In summertime Toronto, revelry abounds, with parades, street parties, and extended-hours bashes happening on an almost a daily basis. Pride has all of the above, as well as speaking events, literary readings, art shows, film screenings, and socio-political implications. Oh, and it has drag queens, nudity, bands, and fantastic t-shirts, too. The annual panoply of carousing kicks off on Friday, June 19th, and continuously ramps up until a rainbow explosion on Pride Weekend. Martiniboys.com Pride Guide 2009 spotlights this year's best gigs and gatherings. Read on.

Fri. Jun. 19: Pride Launch Party @ Woody's
From the Village to Queer West, Pride has countless parties, fetes, and soirees. Proverbially, you have to start somewhere. You might as well start at the official Pride Launch Party? Taking over Pride stalwart, Woody's, the party kicks off at 7:00pm. Entertainment comes via Cristabel Burlesque, Sofinda Cox, and DJs Nik Red and Shane Percy, while Deb Pearce hosts. Expect drinks to flow, rainbows to shine, and luminaries to attend at this surely auspicious start to Pride Week. It will go late.


Mon. Jun. 22: Colour Me Dragg @ The Gladstone Hotel
I was just thinking about Colour Me Badd only, like fifteen years ago. Weird. Anyway, aside from a fondness for repeated consonants Colour Me Dragg has very little to do with Colour Me Badd. Still, reminiscing is fun. Moving on: this party features performances by…everyone in the world. Well, not really, though the roster is long and diverse, including Chromatically Correct, Gabi Rodrigues, Ill Nana, Luka, Olivya Chin, and many, many others. Proceeds go to Mujeres Al Frente.


Thu. Jun. 25: Libido @ the Gladstone Hotel
Here's something that will one day be an aphorism: you can't have a good Dyke March without a little funding. That's where Libido at the Gladstone comes in. Culling cash for the impending aforementioned event, Libido brings together a number of local luminaries, including Skin Tight Outta Sight and Denise Benson, for an evening of burlesque, dancing, and Pride. The fabulously named CoCo La Crème takes on hosting duties. But will there be tassels? I sort of doubt it. Still…


Sat. Jun. 27: Hooded Fang, Kids on TV, Islands, etc. @ South Stage
In Toronto, consortium pop combos abound. Though, during Pride you won't find a more cutesy/infectious one than Hooded Fang. They play the South Stage on Saturday the 27th. Aside from the Richler fans, the Cliks, Gentleman Reg, Islands, and Kids on TV hit the same stage. Incidentally, you will never see kids on tv do anything like Kids on TV. Never. Look for a burlesque-tinged, visual-backed, costume-attired, raucous rainbow affair. This is the strongest stretch of a fantastic weekend so settle in for a few hours.

Sat. Jun. 27: Esthero @ Wellesley Stage
With crisp air clinging to freshly bought scarves, sunlight breaking through shedding trees, leaves crumpling under plimsolls, and the best fashion of the year, autumn is my favourite season. The only drawback is the inevitable rush of bittersweet nostalgia. Typically, I don't know what spurs it, but this year is an exception: it's Esthero's fault. Coming of age in Toronto in the 1990s, Esthero was inescapable. She followed me from club stages to ex-girlfriends' bedrooms. Though she never disappeared, she has existed mostly under the radar as of late. However, she has been far from inactive. Collaborating with hordes of disparate artists, her smooth, trip hop voice continues to turn up at intervals. This Pride Week appearance will inevitably take me back to the aforementioned bedrooms (figuratively), but given the summer setting I probably won't weep uncontrollably (not that I would in fall, anyway).

Sat. Jun. 27: The Dyke March @ Various Locations
The annual Dyke March may follow a similar -- though slightly shorter -- route than the next day Pride Parade, but it should not, under threat of execution (well, at least public castigation) be considered a parade. Instead, it's a statement of socio-political solidarity. Given the event's socially minded dogma, it's not quite the explosion of revelry that the Parade is. Nevertheless, it's an impressive spectacle of commitment and strength and a good ol' walk around on a sunny day should never be balked at. The Dyke March kicks off at Church and Hayden at 2:00pm.

Sat. Jun. 27: Deborah Cox @ Wellesley Stage
Play this game: name a Canadian slow-jam heroine. Yeah, Deborah Cox is the first one that pops into your head. Name another one. Can't? Me neither. All you need is Deborah. Covering two distinct bases, she has the perfect name for a Pride event. She still creates the kind of tunes that make people get down, but her catalogue can do more than just set the mood. Incidentally, whatever happened to Sade? Do you think the first girl I ever slept with would get mad if I mentioned the fact that we were listening to Jodeci at the time? Maybe I had better not. Wow, I really got sidetracked on this one.

Sun. Jun. 27: Divine Brown @ Wellesley Stage
At his point, R&B chanteuse extraordinaire, Divine Brown, must be tired of having blurbs about her that say, "No, not that Divine Brown." Regardless, here's one more. Canada's premier soulstress has nothing to do with the one-time hired consort of a certain floppy-haired Brit rom-com staple. She does have a lot to do with dolling out sublime, voice-driven numbers. Her voice covers more range than Genghis Khan's realm did land. That said, her live set isn't just about the pipes. She'll have a stellar backing band on hand and an impressive contingent of hooks.

Sun. Jun. 28: Big Primping @ The Phoenix
Familiarity breeds contempt so the typically fantastic Big Primping has restlessly wandered about, staying fresh in the process. During its tenure at Stones' Place, it monthly drew lineups around the Parkdale building, as hip hop and its attendant offshoots shot out the doors. This special edition, titled Versatile, will see performances by GIA while Will Munro and Jamie Sin oversee the decks. Given the confines and the event's pedigree, it will be one of the most frenetic and sublime dance throwdowns of a week filled with them.

Sun. Jun, 28: Opopo @ Alexandre Parkette
When opening for Klaxons, local palindromic blip provocateurs, Opopo, destroyed their Opera House set. I wanted to see them during last year's NXNE, but the sky opened up as I sauntered to Kensington from Yonge and Dundas Square. I ended up sequestered under a hair salon's awning during the band's gig. Now, I get another shot thanks to this closing-day gig at Alexandre Parkette at 7:15pm. And it's gratis. If it rains again, I'm going to kill me a cumulonimbus cloud (you like it when I talk/type weather, don't you? I thought so).

Sun. Jun. 28: The Pride Parade :: Various Locations
This year's Pride lineup brims with fantastic events, parties, films, and dry-hump opportunities. Regardless of tangential concerns, the centerpiece remains the climactic Pride Parade. Now in its 29th year, it again meanders from Church, along Bloor, down Yonge, and back across Gerrard. In between, hordes of writhing wanderers on float and on foot celebrate the titular ethos as onlookers excitedly gawk and cheer. A singular event, it's a major highlight of Toronto's summer cultural calendar. Wear sunscreen (just saying).