Edan / Inside-A-Mind

Steptone and Vision (aka Professor Fingers) of scratch music band Inside-A-Mind set a laidback vibe for those entering the Legendary Horseshoe Tavern. With a laptop, turntables and a dusty collection of vinyl, the two DJs scratched and tweaked smooth and spacey turntable compositions that wouldn’t have seemed out of place in a rave’s chill-out room. The audience may have felt free to go about their business while the DJ duo performed, but there was no ignoring the mop-headed Edan and his well-dressed hype-man once they took the stage. Edan and Dagha displayed a tight partnership whether they were going back and forth, rhyme for rhyme, or coordinating their beat juggling. On his own, Edan definitely didn’t disappoint when he ripped some raps and beat juggled at the same time with one hand. He also took the opportunity to slowly wander through the sparse crowd and shake hands while performing a long-ass, one-verse song. But, as great as the showmanship was, what made this night unique for hip-hop were the toys Edan introduced; a guitar effects pedal connected to both mics gave him the ability to manipulate the vocal sounds, a Theremin accompanied some late set turntablism, a kazoo and acoustic guitar provided the live music for two short interludes, and a crate of rock records served as a visual aid for the final song in a sly nod to Bob Dylan. In the end, by putting everything into his performance and giving it his all from start to finish, Edan proved he can rock a killer concert, in the process providing one of the best live shows to hit Toronto in a long time, hip-hop or otherwise.