CMW 2013: Eleven Past One

Canadian Music Week is somewhat of a staple in Toronto and Canadian culture, and over the years has produced some big names in the music industry and attracted the best of the best in the business. Whether you're a musician, a mogul, or a student training to become one, the conferences and key notes held information that was vital and - because no other words can replace it - informative. 

CMW for a writer is a lot like that of everyone else: hectic, disorganized and exhausting. This year was my first after taking 2012 off, and I'd forgotten just how crazy it could actually get. With venues scattering Toronto, cab rides, subway trips and walking was a commonality when getting to any and all venues. It was sometimes hard to keep track of where and when you had to be there in order not to miss sets.

This year I toned down who I saw strictly because I was transporting myself to and from Mississauga via public transit and that in itself was an adventure. Thursday, March 21, was the first of three days of great music that feasted my ears.

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The first act of the evening was held at The Rivoli, a tiny restaurant/pool hall/music venue, tucked into the uniqueness of Queen Street West. Coming in just before the set of Eleven Past One, my partners-in-crime for the evening caught the tail end of Stef Lang's set for The Feldmen Agency showcase. It was literally one and a half of a song but her energy and passion for music was noticeable. I thoroughly enjoyed her use of the  

drum. She has an indie-pop sound that kind of reminded me of Lights. Obviously they sounded differently but if I were to put her in a category, it'd be the same one as Lights.

Eleven Past One has been on my my radar for quite some time now. I'm not entirely sure how it came about but eventually we were in contact via Facebook and it went forth from there. They were always making music and having fun but one day I heard they were Chum FM's Artist of the Month and they blew up on the radio. Their song "The World is Ours" is catchy, fun to dance to and easy to memorize. So when I heard they were playing CMW, I knew I had to check them out in person.

I can't place ages on these boys because I'm not entirely sure how old they all are, but what I do know is that they're young. Since their conception since 2007, these guys have been working mercilessly to get their foot in the door and get noticed. While somewhat unknown to the majority of the population, their devoted fans, aka "Timebombs", were out in full-force at both shows I attended during CMW.  

Singing songs like "Fate Love", " Tonight's the Night" (their soon to be released new single), and of course

 

"The World is Ours", they had the crowd dancing and singing along. Personally, I believe when lead singer Daniel belted out "Fate Love" while playing the keys,  I truly became a fan. Eleven Past One may be categorized as "just another pop band" but this song made me believe otherwise. Daniel put so much passion into the song you could almost feel it. His vocals were on par and practically spotless (to my untrained ears) and I couldn't help but be enthralled. They're most definitely made for bigger things and I look forward to hearing their album when it gets released.