This show was like a month ago so my memory may be totally incorrect. I don't even remember what time this show was supposed to start, but I know it actually started about 3 hours late. I showed up with Vanessa, a soccer ball, a football, a kickball, a digital camera, batteries & a laptop. Pretty much prepared for a long day of bands at the Harmon Park shelter house. Rumour had it the kid who had organized the show was hit by a car so a buddy had to take over ringmaster duties at the last minute.

Vanessa immediately ducked out to swing when we arrived and I headed over to see who was there and such. There were about 25 kids visiting and hanging out including the kids from Johnny Volume and Eiffel. Evidently Haiku was supposed to play first but they were no where to be found and wouldn't show up for about another 4 hours and then only to cause trouble with the cops and not play.

The Hillary Step folks showed up and were antsy to play but were told they were going on right before pals Reflector so they just mixed around feeling a bit out of place with the hoards of high school kids who had been streaming in for the last hour or so. We chatted for a while then I vanished to play Frisbie and later kick around a rugby ball while we waited for something to happen.

All afternoon the cops circled the park looking for someone to bust. While the PA was being set up they came by demanding sound permits, shelter house reservations and all that. To my surprise some organised little punk had gotten all the required forms so we were good to go there.

I guess Johnny Volume gave up at some point and just set up to play. I honestly don't remember too much about the band. They were in high school, they were punk rock, they weren't very good, you'd like them if you were in high school and they were your friends.

After they played Vanessa and I split to get some food at the Hen House and when we returned (hoping we had missed the next band) we found out there had been a power outage (or at least a perceived one) and Two Player Option had not gone on yet. Bah!

When power had been re-run to the box instead of the outlet, TPO played. Again I don't remember much but they were in high school, they were pop punk, they were okay, you'd like them if you were in high school and they were your friends.

Dirtbike were up next and by this time it was after 7 o'clock or something like that and there were still 4 bands to play before the 9:30 shut down. Not a good thing so bands started to panic. Eiffel needed to play as they were touring, everyone wanted to see Casket Lottery and Reflector so since The Hillary Step had been added to the bill late, Brad volunteered not to play. This kinda pissed off Danny so he split pretty quick feeling that the band had been sitting around for hours while nothing happened and then they didn't get to play because the promoter didn't have their act together. Welcome to punk rock.

Another road bump happened when the Haiku kids showed up with Kurt Lane in tow and decided to climb on the roof of the shelter house. That in itself is a bad thing as we really didn't need to be up there getting the attention of the cops, but they took it a step further and someone (allegedly Ali) was seen mooning people by the cops. So like 12 or so cops surrounded the shelter house and in the break in Dirtbike's set they addresses us all and told us to cut it out. Whatever, back to Dirtbike.

I don't remember much about Dirtbike but they were in high school, they were punk rock and metal and emo and hardcore, they were okay, you'd like them if you were in high school and they were your friends.

Eiffel played next and the place transformed big time. Merch tables came out, shirts and 7"s were being sold in the evening light (and later no light) and the little kids and crusty punks from the suburbs generally migrated off. Eiffel are powerful emotional hardcore and they do it well. I'm just not into that too much anymore and the whole day the band just seemed a little too cool for me. Everyone digs 'em though and they put on a good show despite the lack of organisation around them.

Casket Lottery was up next and they did a short set to try and make room for Reflector. The band played well I guess but it was hard to gauge as I was video tapeing the show for Special Kid Brett and nothing looks good through a dimly black and white 1" screen. The played a lot of songs I hadn't heard before and they were all dynamic and fairly original sounding. There were accents on notes and space, quite a different direction from their early shows where it was all based on power and emotion and sonic dominance.

Reflector played last in almost total darkness. I thought they played incredibly well though Jake said it was almost impossible to play in the dark. The band was powerful and gripping and the 50 or so kids there really dug them and forced them to extend their set by a song or two. This may have been the best show I've seen Reflector play.

After their set everyone packed up and split pretty quick. It'd been a long day of waiting, sports, music and little kids and I was happy to go home and plop into the recliner for a while.