Richardine Bartee
Back street boy on the rise.
DillanPonders was always one of my favourite artists from Toronto, Canada. I have yet to visit the city best known as Drake’s hometown, but something tells me there aren’t many people like the Shroom Daddy. Honestly, it’s what piqued my interest: The tie-dye clothing, a drug-induced punk-rap attitude, odd dancing, and the (un)intentional comical lyrics. Days before my first official SXSW showcase (The Ceremony) in partnership with Dailymotion, DillanPonders released a video directed by Brett Pedersen for the Kevin Rolly-produced single “Back Street Boy.” I received the initial email, but until this moment, I didn’t have time to watch it.
If you know me and we are close, you know the first two weeks of this month has been trying. Nonetheless, it was all worth it. We were written about in the Austin Chronicle for crying out loud. We couldn’t plan that placement and the amount of love we received at that show if we tried.
DillanPonders’ live performance is a must-see because he is theatrical, full of energy, and his diction is clear.
Ladies, this part is for you:
You must know that DillanPonders’ bare chest is a conversation piece, that he is a gentleman, and people genuinely like him. I saw this with my eyes. If I had to compare him to anyone, that I’ve met, I could see him and Nacho Picasso being friends. As a matter of fact, his female fans are the only fans who emailed me to make sure their kid siblings were old enough to enter the venue to see him. (I hope none of his fans were turned away by security. That would suck, eternally.) If last week is his first time performing in Texas, it will not be the last. (I’m already thinking about adding him to the lineup for another show we plan to do this year. We’ll see.)
Watch DillanPonders’ new video for a song called, “Back Street Boy” from his forthcoming LP Acid Reign. If you are in Toronto, Ottawa, or Montreal, catch DillanPonders live during his Drop Out Of School tour alongside Pouya, Fat Nick, Ghostemane, WYBMHF, and Flexatelli.
Then, stream DillanPonders’ twelve track LP on SoundCloud. If you like what you hear, buy Acid Reign on iTunes.
