Torontopolis

Apparently, there is a huge, 5000 word essay on the Toronto music scene in this Sunday's NYTimes Magazine. It's about time that someone pays attention to the unique and varied bands in this city. Sadly, my orchestra of triangle, maracas and spoons did not make it into the article.

The magazine also apparently references a current "movement" or climate which has often been misunderstood. It is called Torontopia and centres around various DIY groups (in art, music, public space, literature, etc.) who are trying in a variety of ways, to make Toronto more beautiful, interesting and also try to maintain the city's unique character. It does not mean that Toronto is utopia, but these individuals and groups share an optimism that we can get there one day. It seems as though Toronto is finally shedding its colonial inferiority complex and no longer wants to be New York. How could that be a bad thing? If you're interested, the is a book called uTOpia which examines these themes.