VD Mix 2008
Current mood: oogy
Category: oogy Music

It's time for my 4th Annual VD Mix Tape. This year's edition is "Blush: The Dirty Love Session". You can download it here, just in time for Feb 14.

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Hot Nights In The City
Current mood: exhausted
Category: Parties and Nightlife

Nico and I attended, courtesy of my darling brother, the opening party for Andy Summers' photo exhibit, "I'll Be Watching You: Inside The Police, 1980-83" at the Edward Day Gallery. "Celebrity" sightings included:

• Andy Summers
• Jeanne Bekker
• Carlo Rotta
• Amanda Stepto
• Miriam McDonald
• Nina Dobrev
• Evan Solomon, in a sling
• Enza Supermodel

The photos themselves were quite charming. Check out the exhibit if you get a chance. It runs until  August 14. The free drinks were super tasty. My fave of the evening was the Amarula Colada, which involves shaking a mixture of Amarula Cream and fresh coconut water. One of those drinks that you don't think could possibly get you drunk. You'd be wrong. The Lindsay Lohan water of choice (Voss) did not live up to the hype. Met some lovely folks, illustrators Alannah and Tyrone. And I got to walk my very first red carpet! All five minutes from home.

To cap off the evening, as we walked along Queen, we were confronted with the antithesis of the excesses of the evening. There was a woman passed out in front of Bar One, mouth agape and eyes half open. While we awaited the paramedics a good samaritan had called for,  she sprang up and tried to leave. Another good samaritan took her into the nearby convenience store for some chips and water. She didn't appear to be high or drunk. She said she hadn't eaten for 2 days. By the time the medics showed up, she had already taken off. I hope they found her.

Currently reading : Don Quixotes Delusions: Travels in Castilian Spain By Miranda France Release date: 01 August, 2002

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Amy Winehouse
Category: Music

Went to see Amy Winehouse at the Mod Club tonight. Opener Patrick Wolf put on a good set, if not necessarily up my alley. I was equally excited to see her touring band, The Dap Kings, as I was the lady herself. I was not disappointed.

Now, we've all heard the stories about her frequent lack of professionalism. And yes, she was clearly loaded. And yes, she did drop some lyrics and didn't often enunciate. But there's no denying that voice. Even in the state she was in, the voice tore through everything and went straight to your gut. And she was funny and cute. My favourite line of the night was, after taking a swig from her plastic cup, "I love Shirley Temples. I really do."

The Dap Kings were, as they say, outtasight. The sound was full, lovely and 100% funky. Hopefully, they'll return to Toronto soon, with Miss Sharon Jones. And I loved watching the backup singers, the Thompson Brothers, I believe. Their choreography was pure 50's motown fun. All in all, plenty of entertainment bang for the buck.

Currently reading : Collected Screenplays By Hanif Kureishi Release date: 08 April, 2002

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My hair, my self
Current mood: contemplative
Category: Life

As my friend Motown Girl can tell you, black women have long had a complicated relationship with their hair. In fact, it was her website that helped me along to the natural hair I now have and love. It's been a 6 year journey of growing it out and cutting it down, but the third time was the charm. This time it's grown out just the way I've always imagined it could be - shiny, strong, soft and perfectly curly.

For the last couple of months, I've been thinking about what it would look like blown out and straightened. So I made an appointment with the lovely Judy to get it done. I had a feeling it would feel strange, and that I would look completely different. But I still exclaimed a "holy crap!" when I saw the final result. I saw my mother's face looking back at me from the mirror. And while my mother is a good looking woman, it was still shocking.

Though it's only temporary, this hairstyle has made me think a lot about the way my hair defines me in a way. Judy did a great job, but somehow, this hair makes me feel more ordinary - less me. Some of the friends who have seen it agree. My untouched hair is a signifier for the person who is Bev. This style feels like a disguise. But for the next few days, I'll try and enjoy being able to run my fingers through my hair, not worrying about hat, bed or headphone head, and seeing the shocked reactions of people who know me but would walk right by me the way I look today.

Currently reading : The Namesake: A Novel By Jhumpa Lahiri Release date: 01 September, 2004

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Silly Love Songs
Category: Music

Well, it's nearly February 14th, and you know what that means. That's right, it's time for my annual VD Playlist. This year's edition is called "Call It Quits". One of my coupled friends said that VD isn't a day for couples, it's a day to try and make single people feel shitty. So, make your own list and celebrate with me. Here's a little inspiration. Click the links for samples::

1. Loneliness Café - Bev Lee Harling
2. Love On The Rocks - Gladys Knight
3. When Your Lover has Gone - Billie Holiday
4. When Sorrow Calls - SDoun
5. Fun - Floetry
6. I Cant Go For That (Ben Liebrand mix) - Hall & Oates
7. Never Again - Big Moses feat. Kenny Bobien
8. Blood From a Stone - Spanky Wilson & The Quantic Soul Orchestra
9. Band of Gold - Freda Payne
10. Didn't I - Darondo
11. It's Too Late - The Stylistics
12. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover - Paul Simon
13. Ex-Factor - Lauryn Hill
14. What About - Janet Jackson
15. Slowly Surely - Jill Scott
16. L'Amour ne Dure pas Toujours - Feist

Happy VD everybody.

Currently listening : Back to Black By Amy Winehouse Release date: 13 March, 2007

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What the song says
Current mood: amused
Category: Quiz/Survey

Picked this up from my pal Nico. Some of the answers are eerily appropriate...

Put your music player on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question. Post on your blog.

Currently listening : Attack of the Attacking Things By Jean Grae Release date: 06 August, 2002

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Future Funk
Current mood: cheerful
Category: Parties and Nightlife

John Arnold rocked the house last night! Miss K (who is now a bona fide JA fan) and I were both dead tired, but the man's beats, enthusiasm and seemingly boundless energy meant we couldn't stay off our feet - or the dance floor - for long. Thanks to Mr. Sax for bringin' him to the masses.

Currently reading : Washington Square (Modern Library Classics) By Henry James Release date: 08 October, 2002

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To quote Sean Sax: Vinx will kick your ass!
Current mood: tired
Category: Music

So I went down to Saidah's Wednesday night extravaganza, Skiffle In My Ear. This week was the first all-male Skiffle. The boys were all very good. But then the MAN came on. That man was Vinx. Now I had been vaguely aware of Vinx, but only from seeing his CDs in the racks when I worked at HMV. I've been a fool.

During the sets of Kevin Reigh, Saint Peter and Chris Rouse, Vinx was accpanying on one of two drums he had. One was this cool-ass electric thing I'd never seen before. It could sound like a sitar! So that was cool, you know. I'm thinkin' "This guy's a really great percussionist. But so is that tabla player, Gurpreet." Then Vinx got up for his set - the part where he sings...

The only way I can describe the physical effect that voice had on me is that it felt like it reached down my throat, grabbed a hold of my stomach and sqeezed it really tight. I now love the song Moondance.

Now, Ciao Edie is a small room, so a voice with that much texture, power, grace and sensitivity, in a space the size of your living room, is gonna knock you the fuck out. And he did. Vinx is one of those full-body singers, tapping his chest to affect resonance, etc., of which type I am greatly enamoured.

But anything I say can't possibly fully convey what I saw and heard this week. You must experience Vinx for yourself. If he comes to your town, do not hesitate to buy a ticket. And prepare to have your ass kicked. You can thank me later.

Currently listening : The Mood I'm In By Vinx Release date: 01 October, 2002

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Long weekend fun
Current mood: amused
Category: Games

Today was newmindspace's Bubble Battle. Basically, people showed up with cameras and bubble makers and had at it. It was so fun! I mean, who can resist bubbles?!  Almost makes up for Brazil's loss yesterday... almost.

See more pics here.
Then click on the "bubble battle" tag to see shots from all over the US and Canada.

Currently listening : Shine Through By Aloe Blacc Release date: 11 July, 2006

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Taste of Little Italy - featuring samba, salsa and more!
Current mood: tired
Category: Life

Well, it's World Cup time, and I can't seem to focus on much else.  I met up with the Large White Mocha to watch the Italy v USA game (a shameful spectacle IMHO). Being in Little Italy during the Taste Of Little Italy Festival while World Cup is on meant we had to walk up and down College Street for a while until we found a spot where we could smoke, eat, drink AND watch the game. We stumbled upon a new place called Il Gusto. I'd love to tell you about the food, but it seems they weren't actually ready to be open. They'd gone to the trouble of setting up a big screen TV on the lovely patio and were serving drinks, but there was no food available! Foolish. Add to that that our waitress looked about 16 years old and petrified, AND was trying to quit smoking, and you can imagine the service we got. We asked if there was food available and she told us no. Then the table next to us asked if they could get appetizers. She said yes. Apparently, appetizers aren't food. Which is moot really, because they weren't serving appetizers either. And we couldn't bring a slice of pizza over. I blamed it on the patch. We watched the second half at Cervejaria.

After a spell on the Mocha's glorious rooftop deck, I wandered back to College to watch Capoeira Camara perform. If you've never seen or tried capoeira, let me tell you, you have to be fit to do this dance. Five minutes of the most basic steps of it nearly killed me.

What struck me about the Taste of Little Italy festival is that it not only features traditional Italian song, dance and food, but also African, Brazilian, Portuguese, Spanish and Latin American. It just reinforced what it is I love most about this city. It's multiculturalism at it's best. Yes, there are neighbourhoods based on ethnicity/nationality, but they never feel exclusive. Torontonians love to share their myriad cultures, and that is special and beautiful. God bless Johnny Lombardi.

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