#Iwanttodrawyourband doubleteams the last Long Winter party of 2014

I am #Iwanttodrawyourband, and you can too!

now with 100% more cartoons! brought to you by my constant show companion, and super music fan! EHAB ARAFEH!

Here are some pictures Ehab and I drew last Friday night, at the latest installation of FUCKED UP’s Long Winter art and music party. The March show was the last of the all-ages shows being held by the community this year, and featured some of the best, most vibrant and LOUDEST!!! live music that the city has to offer (with performances by Pick A Piper, Greys, Fiver, Cancer Bats, Fucked Up and more), art installations and projects, late night karaoke, a gothic dance party, pancakes, and a strange piece of performance art? populated by hyper sexualized ghetto gladiators. These are just the things we personally observed. There was more than enough arts programming for a 2 night fest).

we came. we saw. we moshed.

This year was even bigger and brighter than the last for the music & arts community – who saw us through 5 months of the harshest winter Toronto has seen in over a decade (a formidable accomplishment considering the splash that the series made during their first year on the scene last winter). As well as the monthly shows at the Great Hall, Long Winter also co-hosted January’s 1st Thursday party at the AGO- as well as hosting a separate kid’s party as part of their program (which was rumoured to be actually, a pretty killer time). The year’s last Long Winter party featured a headlining performance by the band that gave birth to the series. FUCKED UP also closed the last show of the series last year, and hopefully this will become a yearly tradition. As well, a few special people who pre-purchased tickets online- were able to stay overnight as part of a special Sleep Over party. Ehab and I were pretty thrilled to get to camp out at the music nerd sleep away, and after you guys left- we stayed up late watching Ghostbusters in the conversation room, and watched but did not partake in some pretty serious blanketfort construction efforts. In the morning we woke up and were treated to a delicious breakfast of savoury pastries and coffee in the cafe, as well as an intimate solo performance by Simone Schmidt (which was the perfect amount of volume for a morning show, considering most of us were averaging 4 hours of sleep).

in the morning we awoke to the sun’s rays. we emerged into the streets to see that the snow had melted.

Cancer Bats said it best when they gave credit to Fucked Up for throwing a party where art nerds and fans of hardcore music could rock out together- and do so with such excellent behaviour, and without wrecking the art or being tempted to fight one another. (because warring between nightlife tribes is just silly). It truly is an inclusive and revolutionary kind of space that they create, where participation is part of the show- and in a lot of ways, where community and the love of all forms of art (from food to folk rock) is really at the centre of it all.

it almost makes you wish the winter wasn’t over. well… almost. til next year, stay classy LONG WINTER GANG.

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 EHAB Pick A Piper

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 EHAB Fiver Simone Schmidt

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 EHAB Cancer Bats

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 EHAB Damian

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 PICK A PIPER

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 FIVER

LONG WINTER MARCH 2014 CANCER BATS

LONG WINTER MAR 2014 FUCKED UP