Much more than just reading...

Had the excellent fortune to see The Books at the Cultch last night.  Firstly, how much do I love the Cultch?  VERY much.  Such a beautiful venue, and a staff that let everyone in early because of the crap weather.  What's not to love??

I missed the Books the last time they were here (work-travel nonsense of some sort) so I was super happy to have another chance.  They are an odd band, but one that remains in high rotation in the Bunklelife play list - somehow, their weird combination of vocal samples from tapes and videos they find second hand and some truly beautiful cello/guitar/music samples is just...right.   And when you mix it with the all-important visuals (as you can on their DVDs as well), it just comes together so very very well.

The video above isn't mine for once - there was no way I was going to brave filming, or break the spirit of the night, by pulling out my camera.

For anyone interested in the band, check this out - the vocal samples are from a tape they found of a brother and sister talking (?!)  on tape.  Some classic moments of graphic kid violence in there...
I know I will find a way of using  "by cutting your toes off and working my way up towards your brain" in conversation at some point...

Tuesday on Tuesday

OK, maybe I was more interested in the models than the fashions, but...really, can you blame me?

Very, very fun.  I await her wrath for posting this.

(I have lost my blogging mojo for a bit.  Hopefully soon I will be back with something substantial to say)

Necks are overrated.

It has been a long time since I have featured my flat faced roommate, so for those that have been missing him, here is Thomas watching shadows (I never said he was bright).
Sometimes he reminds me of a seal, sometimes a raw prawn (yes, you read that right), but these photos are pure space alien.  And we all know space aliens don't need necks.

Where was I last night?

I stumbled across a notice that Hofesh Shechter's dance company was coming to Vancouver for two nights to perform Uprising/In your rooms.  I knew nothing about Hofesh Shechter's work, but I poked around the internet for a while, discovered he is the current darling of London's contemporary dance scene,  and decided it was worth the risk/expense/trying to rope a pal into.  And I'm glad I did.

I'm finding that I am getting more and more interested in contemporary dance.   That being said, I know next to nothing about it...but, like music, you don't really need to know much to be affected by it.  Shechter's choreography is energetic and raw, even animalistic at times.  I've included a clip from Uprising (which looks a lot better if you view it in Youtube fyi)  - an interview I listened to with Shechter indicated he was interested in boys' interest in playing, in fighting in this piece.  I don't really think narrative is the focus of his work (this is just me, unedjumacated as I'ze be in the language of dance ... so I could be way off); there does seem to be an interest in  between the group and the individual (in the middle of a completely unified group movement, one or two dancers will break off into their own patterns), but really, trying to figure it all out isn't all that necessary.  There is something universal about the movement he presents, and you can't help but be affected.

Shechter also composes the score for his works.  The clip I've included doesn't really convey how integral the really loud, pulsing score is.

A great night out.

Though my pal A. and I agreed Uprising would have been that much more meaningful if the dancers were shirtless... (sorry, had to lower the tone, but hey, we're only human ;)

I *heart* David Sedaris

I had the good fortune to see David Sedaris last night as part of the Vancouver International Writers Festival.   He was at The Centre, which is fairly close to GM Place, which meant the area was milling with a bizarre combo of hockey fans hoping that the Canucks could redeem themselves, and literary junkies excited by the prospect of hearing Sedaris tell his often personal, sometimes bittersweet, and always hilarious stories for an hour or so.  It was one of those nights that caused me to make that weird sneeze sound that I emit when trying to suppress a slightly ill timed, anticipatory guffaw.  What a great time... and even after hearing the results of the hockey game, I'm pretty sure that all in all, the Sedaris fans had a better night (OK, I'm biased, I admit...)

I've included the only clip I could find on YouTube of Sedaris reading live.  Enjoy!