I should probably stop saying "This is really the last top ten list" because punks are always late. Legs was late. It's okay. Legs is cool. And Canadian. Like me, Legs does social work and has a lot more patience for fuck-ups than many other people...which means she's my kind of people. Here is her list.
BABY BIRD.
All that has encompassed having this great van in my life. Stand by your van. Sleep in your van. Go to the Bay Area in your van ("This is Not a Step"). Take your van on 5 tours and only have the tailpipe fall off (and allegedly hit another vehicle). Go fishing, go camping, drive without a full license, drive all your wasted friends around. Drive to work alone and listen to all the CDs that make your friends cringe and make you cry inside a little. Pour 900 dollars into it and wonder why you just did that, but then you drive to work blasting the Ramones 2-CD your grandma got you for christmas, and it all makes sense.
ANXIETY.
I know what it is now kind of, and that when it's affecting me, it's not everyone else's fault. I can recognize the things that cause it, in most ways that is, there may be some new ones, let's see what 2014 can bring! So far I've quit coffee, cut down drastically on alcohol, cut cigarettes by half.
BEING IN A BAND.
Old bands reuniting (Hari Legs played a basement show at the beginning of the year, it was great), going on tour and everything being so last minute though it all works out in the end, realizing it's time to not be a band anymore, starting a new band, playing a first show.
DIY SPACES.
Vancouver is becoming notoriously hard to run any kind of DIY venue. We had one for a few months called The Black Lab/Nowhere Space. I think it was a lot more work than anyone had the resources to deal with, in my mind we bit off more than we could chew, but we made it work and for the short time we had it (three months, RIP) Some great bands played, I had my first try at building a stage, and we had barbeques and movie nights. Short successes!
MURMURS / SIREN SONGS tour.
A total whirlwind, too much consumption, too much driving (my ever lasting appreciation to Jerome, Derek, Jordan and Jesse) but honestly for being the only female identifying person in the van with seven (lovely) dudely dudes, it couldn't have been a better time, or a better seven people. I wasn't afraid to communicate my shit and never felt ostracized, and everyone was tour partying, but also taking time to chill and make sure we ate and had self-care, and Knox was a great tour dog. AND we got to swim in a pool in a mansion, stay in a penthouse, play in a boxcar, play one of the best house shows ever at the Stout House in Denver, play with RATS REST, TENEMENT, SHARKPACT and a ton of other amazing people. It was great. If there's anyone wondering whether they should start a band and go on tour, you probably should at least try because it's really just the best. My dear friend Shannon made a couple of lovely compliations that you can check out if you'd like:
I live in a house again with roommates who are rad and it feels so right I can't even explain it. Our door opens right to our little backyard and our neighbours are lovely and I don't have to get in an elevator with terrible people everyday. And my rent is way cheaper.
OLYMPIA
This year's visit was great. I got to stay with a really good pal and make even more really good pals. We went to Lake Kushman four days in a row, to a point where we were like, I can't go to the lake today, I just can't. Which is a great can't to have. The streets were pitch black when I would walk home, and I had my bike with me this time, which made everything seem so accessible. There are a lot of productive and inspired punks who are doing great great things. The kind of things which give me hope for this future of faces lit up by screens.
TOMORROW, TOMORROW \
Okay this started in December so it's a bit cuspy. But we're doing this DIY version of Annie the musical and I get to be Mr. Warbucks (self made billionaire) and sing songs and stuff. It's really fun, and I really enjoy theatre.
INTERVIEW
Honestly 2013 was pretty lacking for me, other than the things I mentioned above. Here's an interview I did with my friend James from the local band FLAGPOLERS, in March 2013. I was actually really flattered and it's kind of the questions that you ask yourself in your head when you're taking a shit or something, like for practice. Everyone does that right?
GETTING OLDER.
Getting stiffer, getting grumpier, working more, partying less. All the things I said that would never happen are coming true! Except the stiffness I guess. I hope 2014 brings some posi-pumping vibes my way. All in all, getting older is still as cool as I thought it was last year.
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