NXNE Live: The Two Koreas SILVER DOLLAR - JUNE 7 The neon-blue lights of the Silver Dollar room stand out like a beacon — a musical beacon. It's the number one venue in Toronto for jazz, but also caters to the blues and alternative scenes. I have 30 minutes before The Two Koreas go on to strut their stuff in front of die-hard indie folks, which means I have time for a cold beer. "What can I get you?" "A bottle of 50, thanks." "No problem." Without wasting any time, I take a swig of my beverage and settle into the atmosphere of this old, premier jazz club. The cold beer rushes down my neck and vocal chord passage, distributing itself throughout the rest of my body. I proceed to the back of the venue and quickly secure a table. The Easy Targets are wrapping up their hour-long set and within moments of getting comfortable, it ended. The middle of the dance-floor empties, the crowd dispersing, heading outdoors for a nicotine fix or to the bar to top up their empties, getting ready for The Two Koreas' midnight set. It's a mixed crowd tonight, ranging from first-year college students to forty-year-old stalwart rockers. Without any pre-set hold-ups, the stage looked amped up, lit up and ready for some Torontonian entertainment. With a brand-spankin'-new album, released this year and cleverly titled Altruists, The Two Koreas dedicate the majority of their time-slot to this recent military-themed release. Frontman Stuart Berman (who resembles the enigmatic Brandon Flowers of the Killers) stands firm onstage, dressed in black, using his vocals as his only form of musical weaponry. His onstage presence has a hypnotic effect on the audience, and in turn they fill the floor and dance with him, cheer with him and nod with him throughout the entire set. The NXNE festival is a tightly run ship — especially when it comes to band schedules. In what seems like no time at all Grant sadly announces, "Thank you, for this will be our last song for tonight." Enter background music. Cue crowded bar conversations and rattling empty bottles on busy tables. I leave the Silver Dollar highly content with how the evening unraveled, slowly meandering away from the heavenly blue glow that exists on College at Spadina.