In November, I crossed the northern border to participate in M for Montreal, a music conference/marathon that invites international delegates to witness the Canadian metropolis' vibrant arts scene. Last week, a small part of that event traveled to New York City for an official New Colossus Festival showcase, co-presented by Consequence. The fall meeting was an immersive look at another city's culture; The March 6 show in Baker Falls on the Lower East Side showed how well that culture can travel.
Inside a space named after New York's iconic Knitting Factory, six Canadian artists took the stage Wednesday night. Many were using New Colossus as a warm-up before their runs at SXSW, so those watching the display got a preview of some of the heat coming out of Austin over the next few weeks.
(Despite, of course, the heat that Texas Fest is already facing as further and further artist withdraws due to sponsorship and hosting of the event by military and defense companies).
Sasha Cay opened the evening with Sasha Cay's bedroom sounds. Although the night would turn into a raucous concert appropriate for the Lower East Side location, Cay's dreamy composition was a gracious way to start. She captivated the initial audience with a series of tracks from her recent release. Spinwelcoming people while shaking off the dreary New York rain.
Housewife, the project by Brighid Fry fka Moscow Apartment (I wonder why she changed that name…), began the path towards an ascending pace. Fry and her backing duo presented a vibrant dose of 2000s indie rock fun, with the Toronto artist fronting her showcasing playful humor with her banter and her songs. Even though he had only met his fill-in drummer a few hours before the show, Fry's calmness masked any carelessness, allowing everyone on stage or in front of him to enjoy the show.
Housewife, photo by Ben Kaye
Next up was the Winona Forever set, showcasing last year's intricate pop. Acrobat. Playing gnarly guitars over drums like Mathy Jazz, the group split vocal duties while making the crowd jump. Tracks like “Electrostatic” showed a band capable of weaving warm hooks through all kinds of mixes of pop genres.
thanks to our partners at consequence.net
