Mike's Bloggity Blog

This week, I tracked down now regular guest-blogger Michael Seater in Vancouver.  He gives us the low-down on all things Canadian west coast.  From cool pool halls to rock concerts, illegal somethings and everything in between.  Take a sip of 1516 beer and enjoy the country list of Michael’s favourite things!

1. Danko Jones - Caught the dark and intense rock show these guys put on at the Commodore on Friday. Met them before the show and they were such “nice” guys. Then they got on stage and shred the venue apart.

2. Soho Billiards – Divey lil pool hall in Yale Town. Fun times, beautiful bartendresses and weird conversation with some odd regulars.

3.1516 Lager - Good BC beer. It’s name is to “celebrate the landmark 1516 Purity law. The decree states that only four ingredients can be used when making beer: barley, hops, yeast, and water.” I concur.

4. Opus Hotel - I stayed at this nice lil hotel in Yaletown. Really great and attentive staff and they think about the little things; like a pez dispenser with turndown service. TIP: ask for a room on the 7th floor, the only ones with balconies.

5. Red Gate – ILLEGAL. Creep over to Gastown, find a red gate, unwrap the chain, go through the broken glass doors and the rest will be your story to tell…

6. Gastown/Water St. – Lots of cool shopping along this strip. Pick-up a Millburn printed shirt at the shop where Water meets Cordova. They print these shirts that are a modern play on Aboriginal art. That’s my jam, or pow-wow.

7. Antlers – Yeah, they’re trendy, but it doesn’t mean they’re not awesome.

8. The O.C. – Getting back to LA and staying with Adam Brody (the world is made up of the tiniest, most random circles) brings me back to my favourite show of my adolescence. Seth, Ryan, Marissa, and Summer will never get old to me. Always a classic.

9. The Fempire - A group of four screenwriter gals. I have a theory that if you took certain aspects of each of them and muddled them together, she would be the perfect woman. Watch their movies (but you probably already have).

10. Young Mickey Rooney – And completely out of left field; I have been watching some Mickey classics. Checkout Young Tom Edison and the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The structure and pace was so completely different back then, kind of cool to see where films have come from.

Make sure you check out Michael tonight on CBC’s 18 to Life!

You don’t have to be living in Alberta to know that our Premier has just announced that he is stepping down in the near future.  Maybe you’ve heard this in the past but this province’s government is traditionally uber-conservative, so chances are this race for the top-job is going to be pretty boring. It will probably go to oldest and most traditional person the Conservative government can find.

But in my new Metro column, I explore and intersting choice for premier…..me.

Don’t laugh.  It could happen, couldn’t?

Click here to read it!

It is usually a safe bet that I would never suggest eating burgers sold in a back alley in Calgary but yes, even I have to make exceptions when they only cost $5 and come from one of the hottest new restaurants in the city, Charcut.

Here’s a great video of a CTV newscast covering the hottest rage in the city: Alley Burgers.

Those on the twitter verse will recognize popular Calgary tweeps @c_dig and @wendy

Well all strange things must come to an end.  I think that’s the expression, isn’t it?

This past weekend, the curtain closed on Calgary’s High Performance Rodeo.  In it’s nearly month-long, countless shows, exhibits, gallery openings and plays stormed the stages of this city to high praise and by people like me, a lot of confusion.  I got the chance to see three shows at this year’s festival: I walked out of Brian Eno‘s talk, was left happily dazed and confused by Smash Cut Freeze and then on Friday night, I finally got to see the much buzzed about Bash’d: A Gay Rap Opera.

I had heard about this show since it’s sold out run at last year’s Olympics in Vancouver and honestly never thought a show that sounded, well…so gay, would ever play in Calgary.  Let’s be honest, we aren’t Vancouver or Toronto. (It was only eight weeks ago that this province officially removed homosexuality as a mental disorder.) More shocking is the fact that this isn’t the show’s first run in Calgary and actually played at the festival three years ago.  (Here’s a great piece on the history of the show)

In it’s all too short run here at HPR, BASH’d brought an issue to the stage that isn’t really talked about in the city as publicly as it probably should be. I went to the show really not knowing what to expect.  Based on the words “gay, rap and opera”, I was probably hoping it would be an Avenue Q-esque satire on the gay community and its stereotypes.

I should have known better.

In the incredibly tight, fast-moving and emotional 60 minute show, BASH’d packs n heavy and immediate message that is not easy to immediately digest.  It’s hard, shocking and raw. You’ll want to laugh, cry and yes, even scream.  I know I did all three of those things, sometimes more than once.

BASH’d has already found success in New York City but for now, I hope that the show’s Canadian creators Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow continue to tour it around this country.  There is value to a show that leaves you aching, we just might not want to admit it.

Do they make city wide condoms?

Mansion has just announced that the one and only Snooki will hosting a party on February 18th! Yikes, I’ve actually never watched The Jersey Shore but yes, I’ve seen clips. And she looks like four feet of terror. Well, I guess she might be a little taller if you count her heels and hair.

I kid, I kid. By all accounts Snooki actually seems like a really nice and fun person. Does that mean I’ll pay the $23.70 it costs to go to the party at Mansion? I don’t have kids or pets yet, so I’m not going to do anything that might risk either of those from actually happening.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow.

Few things in my life have brought me the joy that seeing David Brent on The Office last night did.

I’m watching it on repeat. Do you like the little joke at the end?
‎”Any jobs going?”
“No, not right now….”
Duh, duh, duh!!!

It would never happen but could you imagine The original Office’s David Brent taking over for Michael Scott. Ahhh a bald boy can dream.

UPDATE: According to New 95.7 in Halifax, U2 will play Moncton’s Magnetic Hill on July 30. Tickets on sale February 8.

Original post:
So is the world’s biggest band headed to one of this country’s smallest provinces?  If you are believe CBC than yes, yes they are. The network published a story today saying that sources have confirmed to them that Bono will indeed be playing Moncton, NB sometime this summer!

Magnetic Hill has played home to some amazing concerts in the past few years including AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Tim McGraw.  It’s estimated that some 78,000 people went to the Rolling Stones concert a few years ago.  I was actually living in NB at the time and couldn’t make it because I was waiting tables at The Lobster Hut….The Lobster Hut.

Organizers of the possible U2 event aren’t saying much but hotels are already being booked up by fans as a “just in case.”

I wasn’t planning on making a trip home this summer but if there is even a 1% chance that I can introduce Bono to a McLobster, then book me on the next flight.

Fan can expect the official announcement by Monday!

BONUS: It just occured to me that so much of Canada has never heard of Magnetic Hill.  While it’s now more famous for it’s concerts, it also has an attraction that has blown my mind ever since I was a kid.  Check it out in the video below:

New contest! New contest! New contest!

If you ever asked me face to face, I’d never admit to you that I’m excited to see Broadway Across Canada‘s upcoming production of Legally Blonde. BUT as luck would have it, this is a blog, so I’m more than happy to tell you how thrilled I am to see the musical exploits of Elle Woods.

Let’s be honest, I like musicals, I like Legally Blonde, why the hell wouldn’t I like a musical of Legally Blonde?

But what fun is it for me to see a musical and then tell you about it?  Why don’t you come with me!  (Okay, you don’t have to sit with me, but at least say hello!)  I’ve got two sets of tickets for the upcoming runs of the show in Calgary AND Edmonton!  Two cities. Two winners!

The prize up for grabs if for opening night in Calgary or Edmonton!

If you don’t feel like playing the odds, tickets are still available for both shows. You can catch the Tony-nominated show in in Calgary from February 15th to 20 and then Bruiser moves to  Edmonton  for five more nights (February 22-27).

So how do you win? Easy!

1) Enter once by leaving a comment telling me what city you’d like to see the show in!

2) Get your name in the draw a second time by tweeting: “I want to get Legally Blonde with @mikesbloggity http://ow.ly/3LHhk!”

Boring details:
Contest closes next Wednesday (February 2nd) at midnight!  You don’t have to live in either city but you certainly have to get yourself there.

Avril’s music video for What The Hell has finally arrived.  I’m sure you’ll have some opinions about it.  Here are the first five that came to my mind.

• At :09 seconds, is Sony’s laptop, then flat screen TV the fastest product placement in a music video ever?!
• Avril has a SMOKIN’ body!  Who knew?
• That is a lot of perfume she just put on.
• Really Avril?  The double finger?
• Uh-oh looks like Sony has got a camera too!  Canon is going to be sooooooooo pissed!

I’ve always championed for the Junos, insisting that they are cooler than people actually think they are.  Well, if you weren’t a believer before, I think this might change your mind.

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and CTV announced late Wednesday night that Neil Young will be the recipient of the 2011 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award at this year’s Juno Awards. The Award, named after CHUM Ltd. founder Allan Waters, is made possible by funding from the CTV-CHUM benefits package.

While this will be really exciting for those watching at home, when I read the press release I immediately thought:  Holy Shit I’m going to get to ask Neil Young a question in the press room!  Then I puked.

In case you needed a refresher, the impact of Neil Young’s music as well as his philanthropy has touched millions of lives and spans generations.  Young is a five-time JUNO Award winner and was inducted to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1982.  In 2009 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2010 was named the MusiCares Person of the Year by The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Hosted by Drake, THE 2011 JUNO AWARDS, Canada’s Music Awards, will be broadcast for the 10th year in a row on CTV on Sunday, March 27 from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

See you there Neil!