This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.

Silver Linings Playbook (eOne)

Being able to find gut busting comedy in senseless tragedy is the greatest asset Hollywood auteur David O. Russell seems to possess, and Silver Linings Playbook blackly delivers it in spades. While the final 30 minutes is about as conventional and saccharine as most feel good Oscar-baiting pictures come, the first 90 minutes is both dark and unrelentingly comedic, with Bradley Cooper's unhinged portrayal of a man who has lost it all and moved back home with his parents equal parts pathetic, terrifying and hilarious. Is this a defining Romantic movie moment for the twentyteens?

Extras include fluffy featurettes with titles like "Learn to Dance like Pat & Tiffany", and "Silver Linings Playbook: The Movie That Became A Movement", which slightly betray the punk and anti-establishment pedigree in which Russell used to operate. Much better to skip them and go straight for LOLs with "Going Steadicam with Bradley Cooper".

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Not Fade Away (Paramount)

Rock'N'Roll fuelled 1960s-set drama about a band who set out to be the next Rolling Stones. Full of great performances, lush period detail and a killer sound track, but you can't help shake the feeling that for his feature film debut The Sopranos creator David Chase could have done something a little more envelope pushing than an inoffensive variation on That Thing You Do! Extras include deleted scenes and a short about living in the Sixties.

The Vampire Lovers (Scream Factory)

Scream Factory's 1080p HD line of re-mastered editions of neglected horror classic continues from strength to strength, with the release of this Hammer Horror gothic a particular highpoint. Based upon J. Sheridan Le Fanu's novella "Carmilla", this atmospheric period piece has both buckets of blood and a buxom lesbian Vampire who feeds on all the innocent young female townsfolk. Featuring Hammer stalwart Peter Cushing as the Van Helsing-type vampire slayer. Extras include a reading of "Carmilla" by silk-voxed star Ingrid Pitt, and a superb making-of featurette entitled "Femme Fantastique: Resurrecting the Vampire Lovers"

The Guilt Trip (Paramount)

Strangely sweet Boomer fantasy fulfillment in which shrill aged Barbara Streisand plays odd couple with Seth Rogan on a cross country trip. While the classic road pic Planes, Trains and Automobiles is in no immediate danger of losing its crown, this has its moments even if it's brand of innocent comedy feels like it drove in from the mid-1990s in a Mazda Miata, which doesn't sit well next to the SUV like juggernaut of Judd Apatow's Cineplex of inane vulgarity.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season 3 (Paramount)

According to proper Trekkies, this was the TV season when Star Trek: The Next Generation ceased being a low rent spandex wearing Xerox of its poppy predecessor, and began to carve out a legacy for itself as the defining blueprint for the franchise until J.J. Abrams came along with his lens flares and punked it up, making it a lot less formal but losing the hard Sci-Fi earnestness in the process.

So many great episodes here, including the fan favorite "Yesterday's Enterprise," featuring an alternative universe where war with the Klingons has militarized the Federation to the point of near fascism; "The Offspring," in which the troubled android Data builds a daughter, and "The Best of Both Worlds", surely the most intense season ending cliff-hanger since J. R Ewing took a bullet for his troubles. In addition to all the episodes being spruced up in glorious 1080p, Extras include a gag reel, a new documentary about key season 3 episodes, and a reunion of the writing staff.

The Big Boss/Fists of Fury (Shout Factory)

Two bone crunching classic Bruce Lee flicks highlighting his still untouchable master Martial Art style and the cheery grime of 1970s Drive-In film making.

Funny Girl (Sony)

For those who did not enjoy the Barbara Streisand of The Guilt Trip, an antidote comes in the form of her greatest work starring in the true life story of Fanny Brice. Restored for Bluray, the film has never looked so good, nor has its memorable tune "People who need people are the luckiest people in the world" sounded so clear.

Night of the Scarecrow (Olive Films)

A group of teenagers release the spirit of a warlock who uses a possessed scarecrow to wipe out those descended from the people who wronged him years ago. Long lost 90s VHS horror brought back from the dead and still slightly more entertaining than it sounds.

STILL FRESH

• Gangster Squad
• Pawn
• Mr. Selfridge
• The Central Park Five
• Broken City
• The Impossible
• Cold Prey II
• Manborg
• Message From Space

TORONTO FILM OBSCURIA ON YOUTUBE

There are some movies so bland and eye batting awful that they will never be shown on TV, or in a theatre, or released onto DVD or Bluray. The Reincarnate is one such movie. Thanks to that greatest channel in the world YouTube, it is ready to be watched whenever you are.

Corporate lawyer Everet Julian (played by Jack Creley, later to immortalize Professor Brian Oblivion in Videodrome) discovers he doesn't have very long to live, and must transfer his spirit into the body of another as per the philosophy of the ancient Sakana Cult.

What follows runs the gamut from religious sacrifices to killer cats, and everything in between. Billed as Canada's first entry into the burgeoning horror genre, it did indeed preceed the usual suspect Black Christmas. Watch out for Forest Ranger/ Polka Dot Door host Rex Hagon as an early victim. Play spot the Toronto location, or just kick back and marvel at how the Horror genre morphed from this to torture porn in four short decades.

Lead photo from Silver Linings Playbook

Just over a week old, this casual taqueria at the corner of Baldwin and Augusta helps finally put to rest the once truism that you couldn't get good Mexican food in Toronto. Starring tacos, tostadas, sopes and enchiladas, the kitchen serves up authentic and well-priced cheap eats that are going to keep me coming back for more.

Read my review of Pancho Y Emiliano in the restaurants section.

The DineSafe database certainly burst a bubble for lovers of Thai food this week. Pi-Tom's Thai Cuisine near Yonge and Carlton was closed down after a "failure to prevent gross unsanitary conditions." One can only imagine the specifics of a charge like that. They also had crucial infractions in the food safety department and an unfortunate failure to control a pest situation.

Other restaurants' infractions ran high this week, too, with no fewer than 10 for San Gennaro's Fine Foods and seven each for King Tasty BBQ and Kim Vietnamese Food.

Pi-Tom's Thai Cuisine (6A Alexander St.)
Inspected on: April 24
Inspection finding: Red (Closed)
Number of infractions: 9 (Minor: 4, Significant: 2, Crucial: 3)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to prevent gross unsanitary conditions, failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated, failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder.

San Gennaro Fine Foods (3250 Dufferin St.)
Inspected on: April 25
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 10 (Minor: 4, Significant: 5, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

Artisano Bakery Cafe (1020 Islington Ave.)
Inspected on: April 24
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 3, Significant: 1)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Dong Kee Restaurant (3838 Midland Ave)
Inspected on: April 23
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 4 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2)
Crucial infractions include: N/A

Kim Vietnamese Restaurant (546 Dundas St. W.)
Inspected on: April 23
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 2, Significant: 4, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to maintain hazardous foods at 60 C (140 F) or hotter.

Lee Town Restaurant (4907 Yonge St.)
Inspected on: April 22
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 5 (Minor: 2, Significant: 2, Crucial: 1)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to ensure food is not contaminated/adulterated.

King Tasty BBQ (354 Broadview Ave.)
Inspected on: April 24
Inspection finding: Yellow (Conditional Pass)
Number of infractions: 7 (Minor: 2, Significant: 3, Crucial: 2)
Crucial infractions include: Failure to maintain hazardous foods at 4 C (40 F) or colder, failure to maintain hazardous foods at 60 C (140 F) or hotter.

This oldschool casa in the Annex has the potential to be a bougie paradise. There's a full-on nanny suite (because who wants to take care of their own children? Gross!), no fewer than seven bathrooms, and four parking spots for all your lambos and porsches, or what have you. This place belongs on Cribs, and is the perfect spot to settle down for a quiet, simple life in the city.

SPECS:

Address: 82 Madison Ave.
Price: $3,950,000
Size: 5,000+
Storeys: 3
Bedrooms: 4+1
Bathrooms: 7?
Parking Spaces: 
4
Property Taxes: $10,893

NOTABLE FEATURES

"Spa-inspired" ensuites off each bedroom
Elevator (?)
Media room
Wine cellar
Sub Zero side fridge
Full nanny's quarters

GOOD FOR

The impatient among us. NO MORE ALL THE GIRLS STANDING IN LINE FOR THE BAFROOM. For this reason, 82 Madison would be the ideal party spot. Perfect for post-Maddy gatherings...yeah. Oh, and also if you like wine.

MOVE ON IF

You don't feel like paying more for a team of cleaners to keep your seven washrooms in a serviceable state than you do for the basic necessities of life.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

What do you think — would you buy this home if you could?

Read other posts in this series via our House of the Week Pinterest board.

The 2013 CONTACT Photography Festival is once again set to land in Toronto. After its official launch tomorrow night at the MOCCA, the city will be dotted with exhibitions at virtually every gallery — not to mention cafes and billboards. Now in 17th incarnation, this year's fest will include public installations, films, lectures and workshops, mostly accessible free of charge and presented to an audience of nearly two million (it's still the largest photography festival in the world).

With more than 1,000 artists showing at 130 venues, finding a theme vague enough to encompass the incredible diversity of work sounds like a difficult undertaking. But the festival organisers once again hit it out of the park with "Field of Vision," which supposedly "explores the photographic medium as a way of seeing." Hard to argue with that.

Last year's festival was defined by the wonderfully ambitious joint exhibition between the MOCCA and UTAC. Entitled "Collective Identity | Occupied Spaces," the show was the absolute centrepoint of the event. Though there may not be a single dominating show this time around, there are still plenty of must-sees at CONTACT 2013.

PRIMARY EXHIBITIONS
Featuring internationally renowned artists and held at major institutions like the Art Gallery of Ontario, the MOCCA, the Ryerson Image Centre, and the ROM, primary exhibitions are the safest bets to hit for those short on time. Here are the three that I find most exciting to further help you economise your CONTACT experience.

24hrs in Photography: Erik Kessels. Contact Gallery
Erin Kessel's massive installation seeks to recreate our contemporary experience, in which images are received through a constant hypermediated barrage. To achieve this effect, an unimaginable 350,000 prints will strewn across the floor of Contact Gallery headquarters, and visitors are invited to directly engage with (and walk on) the work.

Scotiabank Photography Award: Arnaud Maggs
Arnaud Maggs late-life career was a delightful and inspiring story in the Toronto art world: a playful man in his mid 80's, who had only turned to fine art photography in his middle age, creates a prolific body of work and is rewarded with several major art prizes. Unfortunately, Arnaud passed away last year shortly after receiving his Scotiabank Photography Award, and thus, his prize exhibition is instead a testament to his legacy.

Genesis - Sebastio Salgado - Royal Ontario Museum
Salgado's exhibition at the ROM is all about scale: 245 black-and-white photographs, taken throughout 8 years of travel between 32 countries, and depicting panoramic viewpoints of "untouched" regions that have escaped the onset of globalization. Salgado's work offers a news perspective of our natural world that, at this rate, may soon exist only in photographic form.

PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS
Held on billboards, exterior walls, and subway platforms, CONTACT's public installations ensure that everyone in the city gets to experience a taste of the festival. This year, even the rest of the country will be able to participate, as Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin photo billboards hit Calgary, Dartmouth. Montreal, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Winnipeg.

Food. Martin Parr. Metro Hall and Pearson International Airport
Magnum photographer Martin Parr turns his lens toward food — specifically the food that we Torontonians eat. Parr was recently commissioned to tour the city and document our food offerings. The result is a stunning series of images that paint a portrait of Toronto via what we collectively eat.

Pyramid: James Nizam. Brookfield Place, Allen Lambert Galleria
Of all the promising exhibitions this year, I'm most excited to see James Nizam's innovative photograph/sculpture installation. Completed totally in-camera, Nizam's pyramid was constructed using to mirrors to reflect an individual beam of light made visible to the camera through the use of mist generated by haze machines, and then suspended high in up in the Allen Lambert Galleria's cathedral-like ceiling.

Images from La Jetée: Chris Marker. TIFF Bell Lightbox
This art-house, scifi classic from 1963 has frequently been cited as one of the most influential films ever made. Composed almost entirely of still photographs and completely devoid of a narrative, the film still manages a deeply emotional arc. La Jetée will be screened as part of a retrospective on the films of Chris Marker, while the first 14 images in the film will be installed on the Lightbox's street-level windows.

To Photograph the Details of a Dark Horse in Low Light: Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin - Billboards along Dundas St W and Across Canada
Kodak "norm reference cards" were hit with frequent allegations of racism for their inclusion of a "normal" skin tone within a photograph and. Here, Broomberg and Chanarin explore the current relationship between concepts of normality and contemporary consumer imagery by including these reference cards alongside glamorous shots of white women.

FEATURED EXHIBITIONS
Representing the halfway point between the Primary and Open, Featured Exhibitions take place in fine art galleries across the city and are selected by the CONTACT organisers. This year, 32 selected exhibitions will present works by artists from around the world.

Portrait: Mark Peckmezian. Harbourfront Centre
oronto-based photographer Mark Peckmezian hopes to expands the visual discourse of portraiture, revealing the visual language and history that comes equipped within any photographic representation. Peckmezian's precise technique may place him within the realm of a Renaissance painter, but his concerns are totally modern.

Bad Teeth: Robyn Cumming. Erin Stump Projects
Cumming's bizarrely distorted portraits are created using found objects to resemble parts of the body. Alternately flirting with satire, kitsch, and slapstick, Cumming's series is both an original exploration of human self-perception, and a playful release from some of the loftier CONTACT exhibitions.

Constructed Mythologies: Janieta Eyre. UTAC Art Lounge
This survey of Toronto-based Janieta Eyre's past and present work compiles some of the most striking images created during her fascinating career. Challenging conventional Western notions of female beauty, Eryre creates fantastical images that deconstruct traditional visual representations while offering up another perspective for imagining gender and sexuality in contemporary culture.

OPEN EXHIBITIONS
Found at galleries, bar, cafés, and anywhere there's a blank wall, the open exhibitions are what truly make CONTACT such a fantastic event. Sure, there's a lot of work of questionable quality to wade through, but no other festival makes its subject matter so accessible, or allows for the same possibility of discovery.

Portraits of the Esplanade: Various artists. David Crombie Park
In this outdoor exhibition, youth from the Esplanade neighbourhood were paired with professional photographer Laura Dittmann to help document their personal experiences with their external surroundings. Their works will be displayed in David Crombie Park, within the very neighbourhood that inspired them.

Queer Portraits: JJ Levine. Gladstone Hotel - Art Bar
Depicting the complicated relationships Levine has with their friends, lovers, and siblings in Montreal, "Queer Portraits" employs domestic settings, confrontational gazes, and hypersaturated colours for a thoroughly fresh perspective on the community.

Within: Various Artists. KUMF Gallery
The Etobicoke School of the Arts has always produced daring young artists, and their annual CONTACT graduation show is a great way to discover new talent.The advance images provided look especially striking this year, and definitely stand out among the sea of professional photographers.

MOBILE APP

What gives? For the second year in a row, the festival has chosen not to update their mobile app. Exhibition maps and a festival planner are still available online, however.

Obviously, I could only cover a fraction of CONTACT's offerings for the month. For complete exhibition listings, be sure to check the festival website.

Photos (in order) by Erik Kessels, Sebastio Salgado, Martin Parr, Janieta Eyre, and JJ Levine.

A chance encounter at a local record shop has brought Toronto-based filmmaker Alan Zweig back to Hot Docs with a documentary on fifteen loosely related stories called 15 Reasons To Live. Inspired by Ray Robertson's collection of essays Why Not? 15 Reasons to Live, Zweig interviewed thirteen individuals who had life-changing experiences, and inserted two of his own. The auteur who made a movie about his audophilia, Vinyl, and concerning misanthropy in the self-titled I, Curmudgeon, still has the stylistic streak of Bukowski, but there is the slightest hint that he may be taking his career in a slightly less inward-looking and autobiographical direction.

How did you come to adapt Ray's book?

One day I saw him at the She Said Boom in Roncesvalles and that's the first time I had talked to him in a long time. He said that maybe since I was interested in non-fiction maybe I'd like to adapt this book of essays he had coming out. Then he told me the title. I think that there were a lot of things happening in my life at the time that made those four words hit me.

The story titled "Praise" concerned Jim __ and the 1000 Songs blog on Facebook, where visitors can log reactions and personal memories relating to songs.

Jim worked at the AGO, in the experimental film scene - these were things I was on the very fringe of, but not my community. Then I heard about the blog, about a hundred songs in...I like keeping a diary but I didn't have a good reason to keep one and then this guy comes along and says 'do you want to write your diary in reaction to my diary?'"

Were you conscious that the film almost exclusively took place in Toronto?

That wasn't on purpose but I like [seeing familiar places]. I'll see something in an American TV show and say 'Isn't that my street?'

Is your interview style always to play the devil's advocate? To insert your own doubts about the dependability of friends when you hear of remarkable bonds of friendship?

It's one thing for me to feel that way in real life; it's another thing for me to express that in the film. I always struggle with what part of my reaction to include. The worst thing is to interview somebody who has told the same story one hundred times, and they have a script in their head. You want them to say something that sounds genuine and sometimes the only way to do that is to argue or upset them.

Has the filmmaking process given you an epiphany or mini-epiphany?

I changed before I started filming. I say something at the end of the film about choosing happiness and how I reacted when I heard it. That's the first time I heard that and didn't think that was bullshit. But I heard so many stories where that appeared to be borne out, and it broke my back, I couldn't deny it: you choose to let happiness into your life.

The loose structure of different self-contained stories reminds me of songs in an album - which album would you compare it to?

Maybe Moondanc, but that's too much. I'd love to think Blonde on Blonde but maybe that's too much too. I want to say Sunshine Superman, which is secretly great, it's a truly great album. I think a song in an album is a better analogy than, say, chapters in a book.

15 Reasons to Live screens at Hot Docs this Sunday, May 5th, 1t 1:30pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

This new confectionery shop opened a few weeks ago at College and Ossington, and is sure to delight local candy enthusiasts and chocoholics of all ages. Whether your sweet tooth is partial to classic gummy bears, gourmet chocolate, organic sweets, or imported treats, there's most likely something here to satisfy your craving. Warning: any self-restraint may quickly disappear as you begin to feel like, well, a kid in a candy store.

Read my profile of The Candy Bar in the grocery stores section.

More than 140 buildings are under construction in Toronto right now, but they can't all be wonders of design and engineering. That's where the PUG Awards come in. The annual event celebrates (and laments) the last year's crop of new buildings, handing out an award for the most and least popular new structures.

Among the high-profile projects up for consideration this year: the Shangri-La Hotel, Yorkville's Four Seasons Hotel, the George Brown Waterfront Campus, and the two new residential additions to Regent Park revitalization - the Daniels Spectrum and the Paintbox Condominiums.

Though there are no real howlers to speak of here, there's a decent helping of mediocrity among the low-rise apartment buildings. The worst architectural crimes on the shortlist (if you ask me) are the ones that make a new building simply forgettable.

Voting runs until May 31st and the winner (and loser) will be announced in June. In order to qualify for the PUG awards the buildings had to be completed in 2012 and be larger than 50,000 square feet. Which building do you think will be judged the best? Are there any buildings, good or bad, missing from the list?

Here are a few predictions for the top award:

Shangri-La Hotel TorontoOne of the most conspicuous additions to Toronto's skyline in 2012, the 65-storey Shangri-La has plenty of admirers. The building houses a high-end hotel, luxury residences, David Chang's Toronto restaurants, and a private spa and steam room, but does the mostly-glass exterior exemplify quality design or add another boxy column to the core?

Four Seasons HotelThe second luxury hotel on the PUG shortlist is one of a handful of new Yorkville construction projects. The 55-storey hotel and condo tower that's the focal point of the complex includes a glazed bridge to a smaller, 26-storey building to the north with a ground-floor restaurant. As glass-heavy projects go, this one's not bad.

Life Sciences Building, York UniversityThe new Life Sciences building at York U looks a little like the modern addition to OCAD but without the stilts. Inside the "pixelated" $65-million building there are biology and chemistry research labs. A striking entrance to the university that's seeing its share of new development.

Paintbox CondominiumsPart of the high-profile revitalization of Regent Park, the Paintbox Condominiums are part of a cluster of new development that includes the Daniels Spectrum (also eligible for this year's PUGs and shown at the top of the page) and the Regent Park Aquatic Centre. Are the exterior colour swatches used on both buildings a winner?

Six 50 King West CondominiumsThe developers describe Six 50 King West as "Jenga inspired." Though it looks a bit like a jumble of building blocks, there's something here that makes the LEED-certified low-rise residential unit stand out in the right way. Five Hundred Wellington West, another small apartment building on the PUG list, has a similar look.

And a couple of contenders for the worst new building...

Bohemian Embassy Flats and LoftsA giant serving of squandered potential, the Bohemian development took a prime piece of West Queen West real estate and turned it into an anonymous residential block. It's not ugly enough to catch the eye, but that's the point. Sometimes less is really is less.

Trump International Hotel & TowerThe Trump Tower is a tough call, but I suspect there might be enough distaste for the hotel's underwhelming spire, conservative aesthetic, and overall wonkiness to see it rank quite low. Then again, I might be wrong.

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Images: PUG Awards

As Toronto's southernmost east/west thoroughfare prior to major infill efforts in the early part of the 20th century, it's not surprising that Front Street has been home to some of the city's most important buildings, at least a few of which remain to this day. Front has, at point or another, housed the province's early parliament buildings, Toronto's first city hall, the St. Lawrence Market, the Flatiron Building, multiple Union Stations and some of the city's finest hotels, to provide only a brief sample of its most important tenants.

Going back a couple of centuries, what we now call Front Street was referred to as Palace Street thanks to presence of the province's second parliamentary buildings. These were located at Front and, you guessed it, Parliament streets (etymology is fun!) before being rebuilt further west (near Simcoe) in 1832.

In addition to this important bit of provincial history, the street played a major role in the development of the city itself. Located on the current site of the St. Lawrence Market, Toronto's first city hall could be found at the corner of Front and Jarvis streets between 1845 and 1899, when it relocated to Queen and Bay Streets (what we now refer to as Old City Hall). The remains of this building have been preserved at the entrance to current the market, though the bulk of the structure was demolished long ago.

There are too many other iconic structures that have called Front Street their home to devote much time to each of them, but it'd be silly not to draw attention to the gem that was Old Union Station. Technically the city's second hub train station (there was apparently a first, far less dramatic Union prior to this one's construction), it sat on Front between York and Simcoe streets until it was demolished in 1931. Perhaps it's a stretch to say that the loss of this building was equivalent to that of the original Penn Station in New York, but not by much.

Speaking of Front Street structures lost to demolition, it still irks me that the Board of Trade Building was knocked down in 1958 only to exist as a parking lot prior to the construction of the EDS Building, which wrapped up in 1982. Toronto! What were you thinking?

Also, noteworthy, of course are the Royal York Hotel, The Cyclorama Building, and current day Union Station, but we've already written about them, so I'll stop blathering in favour of presenting the photos.

MAP

Goad's Atlas, 1910

PHOTOS

Third Parliament Buildings (Front & Simcoe), 1834

Front Street, 1876

Coffin Block, 1888

Coffin Block, 1880s

Gooderham Building (Flatiron), 1890s

Victoria Row, 1890s

Bank of Montreal at Yonge and Front (now the Hockey Hall of Fame), 1900

Board of Trade Building (NE corner Yonge & Front), 1900

Aftermath of the 1904 fire, looking west across Front

Flagpole painter (view of Front looking west from Yonge), 1907

Old Union Station (a.k.a. Union Station II), 1910s

Queen's Hotel (Front & York), 1915

Cyclorama building, 1922

Union Station, 1926

Royal York Hotel (Front & York), 1929

Union Station, 1931

Streetcar in front of Union Station, 1932

Barclay Hotel (Front and Simcoe), 1955

O'Keefe Centre under construction, late 1950s

Opening night O'Keefe Centre, 1960

Yonge and Front, 1960s

St. Lawrence Market, 1965 (York University Archives)

St. Lawrence Market (canopy between north and south buildings), 1960s

Front east of Yonge, 1960s

Front east of Yonge 1970s

Walker House Hotel (Front and York), 1975

Cyclorama building, 1970s

Union Station, 1970s

Gooderham Building (Flatiron), 1970s

Dominion Public Building, 1970s

Bird's eye view of the St. Lawrence Market area, early 1980s

CBC Headquarters construction, 1988

Photo by Michael-Albert Herrera in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Toronto events on May 1st, 2013

FOOD | Food Truck Fever
It's food trucks galore at the Sony Centre this week for Food Truck Fever. Kicking off what will be a busy summer of food trucks near the corner of Yonge and Front, the new food truck spot will be welcoming May in style by handing out free food for the first 15 people in line each day. To get the free food all you need to do is download the new Toronto Food Trucks app on your iPhone first and show 'em that you have it. For everyone else? Hey, it's still a great spot to grab some lunch from some of Toronto's best gourmet food trucks.
The Sony Centre (1 Front St East) 11AM - 3PM

PHOTOGRAPHY | Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival
The Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival begins today, with a launch event at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art this evening. The festival, founded in 1997, is one of Canada's most significant cultural events, and is the largest event of its kind in the world. This event features both Canadian and international talent, with over 1,500 individuals exhibiting their work at almost 200 venues throughout the city. The theme for this year's Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival is Field Of Vision, and the notion of photography as a "way of seeing" will be explored. The festival runs until May 31.
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (952 Queen St. W.) 7PM (launch)

ART | The Toronto Strip Show
The Toronto Comic Arts Festival celebrates its tenth year this year, and takes place May 11 and 12. To both raise awareness and funds, (and perhaps to begin celebrating a little early), the TCAF presents The Toronto Strip Show, which opens tonight at Steam Whistle's gallery. This special exhibition will showcase unique and thematically related comic strips from artists who will be featured at this year's festival, and promises to surprise you with the broad spectrum of styles that this cultural artform has to offer. Tonight's opening reception is also a fundraiser for the TCAF, and all work exhibited can be bid on in a silent auction. This exhibit will run at Steam Whistle until May 31.
Steam Whistle Brewing (255 Bremner Blvd.) 7PM

BOOKS & LIT | Little Brother Magazine No. 2 Launch Party
Little Brother is a relatively new magazine, celebrating the launch of its second issue tonight. Published twice yearly, Little Brother features fiction, essays, and photography from Canadian sources and beyond. Little Brother's second issue revolves around the theme of "jokes", and at tonight's launch, guests are encouraged to come prepared to share their favourite joke onstage. The Globe and Mail, Monocle, and Broken Pencil all have great things to say about this new venture, so consider coming out to support TO's literary scene, grab a copy, and have a cookie.
June Records (662 College St.) 7:30PM

BOOKS & LIT | AUTHORS: Mia Couto, Shyam Selvadurai, Ania Szado
Another excellent evening of literature and discussion happens tonight, courtesy of Authors At Harbourfront Centre. Well known Mozambican writer Mia Couto is the first African writer to receive the Latin Union literary prize, and he will share his latest work, The Tuner of Silences tonight. Shyam Selvadurai, whose books have been shortlisted for both the Giller Prize and the Trillium Award, will read from his new novel, The Hungry Ghosts. Commonwealth Writers' Prize nominee Ania Szado is also reading tonight, and her latest work, Studio Saint-Ex, set in a New York French expatriate community during WWII, will definitely grab your attention.
Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay W.) 7:30PM $10 (free for members/students/youth)

ALSO OF NOTE

• Os Tropies play Caetano's "Tropicalia"
• The Architecture of Empty Opening - Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival
• Private as Public group show opening // Unofficial Contact opening after party.
• EARLY SUNDAY MORNING: New urban photos by David Kaufman

For more Toronto event suggestions, check out these posts:

• Toronto Food Events
• This week in fashion
• This week in Theatre
• This week in film
• This week in music
• Toronto Concerts, May 2013

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

Photo courtesy of tracer.ca via Flickr.

The city's annual budget surplus ain't what she used to be. The latest projections show Toronto heading for just $14.3 million left over at the end of the year, which isn't much when you consider the city has an annual operating budget of $9.4 billion. Previously the surplus has been used to prop up the next year's spending. The last surplus, left over from 2011, was $102 million.

It's still not clear how the original Nathan Phillips Square bike station got shelved. The storage area with showers, revived last month, quietly vanished during the restoration of other parts of the square despite using $650,000 of its budget. The Fords say they'll try and squash the project when it comes up for final approval at the city council next week.

Yorkville is sort of like the Upper East Side and Queen West is a good surrogate for the West Village, according to New York's The Morning News. The site recommends Toronto (and Montreal) as good places for travel-hungry residents of the Big Apple to find a little piece of home. Our Chinatown is also better, apparently.

Toronto doesn't fare so well in terms of cycling development, but you already knew that. Turns out Copenhagenize doesn't think the Sherbourne Street bike lane - the only "separated" route in the city - strong enough to haul Hogtown into contention for its "Top 20 Cycling Cities" list. Montreal made the cut, coming in at number 11. Amsterdam, of course, was top.

One thing we do pretty well is streetcars. That's why the city of Cincinnati asked TTC Chair Karen Stintz to pop over and recommend ways they can forge ahead with their own struggling surface rail project. Stintz told their city council how streetcars have spurred development on King, Queen, and Bathurst streets. Doug Ford went ape, of course, calling up media outlets in Ohio to criticize Toronto's transit. Does it get any more embarrassing?

That mural Rob Ford started at Victoria Park and Kingston is done - it's got birds and cats.

Finally, users of St. Patrick subway station are going to be seeing a little more of the underground than normal. A new art installation is replacing the usual advertising posters with pictures of Toronto's impressive yet rarely seen sewer system, sans turds. The images were taken by Michael Cook, who we've featured on blogTO before, and are being shown as part of the CONTACT photography festival.

IN BRIEF:

• School bus strike averted with tentative deal [CBC]
• Toronto cabbie suspended after alleged sex talk to lone female passenger [Toronto Sun]
• Police smash Canada's biggest bootleg DVD operation [CBC]
• Blue Jays finally manage to succeed despite themselves [National Post]

Chris Bateman is a staff writer at blogTO. Follow him on Twitter at @chrisbateman.

Image: Vik Pahwa/blogTO Flickr pool.

This Week in Fashion rounds up the week's style news, store openings and closings, pop-up shops, sales and upcoming fashion and design events in Toronto. Find it here every Wednesday morning.

NEWS

Next Monday (May 6), an exclusive t-shirt collection designed by Jeremy Laing with much-loved Toronto label Arts & Crafts is set to launch online and at two Toronto Hudson's Bay locations (44 Bloor St E and 176 Yonge St). Five artists - Derek Sullivan, Jessica Eaton, Sojourner Truth Parsons, Niall McClelland, and Jason McLean - created images inspired by musicians including Broken Social Scene and Timber Timbre, which were then translated into a printable design. Retailing for $75, the t-shirts' profits will be donated to MusiCounts, an organization dedicated to providing music programs to all children in Canada.

EVENTS/PARTIES

Tonight (May 1) from 6 pm until 8 pm, local designer Michael Thomas is celebrating the opening of his new brick-and-mortar boutique (960 Queen St W) alongside Luis Mora's photography exhibit. Thomas Balint - the namesake brand and store name - debuted his first collection during World MasterCard Fashion Week in March, stunning the audience with his dark, tailored collection. RSVP to the party via thomasbalint@thecollections.ca.

In celebration of the timeless 501's, Levi's is throwing a party alongside Lookbook.nu tomorrow (May 2) at the Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St W). From 8 pm until 11 pm, drink and dine with style experts Rachel-Marie Iwanyszyn, Elle Frost, and a slew of local bloggers -- and be sure to stop by the DIY station to customize your jeans! Don't forget to RSVP online, as a full guest list will be in effect.

For two days only, enjoy Topshop's prom prep party at the Queen Street location (176 Yonge St, inside Hudson's Bay), complete with DJs and complimentary treats. From 2 pm until 6 pm on Friday (May 3) and Saturday (May 4), receive a free manicure set with a purchase over $125. Don't forget to also show your student card - Topshop gives 10% discounts to those with valid ID.

This Saturday (May 4) from 10 am until 5 pm, stop by the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St W) for the spring edition of Mondo Bazaar. Over 40 of Toronto's craft vendors - including Embody and Leila Cools - will be offering handmade, eco-friendly, or up-cycled items such as clothing, jewellery, housewares, and more. Plus, entrance is free - I can't think of a better way to support local while also reducing your ecological footprint.

SALES

Last minute prom queens should head to the Windfall Brides Prom Blowout Sale, open for its last instalment this Saturday (May 4) from 11 am until 3 pm. Held at 29 Connell Court (Unit 3), the sale will feature thousands of prom gowns - in an array of sizes - from designers such as Nicole Miller, Alfred Sung, Badgley Mischka, and more. Dresses will be sold for as low as $25, so ladies, make your way over fast!

Photo via Arts & Crafts

Summer 1998 was a time in Toronto's history when our town was a mecca on the North American party map. Hordes of loved-up music fans would flock from all over the continent to experience up to 5,000-strong warehouse parties that fell just short of escaping the mass-media lens. Techno, House, Hardcore and other genres were often lumped together but, more often than not, Jungle/Drum & Bass events stood their own ground, segregated from the typical 'ravey' sounds accompanied by beaded necklaces, fun fur phat pants and the soother crowd.

Junglists at the time were more like soldier-like, decked in camo, 90s street wear like Fubu, Phat Farm and an unusual dose of Tommy Hilfiger and Titleist golf apparel. Heavy with rap and reggae samples, the sound spoke more to the urban audience that was tired of commercial hip hop. While Toronto's glory days have passed, many heroes of the scene are still active like Kenny Ken, Shy FX, Nicky Blackmarket, Andy C, Toronto's Marcus Visionary, while some like the near-messianic MC Stevie "Hyper" D met with untimely deaths.

Enter Dayv Mattt, street photographer and former non-committed metalhead who, like many, found himself almost by accident at one of these events in 1995. He felt a strong connection and instantly immersed himself in the world of amen breaks, ganja, and the power of Jah! Matt has published his e-book of Toronto memories Rewind: Toronto's Jungle Scene In The Late 90s as a sort of time capsule. Mattt currently resides in Colombo, Sri Lanka as a house-husband, and has also published HIGH STREET LOW STREET: Seoul Street Photography. I recently caught up with him to chat about his latest project.

Toronto's Drum & Bass scene reached its peak between 1998-2000. What do you think contributed to Toronto being the North American capital for the music?

I didn't start partying until late 1995, and by that time Toronto was already a really well established scene, and while I agree that the DnB scene reached its peak between 1998-2000, that's only in terms of the size and frequency of all-ages parties. The only thing that really disappeared from the scene was the all-ages aspect. Top tier DJs and MCs were still brought to Toronto, but they played licensed events to an older crowd.

What did we have to offer that no other city could?

I would argue that Toronto had a lucky mix of people genuinely eager to put on good shows, a population that was open to new forms of music, and a steady supply of people travelling between the UK and Toronto (Dr. No, for example).

What appealed to you about the scene, especially coming from a metal background?

Growing up, I wasn't ever really into music. Listening to metal was more a product of me just listening to what my neighborhood friends were listening to. I wasn't passionate about metal at all, though I probably acted like I was. I never went to concerts or shows because I just didn't think slam dancing and head banging were cool. The angsty violence of that scene didn't really resonate with me. My first Jungle party in 1995 resonated with me, and from then on I was at home listening to Jungle in a warehouse with other like-minded and often very kind people on the weekend.

What made you focus on the 98-00 period? Was that when you got more involved in photography or is there more to the story?

I started shooting at parties in 1996, but over the years, a significant number of negatives have either been lost or destroyed. There was a fire at my house and what wasn't destroyed was packed up by the insurance company and brought back later in haphazardly packed boxes. When I finally sorted through everything with the intention of further organizing a giant pile of negatives and prints, it became evident that I was missing a considerable amount of photography. For instance, that color photo of Stevie Hyper D is actually a scan of a print. I don't have the negative anymore. Negatives and prints for the years in the book are all that survived, I'm afraid. If I had more, I would have increased the scope.

Were you ever nervous about bringing a high-end camera to a party?

No. I never gave bringing my camera a second thought. There was nothing to worry about. Gangbangers didn't really start appearing until 1999, and even then, they weren't really causing any problems. Additionally, by that time I was getting pretty bored of techstep and the number of parties I attended decreased significantly.

What were some of your favourite memories from that period?

Like I mention in the book, I didn't embrace drugs so much at the shows. I'd smoke a few joints, but that was about it. I wanted to be capable of shooting, and so when I'd take breaks and sit on a stack or ledge somewhere, it was remarkable how many people would come up to me and ask me if I was having a good time. Crowds generally looked out for each other, and there was a sense of community. It was awesome, really.

Nevertheless, thinking back, my fondest memories were driving home after parties listening to Jazz. Jazz was an essential component of my end-of-night routine as my ears were seriously ringing after each show. I was a bit of a stack hugger.

Why did you choose to shoot in black and white rather than colour?

I shot some colour, but colour was expensive to develop. I had a darkroom at home, so shooting black and white was more cost effective. I shot because it was fun. I didn't make many prints, and I didn't show very many people my work. I just did it because I liked shooting at parties. I loved Jungle, but I didn't dance and I didn't really have a big posse of friends who liked Jungle enough to go to parties. The camera gave me a reason to be there.

You say this in the intro of your book: "Today, the kids think raves are Swedish House Mafia concerts at an arena with numbered seating." What are your thoughts on mass market EDM? Is there something missing?

There is nothing wrong with mass-market dance music; I listen to some of it. I'm not sure anything is missing. They did the math, and having concerts at arenas with numbered seating is the most profitable/cost effective for them. There's really no better way to keep a crowd of thousands in check than to give everyone an individual seat. The problem is though, that kids, and a lot of adults today, don't have a clue what the scene WAS like. Their impressions are based on what they see in movies and on TV. What they think is often a terrible stereotype or wrong. REWIND tries to remind those who were there what they'd taken part in, and show those who weren't what they missed.

The author is currently offering blogTO readers a 25% discount on the purchase of Rewind: Toronto's Jungle Scene In The Late 90s using the code: "blogTOmassivebigup".

Photos by Dayv Mattt

Ecommerce has provided an incredible platform for small designers and artisans to showcase their creations to new consumers around the world. Online stores like Etsy are a treasure trove for stylish and creative shoppers looking to support smaller creators and get away from the banality of cookie-cutter, mass-produced goods from big chain stores.

Toronto startup BRIKA has joined this niche online marketplace with its whimsical, Pinterest-inspired virtual store. The website offers a carefully curated selection of "modern crafts," including jewelry, housewares, clothing, bags, stationery and baby items, from a hand-picked batch of independent creators.

Unlike other online stores, the stories behind the creators themselves are front and centre in this e-boutique, where you can get a glimpse into what inspired each maker to create the products sold on BRIKA, though a charming and highly Pinterest-friendly interface. Their motto of "building a beautiful life" definitely shines through the charming layout of every page of the site.

The e-shop is the creation of high-calibre duo Kena Paranjape, whose marketing and branding expertise was honed working for big brands like Old Navy, Banana Republic and Joe Fresh, and Jen Lee Koss, a Juilliard-trained cellist with degrees from both Harvard and Oxford, and a former career that included management consulting and finance. Here's what this dynamic duo had to say about their startup.

There are online shops that focus on small artisanal products and flash sale sites. What inspired you to combine the two ideas for BRIKA?

We wanted to create a website that showcases the best well-crafted, hard-to-find products curated in a beautiful way. Other sites either have no filter, so it becomes difficult to find the gems, or they deeply discount product, under-valuing the talent and hard work of the maker.

The fact that we offer a special launch price for the beginning of each maker's sale is to create an urgency to buy (as if there wasn't enough of one already!). One of the biggest driving forces for starting BRIKA was to ensure that makers are never devalued. We never take more than a 30% discount (if any), because ultimately, our makers are building brands, too. The last thing we want for them to do is to price themselves out of the equation.

BRIKA puts a lot of emphasis on the story behind each creator. Why is this story so important to you?

Prior to BRIKA, Kena was also the buyer for a lovely eco-friendly shop in Toronto. She worked closely with many under-the-radar makers and was so inspired by their stories and talent. When we launched BRIKA, we focused on finding a way to bring these stories to life online. Connecting to the maker through their story increases the intrinsic value of the product, making it feel that much more special.

What kinds of shopper would absolutely love your website?

People who love giving unique and special gifts will love BRIKA. It's perfect for injecting some (non mass-made) personality into your wardrobe or home.

How does BRIKA's business model work?

We currently take a percentage of each sale. We ensure that everyone who works with us makes more than their cost back. Everyday we feature a new maker on our site. For the first two weeks, you can purchase pieces from the collection at a special launch price (never more than 30% off). After that, you can still come back to shop from that maker, but at regular price.

What are your plans for the rest of 2013?

We have lots of big plans this year, but one of the most important is launching Canadian makers on BRIKA. Currently we ship in Canada, but feature U.S.-based makers as part of our roll-out strategy. We can't wait to feature and celebrate all the creative talent in Canada - because it is so rich.

Find out what's new and hot with our our bi-weekly local music roundup.

LIGHTS / SIBERIA ACOUSTIC / APRIL 30TH

Once someone tried to pass off my love of Light's "The Listening" as a guilty pleasure. In response, I punched them in the nose and started to run in a circle whooping my favourite mantra "No False Gods!" What I meant by that was if you have to justify liking something beyond the work itself, then you have weak character. By claiming that I felt "guilty" about something I took "pleasure," this individual implied that I needed the support of the external world (a false god) to enjoy something internally (within my heart). The phrase guily pleasure spits in the eye of my sense of personal freedom.

Anyway, "The Listening" is great and is always able to relax me. Her sophomore album Siberia didn't do much for me, but then again I only listened to it once while I was working on a line in a chicken processing factory (I lead a fasinationg life). BUT, after listening to "Cactus in the Valley" I have a feeling I'm really going to enjoy her acoustic version of Siberia (entitled Siberia Acoustic), which is available on the CBC or to buy via whichever the hell way people buy music these days.

If you want more of Lights you can see her live on May 10th at the Winter Garden Theater. Be sure to say hello to me, I'll be the one out front trying to bum a cigarette off of unimpressed women of all ages.

STILL LIFE STILL / BURIAL SUIT / APRIL 28TH
Dear Still Life Still,

Can you make a t-shirt that looks like what I am about to describe? Put Hawkeye and Trapper John from M*A*S*H flashing thug signs in front of a Still with the text "Still Life!' This would be on the front. On the back would be a picture of B.J. Honeycut winking then the text "Still." Thanks dudes, I'll take a bakers dozen!

ANIA SOUL/ OVER YOU / APRIL 15TH
How lucky is it that such a soulful singer has the last name SOUL! I find the idea of a higher power abhorrent, but but one can't deny the freakydeekyness of this. You can ask Ania if Soul is her real name during her headlingling show at the Mod Club for NXNE of June 15th.

4TH PYRAMID / STAY UP HIGH / APRIL 23RD
According to Masonic Lore the fourth pyramid is the spirutal temple that the third incarnation of Ramesses is said to inhabit during the second cycle of the fall. Essentially it's where the lizards are given their ashen human skin and trained in the auspicious conduct of the human race they are soon to overlord. Find out if this is true when 4th Pyramid play Wrongbar on May 2nd.

HUGS NOT DRUGS / RED RIDING HOOD / APRIL 20TH
My rule of thumb is that one should sparringly indulge in drugs that hinder your ability to read while "high on." Literacy has brought such joy to my life that willingly putting myself in a state where I can't enjoy a book or article offends my sense of personal freedom. Of course, it's very healthy for the odd mental excursion out of the land of textual interpretation if one does it in a safe and beneficial manner. Which isn't the case when it comes to this Hugs and Drugs video, a visually stirring narrative about the dangers of decadence for a young lady.

Photo of Lights by Jerry Vo in the blogTO Flickr pool

Unbeknownst to many of us, there is actually a tornado-like time vortex that one can enter in order to meet up with like minds from times past. Rembrandt, Louis XIV, Aladdin, and Christina Aguilera use this magical vortex to get together and party in this particular suite at 118 Yorkville, where they snort coke off of unicorn horns and then travel back through time via a magical wardrobe.

How could life not be magical in this $16 million paradise of utter tackiness in the Hazelton Hotel? It's just a constant hotel party in Yorkville, "with all of the great amenities the city has to offer only a stone's throw away!!!"

SPECS

Address: 118 Yorkville Ave.
Price: $16,650,000
Square Footage: 6296
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms/half baths: 5/2
Storeys: One: half the seventh floor.
Parking Spaces: 1
Fireplaces: Five
Monthly Maintenance: $8,224
Building Amenities:

NOTABLE FEATURES

Casual 24-carat gold plated fixtures in washrooms
Wine Cellar
Marble floors and baseboards
Five fireplaces for your convenience
Swarovski crystal drawer handles in the kitchen

GOOD FOR

French genie/pirate hybrids with many chests of gold who adore Major Lazer and live to party. Also good for those who really, really want to flaunt their riches but have no idea who do so without resorting to tired historical cliches.

MOVE ON IF

The idea of living in relatively close proximity to so many hotel linens gives you hives and/or mad anxiety. Or if you don't have $16 million. Or if you have a modicum of taste.

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Starbucks and Second Cups are the norm around Yonge and Eglinton, so it's no surprise that this new gourmet cafe and roastery has received a seriously warm welcome from area locals and coffee buffs. With a beautiful coffee roaster in the back and Mad Hatter's Tea Party-esque décor, this is an exciting new addition to the Toronto cafe scene.

Read my profile of de Mello Palheta Coffee Roasters in the cafe section.

Spoken Word events worth checking out in Toronto this May

Canadians are showered with poems each April courtesy of National Poetry Month, and this May will flower with the fruits of that creative period for local spoken word artists. In a month where longtime spoken word stalwart Dwayne Morgan celebrates his induction to the Scarborough Walk of Fame, it's clear the energy level will be high in the city's spoken word community. To feel that energy, here's where you should go.

HOT TICKETS

WORDSPELL SPOKEN WORD / MAY 1 / 8:30PM / FREE TIMES CAFÉ / $6
The ladies of Toronto spoken word reconvene for an evening of words and wisdom delivered by the featured performers beluga and Sheniz Janmohamed. This series, running its fifth bi-monthly show since it started last fall, provides Toronto's only women-focused oral poetry space, with an environment that is accommodating and open to everyone regardless of background. It's a gem in the community that you should check out.

SPOKE N' HEARD PRESENTS "MOTHERLAND" / MAY 12 / 6:30PM / HOUSE OF MOMENTS / $10
The SNH group celebrates its second anniversary with a unique show bringing together performers of various disciplines who will share their work while wearing traditional clothing of their countries of origin. The stories they share will be about the cultures they identify with -- not a straightforward process in pluralistic Toronto. Another creative concept from a creative group of young people pushing the envelope in the local arts scene.

ONTARIO SPOKEN WORD CIRCUIT PRESENTS ALVIN LAU / MAY 15, 16, 22 & 23
The OSWC is a consortium of five spoken word groups that stage monthly spoken word events in London, Guelph, Hamilton, Burlington, Mississauga, Toronto and York Region. Thanks to the Canada Council for the Arts, they will bring a high-profile artist each month to perform at the venues on the circuit. This month, Ontario International Poetry Slam 2012 winner Alvin Lau of Chicago tours the circuit. He features at four finals slams: Bill Brown's 1-2-3 Slam (May 15), Burlington Slam Project (May 16), YorkSlam in Richmond Hill (May 22) and We Flip Tables in Mississauga (May 23).

MEMBERS ONLY: A NIGHT OF EROTICA / MAY 21 / 8PM / LULA LOUNGE / $20 ADV-$25 DOOR
Up From the Roots Entertainment presents the fourth in a series of erotica shows with the tagline: "The only rule of Members Only, is that what happens there, stays there!" From what I have heard of this show (because naturally I've never attended it, wink wink) it's quite the rollicking evening of sensual expression. A band working with host Dwayne Morgan adds flavour to the spicy poetry flowing from the stage. Check it out, if you can handle it!

OTHER SHOWS AND EVENTS

• Livewords / May 2 / 7:30pm / Black Swan Tavern / free
• Sunday Poetry / May 5, 12, 19, 26 / 11:30am / Ellington's Music Café / free
• R.I.S.E. Poetry Movement / May 6, 13, 20, 27 / 6pm / Burrows Hall Community Centre / free
• The Art Bar Poetry Series / May 7, 14, 21, 28 / 8pm / Q Space / PWYC
• Brockton Writers Series / May 8 / 6:30pm / Full of Beans Coffee House / free
• BAM! The Toronto Youth Slam ft. Sean B / May 8 / 6pm / The Central / $5
• Toronto Wordstage / May 8 / 7:30pm / Q Space / free
• The Beautiful and the Damned hosted by Philip Cairns/ May 9 / 7pm / Glad Day Bookshop / PWYC
• Wind in the Leaves Collective / May 10 / 8pm / Arraymusic / $10-$15
• Lizzie Violet's Cabaret Noir / May 12 / 7pm / Q Space / PWYC ($5 suggested)
• Toronto Poetry Slam / May 12 (Anything Goes Slam) & 26 (ft. PrufRock Shadowrunner) / 8pm / The Drake Hotel / $5
• Acoustic Soul Tuesdays / May 14, 28 / 8pm / Passione Sports Bar / $5 before 8pm; $10 after
• The Emerging Writers Reading Series / May 14 / 8pm / Duffy's Tavern / PWYC
• Hot-Sauced Words / May 16 / 8pm / Black Swan Tavern / PWYC
• Scarborough Arts presents Big Art Book Launch Party / May 16 / 6pm / AccessPoint / free
• SPEAKout Poetry Open Mic Night / May 17 / 7:30pm / Beit Zatoun / $5
• Plasticine Poetry hosted by Cathy Petch / May 19 / 6pm / Pauper's Pub / free
• Roots Lounge Open Mic & Poetry Slam / May 19 / 7pm / Harlem Restaurant / $5
• Queen Gallery Poetry Night / May 28 / 7pm / Queen Gallery / PWYC

For more listings, head on over to the events calendar or check out the Cytopoetics Events spoken word blog for local info updated weekly during the month.

Have a spoken word event coming up that you'd like us to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO events calendar.

Photo of Alvin Lau by Seattle Poetry Slam on Flickr

After many years fulfilling the needs of modern day pin-up girls at their Leslieville location, this boutique has expanded west. Described by the owners as "girlie rock n roll heaven," this is the place to go when you're looking to channel your inner Bettie Page.

Read my profile of Doll Factory by Damzels (Roncesvalles) in the fashion section.