Photo: "Read My Mind (Gabriel & Dresden Remix)" by Mike Manalang, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for TUESDAY AUGUST 18, 2009
... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar

POETRY | Poetry Hoedown
In previous years this night has explored "Sex, Drugs, & Rockin' Poetry" and "Poetry Blues", and now it's time to take a look at the poetry of country music! Hosted by Cynthia Gould, with live music by Fran McCann & Uncle Herb Dale, expect to hear forlorn tales of dusty roads and lonesome cowboys from well-known Toronto poets, comedians and musicians.
Clinton's, 693 Bloor St W

MUSIC | Timebomb Tuesdays ft Teenage Bad Girl
The second show in the new Timebomb Tuesdays series features some of the heaviest electro/club acts in the world including Teenage Bad Girl, one of the original French House duos that, along with Daft Punk and Justice, have defined the sound of electronic music in the 2000's. Also performing is up-and-coming Club Fabric alumnus DJ Boy 8-Bit, as well as Toronto's own Golden Gloves.
Tattoo Rock Parlour, 567 Queen St W

PARTIES | Film Fort presents: Seconds Under The Sun
A hot summer night of brilliant Japanese animation shorts by filmmakers including Kei Oyama, Naomi Nagata and K+ME, most of which are being shown for the first time in North America! There will be cold beer, Japanese snacks and psych-garage music straight from Shinjuku. Curated by Naomi Hocura.
Function13 Gallery, 156 Augusta Ave / PWYC

Photo: "firestorm" by gs61to, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for MONDAY AUGUST 17, 2009
... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar

FILM | Cinéfranco at the Revue
The Revue Cinema and Cinéfranco present Canadian premieres of two French films, "Sang Froid" and "Les Petites Vacances") as part of a quarterly mini-French film festival. The event continues on Tuesday, with Shlomo Schwartzberg concluding his five-part lecture "The Genius of French Cinema", and the premiere of the film "Un Roman Policier".
Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave / 7pm

THEATRE | Twelfth Night
The rarely-used courtyard behind College Park provides the backdrop for one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies; an ode to merriment, indulgence and good living, shot through with cross-dressing, swashbuckling, and encroaching circles of love and lust.
College Park Courtyard, College St & Yonge St / 7pm / PWYC

DANCE | Thrill the World T.O.
Join dozens of other potential undead dancers for an instructive group lesson running through several sections of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" routine. If you've seen those Filipino inmates perform this you'll know there's something to be said for the dedication and skill it takes to perform this dance correctly!
Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Avenue

Photo: "corn basting in pumpkin ale" by sjgardiner, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for SATURDAY AUGUST 15 and SUNDAY AUGUST 16, 2009
... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar

ENVIRONMENT | Edible Tree Tour
This walking tree tour of Toronto will visit the city's greenest spots, including the first community orchard at Ben Nobleman Park, OCAD professor Stan Krzyzanowski's installation of grafted cherry trees, and a live action fruit pick by Not Far From The Tree, taking us back to a time when Toronto was nothing but a lush, untouched forest.
Meet at Eglinton West Subway Station at 2pm, tour ends at St Clair & Christie at 4pm / suggested donation: $5

PARTIES | Peace, Love and Hippie Shit
Primary Colours presents a night of live music and art with Milwaukee rapper Juiceboxxx, as well as a round robin performance featuring primal cave-pop champions Romo Roto and noise-punks John Milner You're So Boss going head-to-head in song-for-song rotation, plus DJ's, video projections, baked goods and free popsicles!
F-13 Gallery, 156 Augusta / 9pm / $5

COMMUNITY | Neighbourhood Day on Dundas West
Local merchants work with the community to celebrate the Dundas West neighbourhood with a wide range of fun activities including live music, outdoor art & fashion shows, free percussion workshops, gypsy psychic readings, samba dancers, film screenings, food and drinks. A highlight will be the Samba On Dundas performance at Teresa's Place (1525 Dundas St W) at 2:15pm.
Dundas St W / FREE

Photo: "Can You Feel It" by Mike Manalang, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for FRIDAY AUGUST 14 2009
... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar

COMMUNITY | Blackout Anniversary on Ossington Ave
28 venues on Ossington from Queen to Dundas relive the hectic fun of the 2003 blackout, with acoustic, unamplified performances, food, drink and conversation in the dark. Please respect the neighbourhood's 11pm noise curfew!
Ossington Ave between Queen St and Dundas St / FREE

PARTIES | Randomland RIP: Closing Party at the Mod Club
In light of recent management changes at Circa, Toronto's most groundbreaking club night Randomland has come to an end. For two years, Randomland has been a hub of creativity and a place for fun, unique personalities to come together, with era-defining performances from artists like Crystal Castles, Hercules & Love Affair, Thunderheist and Matt & Kim. Randomland promoters A/D/D give the night a final farewell with one last dance at the Mod Club Theatre.
Mod Club, 722 College / $15

FILM | Un Été Comme Les Autres (A Film Like Any Other)
This program is based on Jean-Luc Godard's film of the same name, which turns the established "60's as period of cultural revolution" school of thought on it's head, presenting the summer of 1968 as a static period of reflection. The four films in the program (Jordan Wolfson's "Untitled", Robert Morris' "Gas Station", Joyce Wieland and Hollis Frampton's "A & B in Ontario" and Duncan Campbell's "O Joan, no...") become the equivalent of a lazy summers' day.
CineCycle, 129 Spadina Ave

Photo: "Tie one on" by Maryam S., member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for THURSDAY AUGUST 13 2009
... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar

PARTIES | The End of the Oxford Hotel
One of Toronto's most unique and precious venues, the Oxford Hotel was a house near Kensington Market that hosted backyard shows and art parties for several years, including memorable appearances by Timber Timbre in 2008 and Kimya Dawson in 2007. This week will celebrate the legacy of the Oxford Hotel with four days of music, films, food, friends, games and fun, with tonight's performers including Griffin & the True Believers and Miwa Gemini.
The Oxford Hotel, 117 Oxford St / 6pm

PARTIES | Close Encounters: A Taste Tripping Party
Toronto's first Miracle Fruit party! The Miraculin protein found within the flesh of this fruit coats your tongue and causes sour foods to taste deliciously sweet. Lemons taste sugar-coated and vinegar like honey wine. Seating limited, RVSP here for reservations.
The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St W / 8pm / $25

MUSIC | Summerworks Festival: The D'Urbervilles and Forest City Lovers
The Summerworks Festival continues to open the eyes of Toronto's music, theatre and arts community to the seemingly endless talent we have surrounding us. This performance, presented by Out Of This Spark, will feature Guelph's post-punk party monsters the D'Urbervilles and fellow OOTS friends Forest City Lovers.
Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St W / $10 / 10pm / ALL AGES

Live music picks for THURSDAY AUGUST 13 through TUESDAY AUGUST 20, 2009

THURSDAY AUGUST 13 / DON ROSS / HUGH'S ROOM / 2261 DUNDAS ST W / $25
DON ROSS is one of the world's greatest fingerstyle guitarists, with a unique style that incorporates percussive techniques and alternate tunings to create a powerful range of emotions. He has won the U.S. National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship twice, the only guitarist to ever do so, and has been recording since the late 1980's, with his latest album "Any Colour" released this year.
www.myspace.com/donross

FRIDAY AUGUST 14 / GENE WEEN / HORSESHOE TAVERN / 370 QUEEN ST W / $25 / 19+
GENE WEEN is best known as half of the cracked-genius musical duo WEEN, whose legendary irreverence and surprising commercial success in the mid-90s garnered them a reputation as one of the strangest bands ever to have a radio hit (1993's Push th' Little Daisies). Recently he has taken up a solo career as The Gene Ween Band, but hopefully we'll hear plenty of bizzarro-pop tunes from classic Ween albums as well.
www.myspace.com/geneweenband

FRIDAY AUGUST 14 / SUMMERWORKS FESTIVAL: SUNPARLOUR PLAYERS / THEATRE CENTRE / 1087 QUEEN ST W / $10 / ALL AGES
SUNPARLOUR PLAYERS play rootsy indie-folk tunes with a gusto and bluster that have made quite an impression on audiences across Canada, with the multi-instrumental trio's second album "Wave North" released this year to enthusiastic reviews. Their performance as part of the Summerworks Festival will show off the intensity of the group's live show in the Theatre Centre's warm and spacious environment.
www.myspace.com/thesunparlour