This year marks the 34th edition of Canadian Music Week (aka CMW), and annual music festival and conference in Toronto.
This year, I'm attending CMW as a member of the media! I'm taking photographs for Aesthetic Magazine (where you'll be able to see full photo sets for most of my CMW shows). I picked up my media wristband yesterday afternoon - I hope that it survives the week!
Whereas my SXSW was dedicated 100% to the festival, I'm not taking time off work for CMW. So, between lugging my camera around, staying up until 3AM for gigs, editing photos, and actually working, it's going to be a very long week... and I'm really looking forward to it!
For Day 1, I was stationed at The Drake Hotel. I love The Drake for its intimate space and personality. I've attended many shows there, but this was my first time shooting it.
First up, Toronto-based AlphaCub, who further showcased his hometown pride by wearing a Bravestation tee.
Next up, singer-songwriter ROZES, best known for co-writing and performing vocals on The Chainsmokers' hit 'Roses' (named after her, of course). However, with a strong, theatrical performance and creative vocals, I hope that she will soon gain notoriety in her own right. I really enjoyed her set, and look forward to see how her career progresses.
And lastly, the evening's headliner - the one man band that is Max Frost.
Multi-instrumentalist, Frost, performs his set with the help of a loop pedal. He records live loops of basslines, guitar parts, hand claps, and percussion which are layered amongst his soulful vocals. His songs are catchy and danceable, and it was fascinating watching him flex his musical abilities on each instrument.
Frosts' double guitar set up was falling as he finished up his set's encore. We were unsure whether we were supposed to help him right it, or let him do his thing. That's the beauty of live performances - you never know what might happen! Given how many instruments he performs during the set, and the effort it takes to coordinate all the loops, it's amazing how he's able to keep everything in check!
You can see my full set of the evening's photos at Aesthetic Magazine.
#concertphotography