Weekend Ideas

In minus twenty temperatures, Canadians will often morph into wilderness animals. Awooooooooo!

Greeting the outdoors with only tank top, cut-offs and sandals brings us feelings of earthly ecstasy in hot July but similarly a pleasure can be attained by equipping our winter cave, nook, burrough or rabbit hole with good books, selection of Criterion classics, hot tea and cozy jammies. Wandering legs beneath sheets will often grace up next to lost laundry or misplaced tissue, and this adds to the authenticity and comfort of nest.

Some may identify with a grizzly bear or squirrel but I prefer to be young rabbit of Goodnight Moon. Give me my bowl of mush and a red balloon and I’ll be quite happy to knock back an antihistamine and wake up in Spring. So what the hell am I getting at? (Other than a mild addiction to allergy medicine) The one thing worth lifting me from my Goodnight Moon is Come Up To My Room. Venture up the winding staircase of the Gladstone Hotel and twist around corners opening doors to the spaces that story books are made of. Each room is done over by a different artist/designer. Last year I sat in an actual birds nest, elevated six feet in the air and cooed down at children like Big Bird. The snug perch was the perfect antidote to my unyielding hangover, if it weren’t for the twitch of artist eyebrow that indicated, ‘ah, can you get down now, other people want to try – it’s not your nest’, I would have happily snoozed like a dozy duck all day, waking up to only discover that somehow I’d lost the capability to speak and could only bok bok and quack.

While some spaces will sexually excite, others will haunt while many will revert you back to the wonder of childhood play.

Walking into Bruno Billio’s space feels like Sherlock Homes meets Alice in Wonderland. Derrick Hodgson will likely host a room akin to a Magic Pony window…except this time you will shrink to the size of a mushroom and be able to walk around the space instead of gazing through your cold breath. Ministry of the Interior has partnered up with Montreal’s Commissaire to bring you Kwangho Lee, designer who has come all the way from Seoul, Korea and brought with him 2 KM of cable to re-light the space. Thanks to Brad Pitt’s excessive spending on chairs you can’t sit on, Mr. Lee is getting quite a lot of attention. You see, he showed alongside Max Lamb at Miami/Basel Design Show ’08 where Pitt racked up nearly one million dollars in contemporary design.

Come Up To My Room is happening all weekend long – drift in and out of other worlds and get inspired to reinvent your drab and discombobulated apartment. It is no coincidence that this is happening at the same time as IDS 09, Interior Design Show at The Direct Energy Centre. One is more practical than the other but you both feed the imagination with a gazillion ways to tweak one’s home.

A WEEKEND OF DESIGN:

COME UP TO MY ROOM
Friday – 12 – 8PM
Saturday – 12 – 10PM
Sunday 12 – 5 PM
LoveDESIGN Pary – Saturday 10 – late, $8 admission includes catalogue
More Info

IDS 09
We are most excited about DESIGNGENNEXT and IDS 09 Concept Spaces
DESIGNGENNEXT is where you can catch the budding talent coming out of  Canada’s most acclaimed design schools
The IDS 09 Concept Spaces is a selection of five design teams that represent a combination of emerging and under the radar designers coupled with established design celebrities.  They will each design and create a living space that reflects their own personal notion of good design, free of client demands or budget restrictions. Shedoesthecity is especially looking forward to Castor’s (designers Brian Richer and Kei Ng; the oddfellas of Queen West dinner hot spot Oddfellas) transformation of a 70s camper van.

Learn more about the IDS 09 Concept Series
youtube.com/watch?v=OLkIylX0EcE
Saturday 10 – 7
Sunday 10 – 6
More Info: interiordesignshow.com/2009/

NOW FOR THE REST… FRIDAY

Those Rich Liberal Artists: Boys having an art show
We love gazing at art, but perhaps more to the point, young male artists. Zack, Dylan and Lucas are showing their stuff while SDTC, man of many heads, Anthony Gerace guides the record player. DJ Dick Nasty will also be there. (it’s always a one-up with these DJ names)
489 Queen  St. West – 2nd Floor
Earth and Firse
8PM – the bar goes dry

Sweetback
Yep – we called the seventies revival with our Marcia Brady trend alert a few weeks back.
Party throwers say: “The funk will be deep, the disco will be dirty and your booty will be tired from shakin’ it all night long!”
Gotta a group? Expect a discount at the door.
Zip up those tight jeans, flip out the hair and let loose.
Augusta House
152 Augusta

LOVING IN THE NAME OF @ The Gladstone Hotel
DJ Product Placement, DJ Strictly Commercial and DJ Disappointment will not disappoint with their night long song list of pop/rock you love. Songs by Bon Jovi, The Sytx, Jackson 5, The Cure – good times promised at this shindig.
1214 Queen West
$7
10PM start

The Beaver
I mostly plug this night because am in love with DJ name “CTV NEWS AT NOON”
However, this is a good spot to go if you are looking for some gay love and shaking the Beaver is always a good time. Breakfast nook turns sweaty dance floor – and I have seen men in their undies go wild on top of the bar.
Note: bit torrented sade lovers rock remixed by Neil Young

Bitch Slap
When I think of the Cloak and Dagger, I think of slow pints and docile three legged retrievers, not Kiss and angry cock rock. That said a humourous juxtaposition is always welcomed over same ol’ same ol’.
No idea what this will be like but supposedly they will be ‘Rocking thy genitals away’…so perhaps worth a peak, even just to shoot the shit with over the top organizers.
Cloak and Dagger
394 College
Cock Rock, Metal and Old Country

Big Primpin at Wrongbar
One of Toronto’s favourite lezzy/gay dance party.
How you going to get primp for this occasion? Whatever it is – we have put together the ultimate tool kit for a purse- so take a look:

Stones Place
Hercules & Love Affair (DJ SET) and Pat Mahoney (LCD Soundsystem) will tear through CiRCA this Friday.
If you are looking to dance around many but similarly drift into your own totally pumped up insular dance world – this is it.
Advance Tix: 12.50 at Rotate This, Soundscapes, Play de record, www.wanttickets.com
www.clubzone.com
gee they exercise every avenue
126 John St
myspace.com/herculesandloveaffair

myspace.com/lcdsoundsystem

Hot Blood presents: FAN DEATH
This melodic-angst driven girly duo chant sing with a background of violin and slightly menacing synth. They appear to be designed by NYLON just the right unicorn and hearts mixed with dark secrets and black liner.
Definitely worth checking out.
myspace.com/fandeath

SATURDAY

Wintercity presents THE STILLS @ Nathan Phillips Square
They received two Juno nominations yesterday, catch the Arts & Crafts Montreal band with lots of hype this Saturday at 8PM. Yeah, it’s cold out, but you’ll heat up as you dance the night away outside City Hall.

Take a listen: myspace.com/thestills

Toronto’s newest party people bring you…MUSK!
I’m not going to lie – last time MUSK was a bit of a disaster but that was because speakers blew up and they ran out of brown cake, but I’m feeling like this one will erase the last botched job – especially since there is a limbo contest. How low can you go? AND clown acrobatics by Claire Chair
There’s a secret competition going on in Toronto, which is – how unique can you be when describing the music you will play – by similarly giving no real information: Bon-Bon Stirrers and Shakers, Rump Roasts, Bubblegum Psychosis, Funk/Soul Dung, Glam Stompers, Rare Beat Clad Chanteuse Belters, Can Con Lost and Found, Chest Hair Posturings, Bodice Rippers, Super-Villain Anthems, always work with Electronic Children and Animals, Anarcho Vaudeville, Male Kiss And Make Up Drawer Shakers, Easy Listening and Financing Hazings
Teranga
159 Augusta Ave.

In Crowd at Czehoski
Guess it wasn’t working at Strangelove, but that’s fine because we feel it deserves a slightly more classy venue, one with Europeean flavour and lots of dark wood.
Slip into your retro 60’s mini and hit the dancefloor with Tears of a Clown and Downtown.
A groovy love-in in an intimate venue. For all you girls who easily fall for mod boys.
Drink Specials from 12-2: Campari @ 5.00 and Sky Vodka @ 4.50!
678 Queen West

Steppin’ Uptown @ College St. Bar
Feeling like some Jack Swing in your step:
*playing all New Jack Swing + 80’s & 90’s Rn’B classics all night!
TLC, Janet Jackson, Hi-Five, Boyz II Men, Tony Toni Tone
College St. Bar
574 College ST

Back To The Future @ The Boat
Raging dance music from the 50’s to the 90’s
158 Augusta
The Boat

CONTESTS CONTESTS CONTESTS!!!

SADDLE UP WITH VON BONDIES
Between hooking up with Interpol’s producer to create their long-awaited third album, and getting beaten up by Jack White, Von Bondies put the ‘in’ back in ‘indie’. She Does The City wants you to be one of the first to hear their new release. We have four Von Bondies prize packs to give away, each including a copy of their new album, Love, Hate, and Then There’s You. On top of that, we’ve got a pair of tickets to their February 13th show at the Horseshoe, for one lucky lady. Just send an e-mail with the subject ‘Pale Bride’ to contests@shedoesthecity.com.
myspace.com/vonbondies

SDTC VALENTINE’S CARE PACKAGE CONTEST
Ooooh – do we ever have a treat for one insanely lucky reader. Over $1000 in prizes that we’ve hand picked because we know you’ll love them:
Spa: Massage for Two at The Ten Spot
Culture: Two tickets to National Ballet of Canada’s performance of Romeo and Juliet
Lingerie: $120 Gift Certificate for CHANGE lingerie
Perfume: ck one
Music: Dido and Lenka Albums
Chocolate: Kit Kat Senses
Culinary Delights: $120 Gift Certificate to the Local (East end’s new swanky resto-lounge)
Books: From The Hachette Book Group: A trio of sex and love lit
Film: Two pairs of tix to Cinematheque’s special programme: The Berlin School
Sex: Oligarchy Sex Tee

ALL FOR ONE LUCKY GIRL. Yeah, we know how to cover Valentine’s Day. Check out and Enter Here

P.S – Apologies to anyone who took our advice to go to Cupcake Camp two weeks ago and ended up in the middle of frosting anarchy