, was playing Friday night at the House of Blues--so I immediately ordered a set of tickets for their gig.

Of course, I was also overjoyed at the prospect of visiting with my friend Kimmy, who lives outside The Cleve, and whom I haven't seen in AGES!

We left Thursday night and stayed overnight on Grand Island (we planned to do some shopping for clothes and we wanted to ensure that we were in the U.S. for the required 48 hour period, so we could return home without having to pay any ridiculous duty charges).

Grand Island is a tiny strip of land on a body of water connecting Lake Erie & Lake Ontario (I'm unaware of what it's called) between Niagara Falls and Buffalo--where they actually make you pay a toll to leave the island.
Pretty sweet scam they're running, if you ask me.

Prior to this trip, I assumed the whole point of Grand Island was to operate the world's crappiest amusement park (if you've ever driven between Niagara Falls and Buffalo, you know what I'm talking about) and making money by forcing people to pay up to get the hell outta there.

Evidently, the island has one more purpose: they host hockey tournaments (the hotel at which we stayed even had a stack of sheets titled "Hockey Agreement" on the Front Desk counter...I guess those hockey players are habitually rambunctious or something and other hotel guests, like myself, frown upon that type of activity. Unless, of course, I'm the one instigating/perpetrating said shenanigans--in that case, it's OK).

Anyway, we had a decent sleep and got up and went to Denny's for breakfast. It was great. Having never eaten at a Denny's when I was growing up, it's still sort of a novelty for me. I had a great veggie omelet (no cheese) and some excellent rye toast (with flax seeds) and a tomato juice. God, I love tomato juice. I wish it was better for you--it's like 98% sodium, though. Boo.

Oh, and they had kick-ass hot sauce...that, now that I think of it, I probably should have stolen. Curses!

After breakfast, I grabbed a coffee (to go) and we hit the road. It was a beautiful sunny day and we wanted to stop by the big mall in Erie, Pennsylvania. Ah, Pennsylvania--the land of no sales tax on clothing. Gotta love it.

We stopped at the mall, bought a few things and decided we'd stop on our back to do some more shopping, since we were a bit pressed for time--we wanted to enjoy our visit with Kimmy before we had to head into the city for the concert.

We headed out of the mall and, lo and behold, the weather had turned from sunny and clear, to a full-on blizzard!!

This is typical of Pennsylvania (or at least typical of our luck whilst in Pennsylvania)--the last time we passed through Erie, we pulled off the highway to do a bit of shopping (and take a break from the blizzard-conditions). In the 30 minutes we were in the mall, they CLOSED the INTERSTATE!! We were stranded in Erie for 12 hours. Luckily, we got the last hotel room in the Greater Erie Area. Not so lucky was the condition of the room--disgusting--but we were in no position to complain.

Anyway, this time, we hit the highway and held our collective breaths in hopes that the snow storm would be brief and we'd make it to The Cleve as planned.

A couple of hours later, we pulled into Kimmy's driveway and the sun was once again peeking through the clouds and the snow had dissipated. We had a great visit with Kimmy and her husband, George, and it was SO much fun to meet their hyperactive, energetic & crazy Lab puppy, Evy. What a sweet (and aggressive) character!

Kimmy made us some delicious lentil soup and I enjoyed a couple of very nice glasses of J.Garcia red wine (Thank you Kimmy, thank you Jerry!) before we hit the road once again.

We arrived downtown, without any hassles or wrong turns--gotta love the GPS! Unfortunately, the GPS doesn't take into account all the roads that are closed in downtown Cleveland (or the fact that it's basically impossible to get around downtown) because of all the road construction they're doing. Apparently, they're putting in some kind of streetcar/trolley system? I dunno. It's a mess, whatever the higher purpose, and we had to circle the hotel area about 5 times before we were able to find a road that would actually allow us to pull up in front of it!

After checking into our hotel, we popped out for some provisions (booze, snacks) and headed back to the hotel to chill for a bit before the concert. The folks at the CVS were incredibly friendly (even though they were trying to close early and had already turned off most of the lights) and they were obsessed with our $1 & $2 Canadian coins. What a novelty!

I know I shouldn't get so excited about American television, but some of the channels in the States are just so much fun. Like that USA channel? When ISN'T there a version of Law & Order on? How cool is that?!

The concert was fun, we met a bunch of nice, friendly people (none of whom could believe we came all the way to The Cleve from Toronto for a basketball game!). We headed back to the hotel around midnight, ordered & enjoyed some delicious pizza and watched the New Jersey Nets lay a beating on Seattle (Boo. Burn in hell, Wince Carter. Scumbag.).

--To Be Continued--