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Toronto's main reference library hosts punk gig

Cory Doctorow at 2:51 pm Mon, May 31, 2010

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David sez, "I thought you might be interested in this fantastic article about Toronto punk darlings, Fucked Up, playing a free show at the Toronto Reference Library last night. I love the quote in the article, 'Fucked Up admit to getting most of their album artwork from the Reference library and give props to its "solid microfiche collection".'"

When I was 14 years old, I "de-enrolled" myself from the high-school I'd started out at, stopped going to classes, and took the subway to Metro Ref every day, burying myself in a dozen subjects (and yes, seriously raiding the microfiche). It really warms my heart to see these pics.

Fucked Up Make Some Mosh at the Reference Library (Thanks, David J!)

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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  • Manooshi

    Fucked Up totally rules. A shout out to the microfiche collection? Frickin’ lol!

  • Ryan

    It’s amazing to see the effect that Fucked Up has on popular culture – keeping punk relevant – as well as how they are able to adapt to play any space.

    I caught them at SXSW this year, and Damian Abraham dumped bottled water in the dirt in front of the stage and stripped down to his underwear, rolled in the mud and proceeded to hug everyone in front of the stage (I have photos: http://punkmusic.about.com/od/sxsw2010/ig/Fucked-Up-at-SXSW-2010/ ). Glad to see there were no impromptu mud pits at the library.

  • Anonymous

    Yes! My first thought was definitely, “hey, that’s where Knives Chau fought Ramona Flowers!”

  • Zig

    I too un-enrolled from high school.

    I eventually got my GED and entered college a year early. During my time between going to high school and starting college I would take the ride over to the county library a couple times a week and get out books on all kinds of topics as well as plenty of scifi/fantasy novels.

    Libraries kick a$$!

  • Anonymous

    I dug threw the Toronto Reference Library’s microfiche archive to find blue prints of an old apartment,

  • Hans Davies

    Fucked Up rocks! This is awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 13tales

    Gah. The pseudo deja-vu of recognising that building from somewhere (Scott Pilgrim, of course), but not being able to immediately place where, just almost made my head explode.

    Awesome.

  • Ugly Canuck

    Librarys and music…fifty years ago:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnFv29iPACc

    But too corny for a cover by the rockers without substantial mods, I think.

    Plus, hooray for microfiche!

  • Wingo

    Fucked Up is a really, really great live band. This show must have ruled. They are LOUD, and Damian Abraham is a very charismatic frontman. It’s really awesome when he shows up on Fox News occasionally to speak his mind.

  • Lobster

    Hmm. Well, if there’s one place that needs to be quiet and organized, it’s a library, and if there’s one thing that’s noisy and steals or totally destroys everything it comes into contact with, it’s a rave.

    • Gloria

      Geroff my lawn!

      Seriously, doors opened at 7:30 PM, well after the library’s normal operations were shut down for that day. Stand down.

    • devophill

      Good thing this wasn’t a rave, then. And that it was after hours, when it’s okay to be noisy in a library. Maybe lighten up a bit, Francis?

  • Anonymous

    anyone else recognize the inside of the building from the scott pilgrim comics?

  • octopod

    oldentimes, punk died,
    now it’s in a library.
    so appropriate.

    • Boba Fett Diop

      Fucked Up prove that not only is Punk not dead, but it can pretty much be played anywhere.

      The other group that played at this event is a local country band called $100. They play gorgeous old-style hurtin’ music.

  • mindysan33

    I love the fact that they gave props to the microfiche collection!!! At my university, we have a small collection of microform readers, several of which do not work properly, and all too often the computers are being used for people checking their facebook accounts. Good to know SOMEONE still likes microfilm… What an awesome band these guys must be…

    And this library must be the most amazing library in the world to have live bands! I want to go there now…

  • Anonymous

    Cory, I want to read your biography so badly. You had a fascinating upbringing.