Bar Mitzvah

The Matador, 466 Dovercourt road, Toronto

Today's GAT assignment was to cover the Video Service Corp (VSC) 13th anniversary party. The party had a bar mitzvah theme. I had been looking froward to this for a while. Mainly because I had never been to a bar mitzvah but also because "the girl" was going to be going as well. My heart sank when I found out that she was still sick and couldn't make it.

Still, out I went. The party took place in a western themed venue called the Matador. Pictures of cowboys and western themed things, boots, lassos, etc. hung from the ceiling or were bolted to the walls. The party had various stations of varying foods. From mini hamburgers to pizza to rice crispy squares. There were also various widescreen LCD TVs playing various Canadian TV shows.

Among the guests were some Canadian celebs and like most Canadian celebs I didn't recognize any of them (to any canadian celebs that might feel slighted - I'm sorry but I don't watch current TV shows thanks to bad reception and not having cable). I did however recognize Bruce McDonald. He was wearing a trademarked cowboy hat, the same type of hat if not the same hat, that I remember him wearing while working on Re-Genesis.


Tara Spencer-Nairn from Corner Gas with some guy

"Did you get a picture of Brent and Tara?". I looked up from my camera to see this tall guy asking me this question. At ther time I felt pretty uninformed. Before I knew it I was being escorted to these people and asked to take a few pictures of them. Generally I like to let people know I'm shooting pictures of them before just snapping away. I thought it was a bit akward but Tara and Brent were nice enough to pose for a few shots before I got pulled away to shoot some other guests.


Kenny Hotz and Don McKellar


Bruce McDonald and the owner of the club Anne Dunn

The band that was featured was White Cowbell Oklahoma. A band that my friend David knew one of the guitar members. A band that featured several band members and two go-go dancers. I was told about the go-go dancers and things being set on fire. A photographic gem of a show indeed.


"Flame On"


White Cowbell Oklahoma


I liked this photo

After the band finished playing the party started winding down with some DJed music. The party ended at around 11pm which was early but it was a school night. On the way out, Ingrid handed me season three of Corner Gas on DVD, a thank you gift for a job well done. I got home and watched all the season 3 episodes in the next few hours and ended up buying season one and season two.

Corner Gas is that happy fluff stuck somewhere between watching sitcoms like WKRP and celebrating Christmas. Armed with a group of oddball characters, the stories are simple but hilarious with a bit of Canadiana thrown in for reminiscing value. As one of my friends puts it, "It's as addictive as crack". My hope is that it replaces the Beachcombers as one of the longest running Canadian sitcoms (as I anxiously await season four on DVD).


YMCA lives on... at least with some people.