2012-03-29: Creaking Planks Conquer Cancer

Well, we must all do our part. Perhaps remorseful at their petrochemical contributions to our carcinogenic milieu, the hotly-disputed Enbridge corporation has, since 2008, also presented the annual Ride to Conquer Cancer, a fundraising bike ride. The Lunchgroup Heavy Industries consortium, including our own Daisy Jones-Locher, is participating in that ride and in the fundraising. To, er, fundraise for the fundraising, we are performing two sets of our best whimsical music at a benefit dinner at Amber Jack’s Tap House & Grill in Surrey (at 9850 King George Highway, or just next to the King George SkyTrain station.) Tickets are only $20, and include dinner! (You can also donate to their cause even if you aren't able to attend.)

(Fans of Daisy-Jones in her other musical incarnations are also invited to the 7:30 pm supper show at the Railway Club this Wednesday, Mar 14, to hear her latest project, The Inference.)

2011-10-30: A little supper music

The Organizing Centre for Social and Economic Justice (a mouthful, but you try saying "OCSEJ" -- actually, usually we call it just "the O.C.") is an eminently worthwhile local umbrella organization perhaps better known for its projects such as Food Security FACTS, Bitter Melons, People's Health Radio and the Vancouver chapter of the Bus Riders' Union. They aren't all for-profit ventures, and neither are we all of the time, so we're lending our strange musical taste to help fortify a fundraiser dinner they're throwing at the Heritage Hall Sunday, October 30th. We'll be sharing the stage with the female chorus The Larks, and everyone will be enjoying a North African dinner. Doors at 6, dinner at 7, music at 8:30. Individual tickets are $20 and costumes are encouraged! Further details over here on their site.

2011-04-08: Planks play at the Bootleggers' Ball

The jug band of the damned trades in our washtub bass for washtub gin (hm... tastes a bit... bassy!) at this speakeasy-themed benefit for the Vancouver Police Museum, "Vancouver's most arresting experience" (har har), celebrating their 25th anniversary. The museum itself is a very interesting piece of work, immortalizing our regional law enforcement AND lawlessness with all sorts of worrying evidence from local criminal acts throughout Vancouver's history. These folks also host the exciting "Sins of the City" walking tour, but I digress...

Friday night from 7 pm on, we'll be partying it up like it's 1939 at the Biltmore Cabaret (395 Kingsway) with the Vaudevillains squeezing the last drop of humour out of period material with their last gasps, and the easy-to-speak-about burlesque authorities Lola Frost, Darla DeVine and Lacey L'Amour.

Plus prizes galore from numerous generous sponsors! Tickets only available in advance! $40! More information at http://www.bootleggersball.ca/

It's gratifying to see how many folks over at Miss604, media sponsor of the show, agree that we're an excellent fit for its format. Wow, gosh! These people know about us! (Maybe they remember the coverage of our One Cool Word performance there?) In truth, we are an excellent fit for every format -- and any crying child who tells you otherwise is a dirty liar!

2011-04-02: Planks play at the Peculiar Poetry Cabaret!

You probably missed us March 12 playing an intimate acoustic living room set to celebrate a new line of Venus' vintage jewellery. That was too bad, but her works live on and you can find them online! Performances are ephemeral however, none more than poetry performances -- even the loudest among them often fly under the radar just outside the front door, while a jerk with a car stereo can be belt blocks away. Musicians, though, we straddle the line between poet and jerk, and tomorrow night we will be making a spirited ruckus on behalf of the quiet poets of page and slam, making our sound and fury to benefit the upcoming 1st annual Vancouver International Poetry Festival.

Joining us will be such mouthy titans as Al Mader, the minimalist jug band, as well as Barbara Adler of Fang and elder statesman of the harmonica beatbox C. R. Avery. Also on the bill are Lucia Misch, our friends in High Society, and even a very literary turn by our own Travis the Magician. (A wizard of words, perhaps?)

Admission runs on a sliding scale from $10-15.

2010-12-10: Planks play at Little Mountain Gallery FUN-raiser at theRickshaw

It's time to throw our weight behind a cause that's directly benefited us, the little Little Mountain Gallery where we've brought so many good times to so many. When the house falls, you can no longer call yourself a house band!

Denied its bread-and-butter, indie live music performance, by ossified regulations from No Fun City's Big Book of No Fun, the LMG is compelled to mount another fundraiser, charitably hosted by David Duprey at the Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings.)

Acts on the bill will include Zachary Gray (of the Zolas), Pineapple, Resorts, Dandi Wind and the SSRIs... along with the jug band of the damned, of course!

"THIS NIGHT WILL BE LIKE WASHING DOWN CAKE WITH MILK SHAKE..."

Your all-ages admission is a suggested $10 - $20 sliding scale fee but they want everyone to know that no one will be turned away!

2010-11-08: Planks play CoDev benefit at Spartacus with the Gram Partisans

The jug band of the damned joins forces with East Van's political folkies in the Gram Partisans, playing a benefit for CoDevelopment Canada. Spartacus Books, 684 E. Hastings, 8-10 pm, $10.

2010-08-12: Planks play Alex Cieslik's "Outside Access" art opening at the Little Mountain Gallery

Alex "Scruffy Bigbass" Cieslik, who once had a painting stolen while playing guitarrón with Planks at that fateful Rouge et Noir cabaret, hasn't been seen much in a Plankian context since our Gibsons visit of June '09... but does have a new body of visual work ready to present to the public's scrutiny at the old Little Mountain Gallery (195 E. 26th Ave.) we've all logged so many hours into propping up. It's been Quite Some Time (two and a half years?!) since the last time we played an art opening there, but these strange little gigs were positively fundamental in the development of the Creaking Planks. I highly recommend playing art openings on a regular basis to all new bands!

The exhibition runs from Thurs Aug 12th through Thurs Aug 26th; we will however only be performing there opening night.

2009-02-14: I ♥ Kitties - a night of cat-love

... Saturday, February 14th (yep, that's valentine's day)
... @ the Secret Location
... doors at 9pm
... show from 10pm onwards:
... performances by the creaking planks, manpuss, and others
... arts and crafts auction
... dance party featuring dj derivative and more
... entrance by donation

Sir Hobbes the Cat, the noble friend, roommate, attorney, confidant and stalwart of Vancouver nightlife passed away recently. He lived a long and uncompromising life and will live on in the hearts of those he knew as one of the most familiar, most admired, most beloved, and, without any doubt the most extraordinary of cats.

You are invited to a celebration for Hobbes and all cats: A night of performance, art auction, and dance party on February 14th at the Secret Location.

All proceeds go to help Mosa with her vet bills.

2009-01-16: Creaking Planks at Cafe Montmartre with Rick Keating

Last night, however well-received, was just a warm-up.  Friday night we plan to pull out everything we proudly displayed and more, with two full courses of Plankification sandwiching a very rare set by the host of the Thursday night open mic at the Little Mountain Neighborhood House, Rick Keating.  The man strums, he stomps, he puts up a godawful fuss.  And we love the bastard for it.  It's like a primer in Folk 101, skipping right past the student exercises and landing directly in a master class where they have learned to tune their instruments and stop whining.  Doors at 8, and we should be cooking by 9... by pass-the-hat donation, at Café Montmartre (4362 Main Street at 28th).

(Thanks to Leah Nilson for taking the photo at the bottom so long ago that has now ended up on two posters!)

Update: a Plank rump (sax, fiddle + squeezebox) drummed up business a bit the night before with appearances at the Little Mountain Neighborhood House open mic and a surprise revival of the Hidden Agenda series at the Little Mountain Studios, a benefit for Sweetie Pie Press.  Aren't their wares swell?

...

We were caught at that engagement also!

Photo by Mike David Hawley

2008-03-29: 2nd Annual Panty Parade presents a County Fair!

The Creaking Planks are proud to once again return to what is by now almost an unofficial home for them, the Secret Location, to contribute a performance at a Seamrippers fundraiser benefiting the Purple Thistle. Also on the bill are Coral & Emily Rose, AmberDawn, Tricksy and her Next Top Stud Contest, DJs Hi Def, Spook Silo, Pork 'n' Beans, plus our own Lee Shoal... as well as the long-rumoured square dancing, a pie-eating contest, a petting zoo and more! The Planks plan to go on no earlier than 11:30 pm, as a pack of 'em are hustling on over from UBC to play immediately following that evening's production of A Dybbuk! (... and a schizoid change of pace these easy-sleazy country-folk tunes will be, that's fer darn tootin'!)