TIFF 2011 Experience

Hey guys,

It's been a quick week since TIFF has rolled up the red carpet and put it away for one more year, and I'd just like to take a moment to share my fantastic experience from the festival these past couple of weeks.

Before I get started, I'd just like to give a HUGE (and I mean HUGE HUGE HUGE) thank you to La Societe Stella Artois for sending us to TIFF for the ultimate VIP experience.  You guys are amazing, and definitely know how to live it up...We actually felt like movie stars! 

Our experience began by getting the royal treatment at a luxurious suite at the Park Hyatt in Yorkville, on Saturday, September 10.  Amidst the paparazzi, the fans and everyone else trying to get a glimpse of whatever movie stars were coming and going throughout the Hyatt and the Yorkville area, I was happy to say that it was very welcoming pulling up to the valet parking attendants and being escorted into the hotel to our room.  Aston Martins, Porches, Ferraris, Escalades, and my little Hyundai Accent all sharing the same spotlight...a funny sight to see :)

Upon entering our hotel room, we were showered with Stella Artois gifts a plenty...including a pair of Directors chairs!  Not to mention the buckets of Stella that were delivered to our room on ice, and a detailed itinerary of what was planned for the busy weekend (the life of a movie star right?).

Had a fantastic time that night, with great eats at Earl's on King street...the staff were amazing, and made sure we were taken care of in any way, and were greeted with the manager and chef.  Got the red carpet treatment with a Gala screening of David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method, starring Keira Knightley and Viggo Mortensen.  Enjoyed it, but quite a serious and risque film.  It was definitely cool to see the director, producer and actors come on stage and give a little speech to present the film.
Afterwards, we met up with our fellow Stella Artois connoisseurs in our massive limo, and attended an afterparty at the spectacular TIFF Light Box, La Terrasse Nikki Beach party.  The drinks kept flowing all night, and the food was amazing.  I was lucky enough to meet Seth Rogen and have a beer with him, and chat with him for a while, as Alyson was having a chat with Sarah Silverman.  Definitely a great time!

Just wanted to say THANK YOU to the staff at the Park Hyatt hotel, thank you to the staff at Earl's on King Street, and a MASSIVE THANK YOU to Stella for an amazing time! We thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of it, and if I had more time, I'd would have loved to talk more about the TIFF events we attended over the follow few days.

La Societe Stella Artois definitely provided us with an amazing, exclusive experience, and I only wish I am lucky enough to attend it again next year!
Stella...best beer in the world.

Cheers to you!

Xavier Rudd-May 21, 2010

Sorry guys, this is about a week late...should have been done last Friday night.

On May 21 I was lucky enough to catch Xavier Rudd in concert at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre here in Toronto. For those of you who have never heard of him, Rudd is one of Australia's most talented performers/musicians (and could easily be mistaken for being completely supported by an entire band if you've never seen him live in concert). On stage, Rudd has his own custom setup that allows him to play many different drums, chimes, guitars, 3 didgeridoos, a harmonica and stomp box all together simultaneously.

More talent is displayed here alone than most of all pop music has shown within the last decade. His music alone is an impressive display of deep and original talent, and no gimmicks are needed with over-the-top visuals and light shows...it's amazing to just sit back and watch the passion for performing, with the unique mix of Australian aboriginal music, blues melodies, tribal rhythms, and a little bit of reggae all combined together. Think of a more up-beat Australian Jack Johnson, only way, wayyyy better. No wonder you're hooked after just one listening. Again, for those who have never heard of him...check out his stuff. Recommendations: To Let, White Moth and Food In The Belly.


peace




*for those of you reading this on facebook, check out the original, real blog @ burrillzilla.blogspot.com

Massive Attack Concert-May 7, 2010

Finally got to see one of my favourite groups ever in concert: Massive Attack. Waited years to see them live, and last Friday they played an amazing show in Toronto. Worth the years of waiting for sure. The sound was incredible, and the lighting was amazing. Go and see them if you ever get the chance. Dark, energetic and trippy, AMAZING!!!!!!

My Top 10 Albums from the "2000's"

Word up. Keeping in tune with the recent post I did about the late "Happy New Year" greeting, I was going to do a massive blog reflecting back over the past decade...more specifically on the events that have happened, the leaps forward in mankind, and the moments of devolution that have occurred and every thing that has had a significant role into bringing us to where we are in the world right now...2010~! Such events and occurrences that have shaped and defined the past decade that I would have touched on (and still might) are the downfall of American economics, and their place in the world; the September 11 attacks back in 2001, the introduction of the digital age and download world of music, which in turn had completely re-formed the music industry of the world, socially and the way music is now distributed, the first black president in history, etc etc etc...so much has happened over the past decade and I have completely pushed all of that aside to discuss something FAR more significant:


My top 10 albums of the "2000's"!!!!

I could literally talk for hours and hours about these albums, how fucking amazing they are, how important they have been in defining what could very well have been the last and final struggle of "good music" in what is one of the worst recorded and statistically proven (ok maybe not) decade of music the world has ever seen (and that i DO believe). Just shut up and take my word for it, this list of albums absolutely kicks ass and you would be doing a HUGE favour to yourself by listening to them. Trust me on this. Enjoy, and please comment. Peace Y'all.


Top Ten Albums of the past decade:






































































1) At The Drive-In: Relationship Of Command (2000)
2) The Prodigy: Invaders Must Die (2009)
3) Tool: Lateralus (2001)
4) Radiohead: Kid A (2000)
5) Alexisonfire: Watch Out1 (2004)
6) The Arcade Fire: Funeral (2004)
7) Kasabian: Kasabian (2004)
8) Outkast: Stankonia (2000)
9) Death From Above 1979: You're A Woman, I'm a Machine (2004)
10) Deltron 3030: Deltron 3030 (2000)



*if you are reading this on facebook, check out the actual blog at burrillzilla.blogspot.com!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Y'all

Incase you noticed, I took a few months off from writing the blog, and a lot has happened in those few months, but I will talk about that another time (Australia, New Zealand).

It's now 2010!~and...almost halfway through March already as I'm writing this. Where are all the flying cars and the colonization of other worlds? Don't you think that "twenty-ten" sounds like the future? I always remember as a kid that it sounded so futuristic-and so far away...but we are living it right now.

It's kind of refreshing to be back writing and posting and keeping tabs on everything. People have been asking me about when I'll get back into the blog so I've got tons things in mind to post in the dojo.

Stay tuned...have some cool lists I will discuss in the next few days. Just wanted to say Happy New year broskis!

Matty



*if you are reading this on facebook, check out the actual blog@ burrillzilla.blogspot.com

Random-but-hilarious book of the day-Bigfoot: I Not Dead

Just a random quick note tonight: I was chillin' in my room on my computer listening to some tunes earlier when one of my roommates came to me with a book in his hand, saying "You've gotta check this out, you'll like it." Handing me what looked like a picture book from the elementary years, I quickly thought "alright?".

Taking the book off his hands, I instantly laughed at the hideous artwork, yet liking it...feeling sorry for the person who appears to have no skill in drawing at all...then shifting through the pages, my perspective turned to think, whoever drew this book is a genius.

Examining it more, I realized that it was both written and illustrated by the same author, a Toronto writer/illustrator named Graham Roumieu. Written from Bigfoot's perspective, it is an obscenely ridiculous 96-page book about Bigfoot's return from exile in the woods, to share his insanely disturbing and comical wisdom with everyone else. It depicts him as a troubled celebrity, with a series of very short stories and notes that Bigfoot has written to share with us about everything from wantan violence, his highly opinionated and biased views, the darkside of being famous, insulting children, pooing everywhere and blood galore.
Appearing just like a children's picture book at first , you will quickly find that this hardcover, fully-coloured book openly depicts every unforgettable disgusting, disturbing, violent, comical, and insane moment of Bigfoot's life...and realize that it is genuinely brilliant. Read this!

The Cranberries-November 20, 2009.

So last night I went to go see The Cranberries reunion show at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre (for their first show in Toronto in 7 years) with my good friend Anna...oh, and thanks for the tix Anna! What a great show. In all my different tastes in music and styles, I've always seemed to have an admiration for The Cranberries, and more specifically Dolores O'Riordan. She can definitely sing, and her voice is amazing...especially wailing out ZOMBIEEEE, which sounds awesome live. A very talented song writer, especially in the world of all the pop princess shit. She's actually completely free from the manufactured world of the pop singers and groups, and it's great to see The Cranberries perform, and you know it's even better when you see Dolores' veins in her neck exploding out as she's rocking out with the rest of her bandmates...especially not short of a week since Britney was booed off stage in Australia for lip-synching, something that even her most loyal fans were disgusted at. Dolores sings about the history of Northern Ireland and the violence taking place, Britney sings about utter cheese, and is literally forced to do so from the pop world.

I won't go on and on about The Cranberries show, but if you ever have a chance to see them, do it...and much respect to Dolores.