21/12/2023
Fast Talkin' Fil! - NXNE 2003 Music Report Skull Geek
It’s Wednesday early evening as I enter the El Mocambo for NXNE’s 9th Annual Kick Off party. I give Festival Coordinator Yvonne Matsell a high five as I congratulate her on a job well done. Through the course of the evening I see the regular music industry peeps, press and band people filing in and schmoozing about. Aaron Zon of Music Manufacturing Services and I discuss the recent New Music West festival in Vancouver. The band Ours plays and I like them better when they get louder towards the end of their set.
Thursday afternoon I head to EMI Publishing’s roof top party, because of the light rain showers they have set up a number of well placed tents to protect the chosen. It’s great to see Rob Krause and Jason Smith of Smallman Records amongst the crowd. Their band Moneen is thee Buzz act of the fest, being lauded on both the covers of Now and Exclaim. Moneen’s recent deal with Vagrant has them moving to the next level and a tour opening for Reggie & The Full Effect should help them explode down south this fall.
Shouldering up to Lloyd Nishimura and Peter Hardman of Outside Music, we debate the increasingly difficult job of getting records into stores. Grant Dexter of Maple Music introduces me to recent signee Danny Michael. This immediately leads to Danny haggling Grant about whether he had actually signed a contract. As Danny is adamant that he has never sign anything I quickly check my pockets and offer him all the money I find in a mock attempt to sign him away.
Grabbing a cold Steamwhistle draft I notice the server is wearing a recently made hoodie from pop rock band The Weekend. As I tell him it looks great on him, The Weekend’s bassist Matt Beckett pops up in front of me. Having just returned from a 20 day Australia tour opening for Skulker, Matt tells me tales of how well the band was received. As a wine spilling Lindy comes over and threatens to stand on the outer ledge of the roof, I move off to another corner of the patio. I nod a hello to Tyler Burke of Three Gut Records who is wearing her funky Winnipeg Jets hat. I also see Holly MacNarland with manager Brian Heatherman, Feldman’s booking agent Tara MacDonald, and Roman Sokal of Exclaim. As the crowd starts to thin I introduce myself to the members of metal-core band Alexisonfire and I end up sharing my joint with them before making an exit.
First stop for me tonight is Healey’s for Australian Xaiver Rudd, who is still waiting for his didgeridoo stand to come from the airport and is considering not performing. With some encouragement he finally takes the stage only to step off after one song, thankfully the audience cheers him back on. Then with an audience member holding his didgeridoo, Xavier displayed why folks are clamoring over him and why he is on tour with Ani DeFranco and Dan Bern in North America this fall.
I slip over to the Velvet Underground to see Moneen and in front of a jammed club they turn in a spectacular performance. It’s my first time seeing a show at Velvet Underground and I notice it has a similarity to The Royal in Vancouver. I say hi to merchandise phenom Lisa Logutenkow who gives me a big hug and a choice pick at her goodies, I gleefully put on the cool Moneen flex cap.
I cab up to Lee’s Palace and as I enter the main room I see no band playing. Chart’s Ed Skira informs me that The Spitfires were just kicked out of the club for spitting at the sound person; apparently they didn’t get enough beer. I am eager to see hot newbie From Fiction anyway and as the place gets busier I move up to the front. I stay for their whole set hearing the sounds of the new angular rawk wave and feel spiritually cleansed; it’s not the mushrooms either.
It’s a beautifully warm Friday afternoon with a bright blue sky as I stroll east along Queen St. towards the Manitoba BBQ, held this year at the Beverly Tavern. I pass by Robin “F**king” Black and a few of his Rockstars heading to their practice space. Robin tells me their manager Zac Warner is throwing a party at the Roots store along the way so I make my way there. As I quench my thirst with a few Stella’s I witness amongst Roots gear and security guards young hip hop, funksters Down With Webster. They are smoking hot and impress me enough for me to ask Zac about them. Turns out they are a new management client of his and are just starting to play clubs.
Back on the street to the Beverly I run smack into Mar Sellars of The Ewoks/CBC Radiosonic and members of Brundlefly on their way to the same party, so we all charge our way up the stairs. Bellying up to the bar I notice I’m beside Larry Leblanc. Larry once wrote a really nice story about my label, teenage USA, for Billboard magazine so I introduce myself. I am taken by the fact that he bares a certain resemblance to one of my favourite artists of all time Daniel Johnston.
Seeing NQ Arbuckle gobbling down perogies and sausages, I go over and give him s**t for not following up with me regarding a show I want him to play. As I’m threatening him with violence he agrees to play a show soon. I throw a few bands names at him, Precious Little and Heather Morgan & the Company of Men, to consider. As faith would have it one the Company of Men overhears us and pipes up a hello. As I introduce NQ Arbuckle to one time Chart Editor Howard Druckman, now Heather Morgan member, I figure that bill took care of itself it one minute flat.
Armed with beer I move up to the patio for more sun and find it filled with a wave of industry and band bodies. I joke with Blair Purda and Heather of Endearing Records about their recent signing The Parkas who I wanted to sign to teenage USA. The Parkas debut full length will surely make them a household name. Members of the White Oklahoma Cowbell are in the house. I spend time chatting with a table that includes Audra Jager of Management Trust, Gina Below of Blackwalk Productions and Nancy Malick of Linus Entertainment. I also talk with Vancouver dance pop artist Janajana who tells me she is starting a new project that has a country pop focus. Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers shows up and we take up a corner table and discuss his upcoming shows, he also drums for The Donnellys.
My first club stop later that night is El Mocambo to check out Moonrakker who several people have told me about but the few songs I witness don’t make me stay. I enter Healey’s to see zany lead man Jon Bartlett of Rhume in his one piece blue and white fleur-de-lys jumpsuit with white dress shoes work through a series of Guided by Voice inspired pop rock. With his great songs, high kicks and charismatic performance Jon immediately puts a smile on my face.
Over to the Kathedral I catch a few songs of Irish metal band Tilted before going up stairs to see Bucket Truck in Reverb. As the band is setting up I notice a hot looking crowd gathering in anticipation. Bucket Truck rip the audience a new as***le with their hardcore grind metal, you could even hear the freakin’ bongos, and the lead guy is amazing. I run down the street to the Black Bull to see The Donnellys who play an enjoyable set of twangy, surf music.
Back to the Kathedral and Reverb for a double dose of metal mayhem, both floors are crushing and gushing with bodies for 3 Inches of Blood and Aexisonfire. It’s nice to see 3 Inches finally play in front of an audience in Toronto, sometimes a buzz takes time to hit but rest assured these guys are around for the long haul.
Saturday and it’s another scorching, clear sky day. I go to the Universal Music Publishing party at the Amsterdam Breweries. By the beer keg the first person I see is Frazer Hadwin and as he sticks a cold pint in my hand, he tells me he just quit working at The Carlu. My label partner Mark DiPietro joins us and fills me in on Australian news and his tour with Ashley MacIsaac. As the patio starts to get increasingly busy I move to take up a position on the stairs above the keg realizing it’s a dangerously opportune situation to access cold beer. I talk shop with Greg Henderson and Paul Gourlie of the Agency Group. I chat with Linda Bush who strokes my arm saying how amazed she is by my soft skin, she invites a passerby to feel it for herself. Sitting with Sam Roberts manager Dave Spencer, he fills me in on recent shows at New Music West and Sasquash and introduces me to K-OS. I’m getting drunk rather quickly sitting in the sun and start getting somewhat belligerent just as I spot Blair Dobson of DSK in the crowd. Handing out beer, I meet Natasha Thirsk of The Dirtmitts who tells me she’s recording some solo stuff, so I ask for a CDR. I start calling out to folks, such as Andrew Rodriguez of Bodega and Peter Rowan of Pop Montreal, who are too far away to carry on a conversation with. Lynne Ross of SOCAN says it’s way too hot out and I scream at her to take off her PETA tee shirt. At one point I offer a pint to Chris Murphy who petals up to the party on his bike. Finally having enough I stumble on home for a recharge.
Running a little late I make it to the El Mocambo in time for Australia three-piece Sekiden, whom I thought played cool indie rock. I quickly head upstairs to see the dance studio that is now serving as the newest live music room in the city. Next up is P**n Rock at the Bovine S*x Club. P**n Rock is p**n and rock put together, with ladies grinding on huge inflatable bananas and a bikini clad p**n star on lead vocals, it’s that simple.
I race to the Cameron to see some of Andrew Vincent & the Pirates who were rawkin’ good. Then to Healey’s to see The Barmitzvah Brothers who, while not heeding my calls to turn up the mop, play a sweet set of indie rock. I watch some of Stratochief before hitting the street for a breather as I’m almost out of energy. Then back inside for the somber sounds of Great Lake Swimmers, who turn in a magical performance, soothing my racked body. How fitting to end my NXNE 04 appearance here. Until next time - tip your servers! - Phil Klygo
