READING: Before his band's show tonight at the Music Gallery, Drew Daniel of electronic duo Matmos will be reading from his tribute to Throbbing Gristle's album 20 Jazz Funk Greats (as part of the 33 1/3 book series). This Ain't the Rosedale Library (86 Nassau Street), 1 p.m., FREE. MUSIC: The Eagles are a cover band. They cover songs by a 1970s rock group, also named The Eagles (weird!). The two bands are very similar,......

Trampoline Hall, the lecture series/literary salon with a reputation for being playful and inventive, is upping its quirk factor slightly this week in two ways. Instead of being held at its usual venue, Sneaky Dee's, this week's lectures (on robotism, hyperbolic crochet and diverse curiosity) will be delivered at Fort York. The event's organizers have also found an experimental new way to capture the evening's events: a group of Toronto-based comics artists will act......

Photo by Lee Towndrow. Since the publication of her first book The Middle Stories in 2002, Toronto native Sheila Heti has established herself as a writer with an original and unnerving—and often extremely funny—imagination. In 2005 she published Ticknor, a well-received sojourn into the anxious mind of its narrator. Heti is also the founder of the freewheeling lecture series Trampoline Hall, and a regular contributor to McSweeney's ultra-hip publications. Heti talked to Torontoist about......

Lecture tickets and lemonade are not the first things that come to mind when we think of auto repair centres. Nonetheless, the Trampoline Hall box office/snack bar took up temporary residence in front of the Tri Service Centre on Queen St. West yesterday, pleasantly surprising ticket buyers and passerby alike. Tickets went like worms at a bird convention, and the early ones certainly got 'em, as well as some of Mez's secret brew and......

The first time Torontoist encountered Dave Meslin was at the August 2004 Trampoline Hall at the AGO's Walker Court. Ostensibly speaking about "Drinking Games," Mez instead develivered a speech about his first experiences with alcohol, the hegemony of mixed drinks, and the backwardness of the cup half-empty, half-full metaphor. It was one of the most spectacular things we have ever heard. This Monday, July 9, Mez makes his return to Trampoline Hall, this time......

On the way to the sold-out Bunch Family Salon at The Arts and Letters Club last Saturday, my eight year old son looks into the window of our subway car and sees an alternate universe; it's just us, but backwards. After he asks me to call him by his inverse reality name, "ttenraG," he ponders how my name would sound. Turns out that even in other worlds, my name is "moM." The Bunch Salon......

Bunch Family is at it again. The family oriented group, who also run the Family Dance Party and Bunch Rocks events, bring the Bunch Family Salon to The Arts and Letters Club (14 Elm St.) this Saturday, February 24th, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The event "is a symposium of art, music and ideas for kids and parents," keeping the Bunch tradition that family events should be designed with both the children and parents......

The urban sprawl in Toronto is a continual point of debate on Torontoist (see, for instance, our interview with Brad Lamb), but tomorrow you will get a chance to share your opinions on the matter outside of our sullied comment threads. On Monday, 7pm to 9pm at the Parkdale branch of the Toronto Public Library, fourth year students from Ryerson University will present their study of gentrification in Parkdale, followed by a moderated panel......

Here we go. The biggest week of the year for book lovers, the International Festival of Authors, is upon us. Torontoist will have extensive coverage of this year’s IFOA. For now, here are a few non-IFOA events taking place this week. Monday Tonight, you have the choice of heading over to the Smiling Buddha Bar – 961 College – for this week’s Freedom Readings, starting at 6pm (and free) or checking out Margaret MacMillan......

This week Torontoist presents extended literary event listings – you get till Sunday the 27th at no additional cost – as I’m out of town until the end of August. Tonight, Jerry Schaefer presents The Flash Fiction Comedy Jam, which is apparently flash fiction read by a bunch of Toronto comics. Intriguing. Additionally, there’ll be a “live writing contest” and an appearance by storyteller Mark Jenkins. It takes place at Bad Dog Theatre – 138......

Former TOist contributor J. Kelly Nestruck won't be giving a Trampoline Hall lecture about this, although we think it would work as a topic, Mr. Nestruck is actually presenting Montreal film Roger Toupin, Épicier Variété a film about a neighbourhood grocer and how the forces of gentrification affects a neighbourhood institution. "I have been waiting and waiting for it to show up in Toronto theatres. With gentrification such a hot button issue in this......

Artist, Santa Cruz organizer, co-founder of Three Gut Records, Eye Weekly art director and woman-about-town Tyler Clark Burke launches her newest – and most ambitious – project today: The Few Bricks Short A House Project. Tyler wants to buy a house, and has enlisted some of her friends to help her do it. Starting today, you can bid on a variety of items or services donated by Toronto artists, photographers, musicians, and writers - as......

One of the charming features of Trampoline Hall has always been its wacky tickets. We've seen them use paint samples and about half-a-dozen other weird knick-knacks but never those laser printed numbers from Ticketmaster, nope that just wouldn't be cool enough for TH. But have Mischa and crew taken it too far this time. July's Trampoline Hall ($13, July 10, to work around the long weekend) will be open only to those who sit for......

Ok we admit it, this post is just an excuse for us to post this brilliant barechested image of our favourite '70s Scottish disco band. But really if you're bored and didn't get completely tired out from last weekend's Over the Top fest there's a fair amount to do tonight. First there's Trampoline Hall. Tonight's installment is hosted by painter extraordinaire Margaux Williamson and will include lectures on transcriptions, etiquette and nature. Doors are......

As local University students enter their last week of class, Sneaky Dee's plays host to this month's Trampoline Hall, a lecture series which promises to be more entertaining than Psych 100. The roster of speakers include actor Milosh Rodic on self-help guru Tony Robbins, Latin DJ Alvaro Castellanos (aka. DJ Alvaro C) on the benefits of altruism, and MoCCA Director David Liss on Norwegian Black Metal. Reasons why you should go: 1. It's on Monday,......

It's a tree falls in the forest kind of scenario, but is it appropriate to be late to a lecture on being late? Trampoline Hall answers that question with a neoned no. The early bird gets the worm, which in this case might be a plate of cheese nachos and a trio of enlightening lectures. And even if a sophisticated analysis of dog breeding leaves you cold, at least that dry subject is flanked......

Although the temperature is still unwilling to creep above freezing and the only buds you'll see are outside the Hot Box Cafe, there are signs that spring is slowly coming; like the first Trampoline Hall of 2005 at Sneaky Dee's on Monday March 21st (8pm SHARP). The monthly lecture series/salon has been on hiatus since founder Sheila Heti left in December and our Monday nights have never been quite the same. Thankfully, the series returns......

Trampoline Hall has had all sorts of speakers since its birth a few years back. Even Mayor Miller delivered a lecture on a subject in which he could not claim himself expert, as per the lecture series' rules. Tonight's theme is the origins of everyday expressions, and, if past shows are any indication, you'd do well to get your tix in advance or get to Sneaky Dee's with time enough to eat an entire plate......