Weekend Radar: Best Coast, The Vagabond Trust Reading Series, PANIC, BBQ aka Mark Sultan, WILDsound Film and Screenplay Festival, Pedestrian Sunday, Unlovable's Yard Sale, Impromptu Splendor, Toronto Beer Week
Saturday
MUSIC | Best Coast & Male Bonding
It may officially be fall now, but LA summer-pop singer Best Coast is coming to take our mind off of that. She released her first album "Crazy for You" this summer to amazing reviews, which praised her simple, honest lyrical style and catchy hooks. UK pop punkers Male Bonding open, which makes this an unmissable show.
Lee's Palace, 539 Bloor St W, $13, 10pm
READING & LIT | The Vagabond Trust Reading Series
A nice way to start a wild and raunchy night, September's edition of The Vagabond Trust Reading Series is this evening. Come on out before the sun sets (keeps getting earlier and earlier...) to hear live poetry and fiction readings by local writers Liz Howard, Julie Cameron Gray, John B. Lee and Rebecca Rosenblum. And then all of it will be wrapped up with a musical performance by Lovemaker... Sounds pretty fall to me.
The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave, Free, 5:30pm
PARTY | PANIC
The only thing better than really good retro 80's and 90's tunes is old commercials and cartoons. I know I spend just as much time, if not more, YouTube-ing that stuff than music. Expect stuff like the Kool Aid Man to Captain Planet. Onto the music, this month they're focusing heavily on The Smiths/Morrissey, plus the usual new wave, ska, britpop and shoegazer. Not to mention they'll have a retro video game lounge, if you don't feel like dancing -- which shouldn't be the case.
Velvet Underground, 510 Queen St W, $5, 10pm
MUSIC | BBQ aka Mark Sultan
After a pretty publicized falling out with his bandmate, The King Khan & BBQ show broke up earlier this year but BBQ is still kicking. BBQ (aka Mark Sultan) put out the album "$" on Last Gang this year and it's everything a King Khan & BBQ fan would love -- simple garage riffs and super lo-fi recording style. Live, Sultan is a one man show playing guitar, drums and singing all on his own. It's definitely something to see!
Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St W, $7, 10pm
FILM | WILDsound Film and Screenplay Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is over, but I know a lot of you are still wishing it wasn't and craving something similar. This won't be similar, but it is a film festival. The NFB is hosting a free short film festival tonight, showing the best from around the world. Then after, they'll be holding a TV screenplay reading. It's all free as long as you RSVP, so you can't complain!
NFB, 150 John St, Free, 7pm
Sunday
FESTIVAL | Pedestrian Sunday
Kensington Market is already very un-car friendly as it is. It seems like walking up Augusta from Dundas to College is faster on foot than it is in a car. As usual for the last Sunday of the month, Kensington Market will be completely car free so everyone is free to get off the crowded sidewalks and flood the street. There will be tons of live music everywhere and cheap eats. The perfect way to start fall of right.
Kensington Market, Free, Noon-7pm
SALE | Unlovable's Indoor Yard Sale
Haven't you always wanted to drink at a yard sale? It may have crossed your mind, and now you can do it legally. Unlovable is holding an indoor yard sale, with everything you'd usually find like DVDs, books and clothing. And stuff that if you did find at a regular yard sale, you'd shit your pants in happiness, like a working typewriter, or an air organ. I'm sure there will be a lot less necessary rummaging around to find something good, because it all will be.
Unloveable, 1415-B Dundas St W, Free, 11am-7pm
COMEDY | Impromptu Splendor Season 3
If you're looking for more theatrical style comedy than the stuff you usually see at Comedy Bar or the Rivoli, here you go: Impromptu Splendor is back for their third season. The Canadian Comedy Award winners will bring with them special guests Miles Potter and Raoul Bhaneja (It's okay if you don't know them, they're Canadian), a surprise musical guest plus catering by Caplanskys. Catering by Caplanskys sold me on it's own.
Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave, $12, 7:30pm
Ongoing
FESTIVAL | Toronto Beer Week
Toronto Beer Week is wrapping up this weekend, so if you haven't had the chance this week to check out the cities crazy good deals and eats because of boring old work, now's your time to go nuts! Some highlights this weekend include a Cask Social at Bryden's and a harvest celebration at the Great Lakes Brewery on Saturday. Check out the websites events page for a full listing.
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: "7D lies 1" by candrika, member of the blogTO Flickr group.
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