Issue 8 February 2017
magazine
Art by Janelle Fitz
Editor-in-Chief Katie Stobbart
Publisher Anthony Biondi
Associate Editor Nick Ubels
Ad Sales Representative Dessa Bayrock
Events Coordinator Sasha Moedt
Communications Manager Jess Wind
FRESH curators Alex Rake - Fiction Aymee Leake - Art
Writers
Dessa Bayrock Anthony Biondi Martin Castro Joe Johnson Alex Rake Aaron Levy Katie Stobbart Christopher Towler Nick Ubels Tim Ubels
Raspberry publishes letters to the editor of 150 words or less. Letters should be sent via email to info@raspberrymag.ca. The editors reserve the right not to print a letter for any reason. If you have a tip for arts, culture, or community coverage, let us know.
Contents
Maintaining mental health in the gaming community Nissa Campbell talks about her experiences working for Take This! an international mental health organization for gamers.
p.9
On the cover Our FRESH Artist, Janelle Fitz p.43
www.raspberrymag.ca
Features Biennale 2017 opens in Abbotsford p.14
Western Jaguar finds a label p.22
Raspberry Jam — Music favourites 2016 p. 27
Themes for Dying Earth p. 34
Preview of The Romeo Initiative p. 53
Columns FRESH Fiction by Seamus Heffernan p.18
p.39
p.57
FRESH Art by Janelle Fitz p.43 February FRESH Picks p.48 Art on the Wing p.50 Local Harvest: a review of books p.55
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Published by
red
PRESS
The Red Press Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to fostering the growth of the literary arts in the Fraser Valley; publishing works which stimulate local arts and culture, including Raspberry magazine; and promoting awareness and readership of contemporary Canadian literature.
A Special Invitation Katie Stobbart
Welcome to our first issue of 2017! In the pages that follow, you’ll find a wealth of arts and culture coverage, from our favourite local songs released in the past year to interviews with curators and the first read of a performance of The Romeo Initiative. We also published our first short story this month, by Seamus Heffernan, as part of our FRESH fiction column. Before you settle in to read, we have some exciting news. On March 4, we are holding a special event at the Reach Gallery and Museum. There will be live performances, a silent auction, food and drink, and art aplenty to enjoy. We hope you’ll join us at 7:00 p.m. that evening for Raiseberry, our first fundraiser. Funds raised will go toward running Raspberry each month, and to our goal of publishing in print. Please take a moment to visit raspberrymag.ca/ raiseberry and RSVP. Then, happy reading!
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invites you to
March 4, 2017
7 PM at The Reach Gallery Dig into the best of Fraser Valley local creative culture. Join us for a night celebrating art, music, food, and more!
raspberry.ca/Raiseberry
red
PRESS RaspberryZine
…theatre at its very best. There is not a false note in this highwire act of comedy and tragedy with beautifully written, believable characters who never lose their balance… ~Halifax Herald
STILL TO COME GALLERY 7 THEATRE
A production of
by
JOSH MacDONALD JAN 27 & 28, FEB 1 – 4 @ 7:30 MATINEES JAN 28 & FEB 4 @ 2:00
Disney’s
ABBOTSFORD ARTS CENTRE 2329 Crescent Way
OPENING MARCH 24
www.gallery7theatre.com
IT'S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE
TAKE
THIS!
MENTAL HEALTH IN THE GAMING COMMUNITY
CHRISTOPHER
TOWLER
N
early all of us have a gamer in our lives. At first glance, video games might appear to be a frenzied, flashing flurry of sight and sound. They have often been criticized for disengaging us, as mere entertainment and escapism. But they can be so much more. Fraser Valley resident Nissa Campbell, a graduate of Douglas College, writes for the non-profit charity “Take This,� which aims to provide resources and information about mental health issues and combat the stigma surrounding them. She also writes in depth analysis of games, which explore and examine the experience of mental illness through the medium. One in five Canadians will suffer from a mental health issue in their lifetime, and virtually all of us will be indirectly affected by mental illness via friends, family, or a colleague. While gaming is very visible, mental health problems often aren’t. Campbell shared her experience with us on her efforts to bring awareness to mental health issues, with a special eye on what gamers can do to help in the fight against mental health and its persistent stigma.
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Could you describe what Take This does as an organization? Certainly. Take This is an American non-profit [charity] that works in the gaming community to offer education and information about mental health issues and to reduce the stigma of mental illness. From a practical standpoint, that means we provide research-backed information through our website and through media partnerships. We give people a platform to share their own experiences with mental health issues, work with clinicians, advocate for mental health awareness at geek-related events, and make safe, quiet spaces at conventions for people who need them.
Can I ask how it is that you came to find yourself writing for Take This? I’ve been a fan of the work Take This does since the organization was first founded. I have some fairly serious issues with anxiety myself, and while attending gaming conventions is a lot of fun, it can also be hard to enjoy them when you’re also dealing with panic around crowds and things like that. So the AFK Room Program — which offers a quiet space staffed with mental health clinicians — was very much on my radar. I’ve been
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playing video games for most of my life, and writing about them for years for outlets like TouchArcade and GamesBeat, so when the folks at Take This decided they wanted to expand their website into a resource that looked at mental health in the games industry from different angles, it seemed like the perfect fit.
Mental health issues and gaming can often butt right up against each other, as the more particular social aspects of gaming, especially online, tend to be very... harsh places. So I think this kind of work is really cool. I don’t think that people involved in gaming are more likely to be coping with mental health issues than any other group. I mean, the stats differ but upwards of a quarter of us will deal with mental health issues in our lifetimes, so any group you find will have some people dealing with depression, anxiety, and other issues whether we know it or not. But gaming as a hobby is growing up, and part of that is recognizing that we’re all human, and we’re all going through our own issues, and realizing that we’re not alone in them can make a huge difference.
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How long have you been writing professionally? I think you mentioned you got your start online?
Is there a piece you’ve written that is particularly meaningful for you?
I’ve been writing professionally for nearly a decade. I graduated from Douglas College’s professional writing program in 2008, and started working at a shopping centre trade magazine right out of school. A great job, but not a topic I was particularly passionate about. Getting into writing about games was almost a fluke — the editor in chief of TouchArcade happened to post on the same forum I did, and was looking for writers for the site. I was big into mobile gaming, so I sent in a couple of samples, and we went from there.
Last summer I collaborated on a project at Take This that I’m very proud of — a white paper about the damaging effects of crunch in the game industry. It’s common practice for people working at major game studios to work long hours, often without compensation. Sometimes 80+ hour weeks for months on end. We looked at the research and found that not only can that be damaging for the people working in those conditions — physically, mentally, and socially — but it can also have a negative impact on the end product. We all want a healthy, sustainable video game industry, and right now a lot of development practices are working against that. So the white paper helps shed a little light on the subject to show that while crunch seems necessary, it’s often counterproductive at best.
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I’ve heard about this — a kind of competitive culture that permeates the industry with people pulling long, often uncompensated overtime. Being told that you’re “doing what you love” to often justify this kind of exploitation. It’s an ugly side of the industry that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. The thing is, people often are doing what they love — it’s a self-sustaining issue, because developers enjoy their work and want it to be the best it can be often want to put in as many hours as it takes. I’m guilty of that too. I end up working long nights on my game project, even though I’m the only one driving that. So personally, I hope that people who see this research will be aware of the long term costs they’re looking at, and do what they can to moderate, even just a little. Not to say people aren’t being exploited as well, but it’s not a straightforward top-down issue.
If you want to read more about Take This and Campbell’s work, check out takethis.org
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First curator of Fraser Valley Biennale evokes place and ecology in art selections Anthony Biondi
B
oasting 21 artists, showcased at different intervals over the course of the past two years, the third Fraser Valley Biennale opened on January 14 at the Kariton Art Gallery on Mill Lake. Featuring 11 of the 21 selected artists, the gallery was packed with artists and art lovers, enjoying a variety of mediums, and a table of cheese and wine. In previous years, artists for the Biennale were curated by jury. This year, the Reach Gallery and Museum brought in a curator. Beth Carruthers is an internationally renowned artist and curator from the Valley, who is currently completing a PhD on the island. She returned home to the Lower Mainland to create her vision for this year’s show.
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“[What] I’m really known for is my work in ecological art practice, and the theoretical work in the role of arts in sustainability,” Carruthers stated. “I have this background that I obviously bring with me, as any curator will bring their own personal practice with them.” As the first guest curator for the Fraser Valley Biennale, Carruthers wanted to naturally let a theme emerge from the works that were submitted. “That [theme] really had to do with people’s relationship with the land in various ways. That was the strongest theme that emerged,” she said. This theme becomes immediately obvious when viewing the pieces on display at the Kariton: a selection of abstract and interpretive landscapes, and the inclusion of human intrusion on natural landscape. The pieces convey strong emotions, and longing for spaces that aren’t dominated by city skylines.
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“One of the things this region has always been, throughout most of my life anyways,” said Carruthers, “is rapidly changing. People’s relationships, when they move around a lot, those people’s relationships to where they are change. Sometimes they can seem quite tenuous, and at the same time there are [...] communities and families that have been there a long time. So there’s all these layers to people’s relationships to these places.” Reflecting on her time selecting the pieces for display, Carruthers discussed what it meant for her to be a part of the Biennale. “With me coming in, though I’m still a west coast, BC gal, I still don’t have that immersion in the community and those relationships, and all that coming in with fresh eyes,” she said. She appreciated being able to create a theme that so strongly represented the Fraser Valley, in a way that would expand be-
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yond the community that created the artwork. “I think it educates people: lets people in one community know what people in another community are doing. It shows what people are thinking about,” said Carruthers. “What the arts do in culture, is they really represent a lot of stuff that’s churning under the surface, and the artists can really focus that through the work.”
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The Kariton Gallery will continue to host this year’s Biennale until February 7 before moving on to the O’Connor Gallery at the Chilliwack Cultural Centre. From there it will show at the Rock Family Gallery in Mission, then finish at The Reach Gallery and Museum in December, showcasing the full breadth of the selections chosen for this year’s exhibition.
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community snapshots
photo by Nick Ubels
The boy and the stormtrooper This intriguing piece of stencil-painted street art was found in what has become a hotspot of sorts for small-scale grafitti in the alley way behind Essendene and Montrose.
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fresh fiction With Special Guests by Seamus Heffernan
I
t had been about six weeks since she moved out, and it was time I found something new to do other than sitting around watching the laundry not do itself. I was thumbing through a week-old issue of Q or NME I had found on the tube and saw this ad in the back: Punk combo seeking bassist. Our influences include the Clash, Stiff Little Fingers, Fugazi, Buzzcocks, Hüsker Dü, Bad Religion. You will be influenced by being on time for rehearsal and not being rubbish. For more, contact… I flipped around the rest of the magazine for a bit, checked out the reviews, realized I didn’t know any of the bands they were talking about. I read an interview with some guy in mascara who wrote songs about not getting laid until he was, like, 26 and now his band had teenage girls throwing their knickers at him. Touring meant he had knickers from all over the world. Said Japanese ones were the best. I tossed the magazine aside. I did some channel hopping. The re-run for some brain-dead teen soap was on, so I spent a few minutes checking out some hotly generic rent-a-rack actress, and for a while I debated acting on those thoughts. I had been without physical affection for a lot longer than six weeks, but now this just seemed all a bit ho hum. Too much effort. I got up, made a sandwich and threw some dishes in the soapy-but-cold water. I scooped up an armful of clothes from the floor and threw it in the machine. When I sat down, the ad was still there, looking up at me. The call for auditions was later that day. Screw it. I called the number. ‘You wanna play bass?’ the kid on the other end said. He was eating. ‘I play bass,’ I replied. ‘But I’m thinking I’d like to play in a band.’ Again, I didn’t say. The washing machine shook. I dropped a cigarette butt into a half-empty Beck’s bottle. ‘S’okay,’ he said after chewing a bit more. ‘Be here at four.’ It was already 3:30, but like I said—I wasn’t doing a whole lot anyways.
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The address was a pretty decent place just out of Primrose Hill. It was one of those neighbourhoods where everything was green and leafy and smelt like the suburban equivalent of new car. I could hear some serious racket coming out of the garage. I tried calling The Chewer to let me in, but no one answered. I pounded on the door. After a moment, it rolled up. Three guys were in the middle of the concrete square, speakers and kit all set up. The garage floor was spotless. The cars that parked here didn’t leak much, I guessed. A low hum hung in the background, speakers anxious to get roaring again. They were all tall, skinny, with stovepipe jeans, struggling facial hair and beat up trainers. All of their t-shirts featured bands that had split up before they were born. They were each 19, maybe 20 years old, tops. ‘Yeah?’ the kid on the left with the guitar on his shoulder asked. ‘I’m here about the band.’ They exchanged glances quickly, with Guitar and No Guitar looking balefully at the drummer who, based on the quick bite of his lower lip, had not informed his colleagues that he had apparently recruited Old Man Moses for the try-outs. The silence was just about to get awkward when I said, ‘Where do I plug in?’ Guitar flicked his head towards the appropriate speaker. I waited until my back was to them to smile a little bit. Regardless of whatever happened next, this was already the most fun I’d had in a while. 38 could be a tender age. ‘So, uh, what kind of stuff do you play?’ the drummer asked.
Image by: Brett Kiger/ flickr
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‘Don’t sweat it. I read the ad before I called,’ I answered. I wasn’t really trying to be curt, but I just wanted to jam. I hadn’t played in months and what I had heard through the garage door hadn’t sounded all that bad. It was loud, at least. Loud was good. Loud was fucking great, actually. Tinnitus was always useful for blocking the other noise in your head. ‘Okay,’ No Guitar said. The singer, evidently. The introduced themselves quickly: He was Marcus, Dean was on guitar, Jer on drums. ‘John,’ I said, giving them a quick nod. ‘Great, great,’ Dean said, fingers twitching a bit. ‘Can we, you know, play now?’ ‘Know any Stooges?’ Marcus asked me, raising his mic a bit closer to his face. I did. All told, we tore it up for about an hour. The three of them were good, solid. Very energetic. I kept my stuff simple and watched Jer closely for the time. They weren’t kidding about the ad they placed: they stuck to what they obviously (desperately) saw as their classics, so not a post-2000 AD tune was to be heard. Fine with me. Around ten after five, we called it quits. Some quick handshakes, and a high five from smiling Jer. His hand was hot, sweaty. So was mine. It felt good.
I thought it had gone fairly well, but I was still happy when Dean called a bit later that night. I had been searching for the remote. ‘So, yeah. You’re in if you want it,’ he said. ‘Okay,’ I said, running my hand under the couch cushions. ‘We’re practicing Tuesday again, at seven.’ ‘Okay,’ I said, finally finding it under a pile of newspapers and bills. ‘We’re going to be doing some Black Flag and some Bodyjar—do you have any?’ ‘Okay,’ I said, flicking on the telly and plopping on the couch. ‘What?’ he asked. I flicked through channels. ‘I mean, yeah, I’ve got some.’ He paused. I heard him exhale briefly. ‘Just be on time, Dad,’ he said and hung up.
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New
Western Jaguar record coming on Mighty Speck
Records in 2017
Nick Ubels Since the early 2015 release of Wayfarer, Western Jaguar has undergone a metamorphosis, from ambient solo project to live rock band. The Mission-based project led by vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Jeffrey Trainor has its roots in Jeff’s parents’ basement, gradually growing into a dynamic live act featuring AJ Buckley on drums, (Casinos front man) Kier Junos on guitar, and Ryan Domingo replacing Brent Webb on bass. You may have caught some of the new material this summer at Jam in Jubilee or one of their other recent shows before they burrowed away to finish work on a follow-up record, due in mid-2017 on Mighty Speck Records. I spoke with Jeff about how the project has evolved, what we can expect from Western Jaguar’s upcoming release, and what signing with Mighty Speck means for the band.
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The project has gone through quite a few changes since you last put out an album. How has the project evolved since you put out your last record? This is going to be the first record where it’s not me completely in control of the record. The last two, I wrote all the parts and had full creative control of everything, but this record is kind of like, okay, I wrote the song and let Kier and AJ and Brent, and Ryan now, run with it and add their own flair and own spin. It’s been a way more collaborative record in that sense. It’s not just my ideas reflected; I bring my idea and they kind of help shape it into what I think are stronger songs and more listenable songs. It’s definitely a new direction for the project, but I think it’s something that’s actually needed. It really re-awoke it. It almost feels like it’s a new band.
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How do you think performing live with these guys has shaped your writing process for this record? The band is definitely thinking more in that live context. You kind of have an ability to do more when you know those consistent guys are going to be there. Before, when it was just me and backing tracks, Rob Sweeney played with me a lot, but it wasn’t this consistent thing where I had the same person all the time. I just feel like everyone knows what they’re going to do and it just feels a lot more comfortable playing live. I know it’s a good show. When we were playing with backing tracks, I was like, “Are people even enjoying this or thinking this is cool?” and now I feel like we’re putting on a legitimate rock show, which feels really good.
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When you started this project several years ago as a kind of bedroom recording thing, did you envision it taking this direction at some point? It’s really funny you ask that because I literally started this thing in my bedroom, by myself, no experience recording, hadn’t really written songs before. And to think we’re signing with a record label… it doesn’t even make any sense. I didn’t have any expectations. A lot of it comes down to the people who have been with the project since the beginning. When I first released Glacia in 2013, I didn’t want to play shows. I kind of just put that record together for myself, but a lot of people said, “You need to play these songs,” so there were outside people pushing me forward. I have a lot of people to thank for getting me to
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this moment. It wouldn’t have happened if it was just me. Without all the people coming to shows and giving good feedback, it wouldn’t have happened. I think about those times I spent just sitting in my basement recording these songs that I didn’t expect anyone to ever hear to now. It’s crazy.
To come back to the new songs that you’re working on, can you share much about what people might be able to expect musically or thematically? It’s definitely more of a rock record. There’s a lot more blazin’ guitar solos thanks to Kier. That’s the joy of having Kier in the band. I think there’s a lot more focus on writing good melodies and lyrics and vocals that will actually be memorable and I think that’s something
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that wasn’t apparent on the last records. It was more about the background and the ambience. That’s still there on this record, but we put a lot of effort into writing good songs that can stand on their own and I think that’s what people will hear when they listen to it, they’re going to be like, wow, that’s a good song. But also all this ambience and guitar work and intricacies and stuff going on in the background. It’s like mixing that old sound and vamping it into something more polished.
What can you tell us about the new release? We’re still trudging along with it. We started working on it at the end of August and we’ve sort of been working on it on our own. We were thinking about going to studios to do it but AJ [Buckley], our drummer, has a recording engineering degree so we’re going that route. That way, we have control and we can take as much time as we need. But that’s kind of become a downside because we’re just slowly getting through it. So it’s been a slow process, but I’m really happy with the stuff we do have and really excited to eventually release it.
Are you recording at AJ’s space or somewhere else? Initially, in August, we were recording at Brent [Webb’s], who isn’t with the band currently because he’s in Toronto. We recorded six tracks there and we’re recording an additional one to top up the release. And then we have to do all the mixing. And we have to redo vocals
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and odds and ends. The major parts are there, it’s just kind of the polish that’s missing.
Do you have any kind of timeline on when it will come out or do you not really want to go there at this point? I’ve been saying, if people ask me, it’ll be this time, and then that time comes and people are like so what? We haven’t even got to the next point yet. Roughly, my goal is by June. I think that will give us enough time to get it fully done.
Of course, you guys are getting a bit of help with that this time around from what I understand. Yeah, we are.
What can you tell me about the record deal? We’re really excited. We’re hopping on board with Mighty Speck Records out of Victoria and we kind of made a connection with James Kasper, who runs that label, through the Fraser Valley Music Awards. He saw us play a couple times while he was here doing that. They were looking for artists for their 2017 lineup and it kind of worked out. We both have the same ideas about where we want to go music wise, and it seems like a really natural connection. They’re going to help us with some promo and finding new audiences for our music that we haven’t had before, so we’re really excited to be working with them.
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Is there anything you’d like to add? One thing with Mighty Speck is everyone on the label has a community group they raise awareness for as a part of it. So we’re doing it for the Devon Clifford Music Foundation, an organization run out of Abbotsford that gives high school students a chance to play music; it’s like an after-school program. It was started by the Clifford family, whose son Devon used to play drums in You Say Party but passed away on stage at the end of a tour. They started this foundation in memorial of him. Kier and I both worked for the foundation and it’s awesome to see these kids come out of their shells and learn to play songs. They get to play a show in the end so it’s really cool. We’re happy to be partnered with them on this. As for plans, we’re going to play a few more local shows up until the summer, and finish the album and in the summer we’re hoping to do a bit of touring. Mighty Speck does a bit of touring as a label so we’re hoping maybe we can hop on that, play some music festivals. There’s lots on the horizon, that’s for sure.
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community snapshots
photo by Vanessa Broadbent
Snow days The past two months have brought more wintry weather than we’re used to in the Fraser Valley, but there’s no need to spend snow days indoors. This beautiful snapshot of a buoy among the mountains was taken in Chilliwack by Vanessa Broadbent. Check out more of her photos at instagram.com/vanessabroadbent.
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Year-end lists tend to be soulless exercises, lacking in personality. And yet we so easily award these arbitrary rankings incredible significance when debating their “correctness” in comments sections. This approach to music appreciation generally sucks the life out of it. So, rather than trying to provide a comprehensive list of the year’s best, we’ve asked our contributors to pick one of their favourite locally produced songs of the year and describe why they like it. For the sake of diversity, we’ve limited it to one song per artist. Our hope is that you might discover something new from the wealth of excellent music created in our own backyard.
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“Cop” – Blessed If your gut response was to label Abbotsford-based Blessed as another group of three-chord punks, let me set you straight. Their self-titled 2016 debut is clean, raw and immediate without adhering to standard punk conventions. There's something about Blessed's melodies that are wholly original, featuring jazz-like nuances throughout the instrumentation. These nuances are most apparent on the EP's second track "Cop.” It's a song that doesn't rely on atmosphere to make its case, instead building torrential powerchords and adding unpredictable guitar riffs that perfectly mirror the mood of the lyrics. Blessed's ability to create a slowly building intensity with a tight performance makes the final chords of "Cop" read like a finished puzzle: a stunning achievement for a debut release. – T.U.
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“c my bb” – gold gloom For a duo whose releases have sometimes toed the line between ethereal and undefined, gold gloom’s latest, “c my bb,” sees the project’s sound refined into what’s possibly their best release to date. Ella Kosovic and Cara Edwards’ intertwined, slightly fuzzed vocals on urge the listener to pay attention amidst the explicitly minimalist production. Anchored by two short verses, the simple chorus of “I need to see my baby” (a mantra whose emotionality increases with each passing) sways with a longing that threatens to overtake the measured hesitancy of Kosovic and Edwards’ delivery, folding in on itself gracefully as the track ends. At exactly two minutes, “c my bb” is just long enough to leave us fulfilled, yet wanting more. – M.C.
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“Illumination” – Kuri
“LSA” – The Hibs The latest guise of Abbotsford’s favourite expat David Kandal is the clearest distillation of his musical identity yet. On the closing track of The Hibs’ debut EP, he wheezes a heartbreaking ode to unrequited feelings for his “favourite liquor store attendant”. It’s a dusty ballad that smirks at your heartstrings with off-kilter acoustic guitars lifted by a languid slide guitar. In the spirited bridge, Kandal wistfully hints at a boozy world of possibility, a car to drive around, some time to spend together, before eventually conceding to the status quo: “Maybe next shift.” - NU
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“Illumination” is the ethereal and contemplative first track on Kuri’s new release, Human Nature. The smooth, mellow euphonium (David Dueckman) pairs with Kuri’s vocals and complementary piano to create a yearning intensity. Between verses, instrumental crescendos build a beautiful, poignant tension, then release it to the lyrics, which carry us through a questioner’s search for understanding, through her shifting experience of illumination and changing perspective. “Illumination” is a compelling entry into Human Nature, which extends the questioning and internal conflict into the next five tracks of this thoughtful collection. – K.S.
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“Bell Tower” – Loans A bell tower provides for both the widespread proliferation of necessary community sounds, as well as a vantage point from which to survey the relevant lands. Loans satisfies both functions with this number, prompting us with the appropriate audio and visual imagery to understand where Fraser Valley music has evolved. – A.L.
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“The Shame” – Mikey & his Shame Mikey and His Shame’s Thing Things was an eclectic, witty, and humorous debut that has since been followed up by *ahem*, a record which saw the punkrock three piece simmer its sound down to a more cutting, brash iteration of the kind of material we saw in their release. However, the tongue-in-cheek humour that was so apparent in tracks like “The Mayor” definitely carries over into the content on *ahem*. “The Shame,” *ahem*’s intro track, gives us a punchy, foot-tapping dose of punk that’s grounded in Josh Erickson’s consistently funky bass-lines, as well as Emilor Jayne’s energetic drumming. Add onto this Mikey Power’s charming, dissatisfied, yet tongue-in-cheek howling vocals and you’ve got the makings of a punk band that’s equal parts danceable, angst-ridden, and humorous. – M.C.
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“Thirsty White Sun” Villain Villain The blessing of Abbotsford’s rock scene is also its central problem: everyone already knows each other. New bands spawn constantly, but tend only to be rearrangements of the same handful of musicians. Because of this, the music is hella tight, hella consistent, and hella “I Wait”, much like the rest of My Goal the same post-hardcorish, kind of poppy, Is Telepathy’s demos and EPs, is rem- facemelting sound. iniscent of Bon Iver’s latest release – in that it is synth modulated. This gives It’s a lovely sound, but I only have one the track’s vocals a well-produced sense face. So praise bands like Villain Vilof desperation. The play with sharp dig- lain, who also come from that handful itized vocals pulls the listener into the of musicians, but use the formulae to song in an attempt give a glimpse of the less predictable results. Hear “Thirsty emotional dichotomy between intro- White Sun.” It’s still noisy, but develops spective lyrics and confounding sound. subtly, its contrasting parts impressing This works incredibly well to create that without flapping like genitalia in your intimate relationship between MGIT face. The song proves there’s no need to and listener. Another layer is added to adhere to the common style when your the track through a strong guitar pres- audience already gets it; they’re the same ence, providing a great complement be- people who heard the last fifty Abbotstween digital and analogue. This works ford shows anyway. It’s a fresh sound that surprisingly well. Ushering this song is a takes its audience seriously. – A.R.
“I Wait” – My Goal Is Telepathy
tender voice and warm reverb. – J.J.
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Contributions from Martin Castro, Joe Johnson, Aaron Levy, Alex Rake, Katie Stobbart, Nick Ubels, and Tim Ubels.
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Ecological
dread
Themes for Dying Earth documentary sheds light on Teen Daze’s climate change anxiety Martin Castro
"I just couldn't get out of bed," Jamison Isaak narrates, as bells chime over footage of fireworks at night. We hear him ask, “How am I supposed to get through this tour? How am I supposed to get through this day?” Among the many musicians and artists in the Fraser Valley, Jamison Isaak, producing music under the name Teen Daze, has been one of the most talked-about local artists in 2016. Ahead of the February 2017 release of Isaak’s latest
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record, Themes for Dying Earth, the musician enlisted the help of local filmmaker Casey Kowalchuk to produce a short film capturing Isaak’s tour-induced anxiety and inspiration from nature. Isaak’s attempt to deal with the stresses of touring is immediately evident in the film, which opens with intermingled shots of the Fraser Valley’s skyscape and Isaak performing on a small, dark, stage. It’s fitting then, that the first words we hear are Isaak’s, through voice-over, tell-
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ing us that “within the first week of the tour, I had my first brush with a more serious form of anxiety than I think I’ve ever experienced before.” Kowalchuck says the 10-minute film has its roots in Atangard, a community living project in Abbotsford. The residence was his, “entryway to the local arts scene.” It was through fellow Atangard resident Simon Bridgefoot, who also produces music as The Parish of Little Clifton, that Kowalchuck got in contact with Isaak. “I heard from Simon that Jamison was going to ask me to do some video projects for him,” says Kowalchuck, noting his excitement. According to Kowalchuk, Isaak had a particular vision for the documentary before approaching the filmmaker. “He had an aesthetic in mind [for the film.] His branding is very specific, [and] Jamison had certain scenes in mind. I was
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there to focus on story, communicating ideas that were important to him.” Where Isaak brought a fully developed idea, Kowalchuck brought practicality. Along with the stress of touring, the film depicts Isaak suffering from a more profound anxiety brought on by a preoccupation with climate change, a theme Kowalchuck notes is “one of the central themes of the new Teen Daze record.” “Naturally,” he says, the subject of climate change “would have been great to tackle in the documentary, [but it] was something we had to tread around, because we don’t have the answers, Jamison and I.” The film, ultimately, “is about the record. We didn’t want to re-make Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth— that’s already out there.” The documentary moves through a series of shots, most of which focus on Isaak at home and in his recording space,
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during which he seems more at ease, or brief shots of performances. Interestingly, all the visual elements of the film are separate from the soundtrack and narration that accompanies them, communicating to the viewer a sense of contemplation. The other noticeable visual theme of the film is scenes of nature in the Valley, often while Isaak considers the inspiration behind Themes for Dying Earth. “This [record] was trying to be a little bit more of a reflection on what’s actually outside the window,” Isaak says on camera. “I was so focused on trying to make it feel like a really local record in that sense, [one] that expressed the natural beauty [of the Fraser Valley.] I think that makes an issue like climate change a little bit more real. To think that there’s a possible future where someone doesn’t get to experience that inspiration in the same way that I do, that’s really sad to me.” The depths of Jameson’s anxiety are clear in both the tracks on Themes for Dying Earth, and the documentary itself. Most of this anxiety, notes Kowalchuck, comes from a place of uncertainty with the world’s current state. “There’s a line in the interview that we cut,” Kowalchuck tells me, “where Jamison said, ‘I’m not an expert, I’m just someone that makes music for a living.’” Despite the measured quality of the film’s pacing, it meanders visually from one shot to the next, relying on Isaak’s narration to provide context and narrative.
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“Cycle,” the first single for Themes for Dying Earth, eerily reflects Isaak’s anxiety-induced stasis that Kowalchuck so aptly captures in his film, a reflectiveness which, despite taking root in Jamison’s depression and anxiety with climate change, adds to the mosaic of artistic and ecological conversations taking place in the Valley. Moreover, this instance of productivity sparked by a dread of climate change has given way to not one, but two releases, a record and a short film. As Abbotsford’s arts community intermingles, musicians with filmmakers, writers with painters, we can look forward to more interdisciplinary projects reflective of the many different voices and perspectives belonging to residents of the Fraser Valley. And if Themes for Dying Earth is any indicator, we can take solace in the fact the face of the Valley (that which people see when exposed to the visual aspects of the art produced here) as well as its voice, is a conscious one, concerned with the well-being of our planet and of our community.
Teen Daze accompanying album, Themes for Dying Earth, will be released February 10.
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community snapshots
photo by Sasha Moedt
Protesting racism 2017 has had a turbulent start when it comes to social issues. Early in the month of January, KKK propaganda was circulating in the valley, while the US president promoted bigotry on a national scale. In order to counteract such stark negativity, people from all over gathered at the Abbotsford's historical Gur Sikh Temple to protest bigotry in our community.
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With Special Guests — continued
Before Tuesday I got a call from her lawyer, Trent. He and I go back a bit. Even played together for a while. Then he went back to uni. ‘So, the money,’ he began. ‘There isn’t any money.’ ‘She means the land,’ he said. ‘Come on,’ I said. ‘She’ll get it, too.’ ‘Jesus, Trent. We used to be friends.’ ‘Look, just sign over half of it, or sell it and give her her share.’ ‘It’s hardly worth the money to sell it,’ I say. ‘It’s in Scotland. The Highlands. And it was my dad’s.’ ‘Well, evidently she never liked him.’ ‘Funny, I thought she never liked me.’ Trent tutted, briefly. ‘Don’t be melodramatic, John.’ I didn’t say anything for a minute, just thinking. ‘You still playing?’ Trent asked when he got bored of me not talking. ‘Mm-hmm.’ ‘Who with?’ ‘Just some guys,’ I said. ‘I miss the band,’ he said. ‘Yeah. Well.’ ‘Ah, it was great. Like, where was it, Norfolk? We were playing that rathole, the one with the sinks blocked with puke from some guy the night before. Blood on the bar towels. And that bird who threw a bottle at you on stage?’ ‘It was in Leeds. And that bottle was meant for you.’ ‘Sure it was. Look, what are you going to do about the land?’ I decided to go with the silent manoeuvre again. Trent sighed. He started talking, making his case. I turned my telly volume up to block him out until he got the hint. He hung up, shouting at me. Oh well. I popped in a DVD and grabbed a beer. There is nothing worse than listening to some guy bang on about the good old days—especially when his have really just started, and yours weren’t all that good in the first place.
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Image by: uzaigaijin/ flickr
Tuesday I was a few minutes early, but I could hear Marcus singing and strumming from inside, so I listened for a minute before knocking. It was fast and poppy, but still had a bit of bite. I liked it. ‘That your stuff?’ I asked as I started setting up. ‘Yeah,’ he said, putting the guitar away. ‘Just a few things I’ve been working on a bit.’ ‘Sounded all right,’ I said. He shrugged. ‘You play it for the guys?’ ‘Nah.’ ‘Maybe you should. I mean, what, you want to sing other people’s songs forever?’ ‘No, but, well. I dunno.’ My turn to shrug. No time to worry about it anyhow—the other two showed up dead on seven. We finished setting up, and hit it, hard. In two hours we had built on Saturday’s work and hammered about six or seven songs into very respectable playing shape. My first impression had been right: the boys were good. Jer was airlock-tight, but smart enough to skip anything too show-offy, maybe the odd double-roll, but mainly happy to just keep things pounding along. Dean aped a bit of Johnny Thunders, but he could pull it off. And Marcus. Marcus could sing. He lacked any sense of self-consciousness, despite the fact he was roaming around in front of three guys in a garage and not on a floodlit stage dodging Japanese panties. But it was not just his voice and letting himself get lost in the songs. You wanted to look at him. Sometimes, it was as simple as that. Next rehearsal, I decided to ease up a bit on my standard spread-legged-and-bored pose, maybe move a bit. A few songs in, I let myself do a little hop with Dean when we hit a big chorus. It didn’t look that bad. After, Jer told us his old man knows somebody who manages a pub in the East End. Two weeks from Friday,
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we can play there if we like. No one said anything for a few seconds. Finally: ‘We’re not ready,’ Dean said. ‘Who’s ever really ready?’ Jer asked, clearly disappointed his news was greeted with thoughtful pauses and pursed lips rather than bombast and fanfare. ‘And come on, it’s just a gig. There might be, like, 20 people there. Most of them will probably be friends we’ll have to buy beer for blowing a Friday night on us.’ Marcus’ forehead was creased a bit. ‘John? What do you think?’ he asked. Dean already had his mouth set in a hard line, so he was ready for a fight over this, but to hell with it. I wanted to play, and said so. ‘Yeah,’ Marcus said after a moment, still looking down, but his forehead smoothing a bit. ‘Yeah, me too.’ Dean shook his head. Jer twirled a drumstick, smiling. ‘Cheer up, son,’ I say, giving Dean a soft poke in the shoulder. ‘Our first show wasn’t going to be at Wembley, right?’ ‘I’d be happy just to have a second show,’ he said. We decided to practice some more before calling it a night.
Work. My stress leave had been up for a couple of weeks. It wasn’t all bad. Marcus had emailed some tunes and lyrics of stuff he’s working on. We IM’ed: John: We should be playing some of this stuff. Marcus: Not yet. John: Seriously, it’s good. One song. For the gig. Marcus: Ha! No. John: What are you waiting for? Marcus: Hmmm, how about ‘to not suck’? And, no offense, Mr. Man of Action, but have you asked out that girl from your accounting department yet? John: Marcus: Right-o. What are you waiting for? John: So if I ask this girl out we’ll do one of your songs? Marcus: I didn’t say that. John: I did. Talk at rehearsal.
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I logged out and walked to accounts. The girl, Claire, was a temp who started a week ago. We’ve had a cup of coffee or two together in the canteen. She was a good listener, and sometimes when she laughed she hid her mouth behind her hand. I liked her. It was nice to like somebody. ‘Hey,’ I said, peeking over her cubicle. ‘Hi, you,’ she said. It occurred to me I had no idea what I was supposed to say. It had been a while. Finally I came up with, ‘Do you want to hang out next Saturday?’ I winced inwardly—too full-on? too weird?—but she looked up smiling, so I guessed it sounded okay. ‘Ooh, I can’t. I’ve got something going on. How about Friday?’ ‘Well, Friday I’ve got something going on, actually.’ ‘Like what?’ ‘I play in a band and this Friday is our first gig…’ My voice trailed off as I caught her eye, and I realized that Claire definitely wanted to come to this, my newest Big Life Event, and I couldn’t decide if I was excited or scared. ‘Hey, wow, that’s great! That is so cool,’ she said. ‘I’d love to go, if that’s okay.’ ‘Sure,’ I said. I gave her the name of the pub. I emailed Marcus to tell him that I had taken the leap, and I expected/demanded reciprocity. I left out the part where I had settled on ‘scared’ over ‘excited’. I was still pretty sure of my choice even when I got home that night, and there was a message from Trent on my machine.
Continued on page 57
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fresh art Janelle Fitz
Janelle Fitz is a visual artist and graphic designer located in the Fraser Valley. Janelle grew up with a love for art and pursued this throughout her high school and university years. In 2014, Janelle graduated from the University of the Fraser Valley with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Since then, she has continued to pursue artistic opportunities. Janelle works primarily in the mediums of acrylic painting and photography.
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The following three digital photographs were inspired by my love of music. Music has been a part of my life since I was very young. Most of my family was involved with music and I grew up playing the piano. Music was a common interest, and was something that brought us together. My intent with these photographs was to capture the energy of music. I created these images using the technique of light painting, and also used composite techniques to create my desired final image. The colorful, abstract streaks of light evoke vibrancy and movement, and ultimately capture the energy and beauty that music can evoke. The three prints pictured are each 24�x36�, Archival Inkjet Photographs on Metallic Paper, Face-Mounted on Plexiglass.
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Interested in having your FRESH art featured in Raspberry magazine? Visit raspberrymag.ca/Fresh-submissions to view our submission guidelines. Raspberry Magazine
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fresh picks Music CIVL Radio Mini School
February 4 at 11 AM - 2PM
Come learn how to work at a radio station. Create a short piece for the radio, and hear it live on CIVL 101.7 FM. Lessons will be taught by industry professionals including CBC journalist Angela Sterritt, and award-winning producer Garth Mullins. UFV Campus Building A - Room 229, 33844 King Rd., Abbotsford
Mindful Singing workshop February 18 at
230PM - 430PM
Refine your siniging voice or learn from scratch, Simon Bridgefoot and Kristin Witko will be instructing visitors on how to breathe, posture, and socially connect as a singer. Spaces are limited, so be sure to register. Abbotsford Arts Council 2387 Ware Street, Abbotsford
Community February 11 at 10 AM - 3 PM
The Neema Project — Clothing Drive Come to Sippchai Cafe to help support Azam as he travels to Tanzania to support abandoned or orphaned children. Bring all of your out-grown baby clothes and shoes for donation to children in need. All donations will be taken with Azam to Tanzania for donation to The Neema Project. SippChai Cafe 11-31205 Maclure Rd, Abbotsford
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February 2017 Open Mosque Join an informal visit to Abbotsford's local Mosque. Learn about Islam and what being a Muslim is all about. It's a casual drop in, with tours, displays, and a witnessing of prayer at 12:30 p.m to 1:30. Refreshments will be served.
February 11 at 10 AM - 3 PM
Abbotsford Islamic Centre 1980 Salton Road, Abbotsford
Arts Stamped Pendant Learn how to create, and stamp a pendant with your own personal message or design. Hosted by the Chilliwack Community Arts Council, and instructed by Alicia Champ from Hip Navy Beads. Last day for registration is February 6 at 5 P.M. Admission is $35
February 8 at
630PM - 830PM
Chilliwack Community Art's Council —  The Art Room 20 - 5725 Vedder Rd. Chilliwack
Coffee and DIY Come out and paint on the walls of Decades Coffee Club. Supplies are provided, as well as coffee. Unleash your createive side by decorating a local space. Admission $40 with $20 deposit due by February 10. Spots are limited.
February 16 at 730PM - 9PM
Decades Coffee Club 45846 Wellington Ave., Chilliwack
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Art on the Wing Student curator Chantelle Fawcett hosts February’s Art on Demand Anthony Biondi
Image provided by Chantelle Fawcett
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From first glance, this month’s Art on Demand at The Reach Gallery and Museum is stunning. Its colours are sharp, and its shapes are crisp, contrasted by a clean, modern look. Artist Desirée Patterson’s concern is between the human condition and nature. “As humans evolve and cities grow, [she explores] how that’s impacting the environment. So, in a lot of ways, her art is looking at environmental preservation,” said intern curator, Chantelle Fawcett. Though Patterson has participated in gallery showings before, Fawcett selected her for her first solo exhibition. This is Fawcett’s first opportunity to curate a show for The Reach. She found herself going over lists of submissions for her exhibition after applying for the Reach’s curation internship, leading her to selecting the beautiful art of Desirée Patterson. “I found her work to be really unique and different. She found a way to make beautiful compositions that aren’t extremely obvious,” said Fawcett. Fawcett is in her final year of her BFA at UFV, and has been a member of the Emerge program for several years. Her
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Image: Desirée Patterson, Enraciné iii (detail), 2015, Digital Photography (limited edition 02/12)
own art style differs from Patterson’s in content and medium. “I’m really interested in what’s going on around me. I typically will have figures of people in any of the art I produce. I’m really interested in what’s going on in popular culture.” Her preferred medium is painting, using stencils and spray paints. “Totally different from the artist I had chosen to show. These are all digital photographs,” Fawcett said. “I spent about two days installing,” she said, “and I am learning, so it was a kind of a slower moving process for me. I remember sitting in here for half an hour with Kate [Bradford] (Emerge program Coordinator), moving [the art] back and forth.” She was surprised by the amount of paperwork involved in curating an exhibition, including curatorial essays and art plaques. “Hanging the art is a very small portion of what goes into putting on a show like this.” Fawcett is the first of two intern curators for Art on Demand this year, with another show to open in March. Art on Demand 3.1 opened on January 26, at 6:00 p.m. alongside The Reach’s other major exhibitions, sharing an opening reception. Fawcett is enthusiastic about opening with the other exhibitions, expecting a large turnout to enjoy Patterson’s work.
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community snapshots
photo by Jess Wind
Let's talk river wellness The grass may look pretty green in this photo, but according to its entry in Canadian Geographic Education, the Fraser River is classified as "a resource in need of rescue." Population and development around the Fraser continues to grow, which puts a lot of stress on this important channel. This month, take some time to inform yourself on the threats to our river's health. Then, let us know what you discovered. Did it change the way you think of the Fraser? What are some ways we can restore this essential artery through our valley? Email your thoughts to info@raspberrymag.ca with the subject line: Fraser River Response. We may publish the results! Photos and artistic responses welcome.
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A Post-Noir Preview Sitting in at the Chilliwack Players Guild’s reading of The Romeo Initiative
Alex Rake
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anuary 6. A chilly evening in Chilliwack. I stood at the front door of the Chilliwack Players Guild’s headquarters — The Guildhall — an hour early for my most dangerous mission yet: infiltrate the Guild’s reading of The Romeo Initiative by Trina Davies. I was just a hired man looking for answers: What exactly goes on at a play reading? What’s this production all about, anyway? Who’s behind it? And, most pressingly, should I knock now, or awkwardly wait the hour out? But knocking wasn’t necessary. I tried the door and it opened with little effort into the spacious hall, with its high ceiling and its hundreds of old production posters that decorated the wall like tiling. I was totally, utterly alone. Or so I thought, until I was greeted by two Guild members, who slipped suddenly and silently out of a side room with prying questions of their own. “Hello! Who are you?” I said I was a writer with Raspberry magazine, that I intended on writing an article about their reading tonight. They bought the story like it was a snow shovel in winter. “Do you want anything to drink?” I declined. I was still hallucinating on
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the seven cups of coffee I’d had that afternoon. “How about a tour while we wait?” After showing me their organized collections of props and costumes with a suspiciously pleasant air of grace and hospitality, my target — and the show’s director — Ally Schuurman appeared. We returned to the side room my hosts had come from and waited for more members of the cast and crew to show up. I sat on a couch against a wall, which gave me a perfect view of the table where it would all go down. I pulled out my notebook and prepared to record all the dirt the proceedings would surely dig up. Schuurman introduced her team, all of whom I recognized from one UFV theatre production or another. I wondered if this was the same group behind the university’s previous production of The Romeo Initiative. I didn’t see that show, but Schuurman assured me that this production is all new, from cast to crew. I took her word for it and settled in as the actors began reading their lines and the crew watched and scribbled down notes. A play reading is a curious thing. For one thing, it’s nothing like the play it will become. It’s unpracticed, rough. It’s designed to get a feel for the big picture
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Image by Abigail G/ flickr
of the show before rehearsing smaller chunks of it at a time, sort of like surveying a maze from above before exploring it on foot. It’s also way less formal, and there is far less pressure on everybody to impress anybody else, at least as far as an observer can tell. There are a lot of mistakes and improvisations, and a lot of laughter. But certainly, there are unspoken pressures nagging in the back of everyone’s minds. There is the natural nervousness that comes with attempting something for the first time with everyone (including a stranger with a notepad) listening intently. But besides wanting to put on a good show for the show’s sake, this gang of dramatists plans to take their show to Theatre BC’s 2017 “Zone Festival,” where they will have the opportunity to win acclaim, recognition, and further chances to perform. Schuurman’s foot tapped rapidly as she nodded along to her actors’ speeches. Matthew Pitton, the set and light designer, was meanwhile eating pretzels from a plastic bowl on the table, popping them into his mouth one after the other until the whole shebang was over. And sometimes, when the moment was right, there was unprovoked singing from other cast and crew on the periphery. These
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ticks were a show in and of themselves, a window into the nervous energy the group was holding back; hopefully that energy will free itself and make its way into the production itself. I cannot (I should not) reveal too much about the play. The Romeo Initiative is comedic spy-thriller of many layers and twists, of politics, duty, and misunderstanding. Suffice to say, it’s a play about love. It is also a Canadian play (although it takes place in Germany), which fittingly leads the theatre season into Canada’s 150th anniversary. When the reading was over, the group started talking more practical logistics: how often to meet, what fees were due, etc. But I had all the information I needed, so I left, returning to the frigid night air with enough intel to destroy the Chilliwack Players Guild once and for all. But the play was right up my alley, so instead I’m going to see their show. May 11-13. 7:30 p.m. at UFV's North Campus in Chilliwack. Should be swell.
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Local harvest Home grown Westcoasters Dessa Bayrock and Jess Wind bringing you some local literary flavour. We review works set in the valley, written by authors from the valley, or that have that British Columbia, Fraser Valley vibe. Come back each month to see what the Fraser Valley has to offer.
Pedal by Chelsea Rooney It’s not often that you find a truly nervy novel, but Pedal is just that — so full of guts and so tightly strung that you somehow can’t look at directly or for very long, that it seems to vibrate on the shelf, that it seems to threaten the other books when you try to put it away. This book made me uncomfortable — as I imagine it makes most readers uncomfortable — for the exact same reason Lolita makes readers uncomfortable: Rooney burrows deep into the heart of the taboo behind pedophilia and has the guts and the nerve to find redeeming qualities in those who fall in love with children. Our narrator and heroine Julia is stuck in the middle of a master’s thesis, which is a controversial research project arguing that pedophilic relationships aren’t necessarily traumatic for the child. Perhaps unsurprisingly, her supervisor has serious doubts about the project — and its connection to Julia’s own childhood experiences with pedophilia. One thing leads to another, and Julia abandons rainy Vancouver to bike across Canada — searching for inspiration and her deadbeat, pedophile father. Part of this novel’s dark and irresistible beauty comes from its blatant dramatic irony; it’s blatantly obvious that
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Dessa Bayrock Julia needs some kind of paternal closure to move forward, both in life and in her thesis, and yet she so fervently and loudly denies it that the reader begins to doubt it, too. This tense juxtaposition winds the novel tighter and tighter, until it seems as though something has to give. But will it be Julia or the reader’s own certainty that gives way first? The novel houses a second gorgeous juxtaposition, created by contrasting the beauty of Julia’s cross-country quest with the grim focus behind it. The beauty of Canada’s natural world is with her every step of the way — but so are the dark secrets of her childhood, and the unsettling idea that pedophilia should be socially acceptable. This is the classic coming-of-age Canadian road trip like you’ve
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never seen it before — and will never see again. Given the subject matter, this is the sort of novel you’ll find yourself embarrassed to read in public — but defiant, too. In the great tradition of Engel’s Bear, Rooney pushes and prods the taboos we hold dearly. Do these taboos deserve to be overturned? Probably not. But it is surprisingly satisfying to see them squirm for a while, and feel that same discomfort somewhere deep behind your ribcage. As Rooney proves, discomfort has a lot to teach us — and no problem can be solved by refusing to stare it in the face.
With Special Guests — continued The next practice was a blur, with us settling on the ten songs we were going to play and picking a song out for an encore. ‘Getting ahead of ourselves, maybe…?’ Dean observed. ‘As they say: be prepared,’ I said. Marcus clicked his tongue, snorted some gunk off his throat. ‘Actually, um. Well, I was thinking about the encore, actually, and not that this should be the encore, really, but I have a, you know… a thing.’ ‘What?’ Jer and Dean asked at the same time. ‘He’s got some songs,’ I said, before Marcus’ nerve slipped. ‘And they’re good.’ Dean straightened. ‘Well, that’s cool and all, but do we really have time to do a new song? I mean, we’ve got about an hour left tonight and one more practice before the show…?’ Dean, annoyingly, wasn’t being unreasonable here. ‘I mean, I just think we stick to the plan.’ ‘I think it’d be okay,’ I said. ‘Besides, maybe we should do at least something that’s our stuff.’ ‘It’s not our stuff, though,’ Jer said. ‘It’s Marcus’ stuff.’ He gave Marcus a nod. ‘No offense, mate.’ ‘Yeah, well.’ I said. Another good point. ‘All right, all right,’ Marcus said. ‘Forget it. Maybe after the gig.’ This was the right decision. It was reasonable, it would spare feelings, it left the door open to future options. And yet. As soon as I saw which way the boys were leaning, I realized I wanted to go the other way. ‘How about this?’ I suggested. ‘We finish practice tonight, yeah? We’ve got these songs down cold, right? So we come back for Thursday’s run-through and we give one of Marcus’ song a shot. If it’s good, we go for it. If we can’t nail it, we just push it back, and we’ll do another run-through of the set. No harm no foul, and all that.’ Jer and Dean considered this, glanced at each other. Jer nodded again, and Dean shrugged. Good. ‘Cool?’ I asked Marcus. Marcus was either staring into space or at the mic stand. ‘Cool,’ he said, after a moment.
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Friday night. The pub wasn’t that bad, actually. The stage area was even raised slightly. We were the ‘special guests’ opening for some outfit called Pillbox, who, looking at the audience, did soundtracks for school spree killers’ YouTube confession clips. Leather, gloom, long coats, and black everything, everywhere. ‘Yeah, nice one, great,’ Dean said to Jer at the bar. ‘Your dad’s mate never mentioned that we’d be playing the bloody undertakers convention, then?’ ‘Hey, we’re playing,’ Jer said. ‘That’s the part we should be worried about.’ Dean scowled by way of response. ‘Forget it,’ I said, sipping my beer. I was determined to get slightly tipsy beforehand, even if the boys had put themselves on a strict two-pint limit before showtime. ‘We all got friends coming, you guys got your girls showing up later, so we’ll fill the place out with the not undead, okay?’ ‘Your lady is coming too, right?’ Marcus asked, desperately trying not to smirk. And almost succeeding. ‘Yeah, I guess,’ I replied, hoping he correctly interpreted my I will eat your nose if you mention this again look. Fortunately, Jer and Dean seemed to be a bit too nervous to pay attention of this potential mockery bonanza. ‘Any other friends?’ Marcus asked. I had already scanned the room. Trent had slipped in and was wedged uncomfortably at the bar, unable to get the barmaid’s eye despite his suit and briefcase marking him out like blood on snow. I had asked him here. I wanted him to see this, see us. See me, maybe. ‘Nah,’ I answered. We set up. The boys’ friends and girls did show, bless. The front of the stage was getting a bit thick, I was on pint three when Claire arrived and gave me a quick hug, squealing, ‘I love this place!’ ‘Hi!’ I said, briefly more excited than scared, hugging her back. ‘Thanks for coming.’ She was wearing boots, blue jeans and a simple white tee, and her hair pulled back. ‘You look great,’ I added. She did, too. ‘So what do you play?’ she asked. ‘All of it,’ I said, wearily. ‘I’ve pre-recorded the whole set, and just throwing these guys a few quid to mime along, give the
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whole thing that authentic “live” feel the public seem so into lately.’ She covered her mouth with her hand. ‘You silly,’ she said. She made eye contact with someone across the bar. Some guy, Ted Baker shirt, messy hair, stepped towards us, handed her a drink, and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Tanqueray okay, babe?’ he asked. She nodded, took the glass from his hand, their fingers brushing for a moment. ‘Randy, this is John. He’s the friend at work I told you about, the one who just split with his wife.’ ‘Hey,’ he said by way of acknowledgment. My pint was, thank God, getting empty enough to give me an excuse to leave in the next six seconds or so. ‘All right, mate?’ I managed. He nodded, fishing some cigarettes out of his jacket pocket. ‘Back in a second,’ he said. He stepped by me, and somehow I must have let something cross my face, because Claire reached out and touched my elbow. ‘Um, you knew I had a boyfriend, right?’ she asked. I pulled the last of my beer. ‘Well, sure,’ I said. ‘Come on, why wouldn’t you?’ I managed to make it sound passably jovial. I smiled and held it. Satisfied, she sipped her own drink, looking around. ‘Oh John, thanks for asking me to this. It’s so colourful. I’m sure you guys’re going to be great.’ ‘Thanks,’ I said.
Ah, but then. We blew the doors off the place. By the end of the first song, we knew it was going to be all right. The recruited friends were clearly enthusiastic, but even the goth-heads were nodding along. Marcus was great. No banter. Everything was about the song, the moment. He paced, prowled—coiled tight, ready to snap, seize a chorus, draw everyone in. Hard work. He was sweating through his eyeballs by the end. Dean hopped and shouted the harmonies dead-on, and Jer was metronomic. Bam bam bam. Everything hit. It was a tiny stage, but I allowed myself a brief scissor kick jump during our Snuff song. We wrapped up the set, Marcus took a quick, short bow and
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said so long, and the crowd was cheering, whistling. Howling. The people up front were pumping their fists, looking for more. I fake fiddled with my strings for a second, looking out. Trent was there, standing in the back, papers packed, waiting for me to sign away the Scotland stuff. We met eyes. He looked— what? Resigned? Indifferent? Bored? I shifted, and saw Claire had slipped back to the bar, leaning against the rail, facing us but not looking, while Randy whispered something in her ear. I could hear my ears howling. No earplugs. Ever. You’d think I’d have known better after all this time. ‘All right, one more.’ Dean said, and shot me a glance. ‘Preparation pays, right?’ ‘All right,’ Marcus said. Wait. ‘Let’s do the new one,’ I said suddenly. ‘What?’ Dean asked, incredulous. ‘We played it, like twice. It’s rough.’ ‘No, it’s good, c’mon. Let’s end with it,’ I said. Boom boom boom: up front, people were stamping and clapping and shouting. They loved us then, but we only had a few moments to decide. Jer was hesitant. Marcus looked at me. I looked back over the crowd, feeling it. First time in a long time. ‘Marcus,’ was all I said. I didn’t know why I wanted to play this so damn bad. Maybe force Marcus to take a chance? Force myself? Who knew. But it was a good song. I looked back at him. Now. We’ll lose them in about four seconds. He looked over his shoulder at the others. It was a good song. Sometimes, it was as simple as that. ‘All right, all right,’ Dean said. ‘Fine. C’mon.’ Jer nodded his assent, rolled his head on his shoulders a bit, kicked the bass three times. Nervous energy. That was good. I smiled, bit my
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Image by: Mike Cicchetti/ flickr
bottom lip. C’mon. Marcus wrapped the mic cord around his hand, turned back to the crowd. ‘This’ll be it for us. This is a new one.’ Jer counted us in. I closed my eyes. And the guitar roared in and I hit my spot. Oh, yes, play it loud, oh play it now. Oh, just let it happen, and oh, be joyful and love these two and a half minutes of sound. Be joyful for the noise, for it all. Just for now. And then it was over. Nothing but the people, the noise, the din. People up front were grabbing at us, and I reached down and slapped a few hands. The boys were waving, looking beatific. Jer threw his sticks out. I wasn’t mic’ed, no-one could hear me, but I didn’t care. ‘Thanks, thank you!’ I shouted, feeling strangers slap my arms and the cool splash of thrown beers washing over my head and back. I drew a breath and shouted it out, knowing to hold onto this, this moment, this one thing. ‘Thank you and good night!!!’ I hollered. And they all hollered back.
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Our contributors CIVL Station Manager Aaron Levy loves local music and helping artists get involved with Valley shows and opportunities to connect and enjoy the scene! Email info@civl.ca to get involved even if you're not a musician! Support local arts! Express yourself! Alex Rake is a musician from Mission, where he has a great view of the mountains and eats poems for breakfast, which is said to be beneficial to one’s level of metaphor in the viscera. He recently masqueraded as Shakespeare dragging a corpse. Alex did not write this bio, but gave us permission to make stuff up. We didn’t. Anthony Biondi is an artist and writer living in Abbotsford. He has been previously published in The Louden Singletree, and served four years on The Cascade’s editorial board as Art Director and Production and Design Editor. He is a humourless crab, and fundamental contrarian, whose cholesterol may be higher than his IQ. Christopher Towler just finished his Master of Arts in Communications & New Media. He is an avid roleplayer, board and video gamer, (surprised?). He is also a writer, musician, and really into improv theatre. He’s also the owner of a rad pug-familiar named Oscar! Dessa Bayrock is an ex-journalist with a soft spot for the Fraser Valley. She currently lives in Ottawa and studies the apocalypse as part of her M.A. in English. You can find her reviewing books online at Bayrock, Bookrock and for Ottawa Review of Books. If you rearrange the letters of her name you can spell “abyss croaked,” “as bark decoys,” or “brocade as sky,” all of which describe her in one way or another. @YoDessa www.bayrockbayrock.wordpress.com
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Joe Johnson is keenly interested in exploring new creative outlets and has always been drawn to photography and the arts. Having been through the rigors of working at a student newspaper, coming to Raspberry magazine is a natural progression for him. Other passions of his are found in writing, running, and the outdoors. He also has his roots in web operations and digital marketing. Katie Stobbart is a writer and editor from Abbotsford. She has edited The Cascade newspaper, Louden Singletree literary magazine, and the Pacific Rim Review of Books. She is also a member of the PWAC (Professional Writers Association of Canada) Fraser Valley chapter. A selection of her poems will appear in a co-authored chapbook soon to haunt local library shelves, dentists’ offices, and hotel lobbies: It looks like a chicken. Katie is also working hard to improve her patio gardening game.
Nick Ubels is an editor, musician, and event planner living in Abbotsford with his wife and two cats. He loves black coffee and tennis but is terrible at both. His life story served as inspiration for the events of Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. Martin Castro is an emerging poet and proud purveyor of hip-hop, rap, and music generally. He hails from Mission, which, in the glow of sunset, is perhaps perfect fodder for a Bob Ross painting. Martin is the current Arts in Review Editor of The Cascade, the University of the Fraser Valley’s student newspaper, as he completes his Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Tim Ubels is the ever elusive brother of Nick Ubels, and self-identifies as a Luigi character. He is a musician and board game evangelist.
Contribute to magazine To contribute writing, art, or photography to this emerging Fraser Valley publication, contact info@raspberrymag.ca
Raspberry magazine is a monthly Fraser Valley magazine devoted to arts, culture, and community life. Established in June 2016, Raspberry publishes reviews, event coverage, and other arts-friendly content online as we work toward our goal of publishing in print. You can follow us on social media for updates on our progress, information and insights on the Fraser Valley arts and culture scene, and fresh arts coverage.
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