Flow 93.5 Summer Jam

The second annual FLOW 93-5 Bacardi Summer Jam, which took place at The Masonic Temple last Friday night, was definitely Toronto’s party of the summer.
Tickets, which were sold out in one day, could only be won on-air, drawing in a diverse crowd of radio listeners, rather than genre-specific fans. The night was jam-packed with Canadian talent as DJ Starting From Scratch spun the ones and twos before performances by The Airplane Boys, Dru, Shawn Desman, Melanie Fiona and host, Kardinal Offishall.
“It’s a real nice party atmosphere and the people that came out to see everybody, they’re not the sometimes ‘typical’ Toronto mood, everybody is really enjoying themselves, which is always a good surprise, so it’s dope,” said Kardi, who hyped up the audience with his comedic personality and spirited stage presence.
The Airplane Boys began the show with a bang, performing tracks such as “Born To Be” and “Beau Monde” with the unique sound, swag and stage presence the group is known for. The hip-hop duo even cooled the audience down by pouring two bottles of water into the crowd.
Shawn Desman, who is a performing veteran, sang hits such as “Shiver” and “Electric” with two backup dancers, showcasing why he has continued to stay relevant after over a decade in the game with hit after hit.

Melanie Fiona, who also performed last year at the first Summer Jam, headlined this year’s event, and proved why she is Canada’s R&B princess by belting out her hits such as “Change The Record”, “4 AM” and “Give It To Me Right” in a pair of killer red heels. She held it down as the only female on the bill, while the crowd sang along with her every word.
“It’s fun being able to be home and being able to do a show with this cool vibe and everyone is a little nice off the Bacardi and it’s beautiful,” said Fiona. “FLOW is doing its thing for the city and I appreciate it. Sharing the stage with fellow Torontonians and artists, it’s the best shows you can do.”
The Summer Jam’s party vibe and all homegrown talent on the bill made it a unique showcase. Only two years in, it is safe to say that the jam will only get bigger but many of the artists say that it is important to keep the event Canadian based.
“The beauty of FLOW Summer Jam is that it’s Toronto’s urban station and a lot of artists look at this as their haven, their environment, it’s our own – it’s Toronto. When you say FLOW – that’s us, that’s this city, so it should stay this city,” said Beck Motley of The Airplane Boys.

Each artist shared that they only have hopes for the Summer Jam to grow in the future, but an all-Canadian cast will only flourish with the help of more media outlets such as FLOW 93.5 FM.
“As the radio stations and media outlets continue to support our own talent, it’s going to be a bigger bill and more of a demand to see Toronto artists,” explained Fiona. “I think it’s just going to get bigger and better.”

Photos by: Fitzroy Facey