Lassie

[blurb]THE ALIENS Toronto, ON, CA – Lees Palace – September 22 2007

~ By Lassie and StoneMtn

The Aliens are comprised of a bunch of Scottish skateboarders, who are also the founding members of The Beta Band; best-known for popularizing the "Lo Fi" sound (and who probably got their first big break by being referenced by John Cusack in High Fidelity, "Watch me sell five copies of the Beta Band CD" [as he turns up the stereo in his store]).[/blurb]

The venue, Lees Palace, is a 20-something-year-old, medium-sized room; filled in this case to maybe one-third capacity.

Considering the style and quality of the music, the crowd wasn't as hyper as I thought they should be. The music was a combination of the old Beta Band Lo Fi sound, with a bit more of a thrashy, nearly-punk influence. (Must be the skaters in them.)

The two members who held the majority of the audience's focus had great, matching white-guy-afros.

One of them was in an odd, white linen-suit with a thin black tie, and occasionally huge white sunglasses. The other guy, the lead-singer/guitarist jumped around in a frenetic frenzy from the beginning of the show until the end.

He was funny, too, both with the way he danced and self-deprecating Scottish jokes.

The show was too short. When the band stopped playing, I was saying to StoneMtn that it seemed like a pretty short first set. It turned out to be the whole show; except for the encore. The encore was also short, but was a neat medley of Beatles and Aliens songs. The whole show, from start to the end of the (single-song) encore, was probably one hour; total.

They opened the show with a really tight, strong song, "Setting Sun", the first track off their new disc Astronomy For Dogs. That song definitely still has remnants of the Beta Band sound. Two of the most memorable songs were definitely "The Happy Song" and "Robot Man". When they did the latter, the lead-singer dressed in crazy clothes and sunglasses, as well as a goofy hat and head-lamp. I also really liked the use of the megaphone (a la Phish).

Quote of the Day:

How long do these Crazy Pills actually last?

happy birthday!

Happy Birthday Todd!

I hope your day is great.

i don't think the answer is sex drugs it's getting the strippers to not looked cracked out and teaching them how to dance and seem like they really know how to fuck rather than just looking like they fuck a lot.

"Cam" (I know that is not really your name but that's what I plan to keep calling you), I can't believe that you wrote this.

Have you been to a strip club in Vancouver? We have some of the best strippers in Canada. Most of them are unionized and not necessarily drug addicts. (But who are we to judge them about drug use, anyway?)

Do you know that stripping is one of the highest paid professions for females? They make more money than a lot of professionals I know, and are not paying back student loans. Also, most of the ones that I have known work out almost every day so that they're not dancing around with a pot belly or flabby ass.

As for looking like "they fuck a lot"; you must explain this look to me. I would think that it would put a post-euphoric "perma-grin" on your face, rather than making you look like a cracked-out, hardened drug-addict.

Now with all this said, would this be my profession of choice? Certainly not. I am fortunate that I am doing a job that I love. Stripping is probably not the first choice for most of these women either, but I don't judge them for it. How many people are actually doing the job that they really want to do? (I think that many people work at jobs just to pay the bills and get by in life a little easier.)

I suggest you go to "Brandi's" and get some perspective.

Happy Birthday Corey!

I'm lucky becasue I'm the only one who got to celebrate it with you. I had a great time and I look forward to many more.

does that mean that there were 3 leap years?

Erin says she likes that one and she's using it.

Thanks to everyone who has helped our friend Erin put together a trivia game for her work. It's been fun to reminisce.

She thinks that you are all asesome!!!

Kaidy Mae,

I love you also!!! Thank you sooooooo much for helping us out.

I'll see you Thursday night after the Herbaliser with StoneMtn.

Rumour has it that more tickets might go on sale tomorrow. Has anyone heard anything?

StoneMtn and I just arrived in Toronto and someone told us this, but we can't find it online.

Anyone?

I predict that, for the first season ever, Ricky and Julian don't go to jail.

Instead, Lahey and Randy somehow get charged with possession of the hash and go to jail for it.

Lucy will go to the drunk tank and Trinity will end up in Juvie.

Bubbles will become trailer park supervisor and he will have an affair with Sara. Seeing this, Trevor and Cory will end up working for Cyrus' gang in trade for getting J-Roc out of jail, with a promise that the Flappy Bird Brothers can star in J-Roc's next film.

Ray doesn't get out of jail.

Happy Birthday Hux!!

I heard that we are going to see you again soon here in Whistler.

Velvet, that music is awesome. I think that you should get back together and play at our wedding.

I really liked that song "VCR"!

it's funny that I found out that I've got tickets to Ravi Shankar by looking at my boyfriends forum posting.

Thanks stone mountain!!