I have a strange fascination with look-alikes. Not necessarily famous people, but 90% of the time. Usually actors or musicians. Shocker.
This habit has been pointed out several times as of late, so I thought it would make an entertaining blog post. Especially since it has pictures. People love pictures. I've also decided this is going to be a series, since I couldn't possibly fit them all in one post. So if you're not in this one, look out, you may be next. Also, I am not above using strategic pictures that may prove more convincing as a look-alike. That is my disclaimer. It's the nature of the beast.
I am going to start with my friend Ashlie - since she is my blogging guru and thought that this post was a great idea (before she knew she was in it). Ash get's compared to the adorable Natalie Dormer (aka Margaery Tyrell, Game of Thrones) a lot. The eyes definitely do it and the auburn hair helps.
I will get mine over with next since I'm foisting it on so many others. There is definitely an era-obvious trend.
(L to R) Tiffani-Amber Thiessen (post 'Saved by the Bell, circa 90210), Natalie Imbruglia (circa 'Torn' single), Nelly Furtado (circa 'Promiscuous'?), Me (Vegas)
Yeah, I don't see it either - I think in the 90's people just compared me to any olive-skinned blue-eyed brunette.
The person I got the most in high school was Suzanna Hoffs from The Bangles.
Back in tha'day I did resemble her, but the baton must be passed to my fabulous friend Kathy (Suzanna left).Her sister - my lovely friend Patricia-looks a lot like another singer
(Demi Lovato-left) - just a star-studded family they are!
Speaking of family, my cousin Kerri always used to get Mariah Carey. She thinks it's just the hair thing - I think it's more than that.
Okay, now it's time to pick on the boys. First up, my friend Justin and the dude from the show Whitney (aka comedian Chris D'Elia) - the character he plays on the show is identical to Justin in real life. They also both do the eyebrow thing.
My buddy JT (John) got his name because he look's like Justin Timberlake. He was christened with JT long before I came along so this one wasn't me. I'm assuming it's because he brought sexy back.
I'm sure people are tired of hearing me yammer on about how much Glenn (right) resembles indie-rock sensation Lou Barlow (left) [Dinosaur Jr, Sebadoh, Folk Implosion] - but I mean, c'mon! Even look alike sceptics cannot deny this one.
Last but not least my friend Mr. Scotty (right) and Fred Durst (left). I don't think any explanation is necessary for this one.
'It's all about the he said she said bullshit'.
Well,
I think I better quit, lettin' shit slip.
Come and get it.
Who do people say you look like? I'd love to know.
A self-ordained professor's tongueToo serious to foolSpouted out that libertyIs just equality in schoolEquality, I spoke the wordAs if a wedding vowAhh, but I was so much older thenI'm younger than that now - Bob Dylan Remember when you were young and turning 30 seemed ancient and you couldn't imagine turning anything older than that? Me too. [That's me in my Jim Morrison bedroom receiving a mixed tape, somewhere on the edge of seventeen...just like the white winged dove, sings a song sounds like she's singing...whoo baby whoo... say whoo]
I didn't blog the whole month of September, as I was busy distracting myself from one of these milestone type birthdays on the 7th. Sadly, it was not 30. It was, you know, the big one that comes after that. Here's a classic shot of me on my 19th birthday, in the corridor of my friends dorm. They decided to take pictures and laugh rather than help me up. Those were the days.
In true Jdub fashion I started celebrating August 26th when my fabulous twin cousins threw me a mexican fiesta. It was backyard boozy chill time awesomeness. This pic of us is actually from my bday shindig a couple years back, but I love it. The following weekend was one of my bucket-list items - birthday celebration in Montreal via Via Rail (thank goodness, as I stayed up all night Thursday galavanting and drunk packing, always a good idea). I'd never been and it seemed like the perfect excuse. It also gave me a chance to check off another bucket list item - male strip club! Yup, we sure did. My girls Ashlie and Jenn came with, and they had never been either - it was all coming together. You know those trips that are just perfect from beginning to end? This was one of those trips. Poutine upon arrival, Hotel was spectacular (Opus), fancy dinner at KoKo and ending with Le 281, striptastic! [Here is a pre-going out shot on Friday night - clearly a self-pic as I got ditched for taking too long] Saturday was spent wandering around old Montreal, a little Shwartz's famous smoked meat (and giant pickle), sooooo good! Factory for drinks and appys, then off to see The Cult at The Metropolis! Sidebar - Jenn's cousin's band just happened to be opening for them the night we were there - guest list y'all! Here we are in the crowd enjoying the band and some cocktails. Sunday morning left just enough time for a little petit dejeuner, and we were back on the train. Absolute perfection from beginning to end. Ash just wrote an amazing blog that does the trip way more justice than I did, check it out here! She used several of my pics, so at least I helped a little. So when it came time for my actual birthday and I realized I was really turning 40, I wasn't feeling quite as festive as my 'pretend' birthday. Now it was real. It was really happening. I was turning 40, and no amount of 'you still look 27's was gonna change that fact. As it turns out, the anxiety was much worse than the event itself. I had me some lobster and went and saw my friends play a gig, a pretty fab evening all around. The next night was when the majority of drinking took place at the White Cowbell Oklahoma show at Call the Office. Wore me a new party dress and some platform boots and gave that night hell - good times indeed!
Sunday involved a fabulous dinner at the folk's house, spoiled like crazy. If that wasn't enough, my best friend Lucey made me tie-dyed bday cupcakes - amazing! This would be more than enough for any normal person, right? Yeah, I'm ridiculous. I've made peace with it. It's part of my charm really. So, the following Thursday I go see Kiss and Motley Crue at the Molson Ampitheatre in Toronto. Not ironically. I had been to a lot of metal shows in my youth, but had somehow missed both of these bands. Motley Crue was just okay, but Kiss did not disappoint - everything I wanted them to be and more. Here we are in the crowd with happy happy faces. Incidentally I got carded twice at this event. Life is good. I took the following day off and headed to my super-happy place - the Sandpiper cabins - for our annual Port Franks weekend. It was a game show theme this year - hilarity and good times ensued. There was beach blanket Hollywood Squares and a Match Game reenactment that you'd have to see to believe. Look. See. I have some pretty rad friends.
So what can I say, turning 40 was pretty fabulous after all. I have an amazing family, amazing friends and an amazing life. I love you all. Positive vibes all around. I will end with a song that summarizes my life thus far - I think in a good way. Learning is growing, and sometimes you have to take the road less travelled. Lyrics listed after the video. Enjoy :D PeaceandLove, Jdub
I make the same mistakes
Feels like I never learn
Always give way too much
For little in return
I haven’t changed a bit
I’m still not over it
I make the same mistakes
I make the same mistakes
I…
I never did grow up
Feels like I never will
My friends are all adults
I’m still a teenage girl
I haven’t changed a bit
I’m still not over it
I make the same mistakes
I make the same mistakes
I…
My friends are all a drag
They think I’m such a flake
They want to go to bed
I want to stay up late
Walking the streets alone
Thinking of you till dawn
I make the same mistakes
I make the same mistakes
I…
I never did grow up (I make the same mistakes)
Feels like I never will (Feels like I never learn)
My friends are all adults (Always give way too much)
I’m still a teenage girl (For little in return)
I haven’t changed a bit (I haven’t changed a bit)
I’m still not over it (I’m still not over it)
I make the same mistakes
I make the same mistakes
I…
I make the same mistakes (My friends are all a drag)
Feels like I never learn (They think I’m such a flake)
Always give way too much (They want to go to bed)
For little in return (I want to stay up late)
I haven’t change a bit (Walking the streets alone)
I love hearing people's best and worst list of anything. It's my grown up version of asking your favourite colour. Starting pretty basic with songs of all time. Not by genre, or decade or tv theme songs or life changing moments. I'm sure those will make an appearance in volumes to come. Just songs that you love and songs that you loathe. This is going to be a challenge for me, as I sub-categorize everything, but here goes. We'll begin with the worst, they are always more fun. Clearly there are hundreds more, but this is a fine start. I went with the songs I am known for hating. I have a flair for gracefully sharing opinions. It's a gift.
WORST #5 Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down AKA rhyming 101. You stumbled in and bumped your head, if not for me then you'd be dead. Barf. I'm not sick, but I'm not well...oh wait, that's the next one. #4 Flagpole Sitta - Harvey Danger Paranoia, Paranoia everybody's coming to beat you. There's a reason no one's saluting. Now your an amputee. Goddamn you. #3 Possum Kingdom - The Toadies Yup. I wanna die. So help me, Jesus. #2 We Built This City - Starship Oh how the mighty did fall. Ms. Slick, from White Rabbit to this? Don't blame the hookah smoking caterpillar. Corporation games indeed. Is the decade really enough of an excuse? Go ask Alice.
#1 [with a bullet] Banditos - The Refreshments Ick. There aren't enough words to describe how much I loathe this song. Everybody knows, that the world is full of stupid lyrics. Yeah, that seems fair.
Zero (*Honourable Mention*) - The Marineland theme AKA the bane of my existence. Nails on a chalkboard, sprinting for the remote to mute/change the channel type hatred. Worst.Thing.Ever.
Now the best. This was almost impossible to get down to five. I tried to start with songs (records) that had some major impact on my life. Specific genres that represent moments in time and such. It helped a little I guess but I have to finish this post, so here goes.
BEST #5 Paranoid - Black Sabbath This song is just pure riffy, heavy goodness...and memories. Can you help me, occupy my brain? Oh yeah. Forever and always. #4 Head On - The Jesus and Mary Chain This song fills me with pure unbounded joy. Seeing it live this year for the first time made me the happiest girl in the world. Makes you wanna feel, makes you wanna try.. Makes you wanna blow the stars from the sky. Yeah it does. #3 Pass the Mic - Beastie Boys One of my favourite bands of all time. Words cannot express how much I love them. They are pure magic that can never be duplicated. If you can feel what I'm feelin', then it's a musical masterpiece. Indeed.
#2 Don't Think Twice, It's Alright - Bob Dylan How do you you pick just one Dylan song? I chose this one mainly because it's the most elegantly phrased fuck you exit to a relationship I've ever heard. "Goodbye's too good a word, babe. So I'll just say fare thee well". Yup. "You just kinda wasted my precious time". Brilliant. #1 Purple Rain - Prince This song (and movie) represents my childhood and is beyond sentimental. Once I saw it in the theatre, it was all over. I bought the soundtrack and VHS tape and played them both endlessly. I finally saw him play this live (as the third song of his set no less) just last year in my hometown. Mere blocks away from the theatre I first saw it in. It was a full on epic encore worthy version. Everything I thought it would be and more. I openly wept. No joke. So there you have it. Agree, disagree? What are your top fives? I want'em all. I'll settle for three. Or best and worst. Whatever you got, I wanna know. Pretty please? PeaceandLove,Jdub
So you live in London, want a night of pints, funky-folky cover tunes and don't know where to go? Conundrum! Fear not my local friends, I have some recommends for you. I'm a firm believer that weekends start on a Thursday night. I mean, it's pretty much the end of the week anyway right? It makes the actual weekend feel longer and Friday's are almost always slack-ish. It just makes good sense. To commence your Thursday evening festivities, look no further than the magical Poacher's Arms for the fabulous Fairmonts! They are a guitar and djembe duo with some sweet harp and vocals, and a little mando for good measure. Justin and Scotty serve up all sorts of folky-rock goodness for your entertainment pleasure including CCR, The Stones, Dylan, The Band and Wilco (to name a few).
Wanna funk up your Friday nights? Make your way down to Barney's Lounge (yes, it has an 'inside') and check out a little Samurai Night Fever (formerly The Danslingers)! Justin, Dan and Ryan deliver the groove like nobody's business. Sexy jams, slammin' bass and gorgeous harmonies. What more could you ask for really? If you feel like shakin' your tail feather, or even rockin' the table sway, electric slide down to the Lounge for a fistful of funk. You'll be glad you did. Sidebar: In the summertime, when the weather is cooperating, SNF rocks the patio instead from 5ish to 8ish. A little somethin' for everyone.
Speaking of options, if you're feelin' some 90's nostalgia, The Spoonmenhave got you covered (see what I did there). This delightful trio rock the Poach on select Fridays (check listings here) and make you yearn for simpler - pre-internet, mp3, smart phone - times. Scotty, Glenn and Sherk kick out the classics and unplug them, in true 90's fashion. If this wasn't enough, Glenn bears an uncanny resemblance to my fave low-fi indie rocker Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Folk Implosion, Dinosaur Jr), so that in itself is worth checking out. This may be the only reason I forgive him for covering Banditos.
If that wasn't enough Friday night goodness, check out Rock'n'Roll monthly at Scot's Corner for some straight up jams. Scotty even breaks out the kit for this one, Danny gets all Manzarek on the keys, with Pat and Clay providing the sweet sweet solos. Ten minute renditions of Grapevine and Blue Sky, ohhhh yes, it's enough to make my hippie heart skip a beat.
Missed the Fairmonts on Thursday? Not to worry. Saturday nights they're rockin' Barney's Lounge 'til Scotty's hair turns grey. This venue lends itself to dance floor groovin' quite nicely, and I highly recommend it. I hope this has been a helpful tool to guide your 'nothing to do' weekends into something fabulous to do. As always, thanks for reading and supporting local music! PeaceandLove,Jdub
"Now, the making of a good compilation tape is a very subtle art. Many do's and don'ts. First of all, you 're using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing". [Rob Gordon, High Fidelity (2000)] I am admittedly obsessed with the film High Fidelity and reference it whenever and wherever I can. It is my 'Lebowski', to be sure.
High Fidelity was released during the last gasp of the 'mixed tape', just one of the many reasons I adore it so. Watching Rob Gordon pontificate on the making of a good 'mixed CD' just wouldn't be the same.
I was pretty obsessive about making mixed tapes growing up, as the cassette format posed many challenges that no longer exist. Do you add that last song at the end to avoid dead air, even though you know it will cut off in the middle? I always did. I even had special short songs that I would recycle for this purpose, usually of the Sebadoh or Cub variety. This was particularly helpful when the cassette player had the 'auto-flip' function. Does anyone else miss the sound of the 'tone' at the beggining of a cassette? The youth of today just don't know what they missed. Let's take a moment and remember.
Is it mixed tape or mix tape? I've always said mixed tape and the urban dictionary concurs, clearly it's never wrong. I loved making mixed tapes growing up and was pretty compulsive about it, but that is for another post. What about the times when you are super lazy and you just want someone to make the mix for you? Soundtracks! Fill your iPod with a bunch of random soundtracks and voila, no shuffle required! It's a beautiful thing. My last post was about favourite music movies and of course there will be several duplicates on my list. The Last Waltz, High Fidelity, Almost Famous, Empire Records, Purple Rain, Grease, The Doors, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Velvet Goldmine, Rocky Horror Picture Show, This is Spinal Tap... I could go on and on. However, a lot of my faves come from non-music based movies. There is nothing better than watching a movie for the first time and hearing a perfect obscure song, just in the background...yeah, it's the little things. Garden State, Juno, Dazed and Confused, The Big Lebowski, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, (500) Days of Summer, Singles, Adventureland, Reality Bites, Pulp Fiction...again, tip of the iceberg my friends. Let's pause a moment and enjoy the delightful wonder that is Zach Braff, The Only Living Boy in New York.
I love movies in general, but music films are definitely my favourite and the most common of my DVD purchases. I'll only buy films I can watch over and over again, and I find this genre lends itself to this quite nicely.
Movies about music just seem to draw me in, in a more compulsive or sentimental way. I mean, who doesn't think about the bus scene in Almost Famous every time they hear Tiny Dancer?
