field music
For those of you who haven't attended UBC in the last ten years, the phenomenon known as Arts County Fair is probably mostly unknown to you. For those of you who have, you already know what today entails.
The last day of class bash has spawned such fine on-campus traditions as: 6:30am pre-ACF breakfasts (with booze), 7am frat house lawn parties (with kegs), more people crammed onto Gage Tower balconies than can possibly be safe (fueled by booze), slip and slide on Jr. Rez lawns... you get the point. All of that is before 10, 000 - 15, 000 people cram themselves into T-Bird Stadium for... more drinking. Oh... and there are bands too.
The acts over the last decade and a half have ranged from destined to obscurity (She Stole My Beer, Mollie's Revenge) to destined for megasuperstardom (Barenaked Ladies) and from terrible (Tea Party, Great Big Sea, etc) to pretty damn good (Metric, Rahzel, K-Os). This year's lineup is a bit weird. It's definitely not a pleaser for your average drunken university student. On the other hand, if you're showing up primarily to see the bands, the atmosphere is probably going to turn you off. That being said, I bet there's a couple dozen people out there (myself included) who are psyched for both the prospects of a pretty fine array of musical talent and beer... lots of beer.
How's about a little ACF preview?
Local superstar DJ, My!Gay!Husband!, kicks things of at 1pm (and then between sets all day). In his own words: "me deejaying skid records like ANDREW WK and DIPSET to 15 000 people that will probably wanna call me faggot all day" M!G!H! also spins regularly at the Kids (at the Met on Saturdays), Stacked (at Celebs on Tuesday), and Animals (Celebs on Friday)... if you have not already been to one of these places on said nights, you should go do that. Bring your dancing shoes.
download: My!Gay!Husband! - GG Allin vs. Twista
The Salteens hit the stage second. If you've lived in this city for any amount of time and like to go to shows, you've probably seen them already. If not, check out their poptasticness, via this .mp3:
download: the Salteens - Let Go Of Your Bad Days (via Boompa)
Cadence Weapon takes the third spot, which should correspond with when things get going a little. If you've read this blog before, you know that I think his record, Breaking Kayfabe (not to mention his remixes), is the most exciting thing to come out of Canadian Hip Hop in ages upon ages. I'll be slightly tipsy and interviewing Rollie on CiTR (101.9fm) right after his set. "Oliver Square" is actually a strip mall in Edmonton... that doesn't make this song any less awesome.
download: Cadence Weapon - Oliver Square
Corb Lund draws the four spot. As much as I think the majority of the bill won't really mesh with the event, nothing says drinking like the Hurtin' Albertan himself. "Too much oil money, not enough booze"... not tomorrow. Us students are poor, but we'll have plenty of sauce.
download: Corb Lund - Hurtin' Albertan (with Tim Hus)
The Weakerthans are a band that I love... but if I were picking the bill for ACF, they would not be on it, especially in the second last spot. If you were around last year... or the year before that... or the year before that, you'll recall that this is when shoes usually start going airborne towards the stage, and while Andrew WK and K-Os were able to handle it easily, I dunno if the Weakerthans music will fit the mood, though it might bring John K. back to his Propagandhi days. I was going to post a different track, until I realized that the Weakerthans site has karaoke versions of two tracks from Reconstruction Site up.
download: the Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site (Karaoke Version)
download: the Weakerthans - Psalm for the Elks Lodge Last Call
Last, but not least, the New Pornographers finish things off. No Neko, but word on the street is that Dan Bejar will at least be in attendence. Whether or not Mr. Destroyer decides to sing, or opts to drink backstage is yet to be seen, but regardless, it should be a good time. This is my favourite NP song...
download: the New Pornographers - Jackie
Pray for sunshine!
now playing: Uncle Tupelo - I Got Drunk
4 Comments:
On campus at 7:30. And so far it's sunshine and smiles from flagpole to T-bird.
I'll try to catch you at some point for a pint, I don't know if I'll be at the show or not, but as I mused yesterday, that place has a black-hole-esque gravity, and regardless of what I do I will likely be jumping around like a fool at some point in the crowd.
Catch you later, will be listening to your broadcast regardless,
-Rob
By 
, at
8:20 a.m.
P.S.
It amuses me that you come up first in this google search:
http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=arts+county+fair&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d
By , at
8:27 a.m.
oh maaaaaan, I LOVE this GG Allin song. I can't believe you never sent this to me!!!
Have fun!
kp
By , at
10:21 a.m.
that remix makes GG almost listenable. Definitely one of the better remixes I've heard.
By , at
11:32 a.m.
