January 30th-February 9th Hook Up @ Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave. Tapestry Opera, in partnership with Theatre Passe Muraille, presents the world premiere of Hook Up. Starkly resonant with the #metoo movement, Hook Up is a blend of opera and musical theatre presenting a darkly humorous exploration of privacy and consent in three teens’ coming-of-age at university. $25-55 tickets available online.
February 1st-3rd Toronto Tea Festival @ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St. Sample hundreds of teas, shop tea-related products, and learn from experts in the industry at the annual Toronto Tea Festival. $16 single-day tickets and $40 three-day passes available online.
WEDNESDAY
7 pm Music Bingo @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. A FREE weekly event combining the love of music with the traditional bingo format. Each player receives a Music Bingo card which consists of an assortment of songs. Instead of calling out numbers, they play the music! Singing along encouraged.
8 pm Drake Trivia @ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. Teams of four or less put their random knowledge to the test as hosts Megan Griffith-Greene and Jeromy Lloyd fire off questions ranging from sporting records and celebrity scandals to geographic discoveries and culinary lingo. $2 to participate. Email host@thedrakehotel.ca or show up early to reserve a spot.
8 pm Embrace @ Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St. Trans and queer all-ages open mic night welcoming all arts! Dance, singing, poetry, drag, and whatever else you can think of. Until 11 pm.
THURSDAY
7 pm European Short Film Festival @ Carlton Cinemas, 20 Carlton St. A showcase of the best of European short films from around the world today. Tickets are free or PWYC to cover cinema costs. Email tickets@wildsound.ca to RSVP.
8 pm Neon Dreams Cinema Club: Subway @ The Royal Cinema, 608 College St. This winter season, Neon Dreams goes international, bringing you the very best of cinema from around the globe. For their first screening of 2019, they venture deep underground into the Paris Metro with Luc Besson’s 1985 sophomore feature Subway. $13.19 advance tickets available online.
9 pm Steers & Queers @ The Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave. Steers & Queers Gay Ole Opry gets back to its roots at the Dakota Tavern! Variety show followed by dance party with DJs Joe Blow and Sigourney Beaver. Starring Darlin’ Dainty Box, Dusty Donny Crosswell, Bustin’ Babia Majora, and more. Dress code: Full fringe fantasy. $10 in advance, $12 at the door.
10 pm Tutti Frutti Apocalypse @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Nora Noise spins from primitive rock ‘n’ roll to garage, psych to power pop, punk rock to glam, and old school hip-hop to soul.
10 pm Noumenon @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. Dance the night away and let the high vibrations keep you warm with Korea Town Acid and Soft Matter on the decks, among close friends and lovers.
FRIDAY
10 pm Beatles vs. Stones @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Gimme Shelter or Here Comes The Sun? DJ Blush is giving you an evening of hits and rarities from the two greats: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones! Get your Beatles and Stones fill with a ton of ’60s and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, psych, garage, and British Invasion in between. $5.
10 pm Where Does This Disco? @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. Fun, silly, and strange pop transmissions received from an alternate-dimension Earth. Mutant disco, Italo, electronic indie pop, psych-pop, and unusual cover versions selected by DJ Digits.
10 pm Selections @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. New, old, and obscure house, garage, techno, and disco records from deep within the vaults. With residents Toronto Hustle, DJ Roland Gonzales and Earl Turbo + special guest Steve Yanko.
10 pm 0-digital-1 @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. Wave, post-punk, EBM, electro, Italo, techno, etc. with DJs Neal Strange and Cjris Pyss.
10 pm Decade: A 1995-2005 Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Relive your best life at Clinton’s newest dance party, Decade! Anthems from 1995-2005 all night. $10.
10 pm Millennial Falcon @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. A solid 2000s-now party hosted by Yacht Rock DJs Keith and Shandy. All the best bangers of the new millenium! Free before 11 pm.
10 pm Soul Flower @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Shake your pants to DJ General Eclectic’s curated collection of ’60s/70s psych rock, southern soul, raw funk, and classic rock.
10 pm Lazy Susans @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Spinning hip-hop, RnB, soul, rap, trap, and dirty south.
10 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. A disco jam that celebrates the underrated and the obscure of funk, jazz, soul, boogie, rare groove, reggae, gospel, proto-house! It’s an evening of tuneful transcendence, supplied by residents Patchouli Brothers and Cyclist. $10.
SATURDAY
10 Am Erotic Arts & Crafts Fair @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. A FREE, one-of-a-kind sexy fair that brings together artists and crafters just in time for Valentine’s Day. Knitters, crafters, zinesters, card makers, and artists of all types will be creating erotic objects for this one-day celebration of DIY sex and romantic culture. Until 4 pm.
10 am Really Really Free Market @ Campbell Park, 225 Campbell Ave. Everything is free. No money. No swapping. (You don’t have to bring anything, but if you’d like to bring items to give away, do so before 3 pm. Must be clean and in working condition. No big items.) Until 4 pm.
1 pm The Deadstock Depot @ Artscape Sandbox, 1 Adelaide St. W. Toronto’s only vintage streetwear flea market is back! Over 30 local and international vendors come together to form Canada’s largest selection of handpicked garments catering to the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s street and sportswear aesthetic. Until 7 pm.
8 pm DJ Skate Nights: Donna Dada and OBUXUM @ Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Move and groove to an icy mix of electronic, R&B, hip-hop, house, and ambient styles. Skate and helmet rentals available. Until 11 pm.
10 pm With It @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. ’60s mod, soul, R&R, garage, surf, northern soul, and reggae record dance party with DJ Nico + special guest DJ Misty. Sponsored by Kops Records and Ben Sherman. $10.
10 pm Queer Slowdance: Valentine’s Edition @ Dovercourt House, 805 Dovercourt Rd. With a lending library of designated dancers for all the wallflowers, and a dance card-booklet to set up dances in advance (should you choose to), Toronto Queer Slowdance has all slow songs, all night long! (Except for the occasional intermission when they play the fastest songs they can find.) Come and experience why slow is beautiful, and why love is not ironic. Fabulous and inspired attire, while desired, is not required. $10.
10 pm Worst Behavior @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. This Saturday, be on your worst behavior. Bangs & Blush play past and present bangers all night long from Drake, The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Nelly, TLC, Missy Elliott, and more! $10.
10 pm Fyre Fest Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Get ready for the hottest, most exclusive dance party of all time! $250,000 a ticket, and the room will be filled with Instagram models. JK, but Sneaky Dee’s WILL be playing amazing tunes all night long. (And maybe you’ll get a cheese sandwich or two.) $5 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Lucky Bitches @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. West side’s longest running glam-positive, dance party, blowout spectacular! Party jams and freedom.
10 pm Saturday Night Jukebox Dance Party @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Sweat it out to the sweet sounds of the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll and soul music! DJ Blush plays rock, soul, funk, pop, and disco from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s.
10 pm The Groove @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Motown, soul, pop, and rock with Brother Wayne. Dust off your dancing shoes and get your groove on!
10 pm PPParty @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Why all the the P? ’Cuz this party is golden! 24 Karat hits from all decades. $5.
10 pm Tapette: Édition Amour @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. Good sound, no lights, French house and disco from DJ Phillippe, and a stunning French drag performance from Champagna Drag. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
11 pm Never Forgive Action @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A monthly dance party spinning quality hip-hop and R&B anthems from the ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, and beyond. With DJs Numeric and Dalia + host More or Les. $10.
SUNDAY
2 pm The Official Budweiser Super Bowl Viewing Party @ REBEL, 11 Polson St. Live entertainment, a halftime show, games, food stations, drink specials, and a chance to win a trip a to the winning city! Claim your free ticket while supplies last.
3 pm Supper Bowl Sunday @ Assembly Chef’s Hall, 111 Richmond St. W. It’s not just the Super Bowl at Assembly, it’s the SUPPER BOWL. Meaning, not only do you get to watch the big game on their large beer hall screens, but you actually get to enjoy great food, drink specials, and a chance to win NFL jerseys. Then, stick around for our post-game party with a live DJ until close.
4 pm The Big Game Buffet @ 3030, 3030 Dundas St. W. 3030 is serving up a buffet of classic stadium goodies to enjoy while you kick back with a pint to watch the Big Game! The buffet includes two drinks and your choice of mac ‘n’ cheese, BBQ wings, wedge fries, pulled pork sammies, and pigs in a blanket. $30 in advance, $40 at the door.
7 pm Brass Facts Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Test your knowledge and win prizes! Hosted by Famous Kirk Hero. Until 10 pm.
10 pm Sinful Sundays Burlesque: Cthulhu Cuties – A Fringe Fundraiser @ Cherry Cola’s, 200 Bathurst St. Come be entertained at TO’s weekly “temple of tease.” This edition features performances by Sly Feiticeira, Stella Saint, Ginger Slap, Bianca Boom Boom, Maximum Capacity, Brad Puddin’, and Ivory to raise funds for join Pointed Cap Playhouse’s 2019 Fringe program. Free entry; tipping encouraged.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com