FRIDAY, AUGUST 1

Since their debut in 2001, Broken Social Scene have personified the power of IRL human connection. What began as a two-person basement recording project came to life onstage as a shadowy, improvisational entity with a revolving-door roster. Each concert was a unique experience, dependent on the room, the weather, what they ate for dinner that night, and who was dropping in to play.

Their breakthrough album, You Forgot It In People (2002), set a new gold standard for indie rock, pushing the genre far beyond its ’90s slacker roots. And with follow-up releases like Broken Social Scene (2005), Forgiveness Rock Record (2010), and Hug of Thunder (2017), Broken Social Scene have amassed a thrillingly unpredictable body of work.

Over two decades, they’ve achieved all the markers of modern indie success — rave reviews from Pitchfork, invites to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, multiple Juno Awards, Letterman appearances, and name-drops in Lorde songs.

In both sound and personnel, Broken Social Scene have changed a lot since their 2001 inception. But one thing has remained constant — at the end of every show, Kevin Drew bids the crowd adieu by telling everyone to “enjoy your lives.” More than just a simple farewell, those words are a call to action — to put down your goddamn phone, get outside, and be part of a social scene of your own.