My second NXNE has come to an end, including all of our coverage. I caught awesome acts that I knew I wanted to see, and a few that have proven themselves to me in the past. Of course, I also made some incredible discoveries. That's what a festival like NXNE is all about.
Check out a few choice pics that Roy Cohen and I captured. Please click through to the individual posts for more pics, thoughts on the performances and music from the artists.
I haven't seen Toronto pop band DIANA since last year's NXNE, where they thoroughly impressed me with their songs, musicianship, and the strength and presence of singer/guitarist Carmen Elle. Take a peek at that post and those pics, if you like.
This time DIANA was performing at Lee's Palace on June 17 for NXNE. They brought along a full 9-piece band complete with extra percussion and back-up vocalists. To say they had a full stage and a sound to match would be an understatement.
They brought along a bunch of new songs from their forthcoming new album. The new tunes sound great and I'm going to be looking forward to the release of the new album. We also got a cover in the form of Joni Mitchell's "Nothing Can Be Done". DIANA play some of the smoothest and most beautiful pop tunes you're ever going to hear. I'd sum up their sound as a wonderful, modern take on soft rock styles like yacht rock.
Take a listen to some of DIANA's fantastically enjoyable music:
North By Northeast (NXNE) and Budweiser have just announced the first acts confirmed for the NXNE Port Lands, taking place June 17-18, 2016 in Toronto. Ghostface Killah, Shamir, Daniel Caesar, and Mick Jenkins will perform on Friday, June 17, and Father John Misty, Mother Mother, Dan Mangan, The Zolas and The Devin Cuddy Band with special guest Jim Cuddy will appear on Saturday, June 18.
NXNE had previously announced that for this year, they were adding a major outdoor festival experience at the Port Lands, a new Interactive, Music and Gaming Conference at the Ted Rogers School of Management with location sponsor Ryerson University, and a new format for the NXNE Yonge-Dundas Square take-over to the 2016 Festival.
The Port Lands, located at Cherry and Commissioners Street, will be the home of a major festival hub that will reflect the spirit of NXNE. The ticketed “festival within a festival” will feature live music from discovery bands, artists on the cusp of glory, and stellar headliners creating the soundtrack to this immersive experience that will include art installations, a convoy of food trucks and you-had-to-be-there moments in a convenient location.
In addition to the new two-day outdoor experience, NXNE will continue to program events in key Toronto clubs and venues, in partnership with Collective Concerts, such as Lee's Palace, The Mod Club, and Danforth Music Hall from June 15-19.
NXNE Club Land has confirmed performances by The Motorleague, Adam Baldwin, Birds of Bellwoods, and Jesse Mac Cormack. NXNE Club Land will also host an Indigenous music showcase, co-presented by iNATIVEfest and Gunner Records, featuring Stevie Salas and Bernard Fowler in The IMF's, Shawnee, Mariam, and DJ Shub at The Great Hall.
All NXNE Club Land tickets, and NXNE Port Lands single day, weekend and VIP passes will be on sale on Friday, April 29 at 10am EST through TicketFly at nxne.com/tickets/.
Previously announced acts as part of NXNE Club Land from June 13-19, 2016 include: A-WA; Bad Sports; The Beatdown; Bertrand Berlin; Big Eyes; Big Ups; Bionic; Brains; Bry Webb & Providers; Cold Specks; DIANA; Danny Rebel & the KGB; Dig It Up!; Duotang; Eagulls; Escondido; Eternal Sleep; Full of Hell; God's Hate; The Hunna; The Joy Formidable; Kamasi Washington; Kevin Morby; King Khan and The Shrines; K-Man & the 45s; Mikey Erg; Moving Units; Nails; NQ Arbuckle; Pere Ubu; Prozzak; Radioactivity; SATE; Screaming Females; Shred Kelly; The So So Glos; Stonefield; Sun K; USA Out of Vietnam; The Worriers; and The Yardlets.
Click through on the hyperlinked artist names above for my concert photos of these acts.
Here are some of the acts that I'm most looking forward to covering, along with the inevitable new discoveries that festivals like this bring.
I first saw Carmen Elle sing and play guitar when I saw Army Girls open for July Talk at Lee's Palace last year. Seeing Diana live at NXNE on a great bill with Warpaint was a little like one of those Monty Python skits where they say, "And now for something completely different..." Army Girls is about simplicity and emotion; a garage rock duo of drums and guitar. Diana is about beauty, emotion and polished pop sounds including lots of synths and even a sax.
Diana's music ranges from fierce to tender to aggressive to sexy to joyous. This is a band that demonstrates all that's right in new music. It's the kind of music that makes me want to shake the people who say, "There's no good music any more", by the lapels and make them hear this. Personally, I'll be waiting with baited breath for the next time I can see this band live.
