Vancouver Buzz: Little Hamm On Big Screen And The Awkward Stage Sign To Mint

If you frequent Vancouver's live music venues, odds are that you've caught the illustrious Robert "Little Hamm" Dayton shakin' his moneymaker on one local stage or another.

Be it the dance-smut of Canned Hamm, the anarchy of Forth Of July Toilet, the wackiness of his Hot Breath Karaoke or a random appearance as a water glass-playing vaudevillian, Dayton certainly adds some eccentricity to a scene that all too frequently is stuck in cool-cat posturing mode. Despite Dayton's blatant attempts at over-exposure, one thing that most people don't know about him is his sideline interest in acting.

For several years now, he's been appearing in a multitude of commercials. Although his thespian tendencies have mainly focused around these 30-second appearances, he also starred as the lead character in a small but well-regarded independent film a few years back. Furthering the film's connections to the local music scene, it was written and directed by New Pornographers keyboardist Blaine Thurier.

"It's nice to be asked about the film now that a few years have passed, and now that I've come to terms with the movie," says Dayton. "I can look back on it now and, because of that distance, I can say I'm proud of this movie."

The film in question is called Male Fantasy. When Dayton alludes to his difficulty absorbing his role in this flick, it's somewhat understandable considering the reprehensible character he plays. The tale revolves around a balding, slightly paunchy eccentric named Andrew who has a revelation. He concludes that he's a god in charge of his own destiny and sets out on a world of sexual discovery... and often misadventure.

"It was a challenging role," explains Dayton. "It was really interesting to make this guy likeable and play him naturally.

"But reviews for the movie would say horrible things about me and the way I looked, which was kind of hard to read. I wanted to say, 'Hey man, talk about the character, but don't make it personal.' One reviewer even said that I had the appearance of a geography teacher with a caterpillar on my lip. And that's how I was looking from day-to-day, so it was really kind of a personal attack."

Thurier's second feature screened at several film festivals, including those in Vancouver and Austin, Texas. I spoke to Thurier by phone on Thursday night, just after The New Pornographers performed in New York City's Central Park. He was happy to talk how the film came about.

"It started as a drunken promise to Robert," he explained. "Since I gave away his part in my first film, Low Self-Esteem Girl, I promised to write an entire feature for him."

The result was Male Fantasy. It's about getting everything you thought you wanted, almost, then learning that's not what you wanted in the first place and discovering that what you need is right in front of you, but you can't have that either. Or, to be less vague, it's about a guy who thinks getting laid is going to solve all of his problems, but it doesn't.

"I really have to hand it to Blaine for making this film," says Dayton. "To just write, direct and produce a film like this out of the blue, and with very little budget, is pretty amazing.

"It's a cringe comedy, really. It deals with discomfort in situations that a lot of us have been through and relate to, and it takes the topic of delusion a long way and asks questions of the sexual dynamic. It's a topic that doesn't often get explored in film. I think comedies are generally horrible, but this one is funny."

A rare opportunity to see the film arrives this Sunday at 9:30 p.m. at the VanCity Theatre for one screening only. Make sure to get home from the beach early.

The much-anticipated return performance of Ladyhawk was hindered last Sunday by a flood at Richard's On Richards. They were slotted in as a support act for Magnolia Electric Co. and were minutes away from hitting the stage when waves of mysterious liquid began to swamp the area in front of the bar to stage left.

Despite the bailing efforts of a few staff members, it was more than could be handled and the show was called off. Here's hoping they hit a local stage in the near future.

In other local music news, Mint Records has signed a new act to their roster. The latest addition is a project headed by frequent Mint contributor Shane Nelken called The Awkward Stage. You may have heard his previous work with Tennessee Twin and AC Newman. Ironically, he also appears in the above-mentioned Male Fantasy as well.

The band also features busy New Pornographers' drummer Kurt Dahle (who also co-produced and engineered the upcoming album) handling the skins. You can catch The Awkward Stage on Aug. 12 at the Railway Club.

The Buttless Chaps will headline the show and play material from their recent Mint release, Where Night Holds Light. They'll also play the night before at the same venue with Corbin Murdoch & The Nautical Miles and Trouble In Hippieland.

The Awkward Stage's Heaven Is For Easy Girls debut album is due for release on Oct. 10. In the meantime, you can sample the track "The Morons Are Winning" at the Mint website.

Stinkmitt will make a high-profile supporting appearance at the Commodore opening for Peaches and Eagles Of Death Metal on Aug. 10.

Frog Eyes will leave the comfortable confines of Victoria to hit the Commodore on Aug. 20 with Wolf Parade.

I'm off to live out a Male Fantasy of my own: eating Doritos and watching late night television. See ya in two weeks.

Send your Vancouver music news, show info, CDs or Funky Cold Media to vancouverbuzz@hotmail.com, or by snail mail to: Attn: Trevor Hargreaves, #408, 65 1st St., New Westminster, B.C., V3L 5K9.