ZEDS DEAD at the Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth), Friday and Saturday (December 18 and 19), doors 8 pm. $25 and official after-party with Pusher and Damn Kids at the Hoxton (69 Bathurst), Friday (December 18), doors 10 pm. $35. ticketweb.ca.
Zeds Dead don’t regularly play hometown shows these days, so it’s easy to overlook just how popular they’ve become. Then you notice that the Toronto electronic music production/DJ duo are headlining a two-night stand at the Danforth Music Hall as part of an “intimate small venue” tour. Though most local musicians (excluding Justin Bieber) would have a hard time selling out one night at the cavernous concert hall, it’s still smaller than the massive EDM festival stages they typically play.
“We felt like it would be cool to go down a different path and do what we used to do a lot more: playing more intimate venues,” says Zach “Hooks” Rapp-Rovan from his new home in Los Angeles. “We’re at the level now where we can do two nights at these kinds of places and really switch up the vibe from our regular shows. We’re playing two hours or longer every night, and that intimate vibe lets us feel free to go all over the place compared to an hour-long festival set.”
Their Toronto holiday gigs have become a tradition for the pair, a treasured opportunity to reconnect with friends and their original fan base. This year’s shows support addiction treatment charities Recovery Unplugged Treatment Centre and the Face the Music Foundation, a cause some dance music acts might be reluctant to align themselves with considering the media frenzy around drug use in EDM culture.
“I honestly wasn’t even thinking about that connection,” admits Dylan “DC” Mamid. “It’s a real part of any scene, musical or not. It spans across everything and it’s a real problem that deserves attention. There are a lot of charities we could match up with, but we know people who have struggled with addiction – and mental problems because of it – so it felt appropriate.”
“There’s been such a spotlight on electronic music recently that everything that comes with it has come under scrutiny as well,” adds Rapp-Rovan. “I’m sure back in the day all the problems with drugs in rock ’n’ roll came under a microscope as well.”
benjaminb@nowtoronto.com | @benjaminboles
