>>PREVIEW
DOJO WORKHORSE
Saturday, October 22
The Hifi Club
Given Dan Vacon’s history in the Calgary music scene with The A-Team and The Dudes, the scope and swing of his latest project under the Dojo Workhorse moniker flies in surprising contrast to that which has made him more than a mere rock-stage fixture in our city.
Playing out like a backwards glance through your old school diary, the debut from Dojo Workhorse, entitled Tim (Does Not Actually Drive), was recorded over the course of the past seven years, is anchored by Vacon’s distinctive (and darn pretty) vocals and is composed largely of mid-tempo ballads (gasp). Bonus props for not only managing to fit lyrics like "I couldn’t get your slacks off/ And you were no help" into "The Janitor’s Snackroom," but playing them off a story set to music so well told it’s nearly cinematic. "A Cup To Put Your Blood In" adds the line, "I’ve accidentally elbowed your face on the dancefloor," equating bloodletting and bandages with the eternal search for love.
While on paper Vacon’s sentiments might seem tongue-in-cheek, his self-stated intentions speak otherwise. "When people hear this album, I want them to feel like every song might be about them. They very well could be. I want them to know that we're all experiencing this life together, that we all face endless possibilities of pain and hurt and hopefully joy and ultra joy," he says.
"I'm trying to write indestructible love songs. Or at least one song that lasts for one century. People will have to believe in you then. I think that might be the plan. You just hope for respect and success for yourself, any way you can get it."
For Vacon, the emergence of Dojo Workhorse came after the city-wide embrace of The Dudes prompted him to further explore his softer side. "I always tried to write laid-back music, but most of it didn't work well with The Dudes. I kept writing rock songs and kept my soft stuff on the lowdown. I would sometimes bring it out at my wild neighbour’s kitchen jams. I just had so many songs that were in my mind doing nothing," he says.
That creativity has manifested itself in several projects for Vacon (he also appears on occasion as part of The Killer Vees alongside Chris Vail), but his commitment to music certainly outweighs the scheduling challenges. "The trick to juggling so many bands is single-mindedness. I haven't any other interests I suppose. Creating music is a miracle opportunity. Making something exist is powerful business."
In terms of what goes where, Vacon’s selection process stays simple. "Dudes songs and Dojo songs are different. Also they are the same. It’s something like cutting down a tree. Half the tree you make into bows and arrows and boomerangs. The other half gets made into crutches and splints and things. They have the same foundation, but they're really different. Like a mother who gives birth to the saint and also the sinner."
Despite the loss of the home base in which much of Tim was recorded – the home of members of The Dudes and A-Team, not to mention a makeshift studio for several projects, Victoria Park’s almighty Rock Central, is set for demolition "any day now" – Vacon remains optimistic and grounded.
"The Calgary scene is the best it’s been," he says. "Calgary's my town. I am very attached to my town. I think people who need to move away are misguided. Your community is so important to your sanity and quality of life. You should branch yourself out and touch different places in the world, but you need a solid base. You need to have your family.
"You need a certain amount of high fives and atta boys. It makes all the difference in the world. Calgary is where the people I love are. It’s where I get my high fives." |
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