DD/MM/YYYY Confuses, Delights NXNE Crowd

What do you get if you mix two parts At the Drive-In, one part Animal Collective and a liberal dusting of Frank Zappa? You get Toronto quintet DD/MM/YYYY.

The group has been building a strong fan base through endless touring, so much so that CBC and Sirius satellite radio featured them in their NXNE showcase at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on Saturday, broadcast live across Canada.

And DD/MM/YYYY didn't disappoint, showcasing a raw energy unmatched by most bands playing the festival. Their off-kilter tempo switches and seemingly disconnected melodic tangents were airtight from start to finish.

All band members played at least two different instruments during the set -- aside from left-handed bassist Mike Claxton, who was unable to share. At times, two of them played the same drum kit, forming counterrhythms that threatened to go off the rails, but always managed to stay on track. And all while sharing the stage with a swarm of red balloons.

The band insists on being difficult to understand, but aren't too obscure to enjoy. Their songs toed the line between disorienting and unpleasant, teasing the audience with an intriguing melody before returning to a free-jazz freakout or noise jam.

No doubt plenty of audience members were there to stake out a spot for headliner Jason Collett, but where DD/MM/YYYY might have confused them with their music, they certainly won them over with playful enthusiasm. As their set came to a sudden close, the band celebrated with a hearty "We did it!"