Your One-Stop Talk Shop Stop

Welcome To Summer

It is officially summer in Toronto. It wasn’t the mustachioed man in tight leather chaps that told me so as I biked past Church St, or the coven of witches dancing to the inaudible sounds of the solstice at Queen’s Park. Summertime was announced this year, as it has been for many people over the past three years, by the relentless sunshine pouring over the Toronto Islands as thousands shimmied in a smog of musty marijuana smoke to supposed indie-rock heroes Broken Social Scene, Feist, J Mascis, Bloc Party and Raising the Fawn.

As Feist pointed out following a 10 minute digression about how she had the flu, the third installment of Emerge Entertainment’s island party is “becoming somewhat of a tradition.” While the gorgeous weather made for a spectacular day on Toronto’s green isle, it couldn’t be helped but to feel like there was something lacking in the day’s events. Maybe it was the fact that the lineup was comprised mostly of Arts & Crafts family members – whether it was BSS playing with guest J Mascis (who many people saw play together the night before), BSS playing with Feist or Feist playing with her hair – or perhaps it was the fact that the crowd was constantly reminded to drink water but, as this thirsty patron found, there was little in the way of hydration save for a long lineup at the burger stand, a dirty water fountain or a dip in Lake Ontario. Isn’t water an necessity of life? Anyway . . .

So summer is here and if you were at the concert, you have the awkward tan lines to prove it. Despite the thin ensemble of groups representing, there was a good variety of sound to please everyone. Whether you jumped to Bloc Party, swayed to Feist, or, as I did, just sat on a blanket in the 40 degree heat and spent the summer afternoon as it was meant to be enjoyed, with sunshine, rock and roll, some green grass and friends, take pleasure in the fact that you can do it all again next year.

Or not. daereimajmai

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They made this an annual thing? Very nice. I do believe I was at the first — it was one of the last shows I attended before I shipped off to defend the youth of South Korea from the feared North (indirectly, via language education). And while we had BSS, we also had AF, SR, B65, The C, and leading the pack, S.* It was a grand farewell. There was even one of those moments, you know the kind I’m talking about, where S were rockin’ in up into the night, and a shooting star shooted past right above the stage. It was like God was there saying “If I existed, I’d be letting you know I’m watching out over you, kid.” I also suspect it may have been completely unrelated to the above article, due to it happening at the end of summer. Still a good show, though.