Dear Marcel, Is it becoming trendy and hip to move to the suburbs and commute in to the city for work and miscellaneous events? If so, where does this phenomenon stem from? Comfort, affordability, necessity? But more importantly, is it cool? --- A Rose

I've spoken to enough people on the scene in the last few years to know that I'm not the only one who is originally from the suburbs. In fact, I would hypothesize that the vast majority share in a small town satellite upbringing. But we're here now, we're hip as hell and if anyone ever gets used to it that will be the end of this chapter in the "wild ride" called rock'n'roll. Now, I don't want to give up too much of the Gonsalves mystique, but I will tell you that I'm getting old enough that friends are starting to have kids, get married, settle down in general. As this happens, more and more people I know are returning to the bland expanses from whence they came. It's a nesting instinct. Just like you tend to parent in the same manner as you were raised ('cuz that's what you know), you also might feel compelled to raise kids in the same environment as you were. You just go with what you know. Combine this instinct with lower housing costs and the built-in "necessity" of car ownership and it looks like the suburbs are destined to win the minds and wallets of most. Let's face it, living in the heart of a big city is like homosexuality for a lot of us---it's something we experiment with in our twenties. See y'all on the GO Train.

Dear Marcel, I regularly attend shows around the city and really appreciate the hard work and talent that goes into writing and performing music. I would very much like to express my appreciation to bands I like, but I'm afraid. I view them as celebrities and that always makes me tongue-tied as I feel like a worthless worm next to them. Is there anything I can do to put myself at ease with the rock stars? Or am I destined to lead a life of passive appreciation? --- Fandangoed

Is there something you can do to stop from feeling worthless in comparison to a rock star? Yes. Talk to one. With rare exception this should rid you of all feeling of inferiority. But since your problem is that you can't talk to them, that turns out to not be very good advice, so I believe a parable is in order. Most parables are made up tales involving young wanderers and wise old men --- and as often as not some livestock. This, however, is completely true and involves a young Marcel Gonsalves (and the livestock's been edited out --- for their sake). Growing up in the sleepy Toronto suburb of North York, one of the most exciting days of my youth was the day Darth Vader came to town. I counted down the days until he was to arrive, and then when the time arrived had my parents up at the crack of dawn to take me to see him. When we arrived at the Toy City store where he was appearing, the crowd was abuzz with the thrill of their pending flirtation with the dark side. After no short wait I finally got close enough to see Lord Vader himself, marker in hand ready to sign my autograph. Now this was some time ago, so the details are sketchy. Maybe it was his looming stature; maybe his heavy breathing; perhaps it was fear born of his well documented penchant for evil and darkness, but something gave me the fear. I ran. My parents went ahead and got an autograph for me anyway, but I never really did come face to face with Vader. Years later when I looked at the piece of stationery with the words "To Marcel, Use the Force. Your friend, Darth Vader" printed on it, I felt a deep regret at having never met him and shook his hand. I really feel that, given that chance, we could have become real friends. Ever since I had that revelation I have made a point of talking to famous and even quasi-famous people when I want to. And now I'm friends with all sorts of people in bands, and I think that's pretty fucking cool of me. Don't you?