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Urban Planner: November 3, 2009
Urban Planner is Torontoist’s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to [email protected].
Photo of Basement Jaxx by Jamie Beeden.
MUSIC: Basement Jaxx, the over-the-top house music imports from the UK, are in Toronto tonight for a DJ set at the Century Room. The duo, consisting of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe, first gained notoriety in Canada in 2001 with the single “Where’s Your Head At?” (complete with a crazy video featuring monkey-human brain transplants) from their second album, Rooty. They’re out promoting their latest album, Scars, which is characteristic of most of their work, using plenty of vocals and live instruments to complement the sample and synth. Century Room (580 King Street West), doors open at 10 p.m., $20 at the door.
LECTURE: The Ontario College of Art and Design‘s Nomadic Residents series brings to Toronto Hal Foster, professor of art and archaeology at Princeton University, for a talk called “How To Survive Civilization, Or What Dada Can Still Teach Us.” Foster, an art critic of nearly thirty years, can be partially credited with (or blamed for) postmodernism, as he’s widely considered one of the cultural movement’s founding theorists. Ontario College of Art and Design (100 McCaul Street), 7:30 p.m., FREE.
ART: Art with Heart is an annual art auction that features works from many well-established and emerging Canadian contemporary artists. Proceeds from the auction go to Casey House, which provides treatment and support to people affected by HIV/AIDS. Pieces such as Harold Town‘s John Lennon and Yoko Ono series, and “Stereo” by Michael Dumontier and Neil Farber of the Royal Art Lodge, are a part of Art with Heart’s limited edition works on sale through their website, while pieces by John Kissick and Douglas Coupland can be bid on tonight. The Carlu (444 Yonge Street); reception at 5:30 p.m., auction at 7 p.m; $125.
WORDS: Tonight’s Strong Words poetry reading features Electric Jon, Brick Books editor Barry Dempster, and Gypsy Eyes. This monthly poetry reading series is moving come the new year, so come out and enjoy their second-last reading at the Gladstone. Donations of new and used books for the Toronto Public Library’s Book Ends program are, as always, appreciated. Gladstone Hotel, Art Bar (1214 Queen Street West), 7:30 p.m., pay-what-you-can.