July 19-20 Sketchbook Project World Tour @ The Gladstone Hotel (2nd floor gallery), 1214 Queen St. W. The 2012 Sketchbooks are traveling to Toronto for the very first time! Come meet more than 7,500 unique books and the whole Art House tour crew. Runs Thursday from 6 to 10 pm (opening reception) and Friday from 2 to 6 pm. 

WEDNESDAY 

10 pm Bright Lights, Big City @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Come for the music, stay for the music. DJ Wes Allen plays oddities, discoveries, reminders, secrets, lost and found, surprises, and jewels. 197? and earlier. 

THURSDAY 

6 pm Lobster Love @ The Evergreen Brickworks, 550 Bayview Ave. Toronto’s first-ever celebration of the seas most delicious crustacean! SO. MUCH. LOBSTER. Locally grown potatoes and sweet cobs of corn will add to your dining euphoria. Pair that with a great selection of Ontario wines and beers and you’ve got a recipe for a great evening! $39 tickets available online. 

8 pm Living Room Jam: inTO Series Launch @ Kitsch, 229 Geary Ave. “A new monthly series featuring one-of-a-kind, authentic, and exclusive experiences, brought to you by sceneopolis. Go behind the scenes ticket to world-class art, culture, and entertainment. Connect with your city, fellow urban adventurers, and notables you’ve always wanted to hang with on a real human level.” Limited tickets ($69) available online. 

10 pm Youth/Trouble @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Mawnstr plays things you’d like to dance to in an intimate setting (i.e. sludgy indie rock, weird pop, gay’d up disco). 

10 pm High School Dance @ The Central, 603 Markham St. DJ Maya Killtron makes you wine down to Jodeci and Ginuwine, crip walk to the Ruffriders Anthem, jump to Pass the Courvoisier and slow dance with a stranger to Sisqo. Expect the best of the 90’s and millennium in the spirit of the original! 

10 pm Bass & Titties / Stop Crying @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, the Eff Emm Ell DJs play booty-shaking east coast, krunk, and rude boi classics + giveaways from The Baitshop, King Shit Mag, and Bongzilla. Downstairs, the Bass6 play hip-hop, reggae, and dance music to keep you happy. $5. 

10 pm Jonwayne @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Live performance by California producer and MC Jonwayne + sets by DJs Numeric and my_manhenri. $10 advance tickets available online, $15 at the door. 

FRIDAY 

10 pm Girl & Boy 90s Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A pulsating dance party rocking the retro sounds of the 90’s! Throw your feed on the tiles at Clintons as the DJs jam out anything and everything from 1990-1999. $5. 

10 pm Cruising @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. DJs Kevin H and The Nurse make your leather sweat. 

10 pm Breakfast @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs Stupa and Mac play an eclectic mix of hip-hop, electro/house, indie, rock, funk, and soul. So bring your dancing shoes, and maybe a mattress. $5. 

10 pm Gin & Phonic @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Stax, Motown, funk, northern soul, and jams on strictly vinyl. Dance it up! 

10 pm All Souled Out @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Big Jimmy Mills plays hip-hop, funk, soul, R&B, make-you-wanna-boogie dance party music. 

10 pm Run The Line @ Salvador Darling, 1237 Queen St. W. DJ Sta plays only the very bestest rap and whatever else is sounding good at that exact moment. 

10 pm Heat Rash @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. A sweaty, dirty dance party spun by Brendan Philip. Spicier than the verde on your nachos! $3 drinks before midnight. Free before 11:30 pm, $5 after. 

10 pm Yes Yes Y’all @ The Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. Your monthly serving of hip-hop, dancehall, RnB, and strip club anthems at Toronto’s biggest queer jam. With special guest DJ Sean Sax. $6. 

10 pm Hip-Hop Karaoke: Round #66 @ Revival, 783 College St. Summer heat is here in full strength, but things will be cool like dat inside HHK! With hosts Abdominal and More Or Les + DJs Numeric and Ted Dancin’. $10 before 11 pm, more after. 

10 pm Girl Unit @ Black Box Theatre, 1087 Queen St. W. Girl Unit returns to Toronto following the release of his Club Rez EP – the much anticipated sequel to his 2010 anthem and scene-altering single “Wut” – along with Jersey club pioneer and prolific Fade To Mind artist DJ Sliink. Opening set by TBA. $12.50 advance tickets (guaranteed entry) available online. For $15 reduced guestlist (subject to capacity), email names to guestlist@themansioninc.com. 

10 pm Free Bricks: Riff Raff @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. The kick-off of a brand new event series called Free Bricks, an ongoing program that is set to bring up-and-coming rappers to Toronto. Flying in is the mysterious and endlessly bizarre Riff Raff for his exclusive Canadian live debut. With DJs Ghetto Gold Matt and Patrick McGuire. $20 advance tickets available at Community 54 (1275 Queen St. W.), Rotate This, Soundscapes, and Play De Record. 

10 pm Chaps @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. A hot night of music and fun! DJs Platinum Travel and Musk bring the preppy funk jams to beige up Bloordale. PWYC. 

10 pm Assorted Goods @ Augusta House, 152-A Augusta Ave. A party that focuses less on genres and more on good vibes and the art of DJing. With DJs Mensa, Big Jacks, Royale, and Bozack Morris. $5 guestlist until 11:30 pm (email names to guestlist@black-rap.com), $10 otherwise.

11 pm Edumacation @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Come get learned… proper, real proper! Resident DJ Fase and guest NV teaching you the values of hip-hop, funk, soul, old school, house, reggae, and club anthems. $10. 

SATURDAY

2 pm Birdbath @ Polson Pier (behind the Sound Academy), 11 Polson St. Birdbath is about: music, snacks, booze, sun, summer, pool, toys, DJs, Belvedere, mimosas, ping-pong, pool tables, bikinis, babes, caesars, fun, smiles, massages, tans, friends. Music courtesy of J-Lah, DJ Dickie, RockStarPartyMachine, DJ Jay Sea, MemmeBros, and DJ Higgins. Parking and lockers available (bring your own lock). For day bed/cabana reservations, email josh@eventsbytouch.com. For $15 guestlist, email jonathanc@embracepresents.com. $10 advance tickets available online, $20 at the door.

4 pm Doing The Same @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. BBQ jam! Club bangers cure-ated by DJ It’sMattLangille (formerly Ghetto Gold Matt). BBQ by Vladimir Kato. Until 8 pm.

4 pm Patio On The Patio @ Cold Tea, 60 Kensington Ave. DJ DeadlyVanity supplies some sexy summer selections from 4 pm until sunset on the patio. When the sun sinks, the party moves inside to get down to some dirty bass bizness with DJ Sean Roman. Food available for purchase all day long. Dim sum inside and new to the patio will be Agave & Aguacate serving up Anita Tostada, Ceviche Tostada, and Aguachile.

8 pm Bang The Party! 6 Year Anniversary @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Celebrate 6 years of Bang The Party! With resident DJ Andycapp, special guest DJ Lucie Tic, and hosts Neo Boog and Natasha Powell. Party kicks off with a dance competition between funk, house, and wacking dancers. $10.

8 pm “Forgetus Is Closing, Let’s Party” Party @ Forgetus Collective, 163 Sterling Rd., Unit 29. It’s been a year and Forgetus Collective is closing their doors for good. Sad? Depressed? Indifferent? They have the cure! Art by Felix Kalmensen, live music by Dirtymags, Elsa, and Breeze, ad DJs C I A and R Totale and probably more. $10 entry and FREE BOOZE while it lasts (2 kegs + whatever they have around). Party goes until inevitable cop arrival.

10 pm Born To Run DMC @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Resident DJ Paul G and special guest DJ Dekel spin rock and hip-hop classics, from The Boss to Run DMC! Free before 11:30 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Hot Blooded @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Dust off those boogie shoes! DJs Johnee and Dylan spin sweet disco hits to keep you stayin’ alive. $5.

10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Spend the night together with the Bangs & Blush ladies! 60’s pop, soul and rock n’ roll to drink, dance and get messy to. $5.

10 pm Lucky Bitches @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Two ice stallions serve it up hot with a glamour positive party for anyone who knows what it’s like to be a lucky bitch. The guiltiest of pleasures all night: hitz that span the ages, 90’s hip-hop, contemporary hitz, 80’s velvet jamz, forgotten gemz.

10 pm Southern Nights @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. DJs Sandro Perri and Noloves play tropicalia, samba, latin soul, and beyond. Give in to it.

10 pm Solid Gold IV @ Midpoint, 1180 Queen St. W. 80’s funk and soul all on vinyl. $4 tequila all night, $3.50 bar rail before 11 pm, and $5 PBR all night.

10 pm Eat Cake @ 3030, 3030 Dundas St. W. A celebration of summer, hope, love, music, and cake! Live set by Benjamin Boles + DJs Rob Nice (Kops/Pawn Shop Records), Colin Bergh (Bad Day), Kevin Ritchie (Big Primpin’), Carl Mitchell (High Heels+High Tops), Marshall Drägun (Dubstatik), and surprise guests. Dance performances by Imperial Movements. $5 food menu all night long. $5 before 11 pm, $7 after.

10 pm Sugar Hill / Stay Fly @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, DJ Grouch and special guest Blaster play 80’s, 90’s, rap, RnB, and new jack swing. Downstairs, it’s an explosion of old school jams.

11 pm Black Box @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Pretty Pretty DJs + special guest play techno, EBM, acid, NYC, industrial, and synth.

11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. 60’s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.

SUNDAY

3 pm Five Deadly Venoms: Wrongbar + Cold Tea BBQ @ Cold Tea, 60 Kensington Ave. With DJs Grandtheft, Wheel Wells, Nasty Nav, Your Boy Brian, Crunch, and special guests. BBQ by Swish by Han. RSVP ONLY (guestlist@wrongbar.com).

8:30 pm “Big” Screening @ Christie Pits Park, 750 Bloor St. W. Relive the magic summer nights of your youth! Screening of the early Tom Hanks flick “Big”, a youthful romp about a boy who wishes to be a grown-up, only to find his wish come true overnight. Snacks will be available for purchase. Generously sponsored by Fiesta Farms. Free/PWYC, BYOBlanket.

9:30 pm Crosswires: Punk Night @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. A Sunday night series brought to you by Doc Pickles, co-founder and emcee of of Wavelength. Featuring performances by Avarice, Blue Bonnets, and Shart Attack + General Chaos Visuals and DJ selector Acacia Christensen. Sponsored by Steam Whistle. PWYC.

~ Caitlyn Holroyd

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