Director: Robert Lang, 2009
The Dakota Tavern is a honky-tonk basement bar in the middle of a burgeoning hipsterville. And to overworked singer/guitarist Serena Ryder, its home. When she first moved to Toronto from Peterborough, she found the city intimidating and cold until she met a gang of music outlaws who became her closest comrades. While Serenas career took off and sent her flying around the world, those comrades opened the Dakota, a musical sanctuary for others just like them. Now, the award-winning, chart-topping, jet-setting performer knows she can always find refuge there, whether she wants to chill anonymously or get up and jam. On a rare day off, Serena kicks back at the Dakota and explains how this hideaway has become a real community. Featuring special live performances with Serena, Dakota, houseband The Beauties and singer Damnhait Doyle.
Archive for the ‘City Sonic Films’ Category
City Sonic: Serena Ryder at the Dakota Tavern
October 23, 2009City Sonic: D-Sisive at Planet Mars
October 16, 2009Director: Charles Officer, 2009
As a kid, rapper Derek Christoff worshiped the first generation of Torontos hip-hop stars. But when he discovered the underground hip-hop party Planet Mars, he had an opportunity to become one of them. After winning his first live battle at a Planet Mars open mic at age 15, he was embraced for his exceptional talents and became part of the citys exploding hip-hop scene. D-Sisive was born. In the guise of his alter-ego Orville Knoblich, the Juno-nominated rapper takes us back to the site of Planet Mars in Kensington Market to recreate the old battlegrounds where he fought his way to the top. Featuring a cast of characters from the citys urban music community and some fierce freestyling on the streets of Kensington Market.
City Sonic: Laura Barrett with Martin Tielli at The AGO
October 9, 2009Director, Peter Lynch, 2009
Her first rock concert at age 12 was an experimental set about painting held at the Art Gallery of Ontario: how discovering the Rheostatics offbeat approach influenced this quirky singer/songwriter to colour outside the lines.
City Sonic: Damian Abraham (Fucked Up) at Rotate This
October 2, 2009
Director: Anita Doron, 2009
Rotate This has rules. Who gets to buy that rarest vinyl from the hidden back room? Which bands get to sell their demos on consignment? As a teen punk, Damian Abraham spent whole days in the indie record shop – riffling through the bins, trading gig flyers, catching free all-ages shows by his soon-to-be favourite out-of-town bands. Rotate’s owner Brian Taylor still schools music obsessives like Damian from the shop’s new location down the street, but there are no more gigs. For Damian this sucks. Now the singer of critically acclaimed hardcore heroes Fucked Up (who generally play anywhere they damned well please). Damian has passed all Brian’s tests but he’s got one Rotate dream left: play a gig in the shop like the bands he grew up on. How can he convince them? Featuring a rare sighting of the infamously camera-shy Taylor and live performance that may or may not have all been a dream…
City Sonic: Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers) at Spadina Subway Station
September 18, 2009
Director: Anita Doron, 2009
Songwriter Tony Dekker was new in town and stuck commuting to a day job several subway stops from his home on the Bloor line a routine that seemed to keep him underground day in and day out. So the singer/guitarist, who records haunting folk music under the name Great Lake Swimmers, penned I Will Never the See the Sun, an ode to his daily ride along Spadina, St. George, Bay and Yonge. Soon after his music career took off, and Tony began using more rural environments all across Ontario for writing inspiration and recording spaces. Now, through the wonder of graphic novel-style animation, we follow him back beneath the streets at Spadina subway station to experience the urban sounds of the TTC that were his first connection to our citys sonics.
