By Harry Myles, Feature Photo via The Fader

Every June, North By Northeast (NXNE) lands in Toronto for a multi-day arts and music festival. Featuring various media displays and concerts, NXNE includes film and gaming components as well as interactive conferences. Usually, the performances take place every night at venues across the city; this year, however, NXNE included an additional two-day festival site on June 17-18 at the Port Lands, near Toronto’s waterfront. I began my NXNE journey on the evening of June 17 with Kamasi Washington’s show, and later travelled to the Port Lands to support the talented Born Ruffians and the exceedingly peculiar Father John Misty.

Kamasi Washington and his band the Next Step played a two-hour set at the Danforth Music Hall, and let me say, it was one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. I was first introduced to Washington in 2015, after the release of his debut studio jazz album The Epic, a record of literally epic proportions (it spans three LPs and clocks in at just under three hours). For months after purchasing the ticket, I anxiously awaited the wonder of Washington’s sax and his equally talented band members, barely able to contain my excitement. They did not disappoint. The performance rose to incredible highs, dropped to calming lows, and introduced the Danforth to a new era of modern jazz.

After an opening DJ set, the band emerged and launched into their first number, “Change Of The Guard.” As Washington’s ring clad fingers danced across the keys, his tenor saxophone led a medley of trombone, drums, keyboard, bass, and soaring vocals—a spectacular world of sound. Soon, the entire floor was swaying with the groove of the tune; this infectious energy would remain for the next two hours. Periodically, Washington would introduce members from his band through awe-inspiring solos. Even his musically-inclined father got in on the act—halfway through the set, the man stationed at the merch table walked on stage with a flute and a soprano sax in hand and rocked the hall alongside his son. The keyboardist, Brandon Coleman (a.k.a Professore Boogy, according to Kamasi), also performed a solo piece,“Moon Butter”—a funkadelic tune that was reminiscent of Herbie Hancock’s Head Hunters—from his own release. Coleman had the entire audience hopping as he transitioned from the keys to a keytar. The marvel would continue until the final roar from Washington’s sax at the conclusion of “The Rhythm Changes,” leaving the crowd cheering for more.

I was breathless while standing in line for an autograph after the show, my mind blown. Washington’s astounding skill and composure had exceeded all expectations. As he continues on his world tour to play Chicago’s Pitchfork Music Festival and venues in the UK, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, it is clear that Kamasi Washington marks the dawn of a new era. As was evident from the crowd at the Danforth—the floor was packed with concertgoers in their 20s alongside older enthusiasts sporting an after-work tie or jacket- jazz remains a vibrant and cross-generational display of musical talent loved by Millenials and Baby-Boomers alike. Washington and the Next Step demonstrated the complexity of jazz, and its ability to capture an audience within a grip of incredible pace and energy.

The next day, I dared the 30-degree heat and ventured to the Port Lands. Having never been to the area before, I did not know what to expect, and upon first impression, I was disappointed. Essentially, the space was a giant parking lot with few trees or other form of relief from the scorching sun. At one end was the main Commish stage, set to feature the day’s star acts, which included Canadian artists Land of Talk, Dan Mangan, and Mother Mother, as well as the immensely entertaining Father John Misty. Across the asphalt and past a meager sitting area sat the secondary Canal stage, home to fellow Canadian musicians the Devin Cuddy Band, HIGHS, the Zolas, and Born Ruffians.

I sat with my fellow festival-goers along a fence in the minimal shade available and enjoyed the folksy twang of Dan Mangan, listened to the poppy tunes of the Zolas, and witnessed the throbbing mass set off by indie-rockers Mother Mother. At long last, Midland natives Born Ruffians walked on stage and began an hour long set of vibrant, rocking hits that stirred the sunburnt crowd and ended with roaring applause. Lead singer Luke Lalonde led us through a series of tracks that included “Kurt Vonnegut,” from 2008’s Red, Yellow & Blue, and the Talking Heads-inspired “Don’t Live Up,” off 2015’s RUFF. The crowd was quickly infected by the energy of the pulsating speakers, and remained enchanted by the performers, with one fan even dropping to the ground and risking a beating from the bouncing feet in order to retrieve a tossed guitar pick. Bassist Mitch DeRosier entertained the masses with his whiplash-inducing head-banging and comical dancing, prompting many to cheer with excitement (including a particular elderly woman, who happened to be his mother). The Ruffians’s vibes found perfect accompaniment in a collection of beach balls that arced across the sky amidst the setting sun, completing the perfect picture of summer bliss. The set ended with “Needle,” from 2013’s Birthmarks, and so began the migration across the tarmac to an awaiting “Daddy Misty” (as Lalonde likes to call him).

I muscled my way to within a few rows of Father John and basked in the cynicism of the bearded performer. Opening with “Every Man Needs a Companion,” from his 2012 album Fear Fun, Father John’s hips were soon swaying in rhythm with his acoustic guitar. So began a two-hour showcase of his enigmatic personality and deeply-sarcastic lyrics. The crowd was offered the  ex-Fleet Fox-member’s typical spine-splitting dance moves, with each song providing a renewed burst of energy that helped to melt away the day’s exhaustion. The audience swayed to the mellow vocals of “Bored In The USA” and jammed to the ridiculous beat of “True Affection,” while Father John dropped to his knees and writhed upon the stage, hands reaching for the sky.  Several times throughout the set, he spoke to the crowd, engaging in an oddly intimate conversation for a man faced with 300 passionate fans. At other times he dropped into the throng and borrowed someone’s phone for a quick selfie or bounced to the ground and then popped back—like a lanky corkscrew—to the cheers of the audience. The shenanigans continued until the final strum of an “unexpected” encore (as if Father John didn’t know you did that kind of thing at festivals), officially ending NXNE’s Port Lands festival and sending hundreds of exhausted attendees to flood Commissioner Street.

After navigating the crowds to hail a taxi and finally reaching my apartment, I flopped on to my long-awaited bed, exhausted. With an exhilarating performance by Kamasi Washington the night before and an equally entertaining display by Born Ruffians and Father John Misty the next day, NXNE did not disappoint. What Port Lands lacked in attractions it made up for with the musical talent, ending a wonderfully hot summer weekend of swinging hips, kicking legs, and ringing ears.