The first time I met Becca Lemire she walked into my living room wearing a kind of plastic bathing cap that old women wore in the 1970s. I couldn’t really figure out what she was all about, but I was definitely intrigued.

A few weeks later, I followed her to Ports Karaoke. We barely knew one another, but ended up shutting the dive bar down with Led Zeppelin’s A Whole Lotta Love. Becca went sort of ballistic during the chorus, screaming and whipping her curly locks around. I almost got knocked off stage, but held on for dear life. 

Many things have happened since then: One night we put on giant sombreros and played ‘smack the balloon’ until 4am or the time we blared Bob Marley’s Bad Boys and rolled around her living room carpet pretending to be badass Florida COPS until the cops, er, actually did show up. Sometimes we enjoy quiet time, like when we drove four hours to the deep Ontario suburbs to eat apple pie at McDicks. 

From shoveling snow to waiting for a bus, everything is a party when Lemire is by your side. It only makes sense that she is now kicking off a monthly aptly titled, “Becca Lemire Presents.” Do not expect the usual. 

Now it’s your turn to get to know Becca, and join us this Saturday at Savoy for her inaugural kick-off with friends and DJ’s TAIZA.

Describe to us what to expect this Saturday:
Real-ish, frug-tastic times, times you don’t want to write home to mom about. Eventually you will edge your way closer and closer to the exact middle of the dance floor, only to be sandwiched in-between two of the sexiest mother fuckers ever.

What is TAIZA music?
 Squiggly Electro, Sweaty Afro-Beats, 90’s Power Jams, Fame Studio Swampers, Shaolin Soul, Exotic Vibes, Brazilian FIghting Drums, Haitian Voodoo Drums, (not just) O.G. Funk, Ghostface, Space-Disco, Bubble Sex, Nasty Beatz, Juicy Dance Tracks, Samba-Disco, ODB Rarities, Sly and Robbie for Video Games, Bob and Doug for Canada Day, Disney’s Fantasia Soundtrack, 80s Nigerian Pop Music with Special Guest Stevie Wonder on Harmonica, Ghanian Drumming, Batucada, 60s Experimental Moog, Vocoder Disco, Italo-Disco, Scando-Disco, Latin-O-Disco, Mozart Disco, Mozart Moog, West Coast Gangster Rap, Wu-Tang Clan, 80s Irish Metal, 80s Schmoov Funk, 90s French Dance, Dirty Souf 7-11 Parking Lot Jamz, The Clash, New York Post-Funk, New York Pre-Rap, 90’s Dancehall, Abba-Dub, 80s House Queer Jams, The Best from Van Gelder, Redwood Digital, Compass Point, Channel One and Coney Island, the Tropicana Motel, Paranoid Funk from the Waterz of Lake MInnetonka, Crystalline Moroder, Syrian Dancehall and more. 

What does “fun” look like to you?
Strobe lights, red lipstick, my phone tucked into my bra and my camera around my neck. 

You had a party once called, “Welcome to Las Vaheenas,” what was that all about?
Oh geez! Way to bring all my dirty socks back outta the laundry. I believe at the time “Las Vaheenas” was my favourite slang for…you know. It felt like the perfect name for my birthday party, as I always feel birthdays should be a true celebration of the essence of our lives. It was a mid-summer Mexican rager at my place complete with a huge bowl of fresh Mojitos, a variety of large hats that were constantly passed around and Seinfeld Porn. It was all about doing our “vacation” dance before laying on my front lawn, alienating my new roommate. Then we dressed up until dawn. Sigh…why can’t my birthday be every weekend?! Ahem – that’s why there’s Becca Lemire Presents. 

What’s the craziest shit that has ever gone down on a Saturday night in your house?
I seriously, seriously, seriously can’t even get into that right now on the interwebs. Come to one of my parties and I’ll tell ya to your face 😉  

If you were a wild animal, what would you be? Why?
I know this is lamestream, but I would love to be a dolphin, leaping and prancing and jumping and swimming all the live-long day.  

So for those who aren’t yet sold (not sure how that could be possible) why should we go to YOUR party?
Honestly, you should come to my parties because we play kick-ass music like you’ve never heard elsewhere. And really, its like 99% about the music. Take the music away and you just paid to get into a really nicely decorated room with funky lighting, attractive people and salty hors d’oeuvres. I’m not in the business of naming names and being all bitchy-bitch but I kinda dislike walking into a place and as soon as I hear what they’re playing I’m like “great, YouTube DJ’s in the hizzouse”. So whatevs. I think people with good taste in Toronto are wanting more. That’s why I think we’re really bringing something special to the table. 

Any last remarks you’d like to share with the world?
Yes! What are we going to do when Oprah’s 25th season is over? Coming soon, Becca Lemire Presents: After Oprah, The Support Group.

Becca Lemire Presents is throwing a party this Saturday, March 12th at Savoy, 1166 Queen St W. Kindly add Becca Lemire on Facebook for future party info.

~ Jen McNeely