Originally Published: 2010-06-13

Rudely Interrupted

It is time to set your musical compass to NXNE. Yes, the North by Northeast music festival and conference (NXNE) is headed our way again. It is well and truly established as the biggest such annual live music event in the country, and a very impressive lineup is set for this year’s festival. The numbers are quite staggering, with 650 acts playing in 50 Toronto venues over five days (June 16-20). We don’t have the space to even list them all properly, but will offer some musical suggestions here.
There is a strong international component to this year’s festival, with bands coming from as far afield as Australia, Israel, Japan and Malta. If they’ve made the effort to come halfway around the world to play here, then we should make them feel welcome by checking out their gigs.
A visitor from Australia we can totally recommend are Rudely Interrupted. Their story is one of the most uplifting in rock, as five of the six members have severe physical or intellectual disabilities, ranging from Asperger’s to Down syndrome to blindness. They’ve overcome such obstacles and become a righteously rockin’ band. Their June 18 show at Sneaky Dee’s (scene of a triumphant Toronto debut a couple of years ago) is likely to be a festival highlight.
Danish rockers The Blue Van are releasing their new CD, Man Up, just days before playing NXNE.- Their highly melodic sound has echoes of garage and classic rock, and they should be well worth catching at the Mod Club, June 16. Also recommended is U.K. rock band Adventures Of Loki, also on June 16.
Some of the biggest names in the festival play free concerts at Yonge-Dundas Square, and these include two of the most important American rock bands of the last 40 years. Topping the list is the reunited Iggy and the Stooges, a band whose take no prisoners sound was a huge influence on punk rock. At 63, mainman Iggy Pop remains a charismatic performer, as their Saturday night NXNE show is sure to confirm. Taking the stage just before the Stooges are excellent Danish noise-popsters The Raveonettes.

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