Indie Events: Jan 21 – Jan 27

TORONTO

Monday Jan 21, 7pm, Stuff That Matters, The Garrison, 1197 Dundas Street West, free

Stuff That Matters is a free social justice movie night held once a month, followed by a community discussion. This month’s installment features a screening of Prison Health Now and Where We Are Not, Part 1. There will also be cheap good eats! (For the Montreal event, scroll down.)

 

 

Wednesday Jan 23, 7pm, Toronto Erotica Writers and Readers Meetup, Tequila Bookworm, 512 Queen Street West

It’s the first get-together in 2013 for lovers of sexy, pervy fiction and prose. Whether you’re a writer or an appreciator, chances are there will be something here for you. Followed by an open mic at 9pm that will be broadcast here in case you can’t make it.

Thursday Jan 24, 8pm, Dragnet: The Re-Dragnet(ing) Part(y) 7, The Ossington, 61 Ossington Street West

It’s the launch of rad literary mag Dragnet Issue 7! Featuring readings by Ben Ladouceur, Lizy Mostowski and Broken Pencil’s own associate fiction editor extraordinaire, the talented and ever-gregarious A.G. Pasquella! Plus DJs Math Rosen and Messy Elliot, who wins for my favorite DJ moniker of all time. Nice people, fun times, great readings, great mag. Do not miss.

Thursday Jan 24, 8:30pm, Some Great Idea book launch, Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor Street West, free

Featuring Some Great Idea author, legendary TO city/politics journo and The Grid senior editor Edward Keenan in conversation with former mayor David Crombie and a few Toronto storytellers, plus DJs Track Meet.

Friday Jan 25, 7:30pm, The Deadly Snakes: Real Rock n’ Roll Tonight launch, Double Double Land, 209 Augusta

It’s the launch of the latest entry in Invisible Publishing’s wonderful Bibliophonic series on great Canadian acts – this time focusing on the greatest band Toronto has ever known, the Deadly Snakes. Featuring author J.B. Staniforth followed by a DJ set by Chris Trowbridge. Ship ahoy, pirate cowboy!

Friday Jan 25, 9pm, Ten Forward: A Star Trek Trivia and Dance Party, Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas Street West

It is a fucking all-series Star Trek-themed dance party and trivia night, guys. What more convincing do you need? Oh, there are Trek-themed cocktails too, and space jams. BOOTY BORG.

Saturday Jan 26, 7pm, Toronto Poetry Slam featuring George Eliot Clarke, The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen Street West, $5

This month’s slam is a biggie, featuirng Toronto’s poet laureate George Eliot Clarke. An open mic follows – signup begins at 7pm, with the show beginning at 8.

HALIFAX

Wed Jan 23, 7:30pm, Paranormal Lecture Series, Plan B, 2180 Gottingen, $10

Um, holy crap, paranormal lecture series?! The awesome collective of artists and curiosities that is Plan B is featuring a series of classes on the paranormal, $10 a class. Attend one or attend all, it matters not. This week features Alicia Polonsky, and I am going to paste the entire bio from the Facebook event because it’s AMAZING.

Alicia has travelled to explore the unknown for the last two years visiting such extraordinary locations as Moundsville WV State Penitentiary; the old Charleston jail in SC; New Orleans’s Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre and Voodoo Authentica; Gettysburg PA and the Annex district in Toronto, On. She’s attended lectures by demonologist Lorraine Warren; psychic & medium Michelle Belanger; author Nathan Robert Brown and more.
After studying with Paranormal State’s and The Paranormal Research Society’s Ryan Buell and his staff, Alicia is bringing some of her knowledge home to Halifax.

Friday Jan 25, 8pm, Ahead of the Now, Khyber Centre for the Arts, 1588 Barrington Street

Ahead of the Now is an art exhibition curated by Jared Leon and Johanna Heldebro, who also put out the beautiful LAURA magazine. It features video works by Željka Blakšić (Croatia), Laura Dutton (Victoria), Johanna Heldebro (Sweden/Halifax), Lissa Rivera (New York), Sarah Rara (LA), Minna Suoniemi (Finland), and Cajsa von Zeipel (Sweden).

MONTREAL

Wednesday Jan 23, 7pm, Book Launch: Against Equality’s “Prisons Will Not Protect You”, Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore, 2150 Bishop Street

Against Equality: Prisons Will Not Protect You, the third and final book in the Against Equality Collective’s pocket-sized book series, takes a critical look at the celebrated passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009 in the United States. Editor Ryan Conrad will be on hand for a reading and discussion.

Thursday Jan 24, 7pm, Stuff that Matters, 2075 Rue Plessis, Salle 130

A film and discussion evening featuring the short films Prison Health by the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network and Where We Are Not: Part 1 by Jess MacCormack. A discussion with members of the Prisoner Correspondence Project will follow the screening. Discussion themes will include prison health, criminalization, HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, as well as harm reduction strategies. (For the Toronto event, see above!)

VANCOUVER

Saturday Jan 26, 11am-5pm, Indie I Do, Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, $15

It’s year 5 of Vancouver’s alternative/DIY wedding show. DJs, handmade fashion, DIY makeup and more.

Saturday Jan 26, 8pm, EastVan Pillow Fight Club: Enter the Snake, The Astoria Pub, 769 East Hastings

We are normally not huge fans of pillow fight clubs as a rule, but the EastVan contingent look like a bunch of fucking badasses, with names like Butcher’s Daughter and Serbian Scrambler. Plus their posters look like old-school amateur wrestling posters. Plus their proceeds go to Vancouver Rape Relief and Shelter.

 

 

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