Stay Out of the Mall XIV Archives

Evan Gordon is a gifted musician from Guelph who is a member of Islands and the band formerly known as the Magic. He’s also the leader of the Sad Clowns, a crazed rock ‘n’ roll band that is playing their first show in many years at the Stay Out of the Mall XIV benefit show in Guelph at the Ebar on December 19. Here, Evan and I discuss recording this podcast at CFRU, places he has lived, Perth, Ontario, not rural or urban, boomerangs and Guelph, gentrification and bistros, the Apollo 11, the fact that Sun Sun Chinese Restaurant recently closed down, why I had a sentimental connection to Sun Sun and its broccoli and bean curd, when it went downhill, Breezy Corners moves into downtown Guelph and replaces Sun Sun, 9,000 eggs, Breezy Corners gall, Guelph and shifting priorities, two new Islands records that are coming out soon, the return of the Sad Clowns, no-fi and no-fun, Clayton Dyon, the Magic and MAGIC!, feeling it and reunion shows, getting the gang back together, Frozen in Time the rock opera, John Merritt, rocking, pop and soft-rock, losing his edge, having a tumultuous time in a work-based and unusual life, homeless, unsettling down, solitary man, James Gordon, following in a musician’s footsteps, balancing dreams and life, when things bomb, Geordie Gordon, escapism and rock therapy, Nick Thorburn and success, a creative onslaught, a new label, underthinking, stu-stu-studio, sub-salary, gaining weight and a doughnut diet, Hollywood fat, Eddie Shack, musical shame, the song “Get It On,” Andrew Collins, silliness, the song “Travelling Back in Time,” and then we went for doughnuts.

Related links: myspace.com/egordon vishkhanna.com

Listen, subscribe, rate/review on iTunes.

Peter Demakos is the songwriter and spokesman for Blimp Rock Enterprises. Ostensibly a clever indie-rock band based in Toronto, Blimp Rock is also a business entity whose objective is to hold a music festival in a blimp over Lake Ontario. They talk about this in their music sometimes, which you can hear on their latest album Sophomore Slump or at live shows. Demakos and I recently met to chat at Sushi on Bloor in Toronto and I had my back up a bit because I was wary of getting one of Blimp Rock’s infamous sales pitches, as I’m not a fan of salesmen. But in the end, it was a truly enjoyable experience and led to a few exclusives on the show. Here, Peter and I talk about orienting ourselves to the new location for Sushi on Bloor, eating here once with David Heti, figuring out the menu and what we’re going to order, rock and rolls, dynamite rolls, salmon sushi pizza, the deep-fried life, tempura tofu, the song “Vampires” and health kicks, anxiety and diet, an olive-less Grecian, loving gluten, living in Toronto, life in Kitchener-Waterloo, Preston High School, a strange interruption with a massive Blimp Rock “investor” named Ramona, explaining the Blimp Rock dream, vintage office supplies and a long line of wood panelists, the sound of dreams alive, scoping out Ramona’s day to day activities, the handshake, one hundred shares of Blimp Rock enterprises, negative $2100, an oral Powerpoint presentation about Blimp Rock, the mysterious Owen Nowlan and planning a music festival in the sky, the blimp that shall not be named, ordering, anything is possible with profit, what, Lake Ontario, 3 T.E.P.F.F, marketing, not being Adele, the study of making graphs, vinyl records and demographic consumption patterns, the warmth of vinyl and the rolodex, inside the blimp, #RFE, fancy mixed drinks, the edge is on, safety permits, the Lake Ontario Iced Tea, Lake Ontario Lager or LOL, a real-time assessment of our food, Courtly Love, Hole, a food check-in, countdown to exclusive, Blimp Rock live, full mouths, economic analysis, the European tour and making euros, divvying up the remaining sushi, rating possible Blimp Rock slogans, the Toronto Blue Jays money-oriented controversy, Ramona leaves the building, a new Blimp Rock album and new songs, Stay Out of the Mall XIV, the song “Long Johns,” and then the cheque.

Related links: blimprockenterprises.com vishkhanna.com

Listen, subscribe, rate/review on iTunes.