In the West End of Toronto stands The Junction, a truly historic neighborhood riddled with local businesses, amazing places to eat, and plenty of opportunities for live music. On September 7th 2024, the Junction community came together to host their 5th annual “Nova’s Junction Revue”, a small block party that ran from Noon to 11pm highlighting local bands and vendors. After a subway trip and streetcar ride, I managed to make it just in time to catch the first 4 bands of the day, each prepared to play a 30 minute set.
DOLL STEAK (Formerly Ants Are Plants)
By the time people started rolling onto the closed down street, Doll Steak were just finishing setting up. They were the openers for the block party, expected to kick off the afternoon with a high note. Needless to say, they met expectations. Despite a shorter setlist, the trio hit the growing crowd with a grungy guitar and heavy bass, setting the tone for the style of music that would be seen throughout the early afternoon.
MAN IS FIVE
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If there was one word to describe Man Is Five it would absolutely be electric. From the moment the band stepped onto the carpeted stage, to the time they left, it's clear they were ready to put on a show. Between the guitarist, lead singer, and drummer, there wasn’t an ounce of energy they kept hidden during their 30 minutes. The singer’s voice interchangeably swapped between being crisp and enunciated to something raw and gritty, which fit perfectly with their genre. Shamelessly speaking, I couldn’t pull my eyes away from the guitarist. He was captivating, both during the fundamentals of their songs, but especially when he was given space for his solos. The entire band seemed to shine during Feed, as the track perfectly ties the talents of the band in a bow, highlighting their pure united strength. Overall, Man Is Five undoubtedly tore up the Junction Stage, surely leaving a lasting impression on everyone on the street, both young and old, and I personally cannot wait for their next show.
Photo Credit: @soferson53
BOUQUET
Bouquet is actively bringing back what the music scene is missing. All Girl Bands. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a group of girls light up the stage and get the crowd dancing, and that’s exactly what Bouquet did. Between their own songs, and a cover of Le Tigre’s Deceptacon, the crowd was fully engaged with the group. The band had two main vocalists, Lillie and Zoie, who bounced off eachother between certain songs, and also let eachother have a moment to be appreciated. Zoie took charge of Deceptacon, where she added the touch of a megaphone to stay true to how Le Tigre performs it live. Lillie, who has a powerhouse voice, had me and others in awe throughout Bouquet's set, especially after holding a particularly long note that sent the crowd into applause before the song even finished. When Bouquet finished their set, a lady standing behind me asked who had just played, because, and I quote, “they were really f***ing good, absolutely outstanding”. Honestly, she summed it up perfectly. Go check out Bouquet.
BEBE AND OONA
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To close out the group of bands young music fans came to see was Bebe and Oona. Initially, I had no idea what to expect, as they brought a different aura to the bands who played before them. Their set quickly transformed into one of my favourites of the afternoon. As both Bebe and Oona sing, I found the way they integrate both vocals to be unique. The two often stack their vocals, creating not only harmonies, but creating the illusion of two vocal tracks being played at once, similar to when you’d sing rounds at summer camp. Bebe in particular had a standout voice, her rich deep vocals leaving me genuinely jaw dropped, wondering why they aren’t playing bigger stages. The band’s second song, Tea Shop, was a delight to hear, the atmosphere causing everyone to dance along, including these two young girls who stood off to the side. To close off their set, Bebe and Oona played Nosebleed, which brought a complete sense of community across the crowd. It seemed as if everyone knew every lyric, singing along as they jumped on time with the drums. Clusters of people formed, and the bands from earlier were getting in on the action as well, with Man Is Five throwing arms around shoulders to keep their bandmates close.
As Bebe and Oona left the stage, the crowd began to disperse. Some lingered to chat with the bands, as it seemed the “fans” were more of a tight knit community who were already familiar with the artists. Others bid the Junction adieu, heading back to their daily lives away from the live music, with nothing but memories of an amazing afternoon, and high hopes of seeing these bands again soon.
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