Gleeful Chaos Fuelled the Kids in the Hall's 40th Reunion in Toronto
The Rivoli has hosted many now-famous artists in its 40-plus years in business, yet none are as closely associated with the Toronto venue a
Ian Gormely•Nov 27, 2024
comedy reviews Archive
Caribou's Toronto Show Was as Healing as It Was Hype
Like any artist bravely hosting shows during Taylor Swift's two-week reign over Toronto in November, Caribou's doubleheader this weekend
Allie Gregory•Nov 25, 2024Kendrick Lamar Is in Rarefied Air on the Triumphant 'GNX'
Given the year Kendrick Lamar has had, a new album felt imminent. From starting his year with a show-stealing verse on Future's "Like That"
Wesley McLean•Nov 25, 2024There's Never Been a Music Documentary Like 'Pavements'
Music docs are inherently self-aggrandizing, and the idea of Pavement celebrating themselves with an official documentary contradicts the
Alex Hudson•Nov 22, 2024'Wicked' Leaves Other Musical Adaptations Seeing Green
Directed by Jon M. Chu, 'Wicked' — the movie adaptation of the musical based on the book of the same name, itself based on
Lindsay Clarke•Nov 21, 2024Sister Ray Is Both Flesh and Myth on "Animal Thing"
Perhaps the inevitable fate of using the titular character from a Velvet Underground song as your stage name, Sister Ray — the project of
Megan LaPierre•Nov 21, 2024'Never Look Away' Doesn't Look Hard Enough at Its Own Subject
Creating a documentary about a deceased subject is no simple feat, and when that subject was shrouded in so much mystery during their time
Jordan Currie•Nov 20, 2024'The Sex Lives of College Girls' Season 3 Could've Used a Gap Year
After a two-year wait, Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble's raunchy college sex-comedy 'The Sex Lives of College Girls' is back for its third
Karlie Rogers•Nov 20, 2024'The Line' Exposes the Toxic Side of Frat Life
The horrors of hazing at fraternities have been well-documented and condemned over the years. However, despite the depths of humiliation an
Courtney Small•Nov 19, 2024Modest Mouse Shared Some Good News in Toronto
Let's just get this out of the way right now: at their show last night at History, Modest Mouse played "Float On." It's usually a concert
Marko Djurdjić•Nov 18, 2024Father John Misty Is at a Crossroads on 'Mahashmashana'
For perhaps the first time in his decade-plus long career, Father John Misty is at a crossroads. Every album he's released has been
Oliver Crook•Nov 18, 2024Charli XCX Was So Julia and the Lonely Island Were Brat on 'SNL'
Pulling double duty, beloved pop superstar Charli XCX was a great host and fine musical guest on a well-written and cameo-rich
Alex Hudson and Vish Khanna•Nov 17, 2024The Eras Tour Is Bigger Than Taylor Swift
"Is this gonna work?" Taylor Swift asked this while soundlessly strumming an acoustic guitar, the crowd's tepid response indicating that
Alex Hudson and Megan LaPierre•Nov 15, 2024Brotherly Love Is a Balm in 'A Real Pain'
Everyone has someone in their life they oscillate wildly back and forth on whether they love or hate them. That person's their complete
Matthew Simpson •Nov 15, 2024Dorothea Paas's 'Think of Mist' Is a Swim Through Deeper Waters
Well-respected and sought after by her musical peers in Toronto, Dorothea Paas cashes in on 'Think of Mist,' her glistening sophomore solo
Vish Khanna•Nov 14, 2024Cadence Weapon Showed Vancouver the Value of Showing Up
Wrapping up his West Coast Canadian tour in support of his latest album 'ROLLERCOASTER' at the Fox Cabaret on Tuesday night, Cadence Weapon
Leslie Ken Chu•Nov 14, 2024'Red One' Will Be Forgotten by Christmas
A combination of 'Sunshine,' 'Street Kings' and 'The Losers' made Chris Evans a favourite actor of my youth. His performance as Lucas Lee in
Rachel Ho•Nov 13, 2024Kylie V Weathers Life's Turbulence on 'Crash Test Plane'
When Kylie V released their debut LP 'Big Blue' in 2021, the Vancouver singer-songwriter was only 17 years old. In hindsight, they described
Leslie Ken Chu•Nov 12, 2024'Memoir of a Snail' Is a Highly Specific Gut Punch
There are very few movies quite like 'Memoir of a Snail.' Director Adam Elliot's previous film, 2009's 'Mary and Max,' comes the closest to
Lindsay Clarke•Nov 12, 2024Bill Burr and Mk.gee Divided Viewers on 'Saturday Night Live'
The morning after, Bill Burr and Mk.gee earned divided reactions to their performances on 'Saturday Night Live,' but the new head writers
Vish Khanna•Nov 10, 2024Kacey Musgraves Was Light as Air in Toronto
"Healing doesn't happen in a straight line," sang Kacey Musgraves on "justified," the lone cut from 2021's star-crossed wedged near the
Isabel Glasgow •Nov 9, 2024Rosier Carry It All on 'elle veille encore'
A title that translates to "she is still awake" feels particularly fitting for a week like this one, when every seasonally affected
Megan LaPierre•Nov 8, 2024Mustafa Was a Mountain in Toronto
Toronto could not have been more ready for Mustafa's return. Decked out in all the colours of the keffiyeh and limited edition merch
Ozioma Nwabuikwu•Nov 8, 2024Jeremie Albino's Throwback 'Our Time in the Sun' Speaks to Today
Jeremie Albino's fourth solo album is the kind you can put on for your parents, one that might have your grandpa tapping his slipper
Kaelen Bell•Nov 8, 2024Pain Is Generative on Mount Eerie's Beautifully Mundane 'Night Palace'
When Phil Elverum released 'A Crow Looked at Me' in 2017 — a raw, dazzling and heartbreaking album that explored his partner Geneviève's
Marko Djurdjić•Nov 8, 2024Les Breastfeeders Are Back and No Bullshit on 'La ville engloutie'
From Jane's Addiction to Oasis, reuniting rock bands have made the headlines for the wrong reasons recently. On the other side of that
Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo•Nov 7, 2024'Small Things Like These' Finds Gothic Horror in the Magdalene Laundries
Fresh off last year's award-winning success in the worldwide phenomenon that was 'Oppenheimer,' Cillian Murphy is back in the more modest
Barbara Goslawski •Nov 7, 2024Godspeed You! Black Emperor Led Toronto Through the Dark
A loop is something destined to repeat itself until an opposing force stops it or gets in the way: a bump, a swipe, a cut, a flame
Marko Djurdjić•Nov 6, 2024Janette King Conjures Magic on 'Incantation'
Following Janette King's career has been an intriguing affair; the Montreal artist weaves so many moods and genre-excursions into her
Antoine-Samuel Mauffette Alavo•Nov 6, 2024'The Piano Lesson' Strikes a Healing Chord
Eight years after Denzel Washington brought August Wilson's play 'Fences' to cinematic life, another Washington is trying his hand at one of
Courtney Small•Nov 6, 2024Sabrina Carpenter's Vancouver Show Was Can't-Miss TV
On Monday night in Vancouver, thousands of miniskirts and pink dresses descended upon the Pacific Coliseum for the last stop on the Canadian
Eden DaSilva•Nov 5, 2024Hugh Grant Makes Radiohead's "Creep" Even Creepier in 'Heretic'
From awkward red carpet interviews to becoming a self-proclaimed Blackpink fan to a brush with tabletop roleplaying in 'Dungeons & Dragons'
Karlie Rogers•Nov 5, 2024Haley Heynderickx Grows in New Directions on 'Seed of a Seed'
Softness and quiet lie at the heart of Portland-based folk artist Haley Heynderickx's music, but fans know to find enormous beauty in
Aly Laube•Nov 4, 2024Tyler, the Creator Is Legacy-Building on 'CHROMAKOPIA'
The word "mature" can be a backhanded compliment for a musician, since it tends to imply that what came before was a bit juvenile. That's
Alex Hudson•Nov 4, 2024SHEBAD Take a Sensual, Spiritual Oath on 'Music Is the Answer'
SHEBAD has a certain kind of effortless synergy. As the title of the Guelph collective's debut album reflects, they pour themselves into a
Megan LaPierre•Nov 4, 2024Chinese American Bear Channel the Blog-Rock Greats on 'Wah!!!'
Seattle "mando-pop" duo Chinese American Bear channel the best of golden-era blog-rock: the romantic haze of the Pains of Being Pure at
Alex Hudson•Nov 4, 2024Chappell Roan Was Multifaceted and John Mulaney Kept His Streak Going on a Triumphant 'SNL'
John Mulaney returned to his old workplace and had an excellent sixth hosting turn, including a Mulaney Musical with Pete Davidson, while
Vish Khanna•Nov 3, 2024The Cure Proved There's Still More Shadow to Explore in London
The mood was set before the Cure even set foot on stage at London's Troxy. Entering the venue, expectant fans were met by the sound of rain
Matty Pywell•Nov 2, 2024'Juror #2' Explosively Cross-Examines Moral Quandaries
In many ways, the American courtroom was seemingly tailor-made for the movies. Spiritually and architecturally freighted by spectres of
Alexander Mooney•Nov 1, 2024Nap Eyes Float Through 'The Neon Gate' and into Somewhere Special
Sometimes a band gets their album title just right, a phrase or a single word that tells you everything you need to know about the music
Kaelen Bell•Nov 1, 2024'Spirit in the Blood' Muddles Its Worthy Message
"We just wanted to be brave!" declares 15-year-old Emerson Grimm (Summer H. Howell) at a pivotal moment in Carly May Borgstrom's thriller
Courtney Small•Nov 1, 2024'Dahomey' Is a Poetic Meditation on Decolonization
In the documentary 'Dahomey,' Franco-Senegalese director Mati Diop masterfully presents an interrogative and poetic meditation on
Marie Saadeh•Nov 1, 2024'Emilia Pérez' Wows with Fresh, Vibrant Performances
Musical crime comedy 'Emilia Pérez' began to make waves after the film won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and its female
Rachel Ho•Nov 1, 2024Jennifer Castle's 'Camelot' Makes a Fantasy of the Real
Jennifer Castle's latest album requires a bit of patience. Not because it's difficult or dull, but because it's sometimes best to meet
Kaelen Bell•Nov 1, 2024Skye Wallace Is One Step Closer to Their Destination on 'The Act of Living'
Since debuting with the cinematic folk-rock suite 'Living Parts' in 2014, Skye Wallace has pondered life and death through their music
Leslie Ken Chu•Oct 31, 2024Pom Pom Squad Step into Somewhere New on 'Mirror Starts Moving Without Me'
It's sort of fitting that 2024 would open with Jane Schoenbrun's second millennial-existentialist horror film 'I Saw the TV Glow' and
Josh Korngut•Oct 31, 2024'Here' Pushes the Boundaries of Technology but Forgets About Characters
Previously directing cinematic titans such as 'Back to the Future,' 'Cast Away' and 'Forrest Gump,' Robert Zemeckis is back with 'Here.' But
Holly Hunt•Oct 31, 2024Halsey Finds a Few Hats That Fit on 'The Great Impersonator'
Halsey is no stranger to impersonation. The 2010s Tumblr darling, born Ashley Frangipane, has lived many lives in their decade-long career
Karlie Rogers•Oct 31, 2024Yoo Doo Right Expand Their Limits on 'From the Heights of Our Pastureland'
One of the most spellbinding bands in a city full of them, Montreal's Yoo Doo Right have become an impeccably well-oiled machine both live
Dave MacIntyre•Oct 31, 2024Magi Merlin Explores New Corners of Her Chameleonic Cosmos with "Bip"
Naming Magi Merlin's 2022 EP 'Gone Girl' as one of the best albums of that year was no overstatement, with its soulful molten core and
Megan LaPierre•Oct 29, 2024