Apparently the TTC got the memo about poor organization and communication. Apparently after 8pm, the Spadina streetcar running north and south from Bloor to Queen’s Quay is shut down. Replaced by buses.

Yes, there’s some signage informing riders of this fact, but as I was a victim of the same, the signs don’t work. First of all, no one looks for signs until about 15 minutes of blissful obliviousness pass. So there I was in Spadina station waiting for a streetcar that would never come, along with, no lies, at least 50 other people. I was actually leaning on one of the signs for 5 minutes before I even noticed it. It had much text, and even a few markered-in corrections to the details. Overall, a rather poor, confusing notification.

And as mentioned, given that 50+ people were waiting (and that this service disruption has been in effect for over a week) - THE SIGNS DON’T WORK, TTC. Service diversions usually are more effective when the service is actually just outright cancelled, not “regular service this hour, something different at 7 pm and then something different, again, at 8 pm”. That is confusing.

I went upstairs and caught a bus with 2 other people. I felt bad about not going back down and rallying the masses, but I karmically made up for it by waving over a few people who were waiting for streetcars down the street (with their backs turned to the buses running directly behind them)

I’m sure there’s nothing they could do to prevent it, but a sarcastic thank you to the TTC for scheduling track maintenance on one of the most used north-south streetcar line in the city, during one of the largest city-wide music festivals of the year, in the neighbourhood that is the epicenter for a very large number of the clubs hosting that festival. Great timing!

Backstory: Danno registered the TWM crew to get us media passes for NXNE “two months ago” he says. Not that I doubt Dan, but even if it wasn’t 2 months ago, it WAS at least 1 month ago, as I attended the NXNE Press Party at the Mill St. Brewery on May 13th. To get into that event I told them my name and they checked me off the list (which my name was on). There was a small lineup but we got in within 5 minutes with DVD presskits and everything.

So now, today, it was time to pick up our actual media passes at the Holiday Inn on King, where NXNE was set-up.

Never seen such a mess. While the artist line-ups were breezing by, Dan, Tyler and I stagnated for 20 minutes in a line consisting of approximately 6 people. So that’s 20 minutes, so far. Then we get to the front of the line and present our pre-filled-in yellow cards with our names and basic information (which I can only guess was to use for giving to their team of people who were going through the pass index and delivering them to the booths - AT LEAST THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE LOGICAL ASSUMPTION)

But no. Our passes apparently weren’t printed yet. 1-2 months is apparently not enough time to get their macbooks to print 4 pieces of paper for us. I get it, TWM is not the CBC, or the Star, or Eye, but c’mon, you had months to get this shit together. So they said they were printing them and if we came back in 15 minutes to the walk-up area they’d be ready. We’re up to 30 minutes now.

Add in 15 minutes of waiting and now we’re up to 45. When we return we wait in the walk-up line for 10 more minutes (55) and once we get to the front we’re told they are not printed. Dan is getting mad. Then they say they are printed, but they can’t find them; someone filed them wrong. They say they’re re-printing them right now. Dan is getting mad. Then the guy says the media requests for Jenny and I weren’t for passes, just wristbands, so we’re not supposed to be getting passes anyway, therefore no one is printing them for us. I wonder why the first registration booth didn’t fucking know that right away, and told us passes were being printed (as wristbands don’t need any extra printing). Dan is getting mad. Dan wants passes. I’m exactly 1 hour late to return from my 1 HOUR lunch break as we’ve now officially been waiting 80-90 minutes with no passes (I’ve been gone for 2 hours from work including walking time to the hotel).

The guy informs us that while he’s sorry, there’s a lot of other people registering at the same time and that it’s really busy. I understand his point, but in hindsight I wonder if ANY of those other people who are strolling up to the registration desk and registering for the first time (and getting brand new passes printed) had pre-registered 2 months and had already been waiting in fucking lines for over an hour getting dicked around by 20-nothing volunteers with no clue what they’re doing and giving us conflicting information and excuses?

At one point does someone in charge make us a priority? I realize they are busy, but this is very poor customer service. Also it is very evident that there was no point registering in advance, since walk-up artists and media people ended up getting served quicker than we did. Thanks a lot NXNE.

Now, I’m off to put a shirt back on, and meet Danno to get my pass, as I couldn’t wait any longer (I left Dan there once the guy said if just came back in 10-15 MORE minutes, the passes would be ready for us - ARE YOU KIDDING ME?)

Symbolically, on my way out of the NXNE registration area, the hotel was running a fire alarm test and the metal fire walls crashed down around the mesinine area. Perhaps Dan’s head exploded into a ball of fire and set-off the alarm.

PS. CMW registration took, literally, 5-10 minutes. And it was at the Royal York, with expensive-looking snacks. Fock.

I’d never have believed it if I didn’t have a friend there to witness it as well, but the same suit-wearing old guy from last year’s Lee’s Palace showcase was there last night, joining the crowd of university-age kids in front of the stage for The Pigeon Detectives. I couldn’t tell if he stunk this year; he was too far away to smell, and the kids were enveloped in a cloud of too-sweet-smelling colognes.

Surreal, yet awesome.

I said I wasn’t going to drink. I said I had to work the next day. Only one of those statements is still true today. Ugh.

Last night was Misteur Valaire, The Details, The Cansecos, and The Russian Futurists, splitting time between Rancho and Sneaky Dee’s. I got my fill of dancey techno indie-pop stuff (note: The Details are not this - they are some ‘Peg rock good peoples). No complaints from me - my show review will be forthcoming ASAP. Tonight will be a hazy shoe-gaze affair, it looks like.

Incidentally, I ran into Nate from the Schomberg Fair at the St. Lawrence Market today. He’s got a very amusing story about Road to Avonlea. I can’t really tell it, but if you see him, it’s worth asking about.

Picked up our media passes yesterday with Dan. The registration and media events are being held at the Royal York this year, instead of the Holiday Inn. Apparently this venue change has signalled an equivalent ante-upping of dress and demeanour as the Royal York media area was in full-on banquet mode - well-dressed old people in suits, very few indie-rocker types, and lots of white tablecloths and puff pastries. This is what CMW means to people who’ve forgotten what music sounds like.

Dan and I were not particularly impressed, so we went to Harvey’s instead and I had a burger that made my stomach hurt for 3 hours.

Note to self: ask Dan why Rancho is not serving beluga caviar

Tonight: Sneaky Dee’s

Having just received mostly-official confirmation of my accreditation as a member of the press for CMW, I look forward to this weekend. It begins early, on Thursday night, in complete disharmony with my workweek which ends, conventionally, on Friday. This begins 4 solid nights of intoxication and further reduction of audible frequencies through repeated trauma.

And a whole shit-load of bands.

I can be somewhat critical (wait, hear me out) but last year’s CMW was rather enjoyable (apart from a somewhat confusing appearance of a 50 year old man in a suit showing up at Lee’s Palace stinking of incredible body odour who didn’t seem to notice he was the only person in the room smoking marijuana, and who, of course, had to stand right beside me). So I have high expectations for this year - no pun intended.

I will accept nothing but quality entertainment, dammit.