Static’s second issue, First Times in Toronto, is out October 20th. So to celebrate, over the month, you’ll get to know the contributors of the issue through some of their first times in Toronto.

Alex Pulec returns to issue 2 with his second installment of “Sugar + Spikes,” this time a collection of first time realizations around the city. In the first issue, he set out to find pros and cons of places such as the Comfort Zone and Hibiscus, this time he’s visited by Jesus, memories of The Rockit and visions of a seedy CN Tower. When Alex isn’t writing and helping to promote the zine, he sings and plays guitar in The Ruby Spirit and bangs on the black + white keys of an upright piano at a cinema. Alex also has a massive, eclectic music collection. Completely dedicated to vinyl, every now and then you can catch him spinning wax around town under different aliases.

First job was an archivist for Canada’s oldest and longest running independent record label “True North Recrods.” It’s amazing how it was founded in 1969 and is still running today. Archiving their master 2” tapes from Bruce Coburn to The Buzzcocks was really interesting to me as a young aspiring musician.

First house was in Scarborough with my parents growing up.

First apartment in downtown Toronto was in a Greek family’s basement at Clinton + Bloor.

First concert was Shania Twain (in TIMMINS) which should earn me 10,000 bonus points beacuse it’s her childhood hometown and this show was a free show she threw for the city celebrating her town, and well It’s Timmins.

First bar/club I went to was The Kathedral within “The Big Bop” building. That’s where I played my first club show with my first band. Never went to a bar before performing at one.

First outdoor concert was that “SARSstock” event that the city of Toronto threw to make everyone feel better about the popular flu-like outbreak of 2003, by INVITING 800,000 PEOPLE TO BE PACKED SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH COMPLETE STRANGERS without many bathrooms, cleaning supplies or food. If you wanted some extra luxurious standing space around you all one had to do was cough loudly.

First record store was Vortex on Yonge street. Went everyday after school, chock full of used CDs + vinyl and other amazing stuff. Remember getting my first interview 12” of the Violent Femmes there.

First in-store was Queens of the Stone Age at HMV on Queen Street. I met Zanta for the first time that night too. Anyone know where he is now???

First favorite book was A Clockwork Orange. Fuzzy Yarbles!

First celebrity sighting: I think I saw John Lennon’s face in a piece of burnt toast once.

First kiss wuz so lyke in 1998. a/s/l? LOL.

First heartbreak was inevitable.

First Valentine’s Day was another attempt at the inevitable.

First time I went to the islands was to shoot some video with friends back when I was younger and first getting into film. It got dark right as we got there so nothing came out. We spent the rest of the time hanging out on the beach.

First trip out of Toronto was to Timmins. I had family there and was consistently visiting and staying over as I grew up. Great for bike riding, they have a pretty amazing bowling alley too.

First time I got lost was around the Greenwood station neighborhood. It felt like alien territory to me as a kid coming from suburban Toronto and not knowing the city very well. The people there also seemed so alien that I felt like I was in another city. That area still spooks me inside every time I’m there.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would throw a party at my place with all the friends I have made in TO over the years.