By the time I showed up for What's In The Box 2 at 11pm, things were already hopping inside the Drake. In his Night One post, Roger suggested you arrive early if you want to get in. That's solid advice. 5 bands/DJs for 5 bucks is a great deal, but I was really impressed by how full the place was when I showed up.

The first thing I caught was OPOPO laying the smack down on a solid crowd dancing in front of the stage. I've seen OPOPO a couple times already and on this night they really lit things up. Their set included an impromptu electro punk jam in honour of someone's birthday in the crowd (Ken).

Next up was vitaminsforyou in their full band glory - something I had yet to see. I'm a big v4u supporter and was really excited to finally see Bryce Kushnier play with his drummer and bass player. They're going to have a great '09. Their next full-length album comes out digitally in January (physical formats in February) and they've got the backing of a new label owned by Koch - a large indie label/distributor. And what about their live show? It kicked ass! A near-perfect mix of live and electronic elements with Bryce's Depeche Mode-inspired vocals over top. He uses lots of vocal effects and a megaphone (which sounds amazing) while controlling his electronics using one of those really cool new Yamaha Tenori On units. Their set included a really cool jam over a sample of Eric Prydz's "Pjanoo". You gotta love that piano riff. Definitely watch out for the next vitaminsforyou show.

Chicago house DJ Willy Joy took over right after v4u's set, after literally flying ALL DAY to make it to Toronto. He jumped on the mic and still professed his love for our city. What a guy. And what a DJ! He spun a party-rocking set of house, electro, old school dance and hip hop to a packed room of people going bananas. I love DJs who can quickly cut from track to track and keep the hooks dropping in and out. It's a guaranteed party every time. Willy invited everyone to dance on stage with him and lots of people took him up on his offer. He went passed last call and the crowd was right there with him.

Although going out the night before New Years Eve isn't the best idea, I don't think I can resist the techno line-up for Night Five. It's going to be fun.

Photos: Carlos Weisz.