The Silver Sun Pickups

A few months ago I wrote an entry about Seattle and how it was home to some of the greatest Indie acts in the last 10 years. I did have the inside on the scene being from the Northwest and more specifically Seattle. I will say that I was lucky enough to grow up in an area that was open to allot of different place, and scenes. Being in the Northwest I had access to the country of Canada. The border was about an hour and a half from my doorstep. Some people get the impression that the only thing that is good to come from Canada is Billy Talent and maybe Alanis Morissette. Other then that, America is pretty clueless about our neighbors to the north’s music scene. Like America, each city has a miss mash of different music scenes. Seattle always had something hopping every night, but if I wanted to take things a bit slow, I would load up the van and high tail it to Vancouver.

The scene itself is bursting with super talented bands that have all gained notoriety in there scene as well as around the world. Like the Northwest, the area is very conducive to writing and recording music. The city is in the shadow of Mt. Whistler, which is one of the larger mount ranges in the Western part of Canada and is a primo spot for skiing and snowboarding. Also the city is surrounded by water and dotted with Native American art that gives the city and almost spiritual like quality, and we can’t forget the friendly Canadians who will point you to the best places in the city to buy and legally smoke weed. One aspect that makes the city unique to any other place outside the United States that I have been to is the fact that most all shops and stores will close down at 6 o clock. This leaves the nightlife to be the bulk of the entertainment in the city. And like Seattle there is host of shows that will be going on nightly. Be it a Metal or a hip hop show, no form is taboo.

Roaming around the city you would expect more venues set up to be just that, venues. When you stroll around the city you notice that most clubs or music venues are in the basement of an already existing establishment. One such gem of the city is the Railway Club. A bar, that at one time was, exclusive to the rail workers, but now a venue that really has it all. The bar food is amazing and nightly the place is brewing with some of the most amazing indie acts just under the radar. I remember seeing the New Pornographers a few times at this club and worth the 10 dollars to become a member for a year. Another club that is bigger, but still is worth a visit is Richard’s on Richards. During the Weekends this place can breakout into a dance party with every woman in the joint being a 10, and on the weekdays host local acts like Hot, Hot Heat, and Nomeansno.

Besides seeing some amazing acts in small interment setting you will notice that the scene is very family like. While waiting to see a Frog Eyes show, I was treated to some fun banter with Carey Mercer. She was more interested in the fact that I had driven from the “States” to see them then her playing the show. The whole mood was very inviting and I felt as if I was chatting with someone I had known all my life. This is the backbone that makes the Vancouver Indie scene so special and inviting. A Hipster like vibe is always associated with the Indie scene, but the Vancouver is happily free of this stigma. Each band you hear has invested most of there life into the music that they play and love, and didn’t just fall into it. Like Seattle, the city is open to the West but self contained. It’s natural landscape painted against a big city would make any Indie musician have plenty to be happy and write about.

It’s not New York, it’s not L.A. its Vancouver. It’s a city that moves fast enough to be called a big city but slow enough to hold integrity. Without a doubt the city has a young creative vibe to it. Maybe it’s Canada, maybe the free healthcare, but Vancouver is one of my favorite cities to visit and catch a show. And really it’s the only city you can have a pint with your favorite artist, watch an amazing show at a cool venue, and buy a bag of ketchup chips all in the same night.