WIth over 500 acts showcasing at 30+ venues, making your NXNE schedule can be a daunting task. Don’t fret, younglings—Complex Canada has you covered. In addition to our patented NXNE Survival Guide, we’re hand-picking the best bets of the festival on a daily basis. You can’t be everywhere at once, so we’re here to make sure you’re in the right place.
It’s the first night of NXNE, and you’ve already got your work cut out for you. At 10:00PM, you need to decide if you’d rather hang with two sets of twins at the Ibeyi/Tasseomancy show, or vibe out with synth-wave champions Prince Innocence. It doesn’t get any easier—at 1:00AM, you can either recite the “Ratchet Commandments” with Tink, or soak your late night emotions in reverb at the ROLEMODEL show. Do a little research below, and decide for yourself. Good luck.
Here are our NXNE picks for Wednesday, June 17th.
Ibeyi
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Ibeyi @ The Mod Club, 10:00PM (Details)
If it feels like you’re seeing double at the Mod Club tonight, it’s because you are. This is the only show in Toronto tonight where you’ll find twins opening for twins. After an opening set from Toronto’s sisterly folk coven Tasseomancy, Parisian twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz will bring their brand of experimental, ambient R&B to the stage. Both of Cuban descent, the Diaz sisters take inspiration from fusing Afro-Cuban and jazz influences with contemporary production techniques, such as sampling an ethereal synth work. If you’re in the mood to kick off NXNE with a little introspective swaying, this is the show for you.
With Tasseomancy, and Emilie & Ogden.
Admission with Platinum NXNE Badge, or $22 tickets, $25 walk-up.
Prince Innocence
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Prince Innocence @ Drake Underground, 10:00PM (Details)
Talvi Faustmann and Josh McIntyre make synth-driven dream-pop with a hip-hop bent, laced with melodies that are equal parts sickeningly sweet and melancholic. Prince Innocence has been an art-pop hit factory since a chance meeting between its members in 2007, but it feels like the duo is on the cusp of a major breakthrough. Catch them tonight at the Drake Underground, and call yourself an early adopter when they inevitably open for Katy Perry in 2017.
With Diana, Bernice, and Ginla.
Admission with Platinum NXNE Badge, Clubland Wristband, or $12 walk-up.
Tink
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Tink @ Adelaide Hall, 1:00AM. (Details)
Tink is the real deal. Often compared to luminaries like Lauryn Hill, TLC, and Aaliyah (RIP babygurl), 20-year-old Trinity Home already has a lot to live up to. Already five mixtapes deep in her career, the pressure doesn’t seem to be getting to her. The Timbaland protege’s bars are wise beyond her years, and her hybrid approach to rapping and singing has everyone’s attention. The hip-hop world could do with another powerful, self-assured female rap star, and no one is more suited to the job than Tink.
With DillanPonders, a l l i e, Bishop Nehru, Kate Tempest.
Admission with Platinum NXNE Badge, Clubland Wristband, free with limited RSVP, or $20 walk-up.
ROLEMODEL
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ROLEMODEL @ Lee’s Palace, 1:00AM (Details)
ROLEMODEL meet new wave and shoegaze in the middle, weaving sparkling synths around intricate guitar work and lyrical introspection. The Hand Drawn Dracula signees’ latest EP Claire sounds great through headphones, but these songs will sound even better pumping through the soundsystem at Lee’s.
With Doomsquad, Programm, Zola Jesus, Louise Burns, and Dinner.
Admission with Platinum NXNE Badge, Clubland Wristband, or $20 walk-up.
