In a previous life, while fulfilling the role of “tour manager” for a local super group; I got the opportunity to spend part of an evening with the band “You Say Party! We Say Die!” at a Bishops University show. After the concert, we parted ways as their band was whisked away to play another show in some obscure fishing town on the New Brunswick coast and we headed to the inevitable beer smash-down at the legendary “Golden Lion”. Though I didn’t get spend much time with them, I remember telling my friends how I really liked hanging with their drummer, Devon Clifford and hoped to run into him again on “the road”. Devon had a great sense of humor, was a generally personable guy and a great drummer. Tragically, Devon passed away on April 18^th when he collapsed on stage at a show in Vancouver and died of a brain hemorrhage a few days later. Though I did not know him well, it just proves the age old adage, bad things happen to good people.

Recently, the band has announced they are back after a hiatus, appropriately dropping the “We Say Die” from their name. This is great news to me as their most recent album, XXXX, was one of my favorites of last year. It was a huge leap forward in both musical and lyrical maturity from the first albums straight up dance punk pop.  Though upbeat, it has a haunting quality that really gets me in the sweet spot.  I still listen to XXXX often and find it especially gratifying when I am navigating the mean streets on my bike and pretending I am a participant in a “Tour de France” type racing event.

One of my favorite songs on XXXX is “Laura Palmer’s Prom”. This video was recorded on the CBC’s radio show “Q” in Toronto and really shows Devon’s fine and fluid stick moves. RIP.