The Dark Knight

one word to describe this movie? epic.

it's been months since i, like many others, have been awaiting for this movie to come, and finally it has, along with all of it's amazing screenworks, non-stop action, as well as exploring the darker and emotional side of our human perspectives. i guess it was an excuse to let out our inner 'fanboys/fangirls' of the 1980's batman comic books (developed by bob kane and bill finger). however, the movie brought out so much more compared to the drawings and sketches imprinted in the mere books we all loved to read as a child. through the first five or six minutes of the movie, you'd already be gripping tightly upon your handrail, anticipating the rest of the heart-racing excitement there was to come. after the first few scenes of the movie, we get introduced to the villain of the movie; the joker, played by (the now deceased) heath ledger. ledger's acting capabilities and performance were shown to the extreme through this movie. his character was played out perfectly, and his portrayal of the crazed-psychopath clown was indeed flawless. the layers of his emotion were so deep, yet could be seen in his eyes, face and body, with every line he spoke. he truly WAS the joker. though, your sorrows would still sway out for him, knowing that he'd never have another performance, but alongside of that, his acting in this movie definitely screams oscar-material. there is no misunderstanding, that the highlight of this movie was heath ledger. hats off to you, heath! you would have gone very far in your career.

also some new additions to the batman cast were maggie gyllenhaal, who in my opinion played a much better rachel dawes than katie holmes compared to the first batman movie, and aaron eckhart, playing district attorney harvey dent. i think that harvey's progression into becoming 'two-face' was very well played, and christian bale (again) played batman out exceptionally well, so kudos to that.

movie blog says this, about aaron eckhart's performance in the dark knight: "I’d go so far as to say that he nearly does just as well as Ledger does as the Joker (it’s just that the Joker is a far more charismatic and extreme character and thus much more noticeable). The fact that Eckhart just blends into the story instead of standing on top of it is a testament to the job he did as an actor. So for the next couple of years we’ll all talk about how great Ledger was (and rightfully so), and we’ll talk about how Bale is the best Batman ever (and rightfully so), but let’s not forget the job done by Aaron Eckhart, who by his performance gave this great movie it’s very soul."---- and on this note, i very much agree with this. he did do an excellent job, and played an excellent character in tying this movie together.

however, some bits of the movie that bugged me were, first off batman's voice. i mean, christian bale did a great job on playing batman, but his deep and darker batman voice kind of ruined it for me. at some points it seemed like he had an appliance attached to his mouth to keep him from speaking clearly. bad deal. but otherwise, he delivered on point and precise.

this summer seems to be the hit for comic book based movies (the incredible hulk, hellboy II, and iron man.) with the dark knight proclaiming at number one. i can't say enough about this movie, but that it is a must see. i definitely see the way they are tying in the third movie into this one, and if it is anything like the two previous movies, this will be one of the best trilogies, period.

Official Movie Site: www.thedarkknight.warnerbros.com/

LIGHTS

If you saw LIGHTS walking down the street, the first thought that pops into your head is different. On the outside, her crazy, outgoing fashion sense gets you interested. Her style makes you feel happy, and her headbands are turning into her signature. She may be small, but shes bigger than her body gives her credit for. Her voice is beautiful, calming, and draws back every memory you have. Whether it be sad, motivating or happy. She creates songs with the thought of making others feel good. Her self titled CD called LIGHTS, has 6 tracks, each better than the last. You can pick up this CD at Best Buy and even HMV. I have one, i suggest you get your copy, its money and time well spent. Her song, February Air has been used for an Old Navy commercial campaign, and slowly but surely she's making her way up with a spark. Her kind personality, and passion for music, has enough to hold her in for the long run and create a music impact. Lights, is here to stay. Acid City: What inspired you to start writing music? LIGHTS: The day i realized my head would explode if i didn't. It's a build up of emotion, ideas, words and melodies that just needs to be released. You get addicted to that feeling--there is sort of a buzz that comes with wrapping up a good song. Acid City: What do you like best about performing? LIGHTS: Singing is just fun in general, but the pleasure is ten-fold when you hear other people singing your own words back to you. Acid City: What situations do you like writing about the most? LIGHTS: Intense moments, most of my songwriting feeds off of a moment of intense emotion. It's usually one that doesn't last the night, so you have to capture it while you can. Acid City: Can you tell us what the song Drive My Soul is about? LIGHTS: It was the title actually that came first, and in a bizarre way. I was listening to an indie station that I never listen to, and a song came on that I had never heard, and I could swear the words "drive my soul" were sung in the most beautiful way, and I thought to myself, "wow, that is a beautiful phrase, it's too bad I didn't think of that." When the song title was shown it something completely different, so I looked up the song and scoured the lyrics, and "drive my soul" was never even in it. A few weeks later I was writing with one of the guys I record with and that lyric flew back to me so I rolled with it. The song basically is about the premise that I'm not the one who motivates me, I'm not the one actually driving myself. So what if the one that was driving me wasn't around? I would definitely crash. I think we all come close to those moments. Acid City: What is your favourite song to perform and why? LIGHTS: It changes every single show I do. Some songs connect for that evening, and some songs don't, depending on my mood, the crowd, the atmosphere. A typical favorite is Last Thing on Your Mind though for me. It's easy to sing and flows so well. Acid City: Your fashion sense is definitely getting noticed, does any particular person inspire you to wear what you wear? LIGHTS: If Wonder Woman is considered a person and not some Amazonian Goddess spawn, then yes! My fashion icons are Wonder Woman, Barbarella, and the flower children of the 60's/70's! Acid City: How was your experience going on tour with big bands like Protest the Hero? LIGHTS: Concentrated learning, in every way! It was so much fun. Everyone was amazing and really took us in. Acid City: If you found out you were going on tour, what is the first thing youd have ordered? LIGHTS: Phil Collins mix tapes for our van. Acid City: Who is your dream band to share the stage with? LIGHTS: If I could have a dream, I'd go on tour with Abba! Acid City: Do you think Toronto has influenced your style of music? LIGHTS: Not really, I'm not influenced musically by my surroundings as much as I'm influenced by the stage of life I'm in at the time. Acid City: Has your music changed in any way since you started playing with a band? LIGHTS: I'm a little more aware of what parts need to be accentuated for live performances, but otherwise my music has been pretty consistent. Acid City: Favourite instrument to play? LIGHTS: Synth, synth, synth! Acid City: What was your reaction on having February Air featured as the song for the Old Navy campaign? LIGHTS: Initially I was a little skeptical, Old Navy wasn't really the look I was going for, but after I heard their plans for the campaign I really liked what they came up with. It was romantic and chic and very cool--something I was stoked to be part of. Acid City: Favourite Starbucks drink? LIGHTS: Awake tea with caramel flavor shot! Acid City: Polka dots or stripes? LIGHTS: If you connected three stripes to a polka dot all in one direction it might look a bit like a shooting star, and i'd wear that. Acid City: Best place to get a headband? LIGHTS: Shoelace rack Acid City: Most played band on your ipod? LIGHTS: TATU :D Acid City: What makes a great party? LIGHTS: Too many people crowded into a small room with stellar music and good air flow. Acid City: Favourite place to hang out? LIGHTS: My server in Warcraft... Acid City: What can we expect from LIGHTS in the future? LIGHTS: In the near future, I have a song on a Billie Holiday tribute album coming out, plus a cool vocal score I did for a neat, Canadian indie movie out this fall, plus lots of touring around North America. In the not-so-near-but-still-sort-of-near future I want to put out a graphic novel, maybe be in a sweet sci-fi flick, and find a mate for my pet spider Lance. Oh, and a full length album. Acid City: Why should the world listen to LIGHTS? LIGHTS: Because it's easy to do, and you might feel 12 again. Unless you are 12. Then you'll feel 11.

Official Myspace : www.myspace.com/lightsnoise

RIP SAINT LAURENT

"For a long time now, I have believed that fashion was not only supposed to make women beautiful, but to reassure them, to give them confidence, to allow them to come to terms with themselves."
- Yves Saint Laurent

The fashion world has recently lost a legend. Last Sunday Yves Saint Laurent died at the age of 71 in his home in Paris, after a long period of ill health. The king of fashion designers was born in 1936 and grew up in Oran, Algeria. He left for Paris at 17 where he showed his drawings to the director of French Vogue at the time Michel de Brunhoff. Brunhoff quickly published several of his designs. Following a stint at fashion school he worked for Christian Dior. When Dior died in 1957 he took over as art director, at the age of 21, and launched his first collection for the company, Ligne Trapeze, that year. The line was a huge success and won him a Neiman Marcus Oscar. Following some time in the National Service, in 1962 he created his own fashion house with Pierre Bergé. Bergé says that Coco Chanel "gave women freedom. Yves Saint Laurent gave them power." In 1966 he created his legendary smoking suit and in 1968 the jumpsuit. He designed for women, giving them clothing that would represent their freedom and elegance. By tying freedom and elegance into his pieces he managed to reflect the change of the role of women. His last ready-to-wear collection was in October 1998 for the Rive Gauche label that he created more than 30 years earlier, but he continued his couture lines. Briefly Alber Elbaz was designer but the position was taken over by Tom Ford in 1999, making the line a huge success, bigger then it was to begin with that is. At Laurent’s last show in 2002 he took his final bow while his long-time muse, Catherine Deneuve sang. Laurent battled depression, drug and alcohol addiction and when he retired in 2002, he said, "I tell myself that I created the wardrobe of the contemporary woman, that I participated in the transformation of my times.” Many of his peers credit him with their inspiration to become designers. They all view this loss as a great one to the fashion world and his life and creative genius left a huge dent in the fashion world. He, after all is credited with single hand idly changing the way women dress. As said best by Michael Kors, “the first designer who understood modern life—a woman who was on the move and powerful and sexy.”

Official Website: www.ysl.com

Push Play

A group of young and energetic artists came together and formed a spectacular group called Push Play. Acid City got the amazing opportunity to have an exclusive interview on what is to come of the band in the future. Their music is catchy, their personalities are incredible, and they have the passion to carry them through the long run. Here they are, presenting…Push Play!

Acid City: How does it feel to play with guys you've known for years?

Push Play: It feels great! Like home!

Acid City: Who came up with the name Push Play and what does it mean to you?

Push Play: We were in Derek's car and CJ said wanted to put a CD in and said to Derek, " Just Push Play! Hey that's a great name!"

Acid City: What are your anticipations for your upcoming shows, and which show are you most excited about?

Push Play: We're most excited about our showcase for major labels on June 12

Acid City: Where is your dream place to play a show?

Push Play: Madison Square Garden

Acid City: Which band would you love to play with?

Push Play: Jonas Brothers, Fall Out Boy, Rolling Stones

Acid City: Having meet and greets after every show, shows how much you care. Do you feel the meet and greets make a difference when it comes to devoted fans?

Push Play: Yes, they are REALLY important.

Acid City: What is your favorite song you guys composed so far?

Push Play: Away, Away

Acid City: Do you think where you grew up had an influence on your music?

Push Play: Sure!

Acid City: If it wasn’t music, what would you guys be doing?

Push Play: CJ: Production, Derek: Finance Steve: hockey Nick: hockey

Acid City: You do a lot of benefit shows for charities, has this changed your outlook on life at all?

Push Play: It gives us perspective and it is just so important to give back

Acid City: Who do you guys look up to?

Push Play: Our parents.

Acid City: Do you ever feel pressure to act or be a certain way?

Push Play: No, we pretty much toe the line.

Acid City: Is fashion a major aspect in your life?

Push Play: CJ: Absolutely Derek: Yes ma'am Steve: No Nick: Not really

Acid City: If you were to have a movie, which actor would you get to play the part of you?

Push Play: CJ: Will Ferrel Derek: Tom Cruise Steve: Tom Hanks Nick: Robert DEniro

Acid City: Most played band right now on your ipod?

Push Play: CJ: Panic at the Disco Derek: Panic at the Disco Steve: Envy on the Coast Nick: Brand New

Acid City: What did you guys wanna be when you were small?

Push Play: ROCKSTARS

Acid City: Best part about being in a band?

Push Play: The camaraderie between us

Acid City: Worst part about being on tour?

Push Play: Nothing

Acid City: What can we expect from Push Play in the future?

Push Play: Arena Tours...we hope

Acid City: Why should people listen to Push Play?

Push Play: Why not?

Official Myspace : www.myspace.com/pushplayrox

Twilight

Picture this: you're on the bus, on your way home from a tiring day at school. You sit back at your comfortable seat on the breezy bus, take a minute to close your eyes-- enjoying the peacefulness, I suppose, and at once, you open your eyes to the mass production of apples around you. I mean, they're everywhere. Apples, apples, and more freaking apples! You're too scared to look anywhere else, so you keep your eyes closed, but it seems like the apples have taken over your subconscious mind as well! Finally, you've reached your stop, and you jet off the bus, and run to the front steps of your home, to where a nice shiny silver Volvo is parked. You're thinking, "What the hell? Mom doesn't drive a silver Volvo.." So you reach for the door knob, and suddenly apples fall from the sky, and crush you to your death.

A little on the over-exaggerated side, but really, how scary would that be?

Personally, I love the Twilight series, and I can't wait to read more of it, this coming August when Breaking Dawn comes out. But I guess I would probably be one of those people behind those dreaded apple covers. But there are some of you, who right now, have no clue whatsoever what I'm rambling about. Well, first off, I know you're asking What in the world is Twilight? Well, Twilight is a fictional book created by the amazing author, Stephanie Meyer. It is based on a young girl named Isabella "Bella" Swan, who finds her life in danger, after falling in love with a Vampire, Edward Cullen. The book is a best seller around the globe, and awarded Publisher's Weekly Best Book of the Year. The book may be over 500 pages long, but it's filled with non-stop action, and suspense that you'd never be able to put it down. It's filled with teenage lust, and complicated problems, faced between the star-crossed lovers, which is more or less familiar to every teenager out there.

Not only is this book a big hit at the books stores, but by this coming December, it will make it as a big hit in the big screen as well! Critics have been saying that Twilight may even rank out the coming film Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. However, I, myself, love both the series, and every other sci-fi/fantasy story there is out there. But right now, I'm sucked into the hyped-up energy of Twilight, so Team Edward ftw! The movie comes out on December 12, 2008 playing in selected theaters near you. And another plus, Robert Pattinson, aka Cedric Diggory, is playing Edward, which I fancy a heck of a lot. But there seems to be quite the controversy coming from the fellow 'Twilighters' between whether or not he'll play a good Edward Cullen. "He doesn't seem good looking enough, Edward's supposed to be this perfect being," Fangirl #736497643 says. Well y'know what Fangirl #736497643? He's human, not a vampire, like how you picture it in your crazed universe! Nobody's perfect. On another note, I personally think that all the characters are perfect for the movie, and they play off Stephanie Meyer's characters spot on. But I guess we'll have to wait another 6 months before we really find out. 'Til then, here's the trailer to keep your heart racing.


Official Movie Website: www.twilightthemovie.com

The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and the soft fragrances of Lush Handmade Cosmetics filled Queen Street. Vittoria and Jessica popped in, drawn by the colours, shapes, and textures throughout the store. Amazed at the different, natural, herbal remedies and the friendly sales associates, we of course were drawn to buying some products. Vittoria left with a couple of remarkable and eco friendly bath products. Jessica left with a pink, sparkly, bubble bath substance. Not only does it look pretty, it is not tested on animals (nor are any of the products in the store) but it makes my water pink, soapy, and sparkly! We pulled over Laura, Amber and Heather for a short interview on what Lush products and company is about. Take a look at what they do to help you and the environment.

Acid- How did Lush start?

Laura- It actually started a while ago in Pool England. The creators of our company had been working together for about twenty-five years plus. They came up with their own company, which was like a mail order business called Cosmetics to Go. When that went under they decided to try everything all over again, to start back up from scratch. They started Lush, and everybody just bought into it.

Acid- Do you know how much work is put into making Lush products? Is it a hard process?

Laura- It is definitely, we have two pitches we have one in Etobicoke and one in Vancouver, and everything is made by hand. So when we make things for example like any of our fresh facemasks, everything is hand poured, hand stirred, lots of love goes into the product. We also use sometimes-fresh fruits and veggies, and very high quality of special oils. So the product is a very high quality product and is also really ethically made. We use as many organic ingredients as possible, and if we cant get it then we make sure we pay a fair price for it, and there is no animal testing whatsoever.

Acid- What are peoples reaction when they come into the store and have never been here before?

Amber- A lot of people think they can eat it!

Heather- Ya a lot of people come in here asking, “Is this cheese?”

Laura- Totally, I think that’s what’s the most endearing things about it, its fun, its personal and its from the environment. So when people walk in the door their like “…can I…can I eat it?”

Amber- And that definitely makes people feel welcome because we can joke with them and say “Well I wouldn’t…but you probably could if you wanted to.”

Laura- And the reason why a lot of the stuff looks like its been made to look like cheese is that, is that molds were made from cheese molds, from flower pots, to things that were found when they first started and they didn’t have any money. So they had to go around and find things to make the molds from.

Acid- What’s the best part about working at Lush?

Laura- Its so much fun, very relaxed, I love interacting with people from all walks of life, and definitely being able to use the products all day long, its really really awesome.

Heather- yea, just being interested in the products that you’re selling

Amber- One thing for me is that I believe the company invests in us and we are going to invest in them and that makes you want to work really hard for this company. They care a lot for people that work for them; it’s like a family, which is awesome.

Acid- Do you have any favourite products?

Laura- I actually really like rehab shampoo, and I’ll actually show it to you. It’s got such a good pepperminty smell; it’s like a hero shampoo. We’ve got so many lovely ingredients in it: olive oil, pineapple, kiwi, and mango. It really makes your hair get nourished and super shiny.

Amber- My favourite is probably the Buffy. Which is a cocoa butter base, it has brown olives in it, and its really really great shower moisturizer /exfoliate. It’s incredible. You get out of the shower and you literally cant stop touching your skin.

Acid- So has this store been in this location since it opened?

Laura- This store has been in this location for about eleven years. Were actually having an anniversary coming up at the end of July and its gonna be really really special.

Acid- Do you feel like your store is different from other natural cosmetic shops?

Laura- There’s definitely a lot more accountability wherever we get things from. It’s very ethical and our creator is actually used to create products for the Body Shop. They just decided to do something that was more their own thing. Our animal testing policy for example, is very extensive. Its not just “we don’t test anything on animals”, we don’t test the ingredients on animals, and we also don’t buy any ingredients that suppliers give to other buyers who are testing on animals. We created an industry boycott that way.

Acid- Do you think the industry is going to grow and hit other locations?

Laura- Well Lush is actually a pretty big company, we have over 300 locations world wide. It is definitely expanding and it’s growing wider. We don’t have any franchises, its still privately owned, for us to keep our ethics apart that way and have a little bit more control over it. Ya for sure, it’s definitely exploding. I think its nice that the whole go green thing is becoming more; we’ve been doing it the entire time but its exploding as a trend, and now more people are paying attention.

Acid- In one word for each of you, how would you describe Lush?

Heather- Fresh!

Amber- You stole my word!

Heather- Vibrant!

Laura- Heartfelt.

Amber- Everything.

Official Website: www.lush.ca

Sarah Dylan

The day started off with an early trip to Queen Street West. Arriving at the peak hours of the morning, there were no crowds, no noise, and no cars. We attended Starbucks and had our breakfast, getting ready to shop the day away. Around 11:30 we headed down to the Much Music building to meet up with promising artist Sarah Dylan. The sun was on her side, and she showed up with a smile, glad to be there. We searched around for a quiet place and decided to sit on the furniture inside the furniture store Umbra. Convincing the sales associate that we’d only be a couple of minutes, she gladly agreed and let us sit where we liked. Escaping away from the chaos of the streets we got a closer look to how Sarah ended up to where she is now, and where shed like to be in the future. Her sparkling personality, and positive music, lets us believe she can conquer the music scene. After the interview we left the store, Sarah asking if we could get some Starbucks. Of course we didn’t say no, and went in to try LIGHTS favourite drink, tea with caramel shots. Sarah liked it, and the drinks were a perfect way to end the interview. We then walked around Queen, went into a couple of shops, I myself bought some boots which I am proud of. After a couple hours we departed, promising to stay in touch. We have high hopes for Sarah, check out this interview and you’ll see why.

Acid City - What inspired you to start writing music?

Well basically emotional experiences, I had to write music as my therapy. I started writing music when I was seven. The first time I wrote a song was when my boyfriend broke up with me in seventh grade and those emotional experiences made me feel like I had to do it.

Acid City - What is your favourite instrument to play?

Definitely guitar because I can bring it around with me to all my shows, where as keyboard you gotta lug it around and its heavy. I had a piano in my brothers room and id go in and play even before I started playing guitar, and he’d always use to yell at me! So a guitar I can always keep it in my room and not bother anyone.

Acid City - Which song is most important and personal to you?

Probably the song not enough that I wrote. It’s about how you don’t have to be perfect.

Acid City - How was the experience performing in charity concerts?

I was in two charity concerts and it was so good to try and raise money for people less fortunate. It was a great experience.

Acid City - Where is your dream location to play a show?

Definitely the Air Canada Center

Acid City - Wow that’s so awesome! High hopes! Watch in a few years we’ll see you performing there, that would be amazing. If you could play at the ACC what would be your dream band to share the stage with?

City in Colour, Dallas Green. My favourite artist, and it would be so amazing to be at his level. To play on a stage with him would be awesome. I saw him at the MVAs and I was like “DALLAS!” and he didn’t look at me. It was raining, I got completely soaked but I met Flo Rida! I gave him my CD and I put my number on it.

Acid City - Haha! That’s so genius definitely a smart idea. So how hard have you worked to be where you are right now?

Really really hard, I play a lot of instruments. I play the Viola, the Guitar and the Piano, a little bit of Drums but not really. I literally practice music all day every day pretty much. I’m in choir, orchestra, I do music music music.

Acid City - That’s a good sign because it shows that your not tired of it yet, which shows your passion towards music. What advice can you give to new artists starting out?

Definitely they should write music, because a lot of people can play music, but writing your own song is taking a bit to the next level. Also get out there as much as possible, play lots and lots of shows, because you just get better and better and better.

Acid City - Yeah, a big thing is the promotional side of it.

Sarah- Yeah definitely facebook and the myspace, post your songs on the internet.

Acid City - How did you figure out the words and music to your song? As in how did you know it felt good and it fit, and that people like it?

I’ve just been studying music for the longest time; even before I started my own songs, id literally study songs that I liked. I learned a lot of theory, like key signatures, making sure all the notes fit together, you cant put notes that don’t match. I’ve heard a lot of songs on myspace where the notes are wrong.

Acid City - What message do you want your music to convey?

Definitely just a positive message for young women. It sounds pretty bad but most of my songs are about how boys suck.

Acid City - No its true trust me both of us know.

Basically it’s about how girls should be able to do whatever they want, and they don’t have to listen to what boys tell them to do.

Acid City - Completely makes sense. So you’re around our age, do you find it hard balancing your music with school?

Sooo much. It’s crazy, this year especially. I’m in choir, which is also part of school, and I also take music and vocals. Definitely practicing for shows I have to really really manage my time well. I was with a band for a bit, just me and another guitarist, and after school I would go over to his house and practice for five hours and then I would not do any homework that night and then I would have to do all my homework the next night. And then id practice again during the whole week of the show. So if the show was on Saturday; Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday id be at his house. For five hours every night practicing.

Acid City - How was the show you just played on Sunday, did it go well?

Yeah, it was crazy, a lot of kids from my school came and they don’t usually come.

Acid City - Aw so you got a lot of support, you have your own support team behind you. What’s your favourite song to perform live?

Probably the same one as the most important to me, Not Enough. I think it has just a positive message and I like to perform it. And also the guitar part its really cool. Most of my songs are just basic chords; this song actually shows off my guitar skill, rather than my singing.

Acid City - Now how was the experience playing your first show?

Well I've been performing since I was little, so my first show I don’t really remember. I remember when I was five and six I would never be nervous at all, I used to perform a lot. But my first show performing my own original material was probably the scariest thing in my whole life. I was shaking on stage.

Acid City - Oh man, how did that turnout?

People thought it was good, but I thought it went really badly. I was really really scared.

Acid City - Do you think things have improved since then?

Yeah for sure, when I play shows now I'm not nervous at all. The more that I play, the easier it gets to perform.

Acid City - So is there anything you do to prepare before a show? Anything to pump you up, any pump up songs?

I never ever practice the day of. Then you jinx yourself, every time I practice the day of the show I mess up.

Acid City - Yeah, you psych yourself out right?

Exactly, so if I'm not ready that day, then I'm not going to be ready. I practice a lot the days before and then the day of I don’t really do anything. I just hang out with friends, go watch a movie, and then I maybe pick out a really nice outfit.

Acid City - Haha there you go, awesome. So favourite store, talking about outfits?

I really like Winners.

Acid City - Winners, wooo! So talk or text?

Talk. Acid City - Yeah I completely agree. Favourite thing to doodle?

I’m not really much of an artist but I draw shapes. Like lines. Oh and flowers! I like drawing faces, like funny faces with big eyes. Aliens too.

Acid City - Alright so facebook or myspace?

Both, because myspace is a lot better for people I don’t actually know, just to get my music out there. All my friends on myspace I don’t necessarily know, but it’s so cool that people are listening to my music, and I don’t even know them. And then facebook is more personal life for my close friends.

Acid City - Favourite book or author?

Its called the World is Flat. It’s about economics, and it’s actually really helped me with my music.

Acid City - And how’s that?

It teaches about how anywhere in the world, everyone is connected, that’s what it means by the “world is flat”. It’s like how everyone in the world can hear my music.

Acid City - Has reading it influenced you to think or act differently in any way?

Yeah, like before I just had my CD and I didn’t need to have a myspace, and it made me realize that once I put my music on the internet, everyone can hear it.

Acid City - Yeah it’s a free for all and anyone can tune in. So what can we expect in the future?

Definitely more songs and more shows.

Acid City - And Why should people listen to your music?

I think just because it has a positive message, its fun to listen to. I have different songs for different moods. I just wrote a happy song for the first time. It’s different because I write when I'm emotional, so when I have sad experiences I write about them but recently I wrote a happy song.

Acid City - Are you getting ready to perform that too?

Well I performed it at my last show. Everyone was so surprised. And I just set up a studio in my room, so my new songs are gonna be more upbeat and you can dance to them.

Acid City - Well thank you for your time and I'm sure we’ll be hearing from you shortly!

Official Myspace : www.myspace.com/sarahdylanmusic

One Star Story

Acid City: How did you guys start out?
Geno - The band originally started back in '05 with Will and I under the name Exit Earth. Through the natural evolution of bands, members came and went. Bryant joined the band when the original bassist left the band, and then we picked up Vanessa in the Spring of '06 when our previous lead singer decided to leave the band to start a family.

Acid City: Who came up with the name One Star Story, and what does it mean to you?
A: Geno - The band decided to change the name of the band when Bryant joined the band because we felt that the old name longer applied to the style and feel of the band. So we brainstormed for about month on what to change it to, and one day I looked down at my shoes that I was wearing (Converse One Stars), and I though One Star... One Star Story? And it stuck. While thats the origin of the name, we like to interpret the meaning of our name as a quest to figure out what each and everyone one of us choose live and guide our life by. Whether thats money, love, faith, career or whatever... Its a journey through our music with our listeners to identify the "One Star" that guides our story. For all of us it is our faith.

Acid City: Do you feel that growing up in Missouri had an impact on the sound of your music?
A: Geno - Vanessa is originally from Maine, but Im sure I can speak for the rest of the band when I say no we dont feel it did have a direct impact. We are all big music fans, and especially of the Pop/Rock genre, so we are very much influenced by the top Pop artists of our time and the past. Bands like Jimmy Eat World, U2, The Beatles, Third Eye Blink, etc. are probably on top of our biggest influences right now.

Acid City: What is your favourite song you have composed so far?
A: Geno - We have actually been working on some new stuff, and we have written a new song titled "Give Chase" that I am stoked about right now, but it will probably be something else in 6 months. haha.
A: Vanessa - Say Anything was a really fun song to write to. Geno and I have been collaborating lately when it comes to lyrics, and Say Anything was specifically fun because of the scenario we decided to write about.
A: Bryant - On The Empty Room I really enjoyed working on Tears Behind a Smile. But like Geno said we have some new stuff in the works that I really enjoy. As we keep writing we get closer and closer to defining what OSS is all about.
A: Will - Probably for me it was Tears Behind A Smile. It was fun to see the idea that I had be shaped into what it is today by all the other members of OSS. Each one of us had some influence in that song.
A: Zack - So far, i would have to say "Tears Behind A Smile", every time i put on the EP thats the first song i listen to.

Acid City: How is it working with Transatlantic Records?
A: Will - Working with Transatlantic Records has been a good thing for us as a band. The label has allowed us to grow and push ourselves to the next level with our music and has been a huge help in getting that music to the listeners. With out the support of the label and the support of our fans, we wouldn't be where we are today.

Acid City: Dream location to play a show?
A: Geno - Hmm. Madison Square Gardens or a sell-out show in London, England.
A: Vanessa - The Civic Center in Portland, Maine. It's not anything special, but I saw my first real concert there when I was younger (I was raised in Maine), and would imagine being the one on stage. It would just be very surreal.
A: Bryant - The Sprint Center in KC just because its my home town and my dad always says we should play there, haha.
A: Will - I think some place like Madison Square Garden. You know you are doing something right when you are playing there. And plus, just think of the countless other amazing acts that have played there before. If we could be mentioned among the likes of Led Zepplin and JT.... that would be killer
A: Zack - I dont know.. a shows what you make it. so where ever there's people who want to see us. any kind of arena would be sweet though haha.

Acid City: Favourite band to share the stage with so far?
A: Geno - Toss up between Jonezetta and Vedera.
A: Vanessa - Waking Ashland. 2 years before we played with them, I bought their record and was so addicted. I saw them in concert a few months later, and was so psyched to see them live. Then we ended up playing with them a couple years later. Funny how those things happen.
A: Bryant - Jonezetta. They're an amazing band live.
A: Will - Hmm, I will have to go Jonezetta as well.
A: Zack - Jonezetta

Acid City: What is the most fun song to perform and why?
A: Geno - Probably "Love". Its soo high energy and everyone gets so into it I just like to go crazy.
A: Vanessa - Love... it's fun and kids get into it.
A: Bryant - I feel like I can move to "Love" the most live so that's probably it.
A: Will - feel like a dork going along with everyone else, but "Love" is my fav. Its just high energy.
A: Zack - "Love", its the last song in our set, so its kind of the crescendo, big bang, go nuts song.

Acid City: What was your reaction when you heard you were going to be in the magazine Alterntive Press?
A: Geno - We were stoked. It was something we had told Transatlantic we would be stoked to be promoted in, so to have it happen on this first album release was incredible.

Acid City: Do you ever feel pressure to act or be a certain image?
A: Vanessa - Because blending in irritates me, I've always made it a point to be different from what's going on around me. Keeping up with the latest trends doesn't exactly concern me; I wear what I think looks classy and works with my body type. I think that every girl has at least some level of a self-conscious nature, and I'm no exception.

Acid City: Dream band to share the stage with?
A: Geno - Jimmy Eat World... The are incredible.
A: Vanessa - Jimmy Eat World
A: Bryant - Jimmy Eat World
A: Will - Jimmy Eat World
A: Zack - Jimmy Eat World


Acid City: What feelings does your music emphasize?
A: Geno - Obviously we have songs expressing a wide variety of emotions, but I would say if you had to describe our "emotional style" it would be hope.

Acid City: Most played band on your ipod at the moment?
A: Geno - For me its been Jimmy Eat World's "Chase This Light" album.
A: Vanessa - Leeland
A: Bryant - Jimmy Eat World
A: Will - Motion City Soundtrack
A: Zack - Acceptance

Acid City: Hot spot to hang out? A: Geno - On tour its the closest Starbucks or Panera.

Acid City: If you had to choose 3 things to live with for the rest of your life what would they be?
A: Geno - My family, my drumkit, my laptop.
A: Vanessa - My family, my macbook, and green apples
A: Bryant - Loved ones, my accoustic, and my black and gray sweater vest
A: Will - 1. Loved ones 2. My camera 3. my iphone
A: Zack - My Guitar, an Aston Martin, and Megan Fox.

Acid City: Coffee or Tea?
A: Geno - Im sure I can speak for everyone in the band that we all prefer tea over coffee. Thanks to Vanessa and Will we always have a wide variety of tea to choose from when we are on the road.

Acid City: Bungie jumping or sky diving?
A: Geno - Skydiving, only because I have alread Bungied.
A: Vanessa - I have no desire to do either one.
A: Bryant - Haha, neither! I'm so scared of heights. Sky diving if I had to though. I trust a parachute more than a long rubber band!
A: Will - Neither please. No sense in jumping out of a perfectly good airplane or off a bridge.
A: Zack - Bungie, i think i could trick myself into thinking there's more contact with the ground that way.

Acid City: Favourite author or book?
A: Geno - Will got me into Chuck Klosterman on our last tour.
A: Vanessa - Joseph Mercola
A: Bryant - Dan Brown. I really enjoyed his book Angels and Demons.
A: Will - I have been reading a lot of Chuck Klosterman lately.
A: Zack - House Of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

Acid City: How would you describe your music to someone whos never heard of One Star Story?
A: Bryant - Catchy, sing-along, heart-felt vocals on top of rythmic, clap-your-hands, move-your-body music.

Acid City: What can we expect from One Star Story in the future?
A: Geno - We have plans to tour full time through the rest of the year, and we have tentative plans to go back into the studio this December to begin work on a full length album.

Official Myspace : www.myspace.com/onestarstory

New York New York Sounds so Nice You Say it Twice

To quote the Beatles, “When two great saints meet, it's a humbling experience.” Well I’ve often joked to my mother that I should be canonized and New York City is a saint of a city. So we met, I was humbled. Feel big and important? Go to New York with a measly eight dollar an hour retail salary and a debit card limit of $180 a day, you will as sure as hell feel small and unimportant. Not to mention all the people, the buildings, the cars and the noise. Try and have a conversation with someone anywhere, and I mean anywhere in New York and it is literally impossible. My voice, for some reason, cannot over power the sound of taxis beeping. I’m a noisy human being and I have often over powered any sound a Honda Civic or Mazda 3 (official cars of Woodbridge) can make when beeping at me as I run down the street, so it surprises me that my friends could barely hear a word I was saying while in the Big the Apple. Arriving back to the bubble, I ultimately felt big and awesome again, but I missed feeling small and unimportant (wow I got issues). Turns out all the movies were right. You can fall in love in a week, but not with a boy, with a city. The city managed to overpower me, it managed to outdo me in every area I claim to be superior. Fashion, music, art, noise, complications, even in confidence! Then again I always liked the over confident. The love affair was not one that began from the first sight. At first I viewed the city as just another city, nothing special, but as the days went on and I saw more and more. I realized how much I was in love with this “just another city”. I loved all that noise, the people, the buildings, the creepy guy who followed a friend of mine and myself and I even loved the bad hot dog I ate in central park causing some serious cramps. I felt more at home and more comfortable in a city I had never been to before then I do in my home. I LOVE NEW YORK!
Now to another love of mine, fashion. New York is the fashion capital of the world. The Upper East Side teens all dress to the nines looking incredible, and in Soho you see all the effortlessly cool. Every store you could ever wish to shop in was there. Bendels, Bloomingdales, Tiffany’s, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Dylan’s Candy Shop and all the street vendors on Canale, in Soho and in Noho. I spent a total of $675 in three days. All time record for myself and my bank statement is going to be quite saddening when it arrives a few days from now. There was so much to look at and to buy that if I had a few more days I’m sure I would be in debt or be wanted by the NYPD for possession and trafficking of drugs in a sad attempt to make more money to buy more clothes!
I, surprisingly, had never heard of Bendels until I was leaving for the City of Lights. Talk about an amazing store! I unfortunately did not purchase anything from Bendels because of the little to no time we had to shop. I did see lots of things I would have like to purchase. Bendels is a high end girl’s department store. Now I have an obsession, bracelets and within that large category of accessory, I love bangles. One I loved? The 1907 Narrow Hinged Enamel Bangle. Quite adorable and is great for easily and effortlessly adding a pop of colour to any outfit. I also found these beautiful bangles that had this silk fabric on them with a beautiful flower pattern on them. I would have bought a couple and stacked them up my arm, totally adorable. I am a fan of little leather notebooks and I spotted a few around the store and did not realize they were for purchasing until I spotted them once again on the website. Adorable little notebooks in bright pretty colours are a necessity for the creative types such as us acid city girls. You need somewhere to write down all your ideas! BLOOMINGDALES! If New York is my lover, Bloomingdales is the other man. Oh so pretty! I preferred the location in Soho with lots of natural light and space. Bloomingdales is also a department store and has quite the range of prices I would say affordable to ouch mom will kill me when she sees this receipt. While I was there they were shooting ads for that makeup line Heatherette so that was exciting! I also got a make over by Estee Lauder. I left looking like a sweet little seventeen year old wall flower just waiting for some boy to ask me to go to the dance, where we remain an arm distance away from each other the entire night, do not look each other in the eye and by the end of the night I’ll get pinned... er... wear his pin I mean (G GOLLY!). I quickly solved that by smudging the pretty pink blush off my face and wiping off the also pretty pink eye shadow off my eyes and reapplying my black eyeliner and smudging it, back to my effortless disaster look I strive for. But I was sure to leave the Shimmering Powder Pearls. It left my pale skin glowing and I highly recommend it for us girls with pale skin and are incapable of getting a tan. Now on a side note, if you do happen to have has a bit of a beautiful darker tone I find that when I do manage to an adding a bit of some shimmering gold powder over my cheeks instead of blush looks great! Bloomingdales is great because they have a petite’s section (WOOH)! Now for you readers less than 5’6” tall, how difficult is it to find skirts, pants, shorts, etc, that are the right the length? Yeah I know super difficult, Bloomingdales has all of our fashionable finds at our length!

TIFFANY’S IS FABULOUS. That is all. No other words. We have Tiffany’s up here in the great white north but to think, I was standing in the same room my beloved Audrey was, AMAZING!
Now most likely most of the people reading this, or all two of you (HI MOMMY AND DADDY!), have heard of these stores and have also heard of my next subject, URBAN OUTFITTERS! I love Urban Outfitters. I spent way to much there but I don’t care. They had everything I was looking for, including this great leather braided belt. I can pair with half my wardrobe because half my wardrobe consists of blouses. I plan to tie that around the waist of my loose fitting ones to add some feminine shape to a masculine style shirt.
My Zia (Italian 101 : Zia = Aunt) introduced me to Anthropologie. Adorable and well made clothes targeting the 12 to 20-something age group. Very feminine blouses and dresses with soft colours. A great store if you’re looking for a wear any where little white blouse, I bought one to add to my own collection! I also forgot to go back and purchase a totally adorable blouse with little fashionista girls pattern on it. I plan to purchase that online seeing as they now ship to Canada (HELL YEAH!) What I love about their stuff is it is simple and is not too complicated. I find that a lot of the time designers are trying too hard for the simple look and end up adding weird stitching and adorning random little beads, Anthropologie achieves the sweet and simple look. My favourite look by the way.
I recently found my home. AKA Dylan’s Candy shop. THAT SHIT IS BANANAS! ( no one says that anymore, me being no one.) CANDY IN THE FLOOR!! THERE WAS CANDY IN THE FLOOR!
Ah, Soho, Noho, why not just call the entire area no-doh, because that is what you leave with. Shockingly, I spent the most money where things are the cheapest! Noho is great to a certain point, if you get to far north there is literally nothing there, do not make that mistake, I didn’t so neither should you! Soho, awesome. So much fun! All the street vendors! I am telling you now. CHECK OUT THE STREET VENDORS IN SOHO! They are great! I told myself I was not going to buy anything, but how could I resist? All great little jewelery pieces and I love NY t-shirts. Now a few tips, number one, ALWAYS BARGAIN! Do not be shy, you will never see these people again. They are after money, you are after keeping your money. It is quite simple really. Just say, “I will give you (amount of dollas) for (amount of items)” If they respond “NO!” then begin to walk off and say “That dude over there had better (item) for (price)” you will suddenly hear “WAIT! Fine.” I did not want to use msn speak but I literally was ready to LMFAO! Actually I do not even know what that stands for anymore, oh right not important. Anyways, number two. IF THEY SAY IT IS SILVER IT IS NOT SILVER DON'T KID YOURSELF! That tip I got from a street vendor herself. I was talking to her about these really great enamel bangles she was selling and she told me, people in Soho cannot afford to sell silver. If you want silver, go to Tiffany’s. Audrey was in there, it has to be good. Number three, ignore street vendors who yell to get your attention. I know its scary all those dudes potentially with a gun ready to kill you, but if you respond you will, yes you will do not lie, you will leave with something you do not want or need. Just walk by all snooty and ignore them when they call you a witch (replace the w with a b). Canale Street is the best place to buy fakes. I personally do not enjoy carrying around a fake because everyone knows I cannot afford a real one, so why would I even pretend I can? Designers do not make an outfit. Well they do, but designer items do not.
So in conclusion, SOHO=best place to be in New York city. Most likely nothing new to you readers (all two of you, mommy, daddy... hello again) But it was a shock to me. I did not think it would be as easy as it was. I was expecting for me to hunt for stuff I was looking for, IT WAS ALL RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! How amazing! NEW YORK CITY I LOVE YOU!

Adrenaline Tattoo's

So, we just caught up with one of Toronto's tattoo artist's, Nate of Adrenaline tattoos. It was a bit nerve wracking, being it my first interview and all, but it turned out he's probably one of the coolest guys you'd ever meet. Here's the latest scoop on his journey to becoming the talented tattooist he is today!

Acid City: Hey! So how long have you been tattooing?

Nate: I've been tattooing for about 7 and a half years.

Acid City: What got you interested in the business?

Nate: When I was a little kid, I saw a guy walking past my school with a spider web tattoo on his elbow, and I was like "HOLY, LOOKIT THAT! THAT'S THE COOLEST THING IN THE WORLD!". And then, when I was fifteen I got my first tattoo, and it just went down hill from there.
Acid City: What's your favourite part of your job?

Nate: Favourite part of my job? Putting something on someone that makes them super happy. Like if you got a client who comes in, and has something in mind, and you can make something perfect for them, and they're like the happiest they've ever been when they leave. Yeah, that's the best part.

Acid City: Any particular artists that have made a huge impact on you?

Nate: Yes, none that you'd probably know of, but this guy named Adam Burton is one of my favourite artists in the world. He tattoos at O'reilly's Tattoo, in Santa Cruz. Sean Conner, at a place called Ink Machine in Edmonton, Sean Dale, not too sure where he's working anymore, and just friends of mine, like guys who I've worked with in the past and trade knowledge with, y'know?

Acid City: What's your favourite style of work?

Nate: Neo traditional.

Acid City: How many tattoo's do you have?

Nate: Uh, a lot *laughs*

Acid City: Favourite one?

Nate: This one on my my thigh, right here *hits thigh* D'you guys need to see it?

Acid City: Haa! No, it's okay. *laughs* What is it of?

Nate: It is a hand holding a tattoo machine with one of the fingers cut off, and a tattoo machine's tattooing that finger, with some traditional roses and vines, and stuff around it.

Acid City: What's the significance behind it?

Nate: Honestly, my friend and I, back in Vancouver, decided we were gonna tattoo each other, and we were just sort of like, you tattoo what you'd think I should have. So I didn't have a clue what I was getting until I went to the shop. And that was it.

Acid City: Is there any places that you wouldn't tattoo?

Nate: Genitals. I do not go near the genitals.

Acid City: *Laughs* Has anyone ever asked you to?

Nate: Oh yeah, people come in all the time. I just won't do it. And I'm pretty fortunate, 'cause I'm the head artist in the shop, so I turn stuff down all the time. Like people come in like "I want this on my finger!", and I'm like, "No."

Acid City: In ten, twenty years, do you think you're still going to be tattooing?

Nate: Yeah. If I'm not tattooing, I'm gonna be running the shop.

Acid City: What kind of training did you have to get?

Nate: You go through an apprenticeship, and you just get somebody to teach you what they know and back when I learned, which was a long time ago, and I got taught by some awful artists, and some good ones, and you just sort of go from there. Like I had quit tattooing for about three and a half years, and I wasn't happy with what I was doing, I was just like "I can't fucking do this,". 'Til I got some other guys to show me more than I already know. So I quit, went to culinary school, became a chef, found some other guys that were really good friends of mine, and they got me back into it, and here I am now.

Acid City: So does that mean you were interested in art in highschool too?

Nate: If I had went to highschool, yeah.

Acid City: No way!

Nate: Yeah, drugs and skateboarding were way cooler in highschool. But I did have to go back to get my GED, when I went to culinary school. But I think I got up to grade 10, maybe.

Acid City: That just shows you that you don't need an education to get where you want to be.

Nate: You don't, but it's pretty rare. You could find a lot of people down Queen St, and Younge St, who didn't graduate highschool, who are terrible tattooists, who will never be good, and will never care about sterile and cleanliness. So, it's rare that you find people who have at least other training.

Acid City: Would you consider this an art form?

Nate: Yeah, 100%. It's on the skin, not on paper. They've all got their place, it's just something I love to do. Like if you put a tattoo on somebody properly, it can excentuate the shape of their body. And that's gonna make it look way better.

Acid City: So, any advice for first-timers on tattoos?

Nate: Look through portfolios, look that the line mark is clean. Don't judge like "I don't like that, I don't like that, I don't like that," You're not looking at the artwork to see if you like the design, you're looking at them to see if the shading's smooth, you you're looking at the nice clean line mark. That's what you should be looking at when you're looking at a portfolio. And you want to get along with you tattoo artist. You don't want someone who's just gonna be like "What do you want? Sit down." Which happens a lot. *Laughs* I can be like that too. I get tired, and I get grouchy. You get a client who's not really that cool, or really demanding, like things that aren't possible. You get frustrated. It's like any job, anybody can get irritable.


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