march 4th acoustic show

Been awhile eh? Too much working. Here's a show coming up at a new space I'm involved in, in Strathcona. Its gonna be a DIY, collective run, record store, show space, info shop. So basically punk utopia. I'm stoked. Come out to this show if you are in town.

FEB 2ND FUNDRAISER/ HARI LEGS 'LAST' SHOW

HxC

There is a local magazine in Vancouver called Discorder, which rarely produces anything of interest to me these days, but I found this little gem of an interview with local hardcore VACANT STATE and I figure I'd share it will y'all.

Maybe some peeps would be interested in starting a monthly rag? Does this query come up in minds every year and never follow through? Probably. But nevertheless, get at me, I'm mostly sober these days.

DOWN TIME

I'm starting to accept the importance of down time. Doing nothing, eating ice cream, watching TV, listening to lots of cleanly produced pop punk, and early 90s northwest indie stuff. Down to one job from two, working five days a week; it's less work but my mind has been so frazzled when I'm off shift, stepping out from the shelter into the fresh air. I barely register the bike ride home. I'm on automatic until I reach the sanctity of my apartment, microwave some coffee (I'm using the microwave, signs of giving up) and put on some mixtape I'm stumped on. I play and rewind, play and rewind, fill up the coffee, dump the grinds, fill up the coffee.

A large part of my job requires listening to people, hearing what they're saying, and responding without accidentally inserting judgement, bias, or condescension. It should be as simple as thinking before I speak, right? But it's not. Being full time at the shelter this year I am starting to realize how I interact with my environment, and am more aware of myself in it, physically, if that makes sense.

All existentialism aside, here's some stuff:

     My friend Reece, whom I've long admired for his tireless productivity, among countless other qualities of person, and my shift partner Travis, whom I've known just as long but now spend 3 days a week processing feelings with and complaining to, have a piece of land out in P.E.I., which they are building small structures on, planning to reforest, and orchardize (new word!).  I've never been but it looks amazing and I'd love to visit. Anyway, this summer they canoed to ghost towns in the Yukon, and Reece wrote a zine about it. I have a mild obsession with ghost towns, so I was super stoked to read it.

       HARI LEGS will be playing a fundraiser show on the 2nd of February at the Chateau Ouesty (the new punk house west of the Chateau Noir, Vancouver, BC). And then Hari is going back to Montreal, which makes us all very sad. Other bands include the PRO-TEENS, and probably whoever else wants to jump on the bill, as long as its over by 11pm! There's an event on stupid whateverbook, but I just told you about it, so just go and fuck everything else. The show is a fundraiser is for a new DIY space that I'm hoping to help out with as much as possible. DIY or die!!

xolegs

FOG 2013

It's been unusually foggy during the nights here, giving the city a hushed, eery feel. My old band HARI LEGS played a show on New Years Eve, which was super fun and sweaty and beer soaked like any good house show should be.

It was at the Mansion, a house that has been hosting benefits and feminist queer-core bands for the past couple years. They're being evicted soon enough, and the house demolished, and in its place, some kind of multi-story modernized hip building in its place, I'm sure. This kind of thing is happening everywhere, and it's too depressing for me to go into. The importance of old buildings is big in my heart, it's one of the reasons I love living in the city, and as more and more old structures are replaced with glass and concrete market rental flippers, the less I am inclined to stay.

But like I said, let's not get into THAT.

Let's instead focus on the good stuff, like DIY punk shows happening at places that aren't bars! Everytime this happens, it may be an insignificant event to some: another punk show where I have to go and hang out? Ugh, it's all so mundane, woe is my routine life of going to shows and going to work hungover. But it warms my cold little sardonic heart! And before I get too sentimental...a flyer that even appears handmade! Go punk!

Also I made a top ten for 2012 and instead of copy and pasting I will link you to my friend Greg's awesome blog: Remote Outposts


xolegs

WINTER STUFF/ TTCSU DISTRO

So I've been working a lot and not drinking, which is a change from working a lot and drinking too much. It's been good for me. I feel more secure and confident in choices I'm making and life in general. Even if it's as basic as going to the grocery store and getting food to make dinner. Shit that I just don't do when I'm hungover and too lazy to do anything except sleep until work.

I've also had more space in my mind for projects that I want to do, like building a new wall in my place and expanding my distro, and jamming with HARI LEGS again. My friend Daniel and I have been working on distro'ing MRR and Razorcake to the unwashed masses of Vancouver. If you are in the city and looking to get your hands on some copies, they are now carried at Spartucus Books, Neptoon Records, Redcat Records and the Zoo Zhop. You can also get them off me or him directly.

ALSO, I just got a bunch of SCAM zines in the mail, which can be acquired through Spartucus & Zoo Zhop as well (and through me directly).

Soooooo thats cool. My tape deck is back in action so I've been making tapes more which rules. Any other sober winter activity suggestions, feel free to send em my way.

Just read a pretty awesome interview with ASILE from Ottawa. Check it out on this Ottawa hardcore blog that I just found out existed:





Also here's another good interview with my boyfriend Kendrick Lamar:

Thats all for now. Be good to yourselves, and stay punk.

its the beginning of the end

Come check out these shows if you enjoy your ears spurting blood and your clothes soaking with beer (or if you, yknow, like the bands)

(couldn't find a bigger version, hence the pixelated)

NOV 24 2012

WEEK

If anyone is wondering what's going on for the next four days,

WEDNESDAY

Capitalist Casualities
Endorphins Lost (Seattle)
Mass Grave
Haggatha
@ Zoo Zhop

THURSDAY

Serenghetto (mpls)
B Arthur (mpls)
Flagpolers
Pro-teens (ex Siren Songs, Hole in my Head)
@ Zoo Zhop

FRIDAY

Belgrado (spain)
Bellicose Minds (pdx)
Systematik
@ Moontower

SATURDAY

Belgrado (spain)
Bellicose Minds
Spectres
Rhythm of Cruelty (edmonton)
@ Zoo Zhop



Woooooo.

SERENGHETTO

nov 2

I WANNA GO

Stoked on this right now. Awesome band, awesome people.

octshowber