March 15, 2011
March 7, 2011
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
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
March 2, 2011
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
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
March 1, 2011
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
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
February 28, 2011
Show Review: Biffy Clyro, Februray 26th at Venue
I love discovering new bands before the mainstream catches on. I've been lucky to have a couple of friends who have their ear to the ground when it comes to new music who know my taste in music and got me hooked on Biffy Clyro. Last week I was lucky to be one of the few Vancouverites to experience Biffy's first major show in Vancouver at the Venue (Granville Street).
This band has been around for 15 years and has 5+ recordings and has steadily grown its audience in the UK over that time period.
I remember hearing stories of the first Vancouver show that Radiohead played. I'm not sure of the exact date but it was at the Railway club in the early 90's and apparently there was only a handful of people there that night Everyone you talk to in the local music industry talks about how they were there yet only 20 were in attendance (I'm guessing none of these music industry people were there, they just like to say they were a part of it). This is typical for this kind of monumental show. I remember hearing from a few friends about the Strokes first show at the Pic or the White Stripes show at the pic and how no one was there and how it was great to see these bands before they broke into the mainstream.
This is how I felt last week.
The Venue holds about 500 but they will stuff about 600 people into the room. When we walked in the room was full and you couldn't move. Although we were near the sound booth, the sound and energy was electric.
I have to admit to you right now that based on "Only Revolutions" (the newest LP from Biffy) I was expecting smoke and mirrors (backing tracks synced to a lighting rig, a touring keyboard player, a touring guitarist) because this record sounds absolutely huge. I was suprised when I saw this band was in fact just a trio. They did not need any tricks to fill out their sound. The guitars were huge. The drums sounded massive. The bass was booming. They had a huge banner of the album artwork behind them but only the club lighting (which is terrific for a local venue).
I am still a newcomer to the B.C. back catalogue. This band is not afraid to play old songs. Their set was all over the map, very progressive, and at times I felt like I was watching Rush. Other times I felt like I was watching Nirvana and/or the Foo Fighters. Other times I felt like the band was harnessing mid-90's Supergrass. They were tight. Fast stops. Fast starts. Huge breaks that slammed back into the complex bridge. They take risks in their music and they take even bigger risks on stage. The bass player and drummer player even left the stage for two acoustic numbers in a row. Their songs are diverse, ranging from 90's grunge to prog to melodic ballads with beautiful harmonies.
Most of the crowd that night was either British or Scottish or there with someone from the UK and all were singing along with every word.
I'm going to steal this quote from another show review:
""Biffy who?" you're probably saying. It's a valid question. Too weird for CFOX, too noisy to fit into The Peak's 24-hour Mumford and Sons playlist; Biffy Clyro remain virtually unknown in this corner of the English-speaking world. Which is why they're reduced to playing Granville Street's 500-capacity Venue for the budget price of $14 a ticket. " (Robert Collins, ctvbc.ca)
This sentiment is the hard truth and it continues to be the truth about many bands that Vancouver is not exposed to. In my opinion (which can be taken with a grain of salt) there is a niche of music locally that is not being promoted by the local industry. Somewhere between CFOX & the Peak, great bands are getting ignored. Some are local. Some are from Canada. Some are American. Some are from Scotland. Biffy Clyro is one of these bands.
I am very glad to say I was part of the first wave of Biffy's breakthrough into North America. I will definitely be the one who says "I was there."
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
This band has been around for 15 years and has 5+ recordings and has steadily grown its audience in the UK over that time period.
I remember hearing stories of the first Vancouver show that Radiohead played. I'm not sure of the exact date but it was at the Railway club in the early 90's and apparently there was only a handful of people there that night Everyone you talk to in the local music industry talks about how they were there yet only 20 were in attendance (I'm guessing none of these music industry people were there, they just like to say they were a part of it). This is typical for this kind of monumental show. I remember hearing from a few friends about the Strokes first show at the Pic or the White Stripes show at the pic and how no one was there and how it was great to see these bands before they broke into the mainstream.
This is how I felt last week.
The Venue holds about 500 but they will stuff about 600 people into the room. When we walked in the room was full and you couldn't move. Although we were near the sound booth, the sound and energy was electric.
I have to admit to you right now that based on "Only Revolutions" (the newest LP from Biffy) I was expecting smoke and mirrors (backing tracks synced to a lighting rig, a touring keyboard player, a touring guitarist) because this record sounds absolutely huge. I was suprised when I saw this band was in fact just a trio. They did not need any tricks to fill out their sound. The guitars were huge. The drums sounded massive. The bass was booming. They had a huge banner of the album artwork behind them but only the club lighting (which is terrific for a local venue).
I am still a newcomer to the B.C. back catalogue. This band is not afraid to play old songs. Their set was all over the map, very progressive, and at times I felt like I was watching Rush. Other times I felt like I was watching Nirvana and/or the Foo Fighters. Other times I felt like the band was harnessing mid-90's Supergrass. They were tight. Fast stops. Fast starts. Huge breaks that slammed back into the complex bridge. They take risks in their music and they take even bigger risks on stage. The bass player and drummer player even left the stage for two acoustic numbers in a row. Their songs are diverse, ranging from 90's grunge to prog to melodic ballads with beautiful harmonies.
Most of the crowd that night was either British or Scottish or there with someone from the UK and all were singing along with every word.
I'm going to steal this quote from another show review:
""Biffy who?" you're probably saying. It's a valid question. Too weird for CFOX, too noisy to fit into The Peak's 24-hour Mumford and Sons playlist; Biffy Clyro remain virtually unknown in this corner of the English-speaking world. Which is why they're reduced to playing Granville Street's 500-capacity Venue for the budget price of $14 a ticket. " (Robert Collins, ctvbc.ca)
This sentiment is the hard truth and it continues to be the truth about many bands that Vancouver is not exposed to. In my opinion (which can be taken with a grain of salt) there is a niche of music locally that is not being promoted by the local industry. Somewhere between CFOX & the Peak, great bands are getting ignored. Some are local. Some are from Canada. Some are American. Some are from Scotland. Biffy Clyro is one of these bands.
I am very glad to say I was part of the first wave of Biffy's breakthrough into North America. I will definitely be the one who says "I was there."
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
February 25, 2011
British Invasion
When I was in my early teens I discovered the Beatles.
I think it was this random documentary that was on TV one day about how they broke into America in 1964. I had heard a lot of their music growing up (how could you not, their music is ingrained into society) but there was something about them that I had never quite connected with until I saw this brief doc. I remember hearing their cover of "Rock and Roll Music" and thinking wow, that's what a band is supposed to sound like. I rabidly devoured everything Beatles and have done so like millions upon millions ever since.
This continued. With. All. British. Music.
When I get into something, I need to feed the addiction. For example. Just like a billion others, I got really heavy into Harry Potter a number of years ago. I am a nerd. (If you have read some of my blog you may have realized this by now) I loved the series so much that I started reading other books in the same genre (children's sci-fi fantasy) because I wanted more. more and more and more.
This applies to music.
I love the Beatles so I got into John's solo work. And George's. And Ringo's. And Wings. And Paul's. Then I got into the Stones. And the Who. etc etc etc.
Then I went modern. Radiohead. Kula Shaker. Oasis. Blur. Pulp. Supergrass. The Stone Roses. (that was the 90's for me).
A while ago I met a group of Londoners travelling through Vancouver on their way to Whistler. I got to talking with one guy in the group, Finn, who then gave me a few bands that were undiscovered in Canada but up my ally. I told him I was really into Bloc Party/Franz Ferdinand/Arctic Monkeys/Boy Kill Boy/the Futureheads and was looking for some bands that were similar and new. He introduced me to a couple amazing bands called the Pigeon Detectives and the Wombats and from there I got into Scouting for Girls, the Hoosiers, Two Door Cinema Club, Hard-Fi and more. Needless to say Finn and I are close friends and I'm planning on seeing London in the summer and sleeping on his couch and singing Oasis songs over a pint (or 8) and talking about music until wee hours in the morning and also trying to desperately explain hockey.
Fast Forward to now.
About a month ago a friend of mine (who is from the UK) sent me a text saying, "do I want to go to the Venue to see Biffy Clyro play a show". I said yes not having any clue who they were. He said I'd like them and that it would be fun. Fair enough. I emailed another friend from the UK to email me an MP3 of her favourite Biffy song. Born on a Horse was in my inbox the next day. Mind blown. I bought the entire newest record, "Only Revolutions" on iTunes and have been really getting hardcore about this band. The more I delve into this band the more I realized that this UK based group has been together for years and even has a connection to Vancouver having recorded a previous record at the Warehouse with local legends GGGarth & Mike Fraser.
What you've learned from this post:
I want to hear new undiscovered music from over the pond.
I hope you can take some of my advice and maybe check out some of these awesome bands.
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
I think it was this random documentary that was on TV one day about how they broke into America in 1964. I had heard a lot of their music growing up (how could you not, their music is ingrained into society) but there was something about them that I had never quite connected with until I saw this brief doc. I remember hearing their cover of "Rock and Roll Music" and thinking wow, that's what a band is supposed to sound like. I rabidly devoured everything Beatles and have done so like millions upon millions ever since.
This continued. With. All. British. Music.
When I get into something, I need to feed the addiction. For example. Just like a billion others, I got really heavy into Harry Potter a number of years ago. I am a nerd. (If you have read some of my blog you may have realized this by now) I loved the series so much that I started reading other books in the same genre (children's sci-fi fantasy) because I wanted more. more and more and more.
This applies to music.
I love the Beatles so I got into John's solo work. And George's. And Ringo's. And Wings. And Paul's. Then I got into the Stones. And the Who. etc etc etc.
Then I went modern. Radiohead. Kula Shaker. Oasis. Blur. Pulp. Supergrass. The Stone Roses. (that was the 90's for me).
A while ago I met a group of Londoners travelling through Vancouver on their way to Whistler. I got to talking with one guy in the group, Finn, who then gave me a few bands that were undiscovered in Canada but up my ally. I told him I was really into Bloc Party/Franz Ferdinand/Arctic Monkeys/Boy Kill Boy/the Futureheads and was looking for some bands that were similar and new. He introduced me to a couple amazing bands called the Pigeon Detectives and the Wombats and from there I got into Scouting for Girls, the Hoosiers, Two Door Cinema Club, Hard-Fi and more. Needless to say Finn and I are close friends and I'm planning on seeing London in the summer and sleeping on his couch and singing Oasis songs over a pint (or 8) and talking about music until wee hours in the morning and also trying to desperately explain hockey.
Fast Forward to now.
About a month ago a friend of mine (who is from the UK) sent me a text saying, "do I want to go to the Venue to see Biffy Clyro play a show". I said yes not having any clue who they were. He said I'd like them and that it would be fun. Fair enough. I emailed another friend from the UK to email me an MP3 of her favourite Biffy song. Born on a Horse was in my inbox the next day. Mind blown. I bought the entire newest record, "Only Revolutions" on iTunes and have been really getting hardcore about this band. The more I delve into this band the more I realized that this UK based group has been together for years and even has a connection to Vancouver having recorded a previous record at the Warehouse with local legends GGGarth & Mike Fraser.
What you've learned from this post:
I want to hear new undiscovered music from over the pond.
I hope you can take some of my advice and maybe check out some of these awesome bands.
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
February 22, 2011
Star Wars
I love Star Wars.
I usually watch the entire series about once a year. Each time I watch A New Hope, Empire, & Return I find something new I really like and didn't see before. George Lucas is brilliant for creating what he did in Episode IV on such a small budget. It's amazing.
Anyway, I was thinking about these movies and about how great they are and had this great idea for a house party/dinner party/family get together/team building excercise. What you do is you get the script from either Star Wars Episode IV/V/VI and each person at your party draws out of a hat the characters that are in the movie and then you proceed to re-enact the scenes from the movie. Maybe your group just recites the lines. Maybe they dress up and get really into it and have some props. I think this is a fun idea.
What do you think?
Let me know if you want to get together and do this.
It doesn't have to be Star Wars. Maybe it's Star Trek: the Next Generation episodes. Maybe it's Indiana Jones.
If it's Star Wars, count me in!
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
I usually watch the entire series about once a year. Each time I watch A New Hope, Empire, & Return I find something new I really like and didn't see before. George Lucas is brilliant for creating what he did in Episode IV on such a small budget. It's amazing.
Anyway, I was thinking about these movies and about how great they are and had this great idea for a house party/dinner party/family get together/team building excercise. What you do is you get the script from either Star Wars Episode IV/V/VI and each person at your party draws out of a hat the characters that are in the movie and then you proceed to re-enact the scenes from the movie. Maybe your group just recites the lines. Maybe they dress up and get really into it and have some props. I think this is a fun idea.
What do you think?
Let me know if you want to get together and do this.
It doesn't have to be Star Wars. Maybe it's Star Trek: the Next Generation episodes. Maybe it's Indiana Jones.
If it's Star Wars, count me in!
Love,
Marty
@martyzylstra
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