Category: Lower Mainland

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The (International) Noise Conspiracy at The Plaza Club

The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Vancouver, BC - May 20, 2006This is a completely late posting, but we checked out The (International) Noise Conspiracy[wiki] at the Plaza Club when they swung through Vancouver on May 20th. Rebecca was faster to the draw on her post about it, but let me elaborate.

If you have never seen them before, they put on an incredible show. And if you are some one who has had that opportunity, then you know how awesome they perform. For myself, this was the second time that I got to check them out. The last show was in Brooklyn, NY, and I got a drumstick in the face at the end of the encore. I left this show with better luck.

The Fever opened up the show with a very solid performance. Coming all the way from New York, the four piece band boasted a setup that is not of your normal rock and roll band make up, but is becoming less unusual. Singer, guitarist, drummer, and keyboards. When their set started, I thought the lead singer was standing on top of a box while singing into the mic on top of its stand. Getting closer, it became clear that he was freakishly tall and kept the mic low. It was a neat effect for his sometimes, Tom Waits-esque voice. Continue reading “The (International) Noise Conspiracy at The Plaza Club”

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Shaking Up The Airwaves

I’ve been having fun learning more and more about the radio market in Vancouver. Today has to be no exception with MOJO Sports Radio being chopped off from the Corus block. Apparently the station has been having troubles in the ratings for some time, and the news of its departure can’t be all that surprising.

MOJO, one of Corus Radio Vancouver’s four local stations, will become AM730 and offer continuous traffic and weather reports during the morning and afternoon rush hours as well as re-broadcast “time-shift” several talk shows from CKNW, its sister station.

MOJO had about half the market share of its all-sports competitor, TEAM 1040, with a 0.9-per-cent share of the total radio audience compared to 1040’s 1.4 per cent, according to Bureau of Broadcast Measurement Canada’s 2006 statistics. [the province]

This continues a steady decline of performance for Corus Radio Vancouver, the largest blow being the loss of broadcasting rights to Vancouver Canucks games to cross town rivals, Team 1040. This also comes after the “major restructuring” at CKNW in April that saw twelve staff members, of various departments and tenures, being removed from the company. With the fourteen let go from MOJO today, there’s a lot going on within the Corus group of stations.

Does Vancouver need a radio station that is heavy on the traffic report side? I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t listened to enough of the market to give a solid answer, but there seems to be an abundance of traffic reports on the dial now to get that information in a fairly timely manner. It’s almost as if they are shoving AM730 into the closet with the hopes that it makes enough money to validate its existance and float along with the rest of the group.

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Vancouver Apple Store Rumor

A friend of ours just purchased a MacBook Pro from a retailer here in Vancouver, and during one of his visits, an employee told him that Apple wants to open a store in the downtown area.  The rumor, as it was conveyed to me, was that this Apple Store would probably open some time next year.

In true Apple fashion, they are reportedly searching for a location that is big and really visible.  Anyone in Vancouver can tell you that real estate is tight in the downtown area, not to mention expensive, but a very likely location would be Robson Street[wiki].  That’s not to say that it could be located anywhere.  It does seem that stores kind of come and go up and down Robson, so it would be a matter of timing for a location that is suitable to Apple’s taste.

Of course, this is just a friend relaying something that he heard to me, so who knows what the legitimacy of the rumor is.  The other thing to consider is that it took Tiffany & Co.[wiki] a number of years until they found the perfect location to open a store in Vancouver.

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Roche Limit

Dave sent me his CD in the mail!Check out what I got in the mail today. I played Roche Limit on RadioZoom a few times recently. Dave Righton contacted me to say thanks for the spin, of which I am always glad to do, especially for anyone in Vancouver. That goes for anyone around the world, but it’s nice to get the thanks from the locals here.

Dave’s uber cool in my book though. He said he’d send me a copy of the CD, and it arrived today.

From their MySpace page:

Roche Limit’s debut album entitled “White Light” is another stunning example of why Canadian independent music continues to gain more and more recognition. Combining electronic, pop-rock, and folk influences, Roche Limit has been compared to the likes of both Beck and Nine Inch Nails. Boasting a diverse range of tracks, “White Light” encompasses a compelling selection of moods and styles. The listener is transported from the depths of a brooding instrumental to unforgettable upbeat melodies, all the while maintaining the unique and refreshing sound that is Roche Limit.

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They Are 50%, Absolutely Correct

Doghouse sign in downtown Vancouver, BCThe Vancouver Canucks have asked Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for permission to speak to Mr. Quinn about coming back to the west coast. We’ll just have to wait and see. Some people around the city seem to think, or know, otherwise.

I snapped this shot just today while taking care of some details regarding my status here. Will post more on my flickr later. Right now I’m pretty beat. Lots of sun, warmth, walking, and ice caps from TimHo’s. Must… drink… water…

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Mean, Freakin’ Geese

Canada Goose in Stanley ParkIt doesn’t matter if you are in Iowa or B.C. All Canada Geese are mean. This one didn’t mind me getting too close to snap its mug, but a few more seconds, I probably would have been warned.

Yes, it’s Canada Goose[wiki]. After a little reading around various websites, such as here and here, I understand now that “Canadian Goose” is the improper name for them. So from now on, I will call all the mean ones the incorrect name. The ones that don’t flap and hiss at me while running by them will get the correct one.

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Am I On Your Refrigerator?

Ever go running along the Seawall in Stanley Park? There’s the area where all the tour buses seem to stop by the totem poles. It’s a nice, touristy spot to take some pictures. In fact, I recently discovered that those totem poles have a slightly strange history. Actually, follow that link and you’ll find a lot of interesting, if not dark, history about Stanley Park.

In the opposite direction of the totems, you can go to the Seawall and take some really great pictures of downtown Vancouver. I would say that 90% of the time, there is at least one person taking pictures there. Other days, there can be a huge group of bodies crowding the pathway. The other day a I ran through a mob of young Asian students posing and snapping away, forcing me off the path in order to get around them.

It makes me wonder how many pictures I get into. How much have I been disseminated around the world? What photo album am I tucked into and on what continent? Whose digital photo library am I in while I am mid-stride? How many times has someone said, “this would have been a great picture if it weren’t for that guy running into the shot.”

Sweet. I’m a “that guy”.

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First Farmer Tan of the Year

Walking over the Granville Street Bridge in the hot, hot sun.I had to run an errand over in Kits last week, so Rebecca gave me a scenic route to take to get there. I’m always up for a good walk, so the trek seemed like a good time to me. I ventured over the Granville Street Bridge[wiki] and went all around to the Cambie Street Bridge[wiki] in time to meet Rebecca after work.

It was quite the hike. I cannot forget to mention that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and temps broke 65F in the downtown area. Combine all of that with my mexican blood and you get a nice farmer tan starting to show on the upper areas above my biceps.

I snapped some pics along the way that you can check out on my flickr. It was a gorgeous day in the city.

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NewMusicWest 2006

I would love to be attending NewMusicWest this year. In fact, if you are reading this and could hook me and Rebecca up at the last minute, contact me! I’d love to run around the whole weekend with my minidisc and mic to capture some stuff for the podcast.

NewMusicWest offers emerging artists and bands a chance to showcase their talents to industry professionals from across North America and around the world. Once a year, Vancouver is invaded by large numbers of managers, publicists, label reps, A&R, and media. In 2004 alone, over 40 A&R attended, including representation from Sony, Universal, EMI, and many more. With 5 nights, 25 venues and over 200 bands, NewMusicWest is Western Canada’s largest and most successful music festival.

Basically this is like a CMJ or SXSW, and I would love to have total access to everything. So many bands performing around the city, and it all kicks off tomorrow.

Raine Maida from OLP will be the artist keynote speaker for the event. Being the OLP fan that I am(which was much more back in high school than I am today), I would be interested in hearing what he has to say about the industry. The guy remains about the same, but I hear the ego has changed.

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“We Always Wanted to Become Canadian”

Mates of StateAfter having the South show cancel out on us for last Thursday, the Mates of State show at the Plaza Club was an outstanding way to fill the void. One wouldn’t think that a little bopper club like that would be a good venue, but it turned out really well.

It seems like Kori and Jason are getting better and better with every album that they are producing. They’re name is getting to be a little more well known, so many people at the show on Friday knew the words to their songs, and the press is starting to catch on to their sound.

Dare I say it, but they are cute on stage. For those who don’t know, they are married. They took off from the midwest to make their way to the west coast of the U.S. During the show, Jason was saying how they always wanted to become Canadian, but they married each other. Looking over at Kori, “Looks like we married the wrong people.”

Their set on Friday was a little short, but some minor technical issues at the start of the performance might have had something to do with that. “Goods” was their second song with other cuts like “A Control Group,” “A Duel Will Settle This,” and “As Night As Now.” At least I think so. I should have payed more attention to the set list. Plus I’m not overly familiar with the latest album, and they played a lot of cuts off that one.

In the encore, Kori played the keys while Jason stood away from the drums to sing “These Days.” It’s that one song from The Royal Tenenbaums[imdb]. You know, the one that Nico recorded on the soundtrack, but Jackson Browne originally wrote. That was a pretty awesome highlight of the night.

I have yet to be let down by Mates of State. If you get a chance to check out their stuff and like it, go see them live. You won’t be disappointed. Don’t expect stage theatrics. They’re just really incredible to see perform.