Without a Yard

Another post, another excuse for poor posting practises. This week’s been very packed with weeknight gigs (except tonight) & visiting buds & random escapades….& work, of course. I’ve spent more & more time at the Smiling Buddah (linked last post) & it is definitely growing on me….Too soon to tell if it will replace the Brass Taps as fav local, but I wouldn’t rule it out.

Speaking of getting ruled out, I stopped watching RockStar SuperNova for a couple of weeks & my homegirl, Patrice Pike, gets voted off?? I can’t say that I didn’t see it coming, but I felt equal parts guilt & relief that I’d missed the clutch-cargo episodes for her survival - not contributing & not witnessing the probable painful cast-away vote-adge takes me off the hook, sort of. I know that she’ll land on her feet & still be the sassy career woman of Austin femme-rock for years to come, I just hope that the show didn’t do more harm than good - tough to do a cost-benefit analysis of ‘exposure’ vs. reality-tv-stigmadom/infamy.

Onward & upward on musical notes, I have been doubly blessed by buds looking out for my late-adopting, late-purchasing ass - kudos to Josh for scooping a late-show ticket for Monday’s Cat Power show. Seeing Chan with the grown-ups should be good - I’m nervous to see her immediately after an early-evening gig, but then again, I’m always nervous to see her live….that’s part of the mystique, I guess.

Cat Power was especially gracious the last time I saw her at an even earlier show, during the unforgiving & hot-as-hell Austin City Limits Festival in the 100 degree zero-shade expanse of Zilker Park. There was little-to-no banter, but she apologized at the end, which broke my heart because her performance and voice were nothing if not flawless. I have only cried at three concerts in my life - Rufus (of course), Elvis (balladry + beers) & Cat Power. So let’s see if the waterworks sprout out again….{& I almost cried at Shonen Knife, but for different reasons, it’s certainly not maudlin music - it was for nostalgia & disbelief & time & place…}

The second amazing hookup is for the Nouvelle Vague gig in a couple of weeks….thanks again & again to MC, a bud that I haven’t had a chance to see all summer. I’m very much looking forward to grooving to some reinterpreted hardcore songs & stamping attendees’ body parts in return.

This weekend’s highlight will be the convergence of many different posses (tho nothing can top the reunion of Dorothy & Tamalam on the weekend - priceless…we need to plan an Ottawa roadtrip ASAP…& what’s with the karmic balance of getting two buds back from the UK & finding out that one is pining/interviewing/scheming to work with the Brits? Sheesh.) at the OhBijou CD Release Party. Please do come. Despite the fact that it’s at the Drake, it’s downstairs, which doesn’t technically count as the Drake. Good times will be had, beverages downed, catching up caught, etc, etc. They’re playing with one of my favourite atmospheric trippy original bands from Ottawa, the Acorn, as well as the Phonemes, DJs Irish Heat and Great White Hype, with projections by Winston Hacking. Stop buying $4 lattes today & you will have enough $$$ to support the band & grab a CD, too - wastrels.

September’s shaping up to be an incredible month for shows, & it’s my favourite month for many reasons - new beginnings, Virgo b-days (shout out to Joel!) & bearable weather. Here are some post-CatPower highlights, let me know what interests you & I will NOT do what I did in August & sit idly by while the tickets get snatched up:

Sept 6th - An Albatross @ Sneaky Dee’s (only $6) (Amazing concert photog here)
Sept 9th - The Sadies Live CD Release Party @ The Horseshoe
Sept 11th - French Kicks (better play ‘wrong side’) @ Lee’s
Sept 12th - Magnolia Electric Co. (did I mention that Jason Molina gave me a pair of eagplugs?? Only about 1000 times, I know…)
Sept 14th - Nouvelle Vague @ Mod Club
Sept 19th - Mountain Goats @ Lee’s
Sept 22nd - Holy Fuck w/ Shout Out Out Out Out @ Mod Club
Sept 28th - The Islands (but is J’aime in the band??) @ The Opera House (all ages, tho)

Anyway, enough computer-ing.

peace
meegs

The Last Schmaltz’s musical romp completely lived up to its The Band namesake. Between the kickass covers by amazingly gifted guests, to the twee-glee inducing guest performances - Saturday’s three hour+ concert proved that The Bicycles could kick out the jams without Scorsese’s help.

Again, I swooned over Laura Barrett’s haunting opening set; her timorous voice never loses its charm - Robot Ponies are on the top of my Xmas list indefinitely (a few pics snapped here & there on the trusty Flickr site – still haven’t mastered concert photography so please be patient). Tho I was mesmerized by Gentleman Reg’s clapperiffic guest spot - I had to jet after logging three hours in the Tranzac among old & new buds…

Former housie Ozzy beckoned further down the Annex drag & I couldn’t resist getting theMarina perspective on OP happenings after lunching with my favourite coworker ladies earlier in the week. & Oz didn’t disappoint – bring on the drama-mamas & Desperate Housewifey boaters – since Robyn & I are too old & far-removed from this world, we need to live vicariously through your escapades, bud – so take down a cougar for the team already.

Speaking of former housemates, on my way home (from my first day of work – which went by at an insane pace & is as encouraging as nervous first days can go) I caught up with ex-ally in landlord hate-ons & Brutal Knights vixen – She updated me on their September 9th gig (at location TBA so keep checking the BK website for listings)…& I had to decline because the second of two The Sadies psychedelic pop country-tinged bliss rock CD Release concerts was already written in excited chicken scratched letters & assorted stars. I just bought those tix for Martin & I a couple of days back & would’ve opted for Friday had I known of the conflict – bittersweet bygones, once again I vow to catch BK next-next time. Argh.

Double Argh to the fact that I might’ve been able to volunteer my way to the Virgin Fest for gratis – on the same day/night as The Sadies gig. I know that once I’m experiencing the double-good Good brothers’ set that the Toronto Island clusterfritter & all-ages shove-fest will be far from my mind…but it’s bittersweet for now…

Peace
Meegs

So, um, I start work on the 21st. Yeah. A lot has changed since the last post – most noticeable is livin’ la vida stag(ette?) for the next month & a half. The Beau took off (just in time for those ever-so-lenient airline regs) last night for his UK tour of duty. Tho he professes to have an all archive – no dawdling policy….I’m doubting that he can resist the London sights & sounds & shops (well, this won’t be hard for him) & tastes for long. All work & no play makes a dull academic. Terrifyingly enough, I am in charge of his banking while he’s gone – you know all that relationship-babble about trust & sharing…when you actually see someone sign over their signing privileges to you – wow, that’s a whole different level of coupledom…lounging in an aquamarine Adidas tracksuit was the furthest I’d gone in letting my guard down with a partner…This makes me realize that I have quite a way to go….

The summer theme of catching up & reunions & out-of-woodwork moments continues. I can’t believe that one of the (very) few cool, well-adjusted, smart & sassy ladies that graduated from my HS tracked me down on MySpace – I was beginning to give up on that nightmarish scene…too many unsolicited & creepy messages & sensory overload with crappy flash sites…But turns out that it was all worth it & it’s still working well at keeping me in touch with Peg in New Mexico, who I’m rooting for in the next couple of weeks – now that Duke City’s over she’s looking at other fests & fundraisers…don’t forget your Canuck connections, woman!

So I should probably write about the job sooner or later…but I’m not quite ready. People who really know me know what I’ve been agonizing over the decision & what I’ve been rooting for. I had the classic Simpsons dueling dialogues chanting “Lisa needs braces” vs. “Dental Plan” in my brain (not surprisingly, already claimed as a domain name here!) after working in mini-contracts for the past two years…I just couldn’t bring myself to sign on with another organization without any health/dental/travel/etc insurance or perks. I desperately wanted a real grown-up salary & real benefits to keep me afloat for the next stretch, indie cred be damned.

Also since the last post, I have been seeing a few good shows here & there (Some random recent pics & more Japan photos are on the Flickr Site…now!) Tho if someone tells you that a band is popular in Thailand – or any Asian country that is NOT Japan…beware) - the past couple of weekends’ve been a blur - lots of b-day parties & going away shindigs…But the rest of the month’s looking very bright on the gig list scene (& I was told that Cat Power’s coming thru the city in early September..wha wha?) – Who’s down for:

ANDRE ETHIER CD release. Silver Dollar. $10. Aug 17.

THE BICYCLES CD release w/ friends. Tranzac. $7. Aug 19.

THE DEADLY SNAKES Horseshoe. $18. Aug 25.

FRONTIER INDEX w/ Sweet Thing. Silver Dollar. $6. Aug 26.

THE CREEPING NOBODIES w/ Athletic Automation, The White Mice, more. Tranzac. $8. Aug 30. Early show: 7pm.

It’s been almost a week, I know. Here goes excuse #437 for absentee blog-hostery: Rogers Internet failed me & Roof-fixin’ Bubbas managed to exacerbate the already poor internet access in the apartment. I spent one unpleasant afternoon doing job-hunt-related e-mails in the internet ‘cafe’ downstairs & vowed never again.

So the long weekend was longer than expected - Not like Lennon’s lost weekend or anything, but it was spicier than any previous emptied-out-city 3-day’er. It was great to have Nikki’s Chris here from LA for the weekend - we caught some decent shows (Gentleman Reg’s video release party with surprisingly kickass comedy openers & this mega-charismatic & ambitious young band called the D’Urbervilles) - but I think that the stuff that I’m listening to/supporting is a bit too rough around the edges for some of the more polished acts Chris’d be interested in checking out (could’ve done Wolf Parade, but my Phoenix contacts were for naught…the gig sold out months in advance superquick)

…but I digress, I took him to the Toronto fauxhemian ‘hipster’ hangout, Drake hotel/underground/cafe & my fav bar/indie rock out/blues standard, the Silver Dollar Room. He & the beau got along like gangbusters swapping stories about MTL & old session musicians & franco-celeb singers….

Phase Two of the job-hunt is waddling along: 2nd interviews, new introductions and application deadline-watching - oh my! If all goes well, I will be gainfully employed somewhere, anywhere within the next couple of weeks - rounds of 50s’re are on me…for once…The worst part is the not knowing - the ‘hang in there’s & ‘it’ll all work out’s - I’m used to saying that crap to people when I find out they have to move to Ottawa, they’re not supposed to say it to me with patronizing & pitying looks. Sheesh.

After talking to Nikki & hearing about what’s going on in ATX, it makes me want to reinvestigate school plans & in a couple of years to help artists/labels/songwriters navigate legal b.s. But I am so not ready to go back to school for another couple of years - I need to improve my standard of living & set aside some cash & make contacts, etc, etc, etc. I feel like this year has been a good stalling year in that I didn’t commit to a real job, I made okay money & I met a ton of people that genuinely look out for me as mentors. But that can only take me so far. I don’t know how much longer I can leverage the ‘intern’ label & benefit from people’s goodwill, you know?

Enough about me! ugh. I depress & embarrass myself - I’ve been moaning & groaning about the job prospects - I over think it & worry that I won’t agree with what an employer stands for & how what I do for a living reflects my beliefs…& I go through all these different classifications & evaluations of what ’selling out’ really is - a regular Holden Caulfield summer vacation.

I’ve been getting a ton of great news from around the world - Roberto might be off to the Deutschland to be a techie…after he aces his PMP exams; Toshi has perfected his lip synching & dance-routining chops; Peg’s won over all of New Mexico with her organizational prowess at the Duke City Shootout Film Fest; Tam’s settling into the Great White Norf lifestyle & managing Eastenders withdrawal; Jax is counting down to another Bolivia ‘heal the world’ mission; the Beau shacks up with LSE students in a week; Karim hunted down Beantown lodgings; Martin played the Horseshoe (?!) while I was drinking Drake juice…..the list goes on & oan.

Enough swivelchair philosophizing…I should start researching more jobs so I have some faux-insightful interview sound bites…the job search has officially turned me into a robot.

Peace
meegs

p.s.: This Thursday (tomorrow, dur) at the Rivoli, Mike Evin’s performing in a show that flips the stage into the middle of the joint in a radio-show-style format…DAVID CELIA BAND (9 pm); CRESCENT & FROST (10 pm); MIKE EVIN (11 pm); ALANA KURTIS (midnight). $7 at the door.