X Marks The Spot

On a rainy Monday night, I went to The Mod Club to see Allie X. Near the end of the show, she thanked her fans because though she "doesn't have a huge following, the ones that do are loyal". She was right. As the show approached, it was clear that there were still unsold tickets. So I was afraid it might be a sparse crowd tonight. But as the evening wore on, people keep trickling in until it was a near sold-out crowd by the time Allie took the stage.

The opener Ralph started with some love from the audience, too. This was the 2nd time I've heard this dance-pop trio headed by Raffaela Weyman. I liked their slower numbers like M.I.A. and Cereal more than the dance songs. There is a missing ingredient in the latter numbers that failed to make them pop (pun intend) and thrill you: bass a little too basic, beat too 4-on-the-floor, more sonic layers and touches needed.

Allie Hughes was happy to do a head-line show for her home-town. Since relocating to L.A., she has found more success as Allie X though is still considered as indie/underground and not mainstream. The full crowd was ecstatic to show her love with cheers, sing-alongs, and coordinated choreography. A large contingent of her fans was from the queer community, so the sartorial choices tonight was more adventurous and varied than a typical Toronto show. Hughes also had an eye-catching outfit, a short dress with an asymmetric train, bound by a tight leather corset. Her fans got a great performance with new songs from her latest release Super Sunset and classics like Bitch and Sanctuary (with a cameo from Weyman on Casanova).

It was a shame that the sound mix for her vocals was poor throughout the night, especially for the first 3rd of her set. I have heard her live since 2010, I know what a powerhouse singer she is. But the mix tonight made her seemed anemic live, as if she was dependent on studio help and backing tracks to sound big. Luckily, the audience experienced some of that power near the end.