This article our final piece in a series covering Exclaim! Magazine’s Class of 2026 concert lineups. Thanks to Exclaim! for having us!

To see all of Averyn Ngan’s photos of the night, view our photo gallery here!

Shortly before seeing Miss Mouth, Superstar Crush, John’s Cottage, and slow reader as part of Exclaim!’s Class of 2026 concert series, I was toiling away on a graduate school application. Wait a minute, I thought, Why am I thinking about my academic future when I could be experiencing the joy of local music? After paying the all-too-expensive application fee and making my way to the venue on the unreliable-as-ever 505 streetcar, I arrived at the Baby G—a small but mighty venue on the city’s west end. 

In all honesty, the circumstances surrounding this show were not great. It was fucking freezing. Catherine O’Hara had passed away earlier that afternoon. My friend’s ex showed up and was lurking around the venue like Freddy Fazbear. The Baby G only sells craft beer, so you have to order something with a name like “Old Boot Joe’s Toe-Curling Lager” and hope that it’s good. Despite these nonideal conditions, the slate of bands tonight did not disappoint. 

The night started off with Miss Mouth, whose brand of indie is just so Toronto to me. I’m a big fan of sincerity, and the band delivers that with earnest lyrics that float atop delicate guitars. With their new release, “Pizza Song,” the band takes things up a notch, throwing in some math rock-y riffs and a little bit of vocal distortion. This new direction is a welcome one, and punctuated the already high-energy set. I think it would be a great addition to their songs if the band threw some extra fuzz into their live shows, especially the newer tracks.

Next up was Superstar Crush, a five-piece band from Hamilton that has been the subject of quite a lot of buzz following the release of their debut album, Way Too Much. They’re equal parts Broken Social Scene and Springsteen, with an incredible live show to boot. They make the kind of uplifting, twinkly power-pop that would not be out of place in a playlist of Canadian indie songs from the early 2000s. I’ve felt a sense of camaraderie with Marzieh, Superstar Crush’s lead singer, because we sat beside each other in an extremely jingoistic foreign policy seminar last semester. This was my first time seeing her on stage, and she was absolutely electric, never staying still for more than a minute. As captivating as Marzieh is, what really makes this band worth its salt is the way their energy bounces around the stage. The drummer and guitarist round out the vocals, and each song was punctuated with a barrage of inside jokes between band members. They’ve added a saxophonist to their live show, which further fleshes out the band’s live sound. Each component of the band felt equally important, which helped keep the energy in the room high. The highlight of the set for me was “They Keep Calling,” a song on Way Too Much, which begins with some subtle guitars and quiet vocals and builds to a fabulous explosion of drums, sax, and keyboard, reminiscent of Feist’s “1234.” 

To the delight of me and my Demo co-conspirator Emma, we finally had some midwest emo rep in the Class of 2026 lineup with John’s Cottage. While John’s Cottage might not re-invent the wheel, has any midwest emo band since American Football really done that? It helps that vocalist Max is hilarious and instantly endearing. Introducing each (longtime) member by telling the audience, “This is his first show, so cut him some slack,” was a bit I was really into. With a quick acknowledgement of Catherine O’Hara’s untimely passing, we were off to the races, immersed in our personal paradise of math-rock riffs and questionable vocal abilities. John’s Cottage turned out to be pretty dynamic: they love a quiet, heartfelt acoustic guitar-driven ballad or laid-back rock track à la Turnover, but they can shred with the best of them. Looking around, I couldn’t help but notice that the band had cultivated quite the niche but loyal following. I was surrounded by fellow twenty-something women who were able to scream the lyrics to every song. With how much I enjoyed the set, I’ll most likely be joining them again in the near future. 

Finally, we were treated to tonight’s headliner, Hamilton’s slow reader. Weirdly, this was the act that drew the smallest crowd. Whether it was the late night, the biting cold, or the unpredictable nature of the TTC, the venue was noticeably empty. That didn’t deter slow reader, as they played a pleasant, if not all that memorable, set of twee alt-rock. If I had to compare them to anyone, it would be to Philadelphia indie rock band Gladie, but without the punk edge. Also, slow reader’s vocalist seems like an absolute sweetheart, but her vocals on this particular night were not up to snuff. While I ultimately did enjoy slow reader, their placement on the bill was a little strange. Miss Mouth, Superstar Crush, and John’s Cottage have all built sizable fanbases of university-aged fans, but slow reader’s audience swings a little bit older. Maybe the band’s set was past their fanbase’s bedtime. 

This was the last Exclaim! show of the series and the third one I attended. It’s been a great run: I’ve sung, danced, moshed, sampled beers, braved the snow, and seen many friends and foes alike. While to some, the terrible weather might be a deterrent to traversing the city to see shows, I urge you to get out there anyway, because you’ll be treated to some great music and a fantastic night out. Exclaim!’s Class of 2026 has been a highlight of a very cold, very dark Toronto January, and I’m glad to have spent it in such good company.