NxNE Festival 2007 Day Two
The Friday Line-Up Continues The Impressive Festival So Far
NxNE 2007 continues apace with the Friday showcases, including band of the day Birds Of Wales and a unique encounter with a guy called Ladyfingers...
Stuck In The Middle With Two…
So, Thursday came and went and I made it back for more today (Friday) for the three-day music and film fest that is the North by Northeast Festival. And boy am I starting to feel the pace (and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm approaching 40 – gosh!!). After mixed fortunes on opening day, I was kind of pensive about what Friday may bring. However, apart from some dodgy pizza that had me admiring my bathroom wallpaper, it was a good day (too much information?).
Anyhoo, Friday turned out to be a great day with a really good mix of bands and styles – in fact, the only downer on the whole day was the torrential downpour and thunder and lightning at around 6:00pm. Having to dump a parka during NxNE can be easier said than done – thank goodness for Jacki the photographer's office being nearby. So, here are some of the highlights from Friday night.
The Rivoli
Yeah, I know – after the catastrophe that was Thursday night's effort at trying to get into this venue, you'd think I would have bypassed this place. However, personal feelings aside, it's not a bad little venue. Plus, I'm not one to hold a grudge (not too long, anyhoo), especially when you have decent bands playing there. And so it turned out with the first two bands of my Friday night.
First up was Canadian band Theset (pronounced The Set) from Victoria, British Columbia. Describing their sound as "rock jungle alternative", they were a good way to start proceedings. Mixing in the sounds of a better Fall Out Boy and Panic! At The Disco, they still sounded unique enough to stand out on their own, possibly due to the vocals of Martin MacPhail. And the crowd beside me certainly seemed to know their songs (with special mention to the two emo boys at the front who sang and danced their little hearts out!).
Following Theset was fellow Canadians The Blood Lines, a happy little pop rock quartet. With a little dash of My Bloody Valentine mixed in with Kings of Leon, I was pleasantly surprised by their sound. The fact that they are one of the few bands to have actually dressed up for the occasion so far definitely made them stand out – particularly resplendent were S.J. Kardash in his velvet jacket and frilly shirt, and keyboardist Maygen Kardash, with a full-on red ball gown and gloves. Thankfully the sound matched the exotic fashion!
The Horseshoe
Still one of my favourite venues in Toronto, probably for the atmosphere as much as the acoustics, The Horseshoe was my next port of call to see a band called Memphis. A little bit of history – vocalist Torquil Campbell also fronts Toronto sweethearts Stars, who managed to score a Top Ten hit without a record deal, thanks to their dreamy pop soundscapes. And so it is today, with Memphis offering a lilting summer soundtrack that brings to mind one of my favourite British bands ever, Scritti Politti, with a little bit of Danny Wilson (a Scottish cult indie band from the early 90's) thrown in for good measure. Adding sax and cello to the mix just emphasises how beautifully relaxing the music of Memphis is, and a band that everyone should see live at some point.
The Cadillac Lounge
Before making my way to The Drake for the final bands of the evening, I had to make a quick stopover at the Cadillac to check out The Jamestown Union, from Brighton in the UK. A band I've known of for a while now, they offer something different from the usual indie guitar-led fare. With influences ranging from The Beatles to Johnny Cash, they offer a uniquely British slant on Americana. And any band that downs a few stiff ones to get in the mood beforehand will always get my vote!
The Drake
With my bones suitably relaxed by The Jamestown Union, I made my tired but happy way to my final destination for the evening, the Drake Hotel, just off downtown Toronto. Here I was to see the best act of the day, but first there was the small matter of two other artists, both extremely different yet at the same time inherently similar. Melissa McClelland was up first, and what a find she was! Mixing pop, blues and country, this Toronto native's voice sent shivers down my spine, especially since there was only her, her guitarist and a drummer. And I dare you to listen to her song Two Snowbirds and not be moved!
Then it was time for Ladyfingers, from New York. Just one man and his guitar, this guy made me laugh out loud a few times. With a style that can only be described as experimental rockabilly (complete with required whooping!), Ladyfingers is the brainchild of Adam Weiner. Combining manic acoustic guitar with his own take on the stompbox (a foot-led drum thingy – I believe that's the technical term…), his songs are funny, deep, hilarious and mad all at the same time. His rapport with the crowd was also excellent – how many acts do you know that can dedicate a song called Can Of Worms to the ladies in the audience and get away with it? Recommended.
The final act for me for Friday was Birds Of Wales from Toronto. A band I've been following for the past six months, I've never managed to catch them live until NxNE – call it bad timing or being in different places, it's just never happened. But the wait was worth it. Their self-titled EP is impressive enough, but the new songs debuted at their Drake showcase take the band to a new level altogether. Songs like Cinderella (Has Nothing On You) show a new maturity to the songwriting, as well as a track so new it isn't even titled yet!
Running through a tight and compact set, the easy charm of frontman Morgan Ross and cohorts sat well with the Drake crowd, and you can tell this is a band that are friends offstage as well as on it, so comfortable in each other's company were they. Finishing with the double whammy of live favourites Fine Art Of Ballet and Fall Of The 49 was a masterstroke in leaving the crowd wanting more. I expected to enjoy the set – to say I was hugely impressed is an understatement, and a full review of their set will appear very soon.
Almost There...
So, two days down and one to go, and I've not even scraped the surface of the festival. But that's NxNE for you – unless you're Superman (or at the very least, Mr Stretch), you just can't fit in anywhere near the amount of bands you want to. However, I'm trying to grab the ones that I feel should be shared, and any I don't make it to, I'll be sure to feature on site in the near future.
Anyhoo, it's that time again where I need to be heading out to catch the last of the trilogy – Chicago stalwarts Urge Overkill is looking a definite to close the weekend! For some more info, check out my colleague Heather Larson over at the Pop section, or catch her podcast for Melody.com later this week for a report on this year's NxNE.
Until then, I'll catch you on the flipside!
