The eleventh edition of the Power Ball, the Power Plant's annual fundraiser, drops tonight. From open bars to open flames, roller girls to smashed cars, this year's edition is promising to be a louder, crazier bash than year's past. Clint Roenisch, Co-Chair of PowerBall 11 and Gregory Burke, Director of The Power Plant, took some time out from their last minute planning to fill me in on what to expect.

This is the 11th year for the Power Ball. What will be different this year than the previous 10?

Greg: It's One Louder. We're turning it all the way up to 11.

I see Dean Baldwin's back...Does that mean the Minibar's going to make an appearance? Any other interesting food or drink surprises? I read something about a roast pig....

Greg: There will be 6 open bars including 3 dynamically themed open bars, as well as Dean Baldwin's backwoods environment "The Last Drop". Food will be prepared by celebrity Chef Mark McEwan, including his famous burgers and. Mark McEwan will also be filming an episode of "The Heat" during the event. You heard right about the pig - a great lake-side patio roast will take place thanks to Oddfellows.

Clint: Power Ball 11 will have an open bar, open flames, roller girls, smashed cars to make out in, art-porn, a hot tub, rolling man-caves, jacked-up women, boulders and dry ice. The party will go to eleven like the amps in Spinal Tap. It will be a bush party of the most cultivated order.

It's no secret the economy isn't as strong right now as the last few years. Has this affected ticket sales?

Greg: Well, the economy may well have effected ticket sales but the fact is, we have tremendously supportive sponsors this year and have 10 notches in our Power Ball belts, meaning that we've built up significant support in the Toronto community. The generosity of our corporate supporters has grown this year and our individual supporters are buying tickets as they always do, showing their support of Canada's leading contemporary art gallery and demanding our annual infusion of Power Ball fun. We're at about 1100 guests and will keep selling, even at the door.

For those currently sitting on the fence, iffy about dropping $160 on a ticket, what do you say to them to get them to come?

Clint: "Put it this way: a Brinks truck doesn't follow a hearse so, since you can't take it with you, I would rather be at the best downtown contemporary art + bush party with great people than sitting at home staring at eight twenty dollar bills."

Since last year the Power Ball seems to be branding itself as Toronto's "original contemporary art party"? Is that in response to the D-List Ball (now defunct) or any other events in particular?

Greg: It's simply the truth, we were the originals and now, let's face it, we now have a lot of pretenders to the throne.

Last question - what was the best idea you had for this year's Power Ball that didn't make the cut?

Clint: "I wanted to set off a volley of Maritime Distress Flares from the Power Plant patio out into the lake - those super-bright phosphorescent HELP ones - but that got nixed. Otherwise the Power Plant was great about making everything happen: smashed cars, indoor forest, hot tub, roller girls, a working still for booze, a great country band, an electro band Parallels, flying Agathe Snow in from New York to do an installation just for the party, fog machines, boulders, bars made out of speakers, they've done everything."

Get tickets to this year's Power Ball at the door or online at www.powerball11.com