This year through my involvement in the Wacken Metal Battle Canada and the Headbanging For A Cure cancer benefit I decided to reach out to the Toronto mayoral candidates to gauge their support for underground and subcultural arts in the city. The most sensational result of which was a video of support from Olivia Chow for Headbanging For A Cure, where she does a great job of throwing the fabled metal horns, despite admitting that she’s “not much of a headbanger”.
Candidate Sarah Thomson took things a step further and actually appeared onstage at the second night Headbanging For A Cure at Toronto’s historic El Mocambo to do her own horn throw while introducing legendary Canadian thrash metal band Razor.
Photo by Danielle Griscti
It was through these events that Metal For Mayor was born. An organization dedicated to the promotion of underground music and subcultural events. Metal For Mayor believes that nothing is more important than having a good time. That’s why you work, go to school, and generally drag yourself around this city. You do it because your reward is a good time, in whatever shape that takes. For many hard-working folks in Toronto, that good time involves music. Whether it’s rock and metal, dance and electronic, hip-hop and r&b or anything in between, Metal For Mayor believes that this is the lifeblood of Toronto.
The major candidate support has been incredible, but the most pleasant surprise I’ve had is my acquaintance with candidate Dewitt Lee. Dewitt agreed to appear at the first night of Headbanging For A Cure and surprised many with his enthusiastic embrace of the heavy metal community and his recognition of the genre as an intricate and diverse art-form. As a music publisher and community activist he understands the need for diversity in the arts and how a variety of entertainment is essential to the city.
With this in mind I am proud to accept Dewitt’s invitation to appear as a guest-host at his campaign fundraiser this evening (Saturday October 25th) to officially have Metal For Mayor endorse his candidacy. Check out all the details on the event here and please like Metal For Mayor on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
#MetalForMayor logo by Jennifer Pilles