Collections.

Acres of Lions played a show for the Victoria House Concert B series last night. 

Check out more photos.  

Michigan Left.

Photo by Tyson Elder

The other day Max and Mike from the Arkells swung by the studio for an interview and to play a few songs. Jer invited me down to take some photos for the radio station.

It was loads of fun. It's always cool to do these intimate little things with bands and people you dig. 

You can hear the interview, see the interview, and watch a video about the events leading up to it. 

A Sort of Concert Review: Aidan Knight.

Aidan KnightLast night (October 3rd, 2011) I ventured into the heart of Fernwood to see Aidan Knight play a house concert. 

I met up with my new internet friend Michelle (ehbseasides) who graciously picked me up a ticket to the show. I guess the one downfall of not having facebook is not knowing about these great house concert events. Apparently John Mann of Spirit of The West is a regular in the rotation for this series. 

It's been a long time since I've seen Aidan play live. My best guess is probably the second Rifflandia in 2009 at Alix Goolden Hall before he ran to the other side of downtown to play with Maurice. I've always know Aidan as the guy in seven bands at once. It has been really great to hear and see all his success as a solo performer these days. 

I think it's pretty satisfying to see people who you came up with in “the scene” getting the recognition they deserve. With that said when did Aidan Knight start having a huge female fan base? That was weird definitely a different feel from the Counting Heartbeats, Black Tie Social, and Maurice days. Maybe that's what happens when you write songs about knitting, making bread, and trumpet majors. 

There is something to be said about intimate acoustic shows. There is this shared feeling of being part of something that no one, but the sixty people in the living room/dining room/hallway will ever experience. There is a certain interaction and honesty between the artist and the crowd. You could certainly feel it last night. 

Aidan was at top form last night despite all the tuning of his guitar (I made sure to note that in my Moleskine). I think he's mastered the art of bantering with the crowd though. With topics ranging from making your own bread, this youtube video, his father's guitar collection, and ruining Empire for me. 

There was lots of energy in that small room last night. From the horn section to the pedal steel it was one of the best shows I've seen in a while. I say that being fresh off Rifflandia, and that included one of my Broken Social Scene's last shows ever. 

Let's do it again.  

Victoria House Concert B

Once In A Lifetime.

Panorama by Tyson ElderBetween towns and mountain ranges I found the reception to something other than gospel choirs, and preachers. There is are several disadvantages to driving a pickup across British Columbia in the summertime. No A/C, no cruise control, running out of windshield washer fluid, uncomfortable seats, and the worst of all just having an am/fm radio. 

When I leave on these crazy road trips for work I usually have some cds or a tape adapter for my ipod to pass some time, but this time I didn't have those options. I just had to deal with whatever I could pick up on the broken antenna of a rented Chevy. Somewhere south of 100 Mile House, but north of Cache Creek I finally picked up a fuzz rock and roll station. I think it was named after a Canadian progressive rock trio. It played some good tunes for the forty-five minutes I picked them up, but one song caught my attention. 

It was the Talking Head's classic “Once in a Lifetime.” You know the one. It's all “there is water at the bottom of the ocean,” and David Bryne sweats a lot. If you don't know the song we can't be friends, but you can watch the music video by clicking here. 

So here I was driving alone on a highway with nothing, but my thoughts and The Talking Heads. Those of you who know me might know I'm not the happiest camper most of the time. I think it has a lot to do with not quite knowing what I'm doing with my life. Most of the time I feel like I'm doing nothing with it. I soaked in the scenery of decaying barns and churches that I flew by with the radio cranked. 

I've always really enjoyed listening to The Talking Heads, but today was different. I actually listened to “Once in a Lifetime.” I mean listened to the lyrics. All of a sudden they made sense. Well, they made sense to me. I found myself behind the wheel of a large automobile asking myself where that highway leads to. That and a million other questions. Most of them to do with happiness, and life in general. 

As I was shifting across this vast country I came to the conclusion that this song is going to be one of those songs that sticks out in my life. Making me question things, and make me feel a feeling I can't exactly describe. No, it isn't a slight fizzing feeling in my gentleman's area. It's one of those songs about being, and not knowing why. I'm sure it is all part of this mid twenties crisis I've been having for the last year or so. 

Another song I feel similarly about oddly enough is Blink 182's “Dammit.” I tried to write about it a while ago, but it's hard to articulate the feelings I have when listening to it. It's not like being happy, sad, angry, or anything you can really label. The closest I've ever gotten is that it is maybe disappointment in myself with a touch of something else, but that's not it. 

I don't want you think I'm some depressed piece of shit complaining about something. I'm actually far from it right now. There is a little ambition to do somethings that aren't work, and doing 4100km in two days was real fun. I got to see some very cool things on my trip. I just wanted to point out that a song I've known and listened to for my entire life caught me off guard with something more than music. A message or something.

Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down.  

I Guess This Is Growing Up.

The other day JB fired up Blink 182's “Dammit” during his radio show for Number Ones. I've never really been a big Blink 182 fan, but I've always enjoyed this song. 

Blink 182 was just one of those angst filled teenage bands like Sum 41, Eve 6, and Treble Charger that were just kind of there on the radio. Everyone seemed to like them so I paid them no real attention as I was going through my metal and punk phase.

Anyways, Dammit. I didn't really pay attention to it all that much until a couple years ago. I was either driving home or doing something mundane after a day of work with the radio on, and the lyrics caught my ear. They weren't earth shattering good, but they captured this feeling I had. I wasn't happy, and nothing was really what I thought growing up would be like. Nothing says you are in your early 20's like several existential crises. About four months later I'd be on a plane to Europe, but that is another story. 

It was that line in the chorus I think that summed it all up for me “Well, I guess this is growing up.”

Every time I hear this song I stop, and kind of think about things. Dammit always seems to bring up all those thoughts I have as a twenty-something of not quite understanding what it is like to be a grown up. Sure I know what it is like to pay bills, rent, and all the other fun stuff. I just get the feeling like I'm doing it wrong. I mean it is weird to think that at my age my folks were hitched, and they were expecting me any month now. It's weird to think about that. I'm nowhere near even thinking about kids. I still think it is weird that my little sister pooped out my nephew almost a year ago. 

When I started writing this I had a point I was going to make about the song, but as I've gotten distracted several times I don't think I got it out. I think I'm going to attempt to write this again later on. 

I guess this is sort of like growing up.