My Weekend With NoMeansNo

You would think that being around a bunch of young people, and people you haven’t since you were 18 (and you’re now 35), would make you feel old. But playing with NoMeansNo this past Saturday had exactly the opposite effect. It was invigorating!

Fustie picked me up from work on Friday and we went down to Divine Industries new location. In the move they found a bunch of Thickets tapes and stuff that was destined for the bin, but Allen saved it for me. He also gave us BTO’s broken Juno award for Best Selling Album of the Year 1975. We figured we could give it away as a prize during our performance, or award it to NoMeansNo, for a lark. I picked up 25 CDs and then we headed to pick up the costumes and Mike Patience, then into Chilliwack we drove.

Fustie dropped me off at Mr Woods and we rented Fantastic Four, which really really blew. We stormed the beaches of Cave-In-Foods for strawberries, jerky and wasabi peas. In the morning it was Husky House for breakfast where I asked for (and got) a veggie omelette with extra everything (no onions, hash browns or toast). We hit the Mark’s Work Wearhouse for socks, boxers and a new pair of pants*, played some Mortal Combat: Shaolin Monks, and then scoped out “The Loft” at the Ag Rec Center for load in. I helped Jordan with his drums and then we three revisited Husky House. This time, a chicken Caesar mod for me. I learned that Jordan is on some kind of Focusin to help him quit smoking. He gets up at 5 in the morning and does laundry and the dishes and makes breakfast for Tara hours before she wants it. Jordan takes off and Chris and I are back at his homestead where we engage in a game of Scrabble with Angie and her mom. Before we could finish the game we got called back to the Loft for SHOWTIME!

There were scores of kids at the show, some as young as 7 or 8, I’d wager. Tagging along with their parents, of course. We put on our satyr outfits and hit the stage to much fanfare. We rocked out splendidly and the energy was super-good. We only had a half hour so we kept the songs fast and the inbetween times tight. The crowd was clearly enjoying themselves, jumping up during Colour Me Green and generally giving us the rock hands. Garett came out as Cthulhu, complete with glowing eyes and throbbing heart, for our last two songs. Best of all, NoMeansNo was present for the performance, watching at the sidelines, and grinning.

I can’t list everyone I saw, because I’m bad with names, and you probably don’t care, but for the purposes of reminding myself later, here’s who I saw: Shalan Hay, who I haven’t seen since probably 1993. Leon, Devon’s partner in crime who lives in Taiwan and wants us to come there to play a circuit (I met his Taiwanese lady friend). Norm and Jen came out from Vancouver to see the show with a buddy whose name I forget. Syric, our longtime fan who may or may not live in the states, showed. Garett, Lea, Ashly, Tara. Bob Scott, who I haven’t seen since 1988. Matt, Merrick’s squinty roommate. A couple of old school Chilliwack punk fans with crazy hair who I have known. Cary Britton, Shane Ward. Chris, of course, who took some fabulous photos.

I handed out stickers after the show, and I sold all of the CDs I brought (22 – I pulled out 3 SSZ’s for myself & Bob), a new record. We didn’t expect to get paid much for the show as there were 6 bands on the bill, and I didn’t bother to ask Jay, the organizer about it after the show. I was just jazzed to have the experience. We watched Removal and then I got up on a chair so I could watch NoMeansNo play over the crowd (there was no stage, as such). What can I say? They still got it. It was fantastic.

After the show I spoke with Tom Holliston, the guitarist, and he really enjoyed our performance and invited us to play at their next two shows (at least one of which is a Hanson Brothers show). I got his email and hopefully that will all work out. A bunch of my friends were going out for drinks but Chris and I opted for the nerdy antisocial route of playing some more Mortal Combat until we crashed.

It was a truly memorable weekend. The only thing that would have made it better was if Marlo was there, but it’s still too soon for that, unfortunately. (57 more words until OVERSHARE) Marlo is worried about what my friends think after our breakup, but I’m sure we’ll be karaoking and watching MST3K all together again before you know it. Besides, I’m a big boy and I knew the risks when I took that step into our relationship. Despite the heartache I’m feeling now, I don’t regret taking that step. Overshare: Friday was the first day since the breakup that I haven’t cried, and had a healthy b.m. Hooray! Sleep was decent. I’m still getting maybe 75-90% of what I need on a given night, but seems to be getting better.

In all the excitement, we forgot to do anything with the Juno award. For all I know it’s still sitting on the stove in the kitchen above the Ag Rec Center in Chilliwack.

*I think this is the only time in my life I engaged in shopping therapy. Of course it helps to have money.