NXNE is a hit and a miss every time.

The problem with pilling 500 bands into 20 venues over 5 days even with a 4 a.m. curfew is that Toronto doesn’t have the trunk space. And usually, I’m fine with that. I don’t want to watch Matt and Kim at Circa EVER AGAIN. BUT, I do want to see them at my friends’ gallery with 75 other genuine fans. That’s the thing about NXNE. Every media outlet, marketing firm and product pusher in the city gets passes and those of us who aren’t willing to wait for 2 hours to see a 45 min set just get annoyed.

Buuuut. In the midst of a few minor annoyances: here are the 5 shining minutes of amazing from this year’s lineup.

1. 17.06.09 – 9:53 p.m. VICE magazine party at Amsterdam Brewery. always a big barfy Vice-who’s who of the skinny jeaned vapid scenesters – but also – always a good time. Ignore the coked out waifs vying for a chance to chat up indie label drummers, and you’ve got good 60’s revival tracks spun by a goldtoothed Black Lips member, free beer and uh, isn’t that enough?

2. 17.06.09 – 11:43 p.m. Lioness and Woodhands kill it at the Drake Underground. Lioness has such a great sound – so disco bravado – and that track is still good no matter how many times I hear it…and Woodhands had my friends screaming and fist pumping like regular sportsfans…

3. 18.06.09 – 12:37 a.m. The Field makes us dance like crazy at (lame) Tattoo…..Bad venue – good set. I was expecting a fully digital assault but instead was pleasantly surprised to see a full band looping electro gems before Juan McLean took over. Unfortunuately my “responsible” conscious took over at the same time and I missed what everyone is calling “the best dance set of the week”. Booooo day job.

4. 20.06.09 – 2:54 a.m. Japanther and Matt & Kim –hot sweaty dance mess at Wrongbar. Surprisingly no lineups, actually enthusiastic crowd, and Matt making our night intro-ing “Daylight” with “….I wrote this song in Brooklyn but tonight it’s about Toronto in the summer of 2009”…

5. 21.06.09 – 3:34 a.m. Bathurst NXNE secret house party. Less music, more throw down. OPOPO dj’s apparently had us dancing in between Steamwhistles…”apparently” because after 3:30 I pretty much don’t remember anything.

So overall, NXNE, you’re ok, I just still want to date other festivals.

Oh, and summer is here. now if we could just get someone to clean the pools for the 3 a.m. skinny dipping... it’ll really be something.