If you’re looking to find out how a Broken Social Scene reunion show impacts a true Toronto girl or to see what exactly some of your favourite musicians wear from head-to-toe to their interviews, look no further than Lisa Lagace’s blog, Turn The Record Over. The freelance writer keeps her fans in the know of all her musical meanderings throughout our great city and beyond. We caught up with Lagace to find out what she loves about Toronto, what inspires her, and why sometimes life is just perfect when it’s all about the music.
Give us a snippet about you. What should people know?
I’m a freelance writer, a dog person, a music nerd, and I have a hard time imagining myself living anywhere other than Queen West. I think everyone would be happier with a turntable and copies of their favourite albums on 180-gram vinyl. I fully believe that, “Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself,” and these words guide all of my life choices.
Finish this sentence: I love Toronto because…
…it has everything I could ever wish for in one place. Incredible food and drinks, creative people, unique neighbourhoods, the lake, the beaches, the island, the skyline, and the best music and entertainment being produced in Canada. You can never be bored here.
What are three things you simply cannot live without?
Mr. Bojangles (my dog), access to my music collection, a comfortable bed.
How did you draw the inspiration for Turn the Record Over?
Inspiration for it came over time. It began because I was working in social media when it was just starting up, creating blogs for brands, reading many personal blogs for these jobs, and noting how it gave these bloggers a venue to promote themselves – and in many cases create their own career through it. I had no idea what direction I would take it in at first, it just seemed like the smart thing to do if I wanted to one day be my own boss. Over time it developed into more of a music blog than I had originally intended, because music is such an integral part of my daily life.
What’s the hardest part about staying current with the local music scene?
Keeping up with it all. A new band is born in this city every day and they are all looking for attention. Staying on top of the bands that are actually good is hard because you have to see them live to know if they have it, and a lot of the time that means sitting through a lot of crappy bands before you find the good ones. You don’t even want to see my email inbox; the submissions are overwhelming.
What type of music do you feel is most lacking in Toronto?
This may just be because I am unaware of where it really lives in the city, but I’d have to say hip hop. From my perspective (and if you look at a CMW/NXNE lineup) we have an abundance of indie/rock/electronic bands. There isn’t a ton of sonic diversity in the local music scene that I exist within. Pulling out the Drake card just isn’t enough/is an insult to the rap world.
What’s your favourite live music venue and why?
The Horseshoe Tavern, because it’s a 1-minute walk from my place, Collective always books great bands, the bartenders are great and the drinks are cheap, it’s small and generally has good sightlines for short people like me. I spend more time there than anywhere else in the city.
What’s your favourite drink/cocktail and where do you go to get it?
Vodka soda, splash of cran – available at any and every dive bar, but I love the presentation at Cameron House best.
Who’s the best band you’ve ever seen perform?
Broken Social Scene ties with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Let’s get social for a mo’. How can people stay up-to-date with all your sound-scaping?
I’m all over the place, connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr!