Wrap up NXNE 2010 with the “Put the Boot In” Charity Soccer Match and performances from De La Soul, Big Freedia, 1977, Ali & The DTs, Kid Sister, The Phenomenal Handclap Band and more.

Day 4 of NXNE 2010 goes to the Yonge and Dundas Square stage which hosted Surfer Blood, Wavves, the Raveonettes and later in the evening headliner Iggy and the Stooges. Some have suggested nearly 30,000 people crammed into the awkwardly designed Toronto landmark to see the legend himself play the most anticipated set of the fesetival. Earlier in the day, Barry Taylor caught up with Damian Abraham and The Sheepdogs played a relaxed acoustic set from a tree in Bellwoods Park. Check out video from the rest of the festival here.

NXNE 2010 continues with the Jagermeister Rooftop BBQ Bash, the Hard Rock Cafe, Lee’s Palace and more nighttime Dundas Square action. Ft. Sloan, The Raveonettes, K-OS, Said the Whale, Rah Rah, La Strada and many more.

AUX checks out Day 2 of NXNE 2010 from the Royal Theatre to the El Mocambo, The Dakota Tavern to Dundas Square. Ft. The Icarus Line, Zeus, Foxfire, Pop Winds, Glass Candy, The X, director Bruce McDonald and more.

Check out our recap of day 1 of the festival here.

AUX brings you NXNE 2010 day-by-day! Recap parties at The Courthouse and Phoenix Nightclub, conferences at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and much more. Ft. Arkells, Eagles of Death Metal, Still Life Still, and The Blue Van.

Invest in a bike
Walking will take you too long and driving or taking the streetcar will cost you so to save you a couple of bucks and make sure you don’t lose your mind running from venue to venue the best way to travel is on a bike. Plus, chances are the weather will happily comply. If you don’t own a bike, borrow a friend’s or even steal one. I give you permission.

Bring earplugs
It’s pretty much the cardinal rule of attending shows – bring earplugs; it will save your life. Going deaf might sound far-fetched to you but trust me, speakers at venues are not meant to be experienced without protective gear. Good tip: if you forget earplugs, take some tissue paper, scrunch it up and put them in your ear. It works.

Plan As, plan Bs, maybe even plan Cs
Festivals are complicated and the choices can get overwhelming so planning ahead is very important. Lay out logical travel routes, order of shows and maybe even plan a pit stop for some street meat. Having back-up plans is also a must. Often, the bigger ticket shows will be packed or there might be a line up and you’d have to wait hours to get in. That’s when a back-up plan is useful. Why bother wait when you’ve got fifty other shows happening around you! There’s no time to waste!

Remember to eat!
I understand there’s a lot of music to take in but don’t forget to have a healthy meal in between it all! And of course, a beer or two (or eight) if you’d like.

When all else fails head to Dundas Square
Dundas Square hosts free shows all night long, and most of the time during the day as well. If plans don’t work out and you can’t think of any other show to attend, why not stop by the outdoor stage and check out who’s playing. You never know who you’ll catch…Iggy? Is that you? Bonus: every year, Dundas Square offers up an indie market where you can chat with bands, check out their music and personally support them by buying a CD or two!

Always keep one eye on your Twitter or Facebook
Secret shows and last minute announcements of ‘special guests’ are constantly being tweeted or Facebook’d so as much as you should run around and catch shows, make sure to keep an eye on what people are saying in the magical world of the internet. For all you know your favourite band is setting up and preparing to play a secret show down the street from where you are – RUN!

Passholders – make sure to staple, glue or tape the pass to yourself
I’ll admit it, I lost my pass last year. Not fun at all. And if it wasn’t for the kindness and generosity of a friend who gave me their tour manager’s pass, I would’ve spent the last two nights of the festival attempting to drown myself in Lake Ontario. This just teaches you that you must make sure you don’t lose your wristband or pass at any cost because the second you drop it, a dozen crazy music geeks will jump on it like a pack of hungry wolves.

In preparation for this year’s week-long marathon of non-stop music, boozing and Iggy anticipation – or better known as NXNE 2010 – here’s a recap of what you might’ve missed out on last year. Check out our exclusive highlights from last year’s festival.

1. A Broken Social Scene book launch featuring none other than special guests…Broken Social Scene!
The most anticipated kick-off party at last year’s NXNE was Arts & Crafts’ book launch for This Book is Broken. Days, even weeks leading up to the event there was buzz surrounding the magical ‘special guests’ playing that evening. Broken Social Scene weren’t on the bill but a look at the other acts (Apostle of Hustle, Jason Collett, Years and Charles Spearin’s The Happiness Project) and you’ve basically got 2 thirds of the Toronto collective. And to no one’s surprise, the guests were indeed the band itself, with extra special guest Leslie Feist joining them onstage. With a jam-packed attendance at the Courthouse, as well as a jam-packed tiny stage full of musicians, the night was almost enough to satisfy everyone for the rest of the week. But alas, there were four more days to go through and many, many more awesome moments to come.

2. The Black Lips rock Dundas Square (for free!)
In what seemed like the biggest congregation of hipsters last year, Dundas Square – the headquarters for music fans too poor to pay for shows – hosted a free show featuring The Black Lips. What ensued was an hour-long set full of crowd surfing, beer-drinking, stage dancing chaos. Best part of the night? The kind folks giving out free energy drinks after the set; I had enough energy to last me another four hours into the night!

3. The Sonics reunite (again, for free!)
Most people 20-and-under probably went, “Who?!” when they heard that The Sonics were playing NXNE but for those old enough to remember (and/or hip enough to know) the 60s garage-rock band were pumped for this show. Again, free at Dundas Square, The Sonics were the main acts of the festival at the outdoor stage. Surely there weren’t as many beer cans tossed around as The Black Lips but there was definitely much more nostalgia in the air that night.

4. GZA and special guest King Khan finish the festival with a bang
Two words: Wu-Tang Clan. Two more words: King Khan. Together: an amazing way to close up NXNE.

5. The birth of Diamond Rings
Last June marked one of the first times Diamond Rings (real name John O Regan of Toronto indie rock band The D’Urbervilles) performed his set of rainbow-unicorn-glam pop hits to a sparse crowd at the Rivoli on the last night of NXNE. With tired bodies in attendance, O’Regan put life back into the crowd and blew everyone away. Little did we all know (or did we?) that he would soon become a Pitchfork-approved, YouTube sensation. Watch highlights from Day 5 of the festival.

Welcome to AUX TV’s official coverage of NXNE 2010! Did you hear that Iggy Pop and the Stooges are playing a free outdoor show? Yeah, it’s happening. To get things started off we’d like to announce a ridiculous contest that’s going to be taking place from May 1st right through to the end of the festival. Here we go!

AUX TV is counting down to NXNE 2010! Starting Saturday May 1st and going right through NXNE (June 14th through 19th), we will be profiling 50 NXNE bands – that’s one a day for 50 days. In each profile will be a secret word of the day that you can use to enter to win some amazing daily prizes including:

A $50 iTunes gift certificate EVERY SINGLE DAY for all 50 days. Yes, we are giving away a $50 dollar iTunes gift card every day until June 20th.

6 weekly prize packs including TWO NXNE general access wristbands (worth $50 bucks each!) and awesome NXNE and AUX swag!

On May 1st, we’ll give you the link to the contest page where you can enter the day’s word. You’ll also be able to sign up for the NXNE ALERT that will deliver the secret word to your inbox every morning. Each day, enter the word for your chance to win! The more words you enter, the more chances you’ve got to win! It’s that easy.

Seriously, Iggy Pop at Yonge and Dundas Square. We’re still freaking out.

Recent Rock n Roll Hall of Fame inductees Iggy and the Stooges will headline a free show on Saturday, June 19 on the Virgin Mobile Stage at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto as part of this year’s North by Northeast Festival. This will be the band’s first North American tour date and only stop in Canada. The meticulous Iggy Pop will be front and centre accompanied by original Stooge Scott Asheton on drums, guitarist James Williamson, bassist Mike Watt from the Minutemen and Steve Mackay.

Other performers recently announced include Los Angeles punk band X, who will be making their first appearance in Canada in 20 years, Danish duo the Raveonettes, De La Soul, Seattle alumni Mudhoney, Les Savy Fav and Man or Astroman. Cold Cave, Japandroids, Surfer Blood, Wavves, Kid Sister, Thee Oh Sees and Sloan will also play the festival which runs June 14-20.

For more details, check out the official NXNE website.