We came here for the First Thursday @ AGO ($15 a ticket online). We went on time and was glad to see there was no ridiculous line out the door like at Friday Night @ ROM. The crowd seemed more diverse, but also on the trendier side. There was a cash bar and no need for buying vouchers in advance (i.e. nothing ROM bucks).
The building itself is definitely beautiful, despite the corridors often being crowded. This is especially true near the entrance where the bar is set up and people tend to linger. This is probably because there are no food or drinks allowed for most of the areas, blocked off by a rope and security guards (for good reason, I suppose). There were also food dishes (~$5 a pop) and live music.
I won't pretend to know about art, but the first two floors are great. They have wonderful Group of Seven & Emily Carr exhibits on the second floor. Also live paintings and performances throughout the first two floors. Great place to go for a date!