Oh man

I have never wished I had my camera with more than I did last night. Library Voices played a joyous explosion of a set in the Millards' garage along with locals Willett, Eye Was an Ion, Bunnies in Berlin and Lightmares.

Willett's debut performance was extremely tight, showing a supreme knack for pop songcraft and subtle harmony. Reminiscent of groups like She & Him and Mates of State, Willett's presence on the Sudbury music scene is extremely welcome.

Eye Was an Ion also played a terrific set. Their music is dark-sounding, rhythmically propulsive, and emotionally distant, and yet it is extremely powerful and engaging. I am so happy that they are gigging around here. This five piece will be performing with Willett at the CKLU open stage on Mach 26th, and will be releasing their debut album on May 1st. If you're reading this, and you're from Sudbury, you must go see these bands!

Obviously, Bunnies in Berlin and Lightmares played excellent sets. On their home turf (the garage), they are untouchable forces of nature that barrel through their sets with reckless abandon. I can't say enough about these young bands. Also, Bunnies in Berlin finally has some recordings up on their myspace so you should check it out!

Honestly, a special place in heaven is reserved for Library Voices. This is one of the best bands I have ever seen. Not just in the garage, but ever. Plus, have you ever seen a 10-piece band in a garage? I have. Have you ever cried subtle tears of joy while watching a band in a garage? I have. I would put them on the same level of musical ability as large bands like Broken Social Scene and Most Serene Republic.

After the garage show, I took the Library Voices people to the Townehouse along with Mac from Eye Was an Ion to see their Saskatchewan friends in the bands We Were Lovers and the Sheepdogs.

We Were Lovers has a super hot girl named Elsa as their lead singer/keyboardist, and the Sheepdogs simply destroyed the stage with their tight harmonies and impeccably arranged guitar work. They played to a bar that was empty except for a few drunks, Library Voices, Mac and myself. I only caught the end of We Were Lovers' set, but I will be sure to catch them next time they come through! They're on their way to SXSW right now so I wish them luck at the border.

All in all, it was a great night.

This Saturday

Last Saturday at Adanac was totally awesome! Malentendu, Ancestors, Lunchmeat and Bot all rocked Adanac with furious abandon. We had a great turnout, and I bonked my head off some other kid in the mosh pit. I was wearing my sunglasses at the time and I thought that the arm had broken in half and that it was sticking out through my ear, but as it turned out it was just the plastic tab from my earplugs. Why would I think that?

The after-show at the Millards' garage went really well too. Sadly, I missed Bunnies in Berlin's set because Carter and I went for coffee. By the way, check out their myspace; they finally have some songs recorded! (Just click on their name: it is hyper-linked with the HTML!)

However, I am glad that Carter got a coffee because he delivered the pumpinest drum performance I've ever seen him give!

I took Ancestors for Big Drippers at Sub City afterwards (a sandwich they won't soon forget, I'm sure), and I attempted and failed to eat an entire large vegetarian pizza. Annabelle showed up randomly, ate a slice, and then subsequently vanished into the night only to apparently fall over a fence into waist-deep snow while trying to take a shortcut home. (I offered her a ride but she wouldn't take it)

This Saturday, my seven-piece rock band Meadowlark Five and my band the Birthday Cakes will be playing a show at Adanac with the awesome band Oh No Forest Fires from Toronto. Also performing will be Life Size Dream and Lightmares.

Here is the poster I designed for the show. See if you can decipher the hidden meaning in it:










Just kidding, there's no hidden meaning.

Also, the Birthday Cakes were ranked at number 7 this past week on the CFOU campus radio charts for Trois Rivieres. We were also ranked number 8 on the CFBX campus radio chart for Kamloops, BC! So, good for us.

Millards' Garage Tonight

The Birthday Cakes are playing the Millards' garage tonight at 459 Lasalle with the Coffins, the Hometown Hecklers, Lightmares and Bunnies in Berlin. Show starts at 7PM. We will be playing all new material.

I'm going to have my digital recorder on hand to try and capture Bunnies in Berlin's songs.

the Coffins: www.myspace.com/thec0ffins


The Hometown Hecklers: www.myspace.com/hometownhecklers

Poster:

Interview in the Sudbury Star regarding the PA Cooperative

I was interviewed yesterday for an article that appeared in the Sudbury Star today. Click Here to Read it!

And to those of you from Toronto, please come out to our show tomorrow at the Press Club:

Upcoming showZA

This one's for the Toronto Peeps:



This one's for the PA Cooperative. It's a fundraiser so if you care about the Sudbury music scene, please come out and support it:



This one's in Millards' garage at 459 Lasalle. So if you care at all about getting wasted and watching punk bands, then you should come out and support it:

Pictures from shows

Our friend Brandon Grey had his pictures from the Holly Springs Disaster show put in WGTS (we go to shows) online magazine:

Click Here

Some more pictures from that show taken by a man named Scott:

Click Here

Here are the pictures that I took of the Hoa Hoas and the Disrealis in Lightmares' garage:

Click here

This Friday and Saturday

Yo come to these shows. Look at all the work I put into making it look like my head and Jon's head were popping out of the poster. Also, look at how the smoke in the Holly Springs Disaster poster looks like two people making out! At least you should come to one of these shows. Also, check out the interview I did with the Sudbury Star:

Click here dummy!

Remember: Friday the 5th

This concert will be a fun time. For realsies. There will be food and drinks! We even got coverage in the Sudbury Star.

Also, check this out. The Birthday Cakes are number 16 on the top 30 on CKLU!

I hear there's lots of snow in Sudbury therefore it is time to SHRED! I leave the mine tomorrow and will get back to Sudburytown on the 4th. I am looking forward to two solid weeks of playing music and snowboarding.

BA Johnston

HotKid

Bunnies in Berlin

the Birthday Cakes

Bass Fishing Video Games

My mom's friend gave her a whole stack of old microsoft PC video games. They are all pretty crappy but the one that really caught my eye is Microsoft Pro Bass Fisherman.

I have no idea why such games are in existence. I've been fishing. It is boring as hell. Video games are supposed to be the sweet shot of morphine that diverts our attention from the gaping wound that is day to day life. Bass fishing games are not morphine. They are a salt coated dildo being jammed into that self-same wound with utter carelessness.

Anyway, the Neuroscience show went really well. We had a pretty good turnout, and all the bands played great! And I say that with complete humility considering I played in three of the five bands. We didn't get the EEG up and running during the Birthday Cakes' set unfortunately, but we did have some good videos on brain dissection and I think everyone had a good time. Our friend Brandon Grey took the following pictures of the Birthday Cakes. (Thanks Bran!):

Click Here

The next one will be the BA Johnston/HotKid/Bunnies in Berlin/Birthday Cakes show, which will be at the Adanac Ski hill shack at 5 PM on Dec. 5th.

Then, on Dec. 13th, the Birthday Cakes will be opening for Rabbit Transit, Upheavel of an Excorcist, and the Holly Springs Disaster at the Jubilee Centre at 6 PM because we are heavy as fuck.

That same night, Dec. 13th, Meadowlark Lemon will be holding our CD release at the Townehouse featuring Matthew de Zoete. We will be preforming the songs from our album with a full band, and we will then do a whole set of our new noise rock material.

Sat. Nov. 15th @ Myths & Mirrors

On Saturday, Nov. 15th, I am helping the Neuroscience Department at Laurentian University to put on a show at Myths and Mirrors. The purpose is to raise funds for their legal defence. It will be $5. Bands will be the Birthday Cakes, Hellbound Chainsaws, Bunnies in Berlin, Herd of One and Watchamacollit Posse.

There will also be other activities related to discussing the issues facing the neuroscience department and some information about your brain.

I am pretty excited as this will be the first time the Hellbound Chainsaws have ever performed in public.

"Look out everyone,

Lightmares' dad is coming around the corner and he is FUCKED UP!"

-James Millard Sr.

The Birthday Cakes and Meadowlark Lemon played a show in Lightmares' garage with Bunnies in Berlin, Lightmares, and the Hometown Hecklers on Friday, and it was a blast! JR tried to crowd surf over the assembled twelve people. Nothing but good vibes and memorable quotes from the aforementioned James Millard Sr. Thanks a lot to everyone who came out to make it an extra special evening.

I will upload a recording of Meadowlark Lemon's 18 minute version of "Fire Hawk" soon.

Last night, both of my bands went out to North Bay to join the Hometown Hecklers at 211 Highland. It was a wicked place and we met yet another cool guy named James who owned the place. We sold a CD and a T-shirt!

On November 7th, both Meadowlark Lemon will be playing at Laurentian University's Pub Downunder with Life Blown Open.

On November 8th, Meadowlark Lemon will be playing a show with Bucket of from Toronto, Ontario with some other local bands TBA at Ridgecrest Park in New Sudbury.

On December 5th, the Birthday Cakes will be playing with BA Johnston, HotKid and Bunnies in Berlin, also at Ridgecrest.