Ninjaspy: Exclusive “No Kata” Tour Journal 3 with guitarist and vocalist Joel Parent

Winnipeg, MB: Round Two…FIGHT! Our second time through on the “No No Kata” tour and first major all ages show in the Peg was a blast! (The only other AA show we played in the Peg was at the Mon Dragon entry way for the High Five Drive and a meager handful of others. Not a very ) The Park Theatre is a fine and reputable establishment, boasting a delicious beer and sangie menu. The stage was HUGE in comparison to some of the closets we frequent on our little jaunts, so many big jumps and wide reckless spin kicks got the blood triad pumped.

Saskatoon, SK: Our glorious reunion with the boys from Sparky was in concert with the even more glorious reunion of Sparky themselves, who hadn’t played a show in two years! A mountain of beer cases filled the mini makeshift bar at the back and the fun flowed into the wee hours. We found ourselves late-night frolicking in Gramz Garage of Rad where ruckus games of ping pong and beer can golf continued til the sun threatened to rise.

Edmonton, AB: It was our honor to perform for the promoter Art’s Szabo’s birthday bash at Brixx Bar ‘n’ Grill, once again with the lovely lads from Treeburning of the Calgarian persuasion. Delicious food and beverage sauced us up enough to entreat the energetic audience with three encores, including a song not included on Pi Nature, a revamped version of “Brotherman”. “Pure Sketch” was a nice change of pace, complete with an improvised tin whistle solo. If we can find some video we shall certainly post on NSTV so all can share!

Prince George, BC: Oh sweet, sweet homeland, how we missed thee! Being back in BC was a breath of fresh, mountainous, tree filled air! And the PG peeps are rated R for RAD. We lucked out with a day off after the show and got to spend the entire day playing video games and reading fantasy novels in a cedar walled living room with comfy couches, a vaulted ceiling sporting zombie target posters from a gun range in Vegas, an original movie poster for Star Wars from the 70’s, and a fully functioning Arkanoid arcade machine. NERD HEAVEN!! This abode belongs to none other than the tree planting, Cariboo guzzling, pot puffing, down throwing denizens of the illustrious THROATKICK!! (Mark Large and Riley Nitz, Esquires) Good fucking day.

Kamloops, BC: Being in a genre mashing crossover band often puts you in VERY odd lineups. This particular show we opened for Stomp Montreal Rockabilly band Hellbound Hepcats, who featured an upright bass, a drummer who stood the whole set, and a surfed out guitarist. Sometimes it’s really trippy being in a band that gets to play with such an interesting array of bands from all walks, runs, skanks and slamdances of music.

Penticton, BC: JOELSPY’s MUHFUCKIN TWENNIEATEth BIRTHDAY!!! (outlived Kurt, Janis, Jimi & Jim!! Nicely done, haha!) We hit the Cannery Theatre after some delicious home made veggie food from a friends new walk-up eatery downtown called Wild Scallion (awesome), and enjoyed the acoustic wizardry of Justin Stallion Sarris (our incomparable sound tech, now engaged to be married! Not sure he wants to be called StallionN but, too bad for him, haha). Joel then played a rare acoustic performance of some yet to be recorded “elMent” (his solo moniker) songs. It was a very emotional time for Buttercup. Science and the State graciously threw the show AND performed admirably before we took the stage, amongst props and backdrops of the latest theatrical production. Post show festivities included a big fat case o beer and some lovely chatter in our prestigious merchman’s kitchen. Breakfast consisted of waffles, bacon, syrup and whip cream…heaven on earth.

Vancouver, BC: Two whole shows with Today I Caught The Plague, enough exposure to their epic radness that WE damn near caught he plague. Actually i think we all sloughed off a bit of flesh here and there, bah, didn’t need it anyways. Ray-Cam AA, Rickshaw Theatre 19+ and a partridge in a pear tree…at least until Take The Earth Beneath Us and Machines got going and blew that silly bird right out the branches with their respective brands of spankin’ new meaty mighty music. It felt so gret to be in front of the home crowd, and after all the commotion died down, we made the short drive back to our jam spot, unloaded the trailer on last time, and unhitched it at the foot of the driveway. Two days later, the trailer had been ploughed into, ticketed, and towed. Welcome home, Ninjaspy, now give us your fucking money and your souls, so said the City to the Triad. And the Triad replied, “You can break all our gear, and steal everything else we own, but you cannot break our spirit, and you cannot change who we are…” Rest assured, what has not killed us has certainly made us stronger, wiser, and prepared us to hit the road again, as soon as possible. We missed home, but we miss the road as well. Thanks, love and honor to everyone who came out and made this tour the best yet.

Check out the song: “Skaingkh (The Skank)”