What a strange year it's been........

"It's the end of a fucked up year...there's another one coming!" (Embrace)


I can't help but sing that lyric at the end of every year. Some years i've sang it thruout the year, almost like a mantra. This year i sing it in gest, for this hasn't been a fucked up year. For the most part it's been pretty damn sweet.
I started the new year at table in a bar I didn't want to be at. I had some good friends around me, so that was ok. That night i fell asleep on my old futon bed which had taken up residency at Mean Jeff's place. I was cold and confused that night. In the morning i went to Philadelphia, and then a week later i toured the east coast with Modern Life is War. That tour was incredible, touring alongside Spanish Bombs and playing shows with the Banner, Backstabbers Inc, Shipwreck, Draw Blood and others. Then touring with the Explosion and Panic for the second half. That tour was also good because it gave me time to think, about what the hell i'm doing with my life. The last day of tour was in a Boston suburb, an afternoon show. After loading up the van one last time i said goodbye to the MLIW guys, and i stood there talking to Jeff in the freezing cold he asked me what i was going to do now that my year of touring was done, i looked at him and said "I don't really know". The guys got in their van, and i got in Brooke's van. They turned left, we turned right. Tour was over and I had decisions to make.
A few days later i found myself back in Montreal. I was happy to see some people, and happy to be eating at Wok Cafe again. But i also found myself sleeping on Maya's couch, with a looming deadline from her to leave. After some thinking i made a decision, one that had been on my mind for many months; move to Vancouver. I took the metro downtown, bought a plane ticket, one way to Vancouver, leaving Feb 14th. The last few weeks in Montreal were fucked up; packing up, hiring a moving company, saying goodbye, feeling sad & miserable every single day. My last weekend in town was a strange one; I had to leave Maya's place so i stayed on my old futon at Mean Jeff's again. I celebrated my 32nd birthday that weekend, it was sad & funny to wake up alone, cold, and snuggling with cats in a house that wasn't mine.
Anyhow, that weekend was filled with dinners at Wok, A Death For Every Sin reunion show, bowling, some slight panic attacks and some tearful goodbyes. The person who made me tear up the most might've been Lindsay. With Mean Jeff and Dan (for example) I felt teary but held it together. But with Lindsay....we said goodbye on the corner of Guy and Saint Catherines and she gave me this look that told me she truly was going to miss me, and it fucked me up.
My last day in Montreal I woke up at Mean Jeff's again, he was at work, the place was empty. Just me, the cats and all my baggage. I didn't have to be at the airport until 4 or 5 that afternoon. But i didn't know what to do with myself, so I went out there early and spent my final hours as a Montreal citizen hanging out at the airport reading the newspaper and sending text messages.
Enough sadness....because after that day shit has just gotten better. The rest of this blog won't be that long, because the remaining days after were filled with happier times. I'm not saying it's been all rainbows and puppies, but there wasn't much sadness or anger for me after arriving in Vancouver. I came here broke (pretty much), no home (except for Steve & Keating's couch) and no job. Within 20 days i turned all that around.
I was lucky ennough to get a job at Scratch Records. Not only was it nice to have some money coming in, but I get to work with some great people and for an independent company. Oh, and the discount on records is pretty awesome too! My first apartment out here, a basement suite was ok, not great. But it served it's purpose. I'm happier in the apartment i share with Steve now.
One of my favorite things about Vancouver, and anyone who has talked to me for more than a minute might already know this, is the beaches and mountains. I don't even have to visit them daily, just knowing they are near by gives me inner peace (sorry to get all hippy-dippy on you). But the time's spent at the beach, in the water, or climbing Grousse Mountain, have been special times. There's something beautiful and calming about the mountains and ocean out here.
This blog has gone on pretty long already....maybe i should continue this another day. At this point i'm not sure what else there is too say about the year. I'm happy, and i'm not getting sad/angry/lonely like i do most winters. That's a good thing. I guess i could talk about the shows/bands i've seen, but that can wait. I would like to thank the people who have made me happy this year, and by no means is this a complete list....but thanx to Elizabeth, Tish, Emily, Aram, Steve F., Steveston Mike, Mean Jeff, Lindsay, Brooke, MLIW boys,....there's others, and hopefully you all know how important you are to me. And to all the bands, like Lucero and the Bouncing Souls, who releaesed good records in 2006....thanx for providing me with such a kick ass soundtrack.

Year End Q & A

I stole this survey from myspace. I figured it was a good way to sum up 2006. Maybe i'll write a more indepth essay about this past year at a later date.

1) Was 2006 a good year for you?:
Hells yeah!

2) What was your favorite moment(s) of the year?:
Tons of favorite moments; arriving in Vancouver and seeing Elizabeth and Steve at the airport. Getting a job at Scratch. Standing in the ocean. Climbing Grousse Mountain. Booking Lucero and Rocky Votolato at the store. Road trips with Elizabeth. Riding my bike around, exploring Vancouver. Reconnecting with Tish. Touring the East coast with Modern Life is War again, this time with bands like Spanish Bombs, Crime in Stereo, the Banner, Backstabbers Inc, Panic, the Explosion and more.
Fuck, the list goes on.

3) What was your least favorite moment of the year?:
There were some shitty moments leading up to me leaving Montreal. Getting my bike stolen sucked as well.

4) Where were you when 2006 began?:
At Blue Dog, wishing i wasn't.

5) Who were you with?:
Lindsay, Brooke and Maya at my table, and alot of other friends around the bar.

6) Where will you be when 2006 ends?:
At this point it looks like i'll be at a house show that Defect Defect is playing. But i'll probably try and be alone outside at midnight.

7) Who will you be with when 2006 ends?:
Elizabeth and hopefuly some Vancouver people i like.

8) Did you keep your new years resolution for 2006?:
I guess so. I made a promise to myself to treat myself better and to find happiness. Mission accomplished.

9) Do you have a new years resolution for 2007?:
Rage hard and be happy. Travel outside North America. The rest of it is a secret.

10) Did you fall in love in 2006?:
Yes.

11) If yes, with who?:
With the city of Vancouver. I love you baby.

12) If yes, do they know?:
I hope so.

14) You regret it?:
Nope.

15) Did you breakup with anyone in 2006?:
I was never actually in a relationship this year, but i think i might've hurt someone. And i'm sorry about that.

16) Did you make any new friends in 2006?
Yeah i did make some new friends.

17) Who are your favorite new friends?:
Emily, Steveston Mike, the guys at work, are just some of the good ones.

18) What was your favorite month of 2006?:
the summer months. Climbing mountains, hanging out at the beach, riding my bike everywhere, road trips for shows, and discovering amazing new parts of this city.

19) Did you travel outside of canada in 2006?:
I toured the east coast in Jan, spent some time in Philadelphia as well. Then when i moved out west i took alot of trips into Washington State.

20) How many different states did you travel to in 2006?:
at least 10. A low number this year.

21) Did you lose anybody close to you in 2006?:
thankfully no

22) Did you miss anybody in the past year?:
of course, i've got friends all over that i miss. I also miss Wok Cafe in Montreal.

23) What was your favorite movie that you saw in 2006?:
The Devil and Daniel Johnston was incredible. American Hardcore was good too. I'm sure there is more i'm forgetting.

24) What was your favorite song from 2006?:
Hits of '06; "What Else Would You Have Me Be" by Lucero; "Sexy Back" by JT; "Look What You're Doing" by the Tranzmitors; "Lean on Sheena" by the Bouncing Souls.... The list goes on.

25) What was your favorite record from 2006?:
Lucero-"Rebel, Rogues, and Sworn Brothers".

26) How many concerts did you see in 2006?:
I saw a shit ton of shows, too many to count.

27) Did you have a favorite concert in 2006?:
Seeing Lucero play 5 times in 48hours was incredible! Getting Ben from Lucero and Rocky Votolato to play Scratch was a favorite. Other favorites; Modern Life is War/Panic/The Explosion in philadelphia. Dillinger Four/Hard Skin/Mischief Brew/ Fucked Up/Paint it Black in Philadelphia. Champion last show in Seattle. None More Black/Fifth Hour Hero/Sainte Catherines in Vancouver.
Man, i could go on & on.

28) Did you drink a lot of alcohol in 2006?:
Almost 10 years sober now!! But if you asked if drank alot of coffee in 2006 the answer would be FUCK YES!!

29) Did you do a lot of drugs in 2006?:
see question 28

31) Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?:
Not that i can think of.

34) Did you treat somebody badly in 2006?:
I gave what i receieved in one case, and in another i think i was a little too honest.

35) Did somebody treat you badly in 2006?:
I would say yes.

36) How much money did you spend in 2006?:
I spent what i made.

37) What was your proudest moment of 2006?:
Taking control of my life and happiness and leaving Montreal to move to Vancouver. Next to quitting drinking it's one of the smartest things i've done in ages. I came here with nothing; no home, no job, barely any money. It only took a few months to get my shit together, and now i've got a job i like, a great apartment and roomate, and i live in a city i fuckin' love!

38) What was your most embarrassing moment of 2006?:
Nothing come to mind. So anything embarrsing must've been pretty small.

40) What are your plans for 2007?:
Continue to be happy, first and foremost. Other than that....buy a bike asap and start riding again, travel outside North America, go to San Francisco and eat burritos and record shop, find "a special someone", learn to cook better, read even more books, hang out at the beach more, climb more mountain trails, find bigfoot, say hello to more dogs on the street, eat healthier, get some tattoos, go to Wok Cafe in Montreal with my friends.......blah blah blah

Think of all the cups of caffeine that we've shared and all the hours we've spent together...

Avail is playing the Northwest in the new year, and i'll be at both shows; Jan. 19th in Tacoma and Jan 20th in Portland. And they're playing with the Draft, which is ex-Hot Water Music!!! Elizabeth was nice enough to charge the tix to her credit card...thanx....
People who know me well might know how much this band means to me, but many people might be surprised to hear i've only seen the band once, back in 1998. I was on a road trip with Aram and Al, driving from Calgary to Louisville, Kentucky for the very first Krazy Fest. The line up was great that year; Silent Majority, Speak 714, Grade, Snapcase, Suicide Machines, Metroshifter, Enkindels, Boy Sets Fire, Converge, Superchunk, etc etc. We figured since not alot of hardcore bands toured thru Alberta then we might as well drive for days on end to see a bunch of good bands over 3 days. Somehow we found out about an Avail show happening in Detroit, at St. Andrews hall with Earthmover and some other bands. Since our plan was to drive to Chicago and then head south to Lousiville we figured why not go an extra 4 or 5 hours east and see Avail play.
After driving thru the warzone known as downtown Detroit we found the hall, and entered into a tightly packed, hot as hell room. Avail's set was amazing, you could say this was the band in their prime. The crowd was dancing and losing their shit, but nothing overly violent was happening. At one point i was near the front, by the speakers, when the speaker cabinets started to fall over. A bunch of us caught them, put them back up, and kept on smiling and singing along. It was an incredible show.
I was supposed to see Avail again a few years back in New York, with Dillinger Four. I still have my unused ticket. After booking time off from work months ahead i was told i couldn't have the time off a mere 24 hours ahead of time. Fuckin' bullshit!!
This is one band that has helped me thru some serious shit. I could tell some really personel stories here, but I think i'll save that for one on one conversations. But needless to say my Avail "Dixie" tattoo means the fuckin' world to me. It was the first tattoo i ever got, and i still love it.
I'm thinking of breaking out of mosh retirement for these shows. So if you see me airborne, please catch me.

Krazy times in Bellingham!

Yesterday after work, and with a huge storm approaching the North West, me and Elizabeth headed south to Bellingham for a show. The winds were picking up and the rain was coming down, but we figured it was only an hour away and it the lineup was pretty sweet (Dragline, Black Breath, The Assailant, Owen Hart, Greyskull).
After a pretty smooth drive thru rush hour traffic and an easy border crossing we approached Bellingham. The venue, Fantasia Espresso, was right downtown so it was easy to find. We made good time and arrived with enough time to get some food before the fun started. As we pulled towards the curb to park we hit the curb pretty hard, and as soon as i opened my door you could hear the air escaping the front passenger side tire. Yep, we blew a tire. We made a half-assed attempt to change it ourselves, and then just decided to call AAA. Since we had some time to waste, and the show wasn't starting right away i went and got us food, and we had a picnic in the car. Below are some pictures of our adventures with a flat tire in Bellingham, WA. Oh, and by the way the show was good. Black Breath were the highlight for me.

Oh no! We popped a tire, how does that make you feel Elizabeth?


Nothing like a burrito to make you feel better


Tasty eats for Elizabeth!


Elizabeth and I acting silly in the car while waiting for the tow truck


OUR HERO HAS ARRIVED!


Thank you for fixing our tire sir.

Confession #1

My good friend Tish last week confessed on her blog that she's been digging the group Procol Harum. While i think that band is truly horrific, i applaud her for being so honest and candid. So I figured it was time for me to fess up; In between constantly playing the new Lucero and Carpenter CD's my favorite songs right now are;

-Sexy Back by Justin Timberlake
-Ain't No Other Man by Christina Aguilera
-Fergalicious by Fergie

I offer no apolgies in this matter.

Agnostic Front

I got this really cool Agnostic Front boxset at work today. It's a 3LP set; "Cause For Alarm", "Liberty and Justice For..", "One Voice". The set is limited to 1000 (i got #369), comes with a (funny) certificate, a patch & sticker, and a HUGE foldout poster with lyrics and album info on one side and a huge live shot on the other side. The 3 LPs are all picture discs, with artwork on both sides. All of this crap comes in this really cool wood box, with the crucified skinhead burnt right onto the box. I've got pictures of all the pieces below. I don't think you can read everything on the patch, but apparently i'm now a member of the stomp crew. You've been warned.
The actual box

the certificate, patch and sticker

one side of the poster, with lyrics and album info

the flip side to the poster

all 3 picture disc LP's

New toys make me smile!!

Remember that feeling you got as a kid when you got a new toy? I mean, x-mas and birthdays had the potential to be fuckin'sensory overload, but it was also pretty exciting when you'd get a new toy for no reason, like your parents decided to be nice or you got your allowance and you bought yourself something fun. As you get older the type of "toys" that make you happy & excited change, that new GI Joe jeep just isn't as cool when you're 14, or 32. The point i'm getting at here is i got a few new toys this week, so apologies to my dick and my cell phone, but i've got new toys to play with.
Earlier this week i got my cable TV upgraded, from 30 channels to 60+. So far i've watched sports bloopers, Fame (the TV show), a reality show starring Flava Flav (from Public Enemy), some movies, and a bunch of old sitcoms. Yeah, I'm fuckin' loving it.
And this weekend was the motherload of new toys; a fuckin' laptop! I decided to buy refurbished (aka used) instead of brand new. I got what i wanted (plus more) and paid half the price. And Steve figured out how to set up wireless in the apartment, so now i'm surfing the net (instead of Surfing on heroin like the Forgotten Rebels).
I'm pretty stoked to get this computer, now i can search ebay for shit i probably don't need, read emails i probably won't respond to, download Lucero bootlegs, laugh at krazy cats on you tube, etc etc. Actually i also plan on updating this here blog a whole lot more now. Before i was tapping out short manifestos while at work, but now i'll actually have the time. Plus i gotta catch up to Tish and her blogging maddness. (http://tish-strands.blogspot.com/)
Plus now that i have a digital camera i can upload pictures whenever i want. I got big plans for this computer. One of those plans involves me getting a ipod, and another plan is to upload some of my vinyl.
Alright, i'm signing off now, technology calls me.