Review: ROM Friday Night Live: #FNLROM, November 25: Afterglow

The Royal Ontario Museum’s (ROM) Friday Night Live (#FNLROM) series, presented by Ford of Canada, delivers Toronto’s best Friday night destination with the hottest DJs, live performances, food and drink, and an opportunity to experience the Museum like never before. On Friday, November 25, 2016, bring season 10 of #FNLROM to a climax, and enjoy complementary access to the ROM’s spectacular CHIHULY exhibition.

Northside Hip Hop Archive celebrates its first honorary fellows, Toronto’s DJ Ron Nelson, and Hamilton’s Eklipz with special guest, the godfather of hip-hop, from the Bronx, New York, the legendary DJ Kool Herc. Northside DJs also spinning for this incredible night include Toronto’s very own DJ DTS, DJ Romeo and DJ Grumps.

Live Performances

Twin Rains

A Canadian dream pop group from Toronto/Vancouver. The band consists of locals Jay Merrow and Christine Stoesser, whose sound transforms the spaces they play – from thumping dance beats to synth drenched waltzes – pairing soft, ethereal vocals with atmospheric grooves.

Amanda Martinez

A Toronto-based singer/songwriter whose music exultingly blends her unique Mexican and South African roots with flamenco soul.

Other Performances: University of Toronto Faculty of Music featuring – U of T Jazz Stars

DJs: DJ Conor Cutz and DJ Sean Caff

ROM Gallery Activities

Destination – Mars: CBC’s The Nature of Things wants you to explore DESTINATION: MARS. Take a picture with your friends, complete with space inspired props and a chance to touch Mars. Learn more about the race to get humans to Mars, which today is a planet populated only by robots!

#FNLROM Tickets: $5 for ROM Members, $15 for Adults, and $13 for Students. New this season, get 20% off #FNLROM admission for groups of 20 or more! For details, email groupsales@rom.on.ca. #FNLROM is a specially ticketed event for adults 19+.

Social Media

Like: ROM Facebook

Tweet: @ROMToronto

Instagram: romtoronto

Watch: ROM YouTube

Blog: ROMblog

Join the Conversation: #FNLROM

Review:

The last night of #FNLROM for 2016 was bound to be epic.  With a line up of guests that stretched past Museum Station at 7 p.m. – we knew that tonight was going to be special.

We were ready to be slayed by the likes of the Godfather of Hip Hop – DJ Kool Herc and the epic DJ Ron Nelson, but who was the mystery guest we wondered?  Dancing shoes were on, cute outfits in check and hair styled.  Work!

As we grabbed our drink and food tickets from Level One we made sure to sip a quick cocktail and then say a hello to the Chihuly exhibit which will close in 2017.  If you have yet to see his work, Dale Chihuly is a pioneer of the studio glass movement and considered to be one o the world’s foremost artists working in glass today. His ornate flowers, chandeliers and scene scapes is worth the price of ROM admission and some.

After our rendezvous with Chihuly we made our way to Level Three and grabbed a gorgeous Double from Young Animal in the Eaton Court and sipped our delish Perroni pints.  We shared a giggle or two and shimmied away to the U of T Faculty of Music house jazz crew.

Making our way to Level Two we swooned over Twin Rains the dream pop group who pairs ethereal vocals with atmospheric grooves in Bronfman Hall and then grabbed some Palabok from Tita Flips in the Biodiversity exhibit space.  Her Filipino street food never disappoints.

A hot tip, the bars on the higher floors especially in Earth’s Treasures tend to be quiet.  Grab your drinks there to get back to the party with your friends faster.

The mystery guest was the first lady of Canadian Hip Hop, Dancehall and Reggae – Michie Mee!  She kept things fresh by introducing DJ Kool Herc and reminding us that her appearance was not all abut nostalgia.  She has new music coming out soon she reassured the crowd.  Like DJ Kool Herc, Michie Mee was personable, took many a photo with her fans and was keen to remind us with her amazing smile why we continue to jump to ‘Jamaican Funk’.

By 9:30 p.m. we were ready for DJ Kool Herc.  Drinks in hand, he gave it to us hard by puling some Rob Base from his record crate and Digital Underground to get the crowd moving.  Some B-boys took the floor immediately and kept the crowd intrigued of what was to come next.  DJ Kool Herc a true pioneer of the Rap movement coming out of the Bronx gave us a memorable night – brimming with dance off’s, laughter and epic tunes we had long forgotten.  The crowd was a wonderful mix of young and old.  Everyone came together and truly contributed to a wonderful night.

DJ Ron Nelson was also in fine form by bringing his special brand of spinning that was just as tight as when we would see him in our university days.  In the early 1980s, Toronto hip-hop was in its infancy, but it took the drive of Ron Nelson, who not only volunteered on the airwaves to introduce rap music to the city via the Fantastic Voyage show on CKLN, but also as a promoter, bringing several acts from New York to Toronto.

The laughter, singing and dancing was the most epic way to end 2016 with friends at FNLROM at the Royal Ontario Museum.  What better indication that a great night was had, that when my friends and I left for the evening we had noticed we had lost our voices and felt our whole body was given a proper work out.  Epic!  Till 2017!