Get to know a Static contributor: Melody Lamb

melody lamb

Static’s second issue, First Times in Toronto, is out October 22nd. So to celebrate, over the month, you’ll get to know the contributors of the issue through some of their first times in Toronto.

Melody Lamb is one of the managing editors of Static. She wrote two articles for the first issue, one on the kinds of people you’d find in record stores and one on why there should be more food available around the clock. For the second issue, she’ll tackle something much darker. Melody helps run the zine with Jessica and Aviva, such as with idea generation, curating the mixtapes and events and managing the contributors. Melody is currently in her last year of university and has a steady schedule of music journalism for many web outlets such as Spinner and The Line of Best Fit.

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when I figured out the proximity between my grandmother’s apartment and the Eaton Centre. They were practically down the street from each other but it wasn’t till I started coming downtown myself that I made that connection; I always thought the two were miles apart!

First job was cashier at the Yonge-Eglinton Indigo – two floors of books and awesome.

First apartment was near Bloor, between Jarvis and Sherbourne. If I can survive that part of downtown Toronto, I can survive (almost) anything.

First favourite neighborhood was — Technically, I will forever be a North Yorker. I heart NY.

First concert was The Strokes at Ricoh Colliseum, 2006!

First bar/club I went to — Of course, the Horseshoe. Gotta do it right.

First outdoor concert was some show at Harbourfront. My favourite outdoor venue – the only logical step up is to actually have bands perform on boats and for us to watch from there.

First record store was Criminal Records. (Cue Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You”)

First in-store was Mother Mother @ Criminal Records. 

First favorite book was Rainbow Fish. But my first REAL favourite book was Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity. 

First library was Fairview Public Library. Got lost in there once, when I was four, and I cried for an hour. The place was only two floors. 

First celebrity sighting was some MuchMusic VJ outside of MuchMusic. Those were, unfortunately, what I considered celebrities back in the day. 

First kiss was Jake Ford, eighth grade, by my locker after school. I told him my friend dared me to do it when in reality I just wanted to do it.

First heartbreak was on the subway, during rush hour. Yes, break ups like that exist.

First New Year’s was technically, the first New Year’s that wasn’t spent at home or with family was with friends at the Tranzac. Great bands, great night and a regretful decision to have McDonald’s as my first meal of the year. Perfect.  

First Valentine’s Day — Baked my boyfriend a heart-shaped cookie, canceled our trip to the Science Centre, ate dinner at the Rivoli later that night then got into a fight and watched Slumdog Millionaire in the theatre without saying a word to each other. This pretty much sums up the trajectory of all my relationships. 

First trip out of Toronto was (without family) Montreal! Poutine, Osheaga, more poutine.

First time I got lost was — I don’t remember. I got lost quite often and it wasn’t till a friend pointed out that the city ran on a grid that I finally learned how to get around Toronto.  

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would hang out in Kensington Market, stroll around the city, maybe take a trip up the CN Tower (to take a look at the city one last time), spend the night having food adventures in the Annex, catch a show at the Horseshoe – hopefully a good band! – and end it with nachos at Sneaky Dee’s. No one leaves Toronto without the taste of those nachos in their mouth.