So, here it is. My final night of NXNE. The last instalment in a weekend that could only be characterized as a wet, beer-soaked, and often sweaty blur of power chords and awesomeness. I must admit, it was a little sad to see the festival end, but I was determined to fit in one more dose of excitement.

For the first time so far, I took a chance on a band I had heard nothing about. Essentially I picked a venue (The Silver Dollar Room) and let chance pick for me. Lady Luck decided that I would be watching Adam & the Amethysts, a psychedelic band from Montreal. Not a bad choice, fate. Essentially a glorified solo project for singer/guitarist Adam Waito, the Amethysts knew how to write a catchy if slightly-skewed melody. My only complaint is that they conformed a little too much to the “indie sound”. If indie is a genre, then this is indie. To tell you the truth, The Silver Dollar is better utilized by bands with slightly more energy.

As chance would have it, the next band I saw was also not on my list, but if I know NXNE (and, if I don’t, I’m at least learning) I know that the band with the most buzz will be the hardest show to get into. In this case that was Monotonix, so I decided to catch the band before them. That band was The Guest Bedroom, who, if not compared to the band that followed, were quite good. Lead singer Sandi Falconer held down both the guitar and the Alto Sax and sing-yelled in pure post punk fashion, while another band member (sorry, no name) held down a surprisingly funky combination of keyboards and synthesizers.

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Here we are, the final night of North by Northeast. Your final chance to go out and check out some music. If you haven’t been to any shows yet, it’s alright because tonight boasts some promising line-ups for a good night out. Get out there while you still can.

As always, blogUT can help you decide what to see. And, if you have any recommendations yourself, that’s what the comments section is for.

After the jump, my final recommendations.

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I started my second NXNE night still hyped from the previous night’s epic 2 am White Cowbell Oklahoma show, but also with the bittersweet realization that my festival experience might have peaked on the first night. It’d take a lot to top the venerable shit-show that was White Cowbell. But it’s NXNE and there’s still plenty left to see and even more left to hear.

With that in mind, I headed to Yonge and Dundas Square for a 9:00 set by D.C. indie-rockers, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. The first thing I noticed about the show was that the crowd was perceptibly younger than Teenage Head at the same venue the night before. But that’s to be expected. What I didn’t expect was that with the cult-like “hero” status constantly awarded to Ted Leo, that his music would be so bland. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t bad. I’d even go so far as to call it “pretty good”. But certainly nothing amazing.

After their cover of Daft Punk’s “One More Time,” I decided to haul ass over to the Reverb before the looming rain storm. But I only made it halfway before giving up and ducking under a bus shelter. I didn’t know whether to hail a cab or start building an ark. I chose the former and taxied over to the Reverb for the fittingly-titled Great Lake Swimmers.

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Thursday was a successful first NXNE night for blogUT, but we’re here to help you. With far too many bands to choose from, we’re here to help you narrow it down. And of course, as always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Who are you looking forward to seeing? Who did you see that blew you away? Which club overcharged you for beer? Who is your favourite Power Ranger? We want to know it all.

So without further ado, here are some bands you should check out tonight:

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I woke up today at 1 pm with a hangover and a partially-deaf right ear. I would say that my first night of North by Northeast was successful.

The night began at 9:00pm at Yonge and Dundas Square for most of a set by Canadian punk icons, Teenage Head. Teenage Head’s heyday was in the 70s and 80s, and it shows. The lead singer, Frankie Vernon, was dressed in a Ramones hoodie and a leather jacket, but that didn’t hide the fact that he’s aged. A lot. To tell you the truth, he bore a striking resemblance to Lou Reed… nowadays. And the guitarist bore a striking resemblance to Robert Plant, also nowadays. The audience matched. There were more than a few 40-somethings in Slayer shirts rocking out. Fair warning, this will be us in twenty years.

All that aside, Teenage Head can still bring it, musically. They played all their hits (unfortunately, I missed “Let’s Shake”) and showed the same rockabilly guitar chops that they brought in 1978. For their last song, the band invited everyone to come up on stage and dance with the band. It all had a very Rock and Roll High School vibe. It was cool, but it would have worked better at a real venue. They played an encore, but by that point, I was running off to the Horseshoe for the Wet Secrets.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t fast enough, and only caught the last two songs. On the bright side, one of those songs was called “I Teabagged Myself With Three Heavy Fucking Cans”. Dressed in matching marching band outfits, the band seemed dedicated to having fun on stage, and that fun seemed contagious. If only I caught more of the set.

The rest of the night recapped after the jump…

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What has 9 arms and sucks? Def Leppard. What has 500 bands and (for the most part) rocks? North by Northeast. If you’re new to Toronto, or you’ve just been living under a rock on mars, I can explain NXNE in 6 words or less: Live Music. And lots of it. Picture just about every live music venue in the city and then picture 5 or 6 bands playing sets every night from tonight until Saturday. That’s pretty much it.

I know what you’re thinking: that sounds a bit overwhelming. True, but you have access to an invaluable source. That’s right, blogUT has got your back. Expect recommendations every day for that night’s music and a recap of our experiences from the night before. I told you we’ve got your back.

So, let’s start with some recommendations for tonight:

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For a dedicated group of people, Brant Bjork needs no introduction. For fans of Stoner Rock, Brant is practically royalty, having played in two of the most formidable bands of the genre, Kyuss and Fu Manchu. But Brant has also put together quite an impressive resume as a solo artist. Depending on how you count and who you ask, Punk Rock Guilt is his tenth solo record. Tenth. Since 1999. That’s in addition to all of the albums he lent guitar and drums to. Tenth. Given this prolific output, it’s a marvel he had time to talk to me from his home in California.

Brant explains, “I don’t believe in masterpieces. I just make records. I enjoy making records. I enjoy playing live. And when you have something you enjoy doing, you develop a natural pace for it. And that was part of why I wanted to set out and be independent, so I could kind of establish my own pace and do my own thing when I want to do it.”

This laid back approach is evident both in his music and his personality. Punk Rock Guilt resembles his musical output as a whole, both solo and collaborative: it’s relaxed, it’s full of tight riffs, and it’s about forgetting your responsibilities, chilling out and having some fun. While it definitely packs a hard rock punch, at its best Punk Rock Guilt is about finding a groove and not letting go. This is especially true of the fuzzed-out “Born to Rock” and on the two epic jams that bookend the album, “Lion One” and “Locked and Loaded”. The latter song, for instance, although over 10 minutes long, could go on for an hour and it wouldn’t bother me in the slightest.

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