North by Northeast
Encyclopedia
North by Northeast is an annual five-day live music and film festival and music conference in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
, held each June.
It began in 1994 and was patterned on the South by Southwest
festival in Austin, Texas
. Each year, over 50 music venues host hundreds of bands from Canada
, the United States
and all over the world. Most music venues hosts five bands a night (9 p.m. onward), and the majority of the venues are grouped along downtown Toronto's Queen Street West
, College Street
, and the Bloor St. Annex
.
The music conference at NXNE runs for three days at the Hyatt Regency on King (formerly the Holiday Inn) Hotel which serves as festival headquarters. NXNE delegates, panelists and bands playing the festival are able to participate in discussions, songwriter round tables, keynotes, demo listening and peer critiquing, legal clinics and the very helpful peer mentor sessions. The NXNE conference panels are held Friday and Saturday, and aim to foster a professional environment where musicians, artists and music industry reps can network and share ideas within their field.
A film festival
was added in 2001 to run concurrently with the weekend music festival and industry conference, in conjunction with the National Film Board of Canada
. Films are primarily music related documentaries and videos. NXNE also has a film showcase at the popular Hot Docs
Film Festival. The conference also hosted the world premiere of Bruce McDonald's Broken Social Scene
concert film, This Movie Is Broken
, in 2010.
North by Northeast is a volunteer driven music festival. The dedication and enthusiasm of NXNE volunteers caught the eye of Andrew Loog Oldham
(the 2002 keynote speaker), who remarked that NXNE volunteers reminded him of why he originally entered the music business.
Now Magazine
is a major sponsor, and its owners hold an ownership interest in the festival.
Sketchy is the unofficial mascot of NXNE (since 2005).
attracts over 2,300 delegates for celebrity interviews and music-business panels. Past guests include Stewart Copeland
, The Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten, Steve Earle
, Bruce Cockburn
, Peaches
, Patti Smith
, Thomas Dolby
and The Rolling Stones
' Andrew Loog Oldham
.
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, held each June.
It began in 1994 and was patterned on the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
. Each year, over 50 music venues host hundreds of bands from Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and all over the world. Most music venues hosts five bands a night (9 p.m. onward), and the majority of the venues are grouped along downtown Toronto's Queen Street West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
, College Street
College Street (Toronto)
College Street is a principal arterial thoroughfare in downtown Toronto, connecting former streetcar suburbs in the west with the city centre. The street is home to an ethnically diverse population in the western residential reaches, and institutions like the Ontario Legislature and the University...
, and the Bloor St. Annex
The Annex
The Annex is a neighbourhood in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The traditional boundaries of the neighbourhood are north to Dupont Street, south to Bloor Street, west to Bathurst Street and east to Avenue Road...
.
The music conference at NXNE runs for three days at the Hyatt Regency on King (formerly the Holiday Inn) Hotel which serves as festival headquarters. NXNE delegates, panelists and bands playing the festival are able to participate in discussions, songwriter round tables, keynotes, demo listening and peer critiquing, legal clinics and the very helpful peer mentor sessions. The NXNE conference panels are held Friday and Saturday, and aim to foster a professional environment where musicians, artists and music industry reps can network and share ideas within their field.
A film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
was added in 2001 to run concurrently with the weekend music festival and industry conference, in conjunction with the National Film Board of Canada
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada is Canada's twelve-time Academy Award-winning public film producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary, animation, alternative drama and digital media productions...
. Films are primarily music related documentaries and videos. NXNE also has a film showcase at the popular Hot Docs
Hot Docs
Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival is North America's largest documentary film festival, conference, and market, held annually in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
Film Festival. The conference also hosted the world premiere of Bruce McDonald's Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
concert film, This Movie Is Broken
This Movie Is Broken
This Movie Is Broken is a film by Canadian director Bruce McDonald, released in 2010. A cross between a romantic comedy and a concert film, the film stars Greg Calderone as Bruno, a young man hoping to convince his longtime crush Caroline to become his girlfriend by taking her to a Broken Social...
, in 2010.
North by Northeast is a volunteer driven music festival. The dedication and enthusiasm of NXNE volunteers caught the eye of Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham is an English producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963, and was noted for his flamboyant style.-Biography:...
(the 2002 keynote speaker), who remarked that NXNE volunteers reminded him of why he originally entered the music business.
Now Magazine
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
is a major sponsor, and its owners hold an ownership interest in the festival.
Sketchy is the unofficial mascot of NXNE (since 2005).
Conference
The NXNE ConferenceMeeting
In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....
attracts over 2,300 delegates for celebrity interviews and music-business panels. Past guests include Stewart Copeland
Stewart Copeland
Stewart Armstrong Copeland is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks...
, The Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten, Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
, Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, Peaches
Peaches (musician)
Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
, Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
, Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
and The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham
Andrew Loog Oldham is an English producer, talent manager, impresario and author. He was manager and producer of The Rolling Stones from 1963, and was noted for his flamboyant style.-Biography:...
.