The Georgia Straight - Two-Spirit Pride - July 25, 2019

FREE | JULY 25 - AUGUST 1 / 2019

Volume 53 | Number 2688

SQUAMISH CONSTELLATION Shad, Cosmo Sheldrake, and more

BACH FESTIVAL

Buzz builds over Brandenburg Concertos

SANTA ONO

Advocate for women’s equality

Two-Spirit

Pride

Cree-Métis chef Heat Laliberte says Vancouver’s welcoming queer community gave him the courage to take the biggest step of his life; plus, LGBT spark plugs change perspectives

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2 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 3

Happily Ever After Say I do on a mountaintop surrounded by alpine peaks and centuries-old forest. In summer or winter, Grouse Mountain can help create a day where every moment will take your breath away.

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CONTENTS

July 25 – August 1 / 2019

27 COVER

Chef Heat Laliberte says the city’s LGBT community helped enable him to transition into who he is today.

By Gail Johnson Cover photo by Adriana Laliberte

9

NEWS

UBC president Santa Ono wants more women to win awards, so he’s promoting the hashtag #NominateHer.

By Charlie Smith

26 FOOD

Pride season in the city means there are plenty of photogenic, rainbow-coloured treats to choose from.

By Tammy Kwan

29 ARTS

Vancouver Bach Festival headliners Les Boréades de Montréal survey the composer’s greatest music.

By Alexander Varty

35 MUSIC

Shad manages to make the world a better place with A Short Story About a War.

By Mike Usinger

e Start Here 28 THE BOTTLE 8 COMMENTARY 12 HOROSCOPES 28 I SAW YOU 33 MOVIE REVIEWS 6 REAL ESTATE 39 SAVAGE LOVE 10 TECHNOLOGY 30 THEATRE

e Online TOP 5

e Listings 31 ARTS 37 MUSIC

e Services 37 CLASSIFIEDS

Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 53 | Number 2688 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 T: 604.730.7000 F: 604.730.7010 E: gs.info@straight.com straight.com DISPLAY ADVERTISING: T: 604.730.7020 F: 604.730.7012 E: sales@straight.com

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Here’s what people are reading this week on Straight.com.

1 2 3 4 5

Woman smashes backpack in teen’s face on 95 B-Line.

Two Port Alberni men described as suspects in murders of tourists.

Indigenous couple settles discrimination complaint with Denny’s.

Big rat spotted in fridge at 7-Eleven in East Vancouver.

VPL rejected from 2019 Pride parade after speaker’s event.

GeorgiaStraight @GeorgiaStraight @GeorgiaStraight

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REAL ESTATE

City cancels increases to residential-project levies

D

by Carlito Pablo

evelopers are going to have some extra cash in their pockets this year.

Thanks to the City of Vancouver, they are exempted from 2019 inflationary increases in fees they pay for market housing projects, like condos.

Were they not let off the hook, residential developers would be paying an additional 5.2 percent in development-cost levies, community-amenity contributions, and density bonuses.

Instead, the inflationary increase will be applied only to commercial and industrial projects, effective September 30 this year.

Chris Robertson, assistant director for citywide and regional planning, wrote two reports to council that recommended forgoing the rate adjustment for residential developments.

In both reports, Robertson cited a “weakening residential market” as the reason for exempting housing developers.

“The weakening market in the residential sector highlights the need to reconsider the timing and implications of applying the 2019 calculated inflationary rate adjustment on new residential development,” Robertson wrote in a report about density-bonus contributions.

That report on density-bonus contributions was adopted on consent, or without discussion, by council on Tuesday (July 23).

Density bonuses are paid by developers in return for being allowed to build more floor space than is normally permitted. For example, an extra square foot of density in certain areas in the Cambie Street corridor costs $55, based on 2018 rates that will carry over this year.

“Applying the inflationary rate increase to residential development could deter development from proceeding,” Robertson wrote.

On July 10 this year, council voted to approve Robertson’s other report, which proposed exempting residential developers from inflationary increases

The city will hike fees on commercial developments. Photo by Stephen Hui

of 5.2 percent on development-cost levies (DCLs) and community-amenity contributions (CACs).

DCLs are based on square footage and constitute a significant source of revenue for the city. Based on a 2018 staff report, the city collected an average of $72 million a year in DCLs between 2013 and 2017.

CACs are paid either in kind or in cash in exchange for property-rezoning approvals by the city.

Robertson estimated that the city will be forgoing about $5 million in extra revenues from DCLs and CACs because residential developers will not be paying the inflationary rate.

The density-bonus exemptions will cost the city less, about $100,000, according to Robertson.

In both reports, Robertson cited assessments by the Urban Development Institute (UDI) and the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) of the residential market.

According to UDI, the city staff member wrote, sales of new condos and townhouses in the first quarter of 2019 “declined to some of the lowest levels” in Vancouver in six years.

In addition, Robertson noted that based on REBGV data as of April 2019, year-over-year resale prices for some housing types and in a number of locations in Vancouver fell between nine percent and 14 percent. g

C leanup OF THE WEEK THE ORCAS of the Salish Sea are

back. The famed southern resident killer whales have returned to their summer home. And what’s more, they have two newborns, raising hopes for the endangered species.

The orcas are not the only creatures at risk in the Salish Sea. According to the Wilderness Committee, there are 119 species in and around the inland waters between Canada and the U.S. whose survival is threatened by factors ranging from declining food sources to pollution.

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Preventing litter from entering the ocean is one way to help save the orcas and other endangered species. On Thursday (July 25), the Wilderness Committee is organizing a beach cleanup at the Tsatsu Shores near the Tsawwassen ferry causeway, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

There are about 10 carpool spots available at the Safeway parking lot near Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain Station in Vancouver. To reserve, contact chloe@wilder nesscommittee.org. g

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COMMENTARY

McCallum tricks Surrey voters

A promised $1.6-billion SkyTrain to Langley will only make it to Fleetwood

by Charlie Smith

PETER BELOSTOTSKY quality real estate services

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TransLink says it will cost $3.12 billion to extend SkyTrain to Langley Centre, nearly double the price claimed by Surrey’s mayor.

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8 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

n recent years, it became fashionable to bash former Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan. We published some of the complaints about him ourselves before he was defeated in the 2018 election.

People were upset that he wouldn’t allow a homeless shelter in his city during his 16-year tenure in the mayor’s chair. Corrigan’s critics used to say he was too rigidly attached to the city’s towncentre planning process, leading to evictions of tenants in Metrotown.

Some thought the former lawyer was too quick to verbally rip into his political opponents.

But after reading TransLink’s newest details about the so-called Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project, I’m feeling a little nostalgic about Corrigan. That’s because he would most certainly be raising hell about this “Fleetwood SkyTrain” if he were still the mayor of Burnaby.

On Thursday (July 25), the TransLink Mayors’ Council could approve a $1.6-billion plan to develop a SkyTrain line running just seven kilometres from King George Station to the Fleetwood area of Surrey. Surrey mayor Doug McCallum claimed in the last election campaign that this funding envelope—provided by taxpayers across the region, province, and country—would enable the project to go 16.5 kilometres to Langley Centre.

In reality, it won’t even get to Clayton in East Surrey for $1.6 billion. Anyone who has paid attention to the cost of rapid-transit projects knew that McCallum’s election-campaign claim was utter rubbish. SkyTrain projects can never come in at $100 million per kilometre in 2019.

McCallum’s opponents with the new Proudly Surrey party described the Safe Surrey Coalition campaign, led by McCallum, as a “know-nothing populist wave”.

“Know-nothing populism is not about right or left,” wrote Proudly Surrey candidates Pauline Greaves and Stuart Parker on Straight.com before the election. “It is about a kind of political discourse that shuts down critical thinking and rational dialogue, that creates a fog of confusion and negativity so as to more effectively bamboozle voters with what appear to be clear messages but are, in fact, carefully crafted nonsense.”

As a result of McCallum’s Trumpian promise, Surrey will get four new stations for this $1.6 billion. That’s rather than the eight stations that would have been built had the SkyTrain line reached Langley Centre.

The annual fare revenue will be $10.2 million from four stations by 2035, according to SkyTrain.

That’s rather than $21.3 million per year with eight stations for this $1.6-billion expenditure.

That will mean tens of millions of dollars will have to be diverted from other parts of the transit system over the first 10 years of service. Either

Surrey were snookered. Corrigan would have let the public know, in very clear terms, that they will inevitably end up with inferior regional bus service and/or higher fares as a result of spurious claims about the cost of SkyTrain to Langley in the last election campaign. There would have been a lot more attention on this as a result.

But with the notable exceptions of Richmond’s Malcolm Brodie and the City of North Vancouver’s Linda Buchanan, most of the mayors were reluctant to seriously question McCallum’s codswallop.

I can only imagine how Corrigan might have responded had he been at the table when the fateful decision was made on November 15 to suspend the Surrey light-rail project.

The two Stewarts—Mayor Kennedy Stewart in Vancouver and Mayor Richard Stewart in Coquitlam, as well as the Township of Langley’s Jack Froese—appeared to be in McCallum’s corner. With these municipalities’ combined populations, it would easily give McCallum enough support at the TransLink Mayors’ Council to get his way in any weighted vote.

Kennedy Stewart formed an alliance with McCallum because he wants the Surrey mayor to support a SkyTrain extension to UBC, which could further cannibalize the regional bus system.

The current chair of the mayors’ council, New Westminster’s Jonathan Cote, knows that this duo, along with Froese, could easily oust him if he raises a ruckus. Besides, Cote already has five SkyTrain stations in his city, unlike the mayors CORRIGAN, THE outspoken for- of the North Shore, Port Coquitlam, mer mayor of Burnaby, chaired the and Maple Ridge.

TransLink Mayors’ Council before he was defeated. In that capacity, he WHAT’S THE lesson in all of this?

If you’re planning on relying on was promoting the light-rail project in Surrey and a massive expansion in transit for your morning commute bus service. Corrigan has always been 10 years from now, find a place close a strong supporter of the bus network. to a SkyTrain station, if you can af“Phase two [of the regional trans- ford it. That’s because the bus netportation plan]—together with the work, which has always been the phase-one plan we announced a lit- backbone of the regional transit tle over a year ago—will add 900,000 system, will likely suffer cutbacks if more hours of bus service per year in McCallum gets his way again at the our already extensive bus network,” mayors’ council.

There are those who support Corrigan said in March 2018. “We’re adding almost as much bus service as SkyTrain projects at all costs. They delivered in total by B.C. Transit in rightly point out that this Cadillac system is popular with the public this province.”

This came after he and the other and always draws ridership. But the mayors had reached a landmark reality is that the SkyTrain still covagreement with the provincial and ers a relatively small footprint in the Lower Mainland. federal governments.

For those enduring the growing In essence, McCallum persuaded the other mayors to tear it up after gridlock on the North Shore, intense the election. Corrigan’s successor traffic tie-ups in Port Coquitlam, and as Burnaby’s mayor, Mike Hurley, brutal congestion along King George wasn’t exactly on the frontlines de- Boulevard, a $1.6-billion SkyTrain project to Fleetwood isn’t going to fending the interests of bus riders.

Corrigan, on the other hand, would heal their pain. And for low-income have stood up to McCallum when he people, including students, who ride joined the mayors’ council and made the buses in these areas, it’s quite his outlandish claims about the cost possible that they’ll be waiting longer in the future at their stops. of a SkyTrain project to Langley.

That’s the way it always seems to If he were still mayor, Corrigan’s voice would be booming across pages work in Metro Vancouver whenever a of newspapers, on radio, and on TV shiny new rapid-transit project comes newscasts about how the voters of before local politicians for a vote. g that, or transit fares will have to be substantially increased, hurting lowincome people and students.

The ridership on this new line in 2035 will be 39,900 per weekday—including just 12,000 new transit trips per weekday—for this $1.6 billion.

That’s rather than the 62,000 per weekday—and 24,000 new transit trips—forecast with eight stations.

The now-kiboshed Surrey-Newton-Guildford Light Rail Transit project would have delivered nine new stations. That was in addition to the existing SkyTrain stops at King George and Surrey Central.

It would have contributed to a more vibrant city centre, more business investment in Surrey, and more tax revenue for municipal coffers.

McCallum, on the other hand, wants to promote Surrey as a bedroom community with a SkyTrain project that will funnel commuters into downtown Vancouver.

McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition won the election, in part, by falsely promising to build SkyTrain from King George Station to Langley at the same $1.65-billion cost as the promised street-level light-rail line linking Guildford to Surrey Centre and Surrey Centre to Newton. This was despite TransLink’s previous estimated cost of $2.9 billion to develop SkyTrain from King George Station to Langley.

TransLink’s newest estimated price tag is $3.12 billion—almost double McCallum’s forecast. Regional taxpayers are responsible for covering any cost overruns.

NEWS

UBC’s Ono says gender inequality is ubiquitous

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by Charlie Smith

he head of Canada’s fourthlargest university has had enough of men taking home most of the prestigious prizes in the world.

In a TEDxUBC speech, which was recently posted on YouTube, UBC president Santa Ono went into great detail about how women have been shortchanged in many areas. He noted that of the more than 900 Nobel Prizes awarded, only 50 have gone to women.

“The Nobel categories with the highest percentage of winners are literature and peace,” Ono said. “And in those categories, the chance that you will win if you’re a woman is only 12.5 percent.”

He added that in physics and economics, it’s far worse: only one percent of winners have been women.

According to Ono, the first winner of a Nobel Prize in physics, Marie Curie, only received it because her husband, Pierre Curie, insisted on this or else he was going to refuse the honour. Last year, Canadian Donna Theo Strickland became only the third female winner of the Nobel Prize in physics.

Men in prominent positions have to take action to address the situation.

– Santa Ono

“Part of the reason I care is because of all the amazing students, women, at the University of British Columbia,” Ono stated. “But it’s far more personal than that. I want my daughters to live in a more equalized world where they can be acknowledged based upon their merit rather than their gender.

“We must all fight for gender equity so that no woman is excluded or discouraged from the field that she excels in,” he continued. “So that no breakthroughs are lost through the barriers of sexism. And no one who deserves a chance is passed up because they are female. We owe it to the next generation to take steps to ensure that every girl today can fulfill her potential tomorrow.”

At the start of his speech, Ono revealed that a “very kind person” emailed him a while ago. This person stated that he would like to nominate Ono for a major prize.

“At first I was flattered, but I replied that I’d rather him consider nominating a younger person, preferably a woman,”

In a TEDxUBC speech, Santa Ono noted that most prestigious prizes go to men.

Ono revealed. “You see, I’ve been very fortunate in my life to win more than my share of prizes and awards and medals over the years. I would rather see other people honoured.”

The UBC president added that it’s really nice to receive awards and medals, and he has fond memories of the ceremonies and nice dinners that came with them.

“But I actually think that awards go to the same people far too often— and they should be spread to more people,” Ono stated. “In particular, far too many awards go to men.”

So he’s promoting the use of the hashtag #NominateHer to try to level the playing field.

“Gender inequality persists in almost every profession,” Ono declared. “I’m here to say it diminishes institutions, universities, entire professions, entire regions, entire nations, and, in fact, the entire world.

“Sadly, while there has been some progress towards gender equity in certain sectors, gender inequality is still the norm. And in some places in the world, it is still increasing.”

He emphasized that there has also been “little progress here at home”.

“It is everyone’s responsibility,” Ono insisted. “And every man and woman, especially men in prominent positions, have to take action to address the situation.”

He suggested that men have to take the lead, giving women space in the workplace and providing mechanisms for them to reenter after having children.

Then he suggested that men give more thought to mentorship schemes that provide the same opportunities to women as are going to men.

Moreover, Ono argued that people need to become more aware of their biases and attack them. He closed his speech by reiterating his call for greater recognition for women.

“Lastly, this is something meant for men: hashtag ‘NominateHer’, wherever and whenever possible, especially where it’s clear there’s underrepresentation of women,” he said. g

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by Kate Wilson

ntrepreneur Andrew Yang is one of the most forwardthinking individuals in the U.S. presidential race. As well as being a champion of Universal Basic Income—a form of social security that guarantees citizens a certain amount of money to combat job losses from automation—the businessman has built a career on recognizing how work is evolving in the modern era. At the top of his résumé is his role as founder of Venture for America, a fellowship program for recent college graduates who want to become startup leaders and entrepreneurs.

The initiative caught the eye of Canadian Scott Stirrett while he was completing his degree at the U.S.’s Georgetown University. An ambitious student with an interest in entrepreneurship, nonprofits, and training, he was frustrated that—as a foreign national in America—he couldn’t apply for the program. His solution was to create a similar organization tailored to his home country.

Venture for Canada was founded five years ago in Atlantic Canada and Ontario. Created with the goal of building a pathway for young people to gain the experience of working in startups and preparing recent grads for the future of work, the organization helps Canadians aged 19 to 24 to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and find their first job.

The organization achieves that aim through two different streams: the internship program and the fellowship program.

“We recruit, train, and support students to intern at Atlantic Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises for 16-week terms,” says Stirrett, interviewed at a Gastown coworking studio. “They are selected and take part in a two-day training

Venture for Canada CEO Scott Stirrett modelled his organization on its American counterpart, which places students and recent grads at innovative startups.

camp and receive access to four or five ongoing trainings over the course of those 16 weeks. Over the past year, Venture for Canada has placed over 250 interns at startups in the region, from rural P.E.I. to Halifax.”

Complementing the internship program—which is geared toward those still at school—the fellowship program targets individuals who have just collected their diploma and are looking to start their careers.

“The fellowship program is a selective program,” Stirrett says. “We only take about five percent of applicants. The fellows go through a month-long training camp, which gives them access to the full community, which is important. The people they meet there are more than just friends: that peer group is crucial in terms of helping people navigate early career decisions and giving people a network that can really accelerate their career potential.”

After the training camp is complete, newly minted fellows spend two years working for companies selected by Venture for Canada for

their entrepreneurial bent. The individuals—paid competitive salaries fresh out of school and receiving ongoing support from the Venture for Canada team—learn how to be part of building and running a business. Stirrett hopes the fellows will use those skills to bolster other Canadian startups or found their own companies.

The fellowship program has been running for five years on the East Coast and in Ontario. This year is the first that Venture for Canada has been open to partnering with B.C. companies and placing grads in the province.

“Vancouver has one of the fastestgrowing startup ecosystems in Canada,” he says. “There is a ton of great small to medium-sized business here. And if there’s one thing in common among millennials in Canada, it’s a desire to live in Vancouver. I think we see a significant demand from grads and students to live and work here, and we as an organization go where we’re wanted and there’s a strong need. B.C. meets that criteria. Our application for the 2020 fellowship will be open in September.” g

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10 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

Bitcoin Wizard demystifies cryptocurrency (This story is sponsored by Bitcoin Wizard.)

W

ill Casarin was one of Bitcoin’s early adopters in 2010. But it wasn’t until a few years later, when he was working for Vancouver record label Monstercat that he decided to try putting his knowledge into practice.

“We released one of the first Bitcoin stores online that sold music,” Casarin says. “I’ve always been in the tech space and I wanted to see how we could apply this technology to new things.”

He’s now been in the cryptocurrency industry for almost a decade and although the technology has changed and improved considerably, the self-taught Bitcoin expert still remains passionate about its potential.

“The main reason you’d want to choose Bitcoin is because of its complete financial independence,” Casarin explains. “When you own Bitcoin you truly own it in the sense that no one can deflate the value or take it away from you, and this has wide-ranging implications.”

There is a lot of content online about Bitcoin, but in Casarin’s experience, most people tend to focus on price, which means there’s a gap in understanding.

“So many people talk about Bitcoin like it’s a get-rich-quick scheme and I feel like they are missing what this actually means for society,” he says.

When Casarin looked for reliable, authoritative, and interesting information online, he struggled to find it. That’s when he founded his business, Bitcoin Wizard, a local and trustworthy source of valuable Bitcoin knowledge.

“My core goal for the company is to try to move the narrative from just price talk to truly understanding the technology,” he says.

Through individual and small

Will Casarin, founder of Bitcoin Wizard, holds the tiny device that securely stores Bitcoin, which means you can conveniently carry your bank in your pocket.

group consultations, Bitcoin Wizard provides everything from the basics to more advanced security and storage solutions—all to ensure participants receive a customized learning session to meet their needs.

Like with any new technology there is a lot of fear and misconceptions around it, but Casarin hopes to educate people so they can make informed decisions.

“I can teach you how it works and you can come to your own conclusions,” he says. “It is true that there has been this explosion of scams, but don’t believe everything you hear online. That’s why I think education is really important in this space.”

After all, Casarin is not trying to sell people on using Bitcoin, but rather to help them understand it. He advises anyone considering Bitcoin to do their homework and use caution.

“Look out for people promising unrealistic things or trying to sell you magical money-making schemes,” Casarin warns. “Offering guaranteed returns is a very common, ‘scammy’ tactic that you’ll see online. It’s not about getting rich

quick; it’s about learning the technology and what it means going forward because, as far as we can tell, it’s not going away.”

At its core, Bitcoin is a code-based technology that’s changing and improving every day. Although Casarin has personally been involved its development, he recognizes that his experience and awareness of its technical intricacies are more than what’s required for the average person.

“It’s this really big piece of technology that’s very complicated, but it’s important to know that you don’t need to understand it in its finest detail to use it,” he explains. “It’s kind of like the Internet. None of us really knows how the Internet works at the lowest level, but we can still use it for helpful things, like Googling websites. Bitcoin can be thought of in that way as well and you can still use it in a productive way.” g To learn more about Bitcoin and how it might work for you and/or your company, visit the Bitcoin Wizard website at bitcoinwizard.net/ and sign up for a consultation.

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12 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

HOROSCOPE

A

JULY 25 TO 31, 2019

by Rose Marcus

new British PM, the escalation in Hong Kong, Iran and the USA; politics, economics, and high heat; here and everywhere—what a week!

Mars/Jupiter has been raising the stakes while also stoking the fire of desire and “I deserve” all week.

Offering a jump-start on the weekend, Mars/Jupiter is at peak on Thursday. On the pleasurable side of life, this “built for ease” transit sets a great backdrop for enjoyment and for rewarding yourself more—for travel, vacations, and lovers.

On the bigger-picture note, Mars/ Jupiter says live it up today but also direct attention toward tomorrow’s potential gains. Although there’s still another week to go of Mercury retrograde, it is time to explore more, aim higher, and go further. Stay game; up your game, too. The sun (newly in Leo), Venus in Leo (starting late Saturday), and next Wednesday’s super new moon in Leo support that agenda.

What makes you happy? What makes you shine? The next few weeks are revitalizing, especially regarding creative opportunity, confidence levels, and beating hearts. Gift yourself more. Love the one you are with!

Mars, continuing in Leo, says selflove is the best place to start.

During the coming weeks, Venus can enhance financial and romantic prospects. Late Monday, sun/Uranus hits a trigger or a breaker switch.

An unblock, unlock, strike-flint, or freeing influence, this transit can act as a positive stimulant or bring a welcome release. Through Tuesday, there may be something to confront, reassess, work through, or finish.

Mercury retrograde ends on Wednesday’s super new moon in Leo. Goodbye to July; hello, August! Consider the next few weeks a fresh chance to take delivery of the season’s best.

A

ARIES

March 20–April 20

By plane or some other mode of travel, Mars/Jupiter puts you/it into flight Thursday. Play it up; have fun; try your luck. Venus in Leo, starting Saturday, puts you better in touch with your beating heart and your creative centre. Monday sets you up for a breakthrough or a next phase or page.

Sun/Uranus can stimulate a fresh impulse, insight, or something timely.

B

TAURUS

April 20–May 21

Thursday/Friday are great for getting a move on. Mars/Jupiter in full swing boosts your physical energy, confidence, and sense of “I deserve”.

Spontaneous or planned, Saturday/ Sunday keeps you on a good roll. For the next several weeks, Venus in Leo keeps you focused on getting more of the good stuff and on bettering your best. Monday/Tuesday can trigger something fresh or unexpected.

C

GEMINI

May 21–June 21

Thursday/Friday, good things can happen when you stay game/stay ready. Mars/Jupiter is ideal for travel, adventure, and putting yourself out there. Someone or something can make a big impression on you. Venus in Leo, starting Saturday, and the super new moon in Leo, launching Wednesday, pump up your social life and romantic prospects. The moment is what you make of it!

D

CANCER

June 21–July 22

Thursday/Friday, your timing is good; the going gets easier.

Know you can do more and get further. You may spend more, but likely you’ll feel the outlay is worthwhile.

For the next several weeks, Venus in Leo helps you to make the most of what you have to work with. Monday/ Tuesday can see you make a breakthrough with someone or something.

E

LEO

July 22–August 23

The stars now make you the chosen one. Claim your spotlight

and watch for special attention and good feedback to come your way.

You’ll have no trouble keeping that good thing going strong, thanks to: Mars in Leo and the fresh infusions of Venus in Leo, starting Saturday; sun/Uranus cranking it up on Monday; and a super new moon in Leo on Wednesday.

F

VIRGO

G

LIBRA

H

SCORPIO

I

SAGITTARIUS

J

CAPRICORN

K

AQUARIUS

L

PISCES

August 23–September 23

If you feel juiced up, great—go for it. If it isn’t coming naturally, you don’t have to hit go quite yet. The stars renew your prescription for an extended time to regroup, heal, and get yourself better prepared. A vacation is well timed, especially a vacation from fear-based emotions. Relax, enjoy, and chill out until you feel the moment speaking to you.

September 23–October 23

While Mercury retrograde continues in Cancer, the sun, Mars, Venus, and a super new moon pick it up in Leo. You’re on the upswing as of Thursday. This next week is ideal for pleasure pursuits, socializing, travel, vacations, and lovemaking.

Spend on a good time or a treat; gift a loved one; brighten someone’s day (that someone could be you).

October 23–November 22

Go right ahead: choose from your own playlist. Do what makes you feel good/feel happy; make the most of it. Through Sunday, places to go, things to do, conversation, and fresh ideas—a good time is on the ready dial-up. Monday/Tuesday shifts your attention and/or triggers something fresh. As of Wednesday onward, you’ll get a better handle on it.

November 22–December 21

Thursday/Friday, opportunity is up for grabs; try your luck.

Travel, performing, fun, and playtime top the pick list. Perhaps there is something special to do or convey or someone special to meet. Monday/Tuesday, there’s stuff to work out. Look to sun, Mars, Venus, and Wednesday’s super new moon in Leo to keep you and the action sunnyside up.

December 21–January 20

Although the moon is waning until next Wednesday’s super new moon, Mars/Jupiter (Thursday/ Friday), Venus freshly into Leo (as of Saturday), and sun/Uranus (Monday/Tuesday) pick up the slack. In vacation mode, socializing, loving them up, or on the money chase, expect to keep busy with one thing or another through month’s end. The getting is good.

January 20–February 18

Coming soon or right here and right now, Mars/Jupiter puts something special on the go. Thursday through Sunday, travel, share, celebrate; chill out or put yourself out there. No matter where you find yourself, it’s all good. Monday, sun/ Uranus can let you off the hook or trigger something fresh or unexpected. Tuesday/Wednesday, go by feel.

February 18–March 20

Thursday/Friday puts you on the upswing regarding work, working it out, or health. Good advice is worth heeding; intuition is too. Now through the end of the month is also an ideal time to take a vacation, to relax more, to reconnect with folks, or to catch up with yourself. Monday/Tuesday can spark something extra or unexpected. g

Are you interested in astrology classes, a private reading, or Rose’s free monthly forecasts? Reach Rose at rosemarcus.com.

PRIDE

LGBT spark plugs generate empathy

Local individuals and organizations are enhancing understanding in a multitude of ways

W

hen it comes to debates about LGBT issues, some of the most heated disputes that Metro Vancouver has witnessed have arisen within the field of education. Yet it’s education that is one of the keys to helping to reduce the ignorance that often leads to fear, discrimination, and hatred. This year, the Georgia Straight takes a look at how local individuals and organizations are using the colours of the Pride rainbow to help illuminate our understanding of the world.

The way I try to move the needle is through grassroots organizing.

– Hailey Heartless

HAILEY HEARTLESS d ACTIVIST HAILEY Heartless believes that Vancouver is one of the better places for trans people to make a home.

Heartless first found her calling in blue-collar union organizing while in her 20s, when she held high-profile positions, including roles on two provincial committees and a seat at the national Canadian Labour Congress. But although she was particularly successful at advocating for others, she felt as if her own life was off-track. As she approached 30, she finally started to transition her gender.

Soon after, she found her invites to union events started drying up, forcing her to look elsewhere for financial opportunities. It was then that she discovered sex work. After apprenticing with an established dominatrix, she established her own business as a BDSM provider and threw herself into advocating for sex-worker and trans rights: skills she transferred from her days making sure that those in hard hats came home from their shifts safely.

“I feel like I’m a natural organizer, and I love meeting people and finding out what they’re about and then meeting someone else and finding out what they are about, and introducing those two people to each other,” she tells the Georgia Straight by phone. “The way I try to move the needle is through grassroots organizing…I feel like you kind of have to be an activist these days. We’re going through this phase where there’s so much hate directed at us, and if you don’t submit to it, you’re an activist.”

As well as being very active on social-media platforms, Heartless runs a powerful Medium blog that

Hailey Heartless calls herself a sissy-play specialist, but she’s also a tireless activist, blogger, and organizer promoting trans rights across Vancouver.

talks about her experiences moving from blue collar to leather collar and advancing trans visibility in the city.

“I really think Vancouver is probably one of the better places to be a trans person,” she says. “We’ve got so much support, so much community, and so many adjacent communities that are accepting of us.

I’m involved in the queer party community, and the lesbian parties that I’ve gone to have not cared at all that I’m trans. It’s not been an issue here.

There’s some hate, and there’s some groups—we know who they are—but they’re so out of touch with the rest of the community, and they’re so peripheral that you can navigate the city without having it affect you, if you do it right.”

OUT IN SCHOOLS

d WHEN IT comes to teaching, Gavin Somers has assembled a unique recipe of film, language lessons, and open conversation. Somers is the program manager for Out in Schools, which travels around the province giving presentations in elementary and secondary schools about LGBT2SQ+ identities. Somers believes honesty and creativity are the key to fostering acceptance.

“The program really looks at the intersection of art and storytelling and the meaningful ways to create social change,” they say in a phone call to the Georgia Straight. “We’re exploring: how do we support people

by Kate Wilson in having more than a surface-level conversation about these topics and

go beyond just the 101?”

During its presentations, Out in Schools shows films and encourages discussions about what it’s like to be queer in order to create an inclusive space where kids can ask questions.

“We’ve got a team of facilitators with a variety of experiences, and while we’re talking about these issues, we’re also just presenting possibility models,” Somers says. “We’re presenting people who can share aspects of their experiences, aspects of their story, in ways that are really genuine and vulnerable—and that allows students and educators to ask questions that might not be appropriate to ask a stranger on the street, or your barista.”

The facilitators might discuss what it was like for them to come out, or what it means to identify as nonbinary or two-spirited or queer.

The important thing is to open up a dialogue and help kids understand and relate to those experiences.

“I’ve had people come up to me afterwards and say, ‘Wow, I never got to see myself represented like that before.’ ” In the five years that Somers has been with the program, it has seen strong support from the communities they’ve visited. Most students and teachers, they say, have been largely receptive to the discussion, which is heartening in the face of backlash they sometimes get from right-wing anti-SOGI groups.

“We just try to keep our head down and minimize it,” they say.

“The more we feel it, the more it can feel like a big deal.”

Out in Schools has almost reached its goal of visiting every school district in the province, and Somers

hopes that it will eventually expand its reach to a national level.

“The goal would be to continue to inspire that connection between art and social change,” they say. “Just being able to make that shift in a way that feels representative and reflective of the diversity that can exist in our classrooms.”

by Katherine Dornian

HUSTLE AND TRANSITIONS d A RECURRING theme in men’s health is the tendency for male wellness and safety to be overlooked, neglected, or ignored.

Such is the case when it comes to male sex workers.

“People assume that guys who are involved in sex work aren’t vulnerable to the power imbalances that women who are involved in sex work are vulnerable to, and I don’t think that’s the case,” Health Initiative for Men (HIM) executive director Greg Oudman says by phone.

Although much attention has been given to female sex workers— and understandably so—programs for male sex workers in Canada remain scarce.

Two male sex workers involved in a 2007 study (Under the Radar: The Sexual Exploitation of Young Men by Susan McIntyre) recognized the lack of resources and services for these men.

Consequently, they launched Hustle: Men on the Move in 2007 as an outreach and support program for male and transgender survival and street-based sex workers at PEERS Vancouver Resource Society. After PEERS closed in 2012, HIM adopted the program.

Oudman explains that Hustle has since become an educational and advocacy program on a structural level while its partner program, Transitions, launched three years ago, has taken on the role of one-on-one support and helping participants who want to consider employment options and goals outside of sex work.

The programs are available to any self-identified male sex worker, including straight or “gay for pay” workers, survival sex workers, and indoor independent sex workers, ranging from go-go dancers to highend escorts.

Oudman says that over the past five years, they’ve witnessed a major see page 15

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Premier John Horgan Langford-Juan Langford d-Juan de Fuca

Spencer Chandra MLA andra Herbert, M

Nicholas Simons, mon MLA

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Mikee Farnworth, MLA

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14 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

from page 13

shift of male sex workers from specific geographic areas to an online presence. Historically, in Vancouver, the main outdoor male-sex-worker stroll was “Boystown” in what is now Yaletown, before gentrification and 2010 Olympics preparations displaced it. Accordingly, netreach has since replaced outreach, as Oudman says HIM is trying to find effective ways to engage males online, which includes maintaining a presence on dating apps.

However, another displacement is occurring online: Oudman says tools such as Craigslist and social media—which male sex workers once used to find clientele, are no longer available to them.

“It’s forcing it [sex work] more underground and creating less safety because the traditional ways of advertising for sex workers are disappearing because of heightened vigilance and increased law enforcement,” he says. “Our big fear is it’s hard for people to access health services when they’re being driven underground.”

A major component of the programs is to tackle stigma against sex workers. “Given that our community is a marginalized community and experiences a significant amount of stigma, I’m surprised at the level of stigma,” Oudman says.

In fact, a 2015 UBC study found that the biggest fear of male sex workers was not violence from clients but from both within and outside of gay communities.

As a sex-worker advocacy organization, HIM developed a sex worker antistigma training program for healthcare providers and various groups, including nightlife promoters, which Oudman says is “wildly successful”.

“The intent behind it was to increase the competency of health-care providers in their level of understanding of male sex work and thus reducing the stigma attached to male sex work,” he explains.

by Craig Takeuchi

I BELONG d FEELING A SENSE of belonging doesn’t always come easy for newcomers to Canada.

For sexual and gender minorities, it can be tougher.

It’s a matter that Nova Chamberlin is familiar with because of her work with a charitable organization that assists immigrants and refugees with settling in this country.

“It is very difficult often coming to a new country, and that’s in the best circumstances,” Chamberlin told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview.

Chamberlin is the manager of innovative and health promotion projects with MOSAIC. One of the programs she supervises is I Belong,

which is tailored for settlers who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, or two-spirit (LGBTQIA2).

Like most new arrivals, sexual and gender minorities have to deal with things like finding a home and employment.

“But then at the same time, they may also be experiencing issues such as isolation from their own ethnocultural community, and then they may also experience things like racism or xenophobia within the LGBTQIA2 community,” Chamberlin said. “They often find themselves in a unique position where they can become quite isolated and not know where to turn for support.”

I Belong started as a pilot project in October 2014, and is now going on its fifth year.

The program offers one-on-one support service, as well as monthly peer and counselling group sessions.

It’s hard for people to access health services when they’re being driven underground.

PROUD TO SUPPORT VANCOUVER’S LGBTQ2+ COMMUNITY www.bcnu.org

PRIDE

www.bcnu.org

Supporting our community by promoting the delivery of safe patient care

– Greg Oudman

In peer-group meetings, Chamberlin said, participants can share experiences and information in a casual format. For counselling, professionals are on hand to help attendees deal with issues they are facing.

“If folks are maybe coming here from a culture that is maybe a little bit less accepting of their status as an LGBT person, that can be really difficult because they may feel alienated,” Chamberlin said.

Add to that the feeling of not being fully accepted in the larger LGBT community because of their ethnic origins, and one can imagine how rough it can be for sexual and gender minorities.

True to its origins as the Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities, MOSAIC has the ability to deliver I Belong services in different languages.

According to Chamberlin, the group has seen the greatest need for Spanish- and Arabic-language interpretation over the past little while.

Chamberlin also said that MOSAIC last year launched an online resource hub for transgender people.

“Folks who may not be in Canada

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from previous page

but are planning to come here are able to access some information and support prior to their arrival, and then, as well, access that support once they arrive here,” Chamberlin said.

by Carlito Pablo

Celebrating Inclusion and Diversity Happy Vancouver Pride Hon. Jody Wilson-Raybould Member of Parliament Vancouver Granville

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QUEER ASL d WHAT WOULD YOU do if you were the only person using the only means of communication you use?

The mother of invention paid a visit to Zoée Montpetit when she was the sole signing deaf person in Victoria’s queer community. After Montpetit started hosting an ASL (American Sign Language) club in her living room, she soon recognized a need for queer people to learn ASL in safe spaces.

Montpetit began Queer ASL as a drop-in club in Victoria in 2009.

After she relocated to Vancouver in 2011, she continued to teach ASL and developed a curriculum in 2012 that has since been taught by a total of six teachers.

Montpetit explains, in an email interview, that their primary focus is to teach ASL with an “antioppressive framework”. She says they emphasize gender-neutral language, avoiding things like teaching the signs for man or woman by pointing to students.

“Mainstream ASL classes also tend to include activities where students go around assuming people’s gender identities, which leads to misgendering,” she says. “In Queer ASL, we only identify each other as a person, and introduce gendered signs using iconic images and characters, such as the Flintstones, instead of assuming how students identify.”

Queer ASL also offers workshops for queer businesses or organizations seeking to become more deafinclusive by examining “some of the cultural tendencies that may be considered appropriate or inappropriate by people in the deaf community”, Montpetit says.

Queer ASL helps the deaf become more inclusive by using gender-neutral language.

I would love to see more recognition that access is an ongoing process.

– Zoée Montpetit

In addition, they also offer workshops for the general deaf community and organizations on becoming queer- and trans-inclusive, including how to become less oppressive.

Kim Palmer, who was a Queer ASL student in 2012 and became a teacher in 2016, says by email that they teach deaf people vocabulary such as queer, lesbian, trans, intersex, cis, androgynous, and more.

Both Montpetit and Palmer identify several ways queer communities can improve access and communication for deaf people.

Montpetit sees a need for more consultation and engagement with, and promotion of events within, deaf communities. She also thinks ASL interpretation is “often undervalued by event planners and organizers”.

Palmer also points out that needs can vary among deaf people.

“Hard-of-hearing people may benefit from assistive devices, deaf-blind people often require additional interpreters or intervenors, and nonsigning deaf/hardof-hearing folks may benefit from real-time captioning,” she says. “I would love to see more recognition that access is an ongoing process that can always be improved on, and it starts with consulting and listening to disabled people about their needs.”

Palmer, who identifies as an asexual cisgender woman, also sees many parallels between being deaf and being queer.

“Both deaf and queer communities can be tremendous sources of culture, identity, and pride, while simultaneously having to fight against oppressive politics,” she says. “It doesn’t surprise me that

QUEERFILMFESTIVAL.CA/VOLUNTEER

16 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

see page 18

JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 17

from page 16

LOUD SCHOLARSHIPS

so many hearing queer folks feel compelled to learn ASL; they know what it’s like to be marginalized and often recognize aspects they can relate to when learning about ASL and deaf culture.”

by Craig Takeuchi

LOVE INTERSECTIONS

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d GROWING UP, Jen Sungshine and David Ng never saw themselves represented on the big screen. So as founders and creative directors of Love Intersections, they focus on imagining a world where race and sexuality would never be a barrier to sharing their life experiences.

“How we started was really out of the frustration of our stories as queer people of colour not being shared,” Ng says in a conference call to the Georgia Straight. “Instead of waiting for our stories to be told, we try to tell our own stories.”

Love Intersections makes documentary films centred on unique narratives, and they often don’t conform to the ways queer people are routinely represented in mainstream media.

That’s why Sungshine and Ng say that creating them is so necessary and so personal.

“We’re offering different dimensions of queer people of colour, so it’s not rooted in drama porn,” Sungshine explains. “My parents are Buddhist, and when I came out to them, they were over the moon. I didn’t experience that narrative that a lot of western society would paint on Taiwanese people.”

Love Intersections likes to bend the rules any way it can. Their films often subvert traditional methods of documentary filmmaking.

“We don’t go in with a script,” Ng says. “We really collaborate with the person whose story we’re sharing so that they really help craft the production of their story.”

Collaboration is one of their biggest mandates—so much so that they

Jen Sungshine wants Love Intersections to showcase queer people of colour.

end up building very real relationships with the people whose stories they capture and whose experiences and creative energies they become intimately familiar with.

“The stakes are quite high for us, emotionally and personally, because that’s what happens when you start fostering relationships,” Ng says.

“The emotions often get really real, and we have to make space for that,” Sungshine adds.

They believe that representation has come a long way in the past several years, but they remain as passionate about it as when they started. Sungshine says that doing this work and making these connections with the LGBTQ+ community makes her hopeful about the future of queer cinema.

“It’s such an incredible reminder that we all just want to feel less lonely, and we all want to be embraced by each other, and we all just want to be accepted as we are, as authentically as we can be.”

by Katherine Dornian

d The first sentence of one scholarship application was: “I’m a university drop-out.” The applicant described how stress about genderidentity issues and cross-cultural complications led them to have difficulty with school and work.

By phone, LOUD Business Association cochair Blair Smith explains that his organization helped this person through the readmissions process. It’s an example he uses to illustrate how LOUD Scholarships is neither about getting good grades nor solely about academics.

The Gay and Lesbian Business Association of B.C. (GLBA), which became known as the Leadership, Opportunity, Unity, and Diversity (LOUD) Business Association, launched the LOUD Foundation in 2007 to recognize youths who demonstrate leadership through action.

Smith says the idea for the scholarships came from seeking “a way to stop looking at the past and start looking to the future” as a business organization and to help LGBT youths, such as those kicked out of their homes after coming out and having to give up education.

In 2009 (its first year of giving out awards), it granted two $2,000 scholarships and one $1,000 scholarship from Little Sister’s Bookstore.

This year, the foundation celebrated its 10th year on May 16, awarding a total of $38,000 in scholarships to students aged 14 to 37.

He also says that because it’s important to support youths “trying to make healthy communities where they live” instead of them relocating to large urban centres, they also support long-distance education.

Smith has also heard from parents with children who have come out but who don’t know much about handling LGBT issues and have heard a lot about potential problems. He says they have told him things like: “For us to find out that see page 21

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from page 18

there’s a whole business community and scholarships and stuff to support my child makes me so much more hopeful for the future.”

Contrary to the perception that queer youths have it easier today due to social progress, Smith points to the Internet as a “mixed blessing”.

“They can find information online, but they’re also finding misinformation online and they’re finding hatred online,” he says, adding that issues from cyberbullying to lack of support add to the intensity of adolescence, which is already hard enough for cisgender and straight students.

However, Smith says he has noticed how awards can transform individuals and their relationships. He has seen how a change in confidence and self-perception can, in turn, in- Brian Mackenzie (rear) and Kenn fluence how others, including peers, Quayle devised the name VANDU. families, and educators, regard them.

“To receive the recognition that about 25 years,” Quayle said in a telewhat they’re doing is valued, as well as phone interview.

The couple were well-known some financial assistance, really chanfor harm reduction in Vancouver’s ges their own self-worth,” he says.

by Craig Takeuchi underground rave scene of the 1990s.

More recently, they left the city for a KENN QUAYLE AND BRIAN quieter life in Gibsons, on B.C.’s SunMACKENZIE shine Coast. The move positioned Quayle and Mackenzie at an underd KENN QUAYLE and Brian Mac- served intersection of harm reduckenzie have brought harm reduction tion, LGBTQ people, and small-town to LGBTQ communities in B.C. for a life. Residents of less densely popuvery long time. lated areas often experience difSome 20 years ago, they organized ficulties accessing harm-reduction focus groups for a B.C. government re- equipment such as clean needles and port on drug use among gay, lesbian, services such as nonjudgmental supand trans people, helping produce port groups. In Gibsons, Quayle and what was likely the first government Mackenzie are filling those gaps. study of the topic anywhere in Canada.

“Mostly here, we see people using Even earlier, they made an es- [drugs] in their own homes, so it’s pecially enduring contribution to spread out and all over the place,” drug-user organizing in Canada. In Quayle said. “So it’s hard. It’s not like 1997, it was Mackenzie and Quayle [Vancouver’s] Downtown Eastside, who came up with the name Van- where you can just pull together a couver Area Network of Drug Users group of people.”

(VANDU). The Downtown Eastside Mackenzie jumped in: “So we activist group is still active and to- respond to outreach calls,” he said. day plays a crucial role in the city’s “If people are in need of equipment, response to the overdose crisis. we’ve got bubble pipes for meth “We’ve been doing peer-support smokers, crack pipes for people who see next page work with people who use drugs for

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want those, and injection equipment as a needle exchange.”

Most of their work is performed through the i2i Peer Support Project, a nonprofit established in 2004 that today works with Vancouver Coastal Health’s Gibsons Health Unit and Lower Sunshine Coast Community Action Team.

The i2i Peer Support Project had a visible presence at last month’s Sunday in the Park With Pride + The Little Pride Parade event in Sechelt.

Mackenzie and Quayle even convinced organizers to put harm reduction front and centre, calling this year’s theme, “We’re saving lives.”

Lots more is in the works.

Quayle and Mackenzie said they’re preparing to launch a new drug-user organizing initiative called Sunshine Coast Overdose Prevention Education (SCOPE)—for which they’ve applied for funding to open an overdose-prevention site on the Sunshine Coast—and that they plan to submit a proposal to Health

We’ve been doing peer-support work with people who use drugs for about 25 years.

– Kenn Quayle

Canada to offer opioid addicts prescription medications as an alternative to street drugs that often contain fentanyl.

“We’re also choosing to focus more on antistigma efforts,” Mackenzie said. “Because a large part of what we are trying to do is make people more inclined and more able to access services.”

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c AN EVENING IN DAMASCUS (Terminal City Club, July 26) This annual fundraising event to help queer Syrian refugees come to Canada features drag queens, Middle Eastern food, and belly dancing.

c TERRY WALLACE MEMORIAL BREAKFAST (Jim Deva Plaza, August 3) Come to the heart of Davie Village for a pancake breakfast by donation in honour of Terry Wallace, a community leader who died in 2004.

c THE MOTOWN PARTY (Celebrities Nightclub, July 31) The Summer of Love celebration at the Davie Street nightclub will feature Motown music all night with appearances by Softieshan, Trevor Risk, and Kendall Gender.

c VANCOUVER DYKE MARCH AND FESTIVAL (Commercial Drive, August 3) This year’s 16th lesbian walk down Commercial Drive begins at McSpadden Park at 11 a.m. before leaving at noon on the way to Grandview Park for the festival, which ends at 5 p.m.

c TRANS, TWO SPIRIT,

c VANCOUVER PRIDE PARADE (West End, August 4) The celebration and protest begins at noon at Robson and Thurlow streets before turning along Denman Street and Beach Avenue. g

GENDERQUEER, INTERSEX MARCH (Clark Park, August 2)

From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., people with diverse gender definitions and expressions will gather in Clark Park.

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22 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

PRIDE

Liberals hope to retain LGBT support in October

by Charlie Smith

B

Justin Trudeau was the first sitting prime minister to ever march in a Pride parade.

ack in 2015, the Conservative prime minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, called an election on the same day as the Vancouver Pride parade.

As the march was about to begin, a huge number of New Democrats were gathered along Thurlow Street waiting for their leader, Tom Mulcair. He was supposed to walk with them down Robson, Denman, and Pacific streets.

Mulcair, however, never made it because he switched his schedule to attend the funeral of former Progressive Conservative cabinet minister Flora MacDonald.

The leader of the Liberals, Justin Trudeau, was in Vancouver for that parade, milling about with a large number of candidates and party members. And after the event began, he made a huge impression by mingling with the crowds. “Proud to be a vocal supporter of equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer Canadians!�

Trudeau tweeted that day, setting himself apart from the stodgier leaders of the two other major parties, who skipped the event. The Liberals went on to win an unprecedented number of seats in the Lower Mainland in the general election that October.

Four years later, Trudeau is carrying a lot more political baggage into the upcoming federal election in October, including the government’s controversial purchase of the Trans Mountain pipeline system. But he still remains a beloved figure to many LGBT voters.

Trudeau was the first sitting prime minister to march in a Pride parade, in 2016, and to raise the Pride flag on Parliament Hill. He was the first to appoint an MP, Randy Boissonnault, as a special adviser to the prime minister on LGBTQ2 issues. Trudeau issued a formal apology on behalf of the Canadian government to queer Canadians who have been wronged by federal legislation. Moreover, the Liberal government passed a law to permanently destroy criminal records linked to consensual sexual activity with same-sex partners if this activity is legal today. Actions like these won him an award in 2018 from the LGBT advocacy group Egale Canada.

This year, the Trudeau government committed $20 million to LGBT community-service groups.

That’s not all. Under the Liberals, the Canadian Human Rights Act was amended to add gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination.

The Criminal Code of Canada was amended to increase protection from hate propaganda targeting a person’s gender identity or gender expression.

Judges were given leeway to impose tougher sentences for people convicted of offences targeting a person’s gender identity or gender expression.

People can now place an X on their passports rather than an M or an F, thanks to the Liberals. And the Trudeau government is working with the provinces to outlaw so-called conversion therapy across the country.

One would think that with all of these accomplishments, Trudeau wouldn’t face a lot of competition for the LGBT vote in Vancouver. But this

To be part of a liberation movement to make this world a better place was very special – Svend Robinson

year, the Liberals face a new threat.

For the first time, the Greens will be running a candidate in Vancouver Centre with a high public profile in the LGBT community. Jesse Brown is the executive director of Vancouver Friends for Life Society, which offers support to people living with HIV, cancer, hepatitis C, and other chronic illnesses. Before that, he was executive director of YouthCO, which offers peer education to young people about HIV and hepatitis C. The NDP is holding its Vancouver Centre nomination meeting on Sunday (July 28), pitting high-profile trans and education activist Morgane Oger against well-known gay actor and producer David Jones and MĂŠtis lawyer Breen Ouellette. Should Oger or Jones win the nomination, long-time Liberal MP Hedy Fry will be facing an opponent who is perhaps just as famous as her to LGBT voters in the riding.

Fry, of course, has defeated all NDP challengers in eight elections, including the first openly gay parliamentarian, Svend Robinson, and a future Vancouver mayor, Kennedy Stewart.

Fry likes saying that when she was approached by Jean ChrÊtien to run for the Liberals, she only agreed if the party would amend the Canadian Human Rights Act to add sexual orientation to the list of prohibited grounds for discrimination. That occurred in ChrÊtien’s first term as prime minister.

This year, the NDP is trying to position itself as the party most forcefully advocating for the LGBT community by promising “a clear and permanent path� for queer refugees to come to Canada. It is pledging to end discrimination for the community under federal employment-equity legislation.

And Robinson is back, running in Burnaby North–Seymour. As an MP many years ago, Robinson persuaded Parliament to add sexual orientation to hate-crime legislation. Robinson was the only federal candidate to show up at the recent Red Umbrella march in the West End to support sex workers seeking legal changes to enhance their personal safety. Unlike Mulcair, Robinson also attended the 2015 Pride parade, where he recalled to the Straight what it was like being the first MP to come out as gay. “My office was destroyed,� he said.

That was back in 1988, at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, when he was frequently attending funerals. “People were dying of AIDS,� Robinson noted. “So to be part of a liberation movement to make this world a better place was very special.� g

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PRIDE

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Loven pulls story lines from game show

by Janet Smith

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Me Love BINGO!, Kyle Loven’s long-running homage to classic TV contests, has proven to be a great equalizer. Photo by Wendy D

K

yle Loven’s Me Love BINGO!—a live mix of camp game show, variety hour, true storytelling, and raucous art party—had its humble beginnings in his Seattle living room.

When he wasn’t touring his puppet- and object-based theatrical works around North America and the globe, the Minneapolis-born artist would host his own warped bingo nights at home.

“So there’d be seven friends on my living-room floor. Or sometimes five wouldn’t show up, so there’d be two,” the now Vancouver-based Loven says with a laugh, speaking to the Straight from his day job in a local ceramics business. “I made a light-up bingo table and a set for it.”

Before he knew it, Loven was taking the ever-more-elaborate Me Love BINGO! out to the public, hosting happy hours and performing in other venues. And now Loven, now a Canadian permanent resident, has brought the one-of-akind stage phenomenon to Vancouver—most recently to the Magnetic North Festival. On August 2, he’ll present a new rendition at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Pride at the Gallery celebrations.

“What I’ve added in Vancouver is variety-hour elements with guest performances,” says Loven, who sometimes hosts the show in drag— as he will at the VAG. “And now it’s turned into this really immersive game night where things start to happen around the audience members and there’s this unconventional storytelling. Things start happening in the room and people start to question what’s real and what isn’t.

“So there are some performative elements and some game elements,”

What I’ve added in Vancouver is variety-hour elements with guest performances.

– Kyle Loven

he hints. “A mini-narrative unfolds from things I’m talking about on-stage. Each time I do it there’s a new theme. And then there are decorations, prizes, costumes, and a curated playlist of songs that all become a part of that narrative experience.”

Me Love BINGO! is becoming just as important to Loven’s theatrical practice as puppet work—as seen in shows like My Dear Lewis, which drew raves at this year’s rEvolver Festival. Like his other productions, Me Love BINGO! allows him to stretch both his theatrical and visual-art passions. It also draws on his teen obsession with the Game Show Network and retro favourites like Match Game.

He says the bingo performances let him explore audience relationships in new ways, via the most accessible work he’s ever done. Bingo, he’s found, is the great equalizer.

“Everybody has an equal chance and everybody’s on an equal playing field,” says Loven, who invites audience members to sit alongside strangers at long folding tables to play Me

Love BINGO!. “They have a drink or two and have fun listening to music.

It’s a real party atmosphere. People talk back and respond, and hopefully surprising things happen.”

At the VAG installment, shortened to 30 minutes so visitors can participate in the game at different times over the evening, he’ll be riffing on a playlist that features only LGBTQ artists.

“There are a lot of song facts and talking about artists and why that song was recorded—that’s a big part of Me Love BINGO!,” he says. “So there’ll be some speaking to those songs and their [the singers’] relationship to being able to be out, or coming out, or existing as a queer musician.”

At Pride at the Gallery, Loven’s Me Love BINGO! joins two themed, licensed bars, as well as exhibits like Moving Still and the Vikky Alexander retrospective. Also on the program: the Queer Living Library— pop-up conversations that allow you to “borrow” a real human being and learn their story. (Artists and advocates include Wil Aballe and Tom Hsu.) Visitors can also take part in painting a collective mural.

“The ‘human library’ is really in line with what I’m doing, with autobiographical storytelling and giving people a way to share their truths, to share stories and connect,” Loven says. “Me Love BINGO! is just like it was in my living room: it’s still about building community. The magic for Me Love BINGO! comes from the people in the room.” g Pride at the Gallery happens at the Vancouver Art Gallery next Friday (August 2) at 5 p.m. Me Love BINGO! takes place at 6, 7, and 8 p.m.

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PRIDE Taste the rainbow with Pride treats

n O Davie s ’ a r e V Salutes W Pride!

by Tammy Kwan

hether you notice it or not, rainbow-hued goods are surfacing throughout the city for a simple reason: Pride season is approaching. The local food-and-beverage industry isn’t one to miss this celebration, and many establishments around town are serving up colourful creations. Besides quenching thirsts, satisfying appetites, and proving delicious, these themed treats are also highly photogenic. Here are five multicoloured desserts to enjoy ahead of the Vancouver Pride parade (August 4).

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These hot commodities are making a return this year, and they’re exactly the way that Vancouverites like ’em: fluffy, sweet, and full of colour.

Known as rainbow buns during the Vancouver Pride season, they are the exuberant counterparts to the regular sugar buns on offer throughout the year, characterized by a rainbow cream filling inside sugar-dusted pastry. You may be concerned about finishing an entire bun in one sitting— but trust us, they are well worth the calories. A dollar from each purchase will be donated to the Dr. Peter Aids Foundation. Find them at giovane cafe + market + eatery at the Fairmont Pacific Rim (1038 Canada Place).

Chinatown’s new Buttermere Cafe is offering limited quantities of its Pride pillow cake sets, each featuring a unique flavour combination. Photo by Buttermere

RAINBOW CHOCOLATE DOMES

What better way to celebrate Pride than with chocolate? A local chocolatier is marking the occasion with some rainbow confections that pay homage to iconic cocktails. Featured f lavours include negroni, mango martini, lemon drop, lime margarita, blueberry martini, and purple haze. A dollar from each Pride chocolate box sold will be donated to the Dr. Peter Aids Foundation. Find them at Temper Chocolate and Pastry (2409 Marine Drive, West Vancouver).

PRIDE PILLOW CAKES

Vancouver’s newest cake shop and café is offering sets of tiny, adorable sweet treats, aptly named Pride pillow cakes. Made using French baking techniques paired with Asian flavours, each colour-of-the-rainbow dessert features a different flavour, including raspberry yogurt, guava cheesecake, mango passion fruit, matcha sesame, pineapple coconut, cassis peppermint, and lavender blueberry. Bring them to any paradeviewing spot or Pride party and you’ll be the most popular person in the room. Find them at Buttermere Patisserie Cafe (636 Main Street).

PRIDE ICE-CREAM BAR

Find Pride ice-cream bars at a pop-up in front of the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

classic North American gluttony. To be fair, these macaron doughnuts don’t incorporate any deep-fried dough, but the spirit lives on with this ringshaped dessert. Dollops of rainbow buttercream are sandwiched between sprinkle-covered macaron shells. Find MACARON DOUGHNUT them at the Lazy Gourmet (1605 West You get the best of both worlds with 5th Avenue), with a minimum order of this Pride treat: French pastry meets three macaron doughnuts.

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There’s never a bad time for frozen desserts, especially in the summer.

A pop-up in downtown Vancouver is offering Pride ice-cream bars: made with citrus ice cream, dipped in decadent white chocolate, finished with rainbow-hued sweet drizzles, and put together with a neat silver ribbon. We’re sure these treats sell out quickly—especially since they look so good on camera.

Partial proceeds from each sale go to the Dr. Peter Aids Foundation. Find them at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (900 West Georgia Street), in front of the Burrard Street entrance. g

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PRIDE

Métis chef shares journey of transition

I

by Gail Johnson

t was in professional kitchens that Saskatchewan-born Cree-Métis chef Heat Laliberte found his family. Amid the sizzle of the line, he bonded with people drawn to the restaurant industry who, like him, fell in love with the discovery that a career in food and cooking brings. But it was only after the Vancouver-based founder of One Arrow Meats transitioned that he truly felt at home.

Laliberte—whose company specializes in small-batch, naturally smoked artisanal bacon—grew up in Humboldt, his adoptive mom struggling with mental illness, addiction, and poverty. His was a tumultuous childhood, during which he often ran away from home. The fights with his mom and her boyfriends were hard on him and his two siblings; making his early years even more difficult was not feeling aligned with the female gender he was assigned at birth.

“When I was very young, I thought I was born a cisgender boy,” Laliberte tells the Georgia Straight. “When I was about four, I realized I wasn’t. All I knew was I felt really uncomfortable with myself. I had always known I was ‘different’ and struggled with that feeling until I transitioned.

“It was a long journey, very emotionally taxing,” he adds. “But I finally feel like myself.”

Laliberte ended up in Vancouver at age 16 via Aldergrove, where his mom had moved with his brother and sister. Knowing he wanted to live and work in the West End to be part of the LGBTQ community, he applied for a job as a cook at Moxie’s when he was 20. He joined a drag performance troupe using the stage name Heat, fittingly dropping the last three letters of his birth name, Heather.

I met transgender men in the LGBTQ community, and I realized they were who I wanted to be.

– Heat Laliberte

The recently married owner of One Arrow Meats, Heat Laliberte, has a résumé that includes names of some outstanding restaurants. Photo by Adriana Laliberte

It was exciting to be among so many queer people, Laliberte says. Not only that, but the local scene and the support it offered instilled in him the strength to take the biggest step of his life.

“I met transgender men in the LGBTQ community, and I realized they were who I wanted to be,” Laliberte says. “If I hadn’t moved to B.C. and had stayed in Saskatchewan, I believe I wouldn’t have had the courage to transition. Vancouver has

the resources, and the queer scene was thriving with performers, drag kings and drag queens that pushed the gender boundaries.”

Just married, Laliberte met his wife in the restaurant industry, as well as mentors and even father figures. His résumé includes roles at the Westin Hotel and Blue Water Café.

“I had a sense of belonging within the kitchen,” he says. “It grounded me.

I started focusing on being the best

Burrard IGA 909 Burrard Street

W. Broadway IGA 2286 West Broadway

West 4th IGA 3515 West 4th Ave

Robson IGA 489 Robson Street

cook. You’re constantly learning new things; you’re always being stimulated.

There’s the adrenaline rush from restaurant service, doing 400 covers a night: it’s really exhilarating being in an atmosphere where people are relying on each other. You’re one team, and it’s like you’re going into battle. It’s really rewarding.”

After studying in the culinary program at Vancouver Community College, Laliberte worked at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, which had just launched a charcuterie program. His experience there—which included learning how to butcher pigs and make items like sausage and salami—proved to be a turning point. He was excited to come to work every day, won the hotel’s 2016 employee of the year award, and decided to focus on the food that some people say makes everything better: bacon.

To get One Arrow Meats off the ground, Laliberte took the Aboriginal BEST (Business Entrepreneurship Skills Training) Program at the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre.

He says it gave him confidence to apply to the Vancouver Farmers Market, the

only place where his hormone-free, hand-cured bacon is available.

“It was a dream come true to get into the farmers market,” he says. “Being a chef, you appreciate where food comes from. When you go to the farmers market, you see farmers with dirt under nails; you see how hard they work. You know that the artisan food makers there are putting love into it.

“There was a niche market for properly made bacon in unique flavours,” he adds. “I love bacon. It’s like coffee: it perks people up and makes them happy.”

One Arrow Meats produces four kinds of bacon made with premium Fraser Valley pork. Hickory Smoked Maple uses extra-dark maple syrup from Squamish’s Maple Sugar Shack, Black Pepper and Honey is smoked with applewood chips, and Chinese 5 Spice has sweet-and-salty char sui glaze. Salt & Smoke is sugar-free, with aromas of applewood and hickory smoke, made in response to a request from a long-distance runner.

Laliberte, who appears in the Food Stories cookbook, will be making a four-course dinner for the Greasy Spoon Diner series at Save On Meats in September to raise funds for A Better Life Foundation. He’s proud of his Indigenous heritage, which resonates in every aspect of his life.

“I use the term Two Spirit,” he says.

“Two Spirit people are highly regarded within their community. Historically, Two Spirit people were highly regarded within their tribe. It’s the colonization that really suppressed and condemned Two Spirit people.

“For One Arrow Meats, the arrow signifies strength and resiliency to overcome tragedy,” Laliberte says. “It also means shoot for the stars.” g

JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 27

Celebrate Summer with our PINK FREESTYLE MENU

DRINK

Wines to set the tone for fun

by Kurtis Kolt

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$13.95

Choose from a selection of 12 Appetizers & 20 Entrées 1152 Alberni St. 604.646.8899

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

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 22, 2019 WHERE: 84 Bus - VCC/Clark In fact I probably should have moved over to let you sit in the aisle seat, instead of getting up so that you could take the window seat. On any other day I would have, but I was honestly feeling overheated and cramped already on that bus, and didn’t much like the idea of getting more sun and squeezing in opposite Mr. Slouchy Long-legs. Sorry about that! Me: 30 something, exhausted, civil servant. You: Summer-attired young woman with a droll sense of humor.

FRIENDLY VENDOR

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 21, 2019 WHERE: Wreck Beach

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I’m that goofy-looking guy with glasses and cap with a pink striped shirt who ran into you multiple times during my firstever visit to the beach. You told me that you were originally from Campbell River and I told you I grew up in Vancouver but was born in Hong Kong. Just want to tell you that you seem like a really friendly and mellow individual, and I really enjoyed the way you talk! Hope I run into you again there for another chat. :)

SUGGESTIVE T SHIRT

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 19, 2019 WHERE: Granville Street Bus on Granville Street Friday July 19. You were sitting across from me and couldn't miss your t shirt. What was the first word on the slogan? Would love to meet.

TERMINAL AUTO WASH

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 16, 2019 WHERE: Shine Auto Wash My vacuum cycle ending and you ask me if I won. I found it cute that you created a race in vacuuming your car. Wish I could have chatted with you more!

TAKING THE SCENIC ROUT! YOUR DOG IS THE SAME COLOUR AS MY CAT!

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 19, 2019 WHERE: Elevator

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As the door opened to the elevator I noticed you standing with your dog. I step on and asked, ”taking the scenic route?” You explained why you were on the elevator as the door closes bla bla dog! Bla bla cat! We both exited the elevator, I greeted my friend who had just arrived for a visit as you walked out the building.

Just wanted to say, I like the way you look at me! See ya when I see you.

STRIPES ATTRACT STRIPES

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 18, 2019 WHERE: Outside Blenz in Olympic Village You and your friend were sitting outside Blenz in Olympic Village, you were wearing a green & white striped shirt and had a big smile on your face. I was also wearing stripes and a smile when I passed with my two friends (who were matching in black & denim). I definitely did not wait long enough before saying “that guy in the stripes is really cute” so I can only assume you heard. What I should have done is stopped to say hello so instead I’m writing my first ever "I Saw You"... just in case.

PUNK IN DRUBLIC, SKY TRAIN HOME

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 13, 2019 WHERE: New westminster We were both on the SkyTrain coming back from Punk in Drublic. I made fun of how burnt your arm was. You invited me to Steel and Oak, then to the Terminal pub after. I said I had to go back home to walk my dogs. I should've asked for your number before you got off at New West station. Still down to grab a beer?

BEAUTIFUL DIRTY BLONDE CANADA DAY J FROM MONTREAL

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 12, 2019 WHERE: Victoria

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KITS BEACH BABE!

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 1, 2019 WHERE: Kits Beach, Canada Day You're a beautiful, voluptuous, tanned babe with thick, dirty blonde hair. You had a leopard print tube top bikini on, big hoop earrings. I'm the wellmuscled man you made fun of for having such a small towel.

Say hello if you see this!

CUTE GIRL WITH BLONDE HAIR AND FANCY PURSE WITH HER FRIEND

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(To September 1 at the Polygon Gallery) In one of the most spectacular artgallery settings around town, the Polygon is perched right on the edge of Vancouver harbour next to Lonsdale Quay Market, with a stunning view of the city skyline across the way. Per the gallery’s website: “Dog Days features contemporary works, classic images, and vintage photo-

graphs from several local archives and collections, considering how dogs have shaped, and are shaped by, human society.” Before hopping on the SeaBus to get there, crack open a bottle of Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2017 (Marlborough, New Zealand; $32.49, B.C. Liquor Stores) and revel in its crisp, bright, and citrusy nature.

This wine is named for a time when European settlers in New Zealand kept dogs to mind land boundaries, protecting flocks of sheep. These dogs eventually formed wild packs that, instead, attacked the sheep. Once the settlers removed the troublesome canines, the area where these vineyards are planted became known as Dog Point. These vineyards are

D rink OF THE WEEK

TACOFINO’S TE AMO

You were heading for the West Coast Trail, and I was heading for the Juan de Fuca.

We swapped a few stories on route, as I tried to avoid motion sickness. The timing of my stop caught me by surprise. Next time I would suggest a hike when you’re next in town.

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he Vancouver summer event calendar is jam-packed with fun things going on around town. This week, some wine recommendations for when you’re heading out and wanting a splash of something proper to set the tone.

DOG DAYS

www.pinkelephantthai.com

NO, YOU’RE NOT A JERK

T

Enjoy a glass or two of one of these wines before heading out to one of the many events around Vancouver this summer.

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 11, 2019 WHERE: Fancy Bar Near Vancouver Central Library I saw you drinking with your friend in front of the bar. You have blonde hair, your friend had brown, I believe? You checked me out. I checked you out. I never got a chance to talk to you. You looked so petite and fine. You had a Gucci purse or something. Hit me!

1½ oz Cazadores Tequila Blanco infused with butterfly-pea flower and lavender 1 oz fresh lime juice ½ oz Aperol

TACOFINO IS CELEBRATING

the 2019 Vancouver Pride Festival in a big way. To kick off the party next Friday (August 2), local drag queens Mina Mercury and Carlotta Gurl will host interactive drag bingo at the Gastown Taco Bar. Plus, all locations will be serving a special bevvie from Friday through Sunday (August 2 to 4), the Te Amo being a joint creation by bar managers Steven Hovden and Dylan Jones. All proceeds from bingo-card donations and $2 from each drink will support Vancouver Friends for Life Society and Foundation of Hope.

To keep the festivities going, here’s how to make the Te Amo at home.

¾ oz blueberry syrup Soda water To make the infused tequila, combine ¼ cup dried butterfly-pea flower and 2 tbsp dried lavender (both available at the Modern Bartender) with 750 mL Cazadores.

Infuse for 24 hours.

To make the blueberry syrup, combine 1½ cups sugar, 1½ cups water, 200 g fresh blueberries, and zest of one lemon in a pot. Bring to a boil, simmer for eight minutes, strain, and cool.

Fill a Collins glass with ice. Add infused tequila, Aperol, lime juice, and blueberry syrup, then top with soda. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

by Gail Johnson

BELLINGHAM

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JULY 10, 2019 WHERE: Bellingham

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I was by Trader Joe’s you were in a black Porsche wearing glasses and blue eyes. You stopped to get my attention and let me know that my coat was hanging outside my car door. Leila

22NDAnnual

2019

Authentic Greek Food

Extensive Wine & Bar List 1830 Fir St. Vancouver | 604.736.9559

www.apolloniagreekrestaurant.com C L O S E D M O N D AY S L U N C H • W E D N E S D AY to F R I D AY 11:30A M ͳ 2:30 P M D I N N E R • T U E S D AY to S U N D AY 4:30 ͳ 9:30 P M 28 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

VANCOUVER PRIDE PARADE AND FESTIVAL

(August 4, West End) Festive, colourful, and full of cheer, the Pride parade is always an energetic delight. Why not go with a wine to match all of those characteristics? Bottega Rose Gold (Veneto–Treviso, Italy; $31.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) is a fun and fizzy brut rosé made from 100 percent Pinot Noir, overflowing with pink grapefruit, red currant, and blood orange, with a touch of Turkish Delight on the finish. Yeah, the parade starts fairly early, but I guarantee this is a fantastic breakfast wine.

EVO SUMMER CINEMA: FINDING NEMO

(August 6, Stanley Park) The 2003 Academy Award winner for best animated film is an underwater adventure beloved by many, and lazing on a picnic blanket in Stanley Park around sundown will be a nice respite from our busy city lives. Pack yourself a simple picnic of cheese, charcuterie, and baguette, and imagine a civilized society where, I dunno, you could be a little sneaky by bringing Selbach “Fish Label” Riesling 2016 (Mosel, Germany; $19.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) in a vessel of your choice. The wine is a perennial favourite, bursting with nectarines, pink grapefruit, peaches, and honey.

Since it sits at a measly 10.5 percent alcohol, you wouldn’t even have to worry about dozing off on that blanket.

HONDA CELEBRATION OF LIGHT 2019

(July 27, July 31, August 3, English Bay) The annual fireworks extravaganza features competing teams from India on July 27, Canada on July 31, and then (for the first time ever!)

Croatia on August 3. There’s no better time than that last date to get to know Croatian wine. Stina Cuvée White 2016 (Brač, Croatia; $23.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) is a blend of two indigenous varieties, 70 percent Pošip and 20 percent Vugava, rounded out with a final 10 percent splash of Chardonnay. Honeycrisp apple is joined by mango and guava, then kissed with honey. Juicy acidity keeps it buoyant and thirst-quenching. Tuck into some fish ’n’ chips or sushi and let this wine sing!

IRON & WINE WITH CALEXICO

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THANK YOU FOR RECYCLING THIS NEWSPAPER.

farmed organically and produce a Sauvignon Blanc that’s lemon- and lime-forward, with subtle flint and jalapeño flavours woven throughout.

(August 24, Vogue Theatre) A hot August night will be nice and comfy at the Vogue, where Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam will perform with the gents of Calexico in support of their recent (excellent) joint album, Years to Burn. For their lo-fi sound, let’s go with a wine that’s kinda lo-fi itself. Jean-Paul Brun Terres Dorées l’Ancien Beaujolais Vieilles Vignes 2017 (Beaujolais, France; $25.99, B.C. Liquor Stores) is made from Gamay vines steeped in limestone soil and farmed organically. It’s an honest wine of time and place, made with minimal intervention. Earthy with Italian plum, blueberries, and a few sprigs of anise, it’s quite the charmer of a summery sip. Serve it with a hint of a chill alongside fried chicken, wild-mushroom risotto, or grilled sausages. g

arts

Festival gets Bach to the baroque

by Alexander Varty

This year’s edition of the Vancouver Bach Festival—which kicks off with performances of the complete Brandenburg Concertos by Les Boréades de Montréal—includes performances by (from left) Canadian soprano Suzie LeBlanc, American harpsichordist and pianist Byron Schenkman, American light lyric soprano Amanda Forsythe, Canadian pianist David Jalbert, and German soprano Dorothee Mields.

B

ach from big to small is what Les Boréades de Montréal have in mind for the 2019 edition of the Vancouver Bach Festival. Over four separate concerts, in combinations ranging from an intimate chamber duo to a powerful ensemble of 20 instrumentalists and four singers, the Québécois early-music specialists will present a number of intriguing portals into the great German’s output.

The buzz, among Johann Sebastian Bach’s many local devotees, has been understandably generated

by Les Boréades’ presentation of the complete Brandenburg Concertos, a cycle of six works that, perplexingly, went unheard during their composer’s lifetime—and, in fact, for a century after his death. Discovered by musical scholar Siegfried Dehn in the Brandenburg archives in 1849, they’ve since been recognized as among Bach’s finest works, if not the pinnacle of the baroque repertoire.

“Bach was not famous in his time,” Les Boréades’ founder, Francis Colpron, reminds us, in a telephone interview from his Montreal home.

“He worked locally, in his central Germany region, and never in an important court or politically important court. Even in Leipzig, at the end, they were not very fond of his music. They were complaining all the time—and so he’s a hero, in a way!”

Bach’s refusal to cater to popular taste, combined with his restless mind

and prolific output, is presumably why the Brandenburg Concertos were so easily overlooked for so long. Today, though, these works display a timeless vivacity, and they’re also a textbook

example of the finest baroque compositional strategies. For a more intimate lesson, though, listeners might want to check out the Bach Sonatas & Chamber Music concert that Les Boréades

Arts TIP SHEET JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH’S

not all that the Vancouver Bach Festival has on tap. The summer spectacular kicks off with Les Boréades de Montréal playing all six of the immortal Brandenburg Concertos (at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on Tuesday [July 30] and Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesday [July 31]), but after that, explore the great German’s peers and descendants with these fine musical offerings, each taking place at Christ Church Cathedral.

c FAURÉ REQUIEM (August 1) The Bach connection here is the presence of the Vancouver Bach Choir, under the direction of Leslie Dala, performing Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem in D Minor and a selection of other French gems. c CHOPIN PRELUDES (August 1) Pianist Byron Schenkman performs a matinee concert of Frédéric Chopin’s preludes, which were inspired by Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier.

c MOZART STRING TRIOS (August 2) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart developed his compositional craft by studying Bach manuscripts, and here violinist Marc Destrubé takes the lead in some of the resulting masterpieces. c BEFORE BACH: 17TH-

CENTURY MUSIC FOR STRINGS & WINDS (August 7)

The influence of Italian music on Bach’s compositional style has been duly noted, and in this matinee concert we can discover how that might have come about, in a selection of Italian and Austrian music from the middle of the last millennium. c SHOSTAKOVICH: PRELUDES AND FUGUES (August 8) Another matinee program finds pianist David Jalbert playing pieces from Dmitri Shostakovich’s brilliant collection of preludes and fugues, along with Bach’s Toccata in C Minor. g

have scheduled as an afternoon palate-cleanser between the two Brandenburg presentations. Here, three of Bach’s organ sonatas have been arranged for recorder, violin, cello, and harpsichord, and Colpron—who’ll star as the recorder soloist—says that this format allows for a particularly clear presentation of Bach’s musical bone structure.

“If a line is played by a recorder player and another line by a violinist, then you can hear the lines better, and you can see also the connection between them,” he notes. “If just an organ plays…of course you can listen to the result and enjoy it, but when you see all those lines subdivided and redistributed to multiple musicians, then you have a real connection, a real conversation, among musicians. And I think this is a plus.

This will be very interesting for the listeners.”

For those who might mourn the absence of the organ, Colpron adds that the Trio Sonata No. 3 in D Minor will feature that instrument, along with a rarely heard cousin of the violin. “Mélisande Corriveau is one of the world specialists of the pardessus de viole, which is the tiniest of the gamba family,” he says. “So you have a viola da gamba the size of a violin; she takes the top line, and the organist—Mark Edwards, in this case—will play the two other lines.

You’ll have the possibility of listening to an instrument that was very

much in favour at that time, and that has a very specific sound.”

The fourth Les Boréades concert takes a turn towards the spiritual by featuring three of Bach’s cantatas, two written for church services in Weimar, and the other composed when Bach was music director at the Paulinerkirche in Leipzig.

“Those cantatas are fantastic,” says Colpron. “Especially when you listen to the recitative, where he talks to us, explaining why he’s doing this.

You’re so amazed by how touching this is, and how deeply he felt. Bach had faith, and he was deeply convinced about that.”

In today’s deeply perplexing world, certainty can be hard to find—but we have faith, at least, that the enduring power and beauty of Bach’s music will be well-represented by Colpron, Les Boréades de Montréal, and their guests. g The Vancouver Bach Festival and Les Boréades de Montréal will present Bach Complete Brandenburg Concertos Pt. 1 at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on Tuesday (July 30). Bach Complete Brandenburg Concertos Pt. 2 will be held at Christ Church Cathedral on Wednesday (July 31). Bach Sonatas & Chamber Music takes place at Christ Church Cathedral at 1 p.m. on Wednesday (July 31). Bach Cantatas will be performed at Christ Church Cathedral on Friday (August 2). For a full Vancouver Bach Festival schedule, visit www.earlymusic.bc.ca/.

Mori’s voice suits her soft approach

by Alexander Varty

A

lthough she has a readily identifiable style—soft, contemplative, and yet deeply felt—the Japanese singer and pianist Yuni Mori also draws from an eclectic array of global sounds. In her recordings, it’s possible to discover elements of French chanson, the songwriters who inhabited the Brill Building during the 1960s and Laurel Canyon during the 1970s, and their Brazilian counterparts of the bossa nova era. There, too, are powerful echoes of German lieder and the Protestant hymnal—which might seem surprising, until one considers Mori’s musical upbringing.

“I initially started learning piano when I was five years old,” she tells the Straight from her home in the foothills of Mount Fuji, speaking Japanese in a conference call Since she moved from Tokyo to bucolic Yamanashi with translator Anika Ihara. “My older sis- Prefecture, Yuni Mori’s writing has shifted focus. ter was learning violin, so I decided to take some piano lessons as well. And then once I join that choir, and that’s how I started to sing reached middle school, I enrolled in a Chris- a little bit. tian school that had a choir, so I decided to “I’m not a Christian,” she adds. “But when I

was in choir at school, my school was Protestant, so the songs that they would sing were songs that everyone could sing, that had a uniting quality.…

They were very likable, and very easy to get used to, and acceptable to everyone. Another aspect was that I found the soft tones of the hymns and Christian music matched my voice. I always wanted to do rock music when I was in university, but I found that it never quite matched how my voice was. I have more of a soft voice.”

Mori’s voice also suits her version of Franz Schubert’s “Heidenröslein”, which you can hear on her SoundCloud page. True to form, she doesn’t sing it as if she were an operatic soprano, instead preferring to deliver Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s bittersweet lyrics with understated eloquence.

“These songs have a way of being unforgettable throughout time,” she says. “But I’d listen to these classic songs with lyrics, and I always found that the performers had such a strong vibrato sound. They’re very nice, but they’re not like something you would hear in a café where

you could just do your work and then have the music just go through you. So I wanted to be able to, in a good way, just play songs that people could listen to really easily.”

In her own writing, Mori goes on to explain, she wants to combine that ease of apprehension with similarly timeless lyrics—especially since moving, in 2012, to bucolic Yamanashi Prefecture.

“In Tokyo, I would always write about people—my boyfriend, my friends, and how I would feel interacting on a daily basis with those people in my life.…Now I live in the countryside. There’s more nature, so my lyrics started to shift to the mountains—to nature, plants, and the seasons changing. I’ve transitioned into landscape painting, as opposed to [portraits of] the people around me.” g The Powell Street Festival presents Yuni Mori at the Firehall Arts Centre at 2 p.m. on August 3, and on the outdoor Street Stage at 1 p.m. on August 4. For a full festival schedule, visit www.powellstreetfestival.com/.

JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 29

ARTS

Newsies charms with heart

by Andrea Warner

The cast of Newsies takes on some of the most epic dance numbers in Theatre Under the Stars history. Photo by Lindsay Elliott

THEATRE NEWSIES

Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics

by Jack Feldman. Book by Harvey Fierstein. Directed and choreographed by Julie Tomaino. A Theatre Under the Stars production.

At Malkin Bowl on Wednesday, July 10. Continues until August 17

d BASED ON THE 1992 Disney film of the same name, Newsies is a musical set in 1899 about exploited children and teens working in media who band together and unionize. If singing plus dancing plus organized labour doesn’t sound like a dream come true, then you haven’t seen Newsies. Theatre Under the Stars’ ambitious production isn’t quite flawless, but it does boast charming performances and some of the most epic and impressive dance numbers in the company’s history.

Jack (Adam Charles) is the swaggering leader of the Lower Manhattan newsies, a group of young folks who scrape out a living for themselves and whatever family they have—if they have any family at all—buying newspapers and selling them on the streets. When Pulitzer (Jovanni Sy), the powerful newspaper publisher, decides he wants even more money, he jacks up the price it will cost the newsies to purchase the papers, thereby cutting into the kids’ and teens’ meagre profits. Jack convinces his fellow newsies to unionize and strike for fair working conditions, which doesn’t sit well with the greedy Pulitzer or any of the other rich publishing magnates in New York.

Charles is a winning leading man and he shines on-stage. Jack is a complex character and a demanding role, and Charles handles it with the right combination of talent, heart, and attitude. Sy is having a blast as the pompous Pulitzer, and Julia Ullrich is excellent as Katherine, a young reporter who spars and flirts with Jack.

Her solo is a vocal standout, and all of the ensemble numbers are powerfully executed, but there were a couple instances where it felt like a few different actors were more searching for a note than singing it. The cast’s varying capacities to handle the 1899 New

30 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

Chris Francisque elevates Superior Donuts. Photo by Zemekis Photography

York accent also proved jarring and a bit distracting from what is otherwise an exciting and inspiring production.

What’s most impressive and enjoyable about Newsies is just how cohesively this cast comes together, particularly in the incredible dance numbers. It’s a marvel to watch the group tackle such physically daunting and elaborate choreography. In part, it’s a testament to the vision and leadership of director and choreographer Julie Tomaino, and, just like a union, it’s also a testament to the power of the collective.

SUPERIOR DONUTS

By Tracy Letts. Directed by Keltie Forsyth. An Ensemble Theatre Company production. At the Jericho Arts Centre on Monday, July 22.

Continues until August 16

d ARTHUR PRZYBYSZEWSKI (David Nykyl) is the sad-sack owner of Superior Donuts. The son of Polish immigrants, he’s aged out of his ’60s-era radicalism and into something much more emotionally stunted and defeatist. He’s missing work, forgetting to do basic things like ordering coffee and supplies, and he barely reacts when his shop is broken into and vandalized. But everything changes when Franco Wicks (Chris Francisque), a young African-American man, answers Arthur’s “Help wanted” sign. Franco is 21 years old, hilarious and opinionated, lively and hopeful.

As the two men slowly bond, they tackle everything from racism to

relationships, but both are burdened by legacies their fathers left behind.

Superior Donuts could also be called Toxic Masculinity Is Destroying Men and Ruining the World, but I get why playwright Tracy Letts went with the shorter, if less satisfying, title.

Letts never outright says that Arthur is grappling with depression, but through the character’s monologues we hear about growing up in Chicago in his family’s doughnut shop, his years as a draft dodger in Canada, and how his marriage dissolved after his daughter was born.

“I didn’t talk. I didn’t listen. I didn’t care,” he says. “It was nothing insurmountable.” It’s a funny line, in part because it’s so real. But Arthur’s self-awareness is limited. He follows that declaration with “You have a kid, and a kiss becomes a handshake, and pretty soon you no longer cast a shadow in your own house.” This is the kind of line one wishes he’d said in dialogue with Franco rather than in monologue, because Franco would have called him out on his self-pity.

Arthur’s inability to talk about his feelings or share his life has left him painfully isolated, and painfully self-involved. Franco pushes the shopkeeper to open up, daring him to dream beyond the confines of his meagre existence, urging him into some kind of community. The pushand-pull of their burgeoning friendship is a beautifully executed series of trust-falls until Arthur gets scared and lashes out. “What could be more human than to be scared and keep it a secret?” he asks rhetorically in one of his monologues.

Letts is, obviously, a gifted writer. He has a Pulitzer Prize for his 2007 play August: Osage County.

There are some wonderful lines throughout Superior Donuts, but Letts doesn’t push or interrogate his characters’ motivations as deeply as he could, and the play’s violent but tidy resolution is deeply dissatisfying. Thankfully, this production has two lead actors who turn in brilliant performances. Nykyl and Francisque flawlessly elevate the material, drawing out every laugh and every nuance of their characters’ emotionally complex pas de deux.

They almost make Superior Donuts live up to its name. g

ARTS LISTINGS ONGOING THE TAMING OF THE SHREW The 2007 spaghetti-western version of Shakespeare’s work is the inspiration behind this Wild West love story. To Sep 21, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. From $26.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE Young Will Shakespeare has writer’s block. To Sep 18, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. From $26.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL New staging of Shakespeare’s work set in India during the waning days of British occupation. To Aug 11, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival.

From $26.

THEATRE UNDER THE STARS Alternating performances of Mamma Mia! and Disney’s Newsies. To Aug 17, Malkin Bowl.

THE CLOCK BY CHRISTIAN MARCLAY Twenty-four-hour video that montages film and television footage from the last 70 years.

To Sep 15, The Polygon. By donation.

A NUDE HOPE: A SCI-FI BURLESQUE ADVENTURE A Star Wars burlesque parody. To Aug 31, Fri-Sat. at 8 pm, The Red Gate Revue Stage. $25/40.

CLASSIC THEATRESPORTS Two teams of performers are pitted against each other in competitive improv matches. To Aug 31, 7:309:15 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.75.

OK TINDER Vancouver TheatreSports improv show pokes fun at Vancouver’s dating scene.

To Aug 29, 9:15-10:15 pm, The Improv Centre.

From $10.75.

MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC aIN A DIFFERENT LIGHT: REFLECTING ON NORTHWEST COAST ART to summer 2020 aSHAKEUP: PRESERVING WHAT WE VALUE to Sep 1 aSHADOWS, STRINGS AND OTHER THINGS: THE ENCHANTING THEATRE OF PUPPETS to Oct 14 VANCOUVER ART GALLERY aMOVING STILL: PERFORMATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY IN INDIA to Sep 2 aVIEWS OF THE COLLECTION: THE STREET to Nov 17 aALBERTO GIACOMETTI: A LINE THROUGH TIME to Sep 29 aVIKKY ALEXANDER: EXTREME BEAUTY to Jan 26 aROBERT RAUSCHENBERG 1965–1980 to Jan 26

WEDNESDAY, JULY 24 ALI WONG San Francisco comic performs four standup comedy shows. Jul 24-26, 7 pm; Jul 26, 10 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. $49.75/69.75/99.75.

THE GOD OF CARNAGE Teatro Los Enamodaros presents a dark comedy in which two sets of parents meet to discuss a conflict between their children. Jul 24-28, 8 pm, Beaumont Studios. $25.

THURSDAY, JULY 25 SILENCE! THE MUSICAL Down Stage Right Productions presents a satire on the film The

Silence of the Lambs. Jul 25–Aug 3, Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre. $35-42.

HAPPY HOUR CHOIR SERIES Performances

by Vancouver choirs Solidarity Notes and Burstin’ With Broadway. Jul 25, 6-8:10 pm, Museum of Vancouver. Pay what you can.

ART & SCOTCH | EXHIBITION SERIES Curated Tastes presents a unique art experience highlighting the works of Benjamin Lumb paired with a selection of scotches. Jul 25, 25, 6-8:15 pm, Grosvenor Ambleside. $55-65.

6TH ANNUAL VMO LIVE SYMPHONY PERFORMANCE The Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra performs under maestro Kenneth Hsieh. Jul 25, 7-9 pm, Jack Poole Plaza. Free.

BRATS AND BRATWURST Comedy night hosted by Jo Dworschak, with guests Kevin Von Helevete, Matt Nagler, Lawrie Ferguson, and Ty Boissonnault. Jul 25, 7:30-9:30 pm, Vancouver Alpen Club. $15/20.

COMEDY NIGHT Jo Dworschak hosts standup comedy by Ty Boissonnault, Matt Nagler, and Kevin Von Helvete. Jul 25, 7:30-11 pm, Vancouver Alpen Club. $15/20.

JOKES PLEASE! Standup comedy show hosted by Ross Dauk. Jul 25, 9-10:40 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $10.

FRIDAY, JULY 26 ALEC SOTH Soth discusses his development as a photographer and signs his new book, I Know How Furiously Your Heart Is Beating. Jul 26, 7-9 pm, The Polygon. By donation, RSVP recommended.

THE WINTER’S TALE Carousel Theatre for Young People presents a teen take on Shakespeare. Jul 26–Aug 10, 7:30 pm, Ron Basford Park. Free.

HARRIS ANDERSON Comedian performs two nights of standup emceed by Larke Miller.

Jul 26-27, 8 pm, Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club. $20.

Project + Peace #vvf2019 Jul 27, 11 am, Creekside Park . Free.

The Taming of the Shrew Andrew McNee & Jennifer Lines Photo: Emily Cooper

SHOWS SELLING OUT – BOOK NOW!

FORT LANGLEY SUMMER ART TOUR Art walk features 13 studios and galleries. Jul 27, 11 am–4 pm, Fort Langley. Free.

THE CARDBOARD PROJECT 2.0: FROM DARK TO LIGHT Newly created art installation and speaking panel shines a light on the entrepreneurs of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Jul 27, 12:30-4 pm, 312 Main. $10 suggested donation.

LINDSAY WONG Author reads from her book The Woo-Woo. Jul 27, 1-3 pm, Langley Indigo.

Free.

SUMMER OF INCLUSION OPEN MIC Writers Cynthia Sharp, Lara Varesi, Adriane Giberson, Melody Owen, Bill Arnott, and Lozan Yamolky share poetry and prose. Jul 27, 1-3 pm, Artists Helping Artists. Free.

360 RIOT WALK LAUNCH + WORKSHOP Audio-visual experience traces the history and route of the 1907 anti-Asian riots in Vancouver. Jul 27, 2-4 pm, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Free.

STOP 5G - GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION Stop 5G Wireless - Day of Global Action.

Gathering in Creekside Park immediately south of Science World near bike path bend west of Quebec Street at Terminal Ave. Eventually walking to Olympic Village Plaza Square. For more info, see: www.

CETH.ca Jul 27, 2-4:30 pm, Creekside Park south of Science World, walking to Olympic Village Plaza Square. Free.

NEWT FEST Street art festival celebrates public art and new entrepreneurs. Jul 27, 4-10 pm, Newton Mural Laneway. Free.

SMALL WORLD Circus Petrichor presents a show featuring dance choreography, object

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SATURDAY, JULY 27 TEATRO INTIMO DEL FLAMENCO Karen Flamenco presents a one-hour show featuring traditional flamenco music, dance, puppetry and magic. To Sep 28, Sat. at 3 & 5 pm, The Improv Centre. $12.

BARD-B-Q & FIREWORKS Event includes Shakespeare, salmon barbecue, and a view of the fireworks. Jul 27, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. From $26.

DEFINITELY A MUSICAL A musical comedy about free will and storytelling. Jul 27-28, Surrey Arts Centre. $20/15.

VANCOUVER VEGAN FESTIVAL The first of its kind...an all-ages celebration of vegan food and culture located at the beautiful waterfront and mountain-view Creekside Park. Join us for a day filled with 50+ vendors, music, workshops, love, and free memories! This is a free event brought to you by The Vegan Project + Peace People

JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 31

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manipulation, and aerial circus acts. Jul 27, 7 pm, Underground Circus. $25.

MERLIN COSMOS Cats Flippin Birds presents comedian and magician, with guests Ola Dada, Seb Chamney, Shadowfax, and Looking for Friends, Jul 27, 28, 7 pm, LanaLou’s Restaurant. $15/20.

THE COMIC STRIP Standup comedy by Rachel Shaefer and headliner Ryan Gunther.

Jul 27, 9 pm, Tyrant Studios. $18.

SUNDAY, JULY 28 THE ACTOR’S NIGHTMARE On-script actors paired up with improvisers. Jul 28; 8 pm, Havana Theatre. $12.

PAINT THE COMMUNITY Learn new art techniques from a local artist. Jul 28, 2-5 pm, Centennial Community Centre. Free.

JNT COMEDY VANCOUVER Cannabisoriented comedy night hosted by Andrew Packer. Jul 28, 8 pm, Cannabis Culture Headquarters. $10.

comedy melodrama. To Aug 26, 7:30-9:15 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.

JOKES FOR LIFE Comedy by Charlie Demers, Chris James, Chris Griffin, Fatima Dowrhe, Kevin Banner, and Kyle Bottom, with proceeds to support Marc Urciuoli’s battle to beat cancer. Jul 29, 9 pm, Rio Theatre.

TUESDAY, JULY 30 COMPLETE BRANDENBURG CONCERTOS Early Music Vancouver opens the 2019 Vancouver Bach Festival with the Complete Brandenburg Concertos over two nights. Jul 30-31, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.

From $18.

VANCOUVER BACH FESTIVAL Early Music Vancouver presents performances by artists from the West Coast, Europe, and across North America. Jul 30–Aug 9, Christ Church Cathedral. $10-68.

MARKETING FOR ARTISTS WORKSHOP Learn five ways to personalize your art brand.

Jul 30, 6-9 pm, Pacific Arts Market. $30.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31

MONDAY, JULY 29 THE LAUGH GALLERY Graham Clark hosts a weekly comedy show with trivia and prizes.

Jul 29; 9 pm, Havana Theatre. $5.

IMPROV MONDAYS WITH MICHELLE Vancouver TheatreSports presents an improv-

BARD-B-Q & FIREWORKS Event includes Shakespeare, salmon barbecue, and a view of the fireworks. Jul 31, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. From $26.

AN EVENING WITH EDWARD CHATTERTON III Standup comedy night with headliner from Bellingham. Jul 31, 6-9 pm, Hood 29.

No cover.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 THE BIG GAY SING The Vancouver Men’s Chorus presents its annual sing-along show.

Aug 1, 8 pm, The Red Gate Revue Stage. $25-50.

TWISTED SISTERS: PRIDE EDITION! Unique comedy show where comics do standup and drag. Aug 1, 8 pm, Havana Theatre. $15.

PLANTASIA Brand new cabaret show explores gender through flora and fungi. Aug 1, 8-11 pm, Fox Cabaret. $25-40.

THE UNDERSTUDY Theresa Rebeck’s comedy about the most thankless job in theatre, directed by Mel Tuck. Aug 1-10, 8-10:15 pm, Pal Studio Theatre . $20/10.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2 BRANDON WARDELL American comedian performs a standup show. Aug 2, Biltmore Cabaret. $18.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 BARD-B-Q & FIREWORKS Event includes Shakespeare, salmon barbecue, and a view of the fireworks. Aug 3, Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. From $26.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 MOONSHINE: PIERROT LUNAIRE The Blueridge Chamber Music Festival and the Little Chamber Music Series That Could present a site-specific performance with choreography

Sat and Sun 11:30 AM to 7PM Powell Street area (Paueru Gai)

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32 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

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Arts HOT TICKET THE WINTER’S TALE (July 26 to August 10 at the Performance Works Outdoor Stage) Carousel Theatre for Young People’s Teen Shakespeare program sets the Bard’s magical story of love and adventure under the stars, in Granville Island’s grassy Ron Basford Park. The performances, a great introduction to Shakespeare for families, are free, along with activities and concessions for kids beforehand and during intermission. If the rain it raineth, the fun doth move into the nearby theatre.

PRIDE AT MOA: FROM A RIOT TO A REVOLUTION (August 3

at the Museum of Anthropology) Show your pride as the museum marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots with equal parts politics and art party. On tap: screenings of three seminal LGBTQ documentaries, a “fishbowl” discussion facilitated by the queer media-arts collective Love Intersections, and then a voguing lesson with local dance artist Ralph Escamillan to get you ready to strike a pose at the full-on Voguing Ball in the Great Hall. g

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

recording artist and concert performer.

Tickets on sale now: visit Ticketmaster. ca or call 1-855-985-5000. Sep 27, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. $58.

RICHARD CLAYDERMAN The Return of the Prince of Romance. Richard Clayderman has done what virtually no other French act has ever done...established a truly international career as a best-selling

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge. Submit events online using the event-submission form at straight.com/ AddEvent. Events that don’t make it to print due to space constraints will appear online.

by Olivia C. Davies. Aug 4, 9 pm, Celebration Hall, Mountain View Cemetery. Free.

MOVIES

A sinkhole filled with Suburban Birds

Children imagine a “boundless future” that doesn’t quite arrive in Suburban Birds, the haunting debut from director Qiu Sheng.

SUBURBAN BIRDS

Starring Mason Lee. In Mandarin, with English subtitles. Rating unavailable

d IN THIS Suburban Birds, shot in the old-fashioned 4:3 ratio, buildings, people, and places are seen through cameras and binoculars, and in mirrored reflections. Jittery zooms and abrupt cuts heighten a sense of anxiety felt by people going through rapid social changes.

The quietly anxious centre here is held by blandly handsome 20-something Xia Hao (U.S.–born Mason Lee, son of famed director Ang Lee), part of a surveying group sent to investigate sinking housing estates in a suburban area of southern China. Hao is mildly berated by his three colleagues for a tendency to articulate what’s actually going on; he thinks a series of subway tunnels beneath the developments is causing the crisis.

At the team’s chillingly empty hotel, Hao meets a beautiful woman (Lu Huang), seemingly displaced by whatever’s happening underground. He also discovers a notebook in an abandoned school, thus triggering a string of (possible) flashbacks, with a young boy named Xia Hao (Zihan Gong) exploring nature with his childhood pals; they wear their red neckerchiefs proudly and sing of “boundless futures” they will probably come to miss.

First-time feature director Qiu Sheng has a background in engineering, but the movie isn’t just a critique of a society rushing headlong into technology that threatens all living things—including birds, like the fictional Sielia suburbium these characters keep talking about. The movie conveys the heat of summer and the heaviness of memory, freely mixing tones and camera styles—colour-rich and steady for the childhood scenes, nervous and bleak for the “modern” parts, and abstractly neon-bright at odd moments. But even the time frames are uncertain, as elements cross paths with each other unexpectedly.

The effect is something like Stand

by Me as directed by David Lynch.

But deliberately paced as it is, the two-hour tale has a tough streak of poetic humanism that weaves its own mesmerizing spell.

by Ken Eisner

PROPAGANDA: THE ART OF SELLING LIES

A documentary by Larry Weinstein.

In English and German, with English subtitles. Rated PG

d A FILM SO timely, it could almost include the feed on your current smartphone, Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies is a neat overview of how information is twisted, repeated, repackaged, and otherwise auctioned on the open market of unmade minds.

The breezily paced, 90-minute film concerns itself with the very notion of message-spreading—of “grasping the symbolic layer of language”, as one expert puts it. Obviously, a lot of mythmaking sticks to pre- or post-literate visuals.

Alexander the Great didn’t litter the empire with his likeness in statues and coins as a make-work project for artists—just as egomaniacs don’t put

their names on buildings and walls because they love typography.

The objects of mythmaking are not always aware of what they are selling.

Obama’s reps knew what they were doing when they asked Shepard Fairey to add the word Hope to his silk-screened portrait. But there’s no indication that Che Guevara knew that his accidental encounter with Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick would result in one of the most iconic images ever.

The movie doesn’t make much distinction between artists flogging an established order, like Leni Riefenstahl with her Triumph of the Will, and those pushing against it, such as Ai Weiwei in his pointed digs at the Chinese establishment. Ubiquitous New Yorker cover artist Barry Blitt, seen in his studio, knows just who he’s needling with his finely wrought drawings. But do those Charlie Hebdo cartoons even qualify as art or are they pure, and patently dangerous, provocations?

Working from a script by doc veterans David Mortin and Andrew Edmonds, director Larry Weinstein (best known for profiles of late, great musicians) doesn’t attempt to resolve these questions. And his new effort is far from definitive. But it’s a great way to tune up the bullshit meters we already have.

by Ken Eisner

THE FAREWELL

Starring Awkwafina. In English and Mandarin, with English subtitles.

Rated PG

d IN THE FAREWELL, writer-director Lulu Wang reveals herself to be a major talent while allowing Awkwafina, better known for her comic antics and rapping skills, to show off impressive dramatic chops.

The Ocean’s Eight star here plays Billi, a struggling New York writer whose current listlessness is interrupted by news that her beloved grandmother is dying of cancer. She learns this from her parents (Australia’s Diana Lin and Meditation Park dad Tzi Ma), who don’t want her to join them on their last visit home, to Changchun—a place she left as an infant—in China’s far northeast.

Why? The family won’t let the old lady know what’s happening, and they’re sure Billi will spill the beans.

She goes anyway, and is advised to join in what her uncle (Yongbo Jiang) calls “a good lie”—a better title for this bittersweet culture-clash comedy. The uncle went to Japan when Billi’s clan moved to New York, and the hasty wedding of his son (Han Chen) to a Japanese girlfriend is the multicultural pretext for everyone’s abrupt homecoming. Billi’s whitehaired Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) is a kindhearted, if bossy, soul who nags the conflicted young American about her shapeless clothes and mopey attitude. An aura of resigned sadness hangs over the ostensibly happy, food-rich get-togethers, and the expected family arguments eschew sentimentality and sitcom beats, let alone the glitz of Crazy Rich Asians.

Aside from some rhythmic missteps, the movie doesn’t quite get around to developing the character of the hesitant groom, and it doesn’t show much interest in Billi’s talents,

if any. This is odd, because the story was previously rendered as a personal memoir by Wang. She still seems to be working out what that trip to China meant. But if the process is somewhat unresolved, it’s immensely entertaining to watch.

by Ken Eisner

MAIDEN

A documentary by Alex Holmes.

Rated PG

d A FASCINATING tale is sleekly drawn in Maiden, which focuses on a woman who skippered the first-ever all-female crew to sail around the world in the aptly named Whitbread yacht race. The film has plenty of particulars about that event, which started in 1989—can that really be 30 years ago?—and it also has something to say about the risky idea of firsts in general.

Certainly, it takes a personality as naturally contrarian as that of Tracy Edwards to buck any set system. A quick preface describes her childhood in southern England— idyllic, until the sudden death of her father, then replaced by an abusive stepparent. The defiant teenager was drawn to the almost entirely white and male world of boat racing, and she crewed (mostly as a cook) before putting her own team together.

This efficiently made doc from Alex Holmes, who also directed a 2005 doc about the Dunkirk flotilla, includes pithy present-day interviews with Edwards and a number of her then crew members. These include French doctor Marie-Claude Heys, with whom she butted heads, and Dutch sailor Tanja Visser, who shot much of the exciting footage of the 33,000-mile journey.

The stubborn Edwards made enemies easily, but also garnered potent support. A chance meeting with Jordan’s King Hussein led to his funding the purchase of the beat-up, 38-foot craft she redubbed Maiden. Why the movie is not called Maiden Voyage remains a mystery, but the ship did leave Southampton with a banner proclaiming “Maiden Great Britain”.

The Edwards of 1989 proclaims that she is “definitely not a feminist”, although events suggest otherwise. The movie doesn’t tell us much about what she has done since, or delve much into her personal life, although one can deduce some pretty serious trauma from the fact that she has been involved with several groups devoted to protection of children online. Whatever is pushing her forward still at age 56, her determination is inspiring to see.

SciFact vs SciFi: Nerd Nite Goes to the Movies

by Ken Eisner

BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE

A documentary by Aaron Lieber.

Rating unavailable

d BETHANY HAMILTON: Unstoppable is meant to be a biopic about a feisty girl who overcomes adversity.

But it’s more successful when viewed as a surfer doc in the tradition of Riding Giants or Step Into Liquid.

The story of the famous 13-yearold wunderkind who lost her arm to a tiger shark in 2003 celebrates the sport that drew her back to the waves in spectacular style.

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see next page JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 33

MOVIES

Propaganda director administers truth

C

by Adrian Mack

he Guevara walks into a bar in Ireland in 1963. It’s not a joke; it actually happened, thanks to a flight out of Shannon airport delayed by fog. Five years later, the bartender who handed Guevara his pint in the seaside resort of Kilkee would produce the iconic red-and-black image known as Viva Che. “It left an enormous impression because here was somebody I admired hugely,” explains Jim Fitzpatrick, in Propaganda: The Art of Selling Lies, opening at the Vancity Theatre on Friday (July 26). Going on to great success as a commercial artist, Fitzpatrick became more widely known for his work with Thin Lizzy than for authoring one of the most reproduced images in history. He’s also a natural in front of the camera, providing Larry Weinstein with one of many delightful detours taken in the

veteran Canadian documentarian’s latest film.

“Isn’t he great?” says the gregarious filmmaker, calling the Georgia Straight from his office in Toronto. “Most people, including me, are just in awe that this image was created not by a Cuban or an Argentinian, but by an Irishman, brought about by this chance encounter.

And then he’s such a nice guy, and so humble.

Audiences laugh, because it seems like such a weird thing. Who would think it?”

A playful film about a serious subject, Propaganda winds its way through Neanderthal cave paintings, the Catholic Church, and Charlie Chaplin’s The Great Dictator in its effort to understand the weaponized dimension of image-making. Interviews with Shepard Fairey and Sabo underline the atomized politics of our time. Fairey, creator of the Obama

Hope poster, shows scant insight into the topic.

Sabo, a right-wing street artist, demonstrates unsettling acumen with his infamous Obama Drone project. And how flimsy are the words of the Globe and Mail’s David Walmsley (“We deal in the real world”) when stacked against those of George Orwell expert Jean Seaton and the notion of “selective perception”? Covering a concert in Pyongyang by Slovenian provocateurs Laibach, Weinstein is assured by promoter Morten Traavik that North Koreans are wise to their state propaganda. But are we wise to our own?

Naturally, Weinstein identifies Trump as the “muse” behind the project. “I’d wake up in the morning, look at his tweets, be incensed, and then go into the office and work with these writers David Mortin and Andrew Edmonds,

and they would encourage me to be in this terrible mood because, somehow, it was a catalyst for ideas and writing.”

Given the skill he brings to organizing such wide-ranging material, it’s sobering to encounter the filmmaker still wrestling with the topic after it’s been put to bed.

“Do we really care about the truth or do we like to be lied to?” he wonders. “That was an actual question at a Q&A and it totally threw me off because I never thought of it that way. Maybe our religious upbringing has taught us to believe in propaganda and lies and fantasies and miracles and invisible gods and things that do not exist. I think the film was supposed to resolve something and instead it’s created a wound and now it’s open and festering still.” g

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GRAB YOUR CREW AND SEE THE FEEL GOOD MOVIE OF THE SUMMER! THE TRUE STORY THAT PROVED EVERYONE WRONG

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“A MUST-SEE FOR ALL AGES AND GENDERS!” -Lindsey Bahr, ASSOCIATED PRESS

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“A JAW-DROPPER!” -Phil de Semlyen, TIME OUT NY

A veteran surf-film maker, and a rider himself, director Aaron Lieber follows the now grown-up Hamilton to monster waves in Hawaii, Tahiti, California, and Fiji, capturing the star holding her own in world championships.

It’s inspiring stuff, even for those who think a duck dive is reserved for waterfowl. The sight of the one-armed surf star zipping through rad barrels and carving up wave faces is earnestly awe-inspiring. This despite the fact the film itself has the high sheen of a freshly waxed surfboard.

The unassuming heroine has the right stuff to inspire girl power. With her sun-bleached golden hair and determined jaw, she shows a kind of uncomplicated grit you don’t see celebrated in the selfie era. It’s clearly in her blood: as home movies show, even at 13 and lying in a hospital bed recovering from the horrific injury she calmly insisted she would get back surfing again: “It’s pretty much my dream.”

Oddly, that’s the sum total of insights into Hamilton’s psychology that we get in Unstoppable. Even the many quick-cut interviewees here— relatives, surfing competitors, her husband—rarely come off as more than talking heads. Lieber tries to allude to tension in Hamilton’s life—her struggles with fame (hello, Oprah and The Amazing Race), and her attempts to nurse a newborn while competing internationally—but every obstacle is presented with the same blithe, impenetrable determination.

Lieber traces Hamilton’s life from before the attack, when her parents worked two or three jobs each to support their kids’ idyllic Kauai surfer upbringing, to her rehabilitation and return as a top-tier athlete. No one believes her new imbalance will allow her to stand on a surfboard again, let alone compete internationally.

Even a scene where Hamilton later refuses an ESPY Award for athletes with a disability—she regularly trounces able-bodied competitors— is explored with zero depth.

Soon she’s back on the waves again, setting her jaw, a tiny human mastering a spectacular blue beast.

Hamilton is a fearless risk-taker. The film about her? Not so much.

by Janet Smith

WATERGATE

A documentary by Charles Ferguson. Rating unavailable

A FILM BY

ALEX HOLMES

COARSE LANGUAGE

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT STARTS FRIDAY Check theatre directories for showtimes

34 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019

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d MANY PEOPLE THINK that the political chicanery we’re witnessing now makes the 1972 crimes enacted by minions of then president Richard Nixon look like puny stuff. It wasn’t.

Using a combination of archival footage, interviews with John Dean and other principal survivors of the event (everyone but Henry Kissinger is here), Nixon’s own secret audiotapes, and reenactments built around those tapes, the six-part Watergate—comprising an unexpectedly swift four hours and 20 minutes—makes it clear that the infamous “third-rate burglary” was only the tip of the shitberg where abuse of power was concerned.

There’s great footage if not much depth to Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable.

In retrospect, one cannot separate Nixon’s fatal moves during his reelection bid (chaired by his very own attorney general!) from glaring duplicity in 1968, when he ran as the “peace candidate”. He wooed the antiwar movement while secretly scuttling Lyndon Johnson’s talks with North Vietnam. Upon election, he immediately expanded the conflict into neighbouring countries, and turned the FBI loose on leftists and black activists. His propensity for political deceit and real-world violence disillusioned followers like military analyst Daniel Ellsberg, who leaked the Pentagon Papers, detailing the government’s lies, and setting in motion the kind of president-versus-press combat we see today, writ even larger.

First, Ellsberg’s psychiatrist’s office in L.A. was burgled, then the Democratic headquarters in the Watergate complex in D.C., giving the scandal its name. Nixon had already drawn up a grotesque enemies list, including figures as diverse as Joe Namath and Carol Channing, and he contemplated subsequent smear jobs, literal assassinations, and even firebombings—few of which came to fruition, fortunately. But hardly a nothingburger by anyone’s standards.

The sordid tale is a deftly structured true-crime saga, with writerdirector Charles Ferguson narrating.

(His Inside Job, about the 2008 market collapse, won an Oscar.) Those reenactments are the weakest parts.

Nixon’s imitation machismo, virulent anti-Semitism, and paranoid ranting in private while smiling through flopsweat in public already put his Shakespearean flaws in full relief.

The actorly scenes do set up even more exciting video footage of the Watergate hearings, which riveted the nation throughout 1973. The closing installment highlights some almost-forgotten heroes, including newly minted congresswomen Barbara Jordan and Elizabeth Holtzman, who grilled high mucky-mucks with zero deference. Many Republicans of the day acquit themselves well too, putting principles over party, and eloquently so. The system worked, sort of. “But,” as one participant said, just after Nixon finally resigned, “next time there might not be a watchman in the night.”

by Ken Eisner

music

Shad tells tales about war and peace The Canadian rapper wrestles with greed, fear, and injustice on his powerful latest album

I

by Mike Usinger

f Shad struggled with one thing while conceiving his powerfully thought-provoking album A Short Story About a War, it was accepting that he didn’t need to make every day a little better for those around him. So when he began working on two records at the same time—one decidedly lighter in tone than the other, which turns a microscope on our troubled times—he had a decision to make.

“I was a little reluctant to take it [A Short Story About a War] on,” the famously affable rapper says, reached on his cellphone in his hometown of Toronto. “I kind of wanted to do something very much the opposite in tone.

For one thing, I like to make people feel good—that’s kind of my instinct.

So when I started on the two batches of songs, one of them was chasing that feeling where I want to give people a good feeling. The other was making songs around a concept that started to come together with more clarity and a real sense of purpose.

“A month into the recording,” Shad continues, “I had a handful of songs in each category. The ones I was making for this album felt really meaningful and the others didn’t. So it became ‘Well, this is what I have to give, I guess—not what I want to, but instead what I have to.’ ” What the 36-year-old came up with is a complex and deeply rewarding record that asks big questions about the world we’re living in today. Shad uses recurring characters—including the Snipers, the Fool, and the Stone Throwers—to examine a wide range of issues, including greed, fear, intolerance, inner-city violence, war, racism, and economic injustice.

Rapper Shad was inspired to write A Short Story About a War while living on Commercial Drive. Photo by Justin Broadbent

Because of the endless insanity going on south of the border, the temptation is to see A Short Story About a War as a reaction to a period that’s being shaped by a certain Donald J. Trump. But the idea for the album surfaced long before Make America Great Again baseball caps became a symbol of everything that’s wrong with humankind. Shad was living in Vancouver—in the middle of Vancouver’s famously diverse Commercial Drive neighbourhood—when the spark for A Short Story About a War came to him.

“I love that neighbourhood, but it’s one where tensions are pretty palpable,” he says. “That’s because you kind of have everyone there.

You have your middle-class renters, people that own entire blocks, people

that live on the street. So you live with the tension of all these different people trying to coexist and trying to survive. I remember sitting there and doing my writing, and then this image kind of popped into my mind of a war with all these different characters. It was a situation where all the different meanings became apparent to me right away, even though it was kind of a bizarre picture.”

What stands out on the album is how he doesn’t pretend there are easy, black-and-white answers. “The Revolution/The Establishment”, for example, starts out with Shad speaking for progressives (“Watch ’em masters of war/These fat cats cash in tax free on the backs of the poor masses”) and then ends with him switching perspectives to those making

weapons simply because it’s their job (“We make rules but we don’t make war/We don’t endorse or advocate using force”).

“The Stone Throwers (Gone in a Blink)” features lyrics such as “Vilified by all sides/Vilified for small crimes/Forced to go blow for blow/ In a war zone with only stones to throw,” putting Shad in the shoes of those usually portrayed on the news as desperate radicals on the fringes of collapsing societies. And with “The Fool Pt. 3 (Frame of Mind)” and lines like “Who is at the end of my search/It’s me,” he suggests that the only place where one might start to make sense of it all is within.

“The whole concept of the record is what I was wrestling in my own head and my own heart,” Shad says.

“It’s like, ‘Wow—peace really is difficult, and there are so many different kinds of violence. So how can we untangle it, and how can we overcome our fear of each other? Why do we have so much fear of each other, not just in a political sense, but also on an interpersonal level?’ ” Binding these characters together is Shad’s profound sense of empathy.

Even when he’s at his angriest on A Short Story About a War, he’s never without hope for a better tomorrow.

That sense of optimism also bleeds through the music, which swings from modernly minimalist to menacingly old-school while drawing beautifully on throwback jazz, heavenly soul, and soft-focus R&B. “I wanted the record to be exciting to listen to,” Shad says. “It was like, ‘If this is what I’m going to do, at least let me make it interesting and not a downer,’ because the last thing that the world needs is another downer.”

And the key to not getting too down? For all the tough questions he asks on A Short Story About a War, it’s maybe reverting to the idea of making the world a bit better, starting with those around him.

“I get burned-out sometimes with all this stuff we see on the news,” he admits. “That’s when I have to turn off and focus on what I can do and what I can contribute—to remember what my life actually is. To think about people and how I treat them and the people that I am responsible to. It’s important. The people around you is where your life really takes place.” g Shad plays the Squamish Constellation Festival’s Creative BC Stage at 7:35 p.m. on Saturday (July 27).

Don’t miss these Constellation stars

L

by Ben Boddez, John Lucas, and Mike Usinger

third season of Canadian Idol (or maybe not)— create the sort of shiny electro-pop that seems to be made for summer afternoons. Their impeccable vocal harmonies are the cherry on the proverbial sonic sundae. Check out their YouTube channel and you’ll see that someone is spending a pretty penny on their videos; the “someone” in question is 604 Records.

et’s face it: you’re not going to see any stars in Vancouver. Oh, sure, every once in a while you’ll spot Ryan Reynolds in a Starbucks or see Seth Rogen at a Nine Inch Nails concert at Rogers Arena. But that’s not the kind of star we mean. Thanks to light pollution, the only way you’re going to see Cassiopeia or Ursa Minor in this city is by going to a planetarium show at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre.

That’s why we recommend decamping to the mountains this weekend—specifically, up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to take in the Squamish Constellation Festival. This isn’t an astronomical event, mind you, but a musical one. Nonetheless, you’ll have plenty of opportunity for stargazing in between sets by Bahamas, Serena Ryder, Wintersleep, and the choice acts listed below.

The Squamish Constellation Festival takes place Friday through Sunday (July 26 to 28) at Hendrickson Field. Visit www.constellationfest.ca/ for the full lineup. And don’t forget your telescope.

PARKER BOSSLEY (Creative BC Stage at 5:50 p.m. on Friday) The list of acts that Parker Bossley has played or collaborated with reads like a who’s who of the local music scene and includes Gay Nineties, Hot Hot Heat, Mounties, Blonde Diamond, and Sleepy Tom. Turns out Bossley has his own solo thing going on as well, and although he has released a mere two songs to date, they are both shimmering indie-pop bangers that will leave you hungry for more. Given the unlikelihood of Bossley stretching “Lifted” and “Chemicals” out into a full set, we’re guessing that he has a few more killer tunes up his sleeve.

THE JERRY CANS (Creative BC Stage at 6:35 p.m. on Sunday) The Jerry Cans have been gaining recognition across Canada for their unique blend of rock music and Inuit throat singing

JESSIE REYEZ (Main Stage at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday) Headlining the fest as one of the most in-demand pop songwriters at the moment, Jessie Reyez has recently worked with Calvin Harris and Eminem and been cosigned by the likes of Elton John and Steven Tyler. With a raspy and deeply emotional vocal delivery, her own songs deal with intense and personal topics—including the powerful #MeToo movement track “Gatekeeper”. That kind of conviction promises a long career ahead.

Squamish Constellation Festival’s lineup includes (clockwise from left) electro-pop duo the Sunset Kids (Renat Touichev photo), songwriter Jessie Reyez, and Nunavut’s Jerry Cans (Jen Squires photo).

native to their hometown of Iqaluit, Nunavut.

Inuk vocalist and accordionist Nancy Mike, and her husband, Andrew Morrison, strongly believe in the importance of a popular band singing in an Indigenous language and shattering misconceptions about the North with its lyrics.

HALF MOON RUN (Main Stage at 7:20 p.m. on Sunday) As every Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor fan knows, all the coolest bands call Montreal home. Half Moon Run continues the tradition of West Coasters fleeing ever-unaffordable B.C. for a city where rent is cheap and the underground music scene is as fertile as it is adventurous.

Featuring Vancouver Island expat Conner

Molander, the quartet has built a rabid following in its adopted home with a sound covering everything from Dixieland-tinted chamber folk to Americana-spiked paisley pop. Expect Half Moon Run to get extra out-there at Constellation—the band’s been slowly slaving away on a long-awaited follow-up to 2015’s Sun Leads Me On. That delay, not to mention the prospect of coming back to the coast, should make Molander and company extra-stoked about getting out of the studio and playing live.

THE SUNSET KIDS (Creative BC Stage at 4:50 p.m. on Saturday) Russian transplant Ellaya Zampieri and Saskatchewan-born Josh Palmer—whom you might remember from the

BEGONIA (Main Stage at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday) One of the greatest things about all-day musical smorgasbords like Constellation is that you inevitably have one or two major revelations. On that front, get ready to discover your new favourite artist, Begonia.

Known to her mom as Alexa Dirks, the Winnipeg-based singer possesses a powerhouse voice that puts her in the same corner of the after-hours speakeasy as Nina Simone and Jimmy Scott. Think dark-hued synth-pop at it most dramatically soulful, which explains why she’s been hailed as a talent on the verge of breaking big-time by everyone from NPR to the CBC. Check out “Out of My Head” on YouTube for a taste of what to expect. On second thought, don’t. Sometimes the most beautiful way to fall in love is when you least expect it. g

JULY 25 – AUGUST 1 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 35

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d HIS MUSIC IS as likely to include the sounds of endangered songbirds as it is woozy waltz rhythms or marching-band brass. His lyrics read like the free-association ramblings of a man well-versed in the work of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear, to say nothing of Syd Barrett.

If that makes Cosmo Sheldrake sound like an unlikely pop star, well…

He isn’t exactly a pop star. The 28-yearold London, England–based musician did, however, manage to have a viral hit with his song “Come Along”. Apple licensed the track—which, A.A. Milne fans will be delighted to learn, kicks off with the line “Come along, catch a Heffalump”—for an iPhone XR commercial last year, and that ad has since racked up more than 18 million plays on YouTube.

A further 5.3 million views have been garnered by a slick cover of the song by American a cappella superstars Pentatonix. Reached at a Los Angeles tour stop, Sheldrake admits that he had never heard of Pentatonix before the platinum-selling group recorded “Come Along”, but he says he likes what they did with it.

“It’s a very good arrangement,” Sheldrake tells the Straight. “They’re very technically amazing singers.

They’ve made some different choices than what I would, obviously, but I’m definitely impressed. Yeah, it sounds cool.”

You could say Sheldrake comes by his musical talent honestly; his mother is the internationally renowned singer and voice teacher Jill Purce, who is perhaps best-known for her early-’70s work with German avant-garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen. His father is notable in his own right. For decades, Rupert Sheldrake has been a thorn in the side of scientific orthodoxy, espousing ideas that include the notion that humans have telepathic connections with their canine companions.

Cosmo Sheldrake credits his father’s unique world-view with shaping his own. “It has very much been a part of how I’ve grown up and think about the world,” he says. “I very much feel connected with his ideas and analysis and philosophies. It’s had a huge impact—I guess first and foremost, this idea of nature being very much alive and evolutionary. So I’ve definitely inherited this sense of a holistic understanding of nature, which is somewhat animistic in a way. That definitely had a big impact on the way I think, and it trickled through into the music, for sure.”

To that end, Sheldrake has created songs that incorporate his own field

Cosmo Sheldrake (left) incorporates surreal wordplay and natural sounds into his music; Jocelyn Alice left Calgary for the “anger and desperation” of Los Angeles.

recordings of birds and aquatic animals made in various locales, including a few that will be familiar to attendees of the Squamish Constellation Festival, where he performs this weekend.

“I’ve spent time up on the islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland, in that amazing part with smatterings of islands all over the place,” he says. “I’ve spent basically every summer of my life up in those islands in Desolation Sound and that part of the world. It’s beautiful.”

The sense of hushed awe in Sheldrake’s voice when he talks about the wonders of the Sunshine Coast suggests that he’d rather be in forest or field, conversing with nightingales and Heffalumps, than tallying how many millions of views or Spotify streams his deeply quirky songs are getting.

by John Lucas

Cosmo Sheldrake plays the Squamish Constellation Festival, which takes place at Hendrickson Field in Squamish from Friday to Sunday (July 26 to 28).

CANADIAN SONGWRITER ALICE FINDS HERSELF IN L.A. d FOR A LONG time, the decision to abandon Calgary for the competitive entertainment mecca of Los Angeles didn’t feel like the right one for Jocelyn Alice.

The singer-songwriter had found herself to be a hot property after cowriting 2015’s “Jackpot”, and then watching it go from a YouTube sensation to a viral hit on Spotify. A record deal followed, with the strong suggestion that L.A. would make good business sense. Even though Toronto and New York seemed more her style, Alice packed up and headed down the coast, where she quickly felt lost. Los Angeles is filled with aspiring actors and musicians, many of

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whom come to the creeping realization they aren’t going to make it.

“There’s an anger and a desperation to the city,” Alice says, on the line from her home in California.

“It’s very expensive here, very intense and loud, with a lot going on.

People have a natural level of stress being in this city, and then you add on the fact that I’m in the music industry and the fact that I’m female—all these extra things are boundaries that we aren’t totally aware of a lot of the time. It was honestly hell on earth when I first got here. I really struggled and didn’t want to stay.”

Still, Alice has established herself as a heavy hitter, even though she’s not a household name. “Jackpot” has been designated platinum, 2017’s “Bound to You” went gold, and a Galloway remix of her smash “Feels Right” is at nearly 21 million listens on Spotify.

Those singles and more are bundled on her 2018 EP Little Devil, which touches on everything from calypso-tinted EDM to darkwave pop to acoustic trip-hop. The one constant is Alice’s world-beating voice; she’s a rare powerhouse who sounds as natural going the winsome and vulnerable route as she does showcasing a jazzy worldweariness or unleashing the soulsister pyrotechnics.

A long-awaited full-length, due later this year, is a sign that Alice has figured things out in Los Angeles.

A big victory was convincing herself—especially during the dark periods—that she was indeed a player.

“It was incredibly humbling, coming from a country where I’d built a career for myself,” Alice admits.

“Walking into sessions in Canada, there’s kind of this immediate sense of respect. That’s an incredible feeling and something that I will never take for granted. That’s not the way it was for me here in Los Angeles. And that was really hard for a long time.”

As she continues to navigate an industry where everyone in the boardroom thinks they know best, Alice remains determined to carve out her own identity. Proudly, she notes she was recently asked to sing on a Chainsmokers track, but declined because she didn’t have a hand in writing the song. That’s a decision she doesn’t regret: even though she’s built a strong support network in L.A., she ultimately relies on the person who got her this far in the first place.

“I’m not someone who’s going to talk about all the accolades I’ve got and all the things that I’ve done, so people kind of underestimated me here,” Alice says. “But that’s taught me to stand up and be who I am. The reality is that I do have three gold singles, and I do have a platinum single, and I have a 20-million-streamed single on Spotify. All that’s earned— those are songs that I’ve written myself, and I’m proud of that. The reason I am successful is because I was true to who I am as an artist. That’s just point-blank the truth. And you can see that in my career.”

by Mike Usinger

Jocelyn Alice plays the Squamish Constellation Festival Main Stage at 5:20 p.m. on Saturday (July 27).

MUSIC LISTINGS CONCERTS JUST ANNOUNCED SOCIAL DEVIANTZ Celebrate the vinyl reissue of the 1996 Essential Mental Nutrients album. Jul 31, 6-9 pm, The Boxcar. No cover.

THE JINS Vancouver rock trio, with guests Lazy Ghost, Ty Koch, and Whisperdisco. Aug 1-2, 7:30 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

JOHNNY TRASH Johnny Cash tunes trashed up, with guests the Wicked High, Myriad of Whispers, and Phasors. Aug 2, 8 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

ULTIMATE ELVIS Elvis Presley tribute show featuring Brian “Elvis” Simpson and D.W. Elvis.

Aug 2, 3, 8-11:55 pm, Old Admiral Pub & Grill. Free.

GOLDEN VESSEL Aussie electropop artist and producer. Aug 3, Biltmore Cabaret. $13.

WIDOW’S PEAK Technical death-metal band from Calgary, with guests Exterminatus, Anomalism, Evilosity, and KATG. Aug 3, 7 pm, The Pub 340. $10.

CAM BLAKE Local alt-rock/rap artist, with guests Jack Williams, OlliePop, and Hello Victim.

Aug 3, 8 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

SATURDAY OF RECKONING Performances

by Tony Balony and the Rubes, the Top Boost, and the Circus In Flames. Aug 3, 8:30 pm, Fairview Pub. $10.

BRUCE SUNPIE BARNES WITH NUVO ZYDECO Zydeco artists from New Orleans, with guests Ana Bon Bon and Mizz Lisa. Aug 5, 7:3010:30 pm, The Princeton Pub & Grill. By donation.

COAL HARBOUR MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring performances by the Sojourners, Tonye Aganaba, and Alfie Zappacosta. Aug 7-30, PAL Theatre. Free to $40.

CELSO MACHADO Brazilian-born guitarist.

Aug 7, 7 pm, Coal Harbour Park above Coal Harbour Community Centre. Free.

THE WINSTON MATSUSHITA TRIO Keyboardist leads his trio as part of the Summer Jazz on the Porch series. Aug 8, 7-9 pm, Roedde House Museum. Pay what you can.

THE HUNTER AND THE POTTER Local progrock quartet, with guests Muscle and Gall, Zen Junkie, and Kane Incognito. Aug 9, 8 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

BRICKHOUSE Cloverdale Concerts presents local funk-blues band. Aug 10, 7:30-11 pm, Shannon Hall.

MALLEUS TRIO Geordie Hart (upright bass), Dominic Conway (saxophone), and Ben Brown (drums) perform live in the lounge.

Aug 12, 8-11 pm, WISE Hall. $10.

JAUNDICE VOL. 9 Featuring performances

by L.A. based Mamalarky, with guests BabyFuzZ, girlsnails, and Tanglers. Aug 14, 7 pm, The Avant-Garden. $10.

RUMOUR MILL Local indie-pop duo performs as part of the UBC Botanical Garden Summer Series. Aug 15, 5:30-7 pm, UBC Botanical Garden.

CHRIS FRYE & THE ANALOG GHOSTS Lead

singer-guitarist of the Bills performs with his new band. Aug 15, 8 pm, St. James Hall. $28/24.

ELVIS-PALOOZA Elvis Presley tribute show featuring Eli Williams and Ben Klein. Aug 16, 3-10 pm, Royal Canadian Legion #263 Events Hall. $25.

BRASS CAMEL Local prog-funk quintet, with guests Bong Chow and Goodnight Sunrise.

Aug 17, 8 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

RAOUL AND THE BIG TIME Blues band led by singer and harmonica player Raoul Bhanej, with guests the Mojo Stars. Aug 23, 7 pm, Blue Frog Studios. $47.

TONYE AGANABA Local vocalist mixes soul, neo-folk, and R&B. Aug 24, 8-10:30 pm, PAL Theatre. $27.

THE REAL PONCHOS Local psychedelic country-soul band. Aug 26, 8-11 pm, WISE Hall. $10.

JITENSHA Montreal-based indie duo composed of David Martinez and Erin Rose Hubbard. Aug 30, 7 pm, Massy Books. $20.

ALFIE ZAPPACOSTA Canadian soul-pop vocalist from the ‘80s. Aug 30, 8-10:30 pm, PAL Theatre. $40.

SKATING POLLY Oklahoma City rockers play tunes from new album The Make It All Show, with local guests Jo Passed. Sep 4, 8:30 pm, LanaLou’s Restaurant. $13.50.

TOBI LOU Nigeria-born, Chicago-raised rapper and producer, with guests LIL TRXPTENDO and femdot. Sep 19, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Jul 26, 10 am, $15.

INCOGNITO Local blues band featuring guitarist Rob Montgomery, with guest Mike Machado.

Sep 20, 8 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

LEAHY Canadian folk-roots band. Sep 21, 8 pm, The ACT Arts Centre. $42/35/29.

ANTHONY WONG Cantopop artist. Sep 27, Vogue Theatre.

DON BROCO Rock quartet from Bedford, England. Oct 2, Biltmore Cabaret. $19.99.

LEO DAN Argentine singer and composer.

Oct 4, Vogue Theatre. $47.50-99.50.

THE ROYAL FOUNDRY Indie electronic/ alt-pop band from Edmonton. Oct 4, 8:30 pm, LanaLou’s Restaurant. $12.

LANDON CUBE American indie-alternative singer-songwriter and music producer. Oct 14, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Jul 26, 10 am, $18.

CORY WONG Guitarist, composer, and producer from Minneapolis, with guest Phoebe Katis. Oct 17, 9 pm, Fox Cabaret.

JUSTIN RUTLEDGE Juno-winning singersongwriter, with guest Oh Susanna. Oct 18, 8-11:30 pm, WISE Hall. $20/25.

DYGL Indie-rock quartet from Tokyo. Oct 30, Biltmore Cabaret.

BIG WRECK Can-Am rock band. Oct 31–Nov 1, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom. Tix on sale Jul 26, 10 am, $42.50.

THE BAND PERRY American country-pop

trio composed of siblings Kimberly Perry, Reid Perry, and Neil Perry, with guests Phangs. Nov 1, Vogue Theatre. $30.

(SANDY) ALEX G Indie-rock musician from Philadelphia. Nov 2, Imperial Vancouver. $23.

TWIN PEAKS Rock band from Chicago, with guests Post Animal and Ohmme. Nov 9, 8 pm, Venue. Tix $25.

KING RAAM Iranian-born, Vancouver-based punk-rock musician. Nov 15, Biltmore Cabaret. $15.

DANY LAJ AND THE LOOKS Power-pop quartet from Montreal. Nov 16, 8 pm, Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse. $13.

HIGH ON FIRE AND POWER TRIP American metal bands play a coheadlining show, with guests Devil Master and Creeping Death. Dec 2, 7 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. Tix on sale Jul 26, 10 am, $26.50.

ALLAH-LAHS Rock band from L.A., with guests Mapache & Tim Hill. Dec 8, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. Tix on sale Jul 26, 10 am, $30.

KING PRINCESS Pop singer-songwriter, multiinstrumentalist, and producer from Brooklyn.

Jan 16, 8 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tix on sale Jul 26, 10 am, $59.50/55/39.50/29.50.

GREYSON CHANCE American singer, songwriter, and pianist performs tunes from latest album Portraits. Jan 25, 8 pm, Fortune Sound Club. $20.

THURSDAY, JULY 25 SAMMY JOHNSON Reggae-soul singersongwriter from Australia. Jul 25, Imperial Vancouver. $27.50.

MIYAVI Japanese guitarist and singer-songwriter. Jul 25, Vogue Theatre.

JOEY BADA$$ + FLATBUSH ZOMBIES New York City hip-hop artists, with guests the Underachievers, Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, CJ Fly, and Powers Pleasant. Jul 25, 6 pm, PNE Forum. $56/30.50.

VICTORIA ANTHONY Original songs and covers of Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Coldplay. Jul 25, 7:30 pm, Rio Theatre. $20.

FRIDAY, JULY 26 GRIZFOLK Alternative rock band. Jul 26, Biltmore Cabaret.

TEN FOOT POLE Pop punk legends Jul 26, Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse. $15.

CONSTELLATION FESTIVAL Performers include Current Swell, Jessie Reyez, the Boom Booms, and Bahamas. Jul 26-28, Hendrickson Fields & Logger Sports Grounds. $199-425.

FORT LANGLEY JAZZ AND ARTS FESTIVAL Two days of non-stop jazz featuring 25 acts on two stages. Jul 26-28, various Fort Langley venues FOUR-BAND BLAST Leghound Booking presents performances by rock bands the Golers, Decadence, Roadrash, and Hexripper.

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SATURDAY, JULY 27 BRANDON ISAAC Vancouver bluesman performs with Pat Darcus in Port Moody. Jul 27, Gallery Bistro.

PARK SOUND PRESENTS Monthly musical showcase features performances by Georgia Johnson, Johnny Sunshine, and René Aussant.

Jul 27, 7-10 pm, Park Sound Studio. $10.

BACKSTREET BOYS American pop band from the ‘90s. Jul 27, 8 pm, Rogers Arena. Tix $199/149/99/79/59/39.

A.A. BONDY Alt-folk singer-songwriter from Birmingham, Alabama. Jul 27, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. $18.

SUNDAY, JULY 28 JAZZ VESPERS The 19-piece Bruce James Orchestra performs music of the big-band era and present-day hits. Jul 28, 4-5 pm, St. Andrew’s United Church. By donation.

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SONIC SUMMER NIGHTS Community music festival features performances by Jennifer Hershman, Sarah Wheeler, Rob Butterfield, Jody Glenham, and Sleepy Gonzales. Jul 30-31, 6-10 pm, Jonathan Rogers Park.

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS Soulful R&B combo from the States, with guests Lucius. Jul 30, 7:30 pm, PNE Amphitheatre. $49.50.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 31 THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS & JAMES Rock bands coheadline, with guests Dear Boy. Jul 31, 7 pm, Orpheum Theatre. $75/65/50/40.

THE BETHS Indie-pop quartet from New Zealand. Jul 31, 9 pm, Biltmore Cabaret. $15.

MDOU MOCTAR Tuareg rock band from Niger, with guests JJUUJJUU. Jul 31, 9 pm, Fox Cabaret. $20.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 STEF CHURA Indie-rock singer-songwriter from Detroit. Aug 1, Biltmore Cabaret.

TRI-CONTINENTAL Blues/folk/world music.

Aug 1, 8 pm, St. James Hall. $30/26.

THE PACK A.D. Local garage-rockers play a Pride party, with guests Strange Breed and Land Line. Aug 1, 9 pm, Venue. $17/20.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 3 DAVID GOGO BAND Blues-rock guitaristvocalist from Nanaimo, with local guest Matt Hoyles. Aug 3, 7:30-10:30 pm, ANZA Club. $42-47.

WALK OFF THE EARTH Indie-pop band from Burlington, Ontario. Aug 3, 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre. $69.75/49.75/39.75.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4 ROB ZOMBIE AND MARILYN MANSON American shock-rockers coheadline on their Twins of Evil Tour. Aug 4, 7 pm, Rogers Arena. $119.50/89.50/69.50/49.50/39.50.

MUSIC LISTINGSare a public service provided free of charge. Submit events online using the event-submission form at straight. com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

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RICK SCOTT WITH PIED PUMKIN AND ROOTS & GROOVES A celebration of Rick Scott’s induction into the B.C. Entertainment Hall of Fame. Jul 29, 8-10:30 pm, St. James Hall. $30/26.

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supposed to be sticky, hot, and exotic, right? Sadly, that’s usually not the case on the West Coast, where the best we often get is a sun the colour of Mars once the wildfires start. Mother Nature hasn’t brought the heat this July, so let’s turn that over to the Marias, who play Fortune Sound Club on Wednesday (July 31). The group is based in Los Angeles, but offers up a laidback and cosmopolitan Europop sound made for driving the roads outside of Monte Carlo in a convertible Porsche 356 B roadster—preferably as the sun sets on a cloudless 40-degree day. If this summer seems like a write-off, the Marias should leave you thinking it’s just getting started.

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b I’M A 36-YEAR-OLD straight guy, happily married for more than 10 years, and a long-time reader. My wife and I are monogamous. We’re good communicators, well matched in terms of libido, and slightly kinky (light bondage, Dom/sub play in the bedroom).

For the last few months, I’ve been thinking about trying prostate play, and I have a couple of questions. A lot of bloggers and other writers in the sex-advice complex tout the health benefits of regular prostate massage, but I haven’t found any academic research to back up some of the loft y claims that are being made. Does prostate massage reduce the risk of prostate cancer and prostatitis? Now the relationship question: I’ve brought partnered prostate play up with my wife, and it’s a hard pass for her. Hygiene is an issue, but that’s easy to take care of (shower, enema, gloves, towels on the bed, et cetera). The other part deals with our power dynamics. Typically, I’m the Dom, and, based on the limited conversations we’ve had about this, there is something about penetrating me that she finds deeply uncomfortable. What should I do? How do I frame this conversation in a way that may make her more comfortable and gets her finger(s) in my ass? We’ve shared so much—she’s an incredible partner who has helped me realize so many of my fantasies, and I’d like her to be a part of this one too.

- Partner Protests Prostate Play

If there were any legit studies out there

that documented the health benefits of regular prostate massage, PPPP, Richard Wassersug, PhD, would know

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no data to support one frequently mentioned theory—that ejaculation may flush out “irritating or harmful substances” that could be gathering in the prostate along with the fluids that make up roughly 30 percent of a man’s seminal fluids—so, again, more research is needed. And until those studies are done, men and other prostate-having people should err on the side of ejaculating as often as (safely and consensually) possible.

As for convincing your otherwise submissive wife to finger your ass, PPPP, you could search for “power bottoms” on the gay section of Pornhub—assuming your wife enjoys gay porn—and familiarize her with the concept of dominant penetratees.

You could also add female condoms to your list of hygiene hacks—put one of these trash-can liners in your ass and the only thing your wife will get on her fingers is lube. But if anal play is a hard no for the wife, you’ll have to enjoy anal play solo.

Richard Wassersug co-leads Life on ADT (lifeonadt.com), a national educational program in Canada for prostate-cancer patients dealing with the side effects of androgendeprivation therapy.

about it. Wassersug is a research scientist at the University of British Columbia, where he studies ways to help prostate-cancer patients manage the side effects of their treatments.

“I’d like to believe that I’m knowledgeable on this topic,” Wassersug said, “[but] I checked PubMed to see if I’d missed anything in the relevant and recent peer-reviewed medical literature. As I expected, there are no objective data supporting the claim that ‘regular prostate massage’ reduces the risk of prostate cancer and prostatitis. [And while] prostate massage can be used to express prostatic fluid for diagnostic purposes, that’s not the same as using it for the treatment of any prostatic diseases.”

But that doesn’t mean that prostate massage isn’t beneficial; absence of evidence, as they say, isn’t evidence of absence.

“We [just] don’t know,” said Wassersug, and finding out “would, in fact, take a very large sample and many years to collect enough data to provide a definitive answer”.

But there definitely is something you can do right now to decrease your risk of prostate cancer, PPPP: two large studies found that men who ejaculate frequently—more than 21 times per month—are roughly 35 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer than men who blow fewer loads. So if sticking things up your butt makes you come more often, then science says sticking things up your butt will reduce your risk of prostate cancer.

Researchers don’t know exactly why coming a lot may reduce a man’s risk for prostate cancer. There’s

b I AM A poly nonbinary person, and I’ve been seeing this guy in a BDSM context for about six months. About two times a month, he canes me and destroys my ass, I get to call him “daddy”, and I get fucked in mindblowing ways. In the beginning, I expressed interest in dating (with more emotional investment), and he said he didn’t have the mental space for it but

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he’d be interested in trying to develop something eventually. So we’ve played and had fun, and I’m starting to get feels for this guy… Buuuuut he’s given me no indication he’s interested in anything beyond our current arrangement. I’ve said, “Hey, let’s schedule a date,” something like dinner, coffee, a walk around the fucking block, but he just wants to fuck, no talking. What he wants isn’t what I’m looking for, so I decided to take my business elsewhere and focus my energy on my other relationships. Well, his mom just got diagnosed with cancer and has a couple months to live. He’s devastated. What are the ethics of breaking up here?

I dislike just ghosting, but he’s got other friends and lovers to support him. He doesn’t really need me. But he does on occasion send little “thinking of you” texts. So am I able to ghost him? Do I owe him a conversation about wants and needs? I’d like to be friends—I am part of a small kinky community; I’m friends with some of his fuck buddies; and I’m going to run into him again—but this isn’t a time in his life when he should be worrying about the feelings of a now-and-then spanking partner.

- Ghosting Has Obvious Shortcomings That Suck

a false choice for yourself, GHOSTS: either initiate a conversation about your wants and needs or ghost him. But there’s no need for a wants-and-needs convo, as you’ve already had that conversation (more than once) and his don’t align with yours. So instead of disappearing on him, you can simply respond

You’ve constructed

to his “thinking of you” texts with short, thoughtful, compassionate texts of your own. (“Thinking of you, too, especially at this difficult time.”) The odds that he’ll want to meet up in the next few months seem slim, and you can always claim a scheduling conflict if he should ask to get together.

Being friendly is the trick to remaining friends after a casual sexual arrangement ends. Kindly acknowledging someone’s texts—or greeting someone in public—doesn’t obligate you to sleep with (or submit to) them again. And while in most cases I would advise a person to be direct… In this case, I think you should simply step back. Calling him to say, “Hey, I know your mom has cancer and is dying, but I needed to tell you I’m not interested in fucking around anymore, okay?” will make you seem self-involved, thoughtless, and uncaring—you know, not the kind of person someone wants to remain friends with after a casual sexual arrangement ends.

Now, if you were this man’s primary partner, GHOSTS, and you’d been thinking about ending the relationship before he got the news about his mother, I would encourage you to wait a few months and love and support him through this process. (Unless the relationship was abusive, of course, which this one wasn’t.) But you’re just a FWB—a “friend with bruises”, in your case—and this man has other friends and lovers around him, people whose support he can rely on during this difficult time. g Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage. ITMFA.org.

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