Urban Decay

As long as we're on the subject of bars being destroyed, on Friday morning the roof of Edmonton's Urban Lounge collapsed over the dance floor, creating a 40 by 40-foot hole. Only the janitor was in the building at the time and is unhurt. As detailed in this Edmonton Journal article, he heard a few loud cracking sounds before it gave way. Had it happened that night, while the music cranked, it's doubtful anyone would've heard anything to warn them to get the hell out of the way. If there is a God, he/she's surely sending a warning: "Thou shalt not play crappy frat rock!"
There's also a video of the TV news report here.
In non roof-related bar news, some of us ex-Edmontonians went to a club on Queen Street last night to see Calgary's The Dudes play for Canadian Music Week. Although it was hot, overcrowded and someone left a CD playing over the bar's speakers during the first two songs, it was still awesome to see one of my favourite bands again. We thought they were performing some miracle when people actually got up and danced instead of standing around looking aloof, but then we realized that everyone dancing was either there with the band or former Albertans. The rest of the T.O. crowd watched from afar or talked through the set. Oh well -- the band got huge applause regardless.
If you're out East, they're playing Ontario (mostly) Toronto dates for the next month, so check 'em out if you like catchy Modest Mouse-influenced indie rock. Dates are listed here on the band's site, along with some hilarious road diary entries.
For example: "we just drove past a giant sign in claresholm reading 'breakfast special, bucket of chicken'. jon says, "breakfast is the most important bucket of chicken of the day.' we learned to play the neutron dance in the van."
Other road blog highlights include being shocked nearly unconscious by feces-water in Canmore and watching meth addicts stab and choke each other in Edmonton.
It's worth a read for sure.

(photo of Urban Lounge by Ed Kaiser, swiped from the Edmonton Journal website)