January 11th-13th Up All Night Fest @ The Royal Cinema, 608 College St. The ultimate all-nighter for film junkies! A weekend of cult classics dedicated to the romance, calamity, and adrenaline-fuelled hijinks of one-nighters. From such lauded cineastes as Martin Scorsese, Richard Linklater, Jim Jarmusch and Michael Mann, Up All Night Fest celebrates those particular films dedicated to one-night narratives, whether they be love at first sight (Before Sunrise); zany catastrophe (After Hours); rough and tumble midnight rambles (Night on Earth); or neo-noir thrills (Collateral). $13.19 tickets and $42.59 film passes available online.
WEDNESDAY
7 pm Choir! Choir! Choir! David Bowie “Rebel Rebel” @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Choir! Choir! Choir! starts off the new year by celebrating David Bowie! Join other Bowie fans for a singalong to “Rebel Rebel.” Doors at 7 pm, services at 8. $5.
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.
THURSDAY
7 pm Question Blocks Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. A night of themes, laughs, music, and reasonable drink specials! Come for the rivalries and stay for the fabulous prizes. Teams of 5 preferred, but all are welcome.
10 pm Nineties @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Ol’ Nerdy Bastard plays grunge, shoegaze, Britpop, and other songs exclusively from the 1990s.
FRIDAY
8 pm Les Femmes Fatales Presents: Rage! @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. Les Femmes Fatales welcomes the new year with righteous rage. Starring Suki Tsunami, Ravyn Wngz, Ivory, Babia Majora, Lilla Koi, Ferrera Rose, and Tereka Tyler-Davis, with Esther De Ville guest starring. Music by DJ Johnny B Goode. $20 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Choose Your Own Adventure Dance Party @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. There are dozens of eras and genres – it’ll be up to the dance floor to decide. Choose Your Own Adventure, or at least your own Party! With DJ Misty.
10 pm Fuck It @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Guilty pleasures dance party with Bangs & Blush! Drake, Hanson, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Missy Elliott, Vengaboys, Bieber, Will Smith, Spice Girls, Eminem, Jay-Z, Disney music, and more. $10.
10 pm Queens of the World @ Super Wonder Gallery, 584 College St. A drag celebration of culture! Toronto’s exciting diversity represented by drag queens honouring their respective backgrounds. Featuring Priyanka Love, Miss Moço, Vicki Lix, and Vachina Dynasty + DJ Maya Killtron spinning into the night. $10.
10 pm DJ Davey D @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Davey D spins the dirtiest, filthiest vinyl all night long. Bring your dancing shoes!
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 Freaky Friday @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Get freaky with DJs B BAD and M4RS! Funk, disco, hip-hop, dancehall, reggae, trap, throwbacks, top 40, mashups, RnB, Motown, and more. Free before 11 pm.
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.
11 pm Sucio @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. The dirtiest reggaeton, dancehall, trap, and world rhythms are showcased by DJ Grump and rotating guests with Blxck Ixn on the mic keeping you moving. $10.
SATURDAY
6 pm Solar System Social @ Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W. A space-themed speaker series that brings exciting ideas and research from the field of planetary science to the general public. This event is a space-fiction costume party featuring planetary geologist Catheryn Ryan discussing the NASA BASALT research project and its implications for human Mars exploration. Host David Hamilton will talk about Canadian contributions to space exploration, while theatrical duo Benjamin Blais and John Fleming will make you laugh with a space-themed sketch. Prize for best costume! $7 in advance, $12 at the door.
8 pm DJ Skate Nights: Beam Me Up @ Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay W. Disco is not dead! Rediscover the sounds of the underground party scene – the night clubs, lofts, and warehouses where disco was reborn (and house music was born); where the faithful dancers, deejays, musicians, and producers got funkier and freakier with the music than ever before. With Beam Me Up resident DJs Cyclist and The Patchouli Brothers + special guest Automaticamore. Skate and helmet rentals available. Until 11 pm.
10 pm Heroes: Bowie & Prince Video Dance Party @ Remix Lounge, 1305 Dundas St. W. This annual event celebrates the music of David Bowie and Prince while also honouring the musical heroes who died this past year, including Aretha Franklin, Dolores O’Riordin (The Cranberries), Mark E. Smith (The Fall), Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks), and more. Remix Lounge will be outfitted with video projections around the venue showing the visual legacy that was left to us. Music selections by DJ Lazarus. $10 before 11 pm, $15 after.
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. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
10 pm Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again: ABBA Dance Party @ Mod Club Theatre, 722 College St. Calling all ABBA fans! Dance the night away to your favourite ABBA songs, plus other disco hits from the ’70s. $20 advance tickets available online.
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 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. 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 A Drag Tribute to Marijuana @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. Each month, The Beaver welcomes Fisher Price to pull together a menagerie of ghastly creatures to entertain you and pay tribute to whatever themed nonsense Fisher pulls from her highly caffeinated brain. This edition features Tash Riot, Sapphire Titha Reign, and The FranDiscos. $5 before midnight, $10 after.
10 pm Knockout @ Disgraceland, 965 Bloor St. W. A night of strictly 1960s reggae and northern soul on original 45s.
10 pm One Leg Up @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. All vinyl, all night dance madness with DJ Precious Brett! Pop, rock, and soul (classic and rarities) from any decade.
10 pm Funk Off @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Chicago’s finest, Tim and Teddy, spinning the best and boldest funk across the decades.
10 pm Pitch Perfect Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Aca-scuse me?? Are you a Barden Bella or a Treblemaker? Either way, come dance all night to songs from Pitch Perfect, plus other pop and hip-hop hits! Dance-offs are welcome. $5 advance tickets available online.
11 pm Racks & Bands @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Jay Jolliffe and guests take you on a rollercoaster ride through the biggest songs in hip-hop and RnB. $10.
SUNDAY
10 am The Trinity Bellwoods Flea @ The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W. The Trinity Bellwoods Flea is back with a fresh lineup of vendors, artisans, and designers. Warm up and treat yourself to some local goods, delicious local eats, and sweet treats. Four-legged friends welcome! Until 5 pm.
3 pm No Pants Subway Ride @ Toronto Eaton Centre (Dundas East Entrance, upstairs), 220 Yonge St. Happening simultaneously in 50+ cities around the world, the No Pants Subway Ride is a celebration of silliness to bring a smile to commuter’s faces. Ain’t no subway ride like a pantsless subway ride! There will also be a No Pants Dance Afterparty with dance offs and prizes for the raddest no pants.
7 pm Brass Facts Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Test your knowledge and win prizes! Hosted by Famous Kirk Hero. Until 10 pm.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com