By Regina Sienra
The Smugglers, the legendary rock band from Vancouver, will be reunited for one night and one night only. Grant Lawrence, singer and CBC host, had previously announced that the band would be playing one show, but it’s now we have the details.
The band will be playing their first show in over a decade on early January 2017 in California. The Smugglers will play our first show in over 12 years in Berkeley, California.
This performance will be part of “The Lookouting: a celebration of Lookout Records”, the demised independent record label that once was the home to bands like Green Day, Operation Ivy, The Donnas and Rancid.
According to Grant Lawrence, the band will play one set within the event, which will be happening between Friday, January 6th and Sunday, January 8th, 2017 at 924 Gilman Street, a classic music venue The Smugglers played several times. This space, also known as the Alternative Music Foundation, will also be celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Tickets will go on sale soon. Stay tuned for details.
Picture: Posted by Grant Lawrence on Instagram. Credit: Soraya Thomas, taken at Temple Tattoo in Oakland, 1999
Is that Grant’s ass? TMI….
Oh wait…. Grant is to the right… still TMI….
If I remember correctly that is Grant’s best friend (with the bare ass)
Garry – Grant’s best friend, Nick Thomas, is the one with the rose in his teeth.
I realised my error when I saw the image on Grant’s Facebook page
Good morning!
Hello! With the weather we’ve had, it’s hard to believe that September looms. LOOMS, I tell ya.
So, is anyone actually toying with the notion of flying to Berkeley?
Not I.
Good morning!
Flights already booked, for California one week later! No Smugglers for me.
Good morning! I will have just returned from Christmas in Canada with my fam, so no California trip for me either
Oh nice, no more refreshing Thank you!
Shon, that was beta tested on another page, and then implemented, yesterday.
If you happen to be in Winnipeg this Friday night let me know, I’ll be hosting Royal Canoe for a listening party! I just got my delivery time email : )
Hello friends. I hope you are all having a good morning. I just accidentally dunked the end of my ponytail into my cup of coffee while leaning down to get my notebook which I dropped on the dog. So it’s a great start to Wednesday for me! ;P
Cool, Shon!
@Samara, I hope your Wednesday gets better 🙂
@Janet thank you!. 🙂 The fact that I smiled ruefully rather than letting fly with an expletive suggests that at the very least I am in a good frame of mind to take this day on no matter what!
Smiley test 😉 🙂 ;-s)
Righto: “regular” smilies get frigged into little squarish symbols of can’t cope, but make your smiley slightly outside the norm (as with my s moustache), and it runs through as fast as a comparison I won’t make.
🙂
Excuse my ignorance of the Ways of the Website World, but did our every manual page refresh count as a click on this site? I’m wondering if the new (excellent, thanks team!) auto-refreshing of the comments will mean the site garners less clicks and therefore seem to have less traffic.
@Russ 05:50, I did check how much the flights would cost but I can’t afford to go
I did not know until now that the root of English names of the days of the week are Germanic-Norse transliterations of the corresponding Roman gods. So, the French jeudi (= Jove die, Jupiter’s Day), is Thursday = Thor’s Day; Thor is the Germanic-Norse equivalent of Jupiter.
I’ve had a look in the wikis, and it works with Tuesday (Tīw’s Day, he beig the god of combat, glory etc.) = mardi =Mars’s Day, Mars Die. And with some others. Fascinating how concepts kept on going, but were adapted to the tongues involved.
Wednesday, (W)Odin’s Day = mercredi, Mercury’s Day. Yes, Odin’s also a fast one. And so on.
(For more on your own, simply duckduckgo for instance “tuesday wiki” (w.o. quotes even)
Shonica welcome back! I so enjoyed your pictures of NFLD and Labrador. It made me want to go there even more than I already did, which was a lot.
I’d also love to be in Wpg on Friday for this Royal Canoe listening party you’re apparently having (AGHH SO JEALOUS) but it is not to be. I expect it will be great, though–both album and party.
@Samara… you are likely right, there will be less page views. The visitor count and sessions will still be about right though.
@Justin thanks. Does that matter to Our Basement as a site? Would it be better to have more page views? I can click around the site more, if it helps…
Also, I’ve been thinking of you and your family. I’m sending hugs.
Better to be honest and more accurate with our page views, IMO.
Shonica – like Donna I loved all your Newfoundland & Labrador photos and captions/comments. It reminds me that I need to go out to the East and North… Canada is so tremendously beautiful in such varied ways. Thanks for sharing your trip.
@Samara, we would only be confusing the situation, it’s not like we have advertisers to convince
Wes /Garf I don’t see how it’s dishonest/confusing for me to click around the site more to support it. I wasn’t planning on just randomly clicking around, rather I would make an effort to ensure I’d looked at everything, perhaps followed a link I might not have… but didn’t make that clear so I guess I see your point.
However, I come here as often as I do largely to be supportive. So is that deceptive? Should I not comment on days where I have nothing particular to say? Is it misleading if I do? Sheesh.
Thanks Samara and Donna! We had a really great time in St. John’s and area. We plan to go back some time next year to see more of the island. It is so wonderful there, every direction you drive there was more spectacular vistas to see. The Tarp King’s brother will be there for a few years, so free accommodations! 🙂
@Samara, good points. I meant more that constantly refreshing the page would be inaccurate.
I’m just loving the auto-updating comments, you guys. Just had to mention that again.
@Wes I get you. Thanks for clarifying.
And I should say, I don’t come to this site just to support Our Basement. I come here to chat with you all, and I want to support this community. I just wanted to know how to best do that, in terms of this site. I will stop worrying about how to do that.
@Samara, No, that isn’t deceptive. I’m sorry if I made you feel that you were being accused of doing that.
@Garf no… I got offended, unnecessarily. I’m hideously oversensitive lately which is why I haven’t been around here much. I just get so rattled by so many things it’s exhausting 🙁 I try to limit my internet time because the internet runs on bad news.
Samara, here (but it takes 1/2 minute to start…) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zywDiFdxopU
(Stevie Wonder, Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing)
(Next, I’m playing Livin’ For The City.)
924 gilman is one of those legendary venues ya heard about from afar as a kid, made famous by the likes of op ivy (if you had an op ivy hoodie in school , that was super cool) and green day (less cool by the late 90s). It was kinda like the west coast cbgb’s of the 90s instead of the 70s. And less drugs (at least on the surface).
Very cool event for the smugglers to be part of, the lookout reunion. Good times will ensue, I’m sure. California Gold, baby.
I’m having trouble placing it right now, but there is a green day song on one of their earlier albums, perhaps Kerplunk, that is about, or at least references 924 Gilman. There may be a reference on Dookie too, in the song Welcome To Paradise. But my memory is foggy and my google-fu is not working today,.
@Benoit oh, that was wonderful, thank you! 🙂 I’m also following up with Livin’ for the City, nice add-on. (And I sense a bit of a Stevie Wonder wormhole opening up around me…)
@FT I’m looking forward to reading Grant’s book on the Smugglers era. I wonder if he will get into trouble with anyone for divulging/elaborating on old shenanigans?
Also, because it’s great: Kathleen Edwards w. Sarah Harmer “House Full of Empty Rooms”. (Except it’s sad. But geez.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4vglsHg94
Hey… John Richards at KEXP is saying they have a lot of Canadian music they are playing today…. http://kexp.org/player/LivePlayer.aspx
thx for the tip, justin.
hey, here’s one thing I miss, though: we can’t “like” each other’s comments anymore. But that’s a small price to pay, I guess.
Anyway, I like your comment, Justin. I’m going to fire up KEXP after I finish listening to Brendan Canning’s new album (which is pretty great)
@BfO, If you put the youtube address on the next line the video will appear in its place, like this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff4vglsHg94
Samantha, re your q. about Grant & Smugglers divulging: I think not, because a) past (public) rowdiness is not a secret, and b) Grant’s actually quite careful and considerate — not in *apparent* conduct, but in actual fact, and so I think would (at least) consult anyone about anything that could actually come back and bite. Actually he wouldn’t use it.
garf, ‘k.
garf, I’ve gotten shy of making *returns* because of recent book of faces comments use.
(Or rather I should say “my automatisms have gotten shy of…”)
@BfO, I understand, if you hold down shift while pressing return you get the carriage return without the premature sending
garf: izzatso? Even with mac, you say…. I’ll have to try it. Otherwise, I was condemned to single-paragraphing. Oh noes.
I think there’s something in your FB settings to turn off post on as well
no idea where it is, though
Are comments appearing in reverse order for anyone else? I was a away from this tab for a while and when I came back the comments loaded automatically, but showed newest first so it was like I was reading a conversation backwards.
and then once I commented they went back to normal, so never mind 🙂
huh. my comment up there had the word return in angle brackets. it dispapeared (as my daughter said when she was a wee one)
@Janet, I noticed if they arrive in a clump they go from newest to oldest
@krib, the site probably thought you were trying to inject code
Yeah, clumpy reverses the order.
garf, nope, “command” + “return” still = post. Still, maybe works for peecees. Off now to get a few things.
@BfO, Shift, not command
I’m sure GL’s Smugglers book will have plenty of stories about piss and puke and sleeping in vans. As greasy and titillating as his new book may be, I doubt it will compare to the recently released “Hepatitis Bathtub” – The NOFX book but then, what could compare to those crazy fucks.
yeah, given that it’s the container for an html tag, I’m sure it did
looks like FB removed the option to force using the Post button when commenting or messaging
I wish I still had some of the old stacks of skate and punk zines that I used to have so that I could go through them and see if I could find some old Smugglers ads. It would be interesting to remind myself of some if the names of their contemporaries too, bands I’ve long since forgotten about. Memory Lane, as it were.
@Shonica Royal Canoe party = YAAAAY. That’ll be awesome.
And hi! Did you hear Drumpf will be here today? I can’t even.
Have you seen how much they are asking for old Smugglers posters
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Buddy-Holly-Convention-The-Smugglers-original-promo-poster-concert-blank-tour-/271943889706
@Garf That would look very nice in a frame.
@Reg, I agree, especially if it was signed by the band
Oh right, you did say that. Shift. How droll.
Ooooh, what I’d give to have my posters signed, but I always get them after the show, so there no much chance left
Definitely reversed when comments arrive in batches. Let’s see if it gets fixed when I post/refresh.
Just read a tweet about “letting your freak flag fly” and now I’m trying to remember a song I like that says that. Argh
Crosby Still Nash and Young, “Letting your freak flag fly”. Um, Almost Cut My Hair Today.
By David Crosby, I think.
Nonono, it’s just a line in a song.
reg, in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lk2KHajp4Y
lyrics: http://www.metrolyrics.com/almost-cut-my-hair-lyrics-david-crosby.html
I think I got it! It’s a Wooden Sky song. From their latest. (But thanks Benoit, I’ll check that)
This one, I think http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTYiqF2-fwM
reg, yeah, what you said, at 3:15. I’m going to look up the phrase, for fun.
Besides, Crosby sings “let MY freak flag fly”.
weird. I clicked that ebay link Garf posted and it opened overtop of the site.
I clicked “back” and now I’ve lost a whole bunch of comments.
last one I see is BfO’s about freak flags
oh wait. I’m messed up
nvm
Reginula, I suggest you play the entire Déjà Vu album by Crosby, Stills Nash and Young. It was HUGE with us one summer (and stuck for a few years), and it hasn’t lost much if any of its critical rating. (That’s the one that contains Almost Cut My Hair, with that line in it.)
Probably Crosby, and Jimi Hendrix (who also used the expression), were the first to popularise it.
and, evidently, the fairytale forest creatures in the Shrek musical
krib, there’s not much that hasn’t been co-opted in animated features. CSNY song: March 1970
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUFPWW7IqCU
@Reg – Is it a Wooden Sky song? From their most recent?
garf, yup, shift + return works.
@reg – Oh! I see you got it! ***read the rest of the comments first Jeremy…:P
I keep refreshing…oops
@Reg… yes we’ll see how Trump does in Mexico City…. http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/second-day-thoughts-on-the-impending-trump-shitshow
I like this Perry Bible Fellowship cartoon:
http://www.pbfcomics.com/267
Just lose one leg of the m, and The Smugglers becomes The Snugglers.
@BfO, The Snugglers is/was our child friendly Smugglers cover band
What about The Strugglers?
They never got off the ground
and The Muddlers kept singing the wrong words
A basement technical issue on iPhone
I’m not sure what happened, but on my phone I can’t post because the comments are bigger than the screen and I can’t seem to make them smaller to even read them, each one only showing the left part of each post. The post comment button is not visible either. I took a photo of this I’m afraid to post it here, whom shall I send it to?
@shonica, send that photo ourbasementblog@gmail.com . Got a bug to fix! Also detail what type of phone you have, what browser, etc.
Thanks Justin, email has been sent.
Hello all! How’s things?
I had looked briefly at the blog on my phone last week and had that same kind of thing Shonica mentioned. I just thought it was me.
I have been listening to my music library on shuffle today. Damn, it’s some good listening 🙂 I off for a bit, catch you all later.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Werd….
I have the same problem with the comments on my (old) iPhone
I had big expenses and a small pay cheque this month. I need to get my finances under control.
August has been a fun month though. It went way too fast and I am not ready for it to be over.
How’s the humidity down here in the basement?
Seems pretty dry to me.
I just spent my lunch hour following the Trump-Peña conference.
Send help. It was beyond any of us could imagine.
beyond what*
or something like that.
But help.
Where’s Grant?
Not here.
Did his GPS tag fall off again?
US Republican candidate Donald Trump has defended his call for a wall on the Mexican border, during his visit to meet President Enrique Pena Nieto.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-37227545
So, Peña Nieto said Trump’s insults “are a misunderstanding”, Trump they did discuss the wall but not “the payment”.
I told you our president was stupid, but I never thought it would get THIS bad. And it sucked big time already.