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

Jett Pace

Who are you

I’m an artist, musician, producer, and painter. My band Old Man Canyon has been around for about 12 years and I’m just about to release my fourth album, So Long Babylon, which comes out September 29. While the project is a “band” when we perform live, I write, produce, engineer, and play all the instruments on my recordings myself, at my home studio in Vancouver. 

First concert

Strangely, I can’t remember the very first concert I ever went to, but I can remember my mom pretty much always having a Prince or Michael Jackson concert playing on the TV. I fell in love with music and performance through Michael Jackson, and I think just seeing what he was doing with his art and the effect it could have on people in this deep way, initiated my interest in creating music myself—even if it wasn’t until later in my life.

Life-changing concert

When I was a bit older in my teens I got really into hip-hop and started rapping and making beats with friends. I think some of my favorite concerts I’ve ever been to were hip-hop shows, just because of the raw energy of the beats and lyrics—you don’t find it in any other genre. One of the best shows I went to was a K'naan show in 2006 at the Vancouver Folk Festival. He wasn’t that big yet, but his set was magical and really left an impression on me as a young music maker. 

Top three records

George Harrison All Things Must Pass  I didn’t instantly love this record when I first heard it just because of my obsession with the Beatles’ records, but have come to really cherish it over the years. It has a calm, grounding energy to me and I often will put it on when I need to clear my head and get back to what’s real.

Youth Lagoon Heaven Is a Junkyard  Now this is a brand-new album, so I can’t say if it will remain one of my top three albums for years to come, but I can say that I am currently really loving it and find his songwriting and production to be very unique. He creates a very cool sonic palette using very little layers. My favorite song on the record is “Idaho Alien”: with its simple piano riff and punchy soft beat it really allows you to float off into the storytelling.

Kendrick Lamar Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers  Okay I know, another newer record, but I have been playing this nonstop since it first came out and I have yet to grow tired of it in any way. Kendrick is one of my favorite artists out there right now, and is in my opinion one of the best storytellers in music. He has such power in his words and speaks directly to issues in a way that makes you listen. 

All-time favourite video

The Notorious B.I.G. “Big Poppa”  Hard to think of one I feel comfortable sharing but I always will love the video for “Big Poppa.” It’s such a vibe. 

What’s in your fridge?

Homemade breakfast sandwiches. Recently my partner and I have started meal prepping, and we’ve only gotten as far as making one item: breakfast sandwiches. They are super delicious and make a great quick meal in the morning when you don’t feel like cooking. We fry up flat potato wedges in garlic, a variety of different peppers, slices of tofu (covered in turmeric and nutritional yeast), and a vegan breakfast sausage. Stacked on sourdough bread, there’s truly nothing better. Especially when they’re already made in the fridge. 

Homemade tomato sauce. I know this may not sound like the most unique item, but when you grow your own tomatoes, and you go through the insane amount of work to can them, then finally get to taste them, there’s something so amazing about it. Over the last few years I’ve been gardening a lot and slowly, each year, I just end up planting more tomato plants then the previous year, which I believe is currently at 30. 

Habanero hot sauce. This is one of my most precious sauces in the fridge, just because I basically put it on everything I eat. Its flavor and punch are unmatched and once you get acquainted with it, you’ll never live without it again.

Old Man Canyon's So Long Babylon, featuring the just-released single "Never Apart", is out September 29. You can check out more from the project here.