I missed all the Wavelength Anniversary events this past weekend, I'm not sure why I chose not to go, but it's quite the contrast from last year, when I was almost overeager to attend as much as I could. This year's festivites had its share of great bills, and I'm sorry to have missed Anagram and LAND (the No Dynamics / Lullabye Arkestra fusion). There were also some panel discussions this year, which I believe is new to the Wavelength anniversary fold of events, but to be honest, I wasn't terrbly interested in those. Don't get me wrong: I think it's a great idea for communities to have public discussions about the direction in which they are headed. At the same time, I'm a bit afraid we're in the territory of collegial over-analysis. I guess I long for a simpler time when all people had to do was throw a party or put on a show, and that was that, no discussions needed.

Then again, these kinds of seminars and discussions are indicative of a healthy, concerned community. Now we're at a time when we're throwing more parties and shows than ever before, and more and more people are growing interested and getting involved in musical-cultural movements, so it does make sense ot have some kind of debate about where we're headed. I guess it's too easy to write it off and say "Look at the scenesters talking about themselves!" But the truth is, the world is changing and someone has to make order of the happy chaos, and it might as well be those who make it happen. Forty years ago, the garage scenes across North America crashed and burned because the bands were unable to stay independent and build their own scenes. They lost out to the record companies and the hippies. In Toronto and elsewhere in 2006, we rely more on the communities that surround us rather than the business model of the music industry. We build those communities, because we can and want to. I'm sure every band that showed up on the Nuggets compilation would have loved to operate in the kind of environs we have in this day and age.

ESB PLAYLIST 2/10/06

SAILBOATS ARE WHITE - Led Eye
ANAGRAM - After Dark
ANAGRAM - The Right Set (Keep it to Yourself)
ANAGRAM - Around Again
SHIMMY RIVERS AND THE CANAL - Workitout
COBRA KILLER / KAPAJKOS - Mund Auf Augen Zu
COBRA KILLER / KAPAJKOS - Heavy Rotation
SAILOR WHITE - Mortimer Pass
SAILOR WHITE - In the Country
MAGIC WEAPON - Fireflies
0=0 - Lotus 2 (Demo)
DISGUISES - Dwayne's Chair (Over the Top Version)
FREE BLOOD - Never Hear Surf Music
PSYCHICH ILLS - 4am
PSYCHICH ILLS - Another Day Another Night
MALAJUBE - Montreal -40c