Torn Between Two Cities
Hey Dudes,
What’s shaking? My life is all topsy-turvy right now. Things are all up in the air at my office. Not getting along too well with one of my co-workers. Very emotionally stressful. Bawh (as my friend Craig Laskey would say). My life has also been a little chaotic due to all the traveling I’ve been doing lately. I’ve been to Toronto four times in the last 3 months. I feel like it’s my second home almost and maybe it will actually be some day. I’ve been so torn between the two cities (and they sure ain’t close!). The last trip to TO was amazing because I got to stay for about 9 days. I finally got to really spend sometime hanging out in the city. I went out w/ CBC to do a live RadioSonic broadcast from the Exclaim! Magazine hockey tournament where one lucky team can win the Exclaim! Cup. Teams in the tournament are made up of musicians and music industry types from all over Canada. Congrats to the Bovine Sex Club (Toronto) and the Eels (Hamilton) for winning this years cups. The festivities spread thru ’til the next weekend which was actually the Exclaim! 10th Anniversary party with a huge party at Lee’s Palace. Exclaim! Is Canada’s only monthly national free music paper and it’s atually cool. Ian Danzig the publisher and his wife Atsuko actually took me out for Korean food while I was in town. Ian thinks I’m such a freak because I always get this egg dish called Bi Bim Bop but without the egg. It’s really good that way though, I swear. www.exclaim.ca
The first nite I flew into Toronto some friends and I had started out drinking at the Horseshoe before making our way over to the Tequila Lounge (the new El Mocambo) for the Mooney Suzuki show. By the time we got there they had already hit the stage and sadly I missed the Carnations and Meligrove Band. Both I heard had good sets. The Mooney Suzuki though had an amazing set! I’d never seen this band before but they did indeed “rip it up”. There was classic jumping on speakers and amps posses, then hopping down into the crowd to mess around as they rocked out, and the drummer would even come out from behind his set and hold up a big plastic cobra to rile up the crowd. I was drunk so I was blown away but I think sober people would have been as well. After the show I met two girls (Michelle and Maggie), who were taking the Suzuki boys to some post show party. I wasn’t too interested at first. But after Sammy Suzuki demanded we all go to this party I went along. Dan Burke (booked the ElMo and now the Tequila) came along, as well as Craig Laskey booker of the Horseshoe, Damir a DJ at Mod Club, the entire Mooney Suzuki and their booking agent, as well as a few other friends and tag-alongs (me being the biggest one). There was beer, Jaggermeister, gin, vodka, and more flowing at this party. It was drunken 
debauchery with people making out and long distance phone calls. Good times.
The second nite I was super super hung over but still made it out to the Saturday nite Mod Club at Revival. I’ve talked about this club before because I always go. I go so much they finally gave me a gold card. The Saturday nite’s rather lame but my good friend Damir DJs downstairs in the “Cavern” so I went to hang out for a bit. The Wednesday nite one is the best. It’s free and all these hilarious mods go. Mark and Bobbi who run the nite are hilarious themselves. Both ex-pats from England they have held on to their accents for a long time. This visit I
actually got to meet some guy who goes by the name “the Mod Father” says he supposedly started the whole Toronto mod scene. He was wearing a Versace suit. Is that mod? Maybe I should ask the mod grrrl on this page but I doubt it. I got completely loaded I think I might have stuck my tongue into some boys’ mouths. But that’s just between me and you, ok? www.themodclub.com
I checked out some newer nites in Toronto during my stay as well. One was a brand spanking new monthly rock’n’roll nite at the OPM Den called Roxton Road. The OPM Den is a little club in China town run by this crazy lady who gave us all free shots and told me I should call her next time I’m in town. They have a tiny little stage but it’s a super cool little spot. I’d recommend all touring bands to play there. Build up the China town scene! Woo. I attended another ongoing monthly nite called Popscene which is the first Friday of every month at the Manhattan Club. As their flyers say they “play good shit”. Everything from Britney Spears to the White Stripes to Ladytron to James Brown and beyond but somehow it is one of the coolest club nites I’ve ever been too. Maybe because of how bizarre the bar is. The actual bar only came up to 
below my crotch and you have to bend over and look waaay down at the bartender to order a drink. Very odd. They also had a plate of strawberries that the girls running the place were nibbling on which they generously shared with me and every else. I got loaded again.
I also saw a whack of shows while I was in Toronto. Liverpool’s Clinic were wearing their surgical masks at Lee’s Palace on Sunday nite. I’d heard their latest record and liked it but the live show was way better. I think their songs were sped up or something because it was way more upbeat. A lot of bands do that when they play live. People get excited and play the songs faster but it was really good. I also saw Toronto’s Do Make Say Think at Lee’s on the Thursday but I have to say they really aren’t my thing. Post rock, noisey, drawn out, emo, whatever songs… I’m not into it. I saw Dressy Bessy twice but seemed to miss them both times. My friend Scott and I drove down to Hamilton to see them and I was really excited about the opening band The Deathray Davies I spent Dressy Bessy’s whole set talking to them about Texas
(they’re from Dallas). I think I want to visit Texas. I’ve never been there.
Anyway, I’m back in Vancouver now for a bit. It’s sunny and warm right here but we’ll see how long that lasts! Werd nerds… xoxMar
Shows coming up in Vancouver…
April 19 – Boss Martians and The Gay @ The Waldorf Hotel (part of a 60s nite put on by www.rumbletone.com)
April 19 – Les Savy Fav + Hot Hot Heat @ Piccadilly Pub
April 27 – Exclaim! Party in Vancouver @ Sonar w/ Buck 65 and the Anti Pop Consortium
April 27 – Reserve 34’s last show! @ Video Inn w/ Blue Monday and the Red Light Sting
May 2 – French Lounge Pop @ Purple Onion w/ Coal and others
May 3 – Nasty On @ Piccadilly Pub
May 8 – Sloan @ Gm Place
May 8 – Ladytron @ Top of the Pops in SEATTLE/$10
May 8-12 – New Music West Festival
May 11 – the Gruesomes @ the Cobalt
June 1 – The Hives@ TBA
And Toronto…
April 19 – Forgotten Rebels @ Lee’s Palace
April 20 – Joel Plaskett @ Lee’s Palace
April 21 – Atom & His Package @ Horseshoe Tavern
April 24 – Les Sexareenos @ Tequila Lounge
May 31 – The Dictators @ Horseshoe Tavern
June 8 – The Hives, Pattern, and Mooney Suzuki @Opera House
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