Boys love him. Girls love him. Gays love him. Straights love him. Unicorns, not so much. Glam synthpopster Diamond Rings is on a trajectory into the stratosphere of awesome. So of course Backstage Rider and photog extraordinaire Kris Krüg followed John O and his rising star…into the men’s bathroom.

Been a while since we’ve had a Top 11 (because our lists go right to 11). But this one’s from Toronto oddball Gregory Pepper/Common Grackle. The BackstageRider loves her some oddballs. So here’s an introduction, as well as his Top 11 TV Show Theme Songs.

Video debut from Sex With Strangers starring the band, an artist, lots of pretty paint colours and some FREAKY. You want to watch it because it’s slick.

In which you’ll find a gallery, some idioms and a set list from the October 29 reunion show at Venue in Vancouver featuring the original members of The Grapes of Wrath.

The 43,000 members (okay, not really) of Toronto’s “hip” “collective” Broken Social Scene managed two nights on the Wet Coast on October 13 and 14 at the Commodore Ballroom. We were there. Though we should have been in bed. Check the pics and words.

Full photo gallery from Caribou’s foray to Vancouver’s Wet Coast on October 3rd at Vogue Theatre. Lovely pics, if I do say so myself. Because I took them. Oh and the music? Wooshy wonderful.

The Backstage Rider somehow (okay we got there really early) ended up in the front row for Arcade Fire on September 28 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver. Check out the pics, read a few words and figure out how you’re going to be the one down in front the next time they come through your town.

Victoria’s Hot Hot Heat made it back to the West Coast on Sept 24 to play the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. For the numbers-inclined of you, they played 6 songs from their 1st (proper) album, 3 from their second, one from their third and a whopping 7 from their latest. So now you know.

What would summer be without a little Bocci? Ah bocci, the art of throwing small, heavy globes at each other across a lawn. And to make it more rock, let’s just add in Vancouver’s robot rockers Sex With Strangers, shall we?