The_Red Ink Christmas Party at the Toff was opened by Archer, who, due to time constraints, had to start at 8pm while it was still light. The vocalist was a surprise package, looking like the token guy in a teen movie that everyone takes little notice of, but who ends up being amazing at something. In this case, his voice was captivating, and very few people weren’t paying attention. The entire band worked together brilliantly to create a sound that sent shivers down my spine and possibly a few others’.

Winter Street were on next, and seemed to have a number of fans in attendance, as the front section started filling up. They seemed at home on the stage, and the vocalist sang with a not-often-heard Aussie accent. They were a fun band who got people starting to move a bit and generally embrace the spirit of the evening. During the set, a guy in a Santa hat walked around the crowd handing out disposable cameras with flash from a red sack, most of which were opened up and used right away. It was a really cool idea, considering most people have digital cameras these days.

Wilfred Jackal had high energy from the beginning which didn’t let up til they finished, and it was hard to keep still. In a sense, their style reminded me of Vampire Weekend. A guitar was swapped for a tambourine somewhere in the middle, and at one point they welcomed “Jeff Goldblum on keys!”, really just a picture of Jeff Goldblum taped to the keyboard. They finished up, and the red curtain closed around the stage.

When the curtain reopened, Red Ink were ready to rock. By the end of the first song, the sweat was already starting to pour off vocalist John Jakubenko’s face. The silly string came out at the end of second track Kleptomaniac covering the stage. “I’ll clean it up after, I promise!” Werewolf had a false start thanks to the drummer, prompting playful chiding from the rest of the band, and the smoke machine was working overtime, thanks to John’s desire to “turn the Toff into the Espy basement” by the end of the show.

During the instrumental section of Dead Sicko, the boys went completely nuts, and somehow managed to straighten up by the time John opened his mouth again. The bassist was teased at one point too, regarding the cluster of girls directly in front of him: “What is it about Munzy? Is it his cologne?” Cue cheers. “Is it the fact that he pashed a 35 year old mother of two last night?” Cue more cheers and laughter. Red Ink finished with their single Audrey. and the curtain closed once more to cheers and applause.