Friday, March 25, 2011

Introducing My Friend's New Company - Electorfur!

So, my friend David Lee started a new company called ElectroFur and he's launching his website next week. To help him get things rolling, I've offered to help him by doing some writing about the product and his business. He's interested in leveraging the interet as much as he can to drive business and interest in his website. Of course, this concept isn't new, but it's the first time for both of us to really sink our teeth into the power of online media and digital advertising.  It's a really interesting project to work on.

As a part of this process I thought it might be cool to document how it unfolds. As we dive into this complex online business world, I'm sure others can learn through our experience. So here I go.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

Infected Mushroom - Whiskey, Calgary



I have to say that Infected Mushroom is one of my favourite groups this year. Their set at Burning Man was one of the most memorable and they didn't disappoint here in Calgary.
I must admit, I went to the venue with some trepidation, I mean seriously, how could they ever live up to the Burn memories? Well, it surely wasn't the same experience, however, this band puts on an amazing show - regardless of their location.
I think it's because their music is so unique. Duvdev, the lead singer, knows exactly how to play the crowd and uses the pounding beats to squeeze explosive energy out of the audience. Timing is everything for this group. Their music pulls you into an almost Dervish frenzy, broken up by perfect pauses, followed by arm pumping, crowd jumping loud smack-down beats. Love it.
The crowd was made up of some of the usual Calgary-based festival goers, a few of us older Burners and a lot of mid-20's trance aficionados.
Can't wait to see them again - hopefully in Florida at the Ultra Music Festival.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

How many blogs are out there about babies?

OK, I was just clicking through the "Next Blog" button and can I just ask how many blogs are out there about kids? This is going to sound really crass, but, kids? I suppose. But really, who cares? Maybe when Suzie or Frank is ten they can look back in embarassment on Mum and Dad's interpretation of their life. Maybe they can transfer all the photos to Facebook. Or maybe not.

New York, New York


OK, first of all, why haven't I ever been to New York and Manhattan before? Seriously. What an extraordinary place.

I've been to lots of cities.... including..... London, Sydney, Tokyo, San Francisco, Bangkok, Paris, Munich, Rome, Athens, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Venice, Lisbon, Amsterdam, Seoul, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Caracas, Guatemala City, Belize City, Aukland, Berlin, Katmandu, Georgetown, Jakarta, Istanbul, Honolulu.... ha! those are just the tip of the iceberg. I'd have to say that New York and particularly Manhattan is now one of my favourites. Not so much for the architecture, or city itself, but for the energy and people.

I had the good fortune to have some amazing friends who live in the area. Two of whom, Kelly and Laura, I hadn't seen since we taught English together in Japan 15 years ago. Nicholas, I met at Burning Man. He was dressed as a giant monkey. I'll write more about this on the Burning Man pages - still to come. We've kept in touch since the event and I'd been thinking about heading to New York to visit him. However, I was feeling guilty about doing so because my parents live in New Brunswick and I figured if I went to New York, I wouldn't be able to afford to do both. WELL... I spoke with my parents mid-November and Mum told me SHE was heading to New York on a bus trip the first week of December. Hmmm... that got the brain spinning.

So, I looked into flights to New York from Calgary, and then from New York to New Brunswick. Well, turns out, it was almost the same price to fly to NY and then Moncton than it was to fly directly to Monton (go figure - gotta love Canada's airline monopoly!!). Continental Airlines actually offer one way fares, including taxes, from New York to Moncton for $150 Canadian!! Crazy deal. Flights to New York varied from Calgary - but they were around $180 or so. If you're looking for flight deals - there are several seach engines, and some of the best I've found are - www.cheapoair.com, www.flightnetwork.com, www.redtag.ca, www.cheapflights.ca. Good luck! It pays to search around.


So... New York. It became my agenda to surpirse my mother in NYC. I found out where she was going to be staying with the tour bus and booked a few nights at that hotel. We stayed at the Ramada Wayne in New Jersey. It was a nice, clean hotel with reasonable rates (be sure to book online, the rates there were about $20 cheaper a night than booking directly through the hotel) BUT the hotel is really out-of-the-way and almost impossible to get to without a rental car. Which, after seeing traffic in Manhattan, I do NOT recommend!

The first night I spent at my friend Kelly's place in Westchester. I used to teach English with Kelly in Japan 15 years ago and was very excited to see her after so long. I'd also just seen the movie "Precious" and the main character had wistfully mentioned Westchester as 'the' place to live. So I approached my visit with great excitement. I wasn't disappointed either. Public transit around the New York metropolitan area is exceptionally easy to get around on and almost always available.

Kelly's house was only a five minute drive from a main stop and she picked me up in the evening with her lovely son Riley. Getting reacquainted we headed to her lovely home where we talked the night away and had some good laughs remembering out time working for the JET Programme. I'd put in only a year in Hokkaido, but Kelly managed to complete three. She's a trooper.

The next morning we hopped on the transit and headed into her office in Manhattan. She is a partner in a company called Searchlight, which specializes in personnel placement. It sounded like a lot of fun, and their office was in a totally cool collective space - right off Union Square. So, arriving onsite, I quickly checked my email and FB and gave Nicholas a quick call. Nicholas is an awesome guy I met at Burning Man. He and I have kept in touch since the event in August and I was going to hang with him after connecting with my Mum a few days.

So, getting my city bearings, I head out for the day and explore. Getting below ground and onto the subway is always an interesting adventure. In New York you can buy passes for four trips which will save you about $2 overall. I only took a few wrong legs... but that is always fun. Everyone I asked for help was, well, helpful! And really friendly. Surprisingly New Yorkers overall were really, really charming and kind. Not the stereotypical perception of big-city folk. A very nice surprise.

Be prepared to do lots of walking. My friends from the "city" warned me to bring good walking shoes, and I didn't. I paid for it with sore feet and back. But, I didn't want to 'look' like the stereotypical tourist. Ah, the pain of vanity.

So, my first day in Manhattan I did just that - walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. I walked for hours. And then I walked some more. I explored most of the South East and Central areas of Manhattan. I ended up at Museum of Modern Art or MOMA for their 'free' Monday tours. Mum's group was at Radio City watching the Rockettes, so I had to get myself there to meet their bus. This was quite a trip as the woman who I was calling on the cell phone, wasn't a natural English speaker and I couldn't understand where she wanted me to go. Ha! If you had seen the crowds around the Rockefeller and Radio City area you would have understood my trepidation.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Wear Else?! Edmonton November 28 '09



To use a cliche - O what a night!

Held at Planet Ze, this fundraiser blew the proverbial roof off of any of the rest of Canada's perceptions that Alberta is a prude and boring place. Edmonton, definitely has an interesting and creative crew. Imagine 250 sexy beings all dressed up in their hottest lingere outfits, ready to be spanked, photographed, poked, kissed, tied up, strapped up, lubed up, whatever! The private event had great security as well, so there wasn't any 'creep factor'. I did see some really young men who were mesmerized with the bondage room. That said, so was I! I can't imagine seeing a live show when I was their age - expanding minds early is always a good thing.

This second annual party was held to raise money for the Options Sexual Help organization - a place where people can go to get information and counselling about sexual choices and sexuality. There aren't many organizations in Alberta committed to this kind of education, so the party provides a great show of support for this kind of service. Condoms were supplied. NO eyebrows were raised.



It was a fun night of freedom, sexuality, expression and dance. Something for everyone... everyone open-minded.

The DJ's rocked the dance floor with some deep and funky house beats. There were several performers - ranging from avant garde theatrical music interpretation, to Tribal dance, to exotic dance, to firespinning, to body painting, to bondage, to well... I'll leave the rest to your imagination. You could also buy some beautiful jewellery and gifts from the gallery. There were photographers hard at work taking sexy posey shots and plenty of laughs were had in the studio area. One of the rules was that personal cameras weren't allowed. So, we'll wait to see what the photographers came up with. They're posting online in a few days. Should be some awesome shots.

I'm not sure how much money was raised, but the event surely was a success on the floor. Everyone there had a great time, and it seemed to me that most people had big smiles on their faces when they left. Unfortunately, it all seemed to be over too soon and the 3AM deadline swept us all out into the street. I didn't make it to the afterparty, but I am sure there are plenty of stories from there too.

Congratulations team, on a job well done.

Bassnectar Edmonton - Empire Ballroom, November 27th '09


Ok, a jump forward in time.

I'm writing about all the big parties I hit this past summer, but need to keep up-to-date on all the wicked smaller venues I am getting to experience in the meantime!

I just had to say that the show Bassnectar put on was amazing. The venue was great, the sound was awesome and the crowd was loving it.

I arrived in Edmonton early evening on the 27th. I had originally planned on being there around supper time, but the roads were horrendous due to terribly icy conditions, so the main highway was closed until almost Bowden. Thankfully, I didn't have any problems, although there was a moment where I felt the wheels of the car gliding over the surface of the road - a huge adrenalin rush followed, but that kept me awake for the rest of the ride and made me super vigilant, so all good.

Finding the Empire Ballroom was easy - it is located in the West Edmonton Mall, so we got to the venue about 9:45ish. Thankfully it was relatively warm out, so we were able to survive the almost 40 minute wait in line! There was much confusion with will-call and non-ticket holder line-ups. Turns out the will-call ticket holders had to wait a lot longer. Next time, I'll buy the ticket at the door!!! Once inside, the line-up continued to be a gong-show with the coat-check being totally disorganized and S L O W. Come on event organizers - this is the second time in two weeks that getting in to a DJ has been a gong show. (The last was TIESTO in Calgary - also ridiculous... I'll write about that one too.)

However, once inside, we were treated to a really fun venue. The Empire Ballroom is really set-up for events like this, with a multi-level design, almost any vantage point had great views of Bassnectar. I spent most of the night in a cage - with a bottom that actually raised and lowered! It provided a perfect perch from which to both shake it and see the show. I had to step off a few times, just to keep my land-legs about me. The up-down motion added an extra sensory element to the evening that kept things interesting.

When Bassnector appeared, on time, around midnight, he pulled out a wicked, wicked set. The crowd was totally pumped and energized by his mesmerizing beats. He truly is a unique DJ and really knows how to manage a dance floor. I've seen him a few times, the last at Burning Man, and honestly, this was the best show of his yet. At the burn he seemed a little tired and missed the mark when it came to flow and keeping the crowd charmed. This time he was right on target.

I went with a friend who hadn't seen Bassnectar before and he mirrored some of my sentiments the first time I saw him. He really liked the show, but wasn't sure if he really was into the music. Bassnectar is really an event, not just music. The first time you see him, I think most people aren't quite sure how to interpret the experience. Really. The next time, you know what to expect, and can let go with the flow and melt into his sweet, sweet sounds. Let the beats blast your mind and body. Move with the deep deep sounds that will shake every cell of your being. Sounds a little hokey, but it's true!



Thanks Bassnectar for putting on a great show and making the drive and line-up worth every minute.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Motion Notion '09


July 2009

James Katalyst is the brainchild behind Motion Notion. Birthed in 2000, the annual event is currently held in Drayton Valley. 3.5 hrs Northwest of Calgary and an hour Southwest of Edmonton, the party sees thousands of happy people every year

http://www.motionnotion.com/

This was my first visit to this event, and the virgin voyage for my new 1973 motorhome christened "TED". Why TED? Well, when I got the plates, the letters say TED, so it was easy. The weird thing, though, is that my car's plates say MAY. TED and MAY. Yep.

So, I drive the 3.5 hours (which really seemed a lot longer) in this huge (or it seemed so at the time) vehicle. 21', sleeps six, bathroom, kitchen. Total festival luxury. I highly recommend travelling in RV comfort. I've done the tent thing before, and I'll never go back. Spoiled now. BUT - it's not cheap. These things suck gas though, so, if you are looking for economy - skip it and make do with the tent.

If you buy your tickets early, they'll cost you just over $100CDN - they go up every month or so until at-the-gate prices of $200CDN. The ticket fee gets you access to all the music Thursday - Sunday, plus the camping. You have to buy, or bring, your own food and beverages, there are no showers. If you want hot food, bring a way to cook it, unless you are going to buy from the vendors. A general rule of thumb at all these events is DON'T bring glass anything. Enough people are running around without shoes and/or rolling around in the grass that the risk of injury from broken glass is very high. So, just don't bring it - for your good, and the good of your fellow partiers :)

Like most festivals, there are no official camping sites per se... you pick a spot in a big open cowfield to call home for the time you are on site. Some spots are better than others, and to get the 'good' realestate, you either need to get there early or have someone somehow reserve your spot.

This year, I arrived at the event on the Friday night. Luckily, we knew some people who had a nice spot picked out, relatively close to the main road down to where the vendors and mainstages were. At this event, there were three stages - two relatively close together and one a bit of a trek up and down a hill towards the river.

There was a great line-up of vendors, especially food ones. You could find anything you wanted to eat - from yummy vegetarian curries to delicious flatbread pizzas. Anything to satisfy the biggest pre and post-party appetites. Among the 'goods' vendors, there were GlowFur (always a huge hit) and funky hats, necklaces, dijeridoos, drums and pretty much whatever else you could want to find at a festival. I always have thoughts of that scene in The Grinch who Stole Christmas when all the Whos in Whoville are playing with their floob-floobers and ta-tinkers. And shake their jing-tinglers. Yep. Kinda like that.

Once you get down to the festival's main area, it starts to feel a lot more festive. Up in the cowfield, it feels a lot like a cowfield. Wiith a bunch of people sitting around. In a cowfield. Next year, 2010, Katalyst is starting a new initiative. He's encouraging campers, in the cowfield, to set up their own stages (kind of like Burning Man) and he's offering quite a substantial prize to the best set-up. Interesting concept, but, not sure how much sleep people are going to get. I don't think I'd be that happy camped next to a bunch of punks cranking dubstep 24/7. Sorry, maybe I'm just old, but THAT would get old pretty quick. I'm not paying money to hear amateurs, I'm paying to see big name DJ's - and if I can't get enough sleep to enjoy them, I'm not a happy camper. Literally. That said, I think it is a really cool idea, and I hope it is successful! Plus there are some amateurs I know out there who can shake the dust of the pro's. Should be some good beats regardless of the sleep.


It was a bit of a weather rollercoaster in 09 - with several downpours and thunder and lightening storms to liven things up. The huge skyline was gorgeous and more than one rainbow brightened up the sky. The ensuing mud was quite a fun addition - and watching people manouver through the mess, while equally messed up, was really entertaining.

The music overall was wide-ranging. There was something for everyone, but you might have to walk a bit to find what you liked. A nice chill-out type area was set up near a giant bonfire, so there was a place to relax and people watch. The smaller stage also had a bonfire to warm up around - a welcome addition at 3:30 AM.

Highlights included Small Town DJ's who ROCKED it. Everyone went OFF - it was literally pandemonium - half naked, costumed, baked and fried, they were all out shaking up their milkshakes on the muddy dancefloor. At this point with all the muck, it was pretty hard to find good dancing footing, so the moves were limited to general bouncing and smiling and arm pumping. A few people tried to bust out, but they usually ended up in a muddy heap. Thankfully there was some good speaker dancing to be had, and I found my way up to a box on the side of the stage and conducted some good booty-shaking there. I think a few leg lifts and twirls even happened. Fun times.

Of note: The naked slip-and-slide. Imagine a huge piece of vinyl rolled downhill, a baby pool full of lube, and a bunch of naked people making a run for it. More juicy flesh flying past than you can shake a stick at. Afterwards there is a party parade down to the river, where a mudfight ensues, followed by dancing at the river stage and a nice refreshing rinse off. Be sure to mark it on the weekend calendar. Shouldn't be missed.

AND Sanctuary: Every year a group of volunteers gets together to create a safe-space where partiers can go to relax and unwind. If things get a little too much, this is the place to really decompress in a caring, supervised environment. Kudos to the many people who make this special place an integral part of the festival experience.