Ryan McCormick is the band Collpasing Opposites and has also played in Green Belt Collective, They Shoot Horses Don’t They? and others. He was a director of the Safe Amplification Site Society. This conversation was recorded on July 10, 2025.

Hoko’s was a sushi restaurant at 362 Powell Street that started having shows in the 2000s. It was closed due to licensing problems and is now the venue Lanalou’s.

The Zoo Zhop (223 Main Street) was a venue and record store in the 2010s.

The Prophouse Cafe (1636 Venables Ave) was a coffee shop and venue in the 2010s.

Astorino’s was the venue for the Safe Amplification Site Society (Safe Amp 2013-2015) at the site of a former Italian dining hall at 1739 Venables Street.

Other venues mentioned: Starry Dynamo Cafe.

Bands mentioned: Half Chinese, Apollo Ghosts, Kidnap Kids, Chris-a-riffic, OK Vancouver OK, Mt Eerie.

This episode features the following music:

Collapsing Opposites: Places from Microchips Implanted In Your Brain (2005).

Apollo Ghosts: Shanghai Alley from Forgotten Triangle EP (2009).

Collapsing Opposites: Non Profit Volunteer Band from Real Moving (2011).

Ana Rose Carrico is a grassroots arts administrator who co-founded The Red Gate Arts Society. She is the current Executive Director, a former Station Manager of CiTR & Discorder Magazine, and a lifelong advocate for the cultural life of Vancouver. This conversation took place on May 9th 2025.

The Red Gate first opened on Hastings near Cambie in 2004. It moved to 855 East Hastings between 2012 and 2018. The venue was evicted from both locations before moving to its current space at 1965 Main Street, one of those rare venues which has managed to survive and create a distinct, thriving identity at multiple addresses.

Other venues visited: Church of Pointless Hysteria, Dynamo Gallery, 151, Pat’s Pub, the Remington, The Secret Location, The Emergency Room.

This episode features the following music:

Koban: Down in the Well from null (the broadway to boundary), 2013.

TV Ugly: Trash Party Island from UCLA Yankee Cola, 2015.

Mourning Coup: Master from Baby Blue, 2015.

Keith Parry founded and ran the legendary record store and label, Scratch Records, which opened in 1987. He played in bands including Superconductor, Octatrackter, Twerdocleb, Kicking it with Coho, The Gay, Pink Mountaintops, and Neko Case.

Keith lives on Vancouver Island and we walked and talked on April 25th 2025, when he came to Vancouver to see some music shows. This conversation will extend across two episodes and this is part two.

Scratch Records started in 1987 at 317A Cambie St. It moved to 109 West Cordova St, 726 Richards St, and finally, the Interurban Gallery at 1 East Hastings (2010-2104).

The Cruel Elephant opened at 117 Granville St in August 1990 and lastest for a couple of years before moving to two other locations.

Other venues visited: the Marine Club, the Arts Club Lounge, Richards on Richards.

Other venues discussed: Comox Valley Curling Club, The Railway Club, the Town Pump.

Bands discussed: Yob, The Flaming Lips, Texas Instruments, Green Day, The Smugglers, Jesus Lizard, Thinking Fellows union, Surgery, Pavement, Snuff, Nomeansno, Destroyer, Devours, Drama Queen, Isocracy.

This episode features the following music:

Superconductor: Thorsen's Eleven on Hit Songs For Girls (Boner Records 1993).

Windwalker: Burning Inside on The Mint Is A Terrible Thing To Taste (Mint Records 1991)

The Smugglers: Vancouver, B.C. on The Smugglers At Marineland (Nardwuar Records 1991)

Keith Parry founded and ran the legendary record store and label, Scratch Records, which opened in 1987. He played in bands including Superconductor, Octatrackter, Twerdocleb, Kicking it with Coho, The Gay, Pink Mountaintops, and Neko Case.

Keith lives on Vancouver Island and we walked and talked on April 25th 2025, when he came to Vancouver to see some music shows. This conversation will extend across two episodes.

The Savoy at 6 Powell St, was run by Janet Forsyth and showcased local and touring bands from the early 1980s until it closed in April 1988.

Scratch Records started in 1987 at 317a Cambie St. It moved to 109 West Cordova St, 726 Richards St, and finally, Interurban Gallery at 1 East Hastings (2010-2104).

Other venues visited and discussed: The Marine Club, The Railway Club, UBC Sub Ballroom, the Town Pump, Richards on Richards.

Bands discussed: Simple Minds, The Cult, Go for Three, The Residents, Nomeansno, Flaming Lips, Soul Asylum, Spirit of the West, Grooveaholics, Art Bergman, Bob’s Your Uncle, The Scramblers, the Nerve Tubes, Animal Slaves, Poisoned, Brilliant Orange, White Lung, Ancients, Tobeatic, Black Wizard, Three Wolf Moon, Mecca Normal, Pedestrian Sacrifice, Duotron, Couch, To Live and Shave in LA.

This episode features the following music:

Superconductor: Bushpilot from Heavy with Puppy (Boner Record Company, produced by "special" arrangement with Scratch Records, 1992)

Oktatrackter : Kiddie Fist from Kiddie Fist 7” (Kil-Tel Records 1991)

Josh Stevenson has been playing experimental music since the 1990s in projects like Staked Plain, Jackie-O Motherfucker, Glow worm, Bold Axis Arms, -Outhern Acific+, Magneticring, July Fourth Toilet, and Von Bingen. He also does audio mastering under the name Otic Sound.

This converation was recorded on April 17th, 2025.

The Anza Club is on the corner of Ontario and 8th Avenue, the home of the Australia New Zealand Association. The building was previously the Mount Pleasant Hall. In the 1990s it was home to Vancouver’s weirdo and experimental music scene, but had shows both before and after that. Though the Club still exists, it only very occasionally has shows.

Other venues visited:
VIVO, formerly Video In, began life as The Satellite Video Exchange Society, founded in 1973. It excited in three other spaces before moving to 1965 Main Street in 1993. It moved to Kaslo street in 2014.

The Glass Slipper, a legendary Vancouver jazz club at 185 E 11th Avenue, burned down.

Other venues mentioned: the Malcolm Lowry Room, the Sugar Refinery, Chroma Books, Solder and Son, Ms T’s Cabaret, the Press Club, Manifesto (Edmonton).

Band discussed: Refrigerator, Wicker Spigot, Noggin, Blowhole, Good Horsey, Smog, Truman’s Water, the Ruins, Pipe Dream, Blaise Pascal, Sun City Girls, US Maple, Wolf Eyes, Climax Golden Twins, Zumpano, Vic Chestnut, Couch, Duotron, Loscil, Matthew Shipp/Susie Ibarra/William Parker, Eyelickers, New Pornographers, Frog Eyes, Leviathans, GHQ.

This episode features the following music:

Von Bingen: Eyeglasses in Kentucky from Von Bingen (2009)

Magneticring: The City Lives from City (2011)

Magenticring: Side B - Vancouver March 27th 2010 from All the Fluid is Floating (2012).

Marita M. is a musician, performer and arts organizer. She has been in many bands including True Crush, Lunch Lady, Derek Wheeler, Divorcer, Reveal Yourself and Bill Can.

This conversation was recorded on April 3, 2024.

Astorino’s was the venue for the Safe Amplification Site Society (Safe Amp 2013-2015) at the site of a former Italian dining hall at 1739 Venables Street.

Other venues visited: Britannia Community Centre, El Cocal, the York Theatre, the Mansion.

Other venues discussed: Mesa Luna, Art Bank, Dharma lab, Fingers Crossed, Alf House, The Shooting Gallery, Lucky's Comics, What Lab, Boombox, Goonies, The Birdhouse, Vancouver East Cultural Centre, Croatian Cultural Centre, Seylynn Hall, Purple Thistle, UBC SUB Ballroom.

Bands mentioned: Mt Eerie, Kidnap Kids, Screaming Queens, Hot Fruit, Pet Fairies, Fake Fruit, Death from Above, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire, The Evaporators, Riff Randells, Shreaing Pinx.

This episode features the following music:

True Crush: Story Book from We Like Us (2013)

Divorcer: Life is a Hellhole Trap from Nutty Grotty (2022)

Bill Can: Hot & Normal from Bootleg 2 (2024)

Jerome is the founder of the band M01E, and of UBC Cry Club, which took place weekly, at one point, at the Fraser River Parkade at UBC. Cry Club started in 2021 and continued, usually weekly, for a couple of years, and then less frequently. It is unrehearsed and open to participation from everyone who attends. Cry Club is on hiatus but hopefully will return.

This conversation was recorded on April 1st, 2025.

Venues visited: UBC Cry Club @ Fraser River Parkade.

Other venues discussed: The Emergency Room, Pit Pub, SUB Ballroom, Red gate, Take Your Time, Grey Lab, Under the Bridge.

This episode features the following music:

M01E: Make Space from The New Youth (2025)

UBC Cry Club: VOLUME - Kit, Hansen, Jerome - October 15, 2021 (From UBC CRY CLUB 2021-2022 哭中作乐 / best consumed at volume: 60% - 100% )

UBC Cry Club: DRUM - Sarth, Rafe, Jerome - July 22, 2022 From UBC CRY CLUB 2021-2022 哭中作乐 / best consumed at volume: 60% - 100%)

Lisa Marr played bass and sang in the beloved Vancouver band Cub. She started by playing in the Evaporators. She continues to play music, make films, and do all kinds of other art and activism. This conversation was recorded on January 28th 2025.

Venue visited: Cub House (1992-1997) at 837 west 19th Avenue.

Other venues discussed: Pop, Studio J, the Cruel Elephant, the Commodore, Notorious, the Arts Club, the Malcolm Lowry Room, the Starfish Room, Powell Street Festival, Hastings Community Centre.

Musicians mentioned: Neko Case, Hard Rock Miners, Sebadoh, Rancid, They Might be Giants, DOA, Maow, the Smugglers, Modernettes, Pointed Sticks, the Bombshells, Coal.

This episode features the following music:

Cub: My Chinchilla from Betti-Cola (Mint 1993?)

Lisa Marr: A Bit of a Fight (2020)

The Beards: Sidewalks from Funtown (Sympathy For the Record Industry 2002)