I've only been to Handlebar in Kensington Market a few times. I wasn't put off by its grungy interior but rather the sense that most people were there to socialize and not to listen to the band. No doubt Handlebar was low on Luna Li's list of favourite venues.
I wasn't surprised that the volume of chatter grew during Emilie Mover's set. But I hadn't expected to hear my favourite singer ever again so it was still a treat for me. She was chill and relaxed, having just returned from visiting for the first time her uncle's eco-lodge in the Dominican Republic. Mover recommended a May vacation (also a first) away from Toronto because you leave when it's cold but you return to warmth. And you can also continue the tan you started on your trip.
She went through some old tunes (Be So Blind, Dorothy, Chove Chuva) and new/unreleased ones (New York City, Purpose). Thanks to gentle prodding from a friend in the audience, Mover gave a bit more background details to her songs. For example, 14C was inspired by the 6-months she lived at 14th and Avenue C in New York. With a new beau in her life, she played some positive love songs (as opposed to her usual disappointment with love).
Handlebar was packed by 10 p.m. with nary a mask in sight. But that wasn't the only reason I didn't stay for Curt James' set. I don't do late nights anymore. Which was also why I didn't go to Sate's return to the El Mocambo. Her set wouldn't even start until 11 pm. That was the official time so who knows when she would have actually gone on stage.
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