Today is schedule release day for Lollapalooza and as I indicated earlier, it's a big part of my summer. This morning was like Christmas, except I totally forgot about it upon working and can now weave through the scheduling selections and perhaps narrow down some choices. Throughout the summer I will continue to update this as I find out who's who.
Updated on August 2, 2011:
Friday:
12:00 - 12:45 Wye Oak
01:00 - 01:45 Young the Giant
01:45 - 02:15 ???
02:15 - 03:00 Delta Spirit
03:00 - 03:20 Foster The People
03:35 - 04:15 Smith Westerns
04:30 - 05:15 The Kills
05:30 - 06:00 Two Door Cinema Club
06:00 - 06:25 A Perfect Circle
06:35 - 06:55 Skrillex
07:15 - 08:00 Ok Go
08:15 - 10:00 Muse
Saturday:
12:00 - 12:45 J. Roddy Walston and the Business
01:00 - 01:45 An Horse
01:45 - 02:15 ???
02:15 - 03:00 Friendly Fires
03:00 - 04:00 Black Lips
04:00 - 05:00 Death From Above 1979
05:00 - 05:45 Deftones
06:00 - 07:00 Ween
07:00 - 07:15 Beats Antique
07:15 - 07:45 Lykke Li
08:30 - 10:00 Eminem
Sunday:
12:15 - 01:00 Gold Motel
01:00 - 01:45 The Joy Formidable
01:45 - 02:05 Rival Schools
02:05 - 02:45 Little Hurricane
03:00 - 04:00 The Cool Kids
04:15 - 05:00 Flogging Molly
05:15 - 06:00 Portugal. The Man
06:00 - 07:00 Arctic Monkeys
07:15 - 07:40 Explosions in the Sky
08:00 - 10:00 Foo Fighters
So far my expectations are improving (thankfully) as they did last year when I started to actually figure out more on the artists. Here's a look at last year's killcount and how it compares to my tentative lineup for this year:
Total Acts Seen on Friday: 8
Total Acts Seen on Saturday: 14
Total Acts Seen on Sunday: 12
Total Acts Seen at Lollapalooza 2010: 34
Total Acts Scheduled for Friday: 11
Total Acts Scheduled for Saturday: 10
Total Acts Scheduled for Sunday: 10
Total Acts Scheduled for Lollapalooza 2011: 31 (down 3)
Still plenty of holes to fill and I'm sure this is more than I had going into the fest last year.
Tuesday, 7 June 2011
Review - Sam Roberts Band (Toronto, ON)
Sam Roberts Band w/ Zeus
Massey Hall
Toronto, ON
Saturday, June 4, 2011
In order to reduce confusion, I'll start off by saying that Sam Roberts Band is not one dude... it's a band (as the name suggests). The group features Sam Roberts on lead vocals and guitar as well as Dave Nugent (guitar), Eric Fares (keys), James Hall (bass), and Josh Trager (drums).
So having said that, fresh off the release of their latest album Collider, Sam Roberts Band came to town this past weekend with two shows at the sold-out Massey Hall in Toronto. I have always considered myself to be a casual fan of the band and unfortunately did not check them out live until this past Saturday, despite them putting on shows in recent years in Mississauga, Brampton, and countless other smaller cities outside of Toronto. Almost as if I was avoiding them.
Leading up to the show I was having difficulty finding someone to use the extra ticket we had (row 8, floor) and was becoming skeptical about how the show itself would turn out. Fortunately, I am pleased to say they played a solid set and had the crowd in a frenzy. Plenty of sing-along moments (primarily on older hits like Good People and Eileen) and other opportunities to loosen up. Alot of the night for me was remembering just how many songs of theirs I enjoy and that I need to revisit their discography to further refresh my memory. I need to better familiarize myself with the new album, but the songs played from there still went over well and provided some incentive for me to get around to it.
Couple funny highlights include the set-closing combo of Brother Down and Them Kids where ironically during the latter, some of us on the floor (in my section anyways) were bobbing our heads instead of actually dancing, whoops! Spotted a guy on the stage-right gallery during this song trying to inspire the audience who was equally as reserved as us floor folk, funny stuff. The former was definitely a fun track though, one that I had not really heard in a while too. I'm going to use the defense that everybody was worn out by the time the closer started (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!).
The encore was actually what sealed the deal for me that I will definitely be needing to check them out again (and again). Starting off with I Feel You and Uprising, they broke out the extremely trippy and jam-inspiring track Mind Flood, a song that I personally had not heard before. One friend that I was with had seen them seven times and afterwards told me that she had not seen that song live before, and I'll tell you this, it's a hell of a set-closer. For starters I didn't expect a huge jam at this show and I also didn't predict it would rival the first time I heard Warsaw by Them Crooked Vultures live. As the show concluded, members of the band (including Sam himself) made a strong effort to shake hands and interact with the crowd on the floor. I was in the 8th row and managed to shake hands with him, so I thought that was pretty cool and not usually what I get at shows; total class-act.
With the show having a great deal of positive energy and a ton of upbeat tracks, one couldn't help but enjoy themselves because of it. Upon playing a nice balance of familiar songs, new material, and some rare tracks, I can't help but recommend checking them out the next time they're in town (Niagara on the Lake June 18th, Buffalo September 2nd, Kee to Bala September 3rd and 4th). The band came on at roughly 9:05 (earlier than the scheduled 9:15) and finished up around 10:50 which made for a satisfying night.
The opener for the weekend was a band called Zeus who also put on a solid set. Any band that can switch instruments multiple times during a gig gains points with me! This was my first time hearing them and I will certainly be checking out their studio material when I get the opportunity; also keeping an eye open for when they return to the GTA (September 9th at Yonge-Dundas Square).
Setlist:
The Last Crusade
Streets of Heaven (Promises, Promises)
Fixed To Ruin
Where Have All the Good People Gone?
Let It In
Taj Mahal
Up Sister
Dead End
Hard Road
Words and Fire
Detroit '67
Graveyard Shift
Don't Walk Away Eileen
Without a Map
Bridge to Nowhere
Brother Down
Them Kids
I Feel You
Uprising Down Under
Mind Flood
Album Breakdown:
Collider: 6
Love at the End of the World: 5
We Were Born in a Flame: 5
Chemical City: 3
+ "Brother Down" (difficult to categorize)
Massey Hall
Toronto, ON
Saturday, June 4, 2011
In order to reduce confusion, I'll start off by saying that Sam Roberts Band is not one dude... it's a band (as the name suggests). The group features Sam Roberts on lead vocals and guitar as well as Dave Nugent (guitar), Eric Fares (keys), James Hall (bass), and Josh Trager (drums).
So having said that, fresh off the release of their latest album Collider, Sam Roberts Band came to town this past weekend with two shows at the sold-out Massey Hall in Toronto. I have always considered myself to be a casual fan of the band and unfortunately did not check them out live until this past Saturday, despite them putting on shows in recent years in Mississauga, Brampton, and countless other smaller cities outside of Toronto. Almost as if I was avoiding them.
Leading up to the show I was having difficulty finding someone to use the extra ticket we had (row 8, floor) and was becoming skeptical about how the show itself would turn out. Fortunately, I am pleased to say they played a solid set and had the crowd in a frenzy. Plenty of sing-along moments (primarily on older hits like Good People and Eileen) and other opportunities to loosen up. Alot of the night for me was remembering just how many songs of theirs I enjoy and that I need to revisit their discography to further refresh my memory. I need to better familiarize myself with the new album, but the songs played from there still went over well and provided some incentive for me to get around to it.
Couple funny highlights include the set-closing combo of Brother Down and Them Kids where ironically during the latter, some of us on the floor (in my section anyways) were bobbing our heads instead of actually dancing, whoops! Spotted a guy on the stage-right gallery during this song trying to inspire the audience who was equally as reserved as us floor folk, funny stuff. The former was definitely a fun track though, one that I had not really heard in a while too. I'm going to use the defense that everybody was worn out by the time the closer started (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!).
The encore was actually what sealed the deal for me that I will definitely be needing to check them out again (and again). Starting off with I Feel You and Uprising, they broke out the extremely trippy and jam-inspiring track Mind Flood, a song that I personally had not heard before. One friend that I was with had seen them seven times and afterwards told me that she had not seen that song live before, and I'll tell you this, it's a hell of a set-closer. For starters I didn't expect a huge jam at this show and I also didn't predict it would rival the first time I heard Warsaw by Them Crooked Vultures live. As the show concluded, members of the band (including Sam himself) made a strong effort to shake hands and interact with the crowd on the floor. I was in the 8th row and managed to shake hands with him, so I thought that was pretty cool and not usually what I get at shows; total class-act.
With the show having a great deal of positive energy and a ton of upbeat tracks, one couldn't help but enjoy themselves because of it. Upon playing a nice balance of familiar songs, new material, and some rare tracks, I can't help but recommend checking them out the next time they're in town (Niagara on the Lake June 18th, Buffalo September 2nd, Kee to Bala September 3rd and 4th). The band came on at roughly 9:05 (earlier than the scheduled 9:15) and finished up around 10:50 which made for a satisfying night.
The opener for the weekend was a band called Zeus who also put on a solid set. Any band that can switch instruments multiple times during a gig gains points with me! This was my first time hearing them and I will certainly be checking out their studio material when I get the opportunity; also keeping an eye open for when they return to the GTA (September 9th at Yonge-Dundas Square).
Setlist:
The Last Crusade
Streets of Heaven (Promises, Promises)
Fixed To Ruin
Where Have All the Good People Gone?
Let It In
Taj Mahal
Up Sister
Dead End
Hard Road
Words and Fire
Detroit '67
Graveyard Shift
Don't Walk Away Eileen
Without a Map
Bridge to Nowhere
Brother Down
Them Kids
I Feel You
Uprising Down Under
Mind Flood
Album Breakdown:
Collider: 6
Love at the End of the World: 5
We Were Born in a Flame: 5
Chemical City: 3
+ "Brother Down" (difficult to categorize)
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Review - This Will Destroy You (Toronto, ON)
This Will Destroy You w/ John LaMonica
Lee's Palace
Toronto, ON
Monday, May 30, 2011
With regards to the band, this isn't a positive review, but I had to share my thoughts (if only to take some heat or to maybe even help someone improve; there's a good part towards the end). The day began with myself on the fence about checking out Friendly Fires over at the Phoenix; a band for whom I was told was a lot of fun to experience live. This mixed with the lovely weather we received yesterday throughout the GTA really pushed me to go check out a fun show in the city. Unfortunately, due to illness the band was unable to perform in Toronto and as a result we were left scrambling to find something to do.
The majority of my concert-going experiences have been of the larger nature, generally. I've seen a handful of shows at the Air Canada Centre, the Molson Amphitheatre, and then some of relatively smaller, yet large venues like the Kool Haus where alot of the times gigs are booked well in advance and I know who's in town ahead of time. I have been to a bunch of smaller shows for bands that I already knew of at smaller venues in the city, like Lee's Palace or the Horseshoe Tavern, but rarely have I entered blindly into a show just to check out a new band. Upon searching Twitter and Google after dinner yesterday and browsing various Toronto websites I wasn't able to locate a definitive listing that would help narrow down our search so we decided to check out Lee's Palace for a band called This Will Destroy You.
Upon previewing their material on YouTube I found myself enjoying what I was listening to and it certainly seemed good for relaxation, studying, or just background music for sitting on the grass on a summer afternoon. I typically don't make it to shows of this nature and picture them being the type of band I would check out for a bit at a festival, but not going out of my way to see. Whatever, $15... let's take the plunge, never know... maybe I'll meet my future wife there.
Hands-down... the worst show I have ever been to. We left after maybe 20 minutes when they played (I think) two songs. One just sounded like noise, the other 15-minutes was some dude pressing the keys and the seated guitarist rocking out (but not actually producing much sound). Awful show. Despite this extreme dislike for how the show turned out, I have talked to a couple people who are actually fans of the band and apparently they have attended shows similar to last night and others that were in the complete opposite direction. For now, I'll maybe check out one of their albums and throw them in the low-priority pile. Too bad. I could be less harsh on it and suggest they ARE that band I would maybe see for a song or two at a festival and not think of again, but they are under the microscope for today since I went out of my way to see them and was actually disappointed by what I saw. Oh well.
Despite this, there was some good that came from things as I was able to help locate a definitive listing of shows in the city (previously used Eye Weekly, but am having issues locating the same information on their new site, The Grid TO). The fine folks at NOW Magazine have a sweet listing of shows (I'm sure they're missing some) which for now will serve me well. Infact, it led me to the band Sons of York for whom sound like they could be fun. May go check them out tomorrow night at The Smiling Buddha in Toronto.
Win some, lose some, but hey... at least now I was able to find a pretty good source of concert listings for last minute shows in the city.
Setlist (courtesy of setlist.fm for reasons listed above):
Little Smoke
Glass Realms
Communal Blood
Burial on the Presidio Banks
Black Dunes
There Are Some Remedies Worse Than the Disease
Killed The Lord, Left For The New World
Quiet
Album Breakdown:
Tunnel Blanket: 5
This Will Destroy You: 1
Young Mountain: 2
Lee's Palace
Toronto, ON
Monday, May 30, 2011
With regards to the band, this isn't a positive review, but I had to share my thoughts (if only to take some heat or to maybe even help someone improve; there's a good part towards the end). The day began with myself on the fence about checking out Friendly Fires over at the Phoenix; a band for whom I was told was a lot of fun to experience live. This mixed with the lovely weather we received yesterday throughout the GTA really pushed me to go check out a fun show in the city. Unfortunately, due to illness the band was unable to perform in Toronto and as a result we were left scrambling to find something to do.
The majority of my concert-going experiences have been of the larger nature, generally. I've seen a handful of shows at the Air Canada Centre, the Molson Amphitheatre, and then some of relatively smaller, yet large venues like the Kool Haus where alot of the times gigs are booked well in advance and I know who's in town ahead of time. I have been to a bunch of smaller shows for bands that I already knew of at smaller venues in the city, like Lee's Palace or the Horseshoe Tavern, but rarely have I entered blindly into a show just to check out a new band. Upon searching Twitter and Google after dinner yesterday and browsing various Toronto websites I wasn't able to locate a definitive listing that would help narrow down our search so we decided to check out Lee's Palace for a band called This Will Destroy You.
Upon previewing their material on YouTube I found myself enjoying what I was listening to and it certainly seemed good for relaxation, studying, or just background music for sitting on the grass on a summer afternoon. I typically don't make it to shows of this nature and picture them being the type of band I would check out for a bit at a festival, but not going out of my way to see. Whatever, $15... let's take the plunge, never know... maybe I'll meet my future wife there.
Hands-down... the worst show I have ever been to. We left after maybe 20 minutes when they played (I think) two songs. One just sounded like noise, the other 15-minutes was some dude pressing the keys and the seated guitarist rocking out (but not actually producing much sound). Awful show. Despite this extreme dislike for how the show turned out, I have talked to a couple people who are actually fans of the band and apparently they have attended shows similar to last night and others that were in the complete opposite direction. For now, I'll maybe check out one of their albums and throw them in the low-priority pile. Too bad. I could be less harsh on it and suggest they ARE that band I would maybe see for a song or two at a festival and not think of again, but they are under the microscope for today since I went out of my way to see them and was actually disappointed by what I saw. Oh well.
Despite this, there was some good that came from things as I was able to help locate a definitive listing of shows in the city (previously used Eye Weekly, but am having issues locating the same information on their new site, The Grid TO). The fine folks at NOW Magazine have a sweet listing of shows (I'm sure they're missing some) which for now will serve me well. Infact, it led me to the band Sons of York for whom sound like they could be fun. May go check them out tomorrow night at The Smiling Buddha in Toronto.
Win some, lose some, but hey... at least now I was able to find a pretty good source of concert listings for last minute shows in the city.
Setlist (courtesy of setlist.fm for reasons listed above):
Little Smoke
Glass Realms
Communal Blood
Burial on the Presidio Banks
Black Dunes
There Are Some Remedies Worse Than the Disease
Killed The Lord, Left For The New World
Quiet
Album Breakdown:
Tunnel Blanket: 5
This Will Destroy You: 1
Young Mountain: 2
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
How Many Canadians Are On Each NHL Team - 2012 Playoff Edition
Author's Note (April 7, 2012):
2012 update is here, enjoy!
Ready for the NHL playoffs? Me too!
Did your team miss the playoffs? Me too!
Curious about how many of this years NHL playoff teams contain Canadians? Me too!
Here's the split for the 2012 playoffs of how many Canadians are on each of the teams who qualified to play deep into April:
18/29 - Boston (10 Ontario, 1 Toronto, 1 Brampton)
17/26 - Phoenix (5 Ontario)
16/26 - Florida (9 Ontario, 2 Toronto, 1 Hamilton, 1 Mississauga)
16/26 - St. Louis (9 Ontario, 3 Toronto)
16/26 - San Jose (7 Ontario, 1 Toronto, 1 Guelph)
16/28 - Vancouver (5 Ontario, 2 Mississauga, 1 Toronto)
15/25 - Los Angeles (8 Ontario)
15/27 - Chicago (8 Ontario, 1 Toronto, 1 Hamilton)
15/28 - Washington (4 Ontario, 1 Toronto)
14/26 - Pittsburgh (6 Ontario)
13/28 - Philadelphia (5 Ontario, 1 Mississauga)
12/26 - Ottawa (5 Ontario, 1 Toronto)
12/28 - Nashville (7 Ontario, 2 Hamilton, 1 Toronto)
10/25 - NY Rangers (6 Ontario, 1 Oakville)
09/25 - Detroit (3 Ontario)
07/25 - New Jersey (2 Ontario, 1 Toronto)
There you have it; can debate the top of the list as Phoenix has 65.4% Canadians on their active roster compared to Boston's 62.1%, but if you go on headcount obviously the Bruins win.
Of the two Canadian teams who are in the playoffs this season, it's obvious that the Canucks are the team to root for (especially since one of those teams are Ottawa).
And finally, if you needed any additional reasons to dislike the Wings or Devils, their Canadian count is extremely low.
Happy playoffs!
================
2011 Edition:
The Stanley Cup has not been won by a team that plays in Canada since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. Alot has changed since then though: Maple Leaf Gardens and the Forum are no longer being used for hockey and I have aged 18 years. Now, the Vancouver Canucks appear to be on the brink of winning the Stanley Cup and bringing hockey's richest prize back to Canada (a task the Senators, Oilers, and even their own franchise has failed to achieve in this stretch). However, one problem for me arises... I'm not a Vancouver Canucks fan and I have been called anti-Canadian by choosing not to cheer for them. I cheered my heart out and nearly cried when Zach Parise scored for the States against Canada in the Gold Medal game, but I don't have any emotional attachment to the Canucks (especially when I no longer have the Sedin's in fantasy).
This debate has come up quite a bit recently, especially when I hopped on the up-and-coming Blackhawks bandwagon a few seasons ago before they just so happened to beat the Canucks (twice; once while en route to a Cup victory). I was raised a Leafs fan and I really enjoy watching the Blackhawks, so those are my teams that I care about. The others... I just like to be entertained, but please, don't force me to cheer for the Canucks just because they're "Canadian" (the Sens and Habs are ALSO "Canadian").
Curious as to how many Canadians play for each NHL team? So was I, and now I will tell you (thanks to NHL.com for the rosters, detailed list at the bottom of this entry):
Curious how many NHL players were born in Ontario?
So, when it comes to the NHL playoffs this season, of the two Canadian teams (Vancouver and Montreal) I would argue that the team to cheer for would be the Canucks, if you need to cheer for a team that plays its home games in Canada (especially since I grew up as a Leaf fan and we don't cheer for the stinky Habs).
Out of all of the NHL teams that represent Canadian cities, Edmonton has the most players at 18 (67% of their roster) with Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto close behind. From the perspective of how many Ontario-born players are in the league, Edmonton takes the cake at 7, with honourable mention going to the Canucks and Sens for having 6 apiece. An ironic note is that the Toronto Maple Leafs (Capital of Ontario) have the fewest Ontario-born players (Nazem Kadri, who barely made the team this past season). As far as Mississauga-born players in the NHL, the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders have 2 each. Neither the Atlanta Thrashers or Phoenix Coyotes have a player that was born in Manitoba.
Fun Fact: The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal and in 1977 the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. The 1988 Winter Olympics were held in Calgary and in 1989 the Calgary Flames won the Stanley Cup. The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver and in 2011...
While roster sizes differ across the league, if one breaks down the percentages and looks at the remaining teams in the playoffs they will find that as far as Canadian content is concerned the following is true:
65% of the Boston Bruins were born in Canada
63% of the Tampa Bay Lightning were born in Canada
62% of the San Jose Sharks were born in Canada
53% of the Vancouver Canucks were born in Canada
So while I still don't cheer for Vancouver (various reasons), their Canadian headcount came in surprisingly high (Manny Malhotra is from Mississauga too) and... I guess it's okay to cheer for them because of that. However, rooting for the Bruins would sure upset some Habs fans too.
Here's the whole list of Canadian players per NHL team:
20 players on the Washington Capitals were born in Canada.
20 players on the Philadelphia Flyers were born in Canada.
18 players on the Edmonton Oilers were born in Canada.
18 players on the San Jose Sharks were born in Canada.
17 players on the Colorado Avalanche were born in Canada.
17 players on the Boston Bruins were born in Canada.
17 players on the Tampa Bay Lightning were born in Canada.
17 players on the Pittsburgh Penguins were born in Canada.
17 players on the Vancouver Canucks were born in Canada.
16 players on the New York Islanders were born in Canada.
15 players on the Minnesota Wild were born in Canada.
15 players on the Columbus Bluejackets were born in Canada.
15 players on the Chicago Blackhawks were born in Canada.
15 players on the Calgary Flames were born in Canada.
15 players on the Toronto Maple Leafs were born in Canada.
14 players on the Dallas Stars were born in Canada.
14 players on the Phoenix Coyotes were born in Canada.
13 players on the Nashville Predators were born in Canada.
13 players on the Montreal Canadiens were born in Canada.
11 players on the Los Angeles Kings were born in Canada.
11 players on the Buffalo Sabres were born in Canada.
11 players on the Anaheim Ducks were born in Canada.
10 players on the Carolina Hurricanes were born in Canada.
10 players on the St. Louis Blues were born in Canada.
10 players on the Ottawa Senators were born in Canada.
10 players on the Florida Panthers were born in Canada.
9 players on the New York Rangers were born in Canada.
9 players on the Atlanta Thrashers were born in Canada.
9 players on the New Jersey Devils were born in Canada.
8 players on the Detroit Red Wings were born in Canada.
2012 update is here, enjoy!
Ready for the NHL playoffs? Me too!
Did your team miss the playoffs? Me too!
Curious about how many of this years NHL playoff teams contain Canadians? Me too!
Here's the split for the 2012 playoffs of how many Canadians are on each of the teams who qualified to play deep into April:
18/29 - Boston (10 Ontario, 1 Toronto, 1 Brampton)
17/26 - Phoenix (5 Ontario)
16/26 - Florida (9 Ontario, 2 Toronto, 1 Hamilton, 1 Mississauga)
16/26 - St. Louis (9 Ontario, 3 Toronto)
16/26 - San Jose (7 Ontario, 1 Toronto, 1 Guelph)
16/28 - Vancouver (5 Ontario, 2 Mississauga, 1 Toronto)
15/25 - Los Angeles (8 Ontario)
15/27 - Chicago (8 Ontario, 1 Toronto, 1 Hamilton)
15/28 - Washington (4 Ontario, 1 Toronto)
14/26 - Pittsburgh (6 Ontario)
13/28 - Philadelphia (5 Ontario, 1 Mississauga)
12/26 - Ottawa (5 Ontario, 1 Toronto)
12/28 - Nashville (7 Ontario, 2 Hamilton, 1 Toronto)
10/25 - NY Rangers (6 Ontario, 1 Oakville)
09/25 - Detroit (3 Ontario)
07/25 - New Jersey (2 Ontario, 1 Toronto)
There you have it; can debate the top of the list as Phoenix has 65.4% Canadians on their active roster compared to Boston's 62.1%, but if you go on headcount obviously the Bruins win.
Of the two Canadian teams who are in the playoffs this season, it's obvious that the Canucks are the team to root for (especially since one of those teams are Ottawa).
And finally, if you needed any additional reasons to dislike the Wings or Devils, their Canadian count is extremely low.
Happy playoffs!
================
2011 Edition:
The Stanley Cup has not been won by a team that plays in Canada since the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. Alot has changed since then though: Maple Leaf Gardens and the Forum are no longer being used for hockey and I have aged 18 years. Now, the Vancouver Canucks appear to be on the brink of winning the Stanley Cup and bringing hockey's richest prize back to Canada (a task the Senators, Oilers, and even their own franchise has failed to achieve in this stretch). However, one problem for me arises... I'm not a Vancouver Canucks fan and I have been called anti-Canadian by choosing not to cheer for them. I cheered my heart out and nearly cried when Zach Parise scored for the States against Canada in the Gold Medal game, but I don't have any emotional attachment to the Canucks (especially when I no longer have the Sedin's in fantasy).
This debate has come up quite a bit recently, especially when I hopped on the up-and-coming Blackhawks bandwagon a few seasons ago before they just so happened to beat the Canucks (twice; once while en route to a Cup victory). I was raised a Leafs fan and I really enjoy watching the Blackhawks, so those are my teams that I care about. The others... I just like to be entertained, but please, don't force me to cheer for the Canucks just because they're "Canadian" (the Sens and Habs are ALSO "Canadian").
Curious as to how many Canadians play for each NHL team? So was I, and now I will tell you (thanks to NHL.com for the rosters, detailed list at the bottom of this entry):
Curious how many NHL players were born in Ontario?
So, when it comes to the NHL playoffs this season, of the two Canadian teams (Vancouver and Montreal) I would argue that the team to cheer for would be the Canucks, if you need to cheer for a team that plays its home games in Canada (especially since I grew up as a Leaf fan and we don't cheer for the stinky Habs).
Out of all of the NHL teams that represent Canadian cities, Edmonton has the most players at 18 (67% of their roster) with Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto close behind. From the perspective of how many Ontario-born players are in the league, Edmonton takes the cake at 7, with honourable mention going to the Canucks and Sens for having 6 apiece. An ironic note is that the Toronto Maple Leafs (Capital of Ontario) have the fewest Ontario-born players (Nazem Kadri, who barely made the team this past season). As far as Mississauga-born players in the NHL, the Calgary Flames and New York Islanders have 2 each. Neither the Atlanta Thrashers or Phoenix Coyotes have a player that was born in Manitoba.
Fun Fact: The 1976 Summer Olympics were held in Montreal and in 1977 the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup. The 1988 Winter Olympics were held in Calgary and in 1989 the Calgary Flames won the Stanley Cup. The 2010 Winter Olympics were held in Vancouver and in 2011...
While roster sizes differ across the league, if one breaks down the percentages and looks at the remaining teams in the playoffs they will find that as far as Canadian content is concerned the following is true:
65% of the Boston Bruins were born in Canada
63% of the Tampa Bay Lightning were born in Canada
62% of the San Jose Sharks were born in Canada
53% of the Vancouver Canucks were born in Canada
So while I still don't cheer for Vancouver (various reasons), their Canadian headcount came in surprisingly high (Manny Malhotra is from Mississauga too) and... I guess it's okay to cheer for them because of that. However, rooting for the Bruins would sure upset some Habs fans too.
Here's the whole list of Canadian players per NHL team:
20 players on the Washington Capitals were born in Canada.
20 players on the Philadelphia Flyers were born in Canada.
18 players on the Edmonton Oilers were born in Canada.
18 players on the San Jose Sharks were born in Canada.
17 players on the Colorado Avalanche were born in Canada.
17 players on the Boston Bruins were born in Canada.
17 players on the Tampa Bay Lightning were born in Canada.
17 players on the Pittsburgh Penguins were born in Canada.
17 players on the Vancouver Canucks were born in Canada.
16 players on the New York Islanders were born in Canada.
15 players on the Minnesota Wild were born in Canada.
15 players on the Columbus Bluejackets were born in Canada.
15 players on the Chicago Blackhawks were born in Canada.
15 players on the Calgary Flames were born in Canada.
15 players on the Toronto Maple Leafs were born in Canada.
14 players on the Dallas Stars were born in Canada.
14 players on the Phoenix Coyotes were born in Canada.
13 players on the Nashville Predators were born in Canada.
13 players on the Montreal Canadiens were born in Canada.
11 players on the Los Angeles Kings were born in Canada.
11 players on the Buffalo Sabres were born in Canada.
11 players on the Anaheim Ducks were born in Canada.
10 players on the Carolina Hurricanes were born in Canada.
10 players on the St. Louis Blues were born in Canada.
10 players on the Ottawa Senators were born in Canada.
10 players on the Florida Panthers were born in Canada.
9 players on the New York Rangers were born in Canada.
9 players on the Atlanta Thrashers were born in Canada.
9 players on the New Jersey Devils were born in Canada.
8 players on the Detroit Red Wings were born in Canada.
Monday, 23 May 2011
Review - Mickey's Pizza (Mississauga, ON)
One of my previously undocumented resolutions for 2011 was to try as many new restaurants as possible (within reason). Often I find that I will ask around, walk around, or go to the internet to try and locate a restaurant that is a good fit for me. Thanks to the kind folks at Urban Spoon (who listed off the top ten restaurants in Mississauga) I was able to locate and get friends excited about Mickey's Pizza. While returning to town on Saturday afternoon it felt like the perfect opportunity to check it out.
Mickey's Pizza
1900 Lakeshore Road West
Mississauga, ON
Open 4pm - 10pm (closed Monday)
Upon entering it kind of reminded me of Burrito Boyz (for the somewhat small restaurant, the food preparation process, and strong reputation). As far as types of pizza (excluding toppings here), the menu offers skinny, original, and Killer King; so with a name like that and countless good reviews, we were going all in. The Killer King is essentially their Chicago-style deep dish pizza and after exploring the menu, we decided to get that and have their Pappy's BBQ Chicken:
Upon ordering and waiting for the pizza to be completed, the staff chatted with us and introduced some of the background and methodologies of the restaurant (including their unique oven), as well as the menu. Extremely pleasant and welcoming experience, hopefully the pizza is too.
After the quick 15-minute wait, the pizza was ready to be devoured and I am pleased to say that it was absolutely delicious. I have been to Chicago numerous times, been to Hamilton, and I am so happy to know that there is a solid pizza place so close to home (especially one that has solid deep-dish AND traditional offerings). The only drawback of this arrangement I have discovered is that I don't plan on eating deep-dish that frequently, so it's like being in a long-distance relationship with the perfect girl that you only get to see once in awhile. There's always the extremely satisfying traditional ones. We were fortunate to try one of the thinner pizzas upon exiting (thank you very much) and just like the deep-dish, it was amazing. I am clearly blown away.
One of my favourite parts of the experience, in addition to the incredibly friendly staff, was being able to see the preparation of my meal. Much like Burrito Boyz, the toppings are all on display and added to the dough for one to see and placed into the oven. Depending on which type you get, the traditional pizzas are placed on the Hickory VPO Barbecue Oven so that one can see their raw meal enter and reach the finish line all before their eyes, pretty neat.
All in all, excellent experience and I will certainly return. I have mentioned it to friends already and have heard some surprises at the "no slices" offering, but it will make perfect sense upon visiting. This isn't Pizza Pizza; your meal is made from scratch in front of you and obviously they're not going to make one slice or have their pizza sitting around all day. I'm in serious like.
As I pulled into the driveway at home...
Me: (to neighbour) "Hey! Just went to Mickey's Pizza; it's out near Lakeshore and Erin Mills, amazing pizza!"
Him: (eating Pizza Pizza) "Well, I have Pizza Pizza, it's all the same. Pizza's pizza."
Me: "..."
No... all pizza is not alike.
The Food Junkie was actually the first review I saw on the place and if my brief overview didn't sell you, perhaps she will.
Seriously, game changer. Turns out we're returning this weekend with a group of friends. I also didn't mean to pick on Pizza Pizza, it was the first big chain that came to mind.
EDIT: Forgot but I also had a Coke out of a glass bottle during the meal, nice touch!
Mickey's Pizza
1900 Lakeshore Road West
Mississauga, ON
Open 4pm - 10pm (closed Monday)
Upon entering it kind of reminded me of Burrito Boyz (for the somewhat small restaurant, the food preparation process, and strong reputation). As far as types of pizza (excluding toppings here), the menu offers skinny, original, and Killer King; so with a name like that and countless good reviews, we were going all in. The Killer King is essentially their Chicago-style deep dish pizza and after exploring the menu, we decided to get that and have their Pappy's BBQ Chicken:
Upon ordering and waiting for the pizza to be completed, the staff chatted with us and introduced some of the background and methodologies of the restaurant (including their unique oven), as well as the menu. Extremely pleasant and welcoming experience, hopefully the pizza is too.
After the quick 15-minute wait, the pizza was ready to be devoured and I am pleased to say that it was absolutely delicious. I have been to Chicago numerous times, been to Hamilton, and I am so happy to know that there is a solid pizza place so close to home (especially one that has solid deep-dish AND traditional offerings). The only drawback of this arrangement I have discovered is that I don't plan on eating deep-dish that frequently, so it's like being in a long-distance relationship with the perfect girl that you only get to see once in awhile. There's always the extremely satisfying traditional ones. We were fortunate to try one of the thinner pizzas upon exiting (thank you very much) and just like the deep-dish, it was amazing. I am clearly blown away.
One of my favourite parts of the experience, in addition to the incredibly friendly staff, was being able to see the preparation of my meal. Much like Burrito Boyz, the toppings are all on display and added to the dough for one to see and placed into the oven. Depending on which type you get, the traditional pizzas are placed on the Hickory VPO Barbecue Oven so that one can see their raw meal enter and reach the finish line all before their eyes, pretty neat.
All in all, excellent experience and I will certainly return. I have mentioned it to friends already and have heard some surprises at the "no slices" offering, but it will make perfect sense upon visiting. This isn't Pizza Pizza; your meal is made from scratch in front of you and obviously they're not going to make one slice or have their pizza sitting around all day. I'm in serious like.
As I pulled into the driveway at home...
Me: (to neighbour) "Hey! Just went to Mickey's Pizza; it's out near Lakeshore and Erin Mills, amazing pizza!"
Him: (eating Pizza Pizza) "Well, I have Pizza Pizza, it's all the same. Pizza's pizza."
Me: "..."
No... all pizza is not alike.
The Food Junkie was actually the first review I saw on the place and if my brief overview didn't sell you, perhaps she will.
Seriously, game changer. Turns out we're returning this weekend with a group of friends. I also didn't mean to pick on Pizza Pizza, it was the first big chain that came to mind.
EDIT: Forgot but I also had a Coke out of a glass bottle during the meal, nice touch!
Review - Arctic Monkeys (Toronto, ON)
Arctic Monkeys w/ The Vaccines
Kool Haus
Toronto, ON
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Set to release their next album on June 6th entitled Suck It and See, the Arctic Monkeys came to town on Saturday and for the third time in my life I was fortunate to check them out.
The band was far more cheerful compared to their last Toronto date in 2009 while on the tour for Humbug (that being a Tuesday night and not Saturday). Alex Turner (lead singer) interacted alot more with the crowd on this evening and felt looser overall. The new songs they played all seemed to go over quite well, though the old old stuff was definitely the most popular and energetic. When The Sun Goes Down was a huge hit during the encore with the crowd, and Brick by Brick improved quite a bit in the live setting.
As what tends to happen every so often, I was disappointed with the amount of annoying people I encountered during the last two songs. Meathead #1 moved directly in front of me for the encore and during When the Sun Goes Down was checking his phone while sorta fist-pumping (except with the fingers stretched out, y'know), clearly not knowing the song. I moved about 3 people to my right when I saw a gap, only to be standing next to a girl who yelled all of the words to Fluorescent Adolescent into my right ear.
Having said that, the show was certainly a good time and the crowd ate it all up. I noticed that some songs didn't seem as grim as they did last time (This House is a Circus, for one), perhaps it had something to do with the bands sound from the previous album going in a darker direction.
Opening the show were The Vaccines whose set was okay. I had higher expectations for them and was kind of hoping that they would be more fun. A few songs hit the mark but on the whole their set felt pretty repetitive. I've been told better things by others so perhaps I'll check them out at Lolla if the schedule allows me to.
Setlist:
Library Pictures
Brianstorm
This House Is A Circus
Still Take You Home
Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
Pretty Visitors
Teddy Picker
Crying Lightning
She's Thunderstorms
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Potion Approaching
Brick by Brick
If You Were There, Beware
Do Me A Favour
Cornerstone
The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
The View From The Afternoon
When The Sun Goes Down
Fluorescent Adolescent
Album Breakdown:
Favourite Worst Nightmare: 6
Suck it and See: 5
Humbug: 4
Whatever People Say I Am,...: 4
Kool Haus
Toronto, ON
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Set to release their next album on June 6th entitled Suck It and See, the Arctic Monkeys came to town on Saturday and for the third time in my life I was fortunate to check them out.
The band was far more cheerful compared to their last Toronto date in 2009 while on the tour for Humbug (that being a Tuesday night and not Saturday). Alex Turner (lead singer) interacted alot more with the crowd on this evening and felt looser overall. The new songs they played all seemed to go over quite well, though the old old stuff was definitely the most popular and energetic. When The Sun Goes Down was a huge hit during the encore with the crowd, and Brick by Brick improved quite a bit in the live setting.
As what tends to happen every so often, I was disappointed with the amount of annoying people I encountered during the last two songs. Meathead #1 moved directly in front of me for the encore and during When the Sun Goes Down was checking his phone while sorta fist-pumping (except with the fingers stretched out, y'know), clearly not knowing the song. I moved about 3 people to my right when I saw a gap, only to be standing next to a girl who yelled all of the words to Fluorescent Adolescent into my right ear.
Having said that, the show was certainly a good time and the crowd ate it all up. I noticed that some songs didn't seem as grim as they did last time (This House is a Circus, for one), perhaps it had something to do with the bands sound from the previous album going in a darker direction.
Opening the show were The Vaccines whose set was okay. I had higher expectations for them and was kind of hoping that they would be more fun. A few songs hit the mark but on the whole their set felt pretty repetitive. I've been told better things by others so perhaps I'll check them out at Lolla if the schedule allows me to.
Setlist:
Library Pictures
Brianstorm
This House Is A Circus
Still Take You Home
Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair
Pretty Visitors
Teddy Picker
Crying Lightning
She's Thunderstorms
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Potion Approaching
Brick by Brick
If You Were There, Beware
Do Me A Favour
Cornerstone
The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
The View From The Afternoon
When The Sun Goes Down
Fluorescent Adolescent
Album Breakdown:
Favourite Worst Nightmare: 6
Suck it and See: 5
Humbug: 4
Whatever People Say I Am,...: 4
Resolutions for 2011
Permission to pinch or slap me (not in the face) if you see me in violation of any of the following:
- Robocop and The Godfather 1 & 2: Three movies I have never seen and probably should.
Goal: watch each of these movies in 2011.
1/3 COMPLETE: watched Robocop on January 1, 2012.
- California/BC/Alberta: California keeps getting put off, I have technically stepped foot in BC but it was to take a picture with the sign and turn around. Alberta seems like the easiest, specific location is not important.
Goal: visit at least 2 of these 3 states/provinces in 2011.
1/2 COMPLETE: visited San Francisco in July 2011.
- Montreal/Ottawa: Return to Montreal and finally step foot in Ottawa.
Goal: visit both Montreal and Ottawa in 2011.
1/2 COMPLETE: visited Montreal in May 2011.
- Sports in Detroit: Upon briefly touching down for a concert in September I realized it's truly not THAT far from home or as unwelcoming as people make it seem.
Goal: attend at least one sporting event in Detroit in 2011.
- NHL game: I have now seen NHL hockey at 3 active North American arenas, continue to expand.
Goal: attend at least one NHL game outside of Toronto, Buffalo, or Chicago in 2011.
- College Football: Make it back to a college football game in the States.
Goal: attend at least one college football game in the States in 2011.
- Pack-a-lunch: Didn't achieve this one past January 2010 so it's back on the list. Bring a sandwich or something homemade to work at least 2 days a week, cafeteria adds up.
Goal: bring a lunch to work at least 2 business days per week.
- Enjoy breakfast: In 2010 it was for health reasons, this year it's primarily financial. Why pay for eggs and others at work when I can easily make it at home?
Goal: eat breakfast at home 2-3 business days a week.
==================
- Mattress: I really need a new mattress and have been putting off this purchase for about 1-2 years.
COMPLETE: mattress purchased on January 3, 2011.
- Ontario/Quebec Signs: From various road trips I have pictures with the signs for BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Bit of a hole in between.
COMPLETE: drove to Montreal on May 4, 2011.
- MLB game in the States: I have now seen MLB games at 4 active North American fields, continue to expand.
COMPLETE: visited California in July 2011 and saw games in Oakland and San Francisco.
- Music Festivals: Return to the States for a music festival.
COMPLETE: attended Lollapalooza in Chicago in August 2011.
I have set a list of objectives for which I feel are both realistic and contain things that I would like to do. My list of 2010 goals wasn't fully-accomplished (and those that I feel are high-priority have returned this year) but there were a ton of other unexpected events that popped up this year that I feel may cancel some of those items out, who knows what 2011 has in store.
- Robocop and The Godfather 1 & 2: Three movies I have never seen and probably should.
Goal: watch each of these movies in 2011.
1/3 COMPLETE: watched Robocop on January 1, 2012.
- California/BC/Alberta: California keeps getting put off, I have technically stepped foot in BC but it was to take a picture with the sign and turn around. Alberta seems like the easiest, specific location is not important.
Goal: visit at least 2 of these 3 states/provinces in 2011.
1/2 COMPLETE: visited San Francisco in July 2011.
- Montreal/Ottawa: Return to Montreal and finally step foot in Ottawa.
Goal: visit both Montreal and Ottawa in 2011.
1/2 COMPLETE: visited Montreal in May 2011.
- Sports in Detroit: Upon briefly touching down for a concert in September I realized it's truly not THAT far from home or as unwelcoming as people make it seem.
Goal: attend at least one sporting event in Detroit in 2011.
- NHL game: I have now seen NHL hockey at 3 active North American arenas, continue to expand.
Goal: attend at least one NHL game outside of Toronto, Buffalo, or Chicago in 2011.
- College Football: Make it back to a college football game in the States.
Goal: attend at least one college football game in the States in 2011.
- Pack-a-lunch: Didn't achieve this one past January 2010 so it's back on the list. Bring a sandwich or something homemade to work at least 2 days a week, cafeteria adds up.
Goal: bring a lunch to work at least 2 business days per week.
- Enjoy breakfast: In 2010 it was for health reasons, this year it's primarily financial. Why pay for eggs and others at work when I can easily make it at home?
Goal: eat breakfast at home 2-3 business days a week.
==================
- Mattress: I really need a new mattress and have been putting off this purchase for about 1-2 years.
COMPLETE: mattress purchased on January 3, 2011.
- Ontario/Quebec Signs: From various road trips I have pictures with the signs for BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Bit of a hole in between.
COMPLETE: drove to Montreal on May 4, 2011.
- MLB game in the States: I have now seen MLB games at 4 active North American fields, continue to expand.
COMPLETE: visited California in July 2011 and saw games in Oakland and San Francisco.
- Music Festivals: Return to the States for a music festival.
COMPLETE: attended Lollapalooza in Chicago in August 2011.
I have set a list of objectives for which I feel are both realistic and contain things that I would like to do. My list of 2010 goals wasn't fully-accomplished (and those that I feel are high-priority have returned this year) but there were a ton of other unexpected events that popped up this year that I feel may cancel some of those items out, who knows what 2011 has in store.
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