This weekend was a hectic one for me. I have a tendency to over-commit myself and rather than saying 'no' to anybody, I bite my tongue and say 'maybe' to everybody. Gets me in trouble sometimes! But as my luck would have it, one out of two conflicting shows on Friday, January 18 got rescheduled to the previous night. The universe has got my back sometimes.
On Thursday I went with a few friends to check out a local showcase at College Street Bar. The bill included Memorecks, Weight of Thought, and a friend of a friend's project, Dead Horse Beats. All three currently work and perform in Toronto and delivered a spot-on, super chill night riddled with instrumental hip hop beats, live saxophone and rapping and a pint or 5 - a superior alternative, in my opinion, to the show that surely drew bros from all directions - Wolfgang Gartner took over the Hoxton that night, as well. Don't get me wrong, I love a classic, prog-house rager every now and then - but the combination of supporting really interesting, local talent, the potentiality of having an actual conversation with other supporters and the fact that the weekend had barely begun resulted in an A+ Thursday night.
Friday night I had the oppourtunity to help out the peeps at Earmilk in supporting a killer booking at Wrongbar when Slow Hands rolled through. Backed by locals (I love how many times I've been able to use the word 'local' so far - Toronto is a goldmine!) Sean Roman, Curtis Russo and Rafwat + Chorniy, the night saw a slow progression in terms of dancey-ness and packed-ness. Admittedly, it was fairly slow at the begininng of the night, but I'll owe that to just beating the line that flowed in steadily 12 o'clock onward. Everyone on the bill stuck to a chill, yet simultaneously upbeat groove, which got me and the girls dancing on stage by the end (and believe me, in a place as tiny as Wrongbar, that does not happen often). Overall, it was a perfect deliverance of that deep housey goodness that I live and breathe.
And Saturday saw the highly anticipated sequel to last November's Holy Trinity party, hosted by the peeps over at Mansion. Just put together these buzzwords: Techno-house. Church. Visuals. The first party was a huge success, and slight alterations were made to this one to ensure a smoother flow (ie porta-potties in the smokers pit due to the fact that the church is a) not a nightlife venue and therefore b) hosts only 4 bathroom stalls collectively) but besides that, I have nothing neg to say. Bulgaria's KINK kept us dancing til the wee hours, with support from Gingy and Jamie Kidd, Mike Gibbs and Fabio Palermo from collective Box of Kittens. 'Raving in a church' might sound a little blasphemous, but remember: it's okay to sin in a church if everyone's doing it. ;)
I'm liking that The Hoxton has been stepping away from the safer crowd-pleasers and entering the world of trap (even though, arguably, trap is the new crowd-pleaser). Lunice took over the place last Friday while I was in my deep house groove at Wrongy and I heard nothing but rave reviews - understandable, as I can't imagine one half of TNGHT delivering anything less. This Friday LA's gLAdiator rolls through with support from Grizzy and my favourite group of crazy kids, Comeback Season. Sure to be on point. You can drop me a line if you want in on this party!
Kaytranada @ Rainbow Palace
I first laid my ears on Montreal native Kaytranada when one of my favourite dudes to catch in town, Rynecologist, posted his gigantic remix of Modjo's 'Lady' on facebook a few months ago. A chill, 'hippy hop' take on a classic that I always sneak into my predrink playlists - it's that smooth. Also on the bill is Sango, who delivers a similar slowed, trap sound - I'm hoping to catch what is is sure to be a dark, sexy night. 10$ all night at Rainbow Palace in Kensington Market.
The Big Sound IX @ The Great Hall
What, you thought I was exclusively about that EDM? I mean, for the most part, yes - but this Saturday presents the option of getting down to Motown all night at the Great Hall. A friend of mine caught the previous Big Sound party and said it was on point - this time around they're boasting a 25+ person live band and the promise to keep you swingin' all night. With over 600 people 'attending' already on the FB event, it's sure to be a hectic time. Check it! $12 all night.
XXYYXX @ The Church of the Holy Trinity
Last Friday, a friend of mine asked me if I was going to the Holy Trinity on the 26th, and I assured him that no, the church party was on the 19th. Turns out the church is gaining quite the reputation - a few companies snagged one of the hugest acts right now, 17-year old XXYYXX, to headline the church this Saturday. I'm not sure how I feel about this - on the one hand, I feel as though the Holy Trinity party is something that should be highly anticipated and is as successful as it is because it only happens once in a while - a huge driving point behind Mansion's parties are their unique booking locations (have you ever broke it down inside a Chinese restaurant?). But, on the other, stronger hand, the venue really doesn't matter when it comes to acts like these and I am head over heels in LOVE with XXYYXX; it's almost as if my Twitter prayers have been answered in quite a timely manner. I will most likely check this show out! $20 advance, $25 ATD.
Also, the weekly Saturday night parties are going down anywhere and everywhere: The Hoxton, Play on Queen, and new super-club Aria, to scrape the surface. My personal fave is The Pyramid Club @ Wrongbar, this week featuring the likes of Brennan Green and residents Members Only and Natural Animal (formally Wheel Wells) - you can drop me a line to get in on this one, though it's free before 11 for one and for all!
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