Everyone entering the dimly lit room, filled with candles seductively casting silhouettes on the walls, appeared blanketed in a mysterious shadow. Women dressed in their highest stilettos and curve hugging outfits mingled, while men tried their best not to stare. The ceiling lights poured out shades of red onto the centre of the room causing a glimmer, which almost emulated the glow of dying embers in a fire. The scene was set for a night of eroticism at the Passion Lounge.

All of Toronto’s sexual freaks, exhibitionists and romantics alike came out to The Sweet Spot “Erotic poetry and more…” event to hear poems of sexuality and performances to match.

Host for the evening Walter Maxfield Jones, otherwise known as the “Habitual Line Stepper Over”, warmed up the crowd in between sets with his jaw dropping and raunchy comedic style. He asked the audience personal questions about their love lives and their sexuality causing some blushing cheeks and slowly easing out everyone’s inner freak.

Jones made sure that the audience stayed involved in the show throughout the night. Audience members competed for prizes in competitions that included best fake orgasm, best body part and most creative sexual positions.

This was definitely not a show for prudes or introverts. R&B singer Deacon proved that to be true when he simulated oral sex on a woman from the audience. Burlesque dancer Essence Revealed mesmerized the audience as she flirtatiously danced and stripped down to nothing. And ex-Flow 93.5 host Jemeni and performer Sabrina Gilbert tore down the spot with their poems which confidently displayed their femininity and fearless sexuality.

“I try to give [the audience] an experience,” says Gilbert. “I think that in our culture, especially for women, it’s not okay for us because of patriarchy and social standards to enjoy pleasure. If you look at films you will never see a woman having an orgasm but you will see a man having one, so when I’m performing I am trying to explain the beauty of the experience and that it’s okay. It’s empowering, it’s okay and it doesn’t make you something filthy or defiled.”

Besides the obvious draw of sex, the show had other underlying messages for everyone that came out.

“It’s important for people to have a safe place to express and explore sexuality. As a society people don’t really look at the repression of sex as part of the problem,” explains Gilbert.

The other performers were in agreement with events such as The Sweet Spot being an eye opener and a safe, non-judgemental place to discuss the topic of sexuality, which usually gets swept under the rug.

“Anywhere where we can encourage people to let go of all that tightness we feel around sexuality is great because it’s a part of life,” says Essence Revealed. “For me, my mission in life is creating safe spaces for women to explore sexuality.”

This was The Sweet Spot’s second run (previously called Freak Nasty) in Toronto and due to the outpour of positive feedback the event will be making another stop back to the city, and possibly more, next year. The freaks have spoken.

Words by. Symone Nelson + Photos by. Nicolas Denny