NXNE 2011: DINOSAUR BONES + ZEUS + HOLLERADO + FUCKED UP + OFF! + METZ + DD/MM/YYYY
The second installment of NXNE coverage is here. Thursday was jam packed for LNL. Starting in the afternoon I headed over to a rooftop party at the Guvernment being thrown by Verge XM Radio. Though a little outside the downtown core, it couldn’t missed. I got there just in time to catch the last couple of Dinosaur Bones songs. Really wish I had seen the whole set because they sounded like a lot of fun. Next time they’re playing I’ll have to pay them a visit.
XM award winner Zeus was up next. I must have my head in the sand, because I’ve been missing an amazing band. I’d have been dancing with the rest of the crowd if it weren’t for my gear. I will be buying some of their music for sure. There were at times, hints of southern rock and I couldn’t help but picture these guys on a bill with The Sheepdogs. At times they seemed to break away from their songs and go into a jam. Hard to tell since I haven’t heard them before, but if not the capability is definitely there.
Toronto favorites Hollerado rounded things up. Second time I’ve seen them this year and their momentum keeps growing. They are such a tight group when playing, even jumping in unison at the right moments. Complete with streamer confetti and getting into the crowd during their set, it was a great way to end the afternoon.
My night began right downtown at Younge and Dundas Square. Here the masses had come together to enjoy probably the most popular punks in Toronto at the moment, Fucked Up. Singer Damien stole the show as usual, with his need to literally connect with fans. He jumped into the moshing crowd within the first 30 seconds, and was lost. He could still be heard on vocals though and would pop up from the crowd like a bearded gofer every once in while. This was by far the most visceral performance I’ve seen and had the pleasure to shoot in a long time. One of my favorites for sure!
Next at the Square were American punks, OFF! A more serious performance as there was some preaching between songs. Usual punk gripes like the government and establishment.
Next (yes there’s more), I was off to the staple Toronto venue Sneaky Dee’s. Metz was up, and since I had missed them at Younge and Dundas for the rooftop party I really wanted to catch them. Metz is another Toronto band that seems on the cusp of breaking through to an even larger audience. I’m glad I got to see them in this smaller venue. I don’t know how they were able to put so much into the performance after having done the large one earlier in the day. Their songs were rough and the sound was big, reminded me of Bleach era Nirvana at times. The crowd swelled like a tide to and from the stage. I think this was the right atmosphere to have caught these guys.
Finally, my night would come to a close with DD/MM/YYYY. If there was a tide with Metz, then there was a tidal wave with these guys. It took me a while to get into it, but once they started showing their instrumental side I began to pay attention. This is what set them apart for me. Also interesting that it seemed almost everyone in the band would rotate like on a volleyball court to play different instruments between songs.
Another fantastic night, and I still have 3 to go!
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Category: Photo Updates, Reviews
