Arts County Fair 2004
Yesterday I sold pizza at Arts County Fair. It was a good deal; I got in for free; I got paid to be there; I had a great view of the stage; and I had something to do. I have never declined so many bribes in my life, though. People who didn't want to stand in the long food ticket line would offer me a twenty for a piece of pizza. And the women with their attempted charming! One girl, after batting her eyes, saying please, and pouting didn't work, offered me a show, then offered me her camera! Too bad I already have a camera :)
The bands were better than I expected (well, except for the first one.) First was High Holy Days, they sounded like CFOX. Boring. I laughed at all their rock band cliches that were born in the seventies and are still being kept warm.
Next was Pilate, a new band from Toronto. They were decidedly better. Obviously big Radiohead fans, so even though they weren't thrilling, their music was a type that I really enjoy. It's always nice to find yourself tapping to a rock song and then realize that it's in 3/4.
After that was Wide Mouth Mason, the first band on the program that I'd actually heard of. They were a lot better than I had assumed they would be. Not only were they a tighter band than the previous two, but there was a lot of variety in their sound, and they had a lot of fun. They covered Billy's Idol's White Wedding, and Jimi Hendrix's Crosstown Traffic. My favourite song of theirs was Change, which I hadn't heard before. (No, I don't listen to the radio).
After that was Andrew W. K. whom I had not heard before, but by whom I was thoroughly amused. At first I was amused that, because of their piano, they sounded a lot like Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell; then I was amused that they seemed to be forcing the genres of Heavy Metal and Soft Rock to mate; and then I was amused because this long-haired metalhead lead singer was shouting into the mike (you know that Thrash Metal shouting thing? He never stopped that) things like "let's party!" and "I love UBC!" and "This next one's a song about candy!" It was surreal. Definitely the most energetic band of the day.
Last was De La Soul, who were exactly what you might expect. A classic old school hip-hop crew. If you like that kind of thing, you would have had a good time. I like that kind of thing. But you know you're in Vancouver when... the crew has to lecture the audience on how to participate in Call & Response. A couple of times they had to restart songs and instruct people in how to repeat back the things they were telling them to say. Has anyone else found that Vancouver audiences like to come out and then stand around and watch, and not fulfill their audiencely duties? I also witnessed this phenomenon at the two Beck concerts I went to.
Anyway, I had a fun day. I have an opportunity to work again next Friday, so we'll see where I end up for free that day.
The bands were better than I expected (well, except for the first one.) First was High Holy Days, they sounded like CFOX. Boring. I laughed at all their rock band cliches that were born in the seventies and are still being kept warm.
Next was Pilate, a new band from Toronto. They were decidedly better. Obviously big Radiohead fans, so even though they weren't thrilling, their music was a type that I really enjoy. It's always nice to find yourself tapping to a rock song and then realize that it's in 3/4.
After that was Wide Mouth Mason, the first band on the program that I'd actually heard of. They were a lot better than I had assumed they would be. Not only were they a tighter band than the previous two, but there was a lot of variety in their sound, and they had a lot of fun. They covered Billy's Idol's White Wedding, and Jimi Hendrix's Crosstown Traffic. My favourite song of theirs was Change, which I hadn't heard before. (No, I don't listen to the radio).
After that was Andrew W. K. whom I had not heard before, but by whom I was thoroughly amused. At first I was amused that, because of their piano, they sounded a lot like Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell; then I was amused that they seemed to be forcing the genres of Heavy Metal and Soft Rock to mate; and then I was amused because this long-haired metalhead lead singer was shouting into the mike (you know that Thrash Metal shouting thing? He never stopped that) things like "let's party!" and "I love UBC!" and "This next one's a song about candy!" It was surreal. Definitely the most energetic band of the day.
Last was De La Soul, who were exactly what you might expect. A classic old school hip-hop crew. If you like that kind of thing, you would have had a good time. I like that kind of thing. But you know you're in Vancouver when... the crew has to lecture the audience on how to participate in Call & Response. A couple of times they had to restart songs and instruct people in how to repeat back the things they were telling them to say. Has anyone else found that Vancouver audiences like to come out and then stand around and watch, and not fulfill their audiencely duties? I also witnessed this phenomenon at the two Beck concerts I went to.
Anyway, I had a fun day. I have an opportunity to work again next Friday, so we'll see where I end up for free that day.