February 8th-17th “Everyday Is The 14th” @ Miracle Thieves, 249 Crawford Ave. This event is more than a pop-up-shop but a celebration of LOVE through the crafts and art of 14 creative women. This 1 week retail experience is for women who want to treat themselves to something nice and for men who want to treat the women in their life. Participating artists include Robin Lacambra (necklaces and homeware), Natasha Singh (cards and bracelets by Singhnature), Desireee Girlato (jewelry by Armed), Rajni Perera (prints – run of 10), Natalie Mancini (handmade soy candles by La Vela Bella), Julie Clark (essential oils by Province Apothecary), Lorena Agolli (slippers and shoe accessories), Vanessa Warrack (lingerie by Bully Boy), Anda Untila (homeware and accessories), Ilona Fiddy (candle holders and homeware), Mika Sato (Japanese-inspired orchid plants), Alessandra Cardarelli (homeware), and Tiffany Love (accessories, toques, and sculptures). All pieces made for this event will be in exclusive runs of 3, 5, 10, 15, and 20.
WEDNESDAY
9 pm Fear Street @ Sex Laser, 1369 Dundas St W. Horror/sci-fi movie scores/songs from soundtracks, or spooky/cool stuff every Wednesday. Maybe you’ll talk about movies. Maybe you’ll dance with some zombies. Maybe you’ll fall into the Hell Mouth. $3 PBR before 11 pm.
10 pm Love Near Bellwoods II @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Featuring special musical guests open mic style, the premiere of Humble Empire’s brand new music video for Luke Lalonde, Valentine’s Day card creating/exchanging, and a dance party of slow and fast songs! (Once you get your cards you’ll know exactly who to ask to dance.) With DJ Humble Mike. PWYC.
10 pm Heart & Strokes @ Monarch Tavern (upstairs), 12 Clinton St. Time to get your dance on, every Wednesday until Armageddon! Come for the Heart, stay for the Strokes.
10 pm Sittin In 4 The Juice 2: The Juice Takes Manhattan @ Sweaty Betty’s, 13 Ossington Ave. DJ $CUMTRONIC$™ spins, with an emphasis on the NY no wave golden era.
10 pm Love Stinks @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. DJs Ryan Paterson and Caila Danielle play 60’s garage, surf, and punk + $3 shots of gross Valentines-themed booze.
10 pm Cupid Karaoke @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Colin Bergh, James McDonough, Nadia Belerique, and Jeff Hayward are your hosts.
THURSDAY
7 pm “Hate Love Art Show” Opening Reception @ Creatures Creating, 822 Dundas St. W. “Various examples of the dichotomies of the universe permeate our social understanding of life: night and day, sun and moon, male and female–love and hate. Though the two feelings are stark contrasts to one another, they share a mutual relevance; they are both deceptively powerful emotions that can be sinuously interchanged, if the moment is right. If we can love fiercely, then we can hate with the same ferocity.” Examine your nature of hate and love, and enjoy food and beverages. Until 11 pm. Exhibition runs until February 20th.
8 pm Valentine’s Dinner & Party @ Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. All you can eat oyster bar and cupcake bar + scallops, pork belly, prime rib, whole roasted salmon, korean chicken wings, fried chicken, poutine, mac ‘n’ cheese, deep fried cauliflower, kale, caesar salad, rapini, brussel sprouts salad, and cheese curd mash potato. Music by DJs Chloe Wise and Nick Aoki. $30 advance tickets available at Rotate This and P&L.
9 pm WORN Fashion Journal Presents: Heartbreak Karaoke @ JunJun, 374 College St. WORN Fashion Journal’s got a karaoke machine, a microphone, sad songs, and enough bitter tears and sweet liquor to fill a swimming pool. What else could you possibly need to mourn your latest romantic folly? Each song is $1 (except for Celine Dion songs, which are $5). $7 (or $5 if you’re wearing red or pink), with all proceeds going to the production of WORN.
10 pm Heartless: An Anti-Valentine’s Day Party @ Crawford, 718 College St. Family Business (Ice Cold Dranks, Party & Bullshit) celebrate not having to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A party for the lovers, the haters, the heartbreakers, and rump shakers! DJs Ry-Fi and K Dilla play nothing but love/hate/heartbreak-inspired hip-hop, pop, and R&B all night (which means lots of Kanye, Drake, JT, MJ and definitely some 90’s/00’s boy bands). Cupid sucks, let’s dance!
10 pm Rom Com @ Mr. Pong’s Bar, 1576 Dundas St. W. DJs Parasol and Members Only are throwing a special Valentine’s Card into Mr. Pong’s mailbox for the second edition of Rom Com. All songs about love. Watch the teaser video: https://vimeo.com/59542841.
10 pm The FINAL Quiet Storm @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. DJ Andycapp and special guest L’Oqenz celebrate Valentine’s Day with four hours of melodically soulful music that provides an intimate, laid-back mood tailor-made for late-night listening and a welcome end to the stresses of the workday.
10 pm Fuck Love @ Magpie, 831 Dundas St. W. Not quite an affirmation of traditional Valentine’s day values, nor a carnal dismissal of them. Fuck Love celebrates sex, love, and intimacy between friends, lovers, and strangers. Playful sensuality was perhaps the guiding thought that defined genres like R&B and hip-hop. A perfect ambiance to bask in, on a night like this. Join DJs Eytantobin (the Cautioneers), Helen Androlia (Dinosaur Dinosaur), TJ Garcia, and Hoiking (Essence Brown) as they explore the wonderful space that lies between. PWYC.
10 pm Slow-Motion Goodbye @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Jocie and Scott aren’t all that big on Valentine’s Day and so in that spirit of anti-spirit, they’ll be playing a whole bunch of songs in both the “I’m glad you’re gone” and “I wish you’d come back” vein and across the board of musical genres from soul to R&B to rap to country and so on and so on.
10 pm Itzsoweezee Presents: The Nasty Party @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. On a day where flowers and candy and all that luvy duvy bullshit fills the air, DJs Tom Wrecks, Demiggs, and guest Soundbwoy proudly say F**K THAT! It’s raunchy music time! For guestlist, email: guestlist@itzsoweezee.com (closes at midnight). $10.
10 pm Dirty Sweet @ Souz Dal, 612 College St. Whether you’re with your sweetheart or dancing on your own, DJs Trevor and Emma play Motown, rock ‘n’ roll, 60’s, 70’s, new wave, and 90’s tunes all night for Valentines Day.
10 pm 1602’s Lonely Hearts Club @ 1602, 1602 Dundas St. W. Drown your sorrows in booze and dance the pain away! Presented by Short’n’Sweets, who will sweeten the bitterness in your heart with the smoothest tunes and the most adorable darn cupcakes in town. (It’s also 1602’s one-year anniversary, so help them celebrate the sweetest year of their lives yet.)
10 pm EVOL @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. I hate you… I love you… anti-Valentine’s Day with DJs Schramm, Andrew Wilson, and Ell V. Techno, EBM, industrial, post-punk, and synth.
10 pm Only The Lonely @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Jessica Upton Crowe deejays a night for everyone who believes this day is a fraud made up by the greeting card mafia.
10 pm Our Linear Notes: A Valentine’s Day Dance Party @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. DJs Justin Lee and Dan Brooks invite you to dance your ass off to an eclectic mix of indie rock, new-wave, electronic/dance, hip-hop, R&B, and mash-ups.
FRIDAY
9:30 pm Stain @ Velvet Underground, 510 Queen St. W. This month, Stain presents a gothic macabre experience with performances by Alectrona, Venus Venom, and Amy’s Arms. DJ Triple-X and special guest Paul Savage keep things dark and dirty with danse beats until the wee hours. $5.
10 pm Dre Day @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Toronto’s Official 2nd Annual Dre Day – a party expanding worldwide since its beginnings in Minneapolis many years ago. DJs ItsMattLangille, Big Jacks, and and Kaewonder celebrate the birthday and musical genius of Andre Young a.k.a. Dr. Dre by playing bangers and obscurities from his extensive catalog. $3 Gin & Juice special until 11:30 pm! $5 before midnight, $10 after.
10 pm Air Horns @ Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. DJs Daddy Maysr, Dos Mundos, Caff, and special guests Vilify (Montreal’s #1 Club DJ 2012 – Montreal Mirror) and Nick Lazerface (Aufect Recodings, Philth Kids) play club bangers, street hits, dance floor anthems, future classics, dancehall, rap, R&B, tropical bass, and trap. Free before 10 pm, $5 before midnight, $10 after.
10 pm Guilty Pleasures @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. Much Music Video Dance Party meets basement dark-rave! With DJs Micehal and Eytan + special guest DJ Brandon John of The Cautioneers spin all your favourite 80’s/90’s/2000’s/now hip-hop, electro, dancehall, new wave, pop, R&B, and disco.
10 pm For Music Lovers @The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. The Pie & Mash DJs play alternative tunes from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, 00’s, and on.
10 pm Yes Yes Y’all: 4 Year Anniversary @ The Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. Toronto’s biggest, baddest, freak nastiest queer hip-hop/RnB/dancehall jam celebrates 4 glorious years! Featuring special guests Lady (Big Gates Records, Georgia) and Jungle Junkee + the YYY crew opening and closing the dance party. $10.
10 pm Hip-Hop Karaoke: 6 Year Anniversary @ Revival, 783 College St. Psycho Les and JuJu from the legendary Beatnuts stop by to help celebrate HHK’s birthday! Hosted by Abdominal and More Or Les with DJs Numeric and Ted Dancin’. $20 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Hangover Party / Last Planet @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, Hangover Party hits up Toronto for the first time with DJ Blaster playing club anthems + the hip-hop and reggae you love. Downstairs, DJs Grizzly, Pali, and Shift N Leans play strictly ignorant ass music (dirty trap and ignant rap). No apologies and no quarter givin’. $5 before 11 pm, more after.
10 pm Girl & Boy 90s Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A pulsating dance party rocking the retro sounds of the 1990s! All your favourite dance, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and so on and so on and so on. $5.
10 pm Love Below @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Music made by machines (and people) moving in slow motion. Codeine techno + hypno house + subterranean atmosphere with DJ Andrew Ross.
10 pm Rebel Hop @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Hip-hop, soul, funk, and reggae with DJs Gramera and Linx + Dennis P on the sax! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Okay BVD II: Bad For Brains @ The Fountain, 1261 Dundas St. W. Writhe your sad, heartbroken post-St.V’s keester to The Fountain and forget all your troubles! DJs $CUMTRONIC$™, Claw Meat, A. Kammerer, and Sarin spin an assortment of forgotten isolationist electronic releases encompassing the spectrum of electro, “new” beat, industrial, and derivatives.
10 pm Sweat Pants @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Coolin Cregg plays his/your favourite songs all night. ’95(ish) to ’05(ish) rap/RnB/reggae/dancehall, sexy tunes, new joints, old jams, sweat pants.
10 pm Shadows of Motown @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Shadows of Motown is a dance party that plays the biggest and best Motown, doo wop, booty shakin’ hits! With DJs Slater, Well Said, and Ty. $5.
10 pm Jheri Curl @ Margret, 2952 Dundas St. W. A night of dancing to heavy funk and soul with slinky bass lines and horny horns.
10 pm Tropical Roots Session @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. DJ A Man Called Warwick (Turning Point) digs deep into the vaults to share a unique dance floor set. Indo, Afro, Latin, and Carib sounds – all strictly original recordings and analog.
10 pm Shake A Tail East @ WAYLA Bar, 996 Queen St. E. Shake A Tail hits the east end! 60’s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING + free 60’s-style hairdressing by Lift Salon available in the front window. $5.
10 pm Techno & The Bunnymen @ Augusta House, 152-A Augusta Ave. DJs Ella x Augustus, Boots Boogie, Hardeep Riot, E.R.A., and Morgan Freeman play house and techno music while special guest visual artist London Rush provides a feast for your eyes. $5.
11 pm Johnny & Jay’s Red Cup Party @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. DJs Johnny & Jay spin house, hip-hop, and party slam jams whilst bringing a living room vibe to the Underground. Remember those nights you’d spend in a familiar place with old pals, new faces, and the red cup that would never be empty? Yeah, just like that. $10.
SATURDAY
7 pm Sips & Nibbles @ Steamwhistle Brewery, 255 Bremner Blvd. An elegant, sexy Valentines-themed food event co-hosted by Toronto Underground Market (TUM) and Abbey’s Kitchen. Featuring unlimited food from 10 hand-selected TUM vendors featuring premium romantic ingredients such as oysters, lobster, chocolate, truffles, bone marrow, foie gras, game meat, and sweet breads; one welcome cocktail; option to tour the brewery; five-piece band and DJ. No date necessary – singles, duos, trios, and groups all welcome. Dress code is semi-formal, cocktail attire. $75 (+ HST and service fee) tickets available online.
9 pm 5-Hour Mixtape: Valentine’s Disco @ The Fountain, 1261 Dundas St. W. If you haven’t already wined and/or dined that significant person in your life, what better way to celebrate your undying lover/lust for one-another by shakin’ your bits? Nu-disco, house, EDM, soul, hip-hop and whatever else fits that lovin’ feelin’.
10 pm Trilled @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJs Blaark and Daark play trap, rap, and bass music. This means stuff like A$AP Rocky, Drake, Flosstradamus, Girl Unit, Grimes, Iggy Izalea, Mykki Blanco, Major Lazer, Purity Ring, Ryan Hemsworth, Soulja Boy, T.I., etc. Free before 11:30 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Laytheseknight: One Sweet Birthday @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. In honour of Adam’s (one-half of Famous Players)birthday, guest DJ ItsMattLangille will do a special R&B set where he’ll play stuff you’ve probably never heard AND drink three men under the table. Also featuring the usual group of DJs Famous Players and Patrick McGuire.
10 pm Bitch Craft @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs Blonde & Redhead play LOUD RAP MUSIC. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Spend the night together with the Bangs & Blush ladies! 60’s pop, soul and rock ‘n’ roll to drink, dance and get messy to. $5.
10 pm Get It Together: Snowtorious Edition @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. A monthly mash-up of styles, flavours, and sounds! $5.
10 pm #1hit1ders @ Augusta House, 152-A Augusta Ave. DJs 4est, Lindzrox, and Jrox present an almost sinful collection of one-hit wonders and #1 hit songs spanning across the globe and across time! From Deee-Lite, Animotion, JJ Fad and Rockwell to Rob Base, Twisted Sister, Nena, Dolly Parton, and the Weather Girls. For their first night, they’ll be giving away 100 free drink tickets. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm All Souled Out @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJs Big Jimmy Mills and Sylvermayne play hip-hop, funk, soul, R&B, make-you-wanna-boogie dance party music.
10 pm Funky Tambourine @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. DJs Curtis Smith and ODJ play disco, funk, and soul from 1969 to present. $10.
10 pm Still Fly / Back In The Day @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, DJ D-Wiz spins hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and top 40. Downstairs, DJ Law spins the best of all the classics with music videos GALORE! $5 before 11:30 pm, more after.
10 pm The Aston Shuffle @ The Hoxton, 69 Bathurst St. DJ set by Australian house music duo The Aston Shuffle + guests. $15 advance tickets available online. For guestlist, email steven@thehoxton.ca.
11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. A night of dancing to 60’s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.
11 pm The Low Down @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. The best in Motown, soul, R&B, and rock hits! $10.
SUNDAY
10:30 am 101 Markets @ 3030, 3030 Dundas St. W. 101 Markets is bringing their unique blend vintage and artisanal goods to the Junction! With the aim of providing an experience beyond the typical pop-up shop, these markets bring together vendors of varied backgrounds and products, including an array of vintage finds from independent and popular dealers, contemporary Canadian designers, and a selection of artisanal jewelry and goods. Until 5 pm.
12 pm Restaurant Day @ Whippersnapper, 594-B Dundas St. W. Restaurant Day is a one-day carnival of pop-up restaurants around the world that happens once every season. The idea originated in Helsinki in 2011 and has spread to over 35 countries since as it continues to grow. Whippersnapper will be welcoming people with vegetarian noshes, jazzy tunes, festive decorations good vibes, and open arms! (Note: it’s a small space that can hold 15 people or so at time.) Until 5 pm.
7:30 pm Bad Movie Night @ The Office Pub (third floor), 117 John St. Bad Movie Night continues to torture any damned souls that decide to join them that evening. First up is Plan 9 From Outer Space, described by the Bad Movie Night folks as: “In this 1950s sci-fi thriller, aliens hatch a scheme wreak havoc on Earth by bringing the world’s dead back to life! What they could have never guessed though, was that the execution of their mighty plan would be marred by visible boom mikes, “loose” narrative coherence (if we’re being charitable), and stupid line readings! Stupid! Stupid!” Followed by For Your Height Only, “A 1970s Filipino action film featuring Agent 00 – a suave super-spy that spends his days thwarting evil-doers and his nights making love to a bevy of comely young women. Oh, and Agent 00 is played by Weng Weng, Guinness World Record holder for shortest adult actor in a leading role (at 2’9″).”
10 pm Sha Na Na: Baby Makin’ Family Day Edition @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. DJ Brittney (one half of the Bangs & Blush duo) plays 50’s/60’s jukebox hits and makeout songs all night long. Drink specials to warm your hearts.
~ Caitlyn Holroyd
(For event submissions, email caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com)