What’s In Your Fridge is where the Straight asks interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting beside the Heinz Ketchup in their custom-made Big Chill Retropolitan 20.6 cubic-foot refrigerators. 

On the grill

Noah Walker and Jodie Ponto of Kitty & The Rooster.

Who are you

We are Kitty & The Rooster! Surf-tastic rock n’ roll duo from Vancouver. Our debut album, One Gig Hard Drive, comes out September 21. We’re celebrating losing our album virginity this Saturday (September 22) at the AnzaClub with a release party featuring our all-time favourite c*unty superstar Shirley Gnome and our trusty backup singers The Cockettes (aka: Northern beauties Twin Peaks and the Queen of Vancouver Island, Carolyn Mark).

First Concert

Noah: My first concert was the night before I was born. My mom and dad were performing at the Queen Charlotte Hall on Haida Gwaii, where one year later I would return for my first gig. I won the Queen Charlotte baby contest by being the only one-year-old who could play harmonica.

Jodie: I grew up in small-town Northern B.C. and the first concert I remember going to is Marty Stuart, which I used to be embarrassed about but now he’s cool with all the urban cowboys. Six-year-old me was obsessed with his song "Hillbilly Rock" and I choreographed a routine for my elementary school’s annual lip-sync contest. I won first place ($20!) and all the kids started doing my interpretive dance moves around school.

Life-changing concert

Noah’s pick (a Dick pick, if you will). Dick Dale at The Phoenix in Seattle. He played louder and harder than any band I’ve ever seen and told the audience, “I don’t know nothing about no jazzy 13#11 chords, I just know how to get on stage and kick some ass!”

Top three records

Soda Pony Sophomore  This is the album we listened to most on our recent 10,000km-long summer tourcation. Soda Pony is a killer power-duo from Whitehorse and our favourite musical discovery and biggest bandmance of the year. They write clever, nostalgic songs about growing up in the Yukon. Riding a dirtbike, hanging out at the town dump, and working as a line cook at Dairy Queen have never sounded so good. Next time they’re in town you must go see them! (psssst ... November 4 at the WISE Lounge)

Petunia & The Vipers Petunia & The Vipers  This is the record that started our love affair with Petunia & The Vipers. They might just be the best live band out there and Stephen Nikleva & Jimmy Roy are two of the Rooster’s biggest guitar heroes. Throughout the winter they have a legendary Monday night residency at the Wise Lounge and we just so happen to live a block away. If you’re looking to stalk us down, we are there almost every week.

Frazey Ford Indian Ocean  It would be a total pack of lies to not include this on the list because we have listened to it more than any other record in the past 5 years. It features members of Al Green’s band, the Hi Rhythm Section, and has the magic ability to be the perfect soundtrack for every occasion ... Long-ass drives, classy dinner parties, sassy kitchen dance parties, S.A.D. rainy days in bed, sexy afternoons in bed, and late nights on tour when you can’t sleep because your bandmates are having a snorgy.

All-time favourite video

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Live on Australian TV 1997. The best pre-show pump up ever! Jon Spencer Blues Explosion performing one of the most ridiculously riotous sets you’ve ever seen on an Australian morning youth TV show. Watch it the whole way through for full effect, things get pretty wild and by the end of the video Jon Spencer is running around thrashing through the studio audience and trashing the set. If we ever feel like phoning it in or toning it down for some stuffy gig we watch this video.

What’s in your fridge

Butter. Not in a Last Tango in Paris “Get the butter!” kind of way, but because we have a serious popcorn problem. We own 3 different popcorn makers: an air popper, a dome popper, and a stove top Whirley Pop.

Beer. One perk of East Van’s gentrification is that we now live within walking distance of 14 breweries. We are currently drinking Off The Rail’s Classic Pale Ale as we type this.

Film. Jodie keeps film for her cameras on the shelf right next to the butter. She is a photographer and Kitty & The Rooster is as much a photo project as it is a rock n’ roll band. She takes photos of other bands around the city too and is infamous for her funny Photoshop creations (or as we call them, Pontoshops).

Kitty & The Rooster play a One Gig Hard Drive CD release show at the ANZA Club tonight (September 22).