So here I am, 4am, Sunday morning... again my weekend flipped me hard upside down and nearly killed me... but it damn, was it ever fun. NOT expecting the Bassnectar afterparty at Dollhouse to get so slammed, but apparently I was the only person who wasn't expecting it since apparently he's some cultural icon now or something. Full in an hour with 200 hundred people outside and two stretch limos sitting there? No wonder the po-po showed up and shut the party down (even though they were nice and waiting until about 5am). This of course was a first for us but it was bound to happen at some point and I'm not sorry (I'm not worried about any future visits or anything). In fact if Vancouver's finest hadn't kicked everyone out I'm pretty sure the party would have gone until noon. It was a fitting end for our staff Christmas party, considering that it was called CHURCH. The Basscoast grrlz really set it up; Liz ended up having to stay up in Whistler for the night to take care of her little one after paintstakingly setting up the alter (bummer) and called to tell me that her phone had been going off all night with people trying to get in and saying that the line-up OUTSIDE was even fun... Church party indeed. I even managed to get Ronin into a cute alter boy outfit before the show, but only for a moment (it was a hot moment though). Another well-known DJ accidentally took the wrong acid and was high for the whole next day AS WELL and just finally came back into the world. Whuppppps, careful of that stuff coming from Nelson people. It's for real. Also cuts of images from the haziness... shots of us spanking Self Evident's hot ass behind the decks, Andrea our right hand grrl LITERALLY shop-vacuuming the unfortunate clog in the main toilet with the help of a random amazing couple (!!!) and all the while, a giant statue of Jesus with his bleeding heart thumping steadily to the bass in front of the booth. Did I mention the show at the beginning of the night featuring Melody Mangler & Voodoo Pixie sucking either end of a fat candy stick on their knees? AND I wasn't wear pants the whole night, PS. Yes, this is my real life.
But now another week begins; one week before I head back to the shivering city of Winnipeg to reflect for two weeks and put the finishing touches on my SassMaster Plan for life A.D. (After Dollhouse, of course). I'm ready for it for sure. These nights of epic debauchery have been fun and fabulous and a needed change from the machine... and I still plan on helping to make stuff happen like this... just maybe not so OFTEN. Another time, as I've said before, there will be a way to maintain space in the city for these kinds of events without the grind. I absolutely know it. I'm proud to see that so many of the underground peeps are now able to throw shows in nightclubs; makes it so much easier on everyone. No rental fees, no security fees, no need to turn it down (words I hope to never utter again in my fucking life)... whereas our space came out of a need. It's been nearly impossible to fill a room or get a decent night anywhere in this city at a conventional nightclub for us in the past, and it's still nearly impossible to get a Friday or Saturday. Hard work and the attention music is getting is now changing that. The support is there, the artists are getting the attention and as far as venues go, this city hasn't seen the last of us yet (ummmkayyy?). Part of it I think is that mainstream culture is just SO generic right now, I daresay almost more than ever before. I mean, I know there's trends and stuff but it just seems like they're spitting out the same shit in different piles over and over and over and over, and people are needing something else. BADLY. Unfortunately it means that some of the art we've worked so hard to get out there gets co-opted into harsh crap that totally misses the point, Pussy Cat Dolls and "McDubstep" remixes of your least favorite pop songs included (don't even get me started about "McDubstep"... trust me, you'll hear more about it in a future post). But there's always the flipside and it's really a small price to pay to get to reach out to so many people who may hear something that cracks open their entire world.
The need for escapism and alternative culture continues. I'm just not sure that the party element is what I actually personally need at the moment. It's kind of been something that I've valued and so I've put a lot of heart and sass and spirit into trying to provide at least somewhat nurturing options for the thinking person's party... but it's also to create a space for us to meet each other, and a platform for alternative artists, including myself. It has been rewarding... but how often have I actually taken the chance to really stand up on that platform? And how many other ones like it are out there? I wonder...
I'm thinking it's almost time to find out.
xoxo
CP
