MAROTINU DE SUS, Romania – Before Toma Petre’s relatives pulled his body from the grave, ripped out his heart, burned it to ashes, mixed it with water and drank it, he hadn’t been in the news much.

Wow – now they have a Baby Nyarlathotep for only $10 US. Keen. My birthday’s coming up, you know….

A Trip Down Memory Lame
Well gee whiz tonight we (The Thickets) sure did play inside a classroom at UCFV (University-College of the Fraser Valley). In 1992 (it was just “Fraser Valley College” then) I met Warren–with whom I founded the band–in the art program there. I don’t think any of the couple dozen onlookers at the “show” would have appreciated that fact. Anyway, it was really weird to go back there after 12 years and look at the halls and classrooms where I used to take sculpture, painting, etc. I saw Chris’ painting of Devon & Amber still hanging in the stairway. Compounding to the sense of nostalgia was listening to 13 Songs by Fugazi on the drive down (I drove Hoolie’s car down and back). We played in the classroom that I took sculpture in. I sculpted a lot of naked men in those days. One of them, while posing, fell off the platform. Heady stuff, art.

Anyway, besides Anghold there was really only one guy who seemed excited about us playing. I don’t remember his name although he asked me to dedicate a song to him, which of course I did. I think he was drunk. Even so, or especially because, the little gig that could was actually pretty fun. And I got to see lots of mediocre art, including an “homage” (read: ripoff) of Marcel Dzama. Plus I got $20 out of it, which I spent on gas and a delightful meal with Ang at Red Robin’s in Abbotsfjord on the way home. We shared nachos and smoothies. Then we talked about deep and meaningful things on the drive home. Then we talked about James & Marlo – HAHAHA!