by Ashley, NXNE correspondent
Quick – how can I be in five places at once?! Always the dilemma when it comes to NXNE.
Hundreds of bands, 50+ venues, friends pulling me in all directions, bars serving til 4 a.m., plus every band I really want to see playing at the same time! It’s almost enough to make me give up and stay home.
Every year I try to be proactive and make a schedule that I never end up sticking to. This year’s NXNE is an interesting mix of nostalgic personal faves (1990s punk anyone?) and potential discoveries. It’s tough to narrow down what I want to see, but I’ll try, and simultaneously continue working on a way to clone myself.
I’m most excited to check out a bunch of the punk rock on the NXNE line up, especially some of my high school faves. I have never seen Hot Water Music live before, but they are definitely one of my fave punk bands of all time and I’m almost giddy about checking out their straight up fast, growly punk rock. Plus, A Wilhelm Scream is on the bill, another personal fave. Bring your earplugs.
That said, I’m not all angry and punk rock, I’m excited to check out all sorts of acts from The Cavaliers (alt-country), to Shad and everything in between. Here are my completely biased picks, and where you might find me 25% of the time during NXNE.
Wednesday, June 15
miesha & the spanks 10PM @ Hard Luck Bar
Chuck Ragan 12AM @ El Mocambo (Main Floor) lead singer of HWM, acoustic solo stuff
Dave Hause (Loved Ones) 10pm @ El Mocambo (Main Floor)
Cavaliers 1am @ El Mocambo (Main Floor)
Parlovr 12am @ The Legendary Horsehoe Tavern
Library Voices 12 am @ The Rivoli
Thursday, June 16
Fucked Up 8:00 PM-8:40 PM @ Yonge Dundas Square
New record is intense, psyched to see it live! The late show is likely to be a bit more entertaining than the family-friendly YD version, but YD is free.
Cavaliers 9PM @ The Boat
Royal Bangs 10PM @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Descendents 10:00 PM @ Yonge Dundas Square
Deerhoof 10PM @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Imaginary Cities 11PM @ Rivoli
I have it on good authority that I need to see these guys, also they opened up for The Pixies
Sweet Thing 12AM @ Rivoli
Bravestation 1AM @ The Boat
Fucked Up 1AM @ Wrongbar
Bruce Peninsula 1am @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
CJ Ramone @ The Bovine Sex Club
Sandman Viper Command 3AM @ Silver Dollar Room
Friday, June 17
Diamond Rings 7:30PM @ Young Dundas Square
Sandman Viper Command 8PM @ Sneaky Dee's
The Flatliners 8PM @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Anti-Flag 9PM @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Stars 9:30 PM-11:00 PM @ Yonge Dundas Square
Montreal indie-darling powerhouses. If you’ve never seen them live, do it!
The Bouncing Souls 10PM @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Dum Dum Girls 11PM @ Lee's Palace
BRAIDS 11PM @ The Garrison
CUNTER 12AM @ Bovine Sex Club
Members of moneen and alexisonfire
Saturday, June 18
Gentlemen Husbands 3:00 PM-3:40 PM @ Yonge Dundas Square
Sharks 7PM @ The Opera House
A Wilhelm Scream 9PM @ The Opera House
Hot Water Music 10PM @ The Opera House
Topanga 10PM @ Comfort Zone
I mostly want to see them because of the name, brings me back to days of Boy Meets World
Gentlemen Husbands 11PM @ El Mocambo (Main Floor)
Great straight up rock n’roll with huge live energy. Channel your inner Springsteen.
BRAIDS 11PM @ The Great Hall
Still Life Still 11PM @ The Drake Hotel Underground
Shad 12AM @ The Ballroom
If you don’t know who Shad is where have you been? He beat Drake out for the hip-hop Juno this year plus puts on an entertaining live show.
Dinosaur Bones 12AM @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
The Balconies 1AM @ Sneaky Dee’s
Wildlife 2am @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
Fave discovery of CMW 2011 – live show has a moneen energy too it, don’t miss it if you’re still standing by now.
Sunday, June 19
Reema Major 5pm @YD Square
She’s only 15 and already making a name for herself as Canada’s first lady of hip-hop.
Tip: if you just don’t know what to see, the chunk of Queen Street between John St. and Bathurst St. offers a bunch of venues in a condensed area, including the Horseshoe, Rivoli and The Bovine Sex Club. These venues are usually safe bets to catch some of the ‘buzz’ bands of the festival.