off the bus

Well, this blog isn’t exactly paying the bills. So I’m considering property development as a sideline.

My first proposal is to construct a 210-storey condo building across the street from Parliament Hill. I am aware of clearly defined height restrictions the City of Ottawa places on new development and fully anticipate Council may insist that, in the name of preserving the character of the neighbourhood, I reduce that number. I reckon we can settle on 208 storeys. We developers are all about compromise.

Unlike, say, Queens of the Stone Age, who continued playing Tuesday night even as Foreigner hit the opposite main stage at Rockfest. Can’t blame Josh and the lads, though: we’ve all experienced that urge to find a way to drown out the music of Foreigner. Where were the Queens when Styx was onstage?

And speaking of classic rock, it appears The Killers will be headlining the main stage tonight. I might give that one a miss. I mean, I saw The Killers at the Bronson Centre a while back and they were, well, they were OK. Me, I’m OK, with preserving that memory. Mind you, Phantogram is playing at the same time, on the Black Sheep Stage. They never make it easy, those Rockfest organizers.

Just as it reportedly hasn’t been easy for Robin Thicke as of late. Can’t say I’ve followed the story, but I do thank him for inspiring me to dust off my copy of Marvin Gaye’s brilliant Here, My Dear album. Now that’s how you turn embarrassingly personal emotional suffering into great music. You, Mr. Thicke, are no Marvin Gaye.

But then, we always suspected as much. For one thing, he presumably has a better relationship with his dad.

Right, I’d best get back to filing records; they’ve been piling up in the midst of all this DJing, doncha know. But before I go, I’d like you to join me in a toast to the arrival in Ottawa of Not Frank Clair Stadium, in time for the return of Not the Ottawa Rough Riders. And, presumably, the return to Ottawa of Supertramp and Chris de Burgh. With, let’s hope, Queens of the Stone Age opening.