It's Hard to See in Those Murky Waters

Winter exhibitions are over and now I have a three-week break before our fundraising gala, after which I'll have another three-week break until our next exhibitions open. That's a wrap on Toronto. With so much time off, I'll be busy packing for the move, culling things we don't need anymore and packing the things we do. Times of transition are rarely ever as well-defined as this one, so it seems a little strange, but I think it's also a good thing. More so than ever before, the break will have to be busy and productive, but I don't foresee that being a problem this time around. Here's some things that I'm currently enjoying during this time of transition.

Barry is currently my favourite show on TV. It's a dark dramedy created by and starring Bill Hader about an Iraq war vet who is now a hitman but also trying to make it as an actor. As ridiculous as that description sounds, the show gets real as fuck. The supporting cast is wonderful, but it's really the Hader show as he shows off an intensity I don't think many people expected from him. The second season did that impossible thing of making a big jump but staying good. Amazing stuff.

I wouldn't classify myself as a "gamer", but there a couple of video games that have stuck with me and made an impression on me throughout my life. One of those games is the Dynasty Warriors series, in which you fight as Han-era Chinese warlords. The game is based on the Chinese novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China's "Four Classical Novels". The mythology surrounding the story, which toes the line between history and fiction, has always fascinated me and drawn me into the story and this year I decided to read it. It was a very fulfilling experience.



I saw Big Nothing while they toured their debut 7" during the summer of 2017. The band made a huge impression on me at the show, so I've been anticipating further material since then. They recently put out a full-length and it's great stuff. A little fuzzy and dreamy in a 90s alt sort of way, but everything still building towards big poppy choruses. I also really love the songs where Liz Parsons sings lead. It would be wonderful if every pop-punk band was this good instead of being derivative horse shit.



I've seen Fury one time, when the opened for Power Trip and Sheer Mag in May 2018 (fuckin' huge gig bud). While tuning between songs, the singer spoke about how big of impression the music of Gord Downie (recently deceased at the time) had made on him. A couple of songs later, he recited a poem of Downie's as stage banter and I don't think many people in the crowd realized what it was. This obviously turned me into an instant fan, in addition to them play the exact type of vaguely-Youth Crew-ish, vaguely Snapcase-ish hardcore that I crave. They put out a new album this May and it fucking rocks ass.


Do you ever mean to check out a band for ages because you know that you'll like the band based on their name and album name? And then the guitarist appears on your favourite podcast and you realize he's a similar personality to you and that reminds you that you still need to check out his band because you'll almost definitely like it? And then you do and you realize you like Wild Side?

Lastly, I have a secret album that will be released by an Ontario band later this year. They've been playing songs off it for the last year-ish and I've been patiently waiting for what was sure to be another release that is heads and shoulders above everything else everyone is putting out in this province. It's absolutely wonderful and already shot right up to the top of my 2019 releases. It's crazy to think of what your friends are capable of.