The Hidden Cameras are My Boyfriend

I. Am. Exhausted.

I've gone out 5 out of the past 6 nights (in an attempt to forget what happened south of the border on November 2nd? Possibly). Some of that going out was of the it's-4AM-holy-shit-I'm-so-hardcore variety. It's been fun, but my body is no longer as resilient as it was when I was an undergrad. Consequently, I've passed a couple of days that have been complete and total write-offs. My workload's been pretty light lately, so I've been able to get away with it.

Tonight, I've been cleaning my room. If I said I wasn't enjoying it, I would be lying.

Last night, I was supposed to see Hot Snakes with Paul and Craig, but due to circumstances beyond my control, I wound up going to El Salon to see Blow and The Hidden Cameras with Lukas, C-MAC, Priscilla and Chicago-Kim. I am glad I missed the Hot Snakes show, because holy shit.

Blow is this cute, coked-out girl who sings songs about sex, drugs and sapphic lust to synthesized beats provided by some guy I couldn't really see. Her music was alright and her voice not much more than passable. However, her stage presence, vaguely disturbing anecdotes, stage props (a string of life-sized paper dolls from skin mags) and off-beat charm more than made up for it. They closed their set with their sultry and alarmingly beautiful cover of "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" (which, coincidentally, Benjamin introduced me to just a couple of weeks ago. It's actually called "Come On Petunia", if you're looking for it on Kazaa. Her voice is much better suited to recordings than to live shows, unfortunately.)

The Hidden Cameras played one of those shows that put me in a spectacularly good mood for days. I was only familiar with "Mississauga Goddam" and "Music is My Boyfriend" before the show, so I had them pegged as sort of chill and Broken Social Scene-y. I couldn't believe the explosion of poppy, catchy goodness that emerged from the cast of thousands onstage. "Doot Doot Ploot" makes me so very happy. As does "In the Union of Wine", "B-Boy" and a new song they played, which I can only imagine is entitled "Lollipop". I will snatch it up as soon as it is released. Oh yes. I will.

I've heard a lot about Hidden Cameras shows from a variety of people, but no matter what you've heard, nothing adequately prepares you for the weirdness of the requisite onstage dancer. Shirtless dancer guy was wearing a red and black balaclava and a large yellow neck frill. At one point in the evening, he was sporting an elegant black shawl. And he danced like a maniac for the entirety of the set. I kept waiting for him to run out of steam, but it never happened.

My week of fun may or may not continue with Devendra Banhart tomorrow, depending on how much my arm is twisted by ICRM.

I am attempting to phase animals out of my diet by January 1st. Giving up chicken will be the absolute hardest, but I'm going to try. I made some pretty kickass tofu this evening and it has given me hope.

(Now playing: "In the Union of Wine", The Hidden Cameras)