Photo: "IMG_8846" by trebbble, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for TUESDAY DECEMBER 8, 2009... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar.

MUSIC | El Vez at Lee's Palace
The man known as the Mexican Elvis returns to Toronto tonight for a Merry Mexmas extravaganza. Backed by the hilarious lucha libre impersonators Los Straitjackets, El Vez will play his patented brand of Mexicanized Elvis tunes and Christmas carols including my personal favourite "多Donda Esta Santa Claus?" He's also brought along Priscilita and Lisa Maria, aka the lovely Elvettes to help you get your Navidad on.
Lee's Palace, 529 Bloor St. W., $18.50, 9:30 pm

BOOKS AND LIT | An Evening With Extraordinary Canadians
Some of the brightest stars in our country's literary galaxy come together tonight to discuss their recent biographies of extraordinary Canadians. Hear former governor general Adrienne Clarkson on Norman Bethune, leading francophone writer Daniel Poliquin on Rene Levesque and U of T philosophy professor Mark Kingwell on Glenn Gould. The trio will be interviewed by prominent essayist and Ms. Clarkson's husband John Ralston Saul.
Edward Johnson Building, 80 Queen's Park, $35 advance, $40 door, 7:30 pm

MUSIC | Jason Collett at the Dakota
Country gentleman and Broken Social Scenester Jason Collett continues his month-long residency at Ossington's favourite saloon tonight. Collett's Basement Revue is now in its third year and has become a December tradition. Joining Collett on stage will be any number of poets, musicians, story-tellers and DJs, and more than likely some of his famous friends. Runs every Tuesday until the end of December.
The Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave., $20, 8 pm

FILM | Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould is Canada's answer to James Dean. Both were good-looking rebels railing tragically against society, only Gould was just a little nicer about it. While Dean drove fast cars and bedded actresses, Gould was just rude to concert audiences. The piano prodigy continues to be a source of fascination for filmmakers, and Genius Within is the 18th and latest movie on the musician. The documentary brings to light new footage and fresh insights into Gould's private life and is currently touring the country in limited release. Tonight is its last Toronto date.
Royal Cinema, 608 College St. W., 9:30 pm

GALLERY | Pictures Talk
On Boxing Day of 2004 the world watched in horror as a tidal wave swept across coastal Asia in one of the most dramatic and catastrophic disasters in modern times. Five years later the victims of the tsunami are still struggling to put their lives back together. That struggle is documented by Pictures Talk, a photo exhibit of pictures taken by Indonesian children using cameras donated by the Red Cross. The result is a moving exhibition of reconstruction as seen through the eyes of a child. Runs til December 13.
Red Eye Gallery, Distillery District Bldg 74, Gallery 102, 12 pm - 5 pm

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