NXNE 2011: PARTY ON A BOAT!
Day 4 at NXNE was a party…on a BOAT! M For Montreal and Brooklyn Vegan were having an afternoon sailing out of Toronto harbour for some industry schmoozing. The ‘Bruise Cruise‘ boat party was a nice relaxing way to take in the afternoon. Of course this wouldn’t be part of NXNE without bands. M for Montreal showcased some acts from their hometown. As well some special guests were there to play too. Ben from Fucked Up! was onboard and played in side project Young Governor. In Uncle Bad Touch was Mikey from Priestess. I also managed to corner Ben before his set to get a candid shot of him with some friends from the band Lego Gang. It was an awesome afternoon in which I got to meet plenty of new people, and I got to see the city from a whole new angle. So much fun!
CHECK OUT PHOTOS FROM THE PARTY ON THE BOAT HERE!
After the boat I headed to shoot another non-NXNE show (see my Foster The People coverage here). After that, I was back down to the Horseshoe Tavern to fulfill a promise I mentioned from the Verge rooftop party. Dinosaur Bones was playing again, and this time I saw the whole set. No, there are no pictures from this, because I was just there to enjoy myself. Enjoy I did, and there was a different level of enthusiasm from these guys compared to the other day. There must be something about small venues getting like a sauna, all hot and sticky, that makes bands play harder. The set was being streamed by CBC Radio 3, a good thing too. There was a sense that this wasn’t just another set for Bones. There was a real buzz afterwards that it had meaning of something bigger. With a little bit of new material these guys should be able to put on some longer sets and start opening for bigger acts.
Day 5, the final day of NXNE this year. It was a pretty quiet one for me. I attended a small party with some friends from the fest in which we shared stories of our week. The biggest rumor that was heard; Black Keys playing somewhere. In town for the MMVAs they were in the crowds at NXNE, but just to enjoy the music. A successful few days I’d say. Lots of music, some great bands, some not so much. But in the end it was fun, and that’s what these festivals are supposed to be. Had a great time and can’t wait for next year already!
Category: Photo Updates, Reviews
