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2 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
More than ever, the world needs courageous Canadians [V KLÄUL ^OV ^L HYL NSVIHSS` That means you. 2017 COMMUNITY SUMMIT FEATURING:
Dashan (Mark Rowswell) “The most famous Canadian in China”
Roland Paris
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Sheila Watt-Cloutier
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Senator Yuen Pau Woo
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Laura Lynch CBC News correspondent
Robert Fisk
(^HYK ^PUUPUN 4PKKSL ,HZ[ JVYYLZWVUKLU[ MVY The Independent
EVENTS:
Who Needs Canada? | Monday, February 27 @ 7pm
>OH[ ]HS\L JHU *HUHKH VɈLY [V [OL ^VYSK& >OH[ HYL V\Y YPZRZ HUK VWWVY[\UP[PLZ&
Culture / Diplomacy | Wednesday, March 1 @ 7pm
( JLSLIYH[PVU VM HY[PZ[Z ZOHWPUN *HUHKH»Z YLSH[PVUZOPW ^P[O *OPUH
Featuring: Mark Rowswell (Dashan/大山), Chan Hon Goh, Wen Wei Wang, Hank Bull, Zheng Shengtian and Jan Walls. 7YLZLU[LK PU WHY[ULYZOPW ^P[O [OL =HUJV\]LY (Y[ .HSSLY`
The Anger of Nations—with Nik Nanos | Thursday, March 2 @ 7pm
/V^ ZOV\SK *HUHKH YLZWVUK [V YHKPJHS WVW\SPZT HYV\UK [OL ^VYSK&
The Middle East and the Refugee Crisis | Tuesday, March 7 @ 7pm ;OL VU [OL NYV\UK Z[VY` VM [OL YLM\NLL JYPZPZ
Featuring: Robert Fisk, Nelofer Pazira, Catherine Boura and Bal Brach.
Tickets available at: sfu.ca/publicsquare/canada Image: Tony Webster
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 3
Lloyd Arntzen
Honorary Alumnus Musician, witer, storyteller Lloyd has influenced traditional jazz musicians and instructors for decades.
Rosemary Bartram Changemaker
Owner/Jewellery Designer, Era Design Rosemary specializes in custom wedding and engagement jewellery using conflict-free diamonds.
Roshni Kashyap
Community Contribution Owner, Rosh’s Chutneys
Rosh is an entrepreneur and spokesperson for others with special needs.
Congratulations to Vancouver Community College’s Outstanding Alumni winners 2016.
Scott Jaeger
Career Success Chef/Owner, The Pear Tree Restaurant Scott is a chef/mentor and peer-recognized industry leader.
vcc.ca/alumni
Emily Upham One to Watch
Owner, When Pigs Fly Pastries Emily creates highly-innovative specialty cakes and pastries.
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FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 5
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Pinchbeck explores spiritual hope for planet > B Y A DRIAN MACK
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6 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
aniel Pinchbeck could very well save our hides. His new book, How Soon Is Now: From Personal Initiation to Global Transformation, elevates itself well beyond the kind of doom tract that increasingly clutters bookshelves (and movie screens) these days, as humanity senses with ever-growing alarm its impending all-systems collapse. On the contrary, while Pinchbeck explains with terrifying clarity that we’ve crossed the line on at least four of the nine planetary boundaries that will, short of immediate action, spell our demise—climate change, loss of biodiversity, ozone depletion, nitrogen pollution—the 50-year-old author has stuffed How Soon Is Now with a dazzling array of practical, if radical, solutions, all of them well within reach if historical precedent is anything to go by. By the end of its 265 urgent, breathless, inspired pages, you might actually feel weirdly uplifted, maybe even hopeful. When the Straight reaches him by phone, mind you, Pinchbeck is an exhausted man, wheeling through New York City by cab after an eight-hour flight from London, having wrapped up the European leg of a tour that brings the author to Vancouver for a speaking engagement at Banyen Books early next month. As such, he’s ready to get a little blunt about the prospects of a book that imagines a future based partly in mystical anarchism. “It took me so long to do this book,” he begins, “and I feel it’s so important, and at this point I’m kind of sad because I used to be more part of the mainstream media and I’m finding it more difficult to get a hearing, so far. I see Milo Yiannopoulos getting interviewed all over the fucking place with his book that he made a lot more money for, and this is what the culture is fucking focused on. You spend nine years trying to figure out how to get out of this mess, and you can’t even get a review in the English newspapers. It sucks!” Amazingly, while Pinchbeck speaks, Yiannopoulos is actually facing the ignominious end of his tenure as the alt-right’s favourite comic hatetroll, losing that book deal thanks to his somewhat confused position on pedophilia. It’s a synchronicity that Pinchbeck will surely relish once the news reaches him, since How Soon Is Now is more than just a practical guide to outsmarting apocalypse. The author’s core argument is that we stand at the threshold of a sort of mass spiritual awakening—“a rite of passage or initiation for our species as a whole”, he says—forced by a raft of mounting crises that postindustrial civilization has willed into existence out of “a deep well of suppressed grief over our assault on the biosphere”.
Daniel Pinchbeck says Trump may be a “contraction” before enlightenment.
In a book exploding with its author’s erudition and dizzying in its scope, this is as good a place as any for further interrogation. Pinchbeck’s ideas about political and technological reform are relatively easy to grasp, such as the repurposing of global corporate infrastructure to altruistic ends. It’s the more esoteric side of How Soon Is Now—developed from his encounters with psychedelics and shamanism described in 2002’s Breaking Open the Head—that arguably presents the hardest challenge to readers steeped in secular materialism. Some will balk at Pinchbeck’s assertion that “in quantum physics, we are realizing the union of Western science with Eastern metaphysics.” “The fact is that I don’t personally have to demonstrate to myself that there’s an underlying consciousness in reality that’s somehow psychic in nature, as Carl Jung expressed in his work, and as many others have expressed, because I’ve had so much direct experience of it,” Pinchbeck offers. “Trying to find a way to understand it that fits into a scientific paradigm I believe is something that will happen and is happening. Now you even have people like Elon Musk, the transhumanists, or Cambridge philosophers talking about the simulation hypothesis, which is basically exactly the same thing that eastern mysticism says, that the world is like a maya or a lila—a divine play or a cosmic illusion.” Earlier in our conversation, Pinchbeck mused that the malevolence (his word) embodied by Yiannopoulos and the wounded child Donald J. Trump could be seen as a “contraction before the expansion in the birthing process” of an enlightened human community. Thirty minutes later, one of those guys was finished. Let’s entertain the idea that inside our shared cosmic illusion, with the right intentions, now can be much sooner than we think. Daniel Pinchbeck will speak and sign copies of How Soon Is Now at Banyen Books on March 5, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
CONTENTS
CALL ME FOR EXPERT ADVICE
From Sunset Beach. Amanda Catching photo.
9
START HERE
NEWS
Most Vancouverites have never heard of Canadian comedian Mark Rowswell, but under his Mandarin name of Dashan he has become one of the most famous foreigners in China. > BY CHARLIE SMITH
10
FOOD
Brunching Vancouverites used to have to decide between eggs and ham versus dim sum. Some new Asian Canadian places now offer both. > BY CR AIG TAKEUCHI
13
COVER
The new musical Elbow Room Café serves up the famous chaos, heart, and cleaversharp wit of the local landmark restaurant. > BY ALE X ANDER VART Y
31
6 11 28 27 43 37 39 43 40 8 27 26
Books The Bottle Comedy Dance I Saw You Local Motion Real Estate Savage Love Straight Stars Straight Talk Theatre Visual Arts
Ghibli leaves Japan with The Red Turtle; A United Kingdom aims for worthily bland; mighty James Baldwin is Not Your Negro; The Girl With All the Gifts ruins your dinner.
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In 1997, activists planted 1,000 crosses in Oppenheimer Park to represent the lives of drug users who died during the preceding four years. Two decades later, on February 21, 2017, many of the same people tied 922 wooden feathers to trees in the same park. They symbolize the 922 drug users who died in B.C. during the single year of 2016. Donald MacPherson was there that day 20 years ago and again this year. “If we don’t change our bloody drug laws, with this kind of body count, we are seriously fucked,” he told the Straight as he walked with hundreds of other demonstrators down East Hastings Street. “I’ve been through this before and it was horrendous. This is twice as bad. Have we learned anything? It appears not.” MacPherson worked for the City of Vancouver as its drug-policy coordinator from 2000 to 2009. He called the so-called war on drugs a failure and said Canada needs to begin talking about legalizing hard drugs, including heroin. “We are asking for one thing,” he said. “Explore alternatives. Actually look at the evidence.” Dean Wilson similarly played a seminal role in Vancouver’s response to the drug-overdose epidemic of the 1990s. He was a president of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) and is also credited as a cofounder of North America’s first supervised-injection facility, Insite. “If we had kept counting crosses, we would be up to about 7,000,” he said in Oppenheimer Park. (Wilson was right. From 1990 to the end of January 2017, the number of people in B.C. who died of an illicit-drug overdose is 7,594, according to B.C. Coroners Service data compiled by the Straight.) “It’s hard to take,” he added. “In the 20 years that I have been doing this work, I have never seen so many people die.” Wilson and every person the Straight spoke with at the demonstration said there is but one solution to the arrival of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that last year was associated with 60 percent of fatal overdoses in B.C.: legalize and regulate narcotics.
VANDU activists chanted in Vancouver to push the feds to legalize hard drugs. The morning of the demonstration, Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson signed a proclamation in support of the protesters, including their demand for legal access to heroin. “The systemic barriers to treatment and the criminalization of people who are suffering from addiction are worsening the overdose epidemic,” it reads. “The City of Vancouver supports the local demands of the Life Won’t Wait National Day of Action to end the overdose epidemic, including programs to provide injectable opioid treatments.” In a voice-mail message, B.C. health minister Terry Lake acknowledged demands for greater access to prescription heroin, which has been offered to a select group of patients at one Downtown Eastside clinic since November 2014. “We have those programs on a limited basis,” he said. “If there are opportunities to expand those programs, we will look for those opportunities. But it is never as simple as just opening up more space. We have to look at what that means in terms of costs and, of course, making sure it is appropriate for people.” > TRAVIS LUPICK
SANCTUARY CITY NOT IMMUNE TO CRACKDOWNS
Immigration-enforcement statistics obtained by the Straight reveal that deportations and other actions have remained steady in recent years despite a string of victories by advocates pushing for a softer line on people who enter the country illegally.
The numbers were obtained via a freedom-of-information request that it took the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) more than 13 months to answer. The data shows that CBSA Pacific Region officers initiated 2,413 investigations in B.C. in 2013, 2,563 in 2014, and 2,425 in 2015. In 2013, the agency issued 499 removal orders in B.C., 475 in 2014, and 498 in 2015. The number of people CBSA has actually removed from B.C. has declined in recent years, from 2,149 in 2013, to 1,819 in 2014 and 1,482 in 2015. The federal agency would not respond to questions about the data it supplied. Byron Cruz is a long-time immigration advocate and a member of the Mayor’s Working Group on Immigration. He listed off a number of reforms that local agencies have implemented in recent years aimed at minimizing their involvement with Canada’s immigration police. In 2014, transit police stopped referring people they apprehended to CBSA. The following year, Vancouver Coastal Health did the same. Soon after, the Fraser Health Authority, which operates another 12 hospitals throughout the region, followed that lead. And in April 2016, Vancouver city councillors voted in favour of a “sanctuary city” plan that would see municipal services such as library cards and school enrollment disconnected from any problem an individual or their family might have with immigration authorities. Yet CBSA enforcement statistics for B.C. remained stable. Cruz noted that the numbers might have declined in 2016, but he said he’s not optimistic. “For me, the numbers are shocking,” Cruz told the Straight. “Despite all these initiatives, the numbers are very similar. It seems like what people have been telling us about CBSA having an enforcement quota is true.” Cruz explained that the numbers could mean that with CBSA receiving fewer referrals from transit police and hospitals, border agents are engaging in more proactive enforcement, such as raids on construction sites. “It’s a bit discouraging,” he added. > TRAVIS LUPICK
The Georgia Straight | Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly | Volume 51 Number 2564 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
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NEWS
INNOVATION WEEK
IN #NEWWEST, INNOVATION BELONGS TO EVERYONE
February 24 - March 3 Event Highlights: February 25 & 26 Hack Our City Hack-a-thon
February 28 Innovation forum on the path to funding March 2 Leadership dinner featuring regional mayors & municipal representatives Complete list of events and ticket information available at:
newwestcity.ca/innovatenw
Canadian comic Mark Rowswell, a.k.a. Dashan, is coming to the SFU Community Summit to spill the beans on how he became the most famous foreigner in China.
Dashan charms China with Mandarin humour > BY C HA RL IE SM I TH
F
or years, Canadians have been hearing about so-called astronaut fathers. This term is usually applied to dads of Asian ancestry who fly across the Pacific Ocean to work in China so they can support their wife and kids in Vancouver. But not all astronaut fathers are Chinese. Mark Rowswell, a.k.a. Dashan, is a white comedian living in Toronto who’s been doing this since 1995. In the process, he’s become the most famous Canadian in China, thanks to his many appearances on Chinese national television. “I can walk into any room [in China] and pretty well be assured that eight out of 10 people know who I am,” Rowswell told the Georgia Straight by phone from his home. “But it’s not comparable to Justin Bieber or Avril Lavigne, because those are international celebrities. I’m pretty much a domestic celebrity. I’m part of the local scene there.” Rowswell will be in Vancouver as part of SFU Public Square’s 2017 Community Summit, which looks at the role of Canada in the world. On Wednesday evening (March 1), he’ll join Goh Ballet director Chan Hon Goh, dancer Wen Wei Wang, artist Hank Bull, curator/artist/academic Zheng Shengtian, and artist Howie Tsui on a panel to discuss how artists are shaping Canada’s relationship with China. Rowswell will also perform standup comedy in Mandarin earlier in the day at SFU’s Burnaby campus. He revealed that he first learned Cantonese, then Mandarin, while attending the University of Toronto in the mid-1980s. Back then, he recalled, about 80 percent of the Chinese spoken in Canada was Cantonese, which is a regional dialect centred in the southern province of Guangdong and Hong Kong. After graduating from university in 1988, he moved to China for seven years, thinking this would be a steppingstone to a career in business, diplomacy, or academia. “That’s sort of where my mind was when I went to do a TV show, just for fun,” Rowswell recalled. “You’re in China. Somebody asks you if you want to be on TV. Why not? Right?” More appearances followed as hundreds of millions of Chinese became fascinated with this white Canadian who could perform traditional Chinese comedy sketches and recite Tang poetry in his sleep. It was only after getting married that he moved back to Canada, but he continued flying back to China for work. “On the surface, I’m more Chinese than the Chinese,” he quipped. “I’m the uber China hand.” Naturally, Rowswell came to the attention of Canadian officials as he embraced the role of a cultural ambassador, helping promote greater
understanding between the two cultures. Almost everywhere he went in China, he was instantly recognizable because of the reach of Chinese national television. The only exception was in Hong Kong, which has its own television stations. Rowswell has met two presidents of China, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, and the past four Canadian prime ministers. He was also commissioner general for Canada at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. “I was at all of the functions, sort of waving the f lag as Mr. Canada,” he recalled. “I met all the big guys.” After the world’s fair in Shanghai, Rowswell developed an itch to move away from his safe, squeakyclean TV image and do more daring, counterculture-style comedy in theatres. He likened it to George Carlin’s shift from being a mainstream-TV comedian to performing more biting, observational humour. In Rowswell’s autobiographical routine, he doesn’t obliterate his previous identity but rather playfully twists it. “It’s a challenge for audiences,” he acknowledged. “There’s a huge desire to see something [in a live show] that we can’t see on television, but at the same time, not everybody wants to see really edgy, raw comedy.” So is there any risk to his new style of humour in China? Rowswell responded that Chinese audiences are in no mood to hear a foreigner make fun of their political system, so he doesn’t go there. “It’s not a question of government censorship,” he emphasized. “It’s a question of, ‘Who the hell are you to make fun of our government?’ ” Janet Webber is the executive director of SFU Public Square, which organized the 2017 Community Summit. She said Rowswell fits into the summit’s theme of looking at Canada’s role in the world. Speakers at other events will include famed Lebanon-based journalist Robert Fisk, climate-change activist and author Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau adviser Roland Paris, and former Stephen Harper adviser Shuvaloy Majumdar. “We want to extend the invitation to anyone and everyone—foreignpolicy wonk or not—to come and engage with each other,” Webber told the Straight by phone. “These are really important conversations to be having. You don’t need to have a master’s degree in public policy to be able to come into this event, feel comfortable, learn something, and have something to offer.” Mark Rowswell will speak at Culture/ Diplomacy: A Celebration of Artists Shaping Canada’s Relationship With China at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Wednesday (March 1). For more information on SFU Public Square’s 2017 Community Summit, entitled Who Needs Canada?, visit www.sfu.ca/.
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FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 9
FOOD
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nyone who’s witnessed Due to demand, the fried-chicken the never-ending lineups omelette special (with spinach, feta, at spots like Jam Café or hash browns, sesame seeds, nori, Yolks can attest that this toast, and sweet Korean chili sauce city has some serious beasties who for $15) is now a regular on the perbrunch. Meanwhile, those who want petually evolving menu. something beyond the typical fare Elsewhere in the city, if you want of eggs, bacon, and pancakes can be to start your day with some island found among the equally voracious inspiration, local chainlet Bao dim-sum crowd. Down offers two But what if you brunch menus. want a bit of both Its Olympic Vilworlds? lage Gastropub Craig Takeuchi Holy shiitake, and Raw Bar (115 Batman—it’s Asian-Canadian menus West 2nd Avenue) serves a preto the rescue! A number of new eat- dominantly Hawaiian brunch, eries have cropped up to help solve that while the recently opened Snack dilemma by adding Asian-Canadian Bar location at 221 Carrall Street in spins on traditional brunching staples. Gastown focuses more on Filipino Take, for instance, chef George dishes, with some friendly overlap Koay’s solution, which was to open between the two. the 42-seat Breakfast Table at 1481 While there are Hawaiian dishWest Broadway back in September. es like loco moco (beef patty with Koay, a Chinese Malaysian who mushroom gravy on garlic rice, hails from Georgetown, Malaysia, $18), panko-fried Spam (with two and grew up in Langley, says he eggs, garlic rice, and hash browns and his Korean-Canadian wife (a for $18), and some killer banana brunch devotee) wanted to “bring pancakes (with macadamia-nut something from our home to some- praline, macadamia syrup, and one else’s”. fruit, $15), there are also FilipinoHis approach is minimalist. fusion options. There’s everything “For me, the philosophy of all from longanisa (Filipino sausage) good food [is] I just want people to with eggs, cheese, bacon, banana come here and say, ‘Your food just ketchup, and garlic mayonnaise on reminds me of how my grandma a bao ($6) and breakfast lumpia (or used to make it, or how my mom spring rolls, with egg, Filipino porkused to make it,’ ” he tells the Geor- belly bacon, longanisa, cheese, taro gia Straight at his restaurant. hash, salsa, lettuce, and mayonnaise Thing is, most of our moms and for $12) to sisig ’n’ grits (crispy pork grandmas don’t have 25 years of jowls, white corn grits, cheese, garfood-industry experience and have lic, and eggs for $18) or spicy adobo never been an executive chef at Lift fried chicken with gluten-free ube Bar and Grill. (purple yam) waffles with Filipino The core elements of his dishes rum syrup ($20). may be simple, but the combinaMeanwhile, over at Coal Hartions and execution are sophisticat- bour’s easygoing Heritage Asian ed and satisfying. Consider the hash Eatery (1108 West Pender Street), options. Quartered potatoes and breakfast is served on weekdays two eggs come with coffee-crusted from 8 to 11 a.m. Under the direcpork belly, beef bulgogi (with kim- tion of chef Felix Zhou (formerly chi and Korean sweet chili sauce), of Beach Bay Café), the succinct chicken karaage, or sockeye salmon menu offers three selections each of fillet ($15 to $16 each). Also, the res- well-made bowls and crepes. Bowls, taurant’s ever-rotating specials have which include two sous-vide eggs included everything from a Cali- and crispy rice cakes, come with fornia-roll-inspired eggs Benedict mixed mushroom ragout ($10), co(with Dungeness crab, avocado, techino sausage ($11), or braised crab hollandaise, and trout roe) to pork belly ($12). Crepes, which ena Malaysian prawn curry roti (made fold an omelette, are available with with crab broth). We’re not in Kan- shiitake mushrooms, duck leg in sas anymore, Toto-san. Peking sauce, or pork jowl in satay The Fairview spot does offer fam- sauce (all $6 each). Don’t let the casiliar favourites, such as the Hangry ual décor fool you—these are qual(three eggs, two maple sausages, ity brunch plates done right and four bacon strips, hash browns, and with care. toast for $15) and toad in the hole All of these hearty bites will help (with two eggs, sourdough bread, you fuel up for your day in a differand cheddar cheese for $8). But ent way than you may be used to. there are also West Coast remixes, After all, like the term Asian Cansuch as a smoked-trout-fillet Ben- adian itself, these food establishedict (two poached eggs, avocado, ments reinforce the point that life English muffin, béarnaise sauce, really isn’t about either/or. Quite trout roe, and hash browns for $16). often, it’s and. -
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10 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
FOOD
Lifford Wine & Spirits portfolio ambassador Nicole Campbell will present an event that’ll pair wine with velvet, flowers, candles, and dry ice. Jenalle Los photo.
Grape Witches to cast a spell with wine rave
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t was just a few years back when authentic wines made with integrity I first met Nicole Campbell, the and a strong sense of place is remarkportfolio ambassador for Lif- ably infectious. Having travelled to ford Wine & Spirits. She moved numerous countries, regions, and winfrom the national wine-importing eries inhabiting the Lifford portfolio, company’s Toronto headquarters she can speak to them in great detail, to Vancouver in order to boost from an overall scope to the smallest their engagement with wine retail winemaking or vineyard quirks. and restaurant trade. In the two years she spent in VanAt the time, she was in her late 20s couver before returning to Toronto, but had a wealth of experience in the her passion and hustle found her fast industry; Lifford is owned by her fath- friends with many key personalities er, Steven Campin the industry, bell. She grew up from restaurant and came of age owners and somwith many aspects meliers to reKurtis Kolt of the industry tailers and other close by. After spending time study- importers. She’s the epitome of a ing psychology and history at Queen’s, wine geek, and some of her biggest she joined the family business and passions have been organic, biobegan learning all aspects of wine, dynamic, and natural wines from from office administration to underrepresented regions around logistics and sales—even working the world. In fact, she is in the prothe harvest at Mitchell Wines in cess of building her own subagency Australia’s Clare Valley. that will specialize in these kinds of Now, there are often assumptions wines, and she intends to share the made when the second generation stories behind them in dynamic, cascomes up in the family business. Of ual ways—all of them a far cry from course, I couldn’t help but wonder if being pedantic or reeking of dogma. she would maybe be carrying a sense Case in point: along with an indusof entitlement or any sort of attitude try colleague, Campbell has started or dubious professionalism within the hosting monthly parties in Toronto realm. Those thoughts quickly van- under the moniker of Grape Witches, ished once we had our initial meeting to share these kinds of wines with so I could taste through her portfolio. not only local sommeliers but anyone First off, Campbell’s enthusiasm for see next page
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around town who would like to learn more about them. These events have been dubbed “wine séance raves”, and from a distance they look like no other wine events I’ve seen. That will be remedied soon, though, as Campbell is returning to Vancouver to present our city’s Grape Witches’ Wine Séance Rave. (I can’t believe I just typed those words; did I mention she’s kinda wacky, too?) It all goes down this coming Monday (February 27) at Main Street’s Burdock & Co. I reached Campbell by phone this past week to try to wrap my head around what the event will entail. “Every day, I meet passionate people making conscientious choices about the food they eat, the brands they support, and the clothes they wear, and yet they’re still drinking very corporate wine with lots of additives,” she says. “We want to empower the everyday consumer to connect with like-minded wine growers in amazing parts of the world. We want to share our fiery passion in a fun, nonjudgmental or stuffy room. We throw in a lot of velvet, flowers, candles, and dry ice because wine shouldn’t be so serious. We want people to come dance with us!” It’s 10 bucks for entry, which includes a glass of sparkling wine (“that’s definitely not cheap Prosecco”) upon entrance. Simple finger food will be available for between $5 and $10, while wines that include a natural Sicilian pink and what she promises is “the best ever, ever oldvines Cinsault from South Africa” start at $10 per glass. Also on tap will be Château Lestignac “Les Brumes” 2014 ($31.99 at North Vancouver’s Everything Wine), a blend of Sémillon and Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) that was grown on a sunny, limestonerich hillside in southwestern France and is biodynamic, naturally fermented, unfiltered, and zippy with honeyed stone fruit. My curiosity is, indeed, piqued; I can’t say I’ve ever attended a wine event where dry ice permeates the room, which will also be drenched in velvet and flowers. These kinds of wines are the kinds I love as well, as do many locals in the wine trade. I’ve just gone to Grapewitches.com and purchased my ticket, which you can go ahead and do as well. Any unsold spots will be available at the door. If anything, just imagine the Instagram opportunities the evening will offer! I hope to see some readers there. G ra p e Wi t c h e s a n d B u rd o c k & Co. present Wine Séance Rave on Monday (February 27) at Burdock & Co. For information, visit www.grapewitches.com/.
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12 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
After a remarkable
B Y ALEX ANDER VAR T Y
34-year run, Vancouver’s most deliciously theatrical experience is finally taking the stage. But don’t worry: you can still dine at Davie Street’s Elbow Room Café, and if you show up with your ticket stub from Elbow Room Café: The Musical, you’ll even be entitled to 15 percent off. For those in the know, and for the occasional party of befuddled suburbanites, the Elbow Room has been serving up all-day breakfasts with a side order of abuse since well before Seinfeld’s Yev Kassem sold his first bowl of soup. Want coffee with that? Fill your own damn cup. Cashier and co-owner Patrick Savoie generally dominates the room, his camp sarcasm and overthe-top personality as abrasive and endearing as any stage star’s. In fact, when Savoie and his business and domestic partner Bryan Searle really get going, it’s a wonder the cooks don’t hide the knives. The invective is as sharp as a Japanese cleaver; the customer is never right; and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll play along, because the eggs Benedict are worth suffering for. Try the Brett Cullen. The inherent theatricality of the Elbow Room, one of the city’s first out-and-proud restaurants, was not lost on the husband-and-husband team of Dave Deveau and Cameron Mackenzie, the playwright-and-director brains behind Zee Zee Theatre. Long-time café patrons, the two were having a celebratory brunch after an opening and discussing what their next project would be when they realized that they needed look no further. “Musicals have just become such a fascinatingly hot genre,” says Deveau, who shares writing credits with composer and librettist Anton Lipovetsky. “And pretty much everything had become a musical, often things that just felt incongruous, like Rocky: The Musical. And we were sort of imagining what that could be for Vancouver, and we looked around the café, and Cam said, ‘Well, Elbow Room Café: The Musical would make so much sense!’ You know, the place is chaotic and
Dishing out its theatrical due
Real-life Elbow Room server Nelson Lamarche puts up with the antics of cast members David Adams, Justin Lapeña, and Allan Zinyk. Tracey Kusiewicz photo.
“There’s also a bachelor- with a comfortable living. Nor are queer story ette party: the bride-to- lines absent from musical theatre. But they are The creators behind this spring’s Elbow Room Café: The Musical be and two members of unapologetically elderly—Searle is in his 80s, her wedding party, who Savoie a decade younger—and if the old are reflect on the iconic Davie Street spot and its colourful history are desperately trying underrepresented in popular culture, gay seniors rhythmic and colourful and gaudy and loud. It to get her on a plane to Mexico for the wedding— are so rarely seen as to be invisible. “In our community, we often forget about our immediately sort of lends itself to the form.” but they’ve been partying all night, and they’re Of course, taking a popular, if eccentric, diner still going. And the show opens with this couple, elders,” Mackenzie says. “AIDS wiped out a large, and transferring it to the stage isn’t quite as simple these tourists from Tennessee who’ve travelled to large portion of gay men that would otherwise as throwing a few tables and a prep station into the Vancouver to visit Stanley Park and the beautiful have been a link between generations.…Young York Theatre, where Elbow Room Café: The Musical nature of the West Coast, but who somehow get gay people don’t have the opportunity to learn debuts next week. The show has been four years in sucked into the madness of the café. And slowly about their history and the battles that came bethe making, an earlier iteration having been tested these four story lines weave together into this big, fore them, because it’s hard to meet older queer people. So, for me, this is the interesting thing. For at Studio 58 in 2015. The new, fully professional ver- Technicolor, insane, debauched piece.” me, the café is the physical tie between generasion has a smaller cast, a larger band, and a tighter THE FARCE IS STRONG with this one. And yet tions—and that sort of represents the marginalfocus, but retains four intertwining plot lines. “Our focal point is Bryan and Patrick and the it would not be a Zee Zee production without ser- ized. It’s a story that we don’t often hear.” Complicating and enlivening the process of creElbow Room—and the notion of growing old, and ious underpinnings. The company is perhaps best what stamp we sort of leave on the world through the known for its ongoing Human Library collab- ating Elbow Room Café: The Musical is that the two people or the things that we leave behind,” Deveau oration with the PuSh International Performing theatre artists consider Savoie and Searle friends, says. “As the real-life Bryan and Patrick are aging, Arts Festival, in which audience members check as well as role models. Enacting real lives on-stage that’s something they think about a lot. Will they be out human “books” for brief, one-on-one inter- is problematic enough; portraying friends must be actions. The purpose is to ensure that marginal- even more daunting. remembered? How might they be remembered?” “I don’t know that I would necessarily take on A separated lesbian couple, Jackie and Jill, offer ized populations have a voice within the world of a counterpoint to Bryan and Patrick’s seemingly the performing arts, and that’s also the hidden giving voice to someone in the community who I didn’t have the kind of admiration for and actoxic yet ultimately enduring relationship. “There’s focus of Elbow Room Café: The Musical. Savoie and Searle are not economically mar- cess to that I have with those two,” says Deveau, a story line surrounding the possibility of them see next page reuniting in the café,” the playwright explains. ginalized; their business has provided them
THINGS TO DO
ARTS High five
Editor’s choice CRACK UP TO CHRIS Yo, dude, for real: Chris D’Elia is a spaz—and we love him for it. If you haven’t seen the Undateable star’s standup act, you’re in for a frenzy of physical humour and truly warped impersonations (angry girlfriends, enraged Russians, and drunk chicks are just some in his repertoire) when he hits the JFL NorthWest comedy fest this week. He’s one of the only comedians around likable and goofy enough to get away with breaking from character, often cracking up amid a joke, while we crack up with him. JFL NorthWest presents Chris D’Elia at the Vogue Theatre on Friday (February 24).
Five events you just can’t miss this week
1
FUGITIVE VOICES (February 26 at the Orpheum Annex) Bramwell Tovey conducts his own ode to slaves who escaped on the Underground Railroad.
2
ANNE LA BERGE (February 28 at the Fox Cabaret) Throw out all your ideas of the flute as an instrument as it pairs with electronics in concert.
3
AM A (To March 4 at the Cultch) Brainy young artists Amber Funk Barton and Mindy Parfitt explore neuroplasticity..
4
TOY BABIES (To February 25 at Hot Art Wet City) The amazing Andrea Hooge’s doll-head paintings fall somewhere between creepy and cute.
5
BENJAMIN BEILMAN (February 26 at the Vancouver Playhouse) Discover one of the violin’s smashing new stars at the VRS.
In the news MILLERD TO STEP DOWN Few arts companies in Canada are as synonymous with one person as the Arts Club is with Bill Millerd. And so it is momentous news that Millerd has announced that, after almost 45 years helming Western Canada’s largest theatre operation, he will retire as its artistic managing director after the 2017-18 season. Millerd began as a stage manager at the Arts Club in 1969, when it was a small but thriving troupe out of the late, historic Seymour Street venue. Taking the helm in 1972, he steered the company to a busy hub on Granville Island, year-round programming, the renovation of the heritage Stanley Theatre in 1998, and the opening of the shiny new BMO Theatre Centre in Olympic Village in 2015. “Theatre is always going through change,” he told the Straight. “And it feels like it’s time for a new generation. Sure, I can continue to pick plays as long as my brain functions. But I have to be aware that there is a generation that needs to step forward.” See our full interview with Millerd—and the 2017-18 season lineup, his last—at www.straight.com/. -
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 13
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
Music from all over creation LAILA BIALI WITH NITECAP FEB. 24 @ 8 PM
M U S IC
JUNO-nominated vocalist, pianist and songwriting wonder with Capilano U’s own NiteCap
VILLALOBOS BROTHERS • MAR. 3 @ 8 PM
A trio of Mexican virtuoso violinists redefining contemporary Latin music
BEN ALLISON QUARTET • MAR. 10 @ 8 PM Renowned for inspired arrangements, inventive grooves and an ‘instantly identifiable sound’ (MTV)
VENUE: WESTERN FRONT
Tickets: 604.990.7810 • Online: capilanou.ca/centre Capilano University • 2055 Purcell Way • North Vancouver
UPCOMING CONCERTS THE MUSIC OF BRAHMS WITH BRAMWELL TOVEY & GARRICK OHLSSON FRIDAY & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24 & 25, 8PM Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC BRAHMS Hungarian Dance No. 4 in F-sharp minor BRAHMS 3LDQR &RQFHUWR 1R LQ % ČľDW 0DMRU BRAHMS Symphony No. 2 in D Major Bramwell Tovey conductor
Garrick Ohlsson piano*
Maestro Bramwell Tovey conducts the music of one of the greatest of composers, Johannes Brahms, both the last great Classicist and a Romantic at heart. You will hear his powerful Second Piano Concerto performed by one of the world’s most commanding pianists, Garrick Ohlsson, a famous Hungarian Dance, and the extraordinary Second Symphony.
GARRICK OHLSSON
SYMPHONY AT THE ANNEX:
FUGITIVE VOICES
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 7:30PM Annex BRAMWELL TOVEY Fugitive Voices*° ANNA HĂ–STMAN 1X\DPÄ„ LÄ„ .XOKXOP[Čƒ6LQJLQJ WKH (DUWK + Bramwell Tovey conductor Robyn Driedger-Klassen soprano° Eve-Lyn de la Haye soprano° Marion Newman mezzo-soprano* Jelena Milojevic accordion+ Mezzo-soprano Marion Newman is featured in two compelling works: Bramwell Tovey's Fugitive Voices and Anna HĂśstman’s 1X\DPÄ„ LÄ„ .XOKXOP[ Č‚ 6LQJLQJ WKH (DUWK
BRAMWELL TOVEY WITH THE VSO
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Perhaps the only conclusion that
2 can be drawn from this spring’s
musical calendar is that creativity is all over the map, with artists and programs hailing from locales as diverse as Nunavut, Mongolia, Finland, China, Taiwan, Iceland, and, um, suburban Long Island, New York. The most tantalizing draw, however, must be the inaugural Vancouver Opera Festival. While many opera devotees still mourn the loss of year-round programming, strong bookings and progressive outreach suggest that the new event will get off to a good start.
ELEKTRA WOMEN’S CHOIR (At the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on March 8) For its 30th-anniversary gala, Elektra has prepared a coup: the choir will be joined by the extraordinary soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian. The Draw: Haunting Armenian hymns arranged by Bayrakdarian’s composer husband, Serouj Kradjian, who’ll also contribute a new work based on the writings of Khalil Gibran. Target Audience: Secular ears seeking the sacred. VOICE OVER MIND (At the West-
ern Front on March 9) Ritual soundscapes from eastern Europe and environmental musings from the Gulf Islands take centre stage in this evening of unconventional song. The Draw: Singer Julia Ulehla and guitarist Aram Bajakian’s band Dålava builds on the Moravian field recordings of Ulehla’s ethnomusicologist great-grandfather; here, the two go ever further out with this rich source material. Target Audience: Those who will not be silenced.
WITH JEREMY DENK
SATURDAY & MONDAY, MARCH 4 & 6, 8PM Orpheum SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture MOZART Piano Concerto No. 19 in F Major* SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 12 in D minor, The Year 1917 Jeremy Denk piano*
Conductor David Danzmayr presides over a program featuring 2014 Musical America Instrumentalist of the Year Jeremy Denk performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 19, and Shostakovich’s grand story-telling work, Symphony No. 12 ‘The Year 1917’, a commemoration of the Russian Revolution and a tribute to Vladimir Lenin. PRE-CONCERT TALK 7:05PM, FREE TO TICKETHOLDERS. MASTERWORKS GOLD SERIES SPONSOR
MASTERWORKS GOLD RADIO SPONSOR
Star violinist James Ehnes helps the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra fete the music of Britain at its PWC Spring Festival. Benjamin Ealovega photo.
Main composer in residence Nicole a neo-Gregorian treasure. The Draw: LizÊe, among others. Target Audi- Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s divine Stabat Mater, and Maurice DuruflÊ’s ence: The intelligently hip. rarely heard Requiem. Target AudiTHE IDEA OF NORTH (At the Or- ence: Monks and meditators. pheum Annex on March 25) Taking its cue from Glenn Gould’s great KARINA GAUVIN (At Christ Church radio documentary, this Vancou- Cathedral on April 21) Soprano ver Symphony Orchestra chamber Karina Gauvin joins forces with concert surveys Nordic and Can- Les BorÊades de MontrÊal, featuradian sounds. The Draw: Serbian- ing some of the best musicians from Canadian composer Ana Sokolović Montreal’s vibrant Baroque scene. pays homage to her QuÊbÊcois peers, The Draw: The timelessly gorgeous while Finland’s Kaija Saariaho finds songs of Henry Purcell. Target inspiration in the aurora borealis. Audience: Listeners who know that Target Audience: The happily cool. the old can be made new. EMERSON STRING QUARTET (At
the Vancouver Playhouse on March 26) Forty years together have given the members of the Emerson String Quartet an intuitive rapport to match their instrumental poise. The Draw: The astringency of Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 4 in D Major, tempered by works from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Edvard Grieg. Target SOUND OF DRAGON ENSEMBLE Audience: Seekers after subtlety. (At the Orpheum Annex on March 9) We’ll have to wait until 2018 for the ANDA UNION (At the Chan Centre next edition of the brilliant, biannual for the Performing Arts on March Sound of Dragon Festival, but in the 26) Mongolian music is truly otherinterim artistic director Lan Tung’s worldly, and this young ensemble is house band keeps building Chinese- bent on keeping a variety of tribal Canadian connections. The Draw: styles alive. The Draw: Gutsy horseMusic that bridges cultures—and, head fiddles and uncanny harmonic for this concert, the folk- and ballet- singing will transport listeners to infused stylings of dancer-choreog- the boundless steppes in spring. rapher Dong Mei. Target Audience: Target Audience: Those in search of new and ancient vistas. Anyone with a passport. PAUL LEWIS (At the Chan Centre
MOZART AND SHOSTAKOVICH,
David Danzmayr conductor
CRITICS’ PICKS
for the Performing Arts on March 19) Hearing pianist Paul Lewis play Ludwig van Beethoven is one of life’s greatest pleasures. The Draw: Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, along with works by Johann Sebastian Bach, FrÊdÊric Chopin, and Carl Maria von Weber. Target Audience: Canonical cognoscenti.
PLUMES ENSEMBLE (At the Fox Cabaret on March 21) The lines between contemporary chamber music and modern song will get very blurry in this deconstruction of works by “cyborg pop� pioneer Grimes. The Draw: Arrangements by Music on
VAN/MAN MALE CHORAL SUMMIT (At the Chan Centre for the
Performing Arts on April 22) Chor Leoni’s annual extravaganza attracts upwards of 400 male vocalists, making for mass sing-alongs of extraordinary power. The Draw: Iceland’s Karlakórinn Heimir will no doubt continue the island nation’s tradition of musical excellence. Target Audience: Men, and the people who like their singing.
PWC SPRING FESTIVAL (At the Or-
pheum from April 22 to May 1) The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s festival surveys music close to conductor Bramwell Tovey’s heart: the sounds of his native England. The Draw: Tovey, as pianist, performing Edward Elgar on April 30; violinist James Ehnes doubling on viola for works by Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams on April 22. Target Audience: MANTRA PERCUSSION (At the Open ears and stiff upper lips. Orpheum Annex on April 8) Having impressed local audiences with VANCOUVER OPERA FESTIVAL (At composer Michael Gordon’s ap- the Queen Elizabeth Theatre and the propriately titled Timber in 2013, Vancouver Playhouse from April 28 to the New York City sextet returns May 13) The much-anticipated debut with instruments not sourced from of Vancouver’s latest major arts festival Home Depot. The Draw: The sure- ranges from traditional undertakings to-be-spellbinding Mantra Groove, such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s by Canadian composer Paul Dolden. The Marriage of Figaro to cutting-edge explorations from Inuit singer Tanya Target Audience: Beatniks. Tagaq and multimedia artist Paul VANCOUVER CHAMBER CHOIR Wong. The Draw: Despite nods to the (At the Orpheum on April 14) Good new, Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello is likely Friday just got better with the news the big ticket here. Target Audience: that the Vancouver Chamber Choir Opera-hungry audiences who are curiand the Pacifica Singers will collab- ous about the festival format. > ALEXANDER VARTY orate to perform a Baroque gem and
JEREMY DENK
ALESSIO BAX WITH THE VSO SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 8PM Orpheum MONDAY, MARCH 13, 8PM %HOO 3HUIRUPLQJ $UWV &HQWUH 6XUUH\ MORAWETZ 5DLOZD\ 6WDWLRQ BERNSTEIN 3UHOXGH )XJXH DQG 5LÎ?Vr MACDOWELL Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor* COPLAND Symphony No. 3 Bramwell Tovey conductor Jeanette Jonquil clarinet°
Alessio Bax piano*
Maestro Tovey conducts the Second Piano Concerto of Edward MacDowell, a composer/pianist championed and influenced by Liszt. This eclectic, triumphant, quintessentially American work will be performed by remarkable Italian pianist Alessio Bax, and VSO Principal Clarinet Jeanette Jonquil stars in Bernstein’s funky, jazzy Prelude, Fugue and Riffs. MARCH 11 MUSICALLY SPEAKING SERIES SPONSOR MARCH 11 MUSICALLY SPEAKING RADIO SPONSOR
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14 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
Dishing out its theatrical due
from previous page
public front, but there’s a sweetness behind all the banter. “One of my favourite lines in the play,â€? says David Adams, who plays Searle to Allan Zinyk’s Savoie, “comes when Jackie, one of the girls, turns to Patrick and says ‘Well, do you actually like each other?’ And he says, ‘Only when no one is looking.’ â€? “They can get away with serving so much lip,â€? Deveau adds, “because it’s underscored by just tremendous heart and caring for the community.â€? And it’s exactly that kind of heart that Mackenzie hopes will drive Elbow Room CafĂŠ: The Musical. “If people leave the theatre singing and feeling like they’re a part of something bigger, that’s exciting,â€? he says. “I always want people to leave entertained and happy, but maybe having learned something. “I want people to experience the differences between us and honour those differences,â€? he adds. “But I also want them to realize that we’re actually all human, and the differences that we think divide us are kind of inconsequential.â€? The real-life Savoie would no doubt put it less politely—but regardless of their politics or sexual orientation or attitude, everyone would still get fed. -
noting that he and Mackenzie were given full access to the older couple’s extensive archives. Through them, he adds, the production team learned that the Elbow Room is more than just a fascinating success story: it was also a site of comfort and resistance during the worst days of the AIDS crisis. “I was born in the ’80s, so I’m not speaking from firsthand experience,â€? Mackenzie says. “But the fact is that Patrick kept folks who had been infected with HIV working until they decided they weren’t ready to work. The fact is that he was not going to follow suit with what a lot of other businesses were doing: at the first sign of somebody being sick, they were being dismissed, regardless of how capable they were. The fact is that Patrick was honouring his community and treating them with dignity.â€? And the fact is that, to date, the Elbow Room has raised almost $100,000 in donations to A Loving Spoonful, a local charity that provides nutritious meals to people living with HIV. (If diners don’t clean their plate, they’re sure to be guilt-tripped into making a donation by the Elbow Room CafĂŠ: The Musical runs at the York Theatre persuasive, and persistent, Savoie.) Yes, he and Searle present a perverse and puzzling from next Thursday (March 2) to March 12.
SINGERS’ CHOICE A Choral Hit Parade
8pm Friday, March 17, 2017 Ryerson United Church Vancouver Chamber Choir | Jon Washburn, Conductor In 46 years, there have been only 136 singers as full members of the Vancouver Chamber Choir. Each was asked to recommend a favourite madrigal, motet, folksong and encore. From 122 nominations of 93 different pieces from singers past and present, Jon Washburn has selected madrigals by Morley, Gibbons, Ward and Weelkes; a major motet by JS Bach; folksongs by Washburn, Smith and Erb; encores by Quick, Schafer and Billy Joel; and other pieces by Debussy, Corigliano, Chilcott and Biebl. It’s a veritable choral hit parade!
1.855.985.ARTS (2787) vancouverchamberchoir.com
SPECIAL EDITION | MARCH 2 Contact The Georgia Straight to help shine a spotlight on Vancouver women who are trying to improve and enrich our city in a multitude of different ways. #BeBoldForChange sales@straight.com | 604.730.7020 FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 15
MARCH 1– 2 5
2017VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL DANCEFESTIVAL
OKUNI – Mother of Kabuki
In Penumbra
Sand and Shostakovich
Dancers Playing Basketball
—
March 1-4 & 7-10, 8pm Matinees on March 4 & 5, 3PM $25-$30 at Studio 1398
March 1-4, 8pm $25-$30 Scotiabank Dance Centre
March 3-4, 8pm $50-$60 Vancouver Playhouse
March 5,12,19, 2pm FREE Woodwards Atrium
March 5,12,19, 3pm FREE Woodwards Atrium
YAYOI THEATRE MOVEMENT
KINESIS DANCE SOMATHEATRO
ALONZO KING LINES BALLET
DEANNA PETERS / MUTABLE SUBJECT
KTL COMPANY
Crumbling
Kai Kairos
lifeDUETS
Paradise
March 9-11, 5PM KW Production Studio $10-$15
March 9-11, 7PM FREE at Roundhouse Exhibition Hall with $3 Membership
March 9-11, 8PM $25-$30 Roundhouse Performance Centre
March 10-11, 8PM $50-$60 Vancouver Playhouse
Death and Flying ROB KITSOS / JANE OSBORNE / KIM STEVENSON March 16-18, 7PM FREE at Roundhouse Exhibition Hall with $3 Membership
Pace
Post No Bills
March 23-25, 7pm FREE at Roundhouse Exhibition Hall with $3 Membership
March 23-25, 8pm $25-$30 Roundhouse Performance Centre
MATTHEW ROMANTINI
To the Pain that Lingers
COMPAGNIE VIRGINIE BRUNELLE March 16-18, 8PM $25-$30 Roundhouse Performance Centre
MOLLY MCDERMOTT
light breaking broken
KAREN JAMIESON / MARGARET GRENIER March 23-25, 5PM $10-$15 KW Production Studio
KAEJA D’DANCE
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16 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
E
UN IT E
Alonzo King LINES Ballet photo of Michael Montgomery by RJ Muna
AS EMB
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
GLOBAL DANCE CONNECTIONS SERIES
KINESIS DANCE somatheatro March 1-4 ZAB MABOUNGOU COMPAGNIE DANSE NYATA NYATA April 6-8 LESLEY TELFORD | INVERSO April 20-22 WEN WEI DANCE May 25-27
Vancouver’s Noam Gagnon and Ziyian Kwan explore the L-word in The Mars Hotel at the Firehall. David Cooper photo.
Dance gathers the globe CRITICS’ PICKS
We can’t tell you exactly why, but
2 this spring brings an unpreced-
ented explosion of dance—culturefusing creations, edgy contemporary commissions, playfully witty works, and almost everything in between. Look for African influences, Israeli superstars, Japanese spectacles, Canadian icons, and even a show—yes!— on an ice rink. Then thank your lucky stars that you live in a place as inclusive and happening as Van City.
THE MARS HOTEL/KWAN YIN (At
the Firehall Arts Centre from February 22 to 25) Ziyian Kwan, founder of dumb instrument Dance, explores love and compassion with live music in a full evening of work. The Mars Hotel, featuring Kwan with Noam Gagnon, is a series of playful vignettes inspired by P.W. Bridgman’s flash fiction of the same name; in it, a huge, white ball emblazoned with the word love takes centre stage. The intergenerational Kwan Yin features Kwan and her 77-year-old father, Lihuen Kwan, in a look at the parent-child bond. The Draw: Kwan’s quirky style, as well as the live soundscapes of trio Handmade Blade, including crack cellist Peggy Lee. Target Audience: Experimental-jazz fans, bookworms, and the lovesick.
CHUTZPAH FESTIVAL (At the Nor-
man and Annette Rothstein Theatre to March 13) The annual arts fest is known for strong dance programming, continuing the tradition this year with the return of Italy’s polished Spellbound Contemporary Ballet and the local debut of America’s Kyle Abraham. The Draw: Spellbound is always mesmerizing, but for sheer shock value we’re going for young Israeli mavericks Yossi Berg and Oded Graf and their 4Men, Alice, Bach and the Deer—a fantastical exploration of manhood. Did we mention the Mexican wrestling masks? Target Audience: Openminded dance adventurers.
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL (At the Playhouse
Theatre, the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre, and the Woodward’s Production Studio from March 1 to 25) Big international names, provocative indie creations, and local trailblazers share the wildly inclusive bill at Kokoro Dance’s 17th eclectic event. America’s acclaimed Alonzo King Lines Ballet returns with Sand and Shostakovich. Among the other artists: Toronto veterans Kaeja d’Dance; Montreal’s provocative Compagnie Virginie Brunelle; Denmark’s bold Kitt Johnson; Japan’s dreamlike Yayoi Theatre Movement; and Vancouver’s supercharged
Kinesis Dance somatheatro. The Draw: Alonzo King’s balletic, masterfully wrought visions are gorgeous, but you won’t find a more surreally chilling spectacle than Dairakudakan’s 21-dancer Paradise, with its ghostly white-caked figures, fright wigs, rollerskating gangs, and red-petal storms. Target Audience: Those who like to sample the world’s dance offerings without ever leaving town. PROGRAM 2 (At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from March 16 to 18) Wear your red and white as Ballet BC fetes Canada’s 150th anniversary with four of this city’s singular voices. Wen Wei Wang, Company 605, Lesley Telford, and Crystal Pite share the program, the first three with sure-to-dazzle new works. The Draw: We can’t quell the curiosity for seeing the street-influenced, physically pummelling 605 set a piece on the virtuosic contemporary-ballet dancers. Target Audience: Nationalists and locavores. WHAT THE DAY OWES TO THE NIGHT (CE QUE LE JOUR DOIT À LA NUIT) (At the Vancouver Play-
house on April 7 and 8) DanceHouse brings in 12 kick-ass male street and hip-hop dancers from Algeria and Burkina Faso with the form-melding work of French choreographer Hervé Koubi. Look for a mix of capoeira, acrobatics, martial arts, and B-boy moves with a contemporary sheen. The Draw: The flowing dance fusion is set off by vivid motifs from Sufism and Islamic architecture and filigree. Target Audience: Optimists who know art is the ultimate culture bridger.
MOZONGI (At the Scotiabank Dance Centre from April 6 to 8) Zab Maboungou, of Montreal’s Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, brings her powerful contemporary African dance work to the West Coast. The Draw: Pulsing rhythms create an energy that just might blow the venue’s roof off. Target Audience: Percussion addicts.
(At the Britannia Ice Rink from April 18 to 30) Throw out any preconceptions you have of sparkle-costumed figure skaters: Quebec’s Le Patin Libre sassily reinvents the form. The Draw: The street-smart edge the dancers give the virtuosic spins and jumps. Target Audience: East Side families, rink rats, and former figure skaters.
VERTICAL INFLUENCES
HOW TO BE (At the Cultch from April
12 to 15) Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg presents a funny dance-theatre work that toys with how others think we should be, and how we don’t stand a chance. The Draw: Watching physical comedian Cheyenne Friedenberg meld minds with ace collaborators Marcus Youssef, Josh Martin, Justine
A. Chambers, Susan Elliott, Kate Franklin, Bevin Poole, and Kimberly Stevenson. Target Audience: Guests who like self-effacing laughs with their dance. NOCHE FLAMENCA’S ANTIGONA
(At the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on March 12) Flamenco meets ancient Greek tragedy in this multimedia version of Sophocles’ story of a defiant heroine. The Draw: The New York Times has described dancer Soledad Barrio’s solos as “tinged with aching sadness or filled with rage, revealed in frenetic footwork that seemingly sends sparks into the floor”. Target Audience: Flamenco fans and students of ancient Greece.
Lesley Telford | Inverso/dancer Katherine Cowie/photo David Cooper.
D ANC E
DISCOVER DANCE! NOON SERIES AERIOSA March 30 GOH BALLET April 27
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THREE SETS/RELATING AT A DISTANCE (At the Scotiabank
Dance Centre from April 20 to 22) Lesley Telford’s Inverso, a dance troupe she launched in Madrid that’s now based in Vancouver, aims to create dance through the lens of other art forms, from paintings to literature. Here, she collaborates with poets like Barbara Adler. The Draw: Telford, an alumna of the towering Nederlands Dans Theater and Madrid’s Compañía Nacional de Danza, is a riveting new talent, building movement that’s strange, intelligent, and surprising at every turn. Target Audience: Poetry buffs and talent scouts.
“Young Dutch cellist Harriet Krijgh is a shooting star on the classical music scene…” - Westdeutsche Zeitung
PROGRAM 3 (At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from May 11 to 13) Ballet BC’s season closer brings a taste of Israel’s red-hot dance talent to the table. Tel Aviv–born French sensation Emanuel Gat creates a new work, while Batsheva Dance legend Ohad Naharin stages his playful Minus 16. Between the two, Ballet BC artistic director Emily Molnar creates a new work to the music of allthe-rage Canadian composer Nicole Lizée. The Draw: Two words: Ohad Naharin. Watch the fascinating documentary about his movement language, Mr. Gaga, when it hits local big screens in March, then grab the chance to see the icon’s genius in action on-stage. Target Audience: Discerning dancegoers and newbies ready to have their minds blown. WEN WEI DANCE (At the Scotia-
bank Dance Centre from May 25 to 27) Choreographer Wen Wei Wang, who draws deeply from his own Chinese background and brings it stunningly into the present, unveils Dialogue—a piece born from his own experience as a non-Englishspeaking immigrant here. The Draw: Seeing the return of a Vancouver visionary who has mesmerized us with pieces like Made in China and Cockpit. Target Audience: Viewers who like their cultural melting pot with a contemporary edge.
HARRIET KRIJGH cello MAGDA AMARA piano
Ticke start ats t
$25
Don’t miss this stunning young cellist from Holland making her Canadian debut!
MENDELSSOHN | SCHUMANN | RACHMANINOV
SUN MAR 5 at 3pm I VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE Visit vanrecital.com or call 604 602 0363 Hear the Best Before the Rest! SEASON SPONSOR:
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FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 17
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Feb 16 - Feb 25 2017 Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 | 8pm Chan Centre for the Performing Arts 6265 Crescent Road, Vancouver
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Ruthie Ann Miles (center) and the cast of Here Lies Love at The Public Theater. Photo credit: Joan Marcus.
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
Elizabeth Barrett stars in Studio 58’s The Refugee Hotel, Carmen Aguirre’s story of fleeing Chile. Emily Cooper photo.
LES BELLES– SOEURS
Plays span refugees and clowns TH E AT RE CRITICS’ PICKS
This spring’s theatre lineup some contemporary classics, a number of new plays that take a hard look at politically charged issues, and, on the lighter side, violent clowns and nasty waiters. Here are a few highlights.
2 includes
BONJOUR, LÀ, BONJOUR (At Studio
16 from February 28 to March 11) Théâtre la Seizième is on a roll this season. Up next: Gilles Poulin-Denis helms an outstanding cast for what Michel Tremblay reputedly considers to be his best play, a Canadian classic focusing on the secrets of a deeply dysfunctional family. The Draw: Iconic work in the right hands: the last time Seizième did a Tremblay play, it scooped up the lion’s share of that season’s Jessie Richardson Awards. Target Audience: Those wanting to enrich their knowledge of the Canadian canon. French proficiency is not required: there are English surtitles on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. ELBOW ROOM CAFÉ: THE MUSICAL
(At the York Theatre from March 2 to 12) Playwright Dave Deveau and composer Anton Lipovetsky pay homage to downtown Vancouver’s legendary breakfast spot, famed as much for its food as for the sarcastic service. The Draw: Sassy irreverence, which creators Lipovetsky (Cool Beans), and Deveau (Lowest Common Denominator) and director Cameron Mackenzie (5@50) have proven they can dish out in generous portions. Bonus: Allan Zinyk plays the flamboyantly verbally abusive server Patrice. Target Audience: Anyone who’s
been chastised for leaving food on at Studio 58 last fall reminded us what a thrilling piece of theatre Tony Kushtheir plate. ner’s Pulitzer-winning play still is, THE PIPELINE PROJECT (At Stu- and recent events south of the border dio B from March 9 to 18) Creators have given a whole new urgency to its Sebastien Archibald, Kevin Loring, message. The Draw: The talent. Kim and Quelemia Sparrow bring their Collier is renowned for her visionary personal perspectives on Enbridge’s direction, and her superb cast includes Northern Gateway project to a Damien Atkins, Ryan Beil, and Gabmetatheatrical encounter with the rielle Rose. Target Audience: Despairissues surrounding pipeline expan- ing about the mess we’re in? Willing to sion in this province. A facilitated believe in divine intervention? Let’s go. talk-back will follow each performance; featured speakers include rep- MUMP AND SMOOT IN ANYresentatives from environmental, THING (At the Cultch’s York Theatre indigenous, and business groups. from April 27 to May 6) When you’re The Draw: Relevance and complexity. ready for a break from the doldrums, The show itself and the talk-backs ac- tune in to the Ummonian gibberish knowledge multiple positions on the of Canada’s most beloved “clowns of issues. Target Audience: People who horror”, Michael Kennard and John want their theatre to ask hard ques- Turner. The Draw: This is as live as it gets. Chaos is always on the verge of tions, not give easy answers. erupting in a Mump and Smoot show, THE REFUGEE HOTEL (At Studio 58 and these two are pros at milking from March 23 to April 9) Playwright every opportunity for mass hysteria. Carmen Aguirre directs the long- Target Audience: Anyone who’s ever awaited Vancouver production of a harboured fantasies of violent revenge script she wrote more than 15 years on, say, an annoying sibling. But not ago, about her real-life experience of kids—this show is for adults only. fleeing Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in Chile for Vancouver in 1974. CHILDREN OF GOD (At the York Aguirre’s youthful experiences, here Theatre from May 19 to June 3) The in Vancouver and later back in Chile Cultch’s world premiere of a new as part of the resistance movement, musical by Corey Payette will go on have been the basis for two best-sell- to a run at the National Arts Cening memoirs. The Draw: A play about tre. Payette’s script tells the story of refugees couldn’t be more timely, and an Oji-Cree family whose children with a cast of 17, Aguirre’s play is truly are sent to a residential school in an ensemble piece for a strong crop of northern Ontario. The Draw: WorkStudio 58 talent. Target Audience: The shop productions have generated a big buzz, along with endorsements compassionate and the curious. from theatre heavyweights across ANGELS IN AMERICA—PART ONE: the country. Target Audience: People MILLENNIUM APPROACHES (At who recognize the pivotal role that the Arts Club’s Stanley Industrial Al- storytelling has to play in the process liance Stage from March 30 to April of reconciliation. > KATHLEEN OLIVER 23) Rachel Peake’s stellar production
raucous. realistic. women. by Michel Tremblay Translated by John Van Burek & Bill Glassco Directed by MFA Candidate Diane Brown
March 16 — April 1, 2017 Frederic Wood Theatre Tickets: theatrefilm.ubc.ca
The Firehall Arts Centre presents dumb instrument Dance’s
THE MARS HOTEL & KWAN YIN Choreography
Ziyian Kwan
Dancers
Ziyian Kwan Noam Gagnon Lihuen Kwan
FEB 22-25 Tickets from $23
604.689.0926
firehallartscentre.ca
280 E Cordova St
Ken Blaschuk, Noam Gagnon & Ziyan Kwan David Cooper Photography
Noche Flamenca’s Antigona Soledad Barrio and Noche Flamenca unite ancient Greek tragedy and flamenco in this poignant, multidisciplinary triumph.
C H A N C E N T R E AT U B C
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Susan Point, Behind Four Winds, 2012, screenprint on paper, Courtesy of the Artist Photo: Rachel Topham, Vancouver Art Gallery
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SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
Matisse Drawings:
Curated by Ellsworth Kelly from The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation Collection Organized by the American Federation of Arts and the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in collaboration with The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation
Charles H. Scott (left) visited Savary Island to sketch in the 1930s and 1940s, and some of the works created there will be shown at the gallery that bears his name.
Missing women and a sad bear inspire artists VISUAL AR TS CRITICS’ PICKS
There’s a “looking forward
2 through looking back” theme
in the visual arts this spring—partly because two long-standing arts institutions are preparing for big changes this fall. Presentation House Gallery, which has occupied the third floor of an old wooden building in North Vancouver for 40 years, will be moving into splendid new digs on the waterfront under the name of the Polygon Gallery. And the Charles H. Scott Gallery will be relocating (with its academic home, Emily Carr University of Art + Design) to a new building on Great Northern Way. It, too, will be assuming a new name: the Libby Leshgold Gallery. Elsewhere, artists weave together past and present, tradition and innovation, in explorations of shifting cultural and political realities and investigations of cross-cultural understanding.
“WHAT YOU LOOKING AT?!” (At
Plaza Projects from February 25 to March 20) The inspiration for this exhibition is Pizza, “the world’s saddest polar bear”, imprisoned for the entertainment of gawking shoppers in a 430-square-foot glass cage in the Grandview Mall in Guangzhou, China. Invited artists from both Guangzhou and Vancouver question human-animal relations and ask us to consider capitalism’s seemingly unending ability to encage, brutalize, exploit, and commodify the sentient creatures with whom we share this planet. The Draw: The third show to take place in the Plaza Projects nonprofit art space, located in Richmond’s Aberdeen Square mall, continues this collective’s admirable undertaking, which is “to shift a site of consumption to a site of dialogue”. GOODBYE CHARLES (At the Charles
H. Scott Gallery from February 29 to April 23) This tribute to the influential artist and educator Charles Hepburn Scott, after whom the gallery was named, includes—appropriately enough—art old and new. Scott’s paintings, drawings, and sketchbooks will be exhibited alongside works by artists who have previously exhibited in the gallery. London-based duo Cullinan Richards will create a theatrical installation alluding to the student Beaux Arts balls that Scott oversaw in the 1920s and ’30s. Vancouver’s Ron Tran is presenting a sound installation referencing summer art camps Scott led on Savary Island. Also included in this tribute exhibition is a bookwork with a diverse range of portraits of Scott created by contemporary artists. The Draw: The slightly ironic attraction in this tribute to Charles H. Scott is that we will learn more about the man just before his name is removed from view than we did in all the years it adorned the gallery’s entrance.
ca/) This online exhibition bridges two series of works by local artist Deborah Koenker, based on her extensive travels in Mexico and enhanced by her marriage into a large Mexican family. The first is a suite of prints she created in the early 1980s, in an attempt to express her intense sensory experiences travelling in the states of Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, and Guanajuato. The second set of prints, produced in 2007 after 30 years of return visits, is based on an installation she created in collaboration with villagers in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Like the installation, these serigraphs focus on missing and murdered Mexican women and girls, mostly poor workers drawn to the assembly plants of Ciudad Juárez. The Draw: Old and new works reflect profound changes in Mexican life and culture, including the impact of something much in the news right now: the North American Free Trade Agreement.
February 25 - May 22, 2017 Whistler, BC Presenting Sponsor:
Supporting Sponsor:
Henri Matisse Head of a Woman (detail), 1947 Charcoal on paper © 2016 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York Courtesy American Federation of Arts
JOHN HUPFIELD’S WOODLANDS INDIAN ART + WEST COAST INDIAN ART (At the Western Front
Gallery from March 17 to April 29) Ontario-born, Brooklyn-based artist Maria Hupfield, a member of Wasauksing First Nation, explores the sound recordings and 35mm slides her non-native father, John Hupfield, made about First Nations artists in the 1970s. Using these as her source material, Maria Hupfield creates a new body of work that proposes alternative conversational possibilities between indigenous and settler cultures. She will also collaborate with artist Charlene Vickers in the creation of a new performance piece. The Draw: Because of her mixed heritage, Maria Hupfield is powerfully situated to examine relations between cultures and to build new dialogues.
MARK HANEY AND SETH: OMNIS TEMPORALIS (At the Rich-
mond Art Gallery from April 9 to June 25; opening-night performance April 8, 7:30 p.m.) This collaboration between acclaimed cartoonist and graphic novelist Seth and composer and double bassist Mark Haney promises exciting things in the realms of creative partnership and interdisciplinary exploration. Vancouver-based Haney builds his musical work Omnis Temporalis on the foundation of George Sprott 18941975, the intentionally retro picturenovella by Guelph-based Seth. Over the course of the exhibition, 10 free performances will take place in a space designed by Seth to suggest the television station where the fictional Sprott hosted a TV show. The Draw: Haney’s m.o. is to attract new audiences to new music by partnering with artists in other genres and disciplines. Seth is Canada’s most renowned cartoonist, known for employing the classic style of drawing associated with the old New Yorker DEBORAH KOENKER: THE MEX- magazine. Expect to be dazzled by ICAN NIGHT (Online at the Burnaby their collaboration. > ROBIN LAURENCE Art Gallery, www.burnabyartgallery. FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 21
SPRING ARTS PREVIEW
Welcome the weird and sassy COM EDY CRITICS’ PICKS
JFL NorthWest ends next week,
2 but the unofficial festival keeps
on truckin’. Too many highlights to mention, including Owen Benjamin at Yuk Yuk’s, Bryan Callen at the Comedy MIX, and Miranda Sings at the Centre, but here are some shows not to miss.
Paula Kremer, Artistic Director
SAT FEB 25, 2017 AT 7:30 PM
HOLY ROSARY CATHEDRAL
De Profundis
Palestrina to Pizzetti Tickets: vancouvercantatasingers.com 604.730.8856
EDUCATION 2017 PRINT & DIGITAL special issues, branded content, social media & more. (604) 730.7020 | sales@straight.com
22 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
JIM JEFFERIES (At the Orpheum from March 1 to 3) It wasn’t long ago that Jefferies was playing midnight shows at the Rickshaw. Now look at him: three nights in the grand Orpheum. The Draw: In the not-sogrand tradition of Doug Stanhope, Jefferies is comedy’s latest degenerate sage. The Aussie takes great pleasure in putting voice to our deepest, darkest thoughts and manages to be funny while doing it. Sometimes sober. Target Audience: He can hold both popular and unpopular opinions. No matter where you stand, he’ll have you thinking he’s made a great point. A comedian with his balls will lose some interested bystanders, but his real fans can take it.
Two years ago she was a virtual unknown, but standup comedian Ali Wong has such a following now that she’s playing three nights at the Vogue in May.
a legend. Farquhar (originally from Maple Ridge) is a two-time world magic champ who’s fooled Penn & Teller and Ellen DeGeneres. (One of those is a much harder feat than the others.) Target Audience: If you live in a world of wonder and can handle not knowing everything, it SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO (At the doesn’t get much better than this. Vogue Theatre on March 11) Another comic blowing up in front of us is this HARLAND WILLIAMS (At Yuk Yuk’s guy. Sometimes he goes by only his from May 11 to 13) A Canadian masgiven name, which you might too, if ter, right up there with Jim Carrey your family name were Maniscalco. and Howie Mandel. He was, is, and The Draw: He’s almost Brian Regan– always will be a weirdo of the highlike in his rise, selling out theatres all est order. The Draw: You’ve heard of over North America without a big a face for radio? Williams has a face presence on TV. And like Regan, his for comedy. It helps that he’s also got show appeals to all ages. Target Audi- the voice and warped sense of huence: If you find yourself saying things mour for comedy. Target Audience: like “What’s wrong with people?” and His career on celluloid is mythic. His “Aren’t you embarrassed?” this is your oeuvre includes Half Baked, Dumb guy. Those questions also happen to and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, and the classic Freddy be the names of his specials. Got Fingered. No doubt he’ll draw MARC MARON (At the Vogue The- from those fans, as well. atre on March 26) This may come as a surprise to those of you familiar with RUSSELL HOWARD (At the Rio Thethe interviewer and actor, but he’s a atre on May 16) The British are comstandup comedian, too. Okay, that’s ing, the British are coming! It seems not much of a surprise—Maron’s each year more and more comics are been entertaining audiences (or do- crossing the pond our way. The latest ing his version of entertaining) for is Howard, best known (over here, decades. The Draw: Maron’s always anyway) for his work on the TV shows been an acquired comedic taste, but Mock the Week and Russell Howard’s his podcast is in the mainstream, at- Good News. The Draw: His Round tracting a much larger audience. In the World Tour is literally that. He November, he headlined Carnegie plays 82 shows in 19 countries over Hall. And as everyone knows, that six months. The sun never sets on his takes practice. Target Audience: Do act. Target Audience: Expand your you find yourself caught up in your world-view. It’s always nice to get an own head? Take a break and listen to international perspective. a real professional navel-gazer. GERRY DEE (At the Vogue TheCONJURE THE NIGHT (At the atre on May 17) Quiet. All eyes up Vancouver Playhouse on April 2) front. Mr. Dee is coming to town. Granted, not specifically comedy, The sitcom teacher (and former real but who doesn’t laugh when they teacher) regularly tours the country get their mind blown? Besides, it’s with his standup. Don’t worry, you not often Vancouver gets a ma- won’t be quizzed on it. The Draw: jor night of magic. The Draw: The Canadian TV takes its lumps, but Amazing Randi, Shawn Farquhar, Mr. D is consistently one of the funCamilo the Magician, and Matt niest shows on the air. Target AudiDillahunty all on one bill. Randi is ence: Teachers, students (past and
present), parents. That about covers everyone. Dee’s comedy tentacles reach far and wide. RICH VOS (At the Comedy MIX from
May 25 to 27) A new regular at the MIX, Vos is a pro’s pro who delights in making audiences laugh and doesn’t care a bit what they think of him. The Draw: His New Jersey swagger makes him sound like a tough guy, but he’s a pussycat. Target Audience: Fans of his hit podcast My Wife Hates Me, which costars his Canadian wife, Bonnie McFarlane. (Come on, MIX, bring her in one day!)
ALI WONG (At the Vogue Theatre
from May 25 to 27) Wowza, nobody expected this. Two years ago, a virtually unknown Wong played Yuk Yuk’s. And killed. This year, she’s playing three nights at the Vogue. That’s almost unheard-of. The Draw: She’s a sassy, dirty powerhouse in a tiny package. And even tinier now that her baby is out in the world. Target Audience: No doubt her Netflix special, recorded when she was seven months pregnant, has brought her a legion of new fans. She’s also featured on the CNN series The History of Comedy.
GARY GULMAN (At Yuk Yuk’s on
June 9 and 10) The crowning weekend of the season is Gulman’s first visit to Vancouver. The Boston big man has been around the block, but in an ocean of terrible Netflix specials, his It’s About Time hour was one of the best of 2016. Maybe even the best. The Draw: Gulman revels in taking a subject and peeling away its layers methodically, really getting into it. The New York Times (or, more accurately, a writer therein) called him “one of the country’s strongest comedians”. Target Audience: Comedy aficionados will love catching him in the intimate club setting. Who knows, next time he might be doing a Jim Jefferies and playing a huge, impersonal theatre. > GUY M AC PHERSON
NOW!
2017
Tickets from $23
FESTIVAL
ON STAGE
17 th
tickets: chutzpahfestival.com 604.257.5145
FEBRUARY 16 to MARCH 13
DANCE
YOSSI BERG & ODED GRAF DANCE THEATRE ISRAEL > provocative & poignant dance Canadian Premiere of 4Men, Alice, Bach, and the Deer Feb. 25 – 27 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
SPELLBOUND CONTEMPORARY BALLET ITALY > extraordinary dancing North American Premiere of Carmina Burana March 4 -6 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
MUSIC
THE KLEZMATICS 30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR
Grammy-winning superstars < USA “captivated the audience, bewitching it with their singing, passion, and sound.” Feb. 23 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
DAVID BROZA & MIRA AWAD IN CONCERT charismatic & energetic < ISRAEL “(Broza) plays with all his heart, with all his body.” “(Awad’s) music...was intensely seductive.” Feb. 28 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
MARBIN with MNGWA opening jazz, rock & global music < ISRAEL/USA/CANADA “Eclectic band with a fascinating sound.” March 3 > Biltmore Cabaret • 19+
KYLE ABRAHAM/ ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION USA > sensual and dynamic fusion of jazz, African forms & modern dance March 11 – 13 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
MAYA AVRAHAM BAND singer from Idan Raichel Project < ISRAEL “Avraham...left the audience blown away.” March 7 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
Chutzpah!PLUS
BIRDS SING A PRETTY SONG. CANADA/ISRAEL/USA/ARGENTINA > exhilarating performance Canadian Premiere seamlessly fuses dance, live music and interactive media May 13 & 14 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
THEATRE
FOLK LORDZ CANADA >
EXIT - SHALOM HANOCH with Moshe Levi “The King of Israeli Rock” < ISRAEL “... a bona fide rock ‘n’ roll star” March 8 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
LYLA CANTÉ incredible world fusion < USA/ARGENTINA/JAPAN/ISRAEL “Music that is sensuous, passionate & infectious!” March 9 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
Chutzpah!PLUS
world-renowned Rapid Fire Theatre high-speed, hilarious theatre improv “One of the most interesting, compelling and viscerally thrilling pieces of theatre you’ll see this season” Feb. 22 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
WRESTLING JERUSALEM USA > brilliant and provocative theatre written and performed by Aaron Davidman “Remarkable solo performance… yearning beauty…” March 1 & 2 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
LANDON BRAVERMAN contemporary musical theatre < CANADA April 2 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
COMEDY
ALI HASSAN & JUDY GOLD CANADA/USA > hilarious comedy double-bill (Hassan) Bitingly-funny solo show Muslim, Interrupted and (Gold) “fiercely funny, honest and moving” stand-up comedy Feb. 24 > York Theatre
INFLECTION Alternative Assets Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23
ARTS
AETERNA
Pergolesi Stabat Mater & Duruflé Requiem 8pm Friday, April 14, 2017 Orpheum Theatre Vancouver Chamber Choir and Orchestra Pacifica Singers | Jon Washburn, Conductor The Vancouver Chamber Choir brings you the finest repertoire for chorus and orchestra every Good Friday in hopes that you will make it part of your family's musical tradition. Enjoy Pergolesi’s magnificent Stabat Mater, a pinnacle of Italian Baroque music, and the sublimely beautiful Requiem based on Gregorian chant by French master Maurice Duruflé.
1.855.985.ARTS (2787) vancouverchamberchoir.com
BJM dancers Céline Cassone and Mark Francis Caserta push the human body in their Mono Lisa duet. Alan Kohl photo.
BJM unleashes new energy > B Y JA NET S M ITH
W
bring to Vancouver. But first, a quick history lesson. When it launched in 1972, the company called Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal drew a lot of inspiration from that J-word in its name. Today, it’s carved out a place as a cutting-edge company that has tapped such names as Crystal Pite, Aszure Barton, and Barak Marshall. Finding the best new choreographers has become more and more of a challenge, Robitaille relates. “There’s something more or less in fashion about nondance, conceptual dance, intellectual dance,” says Robitaille, stressing BJM is a troupe “that dances”. “People know the company and expect a lot from us. I have to find great choreographers and what’s very important is the chemistry between the artist and the dancers. We are also looking for a singular, unique voice.” On the program here, look for a frenzied, high-speed snapshot of urban life in Greek choreographer Andonis Foniadakis’s Kosmos; the near-acrobatic, factory-set duet Mono Lisa by Israeli sensation Itzik Galili; and the tribal ode to indigenous peoples, Rouge, by Roberto Pederneiras of Brazil’s Grupo Corpo. The pieces feature physical challenges all their own, but what will strike you most seeing the works is how Robitaille’s famously honed, charismatic dancers are able to shape-shift from piece to radically different piece. “This group is quite special,” Robitaille says. “Each one of them is really strong…But there’s harmony within the group that is quite special. “I danced myself for more than 30 years and, still, watching them and what people ask from them is special,” he adds. “But it seems natural for them! My jaw’s dropping all the time.” -
hen the Straight reaches Louis Robitaille, his company, BJM, has spent most of the week battling severe weather problems. It took the legendary Montreal dance troupe four days to get a flight from Germany across the Atlantic to perform in storm-ridden Halifax, only to find itself caught in the next big whiteout, which hit Moncton almost as soon as the group arrived. “We will keep the performance today but the city’s completely paralyzed,” the artistic director of almost two decades tells the Straight over the phone from his headquarters in Montreal. “We travel a lot and for the last few years we’ve gone through many challenges. When there was the terrorist attack in Paris, we were in Paris. When there were floods in New York with Hurricane Sandy, we were there.” In keeping with the notion that everything happens for a reason, the latter cataclysmic event, which cancelled out five nights at the Joyce Theater in 2012, spurred a new direction for Robitaille—one that, even to this day, drives the company with a stormy energy that sets it apart. “I was in the wind and the rain and I thought the energy was fabulous,” the artist enthuses. “It came to me to create that same energy in dance. It came to me that there’s that human capacity: when you think you’ve reached your limit, you always reach farther. “So it became about physical challenge and execution, to find the resources you need to drive the performance.” Robitaille’s trick, as he has searched the world for hot up-and-comers who can unleash that new energy, has been to achieve those kinds of physical challenges while retaining BJM’s bright, positive polish. Those international choreographic talents are on DanceHouse presents BJM at the Vancouver Playhouse bold display in the DanceHouse show BJM is about to on Friday and Saturday (February 24 and 25).
Colin Quinn beats back bullies > B Y G U Y M A C P HE R S O N
I
t’s been 17 years since Colin Quinn anchored “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live. It was a simpler time in Bill Clinton’s America, back when nobody complained about fake news. But once a fake newsie, always a fake newsie. Quinn can’t help but have an opinion on the current man in charge. “He’s a bully,” he says of his president, on the phone from his home in New York. “But I also think people have lost their mind by trying to deal with him rationally. Everyone’s like, ‘Hey, Trump, what are you doing?’ And he’s just sitting there with that crazy look on his face writing executive orders. They’re like, ‘Trump, Trump!’ You’re talking to a man who’s gone mad.” Quinn has been thinking a lot about bullies lately. So much so that he’s developed a new show based on that theme, which he’s premiering at the Rio Theatre this week. Wikipedia says he’s done five one-man shows, but Quinn prefers to think of them all as simply standup. “I still have that standup personality where I’m like, ‘If I’m not getting a laugh, why would anyone be watching?’ ” he says. “Nobody’s that deep. If you’re really profound and deep and you call yourself a philosopher and people pay to see you, that’s good. Otherwise, if you’re a comedian and people are paying to see you, I wanna get laughs, you know what I mean?” 24 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
Comedian Colin Quinn says a certain president definitely qualifies as a bully.
The new show is called, appropriately, Bully. He says it’s about “that toxic asshole in every situation”. It cuts across all lines, not just politics. “In every office, everything, there’s always one person. In every situation. It’s unbelievable,” he says. “It’s an interesting question how people deal with these people. I’m so into it right now with that whole behavioural thing. It’s very fascinating to me.” He worries that genteel Canada might not be familiar with the archetype. I assure him that jerks are universal. Canada has been “the star” of two of his shows: Long Story Short and Unconstitutional, he points out. “They’re the ones that come off looking good in a world of trashing everything,” he says. “The principle of the show is every system—capitalism, communism, theocracy, monarchy—all these
systems bring out one kind of asshole or another,” he adds. “And then I just kinda correlate them with the people of today that would be comfortable in that kind of system or that were created from that kind of system. Like I said, those people, whether it be Trump or somebody at your office, there’s always somebody who’s there that helps destroy the fabric of whatever might have worked.” Quinn has spanned booms, starting standup around 1984 in the middle of the first one. “I was there at the right time,” he says. “I didn’t deserve to make a living at it yet, but I did make a living at it.” Now he’s riding the wave of the current interest in the art form. “It’s become like a real industry,” he says. “It’s crazy. It’s like a real thing now, you know? Now the fans are so much smarter than they were when I was starting.” Not all, though. Being an older white guy who is no fan of the politically correct culture, Quinn is sometimes perceived as a conservative. “You just gotta live with whatever people are going to think,” he says. “If people turn that into [me being] a Trump guy, it’s bad for me, but what am I going to do, start a fucking publicity campaign? Fuck it. People can say whatever they want.” Colin Quinn’s Bully makes its world premiere at the Rio Theatre on Friday and Saturday (February 24 and 25), as part of JFL NorthWest.
ARTS
Choir bridges Carmina with Tubular Bells > BY A LEX A NDER VA R TY
S
omeday, and it won’t be long, the world of classical music will be just as eclectic and untrammelled as any other field of popular entertainment. For now, though, it is definitely news that the venerable Vancouver Bach Choir, formed in 1930 and for most of its life dedicated exclusively to the masterworks of central Europe, will be performing music from William Friedkin’s film The Exorcist in its next concert program—although this can be explained. Friedkin’s main theme for his 1973 horror classic might have been excerpted from rock guitarist Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells, but in the film it was supplemented by “serious” works from Krzysztof Penderecki and Anton Webern. Oldfield, in turn, served his teenage apprenticeship in singer Kevin Ayers’s band, where he was informally tutored by keyboardist David Bedford, a classically trained musician who’d soon go on to be a composer of considerable renown. And although the studio creation that was the original Tubular Bells is generally considered part of the progressive-rock repertoire, it shows the marked influence of pioneering minimalists Terry Riley and Steve Reich. So the work has some pedigree— and in the context of the Vancouver Bach Choir’s upcoming concert, its use makes perfect sense. Not only is it an apt bridge between the postminimalist beauty of Jonathan Dove’s The Passing of the Year and the preminimalist verve of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, but its spinning, cyclical motifs allude to a theme that both of the other works treat in more explicit form. The Passing of the Year builds on the notion of the four seasons, while Orff’s choral masterwork examines the arguably less predictable machinations of the wheel of fortune, otherwise known as life on Earth. “There is one section in particular in Tubular Bells that really reminds me of Carmina. I’m not sure if Oldfield thought about that, but there are a couple of medieval-ish moments that link up very nicely,” says Marcel Bergmann, reached by phone at his South Surrey home. The pianist, who has reworked Oldfield’s 23-minute score for the choir, the four members of Fringe Percussion, and his own Bergmann Piano Duo, sounds eager to get to work on all three pieces. “The whole program,” he notes, “is quite beautiful.” Despite all of these connections, however, Tubular Bells is still going to be a stretch for the Bach Choir’s singers—especially as they’re going to be asked to vocalize wordlessly. That’s a rarity for an ensemble that’s way more familiar with liturgical music than jazz scat. “It’s definitely a point of departure for us,” says the choir’s music director, Leslie Dala, in a separate telephone interview. “But they’re having a great time with it, and it’s opening up a whole new world for some of these people.” A new world, he adds, that he’s eager to explore further. “As a pianist myself, I really believe that the piano is, in and of itself, an orchestra,” Dala explains. “So when you’ve got two formidable players and percussion, you’ve got a gamut of colour and sound—and then you add the choir and that whole world of text and drama and poetry. It’s nice that there is repertoire for this combination, and I’m discovering more and more as things go along. So this is the kind of combination that I’ll be happy to keep programming down the years.” -
The Vancouver Bach Choir, Fringe Percussion, and the Bergmann Piano Duo play the Orpheum on Saturday (February 25).
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ARTS
A MONTH OF
Ancient wheel spins into modern world TUESDAYS RETURNS TO THE V I SU A L A R T S
FOX CABARET 2321 Main Street, Vancouver
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28
Anne La Berge, flute & electronics
TUESDAY, MARCH 7
Gabriel Kahane voice & piano
TUESDAY, MARCH 14
Dálava
TUESDAY, MARCH 21
POP:
Plumes Ensemble deconstructs Grimes’ Vision BAR OPENS AT 7PM MUSIC STARTS AT 8PM | 19+
Tickets just $25 Get yours at musiconmain.ca or call 604.879.9888
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We acknowledge the financial assistance of the Province of British Columbia
SUSAN POINT: SPINDLE WHORL At the Vancouver Art Gallery until May 28
“It’s hard to imagine what Coast Salish art would look like without Susan Point.” I made this observation in 2008, in a review of her carved cedar gateways, then newly installed in Stanley Park. Point, I added, “has almost single-handedly recovered her people’s graphic and sculptural traditions from obscurity”. So, okay, I’m quoting myself, mostly because I’m gratified that my beliefs are so well proven by Point’s major retrospective exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Through her energetic exploration of form, design, and materials, she has created a huge body of work that has strongly influenced younger Coast Salish artists and is yet distinctively hers. Her art reflects the history, beliefs, and cultural traditions of the Musqueam people while also revealing her highly individual ideas and perceptions. With over 100 two- and threedimensional works, ranging from silkscreen prints and digitally altered cellphone photographs to sculptures in cedar, glass, bronze, and handmade paper, Susan Point: Spindle Whorl is the largest survey of her art to date. It is also a major institutional acknowledgment of her pioneering and sustained accomplishments. Installed mostly chronologically, the show is bookended by Salmon, the small, breakthrough screen print Point made at her kitchen table in 1981, and a series of large, wall-mounted, circular sculptures created in the past year. Among the references in these most recent works are winter nights Point has spent in the Cariboo, in
2 contemporary
Susan Point’s Salish Vision draws from traditional spindle whorls and symbolic animals, using a blend of red cedar, copper, and acrylic. Janet Dwyer photo.
Twilight (Moon and Stars), and the traditional bulrush mats she recalls her mother weaving, in Tapestry (Bulrush Mat). Curated by the VAG’s Grant Arnold and Ian Thom, the exhibition focuses on work that takes the Salish spindle wheel as its overarching theme and recurring motif. Usually consisting of a wooden disk with a hole at its centre, mounted on a tapered wooden shaft, this object traditionally was used by Salish women when spinning yarn out of raw wool. (Look for Bill McLennan’s illuminating essay about it in the exhibition catalogue.) In ancient and historic times, the whorl was carved on one or both sides with geometric, nature-based, or figurative designs. Although the meanings of these designs have yet to be fully understood, it is generally believed that they signified more than mere decoration.
In Point’s early art-making days, when she was working as a legal secretary and contemporary Coast Salish art was virtually nonexistent, she began researching spindle whorls in museum collections, adapting their engraved circular forms as a recurring motif in her printmaking and, later, in her sculpture. She was learning, Arnold writes in the catalogue, to reconstruct a vocabulary of Salish graphic design that was quite different from the better-known design elements of more northerly Northwest Coast First Nations, and that had been largely effaced by colonization. It seems significant, too, that Point was reclaiming the idea of the spindle whorl, since spinning and weaving have traditionally been women’s work in Coast Salish society. Point takes the whorl’s formal and symbolic possibilities to wondrous heights—and, again, through
a range of media and materials. (When she first began working in glass, she was reprimanded by art dealers for using a “nontraditional” medium.) Her imagery, much of it based on the animals that are important to the Musqueam people, includes eagles, ravens, black bears, salmon, orcas, frogs, and butterflies. Thunderbirds and Thunder Lizards also appear, along with other supernatural entities. The spindle whorl’s circular form itself takes on symbolic resonance in Point’s art, signifying not only the sun and the moon but also the cycles of life and of the seasons. The circle can represent the human face, too, as seen in the big, cast-paper sculpture Children of the Earth and the silkscreen print of the same title. One doesn’t immediately think of Point as a political artist, yet much of her work has an underlying social, cultural, or environmental message. Frogs, whose song once signalled the changing seasons on Musqueam land, are for Point “the canary in the coalmine”, symbolizing vulnerability to global warming and environmental degradation. Nowhere Left, the title of both a woodblock-puzzle print and the woodblocks themselves (fitted snugly together, framed, and mounted on the wall), is one of Point’s most striking designs, its four frog faces executed in subtly modulated shades of green with soft red highlights. At the show’s media preview, Thom extolled Point’s extraordinary accomplishments as a colourist who has innovated through her palette and its subtly nuanced application. To this I would add that Point has a remarkable gift for graphic design: she has realized an astonishing number of distinctive images out of a single underlying form, propelling the ancient spindle whorl into the modern world—and beyond. > ROBIN LAURENCE
PRESENTS
VSO SPRING FESTIVAL A BRITISH FANTASY
THE 2017 VSO SPRING FESTIVAL features Maestro Bramwell Tovey, violinist/violist James Ehnes, and pianist Ian Parker, in a celebration of British composers and their most popular works. Highlights include Holst The Planets, Elgar Enigma Variations, and The Last Night of the Proms. 1 SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 8PM SONGS AND SERENADES James Ehnes leader/violin/viola* ELGAR Serenade for Strings in E minor BRITTEN Lachrymae* VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis ELGAR Introduction and Allegro* VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending* BRITTEN Prelude and Fugue for 18 strings 2 MONDAY, APRIL 24, 8PM THE PLANETS: AN HD ODYSSEY Bramwell Tovey conductor James Ehnes viola* Elektra Women’s Choir° Morna Edmundson chorus director GAVIN HIGGINS Velocity WALTON Viola Concerto* HOLST The Planets° With HD video from NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, shown on the big screen as the orchestra performs The Planets.
5 CONCERT FESTIVAL ALL PERFORMANCES AT THE ORPHEUM
3 SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 8PM HENRY V Bramwell Tovey conductor Ian Parker piano* Christopher Gaze narrator° MACONCHY Proud Thames MACMILLAN Fantasia on Scottish Airs RIDOUT Fall Fair ADDINSELL Warsaw Concerto* WALTON Henry V° SUNDAY, APRIL 30, 7PM ENIGMA Bramwell Tovey conductor/piano* ELGAR Piano Quintet* ELGAR Enigma Variations: An Exploration ELGAR Enigma Variations 5 MONDAY, MAY 1, 8PM LAST NIGHT OF THE PROMS Bramwell Tovey conductor Vancouver Bach Choir The proud tradition of the last night of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts at the Royal Albert Hall is continued here as the last night of the Spring Festival, with beloved favourites such as Pomp & Circumstance, Rule, Britannia!, and much more.
IAN PARKER
BRAMWELL TOVEY
JAMES EHNES
CHRISTOPHER GAZE
FESTIVAL SPECIAL EVENTS include Pre-Concert Talks
which begin one hour before each concert, and Post-Concert Q&A with Maestro Tovey and guest soloists. FREE TO TICKETHOLDERS.
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ARTS
TW O
The Men in White tells a warm tale of two cities TH E AT RE PRESENTS
THE MEN IN WHITE By Anosh Irani. Directed by Rachel Ditor. Produced by the Arts Club Theatre Company. At the Granville Island Stage on Wednesday, February 15. Continues until March 11
TH IS
SH WE OWEKEN S D ON LY
Anosh Irani’s The Men in White
2 is a play divided. It tells the story
of Hasan (Nadeem Phillip), a young man living in Dongri, a tough neighbourhood in Bombay (as Mumbai is called in the script). He’s the adopted son of a butcher and loathes his job as “a professional chicken murderer”. Hasan has fallen hard for Haseena (Risha Nanda), a girl from the block with medical school in her future. While slicing poultry, Hasan fantasizes about becoming a famous cricket player. He can’t even afford a bat. Meanwhile, Hasan’s older brother Abdul (Shekhar Paleja) lives in Vancouver, where he plays on the cricket pitches of Stanley Park. The team is terrible, and Abdul’s teammates quarrel over everything, from old religious divides to their batting order. Amir Ofek’s set is divided too. The Bombay scenes happen on one half of the stage, where bloody butcher’s aprons are slung over chicken cages. On the other side, the Canadian story line happens in a white, antiseptic locker room. The set echoes a very real division in prosperity and opportunity, but it’s an overly practical and uninventive response to the play’s duelling narratives. The action never overlaps or overflows between the two sets. Director Rachel Ditor might have made more creative use of the space to explore the connections between Bombay and Vancouver. The Bombay story line is the more successful of the two. Sanjay Talwar plays Hasan’s adoptive father, and he has a fun, sharp-tongued chemistry with Phillip and Nanda. The warm
Sanjay Talwar is a standout in the stronger story line. Emily Cooper photo.
humour and chiding yet loving patter among the trio reminded me a little of tales by late storyteller Stuart McLean. The West Coast locker-room scenes are less successful. The cricket team is a lineup of white-clad clichés—the faux ladies’ man, the Chinese nerd, and the levelheaded team captain. These performers didn’t find their rhythm on opening night, and so the Canadian story arc felt clunky and forced in comparison with the tender moments in Dongri. Irani is an award-winning author as well as a playwright, and the play covers a novel’s worth of territory— religious strife, undocumented workers, young love, sexism, gang violence, the loose ties of camaraderie, and how to hit a googly. I wondered if Irani had taken on too broad a canvas and wanted the playwright to go deeper on a couple of key themes. In her director’s notes, Ditor connects The Men in White to the darkesttimeline uncertainty south of the border, saying “There’s a recklessness in the air since Trump’s election.” But because of the show’s diluted themes, this feels like overreach. I admired the production for its warmth and charm, but it lacked the incisiveness that a more focused show might have offered. > DARREN BAREFOOT
Telemetry crackles with kinetic feedback D ANC E TELEMETRY A Radical System Art production, presented by the Chutzpah Festival. At the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre on Saturday, February 18. No remaining performances
It seems fitting that a dance
2 work called Telemetry, inspired
by radio frequencies and echolocation, should feel like complex choreographic calibration. Creator Shay Kuebler bounces the score’s skittery electrobeats off tap dancer Danny Nielsen, who reacts with his own clicking maelstrom, which spurs ripples of movement through a corps of dancers who in turn seem to stimulate a new wave of rhythms from Nielsen. The effect is like constantly looping kinetic feedback, heightened by the fact that Nielsen circles around the six contemporary dancers on a round track that’s ringed by sound-activated lights. The troupe heaves, rolls, dives, and top-rocks, its explosive movement often staggered and fractured like spreading sound waves. Sometimes one of Nielsen’s smashing feet can send bodies recoiling like they’ve received a 400-volt jolt, or it can bring the entire, sweat-soaked corps to a halt. Kuebler, a genius at fusing forms like hip-hop, martial arts, swing, and contemporary, has reached an extremely high level of play here, sculpting breathlessly fast movement but never losing the raw, loose feel that his street-smart style demands. Wound like a tight spring that explodes over and over again in release, Kuebler is often his own best interpreter, particularly in the speed-of-sound,
(MONTREAL) WORKS BY FONIADAKIS, GALILI & PEDERNEIRAS
top-rock-amped footwork that echoes Nielsen’s frenzied beats. But he’s matched by a crack team of dancers whose individual “chutzpah” is encouraged, from the pure energy of Lexi Vajda to the smooth hip-hop–inflected acrobatics of Tyler Layton-Olson to the laid-back, lanky extensions of Nicholas Lydiate to the muscular grace of Maxine Chadburn and the polished contemporary edge of Hayden Fong. These are, without a doubt, exciting dancers to watch, and when they solo across the stage, there’s just a hint of the intensity of a battle. Nielsen, of course, is top-flight, hoofing with an innate new-school sense of overlapping rhythms that simply blows the mind. Don’t even try to figure out how they’re counting this stuff. The piece’s arc is less clear, sailing through sections of laws-of-motionpushing swing partnering into chaotically convulsing masses of movement, with blurring forms running at full speed on and off the stage. At times, the driving rhythms and fragmenting movement are so relentless it’s difficult to take it all in. The idea here is that bodies are the vessels for countless memories and experiences, but the pace is so breathless that Telemetry also feels like a visceral metaphor for the information overload we are all struggling with in these wired times. It all pulls together in a climax of such all-out intensity that audiences are left gaping, the dancers pushing themselves to wholly new heights of speed and athleticism just when you think they should be collapsing. They finally find some kind of unison. Kuebler is operating at some higher wavelength in Telemetry, and viewers leave the show buzzing.
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FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 27
ARTS
Silly costume and all, Piff the Magic Dragon, with the aid of his pet, Mr. Piffles, made a surprisingly funny fusion of forms at the JFL NorthWest comedy fest.
Dragons and true crime spice up fest’s first week COM EDY JFL NORTHWEST At various venues from Thursday to Sunday (February 16 to 19)
It’s been a cornucopia of comedy
2 with the JFL NorthWest fest hit-
ting venues large and small around town. With shows scheduled at the same time as each other sometimes, one has to make tough decisions. I opted to go for acts I had never seen live before. This forced me to choose Piff the Magic Dragon over the wonderful Nate Bargatze, but it turned out great. At the Vogue, Piff, who slayed the admittedly slayable judges on America’s Got Talent, is an English bloke dressed up in a bad dragon costume who does magic with the aid of his pet Chihuahua, Mr. Piffles. Mixing comedy and magic ain’t easy. Most who try to fuse the two usually end up sounding stilted, with memorized patter straight out of bad-joke books. But John van der Put (a.k.a. Piff) could make it on his own as a standup. He does a regular show at the Flamingo in Las Vegas and he brought a real, live Vegas showgirl with him, which provided ironic pomp to his beaten-down, world-weary, and sarcastic character. The magic was damn impressive too, especially his big multifaceted closer, the “greatest mother-fluffing card trick in the world”. Michelle Wolf was impressive at the Biltmore Cabaret. Her pacing over a 72-minute set was outstanding, as was her writing, which is to be expected: she’s a staff writer on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah. Not a lull the whole night. For a progressive, Wolf bravely veered off into material that could be described as decidedly nonfeminist (even though she would dispute the word bravely). But I always got the sense she was following the joke rather than the herd. Fortune Feimster was another breath of fresh air in her 66 minutes of stage time at the same venue. She had an infectious personality and great material. Her crowd work
wasn’t the best; she asked the crowd in general, rather than a specific person, what interesting jobs they had. But she addressed her awkwardness, saying she has a hard enough time in person carrying on a conversation, abandoning ship after two questions, so she didn’t know why she thought she could do it on-stage. Loved her bit about her moral dilemma regarding the Chick-fil-A boycott, too. “I’m fat first, lesbian second,” she said. The Vogue was packed from top to bottom for comedy/true crime podcasters My Favorite Murder. QHosts Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark manage to be legitimately funny and respectful of the horrors they’re relating. For this live recording, they chose gruesome tales of local serial killers Cody Legebokoff and Clifford Olson. It wasn’t easy to hear the details of their crimes, but Kilgariff and Hardstark weren’t laughing at the disturbing details or the victims. The laughs came so as not to cry, and they expressed appropriate revulsion at the bad guys. My only complaint would be that their research should delve deeper than Wikipedia. But it’s now a podcast on my radar. Toronto’s K. Trevor Wilson is one of the hottest acts in the country. A regular on Letterkenny, he recently shot a set on Jimmy Kimmel Live. He got off on a weird footing at Yuk Yuk’s by claiming that Vancouverites brag about all the sunshine we get. Huh? Once a comedian gets a premise so wrong, I find it hard to lock into the joke no matter how funny it is. But he did have a great line comparing spring to a deadbeat parent. Wilson, in fact, was a regular comedic Vivaldi, covering all the seasons. A big shout-out is also in order for some fine local comedians who were chosen to open for the visitors: Kathleen McGee, Eddie Della Siepe (he’s here enough that I’ll consider him a local), Chris Griffin, and Kevin Banner all warmed up the crowds admirably and showed they belong on any stage anywhere. > GUY M AC PHERSON
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VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL DANCE FESTIVAL Annual celebration of dance features performances by Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Kitt Johnson, Kaeja d’Dance, Cie Virginie Brunelle, Kinesis Dance, Karen Jamieson, Margaret Grenier, Jane Osborne, Kim Stevenson, and Dairakudakan. Mar 1-25, various Vancouver venues. Info www.vidf.ca/.
ar ts/ timeout THEATRE DANCE MUSIC COMEDY LITERARY EVENTS ET CETERA GALLERIES MUSEUMS OUT OF TOWN
straight choices
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
THEATRE 2JUST ANNOUNCED ’ ŠXW AM T (HOME) Theatre for Living, in collaboration with Journeys Around the Circle Society, presents director David Diamond’s production about what reconciliation really means. Mar 2-11, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix $15 (plus service charge), info www.theatreforliving.com/.
NOCHE FLAMENCA’S ANTIGONA Noche Flamenca’s artistic director Martin Santangelo’s adaptation of Sophocles’s classic play Antigone melds flamenco and ancient Greek tragedy. Mar 12, 7 pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall (6265 Crescent Rd., Chan Centre at UBC). Tix at www.chancentre.com/. LES BELLES-SOEURS Michel Tremblay’s play tells the story of an unexpected windfall that ends up breeding resentment among a woman and her friends. Presented by UBC Theatre. Mar 16–Apr 1, Frederic Wood Theatre (6354 Crescent Rd., UBC). Info www.theatrefilm.ubc.ca/ events/main-stage-season/.
2OPENINGS ELBOW ROOM CAFE: THE MUSICAL Zee Zee Theatre presents a candid look inside Vancouver’s most iconic eatery, the home of raucous service, celebrity sightings, and hearts of gold. Contains mature content. Mar 1-12, York Theatre (639 Commercial). Info www.thecultch.com/.
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2ONGOING THE AUDIENCE The Arts Club Theatre Company presents Peter Morgan’s play that explores imaginary glimpses into the audiences between Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II and her prime ministers. To Feb 26, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville). Info www.artsclub.com/.
DAIRAKUDAKAN The Vancouver International Dance Festival presents Japanbased ensemble performing its full-length work Paradise, which asks whether paradise is something that can only be found by tunnelling within. Mar 10-11, 8-10:30 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Tix from $50, info www.vidf.ca/tickets/. BALLET BC, PROGRAM 2 Under the leadership of Ballet BC artistic director Emily Molnar, Program 2 features world premieres by choreographers Wen Wei Wang, Company 605, Lesley Telford, and the return of critically acclaimed Solo Echo by Crystal Pite. Mar 16-18, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix $21.25-91.25 (plus applicable charges), info www.balletbc. com/performance/program-2-2017/. COMPAGNIE DANSE NYATA NYATA Themes of time and memory inspire Mozongi, a contemporary African dance work created by Montreal choreographer Zab Maboungou. Apr 6-8, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie). Tix $32/24, info www.thedancecentre.ca/. INVERSO Dance, poetry, and music come together in a triple bill of varied dance works by Vancouver choreographer Lesley Telford. Part of the Dance Centre’s Global Dance Connections series. Apr 20-22, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie). Tix $32/$24, info www.thedancecentre.ca/.
MUSIC 2JUST ANNOUNCED STILE ANTICO: IN A STRANGE LAND— ELIZABETHAN COMPOSERS IN EXILE Early Music Vancouver presents the British ensemble in a musical program that explores the works of English Elizabethan musicians Philips, Dering, Dowland, Byrd, and White. Mar 5, 2 pm, Chan Shun Concert Hall (Chan Centre at UBC). Tix $18-67, info www.earlymusic.bc.ca/. HARRIET KRIJGH The Vancouver Recital Society presents cellist Harriet Krijgh and pianist Magda Amara in a program of music by Mendelssohn, Schumann, and Rachmaninoff. Mar 5, 3 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Info www.van recital.com/.
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS JEAN-EFFLAM BAVOUZET Pianist performs works by Haydn, Beethoven, Ravel, and Debussy. Apr 2, 3 pm, Vancouver Playhouse Recital Hall (601 Cambie). Tix $40/30/20, info www.chopinsociety.org/.
THE CAT CAME BACK We all grew up with Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat—the one about the jauntily festooned feline who visits two kids on a rainy day and basically wrecks the house. Now a new stage show at Carousel Theatre for Young People aims to re-create the magic of the storybooks, replete with physical comedy and with Mike Stack in the red-and-white-hatted role. We can’t quite tell you what Thing One and Thing Two will look like, or how the team will bring to life the fantastical house-cleaning machine (where can we get one of those, by the way?), but we can tell you Carousel—which reliably creates eye-pleasing theatre for curious kids—is cut out for taking on this classic at the Waterfront Theatre from Saturday (February 25) to March 26. May 6, Queen Elizabeth Theatre), Dead Man Walking (Apr 29–May 7, Queen Elizabeth Theatre), and The Marriage of Figaro (Apr 30–May 18, Vancouver Playhouse). Apr 28–May 18, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). The event also runs at the Vancouver Playhouse., info www.vancouveroperafestival.ca/.
2THIS WEEK DE PROFUNDIS The Vancouver Cantata Singers perform the music of Palestrina, Allegri, and Pizzetti. Feb 25, 7:30 pm,
CHANTICLEER Grammy-winning a capella ensemble headlines Chor Leoni’s VanMan Male Choral Summit. Apr 21, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix $45-70, info www. chorleoni.org/concerts-events/events/ chanticleer-in-concert/#buy-tickets/.
REFUGE Mary Vingoe’s provocative story of the pitfalls of seeking sanctuary in today’s suspicious world, directed by Donna Spencer. Mar 18–Apr 1, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix from $23, info www.firehallartscentre.ca/onstage/refuge/.
DANCE 2THIS WEEK THE MARS HOTEL: KWAN YIN Evening of dance and live music that explores motifs of love and compassion. Includes performances by Ziyian Kwan, Noam Gagnon, Handmade Blade, Lihuen Kwan, and Peggy Lee. Feb 22-25, 8 pm, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix from $23, info www.firehallartscentre.ca/. BJM DanceHouse presents Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal in a performance of works by Foniadakis, Galli, and Pederneiras. Feb 24-25, 8 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Tix from $35, info www.dancehouse.ca/. IN PENUMBRA Kinesis Dance somatheatro presents the world premiere of a new multimedia work inspired by the search for utopia. Part of the Vancouver International Dance Festival. Mar 1-4, Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie). Info www.vidf.ca/tickets/.
PRO-AM NIGHT
EVERY WEDS AT 8:00
FEATURED HEADLINERS THURS & FRI AT 8:00 SAT AT 7:00 & 9:30 THIS WEEKEND FEATURING (FEB 23-25)
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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. 2JON DORE Feb 24-25 2LACHLAN PATTERSON Mar 2-4 2RYAN BELLEVILLE Mar 9-11 2GRAHAM CLARK Mar 16-18 2DAVE NYSTROM Mar 23-25 2SARAH TIANA Mar 30-Apr 1 2DAN SODER Apr 6-8 2IVAN DECKER Apr 13-15 2CHARLIE DEMERS Apr 20-22 2DINO ARCHIE Apr 27-29 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. 2TODD GLASS Feb 23-25 2BRETT MARTIN Mar 2-4 2OWEN BENJAMIN Mar 9-11 2EMAN EL-HUSSEINI Mar 16-18 2CHRIS QUIGLEY Mar 23-25 2JASON ROUSE Mar 30-Apr 1 VANCOUVER THEATRESPORTS LEAGUE Some of the world’s most daring and innovative improv. Firecracker! (Wed, 9:15
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www.yukyuks.com 2837 Cambie (at 12th)
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Sampler
99
PACK
VMO MORIHIRO OKABE KINEN SPRING CONCERT 2017 Soprano soloist Mihoko Kinoshita and the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra present a program of music by Brahms, Mozart, Hoffmann, Puccini, and Mascagni. Mar 10, 7:30 pm, Shaughnessy Heights United Church (1550 W. 33rd). Tix $25-30, info www.vmocanada.com/.
$
4 TICKETS FOR AS LOW AS
in a program of music by Schumann. Mar 16, 7:30 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Info www.vanrecital.com/.
HENNING KRAGGERUD BRAMWELL TOVEY VSO MUSIC DIRECTOR
UZUME TAIKO: (A)LIVE IN VANCOUVER Canadian taiko group Uzume Taiko presents Japanese taiko drums, dancing, music, and martial arts movement with Moving Dragon Contemporary Dance and Lorita Leung Dance Company. Mar 17, 8 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Tix $23.95-36.65 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketstonight.ca/. SINGERS’ CHOICE: A CHORAL HIT PARADE Jon Washburn leads the Vancouver Chamber Choir in a performance of choral-music hits. Mar 17, 8-10 pm, Ryerson United Church (2195 W. 45th). Info www.vancouverchamberchoir.com/.
VANCOUVER OPERA FESTIVAL Celebration of opera features three new opera productions and special events. Includes presentations of Othello (Apr 28–
EVERY TUES AT 8:00
THE VSO
30TH ANNIVERSARY GALA CONCERT Elektra Women’s Choir welcomes Canadian soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian for a compelling and unique collaboration on International Women’s Day. Mar 8, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix $20-50, info www. elektra.ca/concerts-events/galaconcert/.
SPRING FESTIVAL Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra present a celebration of British composers and their most popular works. Concerts include Songs and Serenades (Apr 22, 8 pm), The Planets: An HD Odyssey (Apr 24, 8 pm), Henry V (Apr 29, 8 pm), Enigma (Apr 30, 7 pm), and Last Night of the Proms (May 1, 8 pm). Apr 22–May 1, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Info www.vancouversymphony.ca/.
TOP TALENT SHOWCASE
COMEDY
42ND STREET Studio 58 presents the song-and-dance fable of Broadway that features songs like “We’re in the Money”, “Lullaby of Broadway”, “Shuffle Off to CHRIS BOTTI IN CONCERT WITH THE Buffalo”, “Dames”, “I Only Have Eyes VSO William Rowson conducts trumpeter for You” and, of course, “42nd Street”. To Chris Botti and the VSO in a program of Feb 26, Studio 58 (Langara College, 100 W. pop classics and jazz standards such as 49th). Tix from $10, info www.studio58.ca/. “When I Fall in Love”, “Emmanuel”, and “The Very Thought of You”. Mar 15, 8 pm, MOONLODGE Urban Ink presents an indigenous Canadian play by Margo Kane, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Info www.vancouversymphony.ca/. in association with the Arts Club Theatre Company and Talking Stick Festival. To FLORIAN BOESCH The Vancouver Feb 25, 8 pm, Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Recital Society presents the Austrian Theatre Centre (162 W. 1st). Tickets from $20, baritone Florian Boesch, soprano Miah info www.urbanink.ca/moonlodge/. Persson, and pianist Malcolm Martineau
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
Wanna Yuk?
CARMINA BURANA The Vancouver Bach Choir, the Bergmann Piano Duo, and Fringe Percussion present Carl Orff’s theatrical cantata, Dove’s The Passing of the Year, and Bergmann’s Tubular Bells. Feb 25, 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Tix from $29, info www.vancouverbachchoir.com/. BENJAMIN BEILMAN The Vancouver Recital Society presents violinist Benjamin Beilman and pianist Yekwon Sunwoo in a program of music by Schubert, Bartok, and Janácˇek. Feb 26, 3 pm, Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton). Info www.van recital.com/.
LOOK.SEE. Contemporary dance production by Kim Stevenson, Vanessa Mayrand, Kezia Rosen, Sarah Robinson, and Joanna Anderson. Mar 10-11, 7:30 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre (677 Davie). Tix $20/17, info www.mirrordance.ca/events/.
< < < < < < < < <
Holy Rosary Cathedral (646 Richards [at Dunsmuir]). Tix $30/20/10, info www.van couvercantatasingers.com/.
BAIBA SKRIDE
MONTEGO GLOVER
ARIEL BARNES
MAMBO KINGS
JON KIMURA PARKER
STEVEN REINEKE
KIRILL GERSTEIN
CAPATHIA JENKINS
CELEBRATE SPRING WITH THE SYMPHONY! The VSO Sampler Pack is a customizable 4-ticket package: choose from a wide range of specially-selected concerts this Spring, from the great classics to soul music, Latin jazz, and more. Celebrate Spring with the VSO Sampler Pack — amazing live concert experiences at the best prices!
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FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 29
Arts time out
from previous page
pm); Hip.Bang! (Wed and Fri, 7:30 pm); Improv After Dark (Fri and Sat, 11:15 pm); Ok Tinder (Thu, 9:15 pm); Rookie Night (Sun, 7:30 pm); TheatreSports (Thu and Sat, 7:30 pm; Fri and Sat, 9:30 pm). Feb 22–Mar 1, The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau, Granville Island). Info www.vtsl.com/.
2THIS WEEK TODD GLASS American standup comedian known for appearing on The Daily Show and Tosh.0. Part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 23-25, Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club (2837 Cambie). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. TREVOR NOAH South African comedian, TV and radio host, and actor performs as part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 23, 7 pm, 9:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix at www.jflnorthwest.com/.
Feb 24, 7 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/.
JIM GAFFIGAN American standup comedian, actor, writer, voice actor, and author performs as part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 24, 7 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. COLIN QUINN American standup comedian and actor known for his shows both on and off Broadway. Part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 24-25, 7:30 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. SARAH SILVERMAN American stand-up comedian, actor, producer, and writer performs as part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 25, 7 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. TOM SEGURA American comedian and podcast host performs as part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 25, 7 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY Comedians Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff Davis, and Joel Murray perform improv games from the Emmy-nominated TV series Whose Line Is It Anyway?. Feb 26, 7:30 pm, River Rock Casino (8811 River Rd., Richmond). Tix at www.riverrock.com/.
STOP PODCASTING YOURSELF Vancouver’s Graham Clark and Dave Shumka host a free-form comedy podcast as part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 23, 9:30 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. THE ALTERNATIVE SHOW Andy Kindler hosts an evening of alternative-comedy favourites as part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 24-25, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. JON DORE Canadian comedian, TV host, and actor known for appearing on How to Live With Your Parents (for the Rest of Your Life. Part of JFL NorthWest. Feb 24-25, The Comedy MIX (1015 Burrard). Info www.jflnorthwest.com/. CHRIS D’ELIA American standup comedian, actor, presenter, writer, and comedy singer performs as part of JFL NorthWest.
straight choices
#NOFILTER Interactive improv-comedy show uses live-stream social-media feeds and audience suggestions to drive the action. Mar 1, 9:15 pm, The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau, Granville Island). Tix $7.50, info www.vtsl.com/show/nofilter/.
LITERARY EVENTS 2THIS WEEK INCITE Explore the many identities, cultures, sights, scents, and smells of the West Coast through works by Jen Sookfong Lee, Janie Chang, and Carleigh Baker. Mar 1,
LAUGH MASTER In the past, the Straight has called Ottawa-born comic Jon Dore “a goddamn national treasure”, and we still don’t think that’s an overstatement. The guy who played a version of himself on his eponymous TV show, also known as the hoodie-wearing host of HBO’s Funny as Hell, just kills us, and he’ll kill you too. Why does he simply ooze funny? There’s something about the straight face he maintains when telling us the silliest, most off-kilter things. Think of him as the Canadian king of offbeat comedy. If you’ve seen him, you know what we mean. Don’t miss Dore, as part of the JFL NorthWest fest, when he’s at Comedy MIX on Friday and Saturday (February 24 and 25). 7:30-9 pm, Alice MacKay Room (Vancouver Public Library, 350 W. Georgia). Free admission, info www.vpl.ca/.
ET CETERA 2THIS WEEK JAPAN UNLAYERED Exhibition curated by master Japanese architect Kengo Kuma presents Japanese traditions alongside contemporary design to illustrate that the defining principles of Japanese design remain the same despite the evolution of technology. To Feb 28, Fairmont Pacific Rim (1038 Canada Place). Free admission, info www.japanunlayered.com/. ODYSSEO Cavalia presents a multimedia performance that uses equestrian arts, stage arts, and high-tech theatrical effects to examine the centuries-old relationship between human and horse. To Mar 5, Under the white big top at Olympic Village. Tix $29.50-204.50 (plus service charges and fees), info www.cavalia.net/. TALKING STICK FESTIVAL Indigenous performing-arts festival features 11 days of film, theatre, dance, celebration of powwow culture, an aboriginal artisan fair, a Métis fair, youth colouring and posterdesign contests, talking circles, workshops, and master classes. To Feb 26, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews). Tix $10-100, info www.talkingstickfest.ca/. CHUTZPAH FESTIVAL Celebration of Jewish performing arts features dance, theatre, comedy, and music by local, Canadian, and international artists. To Mar 13, Norman Rothstein Theatre (950 W. 41st). The event also runs at York Theatre, Scotiabank Dance Centre, and Biltmore Cabaret. Tix $23-50 (plus service charges and fees), info www.chutzpahfestival.com/.
GALLERIES VANCOUVER ART GALLERY 750 Hornby, 604-662-4719, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/. 2VANCOUVER SPECIAL: AMBIVALENT PLEASURES (exhibition encompasses a range of approaches and reinvigorated explorations of surrealism, abstraction, atemporality, and conceptual practices) to Apr 17 2WE COME TO WITNESS: SONNY ASSU IN DIALOGUE WITH EMILY CARR (Sonny Assu creates a new series of digital tags on a body of Emily Carr paintings) to Apr 23
MUSEUMS
VIOLENT COP + BOILING POINT
Feb 23-26, 2017 NEW RESTORATIONS! 35mm PRINTS!
CINEPLEX EVENTS
CLASSICS | OPERA | THEATRE | DANCE | MUSIC | INDIE FILMS
Cineplex.com/Events VANCOUVER VA V VANC A NC NCO OU U VE VER VER The Park Theatre 3440 Cambie St.
30 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
THE MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC 6393 NW Marine Drive, 604-8225087, www.moa.ubc.ca/. 2LAYERS OF INFLUENCE: UNFOLDING CLOTH ACROSS CULTURES (exhibition features more than 130 diverse cultural garments, from Japanese kimonos, to colourful Indian saris, to the elaborate feather cloaks of the Maori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand) to Apr 9
OUT OF TOWN 2THIS WEEK
Mar 1-12, 2017
WELL Seattle Repertory Theatre presents Lisa Kron’s self-referential journey that explores everything from chronic allergies, to community organizing, and most importantly, to her zany, unpredictable relationship with her mother. To Mar 5, Seattle Repertory Theatre (155 Mercer St, Seattle, WA). Info www.seattlerep.org/.
TIME OUT ARTS 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.
MOVIES REVIEWS THE RED TURTLE Directed by Michaël Dudok de Wit. Rated G
Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit won
2 an Oscar in 2000 for his short “Father and
Daughter” and reportedly didn’t consider undertaking a feature until he received an invitation from Studio Ghibli to produce the venerable outfit’s first non-Japanese venture. The Red Turtle is a very good fit indeed. The artist’s original story, executed by hand on a computer tablet, is simplicity itself. A sailor, of indeterminate origin and time period, washes up on a tiny tropical atoll. Amazed to be alive at all, he explores the island, finds food, and—aside from some playful sand crabs, seabirds, and the odd sea lion—is completely alone. The film favours a muted palette, softly contoured planes, and a gentle orchestral score mixed with the omnipresent sounds of nature. There’s no dialogue, except for occasional outbursts of the word “Hey!” The island is covered by spindly trees, and the man sets himself the task of building a succession of rafts, each bigger than the last, and each doomed to mysterious failure. This has something to do with the arrival, almost a half-hour into this 70-minute tone poem, of the titular tortoise (and the addition of more colour). To say more about this would spoil some surprises, but the frequent intrusion of lyrical, usually monochromatic, dream sequences is a tipoff that we have washed up in a land of existential metaphors, many confronting the uneasy relationship of humans with the natural world.
Turtles all the way home
A raft, a mysterious red turtle, and a man stranded on a tropical island are all it takes to turn Studio Ghibli’s first non-Japanese venture into its newest triumph.
on his semi-out sexuality. It also relies on Samuel L. Jackson to read, in a thoroughly unmannered and expletive-free fashion, exA ravishing animated feature and a timely documentary cerpts from the written but largely unpublished work comprise the best in this week’s big-screen releases that triggered the movie. The conflicts presented are few, and the ravish- (In a Jackson-esque clip, Baldwin actually coins ingly beautiful tale is relatively safe for children, the title using that other N word, which Negro although they might miss much of its subtle com- sensibly tones down.) The words are sometimes stronger than the immentary on accepting and pushing against our limitations. The air of bittersweet melancholy can ages, and Peck could perhaps have saved modern footage of Ferguson et al. until the end, to leave us make adults feel small, as well. > KEN EISNER where Americans are today—which is to say in a nation riven by worn-out lies and unfulfilled promises. I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO But like Baldwin himself, the film entertains with poetic erudition while making you face facts. A documentary by Raoul Peck. Rated PG Alongside the bittersweet recollections of his In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1843 story “The friends and their violent times, the writer ofBirth-Mark”, an erudite American gentle- fered keen analysis of how movies—John Wayne man’s ardour for his beautiful wife founders on his winning the West, Stepin Fetchit sleeping in the obsession with a small, blood-red spot on her cheek. barn—shaped our perceptions of history, and of the In time, he procures a magic potion that gradually present. The most abiding benefit of white privilege makes the mark disappear—along with his beloved! is simply being allowed to put privilege out of your The USA’s love-hate relationship with its own mind. Here’s a movie that won’t let you rub away the self-image—proud, but harshly marked by native blemishes or stay deaf “when all your buried corpses genocide and 250 years of African slavery—was the are now beginning to speak”, as Baldwin put it. Incentral subject of James Baldwin, the foremost black stead, you’re invited to be able to see and hear them intellectual of the last century. Unwritten colour with clarity, and with the right kind of anger. > KEN EISNER codes meant that very few such men and women penetrated public consciousness, but Baldwin possessed both astounding talent and persistence. A UNITED KINGDOM Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, up for a best- Starring David Oyelowo. Rated PG documentary Oscar, among other honours, distills If a 111-minute movie can be condensed the writer’s passions to one incendiary subject: the into one sentence, actor David Oyelowo murders of his friends Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, nails it in the first 15: “No man is free who is not and Martin Luther King Jr. Although the 90-minute effort contains just master of himself,” declares the Selma star, here enough relevant background to establish Bald- playing real-life African prince Seretse Khama. win’s uniquely expansive voice, it treads lightly And thus begins a very concentrated history,
2
2
starting in 1948, of Botswana’s liberation from British colonial rule. Instead of offering a dry history lesson, A United Kingdom considers the country’s politics through the fact-based story of Khama’s unlikely relationship with English clerk Ruth Williams (Gone Girl’s Rosamund Pike). A black prince who falls in love with a white woman while completing his education in London, Khama chooses Williams over a bride from his own tribe. After she embraces his culture and country, the pair inspires the people of Botswana to welcome a new democracy. Surmounting the difficult task of interesting western audiences in African politics, A United Kingdom’s glossy shots of Botswana (courtesy of Game of Thrones veteran Sam McCurdy) show the tourist-friendly location at its vibrant best— a boon for a film released to coincide with the country’s 50th anniversary of independence. Ably directed by Londoner Amma Assante, best known for the biracial costume drama Belle, Pike and Oyelowo muster a chemistry that transforms the clichéd images of the pair embracing into something genuinely romantic. The movie is not without f laws. Closing with a description of Williams’s humanitarian accomplishments in Botswana (then called Bechuanaland), the script suggests that the bride’s only real success was being stubborn enough to stand by a man whose proposal was deeply unpopular at the time. Shrugging off any hint of marital strife, the film presents all opposition to the union simply as a string of opportunities for Williams to assert her commitment to Khama—which, while initially pleasant, becomes emotionally bland. Still, in the current political climate, reminding viewers of the increasing acceptance of interracial relationships is a worthy enough end in itself.
LET’S GO CRAZ Y 8 S >>>
> BY ADRIAN MACK
Lawrence Le Lam might be
2 crazy, but he’s no dummy. “To
be honest, I didn’t really want to do Crazy 8s in the beginning,” he tells the Georgia Straight just a few days after delivering the final cut of his 20-minute movie, “Cypher”, to the much-loved short-film competition. “The idea of making a film in eight days is very daunting, and I didn’t think I could actually do it.” The 27-year-old filmmaker also has no problem admitting that he’s a bit of a perfectionist, which is why—he further admits—Crazy 8s is such a valuable exercise for anyone who is serious about a career in movies. Now in its 18th year, the contest asks that filmmakers submit themselves to the most extreme pressures they’re likely to face in the real world, where perfectionism is forged into something a little more practical. The organization supplies a fine
Lawrence Le Lam (middle) directs Jerome Yoo (right) and Alex Barima (left) in a scene from the hip-hop inspired Crazy 8s short, “Cypher”.
technical package and some important script mentoring to the six teams that make it through the juried selection process (a record 216 entries this year), but that’s when the rubber really hits the road. Each crew is then sent out with a $1,000 budget, a meagre three days of shooting, and
> KATE WILSON see next page
an only slightly less meagre five days of postproduction. Le Lam was actually persuaded to go Crazy by Jerome Yoo, who acted in the filmmaker’s previous award-winning short, “The Blue Jet”. Together with producer Nach Dudsdeemaytha, the two conjured
a tale dramatizing the tension between L.A.’s Korean and AfricanAmerican communities in the wake of the 1992 riot, climaxing with an emotional after-school rap battle between Yoo and an especially powerful Alex Barima (Once Upon a Time). As with “The Blue Jet”, in “Cypher” Le Lam demonstrates a cool and subtle eye for style (this time with a nod to period Spike Lee) and a sense of storytelling economy no doubt honed through his work on the 2014 feature documentary Not Business As Usual. The filmmaker stresses that “prep is really everything,” but it’s almost a convention at this point that something goes catastrophically wrong during a Crazy 8s shoot. In this case, Le Lam and his team lost an entire location when their lights triggered a school sprinkler system. Oopsies! “We got kicked out,” he says, with a soft moan. “We were like, ‘Okay,
☞
knock off a couple shots on the way out!’ We had this elaborate, beautiful sequence that we’d been talking about forever that we just couldn’t shoot anymore.” Their solution was to immediately jury rig a new set in their office, decorating a plain white wall with some lockers and then cheating the shit out of everything—to great effect, it must be said. The film’s seamlessness is one of its big virtues. “We rolled with it pretty well,” Le Lam says, adding that he still actually managed to wedge some sleep into his 72-hour scramble to get “Cypher” in the can. “I actually didn’t have too many bad moments.” Those bad moments, critically, are never visible on-screen. We’ll see if that’s true for the other five finalists when Crazy 8s holds its annual gala at the Centre on Saturday (February 25). -
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 31
Movie reviews
from previous page
MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI Featuring the voices of Nick Offerman and Erick Abbate. Rating unavailable
Based on a young-adult novel had already been turned into a French TV movie, the stopmotion-animated My Life as a Zucchini (originally called Autobiography of a Courgette) takes for granted that children can and do handle thoughts about loneliness, abuse, death, and sex earlier than you might expect if you live in a Disney universe. Just over an hour long, the Oscar-nominated â&#x20AC;&#x2122;toonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a FranceSwitzerland coproductionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is set in an environment that manages to be both fanciful and hyperreal. For his feature debut, Swiss writer-director Claude Barras utilizes huge figures with giant papier-mâchĂŠ heads (kind of a Coraline-meets-Frank deal) to convey the unique characters who find themselves corralled into an
2 that
austere-looking orphanage that turns out to be a pretty positive place for everyone involved. With a screenplay primarily by Franceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CĂŠline Sciamma, who wrote and directed such tough-minded gender studies as Girlhood and Tomboy, the colour-rich effort is available in both French-language and dubbed versions. In the Anglo take, newcomer Erick Abbate provides the voice of the pointedly named Icarus, who prefers to be called Zucchini, the belittling moniker bestowed on him by his beer-swilling mother, who exits the story early. (His long-gone dad is represented by the flat drawing on a high-flying kite.) The initially near-mute boy is taken to the countryside home by a friendly policeman (Nick Offerman), with whom he forms an instant bond. Meanwhile, our courgette must fight for dominance with spiky, redheaded Simon (Romy Beckman), the minibandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s natural leader. But he has no trouble adjusting to the sudden arrival of Camille
(Ness Krell), a troubled girl who has just lost both parents. The group coalesces remarkably well under the loose guidance of two artsy teachers (Will Forte and Ellen Page), but there is trouble in the form of Camilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hideous aunt (Amy Sedaris), the gentle taleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only real villain. Some of the happenings are unlikely in any culture, but as seen from a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye, this Zucchini stands tall. > KEN EISNER
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS Starring Sennia Nanua. Rated 14A
If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not a fan of flesh-eater
2 flicks by now, you surely wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be
after seeing The Girl With All the Gifts. Following one of those pesky zombie holocausts, a group of undead/human-hybrid kids is kept in a grungy military prison/school in rural England, where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re fed bowls of chubby mealworms and rolled to their daily class in wheelchairs to which theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bound at ankles, wrists,
and forehead. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Come on, you frigginâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; abortions, letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s go!â&#x20AC;? orders a heavily armed soldier, one of manyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;including the hard-ass Sgt. Parks (Paddy Considine)â&#x20AC;&#x201D;who keep machine guns trained on them at all times. The most gifted of the children is 10-year-old Melanie (charming newcomer Sennia Nanua), whose sensitivity and imagination draw the affection of kindly teacher Helen Justineau (Gemma Arterton), as well as the attention of icy biologist Dr. Caldwell (Glenn Close with a buzz cut), who singles her out for experimentation regarding the â&#x20AC;&#x153;mutated fungal diseaseâ&#x20AC;? that caused all the trouble in the first place. Things kick briefly into intense 28 Days Laterâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;style action when the facility gets overrun by hordes of flesh-eating â&#x20AC;&#x153;hungriesâ&#x20AC;?, and the three female leads escape in an army truck along with Parks and a couple of destinedto-be-zombie-chow grunts. Around this time the reasoning behind the precautionary measures used with the youngsters comes to light, as Melanie
ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
quickly morphs from a sweetie-pie into a lightning-fast neck-chomper of the highest order. Things get more ridiculous when the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;with Melanie now sporting a see-through mask to discourage any Lecter-style snackingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;sneaks quietly through an immense horde of zonked-out zombies in a decimated London. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now our mission statement is to keep ourselves off the fucking menu!â&#x20AC;? Parks instructs Caldwell when her stated research goals threaten their immediate survival. The Girl With All the Gifts strives to bring some genuine emotion and tenderness to the zombie genre, but it keeps sabotaging itself with overly saccharine scenes and goofy one-liners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t play with anybody that looks dead,â&#x20AC;? quips Sgt. Parks when Melanie sets off on an unlikely mission to save everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skin. And by the time she takes on a gaggle of snarling, infected kids in a preposterous schoolyard-type confrontation, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have had quite enough of all those so-called gifts. > STEVE NEWTON
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AS MUCH AS ANY FILM OUT THERE TODAY,â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I AM NOT YOUR NEGROâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; HELPS US FACE OUR RACIAL DIVIDE AND POSSIBLY BEGIN TO CHANGE IT AS WELL. A film essay thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s powerfully and
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â&#x20AC;&#x153; The racial divide feels starker than ever after the bruising campaign season and filmmakers have stepped up with ambitious documentaries. BUT THERE HASNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T BEEN AS
FEBRUARY 27
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ames Baldwin, one of the few black writers allowed into the pantheon of America’s public intellectuality—a notion now as quaint as an unfettered press and upward mobility—defied expectations wherever he went. Following a poverty-stricken childhood in Harlem, and a period as a boy preacher, he emigrated to Europe after the Second World War and there wrote a string of groundbreaking novels, essays, memoirs, and plays. His second novel, Giovanni’s Room, counted as a gay declaration in the closeted 1950s. And 1963’s The Fire Next Time—one of many works to rely on biblical themes to capture the ongoing cataclysm of race relations in the U.S.—was found in virtually every college dorm room at the time. Its success followed his return to the States and reflected his involvement with the civilrights movement and close friendships with activists Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr. After their assassinations, this experience became the subject of Remember This House, an unfinished manuscript that eventually formed the basis of I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck’s Oscarnominated documentary, which opens this Friday (February 24). Born in Haiti 63 years ago, Peck grew up in Africa, Europe, and the U.S. He returned to Haiti in the mid-’90s and was that country’s culture minister before resuming his film career—most notably for the 2000 biodoc Lumumba, for HBO. He currently heads France’s national film school, La Fémis. “When I was growing up,” Peck says, calling from Montreuil, a suburb east of Paris, “I didn’t read Baldwin—I studied Baldwin, the way you would study the Bible. “You can’t imagine how many people, young and old, I meet in audience
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> B Y KEN EISNE R
FEBRUARY
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Baldwin is Not Your Negro
I Am Not Your Negro filmmaker Raoul Peck feels that arguments by writer James Baldwin made over 60 years ago have relevance in modern America.
exchanges around the world who say ‘This man changed my life,’ ” he relates in excellent, if heavily accented, English. “He had a way to crack right through you. He always told you straight, but he never made himself the enemy of anyone; he was a profound humanist, an incredible anthropologist, philosopher, political mirror, and also a poet!” Indeed, it may have been Baldwin’s contagious love of language and ability to speak eloquently, without notes, on almost any subject that won him the admiration of even people who opposed his scabrous analysis of American complacency and self-delusion. His words were often fierce, but his demeanour was as musical as Nina Simone, whose voice he often recalls. “He was like a father to Nina Simone,” Peck declares. “He basically
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raised her intellectually. She travelled with him extensively, to Africa as well as Paris. He was the mentor of so many young artists, and they loved him so much. He was friends with Marlon Brando and Elia Kazan, and they would argue constantly about theatre and acting. But people would take criticism from Baldwin that they would not accept from anyone else. When things turned more radical, some of the militants thought he was too soft, and there was some homophobia there. But he managed to keep good relationships with them even so.” Baldwin’s influence on subsequent writers like Toni Morrison (who spoke at his 1987 funeral) and Ta-Nehisi Coates is incalculable.
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A FESTIVAL OF IMPACTFUL INDIGENOUS CINEMA
March 8 – 12, 2017 at the VIFF Vancity Theatre
BREATH (Iran) A young girl negotiates childhood and issues beyond her years amidst the tumult of the Iranian Revolution. Wednesday, March 8, 7:30pm International Women’s Day
ANISHOARA (Moldova) A fifteen year-old has to navigate everyone else’s desires, instead of enjoying her own. Friday, March 10, 9:00pm
STINGRAY SISTERS (Australia) Two sisters drill down - into themselves, their community, and their environment - before an oil and gas company can take it all away. Sunday, March 12, 3:00pm
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Baldwin
from previous page
Given its parameters, the movie doesn’t delve into this realm, but it does include its subject’s thoughts about the role of American cinema and television in promoting a whitewashed view of history. Even success stories like those of close friends Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte were tainted by a Jim Crow agenda that kept their worlds apart from the Caucasian chalk circle of Gary Cooper and Doris Day. “I remember the first time I saw Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?,” Peck recalls, ruefully. “I was so proud to be seeing a man who looked like me, who I could really admire. It took me a while to realize that I was being given a model of social behaviour, and that this was all I could be, to be accepted.” The new film’s academy nod for best documentary feature—one of almost 40 nominations and awards—puts it up against the eight-hour O.J.: Made in America, present on numerous 2016 top-10 lists for its detailed study of racial touchstones in modern America. In the fiction category, the box-office ascendance of a nichy art film like Moonlight puts it alongside a glossy crowd pleaser like Hidden Figures. “I know many of the filmmakers behind these films, and I really like and respect them all. In a way, a movie like Hidden Figures presents maybe too friendly a world to be believed. But the problem is not with Hidden Figures; the problem is that there are not enough movies to tell these stories. Right now we feel we must applaud them all.” Peck himself is pleased by the new openness to African-American stories that hit few familiar tropes, flying in the scarlet face of xenophobia blighting the landscape. But he feels that arguments raised by Baldwin six or more decades ago still can address unresolved divisions in society. The ambitious writer-director’s next film goes back even further: it’s mostly in German and takes on the early life of Karl Marx. Peck truly takes the long view of history. “The western world is in a big change,” he concludes, “and this may take another 60, 70 years. Look, I had 90 minutes to tell this story, and there were certain constraints—as it should be. My job was not to tell the whole story of James Baldwin. And yet I wanted to somehow capture his essence. He was an incredible witness of and actor upon his time. I hoped to push people to read him and that has already happened. Baldwin books are selling like crazy, and I just learned that the book from my film is now a bestseller. The return of James Baldwin to the front row— that has been my greatest desire. And I think he is there.” -
MUSIC
Deap Vally’s Julie Edwards has been
BY MIKE US IN G ER
lucky enough to have a front seat for Desert Daze, the cool-crowd California music festival that’s stayed fiercely grassroots in an era when megacorporations quickly gobble up everything good. Reached at home in Los Angeles, the drummer acknowledges that the 2016 edition of the fest— which featured Primus, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and the Brian Jonestown Massacre— might have been the most chill ever, at least from her perspective. It’s not often that you help start something with countless moving parts, and then get to stand back and watch while others do all the sweating. When Edwards picks up the phone, she suggests with a laugh that having a new baby helped earn her a pass. “Desert Daze is a music festival that my husband and I and some of our friends started,” Edwards says, her infant daughter happily gurgling away in the background. “We wanted to put on the kind of festival that we wanted to go to. And that was ironic—you start a festival because you want to make the perfect one with the exact lineup that’s killer for your tastes. But then the festival rolls around and you don’t get to see it because you’re busy running around and putting out fires. I have to give my husband and our friends credit though, because since I’ve had the baby I’m not in the trenches. Last year, all I had to do was go and play.” And that’s mostly what she’ll be doing again on the Desert Daze Caravan tour, which is currently winding its way up the coast. Think of the travel-
Desert Dazed and enthused
You might say that Deap Vally’s Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards belong to a tight-knight community of like-minded musicians. And also knitters.
raw squalor of Pretty on the Inside–edition Hole, “Post Funk” diving into tribal new wave, and “Heart Is an Animal” rocking grungier Deap Vally’s Femejism is the sound of a band than Seattle circa 1989. relishing total creative freedom for the first time “Being on a major label ling package as a primer for this fall’s edition of had many, many benefits, but from an emotional the psych-hazed alternative festival. In addition standpoint it was very dark,” Edwards relates. “Once to Deap Vally, the bill includes Desert Daze 2016 we were free, we knew that we could record a song alumni Temples, Jjuujjuu, Froth, and Night Beats, and not have someone’s seemingly arbitrary feedbacked by projected visuals designed to make you back running through our heads all the time. We’d play them [major-label executives] songs and they’d wish you’d been around for the acid-fried ’60s. Edwards says Desert Daze—which takes place want five or six hit singles and all these things done outside of the traditional festival season—has to them. They thought they could control whether or grown over a half-decade run to where it now at- not something became a hit, and I don’t think you tracts 6,000 people. Along the way, it’s created a can—it seems more like a complete crapshoot to me.” The duo still sounds like it’s done hard, liclose-knit collective of like-minded bands, which has its benefits when you’re trying to balance quored-up time at the Crossroads. But with Yeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner in the producmotherhood with a music career. “It’s really nice because my husband’s band, tion chair, the women of Deap Vally are equally Jjuujjuu, is also on this tour,” Edwards says. “So eager to unleash their inner art stars. Consider the this is one of the times where we are all together mission statement that is “Smile More”, where, as a family, whereas normally I take our daugh- over reverb-dipped guitars, a fabulously boredter out and he’s not with her, which has its plus- sounding Troy takes lethal aim at practically everything that’s pissing her off, with lines like “I es and minuses.” Along with Deap Vally singer-guitarist Lindsey am not ashamed of my sex life although I wish it Troy, Edwards has gotten used to balancing de- was better” and “I am happily unhappy.” “We loved our first record, Sistrionix, and I’d mands and managing expectations, and not just on the Desert Daze front. The band exploded out of Los say that 99.9 percent, it’s the record that we wantAngeles with a major-label debut—the scuzz-blues ed to make,” Edwards notes. “But even what little scorcher Sistrionix—in 2013, earning comparisons input that we got from the label sort of destroyed the process of creativity. We felt that we needed to the likes of the White Stripes and Black Keys. Last fall’s Femejism found Deap Vally mov- total freedom to explore the things we wanted to ing to the indie label Nevado Music, enabling and to carve out our own tastes. Femejism was Troy and Edwards to go in directions only hint- this amazing opportunity to do that.” Consider that a sign that for Edwards, everyed at on Sistrionix. That the duo is ready to take on all comers is clear thing—more than ever in these corporate times— off the top, with the slow-burning drone “Royal is better at the grassroots level, whether it’s makJelly” featuring lines like “If you wanna be queen ing records or helping run a festival that many bee/If you wanna be Miss Thing then you better start have called a must-visit alternative to Coachella. “Desert Daze started as an 11-day-long thing in hustling.” And Femejism is the sound of Deap Vally doing just that, with “Gonnawanna” channelling the a dive bar in Desert Hot Springs,” she says. “Then
we moved it to Mecca, California, to Sunset Ranch, which is really a wild location—very dusty and sandy and Mad Max. Those were great years. Now we’re at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, also known as the Institute of Mentalphysics, which was built on ancient aquifers. Joshua Tree is a very spiritual place—just being there you feel good. Location is so important to us—obviously, we wanted the festival to feel different from one that was on a giant field or parking lot. We want it to have a sense of adventure with endless pathways to discover.” Deap Vally plays the Rickshaw Theatre on Sunday (February 26) as part of the Desert Daze Caravan tour.
in + out
On motherhood: “It’s been great, even though there are a lot of deep and long philosophical questions about things like my own sense of identity. But that’s for another type of interview.” On touring with her daughter: “She has a really great time out on tour. She’s an extrovert and a people person who absolutely loves sound check.”
On Nevado Music: “It’s a tiny boutique label with excellent bands on it, and it’s the complete opposite of being on Island [Records]. With Nevado, every time you talk to someone, you’re talking to the founder and the guy who runs everything. We have a really high level of influence and we’re totally in the loop with everything that’s going on. I’m so tired of using the word empowering, so I’ll use a different one: it’s invigorating.”
☞
VANIC’S A DROPOUT WITH NO RE G RE TS >>> Future bass and trap artist is an all-or-nothing kind of guy. Despite having no training in production beyond experimenting with low-end recording software in high school—on a program that was, incidentally, given to him on a bootleg CD—the performer, known then as Jesse Hughes, dropped out of SFU business studies on a hunch that he could make it big in the music industry. And he was right. “There were a couple of factors that went into my decision,” the New Westminster native tells the Straight on the line from his home. “Some family things came up, and it made me question how much I was enjoying doing the typical business-studies thing. Often when people graduate, they’re not quite sure what to do with their lives after they get their degree. So I thought, ‘Maybe I just give music
2 Vanic
Future bass and trap artist Vanic, a.k.a. Jesse Hughes, prays that no one ever mistakes him for that xenophobic twit from Eagles of Death Metal.
a shot once, with all my energy.’ I figured that if I put everything on the line one time, it would either work or wouldn’t. And here we are.” Hughes’s decision wasn’t entirely a blind leap of faith. An accomplished
piano player since his fourth birthday, the burgeoning artist notes that music has always been an important part of his life. When it comes to transferring his keyboard skills into the world of production,
Julie Edwards sounds off on the things that enquiring minds want to know.
the 27-year-old is very aware of how to best deploy his talents. “I began my career by making remixes,” he recalls. “My strength is building music around a song that I like, whether it’s a top line or some kind of vocal. I can’t write lyrics to save my life. When I was starting out, talented singers and songwriters didn’t want to spend the time with me, because I didn’t have any kind of repertoire. Remixing is the easiest way to go. You can take something minimal—hopefully, it only has some guitar or piano in the background— and do your best to filter it out and build something around that.” First catapulted into the public eye for reworking tracks by Taylor Swift, the Chainsmokers, and Major Lazer, Hughes has since reached out to collaborators for his own original work. Following up the release of “Samurai” in late 2016—a track that currently boasts over five million plays
on Spotify—the producer dropped “Too Soon” in January, a playful and poppy single with wonky synth melodies and summery percussion. Returning to Vancouver to promote the track after touring with Adventure Club, the hometown boy is excited to be filling his favourite Vancouver venue. “I’m really happy because it’s sold out really quick, and it’s great to see a lot of local support. I’ve got a ton of friends coming out, so it will be interesting to pack everyone into Celebrities and see how my parents react to a bunch of people just going crazy in the crowd. I don’t really know what to expect, but I imagine it’s going to be a super fun time.” > KATE WILSON
Vanic plays Celebrities on Friday (February 24). see next page
FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 35
mind that I had when I was 22. Now I’m 31 and things have changed, but I want to keep that thread of hopefulness alive. It’s weird because our music is kind of in keeping with that youthful optimistic person that I was, and I don’t want to lose that as I become a curmudgeon at 31.” Mission accomplished, then, with everything indeed great today. Let’s hope the same holds true in a week.
Music previews
from previous page
Tennis returned to sea to recapture its innocence The husband-and-wife team of
2 Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley
might have worked through a difficult time with their new album, Yours Conditionally, but that doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing in the months ahead. “I feel good right now, but talk to me after the Vancouver show and we’ll see how I’m doing,” Moore says, on the line from her hometown of Denver, Colorado. “That’ll be six days into the tour.” She’s lounging on her bed when the Georgia Straight reaches her, savouring her last few days at home before heading out on the road for a three-month haul. That she’s loving the idea of getting back to work while also dreading it provides context for Yours Conditionally. The record finds Tennis returning to the unvarnished, dream-dazed indie pop of its muchloved debut, Cape Dory. Marked by sun-faded keys, seabreeze guitars, and Moore’s swooning, honey-cured vocals, Yours Conditionally finds the sweet spot between ’70s radio pop and new-millennium chillwave. From the dreamdazed opener, “In the Morning I’ll Be Better”, to the South Pacific–sunset closer “Island Music”, the album transports you to a place where the waves are always lapping the shore and mai tais are served at noon. Yet at odds with the record’s sonic gorgeousness are song titles like “My Emotions Are Blinding” and “Please Don’t Ruin This for Me”. Like Cape Dory, Yours Conditionally was incubated on a sailboat, where Riley and Moore spent literally months on the ocean writing songs away from the distractions of modern life. But where Tennis’s first album came out of a time best described as idyllic, the return to sea for the new record was considerably more emotional, and not in a good
> MIKE USINGER
Tennis plays the Biltmore on Wednesday (March 1).
Temples happily threw out the psych-rock rulebook In the past half-decade or so,
2 the defining sound of the indie-
The guys in U.K. quartet Temples are on a never-ending quest in search of peace, love, brotherhood, and a really good leave-in hair conditioner.
way. Moore notes that both she and Riley questioned whether they wanted to continue as a band after the release of Ritual in Repeat, a lush and polished outing produced by Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney. “I felt like our last record was really strong, and we had a great time on tour with it,” she says. “Some things were good, but I felt like in general we were being confronted with an industry and a world that was like, ‘We don’t know what to do with your band.’ We heard enough of ‘We don’t know where you fit in’ that Patrick and I just decided to pull out of everything. “It was not even something that needed to be discussed,” Moore continues. “An interesting fact of mine and Patrick’s relationship is that even something like our decision to get married was never a conversation. I don’t even know how it happened—it
36 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
was like, ‘We’re planning a wedding, we’re getting married.’ It was so unromantic, but that’s how I wanted it. With this situation it was simply ‘We need to start over and renegotiate the terms of how we do Tennis.’ Or even if we will do Tennis anymore, which was also part of the conversation. No one had to broach the subject.” At first, things went anything but smoothly. There were weeks of sailing off the coast of Mexico during a stormy winter that led to more than one tense day at sea. Eventually, though, both found themselves able to decompress enough to remember the people they were when they made Cape Dory. “We thought that revisiting the past and origin point of our first record would maybe help get back some of the initial innocence in the songwriting,” Moore remembers. “It was all about getting back to the state of
Summer of Love inf luences; “Oh the Saviour” boasts a fracturedfolk melody that Donovan would have traded his hurdy-gurdy for (not to mention a lyrical reference to “a wild impala”), while “Born Into the Sunset” is a sonic Lava Lamp of swirling sound. It’s not as easy, though, to pick out individual inf luences as it was with Sun Structures, where the 12-string guitar lines of “Shelter Song” brought the Byrds f lying to mind and “Keep in the Dark” was a shaggy-haired reminder of T. Rex’s protoglam. Moreover, Temples brought a new set of influences to bear on Volcano. The synthesizer arpeggios of “Mystery of Pop”, for example, nudge it in the direction of new wave, and the shimmering drones of “How Would You Like to Go” make it a shoegazer’s delight. “There weren’t many constrictions or rules or guidelines as to how we wanted it to sound,” says Walmsley, “other than that we wanted it to hit a little harder and be more of a direct album, maybe not mask it so much in a wash of sound, and actually have the ideas more in the forefront in a kind of less-is-more approach.” The bassist notes that he and his bandmates—singer-guitarist James Bagshaw, keyboardist-guitarist Adam Smith, and drummer Sam Toms— each contribute to the songwriting. “There’s a lot of individual writing to begin with, and then the collaboration begins at a later stage,” Walmsley says. “Initial ideas are often written individually, but it depends on the song. Different songs are brought by different members of the band, and you just try to make yourself as useful as possible to someone else’s idea, really. Whether that be involving with the music or the lyrics or whatever, you just try to organically fit in with the whole thing. It’s always a collaborative effort.”
rock underground has arguably been acid-washed psych-pop. Kettering, England–based quartet Temples is often spoken of in the same breath as Tame Impala and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, based in large part on the paisley-whorled sonics of its 2014 debut LP, Sun Structures. Temples bassist Tom Walmsley argues that the shoe doesn’t exactly fit anymore, given the more wideranging sound of the group’s soonto-be-released sophomore album, Volcano. Nonetheless, Walmsley— reached by phone en route to San Francisco for the first date of the Desert Daze Caravan tour—asserts that he and his bandmates are happy to be considered part of the postmillennial psychedelic-rock scene, which he says is notable for its strong sense of camaraderie. “The thing about festivals like Desert Daze is that there is such an element of community, a kind of shared musical idea,” Walmsley tells the Straight. “I think there’s not that many other current genres of music that have such a strong commun> JOHN LUCAS ity like that, especially towards live music, and it’s all over the world, so it’s just great. If we belong to it in Temples headlines the Desert Daze Caravan tour at the Rickshaw Theatre that sense, it’s good.” Volcano isn’t entirely free of on Sunday (February 26).
MUSIC
Maya Rae is only 14 years old, so we’ll forgive her for not realizing that it’s much, much easier to play a piano when you’re not sitting on top of it.
Maya Rae has chops far beyond her years
I
t’s not like she’s going totally Gaga— school, right in front of me with my at last count Stefani Joanne Ange- friends. So that’s why I wrote that song lina Germanotta had 22,400,000 about being ‘so caught up’ in social followers on Instagram—but Maya media, and not focusing on the present Rae is not doing badly for a high-school and on loving who you are. Those are student in out-of-the-way Vancouver. the kind of songs that I like to sing.” Rae’s got 1,191 devotees on the popular Rae’s other lyrical contribution to social-media site, plus 2,345 Facebook Sapphire Birds is the title track. She friends, and that’s without trying par- was nine when she wrote it. ticularly hard. For this unfathomably “I have a very musical family,” says grounded 14-year-old, there’s little to the singer, pianist, and aspiring uplove about trawling for likes. right bass player. “I’ve always loved Far more important, she con- music, of course. And I love all genres, tends, is finding an original voice as but jazz really intrigues me, and it’s a singer and musician—and having such a broad genre—you can do so something to say with it. many things with it.” Now, we’re not going to argue A jazz-festival gig with a school that Rae’s debut, Sapphire Birds, is choir put her in touch with Coastal going to change the Jazz and Blues world. It isn’t goSociety booker ing to be a source and saxophonof timeless tunes, ist Cory Weeds, Alex Varty as was Thelonious who played on and Monk’s Genius of Modern Music, or coproduced Sapphire Birds, which a genre-defining mission statement he also released on his Cellar Live like Ornette Coleman’s Something record label. Rae counts Weeds, Else!!!!. But if you didn’t read the liner pianist Miles Black, and her bass notes, you’d never guess that this art- teacher, Jodi Proznick, as importist is still two years away from slapping ant mentors; the first two will join an L on the back of her parents’ car. the singer for her upcoming CD– Backed by an A-list cast of Vancou- release concert, with bassist André ver jazz musicians, Rae sounds every Lachance, drummer Joel Fountain, bit as mature as they are—although and trumpeter Vince Mai roundkicking off her record with a cover of ing out the band. Meghan Trainor’s “Close Your Eyes” Rae will no doubt enjoy the attenhints that she doesn’t necessarily tion—both on-stage and online— spend every waking hour listening to that Sapphire Birds is going to bring vintage swing. her, but she’s still going to work her Even more promising is that while passion for social justice into its celeRae already has an impressive grasp bratory gala. Past performances have of the jazz form, she’s determined to raised money for Nepalese earthmake this classic style speak to kids quake victims, Syrian refugees, and her own age, both by covering pop an antibullying campaign; this time hits and by writing songs that express around, she’s putting her art into the everyday concerns of Generation supporting an initiative that, again, Selfie. Here, that would be “So Caught targets her generation. “All the proceeds from my CD reUp”, a cautionary tale inspired by a recent switch in schools and the so- lease—ticket sales and album sales— are going to Covenant House, an organcial anxiety that came with it. “We’re kind of growing up in the ization that supports homeless youth social-media world, and that’s a big and troubled youth in Vancouver,” she thing for people my age,” Rae explains says. “So I’m really excited about that. in a telephone interview from her Van- It’s a very important cause.” couver home. “They really care about how many likes they get on Instagram, Maya Rae hosts a CD–release party how many comments and so on, and for Sapphire Birds at Frankie’s Jazz it’s hard to see that happening at my Club on Thursday (February 23).
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music/ timeout CONCERTS 2JUST ANNOUNCED A MONTH OF TUESDAYS Music on Main presents music by flutist and
THE VANCOUVER UKULELE FESTIVAL: GALA CONCERT Kick off the 2017 edition of the Vancouver Ukulele Festival with a gala concert featuring music by Sarah Maisel, Craig Chee, Gerald Ross, Aaron
COM TRUISE AND CLARK New York Citybased electronica musician coheadlines with Berlin-based electronica artist. May 5, doors 9 pm, show 10 pm, The Imperial (319 Main). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $25 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.ticketweb.ca/.
17 th
THE KLEZMATICS 30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR Grammy-winning superstars < USA Feb. 23 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
DAVID BROZA & MIRA AWAD IN CONCERT charismatic & energetic < ISRAEL “(Broza) plays with all his heart, with all his body.” “(Awad’s) music...was intensely seductive.” Feb. 28 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
MARBIN with MNGWA opening jazz, rock & global music < ISRAEL/USA/CANADA “Eclectic band with a fascinating sound.” March 3 > Biltmore Cabaret • 19+
MAYA AVRAHAM BAND singer from Idan Raichel Project < ISRAEL “Avraham...left the audience blown away.” March 7 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
EXIT - SHALOM HANOCH with Moshe Levi “The King of Israeli Rock” < ISRAEL March 8 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
LYLA CANTÉ incredible world fusion < USA/ARGENTINA/JAPAN/ISRAEL “Music that is sensuous, passionate & infectious!” March 9 > Norman Rothstein Theatre
For FULL LINEUP & TICKETS visit
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GLOBALLY CELEBRATED MUSIC AT CHUTZPAH!
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MIKE GARSON David Bowie’s longtime keyboardist performs with the Langley Fine Arts School Orchestra. Mar 2, 7 pm, Chief Sepass Theatre (Langley Fine Arts School, 9096 Trattle St., Fort Langley). Tix at www.brownpapertickets.com/.
ASIA ON TOUR Multi-band tour series showcases Japan’s Miyavi, Thailand’s Slot Machine, and Korea’s Kiha and the Faces. Apr 1, doors 6:30 pm, show 7 pm, Venue (881 Granville). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $25 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
FESTIVAL
2017
electronica artist Anne La Berge (Feb 28), vocalist and pianist Gabriel Kahane (Mar 7), Moravian-folk duo Dálava (Mar 14), and Montreal’s Plumes Ensemble (Mar 21). To Mar 21, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Info www.musiconmain.ca/.
and Nicole Keim, Ruby & Smith, Timothy Tweedale, and Michael Rush. Mar 3, 7:30 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $25/18, info www.rubysukes.ca/vancouverukulele-festival/.
chutzpahfestival.com
4-show Chutzi pack & 5-Show Dance Pack available THE BETTY AVERBACH FOUNDATION PHYLISS AND IRVING SNIDER FOUNDATION
Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver
SPECIAL EDITION | MARCH 2 Contact The Georgia Straight to help shine a spotlight on Vancouver women who are trying to improve and enrich our city in a multitude of different ways. #BeBoldForChange sales@straight.com | 604.730.7020 38 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
THE SMUGGLERS The Georgia Straight presents Vancouver garage-rockers as part of the Straight 50th anniversary, with guests the Muffs, Chixdiggit, and Needles//Pins. May 13, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $25 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. MIDNIGHT OIL The Georgia Straight presents politically-minded rockers from Australia (“Beds Are Burning”, “Blue Sky Mining”), featuring frontman Peter Garrett. Jun 2, doors 7 pm, show 8:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $55 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. HOLLERADO Canadian indie-rock band tours in support of new single “Born Yesterday”. Jun 10, doors 8 pm, show 9:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868
Granville). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $20 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
TARRUS RILEY Jamaican reggae singersongwriter performs with Dean Fraser and guests the Blak Soil Band. Jun 15, doors 8 pm, show 9:15 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $32.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketmaster.ca/. JURASSIC 5 American alt-hip-hop ensemble tours in support of latest track “Customer Service”. Jun 23-24, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $45 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. RYAN ADAMS American alt-country rocker plays tune from new album Prisoner. Jun 27, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Orpheum
see next page
HOUSING Theatre (601 Smithe). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $59.50/45/35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. J. COLE American hip-hop artist performs on his 4 Your Eyez Only Tour. Jul 18, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $125.50/99.50/69.50/49.50/29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
don’t miss out! For up-to-the-minute, searchable Music Time Out listings, visit
www.straight.com
ONEREPUBLIC Pop-rock quintet from Colorado (“Counting Stars”), with guests Fitz and the Tantrums. Aug 21, doors 6 pm, show 7 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale Feb 24, 10 am, $145/120/84.50/47.50/35/25 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
2THIS WEEK THE KLEZMATICS New York Citybased klezmer band incorporates Arab, African, Latin, Balkan, jazz, and punk influences. Part of the Chutzpah Festival. Feb 23, 8 pm, Norman Rothstein Theatre (950 W. 41st). Tix $36/25, info www.chutzpah festival.com/.
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS FESTIVAL DU BOIS Celebrate the francophone culture of B.C. with a contra dance and live music by the Sybaritic String Band, Suroît, Mélisande, Nicolas Pellerin et les Grands Hurleurs, Podorythmie, Zal Sissokho and Buntalo, Jeremiah McLane, and Jocelyn Pettit. Mar 3-5, Mackin Park (1046 Brunette, Coquitlam). Tix $15, info www.festivaldubois.ca/.
CLUBS & VENUES BACKSTAGE LOUNGE Arts Club Theatre, 1585 Johnston, Granville Island, 604-687-1354. Hot Jazz Jam night on Tue. 2EYE BENDER Mar 12 BILTMORE CABARET 2755 Prince Edward, 604-676-0541. 2CLIPPING. Feb 22 2PALMISTRY Feb 24 2KEVIN ABSTRACT Feb 26 2THE OCTOPUS PROJECT Feb 27 2THE RADIO DEPT. Feb 28 2TENNIS Mar 1
COMMODORE BALLROOM 868 Granville, 604-739-4550. 2THE CADILLAC THREE Mar 8 2BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS Mar 10 2CHRONIXX Mar 18 2JAPANDROIDS Mar 20 2THE AGE OF ELECTRIC Mar 24 FORTUNE SOUND CLUB 147 E. Pender, 604-569-1758. 2MEATBODIES Feb 25 2P.O.S Mar 3 2THE COATHANGERS Mar 18 2ISAIAH RASHAD Mar 22 FOX CABARET 2321 Main. 2PARSONSFIELD Feb 23 2THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE Feb 25 2ALEX MAHER Feb 27 2JOEY LANDRETH Mar 3 FUNKY WINKER BEANS 37 W. Hastings. Evil Bastard Karaoke Experience Sun-Thurs. THE IMPERIAL 319 Main, 604-8680494. 2WOLF PARADE Feb 22-24 2BANNERS Feb 25 IVANHOE PUB 1038 Main, 604608-1444. 268 LIPS Feb 24 2CHRIS NEWTON BAND Feb 25 2SONS OF THE HOE Feb 26 MEDIA CLUB 695 Cambie, 604608-2871. 2THE JERRY CANS Feb 25 2ALPHA OMEGA & THE LEISURE PRINCIPLE Mar 8 ORPHEUM THEATRE 601 Smithe, 604-665-3050. 2COLIN JAMES Mar 8 2PASSENGER Mar 25 2KALEO Apr 4 2TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB Apr 18 2RYAN ADAMS Jun 27 QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE 650 Hamilton, 604-665-3050. 2LYLE LOVETT AND JOHN HIATT Mar 6 2FISH LEONG Mar 20 2THE LAST WALTZ REMEMBERED Apr 4 2CITY AND COLOUR Apr 6 2BRIAN WILSON Apr 8 2THE FLAMING LIPS May 15 2BONNIE RAITT Jun 19 RICKSHAW THEATRE 254 E. Hastings, 604-681-8915. 2ACTORS Feb 24 2POLYRHYTHMICS Feb 25 2DESERT DAZE TOUR Feb 26 2GHOSTFACE KILLAH Feb 27 2ANDY BLACK Feb 28 2THE REAL MCKENZIES Mar 4 RIVER ROCK SHOW THEATRE River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River Rd., 604-247-8900. 2THE ROBERT CRAY BAND Mar 3 2ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Mar 10 2ABBAMANIA Mar 18 ROGERS ARENA 800 Griffiths Way, 604-899-7400. 2RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Mar 18 2ARIANA GRANDE Mar 24 2CHRIS STAPLETON Mar 27 2JOHN MAYER Apr 19 2THE
WEEKND Apr 25 2LIONEL RICHIE Apr 27 2JOHN LEGEND Jun 1 2DEF LEPPARD Jun 6 2FUTURE Jun 9 2QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT Jul 2 2J. COLE Jul 18 2NEIL DIAMOND Jul 24 2BRUNO MARS Jul 26 2LADY GAGA Aug 1 2TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS Aug 17 2ONEREPUBLIC Aug 21 2NICKELBACK Oct 1 2ROGER WATERS Oct 28 THE ROXY 932 Granville, 604-3317999. House band Tattoo Alibi Sat & Mon; country band Locked & Loaded Sun; the Bulge and DJ Joe Pound Tue; Troys ‘R Us Wed-Thu. 2FAITH NUMADA, KRISTIN BUNYAN Feb 26 ST. JAMES HALL 3214 W. 10th, 604-736-3022. 2KIÉRAH Mar 3 2CHRISTINE TASSAN ET LES IMPOSTEURES Mar 9 2SHARON SHANNON Mar 12
Kerrisdale church sparks debate with redevelopment
A
religious congregation in Vancou- son United Church. It merged with Dunbar ver wants to redevelop its proper- Heights United Church effective January 1 this ties comprising one-and-a-half city year to form the new congregation, Dunbar blocks in Kerrisdale. Ryerson United Church. The Dunbar Ryerson United Church has Much earlier in its history, Ryerson United partnered with Wall Financial Corporation for Church started in the neighbourhood as the the project, which includes condos and town- Kerrisdale Methodist Church in 1911 with its houses. Because of its scale, the plan has stirred original place of worship located at the northeast opposition from a number of residents in the corner of West 45th Avenue and Yew Street. West Side neighbourhood. According to Esau, the reThe church has filed an development will allow the application with the City church to stay in the comof Vancouver to change the Carlito Pablo munity: “This will carry us zoning of its lands east and for decades, for sure.” west of Yew Street along the north side of West Speaking on behalf of her neighbours, Ann 45th Avenue. The properties are currently clas- Kent said that she and other residents are “not sified as single-family dwelling. A rezoning to unsympathetic to the needs of the church”. comprehensive development is being sought. “We’re not opposed to the church redevelGordon Esau, chair of the church’s property- oping or finding ways to make its services, you redevelopment committee, explained to the Geor- know, sustainable,” Kent told the Straight in a gia Straight how the deal with Wall Financial phone interview. “What we are concerned about works. According to Esau, the church will sell is how the development has become so massive.” its properties on the east side of Yew Street along She explained that the church is asking for West 45th Avenue to Wall Financial after the a “dramatic change in zoning” that is “pretty rezoning is approved by the city. The real-estate extreme” in a single-family-dwelling district. company will then develop an eight-storey condo “Had they focused on townhouses, and perhaps building and two-and-a-half-level townhouses on a lower-profile [community] activity centre, the site that currently has the church’s commun- people would have worked with that,” Kent said. ity centre, gym, and a rental home. “Our concerns might then be limited to what’s The congregation will use the proceeds of happening with an increase in traffic.” the sale of that land to rehabilitate the stone Based on the 2011 census, 53 percent of resichurch on its property on the west side of Yew dences in Kerrisdale are single-family detached Street. The church will also build a five-storey houses, and 40 percent are apartment homes. building to house a new community centre and Kent said that although she and her neighrental homes on the site of what are now single- bours are not against the idea of seeing additional family residences west of the church. homes in their neighbourhood, the proposed deThe proposed redevelopment along West velopment of eight- and five-storey buildings is 45th Avenue west of Yew Street will take an just too big. entire city block up to Vine Street. The plan Based on the rezoning application, the proalso involves designating the neo-Gothic 1928 posed eight-storey condo building and two-andchurch as a protected heritage property. a-half-level townhouses on the east side of Yew “When we started this process a number of Street will have 40 housing units. The planned years ago, the city assured us that there would be five-storey mixed-use building on the other side some pushback from some members of the neigh- of the street will have 32 rental homes. bourhood who don’t want change, and we’re exCity staff and church representatives will periencing that, and it’s probably about what we answer questions from the public about the expected,” Esau said in a phone interview. project at an open house from 5 to 8 p.m. The congregation at West 45th Avenue and on Monday (February 27) at 2195 West 45th Yew Street was previously known as Ryer- Avenue. -
Real Estate
VENUE 881 Granville, 604-646-0064. 2QUANNUM MCS TOUR Feb 25 2TRENTEMOLLER Mar 10 2SAVE FERRIS Mar 18 VOGUE THEATRE 918 Granville, 604-569-1144. 2WILLIAM SINGE Feb 22 2VINCE STAPLES Feb 28 2BLACK MOUNTAIN Mar 10 WISE HALL 1882 Adanac, 604-2545858. Live music by local artists and international touring acts. 2CR AVERY Feb 22 2EAST VAN MARDI GRAS Feb 24 2TABOO REVUE Feb 25 2PETUNIA AND THE VIPERS Feb 27 2DROP IN ROCK CHOIR Feb 28
OUT OF TOWN 2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Twenty One Pilots, Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper, the Head and the Heart, the Shins, MGMT, Phantogram, Mac Miller, Bonobo, Aesop Rock, Charles Bradley, Catfish and the Bottlemen, and Arkells. May 26-28, Gorge Amphitheatre (George, Wash.). Tix US$295 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
TIME OUT MUSIC 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 FEBRUARY23 23––MARCH MARCH22//2017 2017 THE THEGEORGIA GEORGIASTRAIGHT STRAIGHT 39
straight stars
> BY ROSE MARCUS
February 23 to March 1, 2017
News travels; people do too. life can catapult onto a sharp-turn Monday’s Mars/Jupiter keeps every- new track. Fame happens for some. hursday through Saturday, thing amped up and on the increase. Loss and gain are intertwined. the stars are in good shape Expect the whole week to stay on CANCER for communications, com- full swing. June 21–July 22 merce, socializing, and conARIES Keep on watch; stay sharp; necting the dots. Relaxation is on March 20–April 20 stay ready; aim to jump on it quick. the roster for Saturday evening as This one’s for you. Sun- When the eclipse delivers—preboth the moon and Mercury trek day’s eclipse holds maximum impact senting itself as a saving grace, a giftinto easy-does-it Pisces. Sunday’s solar eclipse happens in for those born on or near April 11, ed opportunity, a sudden flash, or a Pisces, but don’t expect it to be a mild but everyone will feel a lightning-rod hot-poker event—it does so fast and or quiet event. This one has quite a strike. A total leap of faith is required; furious. There’s no time margin, not kick to it. It could sneak up on you/us. nothing less than every ounce of you a moment to waste. It could be your The last in the series, this eclipse will suffice. When the moment hits, breakout or breakaway moment. can bring fruition, or it can strike as show up for yourself; give it your best Have courage; take it on. a final whack or wake-up call for that shot. Relinquish all expectation and LEO which has been in the works for the spend all your energy. July 22–August 23 past 18 months. It acts as an accelTAURUS Sunday’s eclipse could spark eration catalyst for an ending, beginApril 20–May 21 a stroke of genius, a stroke of luck, a ning, or passage of significance. How much trust and sudden breakthrough, or a kick-ass Accompanying the eclipse, Mars in Aries joins Uranus/Eris on Sunday faith do you place in yourself, surprise à la destiny. A fresh adventure evening and opposes Jupiter on Mon- in others, in the future that now awaits the performer, athlete, artist, day morning. These are turbocharged builds in front of you? Sunday’s lover, leader, dreamer, freedom seeker, alignments. Whether it’s an emotion, eclipse cuts to the chase with sud- or risk taker. You are playing for high impulse, or something much more, den and swift precision. Watch for stakes and there’s no guarantee. Some watch for it to strike flint suddenly and the out-of-the-blue to open it up win big and some lose, but for most with great impact. To the plus, these wide for you. This eclipse is ex- there’s great opportunity. transits can set free or inspire. A fresh cellent for severing ties, breaking VIRGO start or relationship can be hot stuff free of dependencies, and for a fast August 23–September 23 right from the get-go. On the caustic track into a whole new reality. As of Thursday, you’re level, there can be a major fight to face. GEMINI onto a faster move-ahead. Sunday’s Rapid-fire Mars/Uranus/Eris can be May 21–June 21 eclipse can expose, reveal, target, or disruptive, aggressive, inflaming, inAmazing things can hap- provoke in some sudden and sharpciting, volatile, and explosive. Money markets, politics, weather, angry pen when you least expect it. Expos- edged way. It’s a decisive line-inpeople, and rebellious ones are hot- ing and revealing, Sunday’s solar the-sand moment for finances, a wired. Uranus in Aries adds the ele- eclipse puts opportunity in your path. key relationship, a health matter, or ment of excitement, surprise, extreme, It is up to you to see it as such and to personal reinvention. The eclipse or shock. (Note: Uranus rules terror- make the most of it. Your career path, will be especially fast-tracking for material status, love life, and/or social those born at the end of August ism; Aries rules firearms.)
T
ﺑ
ﺎ
ﺒ
ﺏ
ﺓ
ﺐ
and on or around September 14.
ﺔ
LIBRA
September 23–October 23
Thursday/Friday, Mercury keeps you/them/it on track and well timed. The solar eclipse could sneak up on you but you’ll certainly know it when it hits. Sunday night through Wednesday fast-tracks you, perhaps suddenly or shockingly so. You could make a major breakthrough with someone or something. A fresh start, new job, new you, new reality holds great promise.
ﺕ
SCORPIO
October 23–November 22
Sunday’s solar eclipse may prove to be a dream come true, especially for lovers, fame seekers, creators, speculative ventures, or matters dear to the heart. An element of the unexpected is in the mix. Even if it calls you to attention in some sudden or abrupt way, see it as a blessing in disguise. The high-gear full-tilt action continues through Wednesday.
ﺖ
SAGITTARIUS
November 22–December 21
ﺊ
CAPRICORN
December 21–January 20
Potentials are on the rise. In fact, Sunday through Wednesday could make it real. Conversely, you could hit a point-of-no-return, linein-the-sand time. The solar eclipse can feel more like Aries than Pisces. Expect communications, negotiations, paperwork, and matters to do with real estate, home, career, and finances to hit a fast track.
ﺋ
AQUARIUS
January 20–February 18
Thursday/Friday are yours to own. Connect, discuss, accomplish, enjoy. Saturday is good for a relax and unwind, but watch for Sunday’s eclipse to fire it right up with something sudden and unexpected. Fast thinking and action are called for. Trust your intuition. One thing quickly leads to another. Expect to keep going strong through midweek.
ﺌ
PISCES
February 18–March 20
Sunday’s solar eclipse will be a hot ticket for you if it’s also your birthday or near it. There’s no holding back or backtracking on this one. Watch something or someone burst on the scene and overtake or override everything. It could be a moneymaker. A risk is in the mix. Rely on your knowledge, first impression, impulse, and intuition. -
Good ideas and good times are worth sharing Thursday/ Friday. As of Saturday, you may be in the mood for an escape or to hide out at home. Don’t expect to stay under cover, though. Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, and the solar eclipse have designs on you. Sunday night through Tuesday, B o o k a re a d i n g o r s i g n u p f o r nothing will stop you. It’s hot; you’re Rose’s free monthly newsletter at www.rosemarcus.com/astrolink/. hot. Go for it; take your best shot!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
West End Community Centre Flea Market Sunday, Feb. 26th! Funds raised from flea markets go to WECC Youth Programs and the King George Secondary School Grad Committee. Flea markets are held in the West End Community Centre Auditorium. Admission is $1/person. 10 am to 3 pm. 870 Denman St. Vancouver
Work on Vancouver’s Hottest Patio this Summer! Open House Interviews March 15th-18th from 11am-4pm You can also email your resume to bridgesapplications@gmail.com
@BridgesGI /BridgesRestaurant @BridgesVancouver
bridges Restaurant
1696 Duranleau - Granville Island 604-687-4400
40 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
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2 front row tickets, April 27, Rogers Arena. These are row 6, but stage shaped like a diamond, so you are actually front row. $1082.30 for the pair. This is a private sale and tickets are at face value, Please contact Janice at 604-421-3573
WANTED SUBMIT YOUR LOVE LETTERS
Collecting letters worldwide for art publication/exhibition. Notes, txts, tinder chats, emails, long, short, cheesy, silly, unrequited, romantic, all kinds of relationships all welcome. Submit letter/transcript, first name (optional), age, city or country to loveletterssubmit@gmail.com
M-F 6-12, Sat/Sun 12-12 East Van Hourly ($16.66/hour) & L/O, www.sunastudios.ca 604-563-5460
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MUSICIANS WANTED The Main on Main St. is looking for Wednesday through Saturday night acts. All Genres welcome. For more info email mainbooking@hotmail.com
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SUPPORT GROUPS 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. BC Balance & Dizziness provides information & support for persons with balance, dizziness & vestibular disorders. Bi Monthly info meetings @ St. Paul's Hospital. Call for info. 604-878-8383 www.BalanceAndDizziness.org 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
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 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. Support, Education & Action Group for Women that have experienced male violence. Call Vancouver Rape Relief 604-872-8212
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Anxiety? Depression? Free Mental Wellness Support Group held on Saturdays (10:30 am – 12:30) Promotes a holistic approach to healing (body, mind & spirit). Networking and interactive learning experience in a safe, non-judgmental environment. For more information call 604-630-6865 or visit www.mentalwellnessbc.ca Distress Line & Suicide Prevention Services NEED SOME ONE TO TALK TO? Call us for immediate, free, confidential and non-judgemental support, 24 hours a day, everyday. The Crisis Centre in Vancouver can help you cope more effectively with stressful situations. 604-872-3311
LifeRing - Sobriety your Way Sound Different? Men & Women supporting each other in a friendly, non-judgemental environment based on abstinence, secularity & self-help Van: @ Vancouver Daytox 377 E. 2nd Sat @ 4pm Maple Ridge: @ The CEED Centre 11739 - 223 St Sundays 1:30pm www.liferingcanada.org or www.lifering.org Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA) Do you have a problem with sex and love relationships. You are not alone. SLAA is a 12 Step 12 Tradition oriented fellowship for those who suffer from sex and love addiction. Leave a message on our phone line and somebody will call you back for meeting time and locations. 604 515-5423
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Anonymous Check In Avail • All Rates with Current Membership
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SERVICES
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NEW OWNER!
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Gemini Studio
$60/30 mins (incl tips)
(Office) 305 s Tower-5811 Cooney Rd, Richmond
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WWW.
Join a FREE YWCA Single Mothers support group in your local community. Share information, experiences and resources. Child care is provided for a nominal fee. For information call 604-895-5789 or Email: smacdonald@ywcavan.org
Angel TOUCH
778-522-5560
2070 2070 7 W. W. 10 10thh A Ave v V ve Van an an
60 4 7 604 738 38 3 3302 3 02
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Always Hiring | Accepting all major CC’s FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 41
CLASSIFIEDS ................................................................................................................................................................
Beauty & Wellness Spa 604.325.2313
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10am - 2am. 778-322-1583 Professional Chinese Massage Coquitlam $60/1hr $100/2hr
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Sa Sa Massage
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42 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017
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savage love I am a straight married man. My wife and I have a four-year-old and a three-month-old. We’ve just started having intercourse again. For Valentine’s Day, we spent the night in a B & B while Grandma watched the kids. We had edibles, drank sparkling wine, and then fucked. It was amazing. After we came and while we were still stoned and drunk, my wife mentioned she was open to inviting others into our sex life. I asked about getting a professional sex worker. She said no. But maybe if we were in a bar (we’re never in bars) and met someone (a unicorn), she might be into it. Anal came up. She’s always said she’s up for trying anything once. I have a desire to experiment with anal. (Not just me entering her, but her pegging me as well.) I asked if she would use the vibrator we brought on me, just to experiment. She said she was too high to do anything. I felt let down. I feel she unknowingly teased me with fantasies I have, not knowing I actually have them. We have a good sex life, and I’m willing to write off the fantasies we discussed while high and drunk. It’s the teasing that drove me crazy. > HAVING AND REALIZING DESIRES
P.S. I’m in no hurry. We just had a baby, and I don’t want to pressure my wife right now. My fear is that she may only like the idea of exploring our sexuality together and not the reality of it. Some people think about, talk about, and masturbate about certain fantasies without ever wanting to realize
them. Let’s call them Team Fantasize. Some people think about, et cetera, certain fantasies and would very much like to realize them. Let’s call them Team Realize. There’s nothing wrong with either team. But when someone on Team Fantasize is married to someone on Team Realize, well, that can be a problem. Knowing your spouse is turned on by fantasies you share but rules out realizing them—or sets impossible conditions for realizing them—can be extremely frustrating. And sometimes a frustrated Team Realize spouse will say something like this to their Team Fantasize mate: “Talking about these fantasies together—this kind of dirty talk—it gets my hopes up about actually doing it. If it’s never going to happen, we have to stop talking about it, because it’s frustrating.” The problem with that approach? Swingers’ clubs, BDSM parties, and the strap-on-dildo sections of your finer sex-positive sex-toy stores everywhere are fi lled with couples who used to be on opposite teams— one from Team Fantasize, the other from Team Realize—but they’re both on Team Realize now. And what got them on the same team? Continuing to discuss and share fantasies, even at the risk of frustrating the Team Realize spouse. So if you ever want to have that threesome or experiment with anal, HARD, you need to keep talking with your wife about these fantasies—and you need to tell her your fantasies, too! Tell her you’re not pressuring her, of course, but let her know these
> BY DAN SAVAGE are things you would actually like to do, and the more you talk about them, the more you want to do them. If she keeps talking with you about them, that’s a sign. Not a sign that she’s a cruel tease, HARD, but a sign that she’s inching closer toward pulling on a Team Realize jersey. P.S. If your wife doesn’t know you have these fantasies—and is consequently teasing you “unknowingly”—that’s your fault, HARD, not hers.
I wanted to tell you about something that happened to my friend. (Really!) She was going to bang this dude from OkCupid but wasn’t getting a great feeling, so she went to bed and let him crash on the couch. She woke up the next day to find her underwear drawer empty on the floor and all of her underwear wrapped around this dude’s feet. She stealthily removed all the panties from his perv hooves and put her shit away. When the morning actualized itself, they parted amicably with no mention of the underwear slippers. > MEN IN ALASKA
Ask yourself which is the likelier scenario, MIA. Scenario 1: this guy stumbled around your friend’s dark apartment in the middle of the night, managed to fi nd her underwear drawer, pulled it out and set it on the floor, made himself a pair of pantie booties, had himself a wank, and fell back to sleep. All without waking your friend. Then your friend got up in the morning, saw her panties wrapped around his hooves, peeled
them off one by one, and returned her panties to their drawer. All without waking Perv Hooves up. Scenario 2: your friend got pervy with this guy, wanted to tell you about this guy’s kink, but was too embarrassed to admit that she played along and possibly got into it. My money is on Scenario 2, MIA, because I’ve heard this song before: “I met this pervert who did these perverted things in front of me while I was asleep, and I wasn’t in any way involved and I wasn’t harmed. Isn’t that pervert crazy?” Yeah, no. In most cases, the person relaying the story played an active role in the evening’s perversions but edited the story to make themselves look like a passive bystander, not a willing participant.
I’m a 30-year-old
straight woman who has been with the same guy (high-school sweetheart!) for the last 13 years. We love each other deeply, best friends, et cetera. The problem isn’t that the sex isn’t good—he’s very good at making me come. But the sex is vanilla and routine, and I would like us to go beyond that. Nothing extreme; I just want to switch things up a bit. Talking about sex makes my husband really uncomfortable. If I ask him what he’d like me to do to him while we’re having sex, he shuts down. He’ll say, “Everything you do is good,” and leave it there. In the very few conversations we’ve had about this stuff, he’s said that he feels intimidated and doesn’t know what to say. This is incredibly frustrating for me. How do I get him
to loosen up and feel more comfortable about talking to me so that we can eventually progress to some new experiences? > WHY HUSBAND IS PRUDISH
Have you told him what you want? If you haven’t—if you’re as vague in your conversations with him as you were in your letter to me—you’re essentially asking your husband to guess at your undisclosed interests or kinks. Your husband is probably terrified of guessing wrong. He doesn’t know what to do, he doesn’t know what to say—but he’s told you he’s fine with whatever you want to do. So stop asking him what he wants to do to you, WHIP, and start doing whatever it is you want to do. Take the initiative; be the change you want to see in the sack; lean in or bend over or whatever. From your sign-off, WHIP, I’m guessing you’re interested in some type of BDSM play, most likely with you in the sub role. So lay your kink cards on the table and offer to dominate him first. A lot of subs do some topping, i.e., doing unto others as they would like done unto them, and some subs become tops exclusively. But take baby steps; it’s mild before wild; you gotta nail those juniorvarsity kinks before moving up to varsity-level kinks, et cetera. On the Lovecast , a pro dom on being a sex worker and a single mom: savagelovecast.com . Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter at @fakedansavage.
> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < THE PINT BEFORE THE HOCKEY GAME
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ONE YEAR OF I SAW YOU POSTS, MAPPED
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 19, 2017 WHERE: The Pint Vancouver
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 17, 2017 WHERE: Vancouver, BC
You and a friend were sitting at a table beside my friend and I having a few prior to the game. I am the blond lady... you made a remark as I passed by of ‘looking good’... And who doesn’t like to hear that? LOL. You asked if you could buy us a drink at the rink. Regret not taking you up on your offer. Do over?
Curious to see where sparks are flying between Vancouverites? One datasavvy Georgia Straight reader took it upon himself to map a year’s worth of I Saw You posts, revealing trends in the ways we interact - or don’t interact - with one another. Check out his findings here: ht tp://w w w.straight.com/ blogra/870596/one-year-isaw-you-posts-mapped-heres-where-sparks-are-flyingbetween-vancouverites
DARK-HAIRED HIKER IN A PURPLE JACKET ON HOLLYBURN
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 25, 2017 WHERE: Hollyburn Mountain You asked about my dog, and mentioned you have a six-year-old Aussie-Collie mix. I dunno if it was the thin mountain air or what, but the only thing I thought to talk about was other hikes. I should’ve asked your name. I should’ve asked you out. Your two friends seemed cool, and I hope that y’all had a really nice adventure.
HOTTIE AT OUR COMMUNITY BIKES ON MAIN.
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 19, 2017 WHERE: Our Community Bikes I saw you at Our Community Bikes on Main St. You greeted me with a smile at the door; after that I couldn’t find the right moment to talk to you, you were busy working. You were wearing a Nirvana hoodie and a red corset under. Coffee?
ADVENTUROUS BRUNETTE AT THE SKI SHOP
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 18, 2017 WHERE: Boundary and Hastings You came in to the shop looking for a helmet after your friend’s crash on Cypress. Not everyone can look that good in a helmet, but maybe it was your smile. Being the professional salesman I am I neglected to make any moves, but I thought about chasing after you when you left! Want to go for a shred?
BUS STOP @CORDOVA AND SEYMOUR
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 20, 2017 WHERE: Bus Stop Cordova and Seymour I was at the bus stop and you seem to just been out of a bar, you were with a male friend and you both were very drunk, you approached me and ask where I was from, when I said Mexico, you start to say that you had been to Guadalajara and you eat guacamole. I thought you were very cute but you were too drunk, so I get nervous, coffee maybe?
BRUNETTE WITH SAUSAGE DOG
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 12, 2017 WHERE: Sunset Beach Park I saw you at the southeast end of Sunset Beach Park walking your cute sausage dog. You were wearing a black coat with a furry hood. You are a beautiful brunette and you took my breath away as I walked by you. I saw you again later on sitting on a log at the beach and you gave me a glance as you got up and left. I was wearing shades, black jacket and pants, nearly shaved head and a beard. We were walking the same direction and I thought about catching up to you and saying hi, but you disappeared just around the corner at “tap shack”. I would love to meet you, maybe take you out sometime. Who knows maybe I’ll bump into you again around there...
WHITE SPOT RESTAURANT @ HOMER STREET
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 20, 2017 WHERE: Whitespot Restaurant @ Homer Street You were sitting in a single booth and I was facing you. I was with a girlfriend but could not take my eyes off of you. I noted that you were giving me the eye as well, I wanted to send you my phone # with a waitress but, I got cold feet. You were wearing a pink polo shirt (maybe red). I hope you see this, you look very handsome and nice :)
CUTE ASIAN ON THE TRAIN
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 16, 2017 WHERE: Millennium Line / Evergreen Line You got on the train this morning and stayed standing wearing black and white kicks, blue jeans, black wool coat and glasses. I was sitting in the seat in front of you reading my iPad. You were extremely cute, we kept making eye contact and smiling. You got off at Renfrew... If you're interested would love to get to know you better maybe do dinner, coffee, nice walk?
CATHERINE FROM MUJI
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 15, 2017 WHERE: Fairmont Pacific Rim You were the petite Asian girl. Maybe half Japanese? You had dyed hair and a black shirt on. I was the Caucasian guy in the black coat and jeans. You smiled and said that if I had any questions you could help me. I should’ve asked you if you were free for drinks. If you felt the same connection I did let’s go sometime.
ATTRACTIVE WOMAN AT STARBUCKS PATIO AT LOUGHEED MALL
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 12, 2017 WHERE: Patio of Starbucks Lougheed Mall We had a brief chat on the patio in the sunshine and was wondering if you would like to go out for a drink sometime?
BEAUTIFUL BLONDE ON THE 25
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 14, 2017 WHERE: 25 Bus We locked eyes more than a few times on the 25 this evening (Valentine's Day) after you got on around Fraser or Main. You had beautiful blonde hair, and might have been wearing a green sweater or jacket... I digress. I was a tall brown haired guy in a camel coat and exercise clothing. You turned around and stared at me out the window as the bus pulled away after I got off - coffee sometime? :)
BEAUTY IN BLACK.
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 12, 2017 WHERE: Granville Island. We locked eyes. Then I couldn’t keep mine off of you. Once I noticed you were free, I cleared my bill and requested a pen. I had written my number down on paper, but when I glanced up and you were gone. Timing is a virtue.
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
RED HEADED BEAUTY
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 11, 2017 WHERE: Walmart Guildford Saturday February 11 at Walmart in Guildford. You are a beautiful red headed woman wearing all black in the electronics section. I was wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans. I just wanted to say that you are the most beautiful women I have every seen.
RIVERS REACH PUB NEW WESTMINISTER
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Try FREE: 604-639-3006 More Local Numbers: 1-877-756-1010
Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 11, 2017 WHERE: New Westminister, B.C. I was having lunch by myself, you were having lunch with your son. I couldn’t stop looking your way. You had a pink sweater on with black pants and black boots. You were having fish tacos. I wanted to talk with you but chickened out as your son was with you. Grab a drink sometime?
Visit straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _
Providing for the care and rehabilitation of injured, orphaned, and pollution damaged wildlife.
www.wildliferescue.ca FEBRUARY 23 – MARCH 2 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 43
threehappycats.uk 44 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT FEBRUARY 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MARCH 2 / 2017
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