I have no idea why, but 2014 seems to be the year of the Canadian indie rock reunion. Check it out: The Constantines, Death from Above 1979, the Unicorns, the Smalls, Young and Sexy, and Roots Roundup have all reformed and/or released new material.

That’s all great, but for me, the most thrilling reunion of the year is… BUM.

BUM is a hugely underrated, very brilliant power pop band from Victoria BC. In 1993, they released –seriously– one of the greatest albums not enough people heard called Wanna Smash Sensation (produced by Kurt Bloch, released by Popllama). I played that record to death and know every song and note. The band also released a string of absolutely killer singles and EPs.

The amazing thing about BUM is that they were basically the perfect four-piece band.

They had NO weak links, which is extremely rare in rock ‘n’ roll. They boasted a songwriting tandem that had a yin-yang equality of greatness: guitarist Andrew Molloy provided the chorus-heavy, Instant Kool-Ayd pop and power ballads, while Rob Nesbitt served up the buzzsaw blasts of emotionally charged melodic punk. It meshed incredibly. The harmonies were outstanding.

BUM also boasted powerhouse precision drumming from Graham Watson (also the drummer in my own band the Smugglers for many years post-BUM). BUM were even perfectly West Coast-multicultural with their underrated anchor: the ultra-cool bassist Kevin Lee, with his stoic expression, Ramones-style bowl cut, and low-slung, star-speckled Fender bass. For awhile, Kev co-owned one of the best record stores in Canada called Funhouse, on Yates in downtown Victoria, which seemed to give BUM the inside edge on the best labels and bands going in the early 90s, and there were a lot.

BUM’s Buzzcocks-like steady stream of singles in the early 90s provided the anticipation, but when I first heard Wanna Smash Sensation I could hardly breathe. I’ve always maintained the eternal idea that Wanna Smash should have been as big as Dookie or at the very least any of the better Redd Kross or Sloan records. Not to be. It turns out the only “territory” that really “got” BUM, (besides a small drunk army of adoring fans in the Pacific Northwest) was Spain.

BUM were HUGE in Spain.

Like folklore huge. Like billboards and wall murals and sold out shows and massive audience sing-a-longs huge. Full rock star status. Yet in Toronto they’d draw 35 people. In Eugene, Oregon… don’t ask. (But I shoulder part of the blame for that one because the Smugglers were also on that bill. Animal House it was not.)

The Smugglers instantly hit it off with BUM because we shared the same underdog sense of humour. The Smugglers’ “music” was a lot more lowest-common demoninator garage-pop, based in gimmicky showmanship, sleight-of-foot trickery and bombast, to distract the audience from our lack of actual songwriting talent. We were always in awe of BUM’s writing skills. We also had some incredible parties with BUM. Lots and lots of laughs, all night long.

At the height of BUM’s fame in Spain 1994 (and with rapidly growing interest in Japan), Nesbitt abruptly left the band within a year of the release of the classic Wanna Smash Sensation. I remember being stunned. Watson followed soon after, making the questionable career move of joining the Smugglers for the next decade.

That perfect foursome, that once-in-a-lifetime alchemy that was BUM in its prime, was over, just like that.

All four members do lots of other great things musically to this day (Budokan, Suite Sixteen), though it seems it’s when the four of them come together that they’re truly at the well of rock ‘n’ roll greatness.

That’s why it felt like my wedding day when I heard of their unlikely reunion. Thank the gods for that cliche of ‘time heals all wounds’ because, twenty years later, based on the Youtube footage alone, I had no idea BUM would sound so HOT HOT HOT.

Sure, they may be bent on being bent on rivalling fellow Victoria punkers NoMeansNo for “Most Grey Hair On Stage”, but SO WHAT? The collective Clooney look just adds to the vibe; the boys still sound fantastic. That’s what counts. Here’s hoping that reunion show at the Rifflandia Festival in Victoria on September 13, 2014 was just the beginning. Your disciples want more. I’m not one for endless nostalgia, but reunions can be done gracefully and done well.

So cheers to all those other bands for getting back together and making it a trend, but for me, my fist is raised in the devil horn salute for return of the mighty BUM. I dearly hope for the promise of more BUM shows in Vancouver, Seattle, Nanaimo, Japan… and of course the entire country of Spain.

Because… a promise is a promise.

Follow BUM on Twitter.

Like BUM on Facebook.

Listen to BUM on CBC Music.

It’s hard for me to believe it, but it’s almost been a year since my last book The Lonely End of the Rink came out in October 2013. I didn’t get to do too many fall literary festivals last year since the book came out right in the middle of the season, so I’m trying to make up for it this autumn with some bi-coastal action.

I’ll be reading stories from both books as well as some new material here and there. I’d love to see you at any of these mostly free events, including a book tour of the BC Kootenay region.

Sun Sep 21, Word on the Street, Halifax (2:30PM)
Sun Sep 28, Word on the Street, Vancouver (1PM)
Sun Oct 5, Western Canadian Music Awards, Winnipeg MB
Fri Oct 17 – Sun Oct 19, Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, Whistler BC

Kootenay Region BC Book Tour

Mon Oct 20, Public Libary, Kaslo BC (7pm)
Tue Oct 21, Public Library, Nelson BC (7pm)
Wed Oct 22, Public Library, Creson BC (7pm)
Thu Oct 23, Public Library, Fruitvale BC (7pm)
Fri Oct 24, Rosewood Village, Trail BC (2pm)
Fri Oct 24, Firehall Theatre, Rossland BC (7pm)
Sat Oct 25, Public Library, Grand Forks BC (2pm)

All Kootenay dates will feature musical accompaniment by my wife Jill Barber, who released her second children’s book this year, Music Is For Everyone, which will also be on sale at all events.

The glorious foothills of the Rocky Mountains, one of the best views in Canada.

Well that was one heck  of a summer; the greatest of my life so far, hands down. It was so good that I thought I had better make a Top 5 List, but couldn’t fit it into 5 so here’s 6.  Thanks to everyone I crossed paths with to make it so memorable.

Swimming in 400 feet deep warm water in the middle of Desolation Sound in July.

6. Desolation Sound, BC. It was a challenge to actually get to the ol’ family cabin this summer, but the times we did were glorious. Our boat Big Buck$ roared us around the Sound. In each place the swimming was incredible. We also had fun this year at the Lund Shellfish Festival, the Summer Muse in Powell River, and the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts in Sechelt.

The Murphy-Mendozas and the Lawrence-Barbers on a summer day in Charlottetown harbour.

5. Prince Edward Island. I had the good fortune to be on this summer paradise of an island three times this season! What an amazing city and province that knows how to do summer right. Everywhere we turned we ran into friendly musicians, and we had a fine time staying up in Stanhope in Prince Edward Island National Park. Best eating: Receiver Coffee, Terra Rouge, Richard’s Fresh Seafood. Best drinking: PEI Brewing Company. Thanks to the Kelly-Roberts family!

Swimming at North Beach in Prince Edward County, Ontario, on Canada Day.

4. Prince Edward County. Not to be confused with PEI, PEC is also on an island, but located on the shores on Lake Ontario. It’s where my in-laws have a lovely county home in Wellington (aka “Wellsies”) which is where my wife and son and I spent a beautiful, sunny Canada Day during a short break in the CBC Beetle Roadtrip. We did some perfect family swimming at North Beach, drank Beau’s beer and enjoyed the great little cafes and restaurants that dot the county, like the Tall Poppy, the PEC Food Truck, and East and Main.

Retired CBC puppeteering legend Judith Lawrence introduces us to THEE Casey and Finnegan!!!

3. Meeting Casey and Finnegan on Josh’s first birthday. Somehow, neither my wife or I had ever been to Hornby Island, BC. Thanks to the Hornby Island Festival, we made it this summer and had a fantastic time. I did readings from both of my books and Jill sang some songs. After the event, we were approached by a woman named Judith Lawrence, who told us she used to work for the CBC. When Jill enquired further, she then dropped the nostalgic bombshell that she was THEE Judith Lawrence (no relation), the legendary puppeteer who created, animated, and voiced Casey and Finnegan from Mr. Dressup! And that she still has the original puppets in her possession… there on Hornby Island! The next day just happened to be our son Joshua’s first birthday, so Judith actually brought Casey and Finnegan over to where we were staying and let us meet them. For a kid who grew up watching Mr. Dressup religiously every morning, Monday to Friday, it was a WAY bigger deal for me than Josh. Thanks to Judith, Deb and Drew McVittie, and the Pratts for a GREAT time. What an island!

Johnnie Lawrence Drive, named after my grandfather, in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba.

2. Johnnie Lawrence Drive. For over 40 years, my grandfather Johnnie Lawrence was an exceptional pro-golfer at the Clear Lake Golf Course in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba. Over the course of those many decades, he created an incredible legacy, teaching thousands of people from multiple generations how to golf. He left a lasting impression on his students, as I still run into them all over the world who want to tell me all about my grandfather and his perfect swing. This summer, Parks Canada and the Clear Lake Golf Course honoured the memory of my grandfather and the Lawrence family by officially naming the road that leads up to the golf course “Johnnie Lawrence Drive” with a ceremony and parade in August. My family is deeply humbled to have a road named for our grandfather in a Canadian national park.

I drove this little car through all ten provinces this summer. It was the trip of a lifetime.

1. The CBC Beetle Roadtrip. I consider myself fortunate to have visited all ten Canadian provinces, but I’ve done it slowly, ticking off the visits to each one over the course of my life. Never have I had the opportunity to drive straight through all of them, coast to coast, until this past summer. We started in Cape Spear, Newfoundland, and drove the CBC Beetle all the way to Mile Zero in Victoria. Along the way we met up with some of the finest musicians in Canada to film them performing their songs in iconic Canadian locations. It was truly an epic voyage through the most stunning country in the world and one of the greatest experiences of my life, which I implore you to do as well. Thanks to Bryan Ward, Chris Kelly, Josh Huculiak, Emma Godmere, CBC Music, and VW Canada for making it happen. You can see all the videos and photos here, or watch this finale recap of the entire trip in a couple of minutes:

{Honourable Mention… Baby Joshua meets Bryan Adams!}

Summer of '69 meets Summer of '14: Baby Joshua and Bryan Adams!

I wasn’t even present for this so I can’t really include it in my favourite moments, but the story is pretty surreal. My wife Jill Barber was on her way to play a festival in Quebec City and ended up sitting next to Bryan Adams on the flight, who actually requested to sit next to her! He was a great guy, shared some new songs with Jill, held Joshua, and came to Jill’s show in Quebec City that night. And to think he used to wash the dishes at the Tomahawk in North Vancouver!

Upcoming Events this Fall:

Sun Sep 21, Word on the Street, Halifax (2:30PM)
Sun Sep 28, Word on the Street, Vancouver (1PM)
Sun Oct 5, Western Canadian Music Awards, Winnipeg MB
Fri Oct 17 – Sun Oct 19, Whistler Readers and Writers Festival, Whistler BC
Mon Oct 20 – Sun Oct 26, BC Book Tour (details tba)

What was YOUR favourite moment of your summer? Comment below!