toronto, canada - june 12-15, 2024

Taking over downtown Toronto last week, North x NorthEast filled the city with some of the best new and upcoming bands and artists from all around the world. With over 300 artists playing in 20 venues across the city, there is something for everyone, every night. Acts ranged from R&B to country to metal, and chasing rock and punk bands around the city kept us more than busy for the week. Although many home grown Canadian acts hit the stage, artists from the United States, the UK, Europe, Australia and more made the trip to join the lineup of incredible up and coming talents. The festival commits to presenting the future of music and includes some of the most promising, and most fun, up and coming bands.

Starting on Wednesday, we went up to the Piston for a couple rock bands, including Service Delay and Ivy Gardens. Kicking off the show, Service Delay filled the previously quiet bar with a setlist full of pop punk and emo tracks that got the whole bar up to their feet. Keeping the energy up, Ivy Gardens hit the stage and brought their signature heavy sound, a mix of punk, grunge, and doom, backed by heavy riffs and beaten to hell drums.

Thursday we started off the night with Tree Museum at Paddock. Playing a classic indie rock sound, Tree Museum got the packed bar swaying and grooving along to their chill, melodic setlist. After the first set, we headed around the corner to the Bovine Sex Club (notably, still not actually a sex club) to continue the evening with a couple of punk bands. Black Budget hit the stage with the ease of seasoned pros, dominating as they laughed and told stories in between heavy hitting tracks that had the whole bar moving. Up next, RBNX easily proved punk is alive and well, ripping songs from the moment they stepped on stage to the end of their setlist. Taking a moment to wish the audience happy pride and talk about socioeconomic and class issues, RBNX is pure punk and a must see if you ever are lucky enough to have the chance.

Moving into the weekend, we started Friday night at the Horseshoe Tavern with Yellow Magnolia, an indie rock band that plays classic rock with a twist. With a setlist moving through both upbeat and slower songs, the band drew the crowd in with their melodic sound. Unable to resist another night of punk rock, we headed back to the Bovine Sex Club to catch as much punk as we could. Hitting the stage with tracks like “If I Eat Expired Yogurt Will I Die?”, the band No Sunshine Collective took over the stage and had the whole bar up and bouncing along as they played through their setlist. Hailing all the way from Trondheim, Norway, the duo Barren Womb shut down the bar with the ear splitting volume of their heavy riffs and powerful drums. By the end of their set, Barren Womb had the whole building jumping and screaming alongside them.

For one final day of NXNE, we headed up to Kensington Market to catch two more bands at Supermarket. Kicking off the night with The Flamingos Pink, the Quebecois duo play a classic rock sound with a bit of a twist. The heavy songs are filled out with beautiful vocals and the two bandmates are locked together from the moment they step on the stage. Next up, Sunvolume hit the stage and dominated the room with insane energy. With heavy riffs, heavier drums, and indescribable groove, the band electrifies modern rock into a whole new sound that captures the audience and makes it impossible to look away.

At the end of a busy week, I have to implore one thing: some of the most fun and interesting bands you have ever seen, you have never heard of. Every big band starts somewhere, and that might just be with 65 Spotify listeners and a couple tracks out on streaming. There are bands out there that you will love, you just have to start looking. Keep an eye on these bands, big things are coming for them. Get involved in your local music scene, go see a band you don’t know play a show; some of the best music is in your city waiting to be found.