Category Archives: Issue 2

Get to know a Static contributor: Carmel G.

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carmel g.

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.

Carmel G. took a trip for the first issue of Static Zine, experiencing the Brick Works for the first time and bringing us back many helpful ideas and tips. That was one of the sparks towards the second issue’s theme of first times, so for this one she recounts a purchase that was very meaningful and will bring more memories for her in the future. Carmel studied Shakespeare in the U.K. over the summer and is currently working on an English degree at the University of Toronto.

First house was two blocks away from where I live now.

First favourite neighborhood was Avenue Rd, my ‘hood.

First concert was The Strokes at the Ricoh in the 9th grade. It said somewhere on Ticketmaster that cameras weren’t allowed in the venue, so I discreetly hid mine under my shirt only to discover later that cameras were totally allowed and you could take photos to your heart’s content, what. Oh, and our assigned seats didn’t actually exist. The security guards had to bring in folding chairs to accommodate us. Needless to say, we became buddies with security by the end of the night. The Most Serene Republic opened that show, too. They got a new bassist that day, if I remember correctly. The Strokes came out, and I belted my heart out, obviously. It was cathartic. Among the usual favourites, they played “Hawaii,” a B-side from the Juicebox single, and a really great cover of Lou Reed’s “A Walk On the Wild Side.”

Although, if you really want to be technical about “firsts,” my first concert would probably have been some piano concerto my parents dragged me to. Lang Lang at the Roy Thomson Hall was probably the best nap I’ve ever had.

First bar/club I went to was probably The Drake Underground when Matt from The Elwins snuck me in because I wasn’t legal yet; as for the first club, probably Wetbar during Frosh. NEVER AGAIN. Although I did get to dance with a really cute exchange student from Paris, so I guess that night wasn’t all terrible.

First outdoor concert: stumbled upon Hedley at a Canada Day celebration at some park — it may have been Downsview. Needless to say, it was awful.

First record store was Sam the Record Man – never forget

First in-store was probably at Sonic Boom, can’t remember

First favourite book: Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

First library: Armour Heights, a sad little place in my neighbourhood

First celebrity sighting was Natalie Portman walking around Queen Street like it wasn’t a big deal… or Jackie Chan in a town car, smiling & waving at me while on the highway, but this might not have been in Toronto, so let’s go with Natalie Portman.

First time I went to the islands (sans family) was that time when Rogue Wave were still relevant and played a mini-festival with Death Cab and some other bands.

First trip out of Toronto was somewhere in America. I go there pretty often. Probably too often.

First time I got lost was probably at Sam the Record Man. I have a vague memory of finding myself in the gospel section, terrified. Or at York University for a tennis match. I wandered around the campus for an hour, crying while looking for the Rexall Centre. Needless to say, I didn’t even bother applying there for uni.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would wake up early in the morning, have breakfast. Take one final walk around the neighbourhood. Hang out at Mount Pleasant. Make a snowman (if this were to happen during the winter). Walk around UofT one last time. Go to Sonic Boom. Have afternoon tea and cake at the Red Tea Box. Or get macarons from Nadege and hang out at Bellwoods. Head over to the Brick Works. Watch the sunset at the Don Valley. Catch a good band for an early show. Then head out to the airport!

Get to know a Static contributor: Matti B

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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.

His name is Matthew Daniel Bressan, but only on paper. Most folks call him Matti; it’s shorter and you can dot the i with cute shit. He drinks like a fish, smokes like chimney and dresses like your grandpa. He makes money by writing advertisements for corporate fat cats but his true passion is his weirdo little doodles as seen in the first issue (and upcoming issue) of Static Zine. When he grows up he wants to be established with a nice piece of property, a bread-winning husband, and the kind of respect earned through fear from the other moms on the PTA. For now it’s all just big fat burritos and tattoos in between creative writing binges and traveling anywhere he can blend in.

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when i was born there.

First job was the miserable chocolate factory. no oompa-loompas, just a cranky old man and his bitter wife. i often fell asleep working the production line and ruined dozens of batches of chocolates.

First house was temporary, like all 15 of my homes.

First favourite neighborhood was one i never lived in.

First concert was Gwen Stefani, nosebleeds at the ACC. i was a late bloomer.

First bar/club I went to i got too drunk to remember its name.

First favorite book: Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugendies

First kiss was not worth remembering.

First heartbreak was never an issue.

First time I stayed up all night was talking to fellow Static contributor Adriana Rolston at a slumber party.

First time I went to the islands i found a new oasis.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would eat a big fat burrito. make it as spicy as possible please.

Get to know a Static contributor: Tom Lowery

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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.

Tom Lowery will make his debut in issue 2 in the form of a comic and cut-out-your-own bookmarks. Tom’s also designed other bookmarks and buttons we’ll have at Canzine (and maybe if you catch one of us on the street). Tom’s from a small northern town called Temagami where the people think Sonic Youth is something you’re cooking for dinner. Tom went to school for journalism in North Bay and forgot his diploma in a gas station bathroom, so now he’s studying English and Film at the University of Toronto. In his spare time, Tom makes forts out of his bed and stays up late reading comics with a flashlight. His more productive hobbies include taking apart cardboard boxes and drawing cartoons for his blog, tomloweryisdumb. He eats at least one peanut butter sandwich each day.

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when I was five and looked out the window of my grandparents’ 19th floor condo at 1am and the streetlights were still on.

First job was: Editorial intern for music and stuff. (Remember when that lesbian glam rock band called me a misogynist?)

First house was: I lived in a house on the beach for a few months. At night, I’d sit on the lawn with a box of ginger biscuits and watch the raccoons duke it out Mortal Kombat style.

First favourite neighborhood was: I’m like a goldfish, so it’s hard to play favourites—but it might have been Mirvish Village, because that’s where The Beguiling is.

First concert was The Black Halos (“Somethings Never Fall” still kills)

First bar/club I went to was The Warehouse (now Kool Haus)

First outdoor concert was Warped Tour or the first V-Fest.

First record store was Sam The Record Man.

First in-store was The Weakerthans, I think.

First favorite book: After the J.D. Salinger oeuvre, it’s a tie between “Lullabies For Little Criminals” by Heather O’Neill and “The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-time” by Mark Haddon.

First library was The MF Reference Library.

First celebrity sighting was: Never. I stare at my shoes a lot.

First kiss was nothing special, which might be get me slapped. Whatever. Bitch.

First heartbreak was: This is getting emo…

First New Year’s was *scene missing, no refunds*

First Valentine’s Day was *scene missing, loser*

First time I stayed up all night: Somehow I got dragged along to one of those “A Taste Of Chaos” shows. Stupid story short, the people who attend ATOC like to lace their weed.

First time I went to the islands: V-Fest…for The Strokes.

First time I got lost was near What A Bagel. I also got locked in a Future Shop one night…I got out.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would pee off the CN Tower.

tom comic

Get to know a Static contributor: Kristian Pedersen

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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.

Kristian Pedersen has made himself the “fun guy” of Static Zine by far. In issue 1, he made a maze & interviewed Heartbeat Hotel and in this upcoming issue, you’ll have plenty of fun with something he’s constructed out of words (or no words). Kristian also designed Static Zine’s awesome first ever cover, and holds a special edition that was printed on blue paper at the copy centre. When KNP’s not doing all these fun design things for Static, he works at a university, writes Christmas music, watches movies and DJs at the Magpie (TONIGHT, in fact).

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when the regular waitress at the pub near my school started knowing what I wanted without bringing me a menu. After I got over feeling predictable and unoriginal, I felt like that I somehow belonged. At least at Richmond and Sherbourne.

First job was at H&M at the Eaton Center. I worked in the stock area and learned quickly that if you played Joanna Newsom on the CD player, everyone would be too terrified to ask you to do anything.

My first Apartment was the high rise at the corner of Queen and John, right in the middle of Grange park. The location was wonderful, but the roommates were not. One started using my organ to make “avant garde” music in the middle of the night, which she recorded as our outgoing answering machine messages. On the bright side, I lived near Kensington!

First favourite neighborhood was Little Italy. The first time wandered alone downtown I was blown away that convenience regularly stores stocked Jones Soda, and that Soundscapes had every album I read about in Exclaim.

First concert was: By Divine Right and Matt Pond PA at Sneaky Dees. I was only eighteen at the time but fortunately didn’t get stopped.

First bar/club I went to was the Townhouse in Sudbury. I was only 18 at the time, but managed to borrow a friends ID and spent the day cutting my hair and finding glasses just like his. It worked without a hitch. That was for a Constantines show, during the Shine A Light tour.

First outdoor concert was Broken Social Scene at Dundas Square. The bill was Great Big Sea, a french play about flamingos and Menstruation, headlined by BSS. It’s still the weirdest event I’ve ever attended.

First record store: Mudshark Media in North Bay. It only stocked Punk music and Guided By Voices vinyl. That was enough to tide me over until a move to Toronto.

First in-store was: Cuff The Duke at Soundscapes, right when the second full length came out. It was packed and on a very humid day in the middle of the summer. Hottest concert I’ve been to… And not just because of Wayne Petti.

First favorite book: Tietam Brown by Mick Foley. A coming of age novel written by a professional wrestler. Shut up.

First library was the North Bay Public Library. I once stole a Ghostwriter VHS from them, and got charged 80 dollars for it.

First celebrity sighting was Spencer Rice from Kenny vs Spenny. While walking in cabbagetown with my roommate Sam, a van pulled up with him inside asking where a restaurant was. I explained that I had lived there for years and never seen it. It may be that Kenny was messing with him. He got angry and drove away.

First kiss was: Whitney Brown after awkwardly tangoing to “talk to me dance with me” by Hot Hot Heat. Please don’t do the math. I wasn’t very cool.

First heartbreak was a little awkward.

First New Year’s was last year at my best friend’s house in North Toronto. Until then I had stayed in my hometown for new years.

First Valentine’s Day was the day after my first girlfriend dumped me. #awkward.

First time I stayed up all night was in the fifth grade. I somehow tore a tendon while sleeping and couldn’t go back to bed. I stayed up all night watching infomercials.

First time I got lost was: On my way to an emergency dentist on the North end of Yonge street. Apparently when you get high enough you can’t see the CN tower anymore.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would Grab a wrap from wrapido and sit in Kensington Market, walk to Soundscapes to buy just about everything in the consignment section, then get some pulled pork at Sky Blue Sky and sit playing board games at Snakes and Lattes.

Get to know a Static contributor: Catherine Lacbay

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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.

Catherine Lacbay returns to issue 2 with a heartwarming story about helping people in need. No stranger to the zine, Catherine’s guide to show-hopping graced the centre spread of the first issue. Catherine somehow manages to get done what three people must do within a day, every day, working two jobs, living in Etobicoke and running the music blog Buying Shots for Bands. Yes, she actually buys shots for bands.

First job was at a movie theatre in Etobicoke. I started when i was 17 and worked there for 3 years (side note: I haven’t had a job for under 3 years in my entire life). I ate a lot of popcorn and watched a lot of movies, in that order. I cleaned the popper and asked if people who came to the concession stand if they wanted to “make that a combo.” I also probably checked your ID for 18+ movies, which always felt silly. I quickly moved up the “ranks” and become a supervisor before ending my employment there are corporate team trainer. I left that job a year into university to get paid less working in retail, just so I wouldn’t have to work those late hours anymore, but missed the free movies for a good 2 years after I left.

Actually, who am I kidding? I still miss free movies.

First favourite neighborhood was Bloor West Village. Some of my closest friends grew up in that area and I always loved the feel of it – sort of old fashioned oddly mixed with high class shopping. Plus High Park is right there and you can’t go wrong with a mini-zoo that has llamas!

First concert was Blink-182 and Silverchair at Maple Leaf Gardens (!) in 1999. It was just after Enema of the State was released and I was looking forward to seeing Blink-182 live, but what I was most excited about was seeing Silverchair. I seriously had the biggest crush on Daniel Johns. The first CD I ever owned (read: stole from a friend) was Frogstomp and Silverchair will forever be one of my favourite bands. I’d go back and see that concert a thousand times over.

First bar/club I went to: I can’t remember the name of the club. I do, however, remember that it was my 19th birthday and I was so drunk that I broke a shot glass doing a shot without using my hands. I never had a fake ID, so I made sure my 19th birthday was one to remember… or not remember?

First outdoor concert: Probably Edgefest ‘05 at the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre. That year I saw Alexisonfire and Billy Talent, but I’m fairly certain my favourite act of the day was Rise Against.

First record store was probably Rotate This, simply for ticket purchasing purposes, but the first record I got at a record store was at Criminal Records.

First in-store was, I think, Steven McKay at Soundscapes last year. I actually had the chance to interview him before he played, so I guess that makes my first in-store extra fun.

First favorite book is still probably my favourite book – To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

First library was in my neighbourhood in Etobicoke. I used to spend so much time there with my dad. He’d be browsing magazines and borrowing CDs while I tried to decide which Babysitters Club or Sweet Valley High book (or something equally as embarrassing) I wanted to read that time.

Perhaps I’ll also add that the first library I ever fell asleep in was Scott Library at York University.

First celebrity sighting was: I grew up on the same street where Brendan Shanahan grew up. He’s quite a bit older than me though, so he was already well on his way to becoming famous NHL player when I was growing up, so mostly I lived on the same street as his mother. My most notable story has to be when my brother dragged me to get an autograph from him when he brought home the Stanley Cup in 1997. I remember he laughed when I said my name was “Catherine with a C”. Speaking of that autograph, I should probably find it, eh…

Aside from happenings in my neighbourhood, which I hardly remember, I was working when Hilary Duff made an appearance at my movie theatre. It was the premiere of “A Cinderella Story” and she walked the “red carpet” and I stood on it blocking the crowd. (Side note: If you know me, you might recognize the humour in that, given my size.)

First kiss was: It was probably my best friend in elementary school. Or maybe it was another guy in my class that I kissed in order to make said best friend jealous. I was totally up to no good early in life.

First heartbreak was: See above (the best friend, not the other one). I made him listen to “Head Over Feet” by Alanis Morissette in my room one day, which has to be the cheesiest thing I’ve done in my life (and also very embarrassing). I remember being so confused about having feelings for my best friend. Things never worked out and 13-year-old me was crushed.

First New Year’s: I think the first New Year’s I spent without my family was at Nathan Phillips Square. I can’t remember who played that year, but it was probably some cheesy Canadian pop star.

First Valentine’s Day: It was probably spent at the movie theatre I worked at. For a long period of my life, I celebrated everything there.

First time I went to the islands: Virgin Music Festival in 2008. Highlights include The Kooks and The Fratellis and Foo Fighters. So fantastic. I didn’t really get to explore much of the Islands then, though.

First trip out of Toronto was: I’ve been traveling out of the country all my life, but the first time I left Toronto with friends instead of family was to the Dominican Republic as a high school graduation present to myself. It was the first time I ever felt free.

First time I got lost was probably the first time I ever set foot on campus at York University. Perhaps I’ve been more lost in places downtown, but that was certainly the first time I ever felt really overwhelmingly lost.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would probably eat/drink at all my favourite places (burritos at Big Fat Burrito, nachos at Sneaky Dee’s, sangria at Red Room, etc.) and then enjoy some local music with friends, probably at the Horseshoe Tavern where I’d give Tyrone (best bouncer ever!) a high five.