Not Dead Yet returns to Toronto this October from the 13th to the 16th. This year boasts an incredible line-up, including Turnstile, G.L.O.S.S., La Misma, Career Suicide, Pure Disgust, Firewalker and Triage.
Maybe the most difficult part of being a punk is keeping true to your convictions. It’s a lot harder to be a vegan if there are no vegan stores or restaurants in your city. It’s a lot harder to ethically consume when there’s little choice in everything you buy from the clothes you wear to the beer you drink. That’s what makes Toronto such a great city for punk and DIY music: beyond the immediate community of bands, venues and promoters, there’s an extended community of businesses that support the local punk scene, many of which are run by a bunch of punks themselves. The test, and testament to the value of DIY in 2016 is seeing it being applied and succeeding outside the scope of the creation of music and art, and being used to further and foster the greater punk community as a whole.
Whether you’re a local or visiting from out of town, here are eight local businesses leading by example that you should visit this Not Dead Yet:
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1
Faith/Void
894 College, basement, Toronto, OntarioLast year Ryan Tong (vocalist for S.H.I.T) opened Faith/Void just before Not Dead Yet and it quickly became a magnet for people looking to hang out, meet like-minded punks and buy new records, tapes, zines and clothes. It also served as host to the festival’s Art Show, and will do so again this year, with the COLLECTIVE DELUSION/MASS HYSTERIA gallery exhibit running from Oct. 12-16. The exhibition will feature female-identifying/femme artists/non-cis males involved in the punk, hardcore, noise, and underground art scene, including locals Julie Mackinnon and Erica Young, as well as out-of-town talents like Dilek Baykara and Jane Chardiet. Go, check out the amazing art, and help Faith/Void celebrate their first anniversary.
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2
Apiecalypse Now
Apiecalypse owner Jennifer Bundock credits her DIY/punk up-bringing for her business’s existence, pointing to the tiles on the floor and countertops as proof positive of the shop’s roots. Once upon a time you could find Bundock at shows, camera in hand, documenting punk bands across southern Ontario. Now, she’s applied the DIY approach business, an approach she calls DIT or Doing It Together.
Apiecalypse has collaborated with vegan establishments like D-Beatstro, the Sweet Teeth food truck, St. Catherines-based Rescue Dogs (operated by the good folks in Vile Creature), and they use Chris Colohan’s (of Burning Love/Cursed and who has helped with the shop since its beginning) Vegan Magic Bacon Grease in all of their crusts.
Though the menu is diverse, the place is mostly known for its pizzas, which will be offered as a part of the shop’s Not Fed Yet special, which includes a slice and a pop for $5.
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3
Rotate This
This long-standing Toronto establishment is one of the brick-and-mortar spots where you can pick up tickets ahead of the festival, but its punk cred runs much deeper.
Rotate manager Brian Taylor fronted seminal Toronto hardcore outfit Youth Youth Youth along with Rob Mallion, Paul Bishop and Brian McCullough from 1980 to 1984. Taylor also went on to produce records for some of southern Ontario’s finest metal acts including Razor, Slaughter and Sacrifice. Rotate’s punk lineage might help explain why they’ve got such a great, expansive collection on their hands.
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4
D-Beatstro
There will be plenty of opportunities to visit D-Beatstro this year because it hosts the matinee shows every day of Not Dead Yet. Since we last spoke to D-Beatstro a year and a half ago, there’s even more reason to spend time there, bands or not. They’ve developed a killer weekend brunch menu and selection of prepared meals in addition to the long list of baked goods, smoothies, coffees and teas available at the counter.
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5
Chosen Vintage
1599 Dundas W, Toronto, OntarioHaving just relocated the shop from Queen to Dundas West back in March, Chosen’s new neighbourhood is a younger, hipper fit for what owner Melissa Ball is doing. Ball has played bass in Teenanger since 2007 and has been involved in vintage clothes even longer. Growing the business from a booth at Silver Falls Vintage to the store it is today is a credit to her commitment to vintage and used clothing, an ethic reflected in the types of items she stocks. Focusing on well-made wearables like jeans, T-shirts, leather jackets and some weirder pieces, Ball makes an argument for incorporating vintage clothes into your everyday lifestyle.
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6
Through Being Cool Bakery
1277 Bloor W, Toronto, OntarioThis Saves The Day-referencing establishment has been in business since 2013, when owner Amanda Somerville brought her pop punk vegan ideals from the 905 to Toronto. Through Being Cool might be best known for their wonderful donut selection, but they’re also a grocery store, stocking prepared frozen meals like lasagna and cabbage rolls, as well as many condiments and sides that are all made in house. For Not Dead Yet, Somerville is offering a $5 special on their delicious burritos.
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7
King Taps/Facebook
Thirsty & Miserable
Who says being a punk means having to drink Old Style Pilsner or Pabst Blue Ribbon for the rest of your life? Owned/operated by Katie Whittaker (aka Katie G Warrior) of Brutal Knights/Rammer fame, Thirsty and Miserable is a punk bar through and through.
Inside, you’ll find a simple, unpretentious aesthetic, keeping the focus on the extensive beer list (charmingly scrawled in chalk or on a piece of cardboard). Alcohol can be a contentious part of any scene, and definitely so in punk. But with Thirsty is a nod to a certain kind of history (both in their Black Flag referencing name, and their location, as Kensington Market was the site of a specific kind of boozy punk in the 80s).
In fact, the space used to be Planet Kensington, the punk venue where Fucked Up played their first show, and before that it was The Greeks, one of many Market hangouts for Bunchoffuckinggoofs.
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8
Pharmacy Bar
1318 King W, Toronto, Ontario M6K 1E6Though it’s a bit further from the rest of the festival action, it’s worth the trip to Pharmacy.
This bar has a lot in common with Thirsty, and Not Dead Yet for that matter, as owner Chris Harper carefully curates his line-up of beers to his taste, and to great effect. The rotating list of taps and the fridges are stocked with beers he likes rather than dealing with sales reps trying to sell him on the latest trend.
The result is a bar that feels personal. The best way to experience Pharmacy is to go with a group and let Harper take the reins. Tell him what you like, what you don’t and he’ll steer your group in the right direction with some unique and shareable beers. Going alone, you’ll likely bump into other festival-goers as Harper is a longtime supporter of the scene and the bar is a pretty regular haunt.
