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Weekend Planner: February 27–28, 2010
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].
The Good Lovelies perform tonight at St. Nicholas Church. Photo by Matt Barnes, courtesy of the Good Lovelies.
MUSIC: If you take the close harmonies perfected by the Andrews Sisters and fuse them with the jumpy mountain bluegrass of Earl Scruggs, you might find yourself listening to the Good Lovelies, a bluegrass-folk-girl-group whose witty ditties are likely to get your feet tapping and hands clapping in spite of yourself. The Toronto-based trio, who perform this weekend, came into existence in 2006, and after singing backup on Jill Barber’s album Chances, they took the spotlight and released their first full-length album last year. The ladies have been recognized by the Toronto Independent Music Awards for their throwback sound and for putting a new twist on bluegrass. St. Nicholas Church (1512 Kingston Road), Saturday 8 p.m. (doors at 7:30 p.m.), $20.
SPORTS: If you’re devastated that the Olympics are ending this Sunday, nurse your wounds at the Toronto Roller Derby. The sport is like short track speed skating‘s bratty punk-rock cousin—most leagues are all women, and the pastime adopts an aesthetic that embraces athleticism, feminism, and kitsch. The Toronto Roller Derby League is the largest flat-track league in Canada, and this weekend, their all-star team, CN Power, kicks off the 2010 season, taking on Ottawa’s Rideau Valley Vixens at Downsview Park. Be prepared to cheer as the teams shake, rattle, and roll for the win. The Hangar, Downsview Park (75 Carl Hall Road, Unit 2); Saturday, doors 6:30, game 7:30; $12/advance, $18/door, kids free.
EXHIBIT: Bruce Wayne‘s Batcave gets all the glory, and for good reason—it does have a supercomputer, a butler, and the most elaborate security system in the world, after all. But the ROM’s Bat Cave is pretty cool, too, and after temporarily closing in November for renovations, it is opening its doors once more this Saturday. Modelled after the St. Clair bat cave in Jamaica, the improved Bat Cave promises to be as spooky and interactive as it is educational. New features in the dark, dank den include an audio-visual show, a dramatization of bats flying out of the cave at night to get food, and advanced animatronics—read more about it in our article from earlier today. The opening kicks off Bat Month (also known as March) at the ROM, with plenty of bat-themed March Break festivities on the roster for kids. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queen’s Park); Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; $22/adults, $19/students and seniors, $15/kids, free/kids under four.
DANCE: Without a doubt, popular dancing reached its peak of coolness during the Jazz Age. During this fabled era of flappers and bathtub gin, dance halls and speakeasies would be packed every Saturday night, full of guys and gals joyously dancing the Charleston, jitterbug, Balboa, and the gloriously named St. Louis Shag. Every Saturday, Swing Toronto recreates this bygone time, offering dance lessons followed by swing dance parties with live music. This weekend, lessons on the Charleston and Lindy Hop will be offered, and the Mardi Gras–themed party will feature the talents of the Ragweed Jazz Band. Dovercourt House (805 Dovercourt Road); Saturday, Charleston lesson at 7 p.m., Lindy Hop lesson at 8 p.m., party at 9:10 p.m.; $13 for the dance only, $15 for dance and one class, $18 for dance and both classes.
ART: Textiles embody a true marriage of art and functionality—often intricately woven and vibrantly dyed, these pieces also clothe us, warm us, and decorate our homes. This weekend, textile artist Caitlin Erskine-Smith debuts her new exhibit, Interference, which will run until April 11. The show explores cloth’s ability to capture images and narrative, closely examining the intersections of communication, language, and art through woven fabrics. Erskine-Smith, a grant recipient from both the Ontario and Toronto art councils, is known for her installation Tug of Warp, which was performed at last fall’s Nuit Blanche and consisted of the artist and another weaver working at two looms towards the centre of one project. Brayham Contemporary Art (1318 Queen Street East); reception Sunday 2–5 p.m.; FREE.
NATURE: The weather outside is frightful, but for some reason, many of the birds who might once have migrated south are staying put for a full Toronto winter. Maybe it’s global warming, maybe it’s just laziness, but whatever it is, our winter avian population is thriving. If you’re looking for a reason to get outside this weekend, the Toronto Field Naturalists are leading a bird-watching expedition on Ward’s Island. The islands are rife with feathered friends right now, and you will have the opportunity to see mallards, swans, cormorants, the belted kingfisher, the fabulously colourful wood ducks, and maybe even a heron or two. All you need to bring is warm clothing, binoculars, ferry fare, and lunch, and the tour guide will open your eyes to some of the wildlife that inhabits the islands during these cold months. Meet at ferry docks at the foot of Bay Street Saturday in time for the 10:30 a.m. ferry. FREE.