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After yesterday’s sneak preview, I thought it only fair to end the suspense and tell you all about my adventure at The Big Time Out. You can check out the photos my mom took on her Flickr.

What surprised me most about the festival was the inclusiveness. Not only was it a family-friendly event with artistic and creative outlets for children, but the music was as varied as it was fantastic. While it may be cliché to say that there was something for everyone, that fact couldn’t be more true. And for this someone, there were three performers that were must-sees on the bill.

I arrived just in time to see Vancouver-based Delhi 2 Dublin. Back in March, I caught them during the Juno street parties on Granville Street, but was pretty pumped to watch a full set.

As expected, D2D’s intense energy got the entire crowd jumping, dancing and waving their hands in the air. Fusing together deep Bhangra, Celtic and Dub roots with a taste of hip hop, D2D have an incredibly distinctive sound that’s all theirs.

What makes D2D truly their own is the fact that the group lacks any sort of cookie-cutter sound. Their range of sound is as large and far-reaching as the variety of instruments incorporated to create the music they do. I found it next-to-impossible to take my eyes off the stage because D2D are every bit performers as they are musicians.

With hours to kill until Mihirangi hit the stage, I did a bit of exploring, eating and dancing. The crowd had a great vibe the entire day through.

When I caught a glimpse of this gourmet burger booth at the Filberg Festival earlier in August, I was tempted by it but opted for veggie rice rolls instead. However, after hours of dancing and walking, my stomach was hungry and the only cure was a yamburger.

Made from local ingredients and supporting Comox Valley-based businesses, the yamburger was every bit as delicious as I’d hoped it would be. However, with a 40-minute wait between the time I ordered to the time I actually got my burger, I may opt for something else next time.

Local DJs were dropping the needle between sets, so we were jamming to Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley and Justin Timberlake under the hot sun. I’m quite sure I’ll never again be able to hear “Could You Be Loved?” by Bob without thinking of this day.

No girl in her right mind passes up ice cream, but after these monster cones, Bethany had just about had her fill. “Wouldn’t it be funny if I just tossed it over the fence?” would’ve been funnier had her ice cream glob not actually gone flying. 10-Second Rule, right?

Or is it the Dump-Your-Ice-Cream-On-Your-Husband Rule?

By 8pm I was ready for more moneymaker-shaking, which worked out perfectly because that’s the time Australia’s Mihirangi hit the stage. This mesmerizing one-woman show (with the back-up of DJ Katch) came out in full force, singing in both her native Maori and English.

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What I love – love – so much about her sound is that it’s multi-layered. Much of what you hear is recorded through beatboxing, and each song builds upon itself.

Crowd favourite? Oui.

With a near-perfect blend of tough and tender, humour with all seriousness, Mihirangi is set for world domination in this girl’s opinion. And if any of that won’t hook you, the infectious giggle she seems to end each song with is living proof that she loves what she does and lives what she loves.

I found this video on her YouTube, which shows her entire song-building process. Amazing stuff.

What would a festival be if they didn’t save the best for last? After energetic performances from Mother, Mother and a number of belly dancers and silk aerials, Sam Roberts Band hit the stage around 10:30pm. Needless to say, the crowd went insane.

The Montreal-based band may not have made any promises, but they certainly delivered. Entertaining us all with tunes both old and new, Sam Roberts and his band commandeered the stage with drive and and enthusiasm right to the end.

There’s always something exciting about hearing a song live that you’ve been listening to on your iPod for years. In truth, I may have even listened to his older material on my Sony Discman. And somehow, Sam always seems to ask the right questions in his music:

Memories of the day? Too many to name. Regrets of the day? Not buying more merchandise – and I never buy merchandise at concerts.

I think it goes without saying that I’m already counting down the days to next year’s festival. A tip-to-self for 2010: I’ll leave my blanket and backpack at home. They only serve to inhibit dancing in the mud…

(A huge thank you to Cumberland Village Works for organizing and holding this awesome community event!)

Being that I didn’t get back to Vancouver until after 10pm and because I filled my entire memory card, it’s safe to say that I won’t be wading through all my pictures from this summer’s The Big Time Out until Monday evening. Until then, a teaser.

I arrived just in time to catch Delhi 2 Dublin’s set. Their energy and entirely unique sound got the whole crowd jumping – literally.

Video: tempest_kat on Flickr

The festival’s headliner and cherry on the sundae was none other than Sam Roberts Band. Excuse the poor video quality, but it’s clear to hear that Sam and his band kick some serious ass on stage. The show was unreal.

I can promise you that the photos are of much better quality than the videos. Look for those tomorrow morning!

It recently struck me how The Big Time Out couldn’t be a more perfect name for exactly what it is – a day-long break from the ordinary all in the sake of fun and community. Did I mention there will be music and dancing?

Photo: Zoe52 on Flickr

Though The Big Time Out is only a handful of years old, the annual festival has been steadily and quickly picking up steam. Held each summer in Cumberland’s Village Park, 2009’s festival promises to live up to its stellar reputation. Live music is only one element as attendees will also be entertained by collaborative dance pieces, acrobatics and aerialists.

Photo: burnthatsucker on Flickr

Having hosted the likes of Metric, You Say Party! We Say Die! and De La Soul in previous years, this summer’s headliner is none other than Montreal’s Sam Roberts and his band.

Photo: tammylo on Flickr

A girl can only hope that he’ll sport his Jack Burton tank for the festivities – after all, August days do get rather hot in the Comox Valley. Concert-goers will also be impressed with this year’s line-up of Mother Mother, Delhi 2 Dublin (check out Raymi’s video here), The March Fourth Marching Band, Jets Overhead, Sex With Strangers, Mihirangi, LAL and the Island’s own Vince Vaccaro.

It wouldn’t stun me to find a few fun surprises along the way…

The event is family-friendly and all kids 12 and under are welcome free-of-charge with a ticket-holding adult. Be sure to bring a whole lot of food in that picnic basket, a comfy blanket and tons of energy. The festival runs from noon until midnight with non-stop music and amusement. For those of you that forget your provisions, concession stands will be on hand and entry is by bracelet, so be sure to check out some of the great food from local eateries in Cumberland.

Photo: Zoe52 on Flickr

The Big Time Out 2009 will be held on Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Cumberland Village Park in the Comox Valley. There will be limited parking available within the village, so please consider carpooling or taking advantage of local transit. Early bird tickets are no longer available, but advance tickets are being sold for $55 each (still a fantastic deal!) until July 21. After July 21, tickets are $65. For more information, please visit The Big Time Out’s website.

I’ve got my ticket – who of you will I see there?

I’m sitting in a sea of boxes and waiting for Wednesday’s move. It’s kind of weird to be sitting here doing nothing because the last four or five days have been seriously non-stop and nothing that I had planned on.

Friday night was the Juno Cup hockey game, pitting Canucks alumni against the rock stars. Lucky us got to pile onto the Gibson Guitars bus to be chauffeured to the event.

This bus is seriously insane… fully stocked with loads of junk food, autographed guitars, rock posters, leather seating, a baby grand and a wickedly sharp heater in the bathroom that I ended up sitting on, resulting in a heinous purple and blue bruise on my right butt cheek.

I put a serious dent into the jar of goldfish crackers.

I expected the arena at UBC to be packed out, but in truth, it wasn’t much of a game. The alumni were really just standing around and letting the musicians think they were playing. After the first period, we went back to the bus to eat more goldfish, drink more rye and watch Wedding Crashers until the game was over.

Thigh guitar.

Saturday night hotel dance party. Before the Gibson Guitars Juno party, we gyrated to Beyoncé and Britney.

I think Brad was okay with it all.

Gibson Guitars Juno party, Richard’s on Richards.

BNL!

Mr. Twilight was at the party but wasn’t “doing pictures,” so no luck. Raymi and I went up to him to chat it up instead, but he had way too much attitude for someone that will probably be starring in American Pie 11 someday. I did manage to snap a creeper shot, so I’ll post that once Fil watermarks it for me.

Sometimes there’s nothing left to do but dance. So we did, and we did it a lot and we did it sweaty.

I have become obsessed with this song/video (it’s truly amazing) so I decided I’d completely rip her off and dress just like her. Tank knotted in the back.

Finally something mellow today. Us three ladies hit the hot tub, pool and sauna and kicked ourselves for not doing it days ago. I would’ve fallen asleep in the sauna if I could’ve.

And this is Elizabeth and Nick’s dog, Mitzie. She loves the taste of my nostrils.

Thanks for amazingly endless good times all weekend, Raymi, Fil and Brad. Vancouver’s gonna miss you but I’ll miss you more.

It’s been more than eight years since I last saw Hanson in concert, which also happens to be the last time they played Vancouver. When I found out they were returning to play an acoustic show at the Commodore Ballroom, I insisted on dragging Becky along with me.

I have this thing with Hanson and a need to turn skeptics into believers.

Being the awesome girl that she is (and knowing how much I appreciate the rock trio of brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma), Becky went above and beyond. Not only did she score us tickets to the show, but also landed an opportunity to meet and interview them, as well as naming me “official” photographer for her writing piece.

Isaac, Taylor and Zac were three of the kindest and most genuine men who obviously have a passion for what they do.

Following our interview (audio will be available in the next day or two, so check back), Becky and I tagged along as Hanson completed a one-mile walk to promote social and humanitarian awareness.

We had time to kill before the show and did so by drinking beer and eating wings. I have beer bloat this morning for the first time ever, so it looks like I’ll be sticking to wine in the future.

While the thought of an acoustic show invokes the ideas of “quiet” and “low key,” Hanson’s show was anything but. The men know how to rock, and they know how to rock it well.

In case you were unaware, Hanson write, record, produce and perform all of their own music and have been doing so for the better part of their lives. Forget the cookie cutter concept.

You know you’re getting old when you’re at a concert, your favourite band is playing and you can’t even stick it out to the end. We left after about an hour of Hanson’s set because neither of us could keep our eyes open any longer. Despite that, the show was fantastic and the day was an experience I won’t soon forget. Our podcast interview with Hanson should be up and airing within the next day or too, so don’t miss that!

My entire set of photos can be viewed here on Flickr.

Photo: Mercury Records

In 1997, there was no escaping “MMMBop,” either on the radio, MuchMusic or from yours truly’s JVC three-disc stereo system. I spent countless hours that summer sitting on the roof outside my bedroom window listening to Hanson’s debut album, “Middle of Nowhere.”

Fast forward 10 years: 2007 saw the release of “The Walk,” an album recorded and released entirely on Hanson’s own label, 3CG Records. Much of the proceeds from the record, and a single entitled “The Great Divide” in particular, were donated to HIV/AIDS research in Africa. Hanson have since been touring the record extensively, and in each city played, the band completes a one-mile barefoot walk with their fans to continue to raise awareness for a cause the brothers are obviously so passionate about.

Photo: kmarski on Flickr

Being that it’s been eight years since I saw them play the Orpheum Theatre, you can imagine my excitement when I learned they’d be playing the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver on September 10, 2008. Through the magic of everyone’s favourite Vancouver blogger, Miss604, I will be able to bring all of you, my fabulous readers, up close and personal with the trio from Oklahoma.

Prior to completing the one-mile AIDS walk (for which I am completely willing to forego my pedicured tootsies) with Hanson, Rebecca and myself will be interviewing Hanson, snapping photos and taking in the show that evening. I’ll remind you all closer to the date, but be sure to check back after September 10th for all the juicy tidbits, audio interview and photos from what will most certainly be a day to remember.

What: Hanson (live and acoustic)
When: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where: Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC (show is 19+)
How: Tickets at Ticketmaster [click here]

For more information on the band, visit their official website.

Still a skeptic? Check out this acoustic clip of the boys (attempting to play) with Tom Green on drums.

The Full Throttle Slopestyle Competition is coming very soon (this weekend, in fact) to Mount Washington. Come out to watch skiiers and boarders strut their best stuff on the slopes. Skiiers, your day is Saturday, while the snowboarders take over shredding duties on Sunday. Whether you’re riding, two-planking or just hanging out to take in the sights, I’m pretty sure it promises to be a fun and exciting weekend.

If I’m a little m.i.a. (?) over the next several days, it’s no doubt for very good reason. The fourth annual Northern Voice conference invades Vancouver, kicking off with a launch dinner tomorrow night at a “secret” location, followed by Moosecamp on Friday and the actual conference on Saturday. Click the moose for more information.

Lastly, but certainly not least, I found myself the quintessential and all-too-necessary little black dress last night. How I never discovered Bebe sooner is completely beyond me. Stay tuned tomorrow for dollface pictures of your humble narrator shimmied into the satin sleeve.

P.S. I am so addicted to Jugo Juice

I am enchanted. For months I have been looking forward to the glimmering hope of attending Michael Bublé’s show in Vancouver tonight, and through the miracle of ticket winning, that hope turned into a dream come true. And that was only the beginning for this girl…

After a long and whimsical set of one fantastic song after another, Michael and his uber-talented band kept the entire audience captivated. The encore came far too soon, but it was one I wouldn’t soon forget. As the crowd attempted to rush the stage, Bublé jumped down to walk amongst the crowd and lo and behold, so close to where Amy and I were seated. He gestured to me, took my hand and brought me up on stage as he serenaded all 13,000 of us with “Come Fly With Me.”

Photo: tamdotcom on Flickr

The rest was a blur, and the next thing I knew we were wrapped up in his 500-thread count Opus Hotel sheets, making love. And as we laid there in afterglow bliss, bundled in plush white hotel robes while we each smoked a cigarette, he began to sing…

“‘Cause you are not alone…I’m always there with you. And we’ll get lost together…’till the light comes pouring through.”

Okay, not really, but a girl can dream, right?

Sometimes you have to use your imagination to distract yourself from irritating circumstances. The evening would have been perfect had it not been for the two drunken couples seated next to Amy and myself. They were quite obviously middle-aged couples from the suburbs, teenagers at home probably not tucked safely into bed, and had been drinking far too much prior to the show. The husband seated next to me didn’t seem to care much for his poor wife as he put his hand on my leg and breathed his ass-bourbon breath into my face.

As Michael began the key notes of “Me and Mrs. Jones,” the man proceeded to tell me that the song was about 50 years old and that he was 51.

“Wow…that’s a lot older than me,” I retorted back, rather stoically. I think he got the message.

Photo: InnerDemon on Flickr

However, all in all, the night was like a fairytale come true. I was absolutely blown away by how much of a true performer Michael is. The interludes between each of his songs were near-stand up routines. The man’s a ham! Everything from sassy innuendo that made my heart go “ga-gung” to Stewie Griffin impersonations. Did I mention charming, sweet, funny, sexy and talented? I was glad to have had no expectations or preconceived notions about what his show would be like because it was such a delightful surprise with the start of each and every song. And of course, being a hometown Vancouver boy, he had to give a little bit of love to the Canucks and get the crowd revved up for the Stanley Cup.

I can’t remember the last time I had such a fantastic time at a live show. If ever you get the chance to see this man perform live, do not pass it up. It’s time well worth spent.

“I think I had a shit-eating grin on my face the entire time!” – Amy

Well Amy, here’s something that’s guaranteed to keep that grin there a little longer.

Need to see and hear a little crooning for yourself? Here’s a clip courtesy of YouTube and Warner Bros. Records.

So much to write, so little time. Let’s get started, shall we?

Just in case you didn’t catch it the first time or heard about it through Becky, here’s your reminder that tonight is the first night of free ridin’ at Mount Seymour for all the lovely ladies. Simply pick up your voucher (as Amy and I already have) at any of the participating locations, strap on your board and shred!

Guys’ Night Out, in support of breast cancer research with the BC Cancer Foundation, is happening Monday nights through to March 24, 2008. Visit Mount Seymour’s website for more details.

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A little while back, I made mention about my new-found love for easy listening radio. My station of choice is 104.9 Clear FM, and with that switch to a new radio station, I found myself falling for the music of Michael Bublé. You can imagine my excitement when I found out he was playing at GM Place in January. You can imagine my disappointment when I found out that all the tickets were gone before I’d even heard of the show.

Photo courtesy of Moadh on Flickr

It wasn’t long, however, before Clear FM announced that they’d have a few tickets for the show to give away. Since converting Amy into both a Clear FM listener and a solid Bublé fan, her and I both decided to use our tens of thousands of Clear Rewards points to purchase entries in the contest for tickets.

The winners were announced today.

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Looking for something a little saucy to entertain you this weekend? It’s once again time for ‘Taboo: The Naughty But Nice Sex Show‘ at Canada Place in Vancouver. Now that the Christmas trees and twinkling lights are packed away, vendors from all over haul out their stashes of condoms, oils, lubes, toys, harnesses and more obscure things than you can shake a…stick at.

Photo courtesy of Magalie L’Abbé on Flickr

Running from January 10 – 13, 2008 in Convention Halls A, B and C, a one-day ticket will set you back $15.00, while a weekend pass runs for $30.00. My opinion is that it’s worth going once, but it’s pretty much the same fanfare each and every year. (19+ only)

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And lastly, while I am on the subject of snowboarding this fine afternoon in downtown Vancouver, it’s time to fill you all in on my little adventure planned for February 1. My vixen-in-crime, the divine Rebecca Bollwitt, is accompanying me to Vancouver Island on the eve before. This is huge for me because I never, ever bring people back to the Island with me. This time I’ll let it slide…

Friday, February 1 is the second annual ‘Kokanee Day For Dudes‘ at Mount Washington Alpine Resort. Being that snowboarding at Mt. Washington is my first love, beer my second and men my third, could such an event be any more spectacular? True, the event is geared towards the endowed species, but the eye candy alone will be worth the price of the lift ticket. For $59, men can enjoy a lift ticket, afternoon lesson and Kokanee-sponsored aprés.

Need another reason to go? How about gorgeous powder and a base just shy of 400cm? Check this out, but try not to drool too much.

Rebecca: “Do you think he’s short?”

Keira-Anne: “Does it really matter when he’s horizontal?””

A few days ago, Becky asked if I’d be interested in seeing tonight’s Bon Jovi concert at GM Place, seeing as her hubby wouldn’t dream of doing so. I shrugged my shoulders and said sure, knowing that pretty much any live concert is a good time.

Hedley (non-linkage intentional) opened the night, so being that Becky and I were patrons of the Siemens Club (tee hee), we sat and had a glass plastic cup of merlot while those four boys played their set. After a quick bottle of water, we were in our seats in plenty of time to see Jon Bon Jovi and his amigos take the stage. Tonight was the final Canadian date on their Lost Highway tour, so the bar was set rather high from the very beginning. “We played for almost three hours last night and we’ll be doing it again tonight. So if you’ve gotta work tomorrow or your mama’s meeting you on the corner for a ride tonight, you’d better send out those text messages now.”

Mr. B. J. announced that they’d play through the entire new album in its entirety, and then shuffle through 20 years’ worth of singles. I have to be honest for a moment: the new record is very much generic rock which can and will be very easily copied by countless cover bands at your friendly Fraser Valley bar. I spent much of this portion of the set thinking back to when “Seth” served “Carrie” a huge serving of pump-n-dump on Sex and the City.

The music ended, the lights went low and very faintly the first notes of “Livin’ On A Prayer” filled GM Place. Let me tell you one thing for very sure – you have not lived until you’ve belted that song at the top of your lungs with 13,000 other screaming fans. And from there, the band played a stream of the songs that have made them popular enough to still sell-out arenas two nights in a row. In Canada.

I expected to see a sea of acid wash denim, teased and crimped hair, leather vests, mullets and all the other horrific fashion staples of the decade that made Bon Jovi a staple of the big hair music scene. There was none of that – just a lot of people out to have a good time. Truth be told, the band doesn’t even need to make new music anymore. They could’ve simply batted back and forth between “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Shot Through the Heart” over and over and over again for two hours and everyone still would’ve had a great time.

At least know I know what who I want for Christmas…

Sure he’s 45, but I’d still tap that. Yes, even with the Superman tattoo.

Post Edit: Becky posted a little video clip she shot tonight on her blog, so check it out.it