I went to a Georgia Straight party and got turned into a rock star with a Flying V and a groupie

I attended the Georgia Straight‘s 50th anniversary bash last Friday, totally unaware that I'd soon be turned into a rock star with a Flying V, a Fender amp, and the obligatory groupie.

As the party kicked into high gear, staffers and invited guests--including local celebs like Neptoon Records owner Rob Frith and his buddy, Nardwuar the Human Serviette--downed brewskis from Steamwhistle and Granville Island Brewing and grazed on tasty morsels from Urban Fare while a magician wandered around, doing card tricks and such.

Since he wasn’t sawing a woman in half I wasn’t that interested, but I kept eyeing the caricaturist in the lobby, who was banging out some pretty sweet representations of the happy folks posing for him.

I’d never had a caricature done, although I’d seen the booths at the PNE every year and thought about it. I recently turned 60, though, and realize it’s time to throw caution to the wind and live a little.

So I sat down and chatted with the artist, a dude named Cory, to discuss the theme of the cartoon. I suggested he make me a rocker because, hey, who doesn’t wanna rock? Cory told me that he plays in a local hard-rock band called Skookum, so I figured he’d be up to the task.

He asked me what kind of guitar I wanted to be playing, and I told him a Flying V, which he thought was a wicked idea. I specified a Fender amp as well.

My lovely wife Dawn was off searching for Steamwhistles while he sketched away, so I told him that when she gets back he might as well just draw her in as a groupie or something. Remember that part about living a little?

Five or 10 minutes later he handed me the finished work of art, and I thought it was totally rockin’. Skookum, even.

Cross one off the bucket list!