Music/Festivals

North by Northeast (NXNE) continues its full-on return to the clubs, presenting close to 300 acts in 22 venues from June 13 through 18. The best deal is a full-festival wristband for only $25, allowing admission to every show and over 60 showcases for about the price of a big beer at Scotiabank Arena.

The festival has expanded its strategic showcase partnerships to include The State of Tennessee, the Government of France, the cities of Memphis, Brampton and Kitchener, as well as Manifesto, Humber College, Universal Music and Pop Montreal, among others.

There’s an NXNE HQ — NXHQ if you will — setting up in the It’s Ok space at 468 Queen St. W.(at Queen and Augusta), which will serve as a hang-out and meeting place for visiting musicians. It’s also a venue at night with some of NXNE’s best showcases. Indie 88 will be broadcasting from the HQ throughout the festival.

In addition to presenting a City of Memphis showcase Saturday night at NXHQ, the State of Tennessee is hosting free outdoor shows Thursday through Sunday in Liberty Village at the Little Tennessee NXNE stage, just south of Lamport Stadium. There will be featuring country and R&B acts from the state as well as BBQ, crazy Tennessee treats like Moon Pies and good ole Southern bourbon.

The festival kicks off Tuesday night, June 13, at the Bovine with most clubs starting programming on Wednesday, June 14. Tennessee is also hosting a free launch party at the Drake that night with priority admission for NXNE pass holders. The launch party will feature free food and Tennessee bands on every floor of the Drake, from the Underground to the Sky Lounge rooftop patio. All NXNE showcases begin at 8 pm — except the Bovine (too early for them). The last sets begin at midnight except — you guessed it —the Bovine, whose last sets start at 2 am.

All sets are strictly 40 minutes, with 20-minute change-overs so that all shows start on the hour. NXNE strictly adheres to its schedule to encourage club-hopping.

Here’re some other tips for navigating Canada’s biggest club crawl. 10 NXNE acts you can’t miss.