My friends who’ve been nudging me to develop a greater appreciation for house music might be surprised to know how much I enjoyed Royksopp’s opening set. The abrupt ending to their act made me realize I should re-think my attitude towards the genre. Apparently electronic artists deserve a second chance in my music library after all.
If Peter Bjorn and John joined forces with Janelle Monae, they could still learn a thing or two from Fitz and the Tantrums. The indie dance pop band turned the Danforth Music Hall into a wicked dance party on Sunday night, which made me forget my Queen’s Plate FOMO.
Fitz and the Tantrums (FATT) may not be a local band, but the sincerity they expressed during their commentary convinced me that they’d fit right in with polite Canadians. Their fans aren’t necessarily hipster enough for Parkdale, but maybe they biked over from the Beaches.
After FATT dedicated Out of My League to the audience, everyone stood up — including the relatively introverted fans with balcony seats. The band inspired fans to put down their phones and dance like no one’s watching. It was awesome.
“It’s like Mad Men around here.”
Even though Tim Hortons never had a chance to work with Don Draper, they’ve done quite well in the last 50 years. According to Marketel, Tim Hortons is Canadian women’s favourite brand and it ranks high on my list too.
To celebrate its 50th birthday, Tim Hortons threw a huge bash at Yonge & Dundas Square today. Actors wearing vintage garments created a vibrant scene set in the 60s, featuring parents with a baby carriage and a police officer who was delighted to put people in his black and white cop car. They put on quite a show and a caffeinated audience ‘ate it up,’ as my grandmother likes to say.
Disney’s new cloud movie service inspired me to return to the happiest place on earth. Now that I’m back, I’m excited to watch my favourite animated movies – especially Mary Poppins. Let’s rewind a bit, #ThrowbackThursday style, to explain the correlation between Disney’s app and my trip.
My former colleagues at Blast Radius designed creative to advertise Disney’s new streaming service and as soon as I saw a preview, nostalgia got the best of me. A few weeks later, I went to Orlando to relax and enjoy Disney’s world-class entertainment. Staying at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort only made me more eager to watch Disney movies, so I’m excited to download Disney Movies Anywhere and tackle my to-watch list.
Disney Movies Anywhere is available to PC and Mac users through iTunes and its movie catalogue has over 400 titles. Working at Future Shop tempted me to buy Apple TV and I know that when I eventually splurge on it, Disney movies will look better than when I initially watched them on VHS sans flat-screen TV.
The launch of Disney Movies Anywhere was scheduled to coincide with the release of Frozen, which is nominated for best animated feature film at the Oscars. It was fun to see replicas of Disney’s Academy Awards at the Animation Studio and Gallery in Hollywood Studios and I hope they earn more statues this weekend.
It’s a polar vortex out there, so stay in on Sunday night and cheer for Frozen. In the meantime, check out Disney Movies Anywhere. Bonus points if you make Mickey-shaped cookies to snack on instead of popcorn.
Familiar Strangers (Ryan Peters, Josh Gladstone and Daniel Draper) put on a great show Sunday night at Drums N Flats. Their set list included original songs like Bar in Seattle, as well as covers of Avicii’s Wake Me Up, Barenaked Ladies’ Pinch Me and The Lumineers’ Ho Hey.
Which band do you want to reunite this year?
Ryan: Groove Street
Josh: On The Rocks
Daniel: Dispatch
Who would you like to see win big at the Grammys?
Ryan: Taylor Swift
Josh: Mumford and Sons
Daniel: Daft Punk or Robin Thicke
Do you think music videos are still important?
Ryan: Videos are a good way to get to know the band’s personality. OK Go have a really cool music video with them walking on a treadmill, which showed off their quirkiness. I think [music videos] are still important.
Josh: I think we’re in an age of visual people because of YouTube etc., so if people want to get famous, they have to go down that route, or else they won’t have a presence. But in my opinion, music should always be primary.
Daniel: I don’t think they help artists sell music, but they’re good for artists that want to make a statement. I like Lupe Fiasco and Macklemore because they recently came out with some interesting videos. What Beyoncé did by putting out a video for each song was incredibly unique and made a statement. They’re not just dancing videos; they’re telling stories.