Resolution for 2006 - End Procrastination!

Author’s Note: This blog was originally started on November 16, 2005. As I sit here with a mild hangover from last night’s New Year’s Eve bash, one of my resolutions (which will no doubt fall by the wayside in a week) is to be more diligent about completing projects I start. I’ll finish this blog up after the all-night Planet of the Apes marathon that’s JUST about to start…

I had tried to start this blog, oh, around four times now. Yikes. When I looked back at the number of separate Word documents I had begun to create – and not completed – I grew frustrated with myself. “Why am I not finishing the blogs I start?” was the pivotal question on my mind. I wasn’t sure if it was because it’s been so long since I last wrote & posted a blog (and thus am out of practice), if I haven’t had any thoughts around music in the last 7 months or so, or perhaps I suffer from some form of writer’s block. To determine the root cause, I felt I needed to turn to science! To do so, I donned a white lab coat, printed myself a fancy-looking laminated security badge, set up validation tests on myself, took blood & urine samples, and battered my psyche with a series of potentially dangerous experiments. The results arrived earlier tonight, and for those of you who know me, the answer will shock and astound you. Clearly, without any shred of evidence to the contrary, the tests conclusively demonstrate that I am…… lazy. Not just regular lazy, but the mainframe computer report which is sitting on my desk describes me as “slothfully lazy”. Ouch.

“It’s true” I thought to myself. I AM lazy. I have tons of ideas. I’m even too lazy to write them down in a centralized place when they pop into my head. Actually, that’s more disorganization, than laziness. But I digress. We’re all entitled to have two faults, especially me.

So, I figured that no time would be like the present to hash out some of my thoughts and opinions about music and other things that will amuse a certain segment of the population (translated, this means friends who read this blog out of pity).

Topic for discussion A: The Montreal Music Scene
Remember what I said about me being lazy? Well, it is not only a fact, but it’s proof as to how much better the music scene in this city is compared to…well, compared to how lousy I thought it was going to be. In reality, I have never had a context for how good or bad this city’s scene was. My opinions were solely formed on the fact that Montreal doesn’t get nearly the quality and quantity of shows that Toronto did (or does – like I said, what do *I* know???). How is my laziness proof of how good the music scene is here? Well, we need to examine the number of shows I have not gone to see that were of interest to me (ones that I said “Hey, Band X is in town – I should mark that on the calendar!”). I’ve passed up chances to see Controller Controller, American Analog Set, New Pornographers, Spoon, Black Mountain, Magenta Lane, The Golden Dogs, and a bunch of others that aren’t springing to mind. Some of these bands I know, and others I have only heard buzz about. But, either way, there is not a shortage of talked-about acts coming to Montreal to play.


Topic for discussion B: Shows I Have Seen Since I Have Returned to Montreal
My new life in Montreal kicked off with an ass-busting, fully-packed car ride to Montreal upon my permanent departure from Toronto (and after a night where I had only had around 4 hours or actual sleep because I was packing up my place until the wee hours), whose sole purpose was to get me into town early enough so that I could get down to Metropolis quickly enough to snag a ticket to see Wilco, with openers My Morning Jacket. This is as good a double-bill as I am ever gonna get. Mind you, if Wilco’s the headliner, it wouldn’t matter if Ryan Malcolm from Canadian Idol fame is the opening act (truth be told, I would settle for William Hung, from “making-a-jackass-of-himself” fame).

Lesson learned. Wilco never disappoints. They always put on a top-notch show, beginning to end. To me, all of their songs are winners, and to the 1200 or so fans who showed up to this show. I scored a seat (actually a barstool) in the upper balcony, dead center, a perfect view, and with no shaggy haircuts entering my path of sight. I was a happy, happy man. Music aside, the most gratifying aspect of this showgoing experience was the fact that I bought a ticket off a scalper below face value. God bless ticket scalpers.

I then took off for the entire summer to see the continent known here in North America, as “Europe”. I think this is a wonderful time to let you give your eyes a rest. I’ll have a follow up blog posted in a day or two, so that you can learn more about my zany antics in La Belle Province.