Results tagged “events”

Most holidays are commercial, but Valentine's Day, shamelessly so. It's not statutory. It's not political. It's not religious, unless love is your religion, in which case you probably live in a commune in middle Saskatchewan, and you refuse to go on the internet because it makes you nervous, and oh, my god, how are you reading this? Ahem. Where were we? Right. Valentine's. It's not even really a holiday. All the more reason to celebrate, we say: if ever the economic clime called for a Buy Sweet Nothings Day, it's now. ("Stimulus package" has an erotic frisson to it, no?)

ART: Cut to the Drummer, a month-long exhibit at the Steam Whistle Gallery, opens tonight with a reception and drumming event. The show, a charity benefit for the MS Society of Canada Scholarship Program, features "50 portraits of 50 drummers by 50 artists," including such drumming legends as John Bonham of Led Zeppelin, Neil Peart of Rush, Questlove of the Roots, and jazz great Buddy Rich. The evening is hosted by two drummers (naturally)—Darrin Pfeiffer (of Goldfinger and 102.1 The Edge) and Aaron Solowoniuk (of Billy Talent). A VIP preview/silent auction begins at 7:00 p.m., followed by an opening reception/"Drum-o-rama" at 9:30 p.m. The Roundhouse (255 Bremner Boulevard), 7:00 p.m. (VIP preview, $150) and 9:30 p.m. (opening reception, $10 in advance and $15 at the door).

MUSIC: After wowing fringe festivals across the country in 2008, meta-punk-pranksters Die Roten Punkte (German for “The Red Dots”) bring their “Robot / Lion Tour 2009” to town for two shows this week, tonight at Supermarket (and moving to the Tranzac Tuesday night). Self-described as a “lipstick-smeared, narcissistic tantrum–loving, sonic collision between Plastic Bertrand, Kraftwerk, and early Ramones,” their performance is sure to amuse and entertain (unless you’re over the whole “meta” thing). Supermarket (268 Augusta Avenue), 8:00 p.m., $15 cash only.

Could the Interior Design Show be at a better time? The annual celebration of the Great Indoors—everything from floor tiles to furniture-art to future-perfect concept spaces—happens in the heart of our hibernation, the nadir of winter's discontentment. This year, it's February 5 through 8, at Exhibition Place. (Don't even check your agenda. You have nothing to do.)

MUSIC: Get ready for bright lights and throbbing bass in the library(?) today as the "The Amazing Technicolour Rock Show," hosted by Toronto punk-house band Kids on TV, hits the stacks. The workshop will show youth how to integrate multimedia and storytelling into their music performances, as part of the Toronto Public Library's "Make Some Noise, Take Some Noise" campaign. Northern District Branch of the Toronto Public Library (40 Orchard View Boulevard), 7 p.m., FREE.

Photo by Bytepusher from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

ART: Still looking for the perfect picture to fit into that eight-by-eight inch frame you got last Christmas? Head on down to the opening of the Love Show and pick up one of the many eight-by-eight inch pieces of art on sale, starting at $100. Proceeds go to a selection of youth outreach programs, so you can feel morally cleansed after making that crass joke about "something else eight-by-eight inches" that we've tastefully declined to print here, you filthy animals. Gallery 1313 (1313 Queen Street West), Opens tonight at 7 p.m. and runs until November 9, FREE.

FILM: Give yourself something more exciting to contribute in the Starbucks lineup tomorrow than your ruminations on the latest episode of Gossip Girl, and check out Trouble the Water at the opening of the 2008-2009 Doc Soup season. Chronicling the story of a black couple (and yes, we did need to mention their race) finding themselves in the middle of the chaos that is post-Katrina New Orleans, the film is being hailed as one of the most important documentaries to have come out of America in a long, long time. Bloor Cinema (506 Bloor Street West), 6:30 p.m., 9:15 p.m., $12.

TRANSIT: While your SUV is in the shop, why don't you participate in an open discussion on public transit in Toronto? Metrolinx (an agency of the Province of Ontario) has released the first draft of their 25-year plan for public transportation. It's titled The Big Move: Transforming Transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and they want to hear what you think of it, so head down to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (after having thoroughly read the 114-page draft regional transportation plan and registered in advance on-line). Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front Street West), 5–9 p.m., FREE.

Luminato is upon us, fair citizens. If you're wondering what to do, what to see, or what's Luminato?, Torontoist is here to play festival guide. We've randomly drawn carefully chosen ten must-not-miss events: one for each day of the city's massive annual "arts and creativity" smorgasbord, which runs from June 6–15. Our staff's picks are after the jump.

The best things in life, everyone knows, aren't free. The best things in life are things other people have to pay for, and you get for free. Like the 1,000 bottles of beer at the latest of Toronto's legendary Vice parties, if you were early or lucky or special enough to get into the Deleon White Gallery on Friday night.

Photo by Stephanie Fysh from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

Hey there, arty partygoers. Where will you be this Thursday, May 22? At the Powerplant's annual fundraiser, Powerball 10: Decadence (231 Queens Quay West), or Gallery TPW's D-List Ball at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West)?

Photos by Marissa Neave.

Heads up on the hands-down coolest things at the Interior Design Show: most of them spring from our own backyard.

Photo by Arieh Singer from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

If you haven't been to this year's Toronto International Boat Show yet (there must be at least one or two of you), this weekend is your last chance. The array of huge yachts you could never hope to afford and 300-horsepower outboards that guzzle gas faster than you can say "peak oil" doesn't really change all that much from year to year, but there has been one big improvement over previous shows. The indoor lake—billed as the largest in the world—has been freed from static displays of boats tied up at floating docks and now features activities more befitting a real lake.

While the word "nutcracker" might evoke some painful mental images in some, for many it's a familiar part of the holiday season. The original ballet was composed in Russia by one Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1892, and The National Ballet of Canada has been performing The Nutcracker since 1964. James Kudelka did a revamp of the choreography in 1995, and since then The National Ballet's Nutcracker has become what The Globe and Mail has...

Before all the fuss over Halo 3 there was the video game greatness of Pong. And before that, there was good ol' fashioned ping pong.

If you have ever driven up Yonge Street towards Richmond Hill, you probably couldn't help but notice the Vishnu Mandir Hindu temple and its landmark statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Alongside the temple is the unique Canadian Museum of Hindu Civilization, which is presenting an ambitious Festival of India this weekend.

If you're looking for something to do tonight, swing by City Hall between 7:30-10 p.m. to check out a free forum titled "Stepping Up The Environmental Agenda in Food, Housing and Lifestyles." Guest speakers include (taken from the official site):

Daniel Handler! In Toronto! You may know him better as children’s writer Lemony Snicket of A Series of Unfortunate Events fame, but he has written three books for adults not as Snicket's "Handler," but quite wonderfully as himself. He'll be talking to charming local writer Jason McBride (who Torontoist may have seen in The Annex last week--belated hullo, Jason! If you weren’t Jason, greetings to the gent who is passing himself off as Jason quite successfully).

For filmgoers interested in heavier fare than Because I Said So, the 3rd annual Prison Justice Film Festival begins today at the U of T’s William Doo Auditorium and the Toronto Women’s Bookstore.

If you’re turned off at the idea of classical music concerts because they seem like an activity for the high society rich, think again. There are plenty of ways to enjoy Toronto’s healthy classical music scene on the cheap or for free.

So Torontoist hasn't actually read Ulysses but does that mean we can't celebrate Bloomsday? Of course not. Tomorrow is the real-life anniversary of the fictional day chronicled in Joyce's Ulysses (the book told the story of one day in the life of Leopold Bloom).

Woofstock is back and bigger than ever! This year's largest outdoor festival for doggie and doggie lovers is changing venues and heading to the St Lawrence Market, closing off Front Street from Scott to Jarvis with Market in between (banking the Flatiron Building.)

There's nothing TOist loves better than a beautiful lady. Even if she isn't really one, biologically speaking. In any case, Nina Arsenault, Toronto's First Tranny of plastic surgery and all things fabulous, managed to catch the eye of well-hung Hep C rocker, Tommy Lee a few nights ago - except he didn't know 'she' was really a 'he'. Tommy, whatever happened to expanding your horizons?

If, like us, you were too cheap to shell out the requisite amounts of rent money required to see Stewart, Jon work his magic at Massey Hall tonight, be not dismayed! There is much to do for much less money on this weekend of drizzle and fizzle.