The new Two Door Cinema Club is so good that it almost pains me when I listen to it... even though it's gone into heavy rotation along with the new exquisite David Byrne and St. Vincent collaboration. Actually, scratch the "almost;" after my first listen that tight collection of Phoenix-esque indie dance pop caused me to wince and groan because I realized that I could've seen Two Door Cinema Club a few years back but didn't, and with Beacon, the world was now their oyster... putting a big question mark on when (if?) they'd return to our fair city. Goddammit, my error came back and punched me square in my sweet spot, which is Catholic guilt (thanks Mom), and in a torrent of regret I soon found myself cataloging my big misses. Sure, life happens, and you can't always get the show, but looking back I realized that I've got a few sins that haunt me, a few sins that require confession (thanks Catholicism):
5) Two Door Cinema Club at... . I don't recall why I didn't get that one, but now that they're on the fast track thanks to their new album Beacon and star turn at the London Olympics Opening Ceremonies, I can't help but feel that I'm shit out of luck for the foreseeable future. Unless I go on a road trip.
Fun fact, according to setlist.fm Two Door Cinema Club has never played Buffalo, thus the impetus for this piece is a figment of my imagination unless proven otherwise (please feel free to prove otherwise... please). Ain't that a bitch.
4) Wilco at Rocking At The Knox. I probably should have blown off whatever kept me from this show. I know it was something of great import, but Wilco at the Albright Knox would've been worth it. And hey, whatever happened to Rocking At The Knox? I rather enjoyed those.
3) Sigur Ros, period. I don't know how I've never seen Sigur Ros, considering I've been a fan for ten years. It might be because they've never played Buffalo, they always seem to play Toronto on Monday nights (and the thought of driving on the QEW after a Monday at work used to paralyze me with dread), and the one time they played Toronto on a night other than Monday was the night of the Yeasayer show at the Town Ballroom. One day I will see Sigur Ros. One day.
2) Gorillaz at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. I totally blew it on this one. Was it because it was an expensive ticket? A weeknight road trip that I passed on because of work in the morning? All of the above? Most likely it was because my once trusty car and I were on the serious outs by that point, and I didn't feel like pushing it. That's a lousy excuse for missing my chance to see Albarn, 2 guys from the Clash, De La Soul (for a third time, the hat trick), and Bobby Womack; and indeed there is shame in my heart. I mean, driving to Toronto in my old Ford Focus of doom... what's the worst that could have happened?
1) Neon Indian at Soundlab. This is another one that slipped through the cracks. It looked good, and I liked what Neon Indian I'd heard, but for whatever reason I just didn't get to it, and naturally I'd moved onto other stuff. But then I read that Neon Indian was collaborating with The Flaming Lips, I took time to dig into Psychic Chasms, and I was a total goner. Of course I kicked myself for missing this one, even more after the excellent follow up Era Extrana, so when Neon Indian played in the relative vicinity this past May in Toronto I felt strongly compelled to make the trip. The thing was, it was the day after the M83 show and three days after St. Vincent... it was too much of a good thing, and on my way into the city I even felt like I was going to the trough one time too many. Of course those thoughts and any regrets were thoroughly banished by a killer set from Neon Indian, and I was hauling ass back home (the Ford Focus of doom having since been successfully retired, or most likely sold to a southern hillbilly) all seemed right with the world... until I nailed a deer on the QEW between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. Now sure, everything worked out in the end, and while there's a good possibility that I'd have gone to Toronto for Neon Indian in any case, the fact is that my missing the show at Soundlab directly led me to stick my ____ in the mashed potatoes and head up to north- so I could end up accidentally putting the hammer down on Bambi's mom on my way home south. I even asked the Provincial copper if she was dead, and all he could say was "oh yeah." Yes, Bambi's mom literally died for my sin... all because I didn't see Neon Indian at Soundlab.
Regrets, I have a few. How about you?
