feb.25th show

click to enlarge bits

aftermath of the last war hero set at the Chateau

february 15th

why vancouver rules

A lot of people moved away, some moved to St. Henri for cheap beer & rent, some people went on tour and never came back, and for a while, it felt like Vancouver would suffer this exodus forever. True, it ain't cheap living.
But what happens if everyone moved away? What if no one cared about house shows anymore? Just one more boring city with a lot of bars but no buddies.
At least that's how I see it, but I suffer my privileges and maybe I see it with posi-tinted glasses.
I've stopped trying to convince my friends that it's okay to live here. Here are some aspects that have been making Vancouver more than okay in the past year:


1. THE ALF HOUSE
Despite suffering through a decade of sweaty kids puking on moldy walls, fires, floods, shits in the bathtub, broken windows and winters without heat, this house miraculously is still standing. There must be something in that old cracked foundation. The recent influx of Albertans saw the demise of the house's namesake, the 604-ALF-CAT1 phone number. But there are still shows and they are still all ages and the neighbors are still cool. I keep saying I give it another couple years.
A decade! I don't know the record for longest running punk house, but it's gotta be up there.

2. THE CHATEAU
Now a close second to Alf, this remains one of the only other houses that does shows. The living room is the perfect amount of space, with the adjoining front hall adding a lovely addition to any idiot riding the mosh wave. I can't remember exactly when this house started, probably 2005? But since the Library House is gone, it seems to be the only hope of house show after the Alf House.

3. SECRET LOCATION
One of my favorites. A bigger space to house better parties and in case you feel too healthy, you can go smoke upstairs for five seconds and develop all kinds of problems. Also home to jam spaces and NITE PRISON, which is Jesse who records bands and rules.

4. OUTDOOR SHOWS YEAR-ROUND
Parking garages, under bridges, backyards. Even in January there are kids who are stoked to load up with handwarmers and hang out in an echoey cement fortress and nod their heads like they can hear the band!
There's nothing like a good backyard show, when some lady carrying her groceries through the alley for a 'change of scenery', walks wide-eyed past the gazes of 150 kids dressed in black, wasted, at 1pm on a Sunday.

5. GARBAGE MOUNTAIN
I've only been to one show here since it started up, but it rules. Located in the remaining industrial area that's close enough to bike too, Garbage Mtn. comes complete with courtyard to smoke in, front room to merch in, and space for bands and friends to create the stoke and let it loose to party.

6. THE ASTORIA
I guess I wanted to avoid mentioning bars, but really, the Astoria is still cheap, my friends still put on shows there (notably FAITHFUL NEIGHBOURS, something like every third Wednesday, all show proceeds go to social organizations on the DTES, and newer nights like DIRTY FOR THE KIDS, brought to you by local heroes, NU SENSAE, and PEACE IN THE PIT, which has it's first show upcoming in February and is put on by MJ, you know, the lady that puts on ripping shows for touring bands like PURPLE RHINESTONE EAGLE from Portland?) so really this place is worth mentioning. The beers are cheap enough, and on a quiet night, the pool tables are superb.


(note: Sorry if the links are all facebook. I sometimes wish we could all revert back to webpages and listservs.)


I guess these are all venues, and obviously there are other things that make up this city, the bands, and individual people doing rad stuff, but they are too many to name and I feel like I alone could not do them justice in a shitty blog review.

been awhile

what happened?

I went away to bird camp for a month and a half, then traveled back with a good friend, starting out with a week of Winnipeg, of swimming in rock quarries, drinking by mosquito-ridden riversides, sweaty bike rides to Garbage Hill, and getting a chance to check out some shows. Big thanks to Bean, Alden, Sissy and Sara for making Winnipeg ruling.

This is Garbage Hill, the biggest hill in Wpg.














BORN BAD,
Hardcore from Winnipeg


HEAD HITS CONCRETE,
Grindcore from Winnipeg


oh and in case you forgot about KURSK, here's an okay video of them playing at 453 Young in Winnipeg



East Coast tour with SURROGATE ACTIVITY. This video taken by Hari, sums up August.


We played with some awesome bands. Here are some EXAMPLES.

SURROGATE ACTIVITY
Pop-punk from St. John's, Newfoundland

WEAK LINK
Hardcore from St. John's, Newfoundland
http://www.myspace.com/weaklink709

HONKY HORN & BAD MOUTH
Brooklyn, NYC



(note: The alternative title for the posting could be "My Cat Fell Ten Stories While I was in Brooklyn and Now I'm Broke and In Debt to my Friends and Family.")

next time: Why Vancouver Rules

Oh, hi.

I'm taking this time now, 42 minutes before my final exam of my second semester, to update this. It's been awhile.

I quit Budgies in March to focus more on living off student loans and lying around my apartment, fantasizing about level building and the slowly dying plants that I could better position.

I also started playing in a band. We changed our name three times, played some shows, got a bass player and now we are going on tour with this band from Newfoundland, called SURROGATE ACTIVITY. This band is comprised of, my best friend/roommate circa 2006, Juls Generic, her partner Steve, and a bass player whom I have yet to meet.

There have been some good shows around Vancouver lately, none of which I have written about on here, alas.

In one week I am going away to volunteer at a bird observatory in Thunder Bay, Ontario. On May 3rd I will wake up an hour before sunrise, search desperately for something resembling coffee, put on jeans that are too hot or shorts that are too tattered, and climb a 20-metre ladder to an observation tower and sit there looking for migratory birds. I will do this every day for a month and 8 days, then I will go back to Vancouver and spend every day on the beach.





If you're in Vancouver this weekend, you should check out these shows:

first fridays december 4th

OCTOBER 7TH - OFF WITH THEIR HEADS/YOUTH BRIGADE/BOUNCING SOULS

NOVEMBER 15th

TYNFB

the month at a glance

UPCOMING SHOWS

///////////////////////////September///////////////////////

--TUESDAY 22nd--

Boosh Tuesdays w.
TIGHT SOLID
FINE MIST
WILD PALMS
@COBALT 9pm $5 No Minors

--FRIDAY 25th--

MASS GRAVE
99 PROBLEMS
NU SENSAE
UNFUN
@APC 8pm All Ages

MODE MODERNE
PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCTS
COSMETICS
@ 467 POWELL (above the Meat Shop) 11pm

--SATURDAY 26th--

DISTORT VANCOUVER w.
HELLSHOCK
DEATHRAID
NERVESKADE
RIPPER
SPECTRES
UNFUN
FEAR OF TOMORROW
@ RICKSHAW THEATRE 3pm $10 All Ages (Early Show!!!)

SUBHUMANS
@ COBALT 10pm No Minors

DEAD GHOSTS
MANIC ATTRACTS
THE SUSPICIONS
@ ASTORIA 10pm No Minors $5

--TUESDAY 29th--

Last Boosh Tuesday Ever!!! w.

B-LINES
NU SENSAE
TWO CABINS
@ COBALT 10PM $5 No Minors

--WEDNESDAY 30th--

B-LINES
HEALTHY STUDENTS
KEEP TIDY
@MEDIA CLUB 9pm No Minors


////////////////October/////////////


--WEDNESDAY 7th--

YOUTH BRIGADE
BOUNCING SOULS
OFF WITH THEIR HEADS
@ RICKSHAW THEATRE (All Ages?)

--THURSDAY Oct 8th--

TRANZMITORS
HARD FEELINGS
PLUS PERFECT
@ HONEY LOUNGE No Minors

CONGRESS
@ BOURBON (BlastRamp) 10pm No Minors

--FRIDAY 9th--

VAPID
QUIET KIDS
AK747S
@PATS PUB 9pm No Minors

--SATURDAY 17th--

DEFEKTORS
WHITE LUNG
RANDOM CUTS
@ASTORIA 9pm



know of anything else? please post comment.


xolegs

I would like to live here next year.

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