Throwback (First) Thursday

last AGO First Thursday on February 7, we’re taking a moment to look back at the many exciting musicians who have taken centre stage in Walker Court over the last six years. Starting at the beginning, when Bahamas headlined the very first #AGO1st to the most recent – a Soul Train-inspired takeover by guest curators AfroChic – we dug through the archive for photos of some truly memorable performances.

Check out the highlights below:

October 2012 was the first ever First Thursday, and musician Bahamas took centre stage to a sold-out crowd in Walker Court. A few months later, he released his second album Barchords, which was named Best Singer/Songwriter Album of 2012 by iTunes and earned him a Polaris Music Prize nod and two JUNO Award nominations.

In honour of our exhibition Patti Smith: Camera Solo, the well-known artist and musician headlined our March 2013 First Thursday with an intimate performance in Walker Court. The rest of the night featured local artists performing in tribute to Smith’s significant body of work.

Grandmaster Flash headlined our February 2015 First Thursday to celebrate the opening of Jean-Michel Basquiat: Now’s the Time. During his performance, the legendary musician brought Basquiat’s nieces out on stage to honour their uncle’s legacy.

July 2015’s First Thursday was dedicated to Indigenous land rights, inspired by the exhibition Picturing the Americas. Polaris Prize-winning throat singer Tanya Tagaq took the stage at Walker Court for an unforgettable performance

Lido Pimienta is the only artist who performed twice in the history of First Thursday, first in November 2016 alongside Witch Prophet and 88 Days of Fortune and again in February 2017. Lido went on to win the Polaris Prize a few short months later in 2017.

Toronto DJ and artist Bambii headlined our April 2017 First Thursday. She had previously collaborated with fellow First Thursday alumni, Yes Yes Y’all, and later went on tour with queer rapper Mykki Blanco, who was part of our September 2016 program dedicated to Theaster Gates: How to Build a House Museum.

Celebrating all things monstrous, in honour of Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters, electro-pop provocateur Peaches commanded the crowd’s attention with her powerful stage presence and elaborate costumes.

Unfortunately, the final First Thursday on February 7 is now sold out, but don't worry; the AGO isn't getting out of the party game! An exciting new after-hours event is in the works and will be announced soon, so stay tuned for more details!

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