Good morning everyone! For the next few hours you'll be hearing The Craig Norris Hour’s Listener Co-Host Initiative with me!, Christine McAvoy. I know what you're thinking: How is Christine awake and able to record this? Well I'm in Ontario for September so I thought I'd pop in and see Craig while I was in Toronto!
Here are the bullet points of my life: - lived my first 18 years in Port Colborne, Ontario - picked up my first camera in 1994 at Disney Land. It has Mickey Mouse on it. I still have it. - moved to Toronto in 2003 to attend Ryerson University [Photography Studies] - graduated in 2007 and spent a year working in the city. - moved to Vancouver in 2008, where I now attempt to be a freelance photographer and shoot for things like Vancouver Magazine AND am the indie music editor for VancouverIsAwesome.com (Hi Bob!)
So how did I come to be here? Sitting in the (other) Radio 3 recording studio, about to talk about indie music? I blame Said The Whale. I made it through my punk music/garage band/jazz band days in high school and started fresh at university; I met a boy and was reintroduced to Hawksley Workman, sucked into Skyscraper National Park and fell head over heels for Gord Downie/The Hip. But most importantly, I met the boy's friends, who just so happened to also play music, and seven years later their songs are on national radio stations, in commercials and on Jersey Shore. Kind of a big deal. Life really changed when Said The Whale came to Toronto for NXNE in 2007 and stayed in our apartment for several weeks. That same festival I met Lotus Child, Hey Ocean and Dan Mangan for the first time and was hooked. I moved to Vancouver in '08 and knew no one, except musicians.
Naturally my camera and I went to shows and parties, and I befriended even more wonderful and talented people. ..until roughly 95% of my friends in Vancouver were musicians. Here are some in alphabetical order: 41st and Home, Adaline, Adrian Glynn, Aidan Knight, Analog Bell Service, Bend Sinister, Brasstronaut, Cary Pratt, Cory Woodward, The Crackling, David Newberry, Debra Jean Creelman, DRMHLLR, Elias, Gord Grdina, Hannah Georgas, Hannah Epperson, Henry and the Nightcrawlers, James Lamb, Jasper Sloan Yip, Jody Glenham, Laura Smith, Maurice, Nadia von Hahn, Nat Jay, The Racoons, Sara Ciantar, Shad, Shane Koyczan, Steph Macpherson, Sun Wizard, Sweetheart, Tariq, The Zolas, Top Less Gay Love Tekno Party, Vince Vaccaro, We Are The City...I think I covered most of them.
Now to Radio 3. I don't remember what prompted me to log on, nor when my first comment on the blog was made. All I know is that since then I have met many excellent people. (Grant, Lana, Lisa, Tariq, Chris, Brent...you rock). My nerds, the YVR3, have given me 267 nicknames, many memorable evenings and make damn good drinking buddies. Oh, and thanks to my newest friend, Craig for having me on today! SO! On to the show...do I get a blog question? Hmm...okay... If you could be best friends with one Canadian musician, who would it be and why?