Dear Discorder:
Well, by the time you read this the Olympics will be upon us and our city will be swarmed with tourists here for the biggest two-week party in the world. Maybe you are even one of those tourists, in which case, “Hello tourist, we are conflicted about you being here.”
The Olympics are a mixed blessing at best, and they’ll always be a contentious one. For Vancouver’s music fans they certainly have some benefits. There are plenty of acts that will be coming to town and you will get the rare chance to see them play for free. (Check out our picks on page 12). I, for one, tire of hearing about the Olympics though, so that is the last I will write of them (Editor’s Notes get written last minute during production).
This month you can also get to know this year’s Shindig winners—part of their prize is coverage in our pages. The technical metal masters, Hidden Towers, took it this year and Scott Lyon catches up with them on page 14. Half Chinese (page 16) and Kidnap Kids! (page 25) took second and third places respectively, which is interesting because the bands share a member: the talented Enzio Verster.
You will notice a band by the name of Makeout Videotape on the cover of this issue. The photo-ish image was taken by Robert Fougere, who we think did a lovely job of getting all three band members into the shot.
Perhaps the most important announcement that we’re making this issue can be found on page 19. To keep Discorder in print and continue informing you of what’s going on in Vancouver’s independent music scene, we’re having a fundraiser. We’ve asked a number of our favourite bands and DJs to play a concert for us on March 5 at the Biltmore and to our surprise (and endless gratitude) a lot of them agreed to play! We will also be having a silent auction with items donated from some of our favourite local artists and businesses. This fundraiser is crucial to our continued existence in the next fiscal year, so come out, bring all your friends and enjoy! It’s not only important to us; it’s also going to be a great party.
Cheers,
Jordie Yow