A cost-friendly guide to the multimedia extravaganza
The annual Luminato Festival is back, once again bringing an array of artistic events to the streets and stages of Toronto. Most of the buzz surrounding the festival this year has centred on performances by big-name performers like John Malkovich and Rufus Wainwright. If you’re not inclined to break the bank for a bit of celebrity cachet, Luminato is also offering a host of equally enticing and considerably more cost-friendly events. Here are The Varsity’s top 5 free picks:
Rainbow City Installation at Queen’s Park: Before Queen’s Park is seized by hordes of volatile protestors, FriendsWithYou, a Miami-based art collective, will be using their signature touch to transform it into a world of whimsy and a series of over-sized and undeniably adorable installations. Expect smoke-billowing totem poles, inflatable characters and giant bouncy houses that turn Queen’s Park into a playground for children and adults. Queen’s Park. June 16-20.
(un)veiled: Muslim Women Talk About the Hijab: As part of their “Spotlight on Arabic Film”, (un)veiled is a documentary about the women behind the hijab. Through discussion of this politically-charged piece of clothing, (un)veiled explores the meaning of modernity, emancipation and feminism in Muslim societies. Mediatheque. 150 John Street. June 17, 5PM.
Waves Festival: Following the Waves Festival’s success at last year’s Luminato, artists from across Toronto will once again gather at the Young Centre for Performing Arts to share their original works. Over 100 artists will occupy every corner of the venue and present an array of interactive performances, each lasting 15 minutes. Aside from showcasing a variety of works by local artists, the Waves Festival is probably the only time during the year that you can open a closet and be greeted by someone strumming on a ukulele. Young Centre for the Performing Arts. June 18, 6PM-10PM, June 19, 2PM-10PM, June 20, 1PM-6PM.
Sweatshoppe: Multi-media artists Bruno Levy and Blake Shaw bring guerrilla street art into the 21st century. Calling themselves Sweatshoppe, the masked duo use custom software, digital mapping techniques and LED-equipped paint rollers to “paint” video images onto the walls of commercial buildings. During this year’s Luminato, you can catch their innovative performances as they digitally tag buildings across downtown Toronto. Various times and locations (see www.luminato.com for details). Free.
President’s Choice 1000 Tastes of Toronto: When someone mentions street food, the first adjective to pop into your head probably isn’t “gastronomical grace”. That, however, is exactly how Luminato’s street food festival describes its selection of eats. The event features some of the city’s finest chefs, who will offer samples of their dishes at stations throughout Queens Park during Luminato’s closing weekend. At five dollars an item, street food gets a gourmet revamping without inflated gourmet prices. June 19-20. Queen’s Park.—Brigit Katz
As Horace Greeley proclaimed, “ Go [North] young man! [To Toronto’s most hipster-friendly music fest!]”
North by Northeast – known lovingly by its acronym, NXNE – has become a staple event for today’s local music lovers. More than other major music festivals, it offers an eclectic lineup blending unsigned bands, indie faves, and major-label artists to create one killer show, certain to offer something for everyone.
As anticipated, this year’s bill won’t let you down, with opportunities to see huge acts in the heart of the city. Perhaps most anticipated is a show from Iggy and the Stooges, which is the only Canadian stop on this legendary band’s tour – better yet, it’s free. Other major acts include Eagles of Death Metal, an alt-rock collective featuring members of Queens of the Stone Age and Them Crooked Vultures who, despite their title, do not play death metal but rather infectious hard rock, The Raveonettes, a moody shoegaze-duo who incorporate elements of electronica and make for a dark and heavy live experience; De La Soul, a legendary and prolific hip-hop act who strongly contributed to the development of jazz and alt-rap, and Sloan, Canada’s most acclaimed pop-rock quartet, who will be here representing our homegrown sound.
If you’re looking to avoid the crowds, NXNE offers countless shows aimed at niche audiences. On my hit list are Les Savy Fav, an energetic group known for eccentric behavior and a wild live experience (be prepared for crowd-surfing and similar antics). Warpaint is burgeoning on the indie scene, employing a mellow sound with focused intensity. Timbre Timbre, local darlings with much recent acclaim, are in a similar sonic vein and seem on the brink of stardom – see them here while you can. The Strange Boys blend elements of punk and country, executing it all with garage-rock messiness and a quirky stage presence. Intriguing and endearing, they make for a unique live experience. Perhaps my number one ‘must-see’ is Young Galaxy: members of the Arts and Crafts family, this Canadian indie paragon is a collision, a surge, a swell of sonic splendor and lyrical luster, and whose live performances manage to top their already moving records.
5-day wristbands are $50, and 1-day wristbands are $25 – a good deal, considering the caliber of acts and venues, and their respective typical ticket prices. For full details regarding tickets and schedules, be sure to check out http://nxne.com.—Alana Leprich
Living life on the Fringe? Good thing there’s a festival of the same name…
The Fringe, Toronto’s annual theatre festival, begins June 30 and, as always, is full of adventurous, innovative, and just-plain-weird delights. The festival showcases 150 productions across 25 different venues and has a strict “no-artistic-intervention” policy. So while the festival can guarantee all shows will be ten dollars or less—it can’t guarantee that they’ll be any good. Here are The Varsity’s top picks…
Die Roten Punkte- Kunst Rock (Art Rock): They have made a name for themselves as Berlin’s Prince and Princess of Indie Rock. The dysfunctional sibling duo Otto and Astrid Rot make up an electro-punk parody band that is ready to debut their latest album, Kunst Rock. Back for their third year at Fringe, Die Roten Punkte is an interactive performance filled with catchy tunes and madcap lyrics. And who among us would pass up the opportunity to sing along to a German punk single entitled “Burger Store Dinosaur”? Bathurst Street Theatre. July 2-9.
The Carnegie Hall Show! From the winners of the 2009 Canadian Comedy Award for “Best Improv Troupe,” The Carnegie Hall Show is an all-improv variety show that satirizes the gala retrospective. Improv shows are always hit or miss, (read, unscripted) with a cast that features Second City alumni Matt Baram and Naomi Sniekus, Mad TV’s Ron Pederson and Fringe regular Chris Gibbs. These pros have perfected the art of failing. Factory Theatre Mainspace. July 2-11.
Dance Animal: This dance troupe from Montreal claims to draw inspiration anywhere, from reality television to slapstick comedy. Winner of the 2009 Just for Laughs “Best of Montreal” comedy prize, Robin Henderson’s choreography and character monologues deliberately combine the talents of Anglophones and Francophones to make for a completely bilingual high-energy dance-sketch comedy show. The Hour’s Brett Hooton described Dance Animal as Montreal’s first “comedy supergroup.” George Ignatieff Theatre. July 1-11.
Evelyn Reese’s Walking Tour: Holding true to The Fringe mantra “think outside the box,” Susan Fischer takes her Evelyn Reese persona outside the theatre and on to the streets. This gaudy and eccentric character tells stories and chats up strangers, all the while leading a tour of some familiar Toronto sights, such as Honest Ed’s, Wiener’s Hardware, Futures Bakery, and a (possibly less familiar) bra-fitting store. Starts and ends at Fringe Headquarters. June 30- July 11.
Aomega: Aomega is written and performed by Daniel Nimmo—who you might recognize as the guy with the flying airplanes attached to his helmet on Australia’s Got Talent. Nimmo’s latest act, that is sure to equal in absurdity, follows Aomega, a trans-dimensional activist that has come to earth to save the world— a world inside the one he loves. The one he loves happens to be…YOU! Factory Theatre Mainspace. July 2-10.—Ariel Lewis
