Summer's Over

More than anything else, last week's last real show ever(on August 26, 2006) by The Deadly Snakes at The Silver Dollar was a reminder that summer was coming to a close. I made it to the Silver Dollar(right after Junior Boys' set had finished at El Mocambo down the street) and barely caught The 'Snakes last two songs, but in those two songs, a flurry of memories from many a hot, sweaty, rock n' roll show on a hot, summer night rushed through my mind. And isn't that what summer's all about? Hot, sweaty, rock n' roll! I can't believe I never saw The Deadly Snakes live before that. The last real opportunity I had to see them was a decade ago when they(plus The Super Friendz) had opened for Sloan at Varsity Arena, although I'd missed The 'Snakes' set that time. My, how time flies. And at their last real show, I barely caught two songs. I guess it was never meant to be for me and The 'Snakes. Earlier this year I bought their 1997 indie 7-inch single "Real Rock 'n' Roll Tonight" b/w "How Long Do You Keep a Man," and it's incendiary as rock n' roll gets[I'm gonna have to plop that onto the ol' record player tonight]. Forgive me 'Snakes for never giving a shit until now.



But yes, summer is really over. Not one of my best at all. Didn't bring out my bicycle out once(partly because it was broken half the time), I was either sick or had bad allergies half the summer, and generally I felt lazy. Now, on the cusp of Fall, I hope to make up for my lackadaisicalness somehow. I experienced a renewed sense of vigor at the sublime Cat Power show at Lee's Palace yesterday evening(stay tuned for my review) and earlier in the day I caught Australian Ben Lee and his band at Sunnyside Park as part of Mix 99.9 FM's Beachfest. A confident performer who's not afraid to make fun of himself, he is approaching to becoming a bonafide pop star. There were a lot of young girls in attendance, some who weren't afraid to yell out to him that they'd like to 'Catch His Disease'. During his brief half an hour set, he performed songs off his latest album "Awake Is The New Sleep". I was disappointed not to hear any older tracks but it's comforting to know that he's still an indie-rock type at heart as he expressed his jubilation to have danced in a Santa Claus suit as part of The Flaming Lips show(presumably at the Osheaga Festival in Montreal, Quebec) twelve hours prior.