BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//918 Bathurst - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://918bathurst.com
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for 918 Bathurst
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:UTC
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0000
TZOFFSETTO:+0000
TZNAME:UTC
DTSTART:20240101T000000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251015T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251015T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T155044
CREATED:20250910T155805Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T215821Z
UID:19434-1760556600-1760565600@918bathurst.com
SUMMARY:X Avant XX Night 1- Explosion\, Retrospect\, Melting Point
DESCRIPTION:Night 1 curated by John Gzowski (MG AD 2006–2008) & Jonathan Bunce (MG AD 2006-2011) is an homage to the works of James Tenney & Ron Gaskin. Through Critical Band and Eucalyptus\, two Toronto mega-bands\, we recollect the innovative moments threaded into the rich sonic history of our city.\nThis year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant\, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.  \nJohn Gzwoski says\, “Named after James Tenney’s seminal work\, Critical Band was originally led by violinist Marc Sabat. [I] ran the group in the early 2000’s as a group dedicated to microtonal and tuning based new music. Performing original compositions and the works of guest composers\, the group performed on new and returned instruments. Concerts were rare and precious as it usually meant building new instruments\, learning them and the notation required to write for them. \nIn the 25 years since there are now more available instruments for this kind of music\, from the Lumatone keyboard designed by Critical Band member Garnet Willis to the totally adjustable guitar fretboards designed by Prof. Dr. Tolgahan Çoğulu played in this concert. As tunings become almost mainstream with inclusions into software like Ableton Live and Dorico\, its use in practice is still on the edges of experimentation. \nThis version of Critical Band will be [myself] on guitars\, Debashis Sinha on percussion and electronics\, Ben Grossman on hurdy gurdy and electronics\, Christine Duncan on voice and Amahl Arulanandam on cello. A 25 year pearl of insight from decades of investigation into pitch and temperament.” \nJonathan Bunce says\, “Eucalyptus will close out Night 1 of X Avant XX as a special nine-piece edition to celebrate the release of their new album\, Topology of Time & Up Express etc.\, on Telephone Explosion Records. Founded in 2009 by composer\, alto saxophonist\, and bandleader Brodie West\, the loose\, swinging crew mix loungy sway\, tropical polyrhythms\, cosmic skronk\, calypso grooves and Ethio-infused melodies into something both off-kilter and inviting. It’s cocktail jazz happy hour at the Mos Eisley cantina. \nTogether 16 years\, they’re now one of Toronto’s longer-running bands\, yet they’re a pearl of the city’s deeply interconnected music scene — continually discovered with delight by unsuspecting audiences at street festivals and park picnics. This X Avant nonet will include special guest Nicole Rampersaud on trumpet — traveling in from New Brunswick for this gig — as well as recent addition Aline Homzy on violin. Don’t get too comfortable in those folding chairs.”
URL:https://918bathurst.com/event/x-avant-xx-night-1/
LOCATION:918 Bathurst: Culture\, Arts\, Media & Education\, 918 Bathurst Street\, Toronto\, ON\, M5R 3G5\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Event,Featured Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://918bathurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/15th.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251016T190000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251016T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T155044
CREATED:20250910T160033Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T215906Z
UID:19437-1760641200-1760652000@918bathurst.com
SUMMARY:X Avant XX Night 2 - Packed\, Speed\, Magnetic
DESCRIPTION:Night 2 curated by Sanjeet Takhar (MG AD 2020-Present) celebrates passion and energy rooted in unfazed\, determined DIY spirit bringing communities together.\nThis year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant\, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.  \nSanjeet says\, “Founded as a club night in Kampala\, Uganda\, Nyege Nyege began with a mission to create a safe\, supportive space where East African DJs\, musicians\, and artists could take creative risks\, share ideas\, and build community. This foundation grew into a dynamic cultural platform that includes a festival\, a professional recording studio and residency program\, and two record labels—Nyege Nyege Tapes and Hakuna Kulala—dedicated to nurturing the underground music scene. With its own booking agency and relentless innovation\, Nyege Nyege continues to champion a new generation of boundary-pushing creatives. \nSisso & Maiko’s Singeli—Tanzania’s breakneck dance music that layers frenetic loops with influences from Zanzibar’s taarab to South African afro-house\, propelled by razor-sharp MCing that reflects the joys and struggles of urban life in Dar es Salaam. Will have you moving your body and screaming alongside your friends. \nAlongside this\, Violence Gratuite will perform selections from her debut album Baleine à Boss\, a suite of pulsing techno and fractured trap infused with echoes of French pop. Rooted in imagery from the forests of western Cameroon and shaped by a restless\, exploratory spirit. \nWe are proud to partner with local magazine The Vermin\, a critical\, experimental\, volunteer-run project. They’ll curate opening artists and poets dedicated to exploring The Mouth\, The Tongue\, The Throat and will have copies of their work for sale. All of this was made possible with the hard work of Western Front\, and is a part of a tour built by Debaser (Ottawa)\, Arts in the Margins (Montréal)\, and Send + Receive Festival (Winnipeg) and the MG.”
URL:https://918bathurst.com/event/x-avant-xx-night-2/
LOCATION:918 Bathurst: Culture\, Arts\, Media & Education\, 918 Bathurst Street\, Toronto\, ON\, M5R 3G5\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Event,Featured Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://918bathurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/16th.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251017T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251017T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T155044
CREATED:20250910T160553Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T215950Z
UID:19440-1760729400-1760738400@918bathurst.com
SUMMARY:X Avant XX Night 3 - Gathering\, Metamorphic\, Recollection
DESCRIPTION:Night 3 curated by David Dacks (MG AD 2011-2020\, ED 2021-2023) is a play of past and present syncing together to create imaginative and uncharted resonances.\nThis year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant\, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.  \nDavid says\, “Tonight’s programming is less about a grand musical concept. It speaks more to a certain amount of symmetry on a personal level. \nOne of the earliest curatorial decisions I made when heading the “World Avant” stream of programming in 2011 was Dublab’s visit to Toronto with their Tonalism be-in. Among the artists were Not The Wind Not The Flag\, composed of Brandon Valdivia and Colin Fisher. I’ve worked with Colin many times in many settings over the years and he is a brilliant soloist and collaborator with\, I think\, the best electronic setup of anyone I know. Fast forward to the present and I am now with Labyrinth Ontario\, where I’ve met the brilliant gayageum player Roa Lee. Her facility with modal music in an ensemble and outstanding solo ability make jaws drop and eyes well up wherever she plays. I can’t wait to see past and present join together for their first ever encounter of deeply emotive improvisation. \nFurthering the sense of symmetry – if Colin represents the beginning of my programming tenure at the MG\, Yaz Lancaster’s work was introduced to me by MG curator Sara Constant during the pandemic towards the very end of my time as AD in 2020. They presented a selection of livestreamed works for violin/voice/electronics from their home\, as one did at that time. I’m so glad that we can celebrate the release of their new album AFTER in person at 918 Bathurst where their detailed sound design will be beautifully focused by the room’s acoustics.”
URL:https://918bathurst.com/event/x-avant-xx-night-3/
LOCATION:918 Bathurst: Culture\, Arts\, Media & Education\, 918 Bathurst Street\, Toronto\, ON\, M5R 3G5\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Event,Featured Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://918bathurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/17.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=UTC:20251018T193000
DTEND;TZID=UTC:20251018T220000
DTSTAMP:20260419T155044
CREATED:20250910T161112Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T220040Z
UID:19443-1760815800-1760824800@918bathurst.com
SUMMARY:X Avant XX Night 4 - Momentos\, Wisdom\, Forever
DESCRIPTION:Night 4 curated by Keisha Bell is a staged intervention reimagining MG’s story by commemorating and bringing forward overlooked jazz legacies that resoundingly shaped experimental sound forever.\nThis year is special. As we celebrate 50 years of history & 20 years of X Avant\, we’ve gathered 5 curators to take over 918 Bathurst to enliven and celebrate 5 eras of precious sound.  \nKeisha says\, “In summer 2020\, I saw Cuban pianist Aruán Ortiz perform online and contacted him for composition lessons. A year later\, I got to meet him in person when he performed with AfroHORN in Buffalo. They captured my imagination with a blend of Afro-Caribbean\, jazz\, and free improvisation. I discovered trumpeter Milena Casado on Bandcamp. When I saw that the first track was called “THIS IS MY HAIR\,” AND she recorded a cover of “Unconditional Love”\, I knew I was in for a treat. \nPart of the mission of the MG is to “cultivate artistic experimentation and community through sound\, music and sharing in the creative process.” Listening to both of these artists\, I find their work easily aligns with this ethos. Their music transgresses boundaries while remaining rooted in the tradition of Black American music\, encompassing the Americas from North to South.”
URL:https://918bathurst.com/event/x-avant-xx-night-4-momentos-wisdom-forever/
LOCATION:918 Bathurst: Culture\, Arts\, Media & Education\, 918 Bathurst Street\, Toronto\, ON\, M5R 3G5\, Canada
CATEGORIES:Event,Featured Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://918bathurst.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/18th.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR