Toronto’s favorite festival has finally arrived, and although life seems to have gotten in the way of some of our fun, we were thankful to catch some stellar day sets around the city today. Dave Borins performed at Lavish and Squalor on Queen, where the exposed brick and rustic decor added to the intimate vibe and music. Free beer was flowing thanks to Heineken, and Borins and his band serenaded the audience with favorites like “Fashion Poster” and “Time to Let the Love Back In” as well as an excellent rendition of Paul Simon’s “Graceland”. Dave will be playing again at 1AM on Saturday at the Central with his full band, a show that is not to be missed. Borins will also be providing our readers with his opinions and favorites from NXNE…consider it a sneak peak from an inside source.  Stay tuned!

Next we arrived at Trinity Bellwoods Park to relax in the sun with our Aussie friends Husky. Last time they were in Toronto was for CMW, and we were happy to welcome them back in the warmer months. We were excited to hear them play “The Woods” and other songs we love off their album Forever So, as well as a very special cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Lover Lover Lover”. The intimate and relaxing park was the perfect venue for these folk-rockers, and we are confident that their stint at the Great Hall on Thursday evening was a smashing success.