K-Dot Takes T-Dot: Good Kid, m.A.A.d Talent

(Photo via flickr.com)

I'm not a huge fan of weekday concerts. Can't really bust loose and get into it (if you know what I mean). This is especially true for a hip hop show. The wait...it always drives me crazy, waiting for all of the fluff to run its course before the main event (while staying disciplined). Mix in the young fans, a few too many unannounced opening acts, a few too many announced acts not showing up. It usually becomes an adventure and test of patience, which I don't have on a weekday. We arrived an hour later than the posted show start time for the previously stated reasons and didn't miss a thing.

A Grandly Electrifying Dining Experience

image via foodjunkiechronicles.com

I am constantly on a mission to find the best bang for my buck when it comes to dining out in the city of Toronto, aka El Toro aka The Big Smoke aka The T-Dot.

This city has made a real name for itself on the North American restaurant scene in recent years. The success of local chefs such as Susur Lee, Jamie Kennedy, and Mark McEwan has helped put Toronto on the map for world-class eats and top-level dining experiences.

So with that said, the latest buzzworthy resto to hit the scene is Grand Electric, a diminutive, 29-seat "taco bar" run by ex-Hoof Cafe chef Colin Tooke, located in the city's Parkdale neighbourhood.

Happy 1st Birthday, Paqman&Bull!

Turnbull & Paqman (Photo via us)

Well, it’s a bit of a belated birthday but here we are 1 year later and (hopefully) wiser. 276 posts, over 30,000 pageviews and hundreds of hours spent writing have come to pass. We feel that we're still refining our style to ensure we deliver the best product on the web while focusing on our mission: to be your source for insight on music, sport, and culture.

Comedy Review: Tracy Morgan Is A Sick Mofo (And We Love Him For It)

Yes. He killed it. (Photo via clubzone.com)

Me and the future Mrs. Paqman were waiting on The Turnbulls at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts for the Tracy Morgan stand up show. As we were hanging out, I saw a dude walk through the front doors with a white shirt and an impressive pot belly. I leaned over to Fabs and said "Is that Tracy Morgan?". Before she had a chance to answer, I instinctively yelled out "TRACY!!!!!" while she wooed it up. He looked over briefly and kept walking with his fiancé. He had that look on his face...you know, the signature look he has that just makes you want to laugh. And that was our preview to a great performance.

In Which Radiohead Are Coming To Toronto And I Hate The Chase

(Photo via greenplastic.com)

Radiohead finally announced that they are playing a gig in Toronto and tickets went on sale Friday, March 9th. As of today, there are still tickets available via Ticketmaster for the show at Downsview.

The WZRDs: Kid Cudi and Dot Da Genius Drop Rock Collabo

(Photo via soulculture.co.uk)

WZRD's album dropped last week and I'm trying to figure out what to make of it. This project or duo consists of the outspoken Kid Cudi and Dot da Genius. I saw Cudi last year at the Molson Amphitheater after he rescheduled due to an illness and I felt really old. It was nothing but kids in attendance, who were eating up every verse and chorus. What made me uncomfortable were his vocals, not the young concert goers. And that was my major concern coming into this WZRD album.

Dig On Led Zeppelin's "III"

P&B brings you the "Dig On" Classic Album Series.  We'll delve into our vaults to discuss the records that have profoundly impacted our musical tastes.  The albums we present are considered essential to anyone's record collection. In the end, you can't understand the present (or future) until you "Dig On" the past.

(Photo via cat-bluesstuff.blogspot.com)

"I've been working from seven, seven, seven, to eleven every night, 

It kinda makes my life a drag...

Baby, Since I've Been Loving You, I'm about to lose, 

I'm about lose to my worried mind."

- Lyrics from Led Zeppelin's "Since I've Been Loving You"

Led Zeppelin could be the "Dig On" artist for the next 9 post (ok 8...still can't get into "In Through The Out Door"..."Hot Dog"...really??), but I'll focus on "III" for this edition of our continuing series. I can't speak for Turnbull, but Zeppelin deeply influenced my musical tastes and set a standard for all rock music that I listened to following my dive into the band's catalogue. My introduction to "III" came via my uncle, who had an amazing vinyl collection.

Saluting Willie O'Ree: The NHL's First Black Player

image via sportsillustrated.com

In honour of Black History Month, P&B would like to pay special tribute to Canada's own Willie O'Ree, known as the "Jackie Robinson of Hockey."

A native of Fredricton, New Brunswick, O'Ree is the first black player to play in the National Hockey League, making his debut with the Boston Bruins on January 18, 1958 in a game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Paqman's Top 5 J Dilla Produced Cuts

(Photo via listenrecovery.wordpress.com)

It's been said many times, but needs to be said again. J Dilla's influence on hip hop was massive. Up until he passed away, Dilla was pumping out memorable production on some amazing tracks. So, in his honour here are my top 5 fave Jay Dee produced songs without any commentary, because these songs stand on their own and don't need my 2 cents:

Top Chef Canada Season 2 Premieres March 12; Six Toronto Chefs Among Contestants

image via life.nationalpost.com

Top Chef Canada's sophomore season will hit the airwaves via Food Network Canada starting March 12.

The show will once again feature 16 of Canada's most talented stars battling for top culinary honours.

Dr. Integrity or: How I Learned To Stop Hating and Love Brian Burke

(Photo via hockeydraft.ca)

I was watching George Stroumboulopoulous Tonight on CBC a few nights ago and I experienced a revelation. Brian Burke, President and General Manager of your Toronto Maple Leafs, had a sit down with the talk show host and after his interview, I realized that I don't hate him. I might actually almost love that man. Here's the reason why I had a change of heart (but not allegiance).

Toronto Teens Send Lego Man On Space Voyage

image via citytv.com

From cp24.com:

TORONTO — Two Scarborough high school chums have taken their love for science to new heights.

Matthew Ho and Asad Muhammad, both 17, figured out how to get a Lego man to boldly go where few have gone before -- by launching him into space on a helium balloon.

And they managed to capture the entire amazing voyage on video.

The flight of the Lego man -- seen proudly holding a Canadian flag as the world gradually drops away below him -- can be viewed on YouTube.

The Lego man can be seen soaring above the clouds and then floating in front of a glowing blue earth before the balloon bursts and he begins descending.

The two Grade 12 students at Agincourt Collegiate Institute used some cameras, some Lego blocks and various other bits and pieces to assemble their craft.

-Turnbull

IDS 12 - Interior Design Show - Toronto - Jan 26-29

image via wedgecuratorialprojects.org

Canada's largest contemporary design show, IDS, hits the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this weekend.

This 14th edition of the show will feature over 300 exhibitors showcasing popular design trends, unique ideas and innovative products for homes, offices, hotels, restaurants, etc.

Keynote speakers at the event will include Italian design star Piero Lissoni, and Canada's own Tommy Smythe and Brian Gluckstein.

Participating designers include Alfred Sung, Debbie Travis, Donna Karan, and Toronto's Union 31.

For more information on the show, watch the vid below and also click HERE



-Turnbull

UFC 140 Looks Set to Deliver the Goods

If you don't watch this fight, Dana White will make you his Twitter bitch!

image via mainevent.com.au

By Jody White

UFC President and mouthpiece-in-chief Dana White once told me that Toronto occupies such a soft spot in his heart that he would only hold world-class cards here. Like any salesman worth his salt, no doubt such honeyed words are part of his repertoire, regardless of the area code he finds himself in. Still, he has so far upheld his promise, despite the UFC’s brief history with Hogtown. 

Last April’s UFC 129 in the Rogers Centre was the biggest event the organization had ever pulled off, and -- while light on marquee names -- was heavy on homegrown talent. GSP, Mark Bocek, Jason MacDonald, Sean Pierson and Mark Hominick -- to name a few -- gave the 55,000 fans lots to scream about and instilled Toronto’s legacy as a hotbed for MMA.

Chef Raekwon Is Cooking Up Canadian Home Brew, Sets Up Shop in Toronto

(Photo via swaggnews.com)

Due to Drake and the Bieb's success on the international stage, Wu-Tang Clan member Chef Raekwon has taken his culinary skills north of the border for a piece of the action. With a newly purchased Toronto waterfront condo in hand and an office on Yonge Street for the newly minted Canadian wing of his Ice H20 record label, he's eager to sign some Canadian talent.

From Canoe.ca:

"What brought me here is because of the fact the city is so rich and filled with talent that's being overlooked, Alright you got Drake who made it but there's still more people here. And if you really look at the table chart of Canadian artists that made it out of here, the majority of them, you could say were successful

[....]

So my thing is we want come in and diffuse anything that's not real, anything that doesn't associate with real hip-hop. We want to be the one that says, 'Yo, we want to help build and build a bigger and better industry.' I'm just like. 'Yo with talent from Toronto, Vancouver, Quebec,' who's paying attention?'

The first artist signed to his stable is local MC JD Era. Raekwon thinks he's the real deal, but he wants the young MC to crawl before he balls:

"We got him, how can I say, in training. But he's in a great space right now. Next year, we're counting on him coming through and making an impact but it's about having your business together first. You being an artist that people can say, 'Yo, you're paying your dues.' You can't just come in and run to the top."

Rae also rhymes off on how much he loves Toronto in the piece. Could other Canadian business ventures be in his future? The full article can be found here. Take time to watch the video embedded in the article, even if it's just to see the Chef rocking a Blue Jays cap.

-Paqman

All Together Now: Just Shows Simplifies Toronto Concert Listings. You're Welcome.

(Photo via justshows.com)

If you're an avid concert goer, finding information about shows in Toronto is an unwelcome challenge. Navigating through Now magazine and their chaotic arrangements over multiple pages, incomplete listings on sites like Toronto Life and Toronto.com...it's tons of work for an experience you're looking to enjoy and invest into. Justshows.com have recently launched their site to fill a void in the Toronto scene by aggregating all the live music information you'll need. Their tag line says it all: Live music listings, only better.

Dissecting The Throne - Post-Show Analysis (Feat. Fabs the Fiancé!): the P&B BBM Chat

We here at P&B love technology. We both use Blackberry Messenger like crazy, so why not show our deep conversations to the world! This is a first in the Blogosphere (we think). Here it is: The P&B BBM Chat.

(All photos via esdevlin.com)

***We've invited Fabs into the chat for her insight on the show. She's a member of the P&B crew so make her feel welcome!! You can follow her on Tumblr here***


Fabiola: Sunglasses and Advil, last night was mad real

Meezy: Holy shit that's my story right now!

Fabiola: B-)

Young T: Welcome to the jungle made my night. I was happy from that point onward!

The Throne Lands In Toronto

(Photo via blogs.courant.com)

On this day, the 23rd of November, 2011, two of the most influential hip hop artists of our generation will land (and take off) in Toronto for a two night stand. If you've been listening to LL Cool J's Bad on the repeat for the last year and stayed off the internet, you wouldn't know that Jay-Z and Kanye West released a joint album called Watch The Throne. This luxurious rap album has been well received by most, and deeply criticized by others. If you are one to hate on WTT, listen to "I Need Love" from the aforementioned Cool J classic. Hip hop has always been about rhyming on what you know. Jay an Ye now know Givenchy, Margiela and Bentley. What more can I say?

Now that the shock of the ticket prices has passed, it's time to lock and load for what might be the concert event of the year. If the set list that was leaked (and posted here) is any indication of what will go down, this experience will be worth every penny. Both MCs catalog will get it's time in the spotlight but the piece de resistance will be their platinum charting album.

The P&B crew will be in full effect on Thursday night for day 2 of the WTT extravaganza. We want to encourage anyone who will be in attendance on Wednesday to send us their take on the concert, submit a review, show us your pics or drop a set list on us. You can email us at either marc@paqmananbull.com or turnbull@paqmanandbull.com. We will post your submissions as they come in. As expected, Turnbull and I will give you a post game breakdown over the weekend. Keep P&B on lock and don't let us get in our zone!

-Paqman

Concert Experience Review - Black Star Shine Their Light On The Toronto Heads

"Watch the throne!" a dapper Mos Def proclaimed as he walked on stage, pointing out his partner in rhyme Talib Kweli and eventually bringing back the attention to himself. This was witnessed as "Intro" from the essential "Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star" sonically adorned their arrival. This was the kick off to possibly the tightest hip hop show that Toronto has seen this year. Maybe even the last few years.

Kickin' it Old School: Toronto Blue Jays Unveil New Logo and Uniforms

image via cp24.com

The Toronto Blue Jays unveiled their new logo and uniforms today at a press conference at the Rogers Centre.

It's a retro inspired look, recalling the glory days for the late 80s and early to mid 90s when the team was winning division titles and World Series championships.

Hopefully the return to the look from their glory days will inspire their play on the field.  I know it's tough with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays in their division, but with the right pieces in place, quality free agent signings, and some good old-fashioned luck, anything can happen.

-Turnbull