Things to do in Toronto this week: September 6–12

This week is defined by a weather split: Sunday through Tuesday stay dry and mild enough for patios and outdoor movement, but Wednesday brings real rain—62 percent chance and the week's wettest day—so stack your indoor plans accordingly. Thursday clears and warms back up to 26 degrees, making it the best day to get outside. The headliners this time lean rock and film, with one genuine heavyweight booking that towers over the rest.

Danny Elfman lands at History Toronto on Thursday at 7 p.m., and this is the week's unmissable draw. Elfman's career arc—from fronting Oingo Boingo in the 1980s to becoming one of film's most prolific and inventive composers—makes him a rare booking in T.O. He'll likely thread between his band years and his decades scoring everything from Tim Burton to Spider-Man, and a venue like History gives the night an intimate, listening-room quality rather than a stadium cruise. This is a chance to hear the architect of modern film music in conversation with his own work.

If you want to bank rock shows early in the week while the weather holds, The Rasmus hit The Opera House on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The Finnish band formed in 1994 and built a devoted following across Europe and beyond; this is a solid mid-week anchor before the rain rolls in. Wednesday brings Breaking Benjamin to the RBC Amphitheatre at 6 p.m.—an American rock staple since 1999 with a dedicated fanbase, though the wet forecast might test outdoor appetite. If the rain feels heavy, skip it and catch Sun Kil Moon at Lee's Palace the same night at 8 p.m., where Mark Kozelek's folk-rock introspection plays better in a dry, roofed room anyway. Doors open, tickets from $44 USD.

Sunday offers curated smaller shows: Nate Sib (a Los Angeles singer-songwriter who broke through on the NHL 24 soundtrack) plays The Mod Club at 7 p.m., while Aakash Gupta brings stand-up comedy to the Lyric Theatre at Meridian Arts Centre at 3:30 p.m. and again later that day. Gupta, an Indian comic and co-winner of Comicstaan, draws crowds who know his work online and on stage. Both are solid Sunday options before the week proper kicks in.

Beyond the stages, TIFF season is reshaping the restaurant calendar. Five Toronto spots—Bar Romy, Vinny, Animl, Primadonna among them—are rolling out film-inspired cocktails and limited menus September 10–20, a perfect pairing if you catch a festival screening. More extravagant: dbar at the Four Seasons is offering The Final Cut XO Sazerac from September 8–20, a $1,000 tableside creation with premium cognac and Scotch, plus a Rolls-Royce ride to your next venue. For something grounded and warm, AYLA on Dundas West has launched a community recipe project, inviting diners to submit generations-old family dishes for the kitchen to reinterpret—it's the kind of neighbourhood restaurant moment that makes a weeknight feel intentional.

Thursday is your clear-weather play: 26 degrees and mostly dry, ideal for a late patio meal or an outdoor walk before Elfman at night. Fox on John, a solid gastropub in the 416, anchors an easy evening if you want casual before the show.

If I'm picking one night this week, it's Elfman on Thursday—a filmmaker's composer in an intimate room, clear skies, and a rare chance to hear decades of film history live in real time.