Cecil St. garage is the latest hot music venue in Toronto
While the sun was setting on Cecil Street, the temperature was just beginning to rise inside of the Garage. The night's venue, shaped like a Zamboni with its sloped roof, was set to play host to four separate Canadian musical acts, headlined by the indie-pop phenoms Hooded Fang. With a capacity of only 50 people, it promised to provide some of the most fun per square foot that one could find on Friday night.
The clock approaches 9:30, leaving only 90 minutes until the possibility of a noise complaint. As such, Moon King are eager to officially kick start the night. "This is my favourite place in Toronto right now. I'm here way more often than I should be. It's very unhealthy," jokes Daniel, one half of the duo. The set is a great opener, and while the drum lines approach monotony with each successive track, the simultaneity of the male and female vocals is addictive and hypnotic.
The crowd is as diverse as the containers housing their beverages; tallboys, flasks, Subway cups, and paper bagged wine bottles form only a small fraction of the composition. As the next scheduled performer was selfishly "...having trouble grasping reality," the crowd impatiently waited for the main event.
Hooded Fang, a seven-piece group who are no stranger to this venue opened with songs from their latest album Tosta Mista. The latter half of "ESP," the second song of their set, features a tremendous buildup that the crowd not only anticipates, but explodes upon. This place has heated up fast, and it's only now that I realize pants were a bad choice. Building off of the crowd's energy, the band's chemistry shows its true colours during the title track, which is accentuated by D. Alex Meeks tremendous drum fills.
"How much time we got?" queries guitarist/vocalist Daniel Lee, six minutes before the noise ban kicks in.
"So much time!" exclaims bassist April Aliermo, much to the crowd's delight.
The band breaks into "Vacationation," a track with an opening riff that instantly snares your attention and holds it for the full song. There's not a single stationary body in this garage, and the band's jumpiness reflects the energy in the air.
Capping off the night is a performance by the solo act Doldrums, a stark contrast to the previous genres. All of his equipment is situated inside of a canvas suitcase atop a stool, a simple arrangement for complex sounds that are reminiscent of an upbeat version of James Blake's "The Wilhelm Scream." This is the perfect nightcap to an energetic night, which is appropriately concluded with Doldrums marching across the crowd, supported only by their shoulders. Predictably, this does not end well, but it doesn't matter because everyone has had a great time.
Check out more photos on the event's Facebook page.
Writing by Tyler Burton. Photos by Jenny Bundock.
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