It had been over a year since I last saw OTM alum Young Empires perform (and last time was pretty epic: they opened up for one of my favourite dance music acts Chromeo, where they took me backstage and put me face-to-face with the love of my live, lead singer Dave Macklovitch), so I was excited to see how they’d grown as a band. Needless to say, the four well-dressed guys didn’t disappoint.

The modestly packed room at The Great Hall on Queen Street West was buzzing with fashionable kids holding PBRs and Mill Street Organics as anticipation mounted for a group everyone knew was bound to impress. The band took to the stage around 11:30 p.m. and immediately demanded audience attention. With their catchy beats, get-stuck-in-your-head choruses, and juicy melodies, it’s no wonder Young Empires got signed to Pirates Blend and have received praise from the likes of Dazed & Confused and Interview magazines, as well as MuchMusic, CBC Radio 3, and 102.1 the Edge.

Playing songs from their new album, Wake All My Youth, the band proved why they deserve to be one of Toronto’s most promising up-and-coming musical acts—and we at OTM aren’t’ the only ones who think so. The room was filled with notable people, including past OTM features Jesse Giddings (plus Liz Trinnear) of MuchMusic, Braden Rosner and Aislinn Malszecki of the website Songs and Cigarettes, and rock band Bravestation (whose members rocked out to YE songs harder than anyone else in the room).

All in all it was a great night filled with friends old and new, good laughs (fun fact: S&C founder Braden has a broken finger), and great music. There’s a reason we use this blog to keep up on past OTM features: It’s a way for us to connect with whom we’ve met and also connect these people to each other, furthering the conversation and community surrounding Toronto’s best new talent.

Photos by Tara Bartolini