I went early to the Born Ruffians/First Rate People (FRP) show alone. I find half of FRP sitting at a table and I catch up, cause I haven’t seen them for WAY too long. So, I chat for a while, my friends show up, I just kinda talk, drink and dance for a bit.

FRP hit the stage. They kill it. References to screen writers, catchy hooks, and all around goodness. A couple songs before the end of their set a girl that is obviously intoxicated beyond control flops onto the stage. She seems to be more in control than if she was drunk as balls, but obviously not something she would do sober. She dances awkwardly to a death/life ballad. FRP has had their fill, too many people dancing like motherfuckers and lovin’ every minute of it.

Born Rufffians are kinda slow to get on stage. It’s about 45 minutes before they get on. Early conversations with FRP give me the knowledge that Born Ruffians favourite time to go on is 11:30pm, and that the show last night didn’t end until 2:00am. So, a prompt 11:41 Born Ruffians hit the stage.

They start with some “Foxes Mate For Life”, I’m standing with Jon Lawless of FRP and he says, “They save the hits for the end, and it just builds up”. Not really to me cause every track to me is a single, or at least I think. So it all builds up to what I think the end is with “What To Say”, so I go to the lil’ boys room. I hear them say, “This is our last song”… “I Need A Life”.

“Oh But We Go Out At Night”

Encore is called. Admittedly I’m a bit tired and I know that the bands are too (experience). I don’t call too hard for encore. Well, they are back for more. 3 more songs happen. Too be honest I don’t remember what ones.

So, end of the concert. I stand around for a bit, I see Steven Hamelin and remember, “Oh yeah, my cousin wanted me to say ‘Hi’”. I go up to Steve and I say, “Hey man, great show. My cousin wanted me to say ‘Hi’”

Steve, “Who is your cousin?”

“Taylor Hall”, I watch Steve’s mind not quite grasp what is going on. He kinda dismisses me, until something clicks.

Blah blah blah, Army… Paratroopers… I wanna hang out with him… here is my number…

It’s not a girl’s number, but at least I left a bar with a number.

So, waiting around cause FRP is staying at our place for the night. A bouncer comes up to us and announces, “Ok, guys we’re closing up now you gotta go”. So, I say, “Oh, well FRP are staying at my place so I kinda have to stay”. Bouncer replies, “Oh, ok cool”.

Just stand around a bit more and the same bouncer comes back, “I don’t care if the band is staying at your place. You gotta wait outside”. Luckily, Pat Morrissey of FRP comes up, “Oh don’t worry about these guys, they’re with me.”

So, I go and get my coat, and just kinda wander around and Pat tells me to go downstairs to the green room. So, I just wander on down. I have no objections or obstacles, but I look behind and my roommate Jonny is being aggressively grilled. Whatever.

I get to the green room and there is 3 people. A short haired Asian girl (pretty sexy), this overwhelming guy with headphones (who wears headphones to a concert?), and Mitch from Born Ruffians. Turns out there is an interview going on, so I sit quietly on a sketchy piano bench and admire the cluttered green room/beverage storage.

I listen to the rather interesting conversation about playing screamo shows when they really weren’t the right genre, and how they always believed that every instrument should have it’s own voice, and that they had a skewed view of pop songs, believing that they were a pop band until they would re-listen to the tracks.

Jonny somehow makes it down to meet me into the green room with the interview still going on. He doesn’t really realize it’s being recorded and makes some noise. I quickly clue him in. The short-haired Asian girl tries to light up a cigarette for the interviewer and we’re slightly weirded-out. There are laws in Ontario. She talks to us a bit. Seems she’s from Toronto. She tries to convince us to go outside for God knows what reason. We’re interested in the interview and just stay.

Interview is over and Pat joins us along with Jon shortly after, and Liam after that. We eat Born Ruffians deli meat, veggies, hummus, and Brie that is set out for them. We talk about the concert a bit, Born Ruffians join. We chat more. We load up. We’re ready to go.

Jon is the only sober one, so he’s driving the band Dodge Durango. It’s got one working passenger door (only from the outside), the rear window is packed with gear, and we have one passenger more than seats. Jon backs out magnificently with only back mirrors and Hayden Stewart guiding the way. I give directions back to our place and we catch up/drink more.

We joke about old people sex, Weekend at Bernie’s, and other weird stuff. FRP are just exhausted so we make their beds, and we make awkward “sleeping together” jokes. If you’re in a band, or just have close friends, you understand.

This morning I write this epic. Tomorrow they head for Kingston.

  1. furlongbeaker posted this