The Way it Was and Should Have Been: August 2005

REOPEN. YOU SHUT IT ALL DOWN TOO SOON.

The same as I can't remember when I first opened up my mind to music outside of the radio waves I can't recall when I started to close the door again.

I hadn't given Sufjan Stevens a chance because of his name and because I foolishly listened to reviewers that compared him to folk music. As with all good music you can not classify him. He simply makes beautiful music.

Do yourself a favour and check out Illinois.

"The spirit is here and the spirit is fine." Jacksonville - Sufjan Stevens, Illinois

THE BARON SAW AN APPARENT APPARITION

The Baron believes he happened across the Berthwhistle in T-Dot. If only for a moment.

WHAT WERE YOU DOING IN 1995?

Plumtree, 1994 (w/ Nina Martin, 3rd from left, on bass)

Plumtree, 1997 (with Catriona Sturton, 3rd from left, on bass)

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It's been 10 years since Plumtree dropped their first full-length, Mass Teen Fainting, on us. That is wild.

Everyone today is talking about how Broken Social Seen and The New Pornographers are an amazing sound as if it's brand new. Not that there's anything wrong praising either band, they're both great, no doubt.

But, ten years ago Carla Gillis, Amanda Braden, and Lynette Gillis were making some of the best power pop music you will ever hear. Lynette was the most creative drummer around and Carla and Amanda's guitars and voices played over each other perfectly. This was when they were in their mid-teens even.

Anyways, long story told extremely short, they released two more full lengths (both with Catriona Sturton on bass) over the next few years: Predicts The Future (1997) and This Day Won't Last At All (2000). Then they disbanded. They never really did get the recognition they deserved.

I saw them at The Starfish Room at least once. I remember 1997 with Cathleen. I couldn't believe they were opening for The Weakerthans. Now I admit I've never given The Weakerthans a chance and it's because of that night. They weren't known at all and Plumtree had a decent following, but because the promoter was closer to the Manitoba band the Halifax band, Plumtree, had to open (so I heard from an inside source). In any case, it was the first and only time I've ever seen an opening band made to play an encore. Good stuff that night.

Nowadays Lynette and Carla play with Geoff Miller in a Vancouver-based band called Bontempi. I haven't listened to them yet but they play around town often.

DRINKING OUT IN VANCOVUER ALERT!!! ALERT!!!

After a good time checking out the Rodin exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery yesterday with Tanja and Jesse I went to meet Cody for some drinks. Mofo's heading out to Montreal for school; lucky bastard. Ahhh, to be young and full of whatever it is you have when you're that age. All right, I'm getting off topic.

We'd decided to meet at The Loose Moose. I got there about 41 minutes early at 7:19. I ordered a bottle of Vitamin Kokanee, downed it in a about two or three minutes and ordered another one. Then I ordered a plate of fries. The fries came, I had a few and finished my second beer. Then I ordered a third beer.

I was asked if my friend would be eating when he got there. I said I don't know. The waitress said she couldn't give me another beer unless I ordered a meal. What the fuck!?! Fuck you, get me a fucking beer. Actually, I didn't say that and I eventually convinced her to get me another beer because I said he'll get a meal when he comes.

So, Cody gets there and is about ready to order a meal but I still can't get another beer because I guess I have to get the meal. Yeah, right. So, we left, and I paid the smallest tip I've ever paid; I really shouldn't have tipped.

So, the long and the short of it is that I will never go back to the Loose Moose again. I strongly urge all of you to not go there either. There's plenty of places that will happily serve you as many beers as you want. The waitress even tried pulling the "we don't have that kind of license" bullshit. You shouldn't even be open Loose Moose.

The good thing is that by not going there all you're missing out on is a few semi-hot tarts and a crowd that thinks they're listening to rock & roll but are actually listening to Audioslave.

FUCK THE LOOSE MOOSE FOREVER
Vive The Lennox (even if it is a bar full of tourists; everything is downtown)

SHIT'S GOING DOWN!

Friday night is the Lions taking on the Ti-Cats in the pathetic Dome. Nevertheless, go Leos! I love football. The CFL is more like the actual game of football. You don't have to put up with the arrogant fucks like Terrel Owens or asshole Americans in general. Real football rocks. Actually, the NFL would be perfect if they were just x's and o's on a board without the idiot personalities.

Also, there's another surprise on the way for all y'all motherfuckers out there.

Stay tuned and checked in. I am going to swiftly blow your socks off. If I was gay and you were willing I'd blow all you guys off too.

SO NOW WHAT?

So, Karla's been out a while now, she's commited no more child killings or rapes. Bin Laden's still free, Americans still kill each other on a daily basis with guns. Iraq is no longer under the rule of Hussein, more Iraqi's and foreigners on Iraq soil are dying per day than before.

What does all this tell you? Well, pretty much nothing other than things can be pretty fucked up.

I still don't get all the fuss about Homolka's release. Sure, I was as pissed off as anyone ten years ago when they gave the bitch only 12 years and her bitch husband wasn't sentenced to life in prison with daily torture and gang rape. But, if you're going to be upset at anyone now over the whole thing it should be two individuals, or groups of individuals.

One is the unhuman lawyer that held on to possibly the worst video ever shot until a deal could be signed that made Homolka look like a victim. That prick should be locked up for life and made to personally apologize to the French and Mahaffey families. What kind of person would hold on to those and in the name of what kind of justice? Beat the shit out of him and lock him up.

The other person (or group) is that who figured only twelve years is good enough for killing your own sister and two young girls. What the fuck goes through the minds of those in the judicial system. I've had it with hearing about "the system" dictating what is done and that if we fuck with the system what kind of society will we be? There's a little something that differentiates us as humans from other animals and it's not our thumbs. We have the capacity to think humanely. You'd never know it, maybe even from the way I feel that it's okay to torture those who have raped or made mistakes beyond belief. I think that we're intelligent enough to know what is wrong (regardless of culture; as in what is wrong to do to another living individual) and if we carelessly do someone wrong we should pay a price. Enough of the coddling and saying, "Oh, he had a tough childhood." Fuck off with all that bullshit.

Sure Homolka fucked up and does not deserve to live in a free society, but she's out and there's no changing "the system". Some of you out there might be saying, "Weren't you just saying fuck "the system?" Yes, I was. But, it's our compassion and humanity that trumps any system any group of people made up.

Now get out there and just by the damned Clutch catalogue. Seriously, do you think you're really living if you're not listening to Clutch? Grow up.