LITERATURE | "Croak" Toronto Book Launch
Jenny Sampirisi launches her collection of poetry, "Croak" tonight at The Cameron House. Although well established on Toronto's literary scene, this is Sampirisi's first poetry collection, and it is a fantastic and playful work that is at its core a dialogue between girl and frog! Sampirisi incorporates many themes into the work such as sexuality, gender politics, the state of our ecological environment, and other, seemingly non-related topics that are somehow blended into a cohesive concern. Joining Sampirisi at tonight's celebration are dance artist Megan English, musician John Farah, and poet a.rawlings.
Cameron House (408 Queen Street West) 8PM

MUSIC | CAVE @ Parts & Labour
Chicago's psych/noise rockers, Cave, have a unique and morphing sound that is hard to pin down. Largely an instrumental act, their sonic vocab is based around guitars and drums, but can go in a Moog-drone direction, or a '60s era organ-led freakbeat vibe, or minimalist beat-driven tunes. These guys played the Pitchfork music festival in 2010, and have gotten several thumbs-up on their various releases from the publication, as well. Tonight at their show at Parts and Labour, they are joined by Toronto-based noisemakers Mass Horns.
Parts & Labour (1566 Queen Street West) 9PM $7

COMEDY | Bill Bailey's Dandelion Mind Show
Britain's favourite 'surreal' comic, Bill Bailey, makes a stop in Toronto tonight as part of his Dandelion Mind tour. Bailey is a multi-talented performer, known primarily for his stand-up prowess and quick wit, but his show also makes very good use of his musical talents, as well. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Bailey works comic cover versions of various popular tunes into his performances. Bailey has released several DVDs of his various tours, and also appears regularly on British sitcoms and panel shows.
Panasonic Theatre (651 Yonge Street) 7:30PM $35

FILM | Early Monthly Segments #31 = Black Audio Film Collective's Handsworth Songs
Early Monthly Segments is a monthly film event that focuses on films that are experimental, underground, historical, and political. Tonight they will be presenting "Handsworth Songs," an hour-long film by the Black Audio Film Collective, a UK-based group that operated from 1982 to 1998. The film is an examination of social forces and conditions that led to the 1985 riots at Handsworth and environs. Also on tonight's 'menu' is Australian film maker Paul Winkler's "Dark," an abstract short film from the '70s about Aboriginal protests regarding land claims.
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom (1214 Queen Street West) 9 PM PWYC ($5 - 10 suggested donation)

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR

• Melody Bar Relaunch Celebration
• Elvis Monday
• Short & Sweet

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by mypaintings4sale in the blogTO Flickr pool