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!

2010-11-28: Creaking Planks at Cafe Montmartre

While we made some improbable new Portland friends at last month's Montmartre gig, we thought that we might like to stack the deck a bit and power-load the evening with an old friend -- Little Mountain Gallery arts godfather (which we'll in turn be shilling for Dec 10th at the Rickshaw) and incomparable comedic musical improviser Ehren Salazar. (4362 Main Street at 28th, by donation, 8-11 pm.)

2010-11-27: Creaking Planks at the Orange Party

In some form or another, East Vancouver has been seeing on-and-off Orange Parties (vs. mere lower-case orange parties) since approximately 1990, celebrating supreme orangitude by convening in orange buildings, wearing orange clothes, eating orange food, drinking orange drinks, swimming in orange hot tubs and listening to orange music. The Orange Art Society formed in 2002 and since then regular Orange Festivities have been well-known ("Why is everybody buying orange clothes this week?" asked Burcu, while those of us in the loop shared a wink) and loved among certain segments of East Van's Burner community, with representation from key members of the Fool's Society and frequently incorporating big noise from the Carnival Band.

This year, because life is too short to wear boring shoelaces, we are going to discover just how orange we can make our music. (We often play blue; the color wheel theory suggests that orange will be the opposite.)

As the party is taking place at a very orange private residence, it's not clear how much further we can disclose regarding the proceedings, but as a consolation for the tragically un-orange, our performance the following night is open to all!

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.

2010-10-30: Creaking Planks at Cafe Deux Soleils

Hot on the heels of our first costume ball of the season the night before, the jug band of the damned moves up the street (just a couple of blocks) to Cafe Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial Drive) to help raise some unruly spirits (from the remnants of the Parade of Lost Souls, no doubt) with the help of our delightfully dark friends Maria in the Shower and Jeff Andrew with his Crows at Midnight. 9 pm, $10.

2010-10-29: Creaking Planks play at Witches and Warlocks Critical Mass afterparty

What are you doing after this?

How about this?

Witches, warlocks and other Hallowe'en creatures that bump in the night, lend me your ear(wig)s! Our night to celebrate the powers of light and (mostly) the dark is nigh upon us! The cursedly Creaking Planks will begin the evening, after which Little Woo will alter the fabric of the space-time continuum, transporting us to "The Silent Kingdom" with shades of puppets.

The heresy of the Blackberry Woods will lead us into a Bacchanalian trance of dance madness, and the wizard known only as Timothy Wisdom will weave enchantments of endless motion until the late hours. Potions will be drunk and demon's gate spells will be cast.

The party rolls at the Grandview Legion Hall upstairs at 2205 Commercial Drive; admission is $10, or $8 if you arrive as part of Critical Mass. The carriages turn back into pumpkins at 2 am.

2010-10-24: Creaking Planks at Cafe Montmartre

The sun sets earlier and people enter an oasis of routine and everyday schedule between the end of summer and the start of holiday madness. Defying this so-called everydayness, the jug band of the damned takes to the Montmartre stage once again for the first time since May. By donation.