It’ll be a good night at Foxx

The band’s handle seems a contradiction in terms, but it’s just one example of how it will surprise you.

Goodnight, Sunrise is a Toronto-based indie-rock band, employing “pop hooks, EDM (Electronic Dance Music) drops, and the raw power of classic rock”.

David Kochberg and Vanessa Vakharia also use confetti canons, glowsticks, and an “abundance of relentless energy,” to thrill audiences all over this country and many countries in Europe. The four-member band caught the eye of Bon Jovi, and were brought in to open for the legendary metal band last May at Air Canada Centre (now Scotiabank Arena).

Of scoring that gig, the band called it 'making your own luck.'

“We submitted to a contest hosted by our local rock station, who sifted through almost 100 bands and decided that we had what it took. We chalk it up to spending years working tirelessly towards our dreams of playing bigger stages and opening for bigger acts, establishing ourselves musically and professionally, and a dose of being in the right place at the right time.”

Indeed, the band’s first album, Create/Destroy/Create first dropped in March 2013, marking them as an overnight sensation after years of toil, something Jon Bon Jovi himself recognized.

“We only met Jon for a few minutes but the fact that we are now on a first-name basis with him is pretty incredible in itself! Backstage just before we were about to go up for our set we met the lead guitarist Phil X who asked how we were feeling - David said of course we were nervous and asked how to relax about playing such a massive stage, and Phil responded, ‘Oh, don't stress, it's just another field to frolic in.’”

Vakharia and Kochberg are comfortable with the title of “indie”, saying it’s quite liberating.

“As a self-managed independent band we can make all our own decisions about our creative and professional direction and after seven years as a band we have so far had our best year in terms of being added to a bunch of fantastic festivals and great opening slots."

Plus, while going hither and yon to the Yukon before taking a red-eye back east to Ontario (and to Barrie, where they will be play The Foxx Lounge Rock Bar & Hotdoggery on Friday, July 27) can take it out of you, “this is the dream” for them.

“We were on the East Coast for the first portion of the tour and were all sick with sore throats, loading out our gear at 3 in the morning for a couple weeks straight and it's all fine, because we love being on the road and playing shows.”

And going to Foxx will be like going home.

“We've played there a bunch of times! It's a great spot and Barrie has such an awesome community of music lovers, so we can't wait to return this tour!

“And they let us shoot confetti, which is a bonus.”

Foxx is located at 16 Dunlop Street East. To learn more, click here.