Community
Clean Train Festival What’s with the province anyway? Do they really think they can impose an upgraded but still dirty diesel train to the airport on a community of thousands of families without a huge political cost? The Clean Train folks are keeping the pressure on. This fest features Andrea Horwath, Andrew Cash, Johah Schein plus music by Wayne Petti and stringband Alberta Darling. 1-4 pm. Free. West Toronto railpath at Wallace. See listing.
May Day Celebration This event calls itself Workers Unite, Stand Up and Fight – yup, it’s an old slogan, but in the current era, kind of apropos. The gathering toasting the international workers holiday features Faith Nolan, Mohammad Ali Aumeer, Voces Poeticas and other performers, plus food and a kid’s program. 2pm- 6pm. Free. Steelworker’s Hall. See listing.
Anniversary of the Great Walk to Stop the Mega-quarry Native activist and anti-quarry campaigner Danny Beaton speaks about green threats at this celebration of the major campaign to save the farmers of Dufferin Country, plus the screening of a new doc on the movement. 1:30. First Unitarian Congregation Church. See listing.
Music
Cousins The Halifax lo-fi garage rockers hit the Silver Dollar Saturday night. See listing.
Red Hot Chili Peppers The alternative funk-punk pioneers finish off their two night stand at the Air Canada Centre Saturday night. While opening act Sleigh Bells probably won’t be showcasing any slap-bass skills, the noise pop duo are well worth getting there early enough to catch. See listing.
Art
Sovereign Acts U of T curatorial studies MVS candidate Wanda Nanibush gives a talk about her show (reviewed in this week’s issue) exploring aboriginal performance, with work by Rebecca Belmore, Adrian Stimson, Lori Blondeau, Shelley Niro and others. At Justina M. Barnicke Gallery. See listing.
Photopia Final day for this annual Gallery 44 fundraiser of photographic work by Edward Burtynsky, Toni Hafkenscheid, Laurie Kang, Meera Margaret Singh and many others. See listing.
Occupied Spaces Tarek Abouamin, Benjamin Lowy, Sanaz Mazinani and Richard Mosse discuss the role of photography in shaping contemporary experience and promoting social change, followed by a reception for Contact Photography Festival primary exhibit Public: Collective Identity | Occupied Space (a two-venue show, also at MOCCA). At U of T Art Centre. See listing.
Derek Liddington Toronto artist Liddington gives the first of a series of performances involving a narrative centred on a 1968 Mustang coupe, working-class dreams and a father-son relationship. Set in a large-scale installation, today’s performance, Act I: Today A Legend Died (for the workers), will be followed on May 12 by Act II: Today A Legend Died (by the workers) and from May 22 to 26 by Act III: Viva La Revolution. At Daniel Faria Gallery. See listing.
Movies
Hot Docs The massive documentary festival heats up its opening weekend a repeat Saturday screening of its opening film, Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry, as well as showings of Beauty Is Embarrassing (Saturday and Sunday), Tchoupitoulas (Saturday) and Soldier/Citizen (Sunday).
The Five-Year Engagement Jason Segel and Emily Blunt share terrific chemistry in this funny but realistic romantic comedy about a couple whose lives radically change leading up to their nuptials. See review.
Stage
Oil And Water Robert Chafe’s moving and music-filled examination of a real-life event in 1942 Newfoundland gets two performances this weekend at the Factory Theatre. See review.
Nubian Disciples All Black Comedy Revue: 18th Anniversary Show Kenny Robinson hosts a sure-to-sell-out special anniversary show featuring Trixx, Martha Chaves, Daniel Woodrow and others, Sunday night at Yuk Yuk’s Downtown. See listing.
