Music
Van Halen We were a little surprised at how much we liked the new Van Halen reunion album, but it seems like the aging rockers can still pull it off. Reviewers have been enthusiastic about their live shows too, so we’re pretty optimistic about Saturday’s gig at the Air Canada Centre. See listing.
Martian Awareness Ball The long running annual Martian Awareness Ball celebrates its 34 year Saturday at the Horseshoe, and is a much better reason to drink green beer than St Patrick’s day. See listing.
Movies
Corman’s World: Exploits Of A Hollywood Rebel This documentary about the legendary B movie producer and director Roger Corman screens all weekend at the refurbished Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. See review, interview with subject Corman and a look at the launch of the reno’d theatre.
The Ballad Of Genesis And Lady Jaye Marie Losier documents the love affair between performance artist/indie music groundbreaker Genesis P-Orridge and her muse, Lady Jaye. See review and interview with Losier.
Stage
The Seven Deadly Sins (And Holier Fare) Against The Grain Theatre presents the rarely performed Kurt Weill cabaret, with original choreography by Matjash Mrozewski and a dramatic cantata by Benjamin Britten. Finishes its two-night run Saturday at Gallery 345. See related story.
Trixx: The Final Mistrial The terrific stand-up and frequent Video On Trial commentator performs the final show in his comedy trilogy. Saturday at the Jane Mallett. See listing.
Community
Direct Action Workshop Spring’s coming and the protest season’s with us – this introductory workshop, hosted by Tools for Change, focuses on the different types of non-violent direct action and how activists can integrate them into their campaigns. It’s being led by Earthroots’ David Stone and Greenpeace’s Natalie Caine. 11 am-5 m. $10-$20 sugg. U of T. See listing.
From Fukushima to Toronto What does Japan’s nuke disaster tell us about our own atomic energy problem? Lots actually. This day of workshops and panels features a number of guest speakers – in fact, all the folks who know this issue well – including Greenpeace’s Shawn-Patrick Stensil, Lake Ontario Waterkeeper’s Mark Mattson, Ontario Clean Air Alliance’s Jack Gibbons and Angela Bischoff, and more.1-5 pm. $5 or pwyc. 918 Bathurst. See listing.
Art
Spiked Tea An afternoon high-tea social at Mercer Union raises funds for the gallery, with tables designed by artists – including Basil AlZeri, CN Tower Liquidations, Heather Nicol and others – plus teas, cocktails and snacks. See listing.
Sins Invalid New College Disability Studies, Ryerson U Disability Studies and the AGO present excepts from Sins Invalid: A Unshamed Claim To Beauty In The Face Of Invisibility, a performance exploring themes of sexuality, embodiment and the disabled body, led by disabled people of colour, including Alex Cafarelli, Leah Lakshi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Leroy Moore and Maria Palacios. At the AGO. See listing.
Tasman Richardson The Toronto artist turns MOCCA’s main gallery into a dark, twisting multimedia meditation on video and death culture, while in the Project Room, MOCCA collaborates with the National Gallery for Spectral Landscapes, hallucinatory views of the wilderness by Sarah Anne Johnson, Peter Doig and Tim Gardner. See listing.