Urban Planner: May 22, 2009

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

David Lester and Jean Smith of Mecca Normal. Photo courtesy of Over the Top Festival.

MUSIC: The Over the Top Festival continues tonight with a bunch of options for music, film, and theatre (see our full preview from yesterday). Long-time Vancouver duo Mecca Normal give a combination lecture, art exhibit and performance tonight, starting with their “How Art and Music Can Change the World” presentation. The veteran writing, art and music-making team follow up their lecture with a live concert performance. (6 Nassau Street), 8 p.m., $11.

WORDS: The Toronto Reference Library hosts a Performing Arts Lecture Series this month, and tonight actor Sheila McCarthy (I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, Little Mosque on the Prairie) is in the hot seat for a conversation with fellow Mosque-ovite, actor Debra McGrath. The discussion will include clips of McCarthy's work, à la Inside The Actor's Studio. Toronto Reference Library, atrium (789 Yonge Street), 7 p.m., FREE.

COMEDY: The Comedy Bar and Mill Street Brewery combine (awesome) forces for a new headliner stand-up series, "Mill Street Premium Weekend.” The series kicks off with Late Night with David Letterman regular and Daily Show contributor Andy Kindler. Kindler makes two appearances at the Comedy Bar tonight, and more throughout the weekend. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., $20.

ARCHITECTURE: The Royal Ontario Museum is opening its doors this afternoon for the official Doors Open Toronto kick-off (see Torontoist's preview for more on the festival as a whole). ROM admission will be free to the public after 4:30 p.m. today for a bunch of Doors Open celebrations, including music, literary, and, of course, architectural events. The "Bold Museum," scheduled for 7 p.m., screens the new NFB documentary The Museum, chronicling the recent Libeskind crystallization. The screening is followed by a question and answer period with the film’s director Kenton Vaughan, and Kelvin Browne, author of Bold Visions: The Architecture of the Royal Ontario Museum. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park ), 4:30 p.m., FREE.

MUSIC: Minimalist Berlin duo Format: B make a live appearance tonight at a three-room warehouse event hosted by Platform and alienInFlux. The German duo will be spinning their signature house and techno beats, plus something billed as “Happy Hardcore,” a term we haven’t heard before. Also playing host and representing for the Canadian home team are members of Box of Kittens, with additional music from Mental Floss, Chocolate and Patrick Roots, and Friendliness & ISax. DLM Studios (1610 Bloor Street West), 10:30 p.m., $25.