You Say Party! We Say no!

Last Sunday Vancouver punk wonderkids You Say Party! We Say Die! were booked for a show at Chop Suey with Thunderbirds are Now!, Detroit’s newest touring crazy dance-rockers. Everyone who showed up at the show expecting three exclamation points worth of music were disappointed, as 2/3 of the punctuation had been held up at the border for lack of work visas. As a result the band has had to cancel all of their West Coast shows, and the situation appears to have escalated to the point where one member of the band may have been barred from the U.S. for five years.

This has happened several times this year, bands having to cancel or reschedule their shows because of problems getting into the United States in time for a soundcheck. It isn’t as though YSP!WSD! hasn’t played in the States before, because of course they have–they’ve played SXSW and toured the midwest with Pretty Girls Make Graves.

They’re talking to their lawyers now, but the crowd at Chop Suey had to be satisfied with White Gold and TAN!, and in the meantime YSP!WSD! will be touring again in Europe. Any plans you might have to see a band from outside the borders will depend on the whims of the guards, so don’t get too attached. (On the other hand, Australia’s adorable Architecture in Helsinki managed to break into the country and play a couple of fantastic shows this week.)

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