NXNE Day 4

Hello Saturday, Hello Devo Day! Tonight is going to be a big night, let’s do this.

I arrive at the backstage entrance of Yonge and Dundas Square just after 9pm with plans to cover the show but am told backstage is on lockdown – no one is getting in or out! This is not good news; I need to snap, tweet, and blog about this show and meet all of my friends who are currently back there.

Taking a moment to send a few red flag emergency texts, I’m approached by a man who inquires as to why I’m trying to get backstage. “I’m here for ELLE UK, I’m supposed to blog about the show from backstage.” I say. “Well I’m Devo’s tour manager, I don’t believe I got a press request from you, did you send one?” he asks. “Erm, well no… I actually don’t need anything from the guys, I just need to watch it and blog it from backstage” I respond. In this brief moment, I decided to leave out the fact that I’m actually doing NXNE Street Style for ELLE UK and this backstage post will really appear here, on GracieCarroll.com. Patrick (as he tells me his name is) looks at me for a minute and says “Well, I’ve put backstage on lockdown but if you can wait 10 minutes I’ll sort you out, but only you.”

Feeling surprised and confused by his response all I can say is “Of course! No problem!” and wait out the ten minutes. After a little while I start pacing and begin to wonder if he has forgotten about me or was pulling my leg. But moments later he returns, hands me an all access DEVO pass, leads me to the side of the stage and says, “You better blog something good, Gracie.” Patrick, wherever you are in the world right now, I love you.

With the biggest smile on my face, I look up from my pass and out onto the stage. Sure enough, there’s DEVO rocking out. You know what the best thing about these guys is? That they’re rocking out AND doing a costume change in between almost every song. Those energy hats must really work, bravo guys.

AOL happens to be throwing DEVO a party on the other side of the stage so I decide to go check it out. Open bar and carnival-themed snacks – popcorn, cotton candy, mini burgers, fries – I’m so into this! Mini burgers are my absolute favourite snack in the whole world, and I tell pretty much everyone I come into contact with at the party about how happy I am that they’re serving them.

As the show ends, I hop into a cab and head to Lee’s Palace to catch Brooklyn’s very own, Twin Shadow. We get there just in time, as we’re the last few people to get in before it reaches capacity. After catching the last couple songs by Wild Nothing, we all head upstairs to an empty Dancecave, where we relish in the icy cold air conditioning after escaping the sweaty heat downstairs.

Twin Shadow comes on and they’re great. Lead singer, George Lewis Jr., drives the crowd wild by saying “Toronto looks more like New York City than New York City” and delves into the next song. While I hadn’t paid much attention to their album pre-show, it has been on ipod repeat ever since. I guess you could say I highly enjoyed it. Post show, I get to meet the Twin Shadow drummer at the back of Lee’s – a nice vegetarian sporting Snoop Dogg style braids, I’m into it. As the night comes to a close, we all decide to head to the NOW Lounge for a nightcap on its very last night, tear.