One of Vancouver’s all-time legendary live bands is reuniting to play one of Vancouver’s all-time legendary live venues: Saturday May 13, 2017. One night only
Date/Time: May 13 2017, 7:00 pm to 11:59 pm
Vancouver, Commodore Ballroom | Event calendarAge: 19+
Cost: $25.00
Find tickets: here
THE SMUGGLERS will play their first hometown show in over 13 years, and their first performance at the Commodore Ballroom in 17 years. The reason for the reunion gig is simple: lead singer, author and broadcaster Grant Lawrence is finally releasing his memoirs of his hard-charging, international touring years, entitled DIRTY WINDSHIELDS: the best and the worst of the Smugglers tour diaries (Douglas and McIntyre, May 2017).
“I’ve been working on this book on and off for over ten years. It’s been a huge labour of love. Reading through and shaping my old tour diaries into a book has been both rewarding and embarrassing, much like my career with the Smugglers” Lawrence jokes.
“I hoped we’d do a gig to launch the book, and I was thrilled when Live Nation stepped up and offered the Commodore Ballroom. It’s not only one of our favourite rooms in the world, but also the last venue standing from the Smugglers gigging era, unless you count the Hastings Community Centre.”
Joining Grant Lawrence and the Smugglers is an all-star pop-punk line up of friends, including THE MUFFS from Los Angeles (their first performance in Vancouver in almost 20 years), CHIXDIGGIT from Calgary (celebrating their own 25th anniversary in 2017), and NEEDLES // PINS from Vancouver.
Early praise for Dirty Windshields:
“Told with equal parts pride and shame, this uproarious chronicle is the perfect companion to the band’s mega-fun music.” - Ira Robbins, NYC rock writer (Rolling Stone, Village Voice, Creem, Trouser Press)
“Dirty Windshields should come with a disclaimer: ‘WARNING: may induce feelings of wanderlust and the itching desire to throw a guitar case into a van and hit the road.” - Will Ferguson, Giller Prize winner
“I can’t imagine a more perfect rock ‘n’ roll book.” – Tyler Bancroft, Said the Whale
“An epic tale told by one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest storytellers.” – Lisa Marr, cub
“Fucking hilarious and a joy to read.” – Allison Robertson, the Donnas
“Pure teenage rawk angst!” – Nardwuar
About Grant Lawrence:
Grant Lawrence is an award-winning author, CBC personality, singer, and columnist. His new book, Dirty Windshields, is his third. His previous books are Adventures In Solitude (Harbour Publishing, 2010) and The Lonely End of the Rink (Douglas & McIntyre, 2013). At the CBC, Grant is known mostly for his work with the groundbreaking Radio 3 and their championing of Canadian independent music. Previously, he worked as an indie label publicist and as a concert promoter. At age 19, he co-promoted one of the Commodore Ballroom’s most legendary shows: the Screaming Trees, Nirvana, the Doughboys and the Wongs in 1991. Grant is the lead singer of the Smugglers and the goalie for the Flying Vees beer league hockey team. He is married to musician Jill Barber and they live in Vancouver, BC, with their two children.
About The Smugglers:
Formed when most of the members were still in high school in West Vancouver, The Smugglers came of age during the grunge explosion, and came into their own in the pop-punk heyday of the mid-1990s while on Mint Records in Canada Lookout Records in the USA. Releasing eight albums over the years of 1988-2004, the band's booze-fuelled, sweaty, and famously energetic live shows (complete with dancing and kissing contests) took them across Canada, the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. Along the way, the "Canadian Ambassadors of Rock 'n' Roll" collided with the Hives, Mudhoney, the Queers, Supersnazz, Fugazi, the Dwarves, thee Headcoats, the Mr. T Experience, the Mummies and many more.
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