Those unfamiliar with the simple concept of snot rockets would do well to do a little research before BA Johnston's show at Gus' this Friday, September 28. The show is a DVD release for This is What 110% Smells Like, the product of two nights' no-holds-barred on-stage antics from Johnston and some of his closest friends.
Filmed at Gus' Pub by Just Friends' Mat Dunlap and Dave Ewenson, the DVD also includes performances by The Just Barelys, Windom Earle, The Stance, Old Man Luedecke, Die Brucke, The Maynards and Brent Randall. Recently released YouTube trailers for the DVD reveal BA's signature biting comedic style and lots of stomach-turning snot rockets.
"My mom's pissed. She's refusing to watch the DVD now," Johnston says. "Someone from her church showed her, she googled me or whatever and now my mom's saying "You should be ashamed!' But you've seen me, I don't get a lot of exercise. I get winded. And I've stopped caring about the fucking bars. It's not like I play in nice places with carpet."
To distract us from the fact that Gus' has carpeting, let's focus on the DVD again. As one would expect, there are some sweet special features— including extra footage from BA's concert the second night of filming, a drinking game (narrated by a bartender at Gus') and a director's commentary by Dunlap, with assistance from Johnston.
"I basically did no work for this thing. Mat did everything," says Johnston. "He had to force me to do the commentary. It's just me making fun of people in the audience anyway." Also playing this Friday are Thesis Sahib, Die Brucke, Bloodshot Bill and Windom Earle, with a DVD showing earlier in the evening at around 8:30pm.
This and that
The In the Dead of Winter festival is jumping the gun a little and putting on a concert series. Thursday, September 27, 8pm at FRED, Peter Katz, Ameila Curran and Laura Peek and the Winning Hearts will perform songs to get you in the mood for cozy sweaters and hot chocolate, and for the late January festival, of course. Applications for the 2008 edition open on October 1 and close on November 1. Check inthedeadofwinter.com for more information.
College jazz charts love Coco Love Alcorn, and Coco loves Nova Scotia, by the looks of her tour schedule. The soulful, jazzy songstress will visit Berwick, New Glasgow and Truro and eventually hits Halifax on Sunday, September 30, at the Music Room at 8pm. She'll be performing with a full band, and if the success of this year's album, Sugar, is any indication, she will have people swooning.
Oh, and I sincerely hope that you have been saving up your energy for some upcoming concerts: Feist is coming to the Cunard Centre to ward off the chill on November 30 (all-ages with licensed area, the civilized way to do things). Phone 494-3820 or check sonicconcerts.com for tickets. If Feist doesn't ring your bell, you might be better suited to Grecian metal band Rotting Christ (also in Halifax on November 30), touring Canada for the first time with guests Wolven Ancestry. Of course, I will keep you posted on the location as soon as it becomes available. I owe you that much.
I'd like to say goodbye, good luck and thanks to my editor Tara Thorne. She's moving on to brighter things and she's been a great editor and friend.
Please send musical this and that to [email protected].