by LORRAINE CARPENTER

“We can’t have a mosh pit with the kind of music I play, so we have a Twister game instead,” says Jasamine White-Gluz, aka Bad Flirt. “It lets people get to know each other up close and personal.”

Perhaps you’re already acquainted with Bad Flirt. At the tender age of 20, she’s amassed some impressive entertainment biz mileage, high-tailing it from zine contributor to Exclaim magazine reporter, from would-be promoter to Total Casting agent, and from disorganized emo band member to solo alt-pop charmer. Always at her side is her friend, former bandmate and on-stage master of ceremonies Ganit Bar-Dor, who entices audiences to play along and be merry as White-Gluz dishes out guitar-driven, break-beaten ditties. The Mirror lent an ear as the Bad Flirt discussed finding love, saucy stage antics and her inner punk.

Mirror: Your bio mentions Obey the Flame Productions.

Jasamine White-Gluz: Yeah, [Ganit and I] started it a couple of years ago with one of our oldest friends, Adam Reider, but he’s taken the reins now - he’s doing really well booking Scandinavian metal bands. The three of us just found the scene kind of stale so we started organizing a huge punk, hardcore and metal festival, but it was expensive and it kept falling through. Adam just invested more time and money into it, so it became his project. But it was a great experience for us. Luckily, we learned a lot about the industry before we started playing.

M: So what’s up with the Long Island connection?

JW-G: Well, their hardcore scene is really tight, so once you know somebody, you know everybody. It’s kinda like a big family and we’re the token Canadian daughters. New York is like our second home now, maybe even our first home. When I started playing solo, we both became more integrated there than in the local scene. It’s kind of lopsided, but it’s good to be part of that. That’s what I’d love to see here, but I think, scene-wise, Montreal is getting better. I remember a time when it was so catty.

M: So you’re not a tortured indie diva?

JW-G: I don’t take myself seriously at all. I’m not important enough to make anybody depressed, so I’m not going to scream about my problems. It’s just a fun time. All the bands we’ve ever loved have had really lively, entertaining shows, but I don’t feel like I can take full responsibility for entertaining a crowd, just singing and playing guitar. That’s why we bribe people with free stuff and distractions to make it a little interactive.

M: What’s on the menu this time?

JW-G: It’s basically a vaudeville beach party. There’s free candy and leis, we’re gonna have a hula-hoop competition and sandboxes so people can make sand castles. We also made “I Need a Boyfriend” and “I Need a Girlfriend” pins - trade them and fall in love! It’s like Valentine’s Day every day at a Bad Flirt show, that’s the goal. :

With Bloodshot Bill and Uncle Daddy at
Barfly tonight, Thursday, Dec. 19, 9pm, $3

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