SO I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON MY TRIP TO THE CITY OF VANCOUVER DTES LOCAL AREA PLAN MEETING I ATTENDED AT THE END OF JUNE... WHAT AN EYEOPENER THAT WAS... A BUNCH OF CULTURAL DEVOTEES OF VARIOUS ARTISTIC MEDIUMS ALL GATHERED TO DISCUSS THE DIRECTION THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE IS TAKING...
EVERYONE THERE WAS VISIBLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE GENTRIFICATION WHITEWASHING THAT HAS BEEN ONGOING...
A MAJORITY OF THESE GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING RENOVICTED AND PRICE GOUGED OUT OF THEIR CURRENT SPACES... ALL THIS IS OCCURING WHILE THE VARIOUS LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT CONTINUE TO SLASH GRANTS AND FUNDING FOR THE ARTS...
NOW WHAT BEWILDERED ME WAS THAT THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH THE MOST LAND / BUILDINGS / LEASEHOLDS WERE ABSENT! SO DO THE PORTLAND AND OTHER LAND BARONS LIKE THE DONNELLY GROUP AND OTHER CORPORATE BAR OWNERS JUST NOT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION IN THE COMMUNITY OR ARE THEY JUST THERE TO STEAMROLL THROUGH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WITH ZERO REGARD FOR A WIDE REACHING CULTURAL REPRESENTATION... AN INTERESTING POINT WAS BROUGHT UP THAT THE DIRECTION THINGS SEEM TO BE TAKING IS THAT THE ONLY BUSINESSES THRIVING AND MULTIPLYING IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD ARE POVERTY PIMPING AND GRANVILLE STYLE DANCE BARS...
ALL YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT AS A COMPARISON IS THE EVOLUTION OF THE DOWNTOWN GRANVILLE STREET STYLE MODEL THAT OCCURED... WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE IN 1991, WHEN WE WENT GIGGING, IT WAS DOWNTOWN....THAT'S WHERE THE VENUES WERE... ANY OTHER PARTYING WAS IN SKID BARS ON THE FRINGE LIKE IN GASTOWN OR ON MAIN STREET... THIS REALLY WORRIES ME.... WHERE IS THERE LEFT TO PUSH US OUT TO? WE ARE ALREADY ON THE PRECIPICE THANKS TO THE ODD ZONING THAT EXISTS IN VANCOUVER... I WOULD SUGGEST TO THE CITY THAT THEY REZONE THE INDUSTRIAL AREAS TO INCLUDE VENUES... THERE ARE NO NEIGHBOURS TO IRRITATE AND IT WOULD ALSO BRING A NIGHT PRESENCE TO AN OTHERWISE DESOLATE AREA....WIN WIN ...
IN OTHER NEWS, FUNKYS HAS NEW OWNERS....THEY SNAZZIED UP THE SPACE A BIT...NO MORE GROSS CARPET BUT INSTEAD A NICE RED WOODEN FLOOR.... WE ARE WAITING FOR THE OWNERS APPROVAL ON SOME WICKED SKULL INFUSED GRAFFITI SKETCHES FOR THE WALLS... EVIL BASTARD HAS KARAOKE EVERYDAY THAT THERE ISN'T A SHOW WITH 3 BUCK CANS OF CARIBOO BEER! I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THEY HAVE ALLOWED US TO STAY ON AND SEEM COMMITTED TO KEEPING THE BAR AS A LIVE MUSIC VENUE...
IT'S TOURING SEASON FOR BANDS RIGHT NOW BUT IT DOES SEEM A BIT SLOWER THAN PAST YEARS....I SUPPOSE THE ECONOMY IS TO BLAME... IT'S HARD TO TAKE TIME OFF WORK AND SET OUT ON THE ROAD FOR A MONTH OR SO AND STILL MANAGE TO MAINTAIN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU LIVE.... SO ON THAT NOTE PLEASE COME OUT AND SUPPORT THESE TOURING BANDS....THERE ARE QUITE A FEW KILLER SHOWS COMING UP OVER THE SUMMER AND I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO SHAKE THINGS UP AND SEE SOME NEW MUSIC! LET'S BREAK OUT OF THAT ONLY LOCAL BUBBLE!
I'M PRETTY EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT FINALLY AFTER A 10 YEAR WAIT, BUNCHOFUCKINGOOFS ARE COMING BACK TO VANCOUVER ON FRI OCT 26TH AT THRASHERS! SEPTEMBER HAS SOME KILLER SHOWS LINED UP ALREADY WITH A PUNK ROCK BLOCKBUSTER INCLUDING THE DAYGLO ABORTIONS / ALCOHOLIC WHITE TRASH / FUQUORED / SPEEDWOBBLE ON SAT SEPT 8TH AS THE OFFICIAL JAKS SK8 COMP AFTER PARTY .. THE WICKED HEAVY METAL OF SKULLFIST FROM TORONTO HITS THRASHERS ON SAT SEPT 15TH.... AUGUST BRINGS US THE MEATMEN AT FORTUNE ON THURS AUG 9TH AND PUNKORAMA VETERANS DOWN BY LAW AT THRASHERS ON SAT AUG 11TH...
SEE YOU AT THE SHOWS!
- wendythirteen
