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 Meow Meow: A Queer Social @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. This isn’t a loud dance party. It’s a change of pace, and a chance to converse. Meant for queers to meet, hang, and conspire with other queers (awesome allies are welcome too)!
10 pm Purple Karaoke @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Dearly beloved: We are gathered here this Wednesday to mimic the music of Prince in varying degrees from gude to unbearable, but mostly to have fun and raise a glass to the Purple One. Hosted by Anya and Noelle. Extended Prince playlist to purify yourself with + $5 Lake Minnetonkas all night long.
THURSDAY
10 pm Get Lo @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Bangs & Blush bring you the ULTIMATE ’90s til now dance party, GET LO! They’ll be playing all the shit you wanna hear from the ’90s to today.
10 pm Soul, Funk & What? @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Soul and funk that will have you dancing the night away, all spun on 45s. Maximum party time!
10 pm Us vs. Them @ The Steady, 1051 Bloor St. W. Indie, electronic, nuwave, and Britpop all night long with DJ Blush. LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads, Oasis, Joy Division, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Cure, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, David Bowie, The Smiths, Interpol, Human League, etc.
FRIDAY
7 pm “Body Talk” Opening Reception @ Project Gallery, 184 Munro St. An exhibition focusing on expressions of the female form and sexuality through portraiture, still-life photography, and sculpture. Considering themes of identity, self-acceptance, and body dysmorphia, the works in “Body Talk” range from staged moments to those of genuine spontaneity. Until 10 pm. Exhibition runs until May 29.
7 pm #FNLROM: ROMink @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. Toronto’s most unique social destination, with eclectic eats, drinks, DJs, dancing, live music, and unexpected experiences is back for a new season. For their inaugural night, they’ll be celebrating ROM’s new exhibition “Tattoos: Ritual. Identity. Obsession. Art.” Limited $15 tickets available at the door.
7 pm DXPresents: PlastiScene @ Design Exchange, 234 Bay St. Experience the stuff modern lifestyles are made of as DX sets the ultimate plastic-scene. Featuring Under Plastic Dream – an awesome installation by Char Da Silva of Dundas West’s gallery-cum-bar Milk Glass Co., DJ Rocker Dave spinning the best vinyl, and installations by artists Emanuel Pavao Studio and Eleanor King, whose works are inspired by and incorporate plastic-based materials. Complimentary food and drinks provided by Parts + Labour, Ace Hill Beer, and Crystal Head Vodka. $28.25 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Tenderness @ The Emmet Ray, 924 College St. DJs Roberto and Leo Love dropping wax all night long for your boogie body and listening pleasure. Funk, soul, boogie bizz, ’90s hip-hop, and disco.
10 pm School Daze @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. You don’t need a school gym and disapproving teachers to get down on the dance floor! Revisit the days where the hottest tunes were burnt onto CDs, Spin the Bottle was on the schedule, and the best part of school was the final bell. The School Daze DJs will be dropping the best hits from ‘97-09 along with video projections and special guests.
10 pm Shindig 5 Year Anniversary Bash @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Shindig celebrates five years! Resident selectors General Eclectic, Splattermonkey, and Parkdale Funk spin your favourite ’50s and ’60s soul, ska, R&B, and funk on 7” 45 RPM records. $10.
10 pm Retro Guilty Pleasures: Prince Tribute @ Velvet Underground, 510 Queen St. W. Retro Guilty Pleasures is honouring Prince by playing songs from his long career and projecting his videos around the club! Expect lots of other fun ’80s and ’90s songs too. $5.
10 pm Birthday Sex @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. A ’90s/’00s RnB and hip-hop throwback throwdown with the Diego Bros and special guest Sammy Rawal! April babies, post your birthday requests on the Facebook page. $5.
10 pm Bad Kids @ The Derby, 1516 Dundas St. W. DJ C.I.A. plays rock ‘n’ roll music from the ’60s to present day, including The Rolling Stones, The Strokes, Talking Heads, The Velvet Underground, Pixies, Black Lips, The Stooges, Bowie, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Ty Segall, T. Rex, Blondie, The Breeders, Pulp, and much more.
10 pm Peak Freaks @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. DJ Leafy Chiefy and guests play a mind-melting mix of original heavy monster sounds, mod, psych, beat, prog, freak-sounds, and wiggle rock, with loving lashings of soul, rhythm und blües, and gummy gummy rocksteady.
10 pm Electricladyland @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. A queer, synthy, sexy dance party, playing all and only electronic ladies! Expect lots of Le Tigre, Bjork, Kate Bush, Broadcast, Robyn, Erykah Badu, Elastica, Madonna, The Knife, Kylie Minogue, M.I.A., Lykke Li, FKA Twigs, Santogold, Glasser, and on and on.
10 pm BEYview @ Dundas Video, 831 Dundas St. W. This week marks the release of Lemonade and Views From The 6, the much-anticipated new albums from Beyonce and Drake. This Broken Mixtape will be playing selections from both records, a slew of Bey and Drizzy favourites, and the best in hip hop, R&B, and funk.
10 pm Stones Place Friday Nights @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Friday night party with DJ Blush! Dance all night to the best of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and pop at one of Toronto’s most legendary dance venues in the city of Toronto. Bring those dancing shoes – you’ll be sure to leave sweaty and smiling. $5.
10 pm Get Buck @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Hip-hop, soul, RnB, soca, dancehall, and deep grooves with DJ Nino Brown.
10 pm Jamz @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Mad ’90s dance party with pals Slater and Ty! $5.
10 pm The Right Stuff: A NKOTB Dance Party @ Studio Bar, 824 Dundas St. W. Before the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, there was New Kids On The Block. If you remember being one of those young fans, lying in bed clutching a copy of Hanging Tough, dancing in front of the mirror singing Step By Step, or blasting The Right Stuff in your Sony Walkman, this party is for you! $10 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Private Caller @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. House, techno, tech house, and deep house all night.
11 pm Motown Party @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Motown Party’s suited resident DJs play the best and brightest in Motown, soul, funk, and modern edits all night flanked on each side by beautiful backup dancers while archival footage is mixed on the spot to get you on the dance floor! Expect to hear some old favourites and rare grooves from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Jackson 5, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Temptations, and more. $10.
SATURDAY
10 pm Bey Bey vs. RiRi @ Studio Bar, 824 Dundas St. W. Celebrate the amazing work of Beyonce, Rihanna, and friends! Max Zimmerman, Bounleuth Chanthapanya, and Sacha Foster playing all your favourite dance floor anthems all night.
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. ’80s, ’90s, new wave, classic alternatives, ska, Brit-pop, dance, shoegaze, post-punk, and more. This month’s spotlight is David Bowie. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
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 Bubble Bath Steam Dream @ Dundas Video, 831 Dundas St. W. Dreamy house and RnB to lather the suds, followed by some steam powered house/bass/techno jams to leave you with that spotless shine. With DJ Jen, Adam Kemp, and DMNS.
10 pm Juicebox @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Indie hits dance party with DJs Tweed and Babe Decibel. The Strokes, Bowie, Arcade Fire, New Order, LCD Soundsystem, and more! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Dick Jagger @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. A night of dirty vinyl debauchery with DJs Gina Hoops and Shevil Knevil. Funk, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, disco, and hip shakers.
10 pm Faggy Baggy @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. Faggy. Baggy. Swaggy. Draggy. Diego Armand playing throwbacks and new hits all night long.
10 pm Red, Green & Yukon Gold @ The Yukon, 1592 Queen St. W. Ska, rocksteady, roots, dancehall, and reggae with selectors Senor Vishal and Ironwill.
10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The Bangs & Blush ladies roll out all the hip shakers and baby makers from the ’50s and ’60s for you to drink, dance, and get messy to. $5.
10 pm Feministry 1 Year Anniversary @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. DJ Cam Lee and special guests Weird:L and Kehdo select and share music made by and for fems, womyn, queers, and allies. $5 before midnight, $10 after.
10 pm Stones Place Saturday Nights @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Saturday night party with DJ Blush! Dance all night to the best of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and pop at one of Toronto’s most legendary dance venues in the city of Toronto. Bring those dancing shoes – you’ll be sure to leave sweaty and smiling. $5.
10 pm Cold Shoulder @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Famous Players play rap music from 1992-2017. $5.
11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. ’60s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.
11 pm Itzsoweezee @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A feel-good house party atmosphere! DJs Tom Wrecks, DeMiggs, and ΛV play music to make you dance, smile, and holler. For $5 reduced guestlist and line bypass, email guestlist@itzsoweezee.com (closes at midnight). $10.
SUNDAY
10 am Gluten Free Garage @ Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. Toronto’s original pop-up gluten-free marketplace for all foodies is kicking off Celiac Awareness Month on May 1st with the city’s best gluten-free eats, drinks and more! Come hungry for one-stop shopping and sampling and discover more about happy, healthy gluten-free living. With 65 exhibitors, guest speakers, food trucks and beer cider tasting, GFG is proof that gluten free has come a long way, baby! $11.50 advance tickets available online.
12 pm Drake Yoga T.O. @ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. An all-levels yoga class, set to the sweet beats of our very own home-grown hero, Drake! Led by the dynamic Pop Up Asana T.O., listen to Views from the 6 and channel your inner yogi from noon ’til brunch. $10, with proceeds supporting The Raptors Kids Foundation.
7 pm Brass Facts Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Test your knowledge and win prizes! Hosted by Famous Kirk Hero. Until 10 pm.
8 pm Nite Comfort @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. The ongoing search for genre-defying, boundary-pushing music, and other hidden gems in the heart of the city. This month, Nite Comfort welcomes their first international act, onewayness, from Erie, PA, and the return of the G Group. PWYC.
9 pm When Doves Cry: Prince Tribute Party @ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. Celebrate the life and times of the Prince of Funk, His Royal Badness, The High Priest of Pop; Prince Rogers Nelson. Enjoy curated visuals and Prince all night long on the decks. Costumes encouraged!
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com