Odonis Odonis started the set at Yonge Dundas Square with a noisy and fun jam session. With the piercing sun glaring on the audience, the band tried to draw everyone closer under the little bits of shade near the stage. They definitely know how to be confident on stag as everyone was loose and feeling the music they were creating. However, Odonis Odonis, a young band, still need to figure out the way to connect with the audience and not just with their own music. With an uncertain “hello” to start the set, of course it is understandable that a band may be nervous to play what may be their first festival yet. Odonis Odonis still had to sell their music to the audience, especially considering this is a free show and many listeners are passersby that came to hear what was playing. The music itself was good, as notes would resonate, percussion would drift off into galaxies far far away and vocal melodies would punctuate the music. With due time, Odonis Odonis should take their performance the extra mile when they evolve as musicians in a live setting, because the music they have isn’t something worth hiding. For what is presumably their first big show, this is a bit understandable and will do for now.
With much contrast, Golden Teacher came on after Odonis Odonis with an extremely energetic performance. Their songs were much longer and alienating than Odonis Odonis’ quick-to-relate-to tunes, but Golden Teacher drew attention by going absolutely ballistic on stage. With many poses struck, dance moves that would make the B-52’s proud and the charisma of firecrackers, Golden Teacher instantly sold their music to the wandering citizens of Toronto. Their wacky moves were captured and plastered all over the screens on the buildings at Yonge and Dundas, so with many coming to check out these performers, it was then important to see what exactly this music was. Did the music match the crazy dances? Absolutely. With lengthy tracks that remark on both the days of disco and the recent resurgence of said days (think Hercules and Love Affair), audience members were catching the fever and danced to this new music they were completely unaware of beforehand. With flourishes of percussion and layers of click based melodies, Golden Teacher played their set as if it was their party and only they attended. Luckily the doors were wide open and they weren’t embarrassed when we walked in and witnessed their typical Thursday night of partying like rock stars in their own bedrooms; On an open stage, however, this illusion they could only dream of is where it slowly starts to turn into a reality.
