Recording: LAL

Artist: LAL

Song: Find Safety

Recorded at BIG on Bloor Festival – St. Clarens Stage, July 23, 2016.

LAL - Find Safety

Shutting down Bloor from Dufferin to Lansdowne, BIG on Bloor landed in the midst of a heatwave that made an afternoon tour down the middle of the street feel like a field trip to the surface of the sun. Things were more tolerable under the leafy trees at St. Clarens, where one of the day's stages was quite excellently curated by Justin from Holy Oak. Hewing towards funky and r'n'b sounds, this felt like a mini-block party within the larger event. Local resident Rose Kazi looked right at home here, talking about the changes in the neighbourhood she's witnessed over the years and musing on how the city can change without allowing the turmoil of gentrification to push away long-established communities. Alongside laptopist Nick Murray, the set focused on tunes from their superb Find Safety, the album's textures rendered more as simmering bangers in a live setting — heatwave solidarity jams where the drawing-together dance vibes create a feeling of community.