If you're looking for something that may have bands then you should probably head down to the Queen West area instead. Really around Yonge & Bloor most of the bars are just pubs and that's it with no room for bands (someone correct me if I'm wrong).
Near Queen's Park (ish)
- sounds like you'll enjoy
THC on Yonge
- the army surplus store south of there is always entertaining!
- you may not like it but my favourite shop in the area is
Science City underground on Bloor
* yonge doesn't really have too much other than crappy porn shops and restaurants though. So if you're looking to shop check out these other places
Kensington Market
- go to
Blue Banana
- random cooking stuff at
Good Egg
- anywhere else in Kensington, some good meat markets (the real meat kind), cheese and chocolate places too.
Queen West
-
Friendly Stranger
-
Silver Snail comics is good if you're into that
-
Outer Layer has got some neat stuff sometimes.
* depending on how far you want to go, the shops on Queen West just keep going. After Bathurst St they really turn into furniture and antiques and stuff, but there are some random good shops mixed in.
And if you've never been to St. Lawrence Market and don't mind mixing in with the old and crazy people that go there, I'm sure you'll enjoy that. There is so much random crap there anyone can enjoy it.