The Deadly Nightshade - Daniel Lanois

 

In 2006, while I was waitressing in the summers between university semesters, Daniel Lanois was a regular of mine at a fine French Toronto establishment. We had many famous and rich clientele, so talking about work with a guest was considered tres gauche. Someone had erroneously told me that he was a store owner, and I simply didn't think twice to question it. So when I once asked him about his sheet music he was playing with, he said he had a studio at his house he was recording an album with his friends. I noted I thought his hobby was adorable, and he looked at me with a puzzled raised eyebrow.... The CD he was recording was apparently with U2. Be careful of who tells you what and what you think you know....

Cyclofemme- Tomorrow We Ride!

Cyclofemme is tomorrow! It's a great way to spend Mother's Day with the crew you love.

To honour the women of the past, present, and future, you can check out and participate a ride in your own city or neighbourhood!

Friday Night Rainy Day Vids

Wine + friends + sunshine + bikes = all you need.

After Eleven Apparel //  Fixed Gear // Group ride in Napa // Sonoma. 

Filmed & Edited by Patrick Schwent. Song: Don't Move - Phantogram

Vancouver is exactly like this:

AIRPORT RACE - fixed gear video-  

Directed by the talented Gwenael LEWIS.
Starring the lovely Chloe BABCOOK and Tobias LEWIS

Feeling Good:

Fixed-Gear city ride Cinelli in Valencia v2

Sunshine and puppy dogs:

 Fixed Gear (Granada) Collective Friends

This Friday & Saturday, Sartoria is having an end of the year sale! Pretty exciting, because the stuff is amazing. you should come check it out! http://www.sartoria.ca/

12/13 stock 50% off! 
samples for sale at amazing prices!
sweaters-too-great-to-cut-up for sale too!

FRI APR 19th noon - 7pm
SAT APR 20th 9am - noon

WhipperSnapper Gallery 549b Dundas St W TORONTO
There will be a screening of a sweet winter video :)

Everyone loves gang rides. Even Solange.

Gang rides, pool hopping AND badass vintage suits. Solange knows what's up.

Vote for us for the VeloCity 2013 Cycling Visionary Awards!

Hey All!

That time is come again to help the Deadly Nightshades out! We were asked to submit to the VeloCity 2013 Visionary Awards, so we did! Please Take two mintues to vote for us in the category of Cycling and Arts.  We would be over the moon to get our name out there in Vienna this year and promote what we do in the city of Toronto, and even have the possibility of going there ourselves! There are also bursaries to be won in each category. We promise to use the winnings on magic beans and condo shares on Mars.

You have to confirm your vote by email, so enter in a valid one. (They don't spam you afterwards, which is nice so you don't have to worry about that!) Voting ends April 15th! Please share with your friends, family, followers, co-workers and neighbours!


Thank you thank you thank you!!!!

Another amazing Kickstarter project about women and bikes!

The Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan began in 1979. For ten years, the war raged on, and was considered a "Proxy War" of the Cold War. After the Soviets pulled out, the impoverished, traumatized country was ripe for the control of the Taliban. Then 911 happened. Even before this modern history, Afganistan has been in dispute and a strategic region of Britan and Czarist Russia, then the US and Stalinist USSR. Basically, no one has "won" anything in Afghanistan, especially Afghanis, with instability and unspeakable injustices still rampant, specifically towards women.

What can a caring person do to help today? There are many ways. One way Mountain2Mountain has been creating change has been through it's programs that advocate for women in sports, specifically with mountain biking.  Through empowering women on equity issues like transportation and sports, they are giving voices to women and children in conflict zones, and creating an international community of support and advocacy. They are telling stories, and creating the world they want to live in through their work. It's possible. We as human beings created this mess, and we can love and create our way out of it.

Mountain2Mountain was founded in November 2006 by Shannon Galpin.  Shannon took action on her deep conviction that all women and girls deserve the same rights and opportunities as her own daughter. She walked away from her career as an athletic trainer and used her own limited funds to launch M2M and "be the change" she wished to see in the world.

Now, this Kickstart project in question is about funding Afghan Cycles, which is a film about 12 brave women that dare to ride on the Women’s National Cycling Team of Afghanistan. This production is in association with other amazing women Sarah Menzies of LET Media, Whitney Conner Clapper of Side of the Road Sessions.

Still thinking "something should be done, but what can I do?" Here is Shannon Galpin to break it down for you.


"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"- Leo Tosltoy

Toronto Loves The Make Den!

Fierce Bambi's baby, The Make Den, was just voted as one of the top DIY spots on BlogTo! The Make Den is in a beautiful new retail level space in Bloordale, and offers sewing lessons from begginer classes to leather crafting. Knowing how to sew is a great way to express your individuality, save money by fixing and tailoring your own garments, and mostly it is incredibly fulfiling. Making things with your hands just feels good. Speaking of feeling good, The Make Den is not just a building with classes, it's a community of creative, vibrant Toronto individuals. If you live in Toronto, and want to learn how to create or tailor your own wardrobe, then The Make Den is a must!

(Check out those seafoam walls in the photo... when you see that colour, it's a sure sign a Deadly Nightshade is afoot!)

Deadly Nightshades featured in the Huffington Post!

We were happy to be interviewed by the amazing Amelia Brown for the Huffington Post Canada on how we Gen Y/ Millennials use cycling to express our style, independence and create the culture we value.

"The Deadly Nightshades are convinced that the bicycle is magic. When they're out as a "roving midnight bike gang," in seafoam green jackets, the seven women are a bewitching sight, mixing cycling, art and fashion."

Just one note, for us "fashion" is more "personal style". The Deadly Nightshades came about from a firm distaste of the traditional fashion industry, and it was our punk way to be ourselves and assert our own values. So dress how you want, define your own cycle chic, don't let others tell you how to express yourself, and make your own informed decisions first and foremost.

Already the one comment on the blog is about how we aren't wearing helmets. (Rolls eyes.) Our official stance is this: we all do and we all don't, depending on various factors. Helmets, while AWESOME and have saved several of our noggins at various points, aren't a fix-all for bike safety, and are really just this trolling, polarizing issue we'd all be best to just drop as a topic of focus. The fact is, if we had been wearing helmets we'd be criticized for promoting a culture of fear and not putting the emphasis on car driver resonsiblity. Luke Brocki did an awesome write up of the issue in his article on Velo-City 2012. 

The Huffington post article is a great article read all around, addressing economic issues like the crippling cost of cars, awesome places like the Bike Kitchen at UBC, and events like the Bicycle Film Festival.

"Despite efforts to market bright, affordable and gadget-laden cars to the Millennials, the bicycle is an easy solution that offers Generation Y freedom to get where they need to go without worrying about insurance payments down the road."

Huzzah! Let the culture shift continue!

BIKES IN SPACE!

The amazing Elly Blue's latest Kickstarter program needs your help! 11 Days to go!

If you don't know who Elly Blue is- how are we friends? Just kidding. You should get to know this Portland based writer, publisher, and social curator. Since 2006 she has been writing about cycling as a transportation module, and she has been published in such kick-ass feminist publications like Grist, Bitch, and Momentum Magazines. Working with the Portland Society, she co-founded PDX-By Bike, which is a bike-centric business promotion initiative.



So back her kick-starter, and buy one of the amazing books from her online store Taking the Lane while you're at it.