The Hooligang drops bombs and bars in Toronto.
Joey Valence and Brae busted out their infectiously explosive energy and convivial chemistry at Toronto’s Hard Luck Bar on January 27th.
The Pennsylvanian-Pokémon-themed-bedroom-based hip-hop duo graced Toronto with their presence on their Punk Tactics album tour celebrating and promoting the release of their debut album, ‘Punk Tactics.’
I arrived at Hard Luck midway through SLOE JACK’s opening set running entirely off a Tim Hortons crispy chicken wrap and a double double dark roast after my silly little day job packing cookies and hating my day job.
SLOE JACK played some familiar throwback remixes to warm up the crowd, then led a “J-V-B,” chant before the two headlining men kicked off the show.
As the chants grew the space seemed to shrink as the audience pushed toward the stage-, propelling the anticipation to its limit. The pressure cooker of a crowd finally boiled over once the intro to “WATCH YO STEP,” began, serving up a dish of Joey Valence complimented by its signature side of Brae.
Rapping about being on top with Skechers and Crocs and sippin’ on kool-aid while listening to Wu-Tang, Joey and Brae won the crowd with their aggressively-electric sampladelic beats-, incorporating trap, funk, pop, hardcore, SpongeBob clips, punk and electronica with the occasional meme sprinkled in for those terminally-online fans.
The music was elevated by an endlessly-engaging performance designed to drench you in sweat-, most of it not your own. I didn’t even realize how hot I was until someone emptied a water bottle into the crowd and became my hero.
Joey and Brae made jumping up-and-down entertaining for the full hour and a half show through music and their sacred power over the audience. For “STARTAFIGHT,” they cleared the pit and made the crowd pile in on their mark. People caught in the air were moved around as if on a conveyor belt-, I swear when I leapt toward the centre I got moved a few feet forward then a few back before touching the ground.
The pit was next cleared for an audience talent show. Only two brave soldiers showed off their skills; to that valiant person in the Pikachu hat and the cartoon-cloud hoodie, I salute you.
The boys also got people to introduce themselves to the person next to them-, I couldn’t hear his name, but I hope the guy in the donut t-shirt who gave me the tip about cleaning foggy glasses, which I also didn’t hear, spreads the proper way to dap up.
For the final and most popular song, “PUNK TACTICS,” Joey and Brae got the crowd to kneel on the ground and spring up in unison once the opening beat climaxed.
The only things that put a shit-stain scent in the atmosphere were the crowd slowing down from moving so often and a larger-than-life security guard who kept wadding his way through the crowd for no reason most of the time.
With music so energetic and performers so charismatic, things always found their way back around either way. This is the simple difference between good and bad shows-, the ability for performers and the audience to connect beyond just being in the same room together. Joey Valence and Brae excel at this through their diverse musical catalogue and knowledge of what it means to have stage presence.
Valence stuck around after the show ended to sign stuff: wrists, airforces and a fan-drawn portrait. I myself stood sweaty and proud of the decision to get that coffee and wrap-, otherwise I would’ve been passed out on the floor covered in my own vomit from exhaustion.
Maybe I’ll be that lucky next time they’re in town.
This review is dedicated to the person shooting the show on their 3DS; shoot your shot guy, even if its in 480p
