Sound of Kuduro Knocking At Your Door...

Last minute Saturday night plans can either be awesome or awful.
This Saturday's were AWESOME.

Some of my friends mentioned that a group called Buraka Som Sistema was going to be playing at the Biltmore, and I elected to go after watching the video (linked below).

First of all...the DJ that was spinning before the show, was amazing. Songs from Jock Jams, Big Shiny Tunes 3, Dance Mix '96...and remixes of Bill Nye The Science Guy and Power Rangers theme songs...How can you go wrong?

Buraka Som Sistema was pretty incredible, Blaya was a giant ball of energy and man can she dance.

I've put the photos up here: www.mcavoy.ca/BurakaSomSistema Check them out while listening to their song Sound of Kuduro

Here are a few:

"Thats Playoff Hockey"

I hear that phrase abut 25 times a day. Maybe that's because I'm watching as many games as I can...some are amazing and others are very boring, but hockey up to 3 times a day and starting at noon here?...I'm in heaven.

I am making this post because I want you to watch these videos if you haven't already.
All three are hilarious, but the "Don't date within the division" one is my favourite:

Guestlists!

Yesterday I was on two guestlists...I felt special.

First stop of the day (yes, day. 1pm in the afternoon on a Tuesday) I went to the Vancouver Magazine 20th Annual Restaurant Awards.
I have to say...it was amazing.

I took a few photos with my G9, but I was very content to not have to work and actually enjoy myself and schmooze.
Here is one of the most incredible desserts I've ever seen/eaten:

It is a tiramisu shooter...with a birds nest of spun sugar. So good.

Next stop (after managing to give myself an awful blister) was to the Media Club for a sold out show that Nat Jay was opening. I even got two special badges/stickers saying I was her photographer.
Nat was great as always and played her "gutsy" set-list and the crowd was excellent.
Here are a few shots:

My First Recording Session...

I was asked by my lovely friend Elisa to come to Blue Wave Studio and take some photos of Niko Friesen recording drum tracks for Adrienne Pierce.
It was a long but fun afternoon and I even found time to make a time lapse video of some of it.
Here are the photos: www.mcavoy.ca/bluewave

And here's the video:

I loves me some...

Anna Hassard

Illustrate Moore and Sueme Now!

:)

I miss the art scene in Toronto.
Thus I am VERY excited for my week there during CONTACT fest. in May.

In the meantime my friends Scott Sueme and Colin Moore are part of a show at El Kartel on Robson Street.

100 Artists and 100 Works of art.

I won't go into detail about the standing-in-line-panic-attack that I had, but when I got back over there the 2nd time it was great.
Here are my mom photos and a group shot...go check the show/store out!:

The 1 Degree of Robert Pattinson

My lovely lovely friend Adaline just alerted me to the fact that a photo of mine just went international...haha

This amazing girl's life has exploded after crazy press on her encounter with Robert Pattinson (well deserved press) and E! Tv's "Daily 10" (which give 10 entertainment headlines) featured the whole thing.

The photo they used was from the Prettiest Face In Town's show that I shot. (I love all of them).

Here's the photo they featured and the video embedded:

Rob on the Daily Ten 4-3-09

And Like A Ghost, I'll Be Gone...

Nat Jay: "What are your plans for tomorrow night?"
Me: "Nothing, why?"
Nat: "We're going to Beyonce."
Me: "Okay."

I was more excited then that (in fact I did a little "Single Ladies" dance for her).
Yay connections!

So my first trip to GM Place was NOT for a hockey game, but to see Sasha Fierce herself.
First thoughts still landed on hockey though:
-Why is there only one size beer.
-I love sippy cup lids.
-Where is the out of town scoreboard?
-This makes me miss the ACC so much!

I went into the show with NO expectations, not owning any Beyonce albums (but knowing several songs, and of course growing up with Destiny's Child) and she actually blew me away.

The highlight for me was her all female band. I mean... 2 drum kits and percussion, 2 keyboardist, guitar, bass, backup singers, and a HORN SECTION!
I was in love.

Anyways. I approve.
Here are the photos:
www.mcavoy.ca/beyonce


PS. I managed to find a tv with the scored on it. Damn you Montreal. Damn you.

The After After After Party...

So Junofest weekend had to end sometime...and it went out with...a bang!

After a mini photoshoot in my front hall with the dolled up Nat Jay and her Juno dress, a few friends (including Sarah Sears! visiting from Toronto) and I attended the Fashion vs. Rock - David Suzuki Foundation Junofest/Fashion Week After Party. There was as much going on at the party as there is in it's name!

After about an hour outside in the cold (while security tried to figure out what they were doing) we headed into Storeyum on West Cordova in Gastown. I did a quick wander around to see what was going on...

The VIP Room (behind me in this photo are large windows into the main room. Later in the night there were tons of girls with their faces pressed against it looking in...):

Ed Robertson being interview:

George intro-ing David Suzuki:
David Suzuki talking about "Kevin" (referring to K-OS!):

An awesome painting that I would love to have, haha:


These are the extent of the photos that I took that night as I was highly distracted with the party. There were some very fun people there, including Brendan Canning from Broken Social Scene (he DJ'd in the back room)(we shared a "It's really hot in here" moment). K-OS played DJ in the main dance room (he smiled at me when we passed each other once). I ran into my friend Jean-Paul Maurice from the band Maurice and said hello! and Parker Bossley of Hot Hot Heat (the one who gave me the beer on Thursday) recognized me and broke my eardrum screaming "CHRISTINE!" into my ear and gave me a very wet kiss on the cheek.

The big news (I'm not too obsessed so it was mostly big news for everyone else) was when I was sitting on the couch in the VIP area nursing my tired feet/heels. I looked up to my right and standing beside me is none other than Robert Pattinson of Twilight fame (in MY mind he's Cedric Diggory first, vampire second). I smiled, waved and said "hi". He said "hi" back and I stuck out my hand told him my name and said it was nice to meet him.
I also told him that he met my friend Shawna last night but I don't think he could hear what I was trying to explain so I just smiled and let him sit on the couch.

The girls started freaking out in the main room, staring in the windows and everyone tried to rush into the VIP section, which got too crowded for me so I left and found the wonderful Vanessa Heins. We wandered back in the room shortly after, sitting on the same couch as some more of the Twilight cast and the very talented Sam Bradley.

After that story, I don't know what is left to say about the weekend except that my internal clock is still set to party-time and I'm having trouble falling asleep before 3am and am still waking up at 8am. At least I'm getting sleepy work done.

Thanks Junos! Come back soon.
-Christine