Much to my pleasure, I was asked to go to the first Friday Night Live of 2013 (#FNLrom) at the Royal Ontario Museum this past Friday. Getting a chance to discover for the first time the largest museum of world culture and natural history in Canada was an outstanding opportunity. The night led off with live entertainment celebrating the 2013 JUNO-nominated and award winning artists, featuring some of the best Canadian performers. Alongside the stars was a selection of amazing local food and artisanal wine and beers.
The concept of the night is simple: Enjoy and discover the latest exhibitions of the museum for only $12 – a guaranteed evening of excitement and interesting culture. Inside the museum, you will pay with Rombucks, ($6 for 1 Rombuck), that gives you the opportunity to try a bit of everything.
As I entered the room, I found myself facing a colossal 25-metre long dinosaur in the Chen Court. The Samuel Hall Currelly Gallery backed on to the Chen Court and was the perfect sized room to house the great stage for Jully Black’s performance. The famous Canadian R&B singer/songwriter put on an intensely captivating show that moved the entire crowd. As far as the food options, the first floor was filled up with Tiffinday, Kanto by Tita Flips, Gourmet Gringos and Hot Bunzz… all delicious and tasty.
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Level two featured the 2006 Juno Award winner Eon Sinclair, the soul-ridden performer from Bedouin Soundclash. The Bronfman Hall was an engaging room crowded with abundant food from Curbside Bliss, LaRivolta, and Parts & Labour, but also with some cool distractions like the Air Hockey Turbo – a futuristic version of air hockey using iPads and displayed on the wall. The Birds Gallery was a fascinating room with “How’d they DO that?”, demonstrating how dinosaur bones are casted and put up together. People were also invited to give their reactions and feedback to Canadian musicians through writings in the Historic Wing. The fourth and final floor’s Glass Room was filled with the astounding jazz tunes of Dave Young and Terry Promane – what an exceptional show!
Throughout the night, the ROM was inviting you to tweet using #FNLrom to get a chance to see your words or pictures on the big screen. Even if I felt a bit rushed with the galleries closing at 9:30pm, the ambiance and the vibe of the live performances were remarkably engaging and interesting. I’m seriously looking forward to experiencing another night at the ROM for a Friday Night Live.
A weekly event running from May 3rd to June 21st, Friday Night Live at the ROM allows partygoers and culture seekers inside the doors after hours. For a full list of the upcoming themes, visit the ROM’s website.
