On Saturday night at The Boat The Varsity hosted its first Off The Record party which showcased some of Toronto’s best musical talent and raised $750.00 for Journalists For Human Rights. The evening—which saw the Kensington hotspot packed to capacity—kicked off with a powerful performance by one-man loop-orchestra Now Yr Taken, who was followed by the shimmering melodies of MTV-approved rockers The Coast. Next up, Uncut unleashed a killer set of spine-shattering hits including amazing renditions of “Taken in Sleep,” “Chain Fight,” and even managed to recover from a blown fuse (with the help of Boat booker Keith Hamilton) to cap off their set with “Understanding The New Violence.” Bassist Derek Tokar rocked so hard he cracked the head of his alpinewhite Thunderbird IV in their set-concluding melee. The final band of the night, Germans, impressed the crowd by constantly rotating between instruments, covering a Cap’n Jazz tune, and delivering energetic performances of “Nature’s Mouth” and “I Am the Teacher” off their album Cape Fear. Taking care of DJ duties for the night was Shit La Merde (bottom left) who managed to keep the dance floor hopping well into daylight savings. Thanks to everyone who came out to support local talent and Journalists For Human Rights. Watch out for another Off The Record party in the spring!
