Critical Zero

Critical Zero Night #4 HAPPENED! Wow!  

First of all, we want to say thank you to our team, the bands, the venue, and especially to everyone who came out and made this night happen. We are so thankful to have such a great community; you drive us to continue throwing events and doing critical zero. 

Now let's get to it. 

We’re always looking for the next venue to throw our event; we’ve done traditional venues, house shows, and now an underground DIY basement party. We were first referred to the bunker by Nova’s Junction Revue, for whom we were asking for a spot that would let us do an all-ages show and also provide a safe space for all attendees. They recommend The Bunker. 

We were immediately caught by the fact that it's a basement venue in Toronto; there aren’t many of those around! We contacted the venue, and they invited us to come out and see a comedy show. We’ve never been to one, so we went for it, and it was incredible! We met the team and decided that we would have our next Critical Zero night at The Bunker. 

That night, we laid out warning zombies up and down Dundas and handed out flyers dressed to match the aesthetic of the show. The venue absolutely nailed it; the wholesome decor of the bunker was replaced with hanging limbs and mosh pads around the polls, and the sound of the room was warm with reverb. Upstairs was a kitchen with a dog and free water provided by us and the venue. This is an all-ages show, by the way. We had The vendors had their tables set up; we had vintage punk, goth, and alt clothes for sale on a rack from Clueless Brand and apocolytic and proune stickers from Pyromanica. 

  
Going down the stairs into the basement, you could hear the rich and magmetic sound of Beach Fox They played two of their latest releases, "I Miss Us" and "Lean Back Too". It was incredible to hear them play live; it sounded as tight as the recording, if not better. It was exciting to hear much of their new material, and honestly, it makes us want to see them again. Not only do they have a tight performance with an excellent balance of sound, but they could easily hype up the crowd and get people excited to dance. I hear many influences from the Arctic Monkeys in Zack's vocals; seeing them live is a whole other experience. It was an amazing way to begin the night, especially when they banged out Surf Curse. 

Smoking in Bed was up next, and they brought their A-game. We just recently found them playing at Dakota Tavern. The lead guitarist ended up winning the prize for best dressed. These guys have an incredible performance connection with one another. The lead singer, Tina, killed it, switching between guitar and tambourine while throwing in a Hole cover and walking in and interacting with crowd. 

They ended with their new single, which I love, and I am pumped to hear them release it. It has a total riot girl sound—poppy and upbeat but mosh-worthy. Much appreciation to Smoking In Bed for bringing some extra decor to help the vibe. We do not do the event to make money, but to get people together and hear some of our favorite Canadian bands. So any help is appreciated. 

Black Budget is up next after the final break, which included their new bassist, Sean Kitson. The dynamic of three is able to build the crowd into a moshing frenzy. They opened with "Stuck in the Desert" and built the crowd up until we had people hanging from ceilings. They played school, having the crowd sit down on the ground and explode on Pedro's command. His vocals screamed through the bright, monsterous sound of his vox, Sean's dirty bass tones rattled the room, and the set ended with Jack the machine stabbing his drum kit with his sticks from pure adrenaline. 

Massive love was felt within the room that night, and this is what Critical Zero is all about, and it reminds us why we do this. We appreciate every one of you who came out to help make this special and our team and venue helping to put this together. 

Until Next time!