by JACK OATMON

Despite my sincerest efforts, I seem to have survived another Halloween unscathed, barring the odd friction burn and barfing incident. Now, with the university semester climaxing in a barrage of assignments, my two jobs demanding a solid chunk of my time and the ever-present deadlines of the writing world (not to mention the sickening amount of shows I go to), I find myself contemplating the purchase of a computer. The task of finding a keyboard and an Internet connection with which to clack out a few words during my randomly located slots of free time, while sometimes a thrilling, inebriated adventure, is slowly losing its charm. My last computer (a Commodore 64, for those of you versed in preposterously outdated technology) was little more than a glorified gaming console and, as far as I can remember, the Internet didn’t even exist for public access at that time.

I guess even armchair Luddites like myself have to give over to the Faustian thrills of technology sooner or later. Anyway, you didn’t come to hear me whine about technology. You came to dance, and dance we shall. That in mind, I have, as usual, compiled a concise list of the premier places to dance this week, which is as follows:

Sean Kosa and Bender of No Excuse are moving their Sunday-night rump-rouser to Stereobar as of this weekend. They’ll be prefacing that move with a shindig this Saturday at Théâtre Sans Fil on Nôtre-Dame E. The line-up for the all-nighter includes Oliver Huntemann, Stephan Bodzin, Xenia Beliayeva, Kosa and Bender. The three imported German DJs are noted for their meticulous production. While they’ve each got their own sound, it’s all quite psychedelic in a sterile, mechanical kind of way. We can only hope that the Party Owl will make an appearance.

If you do nothing else this week, get out and see the incredible Hot Chip at la Sala Rossa on Sunday, Nov. 5. The quirky style and relentless originality of the group put them squarely among my top five bands of 2006. Now that we all know who they are, there should be a crowd more sizeable than the handful of people who bothered to stop doing their laundry and go see them last time. I say that in all muster-able bitterness, given that I actually missed their last show so I could finish my laundry, while my friends and colocs rolled their eyes and said, “Whatever then, laundry-boy, we’re going to see Hot Chip. Have fun with the dryer, idiot.”

I also can’t wait to see the Rapture at Club Soda tonight, Nov. 2, even if their new album is a few inches too far on the unimaginative side of corporate rock for me. We’ll forgive them a bit of artistic integrity in the interests of slammin’ a few more figures into the bank account. They’ll be playing with the Presets, who you may remember from the Neon Nights Festival, which was the same weekend as MEG, Osheaga and… oh, forget it. They’re good.

COMPUTER LOVE. jack.oatmon@gmail.com

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