Spectacular Optical Book One: KID POWER!

Check this! I wrote on Stinky from the Abbott and Costello show for this book: "Spectacular Optical Book One: KID POWER! The 1st edition of Kier-La Janisse's book series of themed film writing anthologies, this time covering cult kid's TV & film, has a brand-new Kickstarter Campaign with perks including tix to Fantasia (Montreal), tix to CineFamily (LA), badges to Fantastic Fest (Austin), Kier-La and Canuxploitation's Paul Corupe programming a festival IN YOUR HOUSE (Toronto), Jacob Two-Two "Child Power!" T-shirts, and a frickin' KENNY skateboard designed by Jay Shaw (Death Waltz album covers). Only $15 to get the KID POWER book with our Indiegogo campaign! We have 30 DAYS starting today! Essays and interviews by me, Paul Corupe, Zack Carlson, Cheryl Singleton, Bret Berg, Owen Williams, Chris Alexander, Robin Bougie, Robert Dayton, Jesse Hawthorne Ficks, Briony Kidd, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Craig Martin! Topics from Canada, the US, Australia, the UK and beyond! Everything from ABC Afterschool Specials to horror-kid Nicoletta Elmi!"

VALLOWEEN

Oh hi. Grrrreat news …for me and those who have to be around me. I am 99 percent free of allergies, thanks to being on allergy shots the past few years! It worked and I am a much more bearable person to be around - I think. I still have bad sinus problems when there is rain (sorry Vancouver) and barometric pressure changes but it worked! IT WORKED!

 I will be in Toronto performing as The Canadian Romantic on Saturday, February 15th at Double Double Land (209 Augusta, alleyway then up the stairs).

Info here:
We have decided to throw a different kind of Valentines party. One that combines:
-Romance (which with everything said above, we are very into)
-Satanic and darknessvibes
-General horror themed spookiness
-Prom night (Like that Jamie Lee Curtis one)

The night's itinerary includes:
-A very special performance by Toronto’s own man about town The Canadian Romantic
-Eerie & sulty projections by Brandon Dalmer

-Ultra fun dance party, with all vinyl vallo-wave-weirdness provided by Omega Cat & Co. (June Records dudes)
-HEARTBREAKER Pinata’s filled with candy and condoms (cuz yeah) created by B.L.O.T.
-COSTUME CONTEST trophies made by Vanessa Rieger.
(prizes also include t-shirts & vinyl courtesy June & Pleasence Records)
-Magical decorations & photo booth dripping in romantical oozyness by Simon Schlesinger & Sarah Kilpack with photos by Sarah Bodri

‡ ‡ ‡ ♥ ♥ ♥ Adv Tix ♥ ♥ ♥ ‡ ‡ ‡
Advance tickets available from Monday Feb 3rd at June Records cash only, guaranteed entry + first refreshment $8.

 Check this great poster, I think Julia Dickens made it:

up to dayton

I should really get a website going. No really. so all my music, performance, pen and ink, writing projects are easily findable, hell, even a CV so I look 'legit' or whatever that word is.
I just got an Instagram. therobertdayton
Go find me. same as my Twitter
https://twitter.com/therobertdayton
Mostly jokes and things that spur me, move me, fascinate.
Oh, and The Canadian Romantic winking pics are back in stock at Magic Pony, Likely general, if you are a store and want to carry them, drop me a line. They are on my etsy as well.
Just made some more vids, hopefully up in coming months.
Julian cope compared to a band to July fourth Toilet...after 20 years we made it, ha ha!
Check:
http://www.headheritage.co.uk/addressdrudion/170/

Wow, this year is our 20th anniversary! Since we played the  artschool ball hockey tournament. And now I am back in art school ! whoah!
Hainey said some kind words here as well about me, love that sweety:
http://weirdcanada.com/2014/01/featurette-retrospective-weird-canada-2013/

No images today, tired eyes.

Juul Haalmeyer: THE MOVIE campaign

My talented pal Erin is making a doc on Juul Haalmeyer , the incredible costume designer for SCTV, Codco, The Alice Cooper "Welcome To my Nightmare" special and much more! He also was the leader of SCTV"s Juul Haalmeyer dancers who deeply inspired Canned Hamm. She has started an indie-go-go campaign, feel free to spread the link below, check out the vid (music by Big Hamm of Canned Hamm):
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/juul-haalmeyer-the-movie


IMPULSE! Shatner! An appreciation.

I have no gumption today, drained from both last night's show and today's rain here in Lonelytown...so much to do, but bureaucratic red tape (I can't remember my password) and lack of inclination drive me back. I feel...alone. Where is my IMPULSE? Oh, here it is...check it out, I did it for the wonderful site Spectacular Optical and the link leads to the full movie! Read then watch! SHATNER at his most intense! This was a joy to write. I am also doing something for Spectacular Opticals' very first book on Kid Power. Excitement.
LINK HERE:
http://www.spectacularoptical.ca/2013/11/impulse-an-analysis-by-the-canadian-romantic-robert-dayton/


The Canadian Romantic in Toronto and waterloo/Roctober Review

Check it, review I wrote for Roctober of that great act Zacht Automaat:
http://roctoberreviews.blogspot.ca/2013/10/zacht-automaat-st.html

(GUEST REVIEW BY ROBERT DAYTON) (Calico Corp) Paint if you will a picture of a band that’s recorded 11 albums of material that you need to hear.  They heard a new world as well and they heard it prolificallaexpiallidociously. Here’s some magick mmmoments from those albums made accessible as a double LP, limited edition 333 copies (plus a CDR of other stuff, plus download code). Distill it, shake it up, and double up. The front sleeve initializes the name of Zacht Automaat. ZA it says, but it ain’t the PIZ or the PITS, it’s a PARTY, an ever shifting moody party with a ring that fits just right! Mostly organ/synth and drums with other instruments careening in and out. Sounds of science coming to fluid fruition, all organic like, processionals, cartoon free jazz liberation marches, feather s falling, seaside strolls under a Chroma key mountain, song titles like "Reprise Surprise/Brief Resolution." Gawwwd, this ain’t a big pot of soup stretching out to simmer, it’s a grab bag, a bursting box of chocolates, and they’re all winners, there is that Soft Machine influence, but just before they turned to wank fusion, and c’mon guyyyyys, it’s just one of many leaping off points, and they don’t just look, they touch, it ain’t no doppelgang, but I must say, at times they sound like actual soft machines, not the band, but actual soft machines! It’s really alive! You know something, I once went to New York City in search of the last automat, I really wanted a fully vended meal in an establishment of stainless steel, and couldn’t find it, it was gone, I was empty handed with an empty stomach but, here all along was Zacht Automaat -in Canada no less! Hooray!

 The Canadian Romantic is playing Friday night at double Double Land opening for Marty Topps album release tribute to Tap out clothing. WOW! @10 pmListen to him for free here!
http://martytopps.bandcamp.com/

 Then saturday Nov 16th opening for B.A. Johnston at the Jane Bond in waterloo. 10 pm!

 Saw the cronenberg exhibit, check it:

Points Gray updates....

The Points Gray album is now up on Bandcamp, check it:
 http://pointsgray.bandcamp.com/album/offshore
 If you get the actual vinyl it has a lovely cover that I painted, teriffic liner notes by Kevin "Sipreano" Howsthere's also a download code and an art & lyric booklet by me and Julian Lawrence printed with blue ink on grey paper at Colour Code. 500 copies!!! 
I am doing this totally D.I.Y. (not by choice) so because I have no muscle or backing or payola getting any reviews has been tough, and I want people to hear it, so spread the word!
In Vancouver it is also available at Neptoon, Red Cat, AudioPile, Dandilion, and more!
In Toronto it is at June, Soundscapes, LP's LPs, Kops, LIkely General, and more (It is NOT at Rotate This of course)!
You can order it and Balls Boogie through Tedium House/Revolver distribution who are the best:
http://www.tediumhouse.com/artists/points-gray
http://www.tediumhouse.com/artists/july-fourth-toilet

Recommended for people who enjoy music.
The Canadian Romantic winking photos are still available on Etsy, at Magic Pony, Likely General and Eyesore, Luckys in Vancouver and White Tiger in Kitchener!

Toronto Friday/ Kitchener:PING PONG HALF TIME SHOW Sunday

NEW HORIZZZONS is playing Fri nite show at The Silver Dollar in Toronto! All proceeds go to the production of MINOR, a rock n' roll road movie and a love letter to the teenage dream. Saffron sect, Ostrich tuning, Tess Parks, and ELISSA MIELKE and DJs CHRISTIAN HAMILTON and AJ FRICK
Tickets are $8.50 in advance at SOUNDSCAPES and ROTATE THIS. 9 pm?
Then on Sunday at The Eby Street Car Park, Kitchener Farmers Market. Come join us for the event of the fall season! 

Half-time show by New Horizzzons! (app. 3 pm) Music by DJ X-Disc-C! Yeti BBQ! And hours of top-notch ping pong! 

How to register
If you would like to play, registration will open at 12:30pm on the day of the tournament, in the car park, on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Further details at theyeticafe.com/pingpong

Paddles and balls will be provided but feel free to bring your own paddle if you so desire.

Good luck! Have fun!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQDL3_WrV4o
http://www.therecord.com/news-story/2611160-market-neighbours-get-ball-bouncing-with-ping-pong-tournament/

Roctober #51...plus UK Points Gray review....

I have a huge Sweet daddy Siki (wrestler/country artist) interview in the new Roctober and you can even see him hanging out on the cover with Neil Hamburger, Tiny Tim and the Chipmunks (I also wrote some Chipmunks updates). As well July Fourth Toilet/Points Gray bandmate Julian Lawrence has a comic about getting turned on to K-Tel's Nutty Numbers. From the description: "A massive issue from Roctober this time around – filled with a wealth of information on unusual novelty and comedy records – plus lots of other odd vinyl too! There's a huge amount of interviews here – with Jimmy Lynch The Funky Tram, Mr Lee, Neil Hamburger, Dave Alvin, Dr Demento, The 1985 Chicago Beras, Rappin Duke, and others – plus bits on Richard Pyror, Pedro Bell, Brother Dave Gardner, Andy Kaufman, and Jack White's Third Man Records – plus a massive stand up records discography, and loads lots more! Massive reviews and other bits too – and easily the best musical bang for your magazine buck."
Order here:
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/671689



UK site Terrascope ran an interesting review of The Points Gray LP (available here: http://www.tediumhouse.com/artists/points-gray or at good stores in Vancouver, Toronto and more). Here's the review:

originally recorded in 1999 but not released until now “off Shore” by Vancouver based Points Gray, although they played live as AIDS, has an undeniable power in its lo-fi Folk Noire ramblings. A voice all its own that will either enthral you or grate with you, I can't imagine much in between. Personally, it has a taken a couple of plays before my ear tuned in, but I am glad it did, as songs such “Echo Power” and “People  Hate You In This Town” contain the same sardonic lyricism as The Velvets whilst being oddly constructed in a Syd Barrett, Skip Spence kinda way. Featuring future members of Wet Dirt, July 4th Toilet, and The New pornographers, the music is acoustic, reasonably free-form and is more uneasy than easy listening, although there are hidden depths to be discovered, pockets of beauty and a strange sense of stillness at its core. Limited to 300 copies, with a hand-drawn lyric booklet plenty of information on the cover, this is an excellent package that preserves a little slice of musical history.

The New Pornographers

Seeing The New Pornographers at CNE on Saturday brought back serious memories, a whole lot of 'Oh yeahhhh, I forgot about that!' including  this funny video where we were all puppeteers for the band, excuse my ill-advised beard flirtation.....I also ate some deep fried coca cola. Afterwards John Collins and I discussed the amazing qualities of the underdocumented 90s Vancouver music scene (ie. an insanely  pivotal 3 Day Stubble/Evaporators gig from 1992, I made the flier and probably have it wayyy deep in a dresser drawer somewhere) that stretched into the 2000s, damn, gets me thinking, hmmmm.