Free To Play

With NXNE and Luminato overlapping, Toronto has a glut of arts and music this week. Since both festival also offer free shows, it doesn't have to be a big hit in the pocket-book. I decided to see if I could enjoy all the fun without spending any money this week-end. But instead of going to see The National at Yonge-Dundas Square Friday night, I wanted to catch some home-grown talent at David Pecaut Square.

A  gigantic inflated disco ball hung over the Luminato crowd, who tends to be more toward the sedated portable lawn chair type. But more excitable youngsters can be found near the front for tonight's double bill. k-os has been on the Canadian hip-hop scene for a while. So he has a large and varied repertoire of songs: from straight-up hip-hop, to more fusion with 40s jazz, rock, pop, and even some NIN-esque industrial. Backed by a full band and a turn-tablist, k-os roamed the stage, sometimes accompanied by an infectious b-boy. With tunes like Crabbuckit, Man I Used To Be, and Sunday Morning, there were plenty of hits for casual fans. Though because of some wannabe wits who kept yelling out "Natalie Portman" after every song, he didn't bother with that number.

An interminable wait follows. It's amazing that a full set of stage-hands with head-sets, and instruments pre-installed on wheeled pallets still take longer to set-up than bands doing their own equipment in small venues. Finally Serena Ryder bounded up on stage. She would exhibit this energy throughout her set. Her fans are also more dedicated, with several knowing the words to every song. With a 3-piece band including Hill Kourkotis (of Hill and the Sky Heroes), she concentrated mostly on songs from her new album Harmony including Call Me, Baby Come Back, Heavy Love, and Mary Go Round. But there were older numbers such as Weak In The Knees and All For Love. In every city, a lucky fan can harmonize with her on Please Baby Please as a "Sing With Serena" online submission. Tonight, it was a rather intense older singer named Amy. Ryder has a broad range of voices from jazzy torch to balladry pop to attitude rock, although unfortunately there was some nasally late-80s Alanis Morissette dance pop too. She has an ear for catchy hooks and choruses, ending the night with Circle Of The Sun and her big hit Stompa, which may finally propel her 10-year career into the stratosphere.