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It's Tuesday January the 1 around 10:15PM and

Vancouver Concert Listings: Rockin’ Into 2008

(Blue Rodeo at Bluesfest XXXIII. Photo credit: jessica @ flickr)

So what’s with the lame New Year’s Eve in this burg anyway?

Sure, the action on Granville Monday night was more lively than usual, but watching a countdown on an unspectacular clock makes us look more Mayberry than Olympian. Just throw together a stage outside the Commodore, stick an amp, a drum set and a mike stand on top, drop a giant inukshuk at midnight and trawl out 54/40 for some rockin’ tunes.

Seems simple. Toronto can do it.

All it would take is a little bit of effort. Then again Vancouverites aren’t about work, are we? Ah, well, I guess our sleepy little town will never be all it can be. Too bad, since we could do a hell of a job of throwing a bash with the climate and all. What the city needs to do is enlist the help of some NYE veterans, like the guys from Blue Rodeo, who’ve gotten Nathan Phillips Square in TO hopping numerous times in sub-zero temps.

The Little Canadian Band That Could stops into town for a two-date set at the Orpheum this month. I’ll be in the second row in the Orchestra Pit – come by and say, “Hey, hey, I guess it hasn’t hit me yet, I fell through this crack and I kinda lost my head…”

If you’ve never seen Greg Keelor, Jim Cuddy and crew, shame, shame. Resolve to support great musicians this year, starting with these venerable and humble guys who Rolling Stone once said are “good enough simply to let the music do the talking”.

Here are the highlights for the Vancouver music scene for the first 31 days of the new year (***-I have my tickets; **-If I could afford it, I’d go; *-Give me a freebie and I’m there, and I’ll buy the first round):

Jan. 4: Pride Tiger, Cobalt*
Jan. 8: Birds and Kites, Media Club*
Jan. 10: Fall From Grace and the Vincent Black Shadow, Plaza Club*
Jan. 11: Big and Rich (with loads of guests), Pacific Coliseum**
Jan. 11: Patti Labelle, River Rock*
Jan. 11: Mark Farina, Commodore**
Jan. 12: Michael Buble, GM Place**
Jan. 14-15: Blue Rodeo, Orpheum***
Jan. 15: Classified, Plaza Club***
Jan. 18-19: Amanda Marshall, River Rock**
Jan. 18: Hedley and Pride Tiger, Croatian Cultural Centre*
Jan. 18: Shuyler Jansen and Deep Dark Woods, Railway Club*
Jan. 19: Hedley and Pride Tiger, Commodore*
Jan. 19: SNFU, Red Room*
Jan. 21: Dan Deacon, Richard’s on Richards*
Jan. 24: The Bravery, Richard’s on Richards***
Jan. 25: Loverboy, Commdore* (just for the laughs)
Jan. 26: Macy Gray, River Rock**
Jan. 28: Silverstein and IllScarlett, Croatian Cultural Centre*
Jan. 31: Chris Smither, St. James Hall***