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    Richard Trapunski

    Richard has been covering Toronto’s music scene for over a decade – first at NOW as a young, relatively unjaded freelancer, then as the editor-in-chief of Chart Attack, and now back home at NOW. He’s served on the jury for both the Polaris Music Prize and the JUNOs and has been nominated twice for best music journalist at the Canadian Music and Broadcast Industry Awards. (He lost both times to Alan Cross.) Richard was born in Toronto and came of age in the beer-soaked rock clubs that are now sadly endangered. He’s an over-thinker when it comes to music, but generally likes any genre you can throw the word “weird” in front of. He was once called a “mush-brained millennial blogger” by a Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter and “actually a pretty good guy” by a Juno-nominated director.

  • Readers’ Choice 2021: The best places to eat and drink in Toronto

    It's been an intense two years for food businesses in the city. Comfort food ruled takeout orders in winter, out-of-work staff launched their own businesses...
    A person reaches for an order at a food truck
    Food & Drink
  • Review: The Beaches rock a surprise homecoming show at the El Mocambo

    THE BEACHES with WHALE AND THE WOLF at the El Mocambo, Tuesday, November 9. Rating: NNNN For the first time in seven years, the El Mocambo is...
    The Beaches at El Mocambo.
    Concert reviewsCultureMusic
  • Inside Drake and Live Nation’s Toronto music venue History

    Toronto has a brand new music venue. After years of rumours, months of COVID-related delays and a few consultations with concerned neighbours, History opened to...
    Jack Antonoff of Bleachers at the first concert at History on November 7.
    CultureMusic
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  • Just announced: Pavement to play Massey Hall in 2022

    Now that concerts are back to full capacity, full stop, we're getting some exciting concert announcements for Toronto – and for the first time in...
    The band Pavement
    CultureMusic
  • Toronto Pillars: How the Bovine Sex Club survived 30 years on Queen West

    Nick Lachance CHIXDIGGIT! at Bovine Sex Club (542 Queen West). November 4-6. Doors 9 pm. $20. showclix.com Until the pandemic, the Bovine Sex Club had...
    The front facade of the Bovine Sex Club decorated with old junk bikes
    CultureLocal musicMusic
  • Toronto Pillars: Malabar marks final Halloween at historic McCaul costume shop

    Samuel Engelking If you’re ready to dress up again, Toronto’s oldest and most storied costume shop is waiting for you where you left it –...
    Malabar's retail manager Hollis Wilson in the makeup department
    Lifestyle
  • Review: Feist’s Multitudes is the perfect post-lockdown concert experiment

    MULTITUDES by FEIST at Meridian Hall, Wednesday, October 20. Runs to October 30. 7 and 9 pm. $125. tolive.com. Rating: NNNN "Who would have thought we'd be...
    Feist at Meridian Hall
    CultureMusic
  • Toronto’s Drake Hotel doubles in size with new expansion

    The Drake Hotel is expanding with a second building on Queen West. The historic hotel will open 32 new guest rooms on December 1, bringing...
    An exterior look at the Drake Hotel's new expansion
    Culture
  • The Weeknd postpones Toronto concert again

    Concerts are coming back to life in Toronto as capacity limits gradually lift, but there's one major artist still waiting to make his homecoming. After...
    The Weeknd
    CultureMusic
  • The best Filipino restaurants in Toronto according to local tastemakers

    From homestyle suburban standbys to limited-time pop-ups and everything in between, local artists, dancers, directors and more choose the Toronto Filipino restaurants and dishes you’ve...
    FoodFood & Drink
  • Lamesa is on the vanguard of Toronto’s downtown Filipino food explosion

    When Lester Sabilano opened Lamesa in 2012, he couldn’t believe there was nobody else who did it first.  “At that time, there were no sit-down,...
    Lamesa owner Lester Sabilano
    FoodFood & Drink
  • Ontario lifts limits for events, but not everyone is going full capacity

    Last Friday afternoon, just before the Thanksgiving long weekend, Ontario announced the lifting of capacity limits at live events: sports, theatres, movies and concerts. Indoor...
    Carlton Cinema is one venue that will continue to distance before going full capacity.
    CultureMovies & TVNews & Features
  • Canadian Music Week is returning to Toronto music venues in 2022

    Canadian Music Week will make an in-person return to Toronto music venues for its next edition. The 40th anniversary of the festival and conference will...
    Datsunn at the Drake Hotel as part of CMW 2019.
    CultureMusic
  • The El Mocambo’s grand reopening will feature Our Lady Peace

    It's had many announcements, postponements, opening parties and small-scale virtual or soft launch concerts, but Toronto music venue the El Mocambo is finally throwing an...
    CultureMusic
  • Amazon’s Toronto Maple Leafs series was almost worth the wallowing

    All Or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs. Five episodes now streaming on Amazon Prime. Rating: NNN How much do Leafs fans like wallowing? That's a question hanging...
    Toronto Maple Leafs, #34, Auston Matthews
    Movies & TVMovies & TV ReviewsTV & Streaming