Rockness

I've been listening to Bike for Three! pretty much non stop since I bought the CD last week. It's just so awesomely amazing. I've also been listening to Camera Obscura. Nothing really interesting happened in the past week.

The show went well tonight. Didn't get to play everything on my list, but that's a good thing, because I can play it next week, or the week after. The playlists are being posted at onlycowardssingatnight.blogspot.com.

Went and seen Flash Lightnin' and Eagles of Death Metal after the show. It was awesome Flash Lightnin' rocks, and I want to listen to them more. Eagles of Death Metal were stellar! They opened up with Cherry Cola. I can't exactly remember what the last song was. They played my personal favourites for the most part. But I like so many of their songs. I was so stoked they did Whorehoppin'. I was pleasantly surprised that they played my favourite song, Now I'm A Fool. It strikes me as a more mellow tune. I was so happy they performed it. Jesse started off the encore with Takin' Care of Business. They did a few covers in the encore. I hope they make it back here again.

Last night, had a bit of a break in the writers block, and wrote a few things last night. I haven't read them over, but am glad I was able to write, and I'm sure it's at least half decent.

Hopefully I was able to make some one's night. I had an extra ticket, and couldn't find anyone to come with me to E.O.D.M. When I got to the venue I asked if they were selling tickets, and it was sold out, well they had only 1 ticket left. So I told them if someone was looking for a ticket to give them mine. Hopefully someone went there and was able to get it for free.

That was my good deed for the week. Not that I have a good deed quota.

Sweet

I just got back from seeing No Doubt, it was off the hook!! Bedouin Soundclash was the first opener and they put on a really good set, the reggaeness of it, brought me back to yesterday and Reggae Fest. Paramore went on next, they did well, I'm not a fan of theirs really. I haven't really heard a song by them, so it's not that I'm not a fan, I just really haven't heard of them, other than they had a song or two on the Twilight soundtrack, which I also haven't watched.

No Doubt was kick ass. They opened up with Spiderwebs, and ended off their encore with Sunday Morning, two of my favourite No Doubt songs. I listened to Jocelyn's advice and it worked remarkably well. Do not listen to the band you're going to see before you see them. I've been boycotting No Doubt on my iPod and my iTunes for the past month. But every song they played was awesome. If I had been listening to them, I would've been, like ugh, they didn't play this or that song.

I'm keeping up the advice for Eagles of Death Metal, so I removed them from my iPod, and if they start playing on my iTunes I pass it up. I'm so stoked for Eagles of Death Metal at the end of the month. So no listening to them, it's hard, but I think I'll be able to do it, that way when I go see them, it's all the more awesome.

On Friday I'm getting a super sweet tattoo, I'm really looking forward too it. Right now I'm obsessed with the Gaslight Anthem. They rock like hardcore!!!

So Yeah

I haven't updated in like a week. Me and Erin have reinstated the pen pal program. I'm ecstatic, I love writing letters. I'm in the process of writing her a long ass letter about nothing really at all.

Yesterday was Jocelyn's last show before she goes to Africa. She leaves tomorrow, I'll miss her while she's gone, but I'm sure she's going to have an awesome time traveling. Next week I take over the show. I'm working on a playlist, hopefully it's awesome and all comes together. We had her going away party on Saturday, it was a fun, drank an assload of rum.

Went to Rock on the Range earlier on Saturday. Really only went to see Rancid, didn't really pay attention to the other bands, even though I was there. Was just like meh, couldn't get into the music, but Rancid killed it! They were killer, so amazing. I just love them. They did almost the same setlist in Saskatoon, there was a few song changes. Still awesomeness all around.

Haven't been to much shows lately, I'm trying to think about what was the last show before Rock on the Range. I guess it was Wab, last week at the pyramid. Before that was Rancid in Saskatoon. I feel like I'm missing out. Last night was Andrew W.K. at The Albert. I was way to tired to go. I feel lame. There should be some awesome shows coming up. No Doubt in a few weeks, and I'm sure I can find something to go to before then.

Need to go finish writing that letter.

g.f.t.

Thursday was amazingly awesome. The Magnificent 7's put on a great show. I loved the dude totally rockin out and givin 'er on the mandolin. The Farrell Brothers were great. One of the brothers has this amazing white stand-up bass. Its the prettiest/most gorgeous thing EVER! It had incredible pinstripe detailing, and the cut out where the sound comes out, was red. It was great. I totally fell in love with that bass.

There was one unnecessary moment of the night, where I got to see a guys junk in front of the stage, and I believe his girlfriend (I'm hoping his girlfriend, and not some random girl) than tea bagged him. Of all the things I could've went my life without seeing, that's definitely up there. They were right in front of the stage and it was impossible not to look, it took all of my concentration to keep my eyes on the stage. It was much like watching a train wreck.

They disappeared shortly after their display, thankfully. It was then Subcity's time to come on and bring the house down. It was a sold out show, and was absolutely amazing. At some points the dance floor suddenly transformed into a mosh pit, but it was cool, someone stomped on my ankle, and it bruised and swole up a bit. Nothing I can't handle, and I just like complaining about small things. They were great, played some new stuff, played some great old stuff. I skanked/danced the whole time they were on. I love them, so freaking much.

Among the other good news I got Thursday, was my DVD The Last Boy Scout, had arrived at CD Plus, I was thankful for that. My mom also called me to wish me a happy belated birthday. During that conversation, I talked my way into a brand new laptop. I'm totally stoked. She's sending it to me this Friday. Now I'll be able to update this thing from home and not work.

I'm getting a mac book, the only thing that sucks about it, I won't really be able to game on it. However it'll do wonders for my recording. That's what I most want it for, so I can record, and also for when I take over the radio show in a few weeks, I'll be able to research music. I'm really excited.

My weekend was pretty uneventful. I started reading The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy on Tuesday, I finished reading it last night. I co-hosted Only Cowards Sing At Night, with Jocelyn last night. That was fun, I hadn't really been listening to music all week (reading and going to shows), so we mostly played her music, I believe I picked 3 or 4 songs to play.

This time next week, I shall be in Saskatoon, getting ready to see Rancid. Like oh my god!! I've been waiting years to see them, and I get to see them TWICE this month alone! We're heading off to Saskatoon on Sunday, and returning on Tuesday. The new Rancid CD comes out tomorrow, I should definitely pick that up before next week.

On another note, just so I don't forget the new CKY album came out a week or two ago, and they're coming to Winnipeg, June 22nd. I must go. I should buy my tickets sooner rather than later.

I'm just really looking forward to my new laptop, and the things that it'll bring me. It'll bring me awesome new music, let me create awesome (hopefully) new music. Just hopefully the new laptop will help inspire rather than inhibit me.

Huzzah!

Last night was fun. Grand Analog put on a good show, and I really dug what he played. Hip hop is so much fun to dance too, I almost forgot.

I got way too drunk, and was almost passing out on the patio, then I went inside the bathroom to get sick, then I was OK, and drank some water, then went back to drinking booze again. Haha.

I had a great time with Jocelyn, we just sat around and talked about various things for a few hours it seemed. It was awesome. We mostly talked about music, and disusing certain words. I totally would like to see Hawksley Workman again.

Tonight is Subcity Dwellers, that promises to be a good fun time. I hear more and more people I know are coming, so that should be awesomeness. Saturday TV on the Radio is playing at the Burt. I would really like to go see them. I only know one song by them, and it's really killer, and they seem like they would be amazing live.

There's just so many awesome shows coming up in the next little bit. I'm really excited and looking forward too them. My mom just called, she forgot to call me yesterday. She's getting me a laptop for my birthday. Huzzah!!!

There was a lady who approached us on the patio, last night, and asked me for a cigarette, she then told us this heart breaking story. I hope she's safe and is/was able to get where she needs to go. I can't remember her name (I was ridiculously drunk), I wish I could. I've experienced some of the things she was going through. I could understand where she was coming from, and I really wanted to help her. I just really hope and pray she made it to her destination safely.

24

Today I am now 24. Came to work, and am currently still at work. I think the plan for tonight is me and a friend are going to see Grand Analog and stick out like sore thumbs at a hip hop show. But it should be fun.

Monday we went to the grand re-opening of the West End Cultural Centre. It was awesome, Hawksley Workman was hilarious. He's an egomaniac (in the best possible use of the word), but incredibly entertaining. It was super cool, it was just him with his guitar and Mr. Lonely on piano. Very intimate, between songs, he would do what seemed to be a stand-up comedy routine. Like I said very entertaining. He has amazing vocal abilities. I would definitely go see him again. I could see how every show he does is a different experience from the last. The way he would strut across the stage was awesome and amazing.

Greg MacPherson was cool. I love his songwriting style, it's very storytellerish. I totally love song writers who tell stories with their lyrics and melodies. It was just him on stage with his guitar, he switched between an acoustic and two electrics. It was sort of empowering/inspiring to see him on stage just himself and his guitar. It's like you don't necessarily need a band, just you and your guitar, and that's it.

So that sort of got me into a songwriting mood. After the show, and started penning a country tune for a friend. I wrote my own lonesome country tune a week or so ago, and coincidentally my friend's life is like a soap opera. Based on her experiences over the past week and a bit, the song practically wrote itself. It's like the Simpsons when Homer writes Baby on Board, there was a moment when I was writing and was like "hey this song practically writes itself".

I need to practice guitar as I often say. But I can rarely get the focus I need, or the patience. I'm very easily distracted, at least with writing it's purging and getting everything out. But practicing guitar is a very different thing. I hate when I get an awesome lyric or line in my head and I'm driving, and it's just not possible for me to pull over to start writing, otherwise I'd be on the side of the highway for hours. When I finally get to my destination the line is now gone. It's such a peevish quality of mine.

But Grand Analog should be fun tonight, and should be a low key event. Tomorrow night is Subcity Dwellers, the Farrell Bros' and The Magnificent 7's. That also promises to be a good fun time.

Improvement

I did the radio show for the first time on my own on Sunday. It was scary and nerve racking. I needed to talk louder, and I blanked a few times. I totally forgot what I wanted to say at some moments. My music I had well prepared in advance. The music part of the show went off without a hitch. It was the talking part that did me in. Next time I won't wing it, I think I'll bring along notes with my play list that way I know what I want to touch on. As one of my friends said, at least it leaves room for improvement.

I'm always up for improvement. At least I got my first show out of the way, and that's good. I have plenty of room to improve, and hopefully I can learn to speak louder and be not so nervous on air. The "umms" really got to me. I'm super stoked though for taking over the show in the summer.

I'll really need a laptop or something. Some sort of internet that I can access whenever I choose. That's why a laptop would be my best option. Here's hoping someone is kind enough to buy me one, because god knows I'm not going to buy my own.

In exactly one week I turn 24. I'm unsure about how I feel about this event in my life. I don't really have any concrete plans for my birthday, but I've never really been one to have plans, or to celebrate, etc. For myself, I'm going back to a simpler time of being a vegetarian. That is my birthday present to myself.

Monday night me and a few friends are going to see Hawksley Workman open up the West End Cultural Centre. I'm totally excited and stoked. Next Wednesday Grand Analog is having a CD release party that happens to fall on the day of my birthday. Which is totally exciting. I'm half tempted to go, but part of me also wants to do nothing on my birthday. On the Thursday after Subcity Dwellers are also playing at the West End Cultural Centre. I got tickets for that, so I'm most definitely going to that.

A lot of dancing will be had next week. I'm totally looking forward to it. There's a band playing tomorrow night I really wanna check out, however I'm broke until Friday. This sucks. I knew over the weekend I wanted to save some money. But no I didn't, because I don't like to think ahead, and I was hoping the show was Saturday rather than Thursday.

I want to do something that I love. Something I can do with passion. Being a clerk is really getting to me. I do it to pay the bills, but I'd love to get paid to do something I love, like talk, be on the radio, playing music, and things like that. Hopefully over the summer the right person will be listening to my show. There's very little passion in my life right now. My passions are for music and writing. I'm having a difficult time focusing.

I was watching or listening to something the other day where it had such a "wow" moment for me. But I can't really remember what that was all about. It'll come back to me in time I'm sure, because it was such a wow moment. I just wish I could remember the concretes of that moment, and what it was all about.

So yeah

Easter with the family was good. Got back into the city Monday night. Sunday night I went and chilled with Travis. We watched Repo: The Genetic Opera. It was alright. I might watch it again, afterwards we watched 10 Things I Hate About You. I love that movie. Go teenage high school movies about love and what not. Monday when I got back into the city, didn't really do anything. Yesterday I worked a long ass shift, and today I'm at work again. At least it's a short week, and next week is a short week, as I have taken Monday off. I don't really have anything exciting going on for this week, or this weekend. I hope something comes up within the next few days. Actually on Saturday, my aunt's husband and I are going to the WAG and going to check out the Marilyn Monroe exhibit. We shall see how that goes. He also mentioned doing something else. That seems to be primarily a day thing. I have nothing going on for the evenings. Next week seems to be shaping up well. Monday go chill with a few friends at the legislative building. Wednesday go see this awesome dance/eletronica band from Edmonton.

Oh my god, my coworker just informed me of this awesome Hip Hop festival. Rock The Bells, it's going down this summer in Vancouver and Toronto. I'm totally down. Road trip out to Vancouver this summer is so in order!! I'm so stoked. There's no dates, venues, prices for tickets on their website as of yet. But I am so ready to go regardless. The line up is fucking awesome!! Nas & Damien Marley, The Roots, Common, and much more!! Man I'm totally excited and pumped.

Weekend Over

This past weekend was pretty awesome. Friday I worked until 9:30 then I went home and chilled for the night. It was nice and relaxing. Saturday was off the hook. I got nice and buzzed before leaving home. Went and seen Propagandhi at the Garrick. They put on an awesome show, although I still maintain some of the band members are complete douche bags in real life. But the show was good fun times. It was over by 11:30. Then we headed on over to the Albert to check out The Real McKenzies. Now that was a fucking awesome show. It was good fun punk times with bagpipes all around. Do not, I repeat, do not go into a mosh pit with a relatively fresh tattoo. My newest tattoo on my forearm was all scabby, lets just say by the end of the Real McKenzies, most of the scabs had vanished (were ripped off) from my arm. It wasn't the most pleasant experience. Let's hope that it'll still heal awesome and I won't have to redo it. Although I have already been contemplating fancying up my newest addition. I did buy the new Propagandhi album Supporting Caste. I feel like a bit of a tool for supporting them, but their music is awesome, and I am enjoying their Cd. So much so, in fact there's this song about cannibalism on the album, and they're vegans. So now I kind of feel I should go back to being a vegetarian. I'm not entirely convinced though, but everything is telling me to stop eating meat again. Especially after hearing that song. Mmmm Tim Hortons sausage breakfast sandwich! Haha. Yeah I'm pure evil and a hypocrite but whatever, at least I can admit it. I need to procure a few more leather goods before making the change to vegetarianism. After all I wouldn't want to be a hypocrite and buy leather wears while being a vegetarian, however all animal products purchased while being a meat eater is fair game to wear while being a vegetarian. But yes the Real McKenzies put on an awesome show. It was good fun times in the mosh pit. I just realised the next day that I seen the lead singer's package. They wear kilts on stage, and one of the last few songs he decided to moon the audience and Scots don't wear anything under their kilts. So when he bent over I seen the whole kit and caboodle. I totally repressed it in my memory when a conversation came back to me the next day, and this guy was like "at least you got to see his penis", then the whole flashing thing came back to me. Me and my friend pretty much ended up closing The Albert down, we were like the last few people in their. I also bought a Real McKenzies Cd. At the merch table one of the dudes from the band was selling their merch, so I drunkenly asked him, if I was to own one Real McKenzies Cd which one should it be. So he handed me their latest one Off The Leash. I'm very pleased with my purchase. It's a totally awesome Cd, there's this one awesome drinking song on it. It's just filled with bag piped goodness. On another awesome Cd note. I'm totally enjoying the new Franz Ferdinand Cd - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand. It's just good dancy fun times. If you're just looking for a Cd to be like whatever, I feel like dancing, and having a good time. The new Franz is definitely the way to go.