Pride

Kicking off the New Year, Lizzie Style!

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After an exciting and fulfilling 2013, I am looking forward to an even bigger and crazier 2014!  I ended the year and am starting the year Lizzie style.  I spent all day yesterday and will be spending today working on the second draft of a play I wrote. I’m looking forward to many more projects like this in 2014, including finishing scripts!

So… let’s get this party started and with some amazing events!

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January 6 – The Amsterdam Bicycle Club presents: Lizzie Violet’s Poetry Open Mic featuring Andrea Thompson
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/512585858854340/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

and

January 20 – The Amsterdam Bicycle Club presents: Lizzie Violet‘s Poetry Open Mic featuring Greg ‘Ritallin’ Frankson.
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/257656151064135/

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January 8 – WordSpell Spoken Word featuring Cathy Petch and Sabrina
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/699046796795293/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 12 – Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir featuring Brock Hessel, David Bateman and Cap & Kev
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/1433756150176415/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 22nd – Winter Snow Ball @ Urban Gallery – I will be featuring along with Duncan Armstrong, Vanessa McGowan, Brock Hessel and many other amazing Queer poets!
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/792356567447501/?ref=2&ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 30th – The Beautiful and the Damned featuring Jill Battson, Brenda Clews and Neil Traynor. At The Central. (more details to come)

Other Amazing Events to check out!

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Every Monday at The Amsterdam Bicycle Club is Lynne Rafter’s Music Open mic.

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January 4 – Silver Hearts at Tranzac Club
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/231901116987749/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

AND

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January 4  – Facebook Event – Red Falcon/White Lightning at Global Village Backpackers
https://www.facebook.com/events/1403283439914408/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

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January 8th – Open Mic at Not My Dog, hosted by Mike Tharin
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/195982480606677/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 9 – Songwriters Circle of Jerks featuring Kat Leonard and the MP3’s
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/619553521415775/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 11, 2014 – Nelson Sobral and Hugh Wilson acousticmania at Relish!  9:30 pm

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January 16 – Big Name Actors at Lee’s Palace
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/236258666533653/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 18 – I HATE TODD at Global Village Backpackers
Facebook Event- https://www.facebook.com/events/1449120628643130/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

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January 23, 2014 – BeatleJerks and I HATE TODD at Amsterdam Bicycle Club

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January 26 – I HATE TODD at The Amsterdam Bicycle Club
Facebook Event – https://www.facebook.com/events/1441868266026876/

August will be sizzling with amazing!

Hello all you beautiful people!  August is going to sizzle with so much amazing stuff I can hardly wait!  There are a couple amazing shows, I’m featuring in or hosting and we are gearing up to shoot a music video for a little ole script I wrote.

Anyone interested in being part of the crew OR being a Zombie contact me at lizzieviolet13 [at] gmail [dot] com.  The music video is for the the killer song ‘Zombie Love’ by Toronto’s most hated band I Hate Todd!  Check out their page or message me for more info.  We also have an invite set up on Facebook if you would like to be notified.
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Now onto the Shows!

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On August 8th I will be hosting:

The Beautiful and The Damned
Q Space 7 pm
382 College Street

https://www.facebook.com/events/172515529594916/?ref=2

Featuring Brenda Clews, Adam Abbas, Andrea Machette!

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August 11 I will be hosting Lizzie Violet’s Cabaret Noir:

Q Space 7 pm
382 College Street

Featuring sol knots, andraya and Tania Joy!

https://www.facebook.com/events/549748458405723/

plasticineI will be featuring:

Plasticine Poetry
Paupers Pub – 2nd Floor

https://www.facebook.com/events/209248939199191/

Upcoming for July!

Hello all you sexy people!  July is gearing up to be another hot and sizzling month of Awesome!  Check out these events I am involved in!

July 3

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The WordSpell Collective, in conjunction with Cytopoetics, presents the July edition of WordSpell showcase and open mic. The series brings together talented established and emerging female spoken word artists.

We are back with our bi-monthly showcase that features some of the hottest female voices in spoken word. This edition is extra special as it comes right after PRIDE month, so we give a loving shout out to our LGBTTQII2S friends.

We select our features from within Toronto because this city has deep pockets of talent! Come hang out with your poetry fam at the 5th and FINAL show of the FIRST season featuring the wonderfully talented voices of Krystle Mullin and Barbara Erochina.

There will also be an OPEN MIC, open to women, after the feature sets.

Free Times Cafe | 320 College Street
Doors open at 7:30pm | Open Mic sign up at 8| Show at 8:30
Tickets at door: $6 and up
ALL ages & genders welcome in the audience!

Find out more about the series at:
Group page: www.facebook.com/groups/WordSpellTO
Website: http://cytopoeticsevents.com/wordspell
Follow on Twitter: WordSpellTO
Email: WordSpellTO@gmail.com

About the poets:

KRYSTLE MULLIN is a veteran of the Toronto spoken word scene and has been performing her energetic and enigmatic poetry for almost a decade. In 2009 she had the distinct honour of representing Ontario in the CBC ‘s National Poetry Face-Off. She is a 3-time member of the Toronto Slam Team and has been a feature performer at esteemed festivals such as Hillside, The Eden Mills Writers’ Festival and The Words Aloud Festival of Authors.

BARBARA EROCHINA is a queer artist, pastor and community organizer. Grounded in formal training both in creative writing and theatre, she is interested in using Spoken Word as a platform for the weaving together of the broken and the beautiful. Her poetry explores themes of meaning, love, personal and community empowerment, sex, faith(lessness), and family, all through the lens of personal narrative. Though she has been up on stage with the Toronto Poetry Slam, Bill Brown and the Women of the World Slam Qualifier, this is Barbara’s first feature in her journey with Spoken Word. She lives in Toronto with her partner Tanya, and their street-cat George.

** Everyone is encouraged to patronize Free Times before, during and after the show! www.freetimescafe.com **

July 12/13

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July 12 – Prelims
Open Minds Respect Events and Cytopoetics present two preliminary bouts on the road to crowning the 2013 Ontario Poetry Slam Champions.

Measure | 290 Brunswick
DOORS 6PM | BOUT 1 @ 7PM | BOUT 2 @ 9PM
AFTERPARTY WITH DJ SOUL CHILD
$10 SLAM & PARTY | $5 AFTER 11PM ONLY

July 13 – Finals
Open Minds Respect Events and Cytopoetics present the slam that will crown the 2013 Ontario Poetry Slam Champions.

Measure | 290 Brunswick
DOORS AT 7PM | SHOW AT 8PM
FEATURE PERFORMANCE BY WHITNEY “WITNESS” GREENAWAY
FINAL SLAM AT 9PM | $500 PRIZE FOR THE WINNER
AFTERPARTY WITH DJ MANIFEST
$20 FEATURE, SLAM & PARTY | $10 AFTER 11PM ONLY

July 14

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We will have limited open mic spots (for poets, performers and musicians). Sign up starts at 7.

This is a PWYC event. (suggested price $5)
Location: Q Space on College (382 College Street)

~Trasharella is a Toronto-based actor/writer/visual artist. He has had work published in Resistance Poetry 2, Labour of Love, Excalibur Monthly, Xtra! & The Body Politic. She has featured at Plasticine Poetry, A Space, The Beautiful and the Damned, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Toronto Pride, Lula Lounge, The Gladstone Hotel & the Theatre Centre. She won the Best Actor award at the London One Act Festival for “The Judy Monologues”.

www.philipcairns.com

~Toronto-based writer Greg “Ritallin” Frankson is a respected poet, arts educator and media personality. In 2012, Ritallin won the national team poetry slam championship with Toronto Up From The Roots and placed second at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam. Greg’s debut collection Cerebral Stimulation was published in 2006, and his words have appeared in numerous anthologies, compilation CDs, chapbooks and musical collaborations. Greg is the resident poet for CBC Toronto’s afternoon radio show Here and Now, and appeared on CBC TV’s Canada’s Smartest Person in 2012. Through his creative services consultancy Cytopoetics, Greg works with youth in schools and community as a presenter and performer, and with businesses and social services agencies as a facilitator, speaker and creative services consultant.

http://www.cytopoetics.ca/

~Toronto based musician Marcus Walker is an exceptional singer-songwriter and a captivating artist. He has earned a reputation for engaging and energetic performances that range from sensitive ballads to all out rock and/or roll. His infectious style reflects a dynamicism unlike any other, making it difficult to define his overall sound but the music is grounded in his compelling lyrics and spirited performances.

http://www.myspace.com/marcusdeluxe

http://www.youtube.com/stringerland

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For more information, email lizzieviolet13@gmail.com

https://lizzieviolet.wordpress.com/lizzie-violets-noir-cabaret/

My reading at PRIDE accompanied by Amoeba Starfish

This is my reading at PRIDE.  I was accompanied by Amoeba Starfish.  I also have a YouTube video.  Once it uploads I will post it as well.

http://soundcloud.com/amoebastarfishperc/live-at-pride-toronto-2012-the

My Great Big Pride Love In

I’m not even sure how to start this blog.  I have so much swimming around inside my head right now.  I have had one of the best weekends in a very long time, all starting Friday night with a last minute decision to go see some live music.  This entire weekend has been about being with people I love, adore and respect, about celebrating a community I’m so effing PROUD to be part of and about being on stage with some absolutely amazing talent. In 3 days I managed to see live music, The Dyke March, celebrate my dear friend Cate McKim’s birthday (she lost track of how my times she celebrated 😉 ), PRIDE, reading at PRIDE and see a lot of my favourite people and friends perform.  Yesterday actually felt like a great big party with all my friends and family, without the drunken uncle trying to start a fight.  It was about celebrating the freedom to express who you are without judgement, about showing your true colours without fear.  We live in a city where you can be Queer without fear!

Below are some photo’s from the weekend and a link to Cate McKim’s blog about the events.  http://lifewithmorecowbell.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/friends-words-music-toronto-pride-2012/.  So many amazing performances and friends in these pictures.  (Cate McKim, Kat Leonard, Arlene Paculan, Laurie Fredheim, Leah Walker, Duncan Armstrong, Philip Cairns, David Bateman, DM Moore, Harrsion Fine, Brandon Pitts, Janis Tipping, Iman Wain, Rex Baunsit, Dan McClean Jr., Meghan Morrison, Evan Le Blanc, Stuart Everitt, Myke Mazzei, Jaime Alexandra, Adrienne Smith, Alissa Vox Raw)

Dyke March and Pride

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Pride and realizing when it’s time to get over yourself…

I sat down and had a talk with myself today.  An honest talk.  A painful talk. Being a full-time writer and editor is a financial struggle at the best of times.  Unless you are working full-time for a publisher, newspaper or magazine, it’s impossible to stay afloat.  So… I had to set my pride aside, get over myself and made a decision.

Rent, bills, food, paying off debt = $$$  In order to make $$$ I have to have it actually coming into my bank account.  In order to do this, I have to go back to temping.  It’s a means to an end, a way to survive.  There is a beauty that goes with this.  It’s temporary, I have promised myself that.  So I cut a deal with my evil self.

There are people in this industry, who I greatly respect, that also have to do the same thing.  If they can, so can I.  There will be a few other changes I will need to make.  Finding a cheaper place to live is the next step.   Possibly a second part-time job.  When you are fighting the good fight on your own.  You gotta do… what you gotta do.