Venue Void

Nine years ago, I attended a Tragically Hip show at the Agridome (long before it became the Brandt center), and Gordo - the chicken-dancing and energetic lead singer - forever stole my heart and plunged it into the vat of live music. I was hooked. I finally understood my mom's hayday story about how "a pregnant lady crowd-surfing out of line at the Zep concert and the loud tunes cracking the roof in Seattle". It wasn't about the music. It was about the sweat. It was about the ringing ears. It was about the dancing and the crazed, tribal crowd mentality.

Now, I can say I've attended hundreds of shows. I've been to every venue in Regina: The Exchange (and the Club), McNally's, O'Hanlons, Riddel Centre Multipurpose Room, the Owl, Buffalo Lounge, every community centre and church basement, Centre of the Arts, the Distrikt (the State), Gas Light, and the Brandt Centre...forgive me if I've forgotten some!

I was also lucky enough to have lived in Saskatoon (Amigos, Lydia's, Connexus Arts Centre, etc.) and Toronto (the Phoenix, HorseShoe, Molson Place, etc.), and have learned something: There is a void in the Regina music community.

I believe we are now peaking at a population where a mid-sized concert venue would be an appropriate place for those entrepreneurs out there to make a profit. There is nothing sufficient in this city to house the margins between 700-1000 people, which absolutely urks me.

I mean, most bands that I really want to see completely skip over this province, and if they hit Saskatchewan, it's usually Saskatoon. Whenever I've made trips up to Toon Town to popular shows at small venues, it has been packed, and there's usually still people hanging outside in rage over the sold-out ticket.

So, here's my plea to Regina and Saskatoon: Rally forces and raid a quonset. We need a big room to dance and enjoy some flippity rock tunes.

A little country...and a little rock and roll. Dani out.

Good job, Jim. You finally figured out the equalization formula. The provinces now all hate you in a balanced manner.

Jim Flaherty was walking a thin line out of a half-day meeting this morning with his Ontario provincial counterparts when he began his statement condemning partisan bickering, before even introducing the idea of a new equalization formula.

CBC didn't have a clue what he was talking about. It wasn't until the questions began that the plan was deducted. Ontario - bashfully - admitted to being a have-not province, and would be receiving equalization payments for the first time in Canadian history. I'll pause for gasps...

Gone are the days of our fair Saskatchewan whining about bad football and money gouging Ottawa. We can now sit in amazement as Jimmy announces $307 million in equalization to Ontario, according to a new "nominal GDP" calculated formula. Under the old rules, they would have received even more, as John Ivison of the National Post notes:

"...if the system had not been reformed again, Ontario would have received closer to $1-billion, so it will be interesting to see if Mr. McGuinty is a glass half full kind of guy. Given that provincial premiers have the alimentary canal and big appetite for federal dollars of a hungry baby, the answer is probably no."

Either way, Ontario is in with less than expected and they're mad (Ont. Finance Minister Dwight Duncan already said that he was angry about the announcement), Quebec is going to be peeved (they're receiving $700 million less than if it they stuck with the regular formula), and B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland & Labrador are still on the outs.

Flaherty insists that equalization will continue to grow year after year, but said it cannot be sustained at the current 15 per cent growth annually.

"Dear Danny, that's a kick in the pants, hey? Love, Jim"

Danny Williams must be having a hissy fit. He may have painted his province red, but leave it to the incumbent government to do a few renos and repaint Ontario green - despite the size of the hand-out. He's not known for putting out fires. He's all about starting them.

Sound of Wrath: "Wowowowowowowo"

Epic Downfall

You won't admit it, but it's probably true. The modern press will change to something we will barely recognize in the next few decades. While reporters and news organizations wrestle to try and define the mold of the neo-news, some people at the Museum of Media History in Florida took aim at trying to define what the future will be. It's definitely worth a watch, and freaky as hell.

I'll be taking donations right now for the apocalyptic collapse of the economy and my future career.

A Great Mess (AGM): Democracy Runs on Pizza

For the first time in a long time, I attended a public meeting for the "fun" of it. I went as a participant - not a reporter - and it was actually fun...not "fun", but fun! Seriously. I know it sounds like I'm one of those pansy student politicos that pines over URSU exec minutes (those exist?!), but things got interesting.

I don't have a lot of experience at University of Regina Students' Union annual general meeting, but damn it, I've tried. I reported for the students' newspaper, the Carillon, and attempted to attend two meetings in the past covering the story. Sad thing is, people usually don't show up. In both cases, the AGM had to be rescheduled because not even Tang and Pizza could attract a crowd.

The difference between years past and this year, though, is that they held it in the Owl. There was free pizza, you could drink beer, and generally didn't have to listen to the emcee. They made quorum, and good times were had by all.

That is, until something that was ACTUALLY interesting happened. People started listening and turned away from the plasma screens and everything! The metaphorical poo had hit the fan. Sadly, when the poo hit the fan, there weren't many people there to see it. The pizza had run out, it was past 1:00, and the bar crowd that was in for lunch took off to their respective corners of the university. There were probably 40-some people left in the room, and that included the bar staff and URSU execs.

The poo was slung when the Carillon asked for $2 more from full-time students and $1 more from part-time students. Funding hadn't been increased since 1997...blah,blah,blah. Not such a big deal, considering a similar motion had just leap frogged from the end of the agenda to the beginning, and resulted in an increase to funding for the Fifth Parallel art gallery on campus.

The tough thing is, when people had just thrown change in the Salvation Army box at the mall, they're probably less likely to throw change in the Tim Hortons cup of the old homeless man outside the mall. People might ask questions as to why they should give that man some money...what will it be used for? Alcohol? Drugs?

I think that the same critique was put on Brotheridge. Many people commented, asking about what it would be used for, why they need an increase, why the paper is good for nothing more than wiping your ass with...that sort of thing.

I had decided ahead of time that I would be voting in favour of the motion because of my time at the paper. I was paid less than $80 a week for writing two articles for the paper as the on-staff news writer. With a full class load, interviews, and writing some quality work, that's hella less than minimum wage. It sucked. Plus, our printers changed twice while I was there, and you can't even begin to imagine how expensive that is. I thought it was time for a change.

So yes...comments continued...for a while. Then, some guy called for a count of the people in the room to make sure there were still enough people to vote. Those dang freeloading pizza kids had already left. The URSU president had to call their lawyer to see whether they still needed quorum. They didn't. Big waste of time, but kind of valid. Lots of people had jumped ship, and there were probably only 20 interested people left with pizza crusts on their plates.

Regardless, the motion went to vote, and I voted against it. I KNOW, I KNOW. I just went on a tangent about how I was voting yes, and blahblahblah funding blah, but it was the principle of the matter.

Lots of people were asking questions and all I ever hear around campus is how the Carillon is crap. Someone had brought up the idea of having a referendum for more funding in January, and I thought it was a damn good idea. Why not let people come and hear out these poor starving art students? They want a damn paper, and they want to prove to you why you'd miss it if it was gone. Let them. At least it will silence the critics until I convocate. It might even help them all get a bit more funding.

Needless to say, the looks I got from the Carillon table could have killed a small feline. I felt like I had committed mutiny against my captain, but I knew it was for the best for the above reason.

But hey, lesson learned. I would rather be the messenger. At least there's an argument against shooting the messenger. When you're there as an active participant, that's when you get into some trouble. Kudos to those who participate in local governments and board meetings because it's way harder to have an opinion than write about others'.

Election Blog Bog

Let's see. The election is over, and somehow, every one of the parties lost.

The Conservatives were hoping for a majority that they didn't get, the Liberals lost a quarter of their seats, and the NDP didn't manage to jump in as the opposition-in-waiting. It seemed to have been a bit of a snore with no clear victor, but there were a few interesting happenings, which all seemed to take place within the memory of the internet...anyone else agree that this new fangled web memory has frightful longevity?

The funny thing is, I remember watching CBC, with Susan Ormiston as the new host of "Ormiston Online", which was CBC's attempt at monitoring the election on the internet. I bet she was in the offices of the higher powers listening to her new role and thinking: "How did I get this shotty deal after years of service?". Nobody knew that she'd end up pulling the best stories up on her plasma touch-screen.

So let's take a review. There's been so many candidates sweating under their party paint because of a few brisk key strokes in years or months past that I've lost count, but here's a few:

1.) Garth Turner visiting a “stranger’s” house

2.) Resignation of Toronto Conservative candidate, Chris Reid, over controversial personal blog

3.) Ryan Warawa, running as a Conservative in Vancouver Centre, has been called out by a Toronto blogger for comments he made on his blog The Warawa Report. Over controversial personal blog postings.

4.) Elizabeth May, “Canadians Stupid” You Tube video

5.) NDP candidate from Vancouver’s You Tube video

6.) Puffin poop

7.) Vancouver-Quadra candidate Kirk Tousaw smoking pot...didn't I just say that? Oh no..that was another guy...

8.) NDP's Andrew McKeever in the riding of Durham resigned because of a Facebook posting

Music & The Media

Apparently Maddy Costa of the Guardian had some trouble compiling a list of optimistic songs about the media.

As Costa notes, "Musicians do not view the media with respect, admiration or trust. They view its institutions with profound suspicion, partly provoked by an uncomfortable sense of neediness (how else are we to hear about the world - through text messages?), and, possibly, a primeval desire to shoot the messenger who bears ill tidings.

1 It's Good News Week Hedgehoppers Anonymous
2 Sunday Papers Joe Jackson
3 Black Diamond Bay Bob Dylan
4 Six O'Clock News Kathleen Edwards
5 What's in the Headlines Don Covay
6 Reuters Wire
7 Headline Hustler 10cc
8 Piece of Me Britney Spears
9 Evening News Chamillionaire
10 The 4th Branch Immortal Technique

Okay...so it took a while to find ten. Sure didn't take too long to find some negative songs about the media:

1. Ballad of a Thin Man - Bob Dylan
2. The Boy on Top of the News - Diesel Park West
3 Here is the News - ELO
4. Wire - Kidney Bingos

5. Mean Mr. Mustard - John Lennon

6. Angry Mob - Kaiser Chiefs
7. News of the World - The Jam

8. And the War Criminal Rises and Speaks - Okkervil River
9. Mr. Reporter - The Kinks

10. Mr. Writer - Stereophonics
11. The Writer - UFO
12. Tornadoes - Drive-By Truckers
13. A Day in the Life - The Beatles

14. Scum - Nick Cave

15. 6 O'Clock News - Paul Simon
16. Station Underground News - King Koba
17. Evening News - Cee-Lo

18. Headline News - Edwin Starr
19. Thunder - It happened in This Town

20. What's the Frequency, Kenneth? - REM
21. The Fall - Mere Pseud Mag Ed
22. Television - Disposable Heroes
23. American Pie - Don McLean

26. Headline News - Mikey Dread

27. World Service - Spear of Destiny

28. Front Page News - Wishbone Ash
29. TV News - Living Colour

30. Kevin Carter - Manic Street Preachers

31. Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy - Television (The Drug of a Nation)
32. What's in the Headlines - Don Covay

33. Headlines - White Williams

34. Pills and Soap - Elvis Costello
35. Radio Radio - Elvis Costello

36. Boy in the Bubble - Paul Simon
37. Yesterday's Papers - Donds for the Stones
38. News and Tributes - The Futureheads
39. Float On - Modest Mouse (kind of a stretch)
40. Fish 'n' Chip Paper - Elvis
41. It Says Here... - Billy Bragg
42. Nothing Has Been Proved - Dusty Springfield
43. I'm the Slime - Frank Zappa
44. Let's Not Shit Ourselves (To Love and to be Loved) - Bright Eyes
45. Journal Burning Party - David Dondero
46. Revolution Will Not be Televised - Gil Scott Heron
47. Spoking Reporter - Deep Purple
48. Radio War - Iron and Wine
49. The Sun Says - Cock Sparrer
50. Daily News - The Exploited
51. News at Ten - Vapors
52. I Wanna Be Me - Sex Pistols
53. Bad Review - Half Man Half Biscuit
54. Power of the Press - Angelic Upstarts
55. Singalongabushell - Exploited
56. Press Darlings - Adam and the Ants
57. Suffer Little Children - The Smiths
58. Have You Heard the News - Talk Talk
59. Personal Journalist - Sage Francis
60. Opinions - The Fixx
61. The Late Great Johnny Ace - Paul Simon
62. Letter to The New York Post - Public Enemy
63. Make My Funk the P-Funk - Parliament
64. Radio Africa - Latin Quarter
65. More News From Nowhere - Nick Cave
66. Biko - Peter Gabriel
67. Disco-ing Journo - The Trammps
68. There is Nothing Wrong With Hating Rock Critics - Of Montreal
69. Donds for Evening News - Chamillionaire
70. TV Screen - Iggy Pop
71. Dance, Soterios Johnson, Dance - Jonathan Coulton
72. Turn It Into Hate - Graham Parker
73. Richard Cory - Simon and Garfunkel
74. Radio Belize - Deep Forest III

75. Live Television - Youssou n'Dour
76. Idiot Wind - Bob Dylan

77. Talking Heads - Motorhead
78. You Never See a Nipple in The Daily Express - John Cooper Clarke
79. Death Letter - Johnny Farmer
80. Wrote for Luck - Happy Mondays
81. Field Day for the Sundays - Wire

82. California - Joni Mitchell
83. That's Entertainment - The Jam
84. News Comes On - Heat and Lights

85. The Morning Papers - Prince
86. Where's Bill Grundy Now? - Television Personalities
87. Welcome to the Working Week - Elvis Costello
88. Soon - The Blue Nile
89. A Lot of Wind - The Fall
90. How I wrote Elastic Man - The Fall
91. Idiot Joy Showland - The Fall
92. The Ballad of John & Yoko - The Beatles
93. It Says Here - Billy Braff
94. Sunday Papers - Joe Jackson

95. Bin Laden - Immortal Technique ft. Mos Def
96. Terror Couple Kill Colonel - Bauhaus

97. Dirty Laundry - The Eagles
98. Five Years - David Bowie

99. Halloween - The Dream Syndicate

100. If You were There Beware - Arctic Monkeys

101. The President's Dead - Okkervil River

102. Have you Heard the News - Neil Young
103. 16 Military Wives - The Decemberists