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.

Who are you

I’m Cora Burnette of Cora and the Moon, and one half of the Burnettes. I own Little Miss Vintage on Commercial Drive and I moonlight as a costumer in the movies. I grew up in Montreal, and ate what is now referred to as "classic rock" for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I got my first apartment at 15, which believe it or not was quite normal for the time, and spent the next 10 years of my life climbing the corporate ladder, eventually moving to Calgary. My conscience got the better of me—I was selling electronic components or some shit and felt like a dirt bag because I was clearly ruining the planet—so I did what any self respecting dirtbag would do: I sold everything, started a band, and performed live comedy shows for corporate events to pay the bills. My man and I moved to Vancouver to give it a go, and woke up one vintage clothing store, two kids, six albums, and 20 years later.

First concert

My Dad took me to see Supertramp at the Montreal Forum when I was seven, and I remember being almost crushed in the mob just getting into the show. It was the Breakfast in America tour, and I was blown away by the giant tightrope walker on the screen behind the stage, convinced it was actually happening somewhere and frantically searching the crowd for a glimpse of the real guy. The air was ripe with the smell of good old Montreal hash, and when I asked my Dad what it was he said, "Oh, they’re just burning pepper", which seemed quite reasonable to me at the time.

Top Three Albums

The Beatles White Album  Distinct memories of blasting this six-sided homemade cassette over and over on the way to the country with my Dad at the wheel, scream-singing every word to "Rocky Racoon", weeping through "I Will" and "Julia", and not quite understanding the full meaning of "Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?"

Pink Floyd Obscured By Clouds  Fell in love with this one in high school. Of all the records to gaze up at the ceiling through the purple haze to, this was my favourite.

Superchunk Here’s To Shutting Up  Skip forward to my late 20s when life was full of mystery, young love and sweaty tour vans. This record was on repeat when my current husband and I were holed up on Vancouver Island recording our first record together. No, I have never been married before, nor do I expect to ever marry anyone else—I just like saying "current husband". It makes me feel like Liz Taylor. 

All-time favourite video

Van Halen "Jump"  It has to be Van Halen’s "Jump". This is the one band I will always lament not having seen in concert—although we saw a killer cover band in Kamloops in 2002 that almost made up for it. I had a major crush on Diamond Dave from an obscenely young age, and this video makes me feel like he’s putting on a live show just for me. The Spandex, the splits, the glorious crotch shots….it’s all in there, just as I had imagined it. Eddie rocking the triangular padded yellow tiger blazer takes it over the top. Still confused about Michael’s one shoulder childlike cotton overalls though. Why did he always draw the short fashion stick? He must have pissed off his stylist at some point.

What’s In Your Fridge

Cheese.  So much cheese. Gruyère, manchego, Grana Padano, Asiago, Parmesan, curds, goat, feta, and crappy orange cheddar for the kids.

Caperberries.  We drive to the Okanagan every year with my pal Jodi under the guise of going "camping". We leave the offspring with a case of mac & cheese, a pot, and some matches, and then hit pretty much every winery within 30 miles. Covert Farms, a gorgeous organic winery on a hill, is a favourite, and we bring back a jar or two of these every time.

A Jar of chocolate bourbon sauce with a half-spoonful out of it. My darling friend Natalie gifted this to me at a dinner party I threw four years ago. At the time she mentioned how fancy it was, so I suspected she paid a small fortune. I’m not much of a sweet eater, but out of respect I opened it, tasted it, and promptly put it back, where it remains as a permanent fixture in my fridge. Want some?

Listen to Cora and the Moon's Just a Phase here.