New Neon Eyes

Luscious Jackson put out a song called "Naked Eyes" and that made them famous. Being on Grand Royal, the Beastie Boys' label, wasn't enough; their first EP was well received, but when I saw them at Lollapalooza in '94 they weren't that big. And on my way to get a beer, I heard a deep and sexy voice claim : "Hello, I am Nick Cave". I ran.

No relation to what what follows, whatsoever.

I found out today that I am looking at the world with "new eyes". As if I was blind a few days ago, got an operation and regained sight. Suddenly, out of the blue. I see things that I have never seen, even in some place where I've been every day for the last three years. Things change, of course, and I observe them morphing. My attention span also helps my amazement : I am sometimes so busy and focused that I do not see the world around me.



In a temple of bling bling like the Eaton Center, it's easy to let your eyes drift on stuff...

Then again, I might perceive reality differently from other people. That has happened before. Especially that night I took two hits of LSD, smoked hash on the oven, drank half a 12 pack of Molson Dry and finally decided to snif the last line of PCP I had. The grass was crawling over me, my feet were entering the sidewalk as if it was quicksand, and I thought my friends wanted to kill me. I went to Shawinigan Sud that night to see what the fuss was all about and people stopping by were talking to me, their faces' skin peeling off in the multi-colored street lights. I felt as if somebody with a search warrant was turning my bowels inside out and tears were running down my eyes. I didn't notice.

*

There's one Neon a week in the month of May. Tiga launches his album, SEXOR, on Saturday, with his lil' bro Thomas Von Party opening. He'll also launch it on friday night at Toronto's Mod Club, with MSTRKRFT opening, and I was supposed to attend. However, my days in TO will be long and I could use some sleep in between them, so I'll have to pass.



Next week, on Friday the 12th, MSTRKRFT are headlining the 4th edition of Voyeur... Guess I won't be there, because I'm attending - and DJ'ing at - Robeat's "Kick le... Clavecin" party, at Théâtre Plaza in Villeray. It might be the start of a whole new monthly if enough people show up, so represent ! Tickets are 4$ in advance, and if you need any, I'm right here to pimp 'em to ya. Expect some dark discothèque vibes, a sweaty dancefloor and sub bass that will make your brain melt and your ear drums explode.

On May 20th, Headman is in town to attend his own private I Love Neon party, with Thomas Von Party once again opening. Miss Bijoux' best friend is getting married on that very same day, and she happens to be the demoiselle d'honneur, so there are good chances we'll miss it as well, because we'll be kinda stuck in Oka, or Deux-Montagnes, I don't know where it's at exactly. Unless a gentle soul picks us up or somebody leaves early and takes us, we'll be a no show.

May 27th, NYC invades Neon - after invading a New Year's Eve Neon two (three ?) years ago with DJ Unknown & Morgan Geist - with James Fuckin' Friedman as the headliner. You should be able to count me in on this one, at least. Or maybe not, because I *might* be DJ'ing at a friend's party in... Ottawa. Call it bad luck ?

With the Piknics back with a bang on May 21st (with Poker Flat's Jeff Samuel !), and several high profile gigs coming up over the summer, it should be pretty hard to keep money in my pockets over the course of the season. But I'll try, I'll try.

*

So here I go again, like Whitesnake. Tomorrow at 8 AM, Miss 514 Connexion is picking us up and we're heading for beautiful Toronto. Miss Bijoux will appear at The Clothing Show, over the week-end, with yours truly as her most effective assistant.

I'll try to catch Frank Gehry's expo as it's the last week-end where I can do that. But if I don't make it, it won't be the end of the world. I'll be back, folks : the CN tower, Aesop's Table, and the fuckin' City Hall will all be gazed at and photographed by my own private self by the end of the summer. It's a mission I don't intend to fail.



I heard there was a pool at our hotel. Yippee ! I'll go in there and have a swim, and hopefully scare away all the conservative elderlies. I might report from over there if I can find any wi-fi, but if not, talk to you next week !