NXNE Must-See’s and Plan B’s

Get ready, set, line your livers…. NXNE is here! For n00bs, North By North East is Toronto’s lil’ bro to Austin Texas’ South by South West and is an epic festival encompassing some of the best music, film, art and comedy. For those well versed, odds are you’ve already got your wristband in your hot little hands and your schedule made and memorized. Or, you may have been like me: ready to go but still a little unsure of where to start. The beautiful thing about NXNE is that you can plan to the hour or just throw your obsessive compulsive cares to the wind and go with the flow. There are bars, bbq’s and a cruise to stumble upon. Now, I don’t know if the 4am last call has anything to do with it, but even the usual hard to impress Torontonians go a lil crazy during NXNE and this year, I wanna be where the crazy is sure to go down.

NXNE kicked off this past Monday but the biggest part, the music programming, begins tonight and ends Sunday. With over 1000 bands in 50+ venues, it’s hard to say for sure where all we’ll be but I’ll let you in on the gigs we WON’T be missing. In other words, these shows should be crazy (and crazy fun!) so get ready and apologize to your liver later.

Here are our daily ‘must-see’s’ along with a plan B just in case. Who do plan to catch?

Wednesday June 12

Midnight Malice @ Bovine Sex Club (2am)

Without making haste, let’s get this hangover started! Midnight Malice are described as “Toronto bad boys making a whole lot of noise. Metal meet beer, beer meet metal.” This sounds promising. Granted, I’m pretty sure beer has been the peanut butter to metal’s jelly for the last 30 years or so but this looks like it’s going to be a party, so we’ll be there.

Plan B

Los Oxidados @ The Hideout (1am)

In case you feel like getting your shimmy on before the metal, here’s a good place to be. Hailing from Mexico, this four-piece band blends instrumental surf, western and garage vibes all in the name of good living. I can dig that.

Thursday June 13

Supersuckers @ Lee’s Palace (1am)

The self-proclaimed “greatest Rock n’ Roll band in the world” can’t be missed, even if they are only the second greatest (NO ONE is greater than Motörhead). If they aren’t one of your favourite bands, they are probably the favourite of someone you know and that’s reason enough to go see them. Don’t forget your leather jacket.

Plan B

DJ Misty @ Bovine Sex Club (11pm-4am)

Shameless plug. I’ll be playing tunes for you to drink, dance and fall down to all night long.

Wordburglar @ Sneaky Dee’s (9pm)

Wordburglar is a GEEKPR0N favourite so missing him just wouldn’t feel right. He has nerd swagger to spare, and just dropped a new video with Beatmason and Uncle Fester called “Croque Monsieur.”

Friday June 14

FLAG @ The Opera House (12am)

Blah blah blah, I don’t care that this isn’t the full original Black Flag lineup. If Keith Morris (Black Flag, Circle Jerks, OFF!) is singing, that’s good enough for me. That being said, the venue is a bit out of the way but the whole night’s lineup is pretty incredible. With the Downbelows (9pm), Genetic Control (10pm) and Organ Thieves (11pm), I plan on sticking around here.

Plan B

Whiskey Hearts @ Hard Luck Bar (10pm)

Finally, a “collective” without the pretentiousness. Whiskey Hearts are guys who could step in for a Mumford, but look more like they belong at the aforementioned FLAG show. If you want to sum them up they are best called “punk inspired acoustic rebel music” and we like ’em. Bands like this make me wish I could clone myself.

Saturday June 15

The Bruise Cruise @ 207 Queens Quay W. (12:30 boarding time)

Something about booze and being out on the open sea (aka Lake Ontario) makes Toronto folk lose their inhibitions. Maybe it’s the M for Montreal influence who help bring this party to Toronto every year. Maybe it’s the awesome lo-fi indie acts that perform on board. Whatever it is, this is worth fighting the hangover for. With sets from Fat Tony, We Are Wolves, Odonis Odonis and Mikal Cronin, the cruise departs at 1pm and docks at 4pm.

Billy Talent @ Yonge Dundas Square (9pm)

These guys are kind of a big deal. They’ve come a long way from the sweaty Masonic Lodge & Meadowvale Community Centre shows the GEEKPR0N gang remember and I couldn’t be more excited to see them headline on such a huge stage. Getting to catch Teenage Kicks (7pm) and Millencolin (8pm) is extra icing.

The Death Set @ Lee’s Palace (12am)

Blending punk, hip hop and electronic music usually makes me want to puke but in this case, I just want to dance. The Death Set promises to bring a raucous, energetic show and after all the unhealthy habits festival goers are sure to indulge in this week, this could be a good workout.

Plan B

Sphinxs @ Silver Dollar (2am)

Sphinx’s never fail to leave me with shivers whenever I listen to their sultry-psych songs. Admittedly, I’ve still never seen them live, and I want to change that. Described as “a force to be reckoned with” and “sex incarnate” this is one web I am happy to get tangled in. Bring on our last night of 4am last call!

Sunday June 16

Ludacris @ Yonge Dundas Square (9pm)

In the words of Luda: “You see them headlights? You hear that f-in’ crowd? Start that goddamn show, I’m comin’ through.”

Plan B

SLEEP

SOURCE: NXNE