When you plan to go see a concert you probably follow the usual formula of buying your tickets in advance online, looking up the venue the same day of the event, and pulling up early to save your spot in line. Traxide, however, is not this kind of venue. 

“It's so cruel what your mind can do,” a deep-cut lyric sung by R&B and Soul singer Arlo Parks, has been one of many phrases from the artists’ discography that has vastly resonated with Gen Z’s complex lives. In pure honesty and comfort, Park’s music crafts hardships and catastrophe in a mosaic of connection to one’s body and mind, emphasizing a message of collectivity, originality and self-empowerment.

Whether it was pure luck or by the grace of the Spotify algorithm, my introduction to Babe Corner settled this appetite I not only had for new music, but also helped alleviate this growing homesickness I was beginning to experience towards the local bands and music venues I used to frequent back in Montreal and Toronto. While I embraced the chance to explore the many iconic music venues throughout London (UK) and saw as many artists as I possibly could during my year abroad, I nonetheless found myself missing this integral pastime that found itself at the epicenter of my friendships  back in Canada of discovering new music, especially local bands.

The Under The Radar film event takes place from March 29th until April 1st, 2024, and highlights queer BIPOC stories that often get marginalized and underrepresented through film and other multidisciplinary works of art. This hybrid event features voices that speak out against the persecution of LGBTQ+ rights. The goal of the series is to highlight the stories and also support the artists by offering subscriptions to the collection of videos that will go towards 75 SHOTS Pocket Cinema, a non-profit organization dedicated to shutting down hatred and persecution through the power of cinema.

When I heard Loving, a small Canadian band from Victoria, British Columbia, was playing Montréal's iconic Foufounes Électrique, located in the heart of the Montréal nightlife district on Ste Catherine Est, I knew I had to grab tickets. Loving’s music has been a staple in my playlists for years, with quaint, lullaby-esque melodies by producer and multi-instrumentalist, David Parry, and ever-comforting and relatable lyrics by brothers, Lucas and Jesse Henderson. Their radiantly nostalgic sound is like a taste of home, and as their name suggests, you can practically hear the love emanating from the heart of the band.