FREE | MAY 20 – 27 / 2021 Volume 55 | Number 2779
SOCIAL HOUSING
Councillor targets barriers
SLOPPY BURGERS
Pop-up attracts lineups
MENTAL HEALTH The pandemic has inflicted tremendous pain, but there are options for those seeking relief from distress PINOY IMPRESSIONISTS
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JAZZ FESTIVAL
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VEGGIE COCKTAILS
NEWS
CONTENTS
Avi Lewis seeks NDP nod to run in wealthy B.C. riding
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By Charlie Smith Cover illustration by Tayeb Merrakchi
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REAL ESTATE
Vancouver councillor Christine Boyle’s motion to allow 12-storey social housing projects in many parts of the city is drawing mixed reactions. By Carlito Pablo
13 Filmmaker Avi Lewis will follow in the footsteps of other family members who’ve run for office.
Lewis is one of a growing number of anticorporate activists around the world who have decided to enter electoral politics. This trend was highlighted in UBC law professor Joel Bakan’s recent film, The New Corporation: The Unfortunately Necessary Sequel. His grandfather, David Lewis, succeeded Tommy Douglas as leader of the New Democratic Party. Avi Lewis’s father, Stephen, was leader of the Ontario NDP, a former ambassador to the UN, and a critic of international financial institutions’ role in contributing to the spread of AIDS in Africa. g
Celebrate the Long Weekend in the Garden
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MUSIC
The TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival will offer dozens of free online concerts this year, along with a wide array of ticketed shows. By Steve Newton
e Start Here
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COMMENTARY CONFESSIONS DANCE FOOD I SAW YOU LIQUOR MOVIES MULTIMEDIA NEWS SAVAGE LOVE VISUAL ARTS
Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 55 | Number 2779
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EDITOR Charlie Smith GENERAL MANAGER (ACTING) Sandra Oswald SECTION EDITORS Mike Usinger (ESports/Liquor/Music) Steve Newton SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy STAFF WRITERS Carlito Pablo (Real Estate) Craig Takeuchi SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT Jeff Li
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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
COVER
The pandemic is exerting a serious toll on people’s mental health, but there are many options available for those feeling emotional distress.
by Charlie Smith
he Lewis family has a storied history within the New Democratic Party. And it could have an influential future if another member is elected to Parliament. That’s because Avi Lewis, the husband of author Naomi Klein, has announced that he’s seeking the federal NDP nomination in West Vancouver–Sunshine Coast–Sea to Sky Country. On Saturday (May 22), Lewis will be acclaimed as the candidate. The riding is represented by first-term Liberal MP Patrick Weiler. West Vancouver is Canada’s wealthiest municipality with an average household net worth of more than $4.5 million in 2018, according to Money Sense. Lewis’s Twitter account is based in xwiklway, a.k.a. Halfmoon Bay, on the Sunshine Coast. Born in 1968, he has been a documentary filmmaker and broadcaster, as well as one of the initiators of 2015’s Leap Manifesto. In many respects, this was a precursor to the Green New Deal, advancing proposals to address the climate crisis while offering a fair deal to low-income people and a just transition for fossil-fuel-industry workers.
May 20 – 27 / 2021
MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
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COVID-19 in B.C.: Possible reopenings, fourth-wave concerns, event exposures. Properties flipped multiple times in Vancouver’s housing market. VPD officers pose with antimasker who voiced media conspiracy theory. Man claims cops were more worried about antimaskers’ sign than his safety. Concert announcements for Rickshaw, WISE Hall, Centre, and Commodore. @GeorgiaStraight
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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
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REAL ESTATE
Boyle pushes for reducing barriers to social housing A proposal to allow projects up to 12 storeys without public hearings is drawing a mixed reaction
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by Carlito Pablo
Vancouver councillor has suggested allowing social housing projects across the city without public hearings, drawing both a cheer and jeer. The motion’s coverage includes singlefamily residential neighbourhoods, which account for more than half of the municipality’s land. Depending on who is speaking, Counc. Christine Boyle’s proposal is either an answer to the city’s housing woes or a trigger for more land speculation. The City of Vancouver defines social housing as entire developments wherein 30 percent of units are dedicated for people who cannot afford market-level rents, while the rest of the 70 percent are rented out at rates for as high as the market can bear. On May 12, Boyle’s OneCity party issued a media release about the councillor’s motion. “Single detached homes do not require a public hearing, even when a new detached home is significantly larger and more expensive than the one it is
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replacing,” the party declared. In the same release, Boyle said that council should “reduce barriers for nonprofit housing providers, to permit more affordable homes for more people who need them, in more places across the city”. “It should not be harder to build social housing in Vancouver than it is to build million dollar homes,” Boyle said. Boyle’s motion has two major components. One seeks to have council direct staff to bring forward recommendations about potential city-initiated zoning changes that would “enable more social housing projects to proceed without a rezoning”. The second is for city planners to come up with suggestions to allow 12-storey social housing developments in areas designated for apartments, also without public hearing. As the Straight went to the printer, council had not heard from those who wanted to speak to the motion, which was expected to take place on May 19. The second component builds upon an April 20, 2021 decision by council to shelve rezoning and public hearing requirements for six-storey social housing projects in areas zoned as RM-3A, RM-4, and RM-4N. If Boyle’s motion is approved, it means that proponents now allowed to build six storeys of social housing without public hearing may be able to double their development to 12 storeys. Prior to the April 20 council vote, these zoning districts provided for residential developments up to three to four storeys. The said areas are found in the following neighbourhoods: Fairview, GrandviewWoodland, Hastings-Sunrise, Kensington-Cedar Cottage, Kitsilano, Marpole, and Mount Pleasant. The Straight sought comments from Jill Atkey, CEO of the B.C. Non-Profit Housing Association, and Larry Benge, co-chair of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods. “It takes us one step further beyond the motion that was passed in April, which was progress,” Atkey said in a phone interview. Atkey added that council heard the need to do more in order to support social housing. She noted that most of Vancouver’s land is “reserved strictly for single family or duplex residential housing”. “That very low-density housing has not allowed us to build...the quantity of housing we need to meet the needs of a growing population,” Atkey said. The BCNPHA CEO pointed out that this led to a situation where non-profit housing only “exists in very small areas of the city”. “So it’s part of a larger conversation that’s
MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
OneCity Vancouver councillor Christine Boyle says that it shouldn’t be more difficult to develop social housing in the city than it is to construct million-dollar homes. Photo by Joshua Berson.
happening in expensive cities throughout North America about what type of housing, and by extension what type of people, we exclude from living in the city when we reserve so much of our land for one certain housing type,” Atkey said. BENGE’S COALITION of Vancouver Neighbourhoods represents residents’ associations. “This just throws the doors wide open for land speculation,” Benge said in a separate phone interview about Boyle motion. Benge said that he finds it “unbelievable” and the “height of naiveté” for anyone to think that simply because a development is social housing that it will neither have any ability to set precedent nor will affect land values. “You got to be kidding,” Benge said. The Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods posted a statement online on May 16 in opposition to Boyle’s motion. “This will increase development pressure, increase rental inflation, gentrification, demovictions, and displacements for existing older more affordable rental buildings,” the coalition said. It noted that existing rents in older buildings “tend to be much lower than new rentals, sometimes even lower than typical subsidized social housing rents, while existing older units are also generally larger”. The coalition also reiterated its longstanding objection to the city’s definition of social housing that allows 70 percent of the units at market-rate rents, but counts entire projects as 100 percent social housing “when it is mostly market rents”. The City of Vancouver came up with its 70-30 definition of social housing
during the decade-long Vision Vancouver era, which ended in 2018. “It’s the carrying on of the policies that were established during the Vision administration, and the staff who was in place then is still in place now, and is simply carrying on with these things,” Benge said, “and unfortunately, staff is directing the way that this council is approaching housing policies.” Going back to Atkey, the BCNPA CEO said that she applauds community advocates “for wanting more affordable housing and a deeper level of affordability” compared to only 30 percent of units below market rates. “That 30 percent definition is mixedincome housing at its essence,” Atkey said. “The 30 percent is also a minimum.” Atkey explained that this definition also “allows for flexibility in case government comes in and changes their priorities around affordable housing”. “We are never able to achieve the level of affordablity we want on day one of the project because housing is so expensive to build, when you factor in land, construction, and material costs, as well as labour costs,” Atkey said. “But every year going forward in that project, the affordability is improved.” Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods’ Benge needs to be convinced. “The city tells you…we have just built 100 units of social housing. Okay, does that mean that you’ve actually built 30 units of social housing, but you’re calling it a hundred units because of the 30-70 definition?” Benge said by way of illustration. “It’s ridiculous.” g
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MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
5
HEALTH
Pandemic mental health isn’t an impossible dream
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by Charlie Smith
ast Vancouver resident Jonathan Wells vividly recalls when he had a pandemic mental-health moment. He was at the SeaBus station at Lonsdale Quay when another passenger sat a little too close to him for comfort. So Wells told him off before quickly feeling remorseful. “I said, ‘you know, I’m sorry I snapped at you. I don’t even know you,’ ” Wells recalled in a phone interview with the Georgia Straight. “He said ‘that’s okay, we’re all kind of nervous right now.’ It was one of those really human moments. We’re all in this together. That’s what I keep reminding myself.” For the most part, Wells said that he’s fared remarkably well in the pandemic, even though he was off work for three months. He lives alone with his cat and took care of himself in the early months by going on daily walks to New Brighton Park. That’s where he would meditate to stay grounded. Wells is in his early 50s, a period of life when he’s not so interested in external validation. But he acknowledged that had the pandemic occurred when he was in his 20s, things would have been far more challenging. He also believes that people who are more ego-based in their relationship to the world are finding it more difficult to cope with social isolation. “I saw people having a very different time,” Wells said. “It was almost soul-destroying. It totally threatened their way of life.” Recently, the Canadian Mental Health Association’s B.C. division and the University of British Columbia released the results of a survey showing that the pandemic is taking a significant toll on mental wellness.
case counts started to rise. “I became increasingly scared for their safety,” Wells recalled. “That was a really nerve-wracking time of not knowing what was happening in terms of travel and encouraging them to go back.” His parents felt that there was no need to leave because the weather was so nice. “I said ‘you’ve got to get out, you’ve got to get out! What if your insurance doesn’t cover it?’ I was really worried about it.” At the time, Wells expected the pandemic to last for quite a while. That’s because he was paying particular attention to interviews with University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm, who predicted very early on that 480,000 Americans would die from COVID-19. “I managed my expectations in terms of what I knew was happening in the world and what an actual pandemic was—mostly on his information,” Wells said.
The T-shirt says it all, especially in a pandemic that’s left 40 percent of Canadians feeling like their mental health has deteriorated since the emergence of COVID-19. Photo by Matthew Ball/Unsplash.
More than 70 percent of respondents reported feeling negative emotions, with the most common being “worried or anxious”, “bored”, “stressed”, and “lonely or isolated”. Another common response, however, was positive—31 percent of people reported feeling “hopeful”. The lead researcher, UBC nursing professor Emily Jenkins, pointed out that sharing normal feelings during the pandemic is important. That’s because by articulating emotions, it can disrupt and reduce neural
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the stigma around mental health, and provide financial assistance for people wanting to seek therapy and counselling. WIRTH Hats honours the memory of Jakob Wirth, who once told Miller that he wanted to set up the best hat company in the world. Wirth died in Turkey in 2013.
WIRTH Hats finances counselling and other wellness programs through sales.
d BEN MILLER LOST TWO of his friends to suicide. Neither sought professional help for their mental health challenges. When Miller founded WIRTH Hats, he committed the Vancouver social enterprise to a mission. It’s to help reduce
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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
Profits of hat sales go to mental health initiatives, and particularly support the company’s counselling program that is available for anyone across the world. “I truly believe that if WIRTH can help even one person, it will all be worth it,” Miller says. “You can’t put a price on life, and that’s something I am willing to dedicate mine to.”
MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
by Carlito Pablo
activity in the amygdala. That’s an almondshaped part of the brain that responds to threats, which can lead to body responses, such as an increased heart rate. Jonny Morris, CEO of CMHA’s B.C. division, told the Straight by phone that 40 percent of Canadians have said that their mental health has “deteriorated or gotten worse” during the pandemic. He emphasized that the percentage is higher for those with pre-existing mental-health or substance-use problems. “We know that a number of groups are harder hit—racialized folks, folks living with a disability, parents, caregivers, young people aged 18 to 24,” Morris said. In addition, Morris pointed out that the impact on mental health has been amplified for those in certain occupations, such as the health professions or those working in essential services, including grocery stores. As part of Mental Health Week earlier this month, the CMHA was promoting a message of “name it, don’t numb it.” “Right now, many of us are having feelings that are perhaps more unpleasant than usual,” Morris said. “We’re bored. We’re languishing. We’re irritable. We’re tired. Right? It’s really important to talk about how we’re doing in that regard, as well.” While Wells can count himself among the lucky ones, it hasn’t been entirely smooth sailing. The disruption at work was challenging but it was even more stressful thinking about his parents early in the pandemic. They are snowbirds who were in the Las Vegas area when the COVID-19
THE PANDEMIC HAS taken a far greater toll on Richmond Sentinel journalist and broadcaster Lorraine Graves. She contracted COVID-19 back in March 2020 and still shows symptoms of the disease today. As one of thousands of Canadian COVID-19 “long haulers”, it’s not only been a grind physically, it has also been tough mentally. “When I was at my sickest, I reached a point where I was terribly calm and I knew that I might not get better,” Graves told the Straight by phone. “That was okay—and I’m not a person who’s at peace on any given day, but it was very peaceful then.” As she’s gotten better, however, she conceded that there have been “some really dark times just thinking ‘gosh, is this all I have left?’ ” “But I’ve got friends,” Graves quickly added. “I’ve got my connections with the paper. I’m on very light duties, but they have been wonderful.” Fortunately, Graves has a supportive family and she has seen her symptoms recede somewhat since taking the Moderna vaccine. While her breathing has improved, she’s still experiencing cognitive issues, sleeping difficulties, fatigue, and pain. “I’ve not had a miraculous recovery like some people do, but it’s incrementally better,” she said. Graves noted positively that she can continue with activities for three consecutive hours rather than only one hour in the past. One of the best things for Graves has been the support from the community. She professed enormous gratitude to find out that “acquaintances are really true friends”, calling or texting her when she was at her sickest. Meanwhile, Rogers communications see next page
COMMENTARY
On lawyering, calories, and recognizing advantage by Tim Louis
do not normally talk about my disability, but today I’m going to make an exception. When asked, “What is your disability?” I always tell the truth—on September 10, 1984, I was called to the bar. I am a lawyer! What prompted my full disclosure now? I recently had a telephone conversation with a woman whom I won’t name. My other so-called disability came up. Not being able to see her over the phone, and having never met her, I asked her if she was one of those old-fashioned bipeds. She had no idea what I was talking about, so I attempted to explain. Bipeds move around, lumbering along on their two legs. But in the process, they expend a considerable number of calories. I went on to explain that I am a much more advanced species: I use electrons stored in a battery on the back of my chair to move around, so I expend zero calories. I put it to her that I, therefore, had a
competitive advantage over her and all other bipeds. To my astonishment, she replied, “You’re right. You do have a competitive disadvantage.” Well, I don’t give up easily, so I was determined to try again. I asked her if she gets herself dressed every morning—perhaps a mildly inappropriate question, but she willingly replied, “Of course I do.” I observed that people like her who get themselves dressed the old-fashioned way expend a considerable number of calories. I went on to remind her that up until recent times, European royalty had servants to get them dressed. I told her that I was as lazy as European royalty: I hire someone to get me dressed, and, in the process, I expend zero calories. I put it to her once again that I had a competitive advantage over her. And, to my disbelief, she once again replied, “You are absolutely correct. You do have a competitive disadvantage!” I would not give up. I decided to make one last attempt. I asked her if she breathed on her own. She appeared to be more taken aback by this question than by my previous examples. She replied, “Of course I breathe on my own.” I went on to explain that I have a beautiful, state-of-the-art breathing machine—a BPAP—and that I adjust the settings such that, per minute, the BPAP inflates my lungs the same number of times she would inhale. Once again, I pointed out to her that I expend virtually zero calories—a mere fraction of the calories she expends taking a breath literally thousands of times a day. I once again put it to her that I therefore had a clear competitive advantage over her. She once again replied, “You’re right, you
strategist Paul Nixey has been trying to cheer up strangers over social media. Every morning, he tweets a humorous message encouraging people to feel good about themselves. “I started by saying ’reminder today is Tuesday’ or some such [thing] and then started adding something nice to each one,” Nixey told the Straight. “Since then, I’ve got a steady group of new Twitter friends who react [and] comment—it’s a way to feel connected while we are all so disconnected. It’s also a good way for me to tell what day it is.” For those who need more than a happy tweet, the CMHA’s B.C. division offers several alternatives, including online learning and support for people in the continuingcare sector. “We’ve been doing quite a bit in that space—suicide prevention, how to manage burnout and fatigue, and pointing out
where people can go to find a listening ear,” the CMHA’s Morris said. In addition, there’s a depression and anxiety-care program called Bounce Back, which has been operating for 12 years. Morris noted that it’s recorded a 50 percent increase in visitors since the pandemic started, attracting thousands of referrals. Plus, the CMHA’s B.C. division operates some peer-support programs with financial help from the B.C. government. Those in distress can call 310-6789 and be patched into the Crisis Line network. No area code is necessary. And Foundry B.C. offers wellness resources, services, and supports to young people between the ages of 12 and 24. “We’ve been really encouraging people to ‘reach in’,” Morris said. “If you’re worried about somebody, reach in and say ‘I’m worried out you. I’m here to listen.’ These can sometimes be life-saving words.” g
Tim Louis says his partner, Penny, stands by him despite his law degree. Photo by Tim Louis.
I
have a competitive disadvantage.” Well, in baseball they say, “Three strikes and you’re out.” So I abandoned my struggle and very politely ended our telephone conversation. All of the above reminded me, in technicolour, of one of the most humorous exchanges in my lifetime. Many, many years ago, while I was still on the board of directors of Canada’s largest community-based credit union—Vancity— I was appointed by that board to chair one its subsidiaries, the Vancity Community Foundation. David Driscoll, the foundation’s then–executive director (and a fine human being), and I were asked to attend a ribbon-
cutting ceremony for newly constructed housing for low-income individuals. The developer saw us both, marched confidently over to us, and proclaimed, “I am so happy to have developed housing for people like you,” pointing at me. According to my good friend David, I replied “You are building low-cost housing for lawyers?” Every human being gets used to perceiving the world as they think it is. Sometimes, this can be a real disadvantage! g Tim Louis is a Vancouver lawyer and former city councillor and park commissioner.
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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
7
LIQUOR
Vegetables don’t have to be gross at cocktail time
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by Mike Usinger
here’s no point pretending otherwise: vegetables are disgusting. Dispute that all you want, but not until you’ve served a five-year-old a plate loaded with equal portions of nutritious Hamburger Helper, Kraft Dinner, and raw sliced beets. Two of those things will disappear immediately. The other will be poked at suspiciously for a couple of seconds, and then pushed aside for an express trip to either the Garburator, green bin, or family-dog dish. The dog won’t eat the beets either. Same goes for the Garburator. Here’s a list of vegetables that you’ve learned to choke down for the sole reason that they are supposedly good for you: green beans, brussel sprouts, asparagus, broccoli, radishes, peas, eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and spinach. Think about how, to make all of the above even remotely palatable, you’ve had to come up with all sorts of tricks. Coating the brussel sprouts in a pomegranate-andhazelnut reduction before roasting them over a mesquite pack of wood on the Saber Elite Series 670 barbecue. Tossing the cabbage in buttermilk, preserved lemon, and sumac to make an upscale version of trailer park-picnic coleslaw. Dusting the green beans in Himalayan sea salt and imported chipotle powder to mask the fact that they are, well, green beans. If only there was a more enjoyable way to consume them. Like in, you know, cocktails, where the big advantage is that, after round four, you might actually forget you’ve just knocked back a serving of vegetables. Thanks to a modern mixology movement, that’s very much a thing in 2021. The idea of drinks that get their personality from vegetables isn’t new. Your grandparents were the first to discover that embracing ingredients with major health benefits didn’t have to be more disgusting than an oyster-mushroom smoothie. That explains why they made Caesar cocktails an essential part of every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and pre-bedtime snack. Here’s an interesting bit of trivia: the Caesar (known as a Bloody Caesar to fans of The Evil Dead, Gangs of London, and Hockeyfights.com) was invented in Canada, which not coincidentally is where it’s most widely consumed. After three months of trial and error in 1969, Calgary restaurateur Walter Chell perfected a mixture of vodka, tomato juice, clam broth, and Worcestershire sauce. The inspiration for the drink was Italy’s famed dish of spaghetti alle vongole—a key ingredient of which is fresh clams. Even though no one in history has previously thought “Man, this drink could really use a shot of clam nectar”, the Caesar 8
THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
Invented as a tribute to Italy’s famed spaghetti alla vongole, the Caesar is easily the greatest thing to come out of Calgary this side of the legendary Jim Wych. Photo by Kateryna T/Unsplash.
was an immediate hit in Calgary, becoming the most-requested drink at Chell’s Calgary Inn. It promptly caught fire in Western Canada, after which word spread east. Today the Caesar is considered inarguable proof that Issey Nakajima-Farran, Bronwen Webster, and Jim Wych aren’t the only totally famous things from Cowtown. Oh, and don’t go arguing that tomatoes aren’t a vegetable. They are, even though one can still make a perfectly good case for them also being a fruit. Today, no one’s stopping at tomatoes when it comes to vegetable cocktails. One of the amazing things about this century’s cocktail renaissance is that drinks are limited only by the imaginations of the people making them. And if
MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
your favourite bartender can make you feel just a little bit healthier while you’re glued to a barstool—virtual or otherwise—it’s best to try and keep an open mind. The key to tackling vegetable cocktails starts with a juicer. If you’ve just won Lotto Max, spring for a Hamilton Beach Otto juice extractor, which will only run you somewhere in the neighbourhood of $5,000 in hideously devalued Canadian currency. Should that be a little out of reach on your Top Ramen budget, there’s a long laundry list of perfectly serviceable budget options on Amazon and elsewhere that run between $100 and $200. Then you start juicing. Keep in mind that whatever vegetable concoction you come up with will typically
be only one ingredient in a drink. And that if something tastes disgusting before you add liquor and a sweetener, it’s not going to do a cocktail any favours. So by all means use your juicer to extract the liquid out of two kale leaves, a cucumber, and a couple of celery stalks, but add some extra flavour layers with a chunk of peeled lemon, a small piece of ginger, and a large Granny Smith apple. Strain and then embrace your inner Jolly Green Giant (or Little Green Sprout) by adding two ounces of your green juice to a shaker with one and a half ounces of vodka, and 3/4 of an ounce of maple syrup. Strain into a glass, and add a pinch of sumac for colour. You know how exotic juice blends at your local supermarket will sometimes have carrots thrown into the mix with the papaya, guava, mango, and passionfruit? That’s because Bigwig’s favourite food has a natural sweetness that plays well with fruits of all sorts. (Give yourself two points if you just got the Watership Down reference.) Find a healthy common ground between a Margarita and Tequila Sunrise by taking two ounces fresh carrot juice and an ounce of fresh orange juice and then mixing with tequila, Cointreau, and fresh lime. Muddling jalapeño and fresh cilantro before adding ice to the shaker will add an extra couple of layers of complexity. Light and refreshing sound like the perfect thing for this most sunny of West Coast springs? A Cucumber Smash is idiotically easy to execute: lightly muddle three cucumber slices, fresh basil, and sugar, add gin and crushed ice, and then top with sparkling water. Staying in the green lane, riff on a Mojito by adding an ounce of celery juice to muddled fresh mint, Havana Club rum, simple syrup, and fresh lime. Getting the idea? From green beans to asparagus, most vegetables are light enough that you can play with them safely in your favourite cocktails without creating something that even Charles Bukowski wouldn’t drink. The exception? That would be beets and radishes, both of which make an inarguable case that vegetables are indeed totally disgusting, and not just to five-year-olds and dogs. Here’s the classic recipe for the greatest drink to ever come out of Calgary. CAESAR
1 oz vodka 4 oz Clamato juice Two dashes Tabasco Three to four dashes salt and pepper Four dashes of Worcestershire Pour into an ice-filled glass rimmed with celery salt and garnish with a celery stalk and lime. g
FOOD
Pigot’s pop-up features sloppy American classic by Martin Dunphy
creations, which he had no problem being referred to as “sloppy” by a hungry interviewer. “There’s lots of cheese—it’s a messy, delicious guilty pleasure, for sure!” The pop-up’s specialty patties—certified organic, medication-free, and grass-fed, from Beretta Farms—are featured in three beasts: a cheeseburger, a bacon cheeseburger, and a mushroom cheeseburger (with that classic simple version available in single-, double-, or triple-patty sizes). There is also a “Non Meat a Tarian” plant-based version made with Impossible Burger patties, for those so inclined (except for the bacon version), and they can be stacked as well. Partner chef Chen will be formulating
Pigot’s Burger Club is generating lineups for its messy cheeseburgers at its West End location, which Calgary chef MIke PIgot is running in collaboration with Vancouver chef Alex Chen.
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new pop-up burger “club” housed in one of the West End’s best restaurant locations is an homage to a classic American staple. Pigot’s Burger Club—which opened for takeout only (pick-up or delivery) on May 5 in a “borrowed storefront” at the former Boathouse location at English Bay—sells just one thing: cheeseburgers. It shares the premises at 1795 Beach Avenue with Vancouver’s second Craft Beer Market location, which opened there in late March after renovations and is the principal tenant. Calgary chef Mike Pigot—named best chef in that city’s 2020 Best of Calgary awards, according to a news release, and a past winner of the Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games—experimented in his apartment with burger recipes (incorporating “Pigot’s Secret Sauce”and his custom spice blend) before borrowing commercial kitchen space from a friend and launching a pop-up. “The burger is a culmination of my travels to the U.S. and my love for a classic American cheeseburger,” Pigot said in that release. “I played around with recipe for months, if not years, to get the right balance of flavours.” Speaking by phone to the Straight on May 14, Pigot’s enthusiasm for his latest venture comes through all the way from Cowtown. “We launched it in Calgary early this year [in February],” Pigot enthused. “It was amazing.” After selling hundreds of burgers every day, Pigot launched a second Pigot’s Burger Club in Toronto in mid-April with wellknown local chef Jerome Robinson. Another success in Hogtown led Pigot to expand once more, this time to the West Coast. The Lotusland model is run “in
> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < BLACK KETTLE BREWING ATTRACTION
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 15, 2021 WHERE: Black Kettle Brewing
My go-to is the double cheeseburger – Mike Pigot
collaboration” with local chef Alex Chen, executive chef for Signature Restaurants and an Iron Chef Canada winner. And Pigot could not be happier with how Vancouver has greeted his specialty cheeseburgers. “We sold out two of the days we’ve been open, and we prep 500 to 700 burgers a day,” he told the Straight. Customers can order ahead for delivery (UberEats, DoorDash, or Skip the Dishes) or arrange pick-up through the website. Hungry West Enders or anyone else can drive or stroll on down to English Bay to scoop up their ‘Merican-cheese-covered patties with brown-sugar onions on butter-toasted potato rolls, along with a handful of specialty sides. (It is worth noting that Pigot’s “ ‘Merican” cheese isn’t the bright-orange processed cheese food synonymous with U.S. greasy-spoon cheeseburgers and grilledcheese sandwiches of legend but a “curated American cheddar”.) Pigot said he especially likes looking outside the pop-up and seeing “35 or 40 people lined up or waiting” for their orders. “It’s an astounding response from the city,” he said. Those who love their burgers messily loaded will be right at home with Pigot’s
a special burger of his own, Pigot said, a double-patty design that utilizes “bacon aioli and white cheddar”. Asked which burger is the most popular with Vancouverites, Pigot gave the nod to the basic model. “We do quite a few cheeseburgers,” he said, adding, “My go-to is the double cheeseburger.” Sides include a kale Caesar, fries, “Tots”, and “Dirty Tots”, which come with Pigot’s secret sauce, jalapenos, tomato, that ubiquitous ‘Merican cheese sauce, and brownsugar onions. To order, or to just check out photos and a menu, visit www.pigotsburgerclub.com. And maybe wear a bib, regardless. g
My friend and I came in on our bikes to Black Kettle Brewing and sat on the far side of the pizza oven by the food truck. I was wearing a blue cycling jersey and my friend’s was orange and black. You were our server and have the most radiant smile, petite, beautiful body, and an electric laugh and energy. I was quite attracted. We exchanged some fun conversation and I’m glad we got your name, Alicia (sp), which opened up the conversation. You were showing my friend and I how during the downpour the other day you had to dance between the tents to stay dry. I wanted to ask you out right there, but it would have been quite difficult to do at that time and I didn’t have any business cards on me. If you see this and remember me, I’d like to meet you again when you’re not working. I hope you were just as interested too.
GRANVILLE ISLAND
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 14, 2021 WHERE: Granville Island I saw you walking through Granville Island, you were taking pictures of the West Coast Amusements Fair, I was riding my bike. I never got the chance to say hello or introduce myself. So I thought I would give this a shot.
SEABUS SMILES & CYCLING ADVENTURES!
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 14, 2021 WHERE: Seabus Waterfront Terminal - Elevator We were both with our bikes and getting off the Seabus around 5pm at Waterfront Station. We shared an elevator to get from the Seabus to
the street level and talked about bikes, bikepacking, and summer adventures, and that you had to go to work on this beautiful weekend. It was a pleasure meeting you ever so briefly, and I hope we can meet again. You have a beautiful smile and an adventurous spirit. I’m glad we had time for a brief chat and I caught your name - Rachel the RMT who lives in Kits and works on the North Shore. It would be nice to meet you again, for coffee, bike ride, or a fun adventure date. If you see this, I’d love to hear from you.
TO THE GIRL WAITING FOR A BUS YESTERDAY
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 13, 2021 WHERE: Shaughnessy
eyes. :-) You said a couple of things that make me think you might be single and interested, but because of my job, I couldn’t outright ask you.
YOU STOPPED TO PET MY WHITE BULLDOG IN STANLEY PARK
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: APRIL 11, 2021 WHERE: Stanley park seawall You stopped to pet my white bulldog, and told me about the white bulldog you used to have <3. You: Curly blonde haired man with an amazing smile. Me: Straight blonde haired woman with a black puffy jacket. I really enjoyed chatting, and wish I had at last asked your name! If you see this, I would love to go for a coffee! :)
You were waiting on lougheed for a bus, beautiful bright red hair and smoking a vape. I was in a car with a friend and somehow we both caught each other’s eye. Coffee?
HIKING SMILES
I WAS THE GIRL IN THE JEEP
We passed you running/hiking on the north shore. You caught up, then we caught up again. At the destination my friends stopped for a quick picture then we left while you and your friend arrived shortly after. You were giving me the biggest smile as I left. It's too bad my friends didn't stay longer we could have chatted.
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 6, 2021 WHERE: Commercial Drive I was driving down commercial and you were sitting on the harbour oyster house patio with a friend. We caught each other's eye and couldn't stop staring at each other. Coffee sometime?
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HANDSOME MAN GETTING GROCERIES.
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: APRIL 21, 2021 WHERE: Bosa Foods - Boundary
AMANDA FROM SASKATOON AND VICTORIA, NOW OF BURNABY
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 8, 2021 WHERE: North Vancouver
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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: MAY 11, 2021 WHERE: Train tracks, National/ Evans/ Terminal area I checked on you to make sure you were OK, after seeing you walking on the train tracks in East Van. You seem like a really sweet, funny, and interesting girl, and you have great
Me, female, medium blonde hair. Floral mask. You, around my height, bald, handsome, in your 40’s. I kept running into you at different areas of the store. You are a very attractive man I would like to get to know. I believe I have seen you around the area a few times. So. I have decided to see if you look on here. Next time we see each other let’s say hello.
Visit straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _ MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
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ARTS
Choreographer departs from patterns of control In her new work, Marissa Wong seeks to access memories in real time with the help of voices from her life
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by Charlie Smith
ancouver choreographer Marissa Wong’s passion for ballet led her to study in New York and Austin at a very young age. Most importantly, she was accepted at the prestigious Alonzo King LINES Ballet in San Francisco in her late teens, which provided her with the space to question what she was doing as a dancer. “Oftentimes within the system of ballet, you’re told what to do and you’re not given that opportunity,” Wong told the Straight by phone. “So that was a huge point in my career where I started to shift what my intentions were and what I was doing with my dancing. Also, my physical dancing has…dramatically shifted from that experience.” Now 27, Wong plans to encapsulate many of her life experiences in a self-choreographed solo called Departure. It includes a soundscore set within the structure of improvisation. Wong said that a pile of clothes will appear on stage, with different attire representing experiences. Departure explores through movement how her relationship to them changes over time. “There are different people that have voiceovers that will be relating the different points of my life,” she added, “and allowing me to access memory in real time. So for me as an artist on-stage, I’m listening to and acknowledging all of the sensations that are happening.”
Marissa Wong’s Departure investigates through movement the impact of personal experiences. Photo by Belen Garcia.
Recorded voices include those of her parents, grandmother, ex-lovers, childhood friends, and newer friends. It’s inspired by the 2015 bestselling book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk. “Ballet shows up in the piece because it’s inherently part of my history,” Wong explained. “As do many other aspects of who I am as a human, which incorporates me
identifying as a female or me identifying as a Canadian Chinese person.” She added that the title, Departure, does not necessarily mean that she’s abandoning these experiences. Rather, it refers to departing from the patterns of control that these experiences might have imposed on her. Through this investigation, she wonders if it’s possible to create new patterns, which won’t necessarily be passed on in a maternal or ancestral way to the next generation. “So if someone bullies me on a playground because of my ancestry or because of my heritage when I was a child, that will show up in the piece,” Wong revealed. “Not because it’s about that experience but because that is part of who I am. It is literally the fabric of my makeup and my being.” Wong praised following dancers, choreographers, and educators for helping with her movement and the development of the piece over the past three years: Amber Funk Barton, Peter Bingham, Barbara Bourget, Davida Monk, Alvin Tolentino, Raina von Waldenburg, and Helen Walkley. She also credited sound designer Jamie Bradbury, lighting designer Jono Kim, costume designer Meagan Woods, dramaturg Chick Snipper, and rehearsal director Hayley Gawthrop for their contributions. g The Dance Centre will livestream TWObigsteps Collective’s Departure twice next Friday (May 28) and twice next Saturday (May 29).
Immersive show conveys Hong Kong angst MULTIMEDIA YELLOW OBJECTS
Written and directed by Derek Chan. A Cloud Strife production. At the Firehall Arts Centre on Wednesday, March 11. Continuing to May 22
d DEREK CHAN’S yellow objects begins with a news broadcast over a radio, which sets the scene in 2051. It warns that a high-risk prisoner has escaped, implores listeners to stay vigilant, and reminds them to love their country. From there, visitors to the exhibition meet the two main characters, Sandra Wong, a Canadian woman sent to Hong Kong to deliver her grandmother’s ashes, and Uncle Chan, a custodian at a school. Once these two characters meet, the story takes off— with supernatural themes, graphic depictions of violence, and political change at the core of the material. Chan conceived of yellow objects in response to China’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement; the title refers to how a white police officer referred to one of the Hong Kong demonstrators as he was being assaulted by other officers. This exhibition was created when theatre 10
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Puppets in Derek Chan’s multimedia exhibition yellow objects offer a physically distanced way of demonstrating the magnitude of repression in Hong Kong today and possibly in the future.
went virtual in Vancouver, and Chan and the production artists expertly crafted a set and experience for the physically distanced audience to immerse themselves in. Through radio broadcasts, clips of dialogue between characters, video, and sound mixing, viewers feel as though they’re walking in on a conversation. Without the presence of actors or stagehands in the room, there is still an eerie feeling of interaction. Set pieces are brilliantly lit up with each vignette, depicting characters, setting, and tone. From a simple wall of white cloth draped
to display projections, to an umbrella, boots, and a shadow set up to look as though a girl is standing with the audience, Chan and his production team take every opportunity to include the viewer in the story. As a result, yellow objects forces people to confront the injustice that Hong Kong residents are facing. As Chan says, “It’s a rally for the ones who are still risking their lives out there; written in remembrance of those who cannot be there anymore; a lament of families broken and loves lost.” by Breanne Doyle
ARTS
Filipino Canadian artists relish painting outdoors
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by Carlito Pablo
Vancouver arts organization will hold an event at Jericho Beach honouring a tradition of the Impressionist movement. Thirteen members of the Dimasalang III International Artist Group will paint en plein air, the French expression for outdoors. The 19th-century French Impressionist art movement popularized the practice of painting in the open. The movement, which focused on real life and subjects, was led by artists such as Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Oscar-Claude Monet, and Camille Pissarro. Vancouver artist Leo Cunanan Jr. serves as president of Dimasalang III, a group that traces its roots from Manila. “The Impressionists worked with natural light when they painted plein air,” Cunanan told the Straight in a phone interview. He explained that plein air painting is much different from working inside a studio. “You’re immersed in nature, surrounded by light—and with light, the colours are richer,” Cunanan said. Plein air painting also allows artists the opportunity to paint spontaneously as light shifts and colours change. “Light is very important in capturing the essence of an impression,” Cunanan said.
Vancouver artist Leo Cunanan Jr. is president of the Dimasalang III International Artist Group, which has been inspired by French Impressionism and Filipino calls for freedom and independence.
organizations in the local Filipino Canadian community. “When SYM moved to Vancouver in the early ’80s, he initiated the concept of painting outdoors to his art students,” the media release recalls. “Finn Slough and the Steveston Harbour in Richmond were some of the earlier venues. The parks like Minoru in Richmond and Queen Elizabeth in Vancouver are a few of the chosen spots where the artists meet and paint in the summer months.” The Vancouver plein air painting event at Jericho Beach will be held on May 29, starting at 11 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Dimasalang III and the National Pilipino Canadian Cultural Centre are collaborating for the event. Cunanan told the Georgia Straight that proper social distancing will be observed. He said that visitors can drop by, watch works in progress, and interact with artists. Joining Cunanan at the May 29 plein air are Filipino artists Charlie Frenal, Francis Herradura, Jess Hipolito, Carol Historillo, Agnes Kindrachuk, Hercules King, Edgardo Lantin, Mary Ann Manuel, Bert Morelos, Andy Naval, Reynato Pablo, and Rod Pedralba. g
The most important thing is getting rid of nonessentials to create a painting that is the artist’s own interpretation… – artist Leo Cunanan Jr.
Because weather and light conditions can rapidly shift outdoors, plein air painting challenges artists to capture and render on canvas the fleeting impressions they perceive. “The most important thing is getting rid of nonessentials to create a painting that is the artist’s own interpretation of what he sees,” Cunanan said. Dimasalang (dee-mah-sah-lang) is a potent word for Filipinos. It comes from the Tagalog expression di masaling, which translates to “cannot be touched” or “untouchable”. Filipino patriot Jose Rizal, whose writings helped inspire the first nationalist revolution in Asia during the 19th century, used Dimasalang as a pen name. For Filipinos, the word dimasalang denotes resistance, a call to freedom and independence. It’s also the name of a street in Manila where Filipino artists Sofronio Ylanan
Mendoza (SYM) and E. Aguilar (Abe) Cruz cofounded the original Dimasalang arts group during the late 1960s. The original Dimasalang artists mentored other artists, and Dimasalang II was later born. A media release for Jericho Beach plein air painting event on May 29 recalls the influence of Impressionism in Dimasalang’s history. “Starting at the crack of dawn, most weekends, SYM [Mendoza], together with his artist colleagues, trek off to find a spot to paint and capture the hazy morning light. They were seen sketching and painting street scenes of Binondo in Manila; sometimes, from the rooftops of buildings. “The Dimasalang artists captured seaand landscapes, trying forever to catch that ‘magical light’,” the release notes. Dimasalang pioneer Mendoza immigrated to Vancouver in 1981. He connected with other artists, and now Dimasalang III is one of the most established grassroots
On ViEw UnTiL SePtEmBeR 6 TiCkEtS At VaNaRtGaLlErY.Bc.Ca Organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery on behalf of the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Program, curated by Diana Freundl Interim Chief Curator/Associate Director. Sun Xun, Mythology or Rebellious Bone, 2020 (detail), ink, gold leaf, natural colour pigment on paper, Courtesy of the Artist and ShanghART Gallery
MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
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MOVIES
Mbedu finds beauty in The Underground Railroad
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by Radheyan Simonpillai
he moments in a Barry Jenkins piece that make my heart swell always involve people holding, comforting, and embracing each other. Think of the scene in Moonlight where Mahershala Ali’s Juan carries and protects a young Chiron over the ocean’s waves; or in the film’s finale when the adult Chiron, then called Black, tucks his head into his lover’s chest; or in If Beale Street Could Talk, when Fonny and Tish hold tight after making love, breathing deep in a way that makes their bodies heave in unison, finding safety in the tiny space they take up together. “Those are scenes that Barry looks forward to,” Thuso Mbedu says on a Zoom call. She would know. The actor cumulatively spent almost a year shooting with Jenkins on his most ambitious project yet: a 10-part limited series based on Colson Whitehead’s novel The Underground Railroad, which is on Amazon Prime Video. Mbedu plays Cora, a young woman who escapes slavery alongside a fellow runaway named Caesar (Aaron Pierre). Cora embarks on a journey across state lines, witnessing varied horrors committed against Black people along the way. There’s a lot of suffering in The Underground Railroad, but Jenkins’s modus operandi is to search for and latch onto those moments of beauty and affection. “[Barry] knew how heavy Cora’s journey was,” Mbedu says. She describes the relief in those tender moments, when Cora would lay her head and find warmth
The Underground Railroad director Barry Jenkins (left) was not showcasing brutality merely for the sake of getting a reaction, says actor Thuso Mbedu (right). Photo by Amazon Studios.
against Caesar’s broad chest. “To have Cora being held meant giving the audience an opportunity to breathe a little easier, to feel like they are being held and they can smile just as Cora smiles.” Mbedu is very open, unlike the extremely guarded Cora, who is in a constant state of fight or flight. Of her own accord, Mbedu refers back to her own experiences and traumas, like losing her mother at the age of four, and considers how those moments affect the way she felt during scenes
of loss, love, and closure in The Underground Railroad. She also lightens the inherently heavy conversation with amusing asides about how she talks in circles and how she binged The Underground Railroad in a weekend against the advice of her director. To that latter point, Mbedu agrees the show is so substantial that it needs to be processed with time and considered with care. There is artistry to be savoured but also traumatizing episodes that require healing.
“I know that Barry comes from a place where he wants to tell the story of what happened because to pretend and erase it would be doing the ancestors a great disservice,” Mbedu says, explaining why depicting graphic scenes of Antebellum-era violence was necessary. “We’re not here showcasing brutality for the sake of getting a reaction,” she adds. “When Barry shares those moments, it’s not for sensationalism. It’s a matter of giving you a peek [at] what happened as something that is part of a bigger journey.” Witnessing pain in The Underground Railroad only makes the moments of warmth, joy, and affection feel more immense. Mbedu speaks in awe about how Jenkins made those scenes come alive, like a maestro composing the production design, score, lighting, and editing so precisely to realize the imagery only he sees in his head. On-set, Jenkins would bring Mbedu pieces of the score composed by Nicholas Britell. “He would say, ‘Close your eyes—this is what the scene sounds like.’ ” There is a scene in the second episode when Cora and Caesar find momentary solace in a deceptively utopian South Carolina society. They attend a regal outdoor ball, dancing in each other’s arms while her playful smile is lit by golden baubles. “That evening was absolutely mystical,” Mbedu says. “Everybody was merry. We had the violins. We had the atmosphere itself. The crew was feeling lighter because of the nature of the space that we were in.” g
Tailfeathers among award winners at DOXA fest
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by Charlie Smith
hortly before the DOXA Documentary Film Festival wrapped up on May 16, it announced its award-winning films. Vancouver director Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers won the Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Director for Kímmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning Of Empathy. It took her five years to film her exploration of how the Kainai First Nation in the Blackfoot Reserve in southern Alberta is addressing addiction. Her mother, Esther Tailfeathers, is a physician there. Tailfeathers felt a duty to report on how the community has mobilized to deal with this crisis and, in the process, offered lessons on harm reduction to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people across the country. DOXA fest jurors Julia Aoki, Selwyn Jacob, and Kim Hsu Guise offered this explanation in granting this award: “Tailfeathers draws on personally held relations, community connections, and carefully compiled social histories to
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THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
render the complexities of colonialism, substance use, and the politics of health through intimate portraits of the people most affected. The stories of healthcare workers and people who use substances are woven together with rigorous compassion, conveying the significant challenges posed by the opioid crisis and the healing that is made possible through community leadership and care.” DOXA’s best feature documentary award went to Father. Directed by Deng Wei, it’s about a Chinese family with a keen interest in fortune-telling and real estate. The Nigel Moore Award for Youth Programming was presented to Jaime Leigh Gianopoulos and Cláudio Cruz’s What About Our Future?; the Short Documentary Award went to “Ain’t No Time for Women”, directed by Sarra El Abed. Yael Bridge’s “The Big Scary ‘S’ Word”, which focuses on socialism in America, received honourable mention in the Nigel Moore category. g
MAY 20 – 27 / 2021
Kimmapiiyipitssini: The Meaning of Empathy filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers took home the DOXA festival’s Colin Low Award for Best Canadian Director. Photo by Sweetmoon Photograpy.
MUSIC
Jazz fest goes online (and largely free) for 2021
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by Steve Newton
hings are looking good for Vancouver jazz fans this summer, pandemic or not. The TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival has scheduled a plethora of streamed concerts, talks, and workshops. After cancelling last year’s festival due to COVID-19, the Coastal Jazz & Blues Society has lined up more than 100 virtual events—including 52 that are free to view—for its 35th edition, which runs from June 25 to July 4. The festival will feature performances by B.C. artists as well as streams from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Amsterdam, and Paris. The core of the free program features two daily performances from Ocean Art Works on Granville Island at noon and 1:30 p.m., one daily performance from Performance Works on Granville Island at 2:30 p.m., and one daily performance from Ironworks in Railtown at 4:30 p.m. Artists featured in the free program include Dawn Pemberton, Alvaro Rojas, Cat Toren’s HUMAN KIND, DJ Kookum and Sierra Baker, Jillian Lebeck, Lydia Hol, Mary Ancheta, Anita Eccleston, Amanda Sum, the Krystle Dos Santos Band, Eli Davidovici, the Peggy Lee Cole Schmidt Trio (featuring Dan Gaucher), and Jasmine Jazz (featuring the Jodi Proznick Trio). The festival tradition of free workshops from Tom Lee Music Hall continues, with daily ones hosted at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom.
DJ Kookum (right) and Sierra Baker are among the local musicians performing free shows at this year’s TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, which runs online from June 25 to July 4.
The lineup of workshop leaders includes pianist Roisin Adams (June 27), guitaristpianist Itamar Erez (June 28), electronic musician and pianist Quincy Mayes (June 29), guitarist Gavin Youngash (June 30), guitarist Ayla Tesler-Mabe (July 1), and pianist Sharon Minemoto (July 2). As far as international programming goes, the festival has partnered with friends in Europe for two multi-artist concert streams. On June 26 at 5:30 p.m., Trio Vatcher, Stadhouders, Petrucelli, Michael Moore’s Dice Cup, and OMAWI will perform live from Amsterdam’s BIMHuis. And
on July 3 at 5:30 p.m., Roberto Negro, Duo Les Métanuits, and Papier Ciseau will perform live from Paris. All streamed performances will be available to view on Coastal Jazz & Blues Society’s YouTube channel from broadcast date to 11:59 p.m. on July 6. As far as ticketed concerts go, highlights include Snotty Nose Rez Kids—the hiphop duo of Yung Trybez and Young D— streaming live from Performance Works on June 25 at 8 p.m.; the improvisational Jamie Lee Trio, with drummer-composer Lee, streaming live from Frankie’s Jazz in the company of pianist James Dekker and
bassist Marcus Abramzik on June 27 at 7:30 p.m.; and the Sun Ra Arkestra—known for melding Ellingtonian big-band swing with transcendent free jazz—streaming July 4 at 10:30 p.m. Other ticketed shows to keep an eye on at this year’s jazz fest are keyboardist-composer Sharon Minemoto performing with her quartet—which includes saxophonist Jon Bentley, bassist Darren Radtke, and drummer Bernie Arai—on June 25 at 7:30 p.m.; captivating vocalist Laura Crema performing choice arrangements of genrespanning tunes with guitarist-composer Bill Coon, pianist Miles Black, and bassist Conrad Good on July 2 at 7:30 p.m.; and Vancouver blues matriarch Dallanah Gail Bowen celebrating the enduring legacy of Billie Holiday alongside pianist Michael Creber, bassist Miles Hill, and saxophonist Dave Say on July 4 at 7:30 p.m. The North Shore Jazz series features performances streamed live from the BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts, including one from Suzie Ungerleider, the singer-songwriter formerly known as Oh Susanna, on June 26 at 8 p.m. All online performances will take place in accordance with the Provincial Health Office’s guidelines. g For more information about this year’s TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival, visit www. coastaljazz.ca.
On Our Radar: Mangan’s “Lay Low” has a message
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by Mike Usinger
s anyone knows who has ever brought a child into the world, life is a wild roller coaster of emotions: tear-splattered rage, laughter-filled joy, lip-quivering sadness, and thanks-for-the-bottle contentedness. All of the preceding packed into a five-minute window somewhere in the neighbourhood of 30 times a day. Thank God for nap time. And, as any adult who’s ever been a kid knows (which is to say everyone but Benjamin Button), time’s a weird thing when you’re little. Twelve days might as well be 12 years, which explains why it once seemed like you were never going to finish elementary school. And let’s not even get started on the yearlong-and-counting COVID-19 pandemic, which no matter what your age has seemingly stretched on for 12 centuries. Childhood, time, and endless days at home all factor into the recently released video for “Lay Low” by Dan Mangan. The Vancouver singer-songwriter describes the video as follows: “Shot over the span of a
A toddler named August, who happens to be the child of director Deryn Robson, has a starring role in Dan Mangan’s new video as the boy confronts the difficult struggles of living under a lockdown.
year during a global pandemic, we follow the experience of a toddler confronting emotions of frustration, sadness, fear and happiness amidst life in lockdown.” As for the star of the show, she was more than familiar with “Lay Low” before the fi lming started.
In his director’s statement Deryn Robson writes: “I had the pleasure of connecting with Dan almost a year ago when he reacted to an Instagram story of August, my then 2 year old child singing along to Lay Low. Dan’s music had become a staple within our ‘quarantines
playlist’. August particularly loved the song, and would sing along unaware of the meaning or how it related to our current context. “As was the case for many people, the slow down in work and the sudden, jarring pause to normal life provided lots of time for introspection and observation,” Robson continues. “It immediately became apparent to me that much of my own internalized feelings of uncertainty, frustration and fear were freely expressed by August on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. August, or Auggie as he would introduce himself, provided us with a perfect abstraction of our own, sometimes unspeakable frustrations with the world we suddenly find ourselves in as we grapple with an uncertain future and a past we can’t return to.” If you can watch it on Straight.com, pause to think about the reality that the three minutes and 18 seconds out of your life will be roughly equivalent to three days for those watching through a small child’s eyes. Except, maybe, for Benjamin Button. g
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SAVAGE LOVE
Start with the butt if you need a blowjob button by Dan Savage
b I’M A EUROPEAN HETEROSEXUAL girl and reading your column from afar has been a good way for me to better know the sex world! I am wondering if you have advice for me about a “faster” way to do blowjobs. Or rather a way to make my boyfriend come faster from them. I like doing them, but after some time my mouth begins to hurt and I’d like him to finish. My partner is “slower” to come than other men I’ve been with. During intercourse sex, I don’t mind. I usually come first but it’s not a problem to wait for him to finish. But during oral sex, it is harder to wait. Sometimes I say no to giving him a blowjob because I know the effort it will take. I don’t want to talk with him about this because I
Scan to conffess
don’t want to make him self-conscious. I know how good it is to receive oral sex without thinking about having to rush my own orgasm and I don’t want to make him feel rushed. Over the years of our relationship, I haven’t found a trick that gives me the power to make it faster. I need some button to push. Maybe you have some tips for me? - Sex Tips Inducing Faster Finish Easing Discomfort
I have some good news: there is a button. It’s doesn’t work on all men, sadly, but for many men a little pressure on this button can speed up an approaching orgasm considerably. While this button isn’t hard to find, STIFFED, you can’t see it with the
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.
Life Struggles My husband has a 3 year old son from a previous relationship and the mother is a drug addict/prostitute so he has full custody now. I don’t hate the kid but he isn’t my kid. I had no problems with him spending weekends with us but 7 days a week is too much. Everything now revolves around him. He converted my gym which is an oasis from the world into his bedroom. I argue with my husband about him on a daily basis. He should spend an equal amount of time with each of us. I mean his mother lives in a halfway house now so I think she’s in a position to look after him a little more. This is something she has been pushing for. I didn’t sign up to be looking after someone’s kid.
A Story As Old As Time I got involved with a girl on the island who sold erotic massages through Craigslist (when it was allowed) with an oral happy ending. Being a man with compassion and resources, I tried to “save” her and she turned on me. I’m an idiot.
I can nally understand how people Have these crazy jacked up trucks and dialed muscle cars. It’s so hard not to throw all my time and money into this thing, I always feel like I’m a few steps away from perfection. But then I feel an itch for the roar and I put my foot to the floor… I swear it’s better than sex.
Free at last For the past five years I have had to deal with a super toxic co worker this person was awful to be around caused problems all the time and got away with it. The line was finally crossed and the powers at be fired this person. Now I have peace in my work place again happy days.
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Bring a man to orgasm quickly by pressing on his prostate. Photo by Joey Nicotra/Unsplash.
naked eye… because it’s inside a guy’s ass. The prostate is a walnut-shaped gland that produces seminal fluid; it’s located inside and up a man’s bum. If you’re facing your boyfriend—which you would be while blowing him—his prostate is on the same side of his body that you are. Slip a finger in his ass, make a gentle “come here” motion with your finger, and you’ll be hitting that button. Keep gently pressing on his prostate as his orgasm approaches and you should feel it harden, swell, and contract. But you’re gonna need to get your boyfriend’s consent before sticking a finger in his ass, STIFFED, which means you’re gonna have to talk to him about trying this—and I think you should level with him about why you wanna try it. You don’t frame it as a problem (“You take too long!”). He has amazing stamina, right? And while that stamina is great during PIV (you always come first), it’s a challenge when you blow him. Figuring out what you can do to get him there a little faster without making him feel rushed is something you should be able to talk about. You need to be able to talk honestly with your partner about sex. It’s particularly important that you’re able to freely give feedback when sex is physically uncomfortable. While there’s an obvious upside for you to speeding up his orgasms during oral, e.g., less wear and tear on your face, there are two big upsides for him: you’re gonna get him there faster by making blowjobs more intensely pleasurable for him, and he’s gonna get more of those more intensely pleasurable blowjobs once they’re less physically taxing for you. And if a finger in the butt is a no-go for your boyfriend (or you), STIFFED, there are some other tricks you can try. Some guys get there a little faster during oral if you cup, squeeze, or gently pull on their balls; some guys get there a little faster if you play with their nipples (or they play with their own). And you can always use your hands to speed things along, i.e., pull his dick out of your mouth, give him a few good pumps, get him closer to the finish line, and then dive back down on his dick. b MY WIFE AND I just celebrated our 34th anniversary. For the first year, it was great.
We shared many intimate moments. But on her 26th birthday (33 years ago!) she got “it”. A vibrator. Ever since, I feel like I’ve been bumped down to a distant fourth in our relationship. Her priorities: family, job, “it”, then me. She thinks everything is fine and that we’re soulmates, friends, lovers, et cetera, but I feel like her lowest priority. I’ve read articles where women can be become addicted to these devices, essentially snubbing their significant others. I know it’s complicated, but what can I do to win her back? I’ve tried romancing her, but I’m always competing with “it” for intimate attention. How many others have been replaced by “it” in their relationships? What can I do? - Vanquishing “It” Becomes Essential Quest
compete with “it”. Sex is not a competition, VIBEQ, and “it” is not your competitor. “It” is a tool, VIBEQ, and “it” could and should be your friend and collaborator instead of your nemesis. First, your wife is not broken and her clit does not have addiction issues. Your wife is most likely one of the many women out there who can only come with the help of a vibrator. Some women (and some other people with clits) need sustained deep-tissue vibrations in order to get off. Remember: dicks and clits are made up of the same starter pack of fetal tissues; a dick is a big clit, a clit is a small dick. But most of the clit—the “shaft” of the clit, e.g., the erectile tissues and chambers that anchor the exposed glans of clit to the body—is internal. You probably haven’t seen many men jerk off, VIBEQ, but I have. Some men (and other people who have penises) focus all of their efforts on the heads of their cocks—working the glans—while others barely touch the head and focus most of their efforts on the shaft. Basically, there are women out there who need the “shaft” of the clitoris stimulated in order to come—not the exposed glans, but the majority of the clitoris, which is inside the body. The sensations provided by a powerful vibrator is the best and, for some women, the only way to hit their shafts with the sensations required to get them off. So my advice—after all these years—is to finally learn to love “it”. Invite your wife to incorporate “it” into your sex sessions; don’t make the mistake (or continue making the mistake) of forcing her to choose between sex with you that doesn’t get her all the way there and masturbation sessions with “it” that do. Let her use “it” on/with herself when you’re having intercourse and ask if you can use “it” on/with her when you’re not, e.g., every once in a while leave your dick out of it and focus on your wife’s pleasure. Hopefully, you’ll come to see “it” as an extension of your body when “it” is in your hands, and as your loyal wingman when “it” is in hers. Good luck and happy anniversary. g
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