Empire building is not something you hear about in Canadian art. Ever. Until Friday night. Painter, singer/songwriter and photographer, Thrush Holmes was born in September, 1979. Holmes went to OCAD for two weeks and claims that, "I learned all I needed to know in that time." Flash forward five years and he’s opening a new gallery/installation space at 1093 Queen St W called Thrush Holmes Empire. "There is a major ironic wink attached to the......

The Magenta Foundation has published a book of works from 230 of Canada’s top photographers. Entitled Carte Blanche, the book has a foreward by Douglas Coupland and contains fine art, documentary, photojournalism, editorial, and commercial photos from established and emerging photographers. Until June 26th, a selection of photos from Carte Blanche will be displayed on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Gladstone (1214 Queen St W). The opening reception for the photo show......

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1. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St W) Wait a second...Isn't this a hip music venue that serves that nice fresh fruit salad? Yes to the music venue, and doubly so to the fresh fruit salad. But the Drake's hipster appeal is not the reason that there's a ginormous line every weekend - that's more so because of the luv-hungry 905ers go there to get lucky. Perhaps it's just the dichotomy between the Drake Underground......

Some links. Some news. Some not. Here are a few things to think about till you're done work today. - Dose cover girl Hannah Sung's got an MMVA blog, amongst other things. - Tonight at Stone's Place (1255 Queen St W), writer/editor/frontman/music guy Stuart "stuberman" Berman will DJ for the Lipstick, Cherry party. - Insult the Triumph Dog takes on Michael Jackson weirdos. - This Gentleman Reg vid is making waves. - Eye know! Play......

1. Rotate This (620 Queen St W) As if! As if Torontoist readers didn't know that Rotate This is the best place to buy used cd's in the city. Anything that you can't find anywhere else will most likely be here, along with concert tickets and informed staff picks. Rotate This simply has all the makings of a great used record store, ie take all the attributes of your Sonic Booms and CD Replays......