Archive for August, 2011:
PeachFest: #1 Place to Pee in a Lake!
Peach Fest is a concert series, parade, amusement park and creepiest place
to see white ladies with hair extensions get “craaaay-zay.” The Festival takes place on a spectacular lakefront property in Penticton and ran from August 3rd to 7th. This year was the 64thAnnual Peach Fest, and arguably the most successful as there were no riots (such as the 1991 mayhem during MC Hammer’s performance in which the famous giant peach concession stand was pushed into the lake by rioters) and this year the super-awesome Thursday night concert by Trooper was the single biggest draw in the event’s history, packing 7,500-plus people onto the grounds.
MC Hammer's Fault! The Giant Peach gets rolled into the Lake
The other acts included “Blaze of Glory” a Jon Bon Jovi tribute band that advertises themselves as “proudly second best!” and “no wigs!” Following the trend of cover bands was “Love Gun” a local Kiss cover band, and “High Voltage” an AC/DC cover group. If I plugged my ears I wouldn’t have known the difference between these dudes and the real Kiss. Mostly because I am partially blind and I wasn’t wearing my glasses, but also because their costumes were spot on and they had the full light up set. Rounding out the festival headliners was Charlotte Diamond. Oh man, 9 year-old me would have been so pissed at lame-o 25 year-old me for missing Charlotte on the last day of Peach Fest. But my hotel had a pool so did that instead. But I hope she sang “Slimy the Slug,” that was my fave jam.
"Love Gun," Penticton's own lil KISS.
On the Saturday night, post “Love Gun’s” performance, a festival organizer made an announcement about the absolutely horrible incident that took place the week prior, in which a young woman was locked in a pawnshop and sexually assaulted in front of her 22-month-old son. As the first cords of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” rang out over the loudspeakers, one of the festival organizers got on the microphone and dedicated the song to that young woman.
Fucking Weird.
Nothing like drunkenly yelling these lyrics in honor of an assault victim: “Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard, Their shadows searching in the night…Streetlight people, living just to find emotion…Hiding somewhere in the night”
WOAH WOAH. STRANGERS ARE HIDING IN THE NIGHT?! I got super freaked out at that point and started to think everyone in the crowd was evil and staring at me. I was also wearing a face-paint batman mask and a helmet, which in hindsight may have contributed to the staring. Regardless, Penticton is strange. It really reminded me of the town in “Outbreak” but it’s also unbelievably beautiful and home to my favorite person ever: Relvis.
The Festival Rides were creaky in a "Final Destination" kind of way and the games were too hard.
The Penticton river is like an awesome daytime club that allows babies in to party. Running along the side of a highway, the slow moving river is a stupid amount of fun. It’s a parade of family fun drunkery, from epic inflatable party discs with 10 people drinking and cranking classic rock, to the weirdo’s in wet suits and “fun dads” who shove their kids out of their tubes and laugh at the squealing little shits who can totally swim and shouldn’t be such babies.
If you ignore the fact you are probably basking in water that is 98% drunk pee, and you coast to the mid point of the river you will be rewarded with what I can only describe as the best thing ever. Like a desert mirage, when my tube rounded a corner and started heading toward a sand spit I saw an embankment home to a rustic wood hut with a sign saying “Rez-teraunt” and a native Elvis Impersonator called Relvis thrusting his crotch towards the river. I fell in love.
While Relvis, clad in a sequined white-bell bottomed onesie, croons into a karaoke system on his homemade stage, his wife runs a food stand that and serves things like cheese and potato mash deep-fried in batter and covered in sour cream. Next level fatty fat food. Every 30 minutes she also heckles someone out of the river to spin a wooden wheel for a chance to win the grand prize, seven cases of Kokanee.
Airbrush tatoos at Peach Fest, cause shitty tribal anklets bring all the boys to the yard.
To any future visitor to Penticton and the Peach Fest I would recommend constant river trips and to stay out of the downtown core because shit’s freaky there. A toddler with a tramp stamp would not be out of place. The Skaha beach demographic is mostly comprised of terrifyingly attractive pre-teens and Kate Goslin types making fart jokes. Also, a pigeon kept eating all my chips while I was trying to read my book.
Look, I Know What You’re Thinking…
Just another event by Winnie Cooper? Sorry to be in your face, but no. This is that event you want to be at. This is one of those events that pale computer nerds like myself have to get up off their lazy asses and say “hey, I guess I better make this one”… and It’ll be worth it.
Hailing from Victoria BC, Alternative Pop/Electro group Germany Germany are one musical duo so rad (for lack of a better word) and in your face you can’t say no; your ears won’t let you. If I had to give you ANY local line up that will make you dance off a weeks worth of hard grind… It’s this one. Peeps a few of their latest tracks below. Oh, and throw them into your library for free as well ; )
Germany Germany – Too Fast
Germany Germany – Sleeping Pills
Oh No! Yoko… enough said. These guys have been around for some time now stirring up some serious buzz in the Canadian music scene. When you’re done sweating through your shirt after their mosh-inducing set, go say “hi” to them… they’re hilarious. Evan Konrad’s, “Bed of Stars“, is a project you won’t want to miss either. Three words: up-and-coming.
This is what you’re doing on the night of August 19th… straight up. Click the poster above for all appropriate info and we’ll all see you there.
Sincerely reviewed, spoken and hyped by John
YVR – Louise Burns
Louise started out playing in Lillex (pre Skrillex pre-teen goth band) when she was 11 if I did my maths correctly, as well as The Blue Violets more recently.
She has pretty much the most amazing voice that will make you melt and was a recent long list nominee for the Polaris music prize for her album Mellow Drama .
Louise Burns – Drop Names Not Bombs
posted by Tristan Orchard
Listening Party / Kingdom Cloud
One of our favorite acts, Listening Party from Shawnigan Lake are coming to town. Their album, “I Was Young” is the best kept secret on the West Coast. They have toured with Wolf Parade and Dinosaur Feather and have an amazing live show…
Listening Party – Half My Worries
Listening Party – Kissing Booth
Listening Party – Swift Runner
Listening Party – All Those Animals
Plus we are having one of the most exciting new acts back out, Kelowna’s Kingdom Cloud.
posted by Tristan Orchard
+dj Cam Dales
Kuhrye-oo – THURSDAY
We are very excited to be hosting Kuhrye-oo’s first trip out to Vancouver this Thursday at the brand new Electric Owl venue.
Kuhrye-oo, like Purity Rings is a new Gobble Gobble off shoot from member Calvin McElroy.
They have a broken beat, deep atmospheric sound that is generating hype being recently featured in FADER.
Kuhrye-oo – Necromancy (Kuhrye-oo Remix)
Also on deck, Cyclist who just moved to Vancouver from Winnipeg, HAHA (A Teen Daze side project) and Des-a-Boda (Oh No! Yoko side project).
It will be a night of new form electronic bliss not to be missed.
We have two sets of tickets to give away so make us laugh in the comments section of this post, leave your email and tell us why you want them.
The C90s – Shine a light (Cyclist Re-Work)
Posted by @tristanorchard
We Were Promised Jetpacks
Yea… we were. Until we realized these guys were enough to blow our socks off. Hailing from Edinburgh Scotland, We Were Promised Jetpacks have been flying since June 2009. Enjoy this free track from their upcoming album, In the Pit of the Stomach, due October 3, 2011. Oh, and by the way… this ain’t no PR plug for the group, we just really like the track. And we know you will to.
We Were Promised Jetpacks – Act on Impulse
Swag by John
A&R Credit: Jamie Wilson
Hold The F***ing Phone
Have you heard of Class Actress…? Prima Pop/Country Club Wave/Emowave/Dynasty Grunge/Goth/Whatever… she is the cat’s pyjamas. Not only is her song, Keep You, downright bangin’… it’s good for sexy things like cute make-outs in the Corolla and getting frisky on the dance floor with some shorty. We here at Winnie Cooper approve of all things related. I can’t believe I haven’t posted this track yet… Oh, and she killed it at SXSW too. Enjoy.
Excitedly posted by John
Are You Beaming Out?
We made it gang… enjoy this track from the Sydney electronic duo, Bag Raiders, to help you get ready for whatever crazy shit you’re up to tonight. Shortest post EVAR OMGZ!
Hardly posted by John
