It was early afternoon last Saturday when I proudly declared I would be wearing my poncho to the TIME Festival. My friends laughed accordingly and threatened not to stand with me — but by the end of the day, I had no regrets other than not having been quite as thoughtful with my footwear (my TOMS are still drying).
It was a long, wet, and foggy day at Fort York Garrison Commons, albeit an entertaining one. The afternoon showers soaked most concertgoers and probably sent some home early. Those who stayed seemed quite happy and energetic, united in their discomfort. I arrived later in the afternoon and first caught Kaytranada’s set. It was upbeat, pleasant, and featured a true blend of different styles of electronic music.
At this point, people were still entering the park in waves and lining up at the few food options: a Rancho Relaxo truck, an ice cream truck, and a Sliced Gourmet outpost. I grabbed some french fries and headed into the crowd.
By the time I found my friends, the South African musician St. Lucia was beginning his set. It was becoming clear that either due to the weather or the sound system, the sound at the festival was quiet and slightly muffled. This didn’t seem to matter as St. Lucia’s tropical and upbeat tunes, combined with the band’s genuine enthusiasm, woke everyone up.
Next up was the American chef-turned-rapper Action Bronson. During his set, it became even more apparent that the sound system was not up to the crowds and weather; Bronson himself kept yelling, “I can’t hear you, Toronto.” The crowd was torn between fans yelling in support and in frustration. The mangled communication between the audience and the singer resulted in a highly confusing performance overall. At one point, I misunderstood that Bronson was still performing as he walked through the audience.
Bronson’s set ended as quickly as it began, and we all eagerly stood to wait for Flume, one of the most highly anticipated shows of the night. He came out loud and excited, feeding a crowd that wanted to be woken up again. The Australian 22-year-old appeared thrilled to be there and played tracks without vocals punctuated by favourites, like his remixes of Disclosure’s “You and Me,” and of Lorde’s “Tennis Court.”
After the Flume set, the crowd began to unwind; many piled out the park gates while others took on a long wait for headliner Grimes. After lots of setup and the appearance of a few of her tour mimes, she came out bouncing and smiling. She was wearing pants, a dress, and a cardigan with double braids, and announced how happy she was to be back in Canada for the first time in months.
Her performance conveyed a wholehearted excitement as compared to the other acts. She yelled cheerfully and sang two new pieces in between what are now her classic songs, like “Oblivion” and “Genesis.”
The rain and the disjointed nature of the TIME festival certainly made for a strange day. At times, it seemed like a piecemeal combination of acts and amenities, with minimal food options and a poorly curated order of performances that made it challenging for the crowd to pick up momentum. The cancellations of headliners Charlie XCX and Death Grips were also disappointing, as was the sound system. Some performers brought energy to the day, most notably Grimes, and the festival was affordable. The TIME festival was a day that became what you made of it, because what was available wasn’t always that enticing.
