Mother Mother

I missed a fair bit of Saturday at Hillside, but I made sure to come for Mother Mother. This is the band that I was absolutely the most excited to go see. I listened to their previous two albums quite a lot over the past year and couldn't wait to see how their live performance compared to their recorded music.

First off, if you haven't heard of Mother Mother, take a listen to (at least) their title tracks for the last two albums, Touch Up and O My Heart. Extremely catchy music that you just want to dance to. Honestly, I don't even care what it's all about or what the music is really saying. It's damn good music and I would listen to it even if it was telling me to hate the world and murder everyone. Which isn't at all what it's all about, but you get the point.

They just released their new album, Eureka, and I highly recommend it. I've been listening to it since Hillside, along with a few other albums, and so far I think my favourite song is My Baby Don't Dance, but all of the songs are awesome. This band just continues to go above and beyond my expectations.

They're very hipster and remind me a little of the B52s with the crazy female vocals and just the style of singing in general. However, it wasn't until I saw them live that I realized how phenomenal of a voice Jasmine Parkin has. Just incredible. The other thing that particularly impressed me was their outstanding showmanship. Many bands sound less good live because if you make a mistake, you can't erase it and do it over like you could in a recording studio. This is not the case with Mother Mother. They're a very tight band who know how to put on a good, flawless show. I didn't notice a single mistake, their sound levels were good and the transitions between songs were seamless. If you can get out to see one of their shows, I absolutely recommend that you go see them. I had high expectations for Mother Mother and they delivered!

Hillside

I will soon be posting about the different bands I saw at Hillside with a little more detail, but I wanted to write an overall post to prove that I didn't fall into a hole and get captured by gypsies.

First of all, I've got to say that volunteering is the way to go. You only pay $18, donate 12 hours of your time and in exchange you get full Hillside access, free food and a place to camp with other lovely volunteers. It's an incredible sense of community and fellowship while volunteering as well. You've all got the same bracelets and thus can easily recognize other volunteers, which greatly simplifies friend-making because you can always open with "So, what's your volunteer job?" and suddenly you're friends with William Lyon Mackenzie King's great great grandson and he's juggling an apple, a felafel and a cup for your amusement.

Also, the performers eat where you eat, and in a couple cases, camp where you camp. But no one goes all fan-crazed and stupid. Everyone remembers that musicians are people too, not superheros or rare magical creatures like we would all like to believe. You might get to talk to your favourite bands and realize just how much cooler and dynamic they are than you had initially thought.

Even if you're not volunteering though, there is just so much going on all at once and it's ALL amazing! There are cool workshops all day where you can meet fabulously talented people and have them teach you a new skill or introduce you to a new way of doing things. All the while, every stage has something cool going on. There are jam sessions between bands from all genres and you're guaranteed to hear something you've never heard before. There was a person who's instrument was a chain that they hit with a hammer, rhythmically.

Beyond the incredible workshops and mind-blowing music, there's a wide array of artists and vendors selling things that you'd never dreamed existed and all the food is great. But more than anything else, the best part of Hillside is the people. Everyone is happy and open to making friends. You feel like you're a part of something bigger than yourself and far more meaningful. Everyone feels like a cousin or a neighbour and, in some cases, brothers and sisters.

I can't wait to write more about the bands that really struck a chord with me. There were a bunch!

Dear Henry

I just finished writing a song inspired in part by that old comedic song "There's a Hole in My Bucket" except that in my song, Henry and Liza are at a breaking point in their relationship where they're very hurt, but trying to make it work anyway. And it most certainly is not comedic. Henry was unhappy and cheated on Liza, but they're trying to work through it. Very touching. If I had it recorded, I would post it...but I live in the stone age computer-wise.

Labels for Social Inclusion

Dooce referenced Internet K-Hole today in a blog post so I clicked through and checked it out. That blog seems to be a compilation of pictures from various eras which is meant to be funny. I personally loved it. I loved seeing pictures of people having a great time and really loving life. The pictures were funny, but not because of the ridiculous clothes, hairstyles or decor, but because the pictures were taken when the photographer(s) was(were) in a good, humourous mood. You can tell how lighthearted they all were. The people in the pictures often epitomized the culture of the time and often looked damn cool. You can tell in an instant what kind of person they were. It was awe-inspiring.

The pictures made me wish that I had indulged in fashion trends and really enjoyed the time period I was living in. I've always tried not to be trendy so that I'll never have a picture that makes me cringe....but I have lots of pictures that make me cringe and it has nothing to do with fashion, usually. Why not look outdated if I'm totally dressed to the nines and obviously fashionable for the time? Why not have fun with fashion and enjoy dressing up? Why not live the lifestyle of the time?

I always felt that cultural trends and mass appeal were to be despised. I felt that I didn't want to be a clone of those around me; I wanted to think for myself. I didn't want to be labeled or taken at face value. But that's silly, because everyone is labeled and taken at face value until you get to know them. Why shouldn't I use these labels to my benefit? Use these templates to show people at a glance what kind of person I am and what I believe in? What's so wrong with cultural identity anyway?

In a way, it is a method for inclusion. Through image, we can all feel connected and a part of something bigger. Culture and fashion perhaps may be on par with religion in this facet. They are all ways to feel connected with those around us. To feel like we're not alone. Like others understand where we're coming from and what we're all about. To feel connected.

By refusing to endorse trends and the like, I have, in a way, isolated myself from humanity. I've always felt isolated anyway, but perhaps some of that could be alleviated through similarity in style. But this entire philosophical debate begs the question: what style should I endorse, how do I want to be seen by others, and who do I want to surround myself with?

Can You Imagine?

Do you ever imagine how things are going to go and then realize that the chances of that happening are very, very slim? I think I do that a lot in social setting. Next weekend is the Hillside Festival at Guelph Lake and I will be volunteering at the volunteer support tent. Along with a few other people, I will be creating a calm environment and listening to other volunteers as they tell me all about whatever is on their mind. I'm pretty excited about it. We get to play music and hang out with cool people in exchange for a weekend pass to the festival at a hugely discounted price.

In my mind, I'm going to be having fun, playing guitar, and the band members from Mother Mother...or maybe Sloan, will come over to unwind after their show. After hanging out for a bit, I'll mention that I write my own music. Of course, they'll demand that I play for them a bit and after hearing a few songs, they'll decide right then and there that I should join their band, or open for them, or get set up with a record deal of some sort. It'll be a fortuitous event AND an awesome tale to tell.

You see where my mind drifted from reality there? Right after the playing guitar. I suppose, there's  a minute chance that I could meet those people...but it's pretty unlikely that we'd all hang out like old friends and even more unlikely that they'd care to listen to my music...and furthermore, like it enough to advance my music career for me. But can you imagine if that did happen? Apparently I can.

So...what's my sign?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had recently looked into more in-depth astrology. Specifically, I looked at natal charts...more specifically, my natal chart.

Based on where I was born and at what time and whether anyone sneezed, I have a number of different astrological signs in different domains. These domains are generally referred to as houses and affect different areas of your life...there is also significance given to where the planets are at birth. So, my sun sign is Gemini, which is supposedly the most important sign, but my ascending (not totally sure what that is, but I think it's the 1st house) is Taurus, which means that the way I present myself to others is as a cautious and tentative person, essentially. The kind of person who needs to analyze a situation from all angles before making any decision. I'm pretty sure this is true. I also recall that ....Mars....?....was in Pisces. Well, something was in Pisces and it has to do with anger, so I'm assuming it was Mars. That meant that I don't really get angry so much as moody...and even that it depends on a number of things.

I could go on, but that's really all I remember from the top of my head. It was pretty cool though because it actually did appear to be somewhat accurate.The nice part is that through all the various combinations of signs and domains, you can actually get a very unique sense of a person. I highly suggest you all spend some time on the internet and read about yourselves to see how accurate it is. There are a number of websites that generate the raw data for the chart and then from there, just Google the different parts like 'mars in gemini' to see what comes up. I'd love to hear if you find your astrology signs to be more or less accurate with the additional information.

Signs

Astrology is one of those things, like the Tarot, that has been branded a con. Perhaps it is, but it can be very convincing at times. I'll be posting again about astrology, but for now I'm going to focus on specific predictions.

July has only just begun and already I'm seeing my horoscope unfolding before my eyes. The days surrounding July 6th (and later, the 26th) are supposed to bring unexpected news. Yesterday I received a number of pieces of news after weeks of nothing. I got the volunteer position at the Hillside Festival that I had thought I didn't get because it was taking so long to hear back from them. I also got two separate calls for setting up interviews, both of which I expected not to get for their own reasons. I also heard from my sister....the one who almost never talks to me, asking for advice on some things I really hadn't expected she would talk about, especially not to me.

Apparently today is also an important day. We'll see why I guess. Tonight is an open mic night that I've been agonizing over, unsure as to what will happen.

It's actually almost scary how accurate my horoscope tends to be from that website that I go to: http://www.astrologyzone.com

Wish me luck tonight!

"Parasitic Negativity"

Every morning, I wake up, make breakfast and sip my coffee while I check various places on the internet. My mail, Facebook, Twitter and a blog that I have been following for years. Dooce is the blog of woman who suffered post-partum depression along with a number of other mental ailments that have become far too common in modern times. She has written about her experiences, but more importantly, she writes about her life now and there are so many wonderful aspects to it. She shows hope where so many others have lost it. Beyond that, she writes with such a humourous style and wit that I keep coming back day after day to enjoy the laughs.

Today I checked her blog and found a post that shares the theme of what I had already planned on writing about today. A phenomenon she so aptly described as parasitic negativity. (Her post, however, is very, very different in content to my own as hers involves angry journalists and passionate women from Bangladesh.)

I, too, have noticed this parasitic negativity creeping in around me. It is very common among young university students and it has a very contagious quality, like a yawn. Insidiously it begins with a slight parting of lips, an intake of breath, and before you know it, you're deep in the thick of it, wide-mouthed and uncontrollable. One person begins pointing out flaws and calling them unacceptable, and the next person joins in and complains about the problems with this, that and the other thing. Before you know it, the entirety of one's company is full of hate, disappointment and harsh criticism.

I'll not pretend that I am impervious to this. In fact, it angers me because I feel so susceptible to it. The implicit message sent out when someone calls out problems with something or someone is that the speaker does not have those problems. Therefore, the speaker is superior to those that they denigrate.

When surrounded by these sorts of people, you cease to speak up and say that you like anything for fear that it will be harpooned and deconstructed in front of your eyes. Then all that is left to talk about are things that you dislike or are apathetic towards, which by the way, suddenly turns any conversation into an incredibly dull affair.

So, I say stand up! Be proud of the things you cherish. Gush about the positive things in your life and share that positivity with those around you. It may be more effort (and a fair bit more scary) to be positive rather than negative, but if you can do it with conviction, you might convince others to follow your lead. Negativity may be infectious, but positivity is inspiring and inspiration is what the world thrives on. Inventions, progress, and social movements are all born out of inspiration and enthusiasm. It makes heroes of the meek and leaders of the powerless.

Don't be a Debbie Downer; let those around you shine and maybe in time, you'll shine, too.

Really?

I had to go to the bank today seeing as tomorrow is a holiday (Canada Day! Woo!). I decided to walk because it was such a lovely day today and because walking allows such freedoms as cutting through parking lots and suchlike. After cutting through a particularly large parking lot, with the sun beating down on me the whole time, I decided to cross the street. At this point, I could see the bank mere meters ahead of me on the other side of the street, but the nearest intersection with lights to cross at was a few minutes' walk away, after which I would have to double back to get to the bank. That seemed silly to me, horribly inefficient. So I decided to wait until traffic cleared enough that I could just cross there.

I waited, and waited, and waited some more. Then the traffic cleared up and I knew it was my chance to go. But there was a guy in a little red car that wanted to merge onto the road from the parking lot across the street. I would be in his way if I crossed, but there was enough room that if I just went quickly, he would have more than enough time to get onto the road. The second he saw that I was crossing out onto the road, and at a quick pace, he slammed his foot down on the gas pedal and headed straight for me. Fortunately, I was able to dodge him but for that moment, I was sure that I was about to discover what it felt like to be hit by a car.

Admittedly, I should not have crossed there. I should have gone to the intersection to cross. However, it's just good practice to avoid hitting pedestrians. The law always sides with them anyway, so he would have been legally screwed had he hit me. I however, would have been screwed in a much more profound and tangible way, and many people would say I brought it upon myself for not obeying the law.

But I still think he's an ass.