What’s in Your Fridge is where the Straight asks interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting beside the Heinz Ketchup in their custom-made Big Chill Retropolitan 20.6-cubic-foot refrigerators.

On the grill

Jason Sulyma

Who are you

My mom and dad know me as Jason Sulyma: marketing manager at Fortune Sound Club, and all my dirtbag friends know me as MY!GAY!HUSBAND! local booker, promoter + DJ. 

First concert

Saturday, December 17, 1994—Rolling Stones “Voodoo Lounge Tour” at BC Place. My popz brought me to a Rolling Stones concert at BC Place, which was very weird as I grew up in a pro-Beatles household as my mom and family is from Liverpool and we never listened to the Stones at our house. The Spin Doctors opened which should have turned me off music instantly but I got so second-hand stoned by the dutty hippiez in the audience that when I went to the bathrooms I couldn’t remember how to use a stand-up urinal. So I pulled my pants and underwear down to my ankles, letting a packed bathroom of drunk stoners look at my juicy lil bum while I took a whiz.

Life-changing concert

Rage Against the Machine—The Roots—Atari Teenage Riot—Thursday, September 11, 1997 at the PNE Forum. As most basic alt-teens in the ’90s, I was contractually obligated to like Rage Against the Machine alongside most skids in the suburbs in high-school bands. Wu-Tang Clan was suppose to open, but due to the lovely Canadian Border they didn’t have a chance in hell to get across the border so the Roots were added to the bill instead. Atari Teenage Riot opened and myself and maybe one other person were beyond-happy that they were on the bill as they confused a sold-out arena with their drum-machine noise from Europe. This concert made me realize that the idea of “genre”-themed events do not matter, made me appreciate something I couldn’t put a word to till club-music reporters barf’d the word “Mash Up” on us a decade later, and got me addicted on attending multi-genre festivals like SXSW in the future. 

Top three records

Songs: Ohia The Lioness  I thought I was obsessed with music before I purchased this album, but there is a different level of obsession where you realize you have literally listened to one song over 100 times b2b. Sadly Jason Molina has passed too soon. He got me beyond-addicted to acts focusing on the more sombre moments in life, like Julie Doiron, Phil Elvrum, and Hayden.

Crass The Feeding Of 5000  I would love to throw "Banned From The Roxy" into every one of ma deejay sets at our local live band shows to Chicago juke parties. Crass made me catch up on ma thinking that punk isn't-just-a-dude genre, with Eve, Joy and Gee holding it down next to their male counterparts.

Ladyhawk Ladyhawk  I have always been, and will always be, a fan-boi first, and Ladyhawk was my first Vancouver band that made me realize local music can sell out a big room with friends, old and new, and can bring a community of fan-boiz and fan-galz together to celebrate all things local.

All-time favourite video

Chad VanGaalen  “Molten Light”  Another song I listened to over 100 times b2b, with an animated video of two terrible men who steal the heart of a sleeping woman who dies and becomes a 200-foot monster and gets revenge and absorbs the thieves into the giant hole in her heart.

What’s in your fridge

Hon’s chili oil. You can buy Hon’s famous chili oil at Hon’s Chinatown location-its low-key deli is a treasure-trove of affordable, take-home, pre-made Hon’s treats, from bulk potstickers ($8 for 50+ pieces!) to rice noodle rolls so you don’t waste hard earned cash on delivery.

Duso’s Italian Foods caesar salad dressing. Only sold at their Granville Island pasta deli, this salad dressing is straight fatty magic and is maybe the best alternative next to classic sour cream to drown yo’ fancy—or frozen—pierogi in.

Canada Dry Ginger Ale. As a big fatty, you think I would have more than sauces and sodas in ma fridge, but I have too many belly approved local restaurants that need my business more than ma non-local Safeway does, so I go to ’lil spots like Carp, Pazzo Chow, Budgies, The Patty Shop, and HK BBQ Master that trade cash for treats! Also why is there no Arby’s downtown?

For a complete rundown of what MY!GAY!HUSBAND! will be up to this Halloween weekend, go here.