January 8-19 Next Stage Theatre Festival @ Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. Next Stage is curated, boutique festival featuring 2019 Toronto Fringe hits like Tita Jokes and Every Silver Lining along with new productions. $18 single tickets and $67-123 passes available online.

WEDNESDAY

7 pm Music Bingo: Resolutions Edition @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. New year, new you? One week into those NYE resolutions, we need some positive reinforcement and affirmation! Host Kaleb Robertson has you covered at Music Bingo: Resolutions Edition. Come play three rounds of bingo for a chance to win some prizes that’ll keep you motivated in the new year. RSVP here.

8 pm Bowie’s Birthday: Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars @ The Royal Cinema, 608 College St. Ziggy returns to The Royal for David Bowie’s birthday! Bowie’s final electrifying performance as Ziggy Stardust in 1973 at London’s Hammersmith Odeon Theater was captured on film by legendary director D.A. Pennebaker, who passed away in 2019. The HD restoration from Pennebaker Films is the best this (notoriously murky) historic concert has ever looked on film. $13.19 tickets available online.

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 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.

THURSDAY

11 am ROM Daytime: Innovative Storage Solutions Textile & Costume Collections @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park. Discover groundbreaking research and fascinating advances in art, culture, and nature as ROM experts share their cutting edge work in this engaging series of daytime lectures. This edition features a presentation by Kristiina Lahde, technician for the Textile and Costume section, on recent innovations in the preservation and safe storage of textiles and costume at the ROM. Free with museum admission. RSVP here.

7 pm Beer & Cheese Pairing @ Rorschach Brewing Co., 1001 Eastern Ave. Beer and cheese the best of pals come together in one tasty event. Join Rorschach Brewing on the second Thursday of every month for their in-house beer and cheese pairing, in partnership with The Art Of Cheese. Each pairing is different and will include some interesting and sometimes challenging cheeses that will be paired with five of their most current beer creations. $25 tickets available online.

10 pm DJ Ol’ Nerdy Bastard: Eccentric Eighties @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Good ’80s tunes and good times with DJ Ol’ Nerdy Bastard.

FRIDAY

8 pm Lipsynced: Riri vs. Gaga @ Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. The time has come for improvisers to lip sync for their lives! Some of Toronto’s sassiest improvisors do scenes based on Rihanna and Lady Gaga’s biggest hits, with every scene ending in them lip syncing the haus down with the help of the fiercest drag assassins. It’s part improv show, part drag show, part gameshow – and you, the audience, helps decides who will stay and who will sashay away. Tickets are $15 for students and arts workers, and $20 for general admission.

8 pm Generator @ Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. Created by astronaut Chris Hadfield, Generator is Toronto’s one-stop-shop for engaging with some of the world’s most incredible and overlooked talent. With a stage presence ranging from Afghan educators to Cambodian elephant caretakers to Toronto comedians and British roboticists, it is a truly unique experience not to be missed! $15-105 tickets available online.

10 pm The Right Track @ Wenona Craft Beer Lodge, 1069 Bloor St. W. A ground-breaking night of original house music by Toronto’s most exciting, emerging dance music producers and artists. Immerse yourself in the city’s freshest house beats and undiscovered tracks (but don’t worry, they won’t leave the classics behind). January’s lineup: Cozmic Cat, David James, and DJ Nana. $5 in advance, $10 at the door.

10 pm Afro Haus @ ROUND Venue, 152-A Augusta Ave. Express, release, and GET DOWN to the grooviest, freshest dance music coming out of Sub-Saharan Africa: afrohouse, gqom, afrobeats, ancestral house, kuduro, afrotech, and more! This edition features DJs SoulSis Aiesha, Kọkọrọ, and Sarah Jane Riegler; artist Zenesoul; drummer George Peako; and visuals by OS3. $10-15 in advance, $20 at the door.

10 pm Prophecy @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. A dark dance party with DJs Mistress McCutchan and The Wasteland. Deep cuts and bleeding edge new post punk, goth, industrial, electro. $5. 

10 pm Sunset Culture Club @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. All vinyl rare party jams and audio explorations with DJ Morgan Yew.

10 pm Jungle Eleven @ The Shop, 1566 Queen St. W. Sounds by Ace Dillinger, Roshanie, and Minzi Roberta. Come prepared to dance and sweat! For $5 guestlist (entry before 11:30 pm), text your name to 1-848-235-7737.

10 pm The Good Life @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Your millennial soul needs The Good Life. The best hip-hop from the 2000s, all night long! $10.

10 pm Gold Chain @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJs Aoki and Snack will have you dancing all night long to the best hip-hop of today and yesterday. You don’t wanna miss this display of supreme DJing – it’s the gold standard.

10 pm DJ Crunch Bandicut @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. All the best rock ‘n’ roll jams all night long with DJ Crunch Bandicut.

10 pm Gnarly @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. A wave of hip-hop, dancehall, and soca vibes with DJ Chayne.

10 pm Emo Night @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Revisit your teen angst! Spinning your favourite emo anthems all night every Friday at Sneaky Dee’s. $5 early bird tickets available online.

10 pm Wax Candy Disco @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJ Efsharp and Cyclist serve up platters of the sweetest soulful, refreshing, and uplifting disco in one of the best sounding rooms in the city. $10.

10:30 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Baby G, Dundas St. W. The Patchouli Brothers play a disco mix of gospel, funk, soul, boogie, rare groove, house, and jazz sounds surrounded by smiling faces.

11 pm Hot Coco @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Experience world music in the most multicultural city in the world. Playing afrobeats, coupé-décalé, gqom, reggae, and much more. $10.

SATURDAY

7 pm Long Winter @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Long Winter takes over the Gladstone for a night of music and art! Featuring music by Korea Town Acid, Boosie Fade, Kiwi Jr., BBQ Pope, No Frills, Ian Daniel Kehoe, Nailbiter, Joseph Shabason, Robin Hatch, and Ichi-Bons + art curated by Tea Base in celebration of their one year anniversary. All ages welcome. $12 in advance or PWYC at the door.

7 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. Doors at 7 pm, sign-up starts at 7:30. $10.

8 pm DJ Skate Nights: Soul Kitchen on Ice @ The Natrel Rink (Harbourfront Centre), 235 Queens Quay W. Sharpen your skates and skills as Toronto’s number one outdoor winter party returns with another stellar lineup of DJs that will bring the heat to your Saturday nights. This week, groove to an evening of R&B and soul-infused music as Soul Kitchen alumnus Sweet Touch Foundation and MC Kid Kut bring the heat. Skate and helmet rentals available. Until 11 pm. 

10 pm Synthesexer @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Toronto’s synthesexiest sexy synthy alternative electro dance party! Expect to hear stuff like: Tiga, Annie, Chromeo, M.I.A., Holy Ghost!, Robyn, Daft Punk, Little Dragon, Pet Shop Boys, and more. $10.

10 pm Bump in the Night @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Rock, soul, classic pop, and rarities with DJ Precious Brett. Come shake your rump!

10 pm Open Season @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. ’90s/00s hip-hop, trap, Motown, ’80s, girl pop, dance, and party jams with DJs Brank Oh! and Tyler.

10 pm Wake @ The Little Jerry, 418 College St. Live magic courtesy of Mystk Marshall and Parting. Programme: Bending time and space through sonic discourse of a hybrid nature… where past meets present meets future. We align with 2020 vision, shaping and weaving universal tones via analog apparati. Coalesced with live instrumentation incarnation, together we awaken. 

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 Bar Phlie @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. Rapper/producer/DJ More Or Les plays tunes with a hip-hop slant to move you, whether it’s just a head-nod or a full-on shake-a-thon. Expect to hear stuff like A Tribe Called Quest, Dibia$e, J Dilla, Bonobo, TLC, Art of Noise, Roisin Murphy, The Internet, MF DOOM, Bob James, Strange U, and CZARFACE.

10 pm Whatever You Like Feat. Sgt Garbage @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. All hits, all night with spicy DJs that’ll really get you moving and shaking. It’s the good stuff – the prom that never was!

10 pm Worst Behavior @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Saturdays are for getting loose and being on your Worst Behavior! Bangs & Blush roll out rap and hip-hop from now and then. $10.

10 pm Sneaky Dee’s 90s Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Sneaky Dee’s is throwing it back to the 1990s with a dance party featuring all your favourite tunes from the decade. $5 early bird tickets available online.

11 pm Racks & Bands @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Jay Jolliffe and guests come with crates chock full of forward-thinking hip-hop, RnB, and dancehall. Get sweaty on the dance floor while they take you on a ride through genres, tempos, and eras. $10.

SUNDAY

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 @ Cherry Cola’s, 200 Bathurst St. Come be entertained at this weekly “temple of tease,” where you’ll find a fresh lineup of burlesque entertainers, drag, and variety acts. On stage: Miss Meow (Montreal), Olive Von Topp (Guelph), Ruby Slickeur (Vancouver), and host Dainty Smith. Free entry; tipping encouraged.

10 pm Nite Flights @ The Little Jerry, 418 College St. Craig Dunsmuir and Wes Allen spin soul, funk, reggae, rock, folk, jazz, and country records. 

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