Q&A: John Malkovich on singing, living in the moment and his new role in The Giacomo Variations

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John Malkovich is one of the most recognizable actors in Hollywood. And that voice, which has been described by The Guardian as “a reedy, faintly orgasmic drawl,” is one of the best. But can he carry a tune?

That is one of the big questions that will be answered when in a new Toronto production of The Giacomo Variations, based on the life of Giacomo Casanova, running June 7 to 9 at the Elgin Theatre.

We recently spoke with Malkovich, who stars in the production.

You were last in Toronto performing The Infernal Comedy. What were your impressions of the city and how were the crowds?
I like Toronto very much. The first Red movie [Red 2, starring Malkovich and Bruce Willis is out this summer] was shot almost exclusively in Toronto and a little bit outside. It is a great city; I like it very much. I slightly prefer spring, summer, fall … but I doubt I’m alone in that. We did The Infernal Comedy at Massey Hall. It was a very good crowd. They were interested, maybe a little more reserved than the crowd in Quebec. But no one threw anything at me that at least got close enough I can remember it. So that’s a good sign.

You have a fashion label, and it is now close to Father's Day. What would be a good fashionable gift choice for the discerning gentlemen — other than a tie?
Anything from my line, if anyone sold it. But that seems unlikely…. If I want to look presentable, I always wear a suit.

There is more to Casanova than his success with women, but that seems to be all he is known for. Why is that?
It is partially a reflection of our times, and partially something that comes from his time and his reputation, and probably in part from his journals. But there was a lot more to Casanova than just that. He seduced a lot of women, but he was also an alchemist, a Kabbalist, occultist, freemason. He did so many things in his life. A good handful of them [were] pretty shameful by any kind of reasonable standard, maybe even of the times. But others that were thought to be shameful probably weren't so appalling.

What are your thoughts on life, philosophically speaking?
[I’m] probably more of a carpe diem person, because we don’t really know what will happen tomorrow and we don’t really know that anything at all happens after this life. I assume not. We return to the earth. So I try to spend my life with people I like, doing what interests me.

Apparently you hold your own on the singing side. Were you worried at all about this aspect of the production?
I sang in choirs and all that stuff…. It was a childhood dream of mine to be in the Vienna Boys Choir…. In Mozart’s time, those were actors and not singers on the stage. I don’t sing all that much in the piece, perhaps blessedly for the paying public. It is mostly harmonies and fill-ins, but I love to sing. And I love this music. It is fantastic.

The Giacomo Variations, Elgin Theatre, June 7-9

Tony Aspler’s Weekly Wine Pick: a rugged, powerful red from Portugal

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Made from a field blend of old vines destined for port, this rugged red table wine is dense purple in colour with a nose of spicy blackberries; it’s a full-bodied, powerful wine — dry and fruity with earthy notes, firmly structured with ripe tannins. Ideal to accompany barbecued meats.

Lua Nova em Vinhas Velhas 2010, Douro Valley, Portugal, $14.95. Vintages #266882

Post City Magazines’ wine columnist, Tony Aspler, has written 14 books on wine and food. Tony also created the Ontario Wine Awards and has been inducted into the New York Media Wine Writers’ Hall of Fame. He can be heard on 680News.

The Music Issue: Jane’s Party

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4:24 pm

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Up-and-coming pop quartet Jane’s Party just released their second full-length album, Hot Noise. We caught up with band members Tom Ionescu and Zach Sutton to chat about their new album, their North York high school rivalry and following in the footsteps of Neil Young.

Who is Jane and what was it about that night that made you want to name your band after it?
Zach: We can’t really divulge the details, but if you listen closely enough, the information is in the songs.

So, basically, your song cycle is like a mystery, and the last frame will finally reveal this epic party, like The Hangover in album form?
Zach: We haven’t decided how the whole thing ends, yet, but we like giving cryptic details throughout the music. You know how, when your friend comes up to you and says they’re interested in a show, and then someone else blurts out the ending? We can’t risk that happening, so for now, we can’t let anyone know too much about Jane.

You guys hail from North York, where Geddy Lee and Neil Young once stomped around.
Zach: I grew up on Avenue Road and Wilson, and Neil Young went to Lawrence Park for a couple of years of high school. Having good delis around is great for bands.

Instead of being fuelled by ramen noodles and Pabst Blue Ribbon, you, Geddy and Neil were all fuelled by pickles and pastrami on rye.
Zach: There’s also great music schools, like Allegro Music on Avenue Road and Snider School of Music on Yonge Street, but you’re probably right. Delis are the key to these bands.

It’s interesting you two are even in the same band, given you attended rival high schools.
Zach: I went to York Mills and Tom attended Earl Haig, and every year, before school started, we had our big school year introduction with a video of our team defeating Tom’s. Big, big rivalry.
Tom: People would see Zach and me together, and it would actually be like seeing Romeo with Juliet.
Zach: It wasn’t quite as romantic, but we didn’t come together until we were both at York.

Is there something about being up at York University, where you’re close to Toronto but far away enough that you don’t necessarily have to be influenced by every new electronic trend of the week?
Tom: In some ways, that allowed us to hone our craft and become who we’re going to be. By the time we got down to Queen Street, we already had our sound.
Zach: It’s like how the best hockey players come from small towns. When you live in North York, the best thing to do is jam in somebody’s basement.

Is there still buzz about Toronto’s music scene?
Zach: Whenever you meet someone who’s not from the city, they talk about Toronto like it’s a big deal, but being from Toronto, it’s hard to look at it that way. Some local musicians take it for granted, but people definitely say that Toronto has a buzz around it right now.

With a name like Jane’s Party, it seems like you’d know something about a hot summer night. What’s your recipe for a good time?
Tom: Just bring some beer, man. We’ll provide the entertainment.
Zach: Dance tunes are the thing. Our music isn’t like what you’d hear in a club, but we like having a dance floor. We don’t want to see people sitting.

And how will the Jane’s Party boys spend their summer?
Zach: Everyone in the band owns a bicycle. We like to cruise around.
Tom: I like to go to the park and have a coffee, read a book. Trinity Bellwoods is fun.
Zach: I like to play ping-pong if there’s a table.

Weekend Warrior: Woofstock, A Century of Chinese Cinema, Toronto Taste, Annex Festival

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It’s Thursday, and the weekend is fast approaching. Need stuff to see or do? We’ve got you covered. In this edition, a Bloor Street bash, Torontonians escape the doghouse, a boy band bonanza and more.

A Century of Chinese Cinema

When: June 5 – August 11
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox
Details: Film can be essential to our understanding of culture, and TIFF’s latest exhibition lets Torontonians explore the history of Chinese cinema. Viewers will see a massive retrospective of over 80 films covering a wide range of genres and eras, from the Golden Age to New Wave.

New Kids On The Block with Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees

When: June 7
Where: Air Canada Centre
Details: The boys are back in town this weekend. Not only will these boy bands be tearing it up at the ACC, but next month the city will be hosting some other boys (and men) in music: One Direction, Jay-Z , Justin Timberlake, Jonas Brothers, Bruno Mars and the Biebs.

Woofstock

When: June 8-9
Where: St. Lawrence Market
Details: Who let the dogs out? This free outdoor festival is perfect for both canines and their human companions, featuring trick competitions, doggie foods and canine fashion. Prepare for a whole weekend dedicated to dogs, dog owners and doggone fun.

Toronto Taste

When: June 9
Where: Royal Ontario Museum
Details: Enjoy some lip-smacking samples of gourmet cuisine from the some of the city’s top chefs. This classy affair costs $250 — so you’ll have to empty your wallet to fill your stomach — but the event is in support of Second Harvest’s mission to feed the city’s hungry.

Annex Festival on Bloor

When: June 9
Where: Bloor St., from Spadina to Bathurst
Details: Who will be in attendance at this downtown shindig? Musicians, food vendors, local businesses, Fringe performers, street buskers, a fire performer and nearly 20,000 other Torontonians. Do not miss out.

Q&A: Jeffrey Remedios, co-founder of indie record label Arts & Crafts

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Ten years ago, Jeffrey Remedios and Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew sat down at the behest of Brendan Canning and decided to start a new label, Arts & Crafts, to manage and release the band’s second album, You Forgot It In People. And then it all went nuts.

Broken Social Scene’s crazy hipster musical collective was a massive hit, and it spawned a number of other breakout acts including Feist, Apostle of Hustle, Stars and many more. It changed Canadian music. For a few short years beginning in 2002, Toronto was the centre of the musical universe once more.

On Saturday, June 8, Arts & Crafts is celebrating 10 years of musical mayhem with a massive festival at Fort York and Garrison Common dubbed Field Trip. The highlight of the concert will surely be the reunion of Broken Social Scene, but there is a long, long list of amazing acts along the way, including Hayden, Cold Specks, Zeus, Trust, Ra Ra Riot and many more. This will be one memorable day (and rumour has it there are still a few tickets floating around, but not for long).

We spoke with Arts & Crafts co-founder Jeffrey Remedios about the label’s humble beginnings, signing his hero Hayden and why it is more important to change than to grow.

Tell me about the beginning. How did you manage to steer this crazy musical collective of Broken Social Scene into such a successful company?
Well, at the time they were putting together what would become You Forgot It In People, I was working at Virgin Records and they came to me with this music. And it was just a time of a really supportive community coming together. Broken Social Scene were playing shows all the time… Kevin [Drew, co-founder of Broken Social Scene] and I were roommates for a short time and we had long talks about music and the industry and how bands grow and develop. When they finally brought me what was to become the finished product, You Forgot It In People, we decided to give it a go, and try and do something with this music.

What were your expectations back then?
On a certain level, we didn’t have expectations. I just thought I want to go as hard and as far as I can. At the very beginning, there were small victories. Can we get reviews of this record, the record in stores, can we get it played on radio stations, reviews online, play shows in other towns? It was a series of steps. At the same time, I never felt any limits. I always sort of believed.

This was such a great time in Toronto’s musical history, much like Yorkville in the ‘60s — a time that will be looked back upon as one of the city’s great moments. What is most memorable for you and how would you characterize that time?
I believe that, and I hope you’re right. Those were some iconic times in the Toronto music community. For me, it comes down to a couple of things. A real maturity started to happen within the musical community. Artists stopped looking for validation from outside. It came more from Toronto supporting Toronto. It was built as a scene. It wasn’t competitive, it was supportive, and it extended beyond music, which was key. There were writers, photographers, videographers etc. all working in different creative fields. And it has been maintained and evolved ever since… maybe it was always there, but I definitely felt like everything got a little bigger than before.

The label continues to grow, but is it still as much fun as it was, or is it more like work now?
It’s always been work. I heard someone say once that if you want to be happy in life, do something you love and do it with your friends. We had piles of work in the beginning and it is still that way, and I think it is going to continue that way. I’m not interested in growth. I’m interested in forward momentum. It doesn’t matter if we get bigger, but we need to keep changing, evolving, or we are going to get left behind. Things are moving very fast as the entire world digitally transforms.

Your latest signing is Hayden. He’s been around for so long, predates BSS even. Why did you change your pattern of introducing new artists?
I guess we never thought of it in those terms. We worked with emerging artists just by nature of our interest, exploration and excitement. We never said we’d never work with an established artist. We worked with The Stills after they had two records out on Vice. And we worked with The Constantines after they had a couple of amazing records. We’re interested in authentic music irrespective of where it comes from. We’ve been massive fans of Hayden for years. When it became possible to work with him, we jumped at it. In so many respects he’s a hero, but he’s also somewhat of an unsung hero. I really wanted to help spread the word of how great he is.

Who do you have your eye on these days?
There is a lot of stuff happening out there. We just signed artists from Calgary, Reuben and the Dark, that we’re really excited about, and they’ve got a record coming out.

What about Kevin Drew and Andy Kim’s album?
Kevin Drew and Andy Kim is this amazing marriage and it is coming along really well. Andy brings some stuff to Kevin he’s always wanted. They just have this amazing, brotherly, father/son kind of relationship, and at different times they play different roles. The record is almost done. It sounds like Kevin, and it sounds like Andy, in the most natural way you can image in.

Are you excited about this Saturday’s big event — the Field Trip concert at Fort York celebrating your 10 years?
It is going to be an amazing all-day event, doors at noon, incredible food on-site — it will be an amazing time. The lineup (on two stages) is completely staggered, so fans can see everything.

First Draught: Moroccan Brown Ale, a new fruit-studded brew from Spearhead

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Spearhead Brewing Company, which is one of Ontario’s most inventive contract brewers, has established a knack for making delicious beer with oddball ingredients. For its first release, the Hawaiian Pale Ale, it used pineapple, and now the brewery has spiked its second creation, the Moroccan Brown Ale, with figs, raisins, dates and cinnamon.

The beer pours a chestnut brown with a strong undertone of red when held to the light. Typical for the style, it’s lightly carbonated, but it does raise a creamy, tan head. The aroma of dried fruit with a touch of spice leads smoothly into a flavour that combines layers of sweetness — from the raisins, figs and dates — and ends on a note of restrained hop bitterness with a touch of copper penny.

By serving the Moroccan Brown Ale near the top of the suggested serving temperature range (around 10 degrees Celsius) you’ll get more of the fruit-derived flavours.

Compared to pale ale, brown ale has received a lot less attention from craft beer fans. It’s a regional English style, and this one is based on the American equivalent. The style’s two best-known characteristics are that it goes down easy after a day of labour in a coal mine and that it pairs very well with certain British-leaning food.

This beer is no exception — if anything, it almost needs food to bring out its best qualities. With any meat that is salty, smoky or grilled, the beer’s complex sweet elements of dried fruit and warm spice are magnified, and they complement the slightly bitter flavors of the charred end bits. A grilled steak sandwich with a dollop of spicy chutney, or garlicky, thin-gauge lamb sausages would be an excellent partner for this beer.

The Moroccan Brown Ale has been available on tap at various bars throughout the city, and it was just released at the LCBO.

Spearhead Brewing Company Moroccan Brown Ale, $13.95 for six 355 mL bottles, LCBO #337295

In addition to covering beer, new restaurants and food trucks for Post City, David Ort writes about food and drink for several Toronto publications including Spotlight Toronto and his own site, Food With Legs. For more of his thoughts on food, beer and life in general, follow him on Twitter.

The Music Issue: Dragonette

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Local electro-pop outfit Dragonette shot to international fame — and snagged a Juno Award in the process — with the hit song “Hello,” a collaboration with French DJ Martin Solveig. We caught up with lead singer Martina Sorbara to chat about her marriage to band mate Dan Kurtz, the band’s groundbreaking new album and why Richmond Hill will always be home.

When did you know you were going to pursue music as a career?
I don’t think I’ve ever walked around with the idea of having a full-time career in music. It came in increments. I remember I would take the subway to my piano lessons downtown, and I’d pass a busker and think, ‘The only accomplishment I want to have in my life is busking in a subway station.’ And then I did that. So then I thought, ‘All I want to do is play in a coffee shop and sing to people there.’ And then that happened. It just grew like that. I guess the moral of the story is I want to feel challenged and like I’m stepping forward and doing things that excite me.

You grew up in the Richmond Hill area. Does it still feel like home to you?
Yeah. For the past six years while I was living in London, England, we would live at my parents’ house in Richmond Hill whenever we came to Toronto, which was almost half the year. It’s funny because now that I live in Toronto, I’m at my parents’ house less.

Before Dragonette, you released a few solo albums that have been called “Sarah McLachlanesque” — is that a fair description of your early style?
Maybe, though I think my stuff was more jazzy. I listened to her a lot when I was younger. I’ve always been inspired by women’s voices, stories and lyrics and by strong front women.

You and your husband, Dan Kurtz, got together shortly before forming Dragonette. Was it just a coincidence that you happened to have great songwriting chemistry?
It wasn’t right away. I really didn’t know how to get into a creative place with somebody without feeling too self-conscious or too vulnerable. I think we’ve gotten really good at working together, but I still need to be alone while I’m writing lyrics and melodies.

It seems like you draw a lot of inspiration for your lyrics from your relationship. Is it ever hard to be honest because you know he’ll hear every song?
No. I think one way in which I’ve evolved is that I have to allow myself to say anything in a song. Songwriting is my connection to my subconscious. If I don’t let myself go there with songwriting, I won’t go there at all, and then I’ll just be a mess.

In a photo of Dragonette accompanying a 2007 Toronto Star article, you’re sitting naked on Dan’s shoulders. It’s pretty racy!
That was one of the first proper photos taken of us. It was a big fancy photo shoot, and back then I had this idea that this record company (that actually didn’t know me from Adam) had a good idea of who I was and how we should present ourselves. And so we just kind of went with it.

But now you’re more in control of your image?
I think it was toward the end of touring that first album I was like, ‘Oh, actually I know best.’ It’s such a basic concept, but for some reason it took me a while. Since then, I recognize that who I am on my own — without this industry idea of how I should be promoted — is good enough. I should mind my idea of what my own femininity is and what my own sexuality is. My ideas about being a woman are different from what is largely put forward in the entertainment industry. I think one of the most liberating things that happened for me during this band’s career was realizing there’s a reason for me to be as true as possible to myself and to the audience: my idea of what a woman is and how to be strong and feminine is worth something to them. And they don’t want it obscured by somebody else’s idea of what sexy is.

You just played Toronto. How did it go?
We had a fun show, but it’s always just a little bit nerve-racking, for some reason. I don’t get nervous for shows except for in Toronto. My friends are in the crowd, and I just feel like I’m pretending or something. I’m like, wait —should I still be playing the Free Times Café on College Street or is it OK that I’m at the Danforth Music Hall?

Bari’s Fine Food is set to open at Bathurst and St. Clair West — again

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As condo developers fill in the holes between Lakeshore and Eglinton, they have to take a different approach to street-level retail. At Bathurst and St. Clair, that means that Starbucks and Menchie’s have been joined with independent grocer Bari’s Fine Food.

Bari’s is a greengrocer-meets-deli that opened at 524 St. Clair West in the early 2000s. When the building was razed for development, the store moved across the intersection to 1455 Bathurst — rebranded as Bari's Delicatessen — only to close a year later to make way for a condo demonstration centre.

A new location of Bari’s is now set to open at 530 St. Clair West, right near its original location. The selection will include fresh fruit and vegetables, general groceries (with some high-end options like imported Italian pasta), a full-service deli counter and baked goods from Toronto’s Hermes bakery.

Bari’s Fine Food, 530 St. Clair Ave. W.

North York subway receives endorsement

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A westward extension of the Sheppard subway line to Downsview station is one step closer after receiving an endorsement from Toronto City Council.

Although council’s carrying vote did not commit resources toward the so-called North York relief line, it has been made a priority in the second phase of provincial agency Metrolinx’s Big Move plan. Metrolinx will be urged to prepare an environmental impact report, plan the project and consider funding.

The 24 to 19 vote was applauded by Coun. James Pasternak, the ward representative for the area near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue who moved the motion. But fellow North York councillor John Filion, in whose ward Sheppard station lies, did not share Pasternak’s optimism. He said the vote was meaningless and lacked support from experienced transit planners.

“It’s a pretend solution. The chances of it happening are at zero,” said Filion.

He also said he doubted there would be any stops between Yonge Street and Bathurst Street if it were constructed.

“It’s a pretend solution. Chances of it happening are zero.”

He said a better way of decreasing pressure on the Yonge line, one of the North York relief line’s potential functions, would be to fund improvements at the Bloor-Yonge subway station and fund a downtown relief line.

Pasternak has long advocated for an east-west connection north of Bloor street, saying his ward has been “neglected” for 25 years.

“There are some people out there that are full of doom and gloom, and I don’t take that view,” said Pasternak. He said the chances of the line moving forward are “100 per cent” if the province and city agree to put what he estimates to be $900 million to $1 billion toward the project. No official estimates are available.

Rosanna Iaboni, a member of the Downsview Lands Community Voice Association near Bathurst Street and Sheppard Avenue West, said she hopes council gives the line serious consideration. Iaboni said she and others in her community would gladly give up their cars if they had nearby transit.

Pasternak hopes work on the line could begin in 2016.

Grocer loses fight over valet parking

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After months of debate, Yorkville grocer Pusateri’s has learned that the sidewalk indent in front of their store on Bay Street will be destroyed. Pusateri’s has used the indent as a valet space since 2003.

The indent, also known as a lay-by, was put in jeopardy several months ago when Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam spearheaded road and sidewalk alterations in Yorkville and found that the lay-by caused the sidewalk to be narrower than the minimum width set by the city.

Pusateri’s president Frank Luchetta believes that the space is an essential part of his business.

Council had thrice voted to give Pusateri’s time to reach a compromise, but as of a May 10 city council meeting, the decision is final. The four-day meeting ran two days longer than scheduled. By the final vote, 18 councillors were absent. Luchetta felt that this worked against him. “Forty per cent of councillors had left,” he said. “There was not enough support to take a proper vote.”

He pointed out that though the grocer paid the City of Toronto $75,000 toward its implemen-tation, anyone may use the lay-by for drop-offs and pickups. “All the merchants along Bay Street, their customers use our service,” said Luchetta. “It's not exclusive for Pusateri’s.” He said he would like to continue exploring alternatives.

Wong-Tam says that there is no time left to negotiate. “The contract tender closed the day of the vote,” said Wong-Tam.

Site of 1894 general store up for protection

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At a Toronto and East York Community Council meeting on May 14, Coun. Josh Matlow presented a request to designate 1909 Yonge St., the original J. J. Davis General Store and Post Office, a heritage site.

Matlow remarked that usually, when a City of Toronto councillor tables a motion to grant a building heritage designation, it’s a sign that the site has been eyed by a developer looking to create a new condo project. However, Matlow says he simply wanted to take the proactive step of protecting the building, constructed in 1894 as one of the first structures of the original Davisville Village.

“I’m not just speaking as a councillor, this is my neighbourhood,” said Matlow. “I don’t think that it’s unreasonable to suggest that a developer eventually will want to build at the corner of Yonge and Davisville, so let’s be proactive and protect it.”

The Yonge Street and Davisville Avenue area still consists mostly of low-rise retail stores, but development in the surrounding area is increasing. Only 600 metres away from the former general store lies the Art Shoppe, the furniture store at Yonge and Hillsdale Avenue at which Freed Developments has applied to build a pair of mixed-use buildings at 26 and 37 storeys. Matlow says that it may only a matter of time before development hits the Davisville village area.

A heritage designation would force property owners to apply to the City of Toronto before undertaking any structural alterations to any identified heritage elements. Community council has recommended that the city’s director of urban design examine and evaluate the property.

With a long queue of properties in Toronto awaiting evaluation, the property may not receive heritage designation for some time.

“The property has no status right now, so [developers] can certainly make an application,” said Sherry Pederson, preservation co-ordinator for the City of Toronto. She said that evaluations are often slow, due to sheer volume and a lack of staff: “We only have one person [researching], so really it is a matter of when she can get to it.”

Residents rally against 39 storeys on Sheppard

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The Bayview Village Association (BVA) has been fighting a long battle against developer Amexon and its plans for five residential towers at 1200 to 1220 Sheppard Ave. E., measuring up to 39 storeys. After two rejections at Toronto City Council, Amexon has appealed to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), and the hearing is scheduled to begin on June 10 and is expected to last until July 12.

Amexon first applied in 2011 for six towers ranging from 27 to 43 storeys containing 2,098 dwelling units. The BVA raised concerns about shadows, loss of privacy and effects on traffic. Coun. David Shiner and the rest of city council echoed the BVA’s opposition and the application was rejected by council in June 2012. The same concerns were present when Amexon submitted a revised plan last December for five towers, the highest at 39 storeys. David Magil, BVA chair of municipal and government affairs, said the difference is so small that the revision is meaningless: “They are still 90 per cent higher than what is prescribed in the official plan.”

The vice-chair of the OMB has begun mediations between residents and the developer. Magil thinks this is a good sign. “That holds up hope,” he said. “But I say that with caution because there’s still such a gap between what Amexon is proposing and what the city and the BVA consider to be acceptable.”

“We really hope the OMB doesn’t usurp the authority of the council.”

Shiner is less hopeful. “I’m very pessimistic about the OMB,” he said. “We really hope that the OMB respects my ability as a local councillor and doesn’t usurp the authority of the council in this matter.”

He said that past developers in the area have been more co-operative. “Most developments [along Sheppard Avenue] get resolved through consultation with our community,” said Shiner. He was referring to the nearby Concord Adex site where developers applied for a small addition to their development in 2002 and, in return, provided funding toward a new public community centre.

Amexon did not return requests for commentary at press time.