Last night kicked off NXNE here in Toronto. From here, the bands only get better and the shows spread further across the city. I kicked it on Queen St last night and decided to visit two venues I adore; The Rivoli and The Horseshoe Tavern.

The Paint Movement played to a packed house at the Rivoli, and while the mixing of the show was not great, they still seemed to pull off an energetic set. Despite their guitar player having his guitar stolen earlier that day, the band was in good spirits. This is fun band, and if you get the chance they are most definitely worth the cover.

I moseyed down the street to The Horseshoe Tavern to catch Parlovr and We are Wolves who were playing the M for Montreal Showcase. A mix of short, fast on the verge of punk songs both bands were great. Parlovr had a fun set. Really engaged with the audience which is important on an intimate stage like the Horseshoe.

I didn't think I liked We are Wolves, but after seeing them live, I do. Lead singer Alexander Ortiz is a character on stage. Actually he's kind of crazy. You'll notice some of his facial expressions; priceless. You will also notice I have a thing for taking pictures of people's shoes. I think you can tell a lot about a person by their foot ware. Stay tuned. More shows to come!