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NXNE is finally here and in full swing, and in addition to being the unofficial kick off of summer in the 6, the multi-day festival is one of the best events in Toronto, and has become known for combining international headliners with emerging artists, and offering a plethora of interesting programming surrounding technology, the arts and music, of course.
Now in its 23rd year, NXNE has grown from modest beginnings to include conference talks, club experiences and a one-site, all-ages multi-day festival that goes down this weekend at the Port Lands. There's truly something for everyone over the next five days so whether you're interested in indie acts, splashy headliners or a great party, read on for our picks of what to see and do.
If You Want to See Some of the Best in Rising Talent
This year NXNE introduces the Club Land Curator Series, which puts some of Canada's rising talent in the spotlight with an interesting twist: all the shows are curated by more established leaders in the Canadian music scene ranging from broadcaster Raina Douris to Shad to Ian D'Sa of Billy Talent. Here are some of our picks for performances not to miss in the Curator Series.
June 20: Bueller at The Baby G
This fun-loving band of "four BFFs from toronto" was named after one of the 1980's most iconic teen characters, and their music sounds like it would fit perfectly in a soundtrack of a classic '90s teen comedy. If nostalgic pop-punk-rock is your thing, catch Bueller at the Baby G as part of the Club Land Curator Series, this one imagined by July Talk's Leah Fay. The rest of the lineup includes Tush, Regina Gently and Emporor X, and a $20 Curator Series wristband will get you in here as well as the rest of the Club events.
June 21: Above Top Secret at The Baby G
As a recording artist, host of CBC's Q and host of the documentary series Hip-Hop Evolution, Shad is a true oracle of music knowledge, so you know that his Curator Series will be on point. One of his featured bands is Above Top Secret, an experimental group out of Toronto who infuse elements of electronic music with hip-hop and dub for a genre all their own. Catch them at the Baby G on Wednesday, June 21 alongside Max Melanin and Miracles.
June 22: The Anti-Queens at The Horseshoe Tavern
All you really need to know about the Anti-Queens is in their Facebook band description: "8 tits (& occasionally a dick) with some instruments and a serious DIY ethic." These bad-ass babes make kick-ass music that's best described as punk rock grunge with a hint of pop. They'll be at the Horseshoe Tavern on June 22 alongside The Lazys, Crown Lands and Sweatshop Kids for Ian D'Sa's Curator Series event.
If You've Always Wanted to Learn to Make Beats
Intersessions x NXNE X Shesaid.so : Production Panel & Demos
If you're an aspiring producer, then the workshop hosted by Intersessions and Shesaid.so happening on Wednesday June 21 at The Great Hall is the one event you should really be trying to get into this week. The event will consistent of a panel discussion hosted by Chippy Nonstop, founder of Intersessions, followed by a tutorial of the basics of Ableton Live including beat breakdowns, recording and songwriting. The instructors—Kat Duma, Harrison and Shira Rifka—are all accomplished producers, so this is a chance to get started on your beatmaking journey on the right foot. RSVP's are unfortunately closed, but be sure to get on the waiting list by emailing intersessionsinfo@gmail.com.
If You Want to Go to a Turnt up Party (and Eat Jamaican Food at the Same Damn Time)
Hot Block at Cold Tea (Curated by Tasha the Amazon)
Tasha the Amazon is fresh off her MMVA win for best hip-hop video, so you know she'll be feeling festive this Thursday when she hosts her Curator Series installment at Cold Tea. The Kensington hole-in-the-wall notorious for its Sunday backyard jams in the summer will surely be packed to the brim as a lineup of DJs—hand-picked by Tasha and including Danthrax (also a producer and Tasha's frequent collaborator), CRSB, Teo Nio, Jayemkayem and Zefsidespinfuck—keep the party jumping. If that wasn't enough incentive, there will also be Jamaican finger foods and other snacks. Tickets will be sold at the door for $10 or a Curator Series wristband will get you in, but be sure to come early.
If Thought-Provoking Conversations Are More Your Speed
While the music events have become the centre of NXNE, the conference portion has always been an important piece of the programming, and have focused on not only the music industry but the integration of technology with creativity in music, film and other arts. This year the conference portion, dubbed Future Land, will take place at the Great Hall, and will include a full day of discussion on selected topics in music, gaming and other interactive media. Some selected talks you won't want to miss include:
12:45-1:15 Women In STEM
Canada is one of the world's leaders in the field's of science, engineering and innovation, and women are entering the STEM (science, tech, engineering and math) fields in higher numbers than ever before. A panel of accomplished industry professionals will discuss how industries can better support and empower women so that we can shatter the glass ceiling once and for all.
2:15-2:45 Fireside Chat with Mafiaboy
When he was 15 years old, Michael “MafiaBoy” Calce hacked some of the largest ecommerce sites in the world, and now works as the president of Optimal Secure, a Montreal-based cyber security firm. He'll be discussing cyber security and give his opinion on why the Internet is "broken."
3:45-4:30 Hip hop - Toronto's Takeover
Toronto has become a global hip hop powerhouse in recent years. In this discussion, Dreyuh Safo of Rap Season, Dalton Higgins and Tasha the Amazon will be attempting to unpack and analyze the history and evolution of the scene.
4:45 - 5:45 Business or Pleasure?
Sacha Miller of publicity and event marketing firm Work Late will moderate this very relevant panel which will examine how to generate income in creative industries, what is working and what isn't. Panelists include Raina Douris of CBC Radio 2, Monique Barbieri of Ticketmaster and Jasmyn Burke of Toronto quartet Weaves.
If You Just Want to Go to a Damn Music Festival
"People do like big festivals," NXNE co-founder and managing director Michael Hollett recently told Billboard, and he's right. After revamping NXNE in 2016, one of the most welcome changes to the format was the addition of a one-site, three day music festival, and this year the Port Lands portion is going to be one of the biggest NXNE events ever.
The diverse lineup includes Post Malone, Passion Pit, Kaytranada, Tinie Tempah, Humans, Franklin Electric and more, and Hollett has said the site will be "social media heaven" with the addition of a comedy tent, midway rides, carnival games and decorations that will be "pretty cool and pretty crazy and a little bit cheesy in a fun way." Tickets are available for single days or for the whole weekend, so if you're just looking to get a good old-fashioned music festival out of your NXNE experience, get over to the NXNE website and buy your passes now.
