We are so thrilled to announce that we’ll be launching our biggest issue yet – The Story of Our Lives – with a full-blown celebration at the Rivoli on Wednesday, March 14.
We’ll be running a round of indie music trivia from 8-9 p.m. Here’s your chance to win prize packs from record labels, tickets to shows and gift cards to stores!
Static Zine’s throwing another dance party and we want to see you there!
We’ve got Static contributor and The Ruby Spirit rocker Alex Pulec DJ’ing a sweet, sweet blend of electro, surf, glam and rockabilly at Jang Bang (430 College Street) this Saturday.
The event is a fundraiser (PWYC entry) to support our upcoming third issue.
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.
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.
First job was cashier at HMV
First house was on Flaremore, way up in the suburbs of North York
First favourite neighborhood was the one I grew up in! Would spend all day outside with the other kids on my street playing nikki nikki (sp?) nine door, playing in thunderstorms, and sneaking into the angry old man’s backyard…
First concert was an Elvis Weekend concert in Collingwood… so many Elvis-s, so little time
First bar/club I went to was Thymeless (College/Spadina)… well it was the only bar I could get into when I was underage… didn’t realize how sketchy that place was until I got older.. First record storewas Sam The Record Man up at Bayview Village (oh that was so long ago..) I remember always wanting to buy Green Day’s ‘Dookie’ and Blink 182’s “Enema of the State”… Mom wouldn’t let me cause of their album covers…
First favorite bookwas “Lizzy Logan and her Purple Sunglasses” First chapter book I ever read (I was so proud)
First kiss was when I was twelve, to a boy I didn’t like, as a dare from all my friends…
First heartbreak was in grade 1, when the boy I liked didn’t want to be my boyfriend after I politely asked..
If I had a last day in Toronto, I would pack it up in a suitcase and bring it with me to wherever I was going