Iggy Motherfraking Pop

This year marked my fifth consecutive NXNE and although there were no bands that started on the floor but wound up on the ceiling (Monotonix, '08), no King Khan (or BBQ and his ill-fitting turban -- praise be to the gods!), no Derek or Kevin (not a song went by where I didn't long for my favourite sharp elbows) and no four am nachos with the most boring Norwegian death metal band ever (apex of the conversation was regarding rental rates in Oslo) this may just have been the best North by Northeast to date. Bold statement? Yes, but true nonetheless and I have a gahzillion reasons to back that shit up (and a few reasons why it wasn't).

Days: 4

Bands: 25

Kilometers by bike: 48.38

Clubs/Venues: 11

Time spent waiting in line for the island show while listening to some wannabe music nerd talk about

North by Northwest and Dee La Soul and how Nuit Blanche is the biggest festival ever: 45 min.

Times "Losing my Edge" playing in my head while surveying the very young, very cool crowd at
Sneak's and the Dollar on Thursday night: 3

Pints of sweat lost: 4

Pints of sweat poured on me at YDS at Iggy: 4

Percentage of hearing lost: 18%

Beers: My mum reads this!

Arrested Development episodes watched while 'feverish' on Sunday: 16

Hours Mudhoney played: 2

Hours it felt like Mudhoney played: 106

Babies wearing noise-blocking headphones: 3

Wings eaten: 30

On a scale of 1 to 10, how disappointed I was to not talk to Derek McCormack about "The Haunted Hilbilly" at Magpie: 8

Squeegee kid armpits in my face while waiting for the Stooges to come on: 2

Times said armpits were in my face: 17

Minutes spent waiting in line for poutine from the Poutine Machine truck on the island: 15

Words spoken while eating Sneak's wings at four am on Friday between David, Troy, GB and I: 23

On a scale of 1 to 10, how impressed David was by the Les Savy Fav front-man: 12

Times GB was ID'd at Wrong Bar: 2

Times I wasn't ID'd at Wrong Bar: 2

Fights Kendra witnessed while escaping the crush of the crowd at the Stooges: 1

Fights I wanted to start trying to escape the crush of the crowd at the Stooges: 14

Puking teenagers: 2

Degrees in the Garrison: 50

Elaine Dancers (including me): 3

How long I'll be able to brag about seeing Iggy Pop and the (remaining) Stooges: Forever!

Until next year, then...