Nearly three years after our stint at the first installment of this series, the Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway at Commercial Drive) swings back into action with another night of East Van bands playing its stage, this time all providing soundtracks to silent film screenings behind them. All the major players are back from last time, plus more more more!
Instead of working in tandem with the magic of Dr. T as we did before, this time we’ll be doing music and foley for a black and white animated classic on the theme of responsible libation, which will this time be possible at the Rio! Your $10 (in advance from brownpapertickets, $12 at the door) doesn’t just get you these filmic interpretations from some of East Van’s most delightfully twisted musical minds, but also an electro-swing dance party at the end!
Depending on how things go, we may have to get together an expanded set to allow us to provide soundtrack to a whole film festival at some point! And speaking of how things went, congrats to the Lunchgroup Heavy Industries’ raising of over $1100 at last week’s fundraiser show.
Bonus! For your enjoyment, a picture-in-picture presentation of the Creaking Planks providing a soundtrack and foley effects for the 1928 Felix the Cat short Woos Whoopee, performed at this event to great acclaim.
Spring’s coming up wonderfully strange all around! Building on past strengths, we’re celebrating the return of the sun on Easter Sunday with the return of our friendJason Webley, the mad genius behind the Monsters of Accordion tour, joining us and most of the merry minstrels of Maria in the Shower, again at the Grandview Legion Hall (2205 Commercial Drive) which we used to such good effect with them at last year’s Accordion Noir Festival. This show, also, is presented by the weekly Accordion Noir radio show / podcast — and what better way to celebrate the gritty, punky rebirth of accordion music also than with this over-the-moon lineup? Don’t worry about Monday morning the next day — that’s EASTER Monday you’re thinking of! After our show you can feel free to Morris dance and conduct pagan rites until you’re satisfied with your Maypole’s braid. And if your employer disagrees with us, uh, well then we’ll have to have some harsh words with him. (Or her. But bosses are, by definition, The Man.)
Tickets are a steal at $15, and we’d like to thank our friends at the Work Less Party for helping to make this show possible.
Proving we don’t have the market quite cornered on the goofy covers, here’s an old Jason Webley chestnut you most likely won’t be hearing at this occasion:
Hot on the heels of our first costume ball of the season the night before, the jug band of the damned moves up the street (just a couple of blocks) to Cafe Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial Drive) to help raise some unruly spirits (from the remnants of the Parade of Lost Souls, no doubt) with the help of our delightfully dark friends Maria in the Shower and Jeff Andrew with his Crows at Midnight. 9 pm, $10.
The third annual Accordion Noir fest is upon us again, a whole week of festivities already underway (click here for full details) and as with the previous twoyears, the Creaking Planks simply had to log an appearance celebrating the bountiful local supply of the wonderful squeezy weirdness whose virtues the Accordion Noir radio show / podcast extols weekly. Otherwise put:
This Friday night, we celebrate two of the greatest mechanical inventions of the 19th century: the accordion, brought to life in the hands of some of East Van’s most bombastic purveyors of dance music from the Balkans and points further out in left field, and the bicycle, rolled along Vancouver’s moist lanes and byways in defiance of the notion that the change of season has to bring with it a change in attitude.
Enjoy an earful of the sweet people-powered music that ruled over the pubs and campfires before steam power ruined everything, starting at 9 pm upstairs at the Grandview Legion Hall (2205 Commercial Drive) and running late into the night. Everyone can enjoy the show for the low price of $10, but helmet-clad Critical Mass riders pay only $8!
The Rev. Lucian Rumblebucket has ushered us in to help fill the room (and what a room! The Rio Theatre at 1660 E. Broadway @ Commercial Drive) with holiday spirits (Jacob Marley, pleased to meetcha!) along with the help of such fabulous performers as The Wet Spots! Maria in the Shower! Tall Brothers! Tribal fusion bellydancer Luciterra! Jenny Magenta! Burgundy Brixx! Lindsey Cherry! DJ K-tel! aaaaand “a Santa Claus who gets more inappropriate as the night wears on!” We’re scheduled to hit the stage around quarter to 10.
The house will also be conducting a movie poster sale. Entry by donation; proceeds to the Food Bank!
