I BOUGHT MY ELECTRICITY, DAMNIT! ALSO: RACHEL NOTLEY AND THE END OF HEALTHCARE, MUSIC IS 10 YEARS OLD AGAIN, AND A 1981 CHEVROLET CAMARO Z28
Issue 2, Volume 2
Tuesday, July 10, 2012 to Tuesday August 28, 2012
I'd like to first apologize for the delay between issues, but hey, at least there are still issues. I couldn't resist the urge to write after recently seeing that the Slutwalk in Edmonton had its second annual event here. It was one of the topics of my first issue. Really I wanted to talk socioeconomics and show off strange vehicles that I saw. Brilliant dive straight to our On The Streets segment. You see, I originally just wanted to take a picture of any strange or unique automobile I saw. But this is getting a little difficult, because what do you classify as strange or unique, or just a 'blue chip' classic. There are a lot of classic muscle cars out there, and sometimes it's hard to argue what is truly unique, or what you could see at any car show, or car club get together. All of those are beautiful, but not necessarily rare.
Truly to get this photo I had to go to the extreme, which was to drive on the wrong side of the road up 107th street, against another rather bulky gentleman who stopped his truck to get out and look, almost spoiling my photo. No one really seemed to care too much about the Bentley Continental GT or the Lamborghini Guillardo Roadster sitting in the open bay. Why? Because it's rare to see a 1981 Camaro in this type of shape. This specific model can actually be purchased, and is in Wheaton's used car inventory for $18,950. This particular car features a few extras that the originals didn't have, like it's 388 stroked and bored small block, and the American Racing wheels (although mags like that were available at that time - but definitely not in that diameter). Aside from the perfect interior, and dazzling paint, this is one that takes me back to my childhood. My Kindergarten teacher actually had one of these, and at that time it wouldn't have been that old. Most people know the Chevrolet Camaro was introduced to compete with the ever popular Falcon based Mustang out of Ford for the 1967 model year. That first generation lasted until 1970 (.5) when this second generation was released. The car was slightly bigger than the 1967-70 cars, although you can see in the photos, about the same size, if not a little smaller than the current Camaro just ahead of it. They weren't rare cars by any means, and that's probably why most were left to rust and disappear, except for this example. Originally the cars rolled out with 350 motors, and there were SS options. Later those were dropped during the OPEC oil embargo and rising emission standards. Later, in 1977, the Z28 package was reintroduced. Where most Camaros were leaving the factory with 305 emission motors, these could be had with a 350, and 4 speed manual transmission. The very next year Chevrolet would come out with their next version of Camaro that was largely powered by 4 cylinder engines, again to compete with a much smaller Mustang as well. Truly this car borders on being classic, as well as an oddity to see one in such stunning shape. You know, for $18,000, if you were thinking 'Cruze' or of some crossover, this would be much more fun and exciting.
I BOUGHT MY ELECTRICITY: ROLLING BLACKOUTS
Alberta's energy generation, all privatized now, is currently being investigated for possible collusion when electricity prices spiked due to "generators going down" and "supply far exceeding demand" which prompted AESO to actually tell Enmax and other electricity generators to "Shed X amount (it was 40 in Enmax's case) MWh." The way to achieve this? Rolling blackouts. There are essentially three problems with this.
One, you pay to have electricity all the time. The first response I got from some of my office mates when I said this was a problem was, "Don't you pay for what you use? So you don't have to pay during a blackout because you're not using anything." Sure, for the amount of electricity you use portion of your bill. If you've ever read your bill, roughly up to 50% of it isn't actually what you use. A lot of it, aside from administration fees, have to do with delivery and access. That delivery and access is to ensure you get to use electricity whenever you want. Do you think the power companies are going to give you that money back for not being able to access your power? No, in fact, you're probably going to get charged more.
Problem two: the increase in electricity demand over supply in a deregulated industry causes electricity prices to jump; which are passed on to the consumer. Your energy is bought from generators in blocks, and sold to you at either a variable or fixed price, depending on what kind of contract, if any, you have with your electricity provider. If you're variable, you're going to feel the impact of that $11 to $1000 MWh price jump probably on your next bill, and you'll shit a brick. If you're in a longer contract, your next block of energy might be priced slightly higher to make up for that huge jump. So you're actually paying more to have less power.
Problem three: Alberta's electricity demand can exceed it's supply? Electricity is an essential service. We're not off the grid here. It's not 1812. It's 2012. I'm all for conservation, but electricity? Really? We can't generate as much electricity as we use? Anyone see a problem here?
Albertans should be angry. We're getting hosed regarding our electricity. And you know, water and electricity don't mix.
THE END OF HEALTHCARE: THE POLITICAL ONE-UP-MANSHIP THAT WILL DEFILE OUR SYSTEM
Rachel Notley is the NDP critic of human services. Unfortunately she didn't have the time to write back to this certain constituent. Which is too bad, because I stuck up for the Edmonton Strathcona NDP incumbant even after she didn't pay back her no-meet money, when everyone else did. In the meantime, what does she have to do with screwing our healthcare system?
First let's recap. Everyone was frightened that the Wild Rose party would destroy healthcare and the province in general, so they all voted for the PC in a strategy to keep the Wild Rose out. Meanwhile, post election, Alison Redford's budget based on the price of oil (which has plunged over the summer) has seen her not be able to deliver on many pre-election promises. For some reason Dr. Sherman has decided to perhaps step down from the provincial liberals, and the NDP have become the biggest critics of everything the PC do, whilst Danielle Not-a-threat Smith keeps looking stupider and stupider in her responses to every issue.
What does this have to do with healthcare? Well Aside from twinning highway 63, which shouldn't be so hard, considering how quickly LA can rebuild entire freeways after earthquakes, healthcare is the single most important issue to Albertans.
Just a quick recap of what's going wrong here. Raj Sherman had proposed a tax based budget that would save money during surplus times so that funding for infrastructure would stay constant, because everyone has to pay taxes, rather than a budget based on oil revenue, which widely fluctuates based on the unpredictable activity of the commodity. But Redford went on an oil based budget again anyway, and she had made a lot of pre-campaign promises. Like saving healthcare.
So Alison can't afford to do everything she wanted. Better take care of healthcare, and take care of it quick. Those 130 family care clinics can't come fast enough. And at the expense of what? Well since we don't have much money, how about at the expense of existing programs?
Interesting enough, the current physician deal hasn't been resolved yet. Even stranger, the doctor run Primary Care Network was given a great deal of money by the PC government before the election. Now, the Auditor General has smeared the Primary Care Network. Actually, if you read the full 60 page document, the Auditor General doesn't really say anything bad about the PCN. What he does say is that there is no statistically significant proof that it makes a difference, namely because Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Department of Health did not give them guidelines to report results. So really, it's kind of AHS and the Department's fault. So change things with the PCN? Sure, wouldn't be that hard? But politicians are stupid, so unfortunately maybe that won't have a chance to happen.
One, it's clear that the government wants to control costs by controlling physicians. If you put physicians on a salary and put them into a government run clinic, you can reduce costs, while easily being able to report outcomes any way you want to so they sound great. So the government really wants to build and open family care clinics. Two, politicians like to argue against each other. So blindly, Notley goes on television and blasts the government for being completely irresponsible for giving the PCN so much money over so many years. What she doesn't get is she's directly siding with the PCs to build family care clinics. She's supposed to be a part of (not the official bust still) the opposition. She's supposed to play devil's advocate and say, well maybe the PCN is good, and maybe the FCCs aren't that good of an idea. But the chance to talk smack about the PCs was so tempting that she shot her mouth off without really thinking.
Apparently there's proof that the family care clinics work (because there were pilots you know, and they say people don't know about PCNs) and it's obvious the PCs will put them in place as quick as possible.
Unfortunately, it's a bad idea. Based on the current Alberta budget, it's another solution that is done when the province has money, so that all the staff and resources have to be purged when the province doesn't have money, just like how we keep hiring and firing teachers.
What can you do? Visit your doctor and see what the PCN can do for you, become educated about the current healthcare system. Meet with your physician who is part of a local PCN to find out about a great workout routine and diet, so that when healthcare in this province totally gets messed up, hopefully you won't need it.
Editors note: shortly after this they cancelled the program I was working for with the PCN. Oddly enough, I applied to work for the PCI (Primary Care Initiative that looks after PCNs) and received an interview; indicating perhaps they still don't know what they're doing in terms of PCN vs. Family Care Clinics.
Editors note: shortly after this they cancelled the program I was working for with the PCN. Oddly enough, I applied to work for the PCI (Primary Care Initiative that looks after PCNs) and received an interview; indicating perhaps they still don't know what they're doing in terms of PCN vs. Family Care Clinics.
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF MISSING THE MUSIC WE LOVE
If you had been in a coma, let's say, from April 2002 to April 2012, and your whole world was music, you might be able to pick up where you left off from. Especially if I dropped tickets to Coachella on your lap. After all; you'd expect to see Dr. Dre working the stage with Eminem, although you might be confused at his aged appearance. At The Drive In? They were too good to be broken up for long. Sure Sparta and The Mars Volta were decent side-projects, but they weren't any At The Drive In. And Refused? Wow, you know I thought The (International) Noise Conspiracy was okay enough, but it's great to see them back as well. But wait, where are those fanastic young upstarts like Thursday? Broke up? That's too bad, I thought they were making headway with Full Collapse, but I guess they aren't that old. And Thrice? They were doing great with Artist In The Ambulance? No? Well, that's too bad, but I wish them the best of luck. That is, until someone picks you up from the hospital in their hybrid Honda Civic...and let's face it, if you were in high school at the time of this coma, you thought Civics were supposed to be race cars for some reason, and switched on the radio only to hear Somebody I Used To Know or We Are Young, and then discovered that Thrice and Thursday were really the 10+ year vets that had broken up, and ATDI was still a flash in the pan with a few reunion shows planned, but, "No plans whatsoever to record." In fact, that is completely off the table, especially with Mars Volta's latest release.
There has to be some way to save alternative rock. If you didn't catch that I was being cynnical regarding Fun and Gotye, then hear this: alternative rock is in a bad place. Not only are album sales a serious problem, even with the idea that going indie will work, because the fans that really love the album will go out and buy it. Marylin Manson was harshly critisized by Lamb of God for doing this, citing how few albums he had sold, and how they had felt they had sold more albums because of major label corporate backing, plain and simple. But they also indicated that this as an overall sad state for rock. That you couldn't just put out a product ad your fans would buy it anyway. Meanwhile, everyone is trying to be like everyone else who are trying to be different, and eventualyl all music will just be noise like Dubstep (which is okay now and then but not all the time) or will we form a new super-indie genre where people play horrificly bad music that sound like copies of childrens lullabies in major chord scales and all the world will kiss their asses and call it sponge cake? Can we save Alt Rock? (*and with the inclusion f Dr.Dre and old-school rap, good music in general)
Okay, well what about Refused? Are they down for saving the planet? Although tight lipped on the front of recording a new album, the Swedish group that placed #13th on Kerrang!'s most influential of all time, and was also rated as one of the most influential modern albums of all time by Alternative Press is on tour. They're still on tour. In fact, they'll be in Calgary in August. No word about an album, but The Shape Of Punk To Come is hard to ignore. Maybe with Refused out there again to influence people, we'll get some music back. I don't need 100 bands trying to sound like a cross between Neil Young, Radiohead, and Joy Division. Only with a dance beat. We need real music. New art for the real people...somethig lik that, I know you know what I mean if you just picked up that last sentence. Because not only are Refused great in what they do musically but they speak of socioeconomic societal injustices, and are generally socialist. This type of thinking usually resounds well for getting youth to initiate change in society and become politically active when it is rooted in influential music. So will Refused release another album, or are they just touring for a bunch of 30 year olds?
Status: Unknown, but good outlook. (See editor note exhibit A)
At The Drive In was quoted as pretty much saying their reunion gigs were for nostalgia only. So although they may have rocked Austin, and Indio, that might be all we ever get back from them. Bixler even cited that the chemistry of the group, although fun to play for nostalgia would be "like wanting to go back to your first girlfriend." In otherwords, 10 years has changed the band, and the chemistry to write together isn't there. You could have fooled me though, after watching the streaming performance. Tony and Cedric back together, a relationship that once went down like breaking up with your first girlfriend, was astonishing. Comforting words from one of my friends, who said, "it genuinely looked like they were having fun." And they did. However, with the new Mars Volta album, and both Bixler and Rodriguez going to support that, coupled with the talk about not having writing chemistry, and pretty much saying a new album is not expected, don't get your hopes up. Although, anything can happen. I didn't really expect this much. So hopefully, at least the reunion will bring attention to the kind of amazing things that can be done musically in post-hardcore times.
Status: Doubtful (See editor note exhibit B)Dr.Dre apparently had Eminem, and even a holographic Tupac join him on stage, although I still want to know how close him and Snoop is (joke) and who he's still cool with. Because really, what I expect, although he says he "ain't gotta make another album, [he] ain't gotta do shit" is just that, another album. At first, I thought Aftermath was going to drop with the Dr.Pepper commercial. Then I thought it ws going to drop after the single 'I need a Doctor' with Eminem. And then, Coachella. But no, still no album from Dre. Cube isn't really helping either. I know he's still releasing stuff, but...well let's face it, he lost cred by being in disney videos, unlike Dennis Leary, and he's lost a step like an old football player. He raps a little slower. Even if the message is more serious. And to be quite honest, Dr.Dre's part was kind of lacklustre in 'I need a doctor' and unfortunately I can't tell you the last time I heard what I would consider a really great and monumental hip hop album, like Chronic 2001. But, I understand Dre is busy, because he's got headphones to make, and Chrysler 300's to put soundsystems in. The problem is, while everyone knows Dre, they know of him. They don't know about the west side, and what went down there, or NWA, or why a '64 is important or anything like that. Hip Hop has lost its history, and that makes all the products in the world by Dre irrelevent, especially if they're Hannah Montana headphones made by Beats By Dre.
Status: Dre needs his new album to come NOW NOW NOW and it has to be good.
Thrice and Thursday? On hiatus. I think Dustin Kensrue put it best when he said he has three daughters under 5 at home and needs to spend time with his kids. But when does that really stop? Ultimately Dustin seems like he's a stand up guy, and I don't think he's going to want to miss any of his daughers growing up whilst on tour. So ultimately, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that band is done. Listen to 'Anthology' off of Major/Minor. If a song that contains lyrics from all the songs your band has ever released doesn't say goodbye, I don't know what does. Hiatus is a nice way of putting, we're all still friends, we're not broken up, and we want to leave it open so that we can play or record in the future, but we have way more important things than this band right now. And those important things are likely to be important for a long time coming, because generally, you don't walk away from a solid music career for nothing. Hell, if you're the Deftones, and your bass player happens to be in a nearly-life-ending accident which leaves him with very little brain function or consciousness (prayers be with Chi Cheng), you actually scrap an entire album, telephone Sergio Vega, and record an all new album in a manner of months. Tour, wait for a year, and then start recording another one! So yeah, my opinion, Thrice: done. Thursday? Well they are on hiatus as well. A result of 'personal circumstances' that they won't get into, but talking about turning your band into a sporadic not for profit coalition sounds like you don't like the music industry and somebody (we all still get along, right?) doesn't want to tour and record anymore. That's okay, as unfortunately, both No Devolucion and Common Existence proved to be kind of a let down for me. It seemed that the passion was indeed gone from the band much earlier, and that this circumstance or struggle might have come a lot earlier. Either way, I don't expect to hear anything from them again except for one or two songs and an occaisional reunion tour.
Status: Not happening.
Finally there's the film Hard Core Logo 2. Why am I bringing this up? It's not a group nor an album at all, but a film. At the time the first Hard Core Logo was made, there was nothing wrong with Alt Rock, and it was extremely topical, because the current bands were really in to punk bands of the 80's and reunions and the difficult lives of musicians, etc. The film interpretation took some liberties. Is HCL2 just for thirty-somethings that remember the original? If you're not familiar, HCL2 is another film, mockumentary, done by Bruce MacDonald. He follows Canadian band Die Mannequin (real band - think "Do It Or Die and you'll remember) where the lead singer Care Failure indicates she was posessed by the spirit of Hard Core Logo's Joe Dick. I thought it was going to really blow, but the Canadiana wasn't bad, the music wasn't bad, the band wasn't bad, the story was a little contrived in the ending, but it was mostly okay. Again, the audience? Are there early 20 something hipsters enough to watch this and call it indie and love it, which will lead them back to the start, where alt-rock began?
Status: No Clue
So what will save alternative rock? I don't know.
Album of the summer:
I'd like to know what your album of the summer is going to be. It has to be an entire album. Send me an email, or tweet, or all the ways we have that we can be contacted.
Ed note A: We were able to see The Bronx open for Refused in Calgary, a fantastic pre-engagement party present given to me by my dear friend Grant. Refused was amazing. I was hoping I'd see some young people in the crowd. It was definitely people closer to our age (late 20's to mid 30's). This is a once-in-a-lifetime reunion tour that when Dennis Lyxzen said, "In 15 or 20 years when you tell people you saw Bronx open for Refused, they're not going to believe you." That being said, the day before, Sarah talked to a youngin' in West 49 who was attending the Edmonton date. He said he had been listening to Shape of Punk to Come since he was eleven or twelve. So hopefully some become more entranced. On the way down Grant said that I shouldn't be so hard on any sort of death on alternative rock, there's just a change in patterns, and right now the influence is 80's new wave. So I guess perhaps I more dislike this phase of music we're going through.Ed note B: Recently Tony Hajjar and Cedric Bixler sat down with Rolling Stone magazine, and indicated that they had been jamming, more than just their reunion shows, and suddenly the never has turned to never say never. They indicate that putting a lot behind them has lead to fun times on stage, and a new sound for At The Drive In. Will we ever get to hear this new sound? Maybe, maybe not. But as long as they're all still alive, and enjoy getting together to play, then there's hope.
There has to be some way to save alternative rock. If you didn't catch that I was being cynnical regarding Fun and Gotye, then hear this: alternative rock is in a bad place. Not only are album sales a serious problem, even with the idea that going indie will work, because the fans that really love the album will go out and buy it. Marylin Manson was harshly critisized by Lamb of God for doing this, citing how few albums he had sold, and how they had felt they had sold more albums because of major label corporate backing, plain and simple. But they also indicated that this as an overall sad state for rock. That you couldn't just put out a product ad your fans would buy it anyway. Meanwhile, everyone is trying to be like everyone else who are trying to be different, and eventualyl all music will just be noise like Dubstep (which is okay now and then but not all the time) or will we form a new super-indie genre where people play horrificly bad music that sound like copies of childrens lullabies in major chord scales and all the world will kiss their asses and call it sponge cake? Can we save Alt Rock? (*and with the inclusion f Dr.Dre and old-school rap, good music in general)
Okay, well what about Refused? Are they down for saving the planet? Although tight lipped on the front of recording a new album, the Swedish group that placed #13th on Kerrang!'s most influential of all time, and was also rated as one of the most influential modern albums of all time by Alternative Press is on tour. They're still on tour. In fact, they'll be in Calgary in August. No word about an album, but The Shape Of Punk To Come is hard to ignore. Maybe with Refused out there again to influence people, we'll get some music back. I don't need 100 bands trying to sound like a cross between Neil Young, Radiohead, and Joy Division. Only with a dance beat. We need real music. New art for the real people...somethig lik that, I know you know what I mean if you just picked up that last sentence. Because not only are Refused great in what they do musically but they speak of socioeconomic societal injustices, and are generally socialist. This type of thinking usually resounds well for getting youth to initiate change in society and become politically active when it is rooted in influential music. So will Refused release another album, or are they just touring for a bunch of 30 year olds?
Status: Unknown, but good outlook. (See editor note exhibit A)
At The Drive In was quoted as pretty much saying their reunion gigs were for nostalgia only. So although they may have rocked Austin, and Indio, that might be all we ever get back from them. Bixler even cited that the chemistry of the group, although fun to play for nostalgia would be "like wanting to go back to your first girlfriend." In otherwords, 10 years has changed the band, and the chemistry to write together isn't there. You could have fooled me though, after watching the streaming performance. Tony and Cedric back together, a relationship that once went down like breaking up with your first girlfriend, was astonishing. Comforting words from one of my friends, who said, "it genuinely looked like they were having fun." And they did. However, with the new Mars Volta album, and both Bixler and Rodriguez going to support that, coupled with the talk about not having writing chemistry, and pretty much saying a new album is not expected, don't get your hopes up. Although, anything can happen. I didn't really expect this much. So hopefully, at least the reunion will bring attention to the kind of amazing things that can be done musically in post-hardcore times.
Status: Doubtful (See editor note exhibit B)Dr.Dre apparently had Eminem, and even a holographic Tupac join him on stage, although I still want to know how close him and Snoop is (joke) and who he's still cool with. Because really, what I expect, although he says he "ain't gotta make another album, [he] ain't gotta do shit" is just that, another album. At first, I thought Aftermath was going to drop with the Dr.Pepper commercial. Then I thought it ws going to drop after the single 'I need a Doctor' with Eminem. And then, Coachella. But no, still no album from Dre. Cube isn't really helping either. I know he's still releasing stuff, but...well let's face it, he lost cred by being in disney videos, unlike Dennis Leary, and he's lost a step like an old football player. He raps a little slower. Even if the message is more serious. And to be quite honest, Dr.Dre's part was kind of lacklustre in 'I need a doctor' and unfortunately I can't tell you the last time I heard what I would consider a really great and monumental hip hop album, like Chronic 2001. But, I understand Dre is busy, because he's got headphones to make, and Chrysler 300's to put soundsystems in. The problem is, while everyone knows Dre, they know of him. They don't know about the west side, and what went down there, or NWA, or why a '64 is important or anything like that. Hip Hop has lost its history, and that makes all the products in the world by Dre irrelevent, especially if they're Hannah Montana headphones made by Beats By Dre.
Status: Dre needs his new album to come NOW NOW NOW and it has to be good.
Thrice and Thursday? On hiatus. I think Dustin Kensrue put it best when he said he has three daughters under 5 at home and needs to spend time with his kids. But when does that really stop? Ultimately Dustin seems like he's a stand up guy, and I don't think he's going to want to miss any of his daughers growing up whilst on tour. So ultimately, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that band is done. Listen to 'Anthology' off of Major/Minor. If a song that contains lyrics from all the songs your band has ever released doesn't say goodbye, I don't know what does. Hiatus is a nice way of putting, we're all still friends, we're not broken up, and we want to leave it open so that we can play or record in the future, but we have way more important things than this band right now. And those important things are likely to be important for a long time coming, because generally, you don't walk away from a solid music career for nothing. Hell, if you're the Deftones, and your bass player happens to be in a nearly-life-ending accident which leaves him with very little brain function or consciousness (prayers be with Chi Cheng), you actually scrap an entire album, telephone Sergio Vega, and record an all new album in a manner of months. Tour, wait for a year, and then start recording another one! So yeah, my opinion, Thrice: done. Thursday? Well they are on hiatus as well. A result of 'personal circumstances' that they won't get into, but talking about turning your band into a sporadic not for profit coalition sounds like you don't like the music industry and somebody (we all still get along, right?) doesn't want to tour and record anymore. That's okay, as unfortunately, both No Devolucion and Common Existence proved to be kind of a let down for me. It seemed that the passion was indeed gone from the band much earlier, and that this circumstance or struggle might have come a lot earlier. Either way, I don't expect to hear anything from them again except for one or two songs and an occaisional reunion tour.
Status: Not happening.
Finally there's the film Hard Core Logo 2. Why am I bringing this up? It's not a group nor an album at all, but a film. At the time the first Hard Core Logo was made, there was nothing wrong with Alt Rock, and it was extremely topical, because the current bands were really in to punk bands of the 80's and reunions and the difficult lives of musicians, etc. The film interpretation took some liberties. Is HCL2 just for thirty-somethings that remember the original? If you're not familiar, HCL2 is another film, mockumentary, done by Bruce MacDonald. He follows Canadian band Die Mannequin (real band - think "Do It Or Die and you'll remember) where the lead singer Care Failure indicates she was posessed by the spirit of Hard Core Logo's Joe Dick. I thought it was going to really blow, but the Canadiana wasn't bad, the music wasn't bad, the band wasn't bad, the story was a little contrived in the ending, but it was mostly okay. Again, the audience? Are there early 20 something hipsters enough to watch this and call it indie and love it, which will lead them back to the start, where alt-rock began?
Status: No Clue
So what will save alternative rock? I don't know.
Album of the summer:
I'd like to know what your album of the summer is going to be. It has to be an entire album. Send me an email, or tweet, or all the ways we have that we can be contacted.
Ed note A: We were able to see The Bronx open for Refused in Calgary, a fantastic pre-engagement party present given to me by my dear friend Grant. Refused was amazing. I was hoping I'd see some young people in the crowd. It was definitely people closer to our age (late 20's to mid 30's). This is a once-in-a-lifetime reunion tour that when Dennis Lyxzen said, "In 15 or 20 years when you tell people you saw Bronx open for Refused, they're not going to believe you." That being said, the day before, Sarah talked to a youngin' in West 49 who was attending the Edmonton date. He said he had been listening to Shape of Punk to Come since he was eleven or twelve. So hopefully some become more entranced. On the way down Grant said that I shouldn't be so hard on any sort of death on alternative rock, there's just a change in patterns, and right now the influence is 80's new wave. So I guess perhaps I more dislike this phase of music we're going through.Ed note B: Recently Tony Hajjar and Cedric Bixler sat down with Rolling Stone magazine, and indicated that they had been jamming, more than just their reunion shows, and suddenly the never has turned to never say never. They indicate that putting a lot behind them has lead to fun times on stage, and a new sound for At The Drive In. Will we ever get to hear this new sound? Maybe, maybe not. But as long as they're all still alive, and enjoy getting together to play, then there's hope.
NEXT ISSUE
-Breaking down the fringe; what's hot in theater
-Canadian's Massive Debt Load
-Summer Album Breakdown
