June 14th-23rd Luminato @ various locations. An annual 10-day festival of creativity where Toronto’s stages, streets, and public spaces are illuminated with arts and creativity!
WEDNESDAY
9pm 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 11pm.
10pm Sha Na Na @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. Hump day dance party! DJ Brittney (one half of the Bangs & Blush duo) plays jukebox hits and makeout songs all night long.
10pm 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.
10pm 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.
10pm I’m With The Band @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Every Wednesday, a different band and their friends DJ in the front room. This Wednesday, Dustin Hawthorne (Breeze / Beliefs / ex Hot Hot Heat / Islands) plays you some really nice Wednesday night jams while you drink fine liquors and eat a taco or two.
THURSDAY
6:30pm “Streets & Alleys” Opening Reception @ #Hashtag Gallery, 801 Dundas St. W. It’s the opening of Yvonne Bambrick’s inaugural photography exhibition, “Streets & Alleys.” This show is all about the colour and texture and lifecycle of the city, and a celebration of the mighty bike wheel. Each piece is a photograph framed within a semi-deconstructed bike wheel! Until 10pm. Exhibition runs until June 23rd.
9:30pm Soul Machine @ Czehoski, 678 Queen St W. DJ Caff (Motown Party) lays down funk and soul while you drink and dance. Drink specials all night long!
10pm Heart & Strokes @ Souz Dal, 612 College St. Indie rock socializing! Come for the Heart, stay for The Strokes.
10pm Stop Crying @ Crawford, 718 College St. The Bass6 crew plays all the bangers you want to hear! $5.
FRIDAY
6:30pm SummerWorks Summer Soiree 2013 @ The Campbell House, 160 Queen St. W. The evening is catered by Samuel J. Moore’s Alexandra Feswick, and features complimentary drinks, a live auction, and performances by Sunny Drake and Joe Culpepper. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased here. The event goes until 9pm, at which time a public SummerWorks party (with a pay what you can entrance fee) starts at the same venue. It features pop-up performances, is catered by The Lakeview, and goes until 2am.
10am Om T.O. @ The Distillery District, 55 Mill St.. Celebrate the longest day of the year with a full day of outdoor yoga in celebration of the summer solstice! People of all skill levels are invited to take part in any or all of the 11 specially themed outdoor yoga classes taught by some of the most sought-after instructors from top studios in the city. The 40-minute classes will run from until 6pm. Reserve a mat online. PWYC (suggested $10).
9:30pm Tortured Soul @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. International live touring act Tortured Soul is living proof that modern EDM can be freed from the DJ booth and fused with the classic styles of Prince, Heatwave, and Kool & The Gang! Featuring a live performance by the group + DJs Groove Institute and GaDJet with live percussion by Chico Pacheco. $20 advance tickets available at Soundscapes, Kopps Records, Play De Record, and online.
10pm Loving In The Name Of @ The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W. A dance party and live set in celebration of the greatest hits of all time! Featuring the band The Best and the best singers from the best local bands recreating classic songs from Whitney Houston, Boyz II Men, Hall & Oates, Mary J. Blige, U2, The Smiths, and more. DJ Shit La Merde plays hits all night long. $10.
10pm 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.
10pm Party Life / Ladies & The Trap @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, DJ KOBe’J plays new and old school hits, hip-hop, RnB, reggae, house, and soca. 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 11:30pm, more after.
10pm 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.
10pm Yes Yes Y’all @ The Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. Toronto’s biggest, baddest, freak nastiest queer hip-hop/RnB/dancehall jam! Featuring special guest DJ VILIFY (who was voted Montreal’s #1 Club DJ in 2012 by the Montreal Mirror) + the YYY crew opening and closing the dance party. $6.
10pm 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 11pm, $5 after.
10pm 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.
10pm Pop Lobster @ Magpie, 831 Dundas St. W. This lobster knows no pop boundaries! You may or may not have the opportunity to dance to the likes of Pet Shop Boys, Blondie, Destiny’s Child, Le Tigre, Britney Spears, Robyn, Motown, indie, new wave, disco, and more!
11pm 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.
SATURDAY
12pm Summer Swap Party @ industREALarts room, 688 Richmond St. W. Show up with the clothes you no longer want in your closet; you’ll get a ticket for each item (30 tickets max.) that you can then swap for something new! Expect snacks, DIY tips, and on-site alterations. Until 4pm. $5.
12pm The Junction Summer Solstice Festival @ The Junction neighbourhood. Celebrate DIY culture, love for art, design, and music. This green powered event showcases the Junction’s passion for healthy lifestyles and fresh quality food. Enjoy family-friendly shows and workshops, take a spin on a Ferris Wheel, and experience the Junction Flea Night Market from 6pm onwards! Until midnight.
1pm Free Lemonade and Signed Photos of John Stamos* @ Christie Pits Park. There will, of course, be free lemonade. And as always, photos will be signed by someone who is not John Stamos, does not look like John Stamos, and is not in any way affiliated with John Stamos. Classic. Goes until 4pm (if it rains, the event will take place the next day from 2pm-5pm).
2pm Fire Island: A Block Party @ Thymeless, 355 College St. Day party! Lots of wax, full bar, and snax. Until 8pm. For guestlist, email goodtiminrecords@gmail.com.
7pm 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. $75 goes to the best performance of the night—sign-up starts at 7:30pm. $5.
10pm #PatYourWeave @ Measure, 296 Brunswick Ave. She Does the City and the producers of #SpiceWorldTO bring you a night of Destiny’s Child hits, Beyonce classics, and everything in between! Featuring Nicki, Mykki, Lil’ Kim, Missy, Angel Haze, Foxxxy, Azealia, Cassie, Ciara, Kel and Michelle, Solange, Kelis, Khia, Mariah, Ms. Jackson, BadgalRiri…well, you get the idea. Featuring a photo booth and plenty of surprises. $5.
10pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. A Digital Needle DJs, Cyclist, and special guests deliver a healthy serving of funky and soulful disco, disco-rap, boogie, and other aural oddities primed to make you groove! $5 before 11pm, $10 after.
10pm Sugar Hill / Still Fly @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, DJ Grouch plays 80’s and 90’s rap, R&B, new jack swing, and more. Downstairs, DJ D-Wiz spins hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and top 40. $5 before 11:30pm, more after.
10pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Spend the night together with the Bangs & Blush ladies! ’60s pop, soul and rock ‘n’ roll to drink, dance, and get messy to. $5.
10pm Get Buck @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. What would Buckwheat do? Come find out! DJs Nino Brown (Yes Yes Y’all) plays hip-hop, RnB, bangers, winders, and grinders.
10pm Snakedriver @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. DJs Noah Fralick (Yong Rival) and Peter Merriman (Vuarnet) play rock ‘n’ roll in the front room.
10pm Brass Tacks @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. A night of hip-hop with Diggy The DJ of Down With Webster. Free before 11pm, $5 after.
11pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. A night of dancing to ’60s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.
11pm Quatro @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Bridging the gap between four different eras and forming a cohesive sonic bond, Conor Cutz and Rouge bring you a night of the best music from times past. From the 1970s to the early 2000s, expect to hear the best of everything from James Brown to Justice, M.J. to Biggie—tracks that defined generations, seamlessly mashed up and reworked by the infamous duo. Around midnight, renowned speed artist Anthony Haley takes the stage and begins performing his craft. Gaining inspiration from the crowd, music and overall feel of the night, Haley will take you on a visual quest creating piece after piece live on stage. $10.
SUNDAY
1pm Sky Yard Sundays @ The Drake Sky Yard, 1150 Queen St. W. Brunch, booze, buckets of Corona, and a ton of fun in the Sun(day)! Fuel up with a late brunch or tacos then dance to the sounds of weekly live DJs from 2-6pm.
10pm 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