In Leiu Of A Lack Of Monthly 'Sup In's....

Soooooo.......

I am currently without computer due to the fact that it died the other day and killed many many important things along the way. (Not least of which was my ENTIRE digital music library (120+gb's ..... AND ITS BACKUPS!!!!). I knew that I should have seen it coming but hey, procrastination and all of that. But anyway, I've tossed a toonie in the direction of my local internet cafe guy so that I could quickly give you this brief explanation for my recent lack of online persona over the last week, as well as the one that will follow for the week ahead. I've gotta be quick though; I've only got 20 minutes :) A very adept friend of mine is currently working on my computer's resurrection, but we're both rather busy chaps and getting together to do this thing is a slow process. But I'm fairly confident that I'll be back and invading all three of your computer screens again shortly.

In the meantime....

I attended (with mixed feelings) the very last show of our very own Oh No Forest Fires a couple of weeks ago, and thankfully, it looks like the pics that I took are one of the only things that my evil file wrecking machine didn't destroy. So yahoo! It was a surprisingly celebratory show, and I can't wait to tell you about it.

Obviously I didn't get around to firing up a 'Sup in February post for you this time around, which makes it two months in a row now, but I guarantee that I'll have one up for March and it's gonna be wild! As far as where I'll be this month, I'm planning on checking out my old friends in AfterpartY for free at The Horseshoe tomorrow night (Feb. 2nd). (OK. I've never officially met them, but our paths have crossed via this blog and all its associates that I feel like I know them, sort of.) I'm hoping to pop in to Criminal Records on Friday (Feb. 5th) to see the ever charismatic Hawksley Workman perform a free instore. I'm also pumped about going to The Mod Club to see a couple of my favourite female Swedes, El Perro Del Mar and Victoria Bergsman's altar ego: Taken By Trees on Feb. 21st. Should be amaaaaazing! And, the undisputed event of the month comes in the form of the Wavelength 500, taking place from February 10th to 14th. I'll be attending one of the lesser popular days which is the Friday, because it's the only one featuring a lineup wherein I thoroughly enjoy all five of the acts! But for all of the details. go to the aforementioned official site.

I'll see you online hopefully early next week with more reviews, insights and some pretty exciting contests, and in real life, maybe sooner than that.

Hawksley Workman @ Danforth Music Hall

OK the snow is getting annoying. That in no way relates to the Hawksley Workman show last night at Danforth Music Hall but I just thought I'd mention it anyways. This was another one of the limited wristband entry deals that I thought I wouldn't likely get into, but once again ... success!

I've always liked Hawksley, but never in a "I've just got to see him now!" sort of way. He was always just one of those artists that I viewed as decent and enjoyable, take him or leave him. However many of my music loving peers have assured me that attending a Hawksley show would be a turning point, a major event in my life. His style of cabaret glam pop would be more than just another concert for me; it would be an experience.

And an experience it was! Hawksley Workman is the maniacal musical maestro of mayhem as he allowed us into his warped theatrical mind for a couple of solid hours. Appearing on stage wearing a bandana and little heart shaped antennae ear things, he scurried up to a set of really small drums and started the show. The band were all dressed as little people and watching them bang on their little instruments as if they belonged in the land of Oz, was hilarious. He played many songs from the new album "Between The Beautifuls" and well as some classics, although all of the songs sounded new to me. This isn't because I was unfamiliar with them, but it's because he put a real twist on many of them, making them unrecognizable at first until you started hearing the lyrics. The show switched around from the aforementioned kiddie little person spectacle, to folksy time singalong, to full out heavy rock opera, making this such a diverse night. It was easy to get lost in his voice as it is so powerful and commanding that there were moments when he didn't even need the microphone. He also played a variety of instruments as the night went on. From what the Hawksley diehards sitting with me were saying, the final third of the concert was his most rocking show to date, and it did rock pretty hard. Yes, as his fans already know, he is a performer in the truest sense of the word. I have to admit, that my friends were correct: this was not just another concert, this was indeed an experience.

Photos: Hawksley Workman @ Danforth Music Hall on flickr
Myspace: Hawksley Workman
Videos: Piano Blink on youtube
Purchase: Between The Beautifuls here.