So once my interview with Stephen Hamm: Theremin Man ran apropos of tonight's show - Hamm will perform a Theremin set between screenings of films on The Source Family and the Unarius Academy at the Cinematheque - I discovered, following reactions to the article on Facebook, that Robert Dayton was in town and had plans to support the event, as well. Even in my state of ignorance as to his presence in Vancouver, I had known to mention Dayton in the Hamm piece; he is a longtime Hamm collaborator, besides being former co-frontperson (along with Jody Franklin) of July Fourth Toilet, and is sometimes also known as the Canadian Romantic. And he probably does/ has done a ton of stuff to boot that I know nothing about; we'll get into his upcoming book on Canadian Glam and his paintings more below.
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I do not know (aside from watching movies with the rest of us) what Robert will do at the Cinematheque tonight, if anything - who can say? - but he'll for sure be doin' a free afterparty set at the Fox with Joshua Stevenson, AKA Magneticring. The Eventbrite page promises "a night of cosmic New Age sounds;" including a "midnight candlelight recitation by the Canadian Romantic" - just early enough to catch the Skytrain back to the suburbs where we all live now!
Oddly enough, my history with Dayton begins at the Cinematheque, though I didn't realize it at the time, and also involved Kier-la Janisse, whose name pops up somewhere below, too. I'd gone to see Brian DePalma's The Phantom of the Paradise at the Big Smash Festival, with Paul Williams in attendance. I loved the movie, and loved the fest (which also included the movie about Roky Erickson, with a clip Kier-la shot in Austin of Roky saying hello to the audience, as well as docs on Nina Simone, Albert Ayler, and the Rolling Stones, among many others. Wreckless Eric was also present and had picked the Stones film - the Godard - himself, which he introduced.)
But what was this about an afterparty for the DePalma screening involving some band called - what the fuck: July Fourth Toilet? What? Who? I stuck around for the Q&A with Paul Williams, after the film, but was not cool enough, back in 2006, to know that the concert afterwards was a must-see. I missed out. I did not attend. I have heard stories since, though I did not realize just how much I had missed out until I finally caught up with July Fourth Toilet at an album release for Ball's Boogie - formally known as July Fourth Toilet Presents: Balls Boogie Featuring: Me And Bobby McGee Plus!: Kentucky Whore And Many Others, their very weird, very fun vinyl release - which I still have, and which you can find at Audiopile, last I checked (they also, note, have a used copy of Yeti 6 on their shelf, featuring a Sun City Girls interview; more on Yeti below).
The album is a singularity, ranging from flat-out Can-rock ("Kentucky Whore," which is like Joey Shithead jamming with Max Webster at their toughest) to weird-ass "boobly bubbly burbly" instrumental improv; I still have a few vivid memories of that show in my head, surrounded by grey fog: of Jody Franklin struggling to keep a hat on his head as he did very energetic vocal improvisations; of Robert's testicles ("putting the balls into balls boogie," we might say) peeking out from the back of his costume as he jumped about making bloopy, beepy vocal sounds; and of standing beside Adrian Mack - who had done a Straight piece about the album - trying to figure out how to attach language to what we were seeing (we failed but we had fun trying - mostly our conversation hinged around awestruck exchanges like, "What the fuck IS this?"/ "I don't know"). It was a singular night of music, one of the strangest I've taken in, but in fact what was REALLY strangest about it was that it all went down quite easily; weird as the disparate ingredients seemed, they made a vast, tasty gumbo of musical experience, a yummy burgoo out of musics I had considered polarities apart, limits and genre be damned (well, there was some discussion about how Robert and Jody found the term "Outsider Music" to be kind of offensive and condescending, so let's leave that one out, eh? It's not really a genre, anyhow).
As you will see below, Robert has moved around a bit since that time, spending part of COVID in Los Angeles, then another part in Toronto, then coming back to Vancouver... then going back to Los Angeles. We'll get into that below, as well as his forthcoming book and his paintings. He may be a little less unquantifiable these days, but he's no less creative. The rest of the following email interview, I hope, will speak for itself...
So I know you're working on a book right now - but I also see that there's an essay in the magazine Maggot Brain that you did on Doug Henning. That's very cool, but why Doug Henning...?
...and how did you come to write for Maggot Brain?
Mike McGonigal, the editor of Maggot Brain, approached me about publishing an excerpt in their incredible magazine, just incredible (you can order it online, [see also the FE website]; Neptoon also carries it but are sold out of that particular issue) and that was the chapter that was chosen! I believe that we have only met in person just once fifteen years ago or so back when Mike was publishing a magazine called Yeti. He was at a show at Bob's Java Jive, a really amazing venue in Tacoma. Canned Hamm had played there the year before and I noticed that they still had my scarf tied up on the stage bannister though it would be hard to tell as the entire place was decorated with lights and such. In fact, the place is shaped like a coffee pot. They used to have a monkey but it flung feces. They even played wonderful old industrial films before the Canned Hamm set. But the night I met the future Maggot Brain editor it was a very rare show by The Sun City Girls, one of their last shows before Charles Gocher died, rest in peace. Josh Stevenson and I rode down from Vancouver together to see them play. And, of course, the Sun City Girls played an incredible show! Alan Bishop came out in a Saddam Hussein mask talking as his character Uncle Jim and doing a most curious dance. Then they went into other musical realms, many unnamed. They were/are such an inspiration to me. The last time I saw Alan Bishop was in Frisco a couple years back the night after I was opening for Three Day Stubble (another incredibly inspiring act) he told me, "If you stop making work I'll kick your fucking ass!" So, I just have to keep going! One of the greats will make good on his threat if I stop.
And just look at it! La Troupe Grotesque member Michael Boncoeur was openly gay, which was rare in comedy at the time in general, and you can actually see this footage on the website (which you can't in print), I was able to digitally transfer footage of his character The Gay Desperado so you can watch him sip a cocktail and deliver funny monologues! As well, one of La Troupe Grotesque's televised routines is up on the site. I'm really glad that Kier-La ran the excerpt as it's an important part of queer history, comedy history, and Canadian history. And, like Doug Henning, there are Cronenberg and Frightenstein connections. Anyways, I do enjoy print and internet's different qualities.
So where are you in the writing? Is there a print book coming up, at some point? (Do you have a publisher and a deadline and such, or are you going to self-publish, or...)
You seemed to have bounced around from LA to Toronto to Vancouver to LA to Vancouver since the start of the pandemic - where is your home now? Is Los Angeles a better place for you as a writer/ artist/ musician? What do you prefer about life there? (Is there anything you like less, any "culture shock" stuff...?).
Yes, I am currently in Los Angeles. It's very hard to say at the moment. I found Canada very difficult. I got extremely tired of being told that although I am talented I don't fit in. I just want to create meaningful work for an audience. That's it. I left Canada because the extremely limited industry didn't want me and I have countless stories about that (the CBC were so elitist and mean, oh my God) so I finally took the very strong hints. Some of my work has reached wonderful audiences despite the industry, not because of the industry. And by industry I refer even to things as small as boutique labels, some of whom I even knew personally. Whether anything changes where I am now remains to be seen. Right now everything is up in the air. But maybe it's always been up in the air. I often feel like a failure and people have to tell me that I am not doing anything wrong. Even still, maybe I am. I don't know what else to do and when people tell me my work is needed and touches them, that really means a lot. I just wish it were easier for people to have access to. There's a lot I love about Canada and a lot I love about LA and some amazing people in both places. Things were looking good before the Pandemic hit and things still feel foggy.
I've really enjoyed some of your paintings that you've posted on Facebook. Have you shown? Do you sell them? When did you start painting? (If you can provide an image of a recent one and talk about what you did - the media, the images, the inspiration - that would be fun).
Thank you so much. I started drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. I moved to Vancouver from Fort Saint John when I was 19 to go to art school, first at Langara then at Emily Carr. Much later I received my MFA from The University of Waterloo in Ontario. Right before the Pandemic I created new pieces for the Ed Video booth at The Material Art Fair in Mexico City. Ed Video is based in Guelph and I was honoured to show with artists Beth Frey and Amy Lockhart. The response was inspiring so the current work that I have been making is a continuation of the newer pieces that I showed there, right down to size, palette (lots of pink), and certain themes which connects with my other work in trying to de-repress, as well as some Glam elements. They are for sale and I would love to show work again. Currently Blim has been making t-shirts of a few of my drawings. You can see much of my work at www.robertdayton.com
How long are you in Vancouver, this time, and what are your plans while here? (Of course, do tell about the Hamm afterparty - any other shows or such you plan to put on or take in or...?).
I gather your partner for the Thursday afterparty is Josh Stevenson - what's your history with him? What will the two of you be doing? (Will Hamm be involved?)
I first met Josh when he was playing in Staked Plain. The members of Staked Plain often played in July Fourth Toilet, including Josh who was involved in quite a few shows. Some of his playing is on the second July Fourth Toilet album which he also wonderfully mastered. We were both playing in July Fourth Toilet when we played the Pacific Northwest with Three Day Stubble, including a show with Sun City Girls at the Crocodile. Josh has just mastered The Canadian Romantic album, yet another completed project of mine that is unreleased. His musical taste and talent in sound is exceptional and he is a dear friend.
Very cool. So, one writer to another, do you prefer to have things in print or online? (Print has more prestige and you're more likely to get paid; online is easier for readers to access).
Gosh, it's hard to say. I prefer to read lengthier pieces in print to be honest. I absorb the meaning more. However the Kindle really helped my Mom before she died as books were now too heavy for her to hold. And certainly the piece in Maggot Brain felt special being print only. However, another Cold Glitter excerpt on Canadian Glam comedy duo La Troupe Grotesque ran on byNWR, the Nicolas Winding Refn site, thanks to incredible guest editor Kier-La Janisse (FYI: the updated version of her influential book House Of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topgraphy of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films is coming out soon), here's the La Troupe Grotesque link:
And just look at it! La Troupe Grotesque member Michael Boncoeur was openly gay, which was rare in comedy at the time in general, and you can actually see this footage on the website (which you can't in print), I was able to digitally transfer footage of his character The Gay Desperado so you can watch him sip a cocktail and deliver funny monologues! As well, one of La Troupe Grotesque's televised routines is up on the site. I'm really glad that Kier-La ran the excerpt as it's an important part of queer history, comedy history, and Canadian history. And, like Doug Henning, there are Cronenberg and Frightenstein connections. Anyways, I do enjoy print and internet's different qualities.
So where are you in the writing? Is there a print book coming up, at some point? (Do you have a publisher and a deadline and such, or are you going to self-publish, or...)
I have basically finished writing Cold Glitter: The Untold History Of Canadian Glam. It was a massive undertaking that was rejected time and time again from cultural funding for not being boring. Although it is historical, literary non-fiction, the book has a mandate encouraging people to not be culturally conservative, but to be more multi-disciplinary and to take creative risks and to have fun! Canada can be very repressive. This book involved a LOT of original research on my part, more than I bargained for, but in a good way, I loved doing it wanting to make sure that it was accurate, well written, and funny. I conducted countless interviews over a few years. I found out about so many fascinating bands whose stories are pretty much unknown! [Note: he even went to interview my friend David M., whose now deceased bandmate Paul Leahy was a key figure in local Glam with bands like Polly, Toys, and the Transvestimentals]. Upon reading one chapter someone said, "This is like a parallel universe!" Yes, these stories could be made into multiple movies. I have nothing confirmed publisher-wise, but I do have a wonderfully designed (thank you, Lester!) pitch chapter on the band Lynx - who were clumsily marketed as Canada's answer to Kiss - along with the published La Troupe Grotesque and Doug Henning excerpts for any interested literary agents or publishers, if that's you, feel free to drop me a line. Fingers crossed! I really want it to come out and people tell me that it will.
You seemed to have bounced around from LA to Toronto to Vancouver to LA to Vancouver since the start of the pandemic - where is your home now? Is Los Angeles a better place for you as a writer/ artist/ musician? What do you prefer about life there? (Is there anything you like less, any "culture shock" stuff...?).
Yes, I am currently in Los Angeles. It's very hard to say at the moment. I found Canada very difficult. I got extremely tired of being told that although I am talented I don't fit in. I just want to create meaningful work for an audience. That's it. I left Canada because the extremely limited industry didn't want me and I have countless stories about that (the CBC were so elitist and mean, oh my God) so I finally took the very strong hints. Some of my work has reached wonderful audiences despite the industry, not because of the industry. And by industry I refer even to things as small as boutique labels, some of whom I even knew personally. Whether anything changes where I am now remains to be seen. Right now everything is up in the air. But maybe it's always been up in the air. I often feel like a failure and people have to tell me that I am not doing anything wrong. Even still, maybe I am. I don't know what else to do and when people tell me my work is needed and touches them, that really means a lot. I just wish it were easier for people to have access to. There's a lot I love about Canada and a lot I love about LA and some amazing people in both places. Things were looking good before the Pandemic hit and things still feel foggy.
Does Vancouver feel different now? (Has it changed for the better or worse? How does returning here, after being in LA?).
I took a visiting friend around town. The downtown East Side has gotten worse, which is only further highlighted by the disparity of fancy wine bars and pastry shops.
I've really enjoyed some of your paintings that you've posted on Facebook. Have you shown? Do you sell them? When did you start painting? (If you can provide an image of a recent one and talk about what you did - the media, the images, the inspiration - that would be fun).
Thank you so much. I started drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. I moved to Vancouver from Fort Saint John when I was 19 to go to art school, first at Langara then at Emily Carr. Much later I received my MFA from The University of Waterloo in Ontario. Right before the Pandemic I created new pieces for the Ed Video booth at The Material Art Fair in Mexico City. Ed Video is based in Guelph and I was honoured to show with artists Beth Frey and Amy Lockhart. The response was inspiring so the current work that I have been making is a continuation of the newer pieces that I showed there, right down to size, palette (lots of pink), and certain themes which connects with my other work in trying to de-repress, as well as some Glam elements. They are for sale and I would love to show work again. Currently Blim has been making t-shirts of a few of my drawings. You can see much of my work at www.robertdayton.com
How long are you in Vancouver, this time, and what are your plans while here? (Of course, do tell about the Hamm afterparty - any other shows or such you plan to put on or take in or...?).
This is just a short trip. It's really nice to be on the same coast again. Visiting here is much easier than when I was living in Ontario. Fillip is so great and it's really nice to be a part of their screening at The Cinematheque. These films are not to be missed. You were asking in another question if I had any involvement with the Source Family or the Unarians. I've never been a member or anything. While I was doing my MFA, my program had a traveling internship. I went to Los Angeles where I interned for artist Ann Magnuson, who has been such a tremendous influence on me. Her and her husband John introduced me to director Jodi Wille who was curating screenings of Unarian films. I had first heard of the Unarians as a child when I saw a segment about them on the television show Real People and they really stuck with me! Jodi has become a dear friend and I am very excited for her upcoming documentary on the Unarians. I also later went to an open house at the Unarian headquarters with my friend Kelly Kuvo, who herself was heavily involved in the Chicago cable access community as well as the band Scissor Girls. The Unarians themselves reached people through cable access television and it was exciting to see where they made their inventive, homespun science fiction (or I should say science fact) happen. So many amazing costumes too! They're really sweet people who strongly believe in fostering creativity and that creativity will be on full display Thursday night! It's not to be missed and very inspiring. Between the Source Family documentary and the Unarian films is Stephen Hamm, Theremin Man, along with a surprise. The after party is at The Fox upstairs at 11 pm. MagneticRing will be deejaying some amazing sounds. My character The Canadian Romantic will be doing a midnight candlelight recitation. This is my first live performance in over two years.
(Robert Dayton's shirt design for Hamm)
I gather your partner for the Thursday afterparty is Josh Stevenson - what's your history with him? What will the two of you be doing? (Will Hamm be involved?)
I first met Josh when he was playing in Staked Plain. The members of Staked Plain often played in July Fourth Toilet, including Josh who was involved in quite a few shows. Some of his playing is on the second July Fourth Toilet album which he also wonderfully mastered. We were both playing in July Fourth Toilet when we played the Pacific Northwest with Three Day Stubble, including a show with Sun City Girls at the Crocodile. Josh has just mastered The Canadian Romantic album, yet another completed project of mine that is unreleased. His musical taste and talent in sound is exceptional and he is a dear friend.
The Source Family documentary begins at 6:30 PM. Cinematheque page here. After that, there will be performance event with Stephen Hamm: Theremin Man - either in the courtyard or, in the event of rain, in the theatre itself, followed by a compilation of Unarius films curated by The Source Family filmmaker Jodi Wille, at 8:45. Cinematheque event page for that here! The afterparty begins at 11, goes til "late," and is free to attend, but pre-registration is requested. Delightful (and delightfully strange?) things are guaranteed to transpire!
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