Fashion is certainly one of the next nebulous elements of hip hop culture, and local fashion genius Patrick Walton has been making some absolutely amazing hip hop masterpieces for b-boys and b-girls to style upon the world with for quite some time. He also has taken that other element, street entrepreneurialism, to new realms and levels of awe, constantly selling out of his limited-edition masterpieces in short order. If you want to support the super dope steez of Pat, check out the next ultra-rare summer wear design at http://www.mymainmanpat.com.

Photo: My Main Man Pat Tees

But in the meantime, here’s five questions with My Main Man Pat, by Addi Stewart!

Who is a part of the team you work with, and how did you get started?

Truth be told, I wish I had more of a Steve Jobs-esque story to how I got the idea for My Main Man Pat, but it was pretty simple.  I was reading an article in The Star on a great company out of Whitby called Shirtpunch and was inspired.  I had always wanted to start a business of my own, loved their model, and decided to apply it to a 15 year passion for hip-hop music.  Once I started seeing the incredible quality of graphic art that was being created around the globe based on a love for hip-hop music, I felt this was an opportunity that could not be ignored.

Although most of the day-to day of the business is handled by yours truly, there is no way we could have got to this point without the help of some key business partners.  Most importantly I have been fortunate enough to work with some phenomenally talented artists, including a lot of local street artists, and their work is what drives the company.  I have also received a lot of mentorship and advice from local entrepreneurial organizations like the Toronto Business Development Centre and Enterprise Toronto, resources that have helped many local businesses get off the ground.  Finally, I’ve got to give some love to my suppliers, namely Canada Post and HAS marketing, for the stake they have taken in the business and working with me to make it a success.

What is your fashion motto, your driving creative idea, your mission statement?

Our mission statement is simple:  To connect artists who love hip-hop with hip-hop fans who love art.  This is the driving force behind everything we do at the company, and will remain at our core as we grow and expand.  I do not provide our artist with any ideas or suggestions on the designs they create, and simply tell them to take what they love most about the music and express it visually.  I truly believe that people can see this passion in the finished product, and not knowing exactly what to expect is what’s going to keep people checking in with us on a weekly basis.

If you could live and make clothing in another era in human history, what would it be and why?

In all the press I’ve done to date, I have to say this is the most interesting question I have been asked.  It’s not an easy one to answer, but I would have to say the sixties.  We screen-print all of our garments, and this was the era that the method as it is used today started becoming more common place (Warhol gets a lot of the credit).  It was also a time I think artists began to put more stock in how they “packaged” their product, as a lot of the best album jackets, concert posters, and of course, the T-Shirts I’ve seen were born in the sixties.

What is an idea in fashion/clothing (or hip hop culture!) do you have that you haven’t seen done yet, that you want to see brought to life?

This is also a tough one for me to answer as I am very much an old soul and most of my wardrobe and music selection hasn’t evolved since the nineties. That said, one thing I’d like to see changed is an increased focus on the live show. The digital age is a double-edged sword in that as easy as it’s become to get your music to a global audience and build a following, a lot of cats are spending way too much time in their home studios tweaking their beats or on facebook promoting their stuff.  If you are not having actual conversations with your fans in person, you are limiting the honest feedback you need to refine your craft.  I think the same can be applied to the fashion industry.  As easy as it is for me to sit behind my computer screen emailing customers, nothing is more valuable than seeing the real life reaction when someone first puts on one of our shirts.

Where do you see Toronto fashion/trends/culture in 10 years, and how much do you want to be around here to take it there? Or do you dream of setting up shop in Paris, Tokyo, and Hollywood Blvd. before you build a store on Queen St. West?

Well, I have done my fair share of travelling and I always end up back in the Tdot, so I would say a Queen Street boutique is first on the list.  I have noticed a definite trend in Toronto towards supporting community based businesses, particularly in the retail and food/agriculture industries (Queen West and The Junction are great examples).  The implications for those in the apparel game is that people in this city love to support local shops, so long as they are giving back to the community around them.  I personally cannot wait to open my first brick and mortar, and hopefully it will come a lot quicker than 10 years!

Thank you very much for your great work and your great questions, Pat!

We hope your Queen Street clothing store dreams manifest a lot faster than 10 years, too! Much appreciated, brother. Stay sewing up the future. You’re certainly a part of what makes Toronto hip hop culture so awesome.

Mindbender loves you!

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4th Pyramid – The Sky Belongs to the Stars review
by Addi Stewart
http://www.djbooth.net/index/albums/review/4th-pyramid-sky-belongs-to-the-stars-ep

Photo: Album Art

“Conundrums/ my mind’s out in London/ I’m blunted, thoughts like the Indy 500…” is the husky, rugged vocal chamber of the producer/emcee known as 4th Pyramid as Rich Kidd’s thumping, airy, whistling loop laced with ethereal violins lays down a funky foundation for Pyramid to paint little vignettes of his days and nights moving around the world, doing what he does best. ‘Stay Up High’ opens the five-song EP, which interestingly features the instrumentals of all the songs featured on the project, as well as a bonus outro track. The best thing about 4th Pyramid is that he captures both the modern sentiments of music, but a golden era aesthetic of artistry, where he delivers nothing but straight beats and rhymes, regardless of the structure and type of the song, short or long, personal revelation piece or party banger. There’s no bullshit in his work: you either feel it or you won’t. And I’m feeling this fuckin’ shit.

‘Friday Nights’ is just a fun ass rap song with some creative diversions dispersed throughout, between 4th spitting shit like: “Do these numbers/ groupies love us/ then it’s back to smoke and jacuzzi bubble/ fly grin on my face and I do mean trouble…” ha ha. Produced by Grandtheft, it captures some high pitches singing samples being sliced up under some slick strings and chunky bass, and Pyramid just enjoying himself over the mid-tempo jammie. But turning in a whole other direction is ‘A Little Out of Line’, where a delicate melodic tune drifts over the doomed drums where the singer Ben Stevenson speaks of being ‘a little out of line’ as Pyramid ponders why “she fucks me/ she fucks me not”, and other mysteries of sex and women.

Photo: 4th Pyramid

There is a bittersweet gullyness to the smooth music and easy listening flow of 4th Pyramid. He can drop a line or two that might shock or even offend a few heads, but the funny thing is, you can tell he really doesn’t give a fuck, confessing: “I ain’t mad you starvin’/ always been cocky, had an attitude problem” on ‘Buck for Buck’ and just generally rhymes about touring various places in the world doing whatever the good god damn he wants at any time “all we wanna do: get high/ drunk and fuck”. Rock star status.  Props to the shoutouts to local spots like Maison, you can tell Pyramid is Toronto-bred, with his undefinable sound and style. Personally the only song I didn’t dig was ‘Caviar’, it seemed a bit too close to something The Weeknd might try to do if he wanted to rap more, although the bassline of the song inspired strong headnodding. Thank goodness ‘Is It Over’ gives the project a proper grand finale. Overall, ‘The Sky Belongs To The Stars’ EP is a refreshing little piece of 2013 Toronto hip hop and a solid brick to the add upon the legacy of 4th Pyramid.

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LONG WEEKEND BONUS GOODIES:

Saidah Baba Talibah.
INVEST.
www.pledgemusic.com/projects/saidahbabatalibah

Muneshine.
ENJOY.

MYKILL DARCSHYNE.
INSPIRE.

Love, Mindbender

–

Adhimu Stewart aka Mindbender
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mindbendersupreme
Twitter: www.twitter.com/mindbendermind
Videos: www.youtube.com/mindbender999
Phone: (416) 904-0049
Give Love and Take Care.

This week’s column features an interview with “ev ree wuhn,” the artists behind the self-titled debut EP that hit stores this past Tuesday. Read on to get the story from Adrian, Lawson, and Alex about their music, their plans, and which one of them loves turnip juice, which I honestly didn’t even know was a real thing. But first, congratulations to the winner of our ROM Friday Nights LIVE contest. We had a great response, but there can only be one winner, and in this case the winner was… George Youngberg, Twitter handle @GY26. Have a great time at the ROM this Friday with your pair of free tickets.

And now, let’s hear straight from ev ree wuhn!

Photo credit: Amanda Fotes

Where do you consider home?

Toronto, with the exception of Adrian who is from St. John’s Newfoundland

Tell me about yourself and your background:

The three of us come from quite different backgrounds. Alex, from Toronto, studied dance at the National Ballet School and danced into his 20s when he decided to focus on music. Adrian, who grew up in Newfoundland, came to Ontario in 2009 and completed a masters degree in Engineering Physics before deciding to shift his focus to music. Lawson, also an Ontario native, studied upright Bass at York before joining the group. We came together to form ev ree wuhn in 2012 after our former 5-piece rock band Dora Alexander became inactive.

How long have you been performing?

About 1 year as ev ree wuhn. Individually we have been performing in various projects since childhood.

Tell me about the music you’re into:

The three of us have grown up listening to a wide range of music, and for that reason we are pretty open minded when it comes to various genres and styles. The one style we all connected on initially was Hip Hop, so that’s a big one for us.  Everything from Tribe to Yasiin Bey to Kendrick Lamar. Other than that we love Jazz, Electronic, Classical and more. We are adamant about keeping up on new and upcoming artists who are pushing boundaries and changing the industry as we speak, even within pop music. We are always sending each other newly discovered music, because we love music regardless of the fact that we also play it.

How did you get into this music?

It happened gradually throughout our youths, we all grew up listening and playing music.

If you had to show that music to somebody using just one song that really captured the essence of the style, what song would it be?

Perhaps Mos Def (Aka Yasiin Bey) “Umi Says” or The Foreign Exchange “Take off the Blues”. (Assuming you don’t mean the style of music we make)

What makes a song stand out for you? 

Adrian: It stands out the most if it has a good sense of soul and character. When that happens, you usually can’t put your finger on any specific technical aspect that attracts you to the song, it just hits you in a certain way.

Lawson: Mechanically, a stand-out song needs to have resolutions and rhythm that line up and create forward momentum. It also needs to connect with our experiences in life and paint and landscape in the mind.

What motivates you to perform?

Watching other artists who put on amazing shows definitely puts the fire under us. Plus we’ve put a lot of ourselves in the songs, so it’s just natural to want to share that with a crowd of people.  We’ve spent hours rehearsing songs and small parts that only last for a few fleeting seconds when we play them live. It may seem redundant going over small details but when someone puts on a tight live show you can tell.

What differentiates you from other performers?

The most obvious differentiation is how we integrate digital elements with live instruments. In a sense, we are playing and producing the songs on the fly as we perform. Being a trio we are limited by our lack of limbs compared to other 4 or 5 piece bands. We’ve spent significant time and effort figuring out how it is physically possible to achieve the production elements that drive our recordings. During a live show, every member is multitasking. Along with playing instruments, we are also manipulating samples, loops, filters and other effects. The level of control we have with all of the sounds is probably not that common with other live acts.

Photo credit: Amanda Fotes

Describe your production method and studio.

We each have our own small studios in our homes where we work on ideas individually. Generally we send rough ideas back and forth until we have something we like. Once we have a solid idea we keep tweaking the production over the following months for. Executing the vision for any particular track requires us to focus equally on the songwriting and production methods, so it’s important for us to have control over the full production, from recording to mixing and often mastering.  We work primarily with Ableton Live and a range of other software effects and tools.

What is the single most important thing you would tell an aspiring new producer?

When it comes to music production these days, there aren’t really any lines between right and wrong. But that’s an exciting thought, because sometimes the “wrong” recording or production technique ends up producing more interesting results. Exploit your pitfalls to make the production unique.

What story do you try to tell with your music?

It’s not really a story, at least not consciously. The music we produce is a result of how we are feeling at the time, and what we are interested in. I guess that ends up telling some kind of story in the end but we don’t start with the story idea.

Describe the sound that defines your music and sets it apart from somebody else’s.

We don’t claim to be completely original or set apart from everyone else. That being said we try to keep things somewhat unpredictable, using different instrument and effect combinations in ways that they might not traditionally be used. We aim to give the listener things that they are not comfortable with.

What’s next for you?

This is our first release, so it’s hard to say where it will lead. We are already working on lot’s of new material, so we hope to have another release not long down the road. Also we love playing live so we would like to do some touring for this release.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

The group has only existed for a year, so five years from now is pretty open. If we could be making music and paying the bills, that would be a good thing. Honestly we just want to get to the level where we can feature either Flo Rida or Pitbull on every track…

What sort of gear do you use at home? What about during shows?

We use our computers, studio monitors, keyboards, MIDI controllers, Bass, Guitar and other instruments from time to time.

Do you have any heroes? If so, who and why?

Not really no…Bon Jovi, his tours make Mitt Romney-level money.

What’s your favourite on-stage memory?

After countless hours troubleshooting MIDI and software we were ready for our first show. We had a decent spot for NXNE and had to follow a strict timeframe. Unfortunately a USB hub decided to fry before we started. Frantically we rearranged wires and asked for sympathy from the MIDI gods. The gods spared us and we played the show.

 How have you evolved over the years, as an artist? What, if any, were the catalysts of that evolution?

Before ev ree wuhn, the three of us played together in an ambient guitar driven band named Dora Alexander. Towards the end of that band we incorporated a drum machine and began our transition to an electronic focus.  Realizing how different it was from the old material, we decided a complete overhaul was needed.  Learning software, writing new material and playing new instruments were the first steps in starting this direction. We are fortunate because the technology has reached a point where we have full control over synthesized sounds and we can use them with our live instruments.

Of what achievements are you particularly proud?

Releasing our first EP is a big achievement, a lot of hours have been put in to get to this point. People have been asking about it for what seems like months now and finally those who have been waiting get to listen and for those who are hearing us for the first time…enjoy!

What other interests outside of music do you have?

Film production, contemporary dance, TV series, good food and online dating.

Something most people don’t know about you:

The three of us play in the backing band for the Hip Hop group Large LIVE n’ Direct. Adrian is their producer.

On whom have you depended for support?

Friends and family although the stock answer, is the most accurate.

Favourite drink?

Lawson: Protein Shake

Adrian: Turnip Juice

Alex: Orange Soda

To keep up to date, follow ev ree wuhn on Facebook, Soundcloud and Twitter. And of course you can pick up their debut album here on iTunes!

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VIDEO RODEO: Now you know all about ev ree wuhn, so why not check out the video for their song, “Colours,” and see what they’re all about!

ATTENTION: VIDEOS WANTED!  Did you have a great time at a rave or EDM event and managed to capture it on video? We’d love to showcase short clips of you and your friends having a great time with great music.  Reach out to us with your name, the name and date of the event, and a link to the video if you’d like us to consider yours!

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What’s happening in our city over the long weekend? A lot! Below is a sample of what you can find this weekend in the rave and EDM community around Toronto; check out The Heather Network for even more!

UPCOMING EVENTS:  FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE: ROCKS ROCK! - Friday, May 17th – 7 PM til 11 PM

Everybody loves The ROM (100 Queen’s Park), and it’s hard to imagine a cooler place to have a party. Fortunately, the ROM and The Toronto International Jewelry Festival have got your back! This Friday’s event will feature DJs M-Rock, Mix Choplin, Michael Imperial, and a feature performance from Toronto-based Wildlife. With plenty of food, drink, exhibits and music, it’s a night sure to be a ton of fun for all. Can’t make it? Don’t worry – the ROM will be hosting Friday Night LIVE events every week until June 21st! Tickets $12 for adults, $10 for students. Hashtag: #FNLROM

UPCOMING EVENTS: HEADHUNTERZ AT FOOTWORK - Saturday, May 18th - 10 PM

If you like the harder sounds – and who doesn’t? – then Headhunterz, on tour from his native Holland, is not to be missed. Hitting Footwork (425 Adelaide) from 10 PM til 5 AM in proper rave style, the hardstyle legend gets support from local DJs Grimsekee, Gabbo, Damo, and Noahplause. Tickets are $25. This event is 19+ only.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  RAVER’S FANTASY - Sunday, May 19th – 9 PM

Fairy tales, fireworks, and fantasy – Nocturnal Commissions takes all three and mixes in a generous dose of happy hardcore and bounce music to create Raver’s Fantasy at the Rockpile (5555 Dundas West). With music from the world’s top happy hardcore performer, DJ Gammer - as well as local support from artists such as DJ Opel and, well, me – you can expect a fun and fancifully ridiculous night of dance and adventure, including a story book handcrafted by every raver in attendance. Tickets are $25.

UPCOMING EVENTS: ELECTRIC ISLAND – Monday, May 20th – 2:30 PM til 10:30 PM

After a very long weekend of partying hard, how better to wind it up than with… a fully licensed concert and picnic on Centre Island? Well you’re in luck, dear reader, because that’s exactly what Platform, Embrace, and Footwork are putting together for you. Pack a lunch and take the ferry over to Olympic Park for a relaxing day spent frolicking in the sun and enjoying music from Seth Troxler, Nitin, My Favorite Robot, and many more. And if you miss it, you can always come out again for the next long weekend – Electric Island has booked all four summer long weekends for similar events.

Your bonus link this week: Renowned artist (and former Torontonian) Marie Poliak puts her own unique spin on Toronto’s ongoing mayoral affairs in this clever artistic piece. I think you’ll crack up when you see it (I would apologize for the cheap pun, but I’m not actually sorry).

Last week I took a trip down to South-Western Ontario for our latest issue of Super Neighbours in Ontario. I had been invited by Parks Canada to attend the annual Festival of Birds that takes place at Pelee National Park in Leamington, Ontario. Point Pelee is part of the park and it, along with Pelee Island, are the most southern points in Canada.

Photo: Google Map of Area

The National Park, and the town of Leamington, are on the coast of Lake Erie which is known for its Perch fish. Many of the restaurants in the area sell the local fish, all with their own spin.

The area is also the capital of tomato production. Miles and miles of tomato greenhouses line this area.

The region thrives off of the month of May, when all the birds return to the park and Birders (bird watchers) from around the world flock to this location to view the large range of birds and their mating rituals.

Photo Tomato Greenhouses 

The trip to Leamington was around 4 hours, which after our last article (driving to Halifax), felt like no time at all.

I got to test the new Honda Civic 2 door which helped a lot on the drive due to the the GPS navigation system as well as a sunroof and XM radio which helps to enjoy the beautiful drive I had down to the park. The one flaw I found was the dashboard was at an angle that when the sunroof shade was open the sun glared over the screen and made it impossible to see. This was the first time this has happened to me in a car and I noticed it as soon as I sat down the first time I got in the car. Other than that the car seemed great on gas. Was around $35-$40 fill-up at $1.15 – $1.25.

Photo: Honda Civic 2013

I stayed at Pelee Getaway, which is a B&B located on the same road that leads into the Pelee National Park. The B&B is a main floor of a house that has 3 rooms to rent. The room rates range from $75-$95 a night. The house also has a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room for communal use. A great spot to stay to enjoy the surrounding.

Right next door to the B&B there is a Days Inn with a pool, waterslides, games rooms, etc. Perfect if you are coming with a larger family with kids.

Photo: Double-Decker Food Truck

I checked out a few places to eat. Just down the road from the B&B there was a Food Truck that is actually a double-decker bus that has been converted into a food truck called Birdie’s Perch. The downstairs is the kitchen and the upstairs is a dining area. Picnic tables and benches were also set up around the truck. This is one of the spots where you can try the local perch.

If you are looking for more of a dining and drinking experience you can go down the street to Freddy’s Cocktail Lounge and Restaurant. The people here are very friendly. Say hello to Michael and Robert Makhlouf who are the owners. Their famous Perch recipe has received so much attention that it is something you have to try. The restaurant is also attached to an Ice Cream store that is run by the same people. Great for your after dinner treat. The patio here is also a great spot to sit and enjoy the weather and a drink during the day or at night. A good local hangout.

Photo: Freddy’s

On my last day I went for a press event in Pelee National Park for the Festival of Birds which runs until May 20th. 10s of thousands of people gather in this park for the festival each year. We got a little tour of the park and got to snap some shots of the birds.

It was quite interesting to see all the photographers and birders with their heavy duty equipment. Along the trails you would come to groups of people hovering over a placed scopes to get a view of birds such as Skreetch Owls and Wood Peckers.

Photo: Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Throughout the park and at the Point Pelee there are beaches that you can visit. Many swimming holes and bird watching posts line the parks shores which creates more than a days journey. One could spend a couple days in this park alone.

As for the area around Leamington there are a few options. I visited Windsor, Ontario which was just 30-45 minutes away. There are a lot of entertainment centres and art facilites here as well as a Caesars hotel and casino. Across the water and the border from Windsor is Detroit. Although we did not mention the trip to Detroit in this article a future story will go further into depth on that city.

Here are a few more pics from the trip.

Photo: Path along river in WIndsor

PhotoL Detroit from Windsor. Far left is home of the Detroit Red Wings – Far right is GM

Photo: Perch

Photo: Blue Heron

Photo: Birders stopping to see the Owl

Photo: Owl that is very hard to see.

Photo: Captured this great shot of a Common Grackle

Photo: Another Common Grackle

Photo: Yellow Warbler

Photo: Downy Woodpecker

Photo: Mourning Dove

Photo: Scarlet Tanager

Photo by Leonie Sta

PINBALLAPALOOZA Started today at 9:00 am and runs until 6:00 pm tonight in an attempt at a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD for the most simultaneously played pinball machines in one venue. The event is presented by the Stratford Festival & First Canadian Place, the venue where it will take place. The event is in promotion of the opening of the rock musical TOMMY.

Photo: Pinball Machines

Pinball enthusiasts, the occasional advocate, or those looking to be a part of a strange historical event are told to come down and help break the record.

The record time is set for 12:40 in an attempt to get 100 pinball machines in use at once.

Attendees can expect free game play, exclusive Tommy ticket deals through an on-site pop-up box office and spectacular live performances by Tommy cast members Robert Markus, Paul Nolan, Gabriel Antonacci and Matthew Armet.

EVENT: Pinballapalooza
Date: Thursday, May 16, 2013
Location: First Canadian Place, 100 King Street West, Toronto
Time: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Record attempt time: 12:40 p.m.
Live performances: 12:15 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. on the Waterfall Stage

Here is a really awesome video about pinball.

Cool Hunting Video Presents: Pins and Needles from Cool Hunting on Vimeo.

Artistic talent is in full bloom this month as the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival sprouts public projects, events and exhibitions throughout the GTA. The festival is upholding its traditional commemoration of photographic art under the theme Field of Vision, which highlights photography as an extension of human sight.

Photo: Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival – Photos by Mac Bauer

The festival, which was founded in 1997, has grown to become the largest of its kind in the world and now collaborates with large companies, other festivals, and nearly 200 local venues. This year CONTACT features the work of over 1500 artists from Canada and abroad.  Public installations can be found in the usual art-centric locations, such as the AGO, or even in some quirkier spots, such as the city’s subway stations and the Toronto Pearson Airport.

I had the chance to stop by a few local galleries in the downtown area that are currently showcasing incredible CONTACT exhibitions. The first, titled “I Was Already Lost” is featured at the Pari Nadimi Gallery in the Queen West neighbourhood.

Italian artists Botto + Bruno, who are also husband and wife, have had their work exhibited all over the world and are known for integrating various mediums in their installations.

Photo: Botto + Bruno

“I Was Already Lost,” which runs through to June 29^th, was inspired by Italian suburbia, as the duo artists attempt to convey the dreams and revolts of teenagers living in the sprawl.

A series of simplistic photos, drawings and texts fit together to resemble wallpaper, which fills an entire wall of the gallery. “The wallpaper is composed of 300 individual pieces, so as you can imagine, it was a very difficult process to fit it all together,” said gallery owner Pari Nadimi.

Hung overtop of the wallpaper are a series of small pictures that blend photos of deserted industrial territory with a grey, drawn-in skyline. “There were few signs of permanent human settlement,” reads a portion of the wallpaper.

Photo: Botto + Bruno

In contrast to the sparse environment provoked by Botto + Bruno’s exhibit, Erik Kessels’ “24hrs in Photography” bombards the viewer with an abundance of images in order to convey the changing landscape of photography since the rise of the internet.

The Scotiabank CONTACT gallery located at 80 Spadina is showcasing Kessels’ exhibit, which runs until June 15^th. The walls of the gallery are white and blank, but the floor is covered with colourful snapshots of various people and sceneries.

Photo: Kessels’ Exhibit

Kessels’ concept involved printing all images that were uploaded to the website Flickr in a 24 hour period. The result? Close to 350, 000 photos taken by individuals all over the world that are now dispersed on the space’s floor.

The constructed landscape of memories and self-representation illustrate how social media has changed the pace at which humans document and absorb photographic images.

Upon entering the gallery, I almost felt as though I was walking through a graveyard of photos. A couple hundred pictures pave the entrance to the room and lead visitors to the mountainous piles that consume most of the space.

Photo: Kessels’

Visitors are invited to look through, walk on or even bury themselves in the piles of individual pictures in the exhibit.

Stay tuned for more CONTACT coverage in the coming weeks, and be sure to check out the amazing talent being featured throughout our city this month!

For more information on the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, please visit http://scotiabankcontactphoto.com

Photo Friday Night Live @ The ROM

Greetings, Toronto music lovers! We interrupt our regularly scheduled awesome programming to bring you an awesome contest opportunity! Every Friday night from now until June 21st, the ROM will be hosting “Friday Night LIVE” events between 7 and 11 PM, featuring music, food, drinks, and of course lots of science! We love all of those things, so we jumped at the chance to participate in hosting a contest. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students, but you can win a free pair of tickets to this week’s Friday Night LIVE event, featuring DJ sets from M-Rock, Mix Chopin, Michael Imperial, and a live set by Wildlife, simply by retweeting the following tweet:

The #FNLROM parties are awesome and I would love free tickets c/o @romtoronto & @torontosawesome – bit.ly/19tIciF RT to WIN #Toronto

— Toronto Is Awesome (@TorontosAwesome) May 15, 2013

Be sure to retweet that before 11 AM on Thursday, May 16th. We’ll select one winner from the batch to receive a FREE pair of tickets to Friday’s event!

Happy raving, everyone!

*UPDATE* The contest is now closed! Thanks for taking part. The winner’s twitter handle will be announced in tomorrow’s Bassment column at 2 PM. See you there!

Photo by Jason Cook 

Photo: Chef Devan Rajkumar’s Asian Chicken Drumettes – Photos by Yuli Scheidt

On May 8^th over 250 foodies gathered in support of the Daily Bread Food Bank for the second annual chef competition and fundraiser, Ultimate Food Challenge.  The event (held at the Corus Quay, which has a slide, closed for the event – unfortunately.) pitted three top Toronto chefs against one another in order to raise funds to help support Daily Bread’s kitchen programs. These programs provide 170,000 nutritious meals annually to shelters, schools and other meal programs serving low-income children and adults at more than 100 community agencies in neighbourhoods across Toronto.

The three top chefs who stepped up to take the Ultimate Food Challenge for the Daily Bread Food Bank were:

Chef Devan Rajkumar,  Executive Chef at Bosch and Branding Chef at Food Dudes
He served up a signature dish of Asian Chicken Drumettes with Pineapple Salsa and Shallots.  Although it was a bit messy to eat, it was incredibly flavourful and obviously a fan favourite. The lineup always at full-force, Rajumar had clearly perfected this flavour profile.

For his Challenge Dish, he served up a Vegetarian Slider with Apple/Carrot/Mango Slaw.  Given only 25 minutes to prep and serve up these dishes, I found it a bit sloppy but overall the tastes were phenomenal.  It packed a punch and we were told all Challenge Dishes could be made for less than $5.00.  Chef Devan ended up winning Fan Favourite for his Challenge  Dish Veggie Slider.

Chef Alexandra Feswick, Executive Chef at The Samuel J. Moore
Alexandra decided to serve up the classic Devils on Horseback, which consists of Prunes stuffed with walnuts and blue cheese wrapped in bacon.  Simple and elegant, this one bite appetizer paired great with all the Peller Estate wines and was quick to eat.  Definitely had me coming back for more (and more and more).

For her Challenge Dish, Alex shared that all the chefs were given a food hamper that represented the average variety of items a food bank user might receive – items such as canned fruit, canned vegetables, rice, canned soup, canned or dried beans. Chefs were asked to include as many hamper ingredients as possible (this would allow them more points in the judging process).  From this, Chef Feswick created her winning challenge dish, the Western falafel.  This dish was everything and more: mashed chick peas rolled in pita crumbs on a bed of fresh spinach and zucchini.  It was perfection and I can absolutely see why it won the challenge.

Chef Jason Parsons, Executive Chef at Peller Estate Winery

For Chef Jason’s signature dish, he worked all the flavours of the Peller Estate wines and served an Icewine Lobster & Basil Ravioli with Double Smoked Bacon.  It had everything I wanted and more and I won’t lie, was probably my favourite.  I had more than one helping, because why not.

It was Chef Jason’s Challenge dish that fell a little bit flat with Ham, Cheese and Potato Croquettes.  It didn’t pack an oomph that I expected that it would.  But perhaps, I was expected a little more from this dish, after being blown away from his signature dish.

The winning chefs were carefully selected by the panel of judges:

+Arlene Dickinson (CBC’s Dragons’ Den and The Big Decision)
+Melissa Grelo (co-host, CP24 Breakfast)
+Erin Davis (co-host, CHFI morning show)
+Leslie Roberts (news anchor, Global Toronto)
+Suman Roy (executive chef, Campbell’s)

The event raised $90,000 in total for the Daily Bread Food Bank and was a complete success overall  The night not only raised a light to the chefs but to those in the Daily Bread Food Services Training Program, who were involved in serving the entire event. The Daily Bread Food Services Training Program takes people who may have challenges or barriers to employment and puts them through a 16-week training program to teach them food service skills. Ultimate Food Challenge also inspired me to get up and help out in the Daily Bread Food Bank Kitchens.  Watch out for that story to come.

Additional photos:

Buying jeans that are just a bit too tight and cluttering our fridges with images cut from fitness magazines are just some ways we try to motivate ourselves to hit the gym. It does work to some degree until our alarm is buzzing at 5:30am and we decide it’s only one day so we’re going to skip the workout but tomorrow we’ll be right back on. Then before we know it, it’s been three months and those jeans are stuffed way in the back of the closet never to be seen again.

Photo: IWONTLOSE.COM

It’s hard to stay motivated but having someone else there with you is a huge help. Enter iWontLose. It’s more than just videos and an online community, it’s real -in the flesh- support. Adam Ali, the founder of iWontLose is a fitness professional and a Community Program Coordinator. He focuses on youth empowerment but his initiative speaks to all. Visit his website once and you’ll be hooked.

Tell us what iWontLose is all about and why Toronto needs it.

iWontLose is a fitness and sport lifestyle brand. We are a brand for the underdogs and dream-chasers. Toronto has so much untapped talent and iWontLose strives to empower youth to ignite the spark within to become relentless in their life pursuits.

What is your fitness background? Have you always known you wanted to be a Personal Trainer and Motivational Speaker? If not, what was your turning point?

I am a certified fitness professional – I graduated from college with a fitness and health promotion education. I knew I wanted to stay fit and there’s no better way to do that than by keeping myself accountable to those who I mentor. I walk the walk so that others can walk next to me.

How much has the iWontLose community grown since you started it?

There has been awesome growth, especially through social media. I also get tons of emails daily from people sharing their stories and telling me that my videos have helped them. It fuels me to keep publishing more motivational content. It’s a lifestyle! You charge forward with the attitude that I-Won’t-Lose, and if others label the attempt a failure, you will win the LESSON.

What are The Goodfit Battles and how did they start? Why did you decide to target youth in this event?

Being a community program coordinator I wanted to start an initiative to get the community out from their homes to see fitness in action. I also wanted to expose youth to active living. I partnered with PHARMAFREAK co-founder, Alex Savva, to come up with this idea of having a community fitness challenge. We targeted youth because we wanted to get them excited about fitness at a young age before they adopt the drop-out mentality. They seem to be totally engaged and the community has come full-circle in supporting the event.

Contestants, community members and Adam Ali (top row, black jacket) at The Goodfit Battles – photo courtesy of SNAP North York

You’ve hosted two battles so far with more to come each month. How successful have they already been and how have the participants reacted to The Goodfit Battles?

Saturday, June 8^th will be the next event. The response has been nothing short of incredible! Participants have been coming into The Spider’s Web community centre gym and training really hard. The competition really gives people something to work out for.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone struggling to get healthy?

The iWontLose motto is: losing is not about not winning, it’s about not trying. Just try! Start. I promise you the first gains you make will motivate you to keep going because it’ll remind you of the pain it took to achieve this initial progress. That will set the foundation to want more.

We noticed on your website, one of your services offers a special price package to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. We need to know more about this…

I touched the sky!
No I really did. www.touchthesky2012.com
I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro this past summer, which is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. I made great connections with a few local trek organizers in Tanzania who have extended their discounts and services to those who come through the iWontLose platform.

You are an official sponsored athlete for PHARMAFREAK (which is co-owned by Alex Savva – see our CircuitFIT feature here). What are some of your favourite Toronto healthy businesses?

Alex Savva has been paramount in the growth of iWontLose and I am humbled to be part of the amazing team he has formed.

Some of my favorite health businesses would are:
Healthy Planet: They have great prices on health products.
Magic Oven: I love eating at this restaurant. No regrets – ever.

The PHARAMAFREAK team – Adam Ali (second from left) and Alex Savva (second from right) – photo courtesy of SNAP North York

Your current webisodes feature an overweight 14-year-old boy named Tristan. Tell us more about him, how far he’s come and what else you have in store for him. How can we help support Tristan?

I recently took the focus away from me in my videos and reached out to a local youth from the community I serve. His name is Tristan. He has been struggling for years with his weight. When we began the series he was 300 lbs. We are halfway through his transformation and he has made some amazing progress. The goal is to get him down to about 220 before the series his done. It’s a challenge but so is everything else. It’s all mental with him. It’s mostly about behavior modification when dealing with body transformation. Folks can support by sharing and commenting on the video. He likes reading YouTube comments.

Adam and Tristan – photo courtesy of Galistudios

What can we expect from iWontLose and The Goodfit Battles in the future?

I am all about making impact. I will not stop until we have made tremendous impact locally and globally with The Goodfit Battles. Stay up to date by visiting iwontlose.com/blog.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

June 8/9 – TORONTO RAW/VEGAN FESTIVAL
Free to the public. Visit www.TorontoRawVeganFestival.com for more information.