The Von Bondies made their second journey from Detroit to Victoria to play us a Zone show. Before the concert the entire gaggle of them stopped by The Zone Afternoon show for a chit chat. I am a little disappointed because this not my strongest interview. Normally a weak interview doesn’t bother me too much cuz I just blame the artist, but Jason was really nice and off the mic we had great chemistry and he told some wonderful stories. Then I turn the mic on and ask him boring questions. But I think the second part picks up a bit.
I have had a couple magical moments in my life and one of them would be the time I sat in the park on a beautifully comfortable summer day in a big American metropolis with Coral. She was pregnant with Madelyn and we watched the Frames perform “Falling Slowly.”
Sometimes I feel the media conspires against (or maybe for me). Certain threads across all the channels and noise emerge. Last night the hero on the TV talked about memories. Basically its about making them and then keeping them. Happy blogs about people getting back together and taking trips, sad comments about marriages ending and essays on passion.
The essay on passion I can’t remember where I read it on the internet. It was one of those hundreds of links that people puke out on Twitter all day. I clicked it and read it and was amazed.
The writer is a man who is a writer. duh. He loves writing and is passionate about the experience. He makes his living writing. What he talked about was the plateau we all hit when what we love becomes work. Then what do we love?
Wow. I wish I could find the blog post because it was very inspiring. What he talked about applies to many of our lives, whether it is relationships, friends, family or work.
I make my living in a creative industry and constantly find myself battling the beast that is, for lack of a better word, writers block. Some days, I don’t want to be “funny” or I don’t really care to hear Pearl Jam and answering the phone for four hours and jibber jabbering about the weather is not appealing. BUT my JOB is a Monday to Friday. And deep down, it is what I want to do. I guess that is what separates the truly great from good. Ha, TV once again, “Good is the enemy of great.” The blog had some excellent ideas for keeping the pencil sharp.
One idea that is helping me oddly, is walking. I like to walk and listen to music. Now I walk more and jam out some tunes that I want to hear and think. Feels good and fills up the brain with thoughts and ideas.
Its time to feed my little baby monster and get ready to hop into the studio and craft a Capital Rock City. I think this week I am going to sift through all my music from season one and find a few favourites. April 10th is the 10 Year Anniversary party for The Morning After Show. The MAS went on the radio in Vancouver back in December of 1998 and the current host, Oswaldo, is throwing a party in Vancouver and I am going to be there.
I don’t have much anything to do with the show in Vancouver anymore, but I’d like to go and see Oz and be part of the anarchy. I don’t have many tapes from the old shows with Paul and me, or Scott or Oz (Paul, Scott and Oz were all the co-hosts over the years and Oz took over full-time when I left for Victoria… Paul and I started the show waaaaaay back when we were just kids) but I’d like to see what I could track down and maybe make a podcast closer to April, so look for that before April 10th. And if you are in Vancouver or want to take the trip over with me, Easter weekend, Vancouver!
Coral and I punched through season one of Friday Night Lights over the weekend. Yeah, we have a minor obsession.
Nothing like a gorgeous soap opera of pretty kids, great music and football to waste away a lazy weekend. Now we’re in the hunt for season two. (we’ve been watching season three on TV every week)
“Devil Town” is the song they play at the end of season one when the team is having a parade through Dillon after the final game. At first I had a little bit of challenge drawing parallels of the lyrics to the scene, but I think my brain was tired last night when we watched it because today it is wickedly clear what the song is talking about and how it applies to the people of Dillon.
It is amazing how hearing a song used in a particular context can make the song stand out. The original is ancient (well 80s I think, not ANCIENT) and the song has been used in soundtracks and commercials before… but after watching an entire season of FNL and then hearing the song play at the end of all that, late at night, made the song sear into my head. I’ve been singing it all day.
The show plays a version of the song by Tony Lucca, but I downloaded an interpretation performed by Bright Eyes (posted above). Originally the song is from the man Daniel Johnston.
Lately it seems that every time I crack the mic here at the Zone, I am jibber jabbering about another rock star fight. Let’s see what is playing out as I type.
Had a lot of fun crafting this weeks local rocker show for TheZone dot F-M. I had to wheel out the record player and even used the old Denon CD cart machine. My mic sounds off, I think someone came into the studio the other day and fiddled with the EQ. BWOAR Stupid gremlins! I didn’t catch it till after we were done, and this is the one take special, so it had to fly.
You can also SUBSCRIBE to Capital Rock City in the iTunes Store and/or RSS feed this puppy. And remember kids, when you RSS or subscribe to the podcast, a baby orca is born.
Let the name dropping begin!
DJ Notes:
01) The Laundronauts – “Hard water”
02) The Laundronauts – “That Kind of Laundry”
03) The Laundronauts – “Outta My Head”
04) The Racoons – “Tangiers”
05) The Racoons – “Secret Song”
06) Saul – “Open Your Eyes“
The Laundronauts are my new fave band strictly because they released their single on white vinyl. How hipster. I had so much fun cracking out the record player and listening to the music.
Matt from the Racoons was back in town visiting his Mom and sister Jane. Jane (and Alix) came over on the weekend and helped Corj and I sort out the bedroom and closet for some spring cleaning. She had in her hot little hand the new racoons EP. I had to have one. So I asked Matt on his way to the 3PM ferry to hop into the Capital Rock City studio.
We talk about nerdy music stuff, The national and how great they are AND it is committed to tape, Matt said he’d perform at Coral and my wedding.
oh, and it turns out I was sharing emails with Dave from Saul. Dave from the band emailed me needing some radio jibber jabber for a song on their upcoming album. Fun. So you’ll hear a wee taste of the Zone Afternoon Show on the new Saul when it comes out.
That’s a podcast. I hope you like it. I want to drag JP Maurice into the studio sometime and I got a Facebook message from Katie Sly the other day. She has a new band and I’d love to invite her down when they have a demo to share. Word on the street is that Jets Overhead have a new record out in the Spring too!
Still hammering By A Thread for an interview and my lead on Chixdiggit ran cold.. sadness. What else? Maybe some more music from Edmonton? Adam Thompson might make a future appearanc on the show with a group called The Faunts and I have been talking to Lindsay in Winnipeg about a contribution from her, so we’ll see.
The best or the greatest rock show ever? hmmm…. (stolen from Matt Lyall’s Facebook)
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Coral and I tore apart our apartment over the weekend. We finally got our walk-in-closet organized and all the “junk” in our bedroom found a home. Coral and I keep so much garbage floating around our apartment. I had to chuck out two expired condoms. They died in 2007! Sadness… its like two times I planned on doing it, and didn’t. I did find a strawberry flavoured latex glove… but Coral said, “yeah, no.” Garbage too.
So all and all, a productive weekend. Next we’ll sort Madelyn’s closet which has become a bit of a dumping ground.
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Not much to talk about, all I did last week was work and all I did on the weekend was work. yeah. go with yourself.
The Morning After 