Song of the Week - Gentleman Reg

Gentleman Reg – The Boyfriend Song

Album: Little Buildings (2008) / Darby & Joan (2004)

It’s always nice to see homegrown talent and Reg Vernue (aka. Gentlemen Reg) has been deserving credit for a long time now. As a member of Arts & Crafts (a label featuring other big artists such as Stars, Broken Social Scene, and Feist) our fine gentleman has most recently released his latest album Jet Black in 2009 and been on tour for most of 2010. He is a regular performer in Toronto, especially at The Drake Underground, and occasionally spotted on his bicycle downtown.

The Boyfriend Song is from his 2008 release Little Buildings with Arts & Crafts, though the song was originally from his previous album Darby & Joan (2004) with the now defunct Three Gut Records. The song is very catchy and fun-loving, and most importantly, doesn’t insist upon itself. It’s a great song. Be sure to check out his entire discography.

Credit Where It's Due: ayalah

The One True Winter Tradition

The NFL owns American Thanksgiving, with several featured football games on a late November Thursday. The NBA has taken on Santa for Christmas Day focus, providing a full day of major basketball rivalries, allowing all the star teams to play one another on one big day. Both holidays are very special, but the sports games are just like any other regular season game, on a day where the focus is far from sport. Only professional hockey has started something that is not only different, but also exciting. Every New Year’s Day since 2008, the NHL has hosted the Winter Classic, a single game played outdoors in the dead of winter. While all leagues have found success with their special sporting days, only the NHL has created something different, something exciting, and not diluted the event to take away from the moment. 

There are three major reasons why the NHL has outdone the other major sporting leagues with the Winter Classic.

Movie Watchers I Know - Part III

Part III of this four-part series about the diversity of movie watchers will focus on several traits people have when watching movies at home. In Part I and Part II, we spoke of those that have certain qualities when watching movies in the theatre, be it during the previews or the features presentation. This section will look at those who have movie evenings at home on TV. 

Again, if you belong to any of these groups, don’t be shy and proudly admit to it. Also feel free to add any other types of movie watchers you yourself know.  Let us continue now with Part III: At Home.

Song of the Week (Christmas Edition)

Renée Fleming (with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir) - Joy to the World

Tomorrow is Christmas Day, and what better way to celebrate than the voice of Renée Fleming. Fleming is perhaps the most accomplished opera singer currently alive. She has been a star at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City since her debut in 1991, so much so that she even has her own perfume sold in a bottle shaped like the lights hanging above at the Met.

She is a 3-time Grammy Award winner, most recently in 2010 for Best Classical Vocal Performance. She has also sung for Bill Clinton at the 1999 White House Christmas party and President Obama's inauguration, as well as performed for the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and 2008 Summer Olympics in China. She has also performed in numerous movie soundtracks, most notably Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003). Her list of awards and singing accomplishments goes on and on.

She continues to tour today, recently releasing her latest CD, Dark Hope. In this album, Fleming takes a break from her arias to perform covers of more current alternative bands (Death Cab for Cutie, Muse, Arcade Fire, The Mars Volta), as well as classic artists (Leonard Cohen, Peter Gabriel).

After seeing her perform live almost a month ago, I can assure you that she does live up to her impressive resume.

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The Ultimate Christmas Movie

Christmas time is full of cheer and excitement. Families across the globe are looking for appropriate movies to put them in the right loving mindset with one another. There are a plethora of Christmas movies starring famous comedians looking to present a family-friendly movie.

Tim Allen, the one-time star of Home Improvement, has had box office success for his trilogy The Santa Clause. Will Ferrell, the star of Saturday Night Live during the 90s as well as many motion pictures, had his obligatory Christmas movie, Elf, released in 2003. Ferrell stared as Buddy, a human raised as an elf and, due to his size differential, was seen as an outcast. The success of this Elf has even led to its debut on Broadway this year. 

Will Ferrell in Elf

Vince Vaughan starred in Fred Claus, the story of Santa Claus’ lesser known brother. Jim Carrey has played both Scrooge and the Grinch, Billy Bob Thornton has been a shopping mall Santa, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger has dabbled in spreading the Christmas cheer with Jingle All the Way. The problem with Christmas movies is, however, that people lower their standards for such films. Audiences don’t want to look at these films critically and instead want to simply leave with a happy ending, no matter how poor the movie may be (and many of them are). So this Christmas, what should you watch? The answer is and has always been the same……

Song of the Week (The Phantom)

The Phantom - Til I Hear You Sing

The Phantom played by: Ramin Karimloo
Composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Album: Love Never Dies

When I was a child, my parents went to go see The Phantom of the Opera at the theatre. My parents didn't get me a ticket to join, saying that I would be too young to remember the event. A decade later, I still remember that day at home while my parents enjoyed the opera, while I was forced to stay at home.
My love of opera has blossomed since that day. I would play their CD over and over again, entranced by the music and the story. A few weeks ago during a short stay in London, I had the opportunity to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom sequel: Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre.

The performance was absolutely beautiful and a welcome addition to the storied Phantom franchise.
And this time, I didn't bring my parents with me.

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Movie Watchers I Know - Part II

In Part II of a four-part series about the diversity of movie watchers, we will discuss the different types of people that watch movies in theatres. In Part I, we already spoke of those that have certain qualities during the movie previews, so this part will focus on viewers of the feature presentation.

Again, if you belong to any of these groups, don't be shy about it. Stand up and admit to it. Also feel free to add any other types of movie watchers you happen to know. Let us continue now with Part II: In Theatres (During the Movie).