vancouver 228 abbott st. 604.331.2363 montrĂŠal new york toronto calgary chicago montauksofa.com lestauk.com info@montauksofa.com facebook twitter pinterest instagram vimeo
4 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
MONDAY
O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L F LU E VO G DAY F LU E VO G E R S W I L L R E J O I C E I N D E A L S F E S T I V I T I E S S U R P R I S E S A N D G I V E AWAYS AT T H E I R LO C A L FLU E VO G S TO R E S Â
ď?˛ď?Ľď?§ď?ľď?Źď?Ąď?˛ ď?°ď?˛ď?Šď?Łď?Ľď?¤ ď?Šď?´ď?Ľď?ď?łďš•
15% OFF #fluevogday
J O H N F LU E VO G S H O E S G R A N V I L L E S T ¡ ¡ | WAT E R S T ¡ ¡ F L U E V O G C O M
Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #40009178, return undeliverable Canadian addresses to The Georgia Straight, 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 5
CELEBRATING THE 2 ND ANNIVERSARY OF
FEATURING THE ENTIRE OLIVER PEOPLES COLLECTION FRIDAY, MAY 12 TH – SUNDAY, MAY 14 TH 10 A M - 6 P M 315 WEST CORDOVA STREET VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA V6B 1E5 CANADA
6 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
California Dreaming to
California Doing
To see all that California has to offer visit flightcentre.ca/california
All Flight Centre Getaways include keepsake documents, exclusive Insider Benefits, My Personal Assistant and a $100* future travel voucher.
California Coast Fly n’ Drive
San Diego Getaway Flights + 3 Nights
955
$
Flights + 8-Day Car
735
$
from INCLUDES 4-star hotel in the heart of the business district PLUS LEGOLAND admission.
from INCLUDES flights
into San Diego, 8-day Alamo car rental with unlimited mileage and return flights from San Francisco PLUS Urban Adventures Old Town Tequila & Tortillas tour. BONUS 20%* Urban Adventures tour savings included. Explore seaside villages, untouched forest and stunning coastal views along the world-famous Pacific Coastal Highway.
Near-constant sunshine, beautiful sandy beaches and stunning ocean vistas await. BONUS $100 * future travel voucher included. ADD Urban Adventures Coronado Bay & The Beach tour with 20%* savings from $65.
San Francisco Wine
Los Angeles Getaway
Getaway, Flights + 3 Nights
1329
$
from INCLUDES modern
Flights + 3 Nights
1385
$
boutique 3-star hotel situated in the heart of downtown San Francisco’s Little Saigon, 4-day Alamo car rental PLUS Wine Train tour with 3-course dinner. Discover serene vistas of rolling vineyards, lush farmlands and dazzling vintages in the birthplace of the California wine industry. BONUS $100 * future travel voucher and daily * wine reception included. ADD Urban Adventures Flavors & Murals of the Mission tour with 20%* savings from $95.
from INCLUDES 4-star
hotel in the heart of the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood PLUS hear tales of Hollywood folklore and Golden Age gossip over the best local street eats! BONUS $100 * future travel voucher included. ADD Urban Adventures Total LA Tour with 20%* savings from $119.
San Francisco Food
Southern California Getaway
Getaway Flights + 3 Nights
1215
$
Flights + 6 Nights + CityPASS
1229
$
from INCLUDES modern
boutique 3-star hotel situated in the heart of downtown San Francisco’s Little Saigon, 4-day Alamo car rental PLUS Supper Club cruise. BONUS $100 * future travel voucher, 20%* car rental savings and daily * wine reception included. ADD Urban Adventures Flavors & Murals of the Mission tour with 20%* savings from $95.
from INCLUDES 4-star
hotel near beaches, airport transfers, Medieval Times show with transfers and a Southern California CityPASS that includes admission to Disneyland Resort, LEGOLAND California Resort and SeaWorld Adventure Park. Price per person based on family of 4. BONUS 6th night FREE * and $100 * future travel voucher included. BOOK this package based on double occupancy from $1585.
Theme Park Getaway
LA Luxury Getaway
Flights + 6 Nights + Car
1775
$
from INCLUDES 3
nights Anaheim hotel near the Disneyland Resort, 3 nights Los Angeles hotel near Sunset Boulevard and 7-day Alamo car rental PLUS a 3-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Ticket and 1-day Universal Studios admission BONUS $100 * future travel voucher and 20%* car rental savings included. ADD Urban Adventures Total LA tour with 20%* savings from $119.
◊
Flights + 3 Nights
1949
$
from INCLUDES 5-star
hotel located at the foothills of Beverly Hills and Bel Air, minutes from Rodeo Drive and the beaches of Santa Monica PLUS a helicopter flight to Catalina Island. BONUS $100 * future travel voucher included. ADD Urban Adventures Total LA Tour with 20%* savings from $119.
FREE EXPERT HELP. EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE. If you haven't tried us before, now is the time! Our help is free and every booking comes with the Flight Centre Lowest Airfare Guarantee.
1 855 7 YOU FLY or DIAL 1 855 7 968 359
CELL TOLL FREE #359
All advertised prices include taxes & fees. Conditions apply. Ex: Vancouver. All advertised prices include taxes & fees. Package & hotel prices are per person, based on double occupancy for total length of stay unless otherwise stated. ◊Price per person based on quad occupancy (2 adults & 2 children ages 5-9). Prices are for select departure dates and are accurate and subject to availability at advertising deadline, errors and omissions excepted, and subject to change. Taxes & fees due in destination are additional and include, but not limited to, local car rental charges & taxes, one-way rental drop fees which are to be paid upon arrival, resort fees & charges, tour ‘kitty’, airline baggage fees and cruise gratuities. *Conditions apply. For full terms and conditions please speak with a Flight Centre travel consultant or visit flightcentre.ca/california. †We will match any written quoted airfare. Additional important conditions apply. For full terms and conditions visit flightcentre.ca/lowestairfareguarantee. BC REG: #HO2790
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 7
8 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
CONTENTS www.cityuniversity.ca
find out
Parker Street. Jason Harper photo.
MASTER OF COUNSELLING INFORMATION SESSION:
11
May 18 & June 1, 5:00pm CityU Canada in Vancouver
STRAIGHT TALK
The city’s successful peer-operated DTES bike patrols to combat the opioid-overdose crisis have been expanded to the West End. (Also, two Straight staffers nab prestigious journalism awards.)
START HERE
> BY TR AVIS LUPICK
19
COVER
From furniture makers to landscape innovators, meet the rising stars of Vancouver Design Week(end); plus, sleek fire pits for smaller spaces and our picks for patios.
29
ARTS
Kathleen Allan is just one of the Canadian female composers that Elektra Women’s Choir wants you to start celebrating.
28 47 26 17 27 42 13 14 50 12 34 36
The Bottle Confessions Food Green Living I Saw You Movie Reviews Real Estate Renters of Vancouver Savage Love Straight Stars Theatre Visual Arts
> BY ALE X ANDER VART Y
TIME OUT
39
MOVIES
Playing at DOXA fest, Tokyo Idols looks at the relationship between middle-aged men and the very young pop stars they love. > BY CR AIG TAKEUCHI
43
789 W. Pender Street, Suite 310, Vancouver
you’re welcome
to learn more. At CityU Canada you’ll be a part of a small student cohort taught by local professionals who work in your field. We think of our students are as colleagues and our goal is to change lives. Our doors are open. Our mission is make education available to everyone with a desire to learn — and in a way that works for you. Open to your possibilities at CityU.
An Affiliate of the National University System. This program is offered under the written consent of the Minister of Advanced Education effective April 11, 2007 having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the minister. Nevertheless, prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs.
37 Arts 47 Music
SERVICES 48 Careers 13 Real Estate
MUSIC
Grant Lawrence never expected to return to the Smugglers, but Dirty Windshields got him remembering the thrill of playing live . > BY MIKE USINGER
48
COVER PHOTO
GeorgiaStraight
CLASSIFIEDS
Automotive | Education | Services | Travel Marketplace | Employment | Real Estate Property Rentals | Music | Announcements Callboard | And more...
@GeorgiaStraight @GeorgiaStraight
AMANDA SIEBERT
52 FACIAL
$
EUROPEAN
Experience your skin at its finest, with Optaderm’s one hour Complete Facial, yours for $52 (compare elsewhere $80-$135). Your skin will benefit from our relaxing aromatherapy massage, thorough deep pore cleansing, skin smoothing peel and soothing hydrating masque.
Don’t Wait For Cupid. Hire One! Executive Search Dating. You’re ready for a relationship, but meeting that special someone can be hard with your busy schedule. That’s why single professionals turn to Executive Search Dating – Vancouver’s #1 personalized matchmaker. Our award-winning &XSLGV JHW WR NQRZ WKH UHDO \RX WKHQ ¿QG ORFDO VLQJOHV who you’ll love meeting. Dating has never been easier. Executive Search Dating: Your relationship. Guaranteed.
OptaDerm Skin Care / Laser / Products
25 Years of Service tel: 604-737-2026 / www.optaderm.com Address: #340-2184 W. Broadway @ Yew, Van.
Gift Cards Available
#1 Matchmaking Service
Call Today!
604 714 0221
Offer expires June 23, 2017
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 9
Mothers Day Sale
May 4 to 14
Additional 20% discount from our already 40-70% below appraisal pricing policy on all new and antique in-stock jewellery
18kt Gold Earrings Regular Price $599.00 Sale Price $480.00
Centre Diamond 1.00 ct VS1/H Regular Price $8,999.00 Sale Price $7,200.00
Natural Gold Nuggets Regular Price $609.00 Sale Price $489.00
Natural Masterpiece Burmese Jade Regular Price $2,900.00 Sale Price $2,320.00
Diamond Stud Earrings Prices Range from $169.00 to $41,000.00
Natural Ruby and Diamond Regular Price $1,959.00 Sale Price $1,568.00
Piaget Diamond Pendant Regular Price $2,299.00 Sale Price $1,840.00
Dangling Style Earrings Regular Price $399.00 Sale Price $319.00
Check out these every day bargain prices Custom Designs
Vintage Watches
Loose Diamonds *,$ &HUWL¿ HG WKH ZRUOG¶V IRUHPRVW authority in gemmology.
Casting of an engagement ring
Casting of a matching wedding band
Finished engagement ring
Carving of a matching wedding band
Huge selection of all major brands: Rolex, Patek Philipe, Breitling, Piaget, Le Coultre, Vasheron and Constantine, Cartier, and more.
Round 2.01 Ct, VVS1/E .......................... $75,500.00 Round 1.62 Ct, VVS2/H.......................... $20,000.00 Round 1.14 Ct, I/H .................................... $5,200.00 Round 1.12 Ct, VS2/G ............................ $10,700.00 Round 1.02 Ct, VVS1/E .......................... $19,000.00 Round 1.01 CT, IF/G............................... $14,500.00 Princess 1.00 Ct, SI1/H ............................ $6,000.00
All vintage watches are serviced and guaranteed for one year (parts and labour).
Create your own custom-made pieces
We buy and sell all major brands
Wholesale Prices Every Day Above is a sample selection of our huge in-stock loose diamonds. Shop online for our complete selection.
Estate appraisers and buyers. Knowledgeable and certified gemmologists and appraisers. We are always buying jewellery, quality gemstones, high-end watches, coins, gold and silver bullion, and modern and old banknotes. Show us what you have for a free, no-obligation verbal offer. Save money every day only at J&M! Shop online for more jewellery and watches at iorio.com or jandm.com. Contact us at jandm@jandm.com. J&M is celebrating our 50th year in business
1967-2017
Since 1967
10 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
J&M Coin & Jewellery Ltd. 127 E. Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1W1 604-876-7181 348 - 4800 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC V5H 4J2 604-439-0753 FREE PARKING underneath our Vancouver store, entrance off 8th Avenue
straight talk
DTES FENTANYL PATROLS EXPAND TO WEST END
STRAIGHT STAFF WIN NATIONAL NEWS AWARDS
The Georgia Straight | Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly | Volume 51 Number 2575 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 www.straight.com Phone: 604-730-7000 / Fax: 604-730-7010 / e-mail: gs.info@straight.com Display Advertising: 604-730-7020 / Fax: 604-730-7012 / e-mail: sales@straight.com Classifieds: 604-730-7060 / e-mail: classads@straight.com Subscriptions: 604-730-7000 Distribution: 604-730-7087 EDITOR + PUBLISHER Dan McLeod ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Yolanda Stepien GENERAL MANAGER Matt McLeod EDITOR Charlie Smith SECTION EDITORS
Janet Smith (Arts/Fashion) Mike Usinger (Music) Steve Newton (Time Out) Adrian Mack (Movies) Brian Lynch (Books) EDITORIAL ADMINISTRATOR Doug Sarti ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Gail Johnson, John Lucas, Alexander Varty STAFF WRITERS
Tammy Kwan, Lucy Lau, Travis Lupick, Carlito Pablo, Amanda Siebert, Craig Takeuchi, Kate Wilson SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jennie Ramstad PROOFREADER Pat Ryffranck CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Gregory Adams, Nathan Caddell, David Chau, Jack Christie, Jennifer Croll, Ken Eisner (Movies), George Fetherling, Tara Henley, Michael Hingston, Ng Weng Hoong, Alex Hudson, Kurtis Kolt,
Robin Laurence (Visual Arts), Mark Leiren-Young, John Lekich, Amy Lu, Bob Mackin, Michael Mann, Rose Marcus, Beth McArthur, Verne McDonald, Allan MacInnis, Guy MacPherson, Tony Montague, Kathleen Oliver, Ben Parfitt, Vivian Pencz, Bill Richardson, Gurpreet Singh, Jacqueline Turner, Andrea Warner, Jessica Werb, Stephen Wong, Alan Woo ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER
Janet McDonald SENIOR DESIGNER David Ko CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS
Alfonso Arnold, Rebecca Blissett, Trevor Brady, Louise Christie, Emily Cooper, Randall Cosco, Krystian Guevara, Evaan Kheraj, Kris Krug, Tracey Kusiewicz, Kevin Langdale, Shayne Letain, Matt Mignanelli, Mark “Atomos� Pilon, Carlo Ricci, William Ting, Alex Waterhouse-Hayward DIGITAL PRODUCT MANAGER
Chet Woodside LEAD WEB DEVELOPER Jeffrey Li WEB DEVELOPER Tina Luu (On Leave) JUNIOR WEB DEVELOPER Riva Ridley WEB ADMINISTRATOR Miles Keir
PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Mike Correia PRODUCTION
K.T. Dean, Sandra Oswald AD SERVICES ASSOCIATES
Sunday, May 14th
ANTIQUE SHOW 80 VENDORS from all over the Lower Mainland Tables $40 | Admission $2.50 8:30-4:30PM like us on both! Come find your treasure! 703 Terminal Ave
604.685.8843 • www.vancouvereamarket.com
ONLY 35 MINS. TO VANCOUVER & WHISTLER
BEAUTIFUL BRITANNIA BEACH 633 SHAUGHNESSY PLACE
PANORAMIC OCEAN & MOUNTAIN VIEWS AMAZING 5 BDRM - 3 BATH CHARACTER HOME
Y.C OM
overdoses, of which eight percent involved a death. According to a May 4 city release, there have been 141 fatal overdoses in Vancouver so far this year. From 2001 to 2010, the annual average was 57 deaths. Coco Culbertson, PHS head of housing, community, and peer development, told the Straight that West End bike patrols will focus initially on needle recovery, sweeping parks, areas surrounding schools, and similar public spaces. “And doing some community outreach to explain what we’re doing and why we’re there,� she added. In the Downtown Eastside, Spikes on Bikes is staffed entirely by peers—the government’s term for past and present drug users. Culbertson said that has helped ensure the program is as accessible as possible. Its expansion into the West End will therefore involve hiring peers from that neighbourhood. “We’ve been chatting with harm-reduction service providers in the West End, downtown, and the Granville South area, and we’re hoping to recruit people who are living and using in the West End,� she said. For now, the teams will ride from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., but hours may change in response to needs.
The Vancouver Flea Market
TSK
A Portland Hotel Society Spikes on Bikes team. Travis Lupick photo.
The horrific impact of the fentanyl crisis is now obvious to most British Columbians. With 931 fatal illicit-drug overdoses in the province in 2016, it’s been a calamity for families, communities, and first responders who have been pushed to their limits for more than a year. Ever-curious Straight reporter Travis Lupick has been on this story from its earliest stages, spending countless hours speaking to a stunning number of sources to understand and then draw public attention to the issue. And for a special project last fall, he was accompanied by Straight photojournalist and videographer Amanda Siebert for a detailed examination of how average folks in the Downtown Eastside were responding to the Grim Reaper stalking their neighbourhood. Lupick and Siebert produced an astonishing inside look at courageous and loving residents helping their neighbours repeatedly survive what should have been fatal overdoses. The heart of the Downtown Eastside was on display to the world. And the people living there weren’t getting a great deal of help from government authorities. The work of Lupick and Siebert helped stimulate more media coverage, which led to a dramatic response from the provincial government. On April 29, Lupick and Siebert won a Canadian Association of Journalists award in the communitymedia category for their project, titled “A community response: How the worst overdose epidemic in Vancouver’s history left the Downtown Eastside to fend for itself�. They also won the CAJ’s prestigious Don McGillivray Award for best overall investigative report, beating out every other media outlet in Canada. > STAFF
BEL OST O
Since November 2016, teams on bicycles have patrolled the Downtown Eastside, collecting used needles, teaching people how to use naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose, and responding to overdoses themselves. The program, an initiative of the nonprofit Portland Hotel Society (PHS) called Spikes on Bikes, has performed so well that beginning this Friday (May 12), it’s expanding into Vancouver’s West End. Christopher Van Veen is an urban health planner for Vancouver and city hall’s point person on the overdose crisis. In a telephone interview, he said that deaths attributed to illicit drugs remain at near-record levels. “Every week, there are a lot of overdose incidents and quite a few deaths in the downtown core,� Van Veen told the Straight. “Unlike the Downtown Eastside, where there are lots of good interventions—like the overdose-prevention sites and a pretty well networked population of peers in the streets who look out for each other—those living in the downtown core are a little bit more isolated and don’t have the same level of services available to them.� He said that’s why Spikes on Bikes teams will be deployed to patrol the streets and alleys of the West End. Delivering a more general update on the crisis, Van Veen said the number of fatal overdoses in Vancouver declined in January and February but then began to climb again. And even during the dip post–New Year’s, he added, deaths remained way above where they were a year ago. “Catastrophically bad,� is how Van Veen described the situation today. “Much worse than in April, when the [provincial] crisis was declared. So we’re not out of the woods in any way.� According to the latest stats from city hall, the Downtown Eastside produces a lot more 911 calls for overdoses than the city centre. However, a higher percentage of overdoses recorded in the city centre turn fatal. From January 1 to April 30, there were 1,645 overdose calls from the Downtown Eastside, of which four percent ended in a death. During the same period, the city centre recorded 337 emergency calls for
According to PHS, between November 18, 2016, when the first patrol went out, and the end of March, Spikes on Bikes teams trained 795 people to use naloxone, reversed 61 overdoses, and recovered more than 38,000 dirty needles from the streets of the Downtown Eastside. > TRAVIS LUPICK
$1,330,000 PETER@BELOSTOTSKY.COM
1.604.848.4279
The 10,180 sqft lot offers deluxe, panoramic ocean & mountain views in every direction. Only 35 mins from Stanley Park, along the scenic Sea to Sky Hwy. Recent renovations include a stunning Carrera Marble kitchen, new commercial appliances, custom cabinetry, & gorgeous old growth live edge timber accents throughout. The sunny backyard is spacious & flat, perched on a mountain bluff above the Pacific waters in Howe Sound. Very easy 2 bdrm suite conversion, a growing vibrant community, amazing views, & a quality classic heritage home make this an exceptional real estate opportunity. A one of a kind, generational property not to be missed. MLS #R2137052
PETER BELOSTOTSKY quality real estate services
WWW.BELOSTOTSKY.COM
PERFORMANCE REALTY
GO PLACES GO MASTERS
Jon Cranny, Lyndsey Krezanoski DIRECTOR OF ARTS & MARKETING
Laura Moore SALES DIRECTOR
Tara Lalanne SALES MANAGER Sharon Smith (On Leave) ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Steve Barmash, Glenn Cohen, Lauren Ellis, Robyn Marsh, David Pearlman,
GO PLACES GO MASTERS
PROMOTIONS + SPECIAL PROJECTS
Navdeep Chhina ADVERTISING + PROMOTION ASSISTANTS
Maya Keeven (On Leave), Ahlia Moussa DIGITAL SALES COORDINATOR
Brenna Woodhouse CIRCULATION MANAGER
Dexter Vosper INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR
Dennis Jangula CREDIT MANAGER Shannon Li ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR
Tamara Robinson RECEPTION/PROMOTIONS ASSISTANT
Teagan Dobson
The Georgia Straight is published every Thursday by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing SUBMISSIONS The Straight accepts no responsibility for, and will not Corp. Copies are distributed free every week throughout Vancouver, Burnaby, North necessarily respond to, any submitted materials. All submissions should be and West Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond. International Standard Serial addressed to contact@straight.com. Number ISSN 0709-8995. Subscription rates in Canada $182.00/52 issues (includes GST), $92.00/26 issues (includes GST); United States $379.00/52 issues, $205.00/ 26 issues; foreign $715.00/52 issues, $365.00/26 issues. Contact 604-730-7087 if you wish to distribute free copies of the Georgia Straight at your place of business. Entire contents copyright Š 2017 Vancouver Free Press, Best Of Vancouver, BOV And Golden Plates Are Trade-Marks Of Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp.
GRADUATE PROGRAM IN INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT
ONE YEAR = TWO CREDENTIALS
-v|;uv o= "1b;m1; Ĺ? "1Ĺ‘ bm m|;um-াom-Ń´ †vbm;vv om7omġ m]Ń´-m7 ĹŠ &mbˆ;uvb|‹ o= ;u ou7v_bu; u-7†-|; brŃ´ol- bm m|;um-াom-Ń´ -m-];l;m| (-m1o†ˆ;uġ -m-7- ĹŠ -rbŃ´-mo &mbˆ;uvb|‹
m=oul-াom b]_| • );7m;v7-‹ġ -‹ Ć?Ć• • ѾŊƕ rÄşlÄş Capilano University, Birch building, room 126 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver, BC FOR MORE DETAILS C A P I L A N O U.C A /G R A DM A N
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 11
straight stars > B Y R O SE MARCUS
May 11 to 17, 2017
T
he votes are in, the people have spoken, and now, fresh off the heels of a Scorpio full moon, it’s onto a next page we go. All talk, no action? That’s not likely as Mars in Gemini picks up a fresh wind. Also on Thursday, Mercury/Saturn get a good handle on the important stuff. A well-reasoned, practical, and sharpshooting pairing, the duo set an optimum backdrop for thinking, talking, or working through it. It’s an excellent day to make a commitment; sign a contract, file documents, hit the books, do paperwork, get it managed and under better control. This duo also favour activities that require technical aptitude, physical stamina, or a steady hand. A talk with the bank, the boss, an agent, specialist, expert, official, parent, or spiritual adviser can be productive too. Friday’s Mars/Jupiter is on the upswing and the increase. News, money, and folks are on the move. Put yourself out there, launch it, sell it, try it again, say it first, or get there first. It’s a thumbs-up day for travel, sports, and getting your fill of pleasure. Spend it any way you like, Saturday/Sunday also make the grade. Your quality time and attention is the best gift you can give on Mother’s Day. Mercury leaves Aries for Taurus late Monday night. A productive and lucrative influence, Mercury in Taurus can hold it steadier, but don’t expect the pace to slow down much. Saturn/Uranus and Venus/Jupiter are in full swing for the entire week ahead. At all levels, it’s an excellent week for making the most of it.
ARIES
March 20–April 20
Thursday to Saturday, Mercury/Saturn and Mars/Jupiter set you up for success and reward. Have the conversation, give the presentation, sign the paperwork, grab a plane; or hit the road. Plans, talks, and activities will prove fruitful. Mercury leaves Aries for Taurus on Monday, but it won’t slow you down much! The week ahead keeps you on a great upswing.
TAURUS
April 20–May 21
Take full advantage of the here, the now, and the week ahead while the stars offer up their best. Thursday moves you past a doubt or uncertainty and sets you on your way. Sign the contract, give your word, get it nailed down. Friday, great strides can be made. Mercury into Taurus, beginning Monday, helps you to look and sound your best.
takes you someplace good. The weekend slows you down, but not much. Aim for reward and relaxation; spend quality time with Mom and/or loved ones. Monday begins a profitable, make-the-most-of-it week. Mercury in Taurus keeps you looking and sounding good. Put yourself out there; you’ll get a positive response.
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
August 23–September 23
The second time can be a charm. Try it or say it again: you’ll get more out of it this time around. Thursday, you could learn or spot something you missed previously. Friday through Sunday sets you up for a bonus or reward. Monday, you’re onto a good trend. A fullto-the-brim week lies ahead. Great gains can be made. September 23–October 23
Thursday’s free or extra time can be put to very good use. Once you’re on a roll, don’t stop; keep going! Enjoy shopping, sports, or social action. Ending the workweek and launching Mother’s Day weekend, Mars trine Jupiter in Libra pumps up the fun, the love, and the profits. It’s all good news/happymaking for the week ahead, too. October 23–November 22
You don’t have to say much to get the ball rolling Thursday to Saturday. The power of suggestion is your best strategy. Let them figure it out from there. By the same token, Mars/Jupiter gives you a great knack for reading between the lines and for picking the winners. Tuesday/Wednesday can dish up something fresh or extra. Overall, it’s all good. November 22–December 21
You’ll hit full swing Thursday to Saturday. Mars/Jupiter makes for a good few days for moneymaking, travel, sports, romance, or shooting the breeze with friends. Mother’s Day Sunday through Monday meets expectations. Mercury into Taurus, starting late Monday, assists you to better use of time and resources. Tuesday/Wednesday, one thing leads to another; invent it as you go along. December 21–January 20
Take/gift yourself with extra leeway through the weekend. No one will fault you for it. Upbeat Mars/Jupiter finds you in generous giving mode, too. Mother’s Day is what you make of it. Monday, you have it under good control. Mercury in Taurus helps you to look GEMINI your best, to say it/do it right. TuesMay 21–June 21 day/Wednesday, dive into someThe first half of Thursday thing fresh. can start with loss, uncertainty, or AQUARIUS blank but it won’t take long for you January 20–February 18 to get your bearings straight. An anOnce the stars put you in swer, clarity, or better pick reveals itself naturally. Once it does, you are the know, it’s sign it, say it, or gameoff to the races. Friday, travel, talk on time. Launching your weekend, it up, or try your luck. Saturday on- Mars/Jupiter is ideal for enjoying a ward, the stars set a productive and special event or a getaway, or simply making the most of your free time. lucrative backdrop. Mother’s Day through Monday, CANCER quality over quantity does it right. June 21–July 22 As of Tuesday, plan to hit it full tilt. Thursday/Friday, stream PISCES of consciousness, wandering, or February 18–March 20 conjuring could lead you someplace Thursday/Friday, say what’s good. If it isn’t coming naturally, don’t force it. What’s meant to be on your mind; get it cleared away will fall into place quite beautifully. and/or nailed down. Mars/Jupiter Saturday through Monday, expecta- pump up luck and improve the contions are readily met. Mercury’s ad- nection with your lover or another. vance into Taurus late Monday will The duo also set a good weekend help you to track it down better. backdrop for travel, sports, and for Money prospects, social connection, enjoying more of the good stuff. and satisfaction are on the upswing. Saturday through Monday, stay the course. Tuesday/Wednesday, fresh LEO is best. -
July 22–August 23
Fresh, new, and next has Book a reading or sign up for Rose’s your name on it. Thursday/Fri- free monthly newsletter at www.rose day, a conversation or look-see marcus.com/astrolink/. 12 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
HOUSING
Home search: Best to move across the water Couple makes the “easy decision” to cash out of the heated local market and relocate to Victoria
J
essica Hartley has left Vancouver for her perfect house. “I’m 32, and I think I’ve bought my dream home already,” Hartley told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview. Last month, she and her husband, Sean, moved into their brand-new residence in Victoria. It’s a detached house with four bedrooms, three baths, and a big garden. According to her, it happened because of two things. One is that they bought a Vancouver property five years ago. Two, her husband got a nice job offer. Their story goes back to when the Sean and Jessica Hartley have settled couple were about to get married. into a detached Victoria house. They had been renting together for two years at that time. detached house was $1.5 million for “We wanted a home, and we’d the same period. On the west side of been renting and we just felt we just Vancouver, it was $3.4 million. didn’t want to put our money into According to a report issued on renting anymore,” Hartley said. April 26 this year by the Canada In 2012, they bought a two-bed- Mortgage and Housing Corporation, room apartment on Main Street, where the housing market in Vancouver they had planned to stay for a few years continues to “show strong evidence while they had their first child. of problematic conditions”. Her husband was The agency deborn and raised fines “problemin Vancouver, and atic conditions” he never wanted as imbalances in Carlito Pablo to leave. Staying in the housing marthe city would have meant the couple ket that happen when “overbuilding, could only hope to buy a townhouse if overvaluation, overheating and price they were to have more kids and move acceleration—or combinations thereup the property ladder later. of—depart significantly from historBut then an offer came for her hus- ical averages”. band to work in Victoria; according to However, an economic analysis Hartley, their Vancouver condo at that released on May 3 by the Vancouvertime had appreciated by 80 percent. based Central 1 Credit Union noted “It was a pretty easy decision,” she that housing markets in B.C. have said. They sold their apartment and “proven more resilient than expected”. used the money to buy a single-family Although the median resale price in house in Victoria. the province is expected to decrease by Her husband started his new job 2.2 percent in 2017, the paper projects on April 1, and Hartley, who was increases of 5.5 percent and 3.1 percent then working on contract with UBC, for 2018 and 2019, respectively. “Housing price momentum will followed soon after. “I moved without getting a job, remain positive through the forecast but it was just too good of an oppor- period due in large part to a collapse in inventory over the past year, with extunity,” she said. Hartley recalled that although she pected gains driven by the Vancouver and her husband took a risk with a Island and Kelowna regions this year, mortgage on their first home in Van- before being led again by Metro Vancouver thereafter,” according to Credit couver, they’re glad they did. “We would have been paying more 1’s housing outlook for 2017–2019. Hartley and her husband have no for a townhouse [in Vancouver] than what we’re paying right now,” she said. kids yet, but she feels more secure Compared to Vancouver, homes now, saying they have a good place to raise a family. are more affordable in Victoria. “I feel pretty safe with what we’ve Based on a report by the Victoria Real Estate Board, the benchmark got,” she said. Citing her own experience, Hartprice for a detached property in the Greater Victoria area was $663,500 ley suggested that it’s always a good as of April this year. The price for move for prospective home purchassimilar properties in the city of Vic- ers to invest in Vancouver. “It’s harder now, obviously, because toria proper was higher, $805,100. In areas covered by the Real Es- of higher prices,” she said. “But… tate Board of Greater Vancouver, if you could get into the Vancouver which stretch from Maple Ridge to market, I think you can have a huge Whistler, the benchmark price for a leg up if you ever move out.” -
THE RED CROSS www.redcross.ca Canadian Red Cross / Croix-Rouge Canadienne
Real Estate
Where great chefs start.
VCC is home to Western Canada’s most acclaimed chef training programs. Come see why our grads are sought after by the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Register for an upcoming info session: Tues. May 16, 9:30 a.m. Tues. June 13, 9:30 a.m. Tues. July 25, 9:30 a.m.
vcc.ca/culinary
NEW LISTING
NEW LISTING
1202 - 1068 W BROADWAY I $499,000
407 - 22 E CORDOVA STREET I $634,000
1 bed, 1 bath, 525 SF Condo in the desirable Fairview Neighbourhood
1 bedroom & den, 1 bathroom, 904 SF Gastown loft condo
Quality finishes: granite counter-tops, S/S appliances, gas range & laminate floors
Suite features 16 ft. floor-to-ceiling windows, H/W on the main & open plan kitchen
604 255 7575
1 Parking stall & 1 storage locker included. Pets & Rentals Allowed
1 parking stall. Pets & rentals allowed
EMAILUS@STONEHOUSETEAM.COM
OPEN HOUSE: THURS May 11th - 5 - 7pm OPEN HOUSE: SAT May 13th - 2 - 4pm OPEN HOUSE: SUN May 14th - 2 - 4pm
OPEN HOUSE: THURS May 11th - 5 - 6pm OPEN HOUSE: FRI May 12th - 10am - 12pm OPEN HOUSE: SAT May 13th - 2 - 4pm OPEN HOUSE: SUN May 14th - 2 - 4pm
STONEHOUSE R E A L
T E A M
E S T A T E
A D V I S O R S
Sutton West Coast Realty I 301-1508 W Broadway
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 13
HOUSING
1N[Ǫ 2ZXǮț
SFYǻǶȨȜy May 13 YǬ 2017
1THǧǰ +TȢI An apartment that seemed to be a find turned into a nightmare for a tenant when her building manager became overly familiar and wouldn’t leave her alone.
West 10th Ave & Sasamat 12 - 4 pm (MNǰȨWǪdzƫX
*SǹJȦYǧǯdzȩJSǹ
2FWȫǪǺUǰȜȝJ
Renters of Vancouver: friendly or harassing? A woman learns to listen to her gut when she’s confronted by increasingly inappropriate behaviour > B Y K ATE WILSON
Renters of Vancouver takes an intimate look at how the city’s residents are dealing with the housing crisis. Tenants choose to remain nameless when they share their stories.
“I
Sponsored by:
pointgreyvillage.com /PointGreyVillage
MAY 18 Get Outside Issue
@pointgreyvillag
/pointgreyvillage
MAY 25 CraŌ Beer Week
JUNE 1 Summer Movies
to advertise contact 604.730.7020 or sales@straight.com
14 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
saw an ad on Craigslist for a studio that accepted dogs. The building manager wrote me back right away and asked if I could come by that afternoon. I was on my way out of the door to meet some friends, but I decided to make it happen. I’d been looking for a year to find a place that was under $1,000 a month that allowed pets. I thought I was so lucky to see this one. “The first warning sign was when he told me that the unit would normally be more expensive but that he wouldn’t increase the rent because he ‘liked me’—a ‘smart, nice young woman’ who was replacing a ‘bitch who got a boyfriend and is leaving’. I thought that was strange, but I’d been looking for so long and it was a really beautiful suite. I decided to take it. “He then asked me to come up and sign the lease in his unit and have a beer. I said that I was on my way to something but I’d have a glass of water and do the paperwork. After the fact, I thought the offer was
a little weird, but I assumed he was just being really friendly. “When I moved in, he figured out my schedule pretty fast. He would time his walks with his dog so that he would be going down the stairwell at the same time as me, and he’d say, ‘Well, we may as well walk our pets together, eh?’ I didn’t know what else to do, so I’d agree. He was very chatty. I learned his life story from beginning to end, and all the bad things that had happened to him. Initially, I was very nice to him, because he’d had a lot of trauma in his life. Being a compassionate person, I wanted to listen and help. “Then he would start texting me to hang out. I didn’t really feel comfortable saying no, because I knew that there would be animosity if I did, and he’s my building manager. So he’d come over and vent to me. He’d say things like, ‘Wow, you’re way nicer than the girl that used to live here before.’ “Another time, I had to take some cheques up to him and he said, ‘Oh, I just finished making some dinner—you should stay.’ I told him that I’d rather just leave the cheques. His dog was jumping up at me in the doorway. He said to come in so I didn’t let his pet out—and then I was in his apartsee next page
ment with the door closed behind me. After a while, I told him that I had to go because I had work in the morning, and he begged me not to leave. He’d been steadily drinking all evening. “His kitchen had a dimmer light switch, and I mentioned in passing while I was there that I thought it was cool. He said, ‘I could do that for you if you want—it’s super easy. I could come down anytime and do it.’ I told him that I didn’t need it, but he said that it wasn’t a problem. Within days he showed up at my apartment at 10 o’clock at night with a bottle of wine, apparently to attach the switch.
FA C T O R Y
SALE EVERYTHING ON
“After he’d installed it, he wanted a hug goodbye. When I did, he rubbed his boner against my leg. He said, ‘Oh, I can’t help it.’ “I told him that he needed to leave. I didn’t want to make it about him, so I said, ‘I’m sorry, I have to go to work in the morning; it’s past my bedtime. You have to go.’ He said that he would see me tomorrow. I felt like I couldn’t escape from him because we lived in the same building. “I went back to the Maritimes for Christmas and had some time to think. He was texting me repeatedly, even though I was ignoring it. I finally listened to my gut and
I sent a message to tell him that we shouldn’t be friends because he was taking it too far. We couldn’t walk our dogs together anymore, and he shouldn’t come down to my apartment. I said that he had made me really uncomfortable in the time that I had known him and that—as his behaviour had proved—being friends clearly wasn’t something that was possible for him. “He apologized profusely multiple times and started begging. He acted like I was breaking off a relationship, saying that |he could change. Then he got angry. The last text just said, ‘Fuck you.’ After that,
it was all downhill from there. “There was the fallout I anticipated since the day I moved in. Whenever the building manager would see me in the hallways, he would belittle me. He would have his dog and say, ‘Come on, buddy, don’t look at her. She’s fucking crazy. Bitch. Don’t look at her.’ I’ve never seen him treat anyone else that way. I have friends in the building and they say that he’s really nice to them and they don’t have any problems at all. It’s definitely targeted abuse at me, and very passiveaggressive—just because I didn’t want to sleep with him.
“One afternoon, I could hear him showing around people for an apartment that had just opened up. The majority of them were young women. One of the first questions that he would ask would be about who was moving in—and whether they had a boyfriend. I just wanted to yell out ‘Run.’ “I know I need to leave the situation—but I can’t afford to go anywhere else. I hope that people understand that this is a real issue, and it’s not just a one-off for building managers and landlords to abuse their power—especially in a city where rent is so high and apartments are hard to come by.” -
O U T L E T
80 UP TO
% OFF
RETAIL
END OF LINE & DISCONTINUED STYLES
OUTERWEAR / FLEECE / SHIRTS / ATHLETIC APPAREL 2550 Boundary Road, Burnaby • Ph: 604-454-1492 • www.stormtech.ca Opening Hours: Mon – Sat 10 - 6 and Sunday 11 - 6
Stylish natural living since 1981
Organic Natural Sleep Mattresses, linens, pillows & duvets Well made locally for over 30 years from premium organic cotton, linen, hemp, wool, buckwheat, and kapok. Thoughtfully designed for optimal comfort and durability.
Organic cotton sateen bed linens
SELECT COLOURS - Clearance on at 20% off ALL COLOURS - Buy two and get the 3rd item at 50% off Discounted item must be of equal or lower value.
Offer cannot be combined and ends on June 15, 2017
2749 Main Street (12th & Main) Tel 604.254.5012 dreamdesigns.ca
It is no accident we are #1
Your first call when an accident strikes Warnett Hallen LLP is a boutique law firm that specializes in one thing – personal injury law. AY TOD CALL I L A B L E A AV
24/7
An Affiliate of the National University System. This program is offered under the written consent of the Minister of Advanced Education effective April 11, 2007 having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the minister. Nevertheless, prospective students are responsible for satisfying themselves that the program and the degree will be appropriate to their needs.
FREE CONSULTATION 604.737.3300
720 Robson Street, 5th Floor Vancouver, BC V6Z 1A1
warnetthallen.com MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 15
Daniel Fu shines spotlight on vintage goods His Kijiji-sponsored program, Second-Hand Van, shows local residents that it’s fun, easy, and safe to buy and sell used products T HI S A R T I C L E I S S P O N S O R ED B Y K I JI JI
D
aniel Fu doesn’t come across like the guy who stars in the hypercharged Second-Hand Van show, a web series he does in partnership with the online classified service Kijiji. In fact, sitting on the Starbucks patio at the corner of Mainland and Nelson streets, the Coquitlam-raised Fu is calm, reasonable, and thoughtful. On the program, however, he demonstrates a near-manic energy in search of cool secondhand goods. The recently completed Season 2 features him zipping around the East Side on vintage motorbikes and sprinting on the beach near Tofino with a used surf board. So what gives? “When we’re filming, we’re going from place to place to place,” Fu explains. “So in order for me to get other people excited, I need to be very excited. I need to be very animated.” Fu, 32, is no newcomer to the secondhand economy. He graduated from SFU in 2008 with a marketing degree, figuring that he would be hired by a company and get on with his life. But he had the bad luck of coming out of university just before a global economic meltdown. “I couldn’t find a job, so I started looking online for something to buy and sell when I met my mentor and friend Jeff Schwartz,” Fu recalls. Schwartz is an old hand in the secondhand economy. According to Fu, his friend sold enough secondhand goods over more than two decades to afford to live in the British Properties in West Vancouver. “We had a conversation one day and I said, ‘There are all these shows—Storage Wars, American Pickers, and the like,’ ” Fu says. “Those are all made up. This is what you do. I’m like, ‘We should see if there’s a production company that wants to do a show.’ ” This is what gave birth to The Liquidator: On the Go, a program about the secondhand economy
Daniel Fu took a resold surfboard to Tofino for one episode of Second-Hand Van, and in another he rode an old motorcycle.
broadcast on the OLN and Dis- the second season shows Fu visitcovery channels. The pair travelled ing Space Lab, a zany Chinatown around the world in search of barCELEBRATE SPRING IN POINT gains, with stops in such locales GREY A charming Vancouver neighas New Delhi and Palm Springs. It bourhood will come alive on Saturwas fast-paced and outrageous and day (May 13) with an annual festival made Fu a recognizable figure to of music, local food venders, and ensome on the streets of Vancouver. tertainment for kids. The Point Grey “They didn’t know it was a CanVillage Spring Festival will take place adian show when they saw me from noon to 4 p.m. and will include walking around,” Fu says with a stage performances by local dancers, smile. “They would say, ‘Hey, aren’t martial artists, a magician, and other you from the States?’ ” entertainers. In addition, the School of After The Liquidator concluded, Fu Inquiry will host a community art prowas approached by Kijiji to do a web ject throughout the event. There will series, Second-Hand Van, to promote also be live music by the Arnt Arntzen the secondhand economy in VancouTrio and balloon-twisting by Michael ver. Kijiji is Canada’s largest onlineOuchi. Those with an environmental classifieds site and, according to a bent can buy reusable shopping bags Leger poll, the second-most-admired made from former Point Grey Village Internet brand in the country. street banners. Consider this another The program is designed to manifestation of Vancouver’s buoyant show local residents that it’s fun, secondhand economy. easy, and safe to buy and sell goods through its site. The first episode of
shop full of vintage oddities. It’s a favourite haunt of film and television art directors in search of vintage props and devices. Fu says that people in this sector need a website like Kijiji to find products for their productions. And this episode features people who hit their refresh button regularly on the Kijiji site in search of new products. “You can only make so much repro and then you’ve got to find the real stuff,” he says. The episode called “Let It Ride” reveals a thriving vintage-motorcycle culture in Vancouver as seen through the eyes of rider Becky Goebel and mechanic Tony Potoroka, who builds old machines from the ground up. “I think the demand is always there for collectibles,” Fu says. “Right now, even ’90s stuff is getting huge. I was a kid who grew up in the ’90s. Things I found were cool are coming back.” According to Kijiji, Canadians
bought, sold, swapped, or donated $1.9 billion in 2016. British Columbians, on average, bought 82 secondhand products last year—four times more than the average Canadian. Fu said that working in the secondhand economy is an environmentally responsible way to make a living. He also points out that putting products on Kijiji, even for free, makes it easy to declutter one’s home without tossing a bunch of material in the trash. “I try to recycle as much as I can at home,” he states. “If I can make money and take stuff away from landfills, why wouldn’t I? That’s my social responsibility.” He acknowledges that some people have trepidation about selling products online. But he suggests that Kijiji’s platform is a safe place to do business. And if a person is meeting someone to buy or sell a product, he advises doing so in a public place, like the inside of a Starbucks. It’s a bit like online dating in this regard. And if the product is extremely valuable, like a Rolex watch, Fu advises meeting in front of an automated teller machine. “Nobody is going to rob you when there are cameras everywhere,” he says. “A lot of times when people are selling higher-end products, I suggest they meet at a bank.” If buyers are unsure about the authenticity of a brand, Fu says they can ask the vender to accompany them to ask a retailer to have it verified for a fee. “Chances are when they don’t want to go to the store, then it’s too good to be true,” Fu notes. “That’s a tool you should use.” Fu’s parents are immigrants from Taipei and he speaks Mandarin fluently. “If anyone wants to reach out and do a show in Mandarin, I would love to do so—especially here, with the mainland Chinese population growing so big.” D a n i e l F u ’s S e c o n d - H a n d Va n series can be viewed at second handvan2.ca and at kijijicentral.ca . He can be reached on Instagram at @dealsbydaniel.
THE GREATEST SHOW ON BRITISH WHEELS
ABFM
CALL ME FOR EXPERT ADVICE
SATURDAY MAY 20
VA N D U S E N BOTANICAL GARDEN
W W W.TOFFOLI.CA | PAUL@TOFFOLI.CA MASTER M E DA L L I O N MEMBER
37TH & OAK, VAN.
604.787.6963
TICKETS AT THE GATE
W E ST E R N DR I V E R.COM
with Sadhguru May 27-28, Vancouver Convention Center Establish clarity, health & joy in your life Inner Engineering includes interactive discussions, simple yoga posturesĬ guided meditationsĬ and learning Shambhavi Mahamudra Kriya, a powerful 21-minute practice, directly from Sadhguruĭ Open to anyone age 15+
Benefits reported ¢ Inner Engineering Practitioners 90% Headaches/Migraines 90% Anxiety 95% Depression 84% Insomnia
ě • (604) 900 1913
To participate, you need to complete Inner Engineering Online, which can be done in the convenience of your home.
16 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
Weight loss program based on your blood analysis and health We design a complete personalized all-natural weight management program
No Pills
No Shakes
604-677-7742
LMhomeopath@gmail.com www.metabolic-balance.com littlemountainhomeopathy.com
Lacto-fermented foods abound with benefits digest them, while conferring all this benefit at the same time.” f you’re looking to get the most out Popular lacto-fermented foods inof your produce—homegrown clude sauerkraut, kimchi, and dill or otherwise—consider adding pickles. In typical recipes, vegetables fermentation to your culinary such as cabbage, carrots, and cucumarsenal. Specifically, lacto-fermenta- bers are submerged in a jar with salted tion: an age-old process that converts water and various seasonings. The jar the sugar in fruits and vegetables is left covered for a period of time while into lactic acid. This acid preserves bacteria create lactic acid. This can take the flavour, texture, and nutrients in from a few days to a few weeks. “The length of fermented foods Green Living time depends on while leaving people’s personal them with a disPresented by tastes and how tinctive tang. potent they want “It’s essentialit to be,” Potter ly making vinsays. “The conditions egar,” Andrea Potter, fermenting instructor and owner of you’re working in also affect the time. If local culinary school Rooted Nutrition, it’s cooler in your house, your food may take longer to ferment.” tells the Georgia Straight by phone. Although some meats, cheeses, and If you’re lacto-fermenting for the beverages such as kombucha and beer first time, Potter suggests sticking to undergo fermenting processes of their cabbage and carrots. Cucumbers, she own, lacto-fermentation is especially says, can be more temperamental. handy for those looking to extend the “Cabbage is really, really easy to fershelf life of seasonal produce such as ment because it’s super rich in natcauliflower, peppers, and wild greens. ural bacteria and yeast, which make If fermented foods are stored properly, fermentation happen.” In her fermenting classes, which Potter notes, they can last up to a year or, at the very least, until the next crop usually take place at the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition (2245 is ready for harvesting. The lactic acid produced in the pro- West Broadway) or Homestead Junccedure, which sees good-for-you bac- tion (649 East Hastings Street), Potter teria naturally present in fruits and teaches attendees how to make sauerveggies breaking down nutrients in kraut, kimchi, and seasonal brined an oxygen-free environment, also aids pickles at home. Once students have human digestion. Other lactic-acid mastered these items, the instructor bacteria strains may be generated dur- notes, they can begin experimenting ing lacto-fermentation as well. These with various flavour combinations have been seen to improve cholesterol by introducing ingredients such as levels and stimulate the immune sys- grated turnip, chunks of radishes, or garlic-chili ginger. tem, among other probiotic effects. “Those three projects, once you get “The bacteria themselves are working away at the starches and them under your belt, there are a ton sugars in the food, and they es- of different variations,” she says. “You sentially predigest the food,” Pot- could play around with them for a few ter explains. “So it takes a net-zero years, for example, and never get the amount of effort for our bodies to same jar of pickles twice.” > BY L UC Y LA U
Offers valid until May 31, 2017. See toyota.ca for complete details. In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between Toyota prices, rates and/or other information contained on www.getyourtoyota.ca and that contained on toyota.ca, the latter shall prevail. Errors and omissions excepted. Lease example: 2016 Prius c Automatic KDTA3P-B, MSRP is $24,105 and includes $1,840 freight/PDI and fees leased at 0.99% over 60 months with $2,295 down payment (after application of the $500 customer incentive), equals 260 weekly payments of $55 with a total lease obligation of $16,529 (after application of the $500 customer incentive). Applicable taxes are extra. Lease 60 mos. based on 100,000 km, excess km charge is $.07. $500 customer incentives available on 2016 Prius c models and can be combined with advertised lease rate. $1,000 in incentives to cash customers is available on 2016 Prius c models (for a combined $1,500) and cannot be combined with advertised lease offer. Customer incentives on 2016 Prius c models are valid until May 31, 2017. Incentives for cash customers on 2016 Prius c models are valid until May 31, 2017 and may not be combined with Toyota Financial Services (TFS) lease or finance rates. If you would like to lease or finance at standard TFS rates (not the above special rates), then you may be able to take advantage of cash incentive offers by May 31, 2017. Cash incentives include taxes and are applied after taxes have been charged on the full amount of the negotiated price. See toyota.ca for complete details on all cash incentive offers. Weekly lease offers available through Toyota Financial Services (TFS) on approved credit to qualified retail lease customers of new and demonstrator Toyota vehicles. Down payment and first weekly payment due at lease inception and next weekly payment due approximately 7 days later and weekly thereafter throughout the term. Visit your Toyota Dealer or www.getyourtoyota.ca for more details. Some conditions apply; offers are time limited and may change without notice. Dealer may lease/sell for less. Each specific model may not be available at each dealer at all times; factory order or dealer trade may be necessary.
I
Produce from cabbage to peppers can be fermented, extending their shelf life and offering several digestive advantages.
ECO FIND SAUERKRAUT STARTER In terms of equipment, lacto-fermentation is one of the simplest culinary-related DIYs available. (All you really need is an airtight jar and some sort of weight to keep your fruits and veggies submerged in the salt water within.) Sometimes, though, you just need a little push to get started. Enter Homestead Junction’s (649 East Hastings Street) sauerkraut starter kit ($24), which comes with a wide-mouth Mason jar, a self-sealing silicone lid, pickling salt, and a fermentation weight. There’s even a tea bag—which helps keep cucumbers crunchy during the process—for when you eventually move on to making dill pickles. If you’re not lacto-fermenting yourself, the all-in-one package also makes a great gift. > LUCY LAU
2016
PRIUS c
PRIUS c UPGRADED PACKAGE MSRP FROM $24,105 incl. F+PDI
LEASE FROM
Lean Green Machine.
55
$
GET
OR
WEEKLY / 60 MOS. @ 0.99% A.P.R.
1,500
$
IN INCENTIVES TO CASH CUSTOMERS
Canadian Black Book says the Prius c has the Highest Retained Value in its class*. And with the low cost of maintenance and incredible gas mileage, Toyota’s line of hybrids will give you years of inexpensive trouble-free motoring. * Canadian Black Book 2017. CanadianBlackBook.com Your Dealer may charge additional fees for documentation,administration and other products such as undercoat, which range from $0 to $789. Charges vary by Dealer.
GET YOURTOYOTA.CA/BC
See your Toyota dealer for complete details.
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 17
westbankcorp.com
18 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
Building Artistry
URBAN living
Clockwise from left, Willow & Stump’s Bram Sawatzky and Kaly Ryan (Amanda Siebert photo); their Lua Pele pendant light; and the Ballast nightstand, which is adjustable to various bed frames.
Design duo saves space in style
F
> BY L U CY LAU
or Kaly Ryan and Bram Sawatzky, the development of sleek, multifunctional furnishings is more than an aesthetic exercise—it’s a practice in resolution. “As industrial designers, we kind of like design to solve a problem,” Ryan tells the Georgia Straight by phone. In fact, it was an issue of space that first prompted the duo to found their woodworking startup, Willow & Stump, in 2014. Six years ago, Ryan and Sawatzky made the move to Vancouver fresh out of the University of Alberta’s industrial-design program and quickly discovered the challenges that the city’s increasingly tight residences presented. They began designing compact, multi-use furniture and décor items for the home, offering residents a selection of space-saving objects that were at once cool, smart, and unobtrusive. The pair’s first project was the Ballast nightstand, a walnut bedside table that can be adjusted to suit various bed frames. “The idea was to create a modular unit that could change height, change functions, and still look really good,” Sawatzky explains. In 2014, the Ballast landed Willow & Stump the People’s Choice award in IDS Vancouver’s—then known as IDS West—Prototype, a design competition among next-generation makers. Ryan and Sawatzky followed up that hit with lighting fi xtures, shelving units, and even growler carriers, each crafted from locally sourced wood and showcasing a distinct Scandinavian-influenced vibe. Most recently, the twosome launched the Traverse series, a collection of playful ash furnishings that incorporates textile patterns from local surface designer Lemonni. Vibrant cushions adorned with geometric prints and fish motifs lend childlike whimsy to a convertible coffeetable-ottoman, for example, while fabrics splashed with
shades of pink, blue, and orange tie together hanging shelves. Elsewhere, wall lights carved in the shapes of whales, mountains, and clouds—their fronts illuminated by Lemonni’s fanciful critters—may be Willow & Stump’s most tot-friendly design yet. “The focus of this collection was collaboration,” Ryan says, “not only between us designers but also how you marry wood and pattern.” For Vancouver Design Week(end), Ryan and Sawatzky will be welcoming residents into their workspace at Yew WoodShop (1295 Frances Street)—a woodworking studio they share with four other makers—from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday (May 13). There, curious design folk will be able to view Willow & Stump prototypes, completed objects, and a few flubs, too. “We have a museum of failed experiments,” Ryan reveals with a laugh. However, when it works, it works. Take the Lua Pele Pendant, for example, which began as an exploration of how to transform large slabs of wood into a functional lighting fixture. The result is a conical chandelier crafted from delicate strips of fuchsia-coated ash and Corian; a circular piece of LED-lined wood—softened in a steam box and then carefully bent—radiates from within. Traditionally employed in the construction of canoes, that same wood-manipulation technique is also used in the Fluyt Bench, a storage-and-seating unit that features a beautifully curved base. “It was another one of those products that began as an experiment,” Sawatzky recalls. It’s this probability of success—no matter how small— and the opportunity to address the lingering challenges of urban living that keep Willow & Stump driven. “When you’re sitting there with all these constraints…and you can think of an idea and are able to make it immediately,” Ryan explains, “that is a great feeling, to be able to do that.” -
2
Three top picks for Vancouver Design Week(end)
With more than 45 studios and sites of interest to explore around the city, plus various tastings and speaker events, Vancouver Design Week(end) offers the average citizen a myriad of ways to engage with the fascinating world of design. To help you plan your weekend of workspace drop-ins during the event’s signature Open Studios and Open Buildings series, we’re highlighting three must-see stops to add to your list. BURNKIT (Saturday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 784 Powell Street) If you’ve ever wondered how a successful graphic-design firm operates, now’s your chance. Burnkit has produced brand-development work for Ballet BC, Reigning Champ, and Bocci, among others, will be opening the doors to its Railtown studio, where you’ll rub shoulders with some of the most inventive minds in the industry while learning how the studio’s layout encourages creativity and collaboration. Refreshments and samples of Burnkit’s past work will also be on hand.
MARTHA STURDY GALLERY (Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m. at 12 West 5th Avenue) From steel and brass to salvaged cedar, Martha Sturdy’s designers are informed by nature with a distinct West Coast flair. Visit her Mount Pleasant studio and you’ll find triangular resin stools, giant orbs shaped like Saturn, and tabletop pieces like oversized bowls and platters that are as sculptural as they are functional. Sturdy will be on hand to share insight from her 40-plus years of experience in the design biz. 430 HOUSE BY D’ARCY JONES ARCHITECTURE (Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. at 430 East 20th Avenue) Architect D’Arcy Jones reimagines the Vancouver Special with the 430 House, a renovated and supremely modern iteration of the iconic, ’80s-era structure. Outside, the gently sloping roof hints at the building’s past life but a fresh, open-concept layout, unconventionally placed windows and skylights, and a pared-down palette of white and wood render the residence unrecognizable. Tour the space alongside Jones and sip kombucha outside on the patio furnished by local design-and-furnishings shop (who else?) Vancouver Special. Tickets are $10 at vancouverdesignwk.com/. > BY LUCY LAU
Save big on Canada vacations with discounts &
FREE hotel nights!
*
Discover more deals for Canada’s 150 th at flightcentre.ca/canada
1 855 7 YOU FLY DIAL 1 855 7 968 359
*Conditions apply. For full terms and conditions please speak with a Flight Centre travel consultant or visit flightcentre.ca/canada. BC REG: #HO2790
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 19
URBAN LIVING
Above, Vancouver Design Week cofounder and director Jennifer Cutbill aims to increase awareness of the talent here; below, the Alley Oop site of the opening.
Vancouver Design Week makes vibrant comeback > B Y L UCY LAU
T
Aarm Dental Group .00 * oom g Z in iten Wh $ 99
We’re in your neighborhood to make you smile…
Aarm Dental Group on Seymour
Family & Cosmetic Dentistry
993 Seymour Street
(corner of Nelson and Seymour)
604-688-7607 Zoom In-Office Whitening for $99.00. Dr. Andrea Baird
Dr. Jin Choi
2015
EMERGENCY & NEW PATIENTS WELCOME OPEN
MONDAY TO SATURDAY
www.aarm-dental.com 20 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
his year’s Vancouver Design Week may look a little different from its first incarnation, but rest assured that the interdisciplinary fete’s mandate remains the same. “Our mission is to increase awareness of this incredible impact of design, the appreciation of design and the design process, and the transformative impact it has on important social and cultural issues,” Jennifer Cutbill, director and cofounder of VDW, said at a news conference in Gastown. With the return of the festival’s signature Open Studios series and a slew of fresh, design-oriented events, VDW is making a comeback. But if you’re unfamiliar with the biannual function, let’s get you caught up: founded in 2014 and run entirely by volunteers from the local design community, VDW champions creative minds in industrial design, graphic design, fashion design, and everything in between. The debut 14-day program included various talks, exhibitions, and workshops that offered the public a glimpse into the studios and inner workings of some of Vancouver’s most talkedabout design figures, but it failed to return in 2016 due to a lack of funding. With an abridged program branded as Vancouver Design Week(end) taking place around the city this Friday to Sunday (May 12 to 14), however, VDW has its eyes set on a more robust event next year that will be supported by the city. “All of this—this smaller weekend event—is really ramping up toward our larger 10-day festival in 2018,” said Cutbill, who is also an architect at the Vancouver-based Local Practice Architecture + Design. “There’s just too much talent in the city to not have a fuller festival.” This weekend, Vancouverites can whet their design appetites with VDW’s jam-packed schedule of studio and building tours, food-and-beverage tastings, and more. The three-day event kicks off this Friday (May 12) with a free public launch party in downtown Vancouver. Cohosted by HCMA Architecture + Design, this celebration takes place in Alley Oop— a laneway just south of West Hastings Street between Granville Street and Seymour Street that was transformed into a vibrant hangout space in 2016— and will include music, refreshments, and other entertainment. (Reserve your spot at eventbrite.ca/.) More than 45 local designers— including architect Michael Green,
woodworkers Union Wood Co., and eco-conscious women’s-wear producer Nicole Bridger—will then be opening the doors to their workspaces on Saturday and Sunday for VDW’s Open Studios series. There, Vancouverites can ask questions about completed and ongoing projects while learning more about the city’s diverse design scene. The Open Buildings program, meanwhile, will tour locals through Telus Garden, the recently opened Crosstown Elementary School, and other sites of interest. Ticketed tastings at hot spots like Timbertrain Coffee Roasters and Callister Brewing—as well as a Pantone-inspired cocktail-mixing session conducted by Vancouver-based tea company Tealeaves—will offer an unconventional way to experience the discipline. “They’re a gateway or open door for people who may not think they’re interested in design but love the great food and beverages in our city,” Cutbill said. Attendees of VDW’s first iteration may also notice that the citywide celebration now takes place in the spring rather than the fall. This decision was made in the hope that VDW can coordinate a larger fete in the future with cities such as Portland, which hosts its own design week in April. “We’ve been talking to all these organizations and we’ve been saying, ‘Oh, wouldn’t it be great if we did something Pacific Northwest?’ ” Cutbill explained. “So the thought pushing us toward the spring was to try and refine and do something in the Pacific Northwest as a larger design community.” Compounded with VDW’s formal membership in the World Design Weeks Network, which connects organizers of more than 100 design-week events around the globe, these changes are meant to produce a more sustainable future for the multidisciplinary festival while carving a place for Vancouver at the international design table. However, support from Vancouverites remains vital in ensuring a bright future for our homegrown design players. “The city supporting this [Vancouver Design Week] is really key in enabling us to stand on that world stage,” Cutbill stressed. “And I think they need to see the support of the community and the broader public to really start to invest in the positive impact of design.” For more information about Vancouver Design Week(end), or to purchase tickets to a tasting event, visit vancouverdesignwk.com/.
URBAN LIVING
Hapa Collaborative draws upon civic history During Vancouver Design Week, locals can learn how an urban-design firm creates community spaces citizens can call their own > BY L UC Y LAU
T
hink landscape architecture and it’s likely that images of tree-lined walkways, pristine white-picketed lawns, and immaculately groomed gardens come to mind. But the well-practised discipline goes beyond the confines of residential spaces and into public sites that many citizens inhabit every day. “It’s anything that is in between buildings and actually implicated by buildings or on buildings,” explains Joseph Fry, principal of local landscape-architecture and urbandesign firm Hapa Collaborative, by phone. “It’s everything that you experience when you walk out your front door.” Hapa has directed several recent projects aimed at optimizing public engagement, from the redevelopment of the Vancouver Art Gallery’s north plaza to Robson Square to the bend of Main Street that marks the transition from Mount Pleasant to Riley Park. “We really try to advocate for the life between buildings and encourage our clients and the public to understand the importance of that,” says Fry. Since 2011, Hapa Collaborative—its name a nod to Fry’s mixed Japanese-Canadian heritage and what he calls Vancouver’s “hybridized” nature—has been developing public and private outdoor sites that excite and inspire. The heart of Hapa’s practice, however, lies in its work on streetscapes, parks, and civic spots, where community consultation is key to creating beautiful, welcoming spaces that citizens can call their own. “It’s really important for us to observe and listen, and bring a bit of that thinking forward,” says Fry. “In that way, the people who actually use the spaces afterward feel like it’s their site, it’s their design.” Consider Sun Hop Park, a public space situated at Main Street and East 18th Avenue completed by Hapa and the Vancouver park board in 2012. To ensure that the project would successfully serve its users, Fry and his team met with residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods before, during, and after the design process.
seating, ample greenspace, and permeable paving, meanwhile, offer residents a place to gather, play, and take in the sights. The original plan even included a milkshake bar that would occupy the retail building behind the park. “It’s a bit of a playful take on the history of the location,” says Fry. History is also considered in Hapa’s work on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s north plaza and the 800 block of Robson, the latter of which will be closed to all vehicle traffic upon completion. With the removal of the gallery’s water fountain, Hapa is outfitting the new plaza with plenty of seating options, lighting, and handy provisions such as power outlets and restrooms to encourage public congregation. (Fry is hopeful that the space will open in time to host this year’s Vancouver International Jazz Festival.) At Robson Square, where construction is expected to begin in the fall, curbs will be removed and gutters relocated to create a level, accessible space for downtown dwellers to hang. “For me, it’s about fulfilling an ambition that Arthur Erickson’s firm had when Robson Square was built in the ’70s,” notes Fry, “to have it open to the public and as this fully vernacular space.” Vancouverites interested in learning more about these projects and others can visit Hapa Collaborative’s studio (403–375 West 5th Avenue) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday (May 13) as part of Vancouver Design Week(end). There, attendees will be able to view mockups and drawings, ask questions about the practice’s ongoing work, and enjoy beer and snacks. Free Sun Hop Park T-shirts and DIY paper models of the megaphone at Jim Deva Plaza—another one of Hapa’s projects—will also be available. By offering the public a behind-thecurtain look at how a design firm operates, Fry also hopes to further the significance of community sites and the role they play In Sun Hop Park, Hapa Collaborative (which includes Hanako Amaya, Jospeh Fry, and Sarah Siegel) in helping to build a vibrant, livable city. created a red trellis that pays tribute to a former milk bar at the site by resembling a bendy straw. “When we invest in public space, we invest Keeping in mind the community’s requests Palm Dairy, Hapa and architect Nick Milkovich across all aspects of social good, health and for a public-art installation and the site’s past dreamed up a bright red-orange trellis that mim- wellness, education, and arts and culture,” life as a milk bar operated by the now-defunct ics the shape of a giant bendy straw. Portable he stresses. -
Receive a free
mattress with your bed purchase
t Make any bed purchase and receive a free Spring Air Utopia mattress, retail value $499. promotional offers. Valid between Apr 29 - May 14.
t
Promotion applies to new order only, cannot be combined with other
www.INspirationFurniture.ca SUPREME CONTEMPORARY
1275 WEST 6th AVE. VANCOUVER, B.C. V6H 1A6 T: 604 730 1275
FREE COVERED PARKING AVAILABLE
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 21
URBAN LIVING
Sleek fire-pit styles ignite a new trend Thanks to compact, gas-burning designs by the likes of local Solus Decor, urban dwellers can rekindle those campfire memories > BY JA NET SM IT H
Y
ou can trace our love of a crackling fire back to our caveman days, when our ancestor Homo erectus discovered it during the Early Stone Age. And while we can’t seem to shake that instinctual attachment to a warm, glowing flame, fortunately we don’t have to go out foraging for wood to enjoy it anymore. In fact, wood-burning fire pits are largely disallowed under bylaws in Vancouver and the surrounding areas due to pollution. But cleaner-burning natural-gas- or propane-fuelled fire pits, many of them in sleek new designs, have never been more popular in back yards or on condo roof terraces. And today’s more compact, aesthetically pleasing, and multifunctioning designs are just upping the appeal for city dwellers. An American Society of Landscape Architects survey that came out in February shows outdoor fire pits standing strong amid the top 10 consumer demands. “It’s been a massive trend,” agrees Graham Carruthers, a sales representative at the showroom for Solus Decor, one of the local leaders in the new fire-pit designs. “The idea of sitting around a fire is part of our cultural Zeitgeist. People go to Whistler, they go camping, and they have a lot of memories of that. “Also Vancouver likes to get cold at night when you’re outside entertaining.” Cast and hand-finished in a new New Westminster headquarters (at 109 Braid Street, Building C) from fibre-reinforced concrete, Solus’s products are tested and certified to meet or exceed North American and European safety standards. The concrete and the lava or concrete
At left, Solus Decor’s 16-by-16-inch Firecube fits snugly onto a condo deck (if the strata allows it), while the Hemi bowl lets visitors gather round.
stones (which look like river rocks) are all able to endure the heat. So the contemporary designs are ready to be installed—preferably by a licensed gas fitter, for peace of mind. But condo dwellers will have to check the rules of their strata, Carruthers advises. “It’s a question of fuel,” he explains. While some condos might pump natural gas directly through a line to a deck, others prefer propane. And if neither propane nor natural gas is allowed, Solus offers a bioethanol alternative.
“It also depends how much space you have,” Carruthers adds. “With a lot of people, their condos have a small outdoor space.” Fortunately, Solus has a chic little 16-inch Firecube that fits easily into a tighter space. Paired with the Tank Table, a vented concrete top that fits over it, the Firecube can play dual roles: when it’s not offering a flickering fire over cocktails on a cool night, you can use it as a tabletop. The biggest seller, however, is the Hemi, a smooth bowl that comes in
26-, 36-, and 46-inch diameters. “With the round style, you can walk around it a little more easily,” Carruthers says. “A lot of outdoor furniture is modular with straight lines these days, so it’s a nice offset to that, too.” (The price will depend on the style and the ignition type, with a range from a Firecube with a basic manual lighter at about $2,000 up to about $3,500 for a Hemi with an automatic starter.) Add a wide concrete ring to the top to create a fire-table surface, or cover it when you’re not using it
with one of Solus’s picnic-inspired ipe-wood tabletops. The poured concrete comes in a range of hues, from popular Cinder (a dark charcoal) to basic Portland (classic cement) to Halva (an ultramod white). In all, the looks are a million years away—literally—from the old bonfires of our ancestors. “People like pretty things,” says Carruthers. “You can still have something as pleasing as a campfire but still have clean lines and a clean aesthetic.” -
After 30 Great YEARS
WE ARE MOVING! Great deals to be had!
20 to 75 off Storewide! %
%
Come early for best selection on: • Latex mattresses • Memory foam • Futons & frames Since
1986
• Bed frames • Bedding • Flip flop foam beds • Chairs • Dining furniture • Sofas
MAJESTIC SIT & SLEEP w w w.m a j e s t i c sitandsleep.com
1828 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver • 604-731-8226 Vancouver ’s Source for Cer tif ied Organic Latex
22 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
E EINGK F RRKBAC PA IN
Vancouver Design Week(end) 0Bǻ ȃǯ': ȃǯ': ] #ǺBOEFTǴdzOXǶ ǺBODZPVǺFǸEFTǴdzOXǶ DZPN :+$7 ,6 ǯ':"
ǯBODZPVǺFǸ (EdzF DZǴǹǻ $ ǹFǸǸǴǹPǸǻ PO ǹIF dzFPdzǸBQIǴDZ BOE DZVǷǹVǸBǷ QFǸǴQIFǸǻ $ QǷBDZF XIFǸF QFPQǷF DZPNF ǹP FTDZBQF ǹIF DZPODzǴOFT PDz DZPOǺFOǹǴPO BOE B QǷBDZF XǴǹI B VOǴRVF BQǹǴǹVEF DzPǸ DzǸFFǹIǴOǶǴOdz ǴODZVCBǹǴOdz BOE ǴOTǹǴdzBǹǴOdz $OE ǻFǹʼn ńBǷǹIPVdzI TPNF PDz ǹIF XPǸǷEŃT dzǸFBǹFTǹ EFTǴdzOFǸT ǷǴǺF XPǸǶ ǴO ǯBODZPVǺFǸ ǹIFǻ BǸF IFǸF Bǹ IPNF VOǶOPXO VOEFǸǺBǷVFE BOE EǴTDZPOOFDZǹFE DzǸPN POF BOPǹIFǸŅ ǷǴNǴǹǴOdz PVǸ ǹǸFNFOEPVT QPǹFOǹǴBǷ BT B DZVǷǹVǸF BOE B DZǴǹǻ ǯBODZPVǺFǸ 'FTǴdzO :FFǶ ǴT BO PQQPǸǹVOǴǹǻ ǹP ǸFEǸFTT ǹIǴT ǬPǴO VT DzPǸ EBǻT XǴǹI PǺFǸ FǺFOǹT BDZǸPTT B EP[FO EǴDzDzFǸFOǹ EFTǴdzO EǴTDZǴQǷǴOFT DzǸPN BǸDZIǴǹFDZǹVǸF ǹP dzǸBQIǴDZ EFTǴdzO DzBTIǴPO ǹP XFC EFTǴdzO ǷBOETDZBQF ǴOǹFǸǴPǸT ǴOEVTǹǸǴBǷ ǴOǹFǸBDZǹǴǺF BOE NPǸF ,ǹŃT BǷNPTǹ NPǸF ǹIBO ǻPVŃǷǷ IBǺF ǹǴNF ǹP TFF BOE XF IPQF ǻPVŃǷǷ ǹBǶF ǹIBǹ BT B DZIBǷǷFOdzF
23(1 678',26
23(1 %8,/',1*6
$ VOǴRVF PQQPǸǹVOǴǹǻ ǹP dzP CFIǴOE ǹIF TDZFOFT XǴǹI ǷPDZBǷ EFTǴdzO ǹBǷFOǹ 6FF XPǸǶ ǴO QǸPdzǸFTT ǷFBǸO IPX EǴDzDzFǸFOǹ EFTǴdzOFǸT BQQǸPBDZI QǸPCǷFNT ǴO ǹIFǴǸ EPNBǴO BOE NBǶF TPNF OFX DzǸǴFOET BǷPOdz ǹIF XBǻ
$ DZIBODZF ǹP FYQFǸǴFODZF TPNF PDz ǯBODZPVǺFǸŃT TǹBOE PVǹ TQBDZFT ǴO B XBǻ CFǻPOE ǹIF FǺFǸǻEBǻ ǹIǸPVdzI ǹIF ǷFOT PDz ǹIF EǻOBNǴDZ EFTǴdzO ǹFBNT ǹIBǹ DZǸFBǹFE ǹIFN
2QFO 6ǹVEǴPT ǴOǺǴǹF ǻPV ǹP EǸPQ Cǻ OP 56ǯ3 ǸFRVǴǸFE ǹP NFFǹ BOE dzǸFFǹ EFTǴdzOFǸT ǴO ǹIFǴǸ XPǸǶǴOdz FOǺǴǸPONFOǹ
7$67,1*6
*BTǹǸPOPNǴDZ FYQFǸǴFODZFT BǸF ǴODzǷVFODZFE Cǻ dzǸFBǹ EFTǴdzO BOE ǹIF DZPǷǷBCPǸBǹǴPOT CFǹXFFO EFTǴdzO QBǷFǹǹFT DZǸFBǹF EǻOBNǴDZ DZPOǺFǸTBǹǴPOT BCPVǹ ǹBTǹF BOE QǷBDZF 7BTǹǴOdzT BǸF B DZIBODZF ǹP BDZDZFTT ǹIF ǴOTQǴǸBǹǴPOT CFIǴOE ǹIF ǷPDZBǷ ǷPVOdzFT XF ǷPǺF BNǴETǹ TǴdzOBǹVǸF TBNQǷFT BOE B EFTǴdzO DZPOTDZǴPVT DZǸPXE 6PNF 7BTǹǴOdzT ǸFRVǴǸF ǸFdzǴTǹǸBǹǴPO
6PNF 2QFO %VǴǷEǴOdzT ǸFRVǴǸF ǸFdzǴTǹǸBǹǴPO CVǹ BǷǷ BǸF XPǸǹI ǹIF ǹǸǴQ
23(1 Ç«$//
(ǺFOǹT DZǸFBǹFE BOE QǸPEVDZFE Cǻ ǷPDZBǷ EFTǴdzOFǸT EFTǴdzO PǸdzBOǴ[BǹǴPOT EFTǴdzO ǹIǴOǶFǸT BOE NBǶFǸT )ǸPN QPǸǹDzPǷǴP DZǸǴǹǴRVF BOE QBOFǷ EǴTDZVTTǴPOT ǹP TQFDZǴBǷ ǯ': ǶOE FEǴǹǴPOT PDz ǸFdzVǷBǸ FǺFOǹT CǸǴOdz ǻPVǸ NǴOE BOE ǺPǴDZF ǹP ǹIF EǴTDZVTTǴPO 6PNF FǺFOǹT ǸFRVǴǸF ǸFdzǴTǹǸBǹǴPO
>6Ç«+('8/(@ CENTRAL HUB SATURDAY 1PM-4PM
>)5,'$<@ /BVODZI QBǸǹǻ 30 30
EAST HUB SATURDAY 11AM-2PM
>6$785'$<@ (BTǹ $0 30 ǫFOǹǸBǷ 30 30 7IF ,OEVTǹǸǻ 3BǸǹǻ 30 /BǹF
WEST HUB SUNDAY 1PM-4PM
>681'$<@ 6PVǹI È&#x201E; :FTǹ 30 30
SOUTH HUB SUNDAY 1PM-4PM
>025( ,1)2@ ǺBODZPVǺFǸEFTǴdzOXǶ DZPN
/($'(5 63216256
Ç«20081,7< 63216256
FACULTY BREWING CO.
,1'8675< 63216256
+FBǹIFǸ 6ǹPVǹFOCVǸdz
Ç«PÇ·Ç´O Ç«BNCFÇ·Ç·
0(',$ 63216256
MAY 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23
URBAN LIVING
NEW VENTLESS HEAT PUMP DRYER IN HARMONY WITH NATURE Blomberg® introduces the most energy-efficient dryer in its class, which is 50% more energy-saving than compact air-vented dryers. The Ventless Heat Pump Dryer features a special woolen cycle for longer garment life, and it measures just 24 inches wide, making it the perfect dryer for small-space living. It truly is in harmony with nature, your home, and your life.
Discover more at www.blombergappliances.us Hours of Operation Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm Saturday 9am - 5:00pm
2015 Columbia Street Vancouver Tel: 604.608.0600
13651 Bridgeport Road Richmond Tel: 604.278.6131
m i d l a n d a p p l i a n c e.c o m
Lynn Headwaters Regional Park
access and parking Access from Lynn Valley Road closed to all vehicles Cyclists and pedestrians welcome
Restricted parking in local neighbourhood Visiting the park by car? Please enter via Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve
Counterclockwise from top: Maui Lounge Chair at Moe’s Home Collection; Scott Landon Antiques’ 1920s decorative garden sink; braided-rope pouf at Gild & Co.
Fine furniture finds help spruce up patios RIDING THE CURVE File this one
under splurge. The Maui Lounge Chair and Ottoman at Moe’s Home Collection (various locations) is about as far away from the standard deck chair as you can go—playing with notions of wicker with its textured polypropylene-and-polyethylene-blend material in neon orange or bright lime green. Space-age curvy, it’s comfortable, sturdy, and light enough to move around from grass to flagstone to wooden deck ($1,899). Go with the theme and add bright pillows and matching lanterns, or just let it make its own bold statement amid whites or neutrals. > JANET SMITH
NOMADIC AT HEART After months of Vancouver downpour, sometimes we need a little escape. Local interior collection Drifter the Brand (www. drifter-the-brand.myshopify.com) brings the exotic home with one-ofa-kind finds from all over the world. Its round jute rugs ($265), made from Bangladeshi hemp and hardy enough to withstand monsoon, add a bohemian flair to any patio floor. Zone out into a Zen state with Drifter’s handcarved minimalist Buddha head (from $105) made of solid stone, sourced on a trip to India. Need some luxe pillows for your patio daybed? Look no further: Drifter’s African Bambara mudcloth pillows ($95) and Moroccan sabra silk cushions ($80), handloomed from agave cactus fibres, have got you covered. > FRANCESCA BIANCO
Find out more dnv.org/accessroad 24 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
LET THERE BE LIGHT Even though the days are getting longer, we still need to let the light in. The Balad garden lantern (from $130) by Fermob brings functionality to the outdoors and creates a welcoming glow for a late-night tête-à-tête. A French manufacturer, Fermob is world-renowned for producing garden furniture that boasts both comfort and clean lines. The company’s threelegged Sixties chair ($456) is a nod
to the swinging ’60s and a groovy addition to any garden space, coming in a range of colours from storm grey to plum. All Fermob pieces are available at Örling & Wu (1563 West 6th Avenue or 28 Water Street).
> FB
DESTRESS AND DISTRESS Scott Landon Antiques (2567 192 Street, Unit 105, South Surrey) recently moved from its South Granville HQ to a 10,000-square-foot warehouse further afield. With over two decades in the antique business, Landon is the king of sourcing and restoring vintage and industrial pieces. Landon’s 1920s decorative garden sink ($1,295) with cast-iron legs and a lion’s face for a waterspout is a whimsical addition to any balcony nook. Simply plant a sinkful of succulents and, rain or shine, the planter will flourish. Let Landon’s salvaged 1920s and ’30s worn wooden barrels ($475 each) add a rustic elegance to your outdoor space as bar tables to set down a gin and tonic, or use them to showcase some summer greenery. If you can’t make it out of the city limits, Scott Landon Antiques has an online store showcasing its collection at www.scottlandonantiques.com. > FB
MODERN MEETS VINTAGE At Gild
& Co. (4415 West 10th Avenue), each antique carries with it a unique and well-worn history. With summer (supposedly) around the corner, take a nap on an antique Canadian Pacific Railway mail cart turned daybed with a custom mattress and bolsters ($2,650). It’s a timeless piece that will only get better with age, the perfect spot to curl up with a good book on a sunny afternoon. If you have a smaller space, add some organic texture to your terrace with a braided-rope indoor-outdoor pouf ($324), also found at Gild & Co. Made of eco-friendly recycled polyester, this pouf is ideal for space-saving seating or as an ottoman to just kick back and relax on. > FB
This Mother’s Day, bring mom for a walk through the 55-acre, VanDusen Botanical Garden and experience a spectacular display of rhododendrons, azaleas, dogwoods and lilacs! Pick up lunch at Truffles Café and enjoy live music in the garden, make a reservation to dine at Shaughnessy Restaurant or bring a picnic. Regular garden admission applies. Special Mother’s Day Package
Book online in advance and receive 2 garden entries and a Spanish Lavender plant for only $20! More info at vancouver.ca/vandusen
Sat May 13 & Sun May 14 - 9am to 8pm
CABINET BEDS
CHOOSE YOU R ST YLE • MAT TR ESS • S IZES|STAI N|CO LOU R
30 Seconds to Open
Queen
wrmattress.com
Mattress Gallery www.wrmattress.com
*Items may not be exactly as illustrated.
STARTING AT
$1699
2390 - 152nd St., South Surrey (Corner of 24th Ave / 152nd Street)
604-385-0112
8075553
Includes Mattress
Watch Video Demo at
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 25
FOOD
Ramen spot expands menu
R
t i c n e h t u A MontrMeaelat
WARNING:
This product may cause joy. Frenchies is not responsible for any addiction to smoked meat.
Smokedich es Sa n dowz
fro m
4
1
to lb !
UTINE 15% OFF REGULAR PO onday or 10% off Meat Poutine M on. up & Tuesday with this coExpi res June 30/17
✄
2470 MAIN STREET
604.253.4545
Best Eats
Think you
know brunch? You don’t know
amen lovers tend to develop very particular ideas about what constitutes the perfect bowl of Japanese noodles. While one aficionado will espouse the qualities of one place and trash another, yet another selfproclaimed expert will pronounce the polar opposite. Who should be listened to? Who should be ignored? That makes it all the more challenging to figure out who is winning the ramen war currently being waged in Vancouver, with its epicentre situated at the intersection of Robson and Denman streets. Consequently, when Torontobased Touhenboku Ramen opened up at 854 Denman Street in August, locals went in with high expectations, even when the restaurant was still in its soft-opening phase. After several months of receivTouhenboku Ramen has relaunched as Yuzu Shokutei with new dishes that ing feedback, owner Jay Liu decided include rice sets and desserts like matcha parfait. Craig Takeuchi photo. to leave that company, and he relaunched the place in April as his a sign of someone who understands designed a menu influenced by what he found on the menus of Japanese own new venture: Yuzu Shokutei. the local market. In a chat with the Georgia Straight, Although the new incarnation restaurants. Yes, there’s still their trademark Liu explains that breaking away from still serves ramen, it has diversithe franchise allows him to respond fied and expanded its menu, which richly flavoured ramen (ranging to the preferences of the Vancouver is being overseen by chef Phong Vu from $8.75 to $14.75) with bowls market, which he finds is much dif- from Vietnamese restaurant House available in sea-salt or soy-sauce versions of several broths: chicken, ferent from Toronto. With a clearer Special in Yaletown. vision of what he Vu, sitting in on paitan, or chicken truffle, with a wants, he says that the conversation vegetarian spicy tan tan. But now there’s more than just the new menu with Liu, says that will reflect the he was inspired by noodles, which is great news for Craig Takeuchi idea of the yuzu a recent trip he and ramen addicts who want to bring citrus that is the restaurant’s name- Liu took to Tokyo, where they were along friends seeking other options. For instance, rice sets (from $9.75 sake: everything, he explains, will be deeply struck by how well-balanced refreshing, light, and flavourful, with the flavours were. Consequently, Vu, to $13.75) are served with rice, vegan an eye on healthy options. Now that’s who said he’s “not afraid to create”, has miso soup, and house pickles and include cha shu (chicken or pork), gyu steak, oyakodon (chicken and egg), or curry (chicken, pork, or tofu). A variety of small plates (from $4 to $10) RESTAURANT SINCE 1974 include the likes of takoyaki (ballshaped ground octopus), gyoza bacon cream, agedashi mushroom tofu, and AWARD WINNING vegetable tempura. Encapsulating the AFGHAN CUISINE idea of light and refreshing, the cucumber avocado niçoise salad, with wilted tomatoes, gomae dressing, a teriyaki glaze, and sesame seeds, is just that. Similarly, the panko (chicken, pork, or tofu) is feather-light. As one of the few ramen places that serve dessert, they’ve also retained the wonderfully delicate Japanese cheesecake, and added two new items. There’s the artistically presented, ethereal matcha parfait (frozen matcha cream with seasonal fruits, raspberry sauce, and yuzu sauce). Meanwhile, the matcha azuki brulée 1833 Anderson St. (2nd Floor) Vancouver features red-bean paste and mochi BEFORE THE ENTRANCE TO GRANVILLE ISLAND, RIGHT BEHIND THE STARBUCKS perched on a crackling sugar surface Open 7 Days A Week of matcha crème brûlée ($6 each). All www.afghanhorsemen.com are gloriously light, the appropriate coda for a savoury meal and a belly full of broth and men (noodles). The drink menu now offers an extensive sake list, along with a variety of classic Japanese soft drinks (such as ramune or suika cider). To live up E XC E P T I O N A L I TA L I A N C U I S I N E to their name, there’s a sweet yuzu featuring iced organic green tea, fresh lemon juice, yuzu, and bar syrup ($4.50), and a yuzu sour cocktail, consisting of fresh lemon juice, yuzu, and junmai sake shaken on ice ($6). The menu expansion allows diners to opt for nonramen selections, particularly during warm weather, when preferences may skew toward lighter or non-broth-based foods. Vu is working on a more nuanced level than what was previously on offer, and there’ll be some seasonal specials to keep an eye out for. The room is airy, relaxed, and spacious, unlike places that pack people in with the traditional Japanese style of elbow to elbow. Although the service was always good, it’s now Receive 50% off our extremely attentive—to the point of stunning selection of almost overdoing it. Suffice it to say, authentic Italian pasta you won’t be neglected. dishes on Sundays The new direction is a wise move, from 5pm to 9pm as the area’s stiff ramen competition (with the likes of Hokkaido Ramen Limited time offer. Reservations recommended. Coupon must be presented. Santouka, Marutama Ra-men, and Kintaro drawing loyal lineups) and Vancouver’s savvy diners mean that 860 BURRARD ST. VANCOUVER • 604.685.7770 it’s not enough to simply deliver good Across from the Sutton Place Hotel ramen: each establishment needs to break out in its own distinct way. -
ig @kpat18
AFGHAN HORSEMEN 12T H A N N U A L
17
18
2014
Vancouver’s first Central Texas BBQ roadhouse is NOW OPEN. Reservations recommended. (Vegetarians, not so much...) Open at 5 pm til late Wed - Sun Brunch served 10 am - 2 pm Sunday
ig @johnathonv
Live Saloon Folk every Sunday
337 E. Hastings St. (just east of Gore St.)
meatatdixies.com
(604)873-5923
ig @barjonesing
50
26 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
%
OFF
2015
FOOD
Make Mom’s day with brunch or dinner out
I
f you haven’t figured out how you’re going to treat your mom yet on Mother’s Day, it’s time to get cracking. Chances are most moms will say the greatest gift you could give them is time together, so why not do away with the bubble bath and flowers and share an exquisite meal together instead? She’ll get quality time with you and, if you take any of these suggestions, high-quality food, to boot. Located in the Westin Bayshore with a view of Burrard Inlet as well as the hotel’s gardens and pool, the brand-new H2 Rotisserie and Bar specializes in upscale comfort food and spit-roasted fare. Look for its signature rotisserie chicken and roasted prime rib at its Mother’s Day brunch ($70; $35 for kids aged six to 12). Aside from sushi, seafood, and meat, cheese, and antipasto platters, there will be stations for pasta, eggs, and “dessert action”, plus a juice bar. Then there’s grilled beef, lamb, chicken, squid, prawns, and corn. And a chocolate fountain. (Five percent of brunch sales go to the B.C. Women’s Foundation.) Rotisserie chicken is also the signature dish at Homer St. Cafe and Bar. Order a whole one ($42) to share; it comes with coleslaw and roasted potatoes. Save room for the decadent chocolate pudding for dessert, with its Maldon sea salt, cocoa nibs, and honeycomb.
JUST LIKE MOM USED TO MAKE
The Mother’s Day dinner menu at David Gunawan’s Farmer’s Apprentice Restaurant is inspired by the culinary team’s own childhood favourites. Recently reopened after a redesign, the restaurant is offering a six-course meal ($65, plus tax and tip) that includes meatloaf with Yorkshire pudding, raspberry ketchup, and farmhouse cheddar sauce; spring harvest asparagus salad; baked salmon with potato and sorrel gravy; and pork chop with mushroom sauce. Dessert is a little fancier than anything my mom ever made: wild rose and chocolate cookies with vanilla-and-tonka-bean ice cream.
SPITTING IMAGE
GET AWAY FROM IT ALL If you
H2 Rotisserie and Bar specializes in spit-roasted chicken (left); treat Mom to an Aperol spritz at Squamish’s Salted Vine.
($21) or on a seafood board with octopus, scallops, and fingerling potatoes ($39). (There’s brunch, too, as well as its regular menu.) Coast is hosting a Mother’s Day brunch, its à la carte menu featuring appies like smokedsalmon flatbread ($17.95); chilled shellLURE HER TO A FEAST Sometimes fish such as Atlantic lobster and Dunwe Vancouverites geness crab (market take our marine price); miso-maple bounty for grantsalmon ($28.95) ed and forget that and other signaGail Johnson people travel from ture mains; and, the all corners of the map to enjoy our pièce de résistance, a two-tiered seafresh fish. Mother’s Day is the ideal ex- food tower with shucked oysters, tiger cuse to experience the city like a tour- prawns, scallop ceviche, mussels, snow ist and splurge on a seafood feast. crab, Dungeness crab, Atlantic lobster, Beach Bay Café and Patio’s Mother’s and tuna goma-ae ($89). Day dinner menu features first-of-theThe Kaisen Kaiseki menu ($88) at season spot prawns with baby greens Miku features its signature flame-
Best Eats
with pickled ramps, wild celery, and preserved Meyer lemon crème fraîche ($21) or rosemary-roasted red cabbage with sumac-stewed lentils ($19) at the Acorn Restaurant. Or hit Nuba for baba ghanoush ($9) and mjadra ($13): organic lentils, rice, and jalapeños served with avocado and caramelized onions. Chau Veggie Express’s East Side location is fully licensed, so Mom can sip on a glass of sparkling wine before a bowl of Diving for Pearls soup ($11.75)— with a litchi-and-date broth, veggies, flat rice noodles, and garlic—or while noshing on her Midnight Swim Bowl ($11.75), a rice blend with spicy peanut sate, dark soy-mushroom-garlic VEGGIE MAMA Treat your vegetar- sauce, organic tofu, bean curd, kale, ian mom to a spring-pea tagliatelle veggies, and more.
seared sushi as well as sashimi, oysters, Kyoto Saikyo miso sablefish, panseared Hokkaido scallop, and AAA Sterling Silver filet mignon cooked sous-vide and served with wasabiveal jus and market vegetables. Dessert comes in the form of green-tea opera cake with matcha butter cream. (Sake pairings are available for $39.) Ancora Waterfront Dining and Patio, meanwhile, puts a Latin American spin on the sea with an à la carte brunch menu featuring Peruvianstyle paella with black-cod croquettes and shellfish. (Other items include duck-confit cassoulet and Windberry Farm chicken and waffles.)
consider a drive across the Lions Gate Bridge a day trip, then pack up and head for West Vancouver’s Terroir Kitchen. Accomplished chef Faizal Kassam (the former executive chef at Cibo Trattoria, who also worked at Hawksworth and Bacchus, among other spots) will wow your mom with a three-course brunch ($36) featuring Dungeness crab with Hannah Brook Farms asparagus, grapefruit, Grana Padano, and brown-butter croutons; smoked sablefish with chive-andpotato pancake, soft poached egg, apple-and-fennel salad, and agedbourbon maple crème fraîche; and an elderflower panna cotta with vanillapoached rhubarb and crushed amaretti. It even includes a Baileys coffee or a glass of Pineau des Charentes. If a longer scenic drive is in the works, head to Squamish and straight for the Salted Vine Kitchen + Bar. The best restaurant in town has the feel of a refurbished farmhouse and takes its culinary inspiration from the Pacific Northwest. Its Mother’s Day brunch features dishes such as lemon-ricotta pancakes, pork-belly Bennies, and chorizo frittata (all $16) along with Aperol spritzes and other refreshing cocktails to sip. -
> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < DOGS ACROSS FRASER
r
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 8, 2017 WHERE: Mount Pleasant
BOB LIKES THAI FOOD
3755 Main St @ 22nd Ave
604.568.8538 1521 W. Broadway @ Granville
604.558.3320
www.boblikesthaifood.com
Going old school here for the nostalgia of it all, saw you across Fraser St. walking your dog, I too with my dog. Both of us pretended to look at what our dogs were doing before sneaking a glance at one another. The timing of which was spot on, complete with coy smiles. You with your red hair and small white/gold pup, bearded me with my light grey hoodie and brown and white pup. Dog park hang?
WE WERE BOTH RUNNING IN THE BMO VANCOUVER MARATHON
s
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 7, 2017 WHERE: BMO Vancouver Marathon
We were both running (it was around the 7km mark of the full marathon) and you told me you were a dancer and your name was Jesse. I thought you were pretty cute... but I lost you a minutes after that.
JENNA THE HYUNDAI SALESGIRL
r
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 4, 2017 WHERE: Koh Phi Phi, Thailand
in
the
JUNE 8 to advertise contact
604.730.7020 or
sales@straight.com
We met at the Ibiza Pool Party in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand. You saw our beer-pyramid throwing game, and came to play with us, and never left! You had these beautiful greenish eyes, and these silly Snapchat-filter round sunglasses (which I almost lost). You told me how you sell Hyundais, but drive a Honda. At least it was a new one ;) you were super cute, and very friendly. Had a blast hanging out with you, if only for an hour. I left to go to the bathroom, and then went to get my phone to get your contact, and you were gone after that. Thanks for being a part of my Thai experience, and for not stealing my hat. If you see this, and want to connect, reply back!
NO FRILLS GREEN TOQUE
r
s
BRUNETTE AT CHILL WINSTON
r
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 5, 2017 WHERE: No Frills on Fraser
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 4, 2017 WHERE: Chill Winston
Me - a baked college dude, wearing a green toque and the blue sweater I wear every single day. You - a tall brunette No Frills cashier with a smile that brings me joy. I’ve come to No Frills a billion times but I’ve never seen you there. You must be new. I placed my toque on the conveyor belt and asked how much it was. You let out a giggle and claimed that it was mine. Maybe we can meet again when I’m not so high, and also you should write your name on your shirt.
You, brunette with jean jacket sitting with two girlfriends on the patio at Chill Winston. I walked over and told you, I thought you were super cute then walked away. At the time I just wanted you to know and that’s it. A nice compliment from a stranger to hopefully make someone’s day? Well, you keep popping into my head and maybe I should have just given you my number and asked you out for a drink. I hope this finds you, cause I would love that drink.
MARCH 31 2016 VANCOUVER TO VEGAS
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 7, 2017 WHERE: Airplane
r
We made eyes when we stood up to exit plane. Saw you again outside airport. You were with buddies. Still thinking about those moments.
DARK EYED, LOVELY GIRL
r
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 6, 2017 WHERE: Eastbound on Hastings Trolley Bus
I’m sorry I kept looking up from my book, but your eyes were far more interesting! I would love to hear the sound of your voice : )
SKATER WHO SAT ACROSS FROM ME ON BUS
s
r
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 4, 2017 WHERE: #16 Arbutus Bus You got on near 25th Ave., sat at the back directly across from me, smiling the entire bus ride. we made eye contact a few times and I couldn’t control my smile. I bet I looked like a big loser but with you smiling at me I couldn’t help it. you got off at Broadway, looking back a few times at me before exiting the bus. you were so cute!!
ADORABLE TRAINER
r
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 4, 2017 WHERE: Outside the Comedy Mix I doubt you’ll see this, but you never know, so I’ll give it a shot. You went to the Beyond Cafe, which is where we first saw each other. Then you came outside for a smoke and invited me to join you. I did after a few minutes. You told me you’re a single personal trainer and you’re 32. I told you you were absolutely adorable.
SANDWICH ARTIST
s
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 2, 2017 WHERE: Subway Burrard You were making sandwiches at Subway on Burrard. You gave me a smile and a wink. I couldn’t stop staring at your pipes as you worked. You look so shredded... Do you work out? Want to do CrossFit together?
YOU NOTICED MY BLUE BLUE EYES
r
s
I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 2, 2017 WHERE: Granville Station Locked eyes on the SkyTrain to Granville, held the door for you and we talked but I never asked your name or for more of your time... can’t get you out of my head nor stop kicking myself for just walking away...
Visit straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _ MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 27
FOOD
CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE:
Cirque Goes to the Cinema
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31
8PM, ORPHEUM
William Rowson conductor Cirque de la Symphonie combines the magic of Cirque, the sweeping melodies of the movies and the sonic splendour of the concert hall, live on stage with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, and professionally choreographed to the most popular films scores and classical masterpieces. MEDIA SPONSOR
@VSOrchestra
TICKETS:
vancouversymphony.ca
604.876.3434
PATRICK STREET PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
WARREN KIMMEL KATEY WRIGHT AND
STEPHEN SONDHEIM HUGH WHEELER
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY BOOK BY
SUGGESTED BY A FILM BY INGMAR
BERGMAN
MAY 11-21
ANVIL CENTRE THEATRE
TICKETSNW.CA | 604.521.5050 THE HAMBER FOUNDATION
28 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
Some pink British Columbian wines to take note of: Bella Sparking Rosé 2016, Stag’s Hollow Syrah Grenache Rosé 2016, and Monte Creek Ranch Rosé 2016.
Picks from the top of the local rosé crop
T
his last week, I wore shorts in Vancouver for the first time this year. To me, that’s a good enough reason to break out the rosé. All right, I actually don’t need any excuse, as I enjoy pink wines all year for their cheery disposition and friendliness with pretty much any cuisine you throw at them. There have been plenty of fresh British Columbian rosés hitting store shelves and restaurant wine lists during the past few weeks; here are my choices for the cream of the crop.
of ’em. Look at this wine closely; it’s worthy of a little extra consideration. STAG’S HOLLOW SYRAH GRENACHE ROSÉ 2016 ($21.99, www.
stagshollowwinery.com/) Winemaker Dwight Sick has harnessed a couple of Rhône Valley varieties, building a sturdy pink wine to complement grilled meats, charcuterie, and other carnivore fare. Stewed strawberries, cherries, rhubarb, and pepper drench the palate with deliciousness, leaving the tiniest hint of residual sugar—in case your dinner carries a touch of spice. I’m a fan BELLA SPARKLING ROSÉ 2016 of the richness here; it’s a rosé so loaded ($27, www.bellawines.ca/) Jay Drys- with flavour that you may even want to dale has been absolutely killing it lately decant before serving. with the sparkling-wine program he’s built from his Naramata Bench win- MONTE CREEK RANCH ROSÉ ery. He sources fruit from small vine- 2016 ($16.99, www.montecreekranch yard parcels dotted up and down the winery.com/) This is the third vintage Okanagan, making stellar traditional- I’ve tried of Monte Creek Ranch’s rosé, and it’s been awfulmethod bubble in ly consistent from ridiculously small year to year. The batches. Only 280 grape it’s made cases of this pink Kurtis Kolt from is Marquette, gem made from West Kelowna Gamay grapes have a hybrid variety created about a decbeen made, and I highly doubt there’ll ade ago in Minnesota, where it could be any left by Labour Day, so it’s best ideally ripen, considering the state’s to get on it. Aromatics of raspberries cool-climate grape-growing condiand smashed cherries give way to a tions. It seems well suited to Monte rich mouthful of those cherries again, Creek’s Kamloops home, too, giving grapefruit pith, rosemary, and a floral, us a juicy, lush wine that offers a fair hoppy character reminiscent of when share of sweetness on the finish. This is a floral and citrusy IPA hits the spot on pretty much cherries jubilee in a glass, but instead of that lashing of brandy, a hot, sunny day. we’re subbing bourbon instead. Big, TINHORN CREEK OLDFIELD RE- bold, and concentrated—think of this SERVE ROSÉ 2016 ($19.99, www. one as decadent later-evening fare for tinhorn.com/) I’ve been increasingly those chillier summer days. impressed with Cabernet Francs coming out of the Okanagan Valley dur- SPERLING VINEYARDS VIN GRIS ing the past few years, and that also OF PINOT NOIR 2015 ($30, www. includes pink versions of the variety. sperlingvineyards.com/) I’ve kinda Here, Tinhorn Creek winemaker snuck this one in here, as it’s not Andrew Windsor leaves the pressed technically a pink wine. We’re back grapes macerating with their skins for in Kelowna at Sperling Vineyards, 24 hours, leaving the wine with a light where they have taken Pinot Noir, a salmon hue. On the nose, there are red grape, and pressed off the juice elements of grilled peach and thyme, without any further skin contact then loads of broiled pink grapefruit or maceration. After fermenting in on the palate, with more fresh thyme stainless steel, the wine is then aged stirred in well. The herbal compon- in oak for 12 months. With a unique ent makes things nice and savoury; a winemaking style comes a unique simple grilled steak with just a pinch flavour profile. Swirling the wine in of sea salt would be served well as the glass, it is baked pear that emanates initially, then hints of stewed a worthy match. yellow tomatoes with a drop of soy SPERLING VINEYARDS PINOT sauce. Oddly enough, it works. We NOIR ROSÉ 2015 ($19, www.sper come back to fruitier qualities once lingvineyards.com/) Oh, this is just we take our first few sips. Those pear so darn pretty. Ann Sperling’s rosé notes are in tow, except they’re fresh is a testament to the joy and elegance this time, and followed by Honeyof Pinot Noir, carrying red plum, crisp apple and a smidge of gooseroasted apricots, key lime, and black berry, too. All that is cradled by a currants, all woven together perfectly. duo of marzipan and nougat, reFurther sips bring wisps of sorrel and sulting in quite the delectable treat. a pinch or two of nutmeg, adding extra dimension and nuance. There are Prices listed are winery-direct. many pink wines out there that are Find these wines at private liquor totally crushable and don’t require stores around town for just a few any note or attention. This ain’t one more bucks. -
The Bottle
ARTS
Just for fun, let’s crunch some numbers. There B Y A L EX A NDER VAR TY
are 13 pieces in Shining Light: Celebrating Women Composers, the program that Elektra Women’s Choir will present this weekend. Ten, or 77 percent of them, are by Canadian composers. Five of those, or 38.5 percent of the total, are composers who live in Vancouver. And, as the title suggests, all of the writers, local or not—a whopping 100 percent, by our calculations—are women. But it’s not about the math, according to Elektra’s artistic director, Morna Edmundson. “It’s a concert,” she stresses, reached at her Surrey home. “It’s programmed to be a concert. It’s not programmed to take care of a statistic, or anything like that. “There’s nothing different about the music itself,” Edmundson continues. “You wouldn’t come to the concert and say, ‘I’m listening to music written by women.’ I don’t think you’d notice that if you didn’t open the program and didn’t look at the name of the concert—but 13 women are getting that extra boost, so that’s where this is coming from.” Still, the numbers tell a story—and if you follow those numbers all the way through the history of B.C.’s premier women’s choir, they’re perhaps even a little dismaying. “The big ‘why’ is that even in our own repertoire, less than 20 percent of it was written by women, over 30 years,” Edmundson explains. “And then you say, ‘Why is that?’ That is because I couldn’t buy it before. I couldn’t find it; nobody was programming it….It was just a vicious circle. So we’re just part of changing that reality in our little way, so that 10 years from now people won’t even think about the gender of the composer. “That,” she adds, “is kind of where the subtext of this is going.” It’s also entirely possible that, 10 years from now, choral listeners around the world will be checking their programs not for gender equity, but for the presence of Kathleen Allan’s name on
Giving voice to female talent
Newfoundland-born, Vancouver-based Kathleen Allan is one of the composers that Elektra Women’s Choir is celebrating. Alex Waterhouse-Hayward photo.
commissioning money “Usually, when I come across a poem that I decide to the table. to try to set, I play with it a little bit at the piano; With Shining Light, Elektra Women’s Choir hopes to illuminate “The editing process I read it out loud in its entirety; and I often record the wealth of choral composers from both here and abroad with Morna Edmund- those piano improvisations along with my reading son is like no other,” and singing. It’s all very improvisatory,” she says, the bill. The Newfoundland-born composer and the composer reveals. “We spent probably an adding that for Primary Colours she also drew a conductor, now a Vancouver resident, is one of the hour on the phone, going through every multicoloured flow chart: different phrases sugyoung female artists Edmundson is eager to pro- single little detail and marking things gested a colour, and those colours suggested mote—and, again, not for statistical reasons but so that when the choir fi rst sees it, the work’s musical form. for the excellence of her work. Check out… they will have the best experience “That’s where the shape and the STRAIGHT.COM “She’s steeped in choral music, very curious and possible. She calls it a ‘fi rst date’ overall structure comes from,” Allan Visit our website imaginative, and also skilled,” she says. “Kathleen between the choir and a new piece, explains. “And then where melodic for morning-after has just such a bright future, and I’m just so happy and she wants to give them a really content felt appropriate, I tried to sing reviews and local to be part of bringing her some attention.” beautiful product—a physical score it. I just improvised into my cellphone arts news Edmundson’s enthusiasm has resulted in Allan in their hands that they’re excited recorder and kept track of which parts having three pieces in Shining Light—that’s 23 about as soon as they fi rst crack the went well. I do try to stay true to the text percent, if you’re still keeping score. There’s Early spine. So the editing process is actually in its rhythm and expression and direction, Spring, a 2007 work based on a Newfoundland quite a lot of fun, and it takes me to a further without being a slave to it, or being confined by its folk song, and one of the scores that first brought level than I get to with most pieces.” rhythm and structure.” Allan to Elektra’s notice. There’s At the heart of Allan adds that working with Elektra has The composer stops short of calling herself a synour stillness, a 2016 setting of a Joy Kogawa text. raised her own standards about what a fi nished esthete, but she certainly has a vivid sense of how the And then there’s the brand-new Primary Colours: work should involve. But it hasn’t changed her senses interact—one more reason why Edmundson Three Canticles for Women’s Choir and Piano, a process: Primary Colours began with Allan and Elektra are eager to give Primary Colours its commission from the choir that will probably searching for a text, and after she’d settled on a world premiere, and statistics be damned. form the emotional centre of a concert that has as three-part meditation by the late Miriam Wadits themes spring, joy, and wonder. dington, she began to fi nd a sonic context for Elektra Women’s Choir presents Shining Light: As Allan relates in a separate telephone interview, those words through careful exploration of their Celebrating Women Composers at Ryerson United Church on Saturday (May 13). Edmundson and Elektra brought more than just inner music and meaning.
THINGS TO DO
ARTS
Editor’s choice
CRIME STORY In his fascinating new paintings, Vancouver artist David A. Haughton asks you to look into the eyes of evil— or at least asks you to question what you think defines evil. Bad Guys II—Exploring the Face of Evil features three suites of works: “Mug Shots”, “Evil in Disguise”, and “Gangsters” (like Gangster #7—De Gracy and E. Dalton, shown here). Bad Guys II—Exploring the Face of Evil runs at the Visual Space Gallery from Thursday (May 11) to May 24.
High five
Five events you just can’t miss this week
1
THE SHOW AT ECU (To May 21 at Emily Carr University) The art stars of tomorrow stage a massive carnival of media, design, and visual arts.
2
BALLET BC PROGRAM 3 (May 11 to 13 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre) Unmissable work by two of the dance world’s biggest Israeli stars.
3
PAUL LEWIS (May 13 at the Vancouver Playhouse) The star pianist digs deep into Haydn, Brahms, and Beethoven.
4
LA MERDA (To May 13 at the Cultch) Beyond the naked flesh and shock value, this is one of the year’s most vulnerable performances.
5
KATE DAVIS (May 11 to 13 at the Comedy MIX) As standup’s funniest mom likes to say, “I’m just glad to get the hell outta the house.”
In the news The Vancouver Art Gallery is gearing up for the major Deconstructing Diaspora: Institute of Asian Art Inaugural Symposium, next Thursday and Friday (May 18 and 19). Arts and culture scholar Vishakha N. Desai, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, a senior adviser for global affairs programs to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, and a professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, will be the keynote speaker on the first day of the event at UBC Robson Square. In her talk, called Global Culture in Contested Terrains: The Role of Artists and Institutions, she’ll speak about art in our increasingly divided world, complementing her words with a slide show of art by Asian and Asian-American artists. The next day, visiting Asian Art Council members will give short presentations about Asian diasporas in cities such as Shanghai, New Delhi, and New York, speaking about how art institutions can reflect their cultural communities. Local speakers include the grunt gallery’s Tarah Hogue, writer Sirish Rao, and professor Jin-me Yoon of SFU’s School for Contemporary Arts. -
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 29
ARTS
Words and art, new and old meet in show > B Y R OB IN L A URENCE
W
hen Fuyubi Nakamura describes the ideas behind Traces of Words, it’s possible to envision wisps of spoken language, floating briefly in the air and then disappearing, like smoke. Or, perhaps, not disappearing but preserved for a time in written form. “The reason I use the word traces for the title is that I wanted to make the connection between oral traditions and written language,” says Nakamura, MOA’s curator, Asia. “Many Asian written cultures, just like any other written language, originate in oral traditions. If you think of Islam, the Qur’an was spoken to begin with. Later, the words were written to convey the message. Likewise, Sanskrit was also from a strong oral traditional culture.” Subtitled Art and Calligraphy From Asia, the exhibition is both contemporary (in MOA’s Audain Gallery) and historical (in the Multiversity Galleries), surveying calligraphic and language-based works ranging in origin from North Africa to Thailand. Nakamura points out treasures from MOA’s vast (but rarely seen) Asian collection: in addition to calligraphy scrolls and ink rubbings, there’s a 4,000-yearold Sumerian clay brick with cuneiform inscriptions; a 2,000-year-old bronze mirror from China cast with an ornamental seal script; a 19thcentury Qur’an from Iran; a prayer wheel from Tibet; a woodblock print from Nepal; and palm-leaf manuscripts from India and Sri Lanka. Nakamura also points out displays of historical objects related to the practice of calligraphy in China and Japan—ink blocks, brushes, seals, water droppers, and an amusing Japanese woodblock print of a group of attentive cats taking a calligraphy lesson. As well, there are objects here
Graffiti artist Shamsia Hassani spray-paints work like What about the dead fish? on war-damaged buildings in Kabul.
that demonstrate the fusion of cultures and the spread of Islam across Asia, such as a 19th-century incense set made in southern China. The cloisonné objects are decorated, Nakamura says, with Arabic script executed in the style of Chinese calligraphy. “Muslim people travelled from the Middle East along the trade routes to East Asia and Southeast Asia,” she says, then adds, “Different kinds of traces.” Two rare, historic works of Islamic calligraphy, on loan from the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto, are on display in the Audain Gallery. Otherwise, that big exhibition space
is dedicated to five contemporary Asian artists who employ calligraphy across many media, from painting, drawing, and sculpture to installation, interactive video, and graffiti. “We are exploring the powerful duality that emerges when the written word becomes a medium or canvas,” Nakamura says. Phaptawan Suwannakudt, a classically trained Thai artist based in Australia, creates exquisite miniature paintings that include Buddhist texts in Thai script. As with many immigrant artists, her words and images—Australian
houses, Asian elephants, Buddhist deities—grapple with questions of home and identity. In the big and impressive book that accompanies the exhibition, Suwannakudt writes, “I use the language to which I am emotionally connected as a vehicle to make sense of this unfamiliar place in which I live and to create a space for me to fit in.” Afghan artist Shamsia Hassani spray-paints graffiti on the decaying and war-damaged buildings of Kabul, where she lives and teaches. If conditions of conflict make it too dangerous for her to create art in
the streets, she paints her imagery over photographic prints of buildings. Her graffiti usually focuses on Afghan women, some wearing burqas, others wearing hijabs, combined with calligraphy in her native Dari. “Most of the shapes and images are drawn from my own mental alphabet,” she writes in her statement. “Some of the words are there just to be seen, not to be spoken or read.” Book of Ashes, a mixed-media installation by Tibetan artist Nortse, mourns the destruction of Buddhist art and manuscripts during the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s. Japanese artist Kimura Tsubasa creates extraordinary, floor-to-ceiling installations of abstracted calligraphy, executed in Sumi ink on faille fabric. And the Tokyo-based interdisciplinary group teamLab has produced an interactive, 360-degree, computergenerated installation in a large, darkened room, with an accompanying electronic soundtrack. Shadows cast by visitors as they move through the space cause the Chinese characters, projected on the walls, to transform into images of the things those characters represent. Nakamura demonstrates: a character for butterfly becomes a crowd of fluttering butterflies, and the butterflies in turn affect other characters and generate other images in this continuously evolving new world. “It’s very interactive and immersive,” Nakamura says. It keeps changing, she adds, just as languages change and evolve. Just as the traces of words shift and shimmer in the air, then disappear—or not. Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy From Asia is on display at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC from Thursday (May 11) to October 9. Related Asian materials from the UBC Library Collections are featured in a satellite exhibition at the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre on campus.
WITH
+ CREATED BY REBECCA MARGOLICK AND MAXX BERKOWITZ
CANADIAN PREMIERE Rebecca Margolick & Chuck Wilt. Photo by Maxx Berkowitz.
Program 3 May 11 12 13, 2017 Choreography Emanuel Gat Emily Molnar Ohad Naharin
Queen Elizabeth Theatre | balletbc.com | ticketmaster.ca PERFORMANCE SPONSOR THURSDAY, MAY A 11
PERFORMANCE SPONSORS FRIDAY, MAY 12
COMMUNITY BALCONY SPONSOR
HOTEL SPONSOR
MEDIA PARTNER
SAT MAY 13 | SUN MAY 14 |
950
41st
Avenue
chutzpahfestival.com 604.257.5145 FESTIVAL
2017
SUPPORT FOR BALLET BC HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY L PROVIDED BY
West
Tickets from $23.50 + GST & s/c
Chutzpah!PLUS DANCER RACHEL MEYER. PHOTO MICHAEL SLOBODIAN.
30 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
Photo by Basil Rodericks
GOLD SEASON SPONSOR
NORMAN 8PM R O T H S T E I N 7:30PM T H E A T R E
ARTS
S oN TiCkeEtNoW! SaL
MaY 29 - JuNe 4, 2017 oN GrAnViLlE IsLaNd, vAnCoUvEr
cHiLdReNsFeStIvAl.cA
Birds sing a pretty song evolved out of a yearlong fellowship at New York City’s multidisciplinary LABA centre. Basil Rodericks photo.
Ancient texts inspire dance’s digital world Live rock rhythms, interactive technology, and movement meld in multimedia birds sing a pretty song > BY JA NET SM IT H
A
ncient texts have an unexpected rendezvous with cutting-edge technology in the bold multimedia work birds sing a pretty song. Choreographed by former Vancouverite Rebecca Margolick and cocreated and directed by Maxx Berkowitz, the piece had its genesis during a yearlong fellowship at New York City’s LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture—a program that uses classic Jewish texts to inspire artworks. “It’s an incubator with a lot of artists from other mediums,” says Berkowitz, who’s also an interactive art director and guitarist in the band Twin Wave. He’s sharing the phone with Margolick, speaking from New York City, where the partners in life and art are based. “It’s reading these ancient Jewish texts in a nonreligious setting and seeing how they fit into today,” adds Margolick, who’s also a company member with Chutzpah Festival regulars Sidra Bell Dance New York. “For us, it became ‘How do we make a piece about now?’ ” The pair found that old ideas about beauty, surveillance, and identity played naturally into our relationship with technology today. Margolick points out that her generation was the last to grow up without social media and the Internet as children. Then the world became wired. “How has that affected us as human beings? We have these split personalities: our online personality and the private personality.” Margolick and Berkowitz decided to use interactive media and motion graphics, an area Berkowitz has worked in extensively, to explore the themes of life in the digital age. “Both of us were seeing a lot of dance and video being used together, and dance shows with a lot of technology, but I was questioning how these things really go together,” Margolick says. “There were shows with a lot of projections and I felt like it was just really flashy. For this piece, we said, ‘How do we use technology to help
further the piece as a whole instead of just being an element of the show?’ ” “I thought about really connecting the dancers with the digital world,” Berkowitz adds. The resulting piece plays a lot with distortion—in sound and in video— to represent the way technology sometimes warps our identity. At one point, Margolick speaks and we see her face being distorted via live digital projections, but we also hear her voice being delayed, looped, and altered in real time. “The idea is there’s this disconnect between your online self and yourself,” Margolick says. “How do you put yourself out there on social media?” The duo amps up the production with live music played by Berkowitz, guitarist Jake Klar, and percussionist Bruno Esrubilsky. “It’s really epic,” Margolick says of dancing with the musicians performing on-stage. “At times it feels like you’re in a rock concert. It feels alive.” “It really lets you craft and build energy and movement together. It’s fun to have dancers actually moving with you and interpreting with you,” Berkowitz says. Live rock music, interactive technology, audio looping, and video projections: birds sing a pretty song has evolved a long way from the numerous ancient texts that launched the work at LABA. But Margolick and Berkowitz are bringing a special guest with them to tie the piece right back to its inspiration: Israeli-born, New York City–based author and scholar Ruby Namdar, whose Hebrew novel The Ruined House won Israel’s highest literary award, the Sapir Prize, in 2015. “Ruby was our teacher during the whole fellowship,” Margolick says. “He has a preshow talk where he chooses a piece of text he thinks is relevant to the piece and he teaches it.” As the saying goes, everything old is new again. Chutzpah Plus presents birds sing a pretty song at the Norman and Annette Rothstein Theatre on Saturday and Sunday (May 13 and 14).
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 31
ARTS
Costumer designer Jessica Bayntun created the outfits worn by Nick Fontaine, Katey Wright, and Warren Kimmel in A Little Night Magic. David Cooper photo.
Husband and wife find A Little Night Magic A musical director and costume designer couple build the sound and fabric of a Stephen Sondheim musical > B Y FR A NCESCA BIAN CO
P
CHAN CENTRE PRESENTS SERIES The Blind Boys of Alabama with Ben Heppner I SEP 23 The Gloaming I OCT 15 Zakir Hussain and Dave Holland: Crosscurrents I OCT 28 Ruthie Foster, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and Carrie Rodriguez I NOV 8 The Jazz Epistles: Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela I FEB 18 Lila Downs I MAR 10 Daymé Arocena and Roberto Fonseca I APR 15 Circa: Opus I APR 28
BEYOND WORDS SERIES Kate Evans: Threads I SEP 29 Tanya Tagaq and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory I MAR 16+17
SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW! SAVE UP TO 25%
DAYMÉ AROCENA
THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA
HUGH MASEKELA
TANYA TAGAQ
chancentre.com
MAY 18 Get Outside Issue
MAY 25 CraŌ Beer Week
JUNE 1 Summer Movies
to advertise contact 604.730.7020 or sales@straight.com 32 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
task was to take Sondheim’s orchestral score and transpose it for an intimate band of six musicians, including himself on piano. “This has been a particularly fun challenge. How do I disperse 20 different sounds into six and still keep the essence of everything?” Sean says. “Sondheim’s composing is really exact and the orchestration is so lush. So I’ve just been listening to the music and trying to wrap my head around what textures I can use and what I can pull from.” Both Jessica and Sean are moved most by what comes alive between layers of sound and fabric. In designing the costumes, Jessica had to consider the many components 19thcentury characters would wear, like petticoats and drawers. “It’s nice that the show isn’t modern,” says Jessica. “The layers of clothing are not relatable today and so to dabble in lingerie was exciting to me. It seems silly, but the undergarments are the one thing I love— they are so detailed.” And Sondheim’s musical brilliance functions beneath the visible, Sean says, continuing his wife’s train of thought. “The song will be there, but underneath the surface there are all these little pushes and pulls, rhythmically or harmonically,” Sean says. “For example, a character will say, ‘Soon, I want to.’ But underneath the want is this dissonant note.” The pair may be in sync, but the Bayntuns don’t always work together closely during production. For this show, the only thing Jessica says she needs to know from Sean is whether the musicians are ever visible onstage. The answer is yes, and so Sean will sport a tailcoat. When it comes to what message they hope audiences will take away from A Little Night Music, Sean points to Jorgensen’s ability to access the characters’ humanity and honesty. “This show is elegant and complicated and filled with people who are trying to figure out their place in the world,” he says. “They are relatable, and you want them to have what they want. It is a message of hope and a positive way of trying to live your own life. Just try to be good and try to be decent.” -
atrick Street Productions’ latest show brings to life Stephen Sondheim’s musical A Little Night Music. Set at the turn of the 20th century in Sweden, the plot follows a sequence of romantic affairs that explore love’s daily elation and struggle. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s 1955 film Smiles of a Summer Night, the original 1973 Broadway production received six Tony awards. This production is directed by Patrick Street’s cofounder, Peter Jorgensen, and stars Katey Wright and Warren Kimmel. A successful musical is dependent not only on those in the limelight but also on the many talents working off-stage. Husband-and-wife team Sean and Jessica Bayntun, musical director and costume designer, respectively, began their partnership with a romance that would tie them both to the world of musical theatre. Sean was already working with Patrick Street in 2010 on a production of Bat Boy when Jorgensen asked if he knew anyone who could sew. He did. Jessica was a menswear designer at Lululemon at the time, but promptly quit her job to enter a new chapter as a dressmaker. This time, costume design would be her calling card. “I didn’t know that costume design was even a thing until Sean got me hired sewing for Bat Boy,” Jessica says. After that 2010 production closed they became engaged, and married a year later. Both Jessica and Sean have been involved with Patrick Street—on and off—ever since. Jessica’s collection of costume reference books rivals that of the Vancouver Public Library. For her, costume-building comes after months of historical research, which allows her to create a sartorial suite that rings true to a musical’s era. Perhaps she needs to find a stuffed bird to nest in the lavish brim of a hat, or a froth of lace for an Edwardian corset. Every elaborate element has a rhyme and reason, a testament to her passion for bringing the costumes to life. “I will research the particular income the characters made; being rich or poor makes a huge difference,” Jessica says. “Also, what area of the world are they from? What materials would have been A Little Night Music runs at New Westavailable, and at what price point?” minster’s Anvil Centre Theatre from Over on stage left, Sean’s monumental Saturday (May 13) to May 21.
ARTS
Any crowd’ll do for Russell > B Y GUY M A C PHER SO N
I
t’s not uncommon to get a breathless press release trumpeting a comedian’s cross-Canada tour, which features eight cities in four provinces. Or a North American tour with 15 dates in 12 cities. But when Howard Russell does a world tour, he really gets it done. The English superstar is in the midst of a 90-show tour, stopping in 19 nations. When reached on the phone in Nashville, he’s walking down a hotel hallway, trying his card at every door. “I’ve stayed in so many hotels, I don’t remember which room is mine,” he says with a laugh. He suggests his Round the World tour might more aptly be called the Where Am I Staying tour, or the Point Me Where My Bed Is tour. It’s the only downside to being on this long and winding road, which combines two of his loves. “Travelling with standup is such a brilliant way to experience the world because you wander around cities you’ve never been to, have chats with people in bars, and your standup evolves and world-view evolves,” he says. “And at the end of the night you’ve got people in a room to go and chat to. So it’s the perfect holiday for me.” Howard is a superstar in the U.K., playing arenas across the British Isles. Vancouverites get to see him in the relative intimacy of the 420-seat Rio Theatre. Whether he’s playing to 200 in Atlanta or 18,000 in Manchester, it’s all the same to him. He’s not just trying to get arena notches on his belt. Once, backstage after a gig in Montreal, he met fellow Brit Eddie Izzard, a veteran of many arena gigs, who asked him how many he’d done, hoping to one-up him. “I said, ‘I don’t know.’ And he said, ‘I’ve done 19.’ Yeah, okay.” He doesn’t care what size venue he plays as long as there are people showing up and ready to laugh. On this tour he broke the record for consecutive shows at the Royal Albert Hall set by Barry Manilow and Frank Sinatra,
English comic Howard Russell is just as happy to be playing a 200-seater in North America as he is performing at an 18,000-seat arena back home.
playing the grand 5,000-seat auditorium 10 straight nights in March. “The key thing, if any room is full, it’s fine,” he says. “That’s always your big show. If you’re playing to 300 and it’s full, it’s amazing. Or if you’re playing to 12,000 and it’s full, it’s kind of amazing. So that’s the key, really, as long as you get there and there’s people who are up for a good time.…And to be honest, someone like Michael McIntyre or Peter Kay far outsell anyone, so it’s not worth worrying about. They sell the most tickets in the U.K. by a country mile. Yesterday in Atlanta, the very fact there was a room full of people waiting for me, it’s just great. It’s real pinch-yourself stuff, you know, so I’m not really fussed.”
One would think with all the telly work Howard does, he’d want to relax a bit when not in front of the camera. With time to kill before a new series airing in September, he thought he’d rededicate himself to standup by hitting the road, something he can’t concentrate on when the TV lights are shining. “I think my girlfriend prefers it when I’m working, when I’m busy,” he says. “I find it very hard to do normal life. In a sense, if you’ve been doing arenas for two months in England, you’re going to be bad company to sit around, so it’s better for me to be brought down to earth and do a gig in Nashville in front of 150 people.” Russell Howard plays two shows at the Rio Theatre on Tuesday (May 16).
Payette makes history sing Children of God probes Canadian identity through the residential-school story > BY A NDR EA WA R NE R
“H
ow I understand musicals to work best is they express emotions that are beyond words, so when characters can no longer speak, they sing. This felt like a perfect fit.” Writer, director, composer, and lyricist Corey Payette knows what he’s talking about. Seven years ago, he began writing his new musical, Children of God. It centres on an Oji-Cree family’s residential-school experience and the ensuing intergenerational trauma. Today, he’s rehearsing the opening number and he’s two weeks from Children of God’s world premiere. While many things have changed in the last seven years regarding public awareness of residential schools, Payette knows there’s still a tremendous amount of education and healing to be done, and he hopes to further that work through song. “When this idea came up, I really felt like people didn’t know about this history,” Payette says. He remembers being in his early 20s when he started to fully grapple with the breadth and depth of the effects of residential schools. Payette says his initial anger and frustration came out of not learning about residential schools in the classroom or history books, so a big part of the work of Children of God is making sure future generations know “that this happened in our country, that we include this history as part of how we understand our Canadian identity.
That this isn’t just something that we see as a part of Canadian history, but that it needs to inform how we see ourselves today and the choices that we make moving forward. Part of it is that acknowledgment and ensuring survivors that the experiences they went through, we will never let that happen again, in any way.” Payette says that residential schools weren’t talked about at home, in his family, or in his community. He understands that the silence was born out of firsthand and intergenerational trauma, and feelings of shame around years of abuse and violence. The show is already resonating meaningfully with survivors and their family members, and there are cast members whose parents and cousins went to residential schools. The company also spent time in late 2015 in Kamloops on the territory of the Tk’emlúps Indian Band, where they rehearsed and staged an in-progress version of the show at the Chief Louis Centre, which was once a residential school. Elder Evelyn Camille, who attended the school, came to bless the group on its first day. The producers reached out to the 17 reserves around Kamloops to ensure everybody who wanted to come could attend. Some people drove two or three hours to see the show. “In the second performance, there were a group of gentlemen who had gone to that residential school,” Payette recalls. “They were survivors and they had driven in from Merritt. From the moment that the show
started until the end, they just wept.” Payette offered one of the men access to the counsellors who are on hand as part of the show, for people who might be triggered by the material or just feel they need a break. “When I saw that he was struggling with it, I told him, ‘You can go. We have people out there you can talk to.’ He said, ‘I’m not leaving my seat. I never thought that anyone would care enough about my story so that I could see it, so I’m going to sit here and watch it.’ ” It was a humbling and heartening moment, and a sentiment Payette’s heard from other survivors, too. On that level, he says, Children of God is already a success. But there’s more he hopes to accomplish. “There is a trickster element to it being a musical,” Payette says. “I hope that people will assume that because it is a musical it’s accessible, and ‘Oh, it’s for everyone! Oh, the music’s so pretty!’ and then they’ll come in and they’ll learn something. They’ll be a part of this experience where they’ll say, ‘Oh my goodness, not only did I see a great musical, but I feel connected to these people and this history.’… I think musicals can do that. They open up people’s hearts. All of a sudden you see this person, you care about them. Wouldn’t that change our world if people really cared about indigenous people?” Children of God runs at the York Theatre from next Wednesday (May 17) to June 3.
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 33
ARTS
Wanna Yuk?
Circle Game revives Joni for next gen T HE AT R E CIRCLE GAME Created and directed by Andrew Cohen and Anna Kuman. A Firehall Arts Centre production. At the Firehall Arts Centre on Wednesday, May 3. Continues until May 20
TOP TALENT SHOWCASE EVERY TUES AT 8:00
PRO-AM NIGHT
EVERY WEDS AT 8:00
FEATURED HEADLINERS THURS & FRI AT 8:00 SAT AT 7:00 & 9:30 THIS WEEKEND FEATURING (MAY 11 - 13)
HARLAND WILLIAMS www.yukyuks.com 2837 Cambie (at 12th)
In a telephone interview prior to
2 the launch of Circle Game: Re-
imagining the Music of Joni Mitchell, creators Andrew Cohen and Anna Kuman said that their intent was to recast the Alberta-born songwriter’s work for millennials, and judging by audience reaction at the last preview before opening night, their plot is working. Seniors and 20-somethings alike responded enthusiastically, as well they might: Circle Game sports an effervescent and ridiculously talented six-person cast, and is effectively lit and staged. If your art of choice is theatre—or musical theatre, in particular—you’ll probably love it. Musicians and hard-core Mitchell fans might respond differently. I’m both, and found myself continually questioning the “reimagining” part of this show’s mandate. Here, it
Circle Game boasts a ridiculously talented cast. Emily Cooper photo.
seems to involve a relentless simplification of the harmonic structures and serpentine melodies that endeared their creator to jazz performers such as Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock; in almost every case, Cohen and Kuman have dispensed with Mitchell’s
original music in favour of sturdier but also far less interesting forms. That’s understandable—and excusable, given that Circle Game is not a tribute to Mitchell, avant-folk composer and eccentric guitar genius. Instead, it’s an exploration of her lyrical themes, especially the Venn-diagram circles of loneliness, independence, and love that she examined so compellingly from 1971’s Blue through 1977’s Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter— a six-album span of perfect records rivalled only, in pop, by the Beatles. Theatrically, those themes are used most effectively in Circle Game’s first half, which centres around a budding romance between David (David Z. Cohen) and Adriana (Adriana Ravalli). The ramifications of their eventual breakup percolate through the second act, but only vaguely: the action shifts from student digs to the concert stage, more or less, and narrative falls away in favour of what Variety might once have described as boffo showstoppers. The best of those, undoubtedly, is Scott Perrie’s “For Free/Free Man in Paris”. Using a looper to overdub rhythmic guitar parts and stack vocal harmonies, Perrie is, briefly, the kind
of folk-rock god Mitchell herself might have once fallen for. Part of this number’s success, though, is that it’s the tune that deviates the least from Mitchell’s original melody. Otherwise, Circle Game’s only artistically audacious interpretation is the reverent chorale that Ravalli, Kimmy Choi, and Sarah Vickruck make of “Little Green”. It helps, of course, that we now know what that formerly mysterious song is about: Mitchell’s out-of-wedlock daughter, whom she gave up for adoption and didn’t see again for 32 years. All the performers sing well, with David Cohen’s high tenor a particular pleasure. In addition to the usual guitars and pianos, trumpet, violin, ukulele, melodica, and various percussive devices are deployed for effective sonic variation. Carolyn Rapanos’s set is warm and flexible and even witty, especially in the way the standard lamps of Act 1 prefigure the microphone stands of Act 2. Even if Kuman and Andrew Cohen’s “reimagining” of Mitchell’s music is more of a dumbing-down, Circle Game is far from a downer. > ALEXANDER VARTY see next page
DAVID HAUGHTON BAD GUYS II: EXPLORATIONS OF THE FACE OF EVIL VISUAL SPACE GALLERY 3352 Dunbar Street (between 17th + 18th) Vancouver, BC May 11 – 24, 2017 noon to 5:00 daily VIEW PAINTINGS AT WWW.HAUGHTON-ART.CA
34 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
a concept than a person. So in spite of Gallerano’s very human presence, I experienced most of the play at an emotional remove. Still, there’s no denying La Merda’s bravery. In a postshow talkback, Ceresoli noted that the climate of censorship in Italy compelled the creators to translate the show into English (for a run at the Edinburgh Fringe) prior to its Italian premiere in 2012. Its countless international awards and accolades are a fitting reward for that courage.
BUY NOW
“CROWD-PLEASING, HUGELY ENJOYABLE SHOW” —Chicago Tribune
NOW PLAYING TILL JULY 9!
> KATHLEEN OLIVER
NAPOLÉON VOYAGE Silvia Gallerano is a fiery presence in La Merda. Valeria Tomasulo photo.
LA MERDA By Cristian Ceresoli. A presentation of Frida Kahlo Productions, Richard Jordan Productions, and Produzioni Fuorivia in association with Summerhall and Teatro Valle Occupato. Presented by the Cultch. At the Cultch’s Historic Theatre on Wednesday, May 3. Continues until May 13
Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Inspired by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins
Napoléon Voyage lets you travel
2 around the world without leav-
ing your seat. Along the way, you get to laugh at and be moved by a dedicated traveller’s misadventures. That traveller is Jean-Philippe Lehoux, who begins the play groggy and shivering in his seat on a plane bound for Cuba. Idly perusing a magazine feature about Napoleon, he inserts his own name into the narrative, eager to relate to the places he visits as something more than just a tourist. Lehoux traces his love of travel back to a childhood trip to Costa Rica with his family, and throughout the play, he moves around the stage and around the world, telling superbly crafted tales of his journeys. He visits Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2003, where his driver speaks just six words in two days: when Lehoux asks the driver what he did after the war ended, he replies, “Sex. With Serbian women. Ate banana.” Lehoux recounts a disastrous turn as a pastry chef in England, a stint teaching English in Japan, and some serious intestinal trouble in prewar Syria. Actually, intestinal trouble is a running thread in the show, something Lehoux acknowledges, but his descriptions are inventive: he describes feeling his bowels empty “like God was whacking a symbolic bottle of ketchup”. The lyricism of Lehoux’s writing is complemented by the music of his performing partner, Bertrand Lemoyne, who rounds out the stories with songs, accompanying himself on guitar, ukulele, and even kazoo. Ranging from whimsical (a karaoke “Mr. Roboto”) to wistful, the songs always enhance the emotion of Lehoux’s narrative. Codirector (with Lehoux) Philippe Lambert keeps the staging simple and uncluttered, foregrounding Lehoux’s engaging presence. The script might benefit from a few cuts, and the story of a youthful friend feels unmoored from the rest of the narrative, but these are minor quibbles in a generally charming show. You may not be a conqueror of worlds—you may even, like Lehoux, have trouble staying off the toilet when you travel—but you can still enjoy the journey.
presenting sponsor
the cast. photo by david cooper
Think Beckett on steroids. Like some notable works by the great Irish absurdist playwright, Cristian Ceresoli’s script for La Merda is an obsessive, recursive, and ultimately furious stream-of-consciousness text delivered by a solo female performer. But where Beckett emphasizes the chasm between mind and body by, say, burying a woman up to her waist, then her neck, in sand (Happy Days) or letting the audience see nothing more than her mouth in a tight spotlight (Not I), Ceresoli boldly foregrounds the female body, situating it not only as a home for the play’s troubled consciousness, but—in a patriarchal, misogynistic culture—perhaps as the primary source of the trouble. I did say “boldly”: Silvia Gallerano performs the hourlong play completely naked, clutching a microphone as she perches on a high stool in a crisp square of light. Her unnamed character is an aspiring actress, hoping for her big break on a TV commercial. She’s a tireless source of self-encouragement, even while apologizing for her lack of height and her excess of thighs. The idea of misplaced faith— be it in the perfect body, the lucky break, or people’s basic goodness— thrums like a thematic bass line as the play’s emotions intensify, with each movement building from shy self-effacement to a crescendo of assertion. Gallerano is a remarkable presence; she’s done La Merda all over the world in Italian and English, but repetition hasn’t robbed her performance of any of its immediacy. Her body is leonine and her vocal performance is virtuosic as she slips in and out of other characters, travelling up and down her impressive register. But it’s sometimes hard to make out the words, and embedded in Ceresoli’s text there seems to be a larger comment on Italian society that, in its cultural specificity, eluded me. And his protagonist can be too passive in submitting to humiliation; she often feels much more like
2
By Jean-Philippe Lehoux. Directed by Philippe Lambert and Jean-Philippe Lehoux. A Théâtre Hors Taxes production, presented by Théâtre la Seizième. At Studio 16 on Tuesday, May 2. No remaining performances
playing at stanley industrial alliance stage
granville island stage
goldcorp stage at the bmo theatre centre
season
sponsors
stay connected @GeorgiaStraight
> KATHLEEN OLIVER
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 35
ARTS
Shots like Silver Grill Café reflect Greg Girard’s practice of photographing Vancouver’s Skid Row (now known as the Downtown Eastside) in the 1970s.
Girard creates vision of vanished streetscapes V IS U AL A R TS GREG GIRARD: UNDER VANCOUVER 1972-1982 At Monte Clark Gallery until May 27
Photographer Greg Girard is
2 widely acclaimed for the images
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 33RD ANNUAL BC BOOK PRIZES!
recipient of the 2017
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR’S AWARD FOR LITERARY EXCELLENCE
K PR O O
S IZE
Douglas Coupland
BC B
WIN THE WINNERS CONTEST Enter to win a collection of all seven winning titles. See participating stores and contest details online at www.bcbookprizes.ca. Contest runs from May 14 – June 11, 2017.
Established in 2003 by the Honourable Iona Campagnolo to recognize British Columbia writers who have contributed to the development of literary excellence in the province.
SEE FINALIST BOOKS, TOUR PHOTOS, AND MORE AT WWW.BCBOOKPRIZES.CA WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE SUPPORT OF OUR PUBLISHERS, SPONSORS, AND SUPPORTERS: Anonymous | Bear Country Inn | Central Mountain Air | Columbia Basin Trust | Creative BC | FortisBC | Hamber Foundation | The Listel Hotel | National Car Rental | Prestige Hotels and Resorts | Ramada Williams Lake | Siesta Inn | Sutton Place Revelstoke
FIRST CHOICE BOOKS
36 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
VICTORIA BINDERY
of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Hanoi he created during the three decades he lived and worked in Asia. Less well known are the photos he shot in his hometown of Vancouver, when he was a teenager and young man, just beginning to find his way toward his urban subjects. His new book, Under Vancouver 1972-1982, and the companion exhibition at Monte Clark Gallery, reveal aspects of the social and architectural character of our port city before Expo 86 brought it to the attention of international investors and ravening developers. Not that Girard, in his youth, was aware of the changes to come. As a high-school student living with his parents in Burnaby, he was drawn to Vancouver’s seedier neighbourhoods. Many of his images focus on downmarket shops, cafés, pool halls, and hotels in the area that used to be called Skid Row and is now known as the Downtown Eastside. As well, there are shots of the back side of the working waterfront—warehouses, processing plants, overpasses, and railway lines. In an interview with David Campany that serves as the introduction to the book, Girard reflects on this early work, saying, “I did feel Vancouver was a sad town…the way the natural beauty surrounding the city was at odds with the more down at the heel parts of town.” These were the areas he would visit as a teenager, taking the bus in from the ’burbs and renting a room in a cheap hotel for the weekend. A wall of one such room is adorned with pink and red balloons, sentimentally arranged in the shape of a heart. A couple of the balloons are deflated. At Monte Clark Gallery, the 176 photos in Girard’s book have been
distilled down to 19 framed works, most of them shot outside at night using ambient light. The brilliant neon, glowing in the misty darkness, gives the colour images a moody, film-noir quality. In American Hotel, neon signage in the upper part of the photo reflects blood red in a puddle of rainwater in the foreground. In Silver Grill Café, by contrast, a customer is enveloped in warm and welcoming yellow light as he enters the late-night café, which is otherwise surrounded by darkened shops and set in a cold, snowy streetscape. Originally shot on slides, the colour photos, with their saturated blues, reds, and yellows, appear to be reserved for the shabby and peeling built environment, much of it framed without occupants. In this exhibition, anyway, black-andwhite photography appears to be dedicated to human subjects. Grizzled old guys, wearing fedoras and sagging overcoats, sit on a bench in a pool hall or tie their shoelaces in a railway-station washroom. Presumably, these are the retired loggers, miners, and fishers who lived, on very little money, in the area. Man With Bandaged Nose, a closeup of a squinting and battered individual, whose tightly zipped jacket is worn inside out, was obviously taken with his permission. He looks frankly—although anonymously—into the camera. It’s interesting that the hotels, cafés, and bars in these photographs are named, but the people are not. This fact adds to the sense that Girard was an outsider on Skid Row—and that we, his audience, are outsiders too. “I was something of an interloper,” Girard tells Campany, “but my youth protected me.” One never doubts that he sincerely believed that the Downtown Eastside, not the well-groomed suburbs, was where real life was happening. The problem is that it wasn’t his real life. The socioeconomic disconnect is an uncomfortable one.
> ROBIN LAURENCE
THEATRE DANCE MUSIC COMEDY LITERARY EVENTS ET CETERA GALLERIES MUSEUMS OUT OF TOWN
ar ts/ timeout
< York Theatre (639 Commercial). Tix from $20, DANCE info www.thecultch.com/. < 2THIS WEEK < 2ONGOING BALLET BC, PROGRAM 3 Local dance < MOM’S THE WORD 3: NEST 1/2 company presents premieres by chor< EMPTY Mom’s the Word Collective eographers Emanuel Gat, Emily Molnar, < presents the story of a group of moms and Ohad Naharin. May 11-13, 8 pm, kids have grown, whose mar< whose Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). riages have evolved, and whose bodies < are backfiring. To May 27, Granville Island Tix $21.25-91.25 (plus service charges and fees), info www.balletbc.com/ < Stage (1585 Johnston, Granville Island). performance/program-3-2017/.
Sondheim’s Broadway-style musical about mismatched couples. May 11-21, Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St., New Westminster). Tix $21.50-35.50, info www.patrickstreetproductions.com/.
Tix from $29, info www.artsclub.com/.
CIRCLE GAME: REIMAGINING THE MUSIC OF JONI MITCHELL The music of Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is reimagined in a musical experience conceived and directed by Vancouver’s CHILDREN OF GOD Corey Payette’s Andrew Cohen and Anna Kuman. To May musical tells the story of the children of an 20, Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova). Tix from $23, info www.firehallartscentre. Oji-Cree family who are sent to a residential school in northern Ontario. May 17–Jun 3, ca/onstage/circle-game/.
THEATRE 2OPENINGS A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC Patrick Street Productions presents Stephen
UPCOMING CONCERTS
BIRDS SING A PRETTY SONG. Dance, live music, and interactive media in a
on the web!
For up-to-the-minute, searchable Arts listings on your phone, visit
www.straight.com
2THIS WEEK VANCOUVER OPERA FESTIVAL Celebration of opera features a new production of The Marriage of Figaro. To May 18, Vancouver Playhouse. Info www.vancouveroperafestival.ca/. THE VSO AT THE MOVIES: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL Conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos leads the VSO in a performance of John Williams’s score, while the film is played in high
GALLERY SHOW for BRUCE ALLARDYCE
HELLO
AFRICA
JONATHAN BISS PLAYS MOZART FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 19 & 20, 8PM Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC
Visual Space Gallery,
SUNDAY, MAY 21, 8PM Bell Performing Arts Centre, Surrey
3352 Dunbar St. May 26-28, 10 AM-9 PM Reception, 6-8 PM May 26
SCHUMANN Manfred: Overture MOZART Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major* HAYDN Symphony No. 92 in G Major, Oxford Jonathan Biss piano*
Alexandre Bloch makes his eagerly-anticipated return to the VSO, conducting a program that includes fascinating pianist Jonathan Biss performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21, with its famous and beloved “Elvira Madigan” second movement, and Symphony No. 92 by the “Father of the Symphony,” Franz Joseph Haydn.
JONATHAN BISS
MUSIC
see next page
ELVIRA MADIGAN:
Alexandre Bloch conductor
production that is choreographed by Rebecca Margolick and cocreated and directed with Maxx Berkowitz. May 13-14, Norman Rothstein Theatre (950 W. 41st). Tix and info www.chutzpahfestival.com/.
Museum of Anthropology at UBC A place of world arts + cultures
moa.ubc.ca
SYMPHONY AT THE ANNEX:
SWEET AIR
SATURDAY, MAY 20, 7:30PM Annex DAVID LANG Sweet Air MARCUS GODDARD Voices Rising JOCELYN MORLOCK Icarus, landing KEITH HAMEL Dreamer ANDY AKIHO Speaking Tree William Rowson conductor Exciting contemporary music with the VSO at the Orpheum Annex. SYMPHONY AT THE ANNEX SERIES SPONSOR
WILLIAM ROWSON
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THE ANNEX SERIES PROVIDED BY
SOPHISTICATED LADIES: May 11 – October 9, 2017
A TRIBUTE TO ELLA FITZGERALD, BILLIE HOLIDAY, AND MORE!
FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MAY 26 & 27, 8PM Orpheum Steven Reineke conductor Sy Smith vocalist
SY SMITH
Montego Glover vocalist Capathia Jenkins vocalist
It’s a night of Sophisticated Ladies, as Sy Smith, Montego Glover and Capathia Jenkins (known in Vancouver for her amazing work in the VSO’s James Bond concerts) take the stage with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to celebrate groundbreaking icons of popular song such as the great Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, and more.
VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR
MAY 26 CONCERT SPONSOR
VSO POPS RADIO SPONSOR
MAY 27 CONCERT SPONSOR
CAPATHIA JENKINS
KIDS’ KONCERTS:
CLASSICAL KIDS: TCHAIKOVSKY DISCOVERS AMERICA SUNDAY, MAY 28, 2PM Orpheum William Rowson conductor
Classical Kids
This story tells of the great composer’s time in New York. A surprise encounter with a young American girl reveals much about Tchaikovsky — his life in Russia, his love of music and his fears of conducting, in a poignant story of the meeting of old world influences and new world experiences. VSO INSTRUMENT FAIR in the lobby at 1pm. Your child can try real orchestral instruments under the guidance of student and professional musicians. Instruments provided by Tom Lee Music KIDS’ KONCERTS SERIES SPONSOR MAY 28 CONCERT SPONSOR
CLASSICAL KIDS
@VSOrchestra
TICKETS:
PREMIER EDUCATION PARTNER
vancouversymphony.ca
are
you
on the
LIST?
MEDIA SPONSOR
604.876.3434
SIGN UP FOR THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT’S WEEKLY NEWSLETTER for exclusive access to pre-buys, concerts, movies, getaways and more! To subscribe visit STRAIGHT.COM/NEWSLETTERS
TRACES OF WORDS Art and Calligraphy from Asia Image: Sisyu + teamLab, What a Loving and Beautiful World, 2011.
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 37
Arts time out
from previous page
definition on the big screen. May 10-11, 7:30 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Info www.vancouversymphony.ca/.
SHINING LIGHT: CELEBRATING WOMEN COMPOSERS Elektra Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choir presents work by living Canadian and American female composers, including Alice Parker, Eleanor Daley, Ramona Luengen, Abbie Betinis, Joan Szymko,
straight choices
HILARIOUS HARLAND One of comedyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great weirdos is coming to town. You know the face from countless movies (Half Baked, Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Something About Mary, Freddy Got Fingered ). You know the voice from scores of animated films (Sausage Party, Robots, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa ). If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a standup fan, you know the whole package, including his podcast The Harland Highway. Harland Williams is a regular visitor to these shores, bringing his absurd kookiness to standup stages around town throughout the years. This Thursday through Saturday (May 11 to 13) he plays Yuk Yukâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s at 12th and Cambie. With his audience interaction and active mind, no two shows are alike. So go to all four of them and compare!
Leslie Uyeda, Joanne Metcalf, Sarah Quartel, Jocelyn Hagen, and iconic songwriter Joni Mitchell. May 13, 7:30 pm, Dunbar Ryerson United Church (2195 W. 45th). Tix $15-35, info www.elektra.ca/ concerts-events/shininglight/.
PINK MARTINI WITH THE VSO Bramwell Tovey conducts pianist Thomas Lauderdale, vocalist China Forbes, the band Pink Martini, and the VSO. May 13, 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Info www.vancouversymphony.ca/. GLOWING HEARTS: CANADAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 150TH WITH THE VYSO The Vancouver Youth Symphony Orchestra celebrates Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 150th birthday with music by Bramwell Tovey, Frederick Schipizky, Christopher Nickel, Mark Haney, Mark Armanini, and Robert Rival. May 14, 3 pm, Chan Centre (6265 Crescent Rd., UBC). Tix $25/20/10, info www.vyso. com/concerts/. ALARIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FIDDLE Valley Youth Fiddlers present a musical-theatre production about a young girl who lives with her mother in an isolated lighthouse on the West Coast of Canada. May 14, 7-9 pm, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts (2055 Purcell Way). Tix $15/10, info www.valleyyouthfiddlers.com/.
COMEDY 2JUST ANNOUNCED LEWIS BLACK AND KATHLEEN MADIGAN American standup comedians coheadline on their 49th Parallel Tour. Sep 7, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $69.50/52.50/39.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
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. 2KATE DAVIS May 11-13 2CHRIS JAMES May 18-20 2RICH VOS May 25-27
straight choices
YUK YUKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COMEDY CLUB 2837 Cambie, 604-696-9857, www.yukyuks.com/vancou ver/. 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. 2HARLAND WILLIAMS May 11-13 2JONATHAN BAUM May 18-20 2RICHARD LETT May 25-27 VANCOUVER THEATRESPORTS LEAGUE Some of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most daring and innovative improv. Mom=Wow (Sun, 4 pm); #NoFilter (Thu, 9:15 pm); Firecracker! (Wed, 9:15 pm); Ok Tinder (Fri and Sat, 11:15 pm); Rookie Night (Sun, 7:30 pm); TheatreSports (Wed, 7:30 pm; Fri and Sat, 9:30 pm); Western World (Thu, Fri, and Sat, 7:30 pm). May 10-17, The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau, Granville Island). Info www.vtsl.com/.
2THIS WEEK
WEST AFRICAN RHYTHMS The extraordinary cultural diversity and many colours of West Africa are on display at the Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre for VanAfrica this Thursday and Friday (May 11 and 12). Directed by composer and percussionist Curtis Andrews, the project brings together the leading West African musicians, singers, and dancers living in Greater Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;nato Camara and Kocasalle Dioubate from Guinea, Kesseke Yeo from Ivory Coast, and Kofi Gbolonyo and Esinu Gbolonyo from Ghana. The show also features the Adanu Habobo group, and guest performer Awal Alhassan from Seattle. Expect everything from rare instruments and meditative songs to a frenzy of drumming fingers, flying limbs, and flailing braids.
GALLERIES
RUSSELL HOWARD British standup comedian performs on his Round the World Live Tour. May 16, doors 10 pm, show 10:30 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketfly.com/.
may be able to walk away from oppressive authority systems, as envisioned in his new book Walkaway. May 17, 7:30 pm, Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema (SFU Woodwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 149 W. Hastings). Tix $26/24/20, info www.writersfest.bc.ca/ cory-doctorow/.
LITERARY EVENTS
ET CETERA
2THIS WEEK
2THIS WEEK
MUSEUMS
CORY DOCTOROW IN CONVERSATION Author Cory Doctorow discusses how we
NEVERLAND Circus West presents a Peter Pan origin story featuring mermaids, pixies, pirates, and one boy who never wants to grow up. May 11-14, PNE Garden Auditorium (100 N. Renfrew). Tix from $15, info www.circuswest.com/.
THE MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC 6393 NW Marine Drive, 604-822-5087, www.moa.ubc.ca/. 2AMAZONIA: THE RIGHTS OF NATURE (Amazonian basketry, textiles, carvings, feather works, and ceramics) to Jan 28
WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE: A BURLESQUE TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN KING Geekenders presents an evening of burlesque inspired by the fictional creations of American horror author Stephen King. May 12, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $18 at the door/15 in advance, info www.facebook. com/events/969437126526015/.
OUT OF TOWN
Comedy n Wheels
VANCOUVER ART GALLERY 750 Hornby, 604-662-4719, www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/. 2PACIFIC CROSSINGS (works from wellknown Hong Kong artists created after their relocation to Vancouver throughout the 1960-90s) to May 28
MOLOTOV CARAVAN 6 Variety show features Scarlet Lux, Vixen Von Flex, Andrea Welsink, Pynksy Shell, Rahel, Belly Company, Raks Sokkar, Nicci, Uncle Dirty, Hellison, Melody Mangler, and Harmony Belly Dance Co. May 13, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $25 at the door/20 (plus service charges and fees) at www.scarletlux.com/.
2THIS WEEK SHADOWLANDS See works by Fred Herzog, the Canadian pioneer of colour street photography. To May 22, Audain Art Museum (4350 Blackcomb Way, Whistler). Info www.audainartmuseum.com/.
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 donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.
ADVANCE SCREENING details at straight.com
A community-based production featuring special guest comic Tanyalee Davis
May 18, 19, 20 2017 8pm Performance Works 1218 Cartwright Street, Vancouver, BC
ASL Interpretation, Audio Description provided by VocalEye. Shuttle service available for all performances through advance booking.
realwheels.ca TICKETS
Pay-What-You-Can: Thursday May 18 $20: Friday May 19 $25: Saturday May 20
www.comedy-on-wheels.bpt.me TheBaywatchMovie.com to win tickets to the advance screening
Visit
CINEPLEX INTERNATIONAL VILLAGE CINEMAS Chris Spencer Foundation
MONDAY, MAY 22 â&#x20AC;¢ 7PM IN THEATRES MAY 25 Visit
38 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18 / 2017
for movie listings.
MOVIES
When New York City–based filmmaker
BY CRAIG TAKEUCH I
Kyoko Miyake was watching TV while visiting her mother’s house in Japan, breaking news came on the screen. It wasn’t about Syria. Nor was it about North Korea. It was about a girl leaving a J-pop band. This was national news. Miyake wanted to find out what, exactly, was going on with this pop-cultural phenomenon. What she unearthed was troubling, enlightening, and complicated. Her resulting work, the U.K.–Canada coproduction Tokyo Idols (with producers from Montreal) screening at the 2017 DOXA Documentary Film Festival, reflects her multifaceted perspective. On the line from NYC, Miyake says that growing up in Japan was a “confusing and awkward experience”, as she felt inherently uneasy with gender roles. “I just didn’t know how to act or be cute,” she says. “People seem to take it as a sign of defiance.” Living abroad for 15 years, combined with her innate understanding of the culture, gave her the ideal vantage point from which to analyze the realm of “idol” worship, in which middle-aged Japanese salarymen devote themselves to teen
It’s a J-pop shock doc
A teenaged J-pop superstar exerts her goddess-like superpowers over a stadium filled with screaming 40-something salarymen in DOXA’s Tokyo Idols.
to want to rescue these girls. practice with such an age disparity might be imInstead, she exposes sev- possible in countries without such social discieral surprising aspects that pline. Although many of the fans fall in love with offer a more complex view. these underage girls, they remain highly respectFor instance, the roots of the ful, with men not even drinking alcohol at bars In Tokyo Idols, filmmaker Kyoko Miyake finds more to otaku subculture are traced to the where the concerts take place. country’s economic depres“I still don’t condone what they do, but I think than the creepy worship of teen girls by middle-aged men. sion. One interviewee calls I have a deeper understanding of where they come female J-pop idols with religious fervour and to the idols the equivalent of Britain’s Sex Pistols, from or why they need to do this,” Miyake says. jaw-dropping extents, from spending almost all from which the salarymen find self-empowerShe sees this subject as merely a microcosm of their savings on concerts and memorabilia to re- ment and the strength to rally against the system a larger sociological issue. “Idol culture is a reflechearsing and performing the same dance moves or even change their lives for the better. tion of the wider society,” she says. as their teen-girl stars. Miyake points out that these men are enYet working on this project, she says with a Although she says the subject matter “symbol- meshed in gender roles of being strong provid- laugh, made her feel “very Japanese and very ized everything that made me feel uncomfortable ers for women and children, but are either un- un-Japanese at the same time”. Criticizing old about being a woman in Japan”, she also realized employed or struggling with their careers and men, she explains, is very untraditional, and yet that she had to go beyond simply following a few are unmarried. her deep connection to the subject, which she female idols and delve into the world of the otaku, “When they come to an idol concert and spend thinks is far stronger than if it were happenor people whose social skills suffer in the face of money on those girls, and then the girl tells you ing in another country, made her realize how their all-consuming obsession with particular in- that she’s only there because of their support, Japanese she is. terests or subcultures. I think it probably gives them some pride and “If this starts some sort of discussion or debate Her inability to find overtly critical voices to probably it might even be able to restore a failed in Japan, I would be very happy,” she says. feature in the film reflects how normalized and sense of masculinity, in a way,” she says. mainstream these idols have become. As one interAlthough there have been some cases of at- Tokyo Idols screens at the Vancity Theatre on Thursviewee states, it is extremely difficult to express tacks by fans reported in the news, the fan com- day (May 11) at 9:15 p.m. The DOXA Documentary criticism of otaku from within Japanese society. munity, like much of Japanese society, is heav- Film Festival (www.doxafestival.ca/ ) continues How quickly she and her non-Japanese crew ily governed by unwritten rules. An equivalent until Sunday (May 14). adjusted to what initially seemed creepy and strange surprised her. She was also disturbed DOXA 2017: All human life is here by how early the girls start, some as young as 10 years old (with girls being phased out, or “graduAfter kicking down doors and setting fires all over the place, the troublemaking 2017 ated”, as they reach their later teens), and how edition of the DOXA Documentary Film Festival concludes with its second screening many girls aspire to enter the industry, with their of Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto at the Vancity Theatre on Sunday (May 14). Here are a parents’ endorsement. few late picks to catch between then and now. “If you grew up as a girl or woman in Japan… the male gaze is internalized at such an early age AMBULANCE (Norway) Twenty-three-year-old documentarian Mohamed Jabaly embeds himself with and it’s so deeply ingrained that you’re just not an ambulance crew, not entirely with their blessing, immediately after witnessing his neighbour’s house aware of it,” she says. reduced to a pile of rubble during Israel’s assault on Gaza in 2014. By the end of our 80-minute imBut the documentary explains why it’s so apmersion in this lopsided “war”, the body count includes children and some of the emergency workers pealing to them, as it’s one of the only fields in encountered by Jabaly—although not the seemingly charmed driver Abu, who goes back to work with Japan where girls dominate. a chunk of shrapnel in his head after a particularly sadistic ambush. Among the other details we pick “Within that world, girls have such a power up: Israeli forces call residents to warn of incoming missiles, which might arrive a minute or two later, over their fans,” Miyake says. “They’re like a or never at all. The effort seems more perverse than humanitarian, while cease-fires are apparently obgoddess to their fans…but it’s based on deeply served by one side only. Utterly heartbreaking. Vancity Theatre, May 13 (5 p.m.) > ADRIAN MACK misogynistic ideas. In most parts of Japanese society, women are not allowed to play a leading BRASILIA: LIFE AFTER DESIGN (Canada/U.K.) In its own way probably the saddest movie at DOXA, role and idol culture is sold like a dream factory Brasilia plays like a travelogue made by an alien suffering a deep bout of melancholia. Vancouver for girls with ambition.” filmmaker Bart Simpson lets his cameras do the talking in this portrait of the great modernist Nonetheless, she refused to construct a blackand-white view of the matter or to incite audiences see next page
2
WEEK IN WIDESCREEN
MOVIES
The projector
Hi, Mom! SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN Word to the wise: Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly’s classic musical turns 65 this year, like your mom (possibly), who might like to catch a special Mother’s Day screening of Singin’ in the Rain at the Cineplex Park Theatre on Sunday (May 14). -
What to see and where to see it
1
THE SEASONS IN QUINCY: FOUR PORTRAITS OF JOHN BERGER The
2
SONJA AND THE BULL A skirmish over
3
Major issues
late art critic is profiled in this portmanteau of shorts, also featuring his friend Tilda Swinton, at the Vancity Theatre on Friday (May 12).
bullfighting pits old against new in this critical and box-office hit, coming to Cinematheque on Tuesday (May 16) as part of its Contemporary Croatian Cinema series.
MAD WORLD The long-running Frames of Mind series brings this award-winning drama from Hong Kong—about a mentally ill stockbroker released into the care of his dad—to Cinematheque on Wednesday (May 17).
GHOST IN THE SHELL Casting controversies aside, this
newest adaptation of the classic anime is a good fit for the everblank Scarlett Johansson. Takeshi Kitano costars along with noted Japanese superstars Juliette Binoche and Michael Pitt. Screening at the Rio Theatre on Thursday (May 11). MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 39
Then again, what else are you going from previous page to do on those vast, apocalypseready concrete plazas? Gawd, what citadel built by deluded technocrats a ridiculous species we are. Vancity in the middle of a desert. Behold the Theatre, May 14 (4:45 p.m.) > AM seat of Brazil’s government, designed as a utopian vision of rationalism in ISLAND EARTH (USA) Agribusiness the ’50s, now a blanched and faded takes a well-deserved hit in Cyrus hellhole where the human spirit goes Sutton’s doc, cannily focused on the to die, or to starve on the outskirts Hawaiian Islands, where ludicrously, in any one of the city’s crumbling 90 percent of the food is shipped in satellite boroughs. Speaking of dead while prodigiously fertile land, which spirits, the film gradually rounds on filled everyone’s belly for millennia, what appears to be the city’s chief is blighted by monoculture or the purpose, which is to generate end- ongoing use of restricted pesticides. less hordes of civil servants, lawyers, (The no-shit-Sherlock result: an enand—worst of all—Rollerbladers. tire village is diagnosed with cancer.)
DOXA 2017
A short history of GMOs reveals what we already know, or should: science and capitalism need to be separated, pronto, and then one half of that equation euthanized. The solution is permaculture and massively scaleddown economies, in this case embodied by a bright and conscientious pro surfer and father of three who runs for mayor of Kauai against an incumbent fully in the pocket of the global food corps. How do you think that turns out? Vancity Theatre, May 12 (7 p.m.) > AM MERMAIDS (Canada)
The simple act of putting on a fishtail turns out
Hey, leaf us alone! As we learn in Island Earth, Hawaii’s mounting food issues would be greatly helped if big agribusiness would just get the hell out of there.
to be a transformative, liberating, and—in some cases—therapeutic act for numerous women, as this soothing documentary reveals. Toronto filmmaker Ali Weinstein employs a light touch in delving into the lives of five women who pursue being mermaids as a hobby or career. These gals—ranging from a spirited Harlem spitfire to a transitioning transgender woman—relate their discoveries of unexpected empowerment, community, joy, emotional healing, and the ability to overcome trauma, abuse, loss, or discrimination within the freedom of the watery depths. Beautiful to watch, even as the content sometimes thins out in this otherwise gentle crowdpleaser of a film. Vancity, May 13 (9:15 p.m.) > CRAIG TAKEUCHI THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN (USA) Bright
his Tales of the City novel series, from his newspaper-column beginnings to the groundbreaking, controversial TV series that dared to show—gasp!—men kissing. Filmmaker Jennifer M. Kroot illustrates how this champion of the marginalized connected to readers through his humanist approach to portraying small people, gay, lesbian, transgender, and other minority characters—but how that also made him a prime target of right-wingers. Despite Maupin facing resistance from politicians and struggling to overcome his own internalized prejudices, and enduring the darkest times of the AIDS crisis, a colourful cast of celebrities— comedians Selene Luna and Margaret Cho; authors Neil Gaiman and Amy Tan; actors Laura Linney, Ian McKellan, and Olympia Dukakis; and more—rounds out the chorus in singing what proves to be a celebratory love song, not just about sex and romance but about humanity. Vancity Theatre, May 12 (9 p.m.) > CT
and breezy like his writing, this documentary is as much about Armistead Maupin as it is about the LGBT community of his dearly beloved San Francisco. He and other interviewees reveal The DOXA Documentary Film Festival what went on behind the scenes in the ( www.doxafestival.ca/ ) continues development of what would become until Sunday (May 14).
Tickets on sale now at Cineplex.com/Events
Coming Soon! SUBJECT TO CLASSIFICATION
VIFF Annual General Meeting WED MAY 31 7:00PM The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held at The Vancouver International Film Centre, 1181 Seymour Street. All members are encouraged to attend. Beyond the election of Board of Directors, it’s a chance to learn about plans for the future and the issues we face. Please bring your 2016/17 Society (VIFF Vancity Theatre) membership card.
40 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
+++++ “PROFOUNDLY MOVING.
CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY WITH MAUDIE
A BATTLE CRY FOR THE DISPOSSESSED.” Mark Kermode, THE OBSERVER
“THE TRUE STORY OF CANADIAN FOLK ARTIST MAUD LEWIS, BOASTS A POWERFUL, OSCAR®-WORTHY PERFORMANCE BY SALLY HAWKINS.” THEWRAP.COM
“THIS IS A PAINTER WHOSE CANVAS WAS HER LIFE, AND WHOSE LIFE HER CANVAS. MAUDIE IS A MAGNIFICENT CELEBRATION OF BOTH.” ®
NAITONAL POST
Academy Award® Nominee
Academy Award® Nominee
SALLY HAWKINS ETHAN HAWKE
92% *AS OF MAY 8
DIRECTED BY
KEN LOACH
NOW PLAYING EXCLUSIVELY AT
RICHARD GERE CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG
TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL
LIOR ASHKENAZI MICHAEL SHEEN
MIAMI
FILM FESTIVAL
TORONTO
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
NOW PLAYING
FIFTH AVENUE 2110 Burrard St. • 604-734-7469
HANK AZARIA DAN STEVENS
STEVE BUSCEMI JOSH CHARLES
FIFTH AVENUE 2110 Burrard St. • 604-734-7469
CINEPLEX ENTERTAINMENT
88 WEST PENDER • 604-806-0799
PARK & TILFORD 200-333 Brooksbank Ave. • 604-985-4215
A WONDERFUL COMEDY.”
“
“‘ THE LOVERS’ IS THAT RARE THING: A SERIOUS ROMANTIC COMEDY THAT NEVER PUTS A FOOT WRONG.”
FROM THE WRITER-DIRECTOR OF “FOOTNOTE”
NORMAN
The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a Ne w York Fixer
NOW PLAYING EXCLUSIVELY AT
FIFTH AVENUE 2110 Burrard St. • 604-734-7469
O P E N S I N S E L E C T T H E AT R E S M AY 1 9
OPENS IN SELECT THEATRES MAY 19 MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 41
MOVIES
Iraqi sniper takes aim at Hollywood heroics RE VIEW S THE WALL Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Rated 14A
Two guys, a crumbling wall, a
2 few guns, and enough dust to
make you practically taste the grit. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about all director Doug Liman needed to make this tense, claustrophobic little war movie. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an odd choice for the director of such outsized action epics as Edge of Tomorrow. The Wall is a taut mix of horror, war, and, surprisingly, serial-killer movie, managing to bust genres even as it slips occasionally into convention. Extra points for avoiding the flag-waving heroics of American Sniper. The setup is simple. Two American soldiers in Iraq become
1660 EAST BROADWAY @ COMMERCIAL MEDIA SPONSOR
NOW PLAYING!
MAY 12
ADVANCE TICKETS AT WWW.RIOTHEATRETICKETS.CA CA The Geekenders Present WE ALL FLOAT DOWN HERE $ %XUOHVTXH 7ULEXWH WR 6WHSKHQ .LQJ SP %DFN E\ SRSXODU GHPDQG 7KLV FRXOG EH The Geekenders' ZHLUGHVWÂŤ DQG FUHHSLHVWÂŤ VKRZ \HW 'RQÂśW EH D 0LVHU\ WDNH D 6WDQG JHW &DUULH G DZD\ JHW ZLWK ,W IRU D 6KLQLQJ H[DPSOH VRPH DPD]LQJ EXUOHVTXH DUWLVWV FRPLQJ WRJHWKHU WR SXW RQ WKH Stephen King LHVW QLJKW HYHU THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS SP :HOO &ODULFH KDYH WKH ODPEV VWRSSHG VFUHDPLQJ" :H WRDVW DQG KRQ RXU WKH ODWH JUHDW Jonathan Demme ZLWK D )ULGD\ /DWH 1LJKW 0RYLH VFUHHQLQJ RI WKH 2VFDU ZLQQLQJ KRUURU FODVVLF YOUR NAME. SP Makoto Shinkaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DQLPDWHG EORFNEXVWHU DQG JOREDO SRS FXOWXUH KLW .LPL QR 1D ZD LQ -DSDQHVH Z (QJOLVK VXEV KEDI SP Âł.HGL D IUHTXHQWO\ HQFKDQWLQJ GRFXPHQWDU\ VKRZFDVHV IHOLQH SHUVRQDOLWLHV DQG WKH KXPDQV ZKR ORRN DIWHU WKHP The New York Times
MAY 14
SPIRITED AWAY SP +DSS\ 0RWKHU V 'D\ -RLQ XV IRU D IDPLO\ IULHQGO\ VFUHHQLQJ RI Hayao yao Miyazaki's EHORYHG FODVVLF ,Q -DSDQHVH Z (QJOLVK VXEV
15
RON SEXSMITH The Last Rider SP :LWK Special Guests
16
JACK OFF! $ 7RDVW WR Jack Nicholson 2QH RI FLQHPD V JUHDWV JHWV WKH GRXEOH IHDWXUH WUHDWPHQW ZLWK WZR ILOPV KLJKOLJKWLQJ RXWVWDQGLQJ DQG PHPRUDEOH SHUIRUPDQFHV &DWFK Roman Polanski's CHINATOWN DW SP IROORZHG E\ Tim Burton's BATMAN DW SP 6HH RQH RU VHH HP ERWK
Just For Laughs Northwest Presents RUSSELL HOWARD 6KRZV SP 62/' 287 SP
17
MAY 13
The only authorized retailer in Canada!
terror, with an ingrained good-olâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; boy racism in his exchanges with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;hajiâ&#x20AC;?. As for Laith Nakliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Iraqi, screenwriter Dwain Worrell canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to make up his mind about whether heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a sensitive war victim or a psychopath: one minute the sniperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spouting poetry and grieving the loss of a school to bombs, the next heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talking about gouging out eyeballs and stapling someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tongue to his chin. Still, you get a you-are-there feel for the heat and the dust, thanks to the bleak palette, rendered on anamorphic 16mm film. The nearunbearable tension will remind you of such similarly small-scale nailbiters as Frozen (the one with the chairlift from hell, not the singing snowman) and Open Water. With its dust and gore, The Wall also draws inevitable comparisons to the equally claustrophobic Kilo Two Bravo. The latter is more compelling because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true; gripping as it is, the former has almost as many holes as the decrepit wall Ize cringes behind. Still, The Wall is probably the only war movie youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see this year where the Iraqi soldier is smarter than the Americans.
$3499.99
BON COP BAD COP 2
Shane Matthews (WWE hulk John Cena) is lying unconscious on an open stretch of desert. His spotter, Allan â&#x20AC;&#x153;Izeâ&#x20AC;? Isaac (Aaron TaylorJohnson), is stuck baking behind a f limsy rubble wall, with a leaking water bottle, a glitching radio, and a giant hunk of lead lodged in his mangled leg. When Ize switches to a working local radio channel, the psychological terror begins: the Iraqi sniper wants to talk to him, and taunt him, from his unseen outpost. While the gunman probes him for details about his life, the soldier tries to figure out how to fight his way out. John Cena and Aaron Taylor-Johnson become sitting (and bleeding) ducks in Taylor-Johnson, so memorable as director Doug Limanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gritty and claustrophobic Gulf War thriller, The Wall. a bad guy in Nocturnal Animals, is wounded, and trapped, by an un- announced the end of the Gulf on his own here, and he mostly rises seenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and apparently rogueâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; War, but, predictably, somebody to the taskâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a simple kid trying to sniper. George H.W. Bush has just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the memo. Staff Sgt. remember his training amid the
STEPHEN LYNCH The My Old Heart Tour SP
HĂ&#x2030;BERT MUSIQUE Tommy Emmanuel Signature Guitar
> JANET SMITH
Reg: $4399 .99
Starring Patrick Huard. Rated 14A
hebertmusique.com om m
The original 2006 Bon Cop
2 Bad Cop was so popular that
1-418-654-0905
FINAL WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS SUNDAY MAY 14
REPEAT SCREENING
8 PM CINEMATHEQUE
Caravan World Rhthyms Presents EMEL MATHLOUTHI SP
For Dear Life Carmen Pollard, Canada
When theatre producer James Pollard was given a terminal cancer diagnosis, he set about orchestrating his own death. Filmed over the course of three years, For Dear Life became a shared project, capturing moments on Jamesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; journey.
MAY 19
MAY 18
SUNDAY MAY 14
REPEAT SCREENING
8:30 PM VANCITY
COLOSSAL SP 6SDQLVK GLUHFWRU Nacho Vigalondo DW KLV YLVLRQDU\ EHVW LQ WKLV JHQUH GHI\LQJ PDVK XS WKDWÂśV HTXDO SDUWV VFL IL ÂłNDLMX´ PRQVWHU PRYLH DQG URPDQWLF FRPHG\ VWDUULQJ Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis DQG D YHU\ ODUJH UHSWLOH Âł,WÂśV D VFL IL KRUURU SV\FKRGUDPD FRPHG\ WKULOOHU UHYHQJH URPDQFH ILOP Ä&#x192; DQG WKDW MXPEOH RI D GHVFULSWLRQ QRW RQO\ ZRUNV LW GRHV VR LQ VSHFWDFXODU IDVKLRQ ´ Toronto Star $QG 0D\ DW SP Creature Skateboards Presents THE CREATURE VIDEO SP TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME SP Âł7KDWÂśV D GDPQ ILQH FXS RI FRIIHH ´ ,V WKHUH DQ\ RWKHU PRYLH \RX QHHG WR VHH RQ WKH ELJ VFUHHQ RQ Âł7ZLQ 3HDNV :HHNHQG"´ 5HYLVLW David Lynchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FXOW KLW FUHDWLRQ ZLWK D )ULGD\ /DWH 1LJKW 0RYLH VFUHHQLQJ
Limit Is the Sky
MAY 20
Julia Ivanova, Canada
CITIZEN JANE SP ³&LWL]HQ -DQH LV D SULPHU RQ KRZ WR UHVLVW DXWKRULWDULDQLVP ´ Vogue ,Q WKLV DFFODLPHG GRFXPHQWDU\ ZULWHU DQG XUEDQ DFWLYLVW Jane Jacobs ILJKWV WR VDYH KLVWRULF 1HZ <RUN &LW\ GXULQJ WKH UXWKOHVV UHGHYHORSPHQW HUD RI XUEDQ SODQQHU Robert Moses LQ WKH V
In the 2000s, Fort McMurray was El Dorado. The city and its vast oil sands projects offered lucrative employment to thousands of fortune seekers who came from around the world. Julia Ivanovaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s documentary follows seven such dreamers.
The Affordable Concert Series: Rocket to the Rio! SP $Q East Vanstravaganza IHDWXULQJ OLYH SHUIRUPDQFHV IURP THE HARD ROCK MINERS DISCO FUNERAL RIO SAMAYA & THE WALKINS.
MAY 21
STRANGERS ON THE EARTH SP Âł:H DUH DORQH RQ WKLV WULS Ä&#x192; WDNH LW DQG WKLV PDUYHOORXV ILOP DW \RXU RZQ SDFH ´ The Globe and Mail ,Q WKLV DFFODLPHG GRFXPHQWDU\ FHOOLVW Dane Johansen ZLWK KLV LQVWUXPHQW RQ KLV EDFN VHW RXWV RQ D GD\ KLNH RQ WKH DQFLHQW SDWKV RI WKH &DPLQR GH 6DQWLDJR LQ QRUWKZHVWHUQ 6SDLQ HQWHUWDLQLQJ IHOORZ SLOJULPV DORQJ WKH ZD\ I AM HEATH LEDGER SP Âł7KDW KLV JLIWV ZHUH EH\RQG UDUH LV LQDUJXDEOH E\ WKLV SRLQW , $P +HDWK /HGJHU PDNHV WKH VDPH FDVH IRU KLV VRXO ´ The Georgia Straight $Q LQWLPDWH ORRN DW WKH OLIH DQG FDUHHU RI DQ H[WUDRUGLQDULO\ WDOHQWHG DFWRU ZKRVH OLIH ZDV FXW WUDJLFDOO\ VKRUW
22
This Goes to 11! Double Feature *HW UHDG\ WR URFN RXW ZLWK WZR EDOOV RXW PRYLHV WKDW ZLOO WDNH \RXU 9LFWRULD 'D\ ZHHNHQG DOO WKH ZD\ XS WR :HÂśUH GRXEOH ELOOLQJ WKH FODVVLF FRPHG\ VDWLUH THIS IS SPINAL TAP DW SP ZLWK OHJHQGDU\ FRQFHUW ILOP AC/DC: LET THERE BE ROCK DW SP 6HH RQH RU VHH ÂľHP ERWK IRU RQH GLUW FKHDS SULFH Studio Ghibli Double Feature CASTLE IN THE SKY SP HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE SP 0RYLH ORYHUV RI DOO DJHV ZLOO DGRUH WKLV GRXEOH ELOO SDLULQJ RI WZR EHORYHG FODVVLFV IURP -DSDQÂśV PDVWHU VWRU\WHOOHU Hayao Miyazaki 6FUHHQLQJ LQ WKHLU RULJLQDO -DSDQHVH ZLWK (QJOLVK VXEWLWOHV 6HH RQH RU VHH WKHP ERWK
SEE WWW.RIOTHEATRE.CA FOR COMPLETE LISTINGS & UPDATED CALENDAR
42 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18 / 2017
EDUCATION PRINT & DIGITAL special issues, branded content, social media & more. 604.730.7020 | sales@straight.com
fans would yell the infamous QuĂŠbĂŠcois swear â&#x20AC;&#x153;Tabarnak!â&#x20AC;? at its stars in the street. Those fans, who helped the silly Franglais cop thriller-comedy become one of the highest-grossing Canadian films of all time, should be mostly satisfied with the sequel, 11 years later. Or happy enough to at least shout â&#x20AC;&#x153;Calice!â&#x20AC;? should they spot stars Colm Feore and Patrick Huard; the curse is used amply, lovingly, and hilariously this time out, as a noun, adjective, and verb. The word caliceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main user, and the source, again, of the filmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest laughs, is the now silverhaired Huard, an elastic comedian whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as adept at physical goofiness as he is at pulling off his role as a cop posing as a tough car thief. His character Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s runs of bad luck, fits of rage, and conf licts with his uptight Ontario nemesis Martin Ward (Feore) are hugely amusing. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s matched by some good supporting players, notably his high-tech hacker MC (Mariana Mazza), who actually humps her computer stand in a victory dance at one point. The performances are key because the plot is inaneâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;no worse, perhaps, than the original Bon Copâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hockey-murder story. David finds that what seems like a basic chop shop is actually part of a sinister but far-fetched cross-border bombing plot. The U.S. involvement leads to the movieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funniest stretch by far, when a bunch of hick Maine police try to figure out what strange language the infuriated David is swearing in after they refuse to believe heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s French. (â&#x20AC;&#x153;I thought you said you was Canadian!â&#x20AC;?) Calice, indeed. Hating on redneck Americans? Now, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pastime that can unite even French and English Canadians. Despite some glossy car chases (maybe more than we need) and violent run-ins with evil mob bosses, the film feels too long for the f luff that it is. What you come for is the chemistry between the central odd couple, with Feoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Martin extra uppity here due to his RCMP promotion. For all the geographically specific fun it has with French-English relations, Bon Cop Bad Cop 2, like the first installment, still feels like itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unapologetically shooting for a mainstream audience. And how calice un-Canadian is that, eh? > JANET SMITH
MUSIC
As requests go, it would eventually prove BY MIKE US IN G ER
more important than a young Grant Lawrence might ever have imagined. And it came once the Smugglers singer, future CBC personality, and author of the new rock ’n’ roll memoir Dirty Windshields made it clear to his parents that university wasn’t in his plans after high school. Lawrence’s father wasn’t exactly thrilled at that news in the late ’80s, but he was well aware that it’s crucial to follow one’s dreams. And, showing some foresight, he figured that his son might end up with a story or two to tell as he got ready to focus on touring the world with the Smugglers, a scrappy garage band that would eventually become one of Vancouver’s best-loved acts. “My dad thought that it was the most dead-end, stupid thing for me to do,” Lawrence says bluntly of his decision to choose music over a more stable path. “But he was the one who said to me, ‘Look, if you’re going to go off and fuck up your life, at least write it all down.’ ” It’s a sunny weekday afternoon and the 45-yearold is hanging with the Straight at Library Square, just steps from his day job at the CBC. As the interview progresses, covering everything from the pure thrill of playing live to brushes with genuine rock stars like Dave Grohl and Fugazi’s Ian MacKaye, Lawrence admits that his dad might have thought devoting one’s life to a garage band was idiotic, but he was nonetheless supportive. The journals he pushed for would eventually become Dirty Windshields: The Best and Worst of the Smugglers Tour Diaries. “I don’t know if he saw something that I didn’t, but he’s always been a great lover of road stories,” Lawrence notes. “He loves [John] Steinbeck and old Hollywood movies. So he implored me to write it all down, and I guess that stuck with me, because I did always write it down. From the Smugglers’ first gig— at Chicago Pizza Works, which was right down the street from here at Homer and Nelson—to the last gig in San Diego, I kept a diary. Now, some of them I lost—about two tours’ worth—but the rest I have. And thank god he urged me to do that, because even though I sat on them for about 13 years, those diaries provided me with the spine of the book.”
Telling tales from the road
Grant Lawrence—he’s the one with the name tag that says “Grant”—declined requests to get the Smugglers back together, until he could resist no more.
The Smugglers knew spect that, rather than plugging a hole, which so when it was time to un- many other bands do.” plug the amps and walk Walking away wasn’t nearly as hard as he away, a moment also de- thought it would be. tailed poignantly in Dirty “The band ended in 2004 and I was burnedSmugglers singer Grant Lawrence turned his tour Windshields. The group out on clubs that were painted black and smelled diaries into the funny and poignant Dirty Windshields was always at its best like urine,” Lawrence recounts. “I needed some Dirty Windshields isn’t Lawrence’s first pub- when headlining packed small clubs. But separation. I sat down to write the book lished work; he wrote 2010’s award-winning Ad- at a time when garage rawk was king in 2005, but I couldn’t get anywhere. I ventures in Solitude (which chronicles his time thanks to the stratospheric rise of acts thought the diaries sucked and were Check out… spent on British Columbia’s gorgeous and wild like the Hives and White Stripes, embarrassing. So I needed the sepSTRAIGHT.COM Desolation Sound) and 2013’s The Lonely End the Smugglers ended up unable to aration of time, where you can look Make our website of the Rink (about playing beer-league goal, and sell out Vancouver’s now-defunct back at something 15 years later and your source for concert reviews the personal challenges that led him to the net). Brickyard for a record-release party go, ‘Well, that’s kind of got a charm to and local music There’s a valid argument to be made, however, for 2004’s Mutiny in Stereo. As Lawit, as opposed to just purely sucking.’ that Dirty Windshields is the book that’s clos- rence recounts in the book, he knew the So I ended up writing about Desolaest to his heart, seeing as how almost everything band (mainstays of which included guitartion Sound first, and that was kind of soulhe’s achieved today—including becoming one of ists Nick Thomas and David Carswell and bass- cleansing in a way—to get all of that rock ’n’ roll the CBC’s most recognizable personalities—can ist Kevin “Beez” Beesley) had to end when he re- out of my system.” be traced back to the notoriety that came from ceived a call from Carswell saying he was done. To his surprise, he discovered that totally flushfronting the Smugglers. “The Smugglers didn’t continue because the ing the Smugglers from his life would eventually Formed in 1988, the band released eight full- front four were always the front four—me, Dave, be mission impossible. After he finished Dirty lengths as well as numerous EPs and singles over Beez, and Nick,” Lawrence says. “When Dave Windshields, but before the book was published, a 16-year run, toured the world, and found major pulled the plug on it in 2004, I just wanted to re- Lawrence received a call from what he describes boosters in luminaries ranging from local legend as a kid—and fan—asking if the band would be Nardwuar the Human Serviette to garage superwilling to reunite for a show at San Francisco’s stars the Hives. Dirty Windshields starts at the befamed punk club 924 Gilman Street. He notes that Grant Lawrence sounds off ginning and then follows the Smugglers through offers to get back together have come periodicalon the things that enquiring major highs (becoming key players in a Pacific ly over the years, for gigs in faraway locales like minds want to know. Northwest DIY movement spearheaded by K ReSpain and Norway. Lawrence always declined. cords founder Calvin Johnson) and serious lows But because that kid reminded him of himself On the early days: “When (you don’t know miserable until you’ve toured when he was younger—phoning up his favourite I got out of high school I was Australia in a Canadian garage-rock band). bands out of the blue to ask if they’d be willing to obsessed on a national level with Deja Voodoo Lawrence is not only a gifted storyteller, but play shows—Lawrence decided to run the idea of and the Gruesomes, and locally loved the Hard also a funny one. Consider an early show gone a reunion by his former bandmates. Even though Rock Miners and Bob’s Your Uncle. I call the horribly wrong in Bellingham, where he’s forced they hadn’t played together in over a decade, they Smugglers a gap band, because we kind of to perform from the sidewalk of a club he’s too said yes, and the gig—which took place this past existed between grunge and punk. When we young to legally enter: “They attached several January—proved more fun than any of them started, no other Vancouver bands were playing microphone cords,” he writes, “then ran them might have imagined. the kind of garage rock that we were trying to do.” from the stage, across the dance floor, behind the That’s opened the door for more shows, includbar, down the hallway, out the front door of the ing an upcoming performance at the CommoOn returning to the stage at 924 club and onto the street.…The soundman handdore that’s doubling as a Dirty Windshields book Gilman: “It had sort of a real punk pedigree, ed me the microphone: ‘Fucking… start singin’, launch. It’s not lost on Lawrence that none of this and it was a lot of fun. It proved that we could little dude!’ ” would have happened if not for his dad pushing do it and that we didn’t suck. It also helped that Along the way, Dirty Windshields acts as a him to document everything back when he was a there was 13 years of pent-up energy that all snapshot of the underground music industry in teen. Almost no one gets rich making music, essort of ejaculated at once.” pre-Internet times, a cautionary tale about what pecially in this century. But, as Dirty Windshields to do and what to avoid doing while embarking on proves brilliantly, sometimes a lifetime of experiOn the 924 Gilman fallout: “I’d kind of a career in rock ’n’ roll. (Hint: the free drinks on ences is worth more than money. thought, ‘It would be good to do a show in Caliyour rider aren’t always free.) It will also inspire “If I’d got my real-estate licence or gone to fornia first in case we do a Vancouver show, anyone who’s ever dreamed of piling into a filthy university for whatever, I’d probably be a lot because that kind of takes the pressure off. If van and hitting the road to play even filthier clubs, more well-off,” Lawrence muses with a smile. we blow it there, at least it won’t be in front of as Lawrence’s joy at playing music with his closest “But I’ve always thought that you’ve got to folour hometown.’ What it inadvertently did was friends bleeds through every page. low your artistic muse. That artistic muse led me increase the demand in Canada. It’s like that “The secret that I’ve discovered through writto the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, and I love it. And thing where people go to the States and get sucing books is that the only ones that really work are I have all the stories to show for it.” cessful, and all of a sudden they are beloved in the ones that people can relate to,” the singer says. Canada. All of a sudden we started getting offers The Smugglers play the Commodore Ballroom “That can be whether it’s having a wanderlust and for all these festivals in Canada.” as part of a Dirty Windshields book launch on wanting to drive across Canada, or being in a band Saturday (May 13). and going through all the shit that you go through.”
in + out
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 43
MUSIC
Kongos out to prove it’s no one-song band Strange as it might sound, there’s a downside to having a platinum-shifting smash single. Kongos has found this out since last spring’s release of Egomaniac, a strong follow-up to the quartet’s surprise 2012 breakthrough, Lunatic. The problem goes something like this: Lunatic didn’t exactly catch fire in North America right out of the gate. In fact, Kongos—siblings Dylan, Daniel, Jesse, and Johnny Kongos—considered the record halfdead in the water stateside when the tribal earworm “Come With Me Now” finally found an audience on radio in early 2014. The song, built around a hypnotically insistent accordion line, gang-chant vocals, and thunderstruck drums, would continue to gain traction over the year, eventually popping up everywhere from car commercials to Hollywood trailers to World Wrestling Entertainment spectacles. Kongos was already at work on Egomaniac when suddenly it found itself in high demand as a touring act with a massive, late-breaking hit. And even though its Lunatic followup is loaded with songs that are every bit as crowd-pleasing, the four brothers have found themselves waging something of a battle. “We’re extremely grateful to have had a hit—it’s better to be something of a one-hit wonder than a no-hit wonder,” says Dylan Kongos, on the line from the band’s hometown of Phoenix. (Like all of his brothers, he’s a multi-instrumentalist and a songwriter in Kongos.) “ ‘Come With Me Now’ enabled us to make a lot of new fans, and now we’ve got a core fan base that’s actually interested in what we do. But I think the biggest problem we had from everyone—and we’re even guilty of this ourselves— is that we all milked ‘Come With Me Now’ on the Lunatic cycle to the point of exhaustion because it made a lot of money for everyone.” Except now a lot of folks—including, he says, some at Kongos’s record label, Sony—haven’t been able to get past seeing Kongos as the “Come With Me Now” band. “At the end of the day, the story of the band was not told,” Dylan suggests. “There was a lack of long-term foresight in how to develop a band. There are people who think of us as a one-song band. On Egomaniac, that’s something that we’ve really tried to change. And for us, it’s going to be a long process.” To see why this might be frustrating, consider what Kongos has
2 sometimes
more well-rounded sound than its predecessor, Warrington, the 11-track album ranges from the sunny, guitardrenched “Coming Back” to introspective, folky ballad “Taking Its Toll” and the lazy “Young Free Wild”. “When we first started touring out east,” Mann recalls, “people from Alberta came to our shows, and they coined the term Prairie indie for us. They said, ‘Oh, your sound really reminds me of home.’ Personally, I’ve always taken that as a huge compliment. We want to go for a bit of dirt in the sound, but still present what is more properly indie rock or indie folk. “I don’t write my lyrics down,” he continues, “so I just sit at the end of my bed and mumble over a couple of guitar parts, and I start to hear ideas come to fruition. It’s a streamof-consciousness thing. Sometimes they’ll scare me because they’re things that I really do mean but I wouldn’t have said otherwise—and I find that my lyrics get more complex as I have more experiences in my life, and a lot of those have come from our time touring. On this record, there’s a lot about wanting to feel As the men of Kongos have learned, being in a band with three of your brothers has absolutely no positive attributes. younger, and the difficulties of stepaccomplished on Egomaniac. As Dylan recalls, “where you’d see real trails already. It’s the first time we’ve ping into adulthood. It’s about navifans—true fans—are well aware, the icons like Berry Gordy and Stevie really seen the sunshine here in what gating a quarter-life crisis.” > KATE WILSON band’s story is indeed a fascinat- Nicks, and folks like John Mayer, seems like a year. We’re about to head ing one, and not just because of the get all this attention as soon as they out on tour for a month straight, so four-siblings angle. The patriarch of walked into a room. It was bizarre I’m trying to get some Trevor time in Scenic Route to Alaska plays the Cobalt on Sunday (May 14). the Kongos clan—their father, John to observe on a major scale like that, before it’s too late.” Being out on the road is, fittingly, Kongos—racked up multiplatinum and also bizarre to observe that in pop hits in South Africa back in the yourself on a smaller scale. You’d see Scenic Route to Alaska’s greatest ’70s with songs like “He’s Gonna the uncontrollable egoism in people, joy. Four records into its career, the Step on You Again”. Everything and then see the uncontrollable ego- trio found a natural home travelfrom classic rock to world music maniac within, which you have to ling around Canada—a far cry from Sometimes the best way to look was played around the house when harness and reel in. If you don’t, it the group’s origins in the basement forward is to look back first— he had kids, which is more than evi- will destroy you. Luckily, I have three of drummer Shea Connor’s parents’ dent in the Kongos sound. brothers, and parents, who really house. Growing up in the same Ed- and that’s one of the strategies Emel monton suburb and attending Riv- Mathlouthi employs on her new alOn Egomaniac the band works a bring me back down to earth.” > MIKE USINGER erdale School—a fact that, Mann bum, Ensen. Although her 2012 debut, truly hypnotic world-music groove assures us, has spawned a number of Kelmti Horra, found the Tunisian on “Take It From Me”, swings through New Orleans for the zy- Kongos plays the Imperial on Tues- Archie jokes—a group of four friends singer and multi-instrumentalist exdecided that they would rather play ploring a variety of vocal styles, some deco-laced “I Want It Free”, and day (May 16). influenced by western pop and folk, music than dodgeball after class. channels the synth-obsessed ’80s on “We started when we were 12 she’s now letting her North African “Hey You, Yeah You”. Those looking years old,” the singer recalls. “At roots step up, as she says in a telephone for more of the sound that shot the first, we’d jam out old R&B and blues conversation from New York City. band into the spotlight, meanwhile, “I wanted to give a new challenge like the Beatles and Chuck Berry. It can proceed straight to the pounding Unlike most Canadians, Trev- was a really cool way to begin a band to myself, and I tried to really, really “Repeat After Me”. or Mann, frontman of Scenic because it was absolutely just for fun. search in the depths of myself to see One of the things John Kongos Sr. instilled in his sons was a sense of Route to Alaska, has no qualms about I started writing some of my own what kind of interactions I could humility. That’s certainly proved im- admitting his more uncool habits. songs around the time I was 17, we bring,” Mathlouthi tells the Straight, portant over the past couple of years, Caught with his fruit boots hanging cut the band down to a three-piece, speaking in fluent and fast-paced to the point where it inspired not out of his backpack, the upbeat singer and started getting our own gigs. English. “So I tried to imagine a Beronly the somewhat ironic album title and guitarist has just finished a mor- Six years later, it’s turned itself into ber heritage in my vocals, something Egomaniac, but also many of the re- ning pounding the sidewalks when a business. Now we all live together, that could be raw but very powerful and almost, like, transcendent.” and play around the world.” cord’s lyrics. “Come With Me Now” the Straight reaches him by phone. “I just went Rollerblading for an That she succeeded is obvious: on The maturity of Long Walk Home, may have broken big, but success, hour,” he says on the line from a pub Scenic Route to Alaska’s fourth re- record as well as in concert, the emoevidently, doesn’t spoil everyone. “Suddenly, we were attending in Edmonton. “Don’t make fun of cord, is testament to the group’s tional content of her songs needs little things like the Sony Grammys party,” me—I got laughed at enough on the lengthy touring history. Boasting a see page 46
Tunisia’s Mathlouthi touts avant-garde evolution
2
Scenic Route to Alaska loves life on the road
2
NO COVER
NEW ORLEANS INSPIRED CUISINE MAY 11 MAY 12 MAY 13 MAY 14
PURPLE GANG 68 LIPS CHRIS NEWTON BAND SONS OF THE HOE
THURSDAY: POOL TOURNAMENT DAILY HAPPY HOUR
1038 Main Street IVANHOE PUB
PASTA TUESDAYS!
9
$ 95
Come down for 1/2 price pasta and free live jazz!
EVERY TUESDAY FROM 5PM – 9PM BLUEMARTINIJAZZCAFE.COM 1516 YEW STREET, VANCOUVER, BC | 604 428 2691
44 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
OPEN MIC FREESTYLE HIPHOP WEDNESDAYS 7-9:30 HOSTED BY: BEAUTIFUL BEAST
OPEN STAGE JAM
BACKLINE PROVIDED SUNDAYS 3:30-7:30 HOSTED BY: SAM FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!
JOIN US EVERY 2ND FRIDAY May 19th ■ June 2nd, 16th, 30th
F RI DAY
THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST STRIP CLUB!
MALE DANCERS: 8:30-10PM FEMALE DANCERS: 10PM-CLOSE
MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 45
Emel Mathlouthi
from page 44
translation. And the 35-year-old musician has also progressed along another path: bringing Tunisian music into the 21st century through state-of-the-art electronic accompaniment. “Something that the western side of the music business doesn’t realize is that we do actually evolve, in North Africa,” she says. “We create; we can be avant-garde, too, and pioneers. I think that makes us maybe sometimes a little more interesting. Our identity is not just one identity. I’m Tunisian, but I’m also very eclectic. I have been inspired and influenced by so many artists and so many different musics from around the world—and that kind of curiosity, I think, is visible now in my work. My work doesn’t just translate one part of the world; it’s a cocktail of different landscapes.” Electronic music, Mathlouthi continues, is a way of expanding the sonic possibilities open to her—and definitely not a refutation of traditional styles. “When you play with acoustic instruments,” she explains, “you can offer a very interesting range of textures and soundscapes— but imagine multiplying that range forever, with the computer and with the pedals and with all the effects. So we had a lot of fun translating the instruments that are coming from my region, like all the tribal percussion, to the electronic setup.” And with EDM the world’s most popular musical idiom, the singer is also conscious that it’s a good way of ensuring that her message will be heard. Mathlouthi got an early lesson in how music can change the world when her song “Ya Tounes Ya Meskina” (“Poor Tunisia”) was adopted as an unofficial anthem of the Arab Spring, and while the political messages on Ensen are more subtle, they’re no less potent. Standout track “Ensen Dhaif” (“Human, Helpless Human”), for instance, is accompanied by a video that alludes to torture scenes from Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison while making a larger point about the way that we are all imprisoned within capitalism’s economic cage. “That song was written without any conscious understanding of what it was really saying,” Mathlouthi admits. “But as years went by, I started realizing that it was about a system that empowers the richer minority and keeps billions of workers around the world in never-ending slavery, modern slavery. And it’s not only about workers who have difficult and ugly jobs. Even people who seemingly love their jobs never have time for their passions, for their lives, for their dreams.”
Emel Mathlouthi believes she can fly. She believes she can touch the sky.
She’s no different, Mathlouthi adds—except that she’s able to bring her dreams to the stage in a way that will inspire her listeners to seek their own forms of liberation, whether in the streets of Tunis or the clubs of North America.
> ALEXANDER VARTY
Emel Mathlouthi plays the Rio Theatre on Sunday (May 14).
Pink Martini crafts a kind of kitsch-free retro class Get lucky with an interview
2 subject and they’ll do much of
Cole Porter’s “Love for Sale” to a sweepingly elegant take on Franz Schubert’s “Serenade”. Pink Martini rolls out retro originals that are classier than Hollywood during the fabled ’40s (“The Butterf ly Song”), and travels to far-f lung locales for covers that are as exotic as they are impeccably rendered. After going en-français for the knock-out opening title track, Forbes proves equally at home singing songs in Farsi, Armenian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Turkish. The appeal? That’s easily summed up, especially if you’re Forbes. “Right from the beginning we decided to take this in a more sophisticated direction rather than a kitschy one,” she explains. “We earnestly just perform the music that we think is beautiful. We’re not winking, or trying to be cute. Basically, we started very innocently, making music based on the vintage sensibility that Thomas just inhabits. He is vintage.” Terms like elegant and grand are good starting descriptions not just for Je dis oui!, but also for pretty much everything the group has done since releasing its debut, Sympathique, in 1997. And that approach makes Pink Martini a natural for shows like its upcoming appearance with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. “What’s interesting is that we really never know anything until we show up,” Forbes says of the upcoming collaboration. “What’s going to happen is that someone will make a set list at some point and they’re going to learn the orchestrations. Then we’ll show up, because we know all the songs, and then we’ll just do it. We get to have one two-hour rehearsal, and then we do the show.” Being that comfortable wasn’t always the case, at least not for Forbes, who was carving out a pop-rock career before she reinvented herself with Pink Martini. But you can evidently sometimes teach yourself to do things just a bit classier and more sophisticated—not to mention kitsch-free. “I was a rock ’n’ roller with a band in New York, so I wasn’t really super knowledgeable about classical music or anything like that, other than a love of opera,” she says. “But I’ve really grown comfortable over the years in so many different genres. And long ago, I lost that self-conscious, wondering-if-I-can-pull-it-off thing. Now I can sing in your living room by myself on a piano, I can stand in front of an orchestra doing arias in a church. I just love to sing.”
the work for you. This is certainly the case with the fantastic China Forbes of Portland’s long-running Pink Martini. The multilingual singer is basically a dream right from the point she picks up the phone in the Rose City, holding forth on subjects ranging from the therapeutic benefits of home decorating to the lifealtering power of travelling. Perhaps expectedly then, Forbes has no problem nailing the intangible quality that’s made Pink Martini one of the most enduring acts ever to spring out of the Pacific Northwest. The group formed in the mid ’90s, when pianist Thomas Lauderdale was looking for a singer to front a project that combined throwback jazz, vintage swing, and classic pop as it existed before Elvis Presley changed the rules forever. Lauderdale found his frontperson in Forbes, whom he’d first met while both were attending Harvard. A phone call convinced her to pack up and leave New York for a West Coast town that was nowhere near as hip> MIKE USINGER ster-cool back then as it is today. Ten albums have followed, including last year’s typically stellar Pink Martini and the Vancouver SymJe dis oui!, which delivers 15 tracks phony Orchestra join forces at the ranging from the Big Apple jazz of Orpheum on Saturday (May 13).
TOY ZEBRA APRIL1213TH SHAH DJS -- MAY
16 MOTHERS DAY 13 TOY ZEBRA ZEBRA 14 JF KILLAH 19 DAZE OF YOUTH 20 THE 15 VALTER THE PHONIX PHONIX THURSDAY $2.75 OZOZ DRAFT THURSDAY $2.751010 DRAFT $5.50 HEY HEY Y’ALL Y’ALL HARD TEA $5.50 HARDICED ICE TEA
POP/ROCK COVERS POP/ROCK COVERS
FRIDAY SATURDAY
THE TAINTED (LEVERIGE/SHAHDJS)DECIBEL LOVERS POINT (SHAHDJS)MZ KISHI
80’S, DISCO POP COVER BAND DRUM ANDAND BASS
SUNDAY 12PM SUNDAY 12PM- 4PM - 4PM
SUNDAY SOUL SUNDAY SOUL BRUNCH
BRUNCH W/ DJ K-TELW/ DJ K-TEL WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY
ISLAND VIBES MAX ULIS-LIGHTA! REGGAE NIGHT ISLAND VIBES REGGAE NIGHT ROOTS / DUB / REGGAE
SATURDAY SATURDAY
THURSDAY 10 OZ DRAFT THURSDAY$2.75 $2.75 10 OZ DRAFT $5.50 ICED $5.50HEY HEYY’ALL Y’ALLHARD HARD ICETEA TEA
60’S & 70’S ROCK COVERS YUGO ROCK
R&B / SOUL / FUNK COVERS R&B / SOUL / FUNK COVERS
FOOD. DRINK. LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. ***VISIT VISIT ONLINE FOR THELISTINGS, MINUTEDRINK LISTINGS, DRINK SPECIALS AND MORE www.thebackstagelounge.com *** *** USUS ONLINE FOR UP TO UP THETO MINUTE SPECIALS AND MORE www.thebackstagelounge.com * **
46 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
in
the
JUNE 8 to advertise contact
604.730.7020 or
sales@straight.com
RAILWAY STAGE AND BEER CAFÉ 579 Dunsmuir, 604-564-1430. 24 taps of local craft beer. Comedy Tue, darts Wed, live music Wed, Thu, Fri, and all day/night Sat. $3 Beers til 3, $5 beers til 5. 2JOKES May 16 RICKSHAW THEATRE 254 E. Hastings, 604681-8915. Live bands some nights. 2TEEBS May 11 2SOUNDS OF SOLIDARITY May 12 2MOLOTOV CARAVAN 6 May 13 2METALOCALYPSTICK FEST FUNDRAISER May 18 2ART BERGMANN May 19
music/ timeout
RIVER ROCK SHOW THEATRE 8811 River Rd., 604-247-8900. 230TH ANNIVERSARY GALA PERFORMANCE May 28
CONCERTS < CLUBS & VENUES < OUT OF TOWN <
CONCERTS 2JUST ANNOUNCED BRIA SKONBERG A specialist in classic American hot jazz, Juno-nominated vocalist/trumpeter Bria Skonberg expands on the vocabulary with original material and arrangements. Presented by Coastal Jazz. May 27, 8 pm, Frankie’s Jazz Club (765 Beatty). Tix $20, info www.coastaljazz.ca/. KATCHAFIRE New Zealand all-Maori reggae band performs on its 20 Years Legacy Tour 2017, with guests Ivy Terra. Jul 14, doors 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketmaster.ca/. WAXAHATCHEE American indie singersongwriter tours in support of upcoming release Out in the Storm, with guests Cayetana. Jul 25, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, The Imperial (319 Main). Tix $20 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.ticketweb.ca/. WHY DON’T WE American pop band tours in support of latest single “Taking You”. Jul 30, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix on sale May 12, 12 pm, $20 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. STU LARSEN Australian folk singersongwriter tours in support of upcoming album Resolute. Aug 3, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Tix on sale May 12, 9 am, $20 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. SAN CISCO Australian pop band tours in support of latest release The Water. Aug 26, doors 8 pm, show 8:30 pm, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $17 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Zulu Records, and www.ticketweb.ca/. DIE ANTWOORD South African rap group (“I Fink You Freeky”, “Fatty Boom Boom”) performs on its Love Drug World Tour 2017. Aug 27, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Thunderbird Arena (6066 Thunderbird Blvd., UBC). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $49.50/42.50/32.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. JOHNNYSWIM American folk-soul duo composed of husband-and-wife team Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano Ramirez. Aug 31, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, The Imperial (319 Main). Tix on sale May 12, 9 am, $18.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. REVEREND HORTON HEAT American rockabilly band, with guests Strung Out and Larry and His Flask. Sept 7, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. RISE AGAINST Chicago melodic-hardcore band, with guests Pierce the Veil and White Lung. Sep 14, doors 6:30 pm,, show 7:30 pm, Abbotsford Centre (33800 King Rd., Abbotsford). Tix on sale May 13, 10 am, $67.25/61.75/51.75 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. IMAGINE DRAGONS American alt-rock band tours in support of upcoming album Evolve. Oct 8, 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale May 19 at www.livenation.com/. NICK MURPHY New York City-based Australian producer and musician tours in support of latest EP release Missing Link. Oct 9, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Vogue Theatre (918 Granville). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.ticketfly.com/. JIMMY BUFFETT American folk-pop musician, songwriter, author, actor, and businessman known for hits like “Margaritaville” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”. Oct 13, 8 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale May 15, 10 am, at www.livenation.com/. LINKIN PARK American alt-rock band tours in support of upcoming album One More Light, with guest Snoop Dogg. Oct 15, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale May 12 at www.livenation.com/. PAUL WELLER English punk-rock singersongwriter and guitarist tours in support of an upcoming studio album. Oct 16-17, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $99/49.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. HALSEY American electropop singersongwriter tours in support of upcoming second full-length album hopeless fountain kingdom, with guest Charli XCX. Nov 11,
doors 6:30 pm, show 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena (800 Griffiths Way). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $79.50/59.50/39.50/29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
DIANA KRALL Canadian jazz vocalistpianist tours in support of new album Turn Up the Quiet. Dec 6, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix on sale May 12, 10 am, $149/99/75/55 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
2THIS WEEK TEEBS Los Angeles record producer, with guests Brainfeeder, Free the Robots, and LeFto. May 11, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $16.50 (plus service charges and fees) at Red Cat, Highlife Records, and www.ticketfly.com/, info www.rickshawtheatre.com/946/teebsfree-the-robots-lefto/. VANAFRICA African music by local musicians and dancers N’nato Camara, Kocasalle Dioubate, Kesseke Yeo, Alhassan, Kofi Gbolonyo, and Esinu Gbolonyo. May 11-12, 8 pm, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews). Tix $25/20/15/10, info www.caravanbc.com/. U2 Irish rock quartet kicks off its Joshua Tree Tour 2017 by performing the 1987 album in its entirety, with guests Mumford & Sons. May 12, BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Boulevard). Tix from $35 to $280 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
on the web!
For up-to-the-minute, searchable Music Time Out listings, visit
www.straight.com
ODDISEE & GOOD COMPANY American rapper and producer, one-third of the rap group Diamond District and former member of the Low Budget Crew. May 12, 7-10:30 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix $20, info oddisee.bandcamp.com/. CHRIS HADFIELD Canadian spaceship commander shares a selection of stories, images, songs, and ideas that celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday. May 12, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe). Tix $79.50/59.50/45/29.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. JOHN REISCHMAN AND THE JAYBIRDS The Rogue Folk Club presents the folk vocalist-mandolin player and his band performing tunes from their upcoming seventh recording. May 12, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $26, info www. roguefolk.bc.ca/concerts/ev17012620/. GABRIEL DUBREUIL QUARTET As part of its Nouvelle Scène concert series, Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver presents the Vancouver Celticjazz ensemble. May 12, 8 pm, Studio 16 (1555 W. 7th). Tix $5-10, info www.lecentre culturel.com/en/concert-nouvelle-scene/ detail/gabriel-dubreuil-quartet/3209/. SOUNDS OF SOLIDARITY United Rebellion Productions presents a fundraising concert featuring music by Alita Dupray, Peach Pit, BabyHarry/Kings of Soul, Kimmortal, Steeven K. and Da Godz, and MC Kwasi Thomas. Proceeds help Syrian refugees living in Athens, Greece. May 12, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Rickshaw Theatre (254 E. Hastings). Tix $20 at the door/15 in advance at www.ticketfly. com/, info www.rickshawtheatre.com/. PETER SILBERMAN American indie-rock singer-songwriter and Antlers member tours in support of first solo album Impermanence. May 13, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Fox Cabaret (2321 Main). Tix $17.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. JAMES MCCARTNEY English rock singersongwriter and son of Sir Paul McCartney, with guests the Cut Losses and Anna Rose. May 13, 8 pm, WISE Hall (1882 Adanac). Tix $15, info www.face book.com/events/1885059691722039/. ANDY HILLHOUSE AND THE EISENHAUERS The Rogue Folk Club presents the Canadian folk guitarist-vocalist coheadlining with the Canadian husbandand-wife duo. May 13, 8 pm, St. James Hall (3214 W. 10th). Tix $22, info www. roguefolk.bc.ca/concerts/ev17022820/. 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 $25 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
EMEL MATHLOUTHI Caravan World Rhythms presents the Tunisian singersongwriter, with guests Dálava. May 14, 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $30/28/5, info www.caravanbc.com/. THE FLAMING LIPS Psychedelic altrockers from Oklahoma City. May 15, doors 6:30 pm, show 7:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton). Tix $59.50/49.50/35 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. RON SEXSMITH Canadian folk-pop singer-songwriter tours in support of upcoming album The Last Rider. May 15, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $38.50 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. THE WILD REEDS Folk-rock trio from L.A., with guests Blank Range from Nashville. May 16, 8 pm, Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward). Tix $16/14, info thewild reedsmusic.com/. GREAT SHAKIN’ FEVER: A TRIBUTE TO RAY CONDO Music by Paul Pigat, Bloodshot Bill, Jimmy Roy, Stephen Nikleva, Steve Taylor, and Patrick Metzger. May 16, 8-11:55 pm, WISE Hall (1882 Adanac). Tix $25/20, info www.facebook. com/events/1856615604577891/. JASON BONHAM’S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE Tribute to Led Zeppelin featuring drummer Jason Bonham, son of John Bonham. May 16, doors 8 pm, show 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville). Tix $59.75/four-packs $220 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/. FROM NEW YORK CITY: TERRELL STAFFORD Acclaimed trumpet player brings his fiery improvisations and infectious swing joined by Miles Black piano, Adam Thomas bass, Steve Kaledstad tenor saxophone, and Julian MacDonough drums. Presented by Coastal Jazz. May 17, 8 pm, Frankie’s Jazz Club (765 Beatty). Tix $20, info www.coastaljazz.ca/.
GABRIEL AND BRUNO May 14 2LINDSAY MARTEL May 16 COBALT 917 Main, 778-918-3671. 2HO99O9 May 24 2TWRP Jun 4 2THE DESLONDES Jun 18 2(SANDY) ALEX G Jun 21 2GUITAR WOLF Jun 22 2THE DISTRICTS Jul 8 COMMODORE BALLROOM 868 Granville, 604-739-4550. 2TESTAMENT May 10 2THE SMUGGLERS May 13 2JASON BONHAM’S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE May 16 DOOLIN’S IRISH PUB 654 Nelson, 604605-4343. Live music Sun-Thu, with acoustic soloist or duo Sun-Wed, blues artist Matt Hoyles Thu, DJ Fri-Sat.
ST. JAMES HALL 3214 W. 10th, 604-736-3022. 2JOHN REISCHMAN AND THE JAYBIRDS May 12 2ANDY HILLHOUSE AND THE EISENHAUERS May 13
FORTUNE SOUND CLUB 147 E. Pender, 604-569-1758. 2DARCYS Jun 9 2RICH CHIGGA Jun 29
VENUE 881 Granville, 604-646-0064. 2KRANIUM May 20 2MARIAN HILL Jun 6 2THE DRUMS Jul 18 2SHOUT OUT LOUDS Nov 12
FOX CABARET 2321 Main. 2JACK MERCER AND THE WHISKEY DEVILS May 11 2GRAHAM CLARK’S QUIZ SHOW May 12 2PETER SILBERMAN May 13 2THE ORCHID CLUB SEASON FINALE May 16
VOGUE THEATRE 918 Granville, 604-5691144. 2BETWEEN WORLDS: THE MOTH IN VANCOUVER May 20 2NEEDTOBREATHE May 22
FRANKIE’S JAZZ CLUB 765 Beatty, 778-727-0337. 2COCO JAFRO May 13 2FROM NEW YORK CITY: TERRELL STAFFORD May 17 FUNKY WINKER BEANS 37 W. Hastings. Evil Bastard Karaoke Experience seven days a week. THE IMPERIAL 319 Main, 604-8680494. 2KONGOS May 16 2RISING APPALACHIA May 23 2BARN BURNER 2.0 May 26 2MOUNT KIMBIE Jun 8 IVANHOE PUB 1038 Main, 604-608-1444. 2PURPLE GANG May 11 268 LIPS May 12 2CHRIS NEWTON BAND May 13 2SONS OF THE HOE May 14
VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL The Georgia Straight presents the 40th annual celebration of folk music, featuring Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, Shawn Colvin, Kathleen Edwards, Rhiannon Giddens from the Carolina Chocolate Drops, Barenaked Ladies, Mbongwana Star, Sidestepper, Nive Nielsen and the Deer People, Ramy Essam, Chouk Bwa Libète, Korrontzi, Native North America, Roy Forbes, Si Kahn, Marlon Williams and the Yarra Benders, Emmanuel Jal, and Grace Petrie. Jul 13-16, Jericho Beach Park (3941 Point Grey Rd.). Tix $65-155, info www.thefestival.bc.ca/.
CLUBS & VENUES BACKSTAGE LOUNGE Arts Club Theatre, 1585 Johnston, Granville Island, 604-6871354. 2DJ SU COMMANDANTE May 10 2TOY ZEBRA May 11 2ALIVE N KISSIN’ May 26 BILTMORE CABARET 2755 Prince Edward, 604-676-0541. 2ODDISEE & GOOD COMPANY May 12 2THE WILD REEDS May 16 2AN EVENING WITH PETE YORN May 18 BLUE MARTINI JAZZ CAFE 1516 Yew, 604428-2691. Live jazz, soul, and blues. Closed on Mondays. 2ADAM THOMAS DUO May 10 2INGRID STITT AND KELLY BROWN May 11 2BRUNO HUBERT, BIG DADDY FUNK PARTY May 12-13 2JAZZ JAM WITH
TIME OUT MUSIC LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge, based on available space and editorial discretion. We can’t guarantee inclusion, and we give priority to events taking place within one week of publication. Submit listings online using the event-submission form at straight.com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.
Scan to confess
BLOODSHOT BILL Montreal rock singersongwriter. May 17, 8-11 pm, WISE Hall (1882 Adanac). Tix $10, info www.facebook.com/events/1584311121581404/.
TD VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL The annual celebration of jazz music from around the world features performances by Seu Jorge, Branford Marsalis, Thievery Corporation, Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Tommy Emmanuel, Ziggy Marley, Bokanté, Banda Magda, Kandace Springs, Cyrus Chestnut Trio, Emmet Cohen Trio, Buster Williams and Something More, and Scott Hamilton Trio. Jun 22–Jul 2, various Vancouver venues. Info www.coastaljazz.ca/.
WISE HALL 1882 Adanac, 604-254-5858. 2METASPHERICAL, COCAINE MOUSTACHE, REVENGER, TERRIFIER May 12 2JAMES MCCARTNEY May 13 2MISS QUINCY AND THE FIVE STAR STUDS May 15 2GREAT SHAKIN’ FEVER: A TRIBUTE TO RAY CONDO May 16 2BLOODSHOT BILL May 17
The Georgia Straight Confessions, an outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives—or for the voyeurs among us who want to read what other people have disclosed.
STEPHEN LYNCH American comedian, musician, and actor performs on his My Old Heart Tour. May 17, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm, Rio Theatre (1660 E. Broadway). Tix $30 (plus service charges and fees) at www.livenation.com/.
2UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS
ROGERS ARENA 800 Griffiths Way, 604899-7400. 2JOHN LEGEND Jun 1 2DEF LEPPARD Jun 6 2FUTURE Jun 9 2TOOL Jun 15 2QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT Jul 2 2MATCHBOX TWENTY AND COUNTING CROWS Jul 16 2J. COLE Jul 18 2NEIL DIAMOND Jul 24 2BOB DYLAN Jul 25 2BRUNO MARS Jul 26 2ED SHEERAN Jul 28 2LADY GAGA Aug 1 2KENDRICK LAMAR Aug 2 2TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS Aug 17 2ZAC BROWN BAND Aug 18 2ONEREPUBLIC Aug 21 2LIONEL RICHIE Sep 3 2JANET JACKSON Sep 26 2MIRANDA LAMBERT Sep 29 2NICKELBACK Oct 1 2IMAGINE DRAGONS Oct 8 2KINGS OF LEON Oct 11 2JIMMY BUFFETT Oct 13 2LINKIN PARK Oct 15 2DEPECHE MODE Oct 25 2ROGER WATERS Oct 28 2HALSEY Nov 11
Cat Birthday! My wife and I threw a birthday party for our cat. Our 21 year old kid has moved out, what else were we gonna do?
Lunchroom Because my self-entitled co-workers believe that other staff should clean out their tupperware for them, I take theirs home.
Scruffy I haven’t gotten my hair cut since last summer, but you won’t see me wearing no man-bun
Stood up again... What is it about dating in Vancouver that ensures that no one ever makes concrete plans. It’s always, ‘we should hang out’, or ‘if you’re free tomorrow let’s meet up’, and then tomorrow comes and they’re nowhere to be found when you follow up. If you don’t want to meet up, then don’t suggest it. Tired of people wasting my time!
Something That I Have Learned The secret to my own happiness is not to gauge it by another’s.
Not sure why... water restrictions are being implemented May 15th. I looked in the mirror today and I could swear I’m growing gills.
Visit
to post a Confession MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 47
TRADES
EMPLOYMENT
CAREERS Vancouver School of Bodywork & Massage seeking experienced Deep Tissue instructors. Evening/weekend and weekday positions available. Please email resume to info@vsbm.com
Glaziers (All Levels)
Install window and door systems for commercial projects. Must have transportation to job site and must be fit as some heavy lifting req'd. Send resume to: admin@glastech.ca; Fax 604-941-3113
HOSPITALITY/FOOD SERVICE
LINE COOK
Central City Brewers and Distillers Ltd, Surrey, BC Permanent, F/T, $13.50/hr. HS required & 1-year exp.Main duties: Prepare & cook complete meals Maintain inventory &records of food, supplies & equipment, Must have Food Safe Level 1 To apply please send your resume and cover letter to hr@centralcitybrewing.com
Butcher
The Produce on Kerrisdale (Sandy Farm Market) is hiring PERM butcher $16/hr 40hrs/wk 10days paid vacation. Duties: Cut, trim, bone, tie and grind meats, etc. High School, Completion three-year meat cutting apprenticeship or Completion college with meat-and-fish-cutting training program, English. Mail: 2072 W. 41St Ave. Vancouver, BC, V6M1Y8 Email: produceonkerrisdale@gmail.com PERM & F/T Line Cook Yakiniku Chosun BBQ Izakaya (Yakinikuya Japanese BBQ) is hiring for PERM & F/T Line Cook. Wage $15/hr.+tip. 40 hrs/wk.10 days’ paid vacation. Duties: Make meals such as Sushi, Sashimi, BBQ & etc. Min. 2-3 yrs. cook exp./COMP. High school/English. Send resume by mail at 793 Jervis St. Vancouver, BC, V6E 2B1 (work location) OR email. yakinikyu28@gmail.com
www.glastech.ca
Leelawadee Thai Spa 889
Helmcken St. 778.886.3675 www.leelawadeethaispa.com ENERGY HEALING
TILESETTER ARV Construction Ltd. Salary: $25.25hourly Job Type: FT, Permanent. Minimum Education: High School. Position Available: 1 10207 143A St. Surrey BC V3T 5C1 Main Duties: Prepare, measure and mark surface. Clean and level the surface to be tiled. May prepare cost estimates and orders. Work Location: Various locations in Lower Mainland, BC. Qualification: 2 years of relevant experience required. To apply please send your resume to arvconstructionltd@gmail.com
MBS
AESTHETICS $50 Steam plus Massage 604 -709- 6168
CERTIFIED MASSAGE
Thai Massage 778-886-3675 D/T.
Dr. Ron (The Love Doctor) Tarot reader, Angelic healings aswell as clearing away negativity at home or long distant. Reach out for guidance and fill your heart with love.
604-506-0247 or 604-324-4557
SUPPORT GROUPS Vancouver Society for Sexuality, Gender & Culture Educational group with monthly meetings are planned for: 1st Tuesday of each month, 6:30 PM 8:30 PM Vancouver Public Library - Firehall Branch 1455 W 10th Ave (by Granville St next to the Firehall) All are welcome, and we are looking for Board Members from the Health, Counseling, Education, and Business Professions Info: Michael or Darren: VSSGC@yahoogroups.ca WAVAW - Rape Crisis Centre has a 24-hour crisis line, counselling, public education, & volunteer opportunities for women. All services are free & confidential. Please call for info: Business Line: 604-255-6228 24-Hour Crisis Line: 604-255-6344 Women Survivors of Incest Anonymous A 12 Step based peer support program. Wed @ 7pm @ Avalon Women's Centre 5957 West Blvd 604-263-7177 also www.siawso.org
Join Our Support, Education & Action Group March 16th 6:30–8:30pm (8 weeks) Women who experienced any form of male violence CALL Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter 604-872-8212
REAL ESTATE
STUDENT HOME STAY
HAVE YOU GOT A SPARE ROOM? TAMWOOD INTERNATIONAL is looking for warm and welcoming homestay families in East Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Burnaby. Exchange memorable experiences and enhance your cross cultural communication skills by hosting our motivated students, aged 16+ from all over the world. Host families are required the whole year round. For more information, please contact homestay@tamwood.com or call 604.695.2818
Celebrate Canada's 150th in a Professional Studio For 150 days starting April 1, 2017, we are offering full day recording for $150.00 + tx. Engineers with over 40 yrs. experience. New West 24/7 Call 604-229-5981. Book online
diamondsharpstudios.com
REHEARSAL SPACE Renegade Productions Inc. www.renegadeproductions.net 604-685-0435 www.facebook.com/RPInc EQUIPPED HOURLY REHEARSAL ROOM New West $20/hr 24/7 Call/Text 604-229-5981 diamondsharpstudios.com click BOOK ONLINE
REPAIRS
BASONE • GUITAR SHOP •
Sunday, May 14th
ANTIQUE SHOW 80 VENDORS from all over the Lower Mainland Tables $40 | Admission $2.50 8:30-4:30PM like us on both! Come find your treasure! 703 Terminal Ave
604.685.8843 • www.vancouver fleamarket.com
ACCOMMODATION WANTED DEMOVICTION BLUES
GUITAR
SHOP
LD BE! SHOU
318 E. 5th Ave • 604.677.0311
BASONEGUITARS.COM
MUSICIANS AVAILABLE (FREE) Drummer Available Drummer Available for gigging band or casual fill-ins. Several years of pro experience. Funk/Soul//R&B/Blues preferred. Solid and reliable Call Craig @ 778-877-5703 thedrummercraig@gmail.com
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
Musicians
Place your FREE musicians WANTED & AVAILABLE ads by going to www.straight.com create a classified account & place your ad for Free or fax to 604-730-7016 All FREE ads are based on space availability.
PERSONAL SERVICES
DATING SERVICES
NAHANEE MOVING Professional Movers 604-782-3973
M.S. Oriental Dating Service For singles looking for meaningful relationships. All Nationalities Welcome. Since 1987.
604-583-8800
It is no accident we are #1
EVENT/PARTY PLANNING PLANNING AN EVENT? Equipment Rentals & Sales tents,tables,chairs,mats,fans,AC units, makeup mirrors,safety signage,garbage disposal/clean up. Custom tents w/graphics & delivery. Mention ad get 10% off. Inquiries: Ashley@matrixproductionservices.com Or call 604-421-3535
MARKETPLACE
GARAGE SALES
Your first call when an accident strikes
SERVICES
Mr. BALDNUTZ
HUGE MOVING SALE Everything must go!
FORBIDDEN CITY
24/7 FREE CONSULTATION 604.737.3300 720 Robson Street, 5th Floor Vancouver, BC V6Z 1A1
604-446-2489
MASSAGE BODYWORK MASSAGE
warnetthallen.com 48 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
CHINESE, JAPANESE & KOREAN MASSAGE
604.986.8650
GREAT ASIAN MASSAGE 604-782-9338 Surrey
SERVING NORTH VANCOUVER FOR 17 YEARS
1050 Marine Dr. North Van
LOTS OF PARKING AT THE REAR
Coquitlam & all Abbotsford
Meena 778-839-6583
COMPASSIONATE and FEMININE Certified massage and sensual bodywork Beautiful, quiet studio Main and Broadway. 778-863-1852 blissfulgrace.com
NURTURING TOUCH
Over 20 yrs exp. 604 739 6002 Mon-Fri Kitsilano
Gemini Studio EXCELLENT MASSAGE SPECIAL PACKAGES
SPECIAL MASSAGE RATE AVAILABLE Certificated nice female masseuse in Richmond provides effective deep tissue, relaxation, prostate helth maintenance massage. Special Waxing Rate available. More info at www.healthyaction.ca text/call @ 778-871-9809
★ Relieve Roadrage ★ 202-1037 W.Broadway 604-739-3998 Hotel Service
WINTER SPECIAL
Reg
BODY SCRUB 120 (Incl. 45 min. Hot oil massage) NOW $
$
75 MIN
D-768 Princess St., New Westminster (@ 8th St. between 6th & 7th Ave behind Save-On Foods)
70
COMFY WELLNESS SPA
604.523.6689
3272 W. Broadway
AMAZING TOUCH SPA NEW OWNER!
NEW Girls!
$80
10AM ➤ 10PM
30min
Exotic East Indian (45)
(& Blenheim)
604-558-1608 WWW.
604.558.2526 HIRING 2639 W. 4th Ave. Kitsilano
COMFYSPA .CA
Lotus Beauty Spa NEW GIRLS
$ 70 /30 mins (incl. tips)
10:30am-8pm Daily 5336 Victoria Dr. Vancouver
A/C AVAILABLE 604.327.8800
BATH HOUSES
STEAM 1 MEN’S BATH HOUSE
STEAM 1
EVERY DAY flat rate pricing! Anytime 24/7 Lockers $14 | Rooms from $22
BLACKOUT PARTIES NOW TWICE A MONTH SATURDAY MAY 13TH & SUNDAY MAY 28TH 11AM ‘TIL 7PM Anonymous Check In Avail • All Rates with Current Membership
Drop In Fees May Apply Now no ID needed for entry
WWW.STEAM1.COM New Westminster, 430 Columbia Street 604 . 540 . 2117
MASSAGE
New Star Massage Grand Opening • $30/30min. Open from 10am
Curious? Straight?
604-780-6268
M2M Erotic Massage Yaletown Ric 604-719-3433
CuriousButStraight.com MAN to MAN BODYWORK Massage customized to meet your needs. In calls only. 10am - 10pm. Westend.
778-888-5884
Sensual Massage
Experienced, discreet, and clean for men only by a mature male. 9 am to 10 pm in-calls only. Student rates. Burrard & 6th
Alex 778-828-4683
PERSONALS MUSIC
M R & D Studios Vancouver's most comfortable 2"-24 track, ADAT & ProTools HD. Mastering $55/hr eng, prod. & arranger incl. 604-421-2988
Lily’s Bodycare
$20/40MINUTES FOOT MASSAGE (Reflexology). Gentleman therapist. Location? Please check website @24hours online booking Emperorfeet.blogspot.com Reception604-441-7658
Robert 604-857-9571
4498 west 5 Avenue.
RECORDING STUDIOS
BBY. $40 & up! No F/S 10am - 8pm 604-619-7453
www.forbiddencityvan.wordpress.com
May 6, 7, 13, and 14. 9-4 pm. AY TOD CALL IL A B L E AVA
Hiring
COCO'S THAI MASSAGE
Adult Movie Rooms & More
In a peaceful setting in Langley Because you deserve it! 9am - 8pm
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
5281 Victoria Drive @ 37th
BODYWORK
Meet Amazing Singles
604-767-8625
Moving & Storage, Free EST. Visa Okay. 604-628-7136
Healing for Sexual Problems Control Ejaculation, Maintain Erection, Cure Herpes herbalbathclinic.com 604-271-4148
Beauty & Wellness Spa 604.325.2313
604-805-1342 or 604-873-8266
admiralnimby@gmail.com
TwoGuysWithATruck.com
RICHMOND - 2 RD / WESTMINSTER Hwy
604-788-7723 Divinea 8am-8pm
incl. tips
PERSONAL SHAVING SERVICES FOR MEN ★ SAFE ★ CLEAN ★ DISCREET ★
MOVING & STORAGE
SacredTantraMassage.com
YOU THINK A
Nice man in his early 70's being evicted due to demolition needs a place to rent before June 30th. Mount Pleasant area (or nearby). Please email
HOME & GARDEN SERVICES
ELIMINATE MOST ISSUES PERMANENTLY REGAIN CONFIDENCE–VITALITY–ENERGY RESULTS GUARANTEED $30 OFF 1st APPT
EVERYTHING
GAY PERSONALS
The Vancouver Flea Market
PREMATURE EJACULATION?
TANTRA
Tantra Massage
Absolutely Wonderful, Healing & Joyful!
Zara 604-222-4178 Jericho
HIRING
3468 E.Hastings/Skeena. Van. Front & Back door entrance. Free Parking
a p s Best Price & Service
Best Relaxation
in Town!
EAST VANCOUVER
10am 10pm
604 . 998 . 4885 HIRING
............................................................................................................................................................... CLASSIFIEDS
I Spa
19+ SWEET GIRLS
RAINBOW MASSAGE
RELAXATION MASSAGE by Professional male. For women only please. South Vancouver. In/Out calls.
$80/30 MIN (INCL. TIPS)
Peter 604-446-4907
604.430.3060
Excellent Body Massage $100 Monday * Tuesday * Saturday
4969 Duchess St. Van. Just off Kingsway Between Earles and Slocan NOW HIRING CHINESE, THAI, JAPANESE, VIETNAMESE & CAUCASIAN GIRLS
Joey, Lucy and Bonnie (Busty/Hot/Charming ) 3517 Kingsway, Vancouver 604-558-0228
HONG KONG STYLE MASSAGE Perfect SensualOil Body Massage. 1Hr/$80. 45min/$60, 30min/$50 INC. TIP 223 W/ Broadway. 2blk E/of Cambie 6am-1am. 7 days. 5min from D/T
10AM - 10 PM Hiring
604.568.9238 $80/30 min.(incl.tips) #3-3490 Kingsway NEAR JOYCE NEXT DOOR TO SUBWAY
Please Call Lini 778-668-2981
$100
MERIDIAN SPA LTD.
4095 Oak St. vancouver
Asian Massage $60 Long Black Hair.
Lisa 778-251-0859
778.321.2209
D OPENING! ! ND GRAN TION
BLISSFUL MASSAGE
BUTTERFLY TERFLY T ERFLY MASSAGE MASSA A
20437 Douglas Crescent, Langley (@ 204th St. beside HomeHardware) Front & Back Door Entrance Free Parking
604.510.6689
77 / 30
$ MINS PACKAGE (INCL.TIPS AND SAUNA) THE BEST SERVICES 2622 w. broadway, vancouver
HIGH CLASS FEMALE ESCORTS & INTIMATE COMPANIONS
FREE UNDERGROUND PARKING
-628 -3302 JAPANESE 778 (NOW HIRING)
New Staff! Relaxation Massage. 604-985-4969 HIRING
Aqua Spa Promo $30/45 mins
Beautiful Spa relaxation massage
Rose Body Massage @ Quebec St. open 7days/9am-midnight
NEW RENOVA
INTERVIEWS DAILY
49 E. Broadway
604-568-2248
C OV E RGI R LE S C ORT S .C OM
New Management by Miko. 4536 Hastings St. Burnaby near Willingdon Ave.
HIRING BACK ENTRANCE + FREE PARKING
11AM - MIDNIGHT 604-299-1514
Hiring
MASSAGE $60/30 mins (incl tips)
E. 49th Ave & Victoria Dr. 10am - 8:30pm • HIRING 604.500.9082 • 778.379.7736
1 FULL HOUR
EMPLOYMENT CoverGirlEscorts.com is now Hiring. Seeking all nationalities 19+ No experience necessary.
Call 604-438-7119
BDSM
EROTIC BDSM
Open-Minded Fetish Role-Playing Sexy & Sadistic * Very Equipped
604-782-1670 veronikaharley.com
Fully Air-Conditioned
604.436.3131 www.greatpharaoh.com
5-3490 Kingsway, Van.
LIVE. DISCREET. UNCENSORED.
ESTABLISHED 1993
ts-sunshine.ca
HIRING: 778.893.4439
1-604-639-3040 Seattle: 206-576-1825
Victoria, BC: 250-220-3334
403.615.0354
HIRING
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 LAST WEEK!
GET YOUR FREE TRIAL TODAY
Serving Van. for 19 years! Best Experience! Best Service! Best Choice! Steam Room and Sauna! Free underground parking. NOW
Ahora en Español/18+
More local numbers: 1.800.550.0618 interactivemale.com
GRAND OPENING SPECIAL!
$78/30 MIN (incl. tips) Variety of Masseuses #1 Friendly Service MASSAGE
Sexy Thai Girl Jessica Burnaby 604-336-4601
3286 Cambie St. & W. 17th, Van. 10am – 10pm NOW 604.872.8938 HIRING
PHOENIX
JAPANESE $60 4095 Oak St. Vancouver 604-266-6800
MASSAGE
Warm & loving - complete body massage. All incl. Reasonable low price. R/mond new home.
1st Time Visit FREE
10am - 2am. 778-322-1583 Best Body Rubbing $120/45 min (All included) Petite/Busty/Private 604-270-6891 12551 Vickers Way & Bridgeport Rd, Rmd
20 E/Pender or Dunbar $60 In/Out 778-323-0002
Open desires... Hidden identities...
New Back Door Entrance from Underground Parking
CHINESE BEAUTY - HELEN
HIRING
FOR NEW CLIENTS Mon - Fri 12pm - 6pm
2263 KINGSWAY
FREE PARKING HOTEL SERVICE
@
NANAIMO
6043770028
Try FREE Now: 604-639-3011 More Local Numbers: 1-800-700-6666
redhotdateline.com 18+ MAY 11 – 18 / 2017 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 49
savage love My husband is nearly 20 years
older than me, which was never an issue early in our relationship. However, for approximately the last eight years, we have not been able to have fulfilling sex because my husband can’t keep an erection for more than a few thrusts. I love my husband and I am committed to our family, but I miss full PIV sex. I’m still fairly young and I enjoy sex, but I feel like I am mourning the death of my sex life. I miss the intimate connection and powerful feeling of sex with a man. My husband tries to please me, but oral sex is just okay and toys don’t have the same effect. We have tried Viagra a few times, but it gave him a terrible headache. I try to brush it off because I don’t want to embarrass him. I am curious about casual relationships, but I fear they wouldn’t stay casual. Also, I would feel guilty being with another man even though my husband said I could do it one time. On one hand, I feel like I should be able to have a fulfilling sex life. But on the other hand, I don’t want to be a cheater. > NOW ON TO HAVING AWKWARDLY REALISTIC DISCUSSIONS
It’s not cheating if you have your husband’s permission, NOTHARD, but fucking another man could still blow up your marriage—even if you manage to keep it casual. Story time: I knew this straight couple. They were good together; they loved each other; and they had a strong sexual connection. (Spoiler alert: my use of the past tense.) The woman was all about monogamy, but
her boyfriend had always wanted to have a threesome. She didn’t want to be the reason he never got to do something he’d been fantasizing about since age 13, so she told her boyfriend that if the opportunity ever presented itself, he could go for it. So long as the sex was safe and he was honest with her, he could have a threesome one time. The opportunity presented itself; the sex was safe; he was honest—and my friend spent a week ricocheting between devastated and furious before finally dumping her devastated and flummoxed boyfriend. During a drunken postmortem, my friend told me she wanted her boyfriend to be able to do it but didn’t want him to actually do it. She didn’t want to be the reason he couldn’t; she wanted to be the reason he didn’t. So her permission to have a threesome “one time” was a test (one he didn’t know he was taking) and a trap (one he couldn’t escape from). I urged my friend to take her boyfriend back—if he would have her—but he’d touched another woman with the tip of his penis (two women, actually), which meant he didn’t love her the way she thought he did, the way she deserved to be loved, et cetera, and, consequently, he couldn’t be allowed to touch her with the tip of his penis ever again. Back to you, NOTHARD. My first reaction to your letter was: “You’ve got your husband’s okay to fuck some other dude—go for it.” Then I reread your letter and thought, “Wait, this could be a test and a trap.” You say you’ve brushed off the issue to spare
> BY DAN SAVAGE your husband’s feelings, but he may sense it’s an issue and, consciously or subconsciously, this is his way of finding out. If you take him up on his offer “one time”, and you make the mistake of being honest with him about it, he may be just as devastated as my friend was. So don’t take your husband up on his offer—not yet. Have a few more conversations about your sex life instead and address nonmonogamy/ openness generally, not nonmonogamy/openness as a work-around for his dick. There may be some solo adventures he’d like to have; there may be invigorating new sexual adventures you could enjoy as a couple (maybe he’d love to go down on two women at once?); or he may rescind or restate his offer to let you fuck some other dude one time. Get clarity— crystal clarity—before proceeding. Finally, NOTHARD, there are other erectile-dysfunction drugs out there, drugs that may not have the same side effects for your husband. And low to very low doses of Viagra—doses less likely to induce a headache—are effective for some men. Good luck.
Partner and I adopted a 2.5-year-old mutt a month ago. We are also trying to get pregnant and are having sex every day for 15-day stretches a month. Dog does NOT like being shut out—we love dog but do not love the idea of him being in the room. Should we get over it? Should dog get over it? What is dog/ human sexual-privacy etiquette? > DON’T OVERSEE GETTING IT ON
I’m not into pups, human or otherwise, but I live with two actual dogs and, man, if those dogs could talk. Some dogs loudly object to their owners fucking, others don’t. If your dog barks when you’re fucking, I can see why you’d want to keep him out of the room. But if he just wants to curl up in a corner and lick his ass for a minute before dozing off, what’s the big deal?
I am a
30-year-old woman with some sexual hang-ups I’d like to get past for the sake of my husband. When I was 14, I was in a relationship with a guy who wasn’t nice to me. One particular incident sticks in my mind: he pulled my hair and tried to force my head down while I was saying no and trying to get away. He shoved me and called me a prude. Another time, he convinced me to let him go down on me (I finally agreed) but then bit me. I eventually broke up with him after spending too much time putting up with the crap. For a long time, I hated oral sex and freaked out at any sexual interaction. I had a great college boyfriend who always asked “Is this okay?” and was generally very attuned to any “no” signals I gave, which was a turnon for me. I got over my past crappy experiences. My husband is all about what gives us both pleasure, but he has always been up-front about being interested in some (tame) kinky stuff. I am still turned on by “Is this okay?” and eye contact during sex, but anytime we try to do anything even a little off-the-wall—me tied up, blindfolds, et cetera—my ears start ringing and I feel like I can’t breathe. I’m trying to find a way to spice things up and fulfill my
husband’s desires, and I cannot find a way around it. How do we move past “just” vanilla? > RECONSIDERING OTHERWISE UNLIKELY GGG HABITS
If your shitty early teenage sexual experiences—those violations and sexual assaults—are still affecting you 16 years later, ROUGH, that suggests PTSD. Getting past this will be gradual, and it may require therapy: counselling, a support group, a shrink. While you’re getting help, ROUGH, you and your partner can explore some mild nonvanilla moves. Mindful breathing, like the kids are into these days, may help, and so will incorporating some soothing sensory input, e.g., soft lighting, calming music, scented somethingor-other if you enjoy scented somethings. And whatever your husband is doing—whatever you two are doing together—he can and should ask “Is this okay?” at every step. It turns you on and it makes you feel safe. You need to feel safe and in control. Slowly, slowly, slowly you may be able to advance to more aggressive play. It’s possible, however, that rough sex might be permanently off the table for you, ROUGH, and that’s not something you should feel guilty about. There are other ways to spice up your sex life, other (tame) kinks that don’t trigger you. Check out Dan on Blabbermouth— the Stranger’s political podcast: the stranger.com/blabbermouth. Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage. ITMFA.org.
Romance Relaxation Spa
ORGANIC TOUCH HEALTH CENTRE
± ± Professional Massage Waxing $25 up
604.873.9890
3482 Main Street & 18th Ave
Grand Opening
UNDER
NEW
Emax Massage
604-568-5255
management
#3 - 3003 Kingsway @ Rupert, Van. - N/E Corner
15244 Russell Ave. White Rock
Diamond Bodycare
604 998.7831
30 min / $30
SPASIA WELLNESS centre
GRAND OPENING
604.553.0909
604-568-0123 NOW HIRING
#100 - 1727 WEST BROADWAY 5 MINS FROM D/T
PROSPER
Sa Sa City Massage
BETTER than
BEST 3488 MAIN ST. @ 19TH AVE 10 AM TO 10 PM
604 879 5769 CLOSE TO O
HOTE ELS S
$80/30mins
VARIETY OF GIRLS (19+) V.I.P. ROOM $80/30 MIN INCL. TIPS
604.433.6833
3519 KINGSWAY, VAN NEAR BOUNDARY • HIRING
TOKYO Body
Massage
INCLUDES TIPS
778-297-6678
Now Hiring • In/Out Calls • 11am -11pm
Suite 1090 – 8580 Alexandra Rd. Richmond
OPENING MIYA GRAND $10 OFF
BEAUTY SENSATIONAL MASSAGE
604-957-1030 MING, Nice & Mature.
HIRING
$60 or $80 F/S! 630 E.Georgia
778-251-5367
COMPANION Sweet & Petite Hot Mature ♥ Female loves to pamper!♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ REASONABLE RATES ♥ ♥ ♥ In/Out calls. Early risers welcome!
Kayla 604-873-2551
www.funlovinxoxo.me
SE X Y
SOCCER
O–M2AM M5PM
Beautiful, Slim, Busty. Ready to tease & please! 42dd-26-36. 100% all natural. Unlimited & Unrushed! Call Meera 604-655-9542
604-243-4119
NEW..NEW..NEW..MASSAGE
PHONE SERVICES
Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese & Philippines Girls (19+) In/Out calls
604-600-6558 GENTLEMEN DISCREET ATTRACTIVE MATURE EUROPEAN LADY OFFERS DELIGHTFUL RELAXATION SESSIONS.
604-451-0175 EuropeanLady.ca www.EuropeanLady.ca
World Class Breasts
Genuinely Spectacular NATURAL G CUP! Come visit Hooter Heaven! Canada's #1 Erotic Destination.
Private 778-838-9094 604-671-2345
at Manitoba
VIIP companion V VIP cco ompa mpanion i n Genuine Lingerie Model 36DDD-22-34 Unforgettable Girlfriend Experience! Friendly, Sexy & Discreet In call/Out call Duos
604.728.8161
EAST INDIAN BOMBSHELL
miyabeauty@hotmail.com
121 W. Broadway
Classy Angel
www.ClassyAngel.com
to show you how well I can take care of you in the bedroom.
BEAUTIFUL OLDER WOMAN 36D - 26 - 36. 36th@ Victoria
www.miyabeauty.com
HOT BLACK BEAUTY
5'7", 36B, 150lbs, Small waist & big booty! In call only. Serious callers ONLY! BBY/New West.
Felicia 604-442-9178 Fun Classy Blonde Beauty In calls & Out calls locally Private upscale condo
50% OFF BEST BBES BE EST ST CCHINESE HHINESE HIN INESE MASSAGE $28/45 min. i 4 Hands $38/30 min. $57/45 min. Many Sweet & Sexy Asian Girls Luxurious Spa 1 FREE Session after 5
funlovinxoxo.me 604-773-8876 GORGEOUS BEAUTY
AFRICAN BEAUTY!!
FULL BODY MASSAGE! Sexy & Friendly. 33yrs, 140 lbs, 38D-25-34. In call by appt. only.
Sensuous Weekly Specials!! Burnaby 604-364-1462
HIRING
604
SARAH in SURREY
(Across Macpherson Ave)
778-960-7875
604.875.8844
NOW
101-5623, Imperial St. BBY
50 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT MAY 11 – 18 / 2017
604-738-6222
Underground Parking
GRAND OPENING! Best Massage Every day different female practitioners! 3322 Main St. 604-872-1702
438-8979
Joyce & Kingsway. 24 Hrs.
Kelly 778-714-0824
(19+) Girls
3041 Main St & 14th Ave
NEW HOT ASIAN GIRLS No Restrictions. Good Service!
3671 EAST HASTINGS
All Beautiful
778.379.6828
604-562-3371
Ready or Not, Here I Am
CENTRE Good Price, Good Service D931 Brunette Ave. 7 Days a Week
Van, Burnaby & Metrotown. 24 Hrs. In/Out call
BEST MASSAGE IN TOWN
ocean RELAXATION
PANTERA SPA
NEW HOT ASIAN GIRLS No Restrictions. Good Service!
RILEY 604.773.8876
CLASSIFIEDS ................................................................................................................................................................
NEW GREAT HOURS!! 11:30am - 9pm. Sometimes weekends. I'm well proportioned, HOT& READY with a BIG BOOTY! 38 yrs old. Kind, Clean, Pretty & love to enjoy! Let's have an amazing non-rushed experience in my classy apt. Fetish by request. No text or Blkd. calls. Sarah 604-441-5440 Appts preferred.
Gentle & Sweet, Petite and Exquisite. Local, Elegant Super Service!
WEBSITES
Call 778-926-1000. Van East. INDEPENDENT CHINESE PLEASURE PROVIDER For polite gentlemen Accompanied shower Submissive or curious also welcome Discreet,North Burnaby location Parking available Actual Recent Photo. Fluent in English.
ANGELA
778-317-3888
www.ClassyAngel.com 5531 Victoria Dr. & 40th Ave, Vancouver | 604-564-1333
Come and Be Satisfied HOT AND SEXY!
$100 SPECIAL
Kingsway, Vancouver (Close to Boundary) Thursday, Friday, Sunday
604-366-6653
covergirlescorts.com www.greatpharaoh.com WWW.FOXDEN.CA www.classymiko.com www.platinumclub.net www.stress-awaybodycare.ca