Voicing

As an individual project, I find no need to use terms like 'policy' or 'mission statements.' However, it recently occurred to me that those who are not too personally familiar with me may not feel entirely comfortable asking this, so I thought I would post about it.

To me, tabling for/about various causes whether they be social justice, crafts, baked goods etc, is all very intrinsically connected to the spirit of DIY and helps it create the even better Do It Together vibe. As such, I am making an open invitation to anyone who would like to table at any of my events. There may not be a whole lot of space at some of them, but I'm sure we can make something work.

I have had incredible experiences across this country just hauling my beat up suit-case distro with me; making friends, trading music/zines, chatting. I am in fact flying out to Edmonton tomorrow to do just that. On that note, it should be noted that this invitation is open to everyone, not just Torontoians. I'm always more than happy to have something new tabled, and a fresh face be there.

Obviously, the only request I have is that the materials being tabled aren't offensive in nature (sorry Nazis...you're just not my scene), and considerate (if your baked goods aren't vegan, that's cool, just please label it clearly).

So yeah...Seemingly simple, but important post. I want anyone and everyone to feel safe and welcome to help spread word on something important to them, and would love to help you with that.

amountainfar@gmail.com

As always,
-Matt

Poster Art (Self-Reliance)

Since I decided to make the blog about my observations/musings as well as my activities in the scene, I thought it would be neat to discuss a bit about why I decided to start doing show flyers in a certain way.

When I began doing shows, I really liked getting various friends to do the flyers. This is for many reasons; I have many talented friends who excell at graphic design, I thought it would be a neat way to expose different styles of art to different groups of people, I myself am awful with a computer et cetera.

However, I began realizing that in many cases, I couldn't express what I wanted properly, I sometimes had to fall on the same friends because others would flake out blah blah blah. I started thinking about how a major tenant of my project was 'self-reliance.' I have always been a strong believer of 'rely on no one, get screwed by no one.' Not to say that I don't receive any help (I do, a great deal from my very gracious friends), but in terms of overall responsibility, I am accountable only to myself, and prefer it that way.

In terms of show flyers, I have always loved the simple but effective aesthetic of cut/paste/scan. I realized that not only was this a style that I (and anyone) could do, but that it was also a lot of fun. I've only been doing them since May, and have mostly stayed in the area of old classic horror movie stills. Growing up, many of these images were captivating to me, and I like the way they play off the information being glued/taped onto them. Most importantly, the posters are quick, easy, effective and cheap.

Being solely responsible for the creation of my own flyers has been very enjoyable. I'll never claim to be inventing a style (far from it, I'm basking in a very classic one), but I hope to grow with it and play with the format here and there. It's also quite fun to use the access to a high quality scanner at my work for something of mine on my downtime.

Overall, I think just the sense of being responsible for getting my own shit done is the most rewarding part. I really hope one day I'll find a copy of a flyer I do lying around a friends room, or stuck to the wall of a bedroom or venue. Every show I've run has been really rewarding in one way or another, and having certain images associated with each one almost adds to the pleasant memories.

Enough talk, here are some of the poorly done images I'm speaking of.

Babble at ya next time.

-Matt

Upcoming Shows

Saturday June 12th

Creeper(getting tight)http://www.myspace.com/fuckcreeper

Maus(heavy hardcore from Edmonton)http://www.myspace.com/mausedmonton

Mighty Atom(weirdo punks from Waterloo)

Ramon Gris (a new Toronto screamo band!)http://www.myspace.com/ramongrisfamily

@ Siesta Nouveaux (Lower Sherbourne and the Esplanade)
$5-$10 (Pay What You Can but help us get the touring band to their next stop!)
ALL AGES
8PM
FB Event
http://www.facebook.com/matthew.cuthbert#!/event.php?eid=120466274645073&ref=mf

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Tuesday June 15th

Japanese Beaver Are Canadian (sort of reunion, sort of tape release, totally awesome!)http://www.myspace.com/japanesebeaver
Stalwart Sons(awesome post-punk from Calgary)http://www.myspace.com/wearestalwartsons
Bandera(post-hardcore super group)http://www.myspace.com/bandera4eva
French Friar(weirdo screamo duo)http://www.myspace.com/frenchfriar
The Smiling Buddha (961 College Street)
8PM $5 "19+" (kind of, sort of, not really)
FB Event
http://www.facebook.com/matthew.cuthbert#!/event.php?eid=120295911335366&ref=mf

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Thursday June 17th

Bandera(ex-Tonnn, Whiskey Priest, Red Hot Daggers. Hometown Heroes)http://www.myspace.com/bandera4eva
Stalwart Sons(awesome post punk all the way from Calgary)http://www.myspace.com/wearestalwartsons
French Friar(ex-Tonnn, Gift Eaters, skramz duo)http://www.myspace.com/frenchfriar
@ Marcello's (Streetsville)
9PM 19+ FREE
FB Event
http://www.facebook.com/matthew.cuthbert#!/event.php?eid=124482927569716&ref=mf

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Tuesday June 29th

Sleep for the Nightlife (mathy catchy indie tunes http://www.myspace.com/dontforgetthismyspace
Hey Predator!(quirky mathy emo from Montreal)http://www.myspace.com/heypredator
Orang Pendek(nerdy indie punkers)http://www.myspace.com/orangpendekband
Masters of Finance(screamo super villains, first show!)http://www.myspace.com/mastersoffinance
at the Smiling Buddha (961 College Street)
8PM $5 “19+”
FB Event
http://www.facebook.com/matthew.cuthbert#!/event.php?eid=123345677695840&ref=mf

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Wednesday July 7th

Suis La Lune(beautiful screamo from Sweden!)http://www.myspace.com/suislalune
Heaviness of the Load(heaviness of the Maryland)http://www.myspace.com/heavinessoftheload
Bandera(mathy-angry nerd jerks)http://www.myspace.com/bandera4eva
Ramon Gris(fresh faced screamo)http://www.myspace.com/ramongrisfamily
@ Siesta Nouveaux (15 Lower Sherbourne)
7pm (show done by 11pm! so seriously show up on time!)
ALL AGES$5-$10 (Pay What You Want, but we have a band from frigging SWEDEN)
FB Event
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=101323799915471&ref=mf

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Unconfirmed stuff being worked on

the Love and Terror Cult CD release
the Dischord of a Forgotten Sketch (Montreal)
Swords (Newfoundland)
A Mountain Fest

I am terrible at keeping up.

I am very busy this summer, and from this point on will try and keep more up to date with my events.

Brief summary of what has happened over the past year (yikes)

-Went out to Edmonton on tour with Gift Eaters and Red Hot Daggers and got very inspired.
-Had Great Friend of Mine's tour I booked for them go to hell because they got denied at the border, to which I was deeply bummed.
-Went to Montreal and Vermont to hang out with GFOM, met the Ghosting guys, made many new friends.
-Fled to the UK after a long period of resentment towards Toronto.
-Returned feeling renewed and very much enamoured in a variety of ways.
-Booked the Ontario leg of Native's Canadian tour.
-Winter hibernation
-Some very cool shows happened over the spring.
-Put out my very first tape release by the inspiring Brain Fever
-There is a very cool summer approaching.


As for the moment, these are some new Ontario bands that I am excited to hear more from.

Ramon Gris

Old Homes

Bottom Feeder

I'm hoping to do more tape releases in the near future, and am working on my fest (more details to follow)

Day 3 - Commotion House, Waterloo Ontario

I realize that there are some awful spelling and grammar errors in some of my posts. Please forgive this, as I usually am writing these either very late or very early. I'll correct all the blogs towards the end.

After a VERY late night from the Bro Haus after party, I decided to sleep in until 2PM to recoup some strength and vigor. After a shower and a coffee, I meandered over to the Bro Haus to have some always fun hung over conversation with my old roomies/good buds. We all just talked about how awesome the show was and how more like them need to happen. Eventually the boys from Edmonton strolled over having been out for dim sum in China town, and we preceded to head to the van, which had spent the last few nights conveniently around the corner from the Haus in a well protected (and easy going) parking lot.
We reached Commotion house at about 8PM, which at first I thought was a problem, but as it turned out, we were the first band there. Being more used to Bro Haus shows following a strict curfew, I was surprised, but stoked at the difference in neighbourly tolerance to punk haha. Jesse threw the show, and was a very nice guy. He and some friends also made a vegan/vegetarian pot-luck for the bands and friends, which was very gracious and awesome.
The show space at Commotion house is an awesome small basement, with a low ceiling, and a very awesome old as hell looking PA. I love basement shows, as the energy just seems to rise, which seemed like the case again tonight. Even if there was only 30 or so people at the show, it felt packed, and people seemed to be having a good time.
Sleep For the Nightlife were the first band and I was pleasantly surprised. Very catchy and dynamic indie/post-rock stuff, all very nice dudes too. RHD was plagued by a few technical problem, including a breaker needing to be fixed (again, love house shows), but otherwise were their usual wild selves. It's been a lot of fun watching these guys play the last few days. Their drummer Taylor also wore a dinosaur mask and a red soccer uniform. Again, rad dudes haha.
Gift Eaters were even more intense than usual, and it was awesome to have a screamo rendition of Happy Birthday sung to me post midnight, as I had officially turned 23.
This was also the 2nd show of the 3 I had gotten set up with the Edmonton guys and Tonnn, who are honestly getting better every time I see them. Thanks for playing "I Work All Day..." for me guys!
Okay, it's my bday, and I have to miss the show tonight to see family. I am bummed. But Bracebridge on Tuesday, and then the looong drive.
-Matt

Day 2 - Siesta Nouveaux, Toronto Ontario

Day 2 was obviously cozier for me than the GE/RHD guys since I got to go home and pass out in my own bed after getting them settled at the Bro Haus. For this I only feel mildly guilty.
Day 2 involved a lot of wandering around the city with the guys and introducing themselves to some cool areas. After getting all you can eat Indian buffet with Graham and Cecil from Gift Eaters (highly recommended by the way), we wandered back in the direction of the house to meet up with the other guys. On the way we passed through the U of T campus, which was fun because I got to show some of the dudes the institute that's been crushing my soul for so many years first hand.
After some solid relaxing and hang out at the house, we hit the van and drove over to Siesta Nouveaux, an awesome artist co-op holding all ages BYOB shows and a very reasonable price. Honestly, this place is one of the only things keeping grass roots aggressive music going in Toronto, so people should really be appreciative of it.
We loaded in, met up with the Creeper and Tonnn guys, and then I got the odious task of running the door/show and making sure everything was alright (this generally includes anxiety pangs in my gut, this show was no different). Once Creeper had started playing and I saw that we had a good solid group of friends/a few new faces at the show, I was breathed a little easier.
Creeper played as their usual ferocious selves, loud and killer. I'm pushing these guys on friends who say they love thrashy down-tuned hardcore, because they should know about them.
Again the Edmonton guys showed me what a lot of Toronto and I suppose Ontario has been missing. Intense, wild and interactive. It blows my mind that I was in the dark about these guys for almost their whole existence up until a few months ago. I think the whole crowd was very stoked on both bands, and a lot of my drunken friends couldn't help but gush at me at how amazing they thought they were. This I was stoked on.
Tonnn. Honestly, no words can truly explain how much hope and optimism I have for these guys. They played like it was their tour kick-off, which amazingly, it was. I'm bummed I won't get to see these dudes faces for almost 2 months, both personally and as a band. But man, it's amazing how it brought us all together that night. I'm still quite touched by the whole evening.
The DIY scene I once felt alienated by is honestly now feeling very homey...I'm finding this experience very transformative, and can't wait to see both GE/RHD on their home turf in one week.

Tour Blog!

So the dates got pretty re-arranged, but day 1 is officially in the books. The Gift Eaters and Red Hot Daggers guys drove like 3 days to be here, so I'm stoked to have them.

DAY 1 - Marcello's Bar and Grill, Mississauga Ontario

Since the guys had stayed at a friends house in Parkdale, we didn't have far to go for Day 1 which was only a little west in Mississauga. I grabbed my distro and hopped into the van, and to my pleasant surprise we went and hit up a public pool in charming 'Saug. I haven't been swimming in years, so other than feeling a bit awkward at the 6 of us being the only ones above the age of like 15 (who didn't have kids), it was actually a huge amount of fun. The Edmonton guys are all pretty hilarious, and so far we seem to be meshing well. We eventually dried off and head out to the infamous Marcello's Bar and Grill.
I absolutely love the space that Marcello let's the bands use, and I plan on writing a blog dedicated to the importance of a place like his to the local music scene. I was running the show technically as well, which was a bit nerve wracking as it was my first at Marcello's, and I've never really dealt with him in that light before. Luckily there were people drinking and eating, so he seemed appeased. No Alarms and Whiskey Priest also played the show, both of which were rad.
Since Marcello's is technically a bar, we had some concerns about our friend Dan (who is 15) who had made the trek up from Georgetown to see the bands. Luckily, with a little tweak to his age and geneology (we said he was 17 and Graham from GE's cousin), Marcello seemed only slightly miffed.
Since this was my first time actually seeing the Edmonton bands play, I was pretty excited, and suffice to say I wasn't dissapointed. Incredibly raw and full of energy, both bands played like they were just begging to after so many days of sleeping in a van.
Toronto tonight, another show I'm running (also my bday show). Pretty stoked. Hope everyone is well.