For a party that I was very close to not going to, yesterday turned out extremely well. From what I had heard about Hector, I was expecting an average night with a run of the mill tribal DJ. What I got was a very well programmed progressive set with a tribal edge, vocals, and trancier tracks sprinkled through out the set.

This was only my second time at the new Next Level Sunday party. I enjoyed myself the first time, but didn't think it was anything too special. Last night on the other hand was amazing! Jonny White started off the day with what I consider to be the best music to hear on a Sunday afternoon: slow bpm minimal and tech house. I really wish Jonny had at least one headlining night on Next Level this summer.

Hector came on, and after a few tracks to warm us up, he started laying it on us thick. The crowd ate it right up. The vibe in that room was incredible! As 11pm approached, and the dissapointment of the end of a great night was settling in, Carey got on the mic and told everyone to head straight to Paeez, where Hector would continue to play. More on the Paeez party later...

As someone who went to The Docks a lot last summer, when I heard that they were moving the party from the patio to Next Level, I was extremely skeptical. In some ways, the first time I went to Next Level this summer, my skepticism was proven to be warranted. After yesterday, I realize that I much prefer the party to be at Next Level for the main reason that the party is more focused. It's not just a bunch of sketchbags sprawled out on a patio with faint music you can't even hear in the background. In a perfect world, if we were allowed to play loud music on the bigger patio, it would obviously be the better venue, but this is just not possible.

One thing that I really like about the party being on Next Level, is how the party went from a more laid back, socializing vibe in the beginning, and as the sun started going down, it progressed into full on party madness. This is something that the bigger patio downstairs never had.

Hector playing at Paeez was what really made this weekend something special. It's very rare that an offshoot event like this happens, and when it does, they are usually very good. This was no different. The night started off with Jonny White playing more of a minimal set than he did at The Docks. There was one song that he played at both venues that sounded very Circoloco-esque, and it had a long winded horn sound. Does anyone know what this track is called?

Hector laid down a deeper, trippier set that had the place moving until 4am. Hector in a more intimate setting was much better. Every so often, he would just start screaming louder and going crazier than anyone in the whole club, making the place explode. He was so entertaining to watch.

At the end of the night, the owner told Hector to play 2 more tracks and that's it. Hector thanked the owner, and agreed. 4 tracks later, the owner comes up again and tells him that this was his last track. He apologized, and agreed again. 2 tracks later, the owner comes up AGAIN and tells him to shut it off. He finally let the track play out until the end, and let the night come to a close. Fuckin' hilarious. What a guy.

Tied with Canada Day weekend as the best weekend of the summer in Toronto for sure.