By the last day of the third North American segment of this non-stop world tour, I have started reading Zizek’s Living In The End Times, roughly a guide to dealing with the various stages of grief applied to our upcoming economic Armageddon. These are things I think about and discuss constantly with anyone willing to chatter about falling empires and overthrowing tyrants, about ecological crises and imbalances of justice – globally and specifically. In these first few pages, I am schooled on the differences between intolerance and inequality or exploitation in relation to the wearing of niqabs and burqas in France, the differences between nostalgia for communism and anti-Communist paranoia in Eastern Europe, the differences between the lessons learned from critical conservatives versus those learned from reactionaries and how the struggle for unconditional commitment to freedom is always an act of rebellion no matter the eventual outcome. Needless to say, it’s making me very energetic. I don’t tow the party line for any particular –isms, (my convictions likely run a little too hot and strong to be applied to any one ideology), but I must say it warmed my heart to enter the backstage of Neumos and see all of our band brethren, our label representatives, our earnest fans, the venue owners, the lighting technicians and security guards all gulping down the same cheap mixed drinks as a happy collective. I felt truly honoured to witness every strata of this event represented, swilling merrily and munching on snacks together. “This is it,” I think to myself. “No social divisions. Shared goods. Equal chances. Here we are.” Bring on the impending doom that will assuredly coincide with the end of global capitalism, because if we are all reduced to just being human, I love my neighbours very much. It is with a full heart that I can describe our show in Seattle as one of the most fulfilling events of my life. It felt right. I could occasionally hear Subpop’s Megan Jasper heckling us with comments about shit and pussies and I watched our friends in Thee Satisfaction dancing along with Ishmael from Diggable Planets, and Maria had her arms up in the air for half the set. Beth and Jesse hollered like it was the last hoorah (but it won’t be. We promise.) Greg and Lydia joined them front and centre. For the first time I could see Ben’s face shining up as if lit by a Christmas tree on Christmas morning – his attention on the pretty lights of course (not on all those dang gift wrapped capitalist goods below the boughs. ha ha.) And Isaac looked up at Dan like a proud older brother. And Stu worked up a sweat. And the LD poured her heart into her job, strobing the lights and making rainbows dance. And the sound hit us from all sides. And the security guard left his post and came inside to thrash along. And every person in attendance buzzed with the energy of every other person buzzing. So it will comes as no surprise that when Talk Demonic and Suuns joined us for the very last song of this very last show, it was my very favourite feeling on earth. Thank you all. And I mean that: ALL of you. Together, this world is made livable for me. As Ambdekar wrote about his India “There will be outcasts as long as there are castes” but not tonight…. Unless we are all outcasts, in which case, I’m very happy to have found my place. Thank you America. You made my dreams come true… even if your American Dreams don’t turn out the way you’d expected them, we can still have a pretty surreal and unbelievably beautiful Good Ol’ Time.