PHOTOS: Issue 2′s Bonfire Launch Party

static zine bonfire

On October 20, we had a bonfire in Dufferin Grove to celebrate the launch of our second issue. We roasted marshmallows for smores, everyone got to see the issue for the first time and we enjoyed performances by Anthony Damiao, Shawn Clarke, The Fires Of, Parks & Rec and The Wilderness of Manitoba.

Check out our photos from the launch.

blogTO even came to check it out – here’s their recap.

Get to know a Static contributor: Anthony Damiao

anthony damiao

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.

Anthony Damiao plays music and writes articles. While finishing an arts degree at WLU, he Greyhounds around Eastern Canada playing songs for people. He’s written for The Cord, Spill Magazine, Blueprint, CanadaOrganic.com and can now show off his affinity for Toronto in Static Zine! He plans to pursue music and writing and hope one of them will someday be able to claim the title of breadwinner. His second choice is to grow a beard in a book shop.

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when I moved away

First job was the closest thing to a job was looking after a handful of newborn kittens at Macdonald’s Animal Hospital where my mother was employed

First house was 49 Denison St. I had a sunroom where many lego knights and spacemen fell in battle

First favourite neighborhood was Buttonwood st, near Westpark Hospital and Roselands Public School

First concert was Creaking Tree String Quartet @ Hugh’s Room, kinda experimental jazz folk.  Saw the best fiddle player I’ve ever seen!

First bar/club I went to was a bar/cafe near Honest Ed’s.  I forget the name, but my bandmates and I were gawking at the massive ratio of people with yoga mats.

First outdoor concert Luke Doucet and the White Falcon at Queen’s Quay this past Summer.

First record store was Criminal Records

First favorite book: I loved Calvin and Hobbes as far back as I can remember.. that or Harold and the Purple Crayon… this is going back a number of years.

First library was: I don’t remember where it was but it shared a building with a hockey arena.

First celebrity sighting was Steven Page in a Dairy Queen!

First kiss was not in Toronto, I moved when I was thirteen, I was an akward kid.. so no first kiss in Toronto by a fairly long shot.

First heartbreak was in Grade 2, Natalie made fun of me… I broke her pencil… she cried… then I cried… Got her a card, but the hurt was irreparable

First New Year’s was: I was living in Toronto at the turn of the millennium.  Remember watching the fireworks on a small fuzzy TV in my parents bedroom.

First Valentine’s Day was probably grade one, paper bags, many tiny cards.. candy.

First time I stayed up all night: Decided to stay overnight in Toronto and see The Once’s CD release at the Drake Hotel. Went alone. Got lost afterwards. Found a 24-hour coffee shop and tried not to attract anybody’s attention until the first Greyhound back to Waterloo in the morning.

First time I went to the islands: Used to go with my family, took the ferry to Centre Island. I remember my grade one teacher telling us spooky stories of some lighthouse guy getting murdered there and buried… Grade 1… huh…

First trip out of Toronto was: First big one was.. again.. in grade one.  It was a happening year, went to Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle. Seals were seen.  Seafood was eaten. It was all thoroughly documented. Still have the journal complete with drawings.

First time I got lost was trying to find my way back to the Greyhound station when I was eighteen. Blaring the Clash into my ears and trying to look all street smart with my “Don’t mess with me, I’m dangerous” face on. Turned out well though, found a bookstore called “Ben Mcnally’s” or something… they had a book of Rimbaud’s poetry I had been trying to track down for a while.

If I had a last day in Toronto, I would wander around Queen St in the summer time, visit the Black Market, and then strongly consider buying one of those really light comfortable looking shirts they sell on the street, the ones that usually have either Bob Marley on them on a scuba diver getting eaten by an octopus… I’d probably go with the octopus one… it’s an identity thing… I’d also try and catch the Beauties playing at the Dakota or something..

Don’t Look At Me!

Here’s a poem about Toronto from Issue #2 contributor Anthony Damiao.

If you’re ever

In Toronto

And you see me

At the crosswalk

Try to appreciate

The beauty of that

Crumbling pawn shop,

The gasoline flash

Of a pidgeon’s wings

Do your best

To take in the skyscrapers

Or do your part,

And pick up that can

You’ve been kicking since Bloor

Because,

It’s a busy city

There’s so much to observe

Besides,

I’ve forgotten

Your name again

It’s an elephant

I’d hate to walk around

I’d rather we avoid that room

Altogether