Livin' in the Past

I recently started reading Before the Gold Rush: Flashbacks to the Dawn of the Canadian Sound by Nicholas Jennings. I finally dove into it after owning it for years because...

a) I've been gravitating towards the sounds of the '60s for the past while
b) I should have a lot of background knowledge/context if I want to be a half-decent music writer and
c) Greg recommended I read it. I listen to Greg.

It's a really engrossing read, so far. But it depresses me just a little bit.

Here's why:

Yesterday, Lindsay W. and I went on one of those touristy bus tours. The Yorkville neighbourhood was among the stops. I love looking around Yorkville every now and again (hello, Betsey Johnson!), but this time I had a different perspective. Once upon a time, it was the breeding ground for bohemian culture and for the budding Canadian folk/blues/rock/garage scenes. It has since become an obscenely affluent commercial area where most normal people can't afford to shop.

I was struck with an enormous sense of loss for something I never got to experience.

I talked to my dad about this later, and he told me that he and his buddies used to hang around Yorkville in the '60s all the time. The Purple Onion? The Mynah Bird? He was there, checking out bands and drinking two dollar coffees (unheard of, at the time).

Holy shit! My dad is so cool!

Arguably, Toronto's music scene is thriving these days. But I seriously doubt that my unborn children will say to me, "Hey, you used to hang out at the Horseshoe and the 360 (R.I.P.) and the Rivoli in the '90s and '00s? Holy shit! You are so cool!"

In conclusion, the 1960s were better in pretty much every way.

Also: I kind of want to be a young Sylvia Fricker. (Ian Tyson was a babe.)



(Now playing: "Where Money Rules Everything", The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band)

I'm an Adult Now

Today was my first day of school work.

It was fun and it was good.

I like my co-workers.

They are nice.

I listened to Morrissey on iTunes. I like Morrissey. He is nice.

I have a story for you!

Me and sandwich in cafeteria: (Eat eat eat.)

Cool girl: Hey, new girl! Wanna come have lunch with us?

Me: YAAAY!!!

Here is a picture of us holding hands and being happy.



(The sun is there too but he is sleeping.)

I love school work!

(Now playing: "Sunshine Lane", Jersey Thursday)

Bring Him On In

After a Dinner Where My Parents Meet My New Boyfriend, Dallas Good, for the First Time

Me: Okay! So? What do you think?
Mom: Ummm....
Dad: Uhhh....
Me: Come on! You can be honest. Tell me!
Mom: Well...the way he dangles that cigarette so effortlessly from his lower lip like that. I mean...that's talent, isn't it?
Me: So you like him?
Dad: Honey - he looks like a corpse.
Me: I know! Isn't that hot?

After a Dinner Where My Parents Meet My New Boyfriend, Jon Spencer, for the First Time

Me: Okay! So? What do you think?
Mom: Ummm....
Dad: Uhhh....
Me: Come on! You can be honest. Tell me!
Mom: Well...the way every vein and tendon and artery in his neck stands out in that freaky way of his is...very...special.
Me: So you like him?
Dad: Honey - he's the grossest, sweatiest man of all time, his pompadour is out of control, and I think he plucked that cheap-looking polyester leisure suit out of the trash.
Me: I know! Isn't that hot?

My weekend in Montreal was good, if crazy busy. Many apologies to the friends I didn't get to see, but I was too busy packing/moving/saying good-bye to my lovely apartment/SWEATING.

The Sadies/Heavy Trash show last night was a definite highlight (however, Dallas Good smooched a cute microbanged girl in an Elevator tee post-show and Mr. Jon Spencer sports a gold band on his left hand. Booooo! Hisssss!).

Oh. I convocated from Concordia this weekend, too. Whatever.

(Now playing: "Outside Chance", The Turtles)

I Hope this Doesn't Come Across as Pathetic or Anything

But sometimes I think that fun, adoring, platonic boy friends are the best boyfriends in the whole wide world.

I love these two a lot and a lot.

(Now playing: "Bracelets of Fingers", The Pretty Things)

I'm With The Band

Objects in photo are hotter than they appear.

(L-R: Chart's Angels Caitlin Hotchkiss, Chrissy Estima, and your ever-faithful blogger. In 3000 degree heat, no less.)

Last night's NxNE kick-off/Chart anniversary party felt a lot like highschool (had highschool been held in a church with free food and alcohol). In the bathroom, girls tittered about boys they wanted to make out with. ("He's so hot!" "I KNOW!") Boys gave girls the look with all of the pluck reserved for teenagers who don't yet know that shameless leering is wrong. ("Hey there. What do YOU do?") Excessive hugging. Catty glares. Schmoozing. Schmooches. Boys danced with groups of boys and girls danced with groups of girls. Longing glances were cast.

Yes, people at industry parties apparently have the collective mentality of 17-year-olds. And I was no exception. Especially since I was in full-on hey-let's-look-for-Canadian-celebrities mode! I was certainly not disappointed to that end.

B-list Canadian (mostly) celebs spotted:

• Moe Berg
• Zach Werner (surrounded by a bevy of jailbait at all times)
  
• Theresa Sokyrka
• Members of Moist, The Meligrove Band, The Salingers, The Salteens, The Exchanges, White Cowbell Oklahoma, The Sundogs (hello Irish accent!) and many more
• Various music scribes, but that's more exciting to me than to you

Happy birthday, Chart! Thanks for the lootbag! Sign my yearbook later, k?

(Now playing: "Nothin'", The Ugly Ducklings)

Back to the Old House

The other day, my brother and I were watching that Simpsons episode where Lisa gets mistaken for a college student.

"I miss university!" I mused aloud.

I realized last night, however, that my experiences of higher education were a far cry from espresso, berets and Robert Pinsky. In fact, last night's Queen's Players Toronto show (for the uninitiated, Players is a really low-brow musical comedy based on pop culture that has become a much-loved tradition) basically summarized my time at Queen's:

• irresponsible binge drinking consistently met with rabid approval
• laughter
  
• Hawaiian shirts as far as the eye can see
  
• sticky floors
• vague irritation brought on by skanky tube-topped girls and obnoxious frat boys
  
• music
• holy shit! so many white people!
  
• just a dash of sexual frustration
• dancing (but only after giving my liver a thorough soaking)

That pretty much encapsulates my university experience. It was fun to re-live it for a night. Especially since I didn't have to worry about writing an essay or something the following day.

Post-Players, we went to Lee's to see Matt Mays play. A couple of friends have a bit of a sex thing for Mr. Mays (one says he + El Torpedo = our generation's Neil Young/Crazy Horse and the other has dubbed him the Canadian Tom Petty), but after looking at a couple of photographs, I didn't so much understand the appeal. Until I saw him live.

He was all kinds of shaggy and sweaty (yes, this is hot). He would also spit onstage and snarl a la THE DIRTY DIRTY SEXADIES and he has the most heart-stopping smile (as one particular individual will attest). At one point, the man was just ripping into his guitar and showing off his gleaming teeth. I had to chomp into my fist to take the edge off...and very nearly broke the skin. Yes, I almost drew blood out of pure animal lust for Matt Mays. (It's been a while since I've drawn actual blood for someone. I believe it was at a long-ago Queen's Players show, appropriately enough.)

In other, non-music-related news, I've been feeling prettty great lately. I got some much-needed closure on an emotional issue. It'd been nagging at me for close to six months so I feel sort of...unshackled. Plus, it's lovely outside, I have a tan, I can feel my body getting stronger with all of the exercise I've been doing and I will be starting a cool grown-up job in a couple of weeks.

Life is good, babies.

Over and out.

(Now playing: "Wash in the Rain", The Bees)

Pick Up the Pieces

I am putting this city together like a puzzle.

(Now playing: "At Home He's a Tourist", Gang of Four [Peel Sessions])