New additions to NXNE lineup adds hype for 2014 Festival

by Chris Dowbiggin

The second wave of artists to take the stage at this year’s North By Northeast festival in Toronto was announced on Tuesday. 

The list includes prominent indie acts such as Spoon, Sleigh Bells and Spiritualized, among a long list of others that will perform at the week-long music and arts festival from June 13-22.

The first version of the lineup was announced in December, and features a diverse collective of bands and artists including rappers Danny Brown and Juicy J, experimental act St. Vincent and the antics of Montreal rocker Mac Demarco.

With the additions made on Tuesday, the list of performers currently stands at a whopping 156 acts, with more names expected to be released over the coming months. 

Amongst the big names, a some peculiar small acts will be looking to make an impact at the festival. Macauley Culkin’s pizza-themed Velvet Underground cover band The Pizza Underground are an interesting combination of satire and lo-fi basement jam session attitude. 

North by Northeast festival was planned in 1994 to compliment South by Southwest festival, which takes place yearly in Austin, Texas. 

“Starting a festival was not necessarily what I intended to do when we got together in 1995,” said co-founder Michael Hollett in an interview with Aux music television in 2012.

“But for me and my colleagues, history has shown one thing that distinguishes NXNE from other festivals that have been around is that we’re very much about the music. The live music component is the defining thing.” 

The festival temporarily envelops the local music scene of Toronto. Every bar and club fills beyond capacity to see band after band after band play terrific sets. The music aspect of the festival always sets a high standard for itself, but it appears to have met it with both announcements thus far. 

NXNE takes pride in making an interactive experience for those attending. A plethora of art workshops, speaker seminars, a mini film festival and even comedy performances make up the blueprint for one of Canada’s biggest celebrations in music and arts. 

This year NXNE is celebrating its 20th birthday. No better way to celebrate than all week long in the early summer urban environment of downtown Toronto.