Vacation - "I Wish I Could Be Someone Else"

For a time, when I was a kid, I wished that I could be a superhero. Not Spider-Man or Batman or Wolverine or any of the other big names. Nope, I wanted to be a member of the Power Pack.

They were a crew of crappy kid superheroes, all siblings, who wore primary-colour outfits and had these awesome shiny metallic moon boots that I coveted. Whenever they got to fight an actual supervillain, which was rare, they always sucked at it and an older superhero had to happen by and help them out. After, the hero would always warn the kids to stay out of the superhero game because they would get hurt.

I wanted to be the one who had the power over gravity. He could use it to float or to lift super-heavy stuff. When he used his powers a weird black and white checkerboard pattern appeared on him, as if he was powered by second wave ska. So cool. His name was Gee. Less cool.

For a time in grade four those powers were what I wished for on every falling star and wishbone. De-gravitational powers! I used to wake up every morning and try to float and then be bummed out that I still didn't have my de-grav powers. I remained a normal ten year old boy waking up in the dark on an Edmonton winter morning. What a drag.

I don't know what happened or when, but at some point that dream of being a kid superhero gave way to another equally far-fetched desire, then another one after that, long forgotten. Each was a longing for some impossible thing. Then I became a punk and started living in the real world, man. Just kidding.
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One of the best bands I saw this summer, Vacation from Ohio destroy with their tuneful, amped up, snotty songs. Their new LP Non-Person is out now from Don Giovanni. "I Wish I Could Be Someone Else" is a late contender for song of the summer. A back-to-school anthem for kids who dropped out long ago. [buy]
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PS Don't forget to catch up on this year's edition of Canada's newspaper of record, Sappy Times, especially if you, like me, weren't in attendance at the mighty Fest of the same name this year. As a one-time weather reporter for said organ, I implore you to be enlightened and delighted by this bastion of independent journalism.