In some ways,
NXNE is the great equalizer. With the exception of the big shows at locations like Yonge-Dundas Square and the Phoenix Concert Theatre, bands are on equal ground. Everyone gets 40 minutes for a set, there's no time and frequently no space for elaborate staging, and not a lot of variation in the venues. Most are long rectangles with black walls. ("That's why they call them 'night' clubs," quipped S2W.) Which puts the spotlight exactly where it should be: on the music.
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Luyas @ The Shoe
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| Luyas @ The Shoe |
That certainly doesn't mean the music is the same. One of the great things about a festival like NXNE is the opportunity to see a little bit of everything, as we did Thursday evening, starting with
the Luyas (Montreal) at the
Legendary Horseshoe Tavern.
As is common in the world of Canadian indie, the Luyas have assorted ties to other bands-- Arcade Fire, Miracle Fortress, Bell Orchestre, Torngat-- but their 60s psychedelia-meets-the 21st-century sound is completely their own. Led by the winsome soprano of singer/guitarist Jessie Stein, they interpret luminous alt pop/rock with a french horn, keyboards, drums/percussion and a good deal of creativity. They just released their second album,
Too Beautiful to Work, earlier this year.
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| Luyas @ The Shoe |
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| Luyas @ The Shoe |
From the Shoe we headed over to the
Velvet Underground for
the Two Koreas (Toronto), a short walk in distance but a long way in attitude. The Two Koreas were in a "if we have time" slot on our schedule, and surprise-- their razor-sharp set of
post-punk garage rock turned out to be one of our top 10 shows of NXNE.
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| Two Koreas @ Velvet Underground |
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Two Koreas @ Velvet Underground
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The 11 p.m. time slot was a killer: PS I Love You, Slow down, Molasses, the Details or Allie Hughes? Logistics and the opportunity for a second-helping of one of
our favourite shows at the Phog Lounge last year prevailed. We went for
Allie Hughes at Wrongbar. The quirky velvet riding helmet and mannequin heads were gone, replaced by heavy-rimmed glasses and a German schoolteacher persona, but whatever costume/staging suits her fancy, the theatrical Hughes and her very talented band are wildly entertaining and simply amazing.
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Allie Hughes @Wrongbar
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Allie Hughes @Wrongbar
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| Allie Hughes @Wrongbar |
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Allie Hughes @Wrongbar
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| Allie Hughes @Wrongbar |
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Les Jupes @Gladstone
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| Les Jupes @Gladstone |
As bands well know, a good sound engineer is worth their weight in gold. They are unsung heroes if all the settings are in the right place; the band is unsung (literally, in some cases) if not.
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Les Jupes @Gladstone
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Les Jupes @Gladstone
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Last year the sound in the Gladstone Hotel's lofty, brick-walled ballroom left something to be desired.
No problems this year at the
Manitoba Music Showcase, happily for us and
Les Jupes, of Winnipeg. We enjoyed them as much as we did
this past March. Don't let their weighty approach to pop/rock fool you; lead singer/songwriter and man of many hats
Michael Petkau Falk is one of the nicest guys around.
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| Les Jupes @Gladstone |
We had hoped to catch Bruce Peninsula, a long-time wannasee, at 1 a.m.; a 19-hour day behind us, plus a date with a 9:30 a.m. radio show ahead of us, meant we hit the hay instead of the Rivoli. Next post: NXNE 2011, Day 2, part 1-- Breakfast and BBQ.
Photos: Russ Gordon/N2D Images
With Radio 3 host Grant Lawrence emceeing, we were treated to three intimate performances: Wayne Petti of Cuff the Duke, who included a beautiful rendition of "Follow Me" in his set; Matthew Barber (how did we not fully appreciate this talented singer-songwriter before?); and Graham Wright (of Toyko Police Club and frequent guest host on Radio 3), who just released his first full-length solo album, Shirts vs Skins. Everyone left with an earful of great memories, and, thanks to Grant shooing away the errant Larry/Barry the dog (intent on consuming leftover chicken bones) with an umbrella a la Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, an eyeful as well.
