By day three of NXNE my body was starting to hate me a little, so I spent most of the day recovering at the rooftop pool of my hotel with a bloody mary in hand. When it was finally time for the music to start, I walked the crowded streets of downtown towards Yonge & Dundas Square to start the night off with the one and only Devo. What seemed like 10,000 people crowded the "Times Square of Toronto" for the show which, to my surprise, consisted of a lot of their older catalogue. Images of french fries, donuts, fruit, underwear, kittens, syringes and energy dome hats flashed across the giant LCD jumbotron behind the band as they danced their way through an impressive five costume changes. After that, it was off to the other side of town to Wrong Bar to see another costumed performer, Diamond Rings. Wearing a very fresh white leather jacket under his rainbow guitar strap, 26-year-old John O'Regan's synth-pop evokes swagger of Bowie and the sparkle of Boy George. O' Regan, playing both the keyboard and the guitar through out the set, lifted his hands from his instruments only when it was time for his dance breakdowns.
Next, it was to the Garrison to catch Handsome Furs, which was apparently where everyone at NXNE was also headed. There must have been at least 200 people waiting to get in to the snug venue, which looked like it had a capacity of about 50. Thankfully I got in, and by that time the husband and wife duo were fully warmed up -- Alexei Perry was high kicking and head-banging as she worked the keyboard and midi controller while Dan Boeckner sang his heart out. The amount of synergy between the couple was palpable (at one point mid-song they leaned in for a kiss without missing a beat) -- it was the only time during the whole festival that I heard a euphoric crowd beg for an encore. And they got one.
