This week’s top happenings include the immersive 360 Screenings series, an unofficial Fashion Week after-party, and... zombie wrestling?
Thursday: BEVSTMODE With various DJs. Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen Street West. Email for guest list here . Doors at 10 p.m.
I was recently sent an obscure email from a crew I’ve never heard from before promoting tonight’s #BEVSTMODE party. It was simple, it was clean, it was intriguing. In a sentence, the jam is “the raw, unadulterated celebration of Toronto’s street culture.” It’s a fusion of fashion, music, and art—and it’s decidedly anti-establishment. It’s all about coming together through the exploration of music, where DJs Kicks and Big Jacks will play “track seven off your favourite album, deleted cuts and unreleased bangers.” It’s branded like a mini-civilization , a counter-culture of trap, hip hop/house, electro and “everything current.” The dress code alone—“no ratchet, look dope, be original”—is enough to make me holler. Find out more here .
Saturday: Zombie Wrestling Tranzac, 292 Brunswick Avenue. Advance tickets $15, available online here . Doors at 8 p.m.
Two words: Zombie. Wrestling. Two more: Babes. Brains. Evidently, the Tranzac is set to host the world’s first (and undoubtedly epic) tournament in which the undead will face off in a “fight to the (final) death” with civilians and Mexican luchadores. There will also be an undead band, bloody burlesque, circus-y acts, and tons of free prizes…like maybe a machete or something? It all sounds too awesome to be true, or maybe I’m just a really big nerd for this shit. (P.S. Someone please dress up as Sex Tape Hulk Hogan.) Oh, how I wish I was able to report on this for you, but you’ll have to go and report back for me, okay? Find out more here .
Tuesday: A Fashion Week (Unofficial) After-Party The Stirling Room. 55 Mill Street, Building 36, Suite 100. Free. Doors at 10 p.m.
Oh, Fashion Week! Among the multitude of parties that you probably won’t be invited to, here’s something you can actually get down for—and for a good cause. Kenton magazine has teamed up with Secret Model-er-cum-“Fake DJ”-cum-blogger Justine Iaboni —who makes the crowds move at The Ossington on the regular—to host a jam in the Distillery District’s Stirling Room. And it won’t be just another party where everyone stands around looking at each other. There will be nail art 101 with Kandi Apple Nails, Eglinton’s newest locale for custom nails, and Nella Bella bags will be holding a mini silent auction. Because it’s October, all proceeds from the event will benefit the The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. Think Pink! Find out more here .
Tuesday: Vintage Crawl Toronto Various locations. Free. 7 p.m.
Continuing in the tradition of events like last month’s Fashion’s Night Out and last weekend’s One Night Stand, Plaid magazine, the doyenne of indie fash publishing in the city, was among the first to introduce its themed and highly successful shopping nights around the vintage trade. The mag is back with Vintage Crawl Toronto—and just before it gets cold! On Tuesday, from 7 p.m. until midnight, head out to shop at over 20 vintage retail spaces that will be transformed into mini party havens with sweet treats, sweet tunes and even sweeter deals. You never know what Bloordale’s 69 Vintage Collective will have planned, or what stylish goods Ossington’s I Miss You will pull out of the vaults. (Two of my faves, by the way.) Tweet along at #VCTO and find a complete map of participating vendors here .
Wednesday: 360 Screenings Halloween Edition Undisclosed location. Tickets starting at $40, available here . Doors at 7 p.m.
If you haven’t heard of the 360 Screenings series—dubbed a “cinematic experience”—then you’re missing out big time. A few friends went to the last pop-up mystery flick showing, and my FOMO couldn’t have been worse. The 360 program aims to be immersive, breaking down the fourth wall so audiences become part of the action. The result is a live theatre installation, focused on a theme, based on a TBA film. Basically, it’s “a hybrid between live theatre and cinema, the audience is encouraged to explore, uncover and interact with the actors and set design.” Here’s how it works: you purchase a ticket and the location is revealed 24 hours before the screening. Once you arrive, the film is revealed through the installations. (“The venue is a unique Toronto heritage location and is furnished entirely to reflect the film’s environment.”) If you still can’t figure it out, you’ll just have to wait until someone presses play. What you do know: it’s a Halloween edition where I hope someone gets a bucket of blood dumped on them. A cocktail party follows, with hors d’oeuvres included; wine and beer available at cash bar. Check out the video from the last edition featuring Fight Club . Impressive.
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