This year marked the 13th anniversary of the North by Northeast music festival. NXNE is Canada’s leading showcase of independent music and films. It was one of the largest to date, counting almost 400 musical acts and taking place over 33 different venues in Toronto. The shows began June 7th and continued until the 10th. Catching all of the talent at the festival is downright impossible, but after researching the majority of the bands performing, I was able to narrow down the list to a few who really got my attention. Over two days, I attended as many shows as possible. The following is the play by play of my adventures. 

Friday June 8th

As I’m getting ready to make the drive to Toronto for the first night of concerts, the worst possible thing that could happen, does. I turn on the TV to find that there is a severe thunderstorm warning for the greater Toronto Area. It is pouring outside with bolts of lightning that are violent enough to send my dog hiding under my bed, and to cause a power outage as I’m in the middle of blow drying my hair. I begin to panic thinking that I can’t possibly drive in these conditions, much less with a terrible coif. Nervous and annoyed that my night will be ruined, I pray to the music God’s for their mercy. Luckily, it must have worked, because the storm let out merely half an hour later and with the exception of running a little late, no harm was done.

I get into my car and race to Toronto, hopeful that I won’t encounter any other setbacks. An hour later, I have reached my destination, with an hour to spare until the artist I intend on seeing performs. I sit back as the first performer, who introduces himself as Shad, takes the stage. He is a hip hop artist from London, Ontario, recently signed to Black Box Recordings. The tiny venue is packed during his performance, and the crowd is energetic and really feeling the music. Shad, for his part, keeps the energy up while he delivers conscious hip hop with meaningful lyrics, and avoids any references to bling bling or pimping. I make a mental note to look into Shad’s music after the show. After a forty-five minute set, he leaves the stage and set up for the next act begins.

This next act, according to the schedule, is Jesse Malin; a hipster from New York who has received a great amount of attention and press. After listening to a few of his songs in the previous days, I knew he was one performer I had to watch! I make my way to the front and am face to face with the five piece band that takes the stage. They begin to play, and right away I realize that this is not Jesse Malin. This band begins playing a solid set of soft rock love songs. The atmosphere at the club goes from energetic to relaxed and laid backed. They belt out their songs with feeling and passion and have the girls swooning. Although enjoying the music, I can’t help but realize that it is not Jesse Malin on this stage. Confused, I go to ask the bartender who informs me that I am, in fact, at the wrong venue. Turns out there are three different clubs in the same building, and I had ventured into the wrong one. Who knew?! He then tells me that the band performing is Crash Parallel. Upon further research, I find that this band hails from Toronto, Ontario and describes their music as “rainy day love songs for the broken hearted”. I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Realizing my mistake, I make my way to the correct venue with only five minutes left in the time slot. I make it to Jesse Malin’s show just in time to catch his last song. Immediately, it is clear why there is such a buzz surrounding this man, why he has worked with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, and why he has been a guest on Jay Leno and Craig Ferguson. The venue is jam packed and the crowd is full of energy, in a way I did not see at any other show at the festival. The way Jesse moves from one side of the stage to the other, involves the crowd, and sings, all scream ROCKSTAR. I am blown away, and more than a little disappointed to have missed the majority of the performance. Tired and defeated, I decide to call it a night and once again hope that the music God’s will be kinder to me tomorrow.

Saturday June 9th

Hopeful that I will have better luck today, I set out early. In the afternoon, I make my way to Dundas Square in downtown Toronto, where several bands will be performing as well as meeting press and fans. After watching a couple of decent, but forgettable bands, a band boasting nine members takes the stage. They call themselves God Made Me Funky. A band from Toronto, GMMF has a unique blend of hip hop, funk and rock that is reminiscent of early black eyed peas. They are fronted by a woman singer, and she, along with all other eight members of the band, delivers a flawless performance that gets the crowd moving. Their music is catchy and innovative, while their delivery is energetic and fun. I feel like I am at a dance party, and already, I know the night is off to a great start!

After the day in the park, I make my way to Rancho Relaxo; a tiny music venue where a three member band from Toronto called Beth In Battle Mode will be performing. Stepping into the venue, it feels like I am in a sauna; much too many people and not enough air. I take this as a good sign. The band comes on, and again, I am completely blown away. The sound is dead on, which as I later discover, is rare in these smaller venues. The band is fun, loud, and just plain amazing. Their music is catchy, upbeat, and most definitely radio friendly. They perform in sync with each other and the keyboardist, in particular, shows a refreshing amount of energy as he pounds away and jumps up and down. I leave Rancho Relaxo with a smile on my face and a new favourite band.

I then make my way to the supermarket, which is showcasing bands from the UK all night. When I get there, the Neutrinos are just about to take the stage. This four person band hails from Norwich UK and is fronted by a female vocalist. Their music is guitar heavy, and the vocals are impressionably impacting and loud. The vocalist, Karen Reily, has an intense and demanding stage presence. Her loud voice, quirky mannerisms and emotion filled, large eyes, take centre stage and make everyone take notice. I find myself enjoying her performance, all the while feeling a little uncomfortable and intimidated. Unfortunately, the sound at this particular venue is much too loud and it is difficult to really enjoy or even acknowledge the music. After the performance is done, they play the Neutrinos’ CD, and I realize that without the jacked up sound, they are definitely a band worth checking out.

The next band to come on is another one that I had made a priority to see. Armies of you; a four piece, all guy band from Cardiff UK, takes the stage. Their music is a creative combination of pop, rock, and a full blown dance party. Once they start to perform, however, I am again left disappointed. Although there is nothing wrong with the performance in itself, the sound is still much too high and makes it impossible to appreciate the music. Annoyed, I decide to chalk it up to technical difficulties and let Armies of you keep their special place in my heart.

Overall, North By Northeast was a success. I was able to be exposed to new bands and artists that I never would have known about otherwise. Although the sound was faulty for a couple of the shows, the majority of the bands I was able to see were original, fun and talented. I left the festival with a few new favourite bands and a whole new play list.

MySpaces You Should Check Out:

www.myspace.com/bethinbattlemode

www.myspace.com/armiesofyou

www.myspace.com/jessiemalin

www.myspace.com/shad

www.myspace.com/theneutrinosinspace

www.myspace.com/godmademefunky


Cynthia Maldonado is a staff writer with Musiqtone. You can contact her at cynthiamaldonado@musiqtone.com.