gradescool.com

31 Hours Without You

// June 27th, 2009 // Events, Music

Words by: Monika Lynn
Photography by: Alex Felipe

By The End of it all, I was licking my paws, trying to taste the weekend again. All over, the city was screaming. Summer had FINALLY begun! Although, lets not get too ahead of ourselves, as the nights before still felt so young.

It all started off on a Thursday night. Zero down, four to go. The first nightly affair of the NXNE Music Festival was held at Wrong Bar- 1279 Queen St. W. It was then, that the animal kingdom was unleashed for the weekend, as Times Neue Roman & Santa Guerrilla took the stage by claws. With Arowbe howling at the crowd, it only encouraged Alexander The to start scratching out our ears with his keyboard sounds. And just when I thought that it couldn’t get any better, in came Romeo Candido on the Kulintang and Kevin Centeno on the Gong. But it wouldn’t have been made possible with out Mr. Hands himself, who drummed out the pace while the guys stomped through the crowd. It was truly a musical feast that I just couldn’t get enough of.

Friday. It had been 24 hrs since last feed, so I headed over to Styrofoam Ones’ 3:00 AM show at the “Dirty” Underground to see what I could find. After entering, I could see all the pairs of eyes, just glimmering in the dark; waiting for new prey. I knew what I was getting myself into that night. Styrofoam Ones is ALWAYS a full 3-course meal. For starters, the crowd was teased by the lash of the keys from Alexander The. Compelling enough, this was followed by Josh McGuirk’s main dish of mouth buzzing bass. It was then that the wild cat hopped on stage, trying to pick up all the shredded meat around her. However, the meal was not completed until the crowd felt the impact of ClayJones’ drumming on our taste buds. I was electrified by sounds. And knowing what lurked ahead of me for the following day- the show was definitely enough to get me through the night.

Saturday. Rain rain, why must you stay? The mud in my nails was almost becoming to much for me to handle. I needed a quick fix, and I needed it now. I could smell the meat burning out on the grills as I strutted towards Rolly’s Garage- 124 Ossington Ave on a Saturday afternoon. Two down, two to go I thought. With the lemonade and the youngsters, Rolly’s Garage was the purrfect place for some tasty fresh meat. Times Neue Roman hit the stage with a scholar-styled flare, slapping the crowd with plaid and tasty lyrics. As I was watching the performance, I couldn’t help but notice the creatures on the walls. I could tell that they weren’t from this world; Cyclopsidy must be an adornment in the land where they came from. I needed rest if I was going to make it through the night. But I knew that was not an option.

It was 4:00AM on Sunday morning, as we hurdled towards our final destination. And no, that is not a typo- 4:00AM is correct. It was an After Hours party over at 204 Spadina Ave. The Door Upstairs. We didn’t know what to expect. Although I had a slight feeling that I was going to see some Vampires that night. As TNR was getting ready to perform, I could see the fangs hanging out of Toronto’s mouth. Sharp, hungry & ready to pierce. Myself and the pack had the “Oooh!!’s” on point, as we couldn’t help but howl back to Arowbe’s wailing through out the night. Alexander The lifted the cowbell high, so that everyone could hear the call of the morning sun. Summer solstice. And friendly celebrations; it was the perfect time for new blood. Everyone was dripping of it. And as the sun made it’s entrance, and the vampires got out before they turned into stone, it was then that we knew we had made it. Made it through the dark. Made it through the rain. And all that was left was the after-mathematic pain of recovery. At least that’s what I thought…

Coming back to the cave at 8.30AM, I knew that rest wouldn’t suffice the feeling of anticipation for 10:00AM. Although the guys were done screaming through the city, I had one more task that lay ahead of me at this point. Steve Carty’s studio- Studio 405- On King St. W. was MY final destination. GradeScool was waiting for me. And I, was now the prey. The cameras were lurking around me. Seeing through me, into my urban soul. Every T-Shirt I was shoved into, had it’s own story. And with the sounds of Erykah Badu, and the rest of the 90’s Hip Hop plays, the camera flashed and the teachings of Gradescool had begun. A new pack was made. There was 7 of them. Each one different from the next. And I was proud. I started to reminisce for a slight second in time, as I watched the clock tick on the wall. It had been 31 hours without you, and I was ready to fall-
ASLEEP.

For more information on the above, please visit :

http://www.timesneueroman.com

http://www.styrofoamones.com

http://www.rollysgarage.com

http://www.alexfelipe.com

You can also check out Times Neue Roman & Styrofoam Ones on Facebook & Twitter!!
I promise, they don’t bite.