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Where do you eat before a gig? “There are a couple of vegetarian Chinese restaurants on Spadina near Queen like Bo De Duyen (254 Spadina, 416-703-1247) that serve great tofu-based versions of Chinese dishes. I’m a strict vegetarian, so it makes me feel comfortable to know there’s no chance of some chicken broth getting accidentally mixed into my food.”
Favourite Toronto venue? “We’ve only ever played at the Horseshoe, and we’re at Lee’s Palace this time, which is bigger. I’m sure it’ll be great, but since we’ve never been there, I’ll say the Horseshoe. We’ve known Horseshoe booker Craig Laskey for years, and he’s great. The club’s sound system is really good, and I like the whole look and feel of the place — it’s like a saloon in an old western.”
Who’s your favourite Toronto artist? “Hard to say, but Sloan is my favourite Canadian band, and although they’re originally from Halifax, I think they live in Toronto now, don’t they? So hands down, Sloan.”
What do you love most about Toronto? “For a large city, Toronto is really quite pretty. And I like the way it has little pockets of different cultures — like one big group of smaller cities.”
Wildest time in Toronto? “Getting drunk and crazy with the rest of the band at the Horseshoe after everyone else has gone home for the evening. We’re not alcoholics, more like a gang of hooligans. There have been a couple of times at the Horseshoe when the people at the bar had to escort us out and lock the doors behind us.”
