May 1st-31st Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival @ various locations. The largest photography event in the world is back! CONTACT is an annual event in May featuring over 1,500 Canadian and international artists and photographers exhibiting at more than 175 venues throughout the GTA. Check out the CONTACT website for a full list of exhibitions and installations.

WEDNESDAY 

7:30 pm Arrested Development Trivia Night @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Now some trivia about a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together. It’s Arrested Development.  Just in time for the long awaited fourth season on Netflix, a night to celebrate the original three seasons with questions, episodes, and amazing prizes from Netflix Canada. And watch out for hop-ons. You’re gonna get some hop-ons. 

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 Sha Na Na @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. DJ Brittney (one half of the Bangs & Blush duo) plays jukebox hits and makeout songs all night long. 

10 pm Bowie Bar Wednesdays @ Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. DJs Avery, Doc Benway, and guests play music by David Bowie and Bowie-esque tunes. Drink specials until midnight. 

10 pm Common People @ The Midpoint, 1180 Queen St. W. DJ Tigermilk plays a mix of post-punk, alternative, Brit-pop, seminal to current indie rock, and whatever else. $4 mixed drinks before 11 pm, $4 tequila, $5 Jameson, $5 pints of PBR, and $7 mug + shot. 

10 pm Liquid Karaoke @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Colin Bergh, James McDonough, Nadia Belerique, and Jeff Hayward are your hosts. $4 Jameson and $5.50 pints before midnight. 

THURSDAY 

7 pm “Windows & Doorways” Opening Reception @ Brockton Collective, 422 Dufferin St. “This group exhibition explores the many pathways in the mind, or waves of consciousness that are a constant state of being and fundamental to memory experience. From a single moment in space and time to the depths of our subconscious, whether it be a person or in a place, all are passages to a time past but not lost. Just as Bergson believed memory to be of a deeply spiritual nature, so too are the artworks in this exhibit.” 

8 pm “Arts & Crafts X Norman Wong” Opening Reception @ 1093 Queen St. W., Unit 2. Canadian indie record label Arts & Crafts present a new exhibit by Toronto-based fashion and music photographer Norman Wong as part of their 10th anniversary celebrations. Featuring never-before-seen, personal images from Norman’s private collection taken of various artists over the years including Leslie Feist, Kevin Drew, Emily Haines, Amy Millan, Torquil Campbell, and many more. Prints and a book of Norman’s photography will be available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds donated to Testicular Cancer Canada and Musicounts. 

9:30 pm Soul Machine @ Czehoski, 678 Queen St W. DJ Caff (Motown Party) plays funk and soul while you drink and dance. 

10 pm Heart & Strokes @ Souz Dal, 612 College St. Indie rock socializing! Come for the Heart, stay for The Strokes. 

10 pm Stop Crying @ Crawford, 718 College St. The Bass6 crew plays all the bangers you want to hear! 

10 pm High Wasted @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Drinkin’. Smokin’. Scopin’ hotties. Y’know. DJ search+destroy plays the hits: dub-soul-funk-ska-post-punk-and-more-and-more. 

10 pm Switched On @ Camp 4, 1173 Dundas St. W. DJs Pammm and David Alain Binette play indie rock and campus radio jams. 

11 pm Is It All Over My Face @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. DJ Laura plays rockin’ garage tunes! 

FRIDAY 

5 pm CraveTO @ Evergreen Brickworks, 550 Bayview Ave. Discover Toronto’s premier street food and craft beer offerings, all to the soundtrack of Toronto’s finest DJs! Food by Rome’n Chariot, Buster’s Sea Cove, The Feisty Jack, Food Dudes, Fidel Gastro, Seven Lives Tacos, Pancho’s Bakery, Jumbo Empanadas, This is How I Roll, For the Love of Cake, and Come and Get It. Beer by Spearhead, Mill Street, Great Lakes, Amsterdam Brewery, Nickel Brook Brewery, Wellington, Hogtown Brewers, Cameron’s Brewing, Black Oak Brewing, and Kensington. Food offerings are $5 or less directly from vendors for cash. Beer offerings are all $5 and require a beer ticket available onsite. Complimentary shuttle buses between Evergreen and Broadview station. $16.75 advance tickets available online. 

7:30 pm Toronto Loves Bluth: An Arrested Development Party @ The Office Pub, 117 John St. Mount Up Pard’ners! Season 4 is approaching and it’s time to celebrate all things Bluth! This very special evening will feature a trivia competition (prove your AD knowledge is solid as a rock), a costume contest (treats for best and most obscure), and classic episodes (vote for your favourites and they’ll screen the top three picks at the party). $5. 

8 pm MIDNGHT MRKT @ 2nd Floor, 461 King St. W. A market event series pairing music, drinks, and street style food while showcasing outstanding artists, designers, and collectors in a stunning curated space. Featuring music from the Love Handle DJs (Catalist and Famous Lee), Lucie Tic, and Johnny Hockin + vendors Shoppalu, Manifesto, Vitaly Design, AKS Artworks + Saloon, Spontaneous Reality, CMP Originals, BE Chic Jewelry, Diptych, Alex Davey Illustrations, Bird at the Window, WORN Journal, Hilary&Denise, Novology, Shop Third Party, NAVA, Walk-in Closet, The Anchored Social, and many more. Dance party until 2 am. $5. 

8 pm Steam Whistle Unsigned #25 @ Steam Whistle Brewery, 255 Bremner Ave. Performances by Beliefs, The C’mons, and Hussy. $5 at the door, with all proceeds from ticket sales going back to the community through the Artists’ Health Alliance.

10 pm Fuck It: Ugly Cry Edition @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. We all love to bust out an ugly cry once and a while, so throw on those BSB ballads and layer on the waterproof mascara!The ladies of Bangs & Blush bring you an evening full of the best (worst?) tunes from the 80’s, 90’s, and 2000’s so don’t pretend that you don’t like it, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT YOU DO! $5.

10 pm Sound & Vision: Peaches After Party @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Party with Peaches and friends after the Peaches Does Herself screening! Peaches herself will be hitting the decks along with Katie Stelmanis of Austra. $8 with Peaches Does Herself ticket stub, $14 otherwise.

10 pm Magnificent 7s @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJs General Eclectic, Son of S.O.U.L., and Serious play soul, funk, disco, reggae, and rock – all on 7” vinyl. $5.

10 pm All That @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. A 90’s night like no other! DJs Streets and LK play mostly hip-hop, dirty R&B, and club kid jams. $5.

10 pm Shitty Dance Party @ Happy Child, 1168 Queen St. W. DJs Al P and Diego Bros play dance and disco hits.

10 pm No Pants No Problem @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Dance in your underwear and have a looksy at the cutest bums that Toronto has to offer! DJs Momma Knows and Like the Wolf play the best mix tapes one could throw down to keep your bodies nice and sweaty on the dance floor. Also featuring a kissing booth, spin the bottle, and other makeout games! $10 without pants, $15 with (or $5 if you come before 11 pm). To celebrate activism in the AIDS movement, NPNP will be raising funds for AIDS Action Now, Poster Virus, and PASAN. Pantcheck on site.

10 pm Soul Block Party / Ladies & The Trap @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, DJs Fase rocks that sweet soul, funk, hip-hop, R&B, and reggae that you know and love! Downstairs, the Fire 4 Hire Soundsystem Crew plays trap, bass, and reggae for the ladies. Expect to hear everything you love with a lot of remixes. $5 before 11:30 pm, more after.

10 pm Massive Gritty @ Margret, 2952 Dundas St. W. DJ Jahtari plays all styles of reggae: new and old dub, roots, ska, dancehall, and more. 

10 pm Spinning Spinning Spinning Towards Freedom @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. We should have music – loud not quiet, funky not boring, and always spinning, spinning, spinning towards freedom! DJ Public Relations plays nu funk, nu disco, tech funk, breaks, hip-hop, downtempo, and lots more.

10 pm Retro Road Show @ The Courthouse, 57 Adelaide St. Retro Road Show teams up with Liberty Entertainment Group to bring you Toronto’s best 70’s/80’s/90’s video dance party! With DJ Thomas Hall (Boom 97.3) plays all your retro favourite videos! Dress code in effect (no runners). $10. 

10:30 pm Fuck U Fridays @ Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. This month, FUF presents a a preview of the Judy & Igby Trash Cabaret (which will take place on the outdoor Alterna-Queer stage at Pride Toronto). Hosted by Judy Virago and Igby Lizzard, and featuring a cast of ill repute – including the dazzling Nancy Bocock, the zany Cerise Noir, and first-timers Electra Cute, Irma Gerd, and Sapphire Tithi-Reign. DJ Mikaela spins a mix of 80’s, synthpop, electronic, old school industrial, and death/punk before the performance while  DJ Ghislain Aucoin spins dark and dirty synthesized dance floor beats after. $5. 

11 pm Skratch Bastid @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. The Bastid has become one of Canada’s most in-demand DJs and respected producers. But it didn’t happen overnight. After pumping out mixtapes and earning a loyal following in his hometown of Halifax, Skratch began making an international name for himself through DJ competitions like the DMC, ITF and Cincinnati’s Scribble Jam, which he won three times. From there, the redhead went viral. Seriously, Youtube that shit. $10. 

SATURDAY 

12 pm Great Lakes Brewery 10th Annual BBQ @ Great Lakes Brewery, 30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Etobicoke. Live entertainment, music, free food, games, and beer! All proceeds raised throughout the day will be donated to the Franklin Horner Community Centre in Etobicoke, which helps fund programs and services to individuals in South Etobicoke 

10 am Yard Sale For The Cure @ Trinity Bellwoods Park, 790 Queen St. W. 1-800-GOT-JUNK? hosts one of the two largest yard sales of the year in Toronto as part of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation’s Yard Sale For The Cure! Featuring large ticket items like furniture for the home plus unique finds. Until 7 pm. 

10 pm Love Handle @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJs Catalist and Famous Lee throw an all-vinyl boogie funk dance party. This month, they welcome special guest DJ Gazza – an avid collector/deejay of boogie funk and disco records who knows the deal when it comes to the synth basslines and the Activator™ induced hairstyle. 

10 pm All My Friends @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Born To Run DMC presents an all-new dance party! DJs Mizz Brown and Paul G play PARTY MUSIC: NYC underground disco, hip-hop, rock, R&B, LCD, everything. Free before 11 pm, $5 after. 

10 pm F’unreal 5 Year Anniversary @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Whatup 5 years of F’unreal! Music for your dancing pleasure with pals Well Said, Slater, L-Sos, Kek, and Ty. $5. 

10 pm Ice Cold Dranks / Back In The Day @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, it’s an evening of rap bangers and old school classics with DJs FBomb and Ry-Fi. What’s cooler than being cool? ICE COLD. Downstairs, DJ Law spins the best of all the classics. Music videos GALORE! $5 before 11 pm, $10 after. 

10 pm Slowed @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Slo-mo tunes (115 BPM or less) with the Smalltown DJs, 3AM, Snails, and resident Lucie Tic. May’s edition welcomes some of Canada’s strongest emerging club music producers. $15 advance tickets available online. 

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 Fast Times @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. 80’s night with DJs Brendan Canning and Tweed!

10 pm Turning Point @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Resident selector A Man Called Warwick shares a top notch selection of vintage tropical dance floor shakers from all over the map. Dress to move and sweat!

10 pm Panic @ Velvet Underground, 510 Queen St. W. The ultimate retro party with DJ Lazarus spinning the kind of retro that changed your life! 80’s, 90’s, new wave, classic alternatives, ska, Brit-pop, dance, shoegaze, post-punk and more. This month’s spotlight is Siouxsie & The Banshees ($100 prize for best Siouxsie look-a-like/outfit). $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.

10 pm Gay Nite @ Margret, 2952 Dundas St. W. Dancing and drinking in a non-breeding friendly environment! With DJs Boots Boogie, Betti Forde, The Husbears, Cozmic Cat, Dislexia, Fawn BC, and Shanelle Williams.

10 pm CrushTO: 1st Annual Crushiversary Circus Spectacular @ Club 120, 120 Church St. Come one, come all: welcome to the sexiest show on earth! Step right up to the first annual Crushiversary Circus Spectacular! Un-tame-able beasts, dirty daredevils, and an all-night freak show celebrate the first anniversary of CrushTO. Dress Code: formal finery (coattails, monacles, bustled dresses), sexy steampunk, or any form of circus freak all welcome. Featuring DJ Midnight Society (a.k.a. Paul Aguirre-Livingston), Ringmaster Johnny B Goode hosting the ultimate circus freakshow, wandering sages/minstrels/sideshows, classic circus treats, and private consent-monitored kissing booths. (#CrushTO is a flirty event series for hot, nerdy people who want to make sex-positive like-minded friends. An invitation for any and all: hetero, homo, queer, trans, kinky, lesbian, gay, vanilla, bi, flexible, poly, and open minded young people (or young at heart.) The event is for everyone, regardless of gender, race, relationship status or sexual preferences.)$10.

11 pm Racks & Bands @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Racks & Bands is a monthly party focused on one thing and one thing only: bringing booty back to the Underground. Turn up with resident DJs Johnny Hockin and Vanity Muscles as they motivate the winin’ and grindin’, playing only the hottest in current rap and RnB. $10.

11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. 60’s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.

SUNDAY 

3 pm Sunday Bingo @ 2nd Floor Events, 461 King St. W. Eat food. Drink drinks. Play bingo. Share a lazy Sunday afternoon with new friends, the thrill of the bingo board filling up, cool prizes, DJs spinning, cocktails, and more! $5 per card. 

7:30 pm Poetry Slam @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Local wordsmiths and performers provide an evening of spoken word, lyrical mastery and friendly competition before an always packed house. $80 goes to the best performance of the night – sign-up starts at 7:30 pm. $5. 

10 pm Mad Men Screening @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Watch Mad Men’s 6th season on the big screen every Sunday while sipping on $10 2oz throwback cocktails like the Old Fashioned, Gin Fizz, and Bloody Mary. 

~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com