Sorry for this review being late.
I pulled an all nighter from Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.
Paper Bag Records wrapped up its 10th anniversary celebrations in the Canadian music scene with the final night of three shows at The Great Hall.
In my opinion, this was the lineup I was most excited about for Paper Bag Records’ 10th Anniversary party.
The night leaned heavily into pop, dance, and electronic-flavoured music, making it a perfect way to close out the celebrations.
The night kicked off with recent Paper Bag signee The Luyas.
I hadn’t seen them since the previous year, and it was clear the band had gone through some changes.
Original drummer Stefan Schneider has since departed, with Bucky Wheaton stepping in behind the kit.
It was also great to see Sarah Neufeld joining them onstage, especially with Arcade Fire not touring at the moment.
The band focused mostly on new material from their upcoming album Animator, opening with the epic, dreamy orchestral-pop track “Montuno,” which — in my opinion — is one of the album’s strongest songs.
Their entire set was beautifully executed, and honestly, Paper Bag really lucked out with this signing.
Up next was Young Galaxy.
Having just seen them the week before in a more intimate setting at Pop Montreal, I couldn’t pass up the chance to see them again.
Given that it was Paper Bag’s birthday celebration, the band leaned heavily into material from Shapeshifting (my personal favorite album of theirs). I danced through most of the set, and when they played “Cover Your Tracks,” it sealed the deal — that song still demands a full-on summer dance groove, especially live.
The third band of the night marked a very special return: You Say Party!.
After being absent for two years, their appearance felt perfectly timed for Paper Bag’s 10th anniversary. The moment they walked onstage, emotions were running high.
Gone were the wild punk-dance vibes of the past, replaced by a darker, more mellow synth-electro pop sound.
The band offered a reimagined version of “Dark Days,” performed mostly new material, and included a cover from the Paper Bag David Bowie compilation. Adding to the emotion of the night, Becky was visibly seven months pregnant — making the performance even more remarkable. When the crowd loudly protested as the band’s set time was nearing its end, it said everything.
I was genuinely trying not to get emotional and cry. An absolutely incredible set.
Closing out the night — and the entire three-day celebration — was Austra.
As expected, they did not disappoint. When they launched into “Lose It,” I completely lost it myself and jumped straight into the crowd to dance.
The energy in the room was wild — Torontonians clearly love Austra. I didn’t stay for their entire set, as I headed out to check out Scotiabank Nuit Blanche, but what I caught was more than enough to end the night on a high note.
Overall, these three nights celebrating Paper Bag Records as one of Canada’s most important independent music labels were an absolute joy to attend. In today’s music industry, reaching a milestone like this is no small feat. Seeing so many people show up to support what they do was truly inspiring.
Here’s to many more successful years ahead.
