Sorry kids just one band this year, the rest of my list seems to be almost entirely all about the ever tightening grip of ugliness that is gripping our city. After 9 years of sporadic but steady improvement it seems Toronto has slipped a bit. A lot, actually. It's been a year of brooding ominousness for me.

1 David Miller, the finest mayor our city has seen, gets the insider squeeze when Queen’s Park curbs the poor guy during the garbage strike by refusing to intervene like when Bob “Mel Lastman” Richardson was mayor of Toronto, the QP even sent out toadie George Smitherman with David Miller’s actual broom from 2003 to stage a fake clean-up photo op for the media stooges. A former Rogers board member, son of former Thompson board member, last name Tory, appears to be angling for a coronation via talk radio.

2 The ghost of Tooker Gomberg sighs sadly when Michael Bryant loses it after a drunk cyclist cuts him off and is too slow on the green light, so he bumps the courier’s bike. Tragedy ensues. The flashpoint polarizes drivers and cyclists, police begin a ticketing blitz of all cyclists (who are now the enemy), all this after both means of transportation were on their way to reaching an uncomfortable understanding. Memories of another deceased bike advocate haunt the tragedy, which never needed to happen if the courier was able to take the Tooker.

3 The Canadian National phallus fell asleep while wearing its’ gaudy LED Christmas lights condom for the third year in a row.

4 David Pecaut, co-founder of Luminato arts festival (well the Toronto knockoff of the real Luminato) dies at the too-young age of 54.

5 Igor Kenk is getting out of jail early because he was being tried on civil and criminal charges based on an officer who searched his bike “store” based on an anonymous tip and without a warrant, so neither charge could hold water.

6 Herman Dune opens for / plays with Julie Doiron and just completely floors me. Floors me. To. The. Floor. One man. One guitar, maybe four chords, tops.

 7 On the first night of WL450 I almost made it, but then while onstage caught Nicole Stoffman's eye and for some reason got all choked up and cried – cried! – in public! - while announcing the end of Wavelength’s Sundays  

8 Shaun Bowring leaves Sneaky Dee’s, Jenny the barkeep follows shortly thereafter, Wavelength and Trampoline Hall follow Shaun to the Garrison.  

9 General Chaos, Jonny Dovercourt, Ryan McLaren, Kevin Parnell, Jenn the Door Menace keeping me and my grouchiness in check for one last year. In the words of St. Robert "Bob" Pollard, you're all good kids.