Live 8 Canada

The line up for Live 8 Canada has been announced and tickets went on sale this morning only to sell out in a mere 30 minutes and then suddenly appear on EBay shortly after! Judging by who is on the program for Live 8 Canada, I think it should be renamed "Retired 8 Canada". Some of those guys are barely alive enough to be called "Live". I wonder if the chosen location for the concert and its proximity to Muskoka had anything to do with bringing all those old retired Canadians from their mansion cottages. What happened? Did Arcade Fire protest to their parents that they couldn't bear yet another summer day stuck in traffic on the 400? Avril and her Sum 41 boyfriend would rather spend time east of the Big Smoke cuz thats where their peeps are?? I'm not sure that Avril can find Africa on a map anyway so we wont miss her too much. (hehehehe)

So here is a brief look at whose playing:
African Guitar Summit - who? Since they are African, I'll let them pass.
Barenaked Ladies - Fun Canadians. OK, they pass just on the fun factor.
Blue Rodeo - Have they done anything since Try or Rose Coloured Glasses? (Two fine tunes, i suppose but I'd rather see them in some sleazy Queen St bar than at a rock festival.)
Bruce Cockburn - This man definitely belongs. Look up "Politically Active Canadian" and he's been there from the beginning. You go, Bruce! I suggest a remixed "Rocketlauncher" aimed at the G Dubya.
Bryan Adams - Sorry, didn't like him when he was popular and i don't really like him now. Heaven is a nice song, though.
The Bachman Cummings Band - Half of Guess Who is "Guess"?
Deep Purple - What are they doing here? They're still alive??
DobaCaracol featuring Kna'an - who??
Gordon Lightfoot - Yaaayyy, Gordon! Great Canadian.
Great Big Sea - Newfie rock! But c'mon
Jann Arden - I like Jann, I guess whe would be OK as a warm up act.
Les Trois Accords - who??
Motley Crue - WTF? Do they even know where Barrie is? or Africa for that matter?? Crue is so far from being Canadian, or political. How are "Smokin in The Boys Room" or "Looks That Kill" supposed to raise political consciousness?? Just wondering...
Our Lady Peace - OK. Raine is hot! hehehe
Sam Roberts - OK. I forget who it was but someone on the New Music said, "Doesn't Sam and his band look like they walked straight out of the Old Testament?"
Simple Plan - I guess they needed one band to get some teens to show up.
Tegan & Sara - who?
The Tragically Hip - There can NOT be a Canadian rock fest without the Hip!
Tom Cochrane - Not a fan of his music although he deserves to be there since he seems to be carrying Bruce Cockburn's torch for political activism. Good for you Tommy!

I can't comment on all the other "alternative" and "new punk" bands out there that everyone thinks SHOULD be there.

So where are K-OS and Kardinall?? There should be some urban and hiphop representation but instead we get half dead stoners... SIGH...

IL DIVO - the other 3 

IL DIVO, hot! 

IL DIVO - this one is cuter in real life! 

Bollywood Cowboy Blow Up

Highs -
Punjabi Hit Squad - "Hai Hai" (alliteration fully intended)
That hot looking singer-rapper from Punjabi Hit Squad
Andy Bell's (of Erasure) voice - (as good as it was 20 years ago!)
My pot-headed friend
Me after one bottle of Molson Kick
This woman and her friend who both wanted to squeeze into the chair next to me (very high...hahaha)
Free Haagen-Daaz Ice Cream (yum!)

Lows -
Ad campaign featuring models dressed like Hindu gods
Where were the South Asian models?
Eye magazine's editorial
The crash after one bottle of Molson Kick.
The neckline of the see-through tunic twinges worn in one of the fashion segments (kinda hot though)


One week has passed since the controversial but highly successful Fashion Cares event has passed and the fallout continues. There I was sitting at home last Saturday night planning to meet up with a friend for a couple of beers for no good reason other than the weather was nice. We both needed to get outside before stir-craziness got the better of us. A few minutes later, I get a phone call from another friend who demanded that I get my sorry ass down the Convention Centre immediately as he had two free tickets for me! Never let it be said that one would turn down glamour for the dank confines of my favourite sleazy bar. I threw on a clean shirt and out the door I went.

As we arrive at the Convention Centre, we emerge from the parking lot to the whiffs of not one but TWO different sets of people smoking weed. I'm convinced that if one were to put a huge dome over our fair city; T.dot the Good, that we would create the world's largest hotbox/bong. Now there is something that would finally elevate our status to 'world class' (multi-culti megalopolis notwithstanding)

All thoughts of racist ad campaigns aside, I thought the Fashion Cares production was spectacular. I wasn't so convinced that Bollywood and Cowboys made for a convincing marriage but nevertheless, it sure made for a glitzy, splashy show. East and West clashed in a quasi-cultural send up of West Side Story. How fabulous is that?! The performances were exciting (especially Punjabi Hit Squad). I have a feeling that bangra will gain in popularity here as it did in England. Who can resist those infectious beats, hip shaking rhythms, the hip-hopped and funked up bangra beats? Bangra is the almost the perfect kind of music for an event like this.

I kept thinking that if the Pride Ball were a quarter as splashy, it would be a vast improvement. Haven't we gotten bored of the same ol tired drag queens doing their same old thing? Surely, we can come up with a show to celebrate Pride worthy of our collective fabulousness.

The surprise (or not so surprising to those 'in the know') musical performance came from none other than fey 80s pop divas, Erasure! Yours truly was thrilled to bits. I never got the chance to see them in concert way back when they used to tour and put on the uberfabulous shows. Loved by Asians and homos alike (and Asian homos such as yours truly), I've had so many friends who loved to recount to me wild-eyed tales of what a great concert I missed. Anyway, this was my big chance to see them after all these years. Andy Bell emerged dressed in a black sequined Elvis jump suit his voice sounding just as good as it always did. Vince, ever the stoic technician at the keyboards, kept to his icy self. It was nice to see that Andy, having come out with his HIV status, lost none of his vocal range and his gift. Yayyy, Andy! You go girl!

As for the fallout, it's quite puzzling why ACT did not seek to consult with the South Asian community before "borrowing" (misappropriating) part of their popular culture. Everyone agrees that dressing models (with the exception of one particular journalist) up as Hindu gods was in poor taste and disrespectful. I'm sure the backlash would have been even more vocal if there was a go-go dancing Jesus on the podium or perhaps Virgin Mary in some kind of sleazy ensemble. I'm totally on side with the outrage expressed but I will afford ACT and the Fashion Cares organizers some credit for creative license. There have been reports of how successful this particular event has been. To use some worn out cliches, 'The end doesn't justify the means and you can't really please all people all the time' but ACT still has a responsibility to the larger community when it comes to racial representation.

By no means, is it my hope to appear a 'party pooper' since I really did enjoy the whole spectacle. Perhaps I really am jaded but aren't most forms of entertainment and popular culture not without some misappropriation?

P.S. I'm still sorry that I missed Pamela Anderson's opening monologue.