Summer festival season is upon us, and it kicked off in spectacular fashion with 500 performers at 40 clubs under the banner of North By Northeast. While Toronto is blessed to have two annual large-scale music festivals, North By Northeast holds an advantage over Canadian Music Week by virtue of its sheer size, the number of awesome international acts, and beautiful weather (recent CMW experience involved trudging through two feet of freshly fallen snow).
For a festival of this size, timing is everything. NXNE ran like clockwork, with 40-minute sets that all started on the hour, ensuring that fans could stroll from venue to venue with relative ease.
This year’s story was the lack of legendary acts that are typically brought in by festival organizers. With the absence of big names like former festival headliners Dinosaur Jr. and the Buzzcocks, the onus was on music lovers to seek out and unearth exciting new bands which, in our experience, led to more successes than disappointments.
If you were able to get out and enjoy the great music and perfect weather, congratulations. If you couldn’t make it, shame on you, but here’s The Varsity’s comprehensive wrap up of what you missed. —RD
WEDNESDAY
The Stills—Mod Club, 9 PM
After the massive success of their debut LP, 2003’s Logic Will Break Your Heart, it all went awry for The Stills. Lineup changes were the main culprit, as drummer and principal songwriter Dave Hamelin emerged from behind the kit to take over frontman duties on the band’s second album. This was an unequivocal disaster, because Hamelin lacks the voice, magnetism and charisma of Tim Fletcher, who has thankfully taken back the lead vocal on the new tracks that the band debuted at this Mod Club showcase. Fletcher scowled as the band roared through the majority of their old favourites, ditching the rootsy, piano-driven songs that made their second record such a flop. Armed with a massive new single, “Being Here,” that has all the bombast of U2’s “Beautiful Day,” the time could be right for a resurgence. Perhaps the new album, due in August on Arts & Crafts, will see the band live up to their early potential, but only time will tell. —RD
Rating: VVVv
THURSDAY
Summerside—Dundas Square, 6 PM
The Hard Rock Café Main Stage at Dundas Square played host to an early evening set by Burlington’s Summerside, the latest in a seemingly endless string of suburban 905 cookie-cutter emo bands. It’s a genre so rife with mimicry that it’s difficult not to label every band “watered down Fall Out Boy wannabes” and stop there. Singer Grant Edwards’ attempt to mimic Patrick Stump’s soulful vocals turned into a falsetto that made him sound like he was battling a cold. Summerside has also dropped a member or two recently, chaining Edwards to his keyboard and thereby limiting his ability to be the kind of energetic frontman that is practically an emo prerequisite. Maybe it was just the sun in their eyes, but the only aspect of Summerside’s live show that distinguishes them from their contemporaries is their lack of energy. Did I mention they have pretty rad haircuts? —RD
Rating: Vv
Ted Leo and The Pharmacists with The Hospital Bombers—Mod Club, 8 PM
There was something nostalgic in the air on Thursday night at the Mod Club. Sounding like a grimy, less spastic Los Campesinos!, openers The Hospital Bombers (who copped their name from the epic Mountain Goats tune “The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton”) sang a bombastic guitar/violin tribute declaring, “Punk’s not dead.” When Ted Leo and the Pharmacists took the stage at a punctual eight o’clock, they opened with their lament to the death of ska entitled “Where Have all the Rude Boys Gone?” It all sounded wistful for the music of yesteryear, the irony further deepened by the excessive product placements for Converse sneakers scattered all over the venue (Joey Ramone is rolling in his grave). However, Ted Leo’s mad guitar slinging and corrosive vocals reignited hope in a crowd who were becoming increasingly ashamed of their black high-tops. Racing through material from his three recent stellar albums, Leo presented forty-five minutes of raw, wired energy that passed all too quickly. My only complaint was that he skipped his usual manic live version of “Ballad of a Sin Eater,” quite possibly the best song about Americans ever written. By the time Leo had the crowd singing along to “Me and Mia,” all was forgiven, and suddenly the rock n’ roll of the past seemed like nothing compared to what some musicians are producing in the present. —WBM
Rating: VVVVv
The Vibrants—El Mocambo Downstairs, 10 PM
The fact that The Vibrants were one of the few English bands brought in for the festival is an indicator that the NXNE programmers can’t be all that concerned with UK indie rock at the moment. Hailing from London, the band chart angular post-punk territory in the vein of Bloc Party and The Libertines. Yet it seemed that jet lag from the long flight was getting the band down, as they practically slept through the forgettable first half of their set. Signs of life sparked later on with “Shows You Up,” a track that kick-started a series of danceable jams that showcased the drumming of James Hayward. While front man Giles Farnham manages a few memorable hooks, The Vibrants’ overall package gives you the sense that they’re a band destined to placate concertgoers’ dancing shoes until the headliners finally make it out of the dressing room. —RD
Rating: VVv
Oholics—Silver Dollar (Thursday 11 PM, Friday 12 AM, Saturday 2 AM)
Toronto’s resident lunatic genius Dan Burke has done it again, importing Sweden’s Oholics to headline three consecutive nights of his NeXT shows at the Silver Dollar. Having entered Thursday’s show without grand expectations, Oholics made such an incredible impression on me that I made sure to turn up all three nights, and I was definitely not alone. They describe their sound as ‘psychedelic electrorock,’ which in practice seems to be a combination of the band’s two most obvious influences, early incarnations of Pink Floyd and Oasis. In fact, their debut single, an unreleased early Pink Floyd track written by Syd Barrett called “Lucy Leave,” was the only Oholics release available until Friday night when Davy Love’s local Magnificent Sevens label released a new 7-inch single. Juxtaposing the steely composure of the singer and guitarist with the androgynous, barefoot multi-instrumentalist who alternated between sitar, tambourine and electronic spacebox, Oholics put on the type of transcendent live show that inspired a demonstration of Dan Burke’s famed trance-like snake charmer dance. He grooved with good reason, as Oholics emerged from relative anonymity on this side of the Atlantic to become the most noteworthy band of the festival. The frenzy had grown to such an extent by Saturday night that it really didn’t come as a surprise when George Stroumboulopoulos leaned into my ear and yelled, “10,000 people are going to say they were here tonight! This band is going to be huge!” My thoughts exactly. —RD
Rating: VVVVV
Monotonix—Reverb, 11 PM
Talk about interactive! Tel Aviv-based Monotonix’s Thursday night set lasted just twenty-five minutes, but that was enough for the crowd to be wowed by their creative audacity. Shunning the stage entirely, the band initially set up their wares on the dance floor amidst the audience. Within minutes, singer Ami Shalev was flinging the drum set at crowd members (while percussionist Haggai Fershtman hardly missed a beat) and was dousing attendees with pilfered beer. Guitarist Yonatan Gat joined Shalev in scaling the Reverb’s pillars, jumping onto the bar, and collapsing onto onlookers as they continually lost their balance. Monotonix may also have played some music, but we can’t seem to remember—the complete break from expectation itself was enough to overwhelm our senses. —SW
Rating: VVVV
FRIDAY
Dance Electric—Neutral, 9 PM
Considering NXNE’s indie focus, this year’s line-up featured some notably aging acts (Here’s looking at you, Chris Murphy). Enter the fresh-faced Mississaugan Dance Electric, with a flailing energy that puts their youth to good use. Despite a last-minute set time change due to the lateness of opening rockers Perla (who got lost en route from Iceland), the band managed a dynamic, powerful show. The quartet of twenty-somethings possesses an enviable chemistry and cohesiveness. Though the bandmates are off in different directions this year, hopefully they’ll maintain the bond—such fond friends can be hard to find. —SW
Rating: VVVv
Ok City Ok—Silver Dollar, 9 PM
This Tokyo outfit traveled a long way to play a one-off show in Toronto, and unfortunately, the 13-hour flight simply wasn’t worth it. Lead singer and Texas native Kay Grace and his Japanese backing band play an uninspired brand of classic rock that can’t even net them a record deal in Japan. Their set was a bore, from the forgettable songwriting, to their complete absence of charisma, to the contrived gimmicks like the thick-rimmed glasses with mini headlamps that they threw on during half of one song, for some inexplicable reason. Even the cute female bassist who thanked the audience for coming wasn’t enough to make up for the band’s attempt to throw everything at the wall and have nothing stick. —RD
Rating: V
Ari Shine—Hideout, 9 PM
With all the amazing live shows at NXNE, it’s inevitable that some acts aren’t going to get much attention. Like singer-songwriter Ari Shine, who played to a sparse crowd at Queen Street’s Hideout. Shine is not young, hip, or particularly innovative, but he’s not unlistenable either. With a strong voice and good range, his charismatic stage presence helped boost his predominantly lackluster material. If you’re going to arm yourself with only an acoustic guitar, it’s best to have some deep Elliott Smith-esque lyrics on your side and a compelling story to tell. Hopefully Shine can make it to that stage eventually, but the show’s strongest moment was his deadpan cover of Eurythmics’ “Missionary Man” (which was admittedly pretty awesome). When it came down to it, Shine himself was even willing to admit his shortcomings: the chorus of one song found him repeatedly telling a girl “you’re cooler than me.” Well okay dude, if you say so. —WBM
Rating: VV
Attack In Black—El Mocambo Downstairs, 11 PM
Rumours were flying when a mysterious “special guest” timeslot was placed up against loveable emo band Moneen at the El Mocambo main floor on Friday night. Despite the raging thunderstorm outside, curious concertgoers arrived in droves to find local indie darlings Attack in Black taking the stage downstairs. Best known for their 2007 radio hit “Young Leaves,” the band shied away from their popular tunes in favour of harder rock and country-influenced songs. Lead vocalist Daniel Romano expressed his exhilaration over Attack in Black’s ability to pull off a secret show for a packed house, a marked achievement for a relatively new band. Then again, they’re sharing the main stage at next month’s Edgefest with the likes of Stone Temple Pilots and Sam Roberts Band. At this point, stardom seems inevitable. —SW
Rating: VVVv
Moneen—El Mocambo Upstairs, 11 PM
Veteran Brampton rockers Moneen are purveyors of a mature kind of emo that flies over the heads of mere drunk teenagers. They mixed a slower selection of untitled new songs with old favourites with such stellar titles as “Are We Really Happy with Who We Are Right Now?” and “If Tragedy’s Appealing, Then Disaster’s an Addiction.” While it was a treat to see a band of Moneen’s stature play a club show, the raw power was simply too much. The microphone fuses were blown multiple times, and it was so hot that singer Kenny Bridges claimed he felt like he was singing underwater and drowning in the process. But the crowd’s enthusiasm made it all worthwhile—how often do you see kids crowd surfing upstairs at the Elmo? — RD
Rating: VVVv
SATURDAY
Carina Round—Savannah Room 9 PM
No more than 30 spectators gathered at the tiny back stage of the Savannah Room, and were treated to a short yet intimate acoustic set by British singer-songwriter Carina Round, with some help on lead guitar from her collaborator and record producer Dan Burns. Round’s effortless charm was on full display, as she demanded a swig of an audience member’s beer, claiming that Canada makes her drink twelve times more than normal. Given the setting, her softer material was the strongest, including a haunting impromptu sing-along that featured Round harmonizing with the audience. It made for a soothing start to a hectic night. —RD
Rating: VVVv
The I Spies— El Mocambo Downstairs, 10 PM
Local post-punk outfit The I Spies roared through a selection of barnburners from their 2007 independently released LP, In the Night, including “Stop Screaming,” “Up All Night,” and the similarily-named title track. Decked out with the most fashionable of indie rock accessories (white sunglasses, gold blazers), they certainly looked the part of headliners. However, the Saturday night showcase didn’t catch them at the top of their game. With the recent addition of a live keyboardist to replicate the album’s layered piano and organ arrangements, effervescent singer Johnny Kay’s vocals were often lost in the mix, burying the band’s colossal hooks. —RD
Rating: VVv
Monotonix (Third Show)—Sneaky Dee’s, 12 AM
You’re standing on an amplifier on stage at Sneaky Dee’s trying not to get crushed by a tattooed monster pouring beers into the audience. Flashbulbs and cell phone cameras blind your eyes. A 100-pound Israeli punk rocker shimmies onto a hanging sprinkler and kicks his steel-toed boots in the air while a screaming crowd tries to keep him stable. To your left, a puffy-haired guitarist unleashes surf-punk licks while grandstanding on a speaker, then dives swan-like into the dirge. The audience paws at the Borat look-alike drummer like werewolves then—holy shit! —hoists him and his bass drum into the air as he ferociously pounds out an airborne solo. You’re worried your ears might be bleeding. You’re worried that the audience is going to torch your favourite Tex Mex restaurant to the ground with the end of a flaming joint. But with one last catlike jump, the lead singer falls to the ground and ends the set screeching on the ground. We embrace and I slap his sweaty back in congratulations. Does the music even matter when the antics are this surreal? —CL
Rating: VVVVV
Redd Kross—Lee’s Palace, 1 AM
While NXNE organizers didn’t bolster their lineup with heavy hitters past, Los Angeles’ Redd Kross have all the credibility of last year’s special guests Dinosaur Jr., with higher grooming standards. Dressed in Marc Jacobs suits that were swiftly removed, the band played off their signature power pop sludge with sugary nasal vocals by lead singer Jeff MacDonald, and a driving rhythm section. “Blow You A Kiss In The Wind” was good kitschy fun with theatrical hand gestures and an extended guitar solo, while “Follow The Leader” held more slacker charm than even Evan Dando could muster. The band played on much longer than their 40-minute restriction, relishing their rock-star status in front of a mid-aged crowd that delighted in every bouncy single. Some come to NXNE for youthful bands on the cusp of breaking out. Some come for old favorites. Redd Kross have been playing longer than high-schoolers Ruby Coast have been alive, and it shows in every soaring crescendo. —CL
Rating: VVV
