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Urban Planner: September 9, 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 Toronto International Film Festival begins today, kicking off eleven star-studded days of movies. Photo of the Elgin during TIFF 2006 by Reza Vaziri from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.
Today, the annual Coach House Books Wayzgoose, a Patsy Cline birthday tribute show, a new exhibit celebrates the bizarre, Open Call brings indie acts to the Drake for a ten-day music party, and TIFF has finally arrived!
WORDS: Tucked away in the recesses of bpNichol Lane is the old coach house that Coach House Books calls home. The independent press was founded by typesetter Stan Bevington in 1965, eventually becoming one of Canada’s most beloved independent presses and printing titles by such luminaries as Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, Maggie Helwig, Guy Maddin, Anne Michaels, and many more. Tonight, Coach House holds its annual Wayzgoose (an annual printers’ celebration), where readers can take tours of the premises, check out the book table, have a few drinks, and rub elbows with authors and publishing folks. Coach House Books (80 bpNichol Lane), 5–11:45 p.m., FREE.
SHOW: Patsy Cline, with her rich contralto, expressive vocals, and notoriously bluesy Nashville sound, is one of the most iconic singers of the twentieth century. Tonight, Lula Lounge celebrates what would be Cline’s seventy-eighth birthday (she died in 1963 in a plane crash at age thirty). The lounge will host a number of local talents, including Alejandra Ribera, Kathryn Rose, Russell DeCarle of Prairie Oyster, and more, who will perform their renditions of Cline’s hits. This is a perfect night for bleeding hearts to come and drown their sorrows as airs of melancholy Cline standards like “I Fall to Pieces,” “Crazy,” and “Walkin’ After Midnight” fill the room. A portion of tonight’s proceeds will go to the Artscan Circle, which links artists with at-risk Indigenous youth. Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West); doors 7:30 p.m., show 8:30 p.m.; $15.
ART: During the Renaissance, a wunderkammer, or cabinet of curiosities, was a collection of found objects that ranged from the geological to the archaeological to works of art and antiquities. These treasures were often thought to reflect the wonders of the world within the microcosm of a room. Narwhal Art Projects’ latest exhibit, The Dazzle, pays tribute to these wunderkammers of old. Participating artists, including Stephen Appleby-Barr and Jacob Whibley (of Team Macho), Jessica Polka, Melinda Josie, and The Wild Unknown, create imagined curiosities inspired by the exotic and the unknown. This collection of the bizarre runs from tonight until October 17, and holds its opening reception tonight with some artists in attendance. Narwhal Art Projects (680 Queen Street West), 7 p.m., FREE.
MUSIC: Once again, the Drake Hotel will present Open Call during TIFF this year, serving as late as 4 a.m. in honour of the festivities. For ten days, the Drake will host indie music acts, DJ-led dance parties, music installations, and more to celebrate the film festival. Tonight’s opener includes performances by a number of Canadian acts, including DVAS, a disco-tinged electronic dance group. Another band performing tonight is Foxfire, who list their influences as rock ‘n’ roll, disco, and Motown, and who have opened for MGMT and Glass Candy, while The Magic, led by Geordie Gordon (son of folk singer James Gordon), offers toe-tapping and danceable tunes. The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), doors at 8 p.m., $5–$10.
FESTIVAL: The day has finally arrived, as over three-hundred films and a plethora of stars start pouring into town for one of the most high-profile and artistically impressive film festivals in the world. Torontoist’s complete coverage of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival—including reviews, daily schedules, best
bets, and more—is all right here.