Fuddy-Duddy

I've established a routine at my sublet for Saturday morning: a quick clean of the washroom and kitchen, then a shower, then do a load at the laundromat ($5.50). This time, I noticed some of the thicker garments were still slightly damp. But instead of paying for more drying time, I saved some money by throwing them in my unit's dryer for 15 minutes. I was off to Dufferin Mall for groceries ($35.42) where the best deal was a large container of premium yogurt for $1 (84% off). Apparently, they were "close" to the best-before date which was actually 3 weeks away. Instead of splurging for lunch, I stopped off at Pam's for a veggie samosa ($2) and a doubles ($4 up from $2.25 a few years ago). The samosa was soggy because they nuked it; it should be reheated at home in an oven. The doubles was better than average: good chew and filling.

My friend dropped by to hand me a snow shovel for the next storm. I found out that those commercial laundry machines have been around for 30 years. No wonder some of them were held together with tape and a prayer. I knew that I was a blabbermouth when in company, because I was mostly alone with remote working, yet I couldn't keep my thoughts private. They probably thought I was an asshole after I blurted out all the ways I would have built the space to be more functional.

In the evening, I was at The Monarch Tavern for another Class of 2026 showcase ($20). The 3 bands tonight leaned heavily into that old-time rock and roll. Glimmerjean & Goode was a five piece that did originals and covers that spanned classic rock, honky-tonk and blues/soul. They were energetic and professional but edging into dad's garage band territory. The Slow Drags was undoubtedly catchy with songs like Devilish Lips and Whole Lotta Fun. With their pompadour and ducktail, they evoked Hound Dog-era Presley or Jerry Lee Lewis. The Kewpie Dolls was the most interesting since back in the 50s-60s, there were few all-girls rock band. Numbers like Bad Boy Mine and Private Party and a lofi cover of Alley Oop might have gone over like gangbusters.

So I wondered why I wasn't enjoying myself as much as at the first show. Two possible explanations: a band like Absolute Treat used the bones (or idioms) of an older genre like disco but updated for today. These bands stuck very close to the original sound so they weren't as compelling. Second, there was a reason that those 50s and early 60s genres quickly gave way; they simply weren't that good (at least in large doses). It was funny that during all 3 sets someone from the band would yell out "rock and roll" (i.e., bitching music) for a sound that was 60-70 years old. In fact, one of the Dolls' partner was turning 50. Would he have gone to a concert in 1995 of bands that copied big band swing and mimicked Perry Como?