Identity theft
To the editor, It has come to my attention that someone is using my name to post comments and letters to the editor on your website. I have tried in vain to locate who could possibly have the same name as me and I have to assume someone is using my name. I have contacted…
Big White Praise
To the editor, Re: Big White Kuckles, reviewed by Sue Carter Flinn, October 18. I was surprised and happy to see an honest-to-goodness book review in last week’s Coast. Sue’s review was extremely well done—not one of these bewildering book summary “reviews” or an out-and-out trashing of the book based on the reviewer’s bugbears and…
Serve up change
To the editor, Why is it that Canadian politics has come to resemble a tennis match? The ball goes back and forth across the net, both players wear the same and somehow in the end—or more correctly by the end—nothing new remains. Get over it, boys—and get something done for your citizens. By Leroy
Happy doin’ the twist
To the editor, I was happy to hear that the “Twisted Sisters” project is in the clear. People in Halifax often obsess about height and forget about quality. The Heritage Trust claims that they are pro “good development,” and cite their support for the MEC and the Four Points Sheraton as proof. Unbelievable. I love…
Theatre review: Three Sisters, DalTheatre program
Chekhov’s Three Sisters is an interesting choice for the young actors of the Dalhousie Theatre Program, and not an altogether successful one. It is a stretch for the audience to believe a 20 year old is a 60 year old, a thin man is verging on obese, or that an obviously attractive suitor is supposedly…
I can zine
Get your DIY-on at Canzine East this Saturday, October 20 at Saint David’s Church (1537 Brunswick). Thanks to the combined efforts of Broken Pencil Magazine, Halifax Pop Explosion and local keepers of the indie spirit, Anchor Archive Zine Library, Canzine is the place to find a sweet patch for your homemade bag, buy a new…
Spyin’ the Brian
<What's this—a sign announcing free tickets available for next Monday's (October 22) reading by former PM Brian Mulroney at The Book Room? Could it be the former PM, toting his bulky memoirs in which he slams Pierre Trudeau and others, isn’t drawing a crowd in Halifax? Quite the opposite, says Dawn Underwood, sales associate at…
And in this corner…
In case you missed it, Shelia Fougere became the first official Kelly-opponent on Wednesday, formally announcing her intention to run for mayor. Not a great shock—there has been much speculation that Fougere would make the call. In a press conference on the waterfront on Wednesday morning, Fourgere said, “I will bring forward a campaign platform…
No “foxes”
To the editor, Re: “Game over,” October 4: it is about time someone pays the price for this mess. All parties connected to the Commonwealth Games bid committee should be required to go before a public inquiry, and I mean an actual public inquiry—not a committee filled up with a bunch of foxes. It’s time…
A vote loser?
To the editor, I was really mad about the method The Coast used for voting for the Best of Halifax. Each house has only one IP address, so that means only one person can vote per house. It also means the rest of the people living in the house have to find another way of…
Miracle needed
To the editor, I am just wondering in what century will the city of Halifax be made safe for cyclists? Of the four Canadian cities I’ve lived in over the past 20 years, Halifax is by far the most bicycle- and pedestrian-hostile city and I see no end to the massive car culture here—many of…
One more year
These are grim days for democracy. Every level of government that matters to us—from city to province to country—is running with little regard for us. Prime minister Harper’s contempt for free speech and open debate is well known. Premier RodMac rarely opens the legislature for work. And city council is out of step with what’s…
My Community Includes Community Radio
CKDU 88.1 FM always seems to have a strong presence at the Halifax Pop Explosion, and this year was no exception. In addition to presenting the crazy (so I heard) Buried Inside show at the Khyber on Saturday night, they were on hand at Canzine East to share buttons, magnets and general campus/community radio love…
Sole and The Skyrider Band
This is hard to say but…I actually left the Eric’s Trip show before they did their encore. I heard that “Viewmaster” destroyed. Damn. But I’d made a promise to myself that I would close the festival at The Attic with Sole and The Skyrider Band. My friends in INSTRUMENTS worked with Skyrider before (via their…
Mixed identity
Tannaya Hantelman is a rare breed. Just ask her how many women are like her in Atlantic Canada. “Doing what I do?” she says, laughing and playing with the hair elastic around her wrist. “Just me.” At 6:30am, while you were probably just getting up, she was in spin class. Then, while you were having…
Indy Mum and Indy Kids
Flavia and her three lovely children were on hand to sell Indy Mum zines, recycled craft items (including the best damn toque I’ll ever own) and more. You can find out more about Indy Mum through the Anchor Archive Zine Library.
Like Minds
After the show, Jon wanted to say hi to the Skyrider guys and to Sole, whom he’d met years before. Four of us watched as a brutal fight between drunken Dome patrons and beefy Dome security broke out and then rolled onto Grafton Street. Kind of a gross way to end the whole night, but…
Prince Williams
Oh, Danny Williams! He’s floatin’ my boat. He’s tingling my spine. He’s charming the pants off me. I don’t care if his head’s a perfect rectangle, his hair looks like Chachi’s from Happy Days and he’s a jeezly progressive conservative. I’d have voted for him from here if I was allowed. Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can…
D-I-Y Comics
One of the workshops held during Canzine East was a do-it-yourself comix workshop presented by Shawn Granton. Shawn came all the way from Portland, Oregon, to share his tips of the craft. I’m so glad I joined in, because he answered a lot of questions I had about the craft of journal comics. Best of…
That’s The Waye I Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll
Great festival, Waye. Great festival, HPX staff and volunteers. See you all again next year.
Game on!
Game for wild game? Cheer for beer? Stories at the Halliburton has you covered.
Spidermonkeys
So to anyone who made it down to the Marquee last night, you know what others missed – one of the best shows in Halifax this year. Local up and comers i see rowboats got things started and as always managed to make you laugh, cry and jump up and down at the same time.…
The Gatekeepers
After a short break for supper, I walked over to St. Matthew’s United Church, once again accompanied by my Mom. I bought her the second-last ticket to the show, so thanks to whoever waited longer than me to buy tickets! The Halifax Pop Explosion relies heavily on its volunteers to make sure the shows run…
Sunday On The Rocks
I often wonder how people feel the day after the festival is over. No matter if you go hardcore for five nights or if you just stay up super late for one, it’s gotta mess with your mind and body. I always feel wrecked, despite the fact I don’t smoke or drink and try to…
Travel channel
Lisa Marr is no stranger to the road. From 1992 to 1997, as the bass player and vocalist for the beloved Vancouver “cuddlecore” band, cub (which really should be acknowledged for one of the best lines in Canadian pop: “Satan sucks, but you’re the best!”), Marr toured extensively, carrying her own gear around and hoping…
David Byrne Can Borrow My Sports Jacket Anytime
I feel like last night’s Arts & Crafts showcase at the Marquee was the show at Pop Explosion that people felt the most compelled to go see. By compelled I mean people felt they should go see the bands, not that they necessarily should go see them. Not that that’s a bad thing, but the…
Sweet Sounds
Thanks for making the musicians sound as decent as possible, sound techs.
This is the End my Friends
The ears are saying “let’s go” but man oh, man the body’s saying “no.” Pop Explosion is done and what a great one it was. Saturday’s show at the Marquee was definitely a highlight. No wonder CBC Radio 3 was broadcasting the whole damn thing across the nation. After all my preaching, I missed all…
Pop quiz
More pop explosion:Tonight’s Listings | Blog | Playlist | Photo Blog | Public photos | Video | CD Reviews | Stories Apostle of HustleAndrew Whiteman, an integral member of the Broken Social Scene collective, taps into the solo-terrain bandwagon with Apostle of Hustle. The trio present themselves at the Marquee on October 18. “I’m a…
Countdown to Extinction
Wow. Going out every night this week and then trying to go to work each day is reallly taking its toll. Subsequently, I slept through the Just Friends brunch this morning at Gus’s Pub. Hope it was delicious. So I finally saw a show at the Pavillion last night. Man, what a great place. The…
David Myles
If you listen to CBC Radio as much as I do, then you have no trouble identifying David Myles. His 2006 International Songwriting Competition-winning song “When It Comes My Turn” (which took first place in the folk/singer-songwriter category) received a lot of airplay before and after his win. I admit, I wasn’t overly keen on…
Tripping the light fantastic
More pop explosion:Tonight’s Listings | Blog | Playlist | Photo Blog | Public photos | Video | CD Reviews | Stories If there’s one Halifax Pop Explosion performance that Julie Doiron will never forget, it’s the 1994 Eric’s Trip show that felt like it would never end. “I didn’t come out for the encore, because…
Gee, That’s Super…Super 8, That Is
I couldn’t imagine a better way to kick off my two days at a festival of rock and roll debauchery than by taking my Mom to watch a short film about a cat eating cat food. No joshing. So that is what I did. Right after rolling into town on the train on Friday, Mom…
Love List
More pop explosion:Tonight’s Listings | Blog | Playlist | Photo Blog | Public photos | Video | CD Reviews | Stories I’ve interviewed a lot of musicians, but this was the first time I’d been asked to meet a band at a member’s parents’ house. “It was my bedroom, and a rec room,” confirms Rick…
Spot Lisa Marr
Can you find the lovely and talented Lisa Marr in this photo? Um, in this photo of a pamphlet? I kind of forgot my camera for the Super 8 screening. Gee whiz, what kind of photos would I have been able to take anyway, it’s a film screening. In the dark!
VKNGS
Whilst Mom and I were enjoying the gentle sounds of David Myles over at St. Matts, my co-pilot was at the Khyber taking in the VKNGS set. I’m told VKNGS (with guest drummer Michael Catano) were loud as the f-word.
To know them
More pop explosion:Tonight’s Listings | Blog | Playlist | Photo Blog | Public photos | Video | CD Reviews | Stories Peter RowanHalifax Pop Explosion co-instigator, spearhead, blunt object and punching bag, 1993-95. The highs: Stereolab. While chaos reigned around me, they took me far, far away. And Eric’s Trip, always. The lows: Angie Fenwick…
Friday Night Birthday Party Continues
After the film fun, I ran over to the Seahorse in time for The Moist Towelettes. It was like that birthday party vibe we had with Lisa and Paolo never ended; it just exploded across the city. Pink balloons, pink boas, pink party dresses and sparkles everywhere. Emi and Yuko’s choreographed cuteness enchanted, Dave and…
Buried Inside
I heard through the grapevine that the Buried Inside show at The Khyber was intense. I’m sorry I missed it–that’s the thing about the Pop Explosion, there just isn’t time to take in everything. When will they invent a reliable time travel device??
Suit and Tie Guy (and Ladies Too)
Emi and Yuko are not only excellent fun time party dancers, they also make great band tshirts, some with hand-sewn ruffles and buttons. Here they are posing with what I think was one of the best band shirt designs at the festival.
More from Buried Inside
On my way to the show at St. Matts, I ran into a few members of The Medium Mood. Those dudes were super psyched to be on the same bill as Buried Inside, VKNGS and Die Brucke, especially since it was a last-minute replacement. Happy story! Anyway, here’s another photo of the intense Buried Inside…
Trial and errors
Reese Witherspoon disrupts her glam presentation—short-sleeved black dress, artfully wavy hair—by coughing onto her bare forearm. “I have a terrible cold,” she’ll say later, apologetically. Stars, they’re just like us. Witherspoon, seated two conspicuous chairs away from co-star and alleged boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal, has gathered with a sliver of her new film’s international ensemble at…
A Windom Earle Meets a Moist Towelette
Stephan MacLeod thinks those Moist tshirts are pretty hot. I think that counts as some sort of local celebrity endorsement or something.
Just Me and My Shadow
Speaking of spooky…
Jenny Omnichord
Although I knew Windom Earle would take the Fun-o-Metre to the top, I also knew I could see them again and again, and so I left The Seahorse to see Ox at The Attic. According to my handy schedule, Ox was starting the four-band lineup on Friday night. According to my own eyes when I…
Just Me and My Dad
As is often the case when Joel Plaskett plays solo in Halifax, his father Bill joined him for a good portion of the show. This was the first time, however, I’ve ever seen Bill play one of his own tunes with Joel backing him up. Beautiful job, sir. Joel flew in from Dallas, Texas, early…
SAVAGE LOVE
Q How much piss can one consume without getting sick? —Sincerely Curious A I usually float medical questions over to Dr. Barak Gaster, Savage Love’s long-suffering resident medical expert. But after braving a torrent of piss questions over the years, Dr. Gaster has developed something of a piss-question phobia. So, SC, I tossed your question…
Ox
Dusty and twangy, that was Vancouver’s Ox. I am a fan of the toque as well.
CBC Radio 3
CBC Radio 3 was on hand to record and broadcast live the show at The Marquee on Saturday night, featuring Pride Tiger, Mother Mother, Land of Talk, Miracle Fortress and Eric’s Trip. Another case of wishing I could have seen the entire show, as well as the show downstairs in Hell. Jon and I got…
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Welcome back from hell! Scorpio, says Rob Brezsny.
Zoobombs
Time for the evening’s final act. I stood in line for half an hour, waiting to get back into The Seahorse in time to see Zoobombs’ Friday night set. I am a polite person by nature and so I waited quietly in the lineup. The club was filled to capacity and the liquor inspector was…
In The Beginning
When I think of my early introductions to the East Coast/Halifax indie music scene back in the early ’90s, a few names always stick out. One of them is Peter Rowan. Peter was involved in so many of those early events and bands, and has managed to keep a foot in the local scene no…
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The title The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford seems to say it all. That’s a simplification. A look at the emotion and instability leading to heroic action, it’s an emo-fying of the Western-genre tradition. That’s not all that brings this adaptation of Ron Hansen’s novel near masterpiece status: It’s one aspect…
At the Good Old Record Fair
When I first started going to the Halifax Pop Explosion in the 1990s, Saturday afternoon meant it was time for the record fair in the back of Wormwoods. Lots and lots of fancy coloured seven-inch records and stickers to collect and trade. Now Saturday afternoon means zines, crafts, books, workshops, films, readings, food and of…
Eric’s Trip
It was funny watching Eric’s Trip get their instruments ready to the beat of techno music. Julie commented later on about how it made her want to murder somebody. Thank god they finally shut it off. It was also funny to watch them chomping at the bit, so to speak, as they couldn’t start their…
Rick White and Julie Doiron
A huge part of the attraction to Eric’s Trip, for me and for many other fans, was the willingness of Rick, Julie and Chris to be so open with their feelings through their incredibly personal lyrics. It was fascinating, in the case of Rick and Julie, to see a former couple dissect everything that went…
