Of Night Court, Pet Blessings, TWO cool garage sales, and a few different bats

Note: a previous version mistakenly said Night Court would be touring the west coast, but the graphic I found was from last year! They are doing no such thing. Sorry! 

Hola, Night Court fans -- there is news! Some of this is not quite ready to be broken yet, but my favourite recent Vancouver band -- a tuneful lo-fi power-pop/ punk band previously the subject of blog ravings here and here -- have a show coming up May 1st at the Red Gate, to mark the release of a split 7" with Portland's the Dumpies as well as Tall Mary and Math Bat. There is a bran new, very fun video that has been made for one song on said 7", which I have had a peek at, but is is all still kinda top-secret til April 1st. The vid is partially shot in Mexico and is every bit as colourful as, say, "Surfing Iona;" there are also some riffs on and props from Night Court's video for "Titanic," so those wanting to be on the inside of the in-jokes should go here. 

Lots of weird cell phone toys, too. I don't think any are actual vintage phones. But perhaps I give too much away...

There is also Pet Blessings and Emilor Jayne news! Pet Blessings, who I have long wanted to revisit since getting enthusiastic about Night Court, also have a gig coming up, and a mini-tour. The first show is on March 21st, at Green Auto, just three days before the Selina Martin/ Tony Bardach/ Minimalist Jug Band gig I am helping with (some backstory on that here; more to come). Emilor is even more dynamic as a frontperson and lead vocalist than she is as a drummer; I enjoy her drumming, but you get to see the full force of her personality when she's singing. I am very much looking forward to this get (next Thursday at Green Auto, with Stories End and Spectra opening, neither of whom I know). Then they go east!

There will also be a garage sale, as Emilor and (if I've got this right) her partner (am I allowed to say who? I din't check but watch this vid that I shot last weekend for a clue; Emilor pops up!) are being forced to downsize and are going to have a ton of stuff for sale! The Facebook Marketplace listing describes a "huge moving sale of multiple families! Clothes, Book, Furniture, Records, Kids Stuff, LEGO, Art, So much stuff!!!" -- Emilor describes it as a "collection overflow." This is going to be cooler than your average garage sale, folks. 

So that's fun, but, uh, wait, there's more. I won't provide individual Facebook links -- but if you go to the Rickshaw homepage and scroll down, you will see that there a series of four 15th anniversary shows, which involve both Pet Blessings (playing June 15th) and Night Court (June 22nd) and a HOST of other bands (including Tony Bardach's main band, the Pointed Sticks; Night Court had to bow out of a past show opening for them and the Avengers because Dave got COVID, so I'm happy to get a second chance to see them play there). More on that later -- plans are a-cooking. I have seen eleven of the sixteen bands performing and have interviewed members of at least six of them (have I ever interviewed Black Wizard? Not sure!). 

And while it has no direct bearing on Night Court or Pet Blessings, there is ANOTHER garage sale happening in New Westminster that is going to be a killer, I think: Richard Chapman of Northern Electric is also doing a moving sale mega-purge, which started today and also continues through the weekend. He's had a "busy, busy first hour" but I think there will still be some very cool stuff left, given the photo he has posted. He's asked FB friends to DM him for his address (if you are not his FB friend you might have to request a friendship in order to make sure your message does not get spamfiltered by FB but I hope you can figure it out!). 

A final note: Night Court are, I think, going to heed my request to play "What's is it Like to be a Bat, Man?" at that Dumpies split release, which I have never heard them do live, which should be quite piquant with a band called Math Bat on the bill. But I must tag on some bat news of my own: NO FUN and their label Atomic Werewolf will be dropping a new single on March 18th of a song I wrote the lyrics for, "If I was a Bat." David M. first performed this song on March 18th, seven years ago, AT MY WEDDING to Erika Lax, where M. was best man; there is a whole complex backstory to this that I will not go into here, but it delights and touches both Erika and I that David and the fine folks Atomic Werewolf -- more on whom here -- have conspired to officially release a version of the song for our seventh anniversary.  So be sure to check in on March 18th on the Atomic Werewolf bandcamp page. I think there is something involving some mega-celebrity being released that same day, but I'm there for the bats. 

(I see superb groundwork for a future benefit for bat conservation in BC being laid here). 

Eep eep eep eep, eep eep eep.