Photography, good music, attending shows, and getting the community together are some of our favourite things to do in the city - when we blend them all together and make it happen, we call that a Critical Zero night!

We hadn't had a Critical Zero night since April 9th, when we did our benefit show in support of the NIJC at Houndstooth. We only do one or two of these nights a year, so when they happen they're very special and curated with music we love. For this night, we chose Handlebar in Kensington Market, one of our favourite venues and bars in the city. It has some of the best sound around and incredible atmosphere. The lighting always sets the vibe, there's a great selection of drinks at the bar, and there's delicious food nearby. Doors opened at 8:30 sharp, and we started seeing all the familiar faces from previous Critical Zero shows and from the scene, as well as many new friends. The energy was right, the astronaut starry night projector was shining, and it was time for the music.

The first artist of the night was Jacqueline Tucci, whom we've seen perform at this exact venue before. Jacqueline's sound is what we'd describe as shoegaze indie with some beautiful tones. We love dynamics in music, and Jacqueline Tucci has them dialed in - it's wonderful to see live. Her performance left breathing room and filled the space at just the right moments, which is something we rarely see in live music. Jacqueline's set was the perfect start to an amazing night.

Up next were our longtime friends, Untimely Dosage. These guys rip! Psychedelic punk at its finest. Their entire set felt like a journey, with a driving atmosphere throughout. The bass and drums were fully locked in and never let up, with synths and guitars adding the lead layer. The band even had special guests: Jordan on guitar (happy birthday!) and Ethan from Big Milk on tambourine. This was a set we could watch 100 more times and not get bored. What a sick band.

The last band of the night was Black Budget. They played a high-intensity set with almost no breaks between songs, including a ton of unreleased material and covers. One of our favourite highlights was the ending, when Creag and Pedro went down on the floor and started moshing and hitting each other while playing the last few notes. Their entire set had that same intensity. The lights were flashing, the crowd was dancing, and after about 50 minutes of nonstop desert punk, the night was over.

We want to thank everyone for coming out to this Critical Zero night - we met so many new people and had an amazing time. Big shout-out to Zac and Dan from Handlebar, all of the staff and security, and the bands. You're all amazing, and we can't wait to do it again!