#NXNE Recap: Saturday and Sunday

Static Zine has a team of six writers/photographers/thought collectors roaming the streets of Toronto for NXNE. We will not be posting concert reviews. You don’t need to read any more of those. We will be posting our experiences: what we find, what we see and what we hear. There will be reports from Jessica, Melody, Aviva, Carmel, Yahlehly and Michelle.

Keep up to date with our photos on our Facebook page.

WEDNESDAY’S RECAP

THURSDAY’S RECAP

FRIDAY’S RECAP

yahlehly//

saturday recap

the second doses of diiv & oberhofer made me realise how out of it i was on friday night

affected vocals are really grinding. & with the YDS soundsystem they were too easy to hear, harder to ignore
the only thing i liked about oberhofer was their closer, which was mostly instrumental

diiv may be greased up in hiip & ‘oh man, this song is amazing’ fandom,
which maybe put me off at first, but they deserve a little more credit
those instrumental swells, where the songs sneakily transition into a quasi-shoegaze, the buried vocals & evil-lite guitar riffs
hopefully it’s all there on the album version
even though i was in an urban outfitters & on a squishy showroom bed, i was able to fall into a dreamy headspace as though at a relaxed house party

the rest of saturday in toronto was chaos, as you well know
of the static team, i probably fared the best in the flaming lips crowd
if only ’cause i’m willing to put up with the madness that comes with the territory
more fun than irritating for this seasoned pit kid

the night ended for me with teenage head & a grilled cheese
so thoroughly rocked

sunday recap

melody & i got in on poutini’s two-for-one anniversary deal, ’cause we’re no dummies
afterward, we willed an ice cream truck to find us & so an ice cream truck stopped before us
it wasn’t that it was a sweltering summer sunday
& that we were in front of the bellwoods gates
or that we wore expressions of deep desperation practically begging the driver to stop before us
it was that we willed an ice cream truck to appear with our magic minds & thus it was so

jazzboat.

you go to live in bellwoods for serenity
to be serenaded while you watch dogs be dogs, children be children & clouds be clouds
to remove yourself from the cluster-effbomb that is the city hosting the taste of little italy, the mmva’s, luminato & nxne all simultaneously

then i paused nxne for tso’s debut of philip glass’ overture for 2012, ’cause i have a soul

my final dregs of energy were used for laughing at the rivoli where laugh sabbath took over
-kathleen philips did a dead-on impression of my previous boss, which is weird ’cause i don’t even know how she knows her
-non-sequiters, non-sense & gibberish might be the funniest tools in comedy & david dineen-porter is a great provider of those things
-if the canadian comedy awards happen right this year, tom henry will win best newcomer

that ends my report & reflections of nxne ’012
it was great festivating with you new friends, old friends & strangers
everybody sleep now

Michelle//

I awoke Saturday morning with extreme menstrual cramps that rendered me immobile and proceeded to spend my day laying in bed applying for jobs, reading over my grandmother’s obituary from 20 years ago and crying. Full disclosure: I feel too depressed to even be writing at the moment.

If you know me at all, you know that 90s alt rock continues to be the truest love connection I’ve ever had. At this point I can’t remember if I fell for the Age of Electric or Limblifter first, but needless to say I’ve been fixated with Ryan Dahle since I was a tween and treated the chance to see him perform live as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Before Limblifter opened with ‘Vicious’ an audience member yelled out “I LOVE 1996″ and my heart swelled three times its size. I felt like for the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who understood and accepted my obsession with nostalgia, no questions asked.

Ryan pretty much looks the same as he did in the 90s, which would be the only thing I’d look for in a man if I dated men. Mixed in with classics like ‘Ariel vs. Lotus’, ‘Screwed It Up’ and of course, ‘Tinfoil’, the band delivered a new song so maybe their CanRock legacy will continue to live on in the form of another album (*fingers crossed*).

Jessica//

diiv urban outfitters toronto

DIIV at Urban Outfitters

I was amazed I didn’t have any plans until 4 on Saturday. And yet it took hours to put together our Friday post, so… yeah. After securing a burrito, one of my favourite pastimes, I headed over to Urban Outfitters to catch DIIV. I didn’t know much besides that one song going into it, and was a bit hesitant towards that kind of buzzed about music, but I really enjoyed them. I liked the ways their music off and went, and liked how scraggly the members are and how they were clearly a little frustrated not being able to hear vocals. But it was a very nice set. It’s dreamy and curious music. And I tried on shoes during it. How often can you try on shoes, sit on a show bed and watch a band? Not often. I would like it to happen more, though. But then the Radiohead news hit. And I had to call my dad and his friends who were almost there and give them the news. They are the biggest Radiohead fans. It was sad. The whole thing is sad. And then all the speculations of the event started rolling in, etc etc etc.

yonge and dundas nxne toronto 2012

at one time, we had room to breathe

of montreal toronto nxne

The usual state Of Montreal

Off to Yonge and Dundas. I barely paid attention to Oberhofer. They weren’t what I expected, as I always get wrong impressions of bands from names, and I was bored/not impressed. But Of Montreal came on and I love them. I couldn’t see much as the crowd started to fill up, but I could see the usual antics. They didn’t feel like their usual selves, and they were pretty out of their element, as they should be seen in a darker, more confined space. But they’re colourful and quirky, so good fun. I’d still rather think of my previous memories of their shows over this, though. Portugal. The Man are alright, but I didn’t really care. I didn’t care for all their Beatles covers either.

At this point, Static team was starting to get sufficiently crushed in the crowd, and we were all just waiting for our pending Flaming Lipped doom. The tension, oh the tension. Thinking of exit strategies, feeling new crevices of each other we have never felt, that all happens when you happily walk into the front corner earlier in the day thinking it wont get THAT squishy. But it happens, it always happens. Half an hour after start time was expected, confetti is in the air, balloons are bouncing off hands, confetti is down my shirt and in my hair, I touch balloons, I see Wayne in his ball and I wait for life to end (even though I kept telling everyone WE WILL BE ALIVE TOMORROW I SWEAR). Guys, we were that squished.

flaming lips balloons and confetti toronto

even though i could barely breathe, i still did a lot of "eeeeee!!"

wayne coyne bubble flaming lips toronto 2012

just a guy in a bubble on top of people

Team Static was nearing a collective massive panic attack, because we are all panicky people, and decide we had to make our exit after a few songs. Sorry to all of the people we stepped on and crawled over in our ridiculous way out, but it had to be done! As soon as I was thrust out of the throng of seething people (why do people like to stand like this for shows I don’t really get it??) I immediately started shaking. I had grabbed onto Max’s backpack, practically choking him in our way out, and the others didn’t seem to do the same to my bag, so we lost them for what felt like forever, but was only a minute until they popped outta there. We decided after sitting down that we didn’t care much more, that all we wanted to see was the spectacle to be honest, and we wanted out and we wanted food. To the Lakeview we went, and we feasted nervously!

flaming lips aftermath toronto

searching for a friend for the end of the world

the lakeview

booze and water make the writers a something something

Then, in efforts to be a knight in shining armour and bring a tired sound guy boyfriend some chocolate during the epic Sneaky Dee’s night, I ended up stuck in line for almost an hour because it was before Yamantaka//Sonic Titan’s ‘secret’ set at 2AM. So thank god David found me in line, otherwise I might have peaced out and boyfriend might not have gotten chocolate, so tired! Feet hurt! Does anyone’s feet NOT hurt during these fests, I really want to know. I’ve been in pain all week! How do people not complain about this shit? Anyway, I figured might as well stay to watch the band, and so I stayed for about 20 minutes. I’m fascinated with them, really like their album, but since I had so much anxiety that day from the Lips, it wasn’t exactly prime time for me to be there. They’re a spectacle in themselves and I’m in awe, but the way their songs are long just couldn’t keep me upright at the time. I’d like to see them properly one day.

yamantaka sonic titan nxne static zine

Yamantaka//Sonic TItan at Sneaky Dee's

My Sunday included going to Snakes and Lattes with visitors Kirk (who’s been staying here all week), Brenda and Carrie. We had a riot, and it was the perfect way for me to end the festival. This has been an amazing NXNE, and one I’m very proud of for myself. I’ve been covering NXNE for years, mainly for larger music media publications. It’s a great feeling to know that now I can work on something I created and use the experience I’ve learned elsewhere. But I am so happy with the coverage this team has produced, and I hope this is something we can continue with NXNEs in the future.

Melody//

flaming lips crowd yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Yahlehly is beautifully squished. Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Jess got pre-confetti'd during the band's set up. Note: nice facial hair, dude. Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Jess angry at being squished and the couple holding hands on her back. Photo by Melody Lamb.

flaming lips yonge and dundas toronto 2012 nxne static zine melody

Photo by Melody Lamb.

carmel//

My brain has turned to mush, no thanks to Redbull and… life, I guess.

Saturday at Urban Outfitters on Yonge & Dundas was the first daytime event I’ve attended this week. I arrived just after 2, in time to catch Zulu Winter for the third time. Their set was a little different from the last two I saw at the Rivoli and Lee’s, which I think further proves their range as musicians. It was great, albeit very short.

Obviously, more pockets were looked into.

sophia

Sophia: empty pockets!

josh

Josh, Urban Outfitters: various camera gear, wallet, phone, keys, and $1.01

morgan

Morgan, Urban Outfitters: US passport, Urban ID and various cards, phone, and polaroid snaps of bands in the yet-to-be-released film with coloured frames from The Impossible Project

iain

Iain, Zulu Winter: artist badge, guitar pick, gum wrapper, earphones, gum, Canadian change, wallet, phone

At Dundas Square…

jen

Jen: cards in a clip, $10, keys and earplugs

max

Max: sunglasses that Max purchased recently for $5, paper with party info, keys, phone, media badge

After Of Montreal’s set, I left the mess that was Dundas Square and headed to the Garrison…

stefan

Stefan, Topanga: phone, keys, loose change, multiple guitar picks, wallet and an envelope of money from the show they did the night before in Buffalo

Sunday was a good day for winding down. I got to Bellwoods just in time for Gregory Peck and His Problems, and did some more pocket-diving:

feurd

Feurd, The Elwins: phone, wallet covered in paper, cleaning cloth for this glasses, guitar pick, and keys attached to his favourite key chain ("It's a cash register from the '80s!")

spencer

Spencer, The Fabulous Yawn: artist badge, notebook with his setlist, wallet, and lighter

bobby

Bobby, Young Lions Music Club: loose change, phone, wallet, keys attached to a broken keychain, lighter, and someone else's phone

annie

Annie: Her dress doesn't have a pocket, but Annie was holding on to this paper airplane.

erika

Erika: twizzlers, sunglasses, Djuna Barnes book, wallet, cigarettes

mitch

Mitch, Born Ruffians: earphones, wallet and loose change, phone, keys, faded Canadian passport, a transfer ticket, and an airport receipt from Florida, where he went to recently

And I caught Army Girls for the second time this festival. I just want to see them over and over and over again.

luke

And here's Luke.

#NXNE Recap: Friday

Static Zine has a team of six writers/photographers/thought collectors roaming the streets of Toronto for NXNE. We will not be posting concert reviews. You don’t need to read any more of those. We will be posting our experiences: what we find, what we see and what we hear. There will be reports from Jessica, Melody, Aviva, Carmel, Yahlehly and Michelle.

Keep up to date with our photos on our Facebook page.

WEDNESDAY’S RECAP

THURSDAY’S RECAP

Aviva//

bass drum of death nxne static zine aviva cohen

Bass Drum of Death. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

bass drum of death nxne static zine aviva cohen

Bass Drum of Death. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

prince innocence nxne static zine aviva cohen

Prince Innocence. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

prince innocence nxne static zine aviva cohen

Prince Innocence. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

diiv nxne static zine aviva cohen

DIIV. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

DIIV nxne static zine aviva cohen

DIIV. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

DIIV nxne static zine aviva cohen

DIIV. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

the men nxne static zine aviva cohen

The Men. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

the men nxne static zine aviva cohen

The Men. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

the men nxne static zine aviva cohen

The Men. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

the men nxne static zine aviva cohen

The Men. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

oberhofer nxne static zine aviva cohen

Oberhofer. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

friends nxne static zine aviva cohen

Friends. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

friends nxne static zine aviva cohen

Friends. Photo by Aviva Cohen.

Melody//

Theme: Re-visiting the old

I often try to catch bands I’ve never seen before at festivals because, well, why not? Unless I’m obsessed with a band, I want to utilize my time at festivals experiencing as many new acts as possible. But, for some reason, I found myself catching five repeat performances last night and, you know what, it was the best night so far.

To start off our Friday, Jessica and I found ourselves in a stranger’s apartment for an intimate show from Snowblink, Jason Collett and The Happiness Project. Even though I’ve seen two of the three bands, I wasn’t going to say no to seeing bands play in a living room, in my face. It was a small gathering so the atmosphere at first was a bit intimidating but as soon as the music started, it felt like we were part of a fam jam. Sixteen year old Melody could’ve died happy at that point; I grew up admiring Arts & Crafts Records so much that it was surreal being at a show like this. Snowblink and Jason Collett both tested out new songs from their upcoming albums, a pleasant treat that has now given me a reason to be excited for fall releases. And then there was The Happiness Project. The last time I saw Charles Spearin’s project was three years ago at the Music Gallery and I had completely forgotten how magical their music was. Even if you’re not a fan of instrumental music, you can most definitely appreciate the art behind what The Happiness Project does. And above all, it stays true to its band name and just simply makes you feel happy inside. It might’ve been sweltering hot outside but all we felt was warm, fuzzy love inside. This was a blast from the past that tore my heart out and wrapped it in a blanket. And The Happiness Project’s Julie Penner plays a violin made from my heartstrings.

Then, I was off to the POP Montreal showcase at the Silver Dollar for a packed bill of poppy goodness. Having already seen Hooded Fang, Parlovr and Bleached before, I already knew what to expect – lots of dancing, lots of fun and lots of pop. There weren’t many bands that I was super-psyched for, going into NXNE. Sure, bands that I was excited to see and interested in seeing but no one I was psssssyched for – except for Parlovr. It’s been a couple of years since I last saw them play in Montreal but since then they’ve released a new album and, my gosh, that album is IT. That’s THE album. As evidenced by their Polaris Long List nomination, Parlovr has finally honed in all that potential and crammed it all into an album that’s full of energy, heartbreak and gold. I squealed – literally – in anticipation of that set and if you know me, you know that I rarely dance and scream like that at a show. I’m usually the asshole who has her arms crossed and looks miserable. Parlovr performs miracles.

Sometimes in the midst of an overwhelming festival filled with unknown bands, a night spent with familiar faces is just what you need.

Carmel//

Day 3 of NXNE slackened a bit for me. By the time I finished work and was ready to show-hop again, there were very little options for daytime events. Either they had already finished or were just about to. (My luck with day shows hasn’t been so great, so far.)

Naturally, a Redbull was downed. The Friday line-up at Lee’s won me over when I was planning my schedule, so I planted myself there all night. Too bad Aviva and I missed 2:54. Oh, well. Life goes on. Arrived just in time for DIIV’s set.

I didn’t get to bug very many people for pocket investigations, sadly. So this will be a short (but a good) one:

yahlehly static zine nxne carmel pocket

Yahleyly, Static Zine: hair tie, lipstick, melted lolly that was actually stuck to the fabric of her pocket (we struggled in the girls’ washroom to pull it out and failed quite miserably; I’m sure we raised some awkwardness in the air for the people around us, but whatevz), ticket stubs/receipts, transit pass, and a necklace

brad oberhofer static zine nxne carmel pocket

Brad Oberhofer: random papers, one of which included the name of a girl from a deli he ate earlier that day (he invited her to the show; she gave him free coffee — win-win), some change (Brad collects lucky pennies from everywhere), and krazy glue to protect his fingers while playing ze guitar

yahlehly//

four hours of disturbed sleep took me from early friday morning to late friday morning
to restore energy levels i tried a sbs lunch & a shop for more sensible shoes
though the sandwich was delish, none of it could save me. the only thing for it was to return home & do some pre-game napping.
‘course, once at home sleep wouldn’t come. so i watched russell brand on graham norton

then the thought of bitondo’s got me out bed
on my way to pizza i heard my soul brother buck 65 playing a bbq party
little piece of heaven

friday at n.x was more about testing out bands than any other night
the city was crawling with buzz bands so the sport of the night was distinguishing the hype from the real deal

ultimately i’d like you to go figure it out yourself, i’m no music critic
not publicly anyway
so, quickly, here goes my responses

peter kernel - rude, tight & nicely crafted, impressed
diiv - alright, not awe-inspiring but good fun
friends - you know in that episode of girls where she goes home to smalltown, tells everyone ‘i live in new york now’ & is repeatedly met by blank stares of uh-huh, &…  
well, friends are from new york
& if you’re not watching girls, great. neither am i
oberhofer - melody was right, they were worth checking out
also, they make real nice intros & outros
john maus - definitely was not sitting in the right place for this, next to the amps.
but i figure it sounded just like the album versions but blasted, since the music came entirely from a laptop w/ john maus shouting in fits along with it. as performance art speaking to themes of rage, oppression, possibly working class adversity, it does its job. often, he reminded me of robert longo’s men in the cities series, which can’t be a bad thing. but i wasn’t up for performance art.
zulu winter - only caught one song before i had to quit. going to try & catch them today.

also caught a bit of comedy at the monarch on my way home, but it was a sad scene.

listened to these new puritans while recapping & now have a horrific craving to see them
if only they were touring

Jessica//

Though I feel like my days of being a music journalist or at least being known as one is kind of a thing of the past, sometimes I still get invited to cool things that I take advantage of, of course. (And hey, I’m writing about it here…) This case is the Arts & Crafts house show Melody and I went to yesterday. I got an email invite to this house show, and I didn’t think much past the “hell yes.” We walk into an apartment on Spadina just ten minutes away from me and it is gorgeous. It is Snowblink’s apartment. Everyone’s drinking beer on the sunsoaked patio, and everyone seems to be a seasoned Arts & Crafts affiliate. Melody and I found Rochelle and Andrew and our social anxieties were calmed.

snowblink static zine nxne

Snowblink

Snowblink’s apartment is two floors. Their previous upstairs tenant got booted, so they took it over and made it all nice. I often wonder when I’m in nice apartments how much money decorations cost and how they knew where to get, in this case, all their old bells, shells, shelves and oils. Daniella handed fans out as everyone entered that living room before they played, saying it gets hot in there. I was just glad to have something to play with! Anyways, the new Snowblink songs are amazing. When you think of their music, you think of what their apartment ultimately looks like, all seafoam green, opaque blues, shells, bells and then the beach, waves and even somehow a forest somewhere near there. Beaches can be by forests, right? They spent their time playing new material, and I was just lost in their fresh air in a hot apartment. Their album comes out in September, and I can tell you it will be g.o.o.d.

jason collett static zine nxne

Jason Collett

Jason Collett took over next, playing in the middle of a large doorframe. He’s so tall, the space seemed filled with his presence. Collett became visibly emotional through his set, as he later explained that it was because it was the first time he was playing these new songs for the public. They’re darker songs than he’s known for putting out, more political, socially aware, observing human nature and not feeling so good about it. Album also out in September. It was a bring-to-earth-er of a set, and Collett’s talent is immense. I just even enjoy the way he sees thing and finds ways to write about them.

happiness project static zine nxne

The Happiness Project

After he played, we went downstairs to see The Happiness Project. Their album came out years ago, and yet this is still a thing and boy am I glad for it. The five of them spaced in an L-shape around the room, while on the other side there was a bed full of children and family, and the rest of us took up the other wall by the floor. The air was so full of love during their set, it almost brought me to tears. Happiness is love! Happiness is love! They envelop Charles Spearin’s interviews with friends, family and neighbours and find the music in the tone of their voices. It’s pure magic, is what it is is what it is. It’s like flying a kite, really. There’s a kite, and then there’s the kite in the sky. My heart melted a million times over when Spearin’s daughter stood up and sang her part of when she didn’t want butter on a sandwich. She beamed with pride, resisted herself from hugging her daddy and shone like a star. I left that house with the warmest feeling tingling all over me. I wonder what a song of the tone of my voice would sound like. All of a sudden I felt my body moving with sound, all of a sudden I felt my body moving with sound….

Sushi, sushi, sushi commenced. Then it was to the Silver Dollar. We caught the last song or two of Goose Hut, and I enjoyed their quirkiness, mental note to look em up later. After their set, giving Jeremy of Parlovr a zine, we realized I forgot to add Parlovr to the mixtape page in the back of the zine, and that I’m the hugest idiot ever. So hey, Parlovr’s on our mixtape and I love them.

hooded fang static zine nxne

Hooded Fang

Anyways, then it was Hooded Fang. I’ve actually avoided seeing them for a long time now. I saw them a few years ago when they played their first album, and I didn’t enjoy their live presence because it was so sloppy. But last year’s Tosta Mista was so great, and I didn’t want to spoil my love for it by seeing a band I didn’t like as much live. But I put my feet forward in this case, and realized that what people have been saying about them being better is true. There is only four of them now, for one thing, so they’re more concise. However. they played their songs so fast like they just wanted to get through with them already, which I understand since they’ve clearly been playing these songs nonstop for over a year. But it didn’t help the experience. I did enjoy the pulsing energy and watching how the band has melded into this thing where they all dress in a way that doesn’t match the music but the music has become even better, and I’m curious about their new material, that’s even more garage-y. In any case, I’m glad I got myself to see them again and I’ll have this memory too.

parlovr static zine nxne

EVERYBODY AHHH

parlovr static zine nxne

Parlovr

parlovr static zine nxne

Parlovr

Then it was Parlovr! I saw them just in March playing CMW, but when they played their new material then, nobody really knew it. This time, we’ve all been entranced by the Kool Soul, Melody can prove it. Their energy is amazing, rocking right through from A to B, even starting us off by getting the whole crowd to scream. They’re stress relievers, life beginners, and proof that things can push through to the land of all-the-better. Though Kool Soul’s material is not the comfy-est of subject matters, it’s actually something a lot of people can relate to and want to scream and dance to because that’s just how we roll. Their set was so much fun, they are firecrackers to say the least. And the hair, oh the hair.

So yesterday was the day I decided to try and bike around. Little Italy festival was a deterrent and then I realized it was Friday night so all the crazy people were out and zombie-fied, so that was a bit of a frazzled journey, but felt good to do it. But then of course both of my potential midnight destinations were solid full by the time I got there. So no Yamantaka//Sonic Titan or Rah Rah (so different from each other!) for me, and I was le sads. I couldn’t get down too much though after such an amazing evening, but it is always a bummer when you can’t get in to see bands you have been looking forward to seeing!

Now I must fret on my shoewear and wear for today’s test of standing at Yonge & Dundas for 6 hours in the harsh sun.

Michelle//

I found out that I didn’t get two out of the three jobs I interviewed for since I wrote my last post and so, like a good Irish Catholic, I wanted to drown my sorrows in a sea of liquor. After my friend Eileen finished work for the day, we headed over to an industry only parking lot party presented by Jägermeister, which resembled what I imagine a rockabilly theme park would look like. This ‘Boneyard BBQ’ boasted that Sebastien Grainger would be DJing, but we couldn’t actually tell if he was and to be honest, we didn’t really care once there was free beer in our hands.

eileen

Eileen

Aside from the complimentary eats and drinks, this party went above and beyond in the free swag department, providing haircuts and tattoos to those who were willing to consent to Sailor Jerry using their photo for future promotional purposes. I wasn’t feeling subversive enough to partake in these activities so I went home with a pair of Jägermeister boxer shorts instead, because I live a double life as a frat boy.

The allure of free shit is so intoxicating that people will basically do anything to get something for nothing. Sensing the inherent desperation in the party-goers, an impromptu limbo competition broke out for concert tickets. Here’s of the guys from Poor Young Things got low, Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz style.

bbq limbo

When Eileen tried her hand at the limbo, she inadvertently flashed her panties to a crowd of bystanders and for that, won us two tickets to see Face to Face that evening at the Sound Academy. We contemplated taking a cab down to Toronto’s arguably worst music venue to see a band that I only knew from the Vagrant Records: Another Year On The Streets compilations I had listened to as a teenager but opted instead to lose track of time ranting about class inequality over more beer.

Being the official 90s Correspondent for Static Zine is a huge cross to bear. While my fellow writers were out seeing whatever cutting edge band it is that the young people like today, I went to go see the Smoking Popes. You may or may not recall an underrated alt-anthem called ‘Need You Around’ that garnered popularity from being featured in the classic 1995 comedy, Clueless. Afterwards Smoking Popes failed to generate any other buzzworthy singles and so many people forgot about them, which was definitely the case last night. There were under 50 people in attendance at the Great Hall which lead to me sitting in the corner and sulking on the band’s behalf. When they played ‘Need You Around’ I shed a tear and on my commute home, continued shedding both tears and my uterine lining.