WIth over 500 acts showcasing at 30+ venues, making your NXNE schedule can be a daunting task. Don’t fret, younglings—Complex Canada has you covered. In addition to our patented NXNE Survival Guide, we’re hand-picking the best bets of the festival on a daily basis. You can’t be everywhere at once, so we’re here to make sure you’re in the right place.
It’s Day 2 of NXNE, and if you’re anything like us, the struggle is real. The best cure for hangovers and late nights is to keep it moving, and tonight there are plenty of options. You could swing by the Danforth Music Hall for the mystical vibes of Bizzarh and Willow Smith, or you could look at God in the Berkeley Church with Vince Staples and Tink. Either way, make sure you swing by the NXNE Hub for Complex Canada and BEVSTMODE’s official NXNE turn up with Sean Leon and Ekali.
Here are our NXNE picks for Thursday, June 18th.
Vince Staples
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Vince Staples @ Berkeley Church, 11:00PM (Details)
Prepare yourself for a religious experience at the Berkeley Church tonight. The Pitchfork NXNE showcase boasts a pretty diverse and dope lineup of folk, metal, hip-hop, dream-pop, and techno, but Vince Staples’ set is the main event. The 21-year-old Long Beach resident is a story teller at heart, and as a former gang affiliate, he comes by his street sagas honestly. Get your prayer hands ready, while Vince Staples convinces you that the west coast is the best coast.
With Tink, Majical Cloudz, Amen Dunes, Jessica Pratt, Sannhet, and Container.
Admission with Platinum NXNE Badge, tickets sold out.
Cellphone
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Cellphone @ The Garrison, 3:00AM (Details)
Telephone Explosion, you’re crazy for this one. The weirdo-garage-psych-punk label’s NXNE Showcase is a marathon. From 3:00PM until 4:00AM, the Garrison feature a parade of off-kilter punk, culminating with a performance by Toronto’s new synthy trash heroes Cellphone. If you actually make it until 4:00AM, look around you and take stock of who else is there. You’ll be surrounded by the true believers of NXNE. Also, the people who are so drunk they think they’re standing in line at Pizza Pizza.
With U.S. Girls, Soupcans, The Holydrug Couple, Naomi Punk, Crosss, Jacco Gardner, EZTV, Wrong Hole, Heaters, Mick Futures, and Moss Lime.
Admission with Platinum NXNE Badge, Clubland Wristband, or $15 walk-up. $5 walk-up admission between 3:00PM-7:00PM.
