The Winnipeg music scene

It's no secret that I love local music.

Here are just a few of the bands that I will drop everything to go see (and about whom my mom has frequently said "Didn't you just see them?") :

TELE: This band's live show will floor you. If it doesn't, then your ears might be broken. The first time I saw them play was when I walked in halfway through their JunoFest set at the Pyramid waaaay back in 2005. Even squashed at the back of the room where I couldn't see anything, I was awed. I only heard two and a half songs, but it was enough for me to file away a note-to-self to check these guys out again ASAP. Matt Worobec is one of the best singers I've ever heard. TELE is currently hard at work on their next album, so there aren't any upcoming shows, but I'm sure they will be making special appearances at Quinzmas or the JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday show.

Quinzy: Another fantastic live band, Quinzy writes catchy tunes that will make you dance or cry, and sometimes both. They just released their third EP, "Self-Defense", November 7. The gig was a "show-cial"; four acts opened with maybe ten minutes between them for tear-down and set-up (the "show" part) and there was a silent auction (the "social" part). Catch them next at the aforementioned Quinzmas, December 11 & 12 at the West End Cultural Centre.

JP Hoe: Always a good time, JP knows how to entertain a crowd. Whether it's bringing in Fred Penner to read the audience The True Story of Harry & the Hendersons, or throwing them a prom, it's impossible not to have fun. This year's JP Hoe Hoe Hoe Holiday show is going to be awesome.

Sons of York: These guys released their CD "Black and White Summer" November 13 to a crowd ready to dance and clap along with every song. SoY write catchy '60s-inspired ditties that are impossible not to enjoy.

Enjoy Your Pumas: I've only been able to catch these guys once, but they were very, very good. They just re-released their EP on Halloween. I'm sure they'll be announcing more shows soon.

Ray LaMontagne

I could listen to this man sing forever. He's one of those singers that were born for it, you know? "Jolene" is the first song of his that I ever heard, and it is still my favourite. This live version is perfect. Listen, enjoy, cry a little bit, and then go purchase the CD from your retailer of choice.

Fanfiction

To some, this will sound ridiculous, and that's OK. Sometimes, things ARE ridiculous. I remember the exact moment when I realized I loved to write: I was in grade two, and our assignment was to write the first-person perspective of a joey--that's right, a baby kangaroo. I remeber sitting there, staring at my blank paper thinking, "What would a baby kangaroo be thinking about?" For some reason, my answer to this question was, "She'd be wishing she could watch Star Trek instead of doing her homework." Because kangaroos watch Star Trek and get homework.

This new love grew into a stack of half-finished ideas including, but not limited to: Batman meeting the Power Rangers; a couch that ate people; Mulder and Scully capturing Han Solo; and a few short stories about dragons that ultimately defeated the knights in shining armour.

When I was in high school, I used to get really bored in class. I would feign paying attention and writing notes, but in reality I was working on what my grade 10 teacher always referred to as my "Great Canadian Novel" (clearly, he was wise to my act). I never told him, but what I was working on wasn't very Canadian at all. My subject of choice then was usually Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I discovered FanFiction.Net in grade 11. It was a place for average people like me to post my stories and receive feedback from my readers. It was awesome! However, when I started university, my free time and desire to write were crushed by the mountains of essays that came up.

Over this past summer, I rekindled my relationship with my FF.Net profile. I started a Criminal Minds/Supernatural crossover story, which I have recently begun to edit and re-post. I can't lie; it's easier to stay on track when you have 57 strangers telling you they love your story.

So, why fanfic, you may wonder? Well, the answer is simple, actually. It's a lot of fun to play with other people's toys! Tired of the sexual tension between Morgan and Garcia? Fix it! Don't like that your favourite character died? Bring him back to life! Want to read more about your favourite villain? Go for it!

Intrigued? I hope so. Check it out for yourself, and see if you don't get hooked!

(Nathan Fillion photo courtesy of the World Wide Web.)

My life would suck without loud bands in dark rooms

A couple of weeks ago my mom asked me why I like to go to concerts. After of moment of silence as I pondered whether she had really just asked me such a silly question, I attempted to answer her.

This is what I said:

"Well, Mom, I like going to concerts because I love watching bands play their songs. It's like a confirmation that there are real people creating these sounds that regularly flow from my speakers or headphones. It's also important to me to make sure that the lead singer can actually sing. There's nothing more embarrassing than proclaiming a band to be "awesome," only to discover that the dude or dudette behind the mic wails like a bag of mentally disturbed cats."

My mom was not satisfied with this response. She went on to point out how much money I was spending, when I should be saving it for school, bills, gas, etc. "What's so great about having your ears blasted by too-loud noise?" she asked.

"That's why I where earplugs, Mom," I replied. "Besides, asking me why I like going to concerts is like me asking you why you watch movies. It's because you like to be entertained. Well, concerts are my entertainment. When I'm stressed out, I go to a gig. When you're stressed out, you watch 'Jaws'."

She finally sighed and said she still didn't get it. Oh well.

On the schedule:
Nov. 3 - Library Voices and Paper Lions @ Lo Pub
Nov. 4 - The Pack A.D. and Sit Down Tracy @ The Royal Albert
Nov. 7 - Quinzy @ the Academy
Nov. 10 - Melissa McClelland @ the West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 12 - Arkells with The Novaks @ the Pyramid
Nov. 13 - Sons of York @ the Park Theatre
Nov. 14 - Amelia Curran @ the West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 15 - Stone Temple Pilots @ the MTS Centre
Nov. 18 - The Trews @ the West End Cultural Centre
Nov. 21 - Matthew Good @ the Burton Cummings Theatre

Where's the spirit of the season?

So, it's Halloween, the day of the year that I look forward to more than Christmas. That's right, I said Christmas! I spent my day at work (sadly), but when I left at 7:30, I had high hopes of seeing many a haunted house and little ghoulie on my drive home. To my extreme disappointment, the only Jack-o-lantern I saw along Hespeler was a garbage bag full-o-leaves; I only saw a handful of little ghoulies; and there were more Christmas lights and dark houses than haunted ones. In the out-of-context words of Jack Skellington, "What's this?" Where were the hordes of giggly children chasing each other down the sidewalk? Where were the faux-cobwebbed trees and loud creepy noises? Doesn't anyone's dad dress up as Wolfman and run out from behind a tree to scare the snot out of all those little candy-seeking munchkins?

When did everyone get so jaded about Halloween???

Sure, you can blame H1N1 for this year's disappointing kiddie turnout, but really, it started a couple of years ago. Halloween Recession has been taking hold for awhile now. This, to me, is terrible. I still toss around the idea of putting on a costume and just roaming the streets in order to participate, but my drive home made me wonder if this holiday is heading for dinosaur territory...

(Photo courtesy of my friend Holly. She always has the best jack-o-lanterns!)

One episode, and already hooked!

So, it's Tuesday afternoon and I'm sitting in the Agency with some classmates. We're all working on various homework assignments, trying to get the jump on the workload that never seems to end--which I suppose technically means you can't get a jump on it because the pile never really disappears--REGARDLESS, one of my classmates declares that we need to take a break that requires music. Fabulous, I think to myself. I love this thing called music. But wait--what is this? It sounds like "Don't Stop Believing"...but it's not Journey...

This was my introduction to my new favourite TV show, "Glee". As the title of this post suggests, I've only seen one full episode, but thanks to my aforementioned classmates, I've heard every song on the soundtrack. That, and a lot of Miley Cyrus (but that's a different story...). All I really have to say about "Glee" is this: if you're not already watching this show, you'd better start; and I couldn't have thought of a better title myself. "Glee" is one hour of glee every wednesday night, right after Criminal Minds, which provides glee of the Matthew Gray Gubler-type. :D

I'm all for having fun, but...

Why is it that every time I go to a concert, I end up with the widest, tallest, drunkest guy in the bar standing in front of me?

I always go to concerts early, and stand at the front of the stage. I do this so that a) I'm not standing alone at the back of the bar and b) I have a prime spot when the headliner comes on and c) lots of times the opening act is pretty good. Such was the case last night when I went to Silverado's to see Bif Naked. I was standing there, with only one shorter girl in front of me, ready to rock out and let the stress of the past week melt away when SUDDENLY this massive man tried to push past me and squeeze to the front. First off, what are you doing, guy? If you wanted to stand at the front, where were you 15 minutes ago when there was no one else here? Secondly, where do you think you're going to go? We're all sandwiched as it is and you're HUGE. There's nowhere for you to go! And thirdly, no one else is going to see anything if you stand in the front. You take up the space of four people! Grr Argh.

The above scenario happens ot me pretty much every time I go to shows. It gets old pretty fast.

So, to all you tall and or large people, please be considerate of the short people who arrive early in order to see the concert, and not the backs of your heads. Or just your backs.