The Georgia Straight - Making of Mashup - Feb 11, 2016

Page 1


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2 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

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3-Day Jewellery Sale Thursday, Friday, Saturday Only! We’ve just completed our year-end inventory and are overstocked on many items. This is a great opportunity for you to save money. Additional 20% discount from our already low-pricing policy on all new and antique in-stock jewellery February 11, 12, 13

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4 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


CONTENTS

Ambleside Pier, West Vancouver. Daniel Gomez Johnson photo.

7

HEALTH

Variety, the Children’s Charity (formerly Variety Club) has a very important job: to step in and help those in desperate need when health care ends. > BY GAIL JOHNSON

11

ROMANCE

It’s Just Lunch Vancouver’s managing director, Jacquie Brownridge, offers some matchmaking advice for the 21st century. > BY CHARLIE SMITH

12

STYLE

If itchy lace and tacky frills have put you off lingerie, you need to see the fresh and sexily simple designs by the local Truvelle line. > BY LUCY L AU

17

ARTS

The Vancouver Art Gallery is showing how everyone from Picasso to Tarantino likes to mix it up in its massive new MashUp show. > BY ROBIN L AURENCE

31

START HERE 27 33 24 50 50 41 45 39 47 51 9 32 12 28

Books The Bottle Comedy Confessions I Saw You Movie Reviews Real Estate Red Meat Savage Love Straight Stars Straight Talk Straight to the Pint Style Theatre

FOOD

Chinatown’s Juniper has become a haven for lovers of gin, but the shared plates of seasonal dishes are also worth a visit. > BY GAIL JOHNSON

35

MUSIC

Vancouver’s Mu is often described as dreamy, but that doesn’t stop the duo from exploring the dark side on its new EP II. > BY JOHN LUCAS

41

MOVIES

TIME OUT 30 14 44 39

Arts Events Movies Music

SERVICES 46 Careers 6 Healthy Living 44 Real Estate

Deadpool proudly revels in bad taste; Channing Tatum is on tap in Hail, Caesar!; The Choice is one big dog of a movie; vintage is a virtue in lovely Snowtime!.

46

COVER PHOTO

CLASSIFIEDS

Automotive | Education | Services | Travel Marketplace | Employment | Real Estate Property Rentals | Music | Announcements Callboard | And more... AMANDA SIEBERT

GeorgiaStraight @GeorgiaStraight

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FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 5


It’s no accident we’re in the Top 2.

Let’s talk about your car accident. Your complimentary consultation is the first step to resolving your ICBC claim.

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*Law corporation Photo: A.Sanyal

Thank youHallen for voting Hallenone LLPof as Warnett LLPWarnett was voted one of Vancouver’s Lawyers Call when Vancouver’s bestbest Lawyers toto Call an Accident Strikes for two years in a row! when an Accident Strikes! IfIf you’ve been in an an accident, accident, call us for afree freeadvice: consultation: call

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Healthy & loving relationships alluding you? CODA: Co-dependency Anonymous 12 step Recovery: 604- 515-5585 SEXAHOLICS ANONYMOUS - Vancouver, BC For those desiring their own sexual sobriety, please go to www.sa.org for meetings times and places. We are here to help you from being overwhelmed. Newcomers are gratefully welcomed.

FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES

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66 THE 11 –– 18 18 // 2016 2016 THE GEORGIA GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY FEBRUARY 11

MOOD DISORDERS

SUPPORT GROUPS We have peer-led support groups all over the Lower Mainland for people with depression, bipolar disorder and anxiety led by well-trained facilitators. Group sessions during days, evenings, or Saturdays. For location and times of groups:

www.mdabc.net 604-873-0103

Healing Our Spirit B.C. First Nations AIDS Society has volunteer opportunities for hospital visitation, information booths, office assistance & preparation of pamphlets & condoms for distribution. We offer volunteer orientation, training & recognition & bus tickets. If interested, please call 983-8774 Ext. 13. We are dedicated to preventing and reducing the spread of HIV in the aboriginal communities of B.C.

OPEN DAILY AT 10 LOCATIONS AROUND VANCOUVER

Infertility Awareness Assoc. of Canada (IAAC) provides educational material & support to individuals or couples experiencing infertility. Meetings: 7 pm the 2nd Wed of the month. Richmond Library & Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate. Info 523-0074 or www.iaac.ca

Parkinson Society BC

offers over 50 volunteer-led support groups throughout BC. These provide people with Parkinson's, their carepartners & families an opportunity to meet in a friendly, supportive setting with others who are experiencing similar difficulties. Some groups may offer exercise support. For information on locating a support group near you, please contact PSBC at 604 662 3240 or toll free 1 800 668 3330. Drug & Alcohol Problems? Free advanced information and help on how quit drinking & using drugs. For more information call Barry Bjornson @ 604-836-7568 or email me @livinghumility@live.com Concerns of Growing Old? If you are 60 plus and find yourself alone, let's talk and support each other 604-682-3269 ext 7101

Parkinson Society BC

offers over 50 volunteer-led support groups throughout BC. These provide people with Parkinson's, their carepartners & families an opportunity to meet in a friendly, supportive setting with others who are experiencing similar difficulties. Some groups may offer exercise support. For infoocating a support group contact PSBC at 604 662 3240 or toll free 1 800 668 3330. Fertility Support Group Discover new perspectives make positive changes and learn simple tools to take charge of your reproductive wellness while connecting with other women. The meetings provide a space for open discussion. 2nd Tuesday of each month 7:45 - 8:45pm (Sign up required) Reg & Info call: 604-266-6470 or www.familypassages.ca IBD Support Group Suffer from Crohn's and ulcerative colitis? Living with IBD can often be overwhelming, but you're not alone! 3rd Wed of each month the GI Society holds a free IBD support group meeting for patients & their families to come together in an open, friendly environment. 7:00pm at RavenSong Community Health Centre (2450 Ontario St). or more information call 604-875-4875.

Sex Addicts Anonymous

12-step fellowship of men & women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other, that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from their sexual addiction. Membership is open to all who desire to stop addictive sexual behaviour. For a meeting list as well as email & phone contacts go to our website at

www.saavancouver.org

Are you living with HERPES? Need Support? Join our Vancouver (Lower Mainland) social group and come out and meet others in the same situation. All ages. Lots of different events (pub night/brunches/ bowling/ movie night/ etc.). We also run a bimonthly support group. Join our Meetup site 'vancouverhfriends' or contact vancouverhfriends@yahoo.ca for more info PFLAG Vancouver Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Questioning People Call for meetings or individual info: 604-626-5667 or info@pflagvancouver.com www.pflagvancouver.com

A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY A working guide for healing using the 12 Steps and references to Biblical teachings. More info: marylou@canadianmemorial.com

WAVAW - Rape Crisis Centre has a 24-hour crisis line, counselling, public education, & volunteer opportunities for women. All services are free & confidential. Please call for info: Business Line: 604-255-6228 24-Hour Crisis Line: 604-255-6344

Support, Education & Action Group for Women that have experienced male violence. Call Vancouver Rape Relief 604-872-8212

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION Looking to start a parent support group in Kitsilano. Please call Barbara 604 737 8337

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HEALTH

Variety changes teen’s life > BY GA IL JOHNSON

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W

hile any single parent can attest to how hard it is to raise a child solo, Michelle Gentis requires the strength, patience, perseverance, and caring of a whole team of moms. Her son, Joshua, is severely disabled. He has an extremely rare genetic disorder—so rare that even though he’d started exhibiting physical signs by eight months, it wasn’t until this past fall that he got an official diagnosis, at age 14. Living with hypomyelination with atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum (H-ABC syndrome) means that, although he’s fully cognizant, his brain doesn’t communicate properly, leaving him essentially trapped in his body. Joshua needs help with even the most basic daily tasks and cannot speak. “After we got the diagnosis, his doctor said, ‘It’s the hardest of the hard,’ ” Gentis tells the Georgia Straight by phone. “He’s fully aware and engaged emotionally and intellectually, and he’s socially keen—he loves people and wants to fit in—but his body doesn’t respond as it should.” Gentis, who describes her son as a bright kid with a great sense of humour, admits that the stress, worry, and heartache that come with caring for him are sometimes unbearable. And although manoeuvring a teenage boy in and out of a wheelchair and

“Let’s Have a Coffee and Talk Real Estate” www.toffoli.ca 604.787.6963 email: paul@toffoli.ca Master Medallion

Michelle Gentis says Variety - The Children’s Charity has helped her wheelchairbound son Josh, whose rare genetic disorder prevents him from speaking.

constantly coming up with creative ways of communicating with him take a physical and emotional toll, there’s another aspect of bringing up a child with an extreme disability that many people may not appreciate, and that’s the financial hit. Given that Joshua needs help with everything from toileting to eating and that he routinely goes to medical appointments, including those for physical therapy, it’s impossible for Gentis to work full-time. (She works part-time for her dad.) Then there are the extraordinary costs she faces for things like bathing equipment and mobility aids, including a wheelchair.

“When you have a baby, you can’t wait to get a baby out of diapers; that’s a fortune per month,” Gentis says. “From there, expenses increase exponentially. Think of the simple joy of riding a bike. For most families, you can get a bike on craigslist for 25 bucks or go to Costco. For Josh to have a bike—which has played a massive role in his rehab, it’s physical therapy—it cost $3,500.” He also needs a walker and a standing frame to keep him upright in certain situations. What many people do not realize is that the government only covers a fraction of such expenses.

certs taking place on Saturday (February 13) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday (February 14) from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Centre in Vancouver (777 Hornby Street). With admission by donation, the shows are open to anyone and everyone who wants to help raise funds for kids with special needs. (The concerts are taking place during the telethon itself, which happens at the Theatre at Hard Rock Casino Vancouver throughout the weekend.) The inaugural telethon aired on October 8 and 9, 1966, from the Queen Elizabeth Playhouse, with many Vancouverites flocking to the theatre to see local talent and Hollywood celebrities. Over the years, several big names have performed at the fundraiser, including Ray Charles and David Foster, as well as Michael Bublé and Sarah McLachlan when they were just starting out. The late, great Dal Richards, an ardent Variety supporter, appeared on the inaugural Show of Hearts Telethon. The lineups for this year’s concerts are equally

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VARIETY HOSTS DOWNTOWN SHOWS celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Variety Show 2 Toof Hearts Telethon is going live again with two con-

SEX UP YOUR V-DAY

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impressive. The February 13 show features 54-40, Sarah Simmons (Gene Simmons’s daughter), Vancouver TheatreSports League, and members of the Sarah McLachlan School of Music. Also appearing are Melissa “Charlie” Storwick, a 28-year-old singer-songwriter and actor from Calgary and the winner of The Next Star (Season 4), YTV’s Canadian reality show; local countrymusic singer-songwriter Aaron Pritchett; and Vancouver’s Five Alarm Funk, which blends Latin, hip-hop, funk, and afrobeat for its genre-bending sound. On Valentine's Day, blues legend Jim Byrnes will perform, as will recording artist Colleen Rennison and four-time Juno-winning vocalist Shari Ulrich. Other acts include singer, songwriter, and cattle rancher Barney Bentall; his son, Dustin Bentall; and Chilliwack, best known for 1980s hits like “My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)” and “Whatcha Gonna Do”. Tickets can be purchased at variety50.eventbrite.ca. For more information on how to support Variety, the Children’s Charity, visit variety.bc.ca or call 604-320-0505.-

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The Georgia Straight | Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly | Volume 50 Number 2511 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 www.straight.com Phone: 604-730-7000 / Fax: 604-730-7010 / e-mail: gs.info@straight.com Display Advertising: 604-730-7020 / Fax: 604-730-7012 / e-mail: sales@straight.com Classifieds: 604-730-7060 / e-mail: classads@straight.com Subscriptions: 604-730-7000 Distribution: 604-730-7087 EDITOR + PUBLISHER Dan McLeod ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Yolanda Stepien GENERAL MANAGER Matt McLeod EDITOR Charlie Smith SECTION EDITORS

Janet Smith (Arts/Fashion) Mike Usinger (Music) Steve Newton (Time Out) Adrian Mack (Movies) Brian Lynch (Books) EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Doug Sarti ASSOCIATE EDITORS

Gail Johnson, John Lucas, Alexander Varty STAFF WRITERS

Tammy Kwan, Lucy Lau, Travis Lupick, Carlito Pablo, Amanda Siebert, Craig Takeuchi SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy COPY CHIEF Amanda Growe EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jennie Ramstad PROOFREADER Pat Ryffranck CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Gregory Adams, Nathan Caddell, David Chau, Jack Christie, Jennifer Croll, Ken Eisner (Movies), George Fetherling, Tara Henley, Michael Hingston, Ng Weng Hoong, Alex Hudson, Kurtis Kolt,

Robin Laurence (Visual Arts), Mark Leiren-Young, John Lekich, Amy Lu, Bob Mackin, Michael Mann, Rose Marcus, Beth McArthur, Verne McDonald, Allan MacInnis, Guy MacPherson, Tony Montague, Kathleen Oliver, Ben Parfitt, Vivian Pencz, Bill Richardson, Gurpreet Singh, Colin Thomas (Theatre), Jacqueline Turner, Jessica Werb, Stephen Wong, Alan Woo ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER

Janet McDonald SENIOR DESIGNER David Ko CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Alfonso Arnold, Rebecca Blissett, Trevor Brady, Louise Christie, Emily Cooper, Randall Cosco, Krystian Guevara, Evaan Kheraj, Kris Krug, Tracey Kusiewicz, Kevin Langdale, Shayne Letain, Matt Mignanelli, Mark “Atomos” Pilon, Carlo Ricci, William Ting, Alex Waterhouse-Hayward DIGITAL PRODUCT MANAGER

Chet Woodside LEAD WEB DEVELOPER Jeffrey Li WEB DEVELOPER Tina Luu WEB ADMINISTRATOR Miles Keir

The Georgia Straight is published every Thursday by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp. Copies are distributed free every week throughout Vancouver, Burnaby, North and West Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond. International Standard Serial Number ISSN 0709-8995. Subscription rates in Canada $182.00/52 issues (includes GST), $92.00/26 issues (includes GST); United States $379.00/52 issues, $205.00/ 26 issues; foreign $715.00/52 issues, $365.00/26 issues. Contact 604-730-7087 if you wish to distribute free copies of the Georgia Straight at your place of business. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp.

PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Mike Correia PRODUCTION

K.T. Dean, Kristen Dillon, Sandra Oswald

AD SERVICES ASSOCIATE

Lyndsey Krezanoski

AD SERVICES ASSISTANT Jon Cranny DIRECTOR OF ARTS, ADVERTISING & MARKETING

Laura Moore SALES MANAGER Sharon Smith (On Leave) ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

Glenn Cohen, Paul Graham, Robyn Marsh, David Pearlman, Andrea Polz, Patrick Ruel, Dawn Searle, Kathy Skelton

PROMOTIONS + SPECIAL PROJECTS

Navdeep Chhina

ADVERTISING + PROMOTION ASSISTANT

Maya Beckersmith

DIGITAL SALES COORDINATOR

Brenna Woodhouse

Doctors: Caitlin Dunne Jon Havelock Jeffrey Roberts Ken Seethram Niamh Tallon Tim Rowe Victor Chow Ken Poon

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Travis Bearpark

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

Dennis Jangula

CREDIT MANAGER Shannon Li ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR

Tamara Robinson

ACCOUNTING

Angela Krommidas

RECEPTION/ PROMOTIONS ASSISTANT

Teagan Dobson

IVF and Infertility Reproductive Genetics Fertility Preservation

SUBMISSIONS The Straight accepts no responsibility for, and will not necessarily respond to, any submitted materials. All submissions should be addressed to contact@straight.com.

refer yourself today | referrals@pacificfertility.ca 604.422.7276 FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 7


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straight talk QUEBEC TOUTED AS MODEL For example, Larkin noted the Civil Code of Quebec states that a landFOR B.C. RENT REFORM Paying $1,200 per month, Tamara Herman described her one-bedroom home just off Commercial Drive as a good deal. When she told her friends she was moving, several lined up to take the lease, Herman told the Straight. Hoping to “keep it in the community”, she offered to help her landlord find new tenants, and she connected him with several friends who were interested. Then the rent jumped to $1,600 a month. “We inadvertently facilitated a bidding war,” Herman complained. “They’ve flipped this house.” For more than a year, debates around Vancouver’s housing crunch have focused on homes valued at more than $1 million, so-called foreign buyers, and real-estate agents “shadow flipping” properties for big profits. Herman asked why renters—who comprise more than half the city’s population—aren’t receiving the same attention. “We absolutely have to look at rent control, but in the real sense of the word: rent control between tenancies,” Herman said. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the average rent for a studio apartment in the City of Vancouver was $982 per month in October 2015, $1,175 for a one-bedroom, and $1,643 for a two-bedroom. Last year, the vacancy rate for the city’s private apartments was 0.6 percent. In a telephone interview, D J Larkin, housing campaigner for Pivot Legal Society, suggested that Vancouver and B.C. politicians take a look at Montreal. She cautioned against transplanting polices from one jurisdiction to another without considerable study, but listed several specific policies that she argued are worthy of consideration.

lord must inform a prospective tenant of the lowest monthly rate paid for the unit during the previous 12 months. There’s also a clause stating that if a new tenant’s rent is higher than that number, they can apply to the court to have the rent adjusted. A tenant can file that application— even after they have signed a lease stating a price they disagree with— within a period of 10 days. “We do need to do something to control rent between tenancies and to consider tying rent to a unit rather than to a tenancy,” Larkin said. In B.C., the government allows landlords to increase monthly rents on an annual basis at a rate of two percent above inflation. In 2016, landlords can hike rents by 2.9 percent, up from 2.5 percent the previous year and up from 2.2 percent in 2014. In Montreal, annual increases are not a given. “Landlords can raise the rent, but if the tenant disagrees, it goes to what is called the Régie du Logement,” Larkin said. “A landlord has to, basically, justify why they should be allowed to raise the rent. It’s not an automatic rent increase that the landlord is assumed justified in getting, unlike in B.C.” According to the CMHC’s latest report on Montreal, studio apartments located in the city’s “island zone” were renting for an average of $574 per month, one bedrooms cost $675, and two bedrooms were going for $775. The B.C. Ministry Responsible for Housing declined to grant an interview. > TRAVIS LUPICK

BUSINESS GROUP WEIGHS MINIMUM-WAGE HIKE

B.C. business groups heaped praise on Jobs Minister Shirley Bond when she announced in March 2015 that

B.C. was tying the minimum wage to the consumer price index (CPI). Annual increases on the basis of a predictable economic indicator are preferred to larger, unpredictable changes implemented without warning, they said. But less than a year since that announcement, the B.C. NDP and labour groups are suggesting the province do exactly what the peg to the CPI was intended to prevent. Last week, the Straight reported on calls for an increase to the minimum wage beyond a 20-cent rise based on the CPI. Now the Business Council of British Columbia (BCBC) has said it is “not outright opposed” to the idea. “If the other provinces have moved in a way that wasn’t anticipated two or three years ago, then it would be understandable if B.C. wanted to take another look at it,” BCBC executive vice president Jock Finlayson told the Straight. He explained that B.C.’s minimum wage of $10.45 an hour ranks near the bottom of the country’s 13 provinces and territories. “B.C. has ended up at the low end of the spectrum on the statutory minimum, whereas the government had previously indicated they wanted to be in the middle,” Finlayson said. “So that’s an issue for them to sort out. But we have not historically been particularly anxious about small adjustments in the statutory minimum.” The Straight previously reported that to return B.C.’s minimum wage to the middle of the pack would take an additional increase of only 20 or 30 cents. Representatives of the B.C. Chamber of Commerce and the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses’ B.C. office both said they oppose the idea. Finlayson, a trained economist, cautioned against a large adjust-

DJ Larkin, a housing advocate with Pivot Legal Society, says B.C. should look to Quebec policies in managing Vancouver’s affordability crunch. Yolande Cole photo. ment. But he described a 20- or 30-cent increase as “small” and an amount businesses could absorb without significantly disrupting the labour market. > TRAVIS LUPICK

PIVOT LAWYER NAMED SEX-HEALTH CHAMPION

Opt has chosen Pivot Legal Society executive director Katrina Pacey as the 2016 Sexual Health Champion. B.C.’s Opt, or Options for Sexual Health, which provides sexual-health services to British Columbians, chose Pacey for her contributions to Pivot’s litigation and campaign strategy and for leading Pivot’s rights campaigns for sex workers, which she initiated. Pacey was the counsel for a coalition of intervenors on the landmark Bedford case, in which she successfully argued the unconstitutionality of Canada’s prostitution laws at the Supreme Court of Canada in June 2013. In December 2013, the Supreme Court struck down three prostitution

laws and ruled that they were inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Opt will honour Pacey on Sexual and Reproductive Health Day. The day, which aims to address sexual- and reproductive-health issues and reduce sexually transmitted infections, is held nationally on February 12. Opt will mark the day with its third annual SRH Day Breakfast, to be held at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel (1128 West Hastings), starting at 8 a.m. The event will pay tribute to outstanding contributions in sexual health. The breakfast will be hosted by CBC’s Fred Lee, and author and performance artist Amber Dawn (How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler’s Memoir, Sub Rosa), who has written and spoken about her experiences as a sex worker, will offer a reading as well. Tickets are available at the Opt website (www.optionsforsexual health.org/srh2016/). > CRAIG TAKEUCHI

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 9


Health

from page 7

That’s where Variety – the Children’s Charity comes in. Established in 1927, it raises funds to help children with special needs and organizations that provide support and services to those kids throughout B.C. The charity allows families to access life-changing medical care, services, and therapies as well as specialized camps and educational programs. Variety has made a huge difference in Joshua’s life. Since 2008, it has provided funding for a Kidwalk Mobility System, vertical stander, a sit ski, a manual wheelchair, physiotherapy, and other items and therapies. “People think that the government provides way more than it does,” Gentis says. “No other single organization has had a bigger impact on Josh’s quality of life than Variety. It’s a lifesaver.” Gentis has turned to the sport

10 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

of running to raise awareness of the great challenges facing families with disabled children. While pushing her son in a special wheelchair, she has completed several races and half-marathons. The two are the first mother-and-son duo team to qualify for the Boston Marathon. In the meantime, they are participating in the Pacific Road Runners half-marathon taking place on Valentine’s Day, during Variety’s Show of Hearts Telethon. The annual event—this year celebrating its 50th anniversary with two live concerts—helps the organization fulfill its mission to provide direct help to children in B.C. with special needs. (See page 7 for more details.) Gentis and her son are determined to spread the word that the organization helps individuals and families not only function but also thrive. “When you have a severely disabled child, you are just hanging on by your fingernails,” she says. “Variety steps in where health care ends.” -


VALENTINE’S DAY

It’s Just Lunch led to couple’s wedding bells A local matchmaking service employed a time-tested approach to bring Rebecca and Amin Tran together so they could become parents > B Y C HA RL IE SM I TH

V

alentine’s Day holds special meaning for Vancouver dietitian Rebecca Tran and her husband, Amin. It was on this day two years ago that they went on what Rebecca calls their first “official real date”. Amin, a self-described adventurer, sent flowers along with tickets to the planetarium at the H. R. MacMillan Space Centre. “Then he rented it out at the end of September—and that’s where he proposed to me,” Tran recalled in a phone interview with the Georgia Straight. The couple are expecting their first child, a boy, on May 7. And this happy tale of love came about with the help of a professional matchmaker, Jacquie Brownridge, who is managing director of the dating service It’s Just Lunch Vancouver. Brownridge told the Straight by phone that the company has been in business for 25 years, and that in this era of Internet dating it continues matching couples “the oldfashioned way”. “We’re time-tested, real-life matchmakers and our goal has and continues to be to help successful singles meet other singles who share similar interests and values,” Brownridge said. A prospective client might see an advertisement and call the office, and if there’s a potentially good fit, they’re invited in for an interview. That’s when they get an opportunity to share their goals, relationship history, and interests. It’s Just Lunch Vancouver checks driver’s licences and other identification to make sure that people aren’t using false identities. “Our service is based on really getting to know them, and then we begin the personal-search process,” Brownridge said. “When we find a promis-

Jacquie Brownridge reduces dating jitters by making all the arrangements in advance for her clients. Amanda Siebert photo.

ing match, we call both parties.” It’s Just Lunch Vancouver reveals a few details about the clients so they have enough to start a conversation. But the matchmaker knows that they share some core values and interests. Then the company arranges for them to meet for lunch, after-work drinks, or a Sunday brunch. “We do everything, so all they have to do is show up and have a good time meeting someone new,” she noted. “So it’s a very easy, simple process. And if they hit it off, they exchange contact information during the date and make a second date.” The company also asks the clients to call back while the experience is still fresh in their minds to talk about how the date went. Accord-

ing to Brownridge, everything is kept confidential: this is purely so the matchmaker can gain greater insights into what might make for a successful pairing in the future. “The goal is to get people meeting as many people as possible,” she said. Tran said that she was on her fifth date through It’s Just Lunch Vancouver when she met her future husband. She arrived at lunch and there was a bouquet of flowers on the table. “We kind of clicked right away,” she revealed. One of the reasons she liked dating through It’s Just Lunch Vancouver is that the men she met were successful and intent on making a commitment. Tran also acknowledged that once she reached her

mid-30s, she wasn’t interested in dating anyone not looking to form a long-term partnership. Amin had a similar outlook. “We were both at the same spot in our life at the same time, which is super important,” she recalled. “We knew exactly that we wanted to get married, have a family, settle down, and just kind of go with the flow.” At first, Tran admitted, she felt trepidation about signing up for the service. Part of the reason was the cost. However, she pointed out that people make significant expenditures on clothes and travel for themselves. “But people don’t think they need to make any investment in finding love,” she stated. “They hope it will just happen, and sometimes that doesn’t hap-

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pen. And if someone has paid a couple of thousand dollars to find somebody, you know they’re serious.” She also admitted that Amin didn’t fit the description of the type of man that she thought she would be attracted to. Brownridge said that’s not unusual at all. In fact, Brownridge declared, if married couples are asked if they ever thought their spouse checked off every box on their list, they invariably say no—but they’re often still happy with their choice. She said she feels that if someone has a list of 10 things they’re hoping to find in a partner, it’s a positive sign if six of them are present in a potential match. “That’s because sometimes chemistry just takes over.” She recommends that people should relax before going on a first date and focus on talking about hobbies, interests, and favourite vacation destinations rather than work. Brownridge pointed out that men are often comfortable discussing sports or politics but they might feel “weak” opening up about their emotional needs. According to her, that’s where a matchmaker can act as a “wing woman” by actively listening before presenting potential dates. “As long as someone can make the first step, we can take it from there,” she said. In recent years, Brownridge has had several parents come forward to purchase memberships for their sons or daughters, some of whom are working professionals in their 30s. In some instances, the initial contact with It’s Just Lunch Vancouver is made by someone hoping to have grandchildren. Brownridge insisted that even if the parents are paying the way, she keeps everything confidential with the clients. “We don’t report back to Mom and Dad,” she said with a chuckle. “Never, never—or anybody else, for that matter!” -

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! Local bridal designer Gaby Bayona collaborated with Toronto’s Mary Young on Truvelle’s new collection of fresh, romantic, and comfortable intimates.

New lingerie line comes without the froufrou

T

> B Y L UCY LAU

hink Valentine’s Day lingerie and you’re likely plagued with images of Victoria’s Secret models strutting down a blinding, glitter-dusted runway in the skimpiest, laciest, and most difficult to don underthings imaginable. Scratchy fabrics, barely-there cups, and cheesy garter belts that tug painfully at waistlines have all become standard, and it’s enough to make a girl wonder: how can something meant to be removed be so unpleasant to wear? But ladies, take note: sexy doesn’t have to mean uncomfortable, weirdly intimidating, or even fancy, for that matter. Just ask Gaby Bayona, a local wedding-gown designer who recently set out to offer a line of contemporary lingerie in a business that has its own share of over-the-top frills. “Even though I’m in the wedding industry, I’m not very syrupy, for lack of a better word,” says Bayona, on the line from her Gastown studio. “I’m not into things that are really sweet and really froufrou. And normally with lingerie, it’s very sweet and froufrou.” Bayona is the founder of Truvelle, a local bridal line that caters to iconoclastic brides-to-be, and she’s also a frequent collaborator with other talented makers. Her latest partnership is with Torontobased lingerie and loungewear designer Mary Young, and together the two have crafted a collection of fresh, romantic intimates, available from $55 at Truvelle’s flagship store (235 Cambie Street) and online shop (www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ Truvelle/ ), that are a far cry from

ruffle-trimmed bra tops and satinbow-bedecked bustiers. “Mary was just very modern. Her fit was really comfortable and really on-brand with Truvelle,” Bayona says. “When I saw her line, I was like, ‘Okay, we have to work with this girl.’ ” Young’s demure cutouts and striking two-tone panels imbue Truvelle’s minimalist palette of creams and pinks with a clean, unassuming edge. Free of underwires and excessive padding, each item in the six-piece collection is made from a breathable bamboo fabric that places comfort and mobility ahead of kitschy, overplayed trends. Low-key gals will love the Rooney bra, a sultry take on the classic triangle bralette that uses an elegant blackand-white lace trim, and the matching Rooney undies, which feature a figurehugging, high-waist shape designed to highlight the body’s natural curves. The Ariel bra-and-briefs set exudes a similar understated allure, with its cheeky keyhole cutout, see-through lace bands, and super-soft fit. “It’s bridal in the sense that we’re using laces and light colours,” explains Bayona, “but we’re also trying to make it a little bit different by having it a lot more modern and a lot more almost sporty and comfy than what you’d expect.” The designer’s favourite piece from the collaboration is the Layn bra, a luxurious full-coverage bralette adorned with the same dreamy lace that decorates two gowns from Truvelle’s 2015 line. The intricate fabric also graces the sides of a sexy, hip-skimming thong. “We also made a veil with it,” Bayona says. “I was like, ‘Oh, that’s so cool.’ We did a full package with one particular lace.” -


Ceramics carry West Coast vibe

L

ike many great artists, ceramist Rachel Grenon began her practice because, in her words, she needed to “express something”. And though that “something” remains open to interpretation, there’s no questioning what prompted the free-spirited FrenchCanadian to take a shot at the kiln. “I got interested in ceramics by being in the surroundings of British Columbia,” she explains in a phone interview during a visit to Vancouver. “All the pieces of ceramics here were always very lively. The idea of me working with clay essentially came from here.” Born and raised in Saguenay, a region just north of Quebec City, Grenon was introduced to the art of ceramic-making during a 15-year stay on the West Coast, the bulk of which she spent working in Whistler. Ceramist Rachel Grenon, who studied with B.C. master Vincent Massey, says She recalls making the cross-country she loves to serve a different platter to every person at her dinner parties. trek in a bid to improve her English, but soon found herself drawn to a bowls, and oversized serving platters teacups, and silky, wood-topped slightly more visual form of language. in her Bromont, Quebec, studio. vases, evoking picturesque scenes “Every place you walk into in Handcrafted from slabs of smooth where West Coast sun and sky meet Whistler, there is a piece by Vin- white porcelain and finished with a beach, mountains, and ocean. cent Massey,” she says, referring shiny glaze, each piece is instilled with Strikingly simple in form, the line to the accomplished B.C. potter. a calm, almost organic sensibility and commands a quiet attention that’s “Binty is what they call him, no one can move easily between dinner par- not the least bit boastful, and best of calls him by his real name.” ties and gallery walls. all, it’s one-of-a-kind. “You know, if Grenon was fascinated by Massey, “It’s funny, because my work I have a party, everyone has to have who is renowned doesn’t look like their own platter,” Grenon says of her for his robust and any work of the distinct wares. “Everyone has their uninhibited depeople in Que- own personality. It makes for a very signs and his abilbec,” she says. “I unique work—I try not to make any Lucy Lau ity to craft funchave my own sig- one dish alike.” tional wares with his bare hands—so nature, and I think it’s because of In an effort to create a more commuch so that she enrolled in a ceram- my B.C. influence.” plete tablescape for her works, the ics class in Pemberton and, later, a A glimpse at Grenon’s latest ceramist recently turned her attenprofessional program at Emily Carr work—an exclusive collection of tion to linen design as well—a methUniversity of Art + Design to begin handmade dinner- and serving od she calls her brouillon, a draft or honing her own craft. ware, starting at $55, for Van- sketch that adds to the creation of More than a decade later, Grenon couver’s Provide Home (1905 Fir her ceramic pieces. But rest assured: continues to draw on the skills she Street)—speaks plenty to this as- Grenon is also taking time to enjoy learned in school and, in a welcome sumption. Splashes of sunshine the comforts of familiar quarters. turn of fate, during a three-year ap- yellow, earthy greys, and vibrant “I’m very happy to be back in B.C.,” prenticeship with Massey himself turquoise dance gracefully atop she says. “To come back and be able to to produce an assortment of plates, dramatic trays, naturally curved show my work, I feel very proud.” -

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FORUMS TAKE ACTION BENEFITS FASHION FOOD AND DRINK ET CETERA KIDS’ STUFF SPORTS ATTRACTIONS OUT OF TOWN

< < < < < < < < < <

FORUMS 2THIS WEEK RAJ PATEL UBC Reads Sustainability presents author, activist, and academic in a discussion of climate change’s impact on how the world will eat in the future. Feb 11, 12-2 pm, AMS Student Nest (6133 University Blvd., UBC). Tix $5, info sustain. ubc.ca/get-involved/students/events/ ubc-reads-sustainability/generation-food/. THE SCIENCE OF AGING WELL Speak with leading UBC researchers and clinicians about the art and science of aging well. Feb 11, 6-8 pm, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre (6163 University Blvd., UBC). Free admission, info www.eventbrite.ca/e/thescience-of-aging-well-tickets-21067867559/. ANXIETY, PANIC & ANGER: A BEGINNER’S GUIDE Kamaljit Sidhu helps participants understand the basics of anger, anxiety, and panic. In Punjabi. Feb 11, 7-8:30 pm, Strawberry Hill Library (7399-122 St., Newton). Free admission, info www.psychologists.bc.ca/blog/freepsychology-month-talks-february-2016-1/.

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BUILT CITY SPEAKER SERIES: CAPITALISM TO CRAFT—RETHINKING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT Architecture Canada presents a talk that explores how the world’s industrial-design processes are becoming more precise, more computerized, and more perfect. Feb 11, 7-10 pm, Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut). Tix $15/11/MOV members free, info www.museumofvancouver.ca/ programs/calendar/. ADVANCE CARE PLANNING Sue Hughson from Dying With Dignity Canada will discuss how people can prepare their advance care plans, while providing an opportunity for everyone to talk about safe and positive ways to plan for illness or debilitation. Feb 12, 2-3:30 pm, West Vancouver Memorial Library (1950 Marine Dr., West Van). Free admission, info www.westvanlibrary.ca/. DARK ENTRIES Shawna Mauchline, Mandy Mauchline, and David Quast discuss the representation of women’s power as depicted by witches in film. Feb 13, 8-11:45 pm, Skinny Fat Jack’s (3475 Main). Tix $10 at the door, info www. facebook.com/events/185859025102558/. CREATIVE KISSING Enjoy two hours of playful intimacy with your partner and reacquaint yourself with the fun of necking. Feb 14, 8-10 pm, The Art of Loving (369 W. Broadway). Tix $49, info www.theartofloving.ca/. COMMUNITY FORUMS: LET’S TALK ABOUT THE HEALTH OF OUR COMMUNITIES Providence Health Care, in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health, hosts a series of community forums to discuss the new St. Paul’s hospital, the health campus, and health services in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Feb 16, 10 am–12 pm, St. Paul’s Anglican Church (1130 Jervis). Free admission, info thenew stpaulsforum.eventbrite.ca/. SELLING VANCOUVER TO TOURISTS: 1890–1960 The Vancouver Heritage Foundation presents historian Michael Kluckner in a talk on how Vancouver was marketed as a tourist destination. Feb 16, 7:30-9 pm, University Women’s Club (1489 McCrae). Tix $15/9, info www.vancouver heritagefoundation.org/.

TAKE ACTION 2THIS WEEK AT THE NEXUS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: BRINGING THE GLOBAL AGENDA HOME This roundtable discussion will explore how academics, NGOs, the City of Vancouver, and the federal government will contribute

see next page

14 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


to global change. Feb 11, 5:30-7 pm, SFU Harbour Centre (515 W. Hastings). Free admission, info i.sfu.ca/qLfycR.

BENEFITS 2THIS WEEK VARIETY 50TH SHOW OF HEARTS TELETHON Annual fundraiser for Variety— The Children’s Charity features performances by 54-40, Charlie, Aaron Pritchett, Sophie Simmons, Five Alarm Funk, the Vancouver TheatreSports League, Jim Byrnes, Barney Bentall, Shari Ulrich, Colleen Rennison, and Chilliwack. Feb 13, 7-11 pm; Feb 14, 2:30-5:30 pm, The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts (777 Homer). Tix $50, info www.variety.bc.ca/ events/_entry/Telethon/. LOVE IS THE ANSWER Juno Award– winning musician Alpha Yaya Diallo, Cecile Doo-Kingue, R&B Allstars, and DJ Cuz-o perform at a dance benefiting orphaned children in Uganda. Feb 13-14, 7 pm–1 am, The Imperial (319 Main). Tix $30/25, info www.loveistheanswer.ca/.

Vancouver Convention Centre East (999 Canada Place). Tix $6-14.50/kids under five free, info 604-983-2794, www.thewellness show.com/.

KIDS’ STUFF 2THIS WEEK LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION AT WESBROOK VILLAGE Celebrate the Year of the Monkey with a lion dance and festive crafts. Feb 13, 11 am–2 pm, Wesbrook Village (16th and Wesbrook Mall, UBC). Free admission, info www. discoverwesbrook.com/posts/lunar-newyear-celebration-2016/.

SPORTS

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2THIS WEEK RAVENS, EAGLES, POLKA DOTS Haida artist Reg Davidson and eco designer Wendy Van Riesen of Dahlia Drive present a clothing line based on Davidson’s Raven Dancing silkscreen and Eagle Drum painting. Feb 16, 6:30-9 pm, Skwachays Lodge (29/31 W. Pender). Free admission, info www.facebook.com/ events/576109202537894/.

FOOD AND DRINK 2THIS WEEK FOOD TRUCK FEBRUARY AT NAT BAILEY Celebrate the best in fabulous food-truck flavours. Feb 13, 10 am–2 pm; Feb 20, 10 am–2 pm; Feb 27, 10 am–2 pm, Nat Bailey Stadium (4601 Ontario). Info www.eatlocal.org/food-truck-february/. TWENTY SOMETHING THEATRE RUM CLUB Enjoy a variety of rare and premium rums from around the world. Feb 17, 7-9 pm, Legacy Liquor Store (1633 Manitoba). Tix $40, info www.legacyliquorstore.com/.

ET CETERA 2THIS WEEK THE WELLNESS SHOW Highlights of the annual wellness event include an organic market, an interactive green scene, a workshop stage, a kids’ activity area, a celebritycooking stage, a panel on women’s health, and fitness demonstrations. Feb 12-14,

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MY PURPLE VALENTINE Kitty Nights Burlesque presents a tribute to Prince starring Seattle burlesque artist Iva Handfull, alongside Frankie Faux, Burgundy Brixx, Audrey Hipturn, Voracious V, Rebel Valentine, and Jenny Magenta. Feb 14, 9 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix $15/12, info www.kittynights.com/.

CANUCKS VS. MAPLE LEAFS The Vancouver Canucks take on the Toronto Maple Leafs in National Hockey League action. Feb 13, 4 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix at www.ticketmaster.ca/.

ATTRACTIONS EDGEWATER CASINO Casino in the downtown core offers 24-hour gaming, over 60 table games, a poker room, a high-limit section, 500 slot machines, restaurants and lounges, and live entertainment including concerts and televised UFC events. 750 Pacific Blvd. S. Info 604687-3343, www.edgewatercasino.ca/

OUT OF TOWN 2THIS WEEK MADE IN WHISTLER HOLIDAY ARTISAN MARKET Explore jewellery, pottery, fine art, unique fashions, and artisanal foods. To Apr 2, 12-6 pm, Westin Resort and Spa (4090 Whistler Way, Whistler). Free admission, info www. artswhistler.com/event/made-in-whistler/.

TIME OUT EVENTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

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FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 15


AL LP ER FO RM AN CE S

SO LD OU T PRESENTS

THIS FRIDAY!

Dance, live music and storytelling featuring:

IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Carlos Joe Costa Krystle Dos Santos John Howard Natalia McLaughlin

NEW WORKS PRESENTS

Langston Raymond Wayne Stewart

TROY MCLAUGHLIN

KIDD PIVOT & ELECTRIC COMPANY THEATRE BETROFFENHEIT

I HAVE A DREAM A DANCER’S JOURNEY TO FREEDOM FEBRUARY 12, 8PM

THE ANNEX, 823 SEYMOUR ST, VANCOUVER

FIND OUT MORE AT

NEWWORKS.CA

TICKETS $20 AVAILABLE AT EVENTBRITE.CA

Photo: Alan Beaton

Morna Edmundson, Artistic Director

“...RARE AND STAGGERING.” GLOBE AND MAIL

Your One and Only Life

The Choral Music of Stephen Smith

Pre-concert talk by Dr. Stephen Smith, 6:40pm on Sat. & 2:10pm on Sun. Guest artists The Vancouver Men’s Chorus, Artistic Director Willi Zwozdesky

March 5, 2016 March 6, 2016 7:30pm Ryerson United Church 2195 West 45th Ave, Vancouver

Tickets available at

3:00pm Ryerson United Church 2195 West 45th Ave, Vancouver

Tickets: $30 adults | $25 seniors | $15 Students with valid ID

ticketstonight.ca

1.877.840.0457 (service charges apply)

More information at elektra.ca or by calling

604.739.1255

Martha Lou Henley Charitable Foundation

Cosmic Love Connections

FEBRUARY 25–27, 8PM VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE Info: www.dancehouse.ca

SE ASON SPONSORS

PHOTO: MICHAEL SLOBODIAN

COPRESENTER, SPE AKING OF DANCE

Featuring Crystal Pite, Artistic Director Kidd Pivot; Jonathon Young, Artistic Director & Co-Founder Electric Company Theatre; and Janet Smith, Arts Editor, The Georgia Straight TUESDAY FEBRUARY 23, 7PM

16 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

February 14147:30pm & 9:00pm February 7:30 pm & 9:00 pm H.R. MacMillan Space Centre H.R. MacMillan Space Centre 1100 Vancouver 1100 Chestnut Chestnut St,St. Vancouver

Tickets@ 604.738.7827 Tickets @ 604.738.7827 spacecentre.ca spacecentre.ca

Learn more @ Speaking of Dance A free illustrated talk at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, 149 W Hastings St, Vancouver

6SHQG 9DOHQWLQH·V 'D\ XQGHU WKH VWDUV Spend Valentine’s under the stars! Join us -RLQ XV IRU D SOD\IXO ORRN DW WKH \HDU DKHDG ZLWK SUHVHQWHUV for a playful look at the year ahead with 5RVH 0DUFXV DQG 'HUHN .LHI presenters Rose Marcus and Derek Rief.


ARTS

Amid four floors of work that mashes up elements are Sherrie Levine’s Fountain (After Marcel Duchamp); Pablo Picasso’s Nature morte, bouteille et verre; and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s A Panel of Experts.

MashUp charts art’s mad mixing

moment occurred with rie Levine, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Vikky Alexander, Picasso and Georges Jeff Koons, Stan Douglas, Rachel Whiteread, Isa Braque in Paris between Genzken, Danger Mouse, and Xu Bing. 1912 and 1914. Their The list of curators is also long and impressive, seemingly simple pro- indicating an important collaborative approach cess of adding a scrap to putting the show together. In addition to the of floral wallpaper, a VAG’s three organizing curators, Grenville, Auheadline from a Paris- gaitis, and Stephanie Rebick, 27 other local, naian newspaper, and a tional, and international writers, scholars, and cut-paper form to a curators were invited to participate. “We went to drawing or painting people who were experts in their particular field,” Vancouver Art Gallery’s monumental new show on modern was actually a radical Grenville explains. “It’s such a diverse range of culture links everyone from Picasso to Basquiat to Tarantino act. “It offered a mode of material.” These diverse materials and the ways representation that did they interact with and influence each other are There’s a provocative aspect to the Van- not exist before,” Grenville says, “and it initiated a demonstrated throughout the show—as is the imcouver Art Gallery’s big, big, big new exhibition, fundamental shift in European art that continues pact of DIY and street culture. MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture. It’s the to shape and define the production of visual culRebick takes up the point as she previews some BY ROBIN L AUREN CE most ambitious show ever produced by the VAG, ture.” Their collages led to other related modern- of the exhibition with the Straight. “We sort of entirely filling its four floors and featuring 371 ist practices, including assemblage, photomontage, crowd-sourced the different sections to get diverse works by 156 artists. The provocation comes in the bricolage, and découpage. But more than that, as voices to tell the story,” she says. On the second form of questions such as, What does a 1912 Pablo MashUp demonstrates, this way of working floor, she points out instances “where it’s Picasso collage have in common with a 2003 Quen- “shifted and mutated” through the 20th not always professionals, where it’s tin Tarantino film? And how does a Joseph Cor- century and into the 21st, according to often amateurs who are working with Check out… nell box from the 1940s relate to DJ Spooky’s latest changes in technology and ideology. STRAIGHT.COM these (mashup) methodologies”. Condigitally compiled music? And what’s the connecIn creating MashUp, Grenville sidering three Keith Haring subway Visit our website tion between a T.S. Eliot poem, an Andy Warhol says, “It was possible to trace this for morning-after drawings and a Jean-Michel Basquiat reviews and local silkscreen, an addition to Frank Gehry’s Santa path through, say, the postwar perpainting, she adds, “We’re looking at arts news Monica house, and a Cory Arcangel video featur- iod of mass production, mass adverhow graffiti and hip-hop really influing piano-playing cats downloaded from YouTube tising—a huge leap in consumer goods enced their artistic production.” Both and synced to an Arnold Schoenberg composition? and imaging those goods.” To reflect such New York artists began their short, tragic The answers are embedded in the show’s title: changes, not to mention the multitude of cul- careers on the street, achieving fame when they these widely various cultural forms all embody a tural manifestations they generated, from pop- made the transition to the studio. mashup way of working. Speaking to the Straight art quotations and postmodern appropriations Rebick pauses at a large photo-mural of graffrom her office in the VAG annex, chief curator on through vidding, dubbing, sampling, hacking, fiti-covered subway cars in New York City. “This Daina Augaitis says, “Mashup is a methodology of mixing, and remixing, the show has been organ- is the kind of graffiti that was really dominant in putting one thing together with another to produce ized into four sections, one on each floor of the New York in the 1970s and ’80s,” she says, then something else.” Over the past century, artists have VAG. Starting on the ground floor and working anticipates that viewers may wonder how graffiti employed this way of working to achieve a range of backwards chronologically, those sections rep- fits into MashUp by adding, “We’re looking at the effects, from the aesthetic to the political and from resent the digital age, the late 20th century, the street itself as a readymade.” the respectful to the critical. Since the advent of postwar period, and the early 20th century. On the third floor, Rebick points out a series of digital technologies, Augaitis adds, mashup techThe list of visual artists, designers, architects, works by the French mixed-media artist Jacques niques have become so ingrained and ubiquitous musicians, filmmakers, writers, and cultural theor- Villeglé. He began his career in the late 1940s by in our culture that we are often unaware of them. ists represented in MashUp is staggering. Past and assembling found objects, then found his true Bruce Grenville, the VAG senior curator who present, young and old, near and far, they include expression in the 1950s, cutting out pieces of came up with the idea for the MashUp show—an Marcel Duchamp, Hannah Hoch, Jean-Luc Go- layered, weathered, torn, and graffiti-splattered idea that seems obvious but has never been done dard, Robert Rauschenberg, William S. Burroughs, advertising and movie posters that were mountsee next page before—adds that the breakthrough mashup Nam June Paik, King Tubby, Joyce Wieland, Sher-

THINGS TO DO

ARTS High five

Editor’s choice OLD BECOMES NEW Irish-born Garth Knox is one of a kind: he takes a rare stringed baroque instrument, discovers all its untapped magic, and uses it for contemporary compositions. The sixor seven-stringed viola d’amore was one of Antonio Vivaldi’s favourites, in fact, an instrument that resembles a violin but is warmer and more resonant. Here, Knox will put it to world premieres by Iranian-born, Vancouver-based composer Farshid Samandari and Washington-state new-music talent Donald Stewart. But they’re set among works that illustrate Knox’s virtuosic ability to hop between centuries: Elizabethan melodies, baroque variations, and cuttingedge visions by the likes of Olga Neuwirth and John Zorn. Vancouver New Music presents Garth Knox at the Orpheum Annex on Saturday (February 13).

Five events you just can’t miss this week

1

887 (At SFU Woodward’s to February 21) The legendary Robert Lepage mines his own past within a mesmerizing multimedia set.

2

LITTLE ONE (At the Firehall Arts Centre to February 13) Deeply unsettling two-hander about trauma and adoption.

3

LUNAR NEW YEAR WITH AVAN YU (At the Orpheum on February 13) Piano star joins the VSO in Rachmaninoff’s lush Piano Concerto No. 2

4

THE (POST) MISTRESS (At the BMO Theatre Centre to February 28) Patricia Cano owns the stage in Tomson Highway’s one-woman charmer.

5

IGOR LEVIT (At the Vancouver Playhouse on February 14) Vancouver Recital Society presents another fast-rising piano star.

Guest pick

WINNERS AND LOSERS Our guest this week is comedian, actor, and director David C. Jones, who recently helmed the hit production of Heathers: The Musical. Here’s the show he wants to see: “Winners and Losers is one of the most wonderfully distressing shows I have ever seen. This locally produced show is deceptively simple: two men sitting at a table. But as they talk you get pulled into their competition in ways unexpected. I am going on that ride again.” Neworld Theatre and Theatre Replacement present Winners and Losers at the Cultch’s Historic Theatre from Tuesday (February 16) to February 27

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 17


ARTS

Kruger reads rotunda in black and white > B Y R OB IN L A URENCE

B

arbara Kruger is consulting with preparators in the rotunda of the Vancouver Art Gallery, midway through the installation of her immersive text work Untitled (Smashup). Covering the walls and floors of the building’s grand circular staircase in bold black-and-white capital letters and gigantic emojis, it is the dramatic centrepiece of the VAG’s blockbuster exhibition MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture. “You’re here at a time when the installation, to me, is the most intensive and exhilarating,” she tells the Straight. “To see the transformation and spatialization of my work is thrilling.” The outsized text confronts us—loud, insistent, and unsettling. Based in New York and Los Angeles,

Kruger is internationally renowned for the black, white, and red silkscreens she began producing in the late 1970s. These highly political works combine found photographs, many of them associated with consumerism, and short, declarative texts, challenging entrenched power structures across social, sexual, and economic lines. Over the years, her art practice has expanded to include writing, editing, teaching, and curating, along with the production of large-scale video and audio works, plus wraps, billboards, floor mosaics, and satirical sculpture. Kruger often composes the texts for her art, but for her VAG installation she has chosen quotes from three different sources. On the walls are Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (Smashup) observations from Mexican writer greets visitors to the MashUp show. Carlos Fuentes and Mumbai-born, Harvard-based neocolonial theorist the floor is a warning by the AfroHomi K. Bhabha. Sprawled across Caribbean poet and politician Aimé

Césaire: “And above all, beware of assuming the sterile attitude of a spectator, for life is not a spectacle, a sea of miseries is not a proscenium, a man screaming is not a dancing bear.” “I try to make art about how we are to one another,” Kruger says. “I try to be vigilant about how power works, and my choice of text and my choice of images are a reflection—as all art is in some way or another—of the culture that constructs and contains it.” VAG senior curator Bruce Grenville invited Kruger to create an installation that interacts with both the show and the building that houses it. Speaking to the Straight in his busy office, he notes the striking importance of her role in postmodernism’s use of appropriation—and her mashup of found images and text. “Barbara saw, in a very analytic way.…the power of language,” he says. “And at the same time,

she saw that images were languages that needed to be disassembled.” Kruger is also, he observes, highly skilled at reading architecture, understanding how the built environment communicates power, authority, and social control. She responded with enthusiasm to the challenge of making a work in the former provincial courthouse, the 1906 neoclassical building that has been the VAG’s home since 1985. Kruger has the ability to turn the colonial message of the architecture around, Grenville observes. Although her art has a powerful graphic character and was initially associated with its origins in print media, advertising, and other twodimensional forms of persuasion and propaganda, Kruger has long been concerned about the impacts of architecture. Her large-scale text works have been installed in public places across half the globe, from a train station in Strasbourg, France, to an outdoor amphitheatre at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. “In many ways, I know more about architecture and its disciplines than I do any of the other arts,” she says, then adds: “It’s not just architecture I’m interested in, it’s the built environment. It’s the most telling determinator of how we wake up in the morning, how we go to sleep at night, how we labour, how we take pleasure, whether we’re sheltered or not.” The compelling theme for her is not how we shape our built environment, but how it shapes us. Reviewing the quotes and emojis she has installed in the VAG rotunda, she says she’s interested in the promotion of doubt. “Doubt is a threat to the major belief structures of the world, whether they’re governmental, religious, corporate or whatever… To me, doubt is an important productive force that can keep us freer—and that allows for difference.” -

MashUp

from previous page

ed in the street and taking them back to his studio. He described his work as the product of the collective artist. “Anonymous individuals who were making their mark in the street ended up in his work,” Rebick says. The impact of mashup methods on visual culture is also seen in the films on view in the show. Directors examined include Godard, “the grandfather of the jump cut”, Rebick says, and, yes, Tarantino, represented here by Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2. “In all of his films, he plunders the cinematic archives for everything from costume design and music to scene-by-scene recreations of fight scenes,” Rebick says. “He’s so inspired by a wide variety of films.… especially Asian films, old American films, spaghetti westerns, and things like that. “We worked with Lisa Coulthard, who’s a professor of film at UBC, and she decided on Kill Bill because she thought it really embodied his mashup methodology. And we’ll be showing the film along with monitors that play clips from the source material, so you’ll actually be able to see, ‘Oh, the yellow jumpsuit comes from that film, and this fight scene comes from that film.’ ” It will, she adds, “really drive home the message.” In building the MashUp message, Augaitis later recalls, the VAG curators borrowed works from some 75 public and private collections. That enterprise in itself was revealing. “Even as we went to museums and said, ‘Can we borrow this? We know you never lend it, but please?’ everyone got so excited. They went, ‘Wow, it’s completely logical; why has no one else ever done it? This is so exciting—and yes, we will.’ ” And they did. MashUp: The Birth of Modern Culture opens at the Vancouver Art Gallery on February 20 and runs through June 12.

18 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


JEFF LANG • FEB. 11 @ 8 PM

Leading Australian roots singer/songwriter & slide guitarist ST. JAMES HALL

NOURA MINT SEYMALI • FEB. 28 @ 8 PM Ancient and modern worlds collide in this hypnotic mix of Mauritanian Afro-desert rock

ANTÓNIO ZAMBUJO • MAR. 5 @ 8 PM

Direct from Lisbon, one of the most innovative fado singers on the scene today with his stellar quintet

Tickets: 604.990.7810 • Online: capilanou.ca/centre Capilano University • 2055 Purcell Way • North Vancouver

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 19


ARTS

Neworld Theatre hit Winners and Losers (a copro with Theatre Replacement) returns with Marcus Youssef and James Long. Simon Hayter photo.

Neworld fetes 20 years of stirring up theatre > B Y A ND REA WARN ER

F

or 20 years, Neworld Theatre has ref lected a Vancouver not readily visible on-stage. It tells stories real and imagined that depict people of colour, and differing religious and sexual identities—stories that tackle big issues, including racial profiling, sexism, and intolerance. And it tells them in sharply critical, heartfelt, and humorous ways. Since its earliest days, Neworld’s commitment to cultural and ethnic diversity has been more than just a guiding principle: it’s been part of the company’s mandate. “Diversity and inclusion gets treated often—not just in theatre, but anywhere—like a favour,” Marcus Youssef tells the Georgia Straight. Neworld’s artistic director since 2005, Youssef is seated inside a rehearsal room at the company’s shared Progress Lab theatre hub in East Vancouver. “This is often what our work has been about: the border between differences. In my view, hearing somebody’s story that’s fundamentally different, or fundamentally challenges, or is just so outside of mine allows me to gain a deeper and broader perspective not just on the world, but on myself. That’s where I go, ‘No, it’s not an act of charity. It’s a privilege.’ We have this extraordinary privilege, so why wouldn’t we take advantage of it?” Neworld began with founding artistic director Camyar Chai’s original and lavish reinventions of Persian folktales, and evolved into a home for some of independent theatre’s most innovative minds and their works: Steven Hill’s avant-garde Leaky Heaven Circus; James Fagan Tait’s reinvention of classics like Crime and Punishment and The Idiot; several of Adrienne Wong’s installation- and intimacybased works; and Youssef ’s own Winners and Losers, one of the company’s longest-running and most successful pieces. Winners and Losers, a copresentation with Theatre Replacement, returns to Vancouver as part of Neworld’s 20th season for the first time since its initial five performances as part of the PuSh festival in 2013. Since then, the show has travelled to 17 cities around the world, including an Off-Broadway run in January 2015. It’s an impressive accomplishment for a show that began pretty much as a hypercompetitive party game between Youssef and his friend and colleague James Long as they were trying to write a play together. “We devised this warm-up game where we would name places, 20 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

people, and things, and debate whether they were winners or losers,” Youssef explains. “Then we had a second game that involved subjects and we made a list and we had things—parenting, cook, lover, friend, dancer—and debated who was better at it. We recorded all those debates for the game and had them transcribed. When we read them to ourselves, we just thought we were having a good time because we were using Russian accents while we did it, which was like this clown nose. In retrospect, maybe we were more willing to be risky because we had stupid accents, you know? But we were amazed when we read the transcripts. Oh, my God! The level of competition among us was really interesting, even though we thought we were just having fun.” The third show in the company’s 20th-anniversary season, Doost (Friend), marks Chai’s first return since his departure in 2005. Doost is inspired by a story fundamental to Chai’s Sufi faith (and it’s a pro/nonpro hybrid with members of the Sufi community), but it also explores the function of faith in a largely secular culture. “What is the role that faith can play, especially when Sufism is a branch of Islam? All sorts of things are interesting about it for us,” Youssef says. “It all goes back to the shows he made at Neworld, and I was in a few of them. Crazy dance and music, and there’s a story, but it’s a lot about the spectacle, a lot about the ideas.” As Neworld celebrates its two decades, Youssef sees Chai’s initial vision continuing to evolve and adapt. In recent years the company has explored topics that have pushed it in different directions—globalization, capitalism, ableism—deepening and expanding Neworld’s own definition of diversity and inclusion. “The 20 years is also about a connection to a whole bunch of different kinds of communities, telling stories and ref lecting experiences that we don’t normally hear in the more mainstream forms and don’t see much on-stage, in an everexpanding variety of ways,” Youssef says. “And that’s critically important to me in a culture driven... driven hugely by profit and the imperative of global capitalism. Hearing those stories in a really intentional, curated way that’s connected to real communities is very important—and making people laugh, which we do sometimes.” Winners and Losers runs from Tuesday (February 16) to February 27 and Doost runs from March 22 to 26, both at the Cultch.


SPELLBOUND CONTEMPORARY BALLET Italy “Dancers of such chameleon-like suppleness, they were not only spellbinding, but breathtaking.” The Philadelphia Inquirer Feb. 27 – 29 > NRT

Dance Double Bill SHAY KUEBLER RADICAL SYSTEM ART BC “So fully embodied entertainment and artistry at such high levels.” Vancouver Weekly

MADBOOTS DANCE USA “Sharp, elegant movements, dark theatricality and unashamed intimacy.” The New York Times

Feb. 20 – 22 > NRT MARIA KONG Israel “Brimming with an erotic charge, sensuality, desire… exquisite sense of humor and even irony.”

tickets: chutzpahfestival.com

INFANT Festival, Novisad, Serbia

March 5 – 7 > NRT

GALLIM DANCE USA “Voluptuously polyglot choreography.”

BALLET KELOWNA BC A mixed program with live music from Toronto’s Continuum Contemporary Music. May 4 – 6 > NRT

604.257.5145

The New York Times

March 10 – 13 > NRT

ROTEM SIVAN TRIO USA/Israel “A remarkable talent.” DownBeat Magazine

Feb. 21 > Frankie’s Italian Kitchen

ODESSA/HAVANA Canada/Cuba “A perfect example of an act that has struck gold with its sonic experimentation.” CBC March 1 > NRT

A-WA Israel Sweeping and uncompromising music will take you on an exciting journey! March 12 > The Biltmore Cabaret 19+

OPENING NIGHT Two hilarious standup comics JESSICA KIRSON USA Nightlife Award winner for Best Standup Comedian in New York City. & JON STEINBERG Canada A perennial favourite of CBC’s The Debaters. Feb 18 > NRT

VICTORIA HANNA Israel “The freshest, edgiest, weirdest artist on the Israeli airwaves today.” Public Radio International

Feb 23 > NRT

KLEZMERSON Mexico “A remarkable band out of Mexico City taking the Jewish tradition to some fresh and uncharted new places.” John Zorn – Tzadik

March 3 > NRT

THE ANDY STATMAN TRIO USA “Andy Statman, clarinet and mandolin virtuoso, is an American visionary.” BALADINO Israel/Germany The New Yorker “Lively, engaging, enthralling and Feb 24 > NRT mystical.” ChicagoNow March 5 > The Fox Cabaret, 19+

AVISHAI COHEN QUARTET Israel “An extravagantly skilled trumpeter.” The New York Times

May 7 > NRT SPECIAL PRESENTATION JENNIFER TEEGE Germany In conversation with Marsha Lederman about her new memoir My Grandfather Would Have Shot Me, learning to come to terms with the horrifying fact that Amon Goeth, the Nazi “butcher of Plaszow,” who was chillingly depicted by Ralph Fiennes in Schindler’s List, was her grandfather. April 2 > NRT

A VERY NARROW BRIDGE Canada by Itai Erdal, Anita Rochon, and Maiko Yamamoto. This funny and insightful chamber-sized play, takes a personal look at leaving love and a country behind. March 5 to 13 > JCC - Dayson Board Room An Evening with JONATHAN GOLDSTEIN Canada The former host of the celebrated CBC program Wiretap brings us his wry, self-deprecating humour. “The Wes Anderson of podcasting.” The Atlantic

March 31 > NRT

Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 21


The Birth of Modern Culture 371 ARTWORKS 156 ARTISTS 30 CURATORS 3 YEARS IN THE MAKING

OUR BIGGEST EXHIBITION YET Opens February 20, 2016

Presenting Sponsor:

Generously supported by:

Artworkers Retirement Society Joy Chao and John Henshaw Visionary Partner for Scholarship and Publications:

The Richardson Family Media Sponsor:

THE VSO NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL

featuring the KRONOS QUARTET, MAESTRO BRAMWELL TOVEY, STANDING WAVE, and VSO COMPOSER-IN-RESIDENCE JOCELYN MORLOCK

$ YLEUDQWbfour-day festivalbFHOHEUDWLQJ WKH H[FLWLQJ ZRUNV RI FRQWHPSRUDU\ FRPSRVHUV DQG IHDWXULQJ WKH ZRUOG UHQRZQHG Kronos Quartet $QG HQKDQFH \RXU PXVLFDO H[SHULHQFH ZLWK SUH FRQFHUW WDONV DQG SRVW FRQFHUW JDWKHULQJV ZLWK 0DHVWUR 7RYH\ FRPSRVHUV DQG 962 PXVLFLDQV

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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 25

ALL CONCERTS 7:30PM AT THE ORPHEUM

Nouvelle Vague

Pre-Concert Talks at 6:35pm each night and Post-Concert Gatherings, FREE TO TICKETHOLDERS.

FESTIVAL SPONSOR

Bramwell Tovey host Jocelyn Morlock host Standing Wave

MEDIA SPONSOR

@VSOrchestra 22 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26

Kronos: Moments in Time

Bramwell Tovey host Jocelyn Morlock host Kronos Quartet

STANDING WAVE

JOCELYN MORLOCK

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 27

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 28

Bramwell Tovey conductor/host Jocelyn Morlock host Ariel Barnes cello Rachel Kiyo Iwaasa piano Brendan Wyatt dancer Marie-Josee Chartier choreographer Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Bramwell Tovey conductor/host Jocelyn Morlock host Kronos Quartet Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Sacred and Profane

City of Angels

TICKETS vancouversymphony.ca/nmf

604.876.3434


ARTS

Belgian star explores the power of words > BY A LEX A NDER VA R TY

C

ome for the theatrical spectacle; leave with a new perspective on how words can warp and twist our world. In BigMouth, Belgian actor Valentijn Dhaenens captivates with nothing more than an array of microphones, a bare table, and an electronic looping device. But what makes his minimalistic production so effective is that he’s also working with 2,500 years’ worth of the finest speeches ever given, an oratorical treasure trove that enables him to embody some of the strongest and strangest characters in western civilization, from the martyred Martin Luther King to the Mephistophelean Joseph Goebbels. By all accounts, BigMouth is a tour de force of acting prowess. And although the work made its Englishlanguage debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2012, its central conceit has preoccupied the 39-year-old Dhaenens for virtually the whole of his career. “I actually became fascinated, when I was 16 or something, with the power of words,” he says in a telephone interview from Toronto. “And that’s the most important thing about

In BigMouth, Belgium’s Valentijn Dhaenens draws on famous speeches by everyone from Joseph Goebbels to Gen. George Patton. Maya Wilsens photo.

this show. It’s more than the content, for me: it’s about what we’re able to do as human beings when we really hold our faith. We can change the course of history if we’re at the right time and the right place and have the skill to use these words.” That skill, he concedes, can be used for evil as well as for good. “The first speech that I read that

gave me the feeling that I could make this show was the ‘Total War’ speech by Joseph Goebbels at the end of the Second World War. He’s addressing the women of Germany, to get them involved in the war industry. You can still listen to this on YouTube, and he’s screaming and shouting all the time—‘Wollt ihr den totalen Krieg?’—and this whole

sports palace shouts back, like in a pop concert, almost.” BigMouth isn’t just about Dhaenens aping famous orators from the past, however. In it, he makes a variety of surprising links to advance his thesis that we are all subject to manipulation by language. Presenting the Goebbels speech, for instance, he intercuts the Nazi propaganda minister’s words with those of American war hero Gen. George Patton, preparing his troops just before the DDay invasion that would eventually topple Goebbels and his ilk. “I noticed there were only three weeks between those speeches, when they were delivered,” Dhaenens explains. “And Gen. Patton speaks in very short, aggressive phrases to these 16-year-olds who had never fired a gun, who he knew would have to become like gods on D-Day and jump out of the boats and attack screaming, so he was trying to lift these boys up by using very aggressive language. “The difference is so beautiful between these very short, English, aggressive sentences, and these very long, complex German sentences from Goebbels,” he continues. “So what I do in the show is that I mix them up: I’ll

do a few sentences of Goebbels and switch swiftly to Patton—and I’ve noticed that they both say the same thing. They’re both trying to persuade people to go to war, but they use very different techniques. That’s a good example of how the show was built.” Dhaenens adds that his own presentation is almost as much a concert as a play: he builds a percussive backdrop for some of his most impassioned speeches by banging out beats on his simple set, and occasionally bursts into song. But there’s a serious message beneath this entertaining gloss. “If there’s one thing political about it it’s the hope that when people see the show, the next time they have to vote they will be just a little bit more aware of how they are addressed by politicians,” he says. “Speeches are always about manipulation, and people love to be manipulated, in a way. We love to be seduced—and nothing has really changed in the way that we try to manipulate people or to address them. The ancient Greeks invented the speech, in my opinion, and we still use the same techniques.” BigMouth is at the Cultch from Thursday (February 11) to February 21.

Paula Kremer, Artistic Director

Liebeslieder SONGS OF LOVE With dancing exuberance and amorous charm, we WɆMZ 2WPIVVM[ *ZIPU[u 4QMJM[TQMLMZ ?IT\bMZ _Q\P \PM *MZOUIVV 8QIVW ,]W -VRWa OZMI\ U][QK I OTI[[ I _QVM IVL OWWL KWUXIVa QV I ZMTI`ML KIJIZM\ [M\\QVO

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016 AT 3 PM ORPHEUM ANNEX 823 SEYMOUR ST, VANCOUVER

FEBRUARY 20, 2016 AT 8PM I ORPHEUM THEATRE CONDUCTOR: LESLIE DALA I COMPOSER AND DOUBLE BASS: ANDREW DOWNING VIOLIN: CAMERON WILSON I CLARINET: FRANÇOIS HOULE I BASSOON: INGRID CHIANG TRUMPET: BRAD TURNER I TROMBONE: JEREMY BERKMAN I KEYBOARDS: CHRIS GESTRIN

ILLUSTRATION: LYDIA AVSEC I COPILOT DESIGN

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FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23


ARTS

She has a brash, on-stage persona, but a formerly meek Jessica Kirson only tried her hand at standup comedy at the urging of her grandmother.

Kirson rides her “silly” motto to Hollywood > B Y G U Y M A C PHERSON

Tickets start at

$45.

24 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

I

was bumped by Robert De Niro. I’ll take it. When comedian Jessica Kirson didn’t pick up the phone for our arranged interview, I figured there was a mix-up or she plumb forgot about it. Fifteen minutes later, she called back, in a hushed and apologetic tone, saying she was in a very important meeting and would call me later. Turns out she was with De Niro, who, she says, is nothing like a raging bull. “It was really cool to get to know him, to meet him and talk to him. He’s very sweet,” she says the next morning from her home on Long Island, New York. “He is mysterious but very down-to-earth and cool and sweet. Very nice man.” Kirson, a standup by trade, will have a small part in The Comedian with De Niro, which starts filming in March. “I’m going to be in it in a scene or two with him and I’m consulting with them on some comedy stuff,” she says, stressing that the film is not a comedy. Things are happening for the 17year vet. In 2013, Louis C.K. gave her a boost on Reddit, while answering a question about his favourite female comedians, saying “Jessica Kirson KILLS.” Now she’s part of the Howard Stern stable, doing prank calls for the shock jock. (“It’s one of my favourite things,” she says. “It’s so much fun. They come up with very, very funny ideas. They’re hysterical.”) She was on two seasons of Last Comic Standing, albeit briefly, back in 2003 but doesn’t think her career

would be any different had she won. It’s nice in the moment, but doesn’t have any long-term effects. “You never hear about these people again, really,” she says of the past winners. “I mean, they have careers but it’s not like they get famous.” The stepsister of actor Zach Braff, screenwriter Adam J. Braff, fashion designer Shoshanna Braff, and novelist Joshua Braff, Kirson first tried standup at her grandmother’s urging. Her mom’s mom was a fan of comedy from the Borscht Belt and recognized funny when she saw it in the former class clown. “I didn’t think I could ever do it but then I listened to her and tried it out, took a class, and I loved it,” she says. Kirson says she’s generally a very fearful person but feels “pretty powerful” when on-stage. “I was completely petrified.…I was very, very freaked out. I’m actually shocked that I ever did it.” It’s even more shocking to think this brash ball of energy was ever timid. When she’s on-stage, she owns it. “I’m very in-the-moment,” she says, describing her act as “you-don’thave-to-think-a-lot kinda comedy”. Her life motto is “always be silly,” which you’ll often see in hashtag form if you follow her on Twitter. “I feel like I entertain people and really give them a show,” she says. “And I keep it going fast, so there’s not a lot of lulls.” Jessica Kirson and Jon Steinberg perform at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre next Thursday (February 18), as part of the Chutzpah! Festival’s opening-night comedy gala.


ARTS

Dance artist finds a love story > BY JA NET SM IT H

T

Diskordanse’s Nela H struggled with Dances for a Small Stage’s Valentine’s theme until she zeroed in on her family’s epic tale of love. Derek Stevens photo.

was established out of the facility in 2001, setting out a unique program that mixes ballet, modern, street, and other forms. These days, it also integrates at-risk youth who develop into teachers at the school. Then, in 2011, she launched the professional performance troupe Diskordanse there. “Diskordanse was established to give our dancers work,” H explains. “It was also for me to let go of what was in here,” she says, patting her heart, “without the constraints of doing a show for children and families, which we do with the school.” What was “in here” waiting to come out has turned out to be edgy, physically pummelling work that’s often torqued up by pulsing electronic music and dramatic lighting. With that in mind, the as-yetuntitled piece for Small Stage should mark yet another new creative turn for H, who’s never really mined her distant past for her creations. It’s been a long journey that’s brought H to Dances for a Small Stage, and, despite her initial resistance to the subject matter, she’s pleased by where Saroyan’s love-story request has taken her. “It’s been an incredible process, actually,” she reflects, “and I’m grateful she triggered that in me.” -

FEB 17MAR 5 Tickets from $23

604.689.0926 280 East Cordova

firehallartscentre.ca

CALL MR. ROBESON a life, with songs Written and Performed by

Dances for a Small Stage runs from Thursday to Sunday (February 11 to 14) at the Anza Club.

Tayo Aluko “A triumph!” Broadwayworld.com Photo of Paul Robeson by Yousuf Karsh

“I remember seeing my father’s face over other people’s heads at the station, so I must have been held up,” H recalls. She also remembers the chugging motion of the train while she curled up on the floor. And working from that movement and her parents’ experience, she crafted a piece for her young dancers for the Small Stage program. “It’s not literally about this story,” stresses H, who intends to dress her dancers in film-noir-styled clothing. “My mom could have stayed home. So for me it’s about the search and the belief in love.” Eventually, H’s family settled in Canada, first in Montreal. And in the ensuing years, the artist has had an almost unimaginably varied artistic career that’s culminated in a school and a company that have had a big impact on the community here. In her teen years in Canada, H studied ballet and became a classical pianist. Later, she studied dance at SFU, played keyboards in a punk band, worked as a scriptwriter and feature-film editor, and produced short dance films. “I’m not a planner—things cross my path and I go for them,” she says with a smile. But dance was always the through line, and when she founded XBa in 1999, Canada’s only dance-based, dry-land training centre for competitive figure skaters, it was the beginning of her own school. XBa DanceCo

Anvil Centre Photo: Grant Mattice

he biggest challenge creating a work for Dances for a Small Stage is usually… Well, the small stage. Downsizing a piece to the little platform at the Anza Club is hard for people used to choreographing big physical work for larger venues. That was a struggle for Nela Hallwas (who goes by Nela H) for her company’s first appearance on the popular mixed program: her Surrey-based Diskordanse is known for theatrical spectacles, complete with elaborate props and costumes. “I now have to take these five really physical dancers and shrink them,” the striking, platinum-haired choreographer says on a trip into town, sitting in an East Side café. “So the challenge has been for them to internalize their power. They’re so used to flying across the stage!” But an even bigger struggle for her was the theme for Small Stage’s Valentine’s show: love and relationships. “I thought, ‘No, it’s so not what we do.’ We create fantasy worlds where there is no romance—it’s more athletic feats, really,” H says. Master curator (and MovEnt artistic producer) Julie-anne Saroyan had asked all the choreographers taking part in this installment—impressive names like Nederlands Dans Theater alumna Lesley Telford, local flamenco star Karen Pitkethly, and acclaimed contemporary artist Josh Beamish—to come to the creativeplanning meeting with a story about love. Even driving into town, H was unsure what she’d present. But then she started listening to news stories about Syrian refugees on the radio, and they triggered memories. “I was a refugee. My father was a political fighter against the Communist regime,” she begins, referring to Yugoslavia in the 1960s. When the Serbo-Croatian H was just four, her father suddenly had to escape the country and disappeared. Communist officials interrogated her mother about her husband’s whereabouts, but to no avail: she had no idea where he was. They gave her a choice to hand over her travelling papers and stay in the country forever, or leave immediately and never return. H’s mother chose the latter and, using her husband’s underground connections over a three-night journey, travelled with her daughter across Eastern Europe and eventually to Paris, where he was hiding. The emotional reunion left a lasting image in H’s mind.

February 25-28 Anvil Centre Theatre 777 Columbia St, New Westminster

anvilcentre.com

BUY NOW!

604.521.5050

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 25


ARTS

BOOKS

Science and linguistics dance to metronome DANCE RELATIVE COLLIDER A Liz Santoro/Pierre Godard production. A Dance Centre/PuSh International Performing Arts Festival presentation. At the Scotiabank Dance Centre on Thursday, February 4. No remaining performances

Stephen Thompson dances in Relative Collider’s patterns. Ian Douglas photo.

analyst who has worked in theatre and now studies linguistics. So science, math, language, and dance all intersect in this peculiar little experience. Is it entertaining? Well… It’s more an exercise in trying to figure out patterns, then surrendering yourself to the notion that, like the universe, they’re unknowable. It’s also a chance to marvel at the trio of laser-focused dancers, who can rivet our gaze to different subtle movements. When they’re concentrating on intricate foot-stepping, they hold their upper bodies still, and just watch the control when they raise their arms at a glacial pace. By the end the only indication of the physical demands of the piece is the glow of sweat on their skin; their faces can never express the exhaustion of the piece’s climax. Whether you’re frustrated, numbed, hypnotized, or entranced by the end of Relative Collider, Santoro has succeeded in gaining your attention and making you question why. > JANET SMITH

> BY DAVID CHAU

B

illie Livingston is no stranger to spiritual exploration. “I’m a big church-hopper from way back,” she says. “I’ve been to synagogues and Anglican churches and Pentecostal churches. When I was writing [the 2006 novel] Cease to Blush, I went out to a huge megachurch in Langley—that was a Pentecostal church—so I could see people speak in tongues. It was very interesting. “And I went to a Raëlian meeting,” she continues, referring to the UFO religion. “I don’t know if they consider themselves a church, but I really love that, going to all the places and just seeing how people search.” This inquiry into faith is also central to her recent fourth novel, The Crooked Heart of Mercy, an intricate meditation on grief and forgiveness. Told from the alternating perspectives of Ben and Maggie, a chauffeur and a domestic worker who’ve separated following the accidental death of their toddler, the plot tracks their sorrow yet retains the scrappy wit of Livingston’s other books, like One Good Hustle, the 2012 novel long-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. “Once the death of a child comes into the picture,” Livingston says to the Straight at a Kitsilano café, “it certainly brings a more sombre tone to things. But I think they’re all people who use humour as a survival mechanism.” The kernel for the current book began some four years ago, when she “wrote a novella that was inspired by visiting a priest that I knew who was in rehab”. That endeavour provided a frame for Crooked Heart’s

Billie Livingston’s latest novel delves into themes of sorrow and forgiveness while looking at humour’s role as a survival mechanism in times of tragedy.

Francis, the alcoholic priest turned viral-video sensation who happens to be Maggie’s gay brother. Focused on a short-story project in 2014 that riffed on tabloid headlines, Livingston received a news item from her husband about a 17-year-old Floridian who injured himself with a .22-calibre rifle, believing he was dreaming due to a bad trip on magic mushrooms. “They assumed that he had tried to commit suicide,” she says. “They kept him in the psych ward, and it took him a few days to talk himself out of there.” (In addition to producing novels, Livingston, 50, is an acclaimed writer of short fiction. Her 2010 novella, The Trouble With Marlene, was adapted into the 2014

STRAIGHT WRAPPED FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

SWEET BUYS FOR GIRLS SMALLFLOWER CAFE & BAKESHOP Sweets for your sweetie. Sugar Cookie Valentines, Premier Chocolatiers heart shaped boxes & decadent Cupcakes. Guiltfree pleasures that are great tasting and good for the planet. All items are 100% Gluten free and Vegan.

www.thesmallflower.com 47 W. Hastings St. Vancouver 778.379.7377

EVVIE & OLIVE FLORAL Select your favourites from Evvie Olive’s gorgeously Romantic Valentine’s Collection, using the finest fresh blooms of the season, beautifully presented in signature packaging with specialty wrapping and double satin ribbon. Give an extra romantic touch to this Valentine’s day.

www.evviefloral.com 8558 Cornish St. Vancouver 604.620.8886

26 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

BEDFACE Nothing says romance like a new set of sheets! Impress your special valentine with a new set of sheets from bedface. ca, a new online bedding brand from Vancouver that claims “the best damn sheets on the internet”. Offering 24 different colours to choose from, you can mix and match to make the bed of your dreams. Sleep well, dream big, and have fun in bed.

film Sitting on the Edge of Marlene; her 2010 story collection, Greedy Little Eyes, won both the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and a CBC Bookie.) Merging the teenager’s episode with reports she read on an OxyContin epidemic in Oceana, West Virginia, Livingston created a vignette for the aforementioned shortstory project and subsequently a voice for Ben, who lands in a psych ward after a terrible head wound. “A white, white room,” he observes in the novel. “White as a scream, floor to ceiling, bed to nightstand. Maybe it’s supposed to feel clean. It feels more like we’re locked in an instant that never ends.” Out for a walk one day and suddenly inspired, Livingston dictated concepts for Ben’s narrative into her iPhone; these musings on “his drug-induced nightmare, what visions he was seeing” were serendipitously mistranscribed into “one word:

family,” she says, laughing. “It started to dawn on me that Francis would be Maggie’s brother, and Maggie and Ben would be a couple, and so it all started to jell after that.” The idea of a woman who lost a child came from a tragedy in Livingston’s family history. “Before I was born,” she says, “my father and his wife, they had a little boy and he climbed up on the windowsill when he was two, and he fell. I’d always been wanting to do something with this.” Recovering in the same hospital where his father is drying out, Ben recalls his own tumultuous upbringing and the later joys of marriage and parenthood. Maggie, attempting to carry forward, contends with a new employer, a lonely elderly woman, who introduces her to the metaphysical practices of the United Church of Spiritualism. “I went several times to the First United Church of Spiritualism,” Livingston says. “And then one of the mediums that I listened to, I hired her for a private consultation.” With “only a partial interest in celibacy” and facing his third impaired-driving charge, Francis ref lects on his commitments while awaiting admission to rehab. (Through her husband, who studied at a seminary in Washington, D.C., Livingston met young men concerned “about whether they could put their appetites aside and be this spiritual adviser,” she says. “And one of them agreed to let me interview him, and plague him with questions.”) How individuals fail and succeed in their efforts to be caring remains Livingston’s enduring theme. “It’s really about all three of them reconnecting with themselves and each other,” she says. “They’re hungering for mercy.… All of them are really looking for this soothing restoration.” -

“Clever, snappy, original” —Broken Leg Reviews

$29! all-inclusive

NOW PLAYING!

naomi wright and eric craig. photo by david cooper

Tick, tick, tick tick. You can’t a performance of the French–U.S. production of Relative Collider without that metronomic score still counting off eight beats in your mind. The show thrusts us into a strange universe—an austere, brightly lit world where three dancers step and click their heels to that tick in complex patterns, their counts activated by a deadpan Pierre Godard at his on-stage laptop. At first their steps are almost imperceptible, but as the movement gets more elaborate—leaps, skips, and clenching fists—Godard starts to recite words to the relentless beat. Except his text sounds like nonsensical nursery rhymes—words with no meaning set to mathematical structures amid obsessively ordered movements. When the dancers finally start zigzagging through the space, their patterns resemble ricocheting pinballs or the automated birds on that Playful Penguin Race toy. And through it all the performers remain resolutely expressionless, shifting their gazes and offering up no answers. It feels like a lab experiment. And are we, the audience, the guinea pigs? Is it a study in existentialism, order versus chaos, or maybe hypnosis? To understand, you need to realize that choreographer Liz Santoro, who also dances in the piece, is a scholar in how we receive and give attention. As for her cocreator, Godard, he’s a math academic and former quantitative

2 leave

Grief flows through Crooked Heart

naomi wright & eric craig. photo by david cooper

LOOK FOR OUR

SPRING

ARTS

ISSUE • FEBRUARY 25 ➤TO ADVERTISE CALL 604-730-7000

+ GUYS

www.bedface.ca 604.282.2144

BENÉE RUBIN’S SHAREABLE NECKLACE SERIES Benée Rubin Jewellery Design presents the ``Shareable Necklace Series”, which includes her YinYang style Lover`s Wings, Dragon and Phoenix, and Koi Fish. A perfect gift at $220.00 each, including a lovely presentation box. Each of her sterling silver necklace sets are crafted locally. This collection also includes a shareable pair of Crosses, Stars of David, and Winged hearts. From $110.00.

BeneeRubin.com 106 - 525 Seymour Street 604.278.8456

MID-CENTURY MODERN HOME Give your Valentine’s candy and flowers in a uniquely chosen vase or dish so your gift will last. These vintage modern pieces are collector’s items that are valued for a lifetime, not to mention they make fabulous eye candy for your styling pad.

www.mcmhome.ca 810 Quayside Drive River Market | New West Quay

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 27


ARTS

BOOKS

Science and linguistics dance to metronome DANCE RELATIVE COLLIDER A Liz Santoro/Pierre Godard production. A Dance Centre/PuSh International Performing Arts Festival presentation. At the Scotiabank Dance Centre on Thursday, February 4. No remaining performances

Stephen Thompson dances in Relative Collider’s patterns. Ian Douglas photo.

analyst who has worked in theatre and now studies linguistics. So science, math, language, and dance all intersect in this peculiar little experience. Is it entertaining? Well… It’s more an exercise in trying to figure out patterns, then surrendering yourself to the notion that, like the universe, they’re unknowable. It’s also a chance to marvel at the trio of laser-focused dancers, who can rivet our gaze to different subtle movements. When they’re concentrating on intricate foot-stepping, they hold their upper bodies still, and just watch the control when they raise their arms at a glacial pace. By the end the only indication of the physical demands of the piece is the glow of sweat on their skin; their faces can never express the exhaustion of the piece’s climax. Whether you’re frustrated, numbed, hypnotized, or entranced by the end of Relative Collider, Santoro has succeeded in gaining your attention and making you question why. > JANET SMITH

> BY DAVID CHAU

B

illie Livingston is no stranger to spiritual exploration. “I’m a big church-hopper from way back,” she says. “I’ve been to synagogues and Anglican churches and Pentecostal churches. When I was writing [the 2006 novel] Cease to Blush, I went out to a huge megachurch in Langley—that was a Pentecostal church—so I could see people speak in tongues. It was very interesting. “And I went to a Raëlian meeting,” she continues, referring to the UFO religion. “I don’t know if they consider themselves a church, but I really love that, going to all the places and just seeing how people search.” This inquiry into faith is also central to her recent fourth novel, The Crooked Heart of Mercy, an intricate meditation on grief and forgiveness. Told from the alternating perspectives of Ben and Maggie, a chauffeur and a domestic worker who’ve separated following the accidental death of their toddler, the plot tracks their sorrow yet retains the scrappy wit of Livingston’s other books, like One Good Hustle, the 2012 novel long-listed for the Scotiabank Giller Prize. “Once the death of a child comes into the picture,” Livingston says to the Straight at a Kitsilano café, “it certainly brings a more sombre tone to things. But I think they’re all people who use humour as a survival mechanism.” The kernel for the current book began some four years ago, when she “wrote a novella that was inspired by visiting a priest that I knew who was in rehab”. That endeavour provided a frame for Crooked Heart’s

Billie Livingston’s latest novel delves into themes of sorrow and forgiveness while looking at humour’s role as a survival mechanism in times of tragedy.

Francis, the alcoholic priest turned viral-video sensation who happens to be Maggie’s gay brother. Focused on a short-story project in 2014 that riffed on tabloid headlines, Livingston received a news item from her husband about a 17-year-old Floridian who injured himself with a .22-calibre rifle, believing he was dreaming due to a bad trip on magic mushrooms. “They assumed that he had tried to commit suicide,” she says. “They kept him in the psych ward, and it took him a few days to talk himself out of there.” (In addition to producing novels, Livingston, 50, is an acclaimed writer of short fiction. Her 2010 novella, The Trouble With Marlene, was adapted into the 2014

STRAIGHT WRAPPED FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

SWEET BUYS FOR GIRLS SMALLFLOWER CAFE & BAKESHOP Sweets for your sweetie. Sugar Cookie Valentines, Premier Chocolatiers heart shaped boxes & decadent Cupcakes. Guiltfree pleasures that are great tasting and good for the planet. All items are 100% Gluten free and Vegan.

www.thesmallflower.com 47 W. Hastings St. Vancouver 778.379.7377

EVVIE & OLIVE FLORAL Select your favourites from Evvie Olive’s gorgeously Romantic Valentine’s Collection, using the finest fresh blooms of the season, beautifully presented in signature packaging with specialty wrapping and double satin ribbon. Give an extra romantic touch to this Valentine’s day.

www.evviefloral.com 8558 Cornish St. Vancouver 604.620.8886

26 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

BEDFACE Nothing says romance like a new set of sheets! Impress your special valentine with a new set of sheets from bedface. ca, a new online bedding brand from Vancouver that claims “the best damn sheets on the internet”. Offering 24 different colours to choose from, you can mix and match to make the bed of your dreams. Sleep well, dream big, and have fun in bed.

film Sitting on the Edge of Marlene; her 2010 story collection, Greedy Little Eyes, won both the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and a CBC Bookie.) Merging the teenager’s episode with reports she read on an OxyContin epidemic in Oceana, West Virginia, Livingston created a vignette for the aforementioned shortstory project and subsequently a voice for Ben, who lands in a psych ward after a terrible head wound. “A white, white room,” he observes in the novel. “White as a scream, floor to ceiling, bed to nightstand. Maybe it’s supposed to feel clean. It feels more like we’re locked in an instant that never ends.” Out for a walk one day and suddenly inspired, Livingston dictated concepts for Ben’s narrative into her iPhone; these musings on “his drug-induced nightmare, what visions he was seeing” were serendipitously mistranscribed into “one word:

family,” she says, laughing. “It started to dawn on me that Francis would be Maggie’s brother, and Maggie and Ben would be a couple, and so it all started to jell after that.” The idea of a woman who lost a child came from a tragedy in Livingston’s family history. “Before I was born,” she says, “my father and his wife, they had a little boy and he climbed up on the windowsill when he was two, and he fell. I’d always been wanting to do something with this.” Recovering in the same hospital where his father is drying out, Ben recalls his own tumultuous upbringing and the later joys of marriage and parenthood. Maggie, attempting to carry forward, contends with a new employer, a lonely elderly woman, who introduces her to the metaphysical practices of the United Church of Spiritualism. “I went several times to the First United Church of Spiritualism,” Livingston says. “And then one of the mediums that I listened to, I hired her for a private consultation.” With “only a partial interest in celibacy” and facing his third impaired-driving charge, Francis ref lects on his commitments while awaiting admission to rehab. (Through her husband, who studied at a seminary in Washington, D.C., Livingston met young men concerned “about whether they could put their appetites aside and be this spiritual adviser,” she says. “And one of them agreed to let me interview him, and plague him with questions.”) How individuals fail and succeed in their efforts to be caring remains Livingston’s enduring theme. “It’s really about all three of them reconnecting with themselves and each other,” she says. “They’re hungering for mercy.… All of them are really looking for this soothing restoration.” -

“Clever, snappy, original” —Broken Leg Reviews

$29! all-inclusive

NOW PLAYING!

naomi wright and eric craig. photo by david cooper

Tick, tick, tick tick. You can’t a performance of the French–U.S. production of Relative Collider without that metronomic score still counting off eight beats in your mind. The show thrusts us into a strange universe—an austere, brightly lit world where three dancers step and click their heels to that tick in complex patterns, their counts activated by a deadpan Pierre Godard at his on-stage laptop. At first their steps are almost imperceptible, but as the movement gets more elaborate—leaps, skips, and clenching fists—Godard starts to recite words to the relentless beat. Except his text sounds like nonsensical nursery rhymes—words with no meaning set to mathematical structures amid obsessively ordered movements. When the dancers finally start zigzagging through the space, their patterns resemble ricocheting pinballs or the automated birds on that Playful Penguin Race toy. And through it all the performers remain resolutely expressionless, shifting their gazes and offering up no answers. It feels like a lab experiment. And are we, the audience, the guinea pigs? Is it a study in existentialism, order versus chaos, or maybe hypnosis? To understand, you need to realize that choreographer Liz Santoro, who also dances in the piece, is a scholar in how we receive and give attention. As for her cocreator, Godard, he’s a math academic and former quantitative

2 leave

Grief flows through Crooked Heart

naomi wright & eric craig. photo by david cooper

LOOK FOR OUR

SPRING

ARTS

ISSUE • FEBRUARY 25 ➤TO ADVERTISE CALL 604-730-7000

+ GUYS

www.bedface.ca 604.282.2144

BENÉE RUBIN’S SHAREABLE NECKLACE SERIES Benée Rubin Jewellery Design presents the ``Shareable Necklace Series”, which includes her YinYang style Lover`s Wings, Dragon and Phoenix, and Koi Fish. A perfect gift at $220.00 each, including a lovely presentation box. Each of her sterling silver necklace sets are crafted locally. This collection also includes a shareable pair of Crosses, Stars of David, and Winged hearts. From $110.00.

BeneeRubin.com 106 - 525 Seymour Street 604.278.8456

MID-CENTURY MODERN HOME Give your Valentine’s candy and flowers in a uniquely chosen vase or dish so your gift will last. These vintage modern pieces are collector’s items that are valued for a lifetime, not to mention they make fabulous eye candy for your styling pad.

www.mcmhome.ca 810 Quayside Drive River Market | New West Quay

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 27


ARTS

Cliff Cardinal’s major talent shines in Huff TH E AT RE HUFF By Cliff Cardinal. A Native Earth Performing Arts production. A Firehall Arts Centre and PuSh International Performing Arts Festival presentation. At the Firehall Arts Centre on Tuesday, February 2. No remaining performances

There’s talent here. Major tal-

2 ent. And the successes in Huff

made me want it to be even better. In his solo show, writer and performer Cliff Cardinal tells the story of Wind, a teenage guy on a reserve. His mom left Wind and his two brothers with their alcoholic father, whose cruelty drove her to suicide. Wind’s older brother, Charles, probably has fetal alcohol syndrome and is a brutal sexual abuser. The youngest boy, Huff, is so sweet and eager that he says “Awesome!” to Wind’s every suggestion, including a game in which they take turns strangling each other until they pass out. The deadening thing about all of this is that Wind and Huff float through it. They’re used to it. This is everyday life. Cardinal is an audacious and innovative writer, and the script contains images of real beauty. Huff claims to have a gift from Creator: when he blows on a person, that person will feel the joy of laughter in his or her body. It works on Wind every time. And a porn rag that is soaked in cum and gasoline catches fire and turns into a flaming raven. Cardinal shoots surprising humour through his script. With a Ziploc bag taped to his head and his hands cuffed together, Wind says, “This is a suicide attempt,” then adds: “I say ‘attempt’, but it’s looking pretty good.” And, as an actor, Cardinal is all fluid beauty, transforming from Wind to Huff to their grandma to a zany TV host. The thing that Huff is missing— from my point of view—is a satisfying structure. The framing device of suicide is moving, but the overall shape of the script is loose. Every scene helps to build a picture of life on the reserve and the ongoing devastation caused by the residentialschool system—and there is a kind of accumulation in the layering on of hopelessness. But what is the central action of the play? What’s the specific story that would root us more deeply in Wind’s circumstances? Even though Cardinal’s imagery, humour, and performance are dazzling, the script started to bore me after a while because its information and entertainment value were dissipated

In Huff, writer-performer Cliff Cardinal weaves humour into a dark story of alcoholism, abuse, and suicide. akipari photo.

in overly associative storytelling. delivered such a broad interpretation But there is a lot to like. Cliff Car- that is so full of caricatures. dinal is a serious artist. Yes, Elizabeth’s younger sisters, > COLIN THOMAS Lydia and Kitty, are giddy girls— especially at the beginning of the PRIDE AND PREJUDICE novel—but Rodgers turns them into the shrieking cousins of Wile By Janet Munsil, based on the E. Coyote. It’s boring and there’s a novel by Jane Austen. Directed price to be paid: late in the story, by Sarah Rodgers. An Arts Club when Lydia is banished, which Theatre Company production. At the could be heart-wrenching, all one Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage on can do is wish her good riddance. Wednesday, February 3. Continues Mrs. Bennet, the girls’ mother, is a until February 28. small-minded hysteric and, as such, Too much of the Arts Club’s a comic character. But Katey Wright, Pride and Prejudice feels like this production’s Mrs. Bennet, only the Saturday-morning-cartoons ver- gives us the big strokes. There is no sion of Jane Austen’s classic. nuance, no particularity, to her charThe story is so popular and so wide- acterization. Wright’s Mrs. Bennet ly adapted—there’s even a zombie- is a superficially drawn type, as opmovie version—that it’s in our cultural posed to an individual. DNA. We’re in the early 19th century, And, as a wealthy young woman and Elizabeth, the central character, is named Caroline, Amanda Lisman the second of five daughters who live ladles on snottiness, when it would with their parents on a country estate. be much more subtle and satisfying Outspoken and intelligent, she clashes if she simply let her lines speak for wits with Mr. Darcy, a wealthy visitor themselves. to the region who deems her too plain Fortunately, at the heart of the and too lowborn for his interest. But, show sits Naomi Wright’s Elizabeth. setting a pattern that would doom In everything she does, Wright’s millions of marriages, Austen convin- intelligence shines through; that ces her readers that Elizabeth is able to intelligence is never more welcome improve Darcy. As she and the hand- than it is here. And Wright’s Elizasome millionaire negotiate their mis- beth is responsive: there’s a scene perceptions of one another, romance in which a battle-axe named Lady blossoms. Catherine de Bourgh tries to huPride and Prejudice is about man- miliate Elizabeth by asserting her ners and social vulnerability. It’s funny, class superiority; watching Wright subtle, and moving—which is why it’s a listen, you can feel Elizabeth’s pain shame that director Sarah Rodgers has and fury building.

2

David Marr also does a very fine job as Elizabeth’s father, Mr. Bennet. The scene in which he counsels Elizabeth only to marry a man she esteems brought tears to my eyes. In Janet Munsil’s adaptation, Eric Craig, who plays Darcy, doesn’t get a lot of opportunity to reveal the character’s vulnerability, but there’s an emotional integrity to his performance that allows the romance to pay off. In the large cast, Scott Bellis is wickedly inventive as the pious, socialclimbing Mr. Collins, Kaitlin Williams is tender as Elizabeth’s older sister, Jane, and young Sarah Roa impresses as the strait-laced younger sister, Mary. Alison Green’s set, which features large paintings within open space, is conceptually lovely but imperfect in its execution: some of the paintings are crude. Given the failures of this mounting, it’s hard to assess Munsil’s adaptation; it might look better in another take. In the meantime, read—or reread—the book. > COLIN THOMAS

CLOSER THAN EVER Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. Music by David Shire. Directed by Jovanni Sy. A Gateway Theatre production. At the Gateway Theatre on Friday, February 5. Continues until February 20

I must have said this a thoutimes: there’s so much

2 sand

talent on-stage—if only the material were better. Closer Than Ever is kind of a wannabe Company. Both are musical entertainments about modern urban life. Company (1970) is a concept musical with associative storytelling while Closer Than Ever (1989) is a pure revue, a compilation of songs. But the more important distinction is that the songs that Stephen Sondheim wrote for Company are virtuosic and consistently surprising, but only a few of the tunes in Closer Than Ever—lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. and music by David Shire—work. In “Miss Byrd”, a secretary whom everyone overlooks reveals her torrid, secret sex life. There’s a cheeky dynamic in which Miss Byrd tamps herself down, then, increasingly, lets it rip, until—in this production, at least—she’s gyrating on the top of her desk with full stripper moves. And “Life Story”, in which a woman remembers the liberated decisions that left her lonely in later life, f loats the haunting refrain, “I’m not complaining.” Too often, though, the songs are forgettable. The content in “Doors”, “Patterns”, and “Closer Than Ever” all sounds like it comes out of a notvery-sophisticated self-help book: we’re often afraid of opportunities, and we get stuck in ruts, but, if we’re lucky, things work out. It’s generic. But, man, this cast is talented— and two of the featured performers I’ve never seen before. Kevin Aichele has such a big, lyrical, Broadway voice that you kind of want to hear him sing “Oklahoma!”. And Ma-Anne Dionisio is a tiny, powerhouse soprano who shapes her songs beautifully. Chris D. King’s voice isn’t as f lashy, but he is more than up to this musically tricky material. And Caitriona Murphy brings a winning combination of strong singing and fearless acting. She’s the one who rocks it out in “Miss Byrd”. Marshall McMahen’s vast set looks like a barely furnished lounge at the top of a skyscraper: there’s a certain elegance to it, but it’s also chilly. Perhaps in an attempt to compensate, Jeff Harrison’s lighting is busy. Dawn Ewen’s choreography is fun, though—especially in the vaudevillian “Three Friends”. Under Jovanni Sy’s direction, this production is as slick as can be. Nobody puts a foot out of place, and everybody mines the material for all it’s worth. It’s the worth that’s in question. > COLIN THOMAS

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FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 29


love and madness. Accompanied by the music of Beth Southwell. Feb 11-12, 8 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby). Tix $25-35, info www.shadboltcentre.com/.

ARTS CLUB ON TOUR: 4000 MILES Amy Herzog’s story sees a 91-year-old New Yorker and her grandson help each other navigate their changing worlds. Feb 13, 8 pm, The ACT Arts Centre (11944 Haney Pl., Maple Ridge). Info www.theactmaple ridge.org/act-presents/arts-club-ontour/4000-miles/.

ar ts/ timeout THEATRE DANCE MUSIC COMEDY LITERARY EVENTS ET CETERA GALLERIES MUSEUMS OUT OF TOWN

< < < < < < < < <

THEATRE 2OPENINGS PATRICE BALBINA’S CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH THE END OF THE WORLD Play about a girl who notices that the small things are starting to disappear. Feb 11-14, Presentation House Theatre (333 Chesterfield Ave., North Van). Tix $15, info www.phtheatre.org/show/patrice-balbinaschance-encounter-with-the-end-of-the-world/. BIGMOUTH Valentijn Dhaenens weaves together seminal speeches from everyone from the Grand Inquisitor and Socrates to Muhammad Ali and Osama Bin Laden, paying tribute to 2,500 years of oration. Presented by SKaGeN and Richard Jordan Productions Ltd. Feb 11-21, York Theatre (639 Commercial). Tix from $20, info www.thecultch.com/events/bigmouth/. SLIPPAGE Six Vancouver actors perform monologues that explore the line between

WINNERS AND LOSERS Neworld Theatre presents a conversation that embraces the ruthless logic of capitalism and tests its impact on our closest personal relationships and our most intimate experiences of self. Feb 16-27, 8 pm, The Cultch (1895 Venables). Tix from $20, info www.thecultch.com/winners-losers/. THE BREAKFAST CLUB WVSS theatre presents a stage adaptation of John Hughes’s classic coming-of-age film. Feb 17-19, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Centre (1700 Mathers Ave., West Van). Tix $12 at the door, info www.facebook.com/ wvsstheatre/. THOM PAIN (BASED ON NOTHING) Will Eno’s play sees a man stop at nothing on his quest for salvation. Feb 17-26, 8 pm, Tiki Bar @ The Waldorf (1489 E. Hastings). Tix $10-20, info www.facebook.com/ ThomPainVancouver2016/. BRIGHT BLUE FUTURE Hardline Productions presents a play that explores one pivotal night in the lives of four 20-somethings and the decisions they make that will affect their futures forever. Feb 17–Mar 5, 8-9:30 pm, Pacific Theatre (1440 W. 12th). Tix from $15, info tickets.pacifictheatre. org/TheatreManager/1/login/.

2ONGOING BOOM Rick Miller explores 25 years of baby-boom history through music and video. Presented by the PuSh Festival with the Arts Club Theatre Company. To Feb 13, Granville Island Stage (1585 Johnston, Granville Island). Tix from $29, info www.pushfestival.ca/shows/ festival-2016/boom/.

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COMPANY United Players presents director Brian Parkinson’s version of Stephen Sondheim’s musical about a confirmed bachelor who weighs the pros and cons of marriage. To Feb 14, 8-10 pm, Jericho Arts Centre (1675 Discovery). Tix $30-35, info www.united players.com/. PRIDE & PREJUDICE The Arts Club Theatre Company presents Sarah Rodgers’s version of Janet Munsil’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel. To Feb 28, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville). Tix from $29, info 604-687-1644, www.artsclub.com/. COMMON GRACE Ron Reed directs a provocative family drama that tells the story of a woman who returns home for her father’s funeral. To Feb 14, 8-10 pm, Pacific Theatre (1440 W. 12th). Tix $22.99-29.99, info www.pacifictheatre.org/ season/2015-2016-season-3/mainstage/ common-grace/. FOURPLAY Festival of one-act plays by current students and graduates features Numbers, The Train Carr, The Classroom, and Retail: The Musical. To Feb 14, Studio 58 (Langara College, 100 W. 49th). Tix $17.25, info www.facebook.com/ events/1603681133206862/. OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS Vagabond Players presents a play about a man whose family hatches a scheme to keep him from relocating. To Feb 27, Bernie Legge Theatre (Queen’s Park, 1st St. and 3rd Ave., New West). Tix $15, info www.vagabondplayers.ca/.

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THE (POST)MISTRESS The Arts Club Theatre Company presents Tomson Highway’s one-woman cabaret-style show about the lone postal worker in a fictional North Ontario town. To Feb 28, Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre (162 W. 1st). Tix from $25, info www.artsclub.com/. CLOSER THAN EVER Director Jovanni Sy’s modern two-act musical examines the challenges and titillations of adulthood. To Feb 20, 8-10:30 pm, Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Rd., Richmond). Tix $45/20, info www.gatewaytheatre.com/ closerthanever/. CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG Align Entertainment presents an all-ages Broadway-style musical based on the 1968 film. To Feb 20, Michael J. Fox Theatre (7373 MacPherson Ave., Burnaby). Tix $37.50/25/15, info www.alignentertainment.ca/. LITTLE ONE Vancouver-based Alley Theatre presents Hannah Moscovitch’s suspenseful psychodrama a boy who has to learn to love his new adopted sister. To Feb 13, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix from $23, info www.firehall artscentre.ca/.

OUT LOUD She’s got an album called Same Sex Symbol and has a bit called “Woman Who Doesn’t Sleep With Men”, but whatever she calls herself, comedian Cameron Esposito is refreshingly open about her sexuality. If she wasn’t, she once told the Advocate, “then comedy is just left with a sea of dude comics miming wieners on-stage forever.” Point taken. Her approach seems to be working: the caffeinated, inspired storyteller with the cool haircut (she dubs it a “side mullet”) has a hell of a lot on the go, including the all-standup podcasts Standup Mixtape and Put Your Hands Together, plus memorable appearances across late-night television. She splits sides at the Comedy MIX from Thursday to Saturday (February 11 to 13).

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DANCE 2THIS WEEK DANCES FOR A SMALL STAGE 33: THE VALENTINE’S EDITION Performances that embrace the underrated faces of love, ranging from the adoring bond between family and friends to betrayal, jealousy, and obsession. Feb 11-14, ANZA Club (3 W. 8th Ave). Tix $25, info www. smallstage.ca/.

TROY MCLAUGHLIN: I HAVE A DREAM In celebration of Black History Month, New Works presents an original piece that uses dance, live music, and storytelling to follow a dancer’s journey to freedom. Feb 12, 8 pm, Orpheum Annex (823 Seymour). Tix $20, info www.newworks.ca/. THE NEXT STEP WILD RHYTHM TOUR The cast of Family Channel series The Next Step performs never-before-seen dances, comprised of entirely original choreography and music from the hit series. Feb 15, doors 5 pm, show 6:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix $49.50/39.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

MUSIC 2THIS WEEK DÉNES VÁRJON The Chopin Society presents the Hungarian pianist. Feb 12, 7:30 pm, Vancouver Playhouse Recital Hall (601 Cambie). Tix $40/30, info www.chopin society.org/. UBC SYMPHONIC WIND ENSEMBLE: ARCTIC DREAMS The UBC Symphonic Wind Ensemble performs works by Hylkilä, Colgrass, Stark, and MacKey. Feb 12, 8 pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall (6265 Crescent Rd., Chan Centre at UBC). Tix $8, info www.music.ubc.ca/. THE SOURCE OF SONG: GREGORY’S GIFT OF CHANT The Vancouver Chamber Choir presents an a cappella program that traces choral repertoire back to the Gregorian chant on which it is based. Feb 12, 8 pm, Ryerson United Church (2195 W. 45th). Tix $10-32, info www.vancouverchamberchoir.com/. LUNAR NEW YEAR Gordon Gerrard conducts pianist Avan Yu, violinist Lucy Wang, and the VSO in a concert celebrating the Year of the Monkey. Includes works by Zheng Lu, Chen Gang and He Zhanhao, and Rachmaninoff. Feb 13, 7:30 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Tix $28-68, info 604-876-3434, www.vancouver symphony.ca/. GARTH KNOX British-French musician and viola d’amore player performs pieces by Farshid Samadari, Donald Stewart, Olga Neuwirth, Georg Friedrich Haas, and John Zorn, as well as Elizabethan and Baroque material. Feb 13, 8 pm, Orpheum Annex (823 Seymour). Tix $15-35, info www.newmusic.org/events/ garth-knox-feb-13-2016/. IGOR LEVIT The Vancouver Recital Society presents the Russian-German pianist in a program of works by Bach, Schubert, Beethoven, and Prokofiev. Feb 14, 3 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Info www.vanrecital.com/. LIEBESLIEDER: SONGS OF LOVE The Vancouver Cantata Singers perform Johannes Brahms’s Liebeslieder Walzer, as well as works by John Greer and John Corigliano. Feb 14, 3 pm, Orpheum Annex (823 Seymour). Tix $30/20/10, info www. vancouvercantatasingers.com/. TRACY DAHL Music in the Morning presents music by the Canadian soprano. Feb 17-19, 10:30-11:30 am, Vancouver Academy of Music (1270 Chestnut). Tix $35/33/16, info www.musicinthemorning.org/.

COMEDY COMEDY BANG! BANG! LIVE! Scott Aukerman presents a live performance of his popular podcast, with guests Paul F. Tompkins and Lauren Lapkus. Opening act is Neil Campbell. May 26, doors 8 pm,

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2ONGOING THE COMEDY MIX 1015 Burrard, Century Plaza Hotel & Spa, 604-684-5050, www. thecomedymix.com/. Comedy club with pro-am night Tue at 8:30 pm, showcase Wed at 8:30 pm, and featured headliners Thu at 8:30 pm and Fri-Sat at 8 and 10:30 pm. Cover $8 Tue, $10 Wed, $15 Thu, $18 Fri, $20 Sat. 2CAMERON ESPOSITO Feb 11-13 2ARI SHAFFIR Feb 18-20 YUK YUK’S COMEDY CLUB 2837 Cambie, 604-696-9857, www.yukyuks. com/vancouver. Comedy club with Top Talent Tue at 8 pm, amateur night Wed at 8 pm, and professional headliners Thu-Fri at 8 pm and Sat at 7 and 9:30 pm. Cover Tue $10, Wed $7, Thu $10, and Fri-Sat $20. 2SEAN LACOMBER Feb 11-13 LAFFLINES COMEDY CLUB 530 Columbia St., New Westminster, 604525-2262, www.lafflines.com/. 2STEVE HYNTER Feb 19-21 2KRIS SHAW Apr 1-2 VANCOUVER THEATRESPORTS LEAGUE Some of the world’s most daring and innovative improv. The Massacre (every Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, and Sun, 7:30 pm, 9:15 pm; every Fri and Sat, 11:15 pm). Feb 10-17, The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau, Granville Island). Tix $8-22, info www.vtsl.com/.

THE MASSACRE The Vancouver TheatreSports League presents an improv festival featuring local groups as well as teams from India and the U.S. To Feb 14, The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau,

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CHORAL CRASH COURSE It’s likely we’ll never know the origins of song—was it with wind in the trees, birds in the bushes, or the babbling of some primordial brook? But it’s readily apparent that European choral music began with the liturgical chants of the early Christian church. That’s the legacy the Vancouver Chamber Choir will survey in The Source of Song: Gregory’s Gift of Chant, which will take us from the sixth-century days of the pious Saint Gregory the Great through to the seminal works of the 16th-century Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Franz Liszt’s 19th-century innovations, and the neo-Gregorian beauties of the present day’s Arvo Pärt. The a cappella program takes place at Ryerson United Church on Friday (February 12).

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FOOD

Juniper’s beverage manager Shaun Layton serves up a killer G&T alongside osso buco; vegetarian or not, diners will savour the restaurant’s cabbage rolls stuffed with small black lentils. Amanda Siebert photos.

Gin becomes a star at Juniper

peel are plopped in the resto’s namesake drink, a mix of Portland’s Aviation gin and Fentiman’s botanically brewed tonic. Other gins on offer include Wallflower from East Vancouver’s Odd Society Spirits; Long Table cucumber gin, another Vancouver prodWith G&Ts that’ll rival the best of Barcelona, laid-back Juniper’s uct; and Duncan’s Amlocally inspired culinary creations are as alluring as its bar list persand gin, made with organic wheat. As its name implies, gin is the thing at Juni- Although gin plays a starring role, there are, per, a newish restaurant and cocktail bar on China- of course, all sorts of other refreshments. Take town’s Silk Road. With several types of the fragrant North Vancouver’s Sons of Vancouver barrel BY GAIL JOHN SON spirit on offer, including many from local craft dis- -aged amaretto, Kelowna’s Okanagan Spirits’ tilleries, you might wonder if the spot is relying on aquavit, and Mapleshade Repose from Delta’s the gin shtick to carry it rather than pouring just as G & W Distilling, to name a few. Then there’s much thought and detail into its food menu. Oaxaca’s Alipus mescal—a drink that owner No need to fret: under the capable lead of exec- Lilian Steenbock favours. The businesswoman utive chef Sarah Stewart, Juniper’s culinary com- mother of five hails from Mexico City; she fell in ponent is as fresh and appealing as its bar list. love with ingredients native to the Pacific NorthThe drinks, to be sure, are killer. Focusing on west during several family summer trips over the Cascadian food and drink, the place has homed in years, she told the Georgia Straight in a phone on a growing trend: the popularity of gin. Where call following our foursome’s anonymous visit. it used to be sipped primarily by our martini- She also likes eating healthily. swilling grandparents, the stuff ’s experiencing a Steenbock chose well in hiring Stewart to renaissance, with artisan distilleries showing up execute her vision of a relaxing restaurant that all over the province. (My guess is that, like wine would celebrate local food in creative, healthtours, B.C. gin tours will soon become a major ful ways. A native of Ontario’s Rideau Canal tourist attraction.) region, Stewart, who grew up helping tend her The G&Ts that beverage manager Shaun Layton grandfather’s beehives and her grandmother’s has come up with rival those of the best Barcelona vegetable garden, is fond of foraging, preservdrink holes that serve nothing but; here, they come ing, and canning. She began her culinary career in balloon glasses with extra-large ice cubes and at the Art Gallery of Ontario’s FRANK Restaueye-catching garnishes. The Catalan blends Nara- rant; most recently, she was chef de cuisine at mata’s Defender Island gin—a smoky, herbaceous Edible Canada. She sources products from local spirit made with foraged B.C. botanicals and flame- farmers and suppliers like Two Rivers Specialty charred rosemary—with Fever-Tree Mediterranean Meats, 7 Seas Fish Co., Organic Ocean Seafood, tonic water, a hefty bunch of fresh thyme, and a thick and Nelson the Seagull; all of the seafood is grapefruit wedge. Fresh juniper berries and lemon OceanWise.

THINGS TO DO

Most of Juniper’s plates are meant for sharing, with specific items changing with the seasons. Always on offer are charcuterie boards featuring various house-made terrines of local game, cured fish, and octopus as well as meat- and fishbased rillettes. Dishes are textural and playful. A bright salad made with kale from Hazelmere Organic Farm is tossed with spiced almonds and hazelnuts, pickled apple, roasted parsnip, blue Claire cheese, and sherry vinegar. We loved the cabbage rolls stuffed with small black lentils from Saskatchewan. (Clearly, the defi nition of Cascadia is loose.) Packed with goodness, it’s a hearty and nourishing dish that vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike will swoon over, its flavour deepened with wild mushrooms and onion jus. Meat-eaters: start off with the toothsome beef jerky made in-house with natural root beer from Victoria’s Phillips Brewing Company. Arctic char is served skin side up atop a bed of purple potatoes with fennel, capers, and grilled rapini. The osso buco is a grown-up version of pork and beans, slices of spicy bison smokie accompanying the tender meat alongside maplesyrup-glazed chickpeas and honeyed carrots: sweet and homey. Juniper has a cozy-industrial feel with doubleheight ceilings plus a palette centred on black, grey, and white; minimalist light fi xtures, including some made of copper pipes; and several different seating areas, including a couple of tucked-away booths, their sides covered in ashcoloured felt. Prices range from $5 and under (for snacks like root chips and spiced nuts and seeds) to $27 (for tourtière-spiced braised beef). If nothing else, go for a G&T or two, order a bowl of mixed olives, and imagine yourself kicking back in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter— ¡Salud ! JUNIPER 185 Keefer Street; 604-681-1695. Open daily from 4 p.m. till late.

FOOD High five

Meal ticket ANTI VALENTINE’S If you’re not one to celebrate the annual romantic occasion, you might want to check out Café Medina’s (780 Richards Street) Anti-Valentine’s Day five-course menu. Beginning at 6:30 p.m. on February 14, guests will be welcomed with a glass of sparkling wine and live music. The Mediterranean-inspired eatery will be serving creations including freshly shucked oysters, torchon of foie gras, spiced duck breast, and black cod. Vanilla cardamom gateau paired with pistachio rosewater ice cream and sponge toffee will be featured as dessert of the evening. A limited number of seats are available for the social gathering, and tickets can be purchased for $69 per person at medinaanti-vday.eventbrite.ca/. -

Five places to find romantic sweets for your Valentine.

1

THOMAS HAAS (2539 West Broadway; 128–998 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver) Jewellery boxes, Valentine flowerpots, and handcrafted lovebirds—all edible and delicious.

2

BETA5 (413 Industrial Avenue) Love-potioninspired collection with flavours like hibiscuspistachio and sriracha-sesame.

3

KARAMELLER CANDY (30–1020 Mainland Street) Get your sugar rush on with hearts, lips, and special pink and red confections that are free from GMOs and trans fats.

4

BEAUCOUP BAKERY (2150 Fir Street) Offering a special chocolate lover’s box including cookies, brownies, white velvet hot chocolate mix, and more.

5

CHEZ CHRISTOPHE (4712 Hastings Street, Burnaby) Heart sculptures that come in three sizes, made with award-winning Swiss chocolate.

Cocktail of the week

CAPONE’S KISS The hilarious high-stakes improv competition formerly known as the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre is back—and, this time, it brings with it a wickedly sweet cocktail. Available exclusively at the Neil Macrae Bar & Lounge at the Vancouver TheatreSports League’s Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau Street), the Capone’s Kiss ($8) is made from a ravishing mix of amaretto, melon liqueur, and a splash of “blood red” cranberry juice. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a cutthroat, sidesplitting showdown of comedians during the Massacre’s final weekend, which will see 10 shows taking place between Thursday (February 11) and Sunday (February 14). FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 31


FOOD

Bomber brewer talks shop

LOOK FOR OUR URBAN LIVING S

> B Y A M A ND A S IE B E R T

SPECIAL • COMING FEB. 18 ➤TO ADVERTISE CALL 604-730-7000

traight to the Pint taps those on the frontlines of our booming local craft-beer industry for stories about their biggest brewing successes, dream vacation spots, and which brand was always in the family fridge.

WHO ARE YOU

I’m Blair Calibaba. I am the head brewer with Bomber Brewing Company in East Vancouver.

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I recall a number of different brands of beer like Club, Labatt Blue, and one called Cool Spring. I used to collect bottles and cans—a habit I acquired from my pack-rat grandfather—and I liked that green label that Cool Spring had. The green must be the Saskatchewan Roughriders fan in me (though I never liked Molson Pilsner). FIRST GO-TO BRAND

I (kind of) remember when I was young drinking a lot of macro-brewed Canadian beer like Extra Old Stock and Molson Dry. But I eventually started trying the European beers that showed up in Canada, and ended up being a pretty dedicated fan of Tuborg. I loved the flavour imparted by that Danish yeast strain; I just didn’t know why at the time. LIFE-CHANGING BEER

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That would have to be Pilsner Urquell. I first tried it about 20 years ago, and later when I began home-brewing, I became obsessed with making hoppy but balanced lagers and, specifically, trying to replicate that one. I love how aromatic and malty it is, without being too sweet. Later, when we were preparing to open the brewery, and after much R&D consultation with my hockey team, I was compelled to

straight choices

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SOUNDS OF LOVE A rumour swirls around Johannes Brahms’s Liebeslieder Walzer, namely that the lyrical pieces grew out of his frustrated passions for Clara Schumann—the wife, unfortunately for Brahms, of composer Robert Schumann. We can’t confirm the truth of that, but we can tell you it would make a pretty darn sweet Valentine’s Day treat—one that will show your beloved how cultured you are—to go to Vancouver Cantata Singers’ afternoon performance of the lovelorn work, as well as John Greer’s and John Corigliano’s responses to it, in the cozy Orpheum Annex (on Sunday [February 14]).

Arts time out

from page 30

Granville Island). Tix $10-22, info www.vtsl. com/show/the-massacre/.

CAMERON ESPOSITO Standup comedian known for podcasts Standup Mixtape and Put Your Hands Together. Feb 11-13, The Comedy MIX (1015 Burrard). Info www.thecomedymix.com/. SEAN LACOMBER Canadian standup comic, with guests Katie Westman and Greg Kettner. Feb 11, 8 pm; Feb 12, 8 pm; Feb 13, 7 pm; Feb 13, 9:30 pm, Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club (2837 Cambie). Tix $20/10, info www.yukyuks.com/. THE MONTHLY Celebration of women in comedy features Kathleen McGee, Jane Stanton, Amber Harper-Young, Fatima Dhowre, and Kate Belton. Feb 14, 8 pm, Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club (2837 Cambie). Tix $15, info www.yukyuks.com/.

2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS JFL NORTHWEST The inaugural edition of this comedy festival presents performances by headlining talent Trevor Noah, Wanda Sykes, Lewis Black, Miranda Sings, Jeremy Hotz, Janeane Garofalo, David Cross, Ron Funches, Todd Barry, Kyle Kinane, Hasan Minhaj, Nick Thune, This Is That Live, Hari Kondabolu, and the Nasty Show With Bobby Slayton, Big Jay Oakerson, and Kurt Metzger. Feb 18-27, various Vancouver venues. Tix at www. jflnorthwest.com/.

Bomber Brewing’s Blair Calibaba recalls consuming seven litres of Franconian brew in a 12-hour period on a German beer pilgrimage. Amanda Siebert photo.

craft a pilsner that had the body and hoppy aroma of Urquell, and the easydrinking quality of, say, Molson Pilsner. And so, Bomber Pilsner was born of that pursuit. DREAM DESTINATION

Broken-record time, but I have yet to visit the Pilsner Urquell brewery, and I would love to go there, maybe as a part of a cross-continental river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam. I have been lucky enough to travel many of the freeways of Europe, as part of my previous life in music production and sound engineering. I even enjoyed a beer pilgrimage in Bamberg, Germany, on a day off during one tour, when my friend and I each drank seven litres of carefully catalogued Franconian-brewed awesomeness in a 12-hour period. Rough next show; I’ll tell you that for free. FIRST BEER BREWED

musician friend helped me with my first brew—all-grain straight away!—and I was hooked. CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT

I’d like to think that it hasn’t happened yet, as I have so much more I want to accomplish in brewing. But, being involved with opening and operating Bomber has been the most rewarding business and creative pursuit for me to date. I’D LOVE A BEER WITH

It would either be Ken Grossman, cofounder of Sierra Nevada Brewing in California, or Charlie Papazian, the author of The Complete Joy of Home Brewing and cofounder and president of the Brewers Association. Both of these guys are symbols of the pioneering spirit of our industry, and I would like to throw a “Cheers!” at them for all they have done to foster and further the craft. -

Like so many before me, I was guided by our dear late friend Dan Small to brew either a Strathcona Pale Ale, or Shirley’s Nut Brown Ale. Another

This is a condensed version of Straight to the Pint. Go to Straight. com for the full article and a bonus video feature.

LITERARY EVENTS

highlight this year’s festival with performances and workshops by international, Canadian, and local artists. Feb 18–Mar 13, Norman Rothstein Theatre (950 W. 41st). The event also runs at Biltmore Cabaret, Jewish Community Centre, Fox Cabaret, and Frankie’s Italian Kitchen. Tix $21-36, info www.chutzpahfestival.com/.

2THIS WEEK TRANSFORMING LIMITING BELIEFS Surati Haarbrucker, a certified facilitator and trainer, presents The Work of Byron Katie, a powerful practice of inquiry and transformation. Feb 11, 6:30-8 pm, Banyen Books and Sound (3608 W. 4th). Free admission, info www.banyen.com/ events/surati/.

GALLERIES

ET CETERA

VANCOUVER ART GALLERY 750 Hornby, 604-662-4719, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/. 2MASHUP: THE BIRTH OF MODERN CULTURE (exhibition offers an international survey of mashup culture, documenting the emergence and evolution of a mode of creativity that has grown to become the dominant form of cultural production in the early 21st century) Feb 20–Jun 12

2THIS WEEK

MUSEUMS

ROBERT LEPAGE’S 887 SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, in partnership with Théâtre la Seizième, present a new creation by Robert Lepage and Ex Machina. Feb 11-21, 7:30-9:30 pm, SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W. Hastings). Tix $29-69, info www.sfu.ca/sfu woodwards/events/events1/2015-2016Fall/ Lepage887.html.

MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY 6393 NW Marine Dr., UBC, 604-822-5087, www.moa.ubc.ca/. 2(IN)VISIBLE: THE SPIRITUAL WORLD OF TAIWAN THROUGH CONTEMPORARY ART (works by seven contemporary Taiwanese artists who explore the coexistence of modernity and tradition while showcasing the significance of the spiritual world of Taiwan) to Apr 3

BOUDOIR STORIES Listen to local author Madison Lake read from her new book of erotic short stories. Feb 11, 8-9:30 pm, The Art of Loving (369 W. Broadway). Free admission, info www.theartofloving.ca/.

BURLESQUE DUOS Evening of burlesque duos by April O’Peel and Vixen Von Flex, Diva Fantango and Ariel Helvetica, Nicky Ninedoors and Miss Kiss, and Camaro Luvroc and Claire Voyeur. Feb 13, 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $25/20, info www.face book.com/events/172873963069338/. ST. VALENTINE’S DAY MASSACRE FOR SINGLETONS Singles-oriented Valentine’s Day party features Morris Bartlett, Suzy Rawsome, Sande Reese, Seth Little, Yanick Ethier, Flash Lefox, Chris Griffen, and Sarah Stupar. Feb 14, 8 pm, LanaLou’s (362 Powell). Tix $10, info www. facebook.com/events/1181024231911079/. BLOOM Mascall Dance presents a casual and playful evening of dance, wine, and comedy. Feb 16, 23; Mar 1, 4:30-6 pm, Mascall Dance (1130 Jervis). Tix $10, info www.mascalldance.ca/upcoming/.

2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS TALKING STICK FESTIVAL City-wide celebration of First Nations performance and art features dance, concerts, slam poetry, a visual-arts exhibition, theatre, workshops, artist talks, and panel discussions. Feb 18-28, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. Info www.talkingstickfest.ca/. 16TH ANNUAL CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL Dance, theatre, comedy, and music

MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER 1100 Chestnut, 604-736-4431, www.museumof vancouver.ca/. 2YOUR FUTURE HOME: CREATING THE NEW VANCOUVER (major exhibition engages visitors with the bold visual language and lingo of real-estate advertising as it presents the visions of talented Vancouver designers about how we might design the cityscapes of the future) to May 15, 10 am

OUT OF TOWN 2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS GALIANO LITERARY FESTIVAL Threeday literary festival features appearances by Michael Crummey, George Bowering, Audrey Thomas, Terry Fallis, Michael Christie, Aislinn Hunter, Charles Demers, Margaret Horsfield, William Deverell, and David Boyd. Feb 19-21, Galiano Oceanfront Inn (134 Madrona Drive, Galiano Island). Info www.galianoliteraryfestival.com/.

TIME OUT ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. We can’t guarantee inclusion, and we give priority to events taking place within one week of publication. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.


FOOD

B.C. wines shine in New York

Voted Best Hot Pot in The Georgia Straight Golden Go Gold en Plates Four Y Years in a Row!

17

2014

I

t was out of the blue, a few days before Christmas, that Shira Blustein, proprietor of Main Street’s Acorn restaurant, sent me a text. This alone isn’t an out-ofthe-ordinary experience—I’ve been doing some consulting on the restaurant’s wine program over the last couple of years, along with the odd staff-training session. This particular text, though, was a ticket to adventure. Blustein and her team had been invited to do a five-night pop-up restaurant the first week of February at Exhibit C, an event space in New York City. She asked if I wanted to gather some British Columbian wine, dust off my sommelier shoes, and run the wine aspect of each evening with the vegetable-forward, five-course tasting menu the Acorn would be offering. Of course, I’m keen for any excuse to visit New York, but I absolutely relished the opportunity to share British Columbian wine with a couple of hundred people over the five nights we’d be there. Now, unless they’ve visited British Columbia, most New Yorkers haven’t had the opportunity to try our local juice; on a global scale, our industry When Vancouver’s Acorn restaurant operated a five-night pop-up location in is remarkably small and we consume New York’s Lower East Side, B.C. wines proved to be a big hit with diners. the vast majority of it at home. When you think about it, those attending availability in the United States. On really sang. More than a few comthese dinners are really taking a leap offer at the pop-up were Tantalus 2012 mented that Meyer Family Vineof faith, having no knowledge of or Riesling, Mission Hill Family Estate yards’ Pinot Noir had an elegant, experience with B.C. wine. 2012 Reserve Chardonnay, Meyer slightly earthy Old World f lavour Just imagine what it would be like Family Vineyards 2012 Pinot Noir, profile that dovetailed quite nicely going to a dinLaughing Stock with its New World, cherry-driven ner where all of Vineyards 2011 charm. The biggest shocker, by far, the wines poured Blind Trust Red was Laughing Stock Vineyards’ were from the (a predominantly rich, rugged red blend from the Kurtis Kolt state of Virginia or Merlot, Malbec, and Osoyoos desert. The refrain was “I somewhere more exotic, like the Can- Cabernet blend), and Martin’s Lane never would have thought a wine ary Islands. It’s different when tour- 2012 Riesling. like this could be made in Canada!” ists visit the Okanagan Valley or wine And so, each night as we began I cannot tell you how many country elsewhere in the province things by introducing ourselves to people pulled me aside each night, and experience our wines for the first the 50 or so in attendance (a nightly saying how impressed, almost time. They see the vineyards, the lake, handful of media and restaurateurs, shocked, they were by our wines the scrubby sagebrush growing in the as well), I launched into, oh, a two- (“I thought you only made icesouth, and through chats with staff at minute B.C. Wine 101 chat. Our wine!”) and asking where they can the various wineries they visit, they mineral-rich soils, that natural acid- find them. (Contacting the winreceive a good dose of context and it’s ity we’re blessed with, and the wide eries directly is the best way for much easier for them to “get it”. After array of styles from crisp Rieslings Americans to get a little direction all, the Guinness always tastes better to hearty Cabernets intrigued our in that area.) It’s great that in this in Ireland, right? audience, but collective jaws dropped province we’re all suppor tive of the But last week we were far away each night when I mentioned that the B.C. wine industry, but it’s also exfrom our local vineyards and win- South Okanagan is literally desert, tremely encouraging and hearteneries, instead nestled in New York’s with cacti and rattlesnakes among ing that outside of the comforts of gritty Lower East Side, proudly the vines. As you’d expect, “Can- home, they stand confidently on pouring splashes from home along- adian desert” sounds rather oxymor- their own two feet. side dishes like slow-poached and onic to most. So let’s wave that f lag a little glazed heirloom carrot, chestnut We converted more than a few to more. As mentioned, availability of cream mousse, carrot jus, caramel- Riesling, with many fearing they’d B.C. wine in the U.S. is extremely ized coconut, carrot crumb, and bit- be super sweet and cloying, but hap- limited—so next time you head ter cress, as well as odes to the West pily gravitating to the acid-driven across the line, do tuck a bottle Coast like braised sunchoke with citrus and stone fruit both Tantalus or two in your luggage for shartoasted-chickpea broth, burnt-onion and Martin’s Lane are known for. ing. You’ll likely surprise your kelp sauce, sumac-braised chickpeas, That natural acidity and mineral friends, perhaps because our wines charred collard greens, and Douglas- character surprised plenty in the will be unexpectedly delicious or Fir-smoked onion. We worked with Chardonnay; though it’s aged with because, yup, when they’re travwineries that often make appearances American oak and quite complex, elling through the Great White in the Acorn’s regular wine program those who did away with the grape North, they could just find themand also have a teeny-tiny amount of years ago enjoyed how the wine selves in a desert. -

The Bottle

Shameful Tiki travels east > B Y MIKE U SI NGE R

T

wo years after the Shameful Tiki bar turned Main Street into the best thing this side of the South Pacific, owner Rod Moore is on his way to establishing a permanent beachhead in Toronto. The bar’s Vancouver location has done booming business with classic Polynesian drinks since opening in the summer of 2013. Over the past couple of years, Moore has thought about expanding beyond Lotusland. That became more than a dream when he opened his second Shameful Tiki in Toronto. “I’d thought about it a ways ago because Toronto is so big, there are lots of people there, and there’s nothing like it there,” Moore tells the Straight in a phone interview. “Then it faded out of my mind until we were at an event in New York, a tiki weekend. There was someone from Toronto, and he was like, ‘Oh, man—you gotta do it. Toronto’s pining for it.’ So we went ahead and found a place.” Toronto’s Shameful Tiki opened November 19 on Queen Street West, with minority partner Alana Nogueda taking care of the day-to-day operation. As with the Vancouver location, Moore strapped on his tool belt and built the spot from the ground up, with Polynesian-style lights and decorative puffer fish brought in from California, and bamboo sourced in Markham, Ontario, of all places.

“Here you can buy split bamboo—there I had to buy poles,” Moore says. “I had to figure out how to split them myself with an axe and a hammer. I felt very authentic splitting away. It was two-and-a-half months of building that I’m amazed we got through. There’s a lot of stuff to look at—lots of bamboo and matting on the wall. It looks pretty cool.” Logs weighing 180 kilograms were dropped off and then hand-carved on-site into tiki totems. Thatched roofs, vintage posters, and classic tiki mugs, meanwhile, throw back to the time when Polynesian bars were hotter in North America than Elvis in Blue Hawaii. The décor isn’t the only place where both Shameful Tikis show a fetishistic attention to detail. As at the Vancouver location, the main attraction at the Shameful Tiki Toronto is, of course, authentic, carefully crafted drinks inspired by giants like Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber. Zombies, mai tais, and scorpions are among the 40 classic Polynesian cocktails on offer. Toronto, Moore says, was even quicker to embrace the Shameful Tiki than Vancouver. After setting a sales goal for the first month, he was happy to find that figure doubled, with January 2016 up 20 percent over that. “I can’t complain about how well it’s doing, because it’s doing great,” he reports. “Toronto didn’t have one [a tiki bar] and they are stoked to have one.…And they have an actual tiki scene, which Vancouver doesn’t.” -

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68 Lips Special pre-festival concert w/ Ireland’s chart-topping folk music hero DAMIEN DEMPSEY w/ special guests Vagabonds SATURDAY, MARCH 5, IMPERIAL 19+ THE IRISH ROVERS THURSDAY, MARCH 17, VOGUE THEATRE Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the international ambassadors of Irish music! VANCOUVER WELSH MEN'S CHOIR w/ De Danaan Irish Dancers, piper Tim Fanning & Ballyhooley FRIDAY, MARCH 11, ST. ANDREW'S WESLEY CHURCH CELTICFEST CEILIDH • SATURDAY, MARCH 12, IMPERIAL w/ Blackthorn, BC Regiment Irish Pipes and Drums, Pat Chessell, Mairi Rankin, Shot of Scotch dancers + many more! 19+ MOLL Irish playwright John B. Keane’s uproarious comedy ST. JAMES HALL: MARCH 10, 12, 14 DENTRY’S IRISH GRILL: MARCH 11, 13, 16 DOOLIN’S IRISH PUB WHISKY TASTINGS March 14: Whisky 101 – introduction | March 15: Whisky 201 – intermediate 19+ March 16: Advanced – for connoisseurs | Includes 5 scotch/whisky samples

TICKETS and INFO

CELTIC VILLAGE March 12 & 13 ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Sunday, March 13

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34 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

NO COVER

VANCOUVER MARCH 10- 17 12-Feb: 68 LIPS 13-Feb: RICCOCHET RABBIT 14-Feb: SONS OF THE HOE

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MUSIC

We know that Mu’s Brittney Rand wears black on the outside because black is how she feels on the inside, but we honestly have no idea what’s up with Francesca Belcourt. Ian Lanterman photo.

The dark side of dream-pop

like this beat. I want it to be a be told, that isn’t told when it’s done that way.” little more aggressive, and exApart from a shared interest in folk—and plore that.’ And that’s how that in opera, another form of expression awash in happened.” bloody crimes of passion—Rand and Belcourt In other words, Rand chan- say they can’t easily point to specific musical innelled her existential crisis fluences that they have in common. Their music into that rarest of things—a sounds the way it does not because they set out to piece of art that is as beautiful create darkwave’s pastel-clad sibling, but because, as it is righteously angry. well, that’s just how it comes out. “That’s something that we According to Belcourt, she and Rand began always do with our music,” making music together without any in-depth Beneath the gauzy, pastel-hued surface, the music Belcourt adds. “It can come discussion of what sort of band they wanted to of Vancouver’s Mu harbours a deep well of turmoil from a place of being belittled, be. “It was nice to have it be really instant, and There’s one word that you will invariably being taken advantage of, or being hurt by some- not premeditate a lot of things,” she says. “We encounter when reading about the music of Mu. one. And then by creating music from that, it just started coming up with ideas, and then BY JOHN L UCAS Journalists and bloggers can’t resist describing the helps us in all these other ways, and empowers us making up a plan after.” Vancouver duo’s songs as “dreamy”, and it’s easy as people, and in our career.” Before forming Mu, each had been on her to understand why. As heard on Mu’s brand-new One of the most powerful songs on II, though, own individual path. Belcourt was writing and EP, II (released on February 12 by Boompa), Fran- comes not from personal experience, but from a performing solo, and Rand was studying music cesca Belcourt and Brittney Rand create songs of subtle subversion of that grimmest of folk-music production at Langara College, with an eye to cotton-candy-cloud ethereality, with heaven-sent forms, the murder ballad. “My Hunter, My For- composing film scores. In fact, one of Mu’s earvocal harmonies and pillowy synths, sometimes est” is a reiteration of the familiar story line liest SoundCloud uploads was a gorgeous enlivened by a thumping electronic beat. that informed “Pretty Polly”, “Delia’s rendition of “Mysteries of Love”, a song Beneath the gauzy surface, however, lies a deep Gone”, and countless others. It’s a tale from the movie Blue Velvet. Check out… well of emotional turmoil. Though tongue-in- of the ultimate betrayal, of a woman “When it comes to making music— STRAIGHT.COM cheek, the description on Mu’s SoundCloud page killed by the man in whom she has and doing this project, specifically— Make our website is a fair summation: “Adventures in the tragedies placed her trust. there’s so many other influences, or your source for of youth, as narrated by Francesca Belcourt and While the murder ballad is tradreferences, that kind of fall into place concert reviews and local music Brittney Rand.” itionally sung from the killer’s point for me, and they aren’t necessarily alThe most visceral example of this is “Vampire”, of view, or from a more detached ways musical,” Rand notes. “When we the lyrics of which were surely inspired in equal third-person perspective, “My Hunter, made that ‘Mysteries of Love’ cover, measure by living in one of the world’s least af- My Forest” recounts the crime through the dead I was inspired by David Lynch a lot at that point.” fordable cities and by the challenge of making woman’s eyes: “I was the apple of his eye before he The Blue Velvet director and Twin Peaks creator music at a time when that particular activity is took my life.” is less of a direct influence these days, but Mu is seriously undervalued: “Twenty dollars left to me/ “I feel really strongly about women’s issues,” still moved by the visual and the theatrical, eleBut you’ll have me sing for free.” Rand explains. “And at that time I was just really ments that are becoming increasingly important Interviewed alongside her bandmate at a busy sad in general. I was writing from the saddest to the duo’s live sets. Toward that end, Rand and Mount Pleasant café, Rand says “Vampire” started place I could imagine, and that was that song. To Belcourt are reinventing their approach to perout as little more than a drum pattern and a crush- me, that’s the saddest story. It was an exercise in forming, with less emphasis on re-creating their ing sense of disenfranchisement. “It was kind of an storytelling, but it still comes from a place of im- recordings on-stage and more on making each overbearing feeling at that time of just being, like, ‘I portance and meaning for me. show an experience for the audience. hate this. I’m poor. I want to make music. I’m tired “Writing from the perspective of the victim, it Exactly how this is going to manifest as Mu conof having to work all the time—work my ass off kind of lends itself a little bit more to the feminine tinues to evolve is anyone’s guess, but you can be to survive,’ ” she recalls. “That was kind of a cloud voice, rather than the person who takes away. You sure that, in one way or another, it’ll be dreamy. over my life at that time. But did I sit down and say, give power back to the victim. It’s a different spin ‘I’m going to write a song that says fuck you to The on it, rather than ‘Took her to the woods, killed M u p l a y s t h e Fox C a b a re t n ex t Th u rs d a y Man?’ No. I wrote a beat, and I was like, ‘I really her.’ There’s so much more to that story that can (February 18).

CHECK THIS OUT

MUSIC Let’s talk about LISTEN TO THE BAND The Monkees have announced

a new album, Good Times!, which will include numbers by Rivers Cuomo, Ben Gibbard, Carole King, and Harry Nilsson. These guys have been at it for 50 years now—and no, haters, they still don’t write all their own songs.

NO LOVE LOST After years of taking her abuse, onetime

You gotta see JOHN HARDER—aka Squid Squiderson—is an unsung hero

of the Vancouver music scene, having played with a long list of acts, including DDT and Devin Townsend. The bassist has also been living with multiple sclerosis and is unable to work, so his musical friends have decided to throw him a benefit gig at the Fox Cabaret next Wednesday (February 17), with performances by Harder’s current band Catlow (pictured), Hot Panda, and Library, plus an acoustic set from Townsend and a DJ set by Actors’ Jason Corbett. -

Kurt Cobain girlfriend Mary Lou Lord lashed out at Courtney Love on Facebook last week: “NEVER ever FUCK with me again you cunt, cause I will crush you. I have waited 26 years for this. And it’s time. I will crush you.” Stay tuned!

BELLY UP AGAIN A full two decades after calling it a day, ’90s alt-pop darlings Belly have announced they are reuniting for shows and a series of singles. Somewhere, Letters to Cleo, Wool, and the Chainsaw Kittens are thinking “Hey, if they can…” DMXOD? Rapper DMX was found unresponsive in a Yonkers

hotel room, after which paramedics administered Narcan. Popping up on TMZ for a possible OD was better than making the news for resisting arrest, animal cruelty, and reckless driving.

Fresh and local KAILYARDERS THE BLACK WELL St. Patrick’s Day might be a month away, but it’s never too early to start celebrating. Carrying on a lineage that starts in olden times with the Irish Rovers and continues right through to Spirit of the West and the Town Pants, the Kailyarders bleed shamrock-shake green on The Black Well . Things start out with the straight-from-the-sea “A Mile Straight Down” and then light out for rolling green pastures with standouts like “Highland Lover’s Song” and “Where the Wildflowers Grow”. Tin whistle, accordion, mandolin, banjo, and acoustic guitars will leave you wishing you were sitting in Galway’s Tigh Neachtain Pub instead of the Railway. -

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 35


MUSIC

Mystery Skulls’ Dubuc thrives on reinvention In a sign of his love of music and

2 overarching lust for life, cool is

a word that comes up repeatedly in conversation with Luis Dubuc. The man who performs under the name Mystery Skulls uses cool to describe his adopted town of Los Angeles, his childhood years in snowy Toronto, and family vacations in Vancouver, where his grandfather lived. It’s also his go-to word for capturing the rush of playing in noisecore bands inspired by legends like the Locust, embracing the power of heavy metal, and, these days, making impeccable synthbased retro-soul music. For the latter accomplishment, check out Mystery Skulls’ captivating 2014 full-length Forever. The project was a fresh start for Dubuc, who had been playing both solo and in bands since his teen years. It’s only fitting he comes across as a man who took reinventing himself as a welcome challenge. “I knew that I wanted to do music that had just a 4/4 beat,” says Dubuc, who—speaking long-distance from Los Angeles—is a forthcoming, engaging, and genuinely wonderful interviewee. “I wanted it to be electronic but not cheesy, to be cool, with the synths being really crunchy. I wanted people to ask themselves ‘What the fuck is this?’ ” The answer to that question is one of the great under-the-radar records of the past couple of years, with Forever using phaser-stun synths, thumping club beats, and honey-dipped vocals to bridge shimmering early MTV synth pop and ’80s Motown. Receiving universal praise, the record had Dubuc pulling an artistic Uturn. For most of last decade, he made a spikier version of synth pop with the punk-tinted Secret Handshake. He also formed the far-beyond-driven metalcore act Of Legends, rekindling a love of extreme music dating back to his formative years. What’s remained constant through those projects and countless others is Dubuc’s never-ending passion for making music, no matter what the genre. That’s been with him ever since his family immigrated to Toronto (and they later moved to Dallas) from a village in Venezuela. “I was always into bands, playing in them, and going to shows,” he says. “I remember, as a teenager, my band getting to open for the Blood Brothers. I was 18 years old, and it was in this tiny little room that held 200 people in Denton, Texas. The way the people reacted to my band, and the way the show went, was just amazing. I remember going home to my parents and saying ‘I’m not going to college. Whatever I have to figure out to do this, I’m going to figure it out, because there’s clearly something here.’” With Mystery Skulls, Dubuc is still figuring things out, noting that he wrote upwards of 50 songs before perfecting the sound he was after. His obsession with the past doesn’t stop with the sonic side of things.

Mystery Skulls’ Luis Dubuc (left) always gets the Mackelmore; Ches Smith, Mat Maneri, and Craig Taborn never do.

Listen to Forever front to back, and it’s obvious that Dubuc is a fan of a long-gone era when records weren’t afraid to tell a story. The album starts out rushing the neon-lit dance floor, lets the Cali sun flood in with the buoyant bangers “When I’m With You” and “Body High”, and then recalibrates the synths to darkwave for the closer, “Every Note”. Throughout, there are hints—consider the sudden “fuck it” at the end of the swooning “Paralyzed”—that life has thrown some relationship challenges at him. “The whole record is very autobiographical, with a lot of songs about leaving Texas and bits of your old life behind to start over new,” Dubuc reveals. “It’s also about starting new and finding love, whatever that means, and then, with the last track, looking back and going ‘What the fuck was that?’ It wasn’t written chronologically, but the way that I sequenced it, it became chronological. I’m glad you noticed that. My favourite records are from the end of the ’60s and into the ’70s, where people were making full albums with huge themes.” Cool. > MIKE USINGER

Mystery Skulls plays the Biltmore next Thursday (February 18).

Booker T. Jones gets by with help from his friends When Booker T. Jones answers

2 the phone at his Lake Tahoe

home he sounds cool, calm, and collected. Mostly cool. That’s no surprise, as Jones has been producing some of the chilliest sounds around for the last 50 years or so. Ever since his instrumental combo the M.G.’s shot to fame with the Stax hit “Green Onions” in 1962 he’s been a fixture on the American music scene, his contributions earning him induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

36 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

in 1992 and a Grammy for lifetime achievement in 2007. Knowing how productive Jones has been during his illustrious career, I ask him what he has planned for the day—besides chatting with the likes of me. Is he gonna write a tune or two, perhaps? “You know what?” he replies cheerfully. “That is on the agenda. I’m workin’ on my songs; we have some new ideas. But my main project is that I’m working on my memoirs. I’m working on the story of my life, you know.” And what a fascinating read that promises to be. Jones could mention how he cowrote “Green Onions” while still in high school, and how at 16 he scored his first pro gig playing sax on the 1960 Rufus & Carla hit “ ’Cause I Love You”. That’s before he was known for the percolating Hammond B3 organ sound that became his trademark with the M.G.’s and still is today. Jones’s B3 stylings have most recently been heard on his 2013 album, Sound the Alarm, which features appearances by the likes of singers Mayer Hawthorne, Estelle, and Jay James, and guitarists Raphael Saadiq and Gary Clark Jr. One guest on Sound the Alarm whose name might not ring a bell is Ted Jones, who delivers some fierce guitar on “Father Son Blues”. Turns out that’s Booker’s 22-year-old son, whose talent Jones Sr. wasn’t even aware of until he mistook his playing for that of six-string stalwart Joe Bonamassa. “We had a big TV in the family room,” he recalls, “and I thought the big TV was on. I had bought him a guitar, but I didn’t realize he was in the room, and man, he was rippin’ it! I thought it was Joe on YouTube or somethin’!” When asked if he has a personal fave song on the album, Jones doesn’t go with the track featuring his kid, but chooses the one boasting a more acclaimed picker: Clark. “I really love ‘Austin City Blues’,” he says. “We were doing neo-soul, and

I think it was an accomplishment to do that song. It’s blues the way I heard it as an eight-year-old in Memphis.” It’s been a long journey since then for Jones, who, at 71, has outlived scads of music legends who never made it to 70. The recent deaths of people like David Bowie and Glenn Frey aren’t lost on him. “That’s been happening so much,” he says, “so much. Of course, it happened to me years ago when I lost [Booker T. & the M.G.’s drummer] Al Jackson Jr. in the ’70s, and then of course, you know, [M.G.’s bassist] Duck Dunn three years ago. “I’m in a field where some of my contemporaries abuse their bodies,” adds Jones, “and so they pass earlier than they should. But I’m feelin’ good, you know. I was a pretty good boy, fortunately.” > STEVE NEWTON

Booker T. Jones plays the Vogue Theatre on Saturday (February 13).

Smith, Taborn, and Maneri have uncommon chemistry The

combination

of

viola,

2 piano, and percussion is rare

“That’s kind of how I start bands,” says the drummer, on the line from his home in Brooklyn. “I had a gig fall in my lap, so I called Craig, because at that time I never got to play with him, and then we were like, ‘Well, who else should we play with?’ And I said, ‘How about Mat?’ And Craig went, ‘That would be great!’ So we basically just improvised, and then the spark at the gig led to more. “It was just a super-fun gig,” he continues. “It was effortless but exciting at the same time—and that started with the personalities involved.” One listener who saw potential in the trio’s unusual instrumentation was Manfred Eicher, a famously astute producer whose ECM label has recently concentrated on documenting New York’s resurgent progressive-jazz scene. “Manfred had asked me if I wanted to do something, and when I brought this up with him, he was excited about the instruments,” Smith explains. “He kind of saw it from that angle first, although I know he likes Craig and Mat a lot.” In fact, Maneri made his ECM debut exactly 20 years ago, while Taborn signed up for his own solo projects in 2011. Smith has also made three killer albums for the label with saxophonist Tim Berne’s Snakeoil band, so the ECM connection is a natural one—and it’s likely to continue, especially now that Smith has shown himself to be as fine a composer as he is a percussionist. Eicher’s only stipulation when he offered the recording deal was that Smith add formal musical structures to his ensemble’s improvisational excellence. “Pretty quickly after that I started writing some sketches—the simplest things that I could come up with, with not a ton of details to get bogged down in, so we could still keep it an improvising group at its core,” the percussionist explains. “And now it’s sort of in the middle. There are some things that have a lot of writing in them, and then there’s still the really simple things that are predominately made for us to improvise on.” With Smith occasionally switching from drums to vibraphone, the trio’s sound on its ECM debut, The Bell, spans everything from gauzy chamber music to a kind of hardhitting avant-jazz minimalism. The three players have a huge range of influences to draw on: one of Smith’s favourites is the French composer Olivier Messiaen, while Maneri, perhaps counterintuitively, cites sax legend Sonny Rollins as a hero. Mostly, though, it’s Smith, Taborn, and Maneri’s friendship that shapes their music. “It’s that intangible chemistry thing,” Smith says happily. “And you don’t always find that in people with perfect time!”

enough that a Google search turns up only a handful of recorded examples, mostly from the world of contemporary composition. In improvised music it’s almost unprecedented, which might be reason enough to check out violist Mat Maneri, pianist Craig Taborn, and percussionist Ches Smith when they visit Vancouver next week. The three New York City–based musicians will certainly offer sounds the likes of which you’ve never previously encountered. But was the trio convened to exploit a particular sonic palette, or because > ALEXANDER VARTY its members are compatible souls? According to Smith, who splits his time between high-level impro- Ches Smith, Craig Taborn, and Mat vising and avant-rock projects, it’s Maneri play the Western Front on Wednesday (February 17). more the latter.


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MUSIC

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T

revor Risk is the only man on the planet who has an Aphex Twin record on the wall of his apartment and a godawful Boston Bruins jacket hanging on a hook by the door. And he’s the only DJ in this city who is able to seamlessly shift between so many genres: he plays indie and dance at LOVE!, which happens every Saturday at the Fox, and vintage rock and soul at the Ice Cream Social and Motown Party, which go down monthly at the Cobalt and the Fox, respectively. He’ll even play ghettotech at any of the aforementioned if you ask nicely and buy him a shot of Fernet. A ubiquitous fixture in Vancouver’s music scene since before you got your first fake ID, he might even be on-stage if he’s not behind the decks, fronting the band Sunshine. And when you’ve arrived home safely and think you’ve finally escaped his towering presence, you open up your laptop and there he is being an obnoxiously opinionated prick in your Facebook feed about Brad Marchand or the Kansas City Chiefs. Risk is inescapable. But his crowning achievement and most significant contribution to the local music landscape is helping name this column. As thanks, the least we can do is give him a platform to run his mouth off about his two favourite subjects: music and sports.

Trevor Risk is the proud owner of a Boston Bruins jacket that he wears with zero ironic intent, even though the Bruins stink. Joshua Peter Grafstein.

years ago and older, but nothing Whether it’s music or acting, you can’t in between. Nobody wants to hear quantify it and objectively compare two pieces of work and determine that 2012’s hottest club hits in 2016. one is better. Most of my peers need to FAVOURITE VANCOUVER PRODU- be competitive with the Oscars or with CER If we’re talking uptempo club their latest SoundCloud numbers or music producers in this city, I have a something else that is not settled with genuine tender love for Pat Lok, who scores and will and might. However, BEST GIG EVER Although I’m con- once kindly joined one of my bands some of us like to park that side of our fident that this answer is suffering on-stage two Halloweens ago to be personalities in something as innocufrom recency bias, the Jimmy Destri ous as sports, by loosely rooting for a we did two tribto my Chris Stein squad of men in some city we’ve never So Many DJs utes to David in a Blondie cover even been to, whose roster is made up Bowie at LOVE! show we did. I also of men who aren’t from that city or Michael Mann at the Fox Cabaret have to mention our city. I find it’s good for my circuthis year: once to honour his 69th Sleepy Tom, who is a gentleman—and latory system to be invested in at least birthday and another after he had because my wife stars in his video for one thing I have zero control over. But, died right after. I was able to play “The Currency” as an ’80s whore! yeah, post that Kyle Mooney “Sporty” basically one artist all night long, video all over my FB wall, and call and I don’t think I’ll have the oppor- A SONG THAT CLEARED THE football “hand egg”, and call it the “Sutunity to do that again. Nor is there DANCE FLOOR I told my weird, perb Owl”, because those are all orianother artist that could captivate 22-year-old DJ partner Christa Belle ginal and objectively hilarious ways to a Saturday-night audience for that recently after a conversation about attempt masking the fact that you feel the Chemical Brothers that every DJ culturally isolated. Also: 2011 Stanley long without dipping. has to learn that although that duo Cup Finals. Never forget, Vancouver. TOP TRACK RIGHT NOW “I Got has long been considered heavy(The Blues)” by Labi Siffre. I guess weights of dance music, if you play ODDEST REQUEST YOU’VE EVER most people know it as the song that one of their songs, the entire club is RECEIVED I got asked by two separprovided the sample for “My Name going to give you that McKayla Mar- ate groups of Libby Davies’s constituIs” by Eminem, but when you listen oney face. I probably tried “Morning ents to stop playing the James Brown to this song you don’t have to listen Lemon” or something ridiculous like Christmas record at her Christmas to a white rapper on the track, which that when I was Christa’s age. I hope party a few years back, for reasons is terrific, because all white rappers she takes my advice instead of giving that were pretty odd and disgusting. are dreadful. “I Got” is from 1975, it a try so I don’t have to stand on- Since I can’t really repeat the language and someone told me when I began stage and watch “Star Guitar” empty they used, I’ll say the strangest request I ever received was from a young VietDJing “Play new shit, play old shit, the Fox one Saturday night. namese gentleman who approached but don’t play newish oldish shit.” Which I turned into a loose rule for WHAT’S UP WITH LIKING SPORTS? me while I was DJing at glitzy Granmyself that I would play songs from It’s completely illogical to act like cre- ville club Republic and asked me what the last eight months, and from eight ative industries can be a competition. soup we had on special. -

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38 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


music/ timeout CONCERTS < CLUBS & VENUES < OUT OF TOWN <

CONCERTS 2JUST ANNOUNCED DRE DAY WITH THE D.O.C Commemorate Dr. Dre's birthday with music by DJs Flipout, Jay Swing, Marlon J English, Rhek, Seko, Kutcorners, Cherchez, Nick Bike, the Stunt Man, and Cam Crillz. Feb 18, 10 pm, Alexander Gastown (91 Powell). Tix $12.50-15, info www.alexander gastown.com/. THE BUMPER JACKSONS The Rogue Folk Club presents American traditionalfolk ensemble. Feb 25, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $24/20, info www. roguefolk.bc.ca/concerts/ev16022520/. EILEN JEWEL The Rogue Folk Club presents American alt-country singersongwriter touring in support of latest release Sundown Over Ghost Town. Feb 26, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $28/24, info www.roguefolk.bc.ca/ concerts/ev16022620/. OLIVER SWAIN'S BIG MACHINE The Rogue Folk Club presents Canadian folk-traditional singer-songwriter touring in support of new album Never More Together. Feb 27, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $20/16, info www.rogue folk.bc.ca/concerts/ev16022720/. ANTONIO ZAMBUJO Portuguese fado vocalist-guitarist connects the regional music of southern Portugal with touches of Brazilian pop. Mar 5, 8 pm, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts (2055 Purcell Way). Tix $35/32, info www. capilanou.ca/blueshorefinancialcentre/15António-Zambujo/. RIPPLE ILLUSION Local alt-rock band coheadlines with Red Haven and High Society. Mar 5, 8 pm, Media Club (695 Cambie). Tix $12 (plus service charges and fees), info www.themediaclub.ca/. DEAD ASYUM AND SAINTS OF DEATH Local metal bands coheadline, with guests Revenger, Without Mercy, and Exterminatus. Mar 11, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $10, info www.rickshawtheatre.com/. A TRIBE CALLED RED Canadian electronica-First Nations trio, composed of DJ NDN, Bear Witness, and 2oolman. Apr 6, doors 9 pm, show 10 pm, Fortune Sound Club (147 E. Pender). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $20 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. I MOTHER EARTH Toronto-based rock foursome performs on its Celebrating 20 Years of Scenery and Fish tour. Apr 8, doors 8 pm, show 9:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. FAT WHITE FAMILY U.K. rock band tours in support of latest release Songs for Our Mothers, with guests Dilly Dally. Apr 23, doors 7 pm, show 8:30 pm, Cobalt (917 Main). Tix on sale Feb 12, 12 pm, $16 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.ticketweb.ca/. WILD NOTHING American pop musician tours in support of upcoming release Life of Pause, with guests Whitney. Apr 26, doors 8 pm, show 9:30 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix on sale Feb 12, 9 am, $16 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.ticketweb.ca/. PENTATONIX American a cappella group performs on its World Tour 2016 with guest Us the Duo Apr 28, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Pacific Coliseum (Hastings Park, 100 N. Renfrew). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $99.50/69.50/49.50/35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livneation.com/. YEARS & YEARS As part of the Straight Series, the British multigenre trio tours in support of debut album Communion. Apr 29, doors 8 pm, show 9:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. ANDREW BIRD American indie-rock musician, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist tours in support of new album Are You Serious. May 21, doors 7 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $37/32 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.bplive.ca/. THE LUMINEERS Folk-rock band from Denver, Colorado, performs on its Cleopatra World Tour, with guest Soak. Jun 1, doors 6 pm, show 7 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $49.50/39.50/29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. KEVIN MORBY American indie-rock singer-songwriter tours in support of upcoming album Singing Saw. Jun 7, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Media Club (695 Cambie). Tix on sale Feb 12, 10 am, $15

(plus service charges and fees) at www. livenation.com/.

JAMES TAYLOR AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND American folk-pop singer-songwriter (“Fire and Rain”). Jun 11, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale Feb 19, 10 am, $95/65/35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

and Anni M Fables. Feb 13, 8 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix $10, info www.goskypatrol.com/.

JEFF LANG Australian roots-rock singersongwriter and slide guitarist. Feb 11, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $25/22, info www.capilanou.ca/centre/.

ROCK FOR KIDS 2016 The Giggle Dam Band, Intoxicated By Nature, Pop Junkies, Worms Hate Rain, Trailer Park Playboys, Ray Roper Project, the Vindicators, Bang!, Heavy Mellow with Steven Jack, and Metropolis perform at a benefit concert for Variety–the Children's Charity. Feb 14, 12 pm, Hard Rock Casino Vancouver (2080 United Blvd., Coquitlam). Tix $5 at the door, info www.facebook.com/ events/950750831676184/.

ADVENTURE CLUB Canadian electronicdance duo composed of Christian Srigley and Leighton James, with guests Vanic. Feb 11-12, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $47.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

TAKE TWO Coastal Jazz & Blues Society presents a Valentine's Day dinner and jazz show featuring Canadian vocalists Karin Plato and Laura Crema. Feb 14, 8 pm, Frankie's (765 Beatty). Tix $60, info www. frankiesitaliankitchen.ca/frankies-jazz/.

SPORTING LIFE American rapper tours in support of solo debut 55 5's, with guests Evy Jane and Wsuptiger. Feb 12, Fortune Sound Club (147 E. Pender). Tix $10 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.bplive.ca/.

THE MUSICAL BOX: SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND French Canadian Genesis-tribute band performs the group's emblematic 1973 show. Feb 17, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.com modoreballroom.com/.

2THIS WEEK

don’t miss out! For up-to-the-minute, searchable Music Time Out listings, visit

www.straight.com

BTU Barney Bentall, Tom Taylor, and Shari Ulrich launch latest folk release Tightrope Walk. Feb 12, 7 pm, The Cultch (1895 Venables). Tix $27.50, info www.bentall taylorulrich.com/. DAWN PEMBERTON AND CÉCILE DOO-KINGUÉ Vancouver soul-jazz vocalist coheadlines with New York City-born blues-soul vocalist-guitarist. Feb 12, 8:3011:30 pm, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Tix $24, info www.thefestival.bc.ca/. THE BOOTS & BABES BALL A Valentine's Day evening of live entertainment and music by Canadian dance band Side One. Feb 13, doors 8 pm, show 9:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $19.37 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. SHOW OF HEARTS Variety—the Children's Charity presents its annual fundraising telethon, featuring live performances by 54-40, Charlie, Aaron Pritchett, Five Alarm Funk, Sophie Simmons, Vancouver TheatreSports League, and Sarah McLachlan School of Music (Sat, 7-11 pm); and Jim Byrnes, Chilliwack, Colleen Rennison, Shari Ulrich, Barney Bentall, and Dustin Bentall (Sun, 2:30-5:30 pm). Feb 13, 7-11 pm; Feb. 14, 2:30-5:30 pm, The Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts (777 Homer). Tix at www.variety50.eventbrite.ca/, info www.variety.bc.ca/events/_entry/Telethon. GET TOGETHER Fourth annual event features music by trance artist Armin Van Buuren, along with Sander Van Doorn, Will Sparks, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, and Union DJ's. Feb 13, 7 pm, Pacific Coliseum (Hastings Park, 100 N. Renfrew). Tix $88.50-108.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketleader.ca/. BOOKER T. JONES The Victoria BC Ska Society presents American R&B multi-instrumentalist touring in support of latest release Sound the Alarm, with Jesse Roper and Vancouver R&B/funk ensemble Mud Funk, featuring Tonye Aganaba. Feb 13, 7:30 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix $49.50 (plus service charges and fees) at Highlife, Red Cat, Beat Street Records, and www.ticketfly. com/, info victoriaskafest.ca/. THE DREADNOUGHTS Vancouver polkapunk band performs with the Skimmity Hitchers, ATD, the Generators, Uptown Riot, and Obscene Being. Feb 13, 7:30 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $17, info www.rickshawtheatre.com/. MG3/CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO Six international guitarists fuse over 40 years of combined performing experience. Feb 13, 8 pm, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts (6450 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby). Tix $25-35, info www.shadboltcentre.com/. CÒIG The Rogue Folk Club presents Cape Breton traditional-folk band. Feb 13, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $24/20, info www.roguefolk.bc.ca/ concerts/ev16021320/. BRANFORD MARSALIS American jazz saxophonist performs with his quartet. Feb 13, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix from $60, info www.chancentre.com/. EHM SKY PATROL ALBUM RELEASE Local saloon-funk band plays a release party for debut album Songs for Adults, with guests the Great Speckled Fritillary

COFFEE Feb 20 2SAM OUTLAW Feb 27 2ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER Mar 4 2ANDERSON EAST Mar 5 2WHITE LUNG Mar 11 2ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE Mar 19 2COUNTERPARTS Mar 24 2ALEX G AND PORCHES Mar 26 2LITTLE GREEN CARS Mar 31 2PRINCE RAMA Apr 2 2LUKE RATHBORNE: CANCELLED Apr 3 2BANE Apr 5 2MATTHEW LOGAN VASQUEZ Apr 9 2FAT WHITE FAMILY Apr 23

COMMODORE BALLROOM 868 Granville, 604-739-4550. Tix at www.commodoreballroom.ca/. 2ADVENTURE CLUB Feb 11 2THE BOOTS & BABES BALL Feb 13 2THE MUSICAL BOX: SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND Feb 17 2THE SHEEPDOGS Feb 18 2RED...A POSITIVE DAY Feb 20 2MONSTER TRUCK Feb 25 2INDIGO GIRLS Feb 26 2CLASSIFIED Feb 27 2FRANK TURNER & THE SLEEPING SOULS Mar 3 2CANNIBAL CORPSE Mar 4 2DELHI 2 DUBLIN Mar 5 2REBELUTION Mar 6 2ANJUNABEATS Mar 10 2DISTURBED Mar 11 2THE WAILERS Mar 12 2MOTOWN MELTDOWN Mar 19 2AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS: CANCELLED Mar 20 2WOLFMOTHER Apr 1 2THE DECIBEL MAGAZINE TOUR 2016 Apr 2 2CIARA Apr 5 2I MOTHER EARTH Apr 8 2MIIKE SNOW Apr 9 2THE ARCS Apr 11 2GARY CLARK JR. Apr 12 2SPIRIT OF THE WEST Apr 15 2ST. GERMAIN Apr 18 2COURTNEY BARNETT Apr 19 2LUSH Apr 21 2ADAM CAROLLA Apr 22 2YEARS & YEARS Apr 29 2THE HEAVY May 2 2AMON AMARTH May 16 2CHARLES BRADLEY AND HIS EXTRAORDINAIRES May 20 2BLACK MOUNTAIN May 21 2THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE May 23 2OH WONDER May 28 2AT THE DRIVE-IN Jun 7 2QUEER AS FUNK! Jul 29 DOOLIN'S IRISH PUB 654 Nelson, 604605-4343. Live music Sun-Thu, with acoustic soloist or duo Sun-Wed and live band Thu DJ Fri-Sat.

see page 42

CHES SMITH, CRAIG TABORN, AND MAT MANERI New York City jazz drummer Smith, pianist Taborn, and violist Maneri perform in support of debut CD The Bell. Presented by Coastal Jazz. Feb 17, 8 pm, Western Front (303 E. 8th). Tix $28, info www.coastaljazz.ca/.

2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS MONSTER TRUCK As part of the Straight Series, Canadian rock band tours in support of upcoming album Sittin' Heavy, with guests the Temperance Movement. Feb 25, doors 8 pm, show 9:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.

wisehall.ca

CLUBS & VENUES ALEXANDER GASTOWN 91 Powell, 778-379-0407. Gastown club, lounge, and live music venue featuring weekly club nights and various concerts. 2LIFE MUSIK VALENTINE'S DAY Feb 13 2DRE DAY WITH THE D.O.C Feb 18 2REQUEST LINE Feb 28 2LE1F Feb 29 2KAWEHI Mar 19 2ONEMAN B2B MY NU LENG Mar 26 2BLACKBIRD BLACKBIRD AND CHAD VALLEY Apr 30 2BREAKBOT May 28 BACKSTAGE LOUNGE Arts Club Theatre, 1585 Johnston, Granville Island, 604-6871354. Vancouver's only live-music venue on the water, with music nightly. Live band karaoke hosted by Sami Ghawi and Reuben Avery Tue at 9:30 pm. BELMONT BAR 1006 Granville, 604-6054340. Fresh and local fare, craft beer and wine on tap, and live entertainment nightly. Open daily at 5 pm. BILTMORE CABARET 2755 Prince Edward, 604-676-0541. 2WET Feb 10 2EHM SKY PATROL ALBUM RELEASE Feb 13 2MY PURPLE VALENTINE Feb 14 2SUMAC Feb 19 2JOSEPH Mar 4 2AOIFE O'DONOVAN Mar 5 2RUN RIVER NORTH Mar 8 2ROBYN HITCHCOCK Mar 10 2RADIATION CITY & DEEP SEA DIVER Mar 17 2AN EVENING WITH GREG DULLI Mar 22 2CHAIRLIFT Mar 24 2RADIO RADIO Mar 26 2RA RA RIOT Mar 31 2GOLDROOM Apr 2 2WILD NOTHING Apr 26 2BLEACHED Apr 28 2AIDAN KNIGHT Apr 29 2ISLANDS Jun 4 BIMINI PUBLIC HOUSE 2010 W. 4th, 604733-7116. Twenty-four taps of rotating and interesting craft beers. Pub trivia Mon; beer club Tue; Wing Wed; dance party FriSat; happy hour 3-6 pm. BLACKBIRD PUBLIC HOUSE & OYSTER BAR 905 Dunsmuir, 604-899-4456. Bistro and public house with oyster bar, barbershop, Scotch bar, and live music Wed-Fri. Open daily at 11 am. Happy hour 3-6 pm. CHARLES BAR 136 W. Cordova, 604-5688040. Gastown sports bar features nine-foot HD screen and DJs on weekend nights. Wavy Fridays with DJs Seko & Marvel; Back & Forth Saturdays with rap, R&B, and club classics. Open Sun-Thu from 11:30 am to 1 am, Fri-Sat from 11:30 am to 3 am. CINEMA PUBLIC HOUSE 901 Granville, 604-694-0202. Pub featuring craft beer and cocktails, pub food, late-night menu, and weekend brunch. DJs all night Wed-Sun. Happy hour 3-6 pm. CLOUGH CLUB 212 Abbott, 604-558-1581. Small plates and craft cocktails nightly. Live music Wed-Sat. Happy hour 5-7 pm. Open 5 pm till late seven days a week. COBALT 917 Main, 778-918-3671. Live bands some nights, DJs other nights. Karaoke Mon, classic tunes and free pizza Tue; live painting art raffle Wed. 2DIANE

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 39


EXCLUSIVE GIVEAWAY

Visit

to WIN movie passes and prize packs!

WELCOME TO THE PARTY FEBRUARY 12

COARSE LANGUAGE, SEXUAL CONTENT

40 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


MOVIES REVIEWS DEADPOOL Starring Ryan Reynolds. Rated 14A. For showtimes, please see page 44

It’s not normally a recommendation when

2 you say that a movie peaks during its credit

sequence. And as far as that goes, people who like their films with mature and intelligent themes, good taste, and a hero they can admire should probably look elsewhere. But we are talking about Deadpool here, the Merc With a Mouth, arguably the quirkiest character in Marvel’s comic-book lineup. He’s the most incorrigible sort of criminal: a killer for money. His Wolverine-like healing factor makes him almost impossible to kill, so there are no real physical stakes. As he’s a meta-aware, relentlessly facetious chatterbox who knows that he’s a fictional character, any plot built around Deadpool seems arbitrary and mostly an excuse for gags. All of that is on the page. The shock and glory is seeing this loopy sensibility transferred to the screen

Slaughter on West Georgia

Homeboy Ryan Reynolds is the returning antihero as he brings the “Merc With a Mouth” to the big screen in the Vancouver-shot adaptation of Marvel’s Deadpool.

Christ, just as was done with Ben-Hur. As befits that increasingly desperate era, there’s little to hold the plot elements togethDemented Deadpool makes all that gridlock worthwhile; er here. Apart from aloof narration by Michael Gambon, Old Hollywood gets the Coen treatment in Hail, Caesar! Mannix’s peripatetic problemwith little softening and no apology. That’s one rea- solving is what connects them, as he moves from son why Deadpool seems to start with its best ma- sound studio and screening room to Catholic conterial: a really terrific sequence in which an ambush fessional and meetings with twin gossip columnists turns into a car chase whose numerous moving, (both played by Tilda Swinton, in lethal hats). Plus, bleeding parts explain the lengthy shutdown of the there’s a headhunter from Lockheed who offers him Georgia Viaduct last spring. Director Tim Miller, a more secure, if possibly radioactive, future. Among the Capitol projects currently in prowho comes from an effects background, has a great eye for details, most of them also pretty good jokes. duction, parodied note-perfectly, are an Esther I didn’t enjoy the hard turn into the origin Williams–style water ballet (featuring Scarlett Jostory, which stops the narrative cold and is based hansson as the gum-cracking mermaid), a dancingon the unwelcome realism of a character getting sailors musical (Channing Tatum in tap shoes), cancer. However, it does let us see Ryan Reynolds and a low-budget cowboy flick (with young Alden flirt with Morena Baccarin as they make dark Ehrenreich as the breakout discovery here). Some banter and generally look unreasonably attractive of this golden- (and very white-)era stuff will be lost on younger folks who’ve spent no time with Turner together as two well-matched ruffians. Then there is the scene in which Wade Wilson Classic Movies. And it’s another sign of how far we’ve (Reynolds) is engineered into being Deadpool, a fellow-travelled that the anti-Communist witch hunt process involving comic-book science and some of the postwar period is turned into a wicked joke not very charismatic villains in Ed Skrein and Gina when the studio’s biggest star—George Clooney, who Carano. But they do give Deadpool a justification for spends all his time dressed as a Roman centurion—is his odd fashion choice of 1911s and crossed katanas. kidnapped by commies, and kind of likes it. > RON YAMAUCHI Among the cameos, look for Jonah Hill, Ralph Fiennes, and, best of all, Frances McDormand, HAIL, CAESAR! who proves that editing is the most dangerous part of making movies. Starring Josh Brolin. Rated PG. For showtimes, > KEN EISNER

please see page 44

Few filmmakers working today have a deeper

2 love of studio lore than do the Coen brothers,

and here the veteran writer-directors render unto Hollywood what is Hollywood’s, and so much more. Where 1991’s Barton Fink followed a lefty screenwriter on a nightmare visit to ’30s Los Angeles, their delightful new effort jumps to 1951 and focuses on management—mainly Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), vice-president and fixer-in-chief of Capitol Pictures. That was the real name of the VP at MGM in that period, when the old studios were starting to get killed by television. There are plenty of in-house harmonies, like subtitling the studio’s new Bible epic (also called Hail, Caesar!) A Tale of the

WEEK IN WIDESCREEN

THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION A documentary by Stanley Nelson. Rating unavailable. For showtimes, please see page 44

Five decades before Black Lives Matter began the current round of agitation against police brutality, the Black Panther Party used the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (the one that now helps get over 35,000 Americans killed every year) as a literal call to arms. In 1966, weapons-carrying patrols started shadowing white police in majority-black Oakland, California, where the movement started. As detailed in this two-hour documentary,

2

NINA FOREVER Every time Rob tries to make it with his possibly-too-young new girlfriend, Holly, he gets cock-blocked by the mangled corpse of his unimpressed ex, Nina. Holly’s solution? She elects to invite Nina into a very squishy threesome. If blood, boobs, and a (naked, mutilated) beast are your basic elements for a successful midnight movie, then the proudly tasteless Nina should run forever. Or for three nights at the Vancity Theatre, at any rate, starting Friday (February 12). -

> KEN EISNER

THE CHOICE Starring Teresa Palmer. Rated G. For showtimes, please see page 44

The Choice is about a husband who has to de-

2 cide what to do when his cherished wife laps-

es into a coma after a car accident. Sound grim? Don’t worry. This is a movie based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks. What Stephen King is to horror, Sparks is to everlasting devotion. The number one rule in his wet-eyed universe? You can never pull the plug on true love. If this sounds like a spoiler, you’re probably unfamiliar with the 10 previous movies based on the see page 43

MOVIES

The projector

What to see and where to see it

1

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL VIMFF kicks off another strong year with an evening of shorts at the Centennial Theatre in North Van on Friday (February 12). See Straight.com for notes and reviews.

2

CASABLANCA The fundamental things still apply, chief among them being that Michael Curtiz’s unlikely classic is still packing ’em in over 70 years after it was made. Screening at the Rio Theatre on Friday (February 12).

3

MY SKINNY SISTER “Rarely has a film showed the destructive effects more clearly,” wrote Janet Smith when My Skinny Sister, about an anorexic figure skater, played at VIFF. Screening at the Cinematheque next Wednesday (February 17).

My bloody valentine

made for PBS by writer-director Stanley Nelson, the Panthers also filled a social function, serving breakfast to schoolchildren in some of the most impoverished areas of the U.S. Initially, local authorities were flummoxed by what to do about these beret-and-shades-wearing, leather-jacketed avatars of liberation, whose aesthetic stance was even more attractive (and coherent) than their rhetoric. When FBI dictator J. Edgar Hoover declared the Panthers a graver threat to American security than the Vietnamese, then at the peak of their war against U.S. occupation, things changed. Along with the feds’ extensive system of agents provocateurs, increasingly militarized police were given carte blanche to carry out suppression and targeted assassinations across the country. The FBI also exploited the ad hoc group’s inherent disorganization, as recalled here by numerous survivors who lay out the growing rifts between party founders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale (the second of whom is still alive but notably absent from the present-day talking heads), and the charismatic Eldridge Cleaver, who eventually fled to postcolonial Algeria. His widow, Kathleen Cleaver, and other female militants are on hand, but they make only passing mention of their leaders’ deep-seated misogyny. They certainly paint a clear picture of the cults of personality that finished off the party in the 1970s. Obviously, there’s more about America’s postslavery institutions and their resisters than can fit in a two-hour movie. But with the aid of an extra-funky soundtrack, Vanguard of the Revolution makes a good, fist-pumping start.

Festival forever

VALENTINO’S GHOST A title card explains that Michael

Singh’s acclaimed (and recently updated) 2012 film has screened in over 127 countries, “and will be shown on American soil when we procure a broadcaster”. The sarcasm is real. Valentino’s Ghost is a devastating overview of Hollywood’s politically driven portrayal of Arabs and Muslims, from the romantic icon of the title to the relentless demonization we see today. The film closes this year’s Just Film festival at the Vancity Theatre on Saturday (February 13). For the full schedule, visit justfilm.ca/. FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 41


Music time out

from page 39

FORTUNE SOUND CLUB 147 E. Pender, 604-569-1758. 2SPORTING LIFE Feb 12 2MIKE STUD Mar 3 2GOLDLINK Mar 4 2PROTOMARTYR AND CHASTITY BELT Mar 8 2YOUNG FATHERS Mar 19 2YUCK Mar 29 2CULLEN OMORI Apr 2 2OPERATORS Apr 5 2A TRIBE CALLED RED Apr 6 2LAPSLEY Apr 26

straight choices

FOX CABARET 2321 Main. 2DAWN PEMBERTON AND CÉCILE DOO-KINGUÉ Feb 12 2DRALMS Feb 18 2JENN GRANT Feb 19 2RAPP BATTLEZ WEZT COAZT Feb 20 2TEEN ANGST NIGHT Feb 25 2AMELIA CURRAN Mar 11 2FAST ROMANTICS Mar 24 2SARAH NEUFELD Mar 26 2SAID THE WHALE May 7 FRANKIE'S 765 Beatty, 778-727-0337. Coastal Jazz presents live jazz and blues throughout the weekend (Thu-Sun). 2TAKE TWO Feb 14 FUNKY WINKER BEANS 37 W. Hastings, 604-764-7865. 2POWERCLOWN, CRACKWHORE, OGROEM, INFECTIOUS DECAY Feb 12 2ZUCKUSS, VACUUS, CADAVERIC LIVIDITY Feb 13 2THAT FILTHY SHOW Feb 18 2REDS, POT BELLY, THE REMEDIALS, YOU BIG IDIOT Feb 19 2POOR TRAITS, ONE AND THE SAME, DOUBLE STANDARDS, VILLAINS, THIEVES & SCOUNDRELS Feb 20 2XANADUDES (RUSH TRIBUTE), KILLING MACHINE (JUDAS PRIEST TRIBUTE), RED LINES (TEENAGE HEAD TRIBUTE) Feb 26 HARD ROCK CASINO VANCOUVER 2080 United Blvd., 604-523-6888. 2ROCK FOR KIDS 2016 Feb 14 2ED KOWALCZYK Mar 3 2TONY ORLANDO Apr 9 2GEORGE THOROGOOD & THE DESTROYERS Apr 21 2JOE SATRIANI Apr 24 THE IMPERIAL 319 Main, 604-868-0494. 2LOVE IS THE ANSWER Feb 13 2LAKE STREET DIVE Mar 1 2BAG RAIDERS Mar 4 2DAMIEN DEMPSEY Mar 5 2SOAK. Mar 7 2SILVERSTEIN Mar 8 2JUNIOR BOYS Mar 10 2WE ARE THE CITY Mar 11 2ELECTRIC SIX Mar 23 2WINTERSLEEP Mar 25 2POLICA Mar 30 2QUANTIC Apr 9 2AURORA Apr 10 2PETE YORN Apr 11 2THE STORY SO FAR Apr 18 2TORTOISE Apr 28 2BOMBINO Apr 30 2MAGIC MAN & THE GRISWOLDS May 3 2LUCIUS May 10 2SAINT MOTEL May 22 2SAVAGES May 27 IVANHOE PUB 1038 Main, 604-608-1444. 268 LIPS Feb 12 2RICOCHET RABBIT Feb 13 2SONS OF THE HOE Feb 14 2STARK RAVEN Feb 19 2SONS OF THE HOE Feb 21 2SAINTS AND SINNERS Feb 26 2CHRIS NEWTON BAND Feb 27 2SONS OF THE HOE Feb 28 LAMPLIGHTER PUBLIC HOUSE 92 Water, 604-687-4424. Pub trivia with Nice Guys Inc. Tue; bourbon and bingo Wed; Rocksteady with DJs Arems, Hoppa & Rexx Thu; FKYA DJs Fri; DJ Antonia & Friends Sat.

RODNEY DECROO + THE WISE BLOOD Frightening as it can sometimes be, change is also good. The last time we heard from Vancouver singer-songwriter Rodney DeCroo, he was at his most beautifully introspective with Campfires on the Moon, a record that landed him on the cover of the Straight. This Saturday (February 13) he resurfaces in a louder guise with a new country-tinged rock outfit featuring Ed Goodine on drums, Phil Addington on bass, and Brian Barr on guitar. Joining Rodney DeCroo + the Wise Blood at the Shop Theatre (125 East Second Avenue) will be a stellar support cast that includes Twin Bandit, Spoon River’s Tavis E. Triance, and singer-songwriter Fraser Mackenzie. The whole thing is a Tonic Records showcase, and if you haven’t for some reason heard of Tonic Records, you might want to note that’s something you really need to change. LIBRARY SQUARE PUBLIC HOUSE 300 W. Georgia, 604-633-9644. Free pinball Wed, Show Me Love '90s party Fri; Saturday Night Special dance party Sat. Canucks and Whitecaps pregame. M.I.A. 350 Water St., 604-408-4321. Gastown's newest intimate nightclub and special-event space, equipped with a Funktion-One Soundsystem, hosting local and touring electronic, live, and club events weekly. MEDIA CLUB 695 Cambie, 604-608-2871. Live music most nights. 2THE 49ER AFTER AWARDS PARTY Feb 12 2INDIGENOUS SISTERS SOIREE Feb 18 2ENEMY FEATHERS Feb 19 2HEY MARSEILLES Mar 4 2RIPPLE ILLUSION Mar 5 2NAP EYES Mar 26 2MOTHERS Mar 27 2THE SUBWAYS Apr 26 2KEVIN MORBY Jun 7 ORPHEUM THEATRE 601 Smithe, 604-6653050. 2HEART Mar 8 2LEON BRIDGES Mar 15 2FATHER JOHN MISTY Apr 5 2CHICK COREA AND BELA FLECK Apr 22 2RAFFI Apr 23 2JAMES BAY Apr 27 2ANDREW BIRD May 21 2THE LUMINEERS Jun 1 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 650 Hamilton, 604-665-3050. 2RETURN THE GRACE Mar 22 2TWENTY ONE PILOTS Apr 10 2RAIN Apr 20 2JOE JACKSON Jun 24 2TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND Jun 28 2IL DIVO Nov 6

© BILL HAWLEY

February 11-13

2016

REPUBLIC 958 Granville, 604-669-3214. House, hip-hop, EDM, chart, and reggae. Open nightly from 10 pm to 3 am. RICKSHAW THEATRE 254 E. Hastings, 604-681-8915. 2THE DREADNOUGHTS Feb 13 2PARQUET COURTS Feb 20 2CRADLE OF FILTH Feb 24 2BOWIE TRIBUTE NIGHT Feb 26 2BONGZILLA & BLACK COBRA Mar 4 2THE WHAMMYS: A NIGHT OUT FOR MUSIC HEALS Mar 5 2REVEREND HORTON HEAT Mar 10 2DEAD ASYUM AND SAINTS OF DEATH Mar 11 2THIS WILL DESTROY YOU Mar 20 2GREENSKY BLUEGRASS Mar 24 2WEEDEATER Mar 28 2LA FIN ABSOLUTE DU MONDE Apr 7 2MODIFIED GHOST FESTIVAL 2016 Apr 9 2KID CONGO & THE PINK MONKEY BIRDS May 7 2LUCA TURILLI'S RHASPODY, PRIMAL FEAR May 9 2BUZZCOCKS May 21 2KING GIZZARD AND THE LIZARD WIZARD May 28 RIVER ROCK SHOW THEATRE River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River Rd., Richmond, 604-247-8900. Tix at www.ticket master.ca/. 2THE NYLONS Apr 9 ROGERS ARENA 800 Griffiths Way, 604899-7400. 2JUSTIN BIEBER Mar 11 2ELLIE GOULDING Apr 1 2IRON MAIDEN Apr 10 2RIHANNA Apr 23 2THE WHO May 13 2SELENA GOMEZ May 14 2HEDLEY May 20 2CITY AND COLOUR Jun 3 2JAMES TAYLOR AND HIS ALL-STAR BAND Jun 11 2DIXIE CHICKS Jul 7 2ADELE Jul 20 2DEMI LOVATO AND NICK JONAS Aug 24 THE ROXY 932 Granville, 604-331-7999. House band Tattoo Alibi Sat & Mon; country band Locked & Loaded Sun; the Bulge and DJ Joe Pound Tue; Troys ‘R Us WedThu. 2ECHO NEBRASKA Mar 4 ST. JAMES HALL 3214 W. 10th, 604-7363022. 2JEFF LANG Feb 11 2CÒIG Feb 13 2THE BUMPER JACKSONS Feb 25 2EILEN JEWEL Feb 26 2OLIVER SWAIN'S BIG MACHINE Feb 27 TEN TEN TAPAS 1010 Beach, 604-689-7800. West Coast tapas restaurant featuring live music four nights a week at 7 pm. Rising artists Thu, flamenco guitar Fri, hornman Gabriel Hasselbach Sat, soul/R&B Sun. Guest musicians/singers every weekend. No cover; reservations recommended.

WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OF THE PROVINCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

new location

1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC

Uyghurs: Prisoners of the Absurd

VENUE 881 Granville, 604-646-0064. Tix for all events at www.venuelive.ca/. 2LIARS AND LIONS Feb 20 2TRASH TALK Feb 25 2BEYOND THE CONFINES Feb 27 2ST. LUCIA Mar 1 2ERUPTION Mar 5 2THE REAL MCKENZIES Mar 10 2IAN FLETCHER THORNLEY Mar 12 2ULI JON ROTH'S ULTIMATE GUITAR EXPERIENCE Mar 19 2THE WILD FEATHERS Mar 31 2NIYAZ AND ADHAM SHAIKH Apr 7 2GIN WIGMORE Apr 26 2NAPALM DEATH AND MELVINS May 2 2NADA SURF May 17 2PRONG May 29 2PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT Nov 1 VOGUE THEATRE 918 Granville, 604569-1144. Tix at www.voguetheatre.com/. 2BOOKER T. JONES Feb 13 2LOGIC Feb 15 2MATT ANDERSEN Feb 18 2AN EVENING WITH THE CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET Feb 20 2VINCE STAPLES Mar 1 2THE IRISH ROVERS Mar 17 2DAUGHTER Mar 18 2RACHEL PLATTEN Mar 28 2ALESSIA CARA Mar 29 2JOANNA NEWSOM Mar 30 2YUNG LEAN Mar 31 2KILLSWITCH ENGAGE Apr 3 2TINASHE Apr 10 2SANTIGOLD Apr 11 2BOYCE AVENUE Apr 15 2BEACH HOUSE Apr 30 2CHE MALAMBO May 20 2MODERAT May 23 2JOHN PRINE Jul 9 WISE HALL 1882 Adanac, 604-254-5858. Live music by local artists and international touring acts.

OUT OF TOWN

The Hand That Feeds

2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS BILLY JOEL American pop legend ("Uptown Girl", "Just the Way You Are"). May 20, Safeco Field (1560 1st Ave. S., Seattle). Tix at www.livenation.ca/.

TIME OUT MUSIC LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. We can't guarantee inclusion, and we give priority to events taking place within one week of publication. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don't make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

42 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


MOVIES

Singles still going steady > BY L UC Y LA U

D

irector Christian Ditter will be the first to admit that being single isn’t easy—especially with Hollywood shoving an endless loop of heteronormative, altar-driven happy endings down our throats. “Most films tell you, particularly if you’re female, that you have to find a guy that completes you,” he says in a call to the Straight from Los Angeles. “And I think that’s bullshit because you can complete yourself and then find someone. And you’re gonna be a lot more chill along the way.” It’s this formative trajectory that Ditter explores in How to Be Single, opening Friday (February 12), which follows four (mostly) 20-something women—and a few misguided men— as they navigate the fraught and evershifting intricacies of singlehood in New York City. The anti–Valentine’s Day f lick is the second romantic comedy by the German-born director, who made his stateside debut with the amiable Love, Rosie. Both films are silverscreen adaptations of best-selling novels; however, the similarities pretty much end there as How to Be Single trades melancholy regret and tearful confessions of adolescent love for lighter, decidedly raunchier fare that comes courtesy of, for the most part, Rebel Wilson.

Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson yuk it up in How to Be Single.

“Some of the funniest things you’ll see on the big screen are things that Rebel made up on the get-go,” reveals Ditter. “You can differentiate between what was scripted and what was improv’d because the camera would start shaking a little bit. People weren’t expecting it and the camera operator would start to laugh.” Wilson plays Robin, the loudmouth colleague of Dakota Johnson’s inexperienced and rather mousy Alice. Unlike Alice, who recently broke things off with her college boyfriend in an effort to “find herself”, Robin is a single skilled in the art of hit-it-and-quit-it seduction, making

for an amusing rapport—and a series of bleary-eyed benders—that should trigger flashbacks in anyone who’s ever been young, dumb, and very, very drunk. Subplots are offered by Alison Brie as the hyper-acute but hopeful Lucy, who’s devised a set of complex algorithms to score a husband via dating app, and Leslie Mann, who portrays Alice’s jaded, too-busyfor-a-boyfriend obstetrician sister, Meg. A slew of love interests are most memorably played by Anders Holm, Jake Lacy, and a wacky Jason Mantzoukas, though you may be surprised by who does and doesn’t end up with whom. “There’s a lot of ways to be happy, and it doesn’t have to be by finding a romantic relationship,” says Ditter. “It could be finding a relationship with a friend or with a sibling or with yourself. Romantic relationships are part of our lives, but it’s not all it’s about.” That’s not to say that you have to be rolling solo to enjoy this ride, either. After all, next to the damning conundrums of love, How to Be Single tackles a glaringly familiar theme that boasts an equally vast, if not even wider, audience. “I think it’s a very relevant topic for anyone who is single right now,” Ditter adds, “but also for anybody who has ever been single, which is, you know, everybody.” -

TICKET PACK

Lelu Island steps on the gas

A

> BY A DR I AN MACK

nybody wondering about the growing momentum behind aboriginal resistance in Canada should take a look at “A Last Stand for Lelu”. The crisp, 25-minute doc arrives as part of this year’s Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, screening at the Cinematheque on Monday (February 15) with codirector Farhan Umedaly in attendance. “I know for a fact that the people on Lelu Island are not going to give up,” the filmmaker says in a call to the Straight. “If Justin Trudeau really wants to mend the injustices of the past, Lelu would be a great place to start. The land is their land, it’s never been ceded, and they should have a say in what happens on it, at the very minimum.” Indeed, the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation did have its say, rejecting a $1.15-billion offer to allow the construction of an LNG export terminal on Lelu in 2015. “It’s so farfetched,” Umedaly says of the proposed project. “Natural gas is seeping out of the Earth; we have to frack it, destroy our aquifers, build a pipeline through indigenous land without consent, and destroy one of our most valuable resources, our environment—and the salmon that people live off of all the way up the Skeena [River]. It’s the most sacred thing that we’d be destroying. It’s not okay.” Directed with Tamo Campos, Umedaly’s film captures the developing battle between Lax Kw’alaams “warriors”

The Choice

and the Malaysian oil-and-gas giant Petronas, which went ahead despite local resistance and began drilling without permission into Flora Bank, a massive and vital eelgrass habitat for Skeena River salmon. Among the more telling moments in “Last Stand” is a face-off with construction workers concealed in balaclavas and protected by a security officer who points a camera at the warriors and repeatedly asks if his employers are at risk. “The security guy is an ex police officer who’s basically trying to entrap them,” Umedaly explains. “He’s trying to bait them into making a move that’ll allow them to raid the island and treat them like terrorists.” As a scientist, environmentalist, and Muslim, Umedaly has some sensitivity to the divisive politics that have gripped Canada of late. His switch to advocacy through filmmaking was prompted “because I was pushed more into a corner, definitely, during the 10 years of Harper,” he says. “The ‘barbaric cultural practices’ thing was pretty scary, to be honest with you,” Umedaly continues. “Maybe a better explanation is that I was just starting to feel a little bit of what indigenous people have felt in this country for a very long time. It is entirely socially acceptable to stereotype Muslim people. So I feel something in common with them here. And Canada’s my only home.” “A Last Stand for Lelu” screens with “Gold of Bengal” and “Rabbit Island” as part of VIMFF’s environmental program. For more information, go to http://vimff.org. -

up considerably whenever Gabby happens to be wearing a bikini or Travis takes off his shirt. And then there’s Sparks canon. Set in North Carolina, those big, fat, car-crash tears streamThe Choice is similar to 2004’s The ing down Travis’s cheeks. It makes for Notebook. Unfortunately, the cast here one insufferably soppy Valentine. > JOHN LEKICH has zero chemistry. The plot? Bad-boy veterinarian Travis (Benjamin Walker) courts good-girl SNOWTIME! medical student Gabby (a bland Teresa Featuring the voice of Sandra Oh. Rated Palmer). Travis is smitten enough to G. For showtimes, please see page 44 permanently dump his intermittent If your kids get bored watchgirlfriend, Monica (Alexandra Dading Snowtime!, that may be dario). We know Monica’s a loser because she wears too much makeup and more of a comment on our hyperactive culture than it is on this drinks beer straight from the bottle. Gabby dislikes Travis on sight. gently funny story about kids who But—unless you count the endless actually play outside all day. parade of gleaming pickup trucks There is nary a smartphone, flatand freshly shampooed retrievers— screen TV, or parent in sight in this things aren’t quite what they seem. animated reboot of La Guerre des Travis is actually a softhearted good tuques (The Dog Who Stopped the ol’ boy who says things like “There’s War), a live-action French-Canadian nothing cuter than a basket full of pup- film that was popular in the mid ’80s. pies.” Much to Travis’s delight, the up- Instead, this old-school 3-D cartoon tight Gabby is hiding a smokin’ body with the throwback storybook graphunder those baggy medical scrubs. ics centres on the be-all-and-end-all Love blossoms when they take Gabby’s of snow forts—a turreted marvel the studies in anatomy to a whole new kids in a village build over winter level by doing it on her kitchen table. break. And only a child who’s been Director Ross Katz shoots most of sutured to his laptop for years would the movie like one of those soft-focus not get a little excited about that. greeting cards of couples walking The story opens with the arrivalong the beach. But things sharpen al of two sisters in a town that, as from page 41

2

they realize to their horror, “is full of boys”. But it soon builds into the ultimate, days-long snowball fight, with the kids switching allegiances and trying to take the fort. It doesn’t get much more complicated than that, though there are some not-too-heavy-handed messages about conflict—and about the danger of making iceballs! Mostly, it’s about watching some colourful characters— two carrot-topped twins who speak in stereo, a peace-lover named Nicky who tries to stop the battle—duke it out. There is also a mangy, farting St. Bernard. But do we really need a budding romance between two 11-year-olds when there are snowballs to be hurled? It’s a bit of a wayward ride, but the climax rules, with one troop conscripting an army of wobbly, snowsuit-clad “grade ones”, using everything from garbage-can lids and muffin tins as armour, and toilet-paper rolls for swords. The same vintage feel comes through in the rich animation, with its wonky houses and chunky wool tuques. In the end, maybe what this laidback, homegrown little charmer doesn’t say is more ingenious—about helicopter parenting, about global warming, about the need for creative play… Then again, it really doesn’t have to. > JANET SMITH

FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 43


VANCITY THEATRE 1181 Seymour St., Vancouver, 604-683-3456, www.viff.org/ theatre 22016 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS: ANIMATED Wed 8:45 22016 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS: LIVE ACTION Wed 6:30 2AN EVENING OF COMEDY SHORT SHORTS Thu 8:30 2CARTEL LAND Wed 4:30 2JUST FILM FESTIVAL Sat 12:00, 1:00, 3:10, 4:30 2NINA FOREVER Fri-Sat 10:30 2NINOTCHKA Sun 6:40 2NINTH FLOOR Mon-Tue 6:30 2THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION Mon 8:20; Tue 8:30; Wed 1:00 2THE LOOK OF LOVE Sun 4:00 2UYGHURS: PRISONERS OF THE ABSURD Fri 7:00 2VALENTINO’S GHOST Sat 7:00

movies/ timeout

SPECIAL EVENTS NEW THIS WEEK REPERTORY CINEMAS SPECIAL EVENTS FIRST-RUN SHOW TIMES

< < < <

NEW THIS WEEK

THE OSCAR NOMINATED ANIMATED SHORTS Screenings of "Sanjay’s Super Team", "World of Tomorrow", "Bear Story", "We Can’t Live Without Cosmos", and "Prologue". To Feb 27, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9 (plus membership fee), info www.viff. org/theatre/.

DEADPOOL Ryan Reynolds stars in direcTHE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT tor Tim Miller’s action flick about a man FILMS (LIVE ACTION) Screenings of who turns into a mercenary after a rogue "Ave Maria", "Shok", "Everything Will Be experiment leaves him with accelerated OK", "Stutterer", and "Day One". To Feb healing powers. Rated 14A. 108 mins. 27, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix Cineplex Cinemas Langley, Cineplex $11/9 (plus membership fee), info www. Fifth Avenue Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon viff.org/theatre/. Meadowtown Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon THE GENTLEMEN HECKLERS Park & Tilford, Cineplex Odeon Strawberry Hill, Galaxy Cinemas Chilliwack, Hollywood PRESENT: THE NOTEBOOK Eric Fell, Patrick Maliha, and Shaun Stewart provide Cinemas Caprice, Landmark Cinemas 10 live comedic commentary at a screenNew Westminster, Landmark Cinemas ing of the romantic drama based on the 12 Guildford Surrey, Scotiabank Theatre novel by Nicolas Sparks. Feb 11, 9 pm, Rio Vancouver, SilverCity Coquitlam & VIP Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $12/10, info Cinemas, SilverCity Metropolis Cinemas, www.riotheatre.ca/. SilverCity Mission and SilverCity Riverport HOW TO BE SINGLE Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, and Leslie Mann star in Love, Rosie director Christian Ditter’s comedy about a group of friends who learn how to be single in a world filled with everevolving definitions of love. Rated 14A. 110 mins. Cineplex Cinemas Langley, Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon Meadowtown Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon Park & Tilford, Cineplex Odeon Strawberry Hill, Galaxy Cinemas Chilliwack, Hollywood Cinemas Caprice, Landmark Cinemas 10 New Westminster, Landmark Cinemas 12 Guildford Surrey, SilverCity Coquitlam & VIP Cinemas, SilverCity Metropolis Cinemas, SilverCity Mission and SilverCity Riverport Cinemas SNOWTIME! An animated film by directors Jean-François Pouliot and François Brisson about a boy and his friends who take part in a snowball fight. Rated G. 82 mins. Cineplex Cinemas Langley, SilverCity Mission and SilverCity Riverport THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION Director Stanley Nelson’s documentary chronicles the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party. 114 mins. Vancity Theatre ZOOLANDER NO. 2 Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Penélope Cruz star in director Stiller’s Zoolander sequel, in which the world’s most beautiful people are being assassinated with Zoolander’s signature look on their faces. Rated PG. 100 mins. Cineplex Cinemas Langley, Cineplex Odeon Meadowtown Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon Park & Tilford, Cineplex Odeon Strawberry Hill, Galaxy Cinemas Chilliwack, Hollywood Cinemas Caprice, Landmark Cinemas 10 New Westminster, Landmark Cinemas 12 Guildford Surrey, Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver, SilverCity Coquitlam & VIP Cinemas, SilverCity Metropolis Cinemas, SilverCity Mission and SilverCity Riverport Cinemas

REPERTORY CINEMAS Movie times are current as of Friday, February 12

THE CINEMATHEQUE 1131 Howe St., Vancouver, 604-688-3456, www. thecinametheque.ca/. 2OUT 1: EPISODE 7 + 8 Fri 7:00 2VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Sat to Fri 2MY SKINNY SISTER Wed 7:30

GOYA: VISIONS OF FLESH AND BLOOD Cineplex brings Canadian audiences the opportunity to explore the world of one of Spain’s greatest artists, based on the must-see exhibition from the National Gallery of London. Feb 11, 28, Cineplex Odeon International Village (88 W. Pender). The film also screens at SilverCity Coquitlam Cinemas and VIP, Cineplex Cinemas Langley, and SilverCity Riverport Cinemas., info www.cineplex.com/. JUST FILM FESTIVAL Screenings of social-justice films Lowdown Tracks, The Hand That Feeds, Uyghurs: Prisoners of the Absurd, The Troublemaker, Knitting Nanna’s, Cooking Across Cultures, Milk Men, Facing Fear, Nefertiti’s Daughters, The Wanted 18, and Valentino’s Ghost. Feb 11-13, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $50/15 (plus membership fee), info www.justfilm.ca/.

film about a man who removes memories of his girlfriend from his brain. Feb 12, 11:30 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $8/6, info www.riotheatre.ca/.

Entertainment, Turkish Star Wars, Waiting for Guffman, The Lobster, and Roadhouse. Feb 18-27, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/.

NINA FOREVER Ben Blaine and Chris Blaine’s film sees a man become involved in an unusual menage-a-trois when his dead girlfriend joins him in bed with his living sweetie. Feb 12-14, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9 (plus membership fee), info www.viff.org/theatre/.

FIRST-RUN SHOWTIMES

HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Director Charles Wilkinson’s documentary tells the story of a group of remarkable characters living on Haida Gwaii. Feb 13, 1 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $12/10, info www. riotheatre.ca/. REEL ROMANCE: THE LOOK OF LOVE IN THE MOVIES Vancouver film scholar Michael van den Bos presents Reel Romance, a vivacious Valentine to motion picture passions and peccadillos of the hungry heart. Feb 14, 4-5:50 pm, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9, info www.viff.org/theatre/films/fc8786-reelromance-the-look-of-love-in-the-moviespresented-by-michael-van-den-bos/. NINOTCHKA Ernst Lubitsch’s 1939 film stars Greta Garbo as a Community emissary whose heart melts under the decadent charm of a man in Paris. Feb 14, 6:40 pm, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9 (plus membership fee), info www.viff.org/theatre/. NINTH FLOOR Mina Shum’s documentary examines the moment in 1967 when a professor at Sir George Williams University in Montreal was accused of racism and the student uprising that followed. Feb 15-16, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9 (plus membership fee), info www.viff.org/theatre/.

on the web!

For up-to-the-minute, searchable Movies Time Out listings, visit

www.straight.com

THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION Stanley Nelson’s documentary explores the Black Panther Party’s significance to the broader American culture, its cultural and political awakening for black people, and the painful lessons wrought when it derailed. Feb 15-17, Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9 (plus membership fee), info www.viff.org/theatre/.

TED2016: DREAM ‘OPENING NIGHT’ LIVE Cineplex Events, in association with BY Experience, presents the opening VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL night of TED’s flagship annual conference MOUNTAIN FILM FESTIVAL Program broadcast live to select cinemas across of local and international outdoor-advenCanada. Feb 15, 5 pm, Scotiabank Theatre ture films and guest speakers. Other highlights include music, food door prizes, Vancouver (900 Burrard). The event also runs at SilverCity Metropolis Cinemas, Q&A sessions, and life presentations. Feb SilverCity Riverport Cinemas, and 12-20, Centennial Theatre (2300 Lonsdale SilverCity Coquitlam Cinemas and VIP, Ave., North Van). Event also runs at The info www.cineplex.com/events/. Cinematheque, Rio Theatre, and Inlet Theatre. Tix $9-19, info www.vimff.org/. CARTEL LAND Matthew Heineman’s documentary explores the drug wars CASABLANCA In this black-and-white raging in Mexico and Arizona’s Cocaine 1942 drama, an American expat must Alley. Feb 17, 4:30 pm, Vancity Theatre choose between his love for a former (1181 Seymour). Tix $11/9 (plus memberflame and helping her freedom-fighter ship fee), info www.viff.org/theatre/. husband escape Casablanca. Feb 12, 6:30 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix BUDDHIST ART: A FRAGILE $8-12, info www.riotheatre.ca/. INHERITANCE New Mark Stewart Productions film tells the story CUBAN FILM & CULTURAL NIGHT of the Buddhist art of India and Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Asia. Feb 17, 6 pm, Frederic Wood Cuba presents live music, poetry and a Theatre (6354 Crescent Rd., UBC). screening of José Martí: The Eye Of The Info www.iar.ubc.ca/NewsEvents/ Canary. Feb 12, 7 pm, Joe’s Cafe (1150 EventandConferenceCalendar/ctl/Detail/ Commercial). Free admission, info www. mid/574/xmid/1675/xmfid/2.aspx. vancubasolidarity.com/. AMÉLIE Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 film tells the story of a young woman who enjoys simple pleasures until she discovers that her goal in life is to help others. Feb 12, 8:45 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $8-12, info www. riotheatre.ca/. ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet star in director Michel Gondry’s

REAL ESTATE

THE GEORGIA GEORGIA STRAIGHT STRAIGHT FEBRUARY FEBRUARY11 11––18 18//2016 2016 44 THE

TOP DOCS: AMY Screening of the film that explores the life of late English soul singer Amy Winehouse. Feb 17, 6:30-8:30 pm, Vancouver Public Library Mount Pleasant Branch (1 Kingsway). Info www. vpl.ca/. THE COMEDY FILM SERIES JFL NorthWest and VIFF present screenings of Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of The National Lampoon, comedy shorts,

Movie times are current as of Friday, February 12

CINEPLEX FIFTH AVENUE CINEMAS 2110 Burrard St., Vancouver, 604-734-7469, www.cineplex.com 245 YEARS Fri-Sat 1:15, 3:45, 6:30, 9:15; Sun-Thu 1:15, 3:45, 6:30, 9:00 2BROOKLYN Fri-Sat 12:45, 4:00, 6:45, 9:30; Sun-Wed 1:00, 4:00, 6:45, 9:30; Thu 1:00, 4:00, 9:30 2DEADPOOL Fri-Sat 12:15, 2:45, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45; Sun, Tue 2:00, 4:45, 7:45, 10:30; Mon, Wed 2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:00; Thu 2:00, 4:30, 7:30, 10:00 2HAIL, CAESAR! Fri-Sat 2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:15; Sun, Tue 1:30, 4:15, 7:15, 10:00; Mon, Wed-Thu 1:30, 4:15, 7:15, 9:45 2THE REVENANT Fri-Sat 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:30; Sun-Thu 1:00, 4:30, 8:00 CINEPLEX ODEON INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE CINEMAS 88 W. Pender, Vancouver, 604-806-0799, www.cineplex. com 2THE BIG SHORT Fri, Sun 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00; Sat 4:00, 7:00, 10:00; Mon-Thu 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:55 2BROOKLYN Fri-Thu 1:10, 3:50, 6:40 2THE CHOICE Fri-Thu 9:25 2A DATE WITH MISS FORTUNE Fri 12:25, 2:50, 5:15, 7:40, 10:05; Sat 11:10, 1:30, 5:15, 7:40, 10:05; Sun 12:35, 2:55, 5:15, 7:40, 10:05; Mon-Tue 1:50, 4:20, 6:45, 9:15; Wed 1:50, 4:20, 7:15, 9:40; Thu 1:50, 4:20, 7:15, 9:15 2DIRTY GRANDPA Fri-Sun 4:55, 10:15; Mon-Thu 4:45, 10:05 2EVERYTHING ABOUT HER Fri-Sun 1:40, 4:35, 7:30, 10:20; Mon-Thu 1:40, 4:35, 7:25, 10:15 2THE FINEST HOURS Fri-Sun 2:00; Mon-Thu 1:55 2FROM VEGAS TO MACAU III Fri-Sun 1:20, 6:55; Mon-Thu 1:15, 7:30 2HAIL, CAESAR! Fri, Sun 12:10, 2:45, 5:20, 7:55, 10:25; Sat 11:30, 2:45, 5:20, 7:55, 10:25; Mon-Thu 1:30, 4:15, 7:10, 9:50 2HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 Sat 11:00 2HOW TO BE SINGLE Fri-Sun 12:00, 1:35, 2:35, 4:10, 5:10, 6:50, 7:50, 9:30, 10:30; Mon-Thu 1:35, 2:00, 4:10, 4:40, 6:50, 7:20, 9:30, 10:00 2KUNG FU PANDA 3 Fri-Sun 4:50; Mon-Thu 4:30 2THE LADY IN THE VAN Fri-Thu 1:45, 4:25, 7:05, 9:45 2LOVE LIVE! THE SCHOOL IDOL MOVIE Sat 12:55 2ROOM Fri-Thu 1:05, 3:55, 6:45, 9:35

Thu 12:30, 3:05, 5:40, 8:15, 10:45; Wed 3:50, 7:35, 10:05; Stars & Strollers Wed 1:00

CINEPLEX PARK THEATRE 3440 Cambie St., 3440 Cambie St., 604-709-3456, www.cineplex.com 2THE BIG SHORT Fri 3:50, 6:50, 9:40; Sat-Sun 12:55, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40; Mon-Thu 5:00, 8:00 2HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 Sat 11:00 DUNBAR THEATRE 4555 Dunbar St. at 30 Ave., Vancouver, 604-222-2991, https:// www.facebook.com/DunbarTheatre 2KUNG FU PANDA 3 Mon 4:15, 7:00 RIO THEATRE 1660 E. Broadway, Vancouver, 604-878-3456, www.riotheatre. ca 2AMéLIE Fri 8:45 2CASABLANCA Fri 6:30 2ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND Fri 11:30 2HAIDA GWAII: ON THE EDGE OF THE WORLD Sat 1:00 SCOTIABANK THEATRE VANCOUVER 900 Burrard St., Vancouver, 604-630-1407, www.cineplex.com 2DEADPOOL Fri-Sun 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 1:55, 2:25, 2:55, 4:35, 5:05, 5:35, 7:15, 7:50, 8:15, 9:55, 10:30, 10:55; Mon 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 1:50, 2:20, 2:50, 3:25, 4:25, 5:25, 7:00, 8:00, 8:20, 9:35, 10:35, 11:00; TueWed 11:15, 11:45, 12:15, 1:50, 2:20, 2:50, 4:25, 4:55, 5:25, 7:00, 7:35, 8:00, 9:35, 10:10, 10:35; Thu 11:15, 11:35, 12:15, 1:20, 1:50, 2:50, 4:00, 4:25, 5:25, 7:00, 7:35, 8:00, 9:35, 10:10, 10:35 2PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES Fri-Sat 2:30, 5:10, 8:00, 10:40; Sun 5:10, 8:00, 10:40; Mon-Wed 2:35, 5:15, 7:50, 10:30; Thu 2:15, 5:00 2THE REVENANT Fri-Sun 12:10, 3:10, 3:40, 7:05, 10:00, 10:25; Mon 11:55, 3:15, 6:40, 9:40, 10:05; Tue, Thu 11:55, 2:45, 3:15, 6:40, 9:40, 10:05; Wed 11:55, 2:45, 3:15, 6:15, 9:40, 10:05 2STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Fri-Sun 12:05, 6:45; Mon-Tue, Thu 11:40, 6:30; Wed 11:40 2WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... Sun 12:55; Wed 7:00 2THE WITCH Thu 10:20 2ZOOLANDER NO. 2 Fri-Sat 11:30, 12:00, 1:45, 2:15, 4:30, 5:00, 7:10, 7:45, 10:05, 10:35; Sun 11:00, 11:30, 1:45, 2:15, 4:30, 5:00, 7:10, 7:45, 10:05, 10:35; Mon-Wed 11:30, 12:00, 1:40, 2:10, 4:20, 4:50, 6:55, 7:30, 9:45, 10:15; Thu 11:30, 1:40, 2:10, 4:20, 4:50, 6:55, 7:30, 9:45, 10:15

SILVERCITY METROPOLIS CINEMAS 4700 Kingsway Ave, Burnaby, 604-435-7474, www.cineplex.com 2DEADPOOL Fri, Sun 12:00, 2:00, 2:40, 4:40, 5:20, 7:20, 8:00, 10:00, 10:40; Sat 11:30, 12:00, 2:00, 2:40, 4:40, CINEPLEX ODEON PARK & TILFORD 5:20, 7:20, 8:00, 10:00, 10:40; Mon-Thu 12:00, 333 Brooksbank Ave., North Vancouver, 2:00, 2:35, 4:40, 5:10, 7:20, 7:45, 10:00, 10:20 604-985-4215, www.cineplex.com 2HAIL, CAESAR! Fri-Thu 1:20, 4:10, 6:55, 2DEADPOOL Fri 7:05, 7:45, 9:45, 10:25; Sat 9:50 2HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 Sat 11:00 11:45, 1:40, 2:25, 4:25, 5:05, 7:05, 7:45, 9:45, 2HOW TO BE SINGLE Fri, Sun 12:00, 2:30, 10:25; Sun 1:40, 2:25, 4:25, 5:05, 7:05, 7:45, 5:10, 7:50, 10:25; Sat 11:50, 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 9:45, 10:25; Mon, Wed-Thu 6:50, 7:20, 9:30, 10:00; Tue 4:40, 6:50, 7:20, 9:30, 10:00 2HAIL, 10:25; Mon-Thu 12:00, 2:30, 5:05, 7:40, 10:15 2IP MAN 3 Fri 12:50, 5:40, 8:10, 10:45; SatCAESAR! Fri 6:30, 9:20; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:40, Sun 5:40, 8:10, 10:45; Mon 1:30, 4:00, 8:05, 6:30, 9:20; Mon, Wed-Thu 7:10, 9:40; Tue 10:30; Tue, Thu 12:50, 5:35, 8:05, 10:30; Wed 4:45, 7:10, 9:40 2HOW TO BE SINGLE Fri, 1:25, 10:30 2KUNG FU PANDA 3 Fri 12:40, Mon, Wed-Thu 7:20, 10:00; Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 10:00; Tue 4:40, 7:20, 10:00; Stars & 3:20; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:20; Mon 12:25, 2:45; Strollers Thu 1:00 2THE REVENANT Fri 6:40, Tue 12:45, 3:15; Wed 1:05, 4:00; Thu 1:05, 3:15, 7:15 2LOVE LIVE! THE SCHOOL IDOL 10:00; Sat 12:00, 3:20, 6:40, 10:00; Sun 3:20, MOVIE Sat 12:55 2PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 6:40, 10:00; Mon, Wed-Thu 8:00; Tue 4:30, AND ZOMBIES Fri-Sun 10:35; Mon-Thu 8:00 2WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... Sun 12:55 2ZOOLANDER NO. 2 Fri, Mon, Wed- 10:20 2THE REVENANT Fri, Sun, Tue 3:10, 6:35, 9:55; Sat 3:25, 6:45, 10:05; Mon 6:35, Thu 7:45, 10:20; Sat 12:00, 2:35, 5:10, 7:45, 9:55; Wed 3:35, 7:00, 9:55; Thu 3:35, 9:55 10:20; Sun 2:35, 5:10, 7:45, 10:20; Tue 5:10, 2STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS Fri7:45, 10:20; Stars & Strollers Thu 1:00 Thu 1:00, 7:10 2WHEN HARRY MET SALLY... CINEPLEX ODEON STRAWBERRY Sun 12:55; Wed 7:00 2ZOOLANDER NO. HILL 12161 72nd Ave, Surrey, 604-501-9420, 2 Fri-Sun 12:30, 3:05, 5:40, 8:15, 10:45; Monwww.cineplex.com 2AIRLIFT Fri-Thu Thu 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30 12:10, 3:30, 6:50, 10:05 2THE CHOICE Fri, Sun-Thu 1:50, 7:30; Sat 7:30 2DEADPOOL TWILIGHT DRIVE-IN 260th Street & Fraser Fri, Sun-Mon, Wed-Thu 12:00, 2:00, 2:40, Highway, Langley, 604-856-5063, www.twi4:40, 5:20, 7:20, 8:00, 10:00, 10:40; Sat lightdrivein.net 213 HOURS: THE SECRET 11:20, 12:00, 2:00, 2:40, 4:40, 5:20, 7:20, 8:00, SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI Fri-Sun 9:20 10:00, 10:40; Tue 12:00, 2:00, 2:35, 4:40, 5:10, 2DADDY’S HOME Fri-Sun 7:30 7:20, 7:45, 10:00, 10:20 2FITOOR Fri-Thu 12:45, 3:55, 7:05, 10:20 2GHAYAL ONCE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM 4D AGAIN Fri-Thu 12:35, 4:00, 7:25, 10:40 EXPERIENCE THEATRE 845 Avison Way, 2HAIL, CAESAR! Fri-Thu 1:20, 4:15, 7:00, Vancouver, 604-659-3474, vanaqua.org 9:50 2HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 2 Sat 11:00 2FROZEN PLANET: THE 4-D EXPERIENCE 2HOW TO BE SINGLE Fri-Sun 11:50, 2:30, Fri, Mon-Thu 11:15, 12:40, 1:45, 3:10, 4:35; 5:10, 7:50, 10:30; Mon-Tue, Thu 12:10, 2:45, Sat-Sun 11:15 am (every 30 minutes until 5:20, 7:55, 10:30; Wed 3:40, 6:55, 9:45; 4:15 pm) Stars & Strollers Wed 1:00 2KUNG FU PANDA 3 Fri-Thu 4:50 2LOVE LIVE! THE SCHOOL IDOL MOVIE Sat 12:55 2PRIDE TIME OUT MOVIE LISTINGS AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES Fri-Thu are a public service provided free of charge, based 4:55, 10:10 2THE REVENANT Fri-Wed on available space. Every effort is made to acquire 12:05, 3:35, 6:45, 9:55; Thu 12:05, 3:35, 10:15 accurate weekly movie listings by press time, but info is subject to change without notice. To avoid 2STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS FriThu 1:00, 7:10 2ZOOLANDER NO. 2 Fridisappointment, please confirm films and times Sat 12:30, 3:05, 5:40, 8:15, 10:50; Sun-Tue, by checking the cinema’s website.

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HOUSING

Collingwood redevelops

T

he City of Vancouver has unveiled its redeveloped into taller apartment buildings. preferred option for redevelopment Another is city-owned land at Vanness Avaround the Joyce-Collingwood Sky- enue and McHardy Street. The third is the St. Train station. Mary’s Parish property. Subject to approval by council in the spring, Outside the Collingwood Neighbourhood the conceptual plan includes a pair of new House hall, where the open house was held, Arihigh-rises that will dwarf everything else in the elle dela Cruz Yip and other organizers with the neighbourhood. Joyce Area Residents Association held up placAn almost 100-metre building may sprout ards protesting the plan. They are worried that at the site of two popular shops, Bamboo Café redevelopment of the neighbourhood will disand Super Great Pizza, right next to the station. place long-term residents, particularly renters. A 90-metre tower may rise north of the transit “A lot of people just want to hold on to hub, where a Tim Hortons is located. their sense of community here,” dela Cruz Both will be taller than exYip told the Straight. “A isting high-rises in Collinglot of them have lived in wood Village and the nearby Renfrew-Collingwood for towers under construction many years, so they’re feelCarlito Pablo as part of the Wall Centre ing like the impacts aren’t Central Park development on Boundary Road. communicated and their concerns aren’t acAt another corner next to the SkyTrain sta- tually being heard.” tion, where the city may approve an 80-metre building in a future rezoning application, WHEN SHOWING homes, Michael Carrier is Westbank Projects Corp. has proposed to de- often told by clients that they’ll wait for him at the next property. velop an adjacent 29-storey tower. Because the Vancouver realtor rides a bike, The city plan also includes three new towers on the St. Mary’s Parish property on Joyce his buyers think they’ll get there faster in Street. One will be a replacement for—and their cars. Much to their surprise, the agent twice the height of—the 11-storey Columbus usually arrives ahead of them. Carrier used to drive an Audi, but he hasn’t Tower, which currently provides affordable had a car in the past four years. Nowadays, housing for seniors. In other areas around the SkyTrain station, he goes about his business on a Devinci bike. apartment buildings of four and six storeys According to him, it’s actually easier to move around in the city on two wheels compared are envisioned. The city presented its favoured option for to driving a car. “Everything in Vancouver, even from UBC the redevelopment of lands in the immediate vicinity of the station in open houses on Febru- to East Van, is only 15 to 20 minutes by bike,” Carrier told the Straight in a phone interview. ary 3 and 6. Although Carrier has been doing this for At the February 6 open house, senior planner Paula Huber stressed that a new Joyce-Colling- a number of years, it doesn’t look like many wood plan represents only “opportunities”. “This realtors are ready to follow his lead and ditch is not the city going out and forcing change,” Hu- their cars for a bicycle. Carrier isn’t discouraged by that, and he beber told the Georgia Straight. Huber also said that the plan incorporates lieves that it could catch on. “One just recently affordable housing, improved pedestrian con- told me that he tried it for a while, and he says it was quite difficult so he stopped doing it,” he nections, and childcare as priorities. “In this tight area, there is a significant said. “But then I saw him again last week, and opportunity for affordability,” the city plan- he said he’s going to give it a shot again.” Carrier advertises as a cycling real-estate ner said. According to Huber, three sites can pro- agent, and for someone who’s into a lot of vide a range of new mixed-income rental sports, like hockey and squash, it fits into housing. One is the existing B.C. Housing his active lifestyle: “I actually feel better on site of two-storey townhouses, which may be a bike than I do in a car.” -

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savage love Gay male in my late 20s. I recently

ended things with a guy. Our relationship started as a strictly sexual one. We’re both involved in the kink scene in our city and have interests that align in a particularly great way. Quickly, it became clear there was a real connection. The next two months were great! I had a toothbrush at his place within three weeks. But early on, I noticed that he was a much more extroverted person than I was. He would laugh loudly at movies, work the room at parties, say things about kink in the middle of crowded restaurants. I prefer to blend in. Initially, I thought of this as “the price of admission”, one I was willing to pay, but it soon became tiresome. I ended things, telling him that there were conflicts with our personalities that made a relationship difficult, not specifying what. He fell for me—he’s stated it over and over—but I don’t want him to think he has to change who he is to be with me. I’m confused, Dan. I loved being in a relationship again (I’ve been single for a VERY long time), the sex is great, and finding someone who shares your kinks and you’re attracted to emotionally is rare. We have a ton in common when he’s being down-to-earth. He’s asking me to reconsider. Was I right to end this? > TIRED OF BEING SINGLE

He shouldn’t have to change who he is to be with you, TOBS, but what if he wants to? It’s unlikely he’ll morph into an always-quietly-tittering, always-discreetly-kinking introvert, just as you’re

unlikely to morph into a braying, oversharing extrovert. But if making an effort to dial it back is the price he has to pay to be with you—along with reserving convos about his kinks (and, by inference, your kinks) for fetish clubs and play parties—why not let him decide if he’s willing to pay? Gays represent a tiny percentage of the general population, TOBS, and kinky gays represent a not-so-tinybut-still-smallish percentage of the gay population. I don’t think you have to marry this man, regardless of his flaws, just because you’re gay and your kinks align. But you should think twice about discarding a guy who’s gay and kinky and whose company you enjoy most of the time just because he gets on your nerves now and then. At the very least, you owe it to yourself, just as you owe it to him, to be specific about the reasons you pulled the plug—because he might want to make an effort to win you back. There’s a lot that’s good here—your kinks align (rare!) and you enjoy spending some-but-not-all of your time together (common!)—and there are always work-arounds for the bad. An example from my own life: my husband is way more extroverted than I am. So sometimes he goes to movies, restaurants, clubs, and concerts without me. I stay home and read or sleep or clean. And then, when he gets home, we have something to talk about—how the movie was, whether the restaurant was any good, who was out at the clubs, and if there were any cute boys in the band. He doesn’t make me go out; I don’t make him stay home. It’s a

> BY DAN SAVAGE pushes back, you explain to zir that if anyone’s being controlling and abusive here, it’s zir. And if ze starts shaking and crying, SUB, direct zir to the student health centre. And for your own protection, SUB, tell zir all of this with at least one witness present. Document everything, and if ze keeps getting in your face about your consensual, nonabusive D/s relationship, take I’m a gay male college student in a the ironic step of fi ling a restraining healthy D/s relationship with a bisex- order against zir. ual guy. My boyfriend posts pictures of our kink sessions to his Tumblr. I’m a 24-year-old gay male. My boy(No faces.) A trans woman active in friend and I have been together for just campus queer politics confronted me over a year. I have a hang-up when it today. Ze had seen my boyfriend’s comes to anal sex. I like bottoming, Tumblr (!) and recognized me (!!!). Ze and I’ve had my fair share of great exdemanded I stop engaging in BDSM periences, but I’ve bottomed only once because ze has to see me on campus, with my boyfriend. I think I’ve identiand knowing my boyfriend “controls fied why: the ceremonies around anal and abuses” me is triggering for zir. sex (the lube and condoms part) turn Ze said images of me in medical re- me off due to the smell of the lube and straints were particularly traumatiz- the sound of the condom wrapper. It ing. Ze was shaking and crying, and brings up memories of times when I I wound up comforting zir. I stupidly didn’t have a great time bottoming. let zir think I would stop. Now what? Additionally, he is a little bigger than > SCENARIO UTTERLY BANANAS most, so there’s that. What do you suggest? Would it be as simple as findP.S. Ze also threatened to out my ing a lube that doesn’t smell so much? boyfriend if ze saw new pictures go When I top him, which is something up on his Tumblr. My boyfriend is al- we both enjoy, there isn’t a problem. > WANTS ANAL NOW, ready out—about being bi and being GODDAMNIT! kinky—so he laughed it off. But how fucked-up is that? Usually when someone complains You tell this woman you take or- about an unpleasant smell associders from your boyfriend, SUB, not ated with anal sex… lube isn’t the from random campus nutcases. You issue. But that’s an easily solved advise zir to stay away from Tumblr problem, WANG, so easily solved porn ze finds traumatizing. And if ze that you bundled the answer up with work-around that works for us. With some effort, TOBS, you could find the work-arounds that work for you two: he makes an effort, when you nudge him, to dial it back; he goes to comedies with his friends, dramas with you; if he’s working a room, he won’t take offence if you slip into another room. Give it—give him—a chance.

your question: There are 10 million brands of lube on the market, kiddo. Shop around until you find one that doesn’t offend your nostrils. As for the condom-wrapper issue, try opening condoms 10 or 20 minutes in advance. Condoms are likelier to be an interruption—one that derails hot butt sex—if you wait until the split second before penetration to bust one out. Open condom packets early, WANG, and put the condom on the BF during foreplay. That way, if the fumbling deflates your bottom-boner (which is a state of mind), you’ll have time to make out, roll around, rim each other, stroke yourself—whatever it takes to get your bottom-boner back. To get a handle on your performance anxiety and those negative associations—bad memories of lousy experiences, fear of your boyfriend’s big ol’ dick, concerns about whether you’ll have to bail—get some butt toys of varying sizes, and use ’em when you’re alone. With no boyfriend around to disappoint, the penetration will be about your pleasure. In a month or two, with a little effort and nonstinky lube, you’ll have built up a store of positive associations and gained some confidence. And finally, WANG, if nothing works…maybe you’re a top? . L i s t e n t o D a n ’s p o d c a s t ev e r y we e k a t s a va ge l ove c a s t . c o m / . Email: mail@savagelove.net . Follow Dan on Twitter at www.twitter. com/fakedansavage/.

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> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < FASCINATING PEOPLE

r

s

AUSTRALIAN AT SAVE ON

s

PRINCETON PUB

s

r

CACTUS CLUB - YALETOWN

r

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 7, 2016 WHERE: Seawall

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 3, 2016 WHERE: Save On Cambie

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 4, 2016 WHERE: Princeton

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 2, 2016 WHERE: Cactus Club - Yaletown

We locked eyes for a few seconds as you said “...fascinating people...” and walked by with your friend. I’m curious - let’s go for a walk!

You were a rower and good at math. I was a blonde who couldn’t decide what to buy.

DQ LYNN VALLEY

SCOTIABANK THEATRE - SOLO DATE NIGHT WITH SELF

it was karaoke night and I was sitting with my neighbour by the bar. You were playing pool with your friends wearing a black hoodie and toque. Blue eyes. I kept staring at you. Wish we would have met.

Was with a friend and saw you in a booth with your girlfriend. Very striking looking classy lady - before I had a chance to try to talk to you, you left. Would like to go for a coffee, glass of wine? whatever strikes the mood

r

s

s

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 8, 2016 WHERE: DQ Lynn Valley

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 5, 2016 WHERE: Scotiabank Theatre

You - beautiful blonde with sultry blue eyes. You exchanged electrical glances with Me - grey hair blue eyes who was there with sister. I think you have a boy named Taylor as I have one too.

Colin, we are basically the same person, as you said. I wished I had come straight over to you after the film was done to ask what you thought hoping we once again had something in common. Can we run into one another again? I’d consider giving up my seat in the back next time and turn it into an actual ‘date’

MISSED GLANCES

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 7, 2016 WHERE: Canada Line OakridgeGranville I noticed you before I even walked onto the train. Black coat, blue jeans, red backpack, blonde hair and a beautiful face that made me feel a bit shy. You were chatting with an Asian fellow with glasses. I was wearing black and grey sweats/hoodie and a black ball cap. We narrowly missed a number of glances in each others’ directions. I was working with a client, otherwise I would have come said hi. This method of reaching out seems a bit odd, but I really wanted to share a smile with you.

CROSSWORD CUTIE

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 6, 2016 WHERE: 99 bus You sat in the middle of the bus working on a book of crossword puzzles. I was the handsome (or so I’d like to think) Asian guy who kept blatantly stealing glances at you. I think you’re really pretty and I wanted to say hi and ask about your puzzle, but that’d be creepy, right? Posting an anonymous "I Saw You" is totally less creepy/weird/ desperate. Anywho, if you ever get stuck on a crossword, I’m pretty good with the movie stuff!

r

We matched on tinder. You asked what I was doing because you like to hear about the mundane in peoples lives. I thought you were special, from our short couple chats. What happened?

WHAT WERE YOU LISTENING TO?

r

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 4, 2016 WHERE: The number 20 bus From Main to Clark

r

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 15, 2016 WHERE: 402 Bus to Brighouse Stn I was a little lost and trying to get back to Richmond Centre. I hopped on your bus and we had a chat about how much Compass gates and Ikea artwork suck. I was on my way to an friend’s gallery show and I regret not getting your number. Meet up and keep talking?

GRANVILLE ISLAND RAINY DAY

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: AUGUST 5, 2015 WHERE: On Our Little Screens

DRIVING THE 402 BUS

s

CHA CHA YOU’RE A FOLEY

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 4, 2016 WHERE: Granville Island Market

Long golden hair which you used to hide your face grey trench coat and jogs tucked into you socks tucked into your slip-ons. We caught each other's glances once, maybe twice. We both had music playing to ourselves. You bobbed your head and was into it, I liked your style and I was into you. I’m stoked you’re out there. I was in the back half... hoodie and blue sweat pants laundry day style.

CUTE TALL GUY AT THE RED ROOM FOR MARTEN HORGER

We crossed paths in the food court of the market. I was the guy wearing a grey sweater third wheeling a young couple with a baby. I was to captivated to muster anything more than a hello. I saw you again in the market later on but when I finally managed the courage to come over to say hello you were gone. I went out the door to see if I could see you but you were no where to be found. I’ll chalk this up to a learning curve on just being a man and introducing myself. In the meantime this is just a shot in the dark, because why not!

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 30, 2016 WHERE: Red Room I was quite tipsy and my friend was the gate keeper to protect me from creepos trying to dance with me. She let you through because you were tall and handsome. We danced and I left with my friend. We later bumped into you on the street while grabbing a cab and you were munching on a slice of pizza. I was ushered in the cab without a chance to give you my number. Would love to have another dance party.

ELEVATOR IN THE MARINE BUILDING

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 3, 2016 WHERE: Marine Building I was the girl with the red lips, and the red coat at the crosswalk. We made eye contact. We proceeded to not only go into the same building, but the same elevator. There was such good tension. You told me to have a nice day before getting off. I could have sworn I was in a movie. Thanks for that.

JUST AROUND THE CORNER CAMBIE & BDWY ON THE #17

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 1, 2016 WHERE: #17 bus You came on the bus @ Cambie & 7th, I left at the next stop. In the time in between we exchanged quite a few glances - you have a great goatee, amazing clear eyes & were wearing a black toque & black ski jacket, carrying 2 bags (& tapping your right hand a bit). Me - long black wool coat, short salt & pepper hair & black framed glasses. Felt some electricity each time I was brave enough to look into your eyes and smiled shyly at you as I left the bus. If you felt something too - how about a longer bus ride together soon to get acquainted more?

CONNECTION @ SAFEWAY

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 30, 2016 WHERE: Fox Cabaret Hey Amanda, I know we’re gonna bump into each other again, but just in case... :) Let’s be friends!!

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 2, 2016 WHERE: Commercial and Broadway Safeway

I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 30, 2016 WHERE: Winners on Granville and Robson St.

We caught each others eyes as you were headed into the Commercial and Broadway Safeway and I was leaving the parking lot. I definitely felt you see me. You were wearing all black like me, I had my camera strapped around my neck and my hair in a pony tail. As I looked back at you I could see your head turning back as we just missed our second glance. Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t so shy...

I saw the most beautiful tall slim woman at Winners on Granville St. You were in line behind me wearing boots and jeans. I was wearing a burgundy Jacket. We ran into one another again outside on the corner of Granville and Robson St. You had put on a cream colored knit toque’ish hat it was raining. You caught me off guard and I missed making an introduction.

CUTE BLOND GUY AT CHILL WINSTON

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 1, 2016 WHERE: Chill Winston I was your server and you were very cute. Your friend’s name was Justin. I don’t even know if you are gay, but got some subtle vibe you might be. If I am not off and you see this, hit me up :)

UPSET AT GILMORE

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 31, 2016 WHERE: Gilmore SkyTrain Station You were quite distraught outside the SkyTrain station and I gave you a shoulder to cry on. What happened that day seemed to be the icing on a rather bitter cake that you’d been served the past 6 months. If you need someone help restore your faith in humanity or just an open ear to feel comfortable around, I can do that. You seem like you could do with some more good folks in your life.

DIRTBIKE ON MAIN AMANDA, JAVIER FROM FOX CABARET, JAN 30

BURGUNDY AND CREAM TOQUE

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 25, 2016 WHERE: Main Street You. Riding white dirt-bike on Main, wearing black skirt and boots. I made mention of your boots, and you demonstrated how well they worked on the pegs and brake. Coffee-brake?

I INTEND TO SEE YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE AND YOU AGAIN - ANGEL 786

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 25, 2016 WHERE: MAIN STREET AND EAST 8 AVE I saw you in the bus #3 on Monday, we had an acquaintance and cannot get you out of my head... I found you really beautiful... you were wearing a long black coat with denim and white shoe. We stared each other back and forth and you got off the same bus stop I did. Sorry I didn’t had the guts to talk to you but after I missed that day talking to you I am really sad that I should have at least made the move and asked for your contact info. I was wearing black boots, blue jacket and a hat. I am dark skin, 5’8 tall and with some black facial hair... if you reading this then I believe it is meant to be... Looking to hear from you my soul angel. Peace Love XOXO

I WAS BUMBLING ON MY PHONE AFTER I SAW YOUR EYES

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 28, 2016 WHERE: Waiting for the Bus at Granville and broadway You were waiting for the bus ahead of me in line. I looked up from my phone and I was awe struck by your beautiful light eyes. We got on the #10 bus. You were very a beautiful brunette with excellent fashion sense. You were wearing a black jacket and black boots with a white bag. Me: 6” dark hair and a blue plaid snowboard jacket and white shoes. Drink or coffee or nosh?

Did you see someone? Go to straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _ There were so many places I wanted to take you I don’t even know why. Every moment with her was frustrating; no chemistry, no shared enthusiasm for exploring, I knew I was just filling a social void for her, but somehow I knew we were essential? Why couldn’t she see it? Why can’t I get over it? And why the f*ck does she get a happily ever after if I don’t?

Scaan to conffess The Georgia Th G i St Straight i htt C Confessions, f i an outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives—or for the voyeurs among us who want to read what other people have disclosed.

My bff truly is my cat, no having to meet unrealistic expectations and listen to long monologues about issues - we just just chill.

Stop whining, dudes If you’re a dude, stop fucking moaning about how you can’t get laid or women don’t want to be your girlfriend. Women don’t owe you shit. Get over it. If you’re so upset she didn’t sleep with you after you were “nice” to her, maybe you should take a look at how sincere your own feelings were in the first place. Y’all make me ashamed to even be a man.

Breaking the ice How is the best way to go about approaching a woman who hangs out amongst a completely different social scene than I do? She looks, dresses and acts the part and I’m just a regular guy who probably isn’t half as cool as the guys shes hangs around with.

At a loss I have a wonderful wife, a decent job, a nice house, and vacation overseas every couple years. There is nothing wrong with my life, but nevertheless I can’t stop drinking. It’s taken over my whole life and I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything, and I’m at the end of my rope. My wife deserves so much better.

Malpractitioners Seems like everyone just wants to get through their day and take home a paycheque while doing as little as possible. I know that I do. I work on computers so if I make a mistake, can just save a new version - nothing really life-or-death going on in my job. With this in mind, I am extremely distrustful of people in the medical profession after experiencing a couple of incidences of malpractice that directly affected me for the rest of my life, in fact it just happened again today to my father.

50 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016

Wait your turn I can’t stand it when people can’t wait 1 second for me to get off the elevator or skytrain before barging in. Do you realize how this works? That the people getting off go first and then you can get on. Rather than shoving your way in. I swear the next time I’m pushing you out of the way.

Thought she was the one I broke up with my girlfriend because she told me that we could have kids only if I want to, which only means she doesn’t have a desire to have more as she already has one. I want to be a dad eventually and I’m not going to make some with a partner who makes me feel like she’s doing me a favour because she loves me. I can only imagine that ends in misery for both and the child. I’m f*cking sad but I need to move on.

The feeling It happens to me every now and then, the feeling. The feeling like everyone else is out having a good time but I’m not. The feeling that nobody really likes me around. The feeling that I won’t meet someone and settle down. The feeling that there is something wrong with me. The feeling that everyone is in on the joke except for me. Well today it happened again, the feeling hit and now I feel like shit.

I Don’t Get It I keep reading confessions from men and women talking about how hard it is to date in this city. I mean I have no trouble meeting and dating women in this city. I am an average looking guy and I will say that I do go to the gym 3 to 5 days a week so I am built but this is something most men can do. Its no fun waking up at 4:45 to go to the gym and then work but its just something I dedicate myself to. I am not saying I am attracting super models or anything like that but I attract cute and nice women. I don’t have a fancy job but I am a hard worker. Most women comment to me that men don’t approach them. And I ll admit it sucks to be shot down but that just happens. I think it goes both ways. I think men here need to be more assertive and outgoing and women here need to be more approachable and not so dismissive to guys based on their occupation or amount of money they have.

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straight stars February 11 to 17, 2016

T

he Aries moon makes for an early start and fast pace Friday. By evening, the stars hit an “I want it—I deserve it” instant-gratification mood. Setting up a perfect backdrop for Valentine’s Day, the moon slips into smooth-rolling and sensual Taurus for the weekend. Relaxation is on the docket, but the energy stays frisky and upbeat, thanks to Saturday’s Mars/Jupiter, a game-for-it combination. Enjoy sports, get out and about, and check out the local action. Let the conversation, impulse, fun, or fl irtatious mood overtake you. Mars/Jupiter is also sharply on the ball when it comes to spotting and/or sealing the deal. Has life been a tough and slow grind over the past couple of months? That’s about to change. As of Saturday, Mercury will exit Capricorn and start to pick up better speed. By next Tuesday, Venus will also advance into Aquarius. We’ll see trends, talk, politics, and social action perk up. Both planetary transits are good for a fresh infusion of ideas, products on the market, and fi nancial opportunity. Both are also timely for lifestyle upgrades and for introducing yourself to new interests and new people. There’s no need to wait until Sunday to play up the romance. Saturday night will do quite nicely. Keeping it interesting for lovers, Sunday’s stars dish up a mix of sweet and spicy.

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ARIES

March 20–April 20

> BY ROSE MARCUS

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CANCER

June 21–July 22

Life is about to get busier and a lot more interesting. There are new goals to shoot for, new people to interface with, new avenues, ideas, and products to explore, as well as new things to talk about. As of Saturday, Mercury provides a fresh-air boost to your social life and earning potential. With Venus into Aquarius next Tuesday, love-life prospects are also on the rise.

Has it been in the plans, but not in the works? Is a new awareness or growing necessity commanding more attention? Mercury and Venus into Aquarius will pick up speed and so should you. More and better options are on the rise. Be more of a risk-taker; step out of your comfort zone. Creative thinking and solutions are your best bet.

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TAURUS

April 20–May 21

LEO

July 22–August 23

So far, so good. The stars have helped you to hold yourself steady while major change has been underfoot regarding your lifestyle, social life, and relationship matters. The next leg of the journey begins now. Generally speaking, Mercury and Venus on the move benefit your career and financial prospects. Saturday is a great day to try something or someone new on for size.

Enjoy your favourite sport, get together with friends, or get a head start on Valentine’s Day. As of Saturday, Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter are good to go. Ideas, activities, and recreation gain a freshair boost. In addition to a sociallife perk-up, Venus into Aquarius, starting Tuesday, could dish up a new money making avenue or love interest.

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GEMINI

May 21–June 21

Mars in Scorpio has been keeping you focused, perhaps even obsessed, regarding the improvements you know are both necessary and desirable. Thanks to Mercury and Venus following the sun’s good lead in Aquarius, head, hands, and heart are better on it. Now through mid next week is prime for connecting the dots. Look around, there’s more out there for you.

VIRGO

August 23–September 23

Over the past couple of weeks, Mercury and Venus in Capricorn have been working on your behalf, building your confidence and staging better results. So far, so good. As both planets trek into Aquarius, they’ll speed up healing, corrections, and upgrades. A job, study, therapy, attitude, or process—these planets also dish up something new to try on for size.

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LIBRA

September 23–October 23

Friday calls for quick thinking, decisive action, and no time-wasting. For the most part, that suits you just fine. No matter how you spend it, Saturday’s stars keep you clipping along. The conversation, interest, and energy stay fresh. It’s all good Valentine’s Day, too. Over next week, Mercury and Venus into Aquarius offer a fresh boost to love, life, and luck.

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SCORPIO

October 23–November 22

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CAPRICORN

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AQUARIUS

December 21–January 20

Over the next few days, both Mercury and Venus will leave your sign, but they are not abandoning you! Instead, they’ll boost you with fresh can-do, putting you in the mood to explore new options and solutions. Saturday night and Sunday morning are your best times to play up the romance. January 20–February 18

Waiting to launch? You’ll love the fresh energy boost you get from both Mercury and Venus into Aquarius. Mercury offers physical energy and intellectual stimulation. Venus turns you into an attention-getter and brings you good feedback. Both increase money prospects, social popularity, and romantic potential. Saturday/Sunday, indulge, enjoy.

There’s no lack of steam to keep you going strong! Mars continuing in Scorpio keeps passion nicely fired up, and/or obsession front and centre. While you may have a game plan in mind for how to play it next, through ValenPISCES tine’s Day and through mid next February 18- March 20 week, spontaneity will prove to be As both Mercury and Venus an excellent contributor to your trek into Aquarius, your attention will success and satisfaction quotient. shift from what’s going on “out there” SAGITTARIUS to what’s going on “in here”. A special November 22–December 21 someone gains more of your attention Fresh ideas, subjects to too. Things click quite beautifully on Satdiscuss, prospects, and trends— urday. Breakfast, brunch, or whatever, you’ll love the boost you get from it’s all good on Valentine’s Day. You’ll hit Mercury and Venus on the move- your best stride next Wednesday. along. A new friend, agent, or love interest offers a welcome perk-me- Join Rose for Cosmic Love Connecup. Play up the love or lust this tions at the H.R. MacMillan Space weekend or simply ease your way Centre on February 14 at 7:30 p.m. along: it’s all good Friday through and 9 p.m. Tickets are at 604-738-7827. Sunday. Monday to Wednesday, Visit her website at www.rosemarcus. com/astrolink/. dive in, full tilt.

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FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 51


52 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 11 – 18 / 2016


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