It was a winding concrete orgy of overpasses and underpasses. Treacherous and sketchy for pedestrians, confusing for motorists, and ultimately pointless for everyone.

DISCLAIMER: I have recently, upon an excellent recommendation, purchased a pair of Blundstones. This has, admittedly, influenced the piece you are about to read.

The Flamingos Pink play rock ‘n’ roll music in its purest form. No frills. No nonsense.

It had already taken us an extra 20 minutes for the pre-recorded footage to render, so we were late to go live. Our special guest, Velma Candyass of the Candyass Cabaret had been waiting patiently through the live intro banter, and the mini-movie pre-recorded segment. Then, just before the interview segment, my chair caught on fire.

A few weeks ago, I saw Lizzo live at the Bell centre…all by myself. Well, with an arena full of strangers, but fundamentally alone. While I have years of experience going to shows and events to write about them, this was the first time I'd ever gone to a show on my own for myself.

July 28th is a time for change. It’s both World Nature Conservation Day, and Jackie Kennedy-Onassis’ birthday, so how could it not be? This is when people traditionally change things up, so why should I be any different?

Venues are places of worship, and like churches and temples, Montreal is filled with them. They are the entry points to our city’s vibrant artistic community. They are reference points, meeting places for people with shared values, culture, and community.

We all know the "peaked in high school" trope. The image of a middle aged, overweight man telling the story of his high school accomplishments, his college "conquests", the proverbial "big game winning touchdown" scenario, in whatever form.

Fun Fact: You wouldn’t be reading this now if Laurence Tenenbaum hadn’t invited me to a party in the summer of 1996.

Hard work is -- for better or worse -- one of those timeless positive attributes, something nearly everyone can find nobility within. Idle hands are the devil's playthings, and so an honest day's work has been commendable throughout the ages.