Tag Archives: First Times

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.

Get to know a Static contributor: Harley R. Pageot

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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.

Harley R. Pageot is a zinester born and raised in North York, now living in the suburbs of Oshawa. He runs an arts group called Broken Arts which was largely inspired by Toronto’s Daps Duo and his time spent helping out at Fuzzy Logic Recordings. He doesn’t go to as many shows in Toronto as he would like to these days because the trains don’t run late enough. He believes that all shows should be all-ages.

First time I felt like Toronto was home was when our class went on a field trip to the skating rink across from my apartment and I was able to point out my bedroom window to my classmates.

First job was Christmas seasonal in the toy department at Wal-Mart.

First house was a semi-detached in Oshawa on a court called Wolfberry.

First favourite neighborhood was Bayview & Ruddington.

First concert was a free summer series gig by Headstones in Mel Lastman Square. I was eight.

First bar/club I went to was The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern to see The Lowest Of The Low on my 19th birthday.

First record store that I remember is HMV at the Oshawa Center.

First in-store was The Most Serene Republic at Soundscapes.

First favorite book: The Berenstain Bears Get In A Fight

First library: North York Central with the pink carpeting that I’ll remember forever.

First celebrity sighting was walking past Michael Cera on Queen, circa season 1 Arrested Development.

First heartbreak was in eighth grade.

First New Year’s was 1985 becoming 1986. I was ten months old.

First trip out of Toronto was camping in Ohio at age three.

First time I got lost was lingering too long at the elephants on a school trip while the rest of the class moved on.

Get to know a Static contributor: Alex Pulec

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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.

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.

Get to know a Static contributor: Anthony Damiao

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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.

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..