Jodie Ponto Photography

Yesterday I mentioned how much I love the music venue the Ymir Schoolhouse.  If you’re curious about the town of Ymir itself I happen to have a few facts & snowy winter photos for you.

Ymir is an old BC mining town founded in the late 1800′s and is currently home to approximately 200-300 residents.  It’s located in the West Kootenays between Nelson & Salmo (where Shambhala is held).

And now that you know the hard Wikipedia facts you should also know there’s going to be a killer one day music and arts festival there on June 16, 2012 (featuring Maria in the Shower, Steve Brockley Band, E.S.L, and more).  Check out the Tiny Lights Festival here.

Ymir’s main street.

The Goods – Ymir’s general store & cafe – almost completely buried in snow.

Hotel Ymir – Built in 1896 & rumoured to be a former brothel.

Most of you probably don’t know Ymir or the Ymir Schoolhouse, but I kind of like it that way.

Ymir is a tiny, tiny once upon a mining town deep in the mountains of the West Kootenays and the Ymir Schoolhouse is one of my favorite music venues in the entire world.  I don’t know any bands who have played there who don’t feel the same way.  Sometimes it’s intimate, sometimes it’s rowdy, but no matter what it’s always damn good fun.  As one musician put it to me, “I’ve never played a show in Ymir where I haven’t ended up in a tutu by the end of the night”.

Here a couple photos of Miss Quincy & The Showdown getting a down & dirty dance party started at the Ymir Schoolhouse a couple nights ago:

I spent yesterday hanging out in a rainy Vancouver railyard sneaking some behind the scenes photos of Miss Quincy’s new silent movie era music video shoot.

The video is being directed, shot, edited, and everything in between by the vunderbar EVIL Patrick Shannon.  Mayhaps you’ve seen his video for C.R. Avery’s Dungeon of Love or one of the seemingly million count Hockey Gods videos.  It’s been a treat to observe an East Van ghetto pro in action (yes, “East Van ghetto pro” is absolutely a compliment).

If you stick around until the end of this photo series you’ll be rewarded with a couple shots of Miss Quincy at the hospital after the final kissing scene landed her right on her head on the railroad tracks.

Aiko makes The Starlet look like an old-time knockout, The Villain lurks around looking evil, and Evil shoots solo footage of The Hero.

Joel Lahaye, Hero extraordinaire.

Aiko Takase, make-up artist extraordinaire.

Holly Magnus,  keeper of the umbrella/cutest page boy ever.

Miss Quincy & The Showdown, silent movie style.

The Starlet & The Villain share an embrace before the kidnapping scene …

Miss Quincy seems to know something everyone else doesn’t … Probably that those tying her to the tracks are about to discover she’s not wearing any panties.

If you ever need to tie anyone up but find yourself without rope I would highly recommend XLR cables.

Click the image to see the Hero/Villain fight scene in full glory.

Moments before the final kiss knocked Miss Quincy right off her feet and onto her head.

Miss Quincy showing off her What is Head Trauma? pamphlet.

In a role reversal that I’m sure would make Alanis Morissette proud – The Hero injures The Starlet and The Villain drives her to the hospital.

Unfortunately this is not so much a boudoir portrait of legendary writer Charles Bukowski himself as much as it is a portrait of a man reading Bukowski’s book Post Office in bed.

If you’ve never read any words by Charles Bukowski you’d best spend a little time browsing through websites like this or digging around the library to try and find a copy of his work that hasn’t been stolen.

In honour of Miss Quincy’s upcoming 2012 UK tour (which I’ll once again be along for, stay tuned for dates to be announced soon), here are is a formerly (f)unreleased video from the 2011 UK tour featuring Mister Quincy.

If you don’t know who the hell Mister Quincy is, click here.

Last week I posted a sneak photo peak of Miss Quincy’s new all-girl band The Showdown.

Today I have a sneak video peak as they rehearse for their upcoming 6 month tour across Canada, the UK, and Europe (Yes, I’ll be along for the whole ride too).  The ladies have been rehearsing right on top of a downtown Vancouver storage warehouse (Yes, it’s the same place where The Storeroom Soiree was held).

When you and all your friends are funemployed, sunny winter afternoons are for mimosas, Carolans & coffee, and french toast on the front stoop.

I was recently told the worst part of living in Vancouver is that when you introduce yourself elsewhere you have to endure the inevitable, “You live in Vancouver? Eckhart Tolle lives in Vancouver! Oh my God, do you know him? The Power of Now changed my life … It’s my Bible!”.

Although I haven’t yet had to face that, I have seen the best Vancouver has to offer.  For example, a Tuesday night soiree in a storage-warehouse-top apartment where the order of the eve is quality feasting, jamming, and watching old 1930s cartoons projector-style.

You may recognize some of the fine musicians in the following photos as they include various members of Miss Quincy & The Showdown, The Broken Mirrors, High Society, and C.R. Avery.

You can dress her up …

But you can’t take her out.

Meet Miss Quincy’s new all-girl trio The Showdown.

Featuring upright bass and drums, these ladies are armed with attitude, killer musicianship, and are without a doubt the hottest all-girl rhythm section around. Miss Quincy doesn’t fit the classic girl singer/songwriter mold and The Showdown isn’t your average all-girl band. You won’t find them singing pretty pages out of their diaries, instead you’ll find them getting down and rocking out with raunchy electric roots & blues.

Behind The Scenes

Miss Q caught leather-handed trying to escape the photoshoot into the bar.

Don’t worry Mom, it’s just a prop.

Miss Quincy simultaneously strips and provides a cover for Shari as she pees standing up.

Miss Quincy & Holly stroking each others’ heart-ons.
Photo by Russell Eggleston

The ever-badass Showdown.

This mustache smells like hippy.
Photo by Russell Eggleston

Miss Quincy & The Showdown molesting their favorite redhead, Russell Eggleston.

The Showdown Family Portrait
Photo by Russell Eggleston