Old Posters

I was looking through some old emails and came across some old Sweetheart posters.  Take a look!

Glass Master

Yesterday I had a visitor late in the evening.

His name is Toby Hulse and he is my friend and also a sound engineer/genius.

He'd been working on mastering the new Sweetheart EP and came over to drop off the final "Glass Master" before he left on holiday.

It was extremely exciting to get to this point with this particular recording.  We had a number of trials and tribulations in recording and finishing this album but now that it's done it feels wonderful.

I'm lucky to have been at this stage before.  I remember when we did our LP "Map of the human heart", and we sat around my stereo as a band listening to the final master and how the excitement and anticipation built surrounding the new recording.

For a band, a new recording is a chance to say "here's what we've been doing".  People who are interested in the band become more interested, people who haven't yet heard about the band become new fans, and new opportunities arise such as tours, radio play, and general hype.

I've recorded many CDs.  I think I'm most proud of this one because we did it our way.

I hope you get to hear it.

Check out Sweetheart's previous album here

Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra

Charity

Recently I performed at a charity event with a band I threw together with some friends.  We played a handful of covers that we all were familiar with and had a blast!  I love playing shows with Adam Fink.  He's amazing.  Cole is amazing too!  you should check out both of their bands here's their twitter:
@tvheartattack
@clockmakersband

The event was at Republic Night Club on Granville and we ended up helping raise over $12,000 for the Children's Variety Network!

I thought I'd post the photos because they're pretty cool!
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra

We are all connected

In 2004 I was sitting at home jamming alone and I came up with an extremely simple lyric idea that was a little too cute "Extra Extra I tried to Text ya"

I then got really into it and as the lyrics developed I really liked the idea.  I took it to the band (Sweetheart - Click here for more info) and as we jammed out the ideas, it turned into a really cool vibe and eventually a pretty fun song.  I still remember jamming it out for the first time and some other band dudes who shared the rehearsal space were standing outside the door and came in the room to tell us that they really liked the idea.  Obviously taken as a grain of salt but when we finally recorded the song in 2006 and I heard the first mix, I was blown away at how huge the song sounded. 

As a songwriter, it's been amazing to see the journey of a song and to think about where it started and where it ended up.  It's almost like a child in a way.  From an initial guitar hook to a full band song, to a recording, to an album, to radio, to TV shows, to people's hands (CD, iPod) and then to the stage.

Because this was one of the first songs we ever wrote as a band, I will always think of it fondly.  Like a first born child. 

Today I decided to post the lyrics on our "bandcamp" site.  Re-reading these lyrics for the 100th time I realized how proud I still am of this song.

take a look:

We are all connected - Sweetheart

Extra Extra
I tried to text ya
But your phone was off
And I couldn’t getchya
We are disconnected
Now

Doctor Doctor
Can you stop the talking
Voices in my head
And shadows that are knocking
On my doorstep
Now

We are all Connected

Extra Extra
I tried to play catch up
With this modern life
Don’t let it get the best of me
Get out
Now

Brother’s Sister’s
Can you feel the future
The end is out to get you
Stay young while you can
Beauty is perfection
Now

We are all connected

I can’t
Stop this
She’s a
Rocket
You’re all
I know
I’ll go
Solo

We are all connected

listen here:

My controversial blog about Translink (Vancouver Public Transit)

Scenario #1:
It was Xmas eve.

I was heading to Vancouver Island for the holiday.  I did a quick google maps for directions using public transit to get to BC Ferries in North Vancouver.   I was pleasently suprised at the easy trip.  A short walk to the skytrain and 1 bus to the ferries.  All for $5.  Cheap right?

So I caught the skytrain, and when I got to the bus stop there was a growing line-up but I was confident that I would get on the bus. 

I was wrong.

When the bus showed up about 15 minutes later, there was a line-up about 100 people deep and I was about 25th in line.

Here's the problem: the bus was completely full and there wasn't another bus heading to the ferry for another hour (which means I would've missed the ferry)

Scenario #2:
It was 2008. 

I was excited to attend Radiohead's show in support of "In Rainbows" at Thunderbird stadium.  I was with some great friends and we decided to catch public transit there and back from this awesome show. 

Simple, right?

Getting to the concert was easy as pie.  One bus. 

When the concert ended however, about 8 thousand people all were looking for a bus. 

There was 1 bus every half hour and unfortunately the capacity wasn't 8000.

Scenario #3:
I was catching a bus home this weekend.  The B-Line #99.  It's a great bus service and gets me right to Commercial Drive near where I currently live.

Well this past Saturday it was the opening game for the Vancouver Whitecaps (GO CAPS!) at the stadium out in East Vancouver and every B-Line was completely, utterly packed. 

I took another bus because I knew that it was a waste of time to try to catch the B-Line that day.

Scenario #4
New Years Eve 2008
It was late (or early depending) and I was finally heading home after a night on the town with some friends.  It was far too late to catch a skytrain home because Translink only runs an extra hour on NYE.  With all of the focus on anti-drinking and driving, one would think the city would run more trains on the busiest drinking night of the year. I ended up walking half way home (5 kilometers) and then finally getting a cab the rest of the way.

--
Here is my observations based on the above true life stories.

Generally the bus system in Vancouver is very good.  It's integrated well with the Skytrain and costs very little to get all over the lower mainland.

Translink does not use common sense and does not pay attention to what is going on in the city.  I'm sure some of you have similar stories about Translink.  But I feel that Translink is another part of the problem when it comes to the stigma in the city as being "No Fun-Couver".  If you build it they will come, right?  Well this is true with the skytrain stations.  Local business is thriving around each train station.  Sure crime is up slightly and some properties are devalued but the skytrain service has taken alot of cars off the road and make commuting mostly better during the rush hour.

I also have a slight insight into improving service. 

How does Translink monitor usage?

There are no turnstiles at skytrain stations.

Many people do not pay for tickets and during peak hours the skytrain police do not check 90% of the time.  The "good faith" system does not work.  Why not hire a few people during rush hour to check passes and tickets?  Even just at the high traffic stations?  This would employ a few people and would also possibly increase revenues enough to pay for more buses and trains and other services for translink.  I've heard rumblings about installing turnstiles in the future but why not get this initiative rolling sooner?  My other argument that is "pro" turnstiles or "internal control" is that from a marketing standpoint, wouldn't it be great to use a system that more accurately calculates who is travelling on the train?  On Sunday the skytrain service is decreased but I see empty trains driving by all the time.  Does Translink notice?  There is currently no real way to integrate a tracking procedue other then the people who stand at the stations in green coats.  

What do you think?

Would you like to see the Translink "product" improved in any way?

Feel free to discuss.

Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra

the Writer - Part 2

My good friend Mark created a challenge for himself.  For every person who commented on a recent Facebook status he said he would write a short story inspired by that person and post it to his website.

I've been reading his fantastic stories since he started and thought I would re-post my current favourite.  I really like all of them, but can relate to the brother story because I have a real connection with my own brother and can picture myself as the character.

Read the story below and then make sure you click here to check out all of Mark's work

--

Blood Brothers

By Mark Lidstone

For Jordan Lidstone

He pushed his way through the bodies scattered throughout the floor toward the giant, steel, security door – his pulse rifle hung from it’s holster at his hip. His boots clicked against the hard floor and the dog tags around his neck clinked against each other. Jordan, Burst to his squad, wiped the sweat from his eyes staring down at the alien symbols on the door’s keypad. He typed in the pattern leaving bloody fingerprints on the keys. Burst had gotten the code from the security guard screaming a few feet behind him. He’d promised to let the man live as his reward. Unfortunately, Burst was forced to break the poor man’s legs to convince him it was a good deal.
There were two red lights on the doors access panel. The first light switched to a bright green shortly after Burst had entered the key. The door didn’t open. To the right of the keypad was a small scanner with a flashing yellow light. A fingerprint scanner. He glanced over his shoulder at the guard on the floor and grinned to himself.
Upon realizing what was happening, the guard began to scream louder and tried to push himself away from his approaching attacker, dragging his lifeless legs behind him.
“No, please” he pleaded.
Burst grabbed him by the wrist and forced the man’s hand to the floor – pinning it down with his blood-caked boot. He passed out before Burst could even begin sawing at his finger with the hunting knife he’d kept in his belt.
“Just hope this thing doesn’t ask me for a retinal scan”, his said with a smirk.
Once the finger was scanned, the second red light flashed green and the heavy door hissed and slid open revealing a long, quiet, hallway. He stared toward the small door at the other end. His goal.
Three days earlier, Earth was winning the war. Our troops had severely crippled the enemy, eliminated nearly their entire army. It was a long, torturous, process but we had finally gained the upper hand. Then there was the surprise attack. Ships appeared out of nowhere, thousands of them through the clouds blocking out the sun. Their soldiers outnumbered ours ten to one. In the first day, the majority of Earth’s army was killed including the majority of Burst’s squad. Afterwards, he was told the enemies had taken prisoners. His brother was one of them.
Burst had spent the next few days tracking him down. He was a one-man army. Without breaking a sweat, Burst took out any prisoner ships he could find – releasing what was left of the human prisoners. The ships were all guarded by Earthlings. They were easily persuaded to give him the information he needed to find his brother. They may have switched sides but they were still only human.
Burst pulled a pair of glasses from a pouch on his belt and put them on. Once he had flipped the switch on the side of the lens, the empty hallway was quickly populated by large, glowing, figures. Their armour made them invisible to the naked eye but with the thermal goggles, the hallway lit up like his father’s house at Christmas. He counted eight alien soldiers total – seven equipped with rifles while one carried a large, axe-shaped, melee weapon.
Without hesitation, Burst emptied an entire clip into the hallway, spraying the bullets to force his enemies into cover. He ran through the doorway as his enemies returned fire and immediately took cover behind a conveniently placed, waist-high, wall. He pressed his back against it, reloaded his weapon, and waited for the opportune moment. Right on cue, the giant axe pierced the air inches from his face and wedged itself into the floor.
Instantly, Burst vaulted the wall, kicking the unarmed giant in the chest before it could advance. Once it was knocked back, he unloaded an entire clip into the monster’s right shoulder causing it to turn it’s back to him. In an instant, Burst reloaded his gun and put it to the head of his opponent, jabbing his free hand into the bullet wound to keep the beast weakened.
With his newly acquired shield, Burst rapidly killed the other seven with direct shots to the head. When he was finished, he dropped the one tonne mass of alien mulch and bullets to the ground and reloaded his gun with his only remaining clip.
The only remaining thing between him and his brother was the door. He walked to the end of the hallway and opened the door using the same finger and code given to him by the guard bleeding to death in the other room. Once the door hissed open, Burst nearly fell to his knees.
In front of him, strapped to a chair, was his brother. He appeared to have been too late. His brother was barely breathing and his head hung low. His shirt had been removed and his entire chest was skinned. Blood soaked his pants and pooled on the floor. What was once an unstoppable force of muscle and the embodiment of courage, was now a weakened mass doing what he could to force each breath into his lungs.
“Fal’, Burst whispered to his brother. He watched his eyes roll into the back of his head. He slapped him hard. “Fal” he screamed. Fal’s eyes suddenly pierced Burst’s. He opened his mouth to say something but it was muffled by a mouthful of blood which poured down his chin.
Burst pulled out his knife and started to cut at the ropes around his brother’s wrist but was interrupted with a blow to the head so powerful it sent him to the floor. His vision had blurred with a flash of white light while blood filled his left ear. He struggled to find his gun but the blow had knocked it from his hands and was nowhere in sight. He felt a force press down on his neck, holding him in place. Once the suit’s camouflage switched off, the glowing figure standing above him turned into a solid form. Burst had a good look at his attacker. Above him, with his foot on Burst’s neck and holding a gun towards him, stood eight feet of pure alien muscle.
Burst could do nothing, he couldn’t move – couldn’t speak. He knew it was over. He would either die by the gun or the monster above him would crush his neck. He could feel his bones creaking under the pressure. He stared the beast in the eye. His entire frame shook from the sound of the gun’s blast and his vision went red.
To Be Continued..

A song about Love part Fourteen

Show Review: Run the Red Light, March 4th, 2011, at the Media Club

I've seen Run the Red Light play live many times.

I'm very familier with their music and show and thought I knew what to expect.

This show was different.

There were a couple of reasons that it different for me last Friday (for me).
1) to me it seemed that the band felt whole again.  Mark (their talented bass player) had been away for a year in Holland experiencing Europe and seeing the world.  The band had let him go his own way with hopes he would return. They even visited him in Amsterdam and played a show locally in that city. 
I hadn't seen Run the Red Light since Mark got back and it was good to see him again and to see him back on the stage.  It felt like all the pieces were back in place.
2) Run the Red light has one of the premiere lighting rigs in the city.  Their light show is part of the live experience and the headliner last Friday requested that they leave it at home.  Typically a national act will ask an opener not to "show them up" so to speak by having better lights, stage dressings etc.  Friday they played without.  It seemed...more intimate.  I'll explain below.

The band seemed ramped to start the set.  The club was sold out and as an artist there is nothing better then performing live in a small club to a capacity crowd.  When the band kicked in they were heavy and loud.  Ben has an intense drumming style.  You could tell that he was really into it in the first 2 songs and was hitting hard and slamming the accents hard.  All of the sound selection for this band is crisp and clear and the guitars sounded like a wall of sound.  RTRL looked like they were just happy to be there with all smiles when the songs were finished.  Also, they got into a few extended jams at the end of the heavier numbers and you could tell they were having fun.
 
Back to the lighting.

I've told Toby this before but their lighting rig has a tendancy to lose the audience's focus on the songs and you can lose the connection with the band.  Friday felt more intimate.  The entire crowd was glued on the band and was interested in every movement they made.  Lighting would've been a distraction this particular night.

If you re-read my previous post here you will probably see that I am a huge fan of this band's music. 

I have had a good enough relationship with Toby over the past that we give each other support on what "not-to-do" and what to improve on artistically. 

A couple things I felt that would help their set going forward is the following:
-  Their cover of New Years Day by U2 was great but their version although spot on felt weaker then their own original songs.  My suggestion is to incorporate it into one/two of the original numbers with an interlude.  I felt like I lost interest during this cover song and could sense that some of the audience around me was feeling the same way. 
- Also another small tweak I would suggest is if the band could strip right down to just one guitar and vocals for 1/2 a song it would help the set dynamics immensely.  There was a couple moments in the set where the instrumentation was minimal and as a listener was drawn further in only to be blown away when the band kicked into full gear on the big choruses.  I felt that it could strip even further down and that as a listener would be taken on even more of a journey. 
- Lastly, for one song, Toby put down his guitar and stepped up to the mic as a jus a singer.  This was great and I would've liked to see him do it for more songs.

All in all, Run the Red Light is a brilliant band.  They are brilliant live.  They are some of the best players in not just Vancouver, but also Canada.  You should really go and download all of their music get into them.  I hope you get a chance to see them live soon!

They will be back at the Media Club on March 12th with Civil Twilight!
Details here!

Download their EP here

Check out Run the Red Light's website here

Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra

Bitchfest

Do you ever just want to bitch and bitch and bitch?

My biggest problem right now is that I'm too nice in certain ways.  And it is lowering the quality of my life.

I'm not going to get too "poor me" about it but sometimes some people in my life cause me extreme amounts of grief by being completely ignorant. 

Responsibilities are being shirked and because of it I look like a fool.

Sorry to be vague and non-descript but there it is. 

Bitchfest 2011 will continue until the above is taken care of by the people that should know better.

Are some of your "friends" making your life harder?

Cut them out of your life.

Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra

Netflix

Recently I started a Netflix account.

You're thinking, "honestly Marty, why are you blogging about this?"

I'll get to it in a minute.

Netflix is free for the 1st month and pretty cheap.  I like the mobility of the service and as the catalogue of tv shows and movies broadens it will only become better for me.  I don't love commercials and I don't love planning to watch the shows I like to watch only when they first air because I'm always extremely busy and never am home much.  Netflix solves this problem.

I'm not going to get into what my favourite shows are because you'll probably judge me and think less of me but I've definitely found some hidden gems in the Netflix catalogue and I would suggest to anyone who likes watching tv on their computer to at least try out the service for one month free.

(I'm not getting paid for this post FYI)

So here's my point.

I got an email from NF regarding a survey.  It said something along the lines of complete this short survey and you may be selected for a focus group where you'll receive a 6 month free subscription.

I never, ever, ever do this kind of thing but, I love free so I decided to complete the survey and thought nothing of it.  Later in the week I got an email from NF letting me know I was selected to be apart of this focus group. 

Here's the point.

Do you say yes enough to opportunites?  When you get a phone call from a friend to go out on a Tuesday night do you always politely decline?  or When your dad calls to invite you to a fairly uninteresting event (to you) do you go anyway just to experience something new?  I'm using my own examples that I said yes to recently but look at the past month.  Did you say no when you could've just said yes?

Well I'm trying to say "yes" more.  This focus group was an example of this.  The timing for it was perfect.  It killed some time when I was downtown waiting to meet some friends on a Friday evening.  I even got a chance to meet a great guy by the name of Gary who is a musician in Oakland in a Soul/Funk tribute band.  It was great and I'm really glad I did something I'd never done before.  Isn't it great when you can just get out there, meet new people, feel good about life, and maybe even lose a bit of the fear of the world?

That's what I took from this experience.   And that's why I now love Netflix even more.  I experienced something a little different and saw a window into a small group of peoples life for an hour of my time.  AND saved money for a service.

Not bad.

Maybe you should say yes more too.

Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra