Jim & Jules EP on repeat!
Guuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuys!!! I did it! I went out to a live show and it was freaking amazing!
Okay, also we got kicked out, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start from the beginning.
I found out there was a Battle of the Bands happening at The Horseshoe Tavern, you know, the legendary Horseshoe Tavern on Queen Street West in downtown Toronto? The place that’s basically a rite of passage for musicians performing in Canada?
I figured, where better to find great music that hasn’t made the airwaves yet than at the source? This would be the perfect place to go, take notes, and find the biggest new bands of tomorrow. The only problem was how to get there.
You see, I attend a prestigious all-girls boarding school with security. I might be here on a full scholarship, but the other girls here? Not so much. They come from rich families who actually care about where their daughters are at night. We won’t talk about mine (who don’t).
The first step to the plan was that Lucy and I had to figure out how we were going to get to Toronto. The plan was hatched. Lucy managed to design us fake IDs using the school’s card printer and sneaking in early in the morning before anyone was up. Honestly? That girl is a genius, and sometimes she scares me with what she’s able to do.
Next step was finding a way out of the school. We thought about physically sneaking out, but then what if we got caught? It’s cold outside, too, so there was no way we were walking up the long, frozen wilderness that is the school’s driveway. The ultimate course of action was to commit a double fakeout.
We told Lucy’s parents we were going on a field trip for school and needed her driver to take us there. We told the school we were spending the weekend at Lucy’s parents. By some stroke of luck, neither of them called one another, and boom! We had the perfect way to the city. What we didn’t plan, though, was how we were getting back. More on that soon.
One more thing, just before we left, while we were getting ready, I decided to make a change. I have this poster of Twiggy on my wall, and it’s been a while since I cut my hair (insert memory of terrible, rage-induced hair cutting a few years ago).
I gave Lucy a pair of scissors, and even though she was a bit nervous, she managed to give me a half-decent pixie cut! Honestly, I love it more than I thought I would. Plus, it’ll be easier to take care of.
[Photo of Yulia Chuck - January, 2003, in the snow with a fresh pixie cut and an excited smile]
We made it downtown just as the show was about to start. I was pretty nervous that the bouncer (if you ever read this, sorry about the deceit!) wasn’t going to accept our IDs, but he ended up letting us in. We got some beers and snagged a front-row spot in the checkerboard pit.
And then, something unexpected happened. The first band began to play, and it was a sound I’d never heard before. Boisterous, rolling drums. Electric, catchy guitar licks. A solid bassline. And then the lead singer began to sing. His voice was… scratchy and earthy and cracked every once in a while from youth. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mesmerising to me.
And this might sound weird, I don’t even know if I should type this, but I felt like he was looking at me while he sang. Maybe it was just the new haircut, or maybe I was seeing things, but I swear we made eye contact, and it made every lyric pop, like it was a personal concert just for me.
And then… Lucy threw up all over the floor and we got kicked out. Not for being underage, but for getting too drunk. I didn’t get to see the rest of the show, but I’m telling you guys, you NEED to keep an eye out for Jim & Jules.
They’re a young band from Leeds, England, and their sound is going to explode this year. Their name is a reference to the Francois Truffault film Jules et Jim, which is really funny if you have the chance to watch it. I’m just discovering French New Wave film and I’m loving it.
Just remember, when this band gets big, you heard it here first. I’ve been really enjoying reading all your comments, so please keep posting them! I love listening to the songs you send me and adding them to my burned CDs.
I’m working on university applications now and the thought of actually leaving this school and going it on my own is terrifying and exciting at the same time. I feel like I’ve been waiting to start my real life forever, and it’s just about time. Maybe one day I’ll look back on these days and miss being a teenager, but right now, it’s full steam ahead.
I am going to miss Lucy, most of all (she’s reading this over my shoulder, but I’m being serious). I hope we can stay connected when she goes to school in Montreal and I’m in Toronto.
Catch you next time!
P.S. Want to read them all? Sign Up to the mailing list and get a PDF of XOXO Chuck!
Commentaires