I was asked to share some thoughts about David Finkelman. I feel sort of uncomfortable because I wasnt his closest friend or anything. It got long and weird and rambly but I thought Id share. Most of this I already posted. --- I wasnt close with David. I call him my friend, not because we rode BMXs in the river valley and threw rocks at cats togther, but because he was the kind of person you really wanted to be your friend. We shared that weird kinship that consecutively-slotted community radio DJs shared. That is, I saw, interacted, and even hung out with him, however short, more often than my close friends. I saw David every single Saturday for over three years. He had an incredible and immediate presence. A rare combination of humour and severity. Was he serious? Was life all just a huge practical joke or did he reach a higher level of understanding with the universe and his role in it? I never knew. Ill never know. Every Saturday, I watched as his playlist, ideology, and presence grew into being. And with each passing week my fondness grew. In the beginning my co-host and I would joke about the crusts before us. And they certainly were crusty. In the beginning at least. Big A little a was the name of David and Alexs show (later just David), and they took it hilariously seriously. I had just assumed their show was Crass all-day-every-day, but one day I walked in and they were playing some weirdo art-punk. I asked David what it was and he said Chumbawamba. I didnt really know how to respond because, certainly, this could not have been Chumbawamba. And given Davids charming severity, I couldnt even process it. But, suddenly, I was regaled, with unseen excitement, of Chumbawambas anarchist history and the providence of their first single. Ill never, ever forget that. And his playlist began to change, ever so slightly. First it was Devo, then one week Captain Beefheart was on the turntable, and then Neu! and Can. Before long the show was less about punk music and more about punk as a state of art. I remember when he sheepishly asked to buy the Chandra LP I reissued. I dont think he knew how honoured I was that he would be interested in it! At some point David told me he was starting a band. I was really excited. Someone who has been face-down in the mud of crust punk, only to arise in the hairy mess of art-rock and the avant-garde will definitely have an interesting artistic vision. So, I asked when his first show would be: In about a year What?! Id soon intuit that this was how David approached life. He took things, art, his hobbies, and life very seriously. Which is why his humour was so rare and confusing. Nevertheless, each week, Id try and remember to ask him about his bands. I really wanted to hear the recordings. And he was so nonplussed about it, which made it all the more intriguing. So, finally, probably about a year later, he says: Our band is called Energetic Action and were having our first show. Its on Tuesday at 8:45pm sharp at (some hall in Bonnie Doon that no one had ever been to). (I cant remember the exact day) Who else is playing? I asked. No one. We are the only band. Now, to put things in perspective, quite often when a new band starts they lean on the audience of other local or touring bands so that people who have never heard about them will come. But David and Energetic Action were having none of this. And the show was at 8:45pm in a city notorious for late shows. And it was in a hall in the middle of nowhere, barely accessible by bus. WTF? It was so perfectly mysterious and intriguing. And again the severity shone through. When my partner Marie and I showed up, we were greeted by an eager door-person wielding a custom, made-for-the-show stamp. On a table were several incredibly well-made hand-screened posters. The lights were off, a custom red-light-bulb was in use. A weird TV was playing static in the corner. There were about 10-20 other people. The air was extremely severe. It was almost comical. I couldnt believe it. I thought, for the first time probably in my life, that this show must have been how the legends felt. Like when you see photos of Glenn Branca, Sonic Youth, or Mars, and embedded within is this piercing feeling of impermanence. At this point we still had no idea what they would sound like. Until the marching drums kicked in with a slow build and they just obliterated us with an unheralded sonic assault. To say it was one of the most intense live music experiences of my life is to sell the experience short. And Im not playing into hyperbole for the sake of honouring Davids memory, either. This truly was the manifestation of a year of hard work and a rare sense of conviction, purpose, and vision. At this moment I realized what David was really capable of and I became a huge fan. I would continue to marvel at Davids progression as time went on. Energetic Action became a local favourite, both for their live show and their inspiring dedication to the craft. Craig from Wunderbar can regale you with tales of their stubbornness in pursuit of perfection. It was really beautiful. Eventually I left Edmonton, yet I would still hear of his antics from the many dispatches in town. Noise shows and weird art-music projects scattered around CJSR. David was on a path of limitless inspiration. Two weeks ago David reached-out to me about distributing albums that he had published under his own label. I didnt know he started a new label. Of course he did. And of course he had several releases, all of them incredible Im sure. I was too busy to respond promptly and forwarded him on to a Weird Canada volunteer. Its funny the things that come to mind in his passing, even to a bit player like myself. Its a strange thing to think that a delaying phone call or some cosmic event may have prevented this tragedy. But these same cosmic reverberations allowed all of us to know David. Ill miss you David. You wont be forgotten.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 03:07:46 +0000
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