Photo by Jess Baumung. Courtesy of Indoor Recess.
The Hometown. For many, we may never again inhabit the towns of our childhood, but we do make occasional visits, if not in person, then in memory. I can say with certainty without even having to verify with Peter that my co-host is not likely to ever move back to Brantford — he’s too much of a big-city guy. Brantford never meant anything to me until I met Peter and heard his stories about the Ford Plant, the gritty music hub home to Brantford’s young music scenesters. On this week’s Audio Visual we talk to Brantford native Casey Mecija of Ohbijou, who shares her memories of the Ford Plant and the influence it played in her career. We move chronologically to the place she now calls home — Toronto — and how she incorporated the city’s well-documented indie-rock collective philosophy into her own work, like her Friends in Bellwoods compilation albums that feature a cornucopia of indie-rock Canadian talent, including Snailhouse, Katie Stelmanis and Ottawa’s own The Acorn. Her band’s most recent collaborative effort is Beacons, Ohbijou’s sophomore album, released this summer and the main reason for the band’s current tour. Ohbijou hits up Babylon this Saturday with openers Silver Starling and Giant Hand.
In the second half of the interview Peter and I review Big Fan, a new indie film by Robert D. Siegel, the previous editor-in-chief of The Onion. Starring Patton Oswalt in his first leading, serious role, Big Fan tells the story of Paul Aufiero, a devoted football fan of the New York Giants who is beaten up by his hero, Giants player Quatrell Bishop. Siegel’s script examines the cultural prejudices of fandom — as illustrated through Paul’s “loserish” lifestyle as a parking lot attendant who still lives with his mother — and the way in which fandom can implicate life-changing decisions. In the case of Paul, the question is whether or not he chooses to sue the pants off of Bishop, the “right thing to do” according to his bewildered and demanding family members. Peter and I agree with many of the critics lauding Big Fan, for this is a pronouncedly strong debut for both Oswalt and Siegel. Don’t t miss it at the Mayfair (playing Fri-Mon; check the theatre schedule for more info).
Music:
Cold Cave — “Love Comes Close”
Ohbijou — “Jailbird Blues”
The Almighty Defenders — “Ghost with the Most”
Download:
Listen in a separate window
Tina, I’m your biggest fan!!!!!!!