If you followed AUX’s coverage of NXNE this past week(end), you’ll notice that we had a really great time. We love when our city is mobilized to the streets and venues and Twitter for a communal event. But perhaps more interesting than watching the event unfold through the eyes of (mostly) Torontonians, or at least Canadians, is reading a recap of the festival from the eyes of an American visiting NXNE and Toronto for the first time.

The wonderful A.V. Club sent writer Steven Hyden to cover the festival for the weekend, and today he posted his take on it all. Using SXSW as a marker, he finds the festival and its music programming underwhelming, along with our pizza and free BBQs, but notes that he likes the “buxom brunettes in fishnets” (wtf?), so, at least he got that out of it.

“Looking over the lineup of more than 600 bands, I couldn’t say I was familiar with many of the names. It was a sensation not unlike driving through Canada, which superficially seems like home, but hides its differences in details like kilometer markings and Molson beer signs.”

It’s a funny, interesting read; the full article is right here.