For a free show with cars zipping by and families walking about, Sleigh Bells’ explosive set must have caused a lot of confusion to those new to the band. The show was both a danceable pop party and an intense rock show. For any fan of Sleigh Bells, this is a painfully obvious observation. Their music has dominated the noise pop genre for quite some time. I made this remark because there were so many new fans, including many that came for Danny Brown and stuck around, that had a blast. These fans weren’t the only ones rocking out, as the band replicated their impacting music live perfectly. Jackson guitars were being slayed, drums were being beaten viciously and everyone on stage must have had red bull before coming on. Alexis Krauss flew across the stage, hopped into the photo pit and even fell into the crowd without a sense of ego but instead a wide smile and a laugh: She was both a rock star and a fan girl.
With the band getting as excited as the fans, it made their bombastic songs all the more energized. The light set up consisted of little dots so neatly placed together. Just like the music, the pleasant dots became vicious as they spewed lights so powerful and colourful. With Krauss remarking on how 300 people came to see them the first time they played in Toronto, she expressed her appreciation for people coming to see her virtually that second while the lights were down low. This pop music video gone haywire was a good band to headline one of the days of NXNE because it was a reward for everyone involved. It was also probably one of the few times a chaotic riot went down well at Yonge Dundas Square.
