Post-mortem fun

It's not all late nights around here: Sometimes bands venture out into the light of day, even when there isn't a festival around to foot the bill. Here we have You Say Party! We Say Die! at  Sounds Unlikely on October 23. They were just passing through town; they came back later for a show at Babylon. 

Becky Ninkovic claps.



Krista Loewen usually has a keyboard, but sans electricity she just sang back up vocals. Devon Clifford was also relegated to hand percussion.


Becky throws some gang signage.



I decided to try out my new camera's video function. The lack of focus while shooting is a bit of a disadvantage.



The whole lot!



Derek Adam and Stephen O'Shea rock the acoustics.



Becky dance action!



Hand-puppet-mitten action!



More guitars!



Big finish!



I fear Sounds Unlikely is on its last legs, if not actually defunct (they were packing things up last time I walked in), but WSPWSD continue to parlay their electronic dance party sounds hither and yon. They're heading down into the U.S. to take advantage of the February 9 stateside release of XXXX in March.

• Show reminder:  Hearts & Mines, The Toxic Crayons and Fantastic Flow perform at the Zaphod's free showcase; Stoned Sober are at The Rainbow.
  

Death and girls

My music-watching got off to an early start yesterday: You Say Party! We Say Die! dropped into Sounds Unlikely for an in-store performance - their first ever, they said - and played an acoustic set (not even a microphone). They were en route to Joliette, Quebec, and have a bunch of Eastern, Quebec and Ontario dates before they swing through Ottawa for a show at Babylon with "real instruments" on November 14. "It's much easier being loud," bassist Derek Adams observed.


You Say Party! We Say Die! at Sounds Unlikely, October 22, 2009

Then I snuck off home through the rain and bided my time for the evening watching Thai martial arts films and South Korean crime dramas before setting off for Zaphod Beeblebrox. Sadie Hell started things off (no sign of the John Punch Band). Ben brought some knitted stuff to serve as a backdrop, and a lamp. He didn't bring any bandmates - they're either in Halifax or ensconced in other projects.


Sadie Hell at Zaphod Beeblebrox, October 22, 2009

Modernboys and Moderngirls don't seem to be having much luck attracting an Ottawa audience ... they'll do a lot better when they share a stage with The Balconies in November (at Irene's, if I remember things correctly) I imagine. Despite the small crowd things ended up very lively off stage with people dancing around by the last handful of tunes.


Modernboys Moderngirls at Zaphod Beeblebrox, October 22, 2009

In short, it was a fine day, provided you don't think about the weather.

• Show reminder: Marianas Trench, play a predictably sold-out show with The New Cities and Carly Rae Jepsen at the Bronson Centre; Cuff The Duke, The Soiree and The Stables perform at Babylon; Vic Chestnutt and Clare and the Reasons play Mavericks; Bloodshoteye, The Catalyst and Terrorhorse terrorize Cafe DeKcuf; the band whose name is a symbol, Castor, Matt Oxley and Black Feelings do it for CKCU at Irene's Pub; for those who like a visual element to their music, The Flaps will be providing the soundtrack to Faust at 7 p.m. while Mike Dubue and Co. do the same for Nosferatu at 9 p.m. the Mayfair. Ron Hawkins and Sarah Hallman play Zaphod's; Lonesome Paul brings his lonesome self to the Elmdale House. Remember Ashley Newall playing with Big Bend when they filled in for 40-watt Monkey at Zaphod's back on Oct. 14? No? Oh. Well anyway, his band, Semtazone and the Chris Cawthray Trio are at the Avant-Garde Bar.