Here’s a question worth pondering: Where’s the best place you’ve ever lived?

For a lucky few of us, that will require some thinking globally. Maybe it was the year spent a half-block off Rue Montorgueil in Paris, when every day included three hours at the truly incredible Experimental Cocktail Club. Or perhaps it was city centre during those six months teaching English in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where your daily ritual included two Tomb Raiders at the exotic Red Lantern.

For others of us—namely those born, raised, and permanently rooted in rainy old Vancouver—the answer will be a house, apartment, or, sadly in some cases, a van down by the Fraser river or a tent in Oppenheimer Park. No matter where you are or were, let’s hope the memories are eventually happy.

It’s possible that Lotuslander Corbin Murdoch found himself somewhat hampered by reality (not to mention budgetary considerations) when conceiving the video for his new song “The Best Place I Ever Lived”. Featured in the 4-minute clip are 101 folks from around the region proudly standing, sitting, and occasionally spazzing out in front of the abodes that they call home.

Given that COVID-19 has drastically limited our travel options this year, there’s no way of knowing if each of those 101 people are truthfully repping the best place they’ve ever lived, or if they are just using them as a placeholder for Murdoch's big-budget reshoot. But just as the sun will hopefully shine from June to October next near, they certainly look happy with where they find themselves today.

A large part of the fun in “The Best Place I Ever Lived” is realizing that you know some of the buildings—the brick walk up on Parker, the industrial cluster on Venables.

There are moments of melancholy (is that the great Sam Tudor, who helped with camera work, standing in front a sign that suggests he’s being reno-victed?), and moments that will make you think there’s still some joy in a world that’s often beem right off the rails in 2020 (shout outs to the small child with the stuffies, and the white dog with the eye patch).

And let’s not forget the reason the video exists, which is the song, where Murdoch winningly bridges rainy-day folk and Sunday-morning-comedown country. Watch for a Jesse-Gander produced full-length, Blind Contour, at the beginning of next year. 

In the meantime, enjoy—and don’t forget to remind yourself that, no matter where you’re living today, that might change tomorrow, maybe for the better and hopefully not for the worst.

You’ve always wanted to live off Las Ramblas in Barcelona, preferably in the majestically atmospheric Gothic Quarter. More than ever, dare to dream.