NXNE just completed it’s 16th successful year hosting 650 bands, over 7 days in 50 different venues across Toronto. Too many numbers? – that’s ok, basically NXNE kicks ass!
This seasons big headliner is Iggy Pop & The Stooges. They performed a free show (yes FREE!) at Dundas Square for their only Canadian tour date this summer. Unfortunately, schedule conflicts prevented me from attending but I heard that Iggy was sweaty, ripped and freekin’ amazing as usual. I wish I also could have seen the crazy crowd that Iggy brought out – from 60 year old women who knew every word, to squeegee punks and hipsters all getting frenzied.
I was able to catch hip hop veterans De La Soul the following night for a much more chill but solid performance. De La kept the energy up playing sides of the crowd off one another and dropping classic tracks like ‘A Rollerskating Jam Called Saturdays’. Mostly a positive vibe in the crowd (I think the only aggressive douche bag happened to be beside us but we diffused the situation), I haven’t seen so many hands in the air at a hip hop show in a while.
NXNE pulled off a very ambitious schedule but next year I am definitely getting a wristband to avoid the disappointment of not getting into shows I wanted to see (Les Savy Fav…sniff, sniff). Nonetheless, free shows, 4 am last call and amazing music everywhere is the perfect way to start off the summer.