Event Recap: Parade and Picnic

On Friday, September 10 about 1000 students marched down Yonge Street and ferried over to Toronto Island to indulge in a free afternoon of live entertainment and barbecued meats (and pseudo meats for the vegetarians). T’was the afternoon of Ryerson’s 50th Annual Parade and Picnic. Yours truly was there to check it out. Here’s a rundown of what you may have missed.

The Good:

The line-up: Who would have thought that a trio of relatively unknown musicians (Kid Sister, JFK of MSTRKRFT, and Shad) would be so well received? Each delivered high-energy, albeit starkly different performances that managed to win over the crowds. I was especially impressed by Kid Sister’s very sexy winding and grinding (sue me!), and Shad’s casual way of interacting with the audience. (As an aside, why did the RSU essentially book one half of MSTRKRFT? Why does the band even offer to do that? So much for band unity.)
The dance competition: Now, I’ve seen a few impromptu dance-offs in my life. Usually they consist of a handful of misfits making fools of themselves in front of laughing, drunken strangers. Not so at this event! Each participant could actually dance. Well. There was popping, locking, tutting, and even an impressive display of manhood-compressing splits from a Neo look-alike, complete with fedora. At least we know who the cool kids of first-year will be.
Kid Sister’s DJ/Hype man: I’m not exactly sure who is he, but he’s absolutely incredible. His interaction with the audience and impromptu dancing blew my mind, as well as any preconceived notions that I had about skinny white boys with glasses.

The Bad:

Food ticket shortages: I’m amazed that the RSU was able to put together a pretty descent concert, but not conjure up the forethought to bring extra food tickets. This meant that dozens of Ryerson students (like me) were forced to either pay for food, or wait between 45 minutes and an hour to get their promised free meal.
Booze prices: $7 for a Smirnoff Ice? Now really, is that necessary?

Sound bites:

“I love these college bitches!” – Kid Sister, in reference to two students that she’d called on stage to grind with her
“Are you an actress, because you look just like this girl on Smallville,” – Some random first-year hitting on my friend
“Shad, you’re my hero!” – Bespectacled boy

Were you there? If so, let me know what your memories were!

xx,

Allyssia

Allyssia Alleyne is the Eyeopener’s foxy, intelligent Communities Editor. Find her on Twitter @AllyssiaAlleyne or @TheEyeopener if you want your event covered or want to chat about your Ryerson community.

Seriously, do it.

Photo by Lauren Strapagiel