The playlist today is in honour of Grant Lawrence and his new book Dirty Windshields. There was a rockin’ book release party last Saturday, May 13 in Vancouver. The Commodore was full of friends, family, acquaintances and fans of Grant’s and The Smugglers. We had quite a few people from the R3 community there and it was a fabulous time!

The evening started with Grant reading a couple excerpts from the book. I haven’t read it yet but great reviews have been coming in. This is what it has to say about it on the sleeve of the book:

“In Dirty Windshields, author Grant Lawrence spills the salacious and hilarious details of his touring days as the lead singer of Vancouver-based rock ‘n’ roll band the Smugglers.

Formed when most of the members were still in high school, the Smugglers came of age during the grunge explosion and came into their own in the pop-punk heyday while on Lookout Records. Grant chronicles the band’s booze-fuelled, sweaty, broke and wayward successes and failures as they trekked across Canada, the USA, Europe and the Pacific Rim. In their sixteen years of touring, the “Canadian Ambassadors of Rock ‘n’ Roll” collided with the Hives, Mudhoney, the Queers, Supersnazz, Fugazi, the Dwarves, Thee Headcoats, the Mr. T Experience, the Mummies and many more.

Through fights, sexual misadventures, new friendships, dance contests, and the Smugglers’ survival credo of ambition, good times, denial, the band grew up together on the road. Told with self-deprecating wit, this is a compelling story of the growth of an independent, do-it-yourself touring band, a community and a musical movement. Crack open a can of Black Label beer, stick a Smugglers tape into the cassette deck and let the good times roll.”

Needles//Pins, Chixdiggit and The Muffs entertained and got the crowd pumped up at the party at the Commodore. And then the Smugglers came on and what great fun that was. Grant and the band were in great form. There was jumping, rolling, tumbling and crowd engagement all while sounding fantastic! What a show!! Way to go Grant!

The playlist is made up of some of The Smugglers songs, the bands that played that night and many of the bands that Grant got chapter titles from and listed in his recommended listening section. It is going to be hard for people to sit still listening to this one!

A book review:

Grant Lawrence explores highs and lows of ’90s indie touring in new book

A show review and pictures:

The Smugglers live in Vancouver