I can't believe I was in the same room as the Chump. It's been a big rocking year for the old man. I saw Sarah Harmer in February (opened by the CBC propped up and badly managed Nathan Wiley - needs to meet more kids his own age who play instruments), then Elvis Costello in summer, Sloan two months ago whose opening act was Boy (whose name makes them almost ungooglable) and now this.

Weeping Tile in 1996 with Sarah's sister Mary (left) then on bass

Sarah Harmer and her old band Weeping Tile do a Christmas benefit for the Sally Ann every year. Luther Wright was the MC and we were sitting next to his granny. It was an all ages thing so there were teens and grannies all over the place. This is the eighth and had, as an opening act, Oh Susanna, one of the strongest voices I have ever witnessed - one of those like you wouldn't want to be in a bad relationship with her kind of voices. She sang "Go Tell It On the Mountain" backed by Weeping Tile. The other two acts were interesting. Jay Harris was good if only for the things he was doing to that poor steel guitar. The tastebuds were challenged, however, by The Dave Hodge Experiece, which you kinds got the feeling was made up for the show. Drums, fender guitar, fender bass and a frontman (Dave Hodge) playing a casio one note keyboard with an electric fireplace in front of him. It was kind of nerdy, high voiced, elementary school Gang of Four without the catchy stuff. Good humoured though. It was a great evening - we had to cut out about 11 pm to pick up the kiddies, so missed much of the Weeping Tile Set - Sarah music then was as dark as it is lithe now, lyrics as gritty. Dandy.

The Dave Hodge Experience reminded me of a band playing at an early '80's show at the UKC pit impressarioed by Gillian McCain, whose web bio seems to delete the Kings years.  At that show, when I suggested, perhaps too loudly, that a certain keyboard player sucked, I received the wrath that only a New Brunswick french fry princess steeped in new wave and punk knowledge could unleash.  It was an envigourating moment.  In the middle of the night during my campus police shifts, I used to read her cool, rare and expensive new wave / punk 'zines that came in the college mail.