culture
NXNE Day Two Recap
Day two of NXNE has come and gone, and we were all around town to check what the evening had to offer. Here's the rundown.
HuaLi. Photo by George Talusan.
Heems. Drake Underground, 9 p.m.
If you were expecting a straight ahead rap show from Heems, then you probably don’t know that much about Heems. His performance art-y set featured songs from his most recent album (Eat, Pray, Thug) as well as his first two mixtapes and a smattering of Das Racist material. It also featured a lot if Heems “playing” a guitar that wasn’t plugged in and him singing along with all of Donnell Jones’ 1999 hit “Where I Wanna Be.” You were expecting something else? -Chris Dart
Raz Fresco. Drake Underground, 10 p.m.
Raz Fresco has been a presence in Toronto’s hip-hop scene for so long that it’s easy to forget that he’s only 20 years-old. While he’s always been a deadly MC, stuffing tons of syllables into every bar and delivering dexterous rhymes like it’s no big deal, last night’s performance showed how much he’s grown over the last couple of years. His stage presence is more commanding, his lyrics are more thoughtful, and he just generally seems more ready for prime time than ever before. -Chris Dart
Paper Bag Records 100 release party. Lee’s Palace, 9 p.m.
After a late start due to doors being pushed from 7pm to 8pm, The six-hour marathon of Paper Bag artists past and present included special treats like members of The Acorn playing with Cuff the Duke, who were the evening’s house band, and a solo set by leather-lunged Rural Alberta Advantage frontman Nils Edenloff. But the night’s most enthusiastically received surprises were sets by long-absent early signees like Rock Plaza Central and The Deadly Snakes, who showed little rust in getting the crowd rocked back on their heels, as the local indie rock luminaries showcased their early work with brass sections and loud six strings. –Steve Fisher
HEALTH. The Horseshoe Tavern, 12 a.m.
Californian noise rockers HEALTH haven’t been in Toronto for a while, or played many live shows in general lately, but this set was a welcome return (and return to form) for fans. With an upcoming August album release, HEALTH was clearly motivated to melt some faces, and the crowd was far and away the most animated we’ve seen so far at the festival. Our only complaint would have been that, due to the scheduling, HEALTH acceded to demands for an encore for less than a minute before saying thank you and good night again. –Steve Fisher
The WAYO. Handlebar, 7 p.m.
It’s impossible to write about the WAYO without first addressing The Voice. Sure their soulful arrangements are smooth as velour, but it’s the powerhouse vocals of Charlotte Day Wilson that have garnered these recent Halifax transplants major Toronto buzz. Next time you’re entertaining a special someone, swap your Sade for the WAYO’s latest. -Kate Fane
Glory Glory. Handlebar, 8 p.m.
Oscillating between new wave, post-punk, indie rock, and radio-ready pop–often in one song– Glory Glory’s jangly yet shimmering dance music can be perplexing. Best not to worry about it, and just dance along with everyone else. -Kate Fane
HuaLi. Mod Club, 6:30 p.m.
HuaLi, AKA Montreal’s Peggy Hogan, is a charismatic MC with plenty of potential. With an incredible vocal range, great stage presence, and decent flow, HuaLi was able to whip the initially apathetic Mod Club crowd into rapt attention. If only her forgettable beats weren’t holding her back. -Kate Fane
EZTV. The Garrison, 5 p.m.
EZTV’s modern take on 90’s college rock transported the Garrison’s small crowd right back to quad. Fuzzy, upbeat, and entirely unobjectionable, it’s the perfect unobtrusive soundtrack for smoking pot and discussing Foucault -Kate Fane