Record Store Day in YYJ

Record Store Day is here again! Now in it’s fourth year, Record Store Day is celebrated on the third Saturday of April. The day was created to shine a light on independent record stores worldwide. This year there’s a bunch of exclusive releases to be found, including some from artists such as Caribou, the Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Grinderman, Mumford and Sons, the Flaming Lips, and others. (Check out the full list of this year’s releases on http://www.recordstoreday.com.)

So what’s going on in Victoria?

Ditch Records has a pile of RSD exclusive releases in stock (there’s a comprehensive list on Ditch’s website) and they’re offering up free CDs, free posters, and free coffee for those who choose to show up ridiculously early. There will be in store performances by Aidan Knight (10:30am), Himalayan Bear (6pm), and Bankrobber (6:30pm). Facebook event page.

Talk’s Cheap will have some cheap 45’s and cassettes out, with prices being marked down as the day goes on. Some RSD exclusives will be out, but it will be those that fit with the rest of the stock at Talk’s Cheap – don’t go expecting to find your major label modern rock release. Facebook event page.

The Turntable doesn’t have a website, but they’re listed on the Record Store Day site as participating so I’m sure they have some sales going on.

I’ll be making the rounds this afternoon and will be sure to post any of my purchases. If you found anything awesome or saw a great band perform on Record Store Day, please share in the comments section!

Update: 

I only had time to make it to Ditch on Record Store Day, but I spent more than an hour there. Check out my haul!

Now before you go and think that I spent my life savings on Record Store Day (that’s only the half-truth), I should point out that most of the CDs I picked up were used. It seems that someone unloaded their Flashing Lights discography, so I figured I should give it a good home. Also, Ditch was giving away free CDs and I managed to snag a few of those (the two Chet albums and the Elephant Island album).

An awesome new addition to Record Store Day at Ditch Records was a collection of in store performances. I caught the afternoon sets by Bankrobber and Himalayan Bear. I really hope this becomes a regular thing at the new store! Below is a video from Bankrobber’s set.

New Flickr Pics Round Two

Barenaked Ladies and Joel Plaskett with Peter Elkas at the Save On Foods Memorial Arena, April 6th 2010

Gordon was probably the first cassette tape I owned as a kid and I’m sad I wasn’t able to see BNL before Steven Page left the band. Admittedly I haven’t listened to a BNL album in years, and Gordon is probably their only album I own, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to see the band perform some of their greatest hits. Throw in the opener of Joel Plaskett accompanied by Peter Elkas, and I was sold. I’m impressed how Joel always manages to keep his show fresh. I’ve seen him live a few times now and he always brings something a little different to the mix. This time it was a stripped down set, just him on guitar and keyboard and Peter Elkas on guitar. He played a lot of material from his most recent release Three. It seemed that most of the people around me weren’t too familiar with his work (was I the only one singing along there?), but the crowd perked up when he started into his hit Nowhere With You. As for BNL, they are nothing short of seasoned pros. Like I kind of mentioned above, I’m not a big fan of the new material, but I was thoroughly entertained by their set. It’s pretty obvious that they have a lot of fun doing what they do.

View the entire photo set here.

 

Sam Roberts with Matt Mays at the Save On Foods Memorial Arena, June 12th 2010

This was a night of pure rock and roll. Going to this concert was a bit of a last minute decision for me. The next morning I had to get on an early flight to Texas to make it to a conference, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go out the night before I had to fly. I sucked it up and went out anyways, but I was unorganized and was still packing my bags when Matt Mays took the stage. I’m still kicking myself for missing his set. The Canadian icons 54-40 played the second slot (which I was totally surprised at – how were they not the headliners?!).  Unfortunately none of my photos of them turned out, but their set was basically a soundtrack of what I grew up listening to. Thank you dad for educating me so well in Canadian rock. Sam Roberts closed the night. He played a good mix of new and old songs. I particularly enjoyed the songs that Matt Mays joined in on. (And what a photogenic guy Matt Mays is! I’m so happy how well those shots turned out.)

View the entire photo set here.

 

Owen Pallett with Snowblink at the Alix Goolden Hall, May 10th 2010

Owen Pallett (who at the time had recently changed his stage name from Final Fantasy) hit town in support of his new album Heartland. He cancelled his last scheduled show in Victoria (his Rifflandia 2009 set) due to a bad case of the flu, and the audience seemed glad that he was able to return so soon. Heartland is a beautiful album with some gorgeous arrangements. This new album was recorded with an orchestra so I was curious to see how he would approach performing these pieces, as his stage show is normally just him on his own. He brought support, but it was only one other musician who played some guitar and some drums. It was just enough to add that extra oompf to the new work.

View the entire photo set here.

 

Sasquatch 2010!!

How can I accurately sum up one of the best weekends I’ve ever had? It turns out that I had to miss the first day and a half of Sasquatch to attend a good friend’s wedding. Even though I wish I hadn’t missed the National, Vampire Weekend, Caribou, and the Hold Steady (to name a few), I still had an amazing time. Can I pick one highlight? No. Here’s a few though: It seemed that everyone at the festival came to the main stage to see LCD Soundsystem. It was one epic, massive dance party. If I have to live with only seeing LCD Soundsystem just once before they called it quits, this wasn’t a bad show to go with. Japandroids put on an most excellent set. While waiting for Japandroids to take the stage, we met the Dan Mangan t-shirt guy (who I originally mentioned here). In the middle of MGMT’s set a bunch of large balloons were released on the hill, it was one of those great festival moments. The Seattle Rock Orchestra probably had one of the most underrated sets of the festival. I had a hard time convincing my friends to join me for this one, but I don’t regret going solo. Their entire set consisted of them covering songs from Arcade Fire’s album Funeral. Checking out the internets soon after Sasquatch last year I discovered that they have also covered David Bowie. Doing another quick internet check while writing the last bit of this post, I find that in the last year they have tackled both Queen and Radiohead. (Friends: SRO is playing Sasquatch again this year and they’re doing Radiohead covers! You’re being told now that you’re coming to see this with me.) At Sasquatch last year the band had about 20 musicians on stage ranging from strings to brass to singers to the more traditional rock band setup; they’re not called a rock orchestra for nothing. (By the way, does anyone want to start a band like this? I would totally get behind a project like that. It looked like it would be a lot of fun.) I absolutely CANNOT wait for Sasquatch 2011!

View the entire photo set here.

 

I have lots more photos still to upload, so you can expect a Flickr Pics Round Three… well… eventually.