(no subject)
Post-NXNE post!
for those who didn't know I was volunteering for NXNE again this year, which meant five days of sleeping too little and partying too much. I had a bloody great time though.
Wednesday I went to the NOW lounge at noon to bring everything to the hotel and get ready to stuff delegate bags for 6. Hung out for a bit and supervised that but I had to leave early to go home and shower all the mud off me (remind me to get fenders for my bike) to go the gala party. I only hung out there for about an hour because I left to go drink with Sari Simone and Dave before Simone and I went to What's Poppin @ Sneaks. We spent most of the night dancing until I found Lowell and Tony and we went to eat delicious New Ho King. After that, I went home for about 4 am.
Woke up at 7 to be at the hotel for 9. Was early so I didn't have much to do but helped out setting stuff up as much as I could. Good first day; only two of my volunteers didn't show up. Worked most of the day making passes for delegates until about 9ish, when we finished everything up.
I went right from the hotel home to grab some stuff then went to the Boat to see Whale Tooth play the best set I've ever seen them play. After that I went to Clinton's to lose my voice singing every song by the Great Bloomers. Already hearing that it was lined up around the block, I decided to try getting into the King Khan & BBQ Show set @ Horseshoe. Turns out All Access pass means just that. Bypassed the whole line and got in just in time to watch the King kick a whole pile of ass. Best of the night.
After that I left to see the Zoobombs at Silver Dollar. I told pretty much everyone I knew to come to this one, and they actually did! I know how good the Bombs are, and though it wasn't the best set I've seen them play, they kicked ass. Too bad I didn't have earplugs.
After that, knowing nobody would want to go to Hideout to check Izzy the Eskimo, I went to Bovine to see Youth Brigade which was way cool. Hung out for a while with some people but biked home around 330 because I knew I would collapse if I didn't.
Friday I was at the hotel for 10 to help out with stuff but most everything was done so I felt pretty good until 1130, when I realized that of 8 volunteers I had staffed for 2 conference rooms, 3 showed up. I scrambled for some extra volunteers and found a couple, but mostly float team helped out and we were pretty good for the day. All the panels ran on time and super smoothly. Dan Reilly, I know i doesn't need to be said again, but you kicked some serious ass. Come back next year.
I got out of the hotel around 8 because Arietta was playing at Montana, which was kind of a weird setting but nonetheless a great show. We had a great turnout (thankfully a bunch of extra friends and volunteers showed up) and we played really well. I didn't get out of there until later so I missed Mika Miko at Sneaks so I bolted to the El Mo to catch Burning Brides, who were fucking unbelievably awesome. Claire and Lindsey and Gillian were there and I spent most of the night with them. Sara and Gwen, a couple of great gals who let Arietta stay at their place in Montreal had come down to stay at my place for NXNE so I met them at the Silver Dollar and thanks to T-Po and a couple of other people at the door, we got in to see the tail end of Mika Miko's set at Sneaks. After that everyone went to Wrongbar to see Matt & Kim's set, which was a lot of fun and a ridiculous sweaty mess. Agreeing that we were all pretty tired, Sara, Gwen, their pal Lucas and I went back to my place to go to bed.
Saturday morning I went to the hotel for 11 (notice the pattern of lateness) for the last day of conference. I had too many volunteers today which was a big plus. However, because of miscommunication, GZA, our keynote speaker, was 90 minutes late for his panel, pushing back every other panel at the conference at least a half four. We had a few upset panelists but we made it through okay. Tear down at the hotel went really well and really fast so I got home around 730 with enough time to shower and nap a bit before I went out again.
I went to Dundas Square for 930 to cath the Sonics, and even though they were pushing 60, they played a great set! I left early though so I could go catch Burning Brides AGAIN at Lee's. Once again, they kicked ass. Sean McCormack was particularly into it. I called him to come because he is, like me, a huge fan of C'mon, who played after the Brides. C'mon were aweseome and we all loved them. I left that one a few songs early to meet Claire and Lindsey and Gillian to go to Wrongbar for what was probably the best dance party ever with Fake Blood. Fake Blood, as far as I know, is a guy from the UK who does some of the best remixes I've ever heard. It was a sweaty mess in there but I managed to find a few friends to dance with and even though I made an ass of myself at one point, it was a great party.
I left around 3 or 330 to go to Sneaks with Sara and Gwen and Bri and people but since I couldn't get them in we went to Kom Jug for late night food (I would have rather New Ho but majority rules, meh) and left around 430 to go back to the staff suite at the hotel to party with the other staff members. I left there around 7 a.m., went home and slept for a bit, then went for breakfast with everyone before we left. Sara and Gwen bought me a piece of Sneaks carrot cake. I miss them already.
After they left I slept another hour then went down to Wrongbar for the volunteer party. I was early so I went for a walk but started feeling sleepy so I found a side of a building in the shade and slept there for another half hour then went back to get things ready for the party, which was a lot of fun. Ninjasonik played, and they were way too whacked to not be throughly entertaining (hop hop group covering Bad Brains? hell yeah!). I wish I could have stayed for Japanther but I was far too tired so I went home.
Thus ends what was probably the best two weeks of my life.
for those who didn't know I was volunteering for NXNE again this year, which meant five days of sleeping too little and partying too much. I had a bloody great time though.
Wednesday I went to the NOW lounge at noon to bring everything to the hotel and get ready to stuff delegate bags for 6. Hung out for a bit and supervised that but I had to leave early to go home and shower all the mud off me (remind me to get fenders for my bike) to go the gala party. I only hung out there for about an hour because I left to go drink with Sari Simone and Dave before Simone and I went to What's Poppin @ Sneaks. We spent most of the night dancing until I found Lowell and Tony and we went to eat delicious New Ho King. After that, I went home for about 4 am.
Woke up at 7 to be at the hotel for 9. Was early so I didn't have much to do but helped out setting stuff up as much as I could. Good first day; only two of my volunteers didn't show up. Worked most of the day making passes for delegates until about 9ish, when we finished everything up.
I went right from the hotel home to grab some stuff then went to the Boat to see Whale Tooth play the best set I've ever seen them play. After that I went to Clinton's to lose my voice singing every song by the Great Bloomers. Already hearing that it was lined up around the block, I decided to try getting into the King Khan & BBQ Show set @ Horseshoe. Turns out All Access pass means just that. Bypassed the whole line and got in just in time to watch the King kick a whole pile of ass. Best of the night.
After that I left to see the Zoobombs at Silver Dollar. I told pretty much everyone I knew to come to this one, and they actually did! I know how good the Bombs are, and though it wasn't the best set I've seen them play, they kicked ass. Too bad I didn't have earplugs.
After that, knowing nobody would want to go to Hideout to check Izzy the Eskimo, I went to Bovine to see Youth Brigade which was way cool. Hung out for a while with some people but biked home around 330 because I knew I would collapse if I didn't.
Friday I was at the hotel for 10 to help out with stuff but most everything was done so I felt pretty good until 1130, when I realized that of 8 volunteers I had staffed for 2 conference rooms, 3 showed up. I scrambled for some extra volunteers and found a couple, but mostly float team helped out and we were pretty good for the day. All the panels ran on time and super smoothly. Dan Reilly, I know i doesn't need to be said again, but you kicked some serious ass. Come back next year.
I got out of the hotel around 8 because Arietta was playing at Montana, which was kind of a weird setting but nonetheless a great show. We had a great turnout (thankfully a bunch of extra friends and volunteers showed up) and we played really well. I didn't get out of there until later so I missed Mika Miko at Sneaks so I bolted to the El Mo to catch Burning Brides, who were fucking unbelievably awesome. Claire and Lindsey and Gillian were there and I spent most of the night with them. Sara and Gwen, a couple of great gals who let Arietta stay at their place in Montreal had come down to stay at my place for NXNE so I met them at the Silver Dollar and thanks to T-Po and a couple of other people at the door, we got in to see the tail end of Mika Miko's set at Sneaks. After that everyone went to Wrongbar to see Matt & Kim's set, which was a lot of fun and a ridiculous sweaty mess. Agreeing that we were all pretty tired, Sara, Gwen, their pal Lucas and I went back to my place to go to bed.
Saturday morning I went to the hotel for 11 (notice the pattern of lateness) for the last day of conference. I had too many volunteers today which was a big plus. However, because of miscommunication, GZA, our keynote speaker, was 90 minutes late for his panel, pushing back every other panel at the conference at least a half four. We had a few upset panelists but we made it through okay. Tear down at the hotel went really well and really fast so I got home around 730 with enough time to shower and nap a bit before I went out again.
I went to Dundas Square for 930 to cath the Sonics, and even though they were pushing 60, they played a great set! I left early though so I could go catch Burning Brides AGAIN at Lee's. Once again, they kicked ass. Sean McCormack was particularly into it. I called him to come because he is, like me, a huge fan of C'mon, who played after the Brides. C'mon were aweseome and we all loved them. I left that one a few songs early to meet Claire and Lindsey and Gillian to go to Wrongbar for what was probably the best dance party ever with Fake Blood. Fake Blood, as far as I know, is a guy from the UK who does some of the best remixes I've ever heard. It was a sweaty mess in there but I managed to find a few friends to dance with and even though I made an ass of myself at one point, it was a great party.
I left around 3 or 330 to go to Sneaks with Sara and Gwen and Bri and people but since I couldn't get them in we went to Kom Jug for late night food (I would have rather New Ho but majority rules, meh) and left around 430 to go back to the staff suite at the hotel to party with the other staff members. I left there around 7 a.m., went home and slept for a bit, then went for breakfast with everyone before we left. Sara and Gwen bought me a piece of Sneaks carrot cake. I miss them already.
After they left I slept another hour then went down to Wrongbar for the volunteer party. I was early so I went for a walk but started feeling sleepy so I found a side of a building in the shade and slept there for another half hour then went back to get things ready for the party, which was a lot of fun. Ninjasonik played, and they were way too whacked to not be throughly entertaining (hop hop group covering Bad Brains? hell yeah!). I wish I could have stayed for Japanther but I was far too tired so I went home.
Thus ends what was probably the best two weeks of my life.