Last night at 2 am, the crushing garage rock of Vancouver’s Japandroids filled the Dakota, inspiring a tiny mosh pit and a ton of excitement. The surprise NXNE guest was announced via Twitter, and fans swarmed the bar, pouring in from all corners of the city. Arriving at a serendipitous break in line up madness, we got in and got beers before the boys took the stage, for a high-energy set that left fans grinning, sweaty and delirious. Bemoaning the short set time and saying if they could they would play 15 more songs for us, the band brought the love, the slam-dancing, and the legacy of ringing ears. A special thank you to the Dakota for the free tampons, which are always there when you most need them, and to NXNE, for reminding us from the get-go why this fest is always one of the most memorable weekends of the year.