Advertisement

Concert reviews Music

The Elwins at the Hoxton

THE ELWINS at the Hoxton, Sunday, March 8. Rating: NNN


The Elwins employed all manner of tricks to keep everyone moving on the hazy dance floor at the Hoxton for the release of their sophomore effort, Play For Keeps, including unleashing massive amounts of bubbles and a stellar cover of Beyonce’s Countdown.

They came out swinging, with a guitar blast that slid into a user-friendly brand of catchy, treble-heavy jangle-pop that would buy the loyalty of an average frosh week participant. The hour-long set was rife with energy and handclaps, with lead singer Matthew Sweeney refusing to stop and catch his breath until the end of single So Down Low and the encore break. 

The Toronto band is seasoned and seem ready to take on bigger stages, though the set was a tad scripted. “We’re gonna keep playing some new ones if that’s okay with you guys,” said Sweeney to a chorus of cheers. “Sick. So convenient that worked out.”

Despite some growing pains, the Elwins are a sharp, well-oiled machine, and their new batch of tunes, though a bit similar-sounding, are all party-starters.

music@nowtoronto.com | @nowtoronto

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted