Cancer Bats take matters into their own hands

When Toronto hardcore punk band Cancer Bats released their sixth full-length album, The Spark that Moves, last year, it felt like a salute to their diverse repertoire: 2008’s Hail Destroyer, 2010’s Bars, Mayors, Scraps & Bones, and 2012’s Dead Set on Living, to name just a few of their full-lengths. Vocalist Liam Cormier says that […]

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Male burlesque show explores politics, gender identity, and Canadian culture

It’s been nine years since all-male, Toronto-based burlesque troupe BoylesqueTO formed, and in that time a lot has changed as far as gender identity and politics in Canada go, says performer James and the Giant Pasty. And, he says, these are exactly the topics the show doesn’t shy away from exploring. “We just wanted to […]

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New Music Revue: Creeping Death deliver extremely promising debut

Creeping DeathWretched Illusion(Entertainment One)4.5/5  Texas-based death metal band Creeping Death just released their debut full-length album, Wretched Illusions, after four years of releasing demos, EPs, and singles. “Heavy,” “headbanging,” and “brutal” are words to describe this album and this band. The title track starts off the album on a really brutal tone. As the listener […]

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What’s Going On: August 28 to September 10, 2019

Until Tuesday, September 11Attention foodies!I admit that our sweet, small city hasn’t got the best reputation as a place for fine food, but the situation is improving all the time, and what a way to find out: A Taste of Victoria: Food Tours is a two-hour tour that hits up various eateries around town. It […]

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New Music Revue: Bananagun offer up something completely unique on 7″

BananagunDo Yeah(Full Time Hobby)3.5/5  Bananagun, a five piece psych rock band out of Melbourne, Australia, are ready to share their music with the rest of the world. Do Yeah, the band’s first 7” single, is set for worldwide release on September 6. With hints of Donovan and Velvet Underground scattered throughout these three songs, Bananagun’s […]

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Montreal’s LENOIRE collaborates, experiments, get harmonious

With their upbeat, modern twist on the blues, Montreal’s LENOIRE go with the flow while performing. They are a band built on harmony. A genuine relationship is key in making music together and, for LENOIRE, always comes first in the process. “We don’t normally have a routine, we just hang out and chill together,” says […]

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Victoria Fringe Fest addresses the complexities of human emotion, life

Most of us can remember a vacation that’s gone horribly wrong. Flights get delayed, papers get lost—whatever it is, it’s the furthest thing from funny when it happens. In retrospect, however, the laughter often comes echoing through the cracks to make a good story. “I’ve compiled different stories to get that comic arc,” says playwright […]

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New play explores music, technology, and pop culture of generation X

In 2015, BOOM—a one-man show written and performed by Rick Miller about the legacy of the baby boom—came to the Belfry Theatre. Miller, a musician and devoted music fanatic, initially used BOOM to explore the early evolution of rock and roll, but it quickly evolved into something more. “It was about music at first, and […]

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Toronto electronic duo LAL create safe spaces with music

Toronto-based electronic duo LAL tackle very down-to-earth social issues through their music, but for their new album, Dark Beings, they took inspiration from something out of this world. The two members of LAL—Nicholas Murray and Rosina Kazi—got motivated by listening to NASA satellite sound recordings and tried to recreate those sounds on the album using […]

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What’s Going On: August 7 to 27, 2019

Until Sunday, August 11On the way to the RoxyA Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum might have debuted in 1912, but this play tells a classic story—it’s inspired by ancient Roman playwright Plautus, and it tells the story of a slave named Pseudolus and his plan to find freedom by helping his […]

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