dancingfool

Yeah. Tonight was actually a little more packed, they hung some of the UV paintings right behind the DJ so the lasers weren't in people's eyes, and they didn't use any dry ice. It was great!

This may seem a little outside the usual realm of the music talked about here, but hey, I’m here, and BradM told me I should talk about it, and it’s Mavericks, so...

I’m starting to really like Mavericks, despite not having been there even ten times overall. Good space, good dance floor, good management who encourages local scenes. Case in point:

After checking out the small local psychedelic/trance/goa music DJ scene on New Year’s Eve at a small club way down Elgin, I learned they had regular gigs each Tuesday night starting at 9:30pm or so at Mavericks. So I’ve checked them out a few times. They’re called, sadly, Freekenfusion Tuesdays, despite not being freaky or fusiony; just your good psytrance-techno stuff.

A good crowd of regulars who know each other filter in through the evening, even arriving after midnight, with a few to several people checking things out rounding out the crowd. It’s still sparse, at most 30 people or so at one time, but the mood is pretty good. The music is non-stop, of course, with several DJs relaying through the evening (I’m starting to have a few favourites who keep throwing curveballs), with the great advantage of psy and trance that means rhythms and moods will change in and between tracks, so it's not the unrelenting monotony of some techno styles; it ebbs and flows, and has musical hooks on enough levels to get the dozen to a dozen and a half people dancing. And they all dance in whatever personal manner they want, just like me.

Yes, a club full of dancingfools. Any wonder I like it?

Though I still seem to stand out somewhat, due to age and height. And slightly more crazy style of dancing. When nigh-everyone is out on a smokebreak and the floor is just about empty, I cut loose a little...

The lighting is low, the lasers out in full force as are the portable spotlights, and of course the UV lights shining on the UV-paint-enhanced works arranged all around the club. It really helps the atmosphere. The dry ice starts getting to be a mite thick at times, but the two big fans help keep the air circulating at least. But hey, I’m an old fart, I won’t complain, the kids like it.

Though they’re not all kids; the core are 19-25, but many others are in 30s and a few above that. It’s all pretty laid back and accepting. It’s a nice way for me to relax and dance freestyle to a form of music I like but seldom get to hear. It might be worth a peek by a few skancs, who knows. At least you know where it is.

So points to Mavericks for hosting them, despite them not exactly showering them with bar sales. In fact, the NYE party was closed down by the Elgin club at 1am because they were making almost no sales whatsoever, and they had to cut their losses for the night; the Mavericks bartender is fine with the relaxed serving pace, it seems. I make sure to get one or two drinks when I get there, to support the bar too.

Sounds interesting! And really, has it been that long since you saw me? Do you really think _I_ can sit still at ALL?

No idea who the Sisters are, but I think I know this Dave guy... I'm willing to take a chance. (Now watch this happening on a night I'm out of town.)

I'm definitely thinking of attending...

Record Runner always had an excellent selection though, very surprising. Guess the MP3 craze is really affecting the industry as a whole.

Actually, the article states that the store was doing quite well; the new condo pushed everyone off the block - RR, Mexicali Rosa's, Capital Music Hall, everyone's forcibly evicted for the building to be destroyed.

Speaking purely architecturally, that can only be an improvement - but not at the cost of good places like that...

The Cat Dance is an updated version. The STFU one is.. how can I say.. vicarious.

But the "Monkey" one is hilarious, and for a product I like and miss dearly.

And the classic ping-pong game...

It was a generalisation, I admit - it's more than a violinist will rarely play on an instrument that's new or cheaper, while a fiddler will care less about it. Unless they're performers, but even then. Neither will look down at a well-crafted piece, and fiddlers can make good instruments sound like magic, of course.

The same that honky-tonk players would gladly use a concert grand, but don't mind if it's a rickety upright either, as long as it's in tune.

BradM asked me to make my recommendations here, as I intend (as usual) to take in as much as I can...

The competition shorts are always full of odd stuff, and are not cartoony nor necessarily accessible - meaning they might not have a plot, a point, or even anything resembling entertainment value. Some are short, some are far too long, some are first films, some are ads, and each must be judged accordingly.

What I recommend:

- Any of the Miyazaki showings, especially Porco Rosso (dubbed English, a preview of the upcoming DVD release) and Nausicäa (full version, subtitled), which have never been shown locally on the big screen

- The New Media Competition, which has a lot of flash and other net-friendly pieces and are often short and interesting (includes "The Meatrix" and "The Shining in 30 seconds, reenacted by bunnies")

- Some retrospectives, which at least are less all-over-the-place pieces, though they often have a presentation beforehand ("75 years of Popeye", "Co Hoedeman", "Harvey Birdman")

- The Feature Film competitions, including Plympton's new "Hair High" movie

It all depends how big your tolerance for "experimental" is...

And what is really the difference between a violin and a fiddle?

I think this one is really just a difference in style. Fiddle is just more of an informal name, like calling a harmoinca a blues harp or mouth organ. I don't think there is any difference in the actual instrument played, but I could be wrong on this one.

I can answer that, I had fiddle lessons...

While it is indeed mostly a question of style (fiddle is for more folk-lore related music, violin for classical and other 'upper' music [i dislike the term, but can't think of another shorthand]), there is also a question of quality; violinists understandably want as pure and rich a sound as they can, so they will go for the expensive, older, better-made violins. Fiddlers care a lot less about sound quality, as long as the violin can stay in tune while they play. Of course, a better violin can make fiddlers sound incredible too. I once played my teacher's handmade one, and it was like those "fiddles of gold that play themselves" from the folk tales.

On the other hand, violinists and fiddlers alike want high-quality bows. You scrimp on that, you get really crappy sound.

And Mr. MusicFace, I learned that a concertina was a much smaller accordeon, octogonal in shape, with buttons on both ends (each a different note). The button accordeon you showed was the regular large rectangular in shape. Or maybe that's just the English concertina... (My fiddle teacher also played the concertina, so I know some of this.)

I have another dance gig (Irish ceili) but that ends around midnight, so I still should be able to catch the second set. I'm in the mood to let loose. It's been too long... Keep a small corner of the dance floor open for me.

The Hour

The Mirror

Wow, I think it's the first time my dancing has been described as useful. Thanks, glad I could help.

If it was at the Horseshoe, did anyone see Jack White and Rene Zellweger?

I checked with Mick, and yup, they were there quiet-like. One of the drummers is Jack's nephew, Renee is Jack's girlfriend and is shooting on location in Toronto, so he drove up from Detroit to catch the show with her. Nothing more.

ahess: I think I know who you're talking about with Big Afro Hair, and it wasn't me - my hair's rather short these days. Tall lanky guy with spindly arms and pointy elbows on right, not left of stage. I started at the edge but the horns were rather loud right in front of the speakers...

The previous act had me warmed up, but that still wasn't throwing down. Nero + Drums & Tuba, that's me throwing down. ::

For once, I wasn't the only one kicking with reckless abandon. The band was that good! And I was just-shy-of-right-of-centre right at the barrier in a blue t-shirt and blue pants...

Velvet: It was nice to see you (if you were the one I saw), but you're not quite correct. The right-hand drummer of the Dirtbombs had zero dry fabric left on him HALFway through the set.

But you betcha I get my money's worth. Well, technically I didn't, since I had a free day pass (being on a band's guest list is fun!), but nonetheless. ::

I thought King Sunshine was fun for disco

Understatement of the week. They got people to start dancing seconds into their set. And I wasn't the first one up! Will wonders never cease.

Of course, I joined rather quickly, and had fun in the drum solos, but the whole front area was packed with dancers. Yay Ottawa!

Where did you catch the show? At the Horseshoe?

That was the Friday Toronto show; we're talking about the Sunday Ottawa Bluesfest closing show. Saturday they were in Montreal at "La Salla Rosa", where they'll never be again. I keep telling Mick to try and book the Foufounes Electriques, as they're worthy of the place. ::

If it was at the Horseshoe, did anyone see Jack White and Rene Zellweger? There were both there: I guess Jack has a relative in the Dirtbombs.

I can find that out tonight...

Oh yeah, I was there. An even better finish than last year, when the same drummer went monkeying around on the scaffolding.

Did you see Mick (Collins) use the remnants of the drum set to continue his frenzied riffing? As fun as when he used his teeth, à la Savage Henry. ::

Wildest band at Bluesfest, or close to it. In competition for loudest too. Man, when Mick was fuzzing around, then clicked something on his amp, and I suddenly heard a very loud background hum... and he ripped out so LOUDly that the right drummer nearly fell off his stool in surprise.

And Mick told me that's only one of two amps, and that he keeps the other one at home - because it's too loud. Holy...

Mick knows how to party. I should try and make him visit Babylon if I see him tonight, just so he knows one good place where he can come in (with any of his numerous bands of now or the future) while in Ottawa. One bigger than the Dominion.

I happen to be in Mtl this weekend... I just may drop by. See how Montrealers dance these days. They're the only ones I know who can show me up.

The numbering backbacon uses is not which reply# you're at, but which different poster in the thread you're up at. (After he rectified, canadianphan slipped under woolner's radar, posting at the same time, so his numbering was wrong - sarahbelle is 44, not 43. )

I'm therefore Numbah Seexy Seexty! (No, I'm not sexy, but can only hope to live to be sixty, especially considering these tense days. If I do, I also can only hope to still be dancing. Not the way I do now, obviously, otherwise I'd be inhuman...) Unless someone else slipped between me and velvet, the crazy typing-driving fool.

So #69 is still up for grabs. So to speak.

Widescreen: original theatrical ratio image.

Pan & Scan: For the same height, a TV screen is narrower than a cinema screen. So instead of making the _width_ fit on the TV screen (widescreen), they make the _height_ fit and "choose" which part of the image, for each image, is shown on the screen. Sometimes, for a scene where the original camera doesn't move, they 'pan' the image so that you see it all - but that destroys the intent of the movie at times. Heck, I watch widescreen when I can, and I have a 13"...

Is it too late to reply?..

Probably one of the scariest albums I have (on tape) is "The Talent Show". That's exactly what it is, some American church-hall community talent show where the only ones with any talent are the lady accompianist and the Vietnamese family of singers (including the little boy soloing the charming tune, "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood"). The, um, 'exploits' singing of Jack Mudurian are worth(?) the price of admission alone. Guaranteed to drive anyone nuts. ..okay, I like it myself. I'm weird. (A friend and I have an unofficial contest as to who can find the oddest and most unlistenable music around. He complied a tape, "Difficult Listening", which no longer is to me except for the excerpt from the truly execrable children's wannabe album "Eustace the Useless Rabbit".)

Ahem.

At least it's not as bad as Gavin Bryars' Jesus' Blood Never Failed Me Yet, guaranteed musical torture.

MarcO, I see no problem with listening to any Jane Siberry.

Guilty pleasures? Probably too many to count, but I occasionally won't mind some Supertramp. The earlier albums.

bradm, can I have a copy of that Capt. Beefheart album? Is it the one with "The Blimp" on it? ...a listen at Shonen Knife would be welcome too... just a listen. I've been hearing about them for years.

Okay, I admit I wasn't entirely clear - for most people, it'd be great musical torture. It's pushing it for me, but I did listen to it when it passed in the middle of the afternoon on CBC years ago. In broad daylight. All 63+ minutes of it. I came in after the beginning, so I had no clue what.. that... was, but had to stick in 'til the end and listen to the reactions. I was not disappointed. Callers melted CBC's phone lines, damn nearly.

I can see the piece's emotional power, but it needs the right mood and moment, I think. Not exactly something you put on to entertain guests, at the very least.

bradm: My sister has a turntable, and I may get one soon depending how things go... no, I've no more clue where I'd put it than you do... but I can understand the reticence of further deteriorating the vinyl any more than necessary.