NOW critics pick the best things to do in Toronto for the weekend of October 22, including Fan Expo Canada, another big immersive art show, Canada’s largest literary festival and Leslie Feist’s intimate concert residency.
James Baley at the Great Hall
James Baley has a showstopping voice and presence. If you’ve seen him perform with U.S. Girls, July Talk, Zaki Ibrahim, Maylee Todd or any of the other Canadian music stalwarts he’s shared the stage with as a singer, your eye has probably drifted over to him. Now, the Toronto singer has a full spotlight for this performance of his debut album A Story. Produced by Toronto creative studio Somewherelse (which grew out of Young Lions Music Club), it’s an “immersive” live show that takes over multiple rooms of the Great Hall with a live band, ballroom performers and a multimedia behind-the-scenes gallery.
October 22. The Great Hall (1087 Queen West). $28.88. eventbrite.ca
Estonian Music Week
Even with travel restrictions lifting, you might think twice before grabbing a flight to Tallinn on a whim – but this event will let you go there from a couple of Toronto venues (or at home). Estonian Music Week happens in both Toronto and Estonia, with two shows this weekend happening at Paradise Theatre and El Mocambo and lineups of both country’s musicians. Night one features “new voices in R&B” including Toronto’s Estyr and Estonia’s Rita Ray and Kaili Kinnon. Night two has a theme of “persevering languages” and is headlined by Montreal-based Indigenous musician Beatrice Deer.
October 22-23. Paradise Theatre (1006 Bloor) and El Mocambo (464 Spadina). $25-$35 at estonianmusicweek.ca or free on Facebook and YouTube.
Oktoberfest
If you’re in the mood for a late October patio moment, the Bavarian beer-drinking tradition takes over fall-themed patio pop-up Fall N’ Leaves. Tables are sold in groups of four or six and come with one drink per person.
October 22-24. 621 Richmond. $119-$179. fallnleavesto.com
Comeback Festival
Ontario isn’t quite out of step 3 of the reopening (yet), but a new three-day festival is celebrating “hospitality, art, music, local businesses and the community that have stuck together to survive through COVID-19.” Comeback Festival will mount a full takeover of Stackt Market and feature performances by Witch Prophet and the Hight Loves, as well as a pop-up restaurant and art gallery.
October 22-24. Stackt Market (28 Bathurst). Free. stacktmarket.com
Fan Expo Canada
The scaled-down pop culture fest is going ahead, but capping tickets at 25,000. As usual, cosplay, anime and gaming will be a big focus. Cult celebs on this year’s bill include Star Trek’s George Takei and William Shatner, Justice League’s Ray Fisher, DC Comics publisher Jim Lee and the stars of Wynonna Earp, among others.
October 22-24. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building (222 Bremner). $35-$159. fanexpohq.com
Multitudes by Feist
After runs in Hamburg and Ottawa, Feist has brought her Multitudes residency to her former hometown of Toronto. The unconventional stage show is nearly 100 per cent new material and takes place backstage at Meridian Hall with the audience surrounding the singer/songwriter. The show plays with live cinematography and experimental staging, and it’s a sight to behold. You have lots of chances.
To October 30. 7 pm and 9 pm nightly. Meridian Hall (1 Front East). $125. tolive.com
Acts Of Faith
Factory Theatre presents a rebroadcast of its livestreamed production of David Yee’s solo play about a young Zambian woman (the electric Natasha Mumba) who gets mistaken for a prophet. A critical success last year, it’s not to be missed.
To October 23. factorytheatre.ca
imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival
The 22nd-annual festival of Indigenous screen arts features a robust program of 145 works, including Danis Goulet’s Night Raiders and Rhayne Vermette’s Ste. Anne, two films that made a big splash at TIFF. Other events we have our eyes on include Caroline Monnet’s Bootlegger, Trevor Mack’s coming-of-age film Portraits From A Fire and a panel with the cast of Reservation Dogs. Screenings are both in-person and online. There’s also a virtual concert called The Beat headlined by DJ Shub and a music video program featuring clips for artists like Buffy Sainte-Marie, Raven Chacon and Chelsea Wolfe.
To October 24. imagineNATIVE.org
ReelWorld Film Festival
After going virtual in 2020, Toronto’s premier BIPOC film festival resumes in-person events for its 2021 edition – with screenings at the Paradise Cinema Sunday and Monday… though if you’d rather attend virtually, that’s also an option; all-access digital passes can be had $33.90. And the online program is much larger, with exclusives like Kaveh Nabatian’s Cuban-set drama Sin La Habana and Vinay Giridhar’s documentary Emergence: Out Of The Shadows, which follows three Vancouver residents trying to reconcile their queer identities with their Punjabi Sikh upbringing.
Through October 27th at reelworld.ca
Toronto International Festival of Authors
The largest literary fest in Canada turns 42 and goes virtual for a second straight year. There are more than 200 events taking place over 11 days. TIFA is the place to catch some of the buzziest names in literary fiction and non-fiction, including nine of the 12 authors long-listed for this year’s Giller Prize. Check out our event picks here.
To October 31. Various times. Free. festivalofauthors.ca
Immersive Klimt: Revolution
The creative team behind Immersive Van Gogh have launched another, more expressly adult-oriented digital art show based on the work of Austrian symbolist master Gustav Klimt. Whereas Van Gogh emphasized thick, post-Impressionist brush strokes and landscapes, this experience promises to mix Klimt’s classical, graphic and sensual modern imagery, as well as art by his contemporaries Egon Schiele and Koloman Moser.
To November 28. Toronto Star Building (1 Yonge). immersiveklimt.com
