January 26th-29th DoDesign @ Dundas St. W. between Bathurst and Grace. This second annual event transforms Dundas West storefronts into exhibition venues for local design objects. Host venues include boutiques, cafés, restaurants, a pharmacy, a hardware store, beauty parlors, and a dentist’s office. Most pieces will be visible from the street.

January 26th-29th Interior Design Show @ Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W. Canada’s largest contemporary design show. $19 online, $22 at the door.

Jan. 27th-29th Come Up To My Room @ Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. An alternative design event in which artists and designers show us what goes on inside their heads and take over the Gladstone’s rooms, Melody Bar, Cafe, Gallery and Ballroom. $10. More information online.

WEDNESDAY

10 pm Fantasia with DJ Unicorn Porn @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. DJ Unicorn Porn (uh, best DJ name ever?) plays post-punk, proto punk, future funk and other sounds.

10 pm HumbleMania 35 @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Special performance by The Fabulous Yawn and the debut of Bruce Peninsula’s “In Your Light” music video. Vinyl dance party afterwards!

10 pm Muscle & Heat @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Sub-100 BPM mind melted music. 

THURSDAY

10 pm Thrust @ College Street Bar, 574 College St. Travel back in time to when big hair, parachute pants, fuzz-boxes, guyliner and gangsters were all the rage as DJ Dislexia brings you forgotten gems and classic jams of yester-year! Synth pop, new wave, grindin’ grooves, euro dance, gangsta love, things-you-forgot-but-want-to-hear-again. Requests welcome. $5.

10 pm Rap & Bitches @ Crawford, 718 College St. DJ kungfucandy plays hip-hop and R&B while mixing in some hits from your favourite ladies.

10 pm Hand Drawn Dracula @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. DJs Cullen and Max of the Smith Westerns stop by to play music for you.

FRIDAY

10 pm Oui Paris Installation + Dance Party @ Brockton Collective, 442-A Dufferin St. Using projections and the world’s first instagram music visualizer, Oui Paris transports attendees to the sweaty heart of hedonistic Parisian nightlife. Featuring French music that spans from hip 60’s innovators to hipster head bangers (Serge Gainsbourg, Francoise Hardy, Yelle, Nouvelle Vague, SebastiAn, Justice, Phoenix, Daft Punk, Air, M83 and more). $3-5 beers, $5 mixed drinks and $4 wine. Free before midnight.

10 pm Massive Gritty @ Margret, 2952 Dundas St. W. A reggae jam in which DJ Jahtari plays dub, roots, dancehall, ska, and lots of other old and new reggae styles. Come and dance ina rubba dub stylee!

10 pm Daft Punk Tribute @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Daft Punk Tribute Band and Daughters of the Revolution perform, DJ Denise Benson spins. $13 advance tickets available at Rotate This, Soundscapes and online.

10 pm Songs: A Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. The ultimate dance party, with special guest Bonjay spinning and Bobby Kimberley picking the jams before and after. $5.

10 pm Ignition @ Crawford, 718 College St. Bumpin’ n’ grindin’ RnB, hip-hop, reggae and club musics with DJs Caff, Rei Von and Aphillyaded. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Dance Armstrong @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. No genre specific theme here, merely songs that make you want to dance like you’ve won. And won big. Anything and everything from Gorillaz to Bowie, Hot Chip to Jay-Z, Paul Simon to The Stone Roses, The Beatles to Postal Service to Digable Planets. And probably Hall & Oates. Only the most victorious of songs! $5.

10 pm Shindig! @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. The best northern soul, 60’s pop and 50’s rhythm and blues played on vinyl by resident selectors Splattermonkey, Double K and General Eclectic + special guest DJ Diabloavacado. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Get Buck @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. A$AP Rocky plays the Opera House, then Get Buck plays A$AP. With DJs Sean Sax, Coolin, and Nino Brown.

10 pm Breaking Bad @ 751, 751 Queen St. W. DJ D’eeznuts spins your favourite 90’s, alt and hard rock, hip-hop, punk, and dubstep tunes all night long. $10 pitchers of draft, $10 mini pitchers of bar rail, $6 bottle of PBR + shot of Jager, $4.00 Jameson, Jack Daniels and Sambuca.

10 pm Way Out @ Salvador Darling, 1237 Queen St. W. Come hear pan-psychedelic sounds old and new provided by DJs Kaewonder, Dougie Boom and guest DJ Scott Seewhale.

10 pm Itzsoweezee @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A feel-good house party atmosphere! DJs Tom Wrecks and DeMiggs + special guest DJ Pump play music to make you dance, smile and holler. For guest list line bypass email guestlist@itzsoweezee.com (closes at 11:30 pm). $10.

SATURDAY

8 pm DJ Skate Night @ The Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay W. Featuring DJs Cozmic Cat and Denise Benson of Cherry Bomb, Toronto’s largest inclusive monthly dance party for queer women and friends. Until 11 pm.

10 pm MurderBoner! 12 – One Year Celebration @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. A one year celebration of Ghetto Gold Matt forcing whatever rap he likes upon you. New progressive rap music all night long. Hard drinks, and harder 808s.

10 pm Bang The Party! @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Resident DJs Andycapp and Rod Skimmins + special guest (and one of our favourites) Pooyan bring you some serious boogie, disco and house heat! AND, Emily Law is hosting Toronto’s first Waacking competition – to register emailemilyerinlaw@gmail.com. $10.

10 pm Soul All-Nighter @ The Press Club, 850 Dundas St. W. DJs Laura and Cindy spin Motown classics and Northern Soul floor-shakers all night long! Dance-offs welcome!

10 pm Essence Brown @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. DJs Irfan Ali, Hoiking Fung and TJ Garcia bring you the sexiest selections in R&B, soul, hip-hop and dancehall.

10 pm Bad Taste @ 751 (downstairs), 751 Queen St. W. Gully rap music brought to you by The Good Kids and DJ Jimmy Mills. Duck your head, protect ya neck.

10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A sexy, sweaty dance party thrown by Bangs & Blush! 60’s pop, soul and rock n’ roll. $5.

10 pm 5 Hour Mix Tape @ Fountain, 1261 Dundas St. W. 5 Hour Mixtape is BACK at a new location! Kick off the new era off right by shaking your bits to some eclectic hits, oddities and randoms.

10 pm Ice Cold Dranks @ Crawford, 718 College St. DJs Ry-Fi and FBomb playing the bangers you love! Hip-hop, old school, R&B, and party anthems to make you thirsty. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Love Design Party @ The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St. W. Grab a cocktail, mingle and dance with fellow art and design-lovers. Music by Toronto DJ legends Denise Benson and Joe Blow + an installation by Metropolis LIving called “A Wing and a Prayer” featuring over 100 tiny parachutes, Jesus and an airplane!

10 pm Brendan Canning DJ Set @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Brendan Canning of Broken Social Scene spins an all-vinyl set of eclectic music to keep you movin’!

SUNDAY

8 pm Girls Rock Camp Fundraiser @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Performances by Gramercy Riffs (psst, our web guy Jimmy is in this band), The BB Guns, Cobra and Food Fight to raise funds for Girls Rock Camp Toronto, a space for girls to discover and express their talents. $5, all ages.

10 pm Circus Party @ Crawford, 718 College St. Brighten those winter blues away! DJ Tyler Johnston, free popcorn and $5 booze slushies all night, Twister tournament, balloons, magic + card tricks, and Disney movies on the TVs.

~ Caitlyn Holroyd

(For event submissions, email caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com)