A day of errands.

I needed to see The Bitter Ash (1963) again, as well as check on the availability of two other films for my contribution to the Vancouver Art Gallery’s February 2011 We: Vancouver exhibition, so off I went to Videomatica, where I was told that both That Cold Day In the Park (1968) and Skip Tracer (1977) are unavailable, but we have The Bitter Ash, Mr Turner, plus your membership has expired.

Since I was in the area I walked the two blocks west to see what was happening at the newly-opened Sitka Books & Art, curious about the art part, and whether they had a copy of the new Keith Richards auto, Life. As for the art, I asked the clerk where it was and he pointed to a small window display, “courtesy” of the Craft Council of B.C. Yikes! If they want to make an art statement, replace the knick knacks with Linda J. Barry.

While walking back to my car I spied a couple of Zulu Records employees staring dispassionately out the window, their faces dead to everything but their own impeccable taste. Rising to the challenge, I walked across the street, eventually settling into their Top-Ten listening post. There, I sampled new music by Brian Eno, Kathryn Calder, Neil Young, Arcade Fire, before deciding on two discs, the first by Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti (Before Today), the second by my new favorite band, Sonny & the Sunsets (Tomorrow Is Alright).