A necessary note: all tonight Heartbreaking Bravery will be running the photo galleries from the recent Toronto trip. All of these galleries will have separate reviews written for them at a later date. One of these will be a lengthy review of Perfect Pussy’s set at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (or, more appropriately for the night in question, Budweiser Music House at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern), which was closer to a religious experience than anything else. That being the case, this will be one of the more extensive galleries as well. Enjoy the photographs and keep both eyes out for the upcoming review, which (thanks to vocalist Meredith Graves) should provide some clarification on what’s ran as conjecture elsewhere.
Once again, an apology for a delay in posting is necessary. Radio silence in regards to new content has gone on far longer than it should have. It should be noted, though, that during this latest silent interim, photographs were being assembled, run through, and edited in a variety of programs. Looking through the old posts, an unusual loading time was noticeable for the featured photography. In an attempt to amend this, all night tonight Heartbreaking Bravery will be running photo galleries. Now that Days 1 and 2 are both firmly in the past and set in stone, everything posted will be broken up into galleries that will have full reviews written for them in the near future. Day 3 will be an exception due to the fact it yielded the most photographs. To that end, the first of these photo galleries will focus on the first half of the show that wound up being the festival’s main draw for a great many people and the gallery devoted to the second half of this particular lineup will run soon after- with one exception. There will be an entire gallery dedicated to Perfect Pussy’s set (easily the year’s most memorable) as well as a full review. So, without further ado, here are a selection of photographs from The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern (which was re-named Budweiser Music House at The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern for the evening). Enjoy the visuals now and expect the written content to appear next week.
It’s been said here before countless times already but the NXNE lineup for this year is absolutely ridiculous. Featuring an endless array of rising stars and premier acts from a wide selection of genres, Toronto’s set itself up quite nicely for an influx of incredible music, dedicated journalists, and devoted fans. Music wristbands are still available for an incredibly reasonable price and are well worth taking advantage of. It’s the best way to get access to the festival’s final leg and a shot at entrance to see the sets from the artists listed below, the volume 6 class of the 5 to See series.
1. Benjamin Booker
What to Know: Benjamin Booker just signed to ATO Records and will be releasing his self-titled effort in August. From the short previews of Benjamin Booker that have been available so far, it’s increasingly apparent that ATO made the right move. With a sound that incorporates equal amounts of blues, soul, punk, motown, and their evolutionary trajectories over the last handful of decades, it’s already positioned as a likely crossover hit. Live? It’s incendiary. Watch the fiery Letterman clip below for further proof.
What to Watch:
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2. Pusha T
What to Know: Pusha T rose to prominence as half of Clipse, who created an untouchable classic in 2006 with Hell Hath No Fury. Since the release of that reord both Pusha T and No Malice have chosen to go their separate ways and explore solo routes. This resulted in another modern classic with Pusha T’s 2013 stunner, My Name Is My Name. With a live set to back up why he’s become one of the most acclaimed and celebrated artists in rap/hip-hop, this will be a set that fills up capacity fast. Don’t miss it.
What to Watch:
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3. Future Islands
What to Know: Already hailed as one of 2014’s best live acts, Future Islands have been doing their best to earn that title. There was an explosion of interest in the band after their hypnotic Letterman performance drew national attention. While a lot of it seemed to be directly linked to vocalist Sam Herring’s unique dancing, it also came as an exclamation mark to a wave of buzz that had been steadily building around them. Reports of recent shows have made it abundantly clear that their shows have been constantly verging on getting out of hand thanks to frenzied audiences. Like Pusha T, this is going to be a priority set for a lot of people attending the festival- so get to wherever they are as early as possible, the crowd reaction alone should be a sight worth seeing.
What to Watch:
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4. Camera
What to Know: Camera’s Radiate was a little-discussed triumph. Emphasizing the more punk elements of krautrock, the trio’s staked their name on guerilla performances in public places. Don’t be surprised to see them set up just about anywhere during the course of their Toronto stay- and don’t be shocked if their playing stops a lot of people dead in their tracks. Great music’s universal.
What to Watch:
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5. White Mystery
What to Know: The Chicago duo have become mainstays of the DIY punk circuit, touring fiercely and building their reputation on frantic live shows. Four LP’s and two 7″s deep into their discography, the duo (composed of siblings Alex and Francis White) is still performing behind their most recent (and strongest) effort, Telepathic. A few late night show appearances have boosted their profile and they’re gearing up for what looks to be a major run towards bigger things. This is a set that won’t be worth missing.
Heartbreaking Bravery 