Critical Zero

The SoCal music scene is one that inspired Critical Zero. Seeing footage from the community and the crazy shows made us want to create this platform to share our scene in Toronto. One of the bands we’ve been fans of for a long time is Mexican Slum Rats. When we found out they were coming to Toronto, we knew we had to check out the show, and it was totally worth it. The venue of choice was the Horseshoe Tavern, an iconic staple in the Toronto music scene that has hosted some of the world’s biggest acts as well as up-and-coming artists - it is also a blast to photograph.

We made our way to the area a few hours before doors so we had time to explore the neighbourhood. The record shop Sonic Boom was our first stop. We browsed through their huge catalog of records, CDs, and music collectibles for a while until we got hungry and hit up our favourite dumpling spot, Juicy Dumpling. After stuffing ourselves with unbelievable amounts of dumplings, we went to Icha Tea down the street to warm up and prepare for the show.

We walked in right as Wedding were finishing their set, got settled, and got ready for the night to start.

Arenas shortly took the stage, and this was a band we had never seen before. They immediately caught the attention of the entire room and we were hooked. The indie rock Toronto band played a powerful set that at times reminded us of Weezer, but with their own unique flair. The guitars were powerful and had a nice atmosphere, the bass and drums held it down tight, and the vocals created the perfect formula. We will be checking out more of their music in the future.

Mexican Slum Rats were up next and we made our way to the front to get right into the action - so glad we did. They jumped right in and exploded into fast-paced indie surf punk that made us start dancing. They played some of our favourites, including Bad Girls Club, Away, and from their new album titled I Can’t Tell You But I Know It’s Mine, they performed Just Got Back, New Song, and more.

We don’t usually get to see bands with a saxophone player, but this was such a nice addition and added an entirely new layer to the show.

This performance had everything from jumps, instrumental melodies, slow parts, and everything in between. After the action-packed set, we snagged a setlist and bought a t-shirt. We are so thankful we got to see Mexican Slum Rats live after following them for years - we are now fans for life.

They are currently touring all over North America and have another show in Canada scheduled. We recommend seeing them and telling all your friends!