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ALT-J
TIRED OF WAKING UP TIRED It’s only 7 p.m. in Oslo, Norway but Thom Green sounds exhausted. Alt-J’s drummer speaks to me as he’s being whisked away from the festival site by van, seemingly unaware of...
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WEEDEATER, BISON BC, HOOPSNAKE
Weedeater ELECTRIC OWL – JULY 16, 2013 Excellent to see Electric Owl hosting some heavy-hitting metal bands and with Hoopsnake on the opening slot you knew there was gonna be some weight. Bison BC I...
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BOB LOG III, THE BELADEANS
Bob Log III BILTMORE CABARET – JULY 9, 2013 In the Biltmore’s dimly-lit den of electronic playlist worship, Bob Log III somehow plays four iPods at once. Instead of searching menus, pirating music and...
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RUSH
ROGERS ARENA – JULY 26, 2013 Rush! With Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart rocking this country for 40 years, a packed house waited eagerly for The Clockwork Angels tour to begin in Vancouver. At...
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SOULS OF MISCHIEF
BROTHERS ’TIL INFINITY “Our drive to be successful is not like a business, it’s more like what we are trying to do creatively to affect people’s lives in a positive way.” Known to most as a monumental...
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MELVINS
STRAIGHT UP ON BUSINESS AND MILESTONES With a 30-year career of prolific output and touring, the Melvins are overwhelming to say the least. In a modern sense, the 30th anniversary in America is by...
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KHATSAHLANO MUSIC + ARTS FESTIVAL
WEST 4TH AVENUE – JULY 13, 2013 Vancouver’s annual Khatsahlano festival is an 80,000-person gong show. This mile-long street party along West 4th Avenue frees the spirit of anyone game enough to go and...
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MICHALE GRAVES
A SHOWMAN WHO’S LEFT IT ALL ONSTAGE Digging up the old bones of Michale Graves is quite the process, especially now that he’s concentrating on his third acoustic voice. This ex-Misfit frontman is...
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DUNLEVY SNACKBAR
Theo Lloyd-Kohls is a breath of fresh air as he’s making me what will soon become one of the better Americanos I’ve had in Vancouver. He is cool, calm and collected sitting across the table in the...
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SEPAK TAKRAW CHAMPIONSHIPS 2013
A COMPLEX TASTE OF SOUTHEAST-ASIAN SPORT COMES TO TOWN If you’ve never heard of Sepak Takraw, you’re forgiven. Despite the sport’s popularity across Asia, the enticing blend of soccer, volleyball and...
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WAMPIRE
PORTLAND DUO TAKES A DIP IN NOSTALGIA Driving on a dusty road somewhere in Nebraska, Eric Phipps and Rocky Tinder from the Portland indie group Wampire take time for a phone call. Hoping the call...
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KEEPIN’ IT SLEAZY: AUGUST 2013
STRANGE DECISIONS IN THE NAME OF LUST Every once in awhile, you hit a crossroad in life and are forced to examine the actions, decisions and cosmic forces that brought you there before you can decide...
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TWO ACRE SHAKER
NO LIVE LLAMAS (THIS YEAR) “The party is rich in llama (and llamacorn) lore, but our venue will, unfortunately, not feature any live llamas this year,” Pat McKinnon says in a deadpan tone that only...
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TROLLBAND
NOT ANOTHER VIKING WORSHIP BAND “Folk, to me, means people.” Reflect on that statement and all it could potentially entail, then consider it’s coming from Sam Levitt, the founder, bassist and vocalist...
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Canadians at Lolla – Lollapalooza 2013
Nine Inch Nails While most of my friends were at Bass Coast this past weekend, I attended Lollapalooza, Chicago’s premiere music festival. With great acts like The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, The Killers,...
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MACKLEMORE, SHAD
BMO CENTRE – AUGUST 7, 2013 It’s rare I share anything with obnoxiously girl-drink drunk teenagers in unwashed hip-hop gear on the C-Train, but this evening I did. We were both headed to Macklemore at...
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THE SWORD, TEMPLE, AMERICAN SHARKS
REPUBLIK – AUGUST 11, 2013 It’s impossible not to love Sunday night rock shows, if only for the sense of flipping the bird at Monday as soon as you enter the venue. Speaking of flipping, those that had...
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GOGOL BORDELLO, A TRIBE CALLED RED
FLAMES CENTRAL – AUGUST 13, 2013 From the outset, A Tribe Called Red seemed like an odd opener for world-weary gypsy punks, Gogol Bordello. ATCR have certainly enjoyed their time in the limelight this...
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VAMPIRE WEEKEND, COLD SPECKS
SAIT JUBILEE – AUGUST 7, 2013 Toronto-based singer-songwriter Cold Specks preceded Vampire Weekend, her soulful old-South sound filling the stage with help from her four-piece band – an unusual...
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GARY NUMAN
ANECDOTES ON THE HECTIC “You’re in the middle of the most beautiful place in the world. We saw mountains, forests, and bears, and they argue about who’s going to get out of the pool first; like FOR...
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