Khatsahlano artists love a party

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      Well, it’s been a hell of a summer so far. A true scorcher, and we don’t mean that in a good way. Wildfires and skies filled with smoke don’t make for the most festive atmosphere. That said, the Khatsahlano Street Party couldn’t come at a better time. Because if there’s one thing we could all use right now, it’s a party.

      Taking over the stretch of West 4th Avenue between Burrard and MacDonald on Saturday (July 11), Khatsahlano features dozens of musical acts on eight stages, including local veterans, buzzed-about crowd-pleasers, and some attention-worthy up-and-comers. If you can’t find something that turns your proverbial crank, you probably just plain hate music.

      Last year’s Khatsahlano put the legendary Poppy Family back on-stage for the first time since Kitsilano was a patchouli-scented hippie haven. This year’s edition features Pointed Sticks and the Enigmas, both of which have reunited in recent years. With that in mind, we decided to ask some of our favourite Khats performers which legendary local acts they would like to see get back together on a West 4th stage—even if all the members no longer walk among us. While we had their attention, we also got them to share their favourite memories of parties past, just to help everyone get in the spirit. Because let’s face it: if there’s one thing we could all use right now, it’s a damn good party.

       

      The Belle Game 

      Andrea Lo provides the exquisite singing and Adam Nanji the reverb-drenched guitar for the Belle Game, a band that deftly combines haunting atmospherics and immaculately crafted pop hooks.

      Favourite party memory (Lo) : “Let’s make this quick. Sixteen, very stupid, and in Los Angeles with my older sister, partying at one of Einstein’s supposed previous residences, grinding up against someone 20 years my senior and then vomiting for two days afterwards because of consuming too many Mike’s Hard Lemonades and Malibu Sunscreen Rum. It’s not a favourite memory, but it definitely affords me a good chuckle each time I think back to it.”

      Dream reunion (Nanji): “It couldn’t get much more legendary than the Smugglers. I don’t think they’ve technically broken up, but I would still consider this dream-world showcase a reunion of sorts. Plus, I’ve never seen them perform and this is my fantasy. Those guys remain an integral part of Vancouver’s music scene, which would make them a perfect headliner for a festival that celebrates local artists like Khatsahlano does. They’ve also got North Shore roots just like us, so we have a lot of love for them. They’d have to perform in matching suits, though.”

       

      Pointed Sticks 

      Ian Tiles (who almost fooled us into believing his last name was Vicious during this interview) has kept tempo for more than a few notable Vancouver bands, including the Payola$ and Coal, but he’ll hit the stage at this weekend’s street party with Pointed Sticks.

      Favourite party memory: “It was the Subhumans, live in my house. They played in my place at 5 o’clock in the morning in Chinatown, and we didn’t get a single complaint. It was the most amazing concert ever. Chinatown… stuff happens in Chinatown.”

      Dream reunion: “East Van Halen, 1980. They were just awesome.”

       

      Hot Panda 

      Catherine Hiltz, an Edmonton native, rocks not one but two instruments—bass guitar and trumpet—in the psychedelic pop-punk trio Hot Panda, and if that’s not cool enough, she’s known among fans for her ability to play them simultaneously at live shows.

      Favourite party memory: “For a number of years, my oldest friends have hosted a pirate-themed party in Toronto. This May marked its 11th consecutive year. This is a no-holds-barred theme party: costumes are mandatory and the night is scheduled with elaborate pirate-themed games. This year’s party had a treasure hunt that spanned the entire Kensington Market neighbourhood. We were to find a treasure map in a local playground, defeat a pirate villain in a foam-sword battle, and find a specific bar to take a shot of rum in order to get the next clue. A party worth travelling for!”

      Dream reunion: “I would love to see Doug and the Slugs. I work at Rufus’ Guitar Shop, and the previous owner of the shop was the brother of Rick Baker, one of the guitar players. I worked a few shifts with Rick, but never actually saw him play!”

       

      David Morin 

      David Morin possesses a silky-smooth and soulful singing voice that could help him forge a career as a ballad crooner, but he also has a taste for the sort of hip-hop beats and jazzy flourishes that are guaranteed to get every butt moving.

      Favourite party memory: “The best party I can remember is when I went with a bunch of friends from high school to the logging roads around Harrison Lake, where we camped for three days straight. We had packed more booze than we could drink and the 12 of us set up camp next to another party of kids doing the same thing. The two parties eventually merged and we had two raging fires and a whole lot of fun. Skinny-dipping ensued and the rest I doubt I’m allowed to talk about.”

      Dream reunion: “One of my favourite local bands is DNA6. In the 2000s they were residents at the ANZA Club open mike hosted by Alex Maher. At the time, it was a huge night with tons of acts coming in and it’s where I got to meet most of the musicians in this beautiful little scene in Vancouver, but the band kind of went their separate ways and I think it had an effect on the night. I would definitely want them to reunite at Khatsahlano fest and continue to rock shows.”

       

      The Ruffled Feathers

      Gina Loes sings and plays guitar and ukulele in the Ruffled Feathers, a band whose lush and layered pop tunes more than justify its self-description of them as “Vancouver chamber rock”.

      Favourite party memory: “My favourite party memory as a band was last summer, when we were invited to play a wedding on the Sunshine Coast. The wedding venue was remote enough that most of the guests were staying on-site, which to me is the perfect formula for a party. Everyone danced the night away and our music was really well received. As we were packing up, the bride and groom—who are also friends of our band—invited us all to the after-party. This involved a lot of Champagne being passed around by the bottle. We partied like rock stars that night.”

      Dream reunion: “I have multiple favourite Vancouver bands I’d love to see perform live again together. If you could make any—and, even better, all—of these shows happen, I’d be in love. Apollo Ghosts, Lost Lovers Brigade, Trike, and Kidnap Kids. And if you’ve never heard of Kidnap Kids, I’m pretty sure they only still exist on Myspace. These girls are totally still around town somewhere. My fave song is ‘Ghost’.”

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