The Georgia Straight - Best of Vancouver - Oct 3, 2019

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Volume 53 | Number 2698

DISCOVER HEAPS OF SURPRISES IN THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE TO OUR CITY

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CONTENTS

October 3 - 10 / 2019

25 COVER

Our readers voted for their favourites in almost 200 categories—and our writers contributed scores of their bests.

Cover illustration by Shayne Letain

7

NEWS

A city staff report envisions Broadway as a “Great Street” in the planning run-up to its new subway.

By Carlito Pablo

17 FEATURE

One of Canada’s top science writers dissects where Canadian political parties stand on the climate crisis.

By Ziya Tong

71 ARTS

At the new Transform: A Cabaret Festival, drag performance and comedy break with convention.

By Janet Smith and Guy MacPherson

85 MUSIC

Surprising themselves, the members of PUP are living the dream with Morbid Stuff, even if it doesn’t look like it.

By Mike Usinger

e Start Here e Online TOP 5 Here’s what people are 55 BOOKS reading this week on 69 THE BOTTLE Straight.com.

12 CANNABIS 90 CONFESSIONS 23 HOROSCOPES 66 I SAW YOU 82 MOVIE REVIEWS 88 POP EYE 56 REAL ESTATE Forever 21 store closures will leave 90 RECORD REVIEWS holes in four malls.

95 SAVAGE LOVE Predicting the 48 STYLE Canucks’ opening75 THEATRE night roster.

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Where The World Comes To Play

Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 53 | Number 2698

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NEWS

City intends to reimagine Broadway

B

by Carlito Pablo

roadway, for many people living in Vancouver, is mostly one of two things.

It’s either a place to work or a way to get to work at UBC, a regional destination much like Vancouver General Hospital on central Broadway, which stretches from Main Street to Burrard Street. It’s the path of the 99 B-Line, the busiest bus route in Canada, quite soon to be replaced by a Broadway subway.

A new city planning program seeks to reimagine Broadway in a grander way.

According to a city staff report to council, it should be “enhanced as a street of special significance”.

It should be a “Great Street”, states the report written by city planner Kevin McNaney. As a street of such significance, Broadway has to feature a “series of unique and vibrant places to live, work, visit and play”.

“Street design, new development, public spaces, and businesses should contribute to a delightful experience for everyone and lively gathering places, and help create distinct character areas along Broadway that also serve the local neighbourhoods,” McNaney writes.

McNaney’s report lays out this Great Street vision as one of the guiding principles that will steer the preparation of a plan integrating city objectives with the arrival of the Broadway subway.

The future Broadway Plan covers the area between Clark Drive to the east, Vine Street to the west, 1st Avenue to the north, and 16th Avenue to the south.

It is a sizable area that includes four neighbourhoods: Fairview (but not False Creek South), Mount Pleasant, and portions of Kitsilano and False Creek Flats.

According to McNaney, there are more than 78,000 people living in

Commercial–Broadway Station. Photo by Northwest/Wikimedia Commons

the area and more than 84,400 jobs.

Construction is expected to start in 2020 for the six-kilometre Broadway subway that will extend the Millennium Line SkyTrain from VCC–Clark Station in the east to Arbutus Street in the west.

In addition to the vision of making Broadway into a “Great Street”, another principle to guide the future Broadway Plan is the creation and enhancement of parks and public places.

“Diverse places for public life should be integrated along key shopping streets and throughout neighbourhoods to foster walkability and human health, and create opportunities for social connection, cultural expression (e.g. public art), recreation and play, and access to nature,” McNaney’s report says.

A “Great Street” and “diverse” public places should be for everyone, and another guiding principle is that the plan should support “affordable, diverse, equitable and inclusive complete neighbourhoods”.

“Leveraging the investment in the Broadway Subway, new housing opportunities (particularly purpose built market and below-market rental and social and supportive housing) close to transit should be expanded

for a diversity of household types and backgrounds, while retaining and reinvesting in existing older rental housing, where possible, and minimizing displacement of existing residents,” McNaney writes in his report.

McNaney explains that the vacancy rate for purpose-built and privately owned apartment units in many parts of the area has always been at or below one percent since 2010.

According to the city planner, a vacancy rate of three to five percent is “generally considered a balanced market”.

“There is also significant supply of older, ageing, existing market rental housing in the area, which due to the age of the buildings and longer tenancies, often have lower rental rates than newer builds,” McNaney writes.

McNaney also states that the Broadway Plan will provide an opportunity to “test and implement new and enhanced tools for Vancouver to avoid tenant displacement, protect rental affordability for tenants, and grow the supply of rental housing close to rapid transit”.

City planners are anticipated to present a draft of the Broadway Plan for approval by council in December 2020. g

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NEWS

Street’s name to honour Chinese market gardens

A

by Carlito Pablo

new public street in Vancouver will be called Choy Yuen Crescent to honour an important contribution

by Chinese Canadians to the city.

In a meeting Tuesday (October 1), council approved the name Choy Yuen, which refers to the marketgarden operations of Chinese farmers during the early days of Vancouver.

“Chinese market gardens were an important food resource for the City of Vancouver, supplying the majority of fresh produce before the large scale importation of vegetables from international sources began in the 1960s,” according to a report to council.

The report was prepared by the civic asset naming committee, a volunteer body that recommends names for streets, development areas, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, and other city facilities but not parks and library assets.

The street runs between West 41st and 45th avenues on the western edge of the Oakridge shopping centre, which is undergoing redevelopment.

“Market gardens were found throughout the area that constitutes Vancouver today, including near what is now the Oakridge development,” the report relates. “On the southern slope overlooking the Fraser River and at Musqueam, Chinese market gardens provided needed employment and contributed substantially to the city’s economy.”

The report further notes that many parks and school sites, like Douglas Park and Sir Charles Tupper Secondary, are former market gardens.

The report was written by committee members John Atkin and Felix-Marie Badeau and city archivist

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Chinese market gardens once supplied the majority of fresh produce in the city.

Heather Gordon. According to the document, the market farmers were mostly from Zhongshan county in China.

“Zhongshan migrants dominated market gardening networks all around the Pacific in Sydney, Australia; Stockton and San Francisco areas; Victoria, BC; and Hawaii,” the report notes.

The report also states that according to UBC professor Henry Yu, “many prominent Chinese Canadian families, such as the Louie family of IGA, London Drugs, and Le Kiu, for instance, were tied to the Zhongshan network of farmers and from that county themselves.”

“Choy Yuen Crescent recalls the important contribution made by Chinese Canadians to the City of Vancouver and the long-standing relationship of mutual respect and collaboration with Musqueam (who were employed in the gardens on the reserve),” the document states.

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NEWS

Gay and lesbian help gym refute homophobia claim

A

by Carlito Pablo

Vancouver gym has been cleared of allegations that it discriminated against a former fitness coach because he is gay.

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruled that complainant Derek Bedry was fired from Raincity Athletics because he was not a good trainer and was rude to clients. In his decision, tribunal member Paul Singh gave weight to testimonies presented

by Raincity Athletics owner Simon Damborg.

Two of the witnesses were a gay man who is a client and a lesbian who works in the gym. The gay man, whose identity was concealed by the tribunal, is a personal-training client of Damborg.

“When he first hired Mr. Damborg as a trainer, he says he did not notify Mr. Damborg of his sexual orientation as he first wanted to gauge whether Mr. Damborg was homophobic,” Singh wrote. “He says he eventually disclosed his sexual orientation to Mr. Damborg once he was satisfied that Mr. Damborg was not homophobic.”

According to the witness, he trains with Damborg “about three times a week when in town and has never experienced any homophobia from him”.

“He says he would not allow Mr. Damborg to be his trainer if he was homophobic,” Singh wrote. “He says he never heard Mr. Damborg or any member of the Raincity staff make any homophobic or other inappropriate remarks to him or others.”

He says Raincity is the most inclusive, friendly and welcoming gym he has ever trained at.

– Paul Singh

In addition, the gay client has “openly discussed his personal life with Mr. Damborg without fear of jokes, or insensitive or homophobic remarks”.

“He says Raincity is the most inclusive, friendly and welcoming gym he has ever trained at,” Singh wrote.

Elizabeth Carrier, a lesbian and a manager at Raincity Athletics, also testified.

“She says one of the first things

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After losing his job as a trainer, Derek Bedry filed a discrimination complaint.

she did upon getting employed at Raincity was to recommend and to assist Mr. Damborg with hiring another full-time fitness coach who was also a lesbian,” Singh wrote in his reasons for decision.

Carrier testified that “managing Mr. Bedry was more difficult than managing other coaches because he required more communication and guidance than other coaches to complete the same duties”.

“She says he did not appear to meet the basic requirements of being a fitness coach at Raincity,” Singh wrote. “She also says he was the only coach for which she consistently heard negative feedback from clients, including that they actively avoided his classes.”

Carrier also refuted Bedry’s claim that “she told him Mr. Damborg was uncomfortable around gay men”.

“She says the relationship amongst staff, including Mr. Damborg, was informal and that they sometimes joked with each other about things like there being ‘too many lesbians on staff’,” Singh noted. “However, she says these jokes were lighthearted and not malicious or abusive homophobic comments as alleged by Mr. Bedry.”

Damborg testified that at one time, half of his staff consisted of members of the LGBT community.

Bedry also claimed that Damborg resisted his suggestion for genderneutral washrooms in the gym.

According to Singh, Raincity Athletics installed gender-neutral washrooms “within a year of Mr. Bedry’s request”.

“In the instant case, I am satisfied that the Respondents have established a reasonable non-discriminatory explanation for terminating Mr. Bedry’s employment,” Singh stated. “Specifically, I am satisfied that Mr. Bedry’s employment was terminated solely because of poor performance issues that were prevalent throughout his employment at Raincity.” g

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 11

CANNABIS

Pasha aims to be Trojan horse of weed

L

by Charlie Smith

ast summer, various media outlets reported that B.C.’s legal cannabis sales were lagging far behind many other provinces’ on a per capita basis. B.C.’s $19.5 million in legal cannabis revenue through June 2019 was just 15.4 percent of what was generated legally during the same period in Alberta, which has a smaller population.

This has exasperated highly capitalized, federally licensed producers. They were hoping that a more rapid rollout of legal retail outlets would make their weed more available to B.C. cannabis users.

But a long-time Vancouver cannabis-industry advocate, Jamie Shaw, says B.C.’s refusal to rush into retail licensing offers opportunities for local craft producers.

That’s because they already face an uphill battle obtaining the federal stamp of approval, so a little more time might help them gain a stronger foothold. “It’s an interesting dynamic where if provinces were given control over more than just distribution, we might see a better approach and a more local approach, province by province, than we’re seeing now,�

Shaw told the Straight during an interview in a Trees coffee shop on Vancouver’s West Side.

Shaw is chief communications and culture officer of Pasha Brands, which bought Medcann Health Products Ltd.—a federally licensed producer on Vancouver Island—as well as a long-time advocate for compassion clubs and regulatory reform.

Pasha Brands is processing craft cannabis at the Medcann facility, but it hopes microproducers can be

Pasha Brands spokesperson Jamie Shaw wants craft growers to be able to sell their cannabis legally. Photo by Amanda Siebert

licensed more quickly so more product can be made available. “Underneath Pasha, there are multiple brands and wholly owned subsidiaries, such as B.C. Craft,� she explained.

Shaw described Pasha Brands as a “Trojan horse�, created to open up the opportunity for hundreds of small producers to participate in the legal cannabis sphere. “It’s a way of kind of aggregating microproducers: letting them still operate on their own terms; getting them to market with the same sort of power and voice that Canopy or Tilray, for example, have.�

Underneath Pasha, there are multiple brands and wholly owned subsidiaries, such as B.C. Craft – Jamie Shaw

But an obstacle has been the reluctance of provincial governments to embrace “farm-gate marketing�, in which producers can sell directly to consumers and retailers. Instead, all jurisdictions except Saskatchewan have created provincial wholesaling monopolies.

B.C. officials, however, have indicated that they will revisit the farm-gate issue when there are federally licensed microproducers.

Part of the problem, she explained, is that Health Canada has required applicants for production licences to have existing buildings before they apply.

“It streamlines how many applications they get,� Shaw said.

However, these same prospective applicants can’t always secure a location because they face delays from municipal and regional governments in obtaining permits.

She noted that the federal government then wonders why it’s not getting that many applications from smaller producers.

The upshot is that the big, publicly traded licensed producers face less competition. And the pioneers in the industry, many with a great deal of expertise in different cultivars, are left selling their product on the black market.

The end result is there’s less revenue f lowing into the B.C. treasury, due in part to the actions of other levels of government. “I think the NDP and Greens sharing power maybe means the NDP feels like it has to be a little bit more conservative than what it seemed like they were going to be,�

Shaw said. “For the Greens, they’ve been surprisingly silent on this.�

Pasha Brands has filed a submission to Ontario Cannabis Stores, which controls distribution in that province. And the company plans to file a submission to B.C.’s provincially owned distributor regarding edible cannabis products, which will be legalized this month.

But Shaw is most excited about the prospects in Saskatchewan.

That’s because it allows licensed producers to partner directly with retailers rather than going through a provincial middleman. “We’re trying to bring up those local farms and put them on the same level,� she said. g

12 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 13

FEATURE

Bernier’s party uses internment photo

A

by Craig Takeuchi

n advertisement released by the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) against Canada’s official multiculturalism policy has sparked criticism for its use of a historical photo of the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. The PPC released the video ad about Canadian identity and multiculturalism on September 23.

The ad featured PPC Leader Maxime Bernier talking about his party’s plan to repeal the Multiculturalism Act and to eliminate all funding for promoting multiculturalism.

Bernier explained that immigrants who came to Canada in the past used to keep “some aspects of culture of origin” and became Canadian but “with a distinct flavour”. He says this type of multiculturalism enriches Canada.

However, he said, the current multicultural policy “encourages immigrants to keep the values and culture they left behind instead of integrating into Canadian society and adopting Canadian values and culture”, such as democracy, individual rights and freedoms, and equality for all genders, ethnicities, religions, and sexual orientations.

“Official multiculturalism is based on the idea that there is no unified Canadian society and no distinct Canadian identity to integrate into, and that we are just a collection of ethnic and religious tribes living side by side,” Bernier stated.

But as Bernier spoke, an image appeared in the ad that has created concern and confusion.

At the 0:13 mark, Bernier stated: “In the past, immigrants who came to Canada readily integrated into our society.” As he said this, a series of historical photographs appeared.

“ ‘Repatriation’ to Japan, Slocan, 1946” was in a PPC video on multiculturalism. (National Association of Japanese Canadians photo).

Among them was a black-and-white photograph of Asian people boarding a Canadian Pacific train near a building that marked “Slocan City”.

However, that image is of Japanese Canadians who were interned in B.C. during the Second World War as they were being repatriated to Japan. The photo can be found on the website for the National Association of Japanese Canadians (NAJC) with the caption: “ ‘Repatriation’ to Japan, Slocan, 1946. NNM 1996.178.1.33.”.

The ad does not specify the historical context of the photo.

During the Second World War, 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forcibly moved outside of a 160-kilometre exclusion zone along the British Columbia coast under the War Measures Act; all of their possessions and property left behind were sold off by the government.

Even after the war ended, interned

Japanese Canadians were forced to either move to Eastern Canada or repatriate to Japan, a country that was foreign to many Canadian-born internees. Slocan, B.C., was the site of one of the Japanese Canadian internment camps, and it was also a departure point for those who were sent to Japan in 1946, even though Japan had surrendered in 1945. Three famous Japanese Canadians—environmentalist David Suzuki, Obasan author Joy Kogawa, and architect Raymond Moriyama—were interned at Slocan.

The Canadian government officially apologized for the internment and offered redress in 1988. The B.C. government formally apologized in 2002, and the City of Vancouver also apologized, in 2013, for its role in the internment.

In response to the PPC video, the NAJC released a statement on September 26 saying it was

“deeply disturbed” by the inclusion of the image.

“This photo depicted in Mr. Bernier’s video is not a moment of welcoming new Canadians,” NAJC director and Young Leaders Committee chair Alex Miki stated in a news release. “It is a moment depicting Japanese Canadians being derided and subjected to sweeping, merciless political violence. We remain puzzled if Mr. Bernier endorses such actions or if this was an error as a result of ignorance to past injustices by the Canadian Government.”

The NAJC went on to affirm its support for equality in Canada.

“As this year marks the 70th anniversary of Japanese Canadians being granted the right to vote in B.C., we are reminded of those whose civil rights and liberties were denied and we hope that as this federal election approaches, Canadians join

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the continued fight for a just society committed to equal human rights for all and the elimination of racism and discrimination.”

On September 23, Global News reported that a former U.S. neo-Nazi group leader, a former Soldiers of Odin member, and a Pegida Canada official were among the signatories submitted to Elections Canada who helped the PPC officially register as a political party.

The video in question has been removed from the People’s Party of Canada Facebook web page but remains viewable elsewhere on Facebook.

The PPC released a new version of the video, with the segment at the 0:13 mark removed, on September 27. The series of historical photos, including the one of the internment of Japanese Canadians, was replaced with footage of Bernier talking. The PPC has not issued a statement or apology about the original video and did not respond to the Georgia Straight’s requests for an interview.

Japanese American activist George Takei, who underwent internment in the U.S., took to social media to express his condemnation of the use of the image by stating: “There’s simply no excuse for this.”

Takei had recently visited Tashme, at former internment site of Japanese Canadians near Hope, B.C., on September 2 before a Vancouver signing event for his graphic novel They Called Us Enemy, which tells the story of his internment experiences.

Bernier made appearances in Metro Vancouver on September 25 at events hosted by the Hellenic Community of Vancouver and the Surrey Board of Trade. g

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16 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

feature

Who can be trusted on climate crisis? limate C MAYHEM

by Ziya Tong

B.C. had a record wildfire season in 2018. Photo by Matt Howard

The Green Party of Canada’s Elizabeth May (left) was the only federal leader present for a parliamentary debate over whether to declare a national climate emergency. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (right) and the leaders of the Conservatives and New Democrats were attending a parade celebrating the Toronto Raptors’ NBA championship.

H

alf the job is showing up, I’m sure you’ve heard it said. So when it comes to political leadership, what are we to make of it when this most basic of requirements is shrugged off? Where were Canada’s leaders when we declared a national climate emergency?

An emergency in any other context would signal, at minimum, a need for the following: 1) an alarm, or repeated alarms, to give notice to the public; 2) an immediate mandate to respective agencies to initiate plans and procedures for an urgent response; and 3) deployment and action of expert teams.

And yet nothing in present-day Canada even hints at the fact that we are in the midst of an emergency. Instead, on June 17, 2019—the day the House of Commons passed a motion declaring a national climate emergency—Justin Trudeau, Jagmeet Singh, and Andrew Scheer were all at the Raptors parade in Toronto, cheering and smiling for the cameras rather than tackling the less glitzy job of public policy.

More egregious, though, is that the party leaders of the Liberals, NDP, and Conservatives did not even vote. Only one federal leader was present at the debates that day to discuss the single most pressing issue of our time. That leader was Elizabeth May. This is not the only time May has shown up solo. Just one month later, at the 40th annual general assembly of the Assembly of First Nations, May was the only federal leader present. Although high priority is placed on reconciliation and Indigenous relations in governing rhetoric, here, before an audience of a thousand people, those hollow words collapsed. Chiefs, insulted by the fact that the politicians did not have the time in their schedules to show up, demanded: “Where is your leader?” Their disappointment and anger were justified. After all, what is a nation-to-nation relationship that is based on “rights, respect, co-operation, and partnership” when the leaders of the nation called Canada were not even there?

There is a good reason we are seeing May shine now. Much of it has to do with her unrelenting work ethic, which began when the “Green wave” was just a ripple. The activist, author, mother, and former lawyer has also flourished beyond Ottawa’s circles by coming across as the “nonpolitician’s” politician. As the Green

party leader for the past 13 years, she has brandished a simple method of cutting through political BS: support science, be honest, and have integrity. Importantly, though, May is also fearless when it counts. She is a known cage rattler in the House of Commons, with a record of speaking out in Parliament on unpopular topics—which, in turn, has boosted her public image.

for Nature and People. For Trudeau, and Canada, this was a critical opportunity to step up. The ticket to entry, according to UN Secretary General António Guterres, was a concrete plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Guterres stipulated that world leaders should come prepared with real strategies and not just “beautiful speeches”. So the question before the meeting was:

As I write these words, an unprecedented and massive melting—12.5 billion tons of ice—drained off Greenland’s ice sheet in a single day.

– Ziya Tong

But as all policy wonks know, effective leadership requires more than charisma. Our priority now, as a country, is to find a leader with a solid plan. At this critical juncture, we need someone who can make bold reparations for our nation’s historic injustices while at the same time crafting a visionary and inclusive plan that will ensure a secure and sustainable future for all Canadians.

And we do not have much time.

According to the United Nations’ latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report— which is based on the most reputable science available—we have 11 years left to avert catastrophic damage to our already fragile ecosystems and a mere 17 months for global leaders to agree upon achievable targets leading up to the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in 2020. As I write these words, an unprecedented and massive melting—12.5 billion tons of ice—drained off Greenland’s ice sheet in a single day. We had not expected to see melt levels like these until 2070. Calling the situation serious has become an understatement.

So how serious are the federal parties’ plans? To start, Prime Minister Trudeau was recently invited to attend the UN Climate Summit on September 23 to support the New Deal

would Trudeau show up? According to CNN, 90 heads of state attended the meeting. Trudeau was a no-show.

As for the Liberals’ plan, given the current rate of emissions decline under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, it’s been calculated that it would take one thousand years to reach Canada’s 2050 target. You read that correctly: one thousand years.

When put into perspective, it becomes clear that incrementalism of this kind is not climate leadership.

It’s a death sentence.

As the Liberals like to point out, however, at least they “have a plan with targets”. And here they should be commended for the hard work of putting a price on carbon. In terms of greenhouse-gas pollution, Scheer’s Real Plan to Protect Our Environment would haul the country backward. The plan itself has no emissions targets at all. (To consider how absurd that is, try to imagine a CEO putting forward a business plan with zero targets.) In practice, the Conservatives’ plan would not only increase emissions and the margin by which we miss Canada’s Paris targets but would also be expensive, costing the average taxpayer between $187 to $295 more per household if the federal carbon-tax household rebate

and the home-retrofit tax credits were repealed.

If the Conservatives have omitted emissions targets, it should be noted that Singh’s New Deal for Climate Action and Good Jobs makes rather a curious omission as well. While the NDP’s foundation for economic and social justice is strong (and critical for any climate plan to succeed), nowhere in their blueprint is there any mention of where the party stands on expanding oil-and-gas infrastructure. Even the International Energy Agency (IEA)—an organization known for its institutional conservatism—revealed after conducting a thorough audit of “all current and under-construction energy infrastructure around the world” that 95 percent of all permitted emissions under the Paris targets have already been accounted for. That is, there is no room in the carbon budget for expanding fossil-fuel infrastructure.

In conserving my own energy, I shall reserve only one sentence for Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada platform, which claims that we should not be duped by “climate alarmist nonsense”, and it is this: federal-party leaders who do not take the science of climate change seriously should not be taken seriously at all.

Which brings me to the one plan that comes equipped with robust targets, has a clear understanding of the science, and has a time line that reflects the fact that we are in a climate emergency—and that is the Green Party of Canada’s Mission: Possible.

The document is a 20-step climate action plan that prioritizes ecosystem restoration, new technologies and upgrades, infrastructure adaptation (critical, as any emergency planner is aware), and an immediate transition to green jobs. The plan’s thoroughness is a hallmark of the fact that it was not cobbled together in a single election cycle—it is based on solutions that Greens have been thinking about and refining for the past 36 years. Indeed, Vision Green, the foundational policy document behind the plan, was coauthored by Elizabeth May in 2006. Along with the Leap Manifesto, Vision Green served as a blueprint for the now highly publicized Green New Deal in the United States.

Policywise, the Greens have also benefited from the expertise of belonging to a network of think tanks, institutes, NGOs, and 80 international member green parties called

For three years in a row, local evacuation orders have been issued to B.C. communities due to uncontrolled wildfires.

In the summer of 2018 alone, more than 2,000 fires scarred 1.3 million hectares in our province. In Saskatchewan, droughts and parched lands have forced farmers to operate in “survival mode”, with the cities of Saskatoon and Moose Jaw experiencing the driest spring ever recorded. In Eastern Canada, extreme flooding led to unprecedented damage and evacuation in four provinces.

And at present, a full half of Canadian wildlife is in decline, with an average drop within species of 83 percent.

by Ziya Tong

the Global Greens, a consortium that has grown in strength with the rising alarm triggered by the climate emergency. This united front was a big push behind the “Green Wave” that swept through the European Parliament in the spring of 2019, when 75 Green members were elected as MEPs, and in the U.K., where the Green party won more seats than incumbent Conservatives. So in Canada, it is ironic that the Greens were not taken seriously until recently, because when it comes to the facts of climate change, they have long been the most serious party of all.

Now, as the physical heat rises, May’s popularity is rising as well.

Naturally, the bigger spotlight will lead to more scrutiny. The proof of her leadership in the months ahead will be in how well she responds to critics on the feasibility of her plans, and how she plans to pay for them.

There is no doubt that she has positively influenced the political climate; the question is, how will the political climate influence her?

In closing, I should make it clear that I have no partisan interest.

I am not a card-carrying Green member. What I am is an advocate for science. May has a record of demonstrating the kind of courage and leadership that is needed right now: proposing what science says is critical, not what politics says is polling well. If she gains enough support within Parliament to become a presence that cannot be ignored, I believe all Canadians will benefit, because she will raise the bar on any national climate agenda that is put forward.

Ultimately, a great leader is one who shows up and steps up with bold action. As Canadians, we do not deserve a watered-down climate plan.

As Canadians, we deserve an emergency plan that will save us. g Ziya Tong is an award-winning science broadcaster and the author of The Reality Bubble: Blind Spots, Hidden Truths and the Dangerous Illusions That Shape Our World.

She currently serves as vice chair of WWF Canada. A slightly different version of the article originally appeared in the September 2019 issue of Policy Magazine.

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 17

COMMENTARY

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18 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

I

t turns out that the leaders of both the Conservatives and the Liberals were not transparent with party members when they sought the top job.

Justin Trudeau never revealed a history of posing in blackface and brownface costumes before announcing his intention to seek the Liberal leadership in 2012. This was only discovered by voters and Liberal candidates during the current election campaign—more than six years after he was elected in April 2013—and he still won’t admit how many times he did it.

Last weekend, Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer’s ethics also came into question after the Globe and Mail revealed that he has been falsely holding himself out as a former insurance broker for many years.

In fact, Scheer worked as a clerk at a Saskatchewan company and was never a provincially licensed agent.

As a result, Ontario Liberal candidate Marco Mendicino has asked the Saskatchewan superintendent of insurance and the chair of the Insurance Councils of Saskatchewan to conduct an investigation.

Under sections 416 and 417 of the Saskatchewan Insurance Act, no person shall hold himself out as an agent or as a salesman of an agent unless he is licensed.

Section 419 states that an agent cannot engage in the insurance brokerage business or claim to be an insurance broker “unless he is specifically authorized by his licence to engage in the insurance brokerage business”.

A Conservative spokesperson told CBC News in an email that Scheer “was accredited under the Canadian Association of Insurance Brokers (CAIB) program” but never obtained a broker’s licence. Scheer reiterated this when confronted by reporters on the campaign trail.

This is a rather unusual explanation. That’s because many people obtain their provincial licence before going on to obtain a CAIB designation, which can take a substantial amount of time. Many licensed agents do not have this level of industry certification, despite being provincially licensed as Level 1 or Level 2 agents.

Scheer told reporters that he worked in an insurance office for six or seven months in 2003, when he was 24 years old. He said his duties included “supporting the whole team, answering questions from customers and clients, and doing preparatory work—and explaining information, passing along information, to people who would come to the office”.

“In this particular office, the licensed brokers finalized all the transactions,” Scheer said.

There are bigger political questions associated with this story.

In 2017, Scheer barely won the

Conservative leadership on the 13th and final ballot after holding himself out as an insurance broker to party members. That claim has now been proven false.

Had Scheer admitted that he was merely a clerk, would the runnerup, Max Bernier, be the Conservative leader today? Bernier led in each of the first 12 rounds of voting but ended up with 49.05 percent of the points after the final round, compared to Scheer’s 50.95 percent total.

After news broke that the Conservative leader was never an insurance broker, Bernier decided to highlight this résumé inflation over his Twitter feed.

In this particular office, the licensed brokers finalized all the transactions – Andrew Scheer

“We already have a liar as prime minister,” Bernier declared. “Do we want another one?”

For that matter, it’s questionable whether Trudeau would have been elected leader of the Liberals had he been transparent about his blackface and brownface pantomime while in his teens and 20s. If this had been disclosed earlier, perhaps former interim Liberal leader Bob Rae or other senior Liberals might have run for the permanent job.

One thing is clear: both Scheer and Trudeau were not fully transparent with party members. Now their candidates have to explain away all of this on the doorsteps after they’ve made significant sacrifices to run for public office.

Scheer and Trudeau owe their candidates more than apologies for failing to fess up as any prospective candidate ought to do. They owe it to their parties to resign as leader on election night should they not win enough seats to form a government.

Would Scheer have approved anyone else to run if they had inflated their professional credentials?

Would Trudeau have approved anyone else to run if that person had twice violated the Conf lict of Interest Act, been accused of groping in his 20s, and worn blackface as a teen and young man and brownface as a teacher?

Not bloody likely.

No wonder so many Canadians are sick and tired of politicians. g

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 19

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COMMENTARY

Anti-China mayor wears several hats

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by Charlie Smith

et’s get one thing out of the way immediately.

We all know that the People’s Republic of China has an abysmal human rights record.

Anyone who doesn’t realize that can read Amnesty International’s most recent country report on China, which chronicles a litany of outrages.

They include torture, concealing the extent of the use of the death penalty, appalling repression of dissidents, repression of religious activities outside state-sanctioned churches, and severe repression in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Tibet. Several Canadians are being detained in China in addition to diplomat on leave Michael Kovrig and tourism entrepreneur Michael Spavor. These two appear to have been kidnapped by the Chinese government in retaliation for Canada’s arrest of a Huawei executive on a provisional U.S. warrant issued for the purpose of extradition.

China’s actions led to a recent demonstration at the Union of B.C. Municipalities convention in Vancouver. That was because some local residents disagreed with the UBCM allowing the Chinese government to host a reception at the event in return for a sponsorship fee.

This became a public issue when Port Coquitlam mayor Brad West registered his objections. West even delivered Tim Hortons doughnuts to the UBCM reception room, along with photos of Kovrig and Spavor.

West, who comes across as a progressive populist, periodically appears in the media to condemn China’s human rights record. And whenever he does this, he’s invariably described as the mayor of Port Coquitlam. He was elected last October to replace Greg Moore.

Many might think that being mayor of Port Coquitlam is a fulltime job. For this position, West is paid $125,211 per annum and receives a transportation allowance of $7,761. Not bad for a guy who chairs council meetings in a community with a population of 58,612, according to the 2016 census.

As a member of the TransLink Mayors’ Council, West receives an additional $575 per meeting. Ten are scheduled this year.

On top of that, he’s a director of Metro Vancouver, for which he receives $397 per board or committee meeting lasting less than four hours. He collects $794 for any of these meetings lasting more than four hours. West is vice chair of Metro Vancouver’s Industrial Lands Strategy Task Force.

That would seem like a full plate to anyone, especially someone with a young family.

Yet West is also listed as the communications and political-action coordinator with the United Steelworkers District 3 office in Burnaby on the union website. In an interview with Shane Woodford five months ago on CHNL Radio in Kamloops, West was identified as a spokesperson for the United Steelworkers.

“Do you need a second job or what’s going on here?” Woodford asked.

West replied that he was discussing a campaign for workers’ safety that predated his time as mayor. This issue, he added, was “near and dear to my heart”. So he was helping out the Steelworkers. There was no suggestion by West that he was speaking to Woodford as a paid employee of the union, nor did Woodford pursue this.

I left a message over Twitter last month asking West if he still has his

Poco’s Brad West earned more than $100K last year with the United Steelworkers.

position as the union’s communications and political-action coordinator. As of this writing, I haven’t received an answer.

Two weeks before the 2018 election, the Tri-City News reported that the United Steelworkers “have given West the OK to return as their communications rep”, presumably after his term as mayor expires. Even if West is not collecting a salary right now from the Steelworkers—and that has not been established—he has an undertaking from the union to hire him back.

Keep in mind that his union work has been well compensated in the past. This was revealed in the Steelworkers’ Form LM-2 Labor Organization Annual Report, which was filed with the U.S. Department of Labor on March 28. It covers the period from January 1 to December 31, 2018.

During that period, West was paid $113,009 and received $19,641 in disbursements. He collected more than $100,000 per year in several other years while working for the United Steelworkers.

The United Steelworkers is on

the record opposing free trade with China. It’s fair to say that the union has huge problems with that country.

In a 2017 submission to Global Affairs Canada, the United Steelworkers not only cited human rights concerns but also expressed opposition to China’s “unfair trading practices”.

“In steel, Chinese over-production, itself a result of state-led direction and policies meant to drive China’s overheated economy to full employment, has depressed prices globally,” the union stated. “But China continues to build its productive capacity in steel and other sectors and illegally dumps these products in other markets, including Canada.”

As a result, the union claimed, “dumping has displaced Canadian steel in the crucial NAFTA market and Canadian steel exports to the US have decreased by 16% since 2008, representing a total loss to producers of $966 million.”

This was linked to a loss of Canadian employment in manufacturing. The union also cited concerns about Chinese workers coming to

Canada to work on Chinese-financed investments.

The union submission specifically cites the way President Xi Jinping is ruling the country. The natural conclusion is that the actions of China are undermining employment for Canadian steelworkers. The corollary is that this would mean fewer dues flowing into the union to pay the salaries of its staffers.

Yet when West is quoted in the B.C. media raising concerns about China, he’s invariably described as the mayor of Port Coquitlam and not as past and possibly present and future communications and political-action coordinator with the United Steelworkers.

This is notwithstanding the staff list on the union website.

This may not seem like a big deal to some people, particularly those who agree with West’s comments.

But it raises an interesting question. What’s going to happen if the interests of the City of Port Coquitlam or Metro Vancouver in attracting investment were to collide with the interests of the United Steelworkers in opposing investment from China in Canada?

Would West absent himself from discussions in the media, given his pre-election revelation that he’s been promised a job with the union after his term as mayor expires?

Would the media even report his past and possibly future connection to the union?

Or would it all be brushed under the table because slamming the authoritarian regime of China trumps any interest in dissecting where West’s role as mayor or Metro Vancouver director ends and where his role as a past and possibly future union official begins? g

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 21

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HOROSCOPES

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by Rose Marcus

ctober stars are geared for action right out of the starting gate. After five months of obstructing, restricting, denying, or altogether blocking it, Pluto in Capricorn ends retrograde.

Setting the reality into play in some undeniable no-turning-back way, Saturn and Pluto will continue to set major building blocks in place as they work their way to the historic 2020 finish line.

All three personal planets switch signs during this next week. Early Thursday, a few hours after Pluto resumes forward motion, Mercury enters Scorpio (Pluto’s home sign).

By the end of Thursday, Mars enters Libra. By next Tuesday, Venus will also trek into Scorpio.

Mars in Libra revs up social, economic, and political action through November 18. It also revs up the competition. It could be someone or it could be something that competes for your time and attention, your heart, or your wallet. Mars in Libra also activates contract matters both actual and karmic in nature.

Mercury and Venus in Scorpio dial up the intensity—and the obsession—regarding digging for pay dirt. If you can’t shut off the mind in order to get a good night’s sleep on Sunday, blame Mercury in opposition to Uranus. Spilling into Monday, Mercury/Uranus can trigger something abrupt, unexpected, shattering, enlightening, or opportune. Expect to hit the ground running first thing. Midday Monday, sun/Saturn turn a corner and set a next phase into play.

Building through Tuesday, Mars dukes it out with Chiron in Aries.

This single-it-out transit can widen the divide, pit the two or the many against the one. It could trigger a severing of ties, a cutoff point, or a threshold-crossing of significance.

Watch for stirred-up political action.

Tuesday through next Thursday, the stars show good promise and move onto a more fluid track.

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ARIES

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TAURUS

March 20–April 20

The end of Pluto retrograde can signal the end of a long holdup and the start of some real and tangible progress. Competition can be positive motivation, especially when it pushes you to up your game. Mars in Libra, starting Thursday, fires up your social life or a relationship issue. Sunday through Tuesday, get it off your chest; start fresh.

April 20–May 21

Don’t expect more of the same. Mercury enters Scorpio on Thursday and Venus follows suit next Tuesday. Both take you deeper into a relationship or money matter.

Trust is the issue. There’s a good opportunity to make a turnaround, but it requires that you play it smart. The faster you confront the tough stuff, the faster you’ll get to the good stuff.

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F

VIRGO

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LIBRA

August 23–September 23

September 23–October 23

Expect to burn more calories!

One way or another, Mars in Libra sets you on go. Now and in coming weeks, you’ll feel more physically active and energized. Sunday through Tuesday is a mixed bag, including added stress or a sudden onslaught, but over the hump, things can go well, perhaps even better than expected. Someone or something unexpected could trigger or surprise you.

H I

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SCORPIO

October 23–November 22

You certainly don’t lack for things to get at! Thursday onward sets you onto an energy and activity top-up. Mercury in Scorpio keeps you quick on the uptake. Sunday to Tuesday could bring added stress or challenge, but these days also set you up for progress. Venus in Scorpio, starting Tuesday, provides an opportunity to turn things to your advantage.

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SAGITTARIUS

November 22–December 21

A block or a holdup gives way. Now through mid–next week can set you or it into a much fuller swing, perhaps unexpectedly so. Sunday through Tuesday can put you in a much better know. Watch for something that previously escaped full view to trigger you, them, or it. Mars, freshly into Libra, boosts social and creative opportunity.

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CAPRICORN

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December 21–January 20

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The end of Pluto retrograde late Wednesday translates to one more wall knocked down or one more cement block set in place. As of Monday, sun/Saturn turns a productive corner. Mars, Mercury, and Venus on the move also get you up and running.

By midweek, you’ll have surpassed plenty. Wednesday is built for ease.

CANCER

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Undertake a change of residence, relationship status, or attitude: Mars in Libra, starting Thursday, signals that it is time to get moving! Mercury and Venus in Scorpio assist empowerment initiatives.

Haven’t been able to figure out how to play it next? One way or another, Sunday/Monday sets you up for a breakthrough. Tuesday to Thursday, it’s as good as it gets.

Again, Again, Again and Again.

Mars now leaves Virgo, but it will do you just as good (perhaps even better) while it tours Libra. Spruce-ups of all kinds are well timed. Watch for more attention and better feedback to come your way too. Freshly into Scorpio, both Mercury and Venus keep your people radar sharp. They’ll also help you to pinpoint what is most relevant, profitable, or lucrative.

K

June 21–July 22

July 22–August 23

The end of Pluto retrograde and the start of Mars in Libra can get the ball rolling better, especially regarding a job, communication track, or heath-related matter. Even so, Sunday/ Monday there may be a price to pay or something difficult to confront or come to terms with. Freshly into Scorpio, Mercury and Venus can prompt a change of mind or perspective.

May 21–June 21

GEMINI

Launching Thursday, Mars in Libra is one of your better transits for communication tracks, building better inroads, and showing them why they love you (or why they should!). Along with the end of Pluto retrograde, Mercury and Venus fresh at it in Scorpio also set the stage for better progress. Even so, Sunday through Tuesday, there’s something important to sort out.

D

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AQUARIUS

January 20–February 18

For the next six weeks, Mars in Libra takes you through a major rethink and regroup regarding personal and career priorities. Put the effort into it and you’ll get good value out of your studies, research, marketing, and conversations. You are heading into an important turnit-around time regarding a key relationship or money matter.

PISCES

February 18–March 20

What is it leading to? The way forward will now colour itself in with better definition. Mercury and Venus, freshly into Scorpio, assist you to get a better fix on what’s in your heart and your wallet (actually and metaphorically speaking). Sunday through Tuesday, there’s something to get past. Wednesday/Thursday, your stars are at optimum. g

Book a reading or sign up for Rose’s free monthly newsletter at rosemarcus.com.

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

by Gail Johnson, Tammy Kwan, Lucy Lau, John Lucas, Travis Lupick, Carlito Pablo, Doug Sarti, Charlie Smith, Janet Smith, Craig Takeuchi, and Mike Usinger; illustration by Shayne Letain

S

ome cities are known for their incredible street art.

Mexico City, Valparaíso, Berlin, São Paalo, and Prague are just five that have gained international fame for their exalted murals. But in recent years, Vancouver has moved into the big leagues with stunning street art popping up in many neighbourhoods. We even had one of the giants in this field, Los Angeles–based Shepard Fairey, visit Vancouver to paint a massive work at the corner of Georgia and Burrard streets as part of this year’s Vancouver Mural Festival.

Nowhere are the murals more numerous than in Mount Pleasant, where dozens of pedestrian-halting images have transformed the landscape. So it seemed only fitting that for this issue, we would pay tribute to these magnificent additions to our city on our cover. They are part of the best of Vancouver. Naturally, artist Shayne Letain chose Mount Pleasant as the location for his illustration.

This is the Georgia Straight’s 24th annual Best of Vancouver issue, and over those years the city has seen its share of ups and downs. But one of the things that have endured is an environmental ethic that was decades ahead of its time. That was on display for the world again when 100,000 residents filled the streets to call for more dramatic action to address the climate crisis. Of course, Vancouverites are old hands at this—the Straight was covering local environmental sages like David Suzuki, Chief Dan George, and Bill Rees long before there ever was a Best of Vancouver issue.

But now the young’uns are taking

over the fight, inspired by 16-yearold Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. “How dare you?” she demands of older generations for not doing enough to avert a potential catastrophe. She’s right when she says our house is on fire. But it’s also worth noting that Vancouver residents were quicker than those in much of the rest of English-speaking Canada to sound the fire alarm.

This, too, is a reflection of the best of Vancouver. Then there are all those family-owned businesses that heroically soldier on in the face of sky-high real-estate costs and an unfair property-assessment system that tilts the playing field in favour of multinationals like Amazon. It’s damn tough operating a storefront business or a restaurant in this city.

It takes stamina, intelligence, and a great deal of heart to keep going year after year when it seems like the deck is stacked against the little guy. We salute those local businesses for how they’ve enriched the city, whether they are booksellers, art galleries, fashion retailers, fabulous diners, artistic venues, or anything else. They, too, are among the best of Vancouver.

Then there are the teachers who are educating our kids to try to strive for a better future, the emergency responders saving the lives of addicts, and the kindhearted volunteers who drive cancer patients to medical appointments. Come to think of it, there is a whole lot to celebrate, notwithstanding the ecological challenges we face.

In this issue, our writers have fun highlighting what they feel is the best of Vancouver. Each of the boxes on these pages shows the results of our survey of readers, who chose their “bests” in almost 200 categories. In many cases, these winners received more votes than people who were elected to local government in some outlying municipalities.

CITY LIFE BEST WAY TO DISCOVER STANLEY PARK

We love Stanley Park. Located on the unceded traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Coast Salish First Nations, Vancouver’s jewel represents so much Indigenous history and tradition. Locals and visitors can learn about the park’s significance—past and present—to Indigenous peoples through the Talking Trees experience offered by Talaysay Tours. Mar-

ried couple Candace and Larry Campo (who are of the Shíshálh and Squamish nations, respectively) and her brother, Jon Campo (Shíshálh), founded the company to educate and inspire people by sharing their culture. During the serene rain-or-shine stroll through Stanley Park, guides might talk about spiritual practices, medicinal uses of plants, traditional foods (such as salal berries and licorice fern), mythology, lore, and more.

Talaysay also offers tours in other parts of the region, all centred on story, spiritual perspectives, and respect for the land.

BEST f COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE COMPANY

1. The Soap Dispensary & Kitchen Staples 3718 Main Street 2. Nada 675 East Broadway 3. Lush Various locations

LOCAL EMPLOYER

1. Vancity Various locations 2. Hammerberg Lawyers LLP 1220–1200 West 73rd Avenue 3. University of British Columbia Various locations

NEIGHBOURHOOD

1. Kitsilano 2. Mount Pleasant 3. West End

YOUTH ORGANIZATION

1. YMCA Various locations 2. Urban Native Youth Association 1618 East Hastings Street 3. Big Brothers/Big Sisters (tie) Various locations

NEW REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY

1. Oak + Park by Alabaster Homes 2. River District 3. Brentwood

TECH COMPANY

1. Galvanize 1500–980 Howe Street 2. Bench 200–545 Robson Street 3. Eventbase 1280 Homer Street

LOCAL STARTUP

1. Pavilion Cowork 400–22 East 5th Avenue 2. Vessi Footwear 196 West 6th Avenue 3. Fresh Prep FreshPrep.ca

CITY ACTIVIST

1. Jean Swanson 2. David Suzuki 3. Sara Blyth

CITY COUNCILLOR

1. Jean Swanson 2. Christine Boyle 3. Adriane Carr

BEST REIMAGINING OF AN ICONIC LOOK

Attention, Main Street fixie jockeys: the ’80s Radio Shack clerk mustacheand retro-glasses combo has now officially replaced the hipster beard, moth-eaten sweater, and ironic trucker hat. See you at the Narrow Lounge—and don’t forget to lock up your bike.

BEST PLACE TO STARGAZE

As a major motion-picture destination, Vancouver has come a million light-years from when the filming of 1975’s Russian Roulette was the cultural event of the century. (Ask your grandparents about George Segal doing battle with Soviet assassins on the iconic roof of the Hotel Vancouver.) After a recessionary rough patch a few years back, Lotusland has once again overtaken Toronto for the title of Hollywood North. According to Internet Movie Data Base data gathered and compiled by industry insurance giant GoCompare, we’re now the 14th-most-popular spot in the world for shooting movies and TV shows. The place where you’re most likely to see a star in action as the cameras roll? That would ne the UBC campus, which has been used for everything from X-Men 2 to Fifty Shades of Grey. GoCompare lists UBC as the ninth-most-popular filming location on Earth, outranked only by the likes of Venice Beach, Central Park, and Times Square.

Suck on that, Hogtown.

BEST SIGNS OF LIFE IN STRATHCONA

Until recently, no one would have described the stretch of East Hastings Street from, say, the 600 to 900 blocks as “lively”. Situated between the hustle (of entirely the wrong kind) of the Downtown Eastside and the bustle (of the commercial kind) of Hastings Sunrise, this particular strip of Strathcona

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 25

2019. Grab a bowler hat and a cup of tea and climb onboard.

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has long been something of a dead zone. With new residential buildings and an influx of fledgling businesses, however, the area is due for a renaissance. Signs of life include the recent opening of VV Tapas Lounge, a lowkey spot with an impressive by-theglass wine list. At 957 East Hastings, VV is located in Strathcona Village— an unmistakable housing development that looks like a stack of red and orange shipping containers. Java lovers now have choices beyond gas-station swill, with the verdant and cozy Garden (868 East Hastings) almost directly across from newcomer Prototype Coffee (883 East Hastings), where they roast their own beans. Meanwhile, Strathcona Beer Company (895 East Hastings) is fast becoming a Yeast Van institution, while the comparatively venerable Heatley (696 East Hastings) is the go-to for lovers of live music and also boasts an early mural by local artworld star Ola Volo behind the bar.

The strip is poised to get a lot more life thanks to the proposed Ray-Cam Renew project, which would see the construction of a brand-new community centre, a health clinic, childcare facilities, cultural spaces including a media lab and a theatre, mixed housing, and a retail promenade along the south side of the 900 block.

BEST USE OF A DRONE

Photo by Janet McDonald

BEST f WAY TO KEEP A DUDE CHILLING

Cast him in bronze. Michael Dennis’s cedar sculpture Reclining Figure became such a popular fixture in Guelph Park that people changed the greenspace’s name. When the public artwork started to rot a few years back and disappeared from Dude Chilling Park, Vancouverites started to worry. But they just needed to chill: the Dude had been sent to Denman Island, where Dennis was preparing the wood original to be cast in bronze. Now the newly installed metal replica at Brunswick Street and 8th Avenue weighs 500 pounds—sturdy, but with the same laid-back vibe.

WEIRDEST USE FOR HAIR WHILE ON TRANSIT

did in July, is dangerously original, as is driving along a pedestrian path If you thought clipping nails on the at Sunset Beach, as one driver did in bus or SkyTrain was weird, a Georgia August. Then again, maybe that kind Straight staffer witnessed a woman of creativity is best left at home. riding a TransLink bus pull a hair off her head and use it as dental floss. BEST CASE FOR MUDFLAPS That makes us worry about what she Every late spring, the seawall between Science World and Granville Island used for toothpaste. Yeesh. is a bustling breeding ground for BEST PROOF VANCOUVERITES Canada geese, with the small armies HAVE THEIR OWN RULES WHEN IT of impossibly cute goslings a major COMES TO DRIVING attraction for tourists, amateur phoVancouverites have a bad reputa- tographers, and nitwits who fancy tion for not knowing how to drive. themselves the second coming of But maybe it’s because we’re simply Steve Irwin. Then, as spring turns to inventive and edgy drivers? After all, summer, said goslings sprout up and trundling your car down the outdoor start turning the False Creek seawall stairway at the Sheraton Wall Centre into an endless carpet of bird shit. in downtown Vancouver, as a driver We’re talking a goose-log adorned

double-decker buses. The AEC Routemaster bus became a symbol of U.K. progress after it first appeared on London streets in 1956. Today, however, it’s harder to catch a ride on a red Routemaster than one might think. The model was withdrawn from regular service in 2005 and only continues to operate in London on one route that’s marked with a heritage designation. But more than 60 years after double-decker buses arrived in London, Vancouver residents can soon enjoy the charm of a double-decker bus ride. TransLink BEST WAY TO PRETEND YOU’RE piloted a couple of its own blue BRITISH double-decker buses in 2017 and There are few things more quintes- subsequently ordered 32 of the vesentially British than a ride around hicles. They’re expected to hit Lower London on one of the city’s iconic Mainland streets before the end of minefield that rivals the famously dog-dung smeared streets of Paris.

Wearing white Chuck Taylors for an evening stroll is a recipe for tears.

Riding the seawall behind a cyclist with no rear fender, meanwhile, can leave you looking like you just finished a motocross race. The reason for the mess? That would be the fact that geese crap an average of once every seven minutes, which means you can either wait things out until the November rains arrive or do your cycling on 2nd Avenue.

The proliferation of recreational unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has led to plenty of situations in which drones are nothing more than a nuisance. In recent years, the flying video cameras have been spotted peeking into downtown Vancouver apartments. Their surprisingly loud buzz has also become a common irritant for backcountry hikers on B.C. mountain trails. And in July 2018, the B.C. government actually had to ask people to refrain from flying drones near wildfires: while more than half a dozen major blazes burned across southern B.C. that month, drone hobbyists interfered with authorities’ attempts to contain the flames.

Drones are proving to be a pain. But this past summer, London Drugs did something with a drone that could benefit remote settlements around the world. On August 19, the Vancouver-based pharmacy chain partnered with InDro Robotics and Canada Post to use an unmanned aerial vehicle to transport an Epi pen and the overdose-reversal drug naloxone from Duncan, B.C., to the Country Grocer on Salt Spring Island. The 27.4-kilometre drive from Duncan to Salt Spring takes more than an hour by car and even longer than that if you don’t time your arrival at the ferry just right. The London Drugs drone made its six-kilometre flight in just 11 minutes.

BEST ARGUMENT AGAINST FLUSHING DISPOSABLE WIPES

Wipes are convenient. They’re used for personal hygiene, baby care, facial cleaning, and other scrubbing purposes. Many are labelled “flushable”, but Linda Parkinson, a manager with the liquid-waste services of the Metro Vancouver Regional District, says don’t do it. That’s because it costs the region at least $100,000 a year to unclog regional waste pump stations of these materials. Yes, $100K! Metro see page 29

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Jason Lim has been in real estate for 12 years and the team lead of the VancityExperts Real Estate Group, a consistently top producing within the Vancouver market. The team has been recognized for many outstanding awards and currently ranks as the #1 team at RE/MAX Crest South Granville. They represent both the Metro and Greater Vancouver areas from east to west, with a high volume of transactions in the Olympic Village, False Creek, and Mount Pleasant neighbourhoods.

JASON LIM BEST REALTOR

28 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

“Thank you to all of our clients who have put their faith and trust in us. We are exceptionally grateful and are constantly striving to raise the bar in client care and market knowledge.”

- Jason Lim, Vincent Lim, Ben Thomson, June Iida, John Fong & Holly Wollmann

South Granville Team

miss the alarm to get back to work Vancouver also spends hundreds of or end up walking out with one of thousands of dollars to replace equip- themattresses in a box. We take no rement damaged by the material. sponsibility for either outcome.

often coming face to face with ghosts, witches, zombies, and the latest Marvel character. In Grandview-Woodland and Hastings-Sunrise, some residents go all out with the haunted décor: mummified skulls, fog machines, animatronics, perfectly carved pumpkins, and neon-hued lights that flicker as you walk up steps to utter the three golden words. We hear that West Side kids sometimes get dropped off for a couple hours just to experience the fun on October 31.

from page 26

MOST BROMANTIC URINALS

While men tend to zip in and out of washrooms, here’s one wasteremoval configuration that will challenge even the speediest of males. In the basement washroom at East Vancouver’s Heritage Hall, a pair of urinals, which are angled toward each other, force users to stare each other in the eyes as they relieve themselves.

It’s featured in the book 111 Places in Vancouver That You Must Not Miss, by Dave Doroghy and Graeme Menzies.

According to a September 22 story by CBC News, the twin urinal has been there since the building opened as a post office in 1916 and was designed by Scottish plumber John Shanks. It’s certainly one place where men are bound to get pissed off.

BEST NEIGHBOURHOOD IN WHICH TO TRICK-OR-TREAT

They say big houses in well-to-do suburban areas give out the best candy: full-size Kit Kat and Coffee Crisp bars, no less. However, after many years of roaming through various neighbourhoods to scout out the best places to trick-or-treat, we’ve determined that East Van is the most magical place to knock on random people’s doors for sugary loot on Halloween. The spooky spirit is felt in waves as you walk through the kid-infested streets,

BEST RECOVERY FROM PIER PRESSURE

Photo by Charlie Smith

BEST f MURAL TO KEEP MEMORIES OF THE PAST ALIVE In an alley east of Quebec Street between East 10th Avenue and East Broadway stands a stunning new depiction of the historic bonds between local First Nations and the city’s South Asian community.

On the rear of a federal building that used to be named after a racist former Vancouver MP, artists Alicia Point, Cyler Sparrow-Point, and Keerat Kaur painted a magnificent mural representing how local First Nations delivered provisions to more than 350 South Asians kept aboard the Komagata Maru in Vancouver’s harbour for two months in 1914. The MP, Harry Stevens, and local immigration officials ensured that these passengers could not set foot in Canada, citing discriminatory continuous-journey legislation crafted to keep South Asians from moving here. Eventually, authorities ordered the ship to return to India, where 18 of the passengers were shot by British troops following an uprising in what is now West Bengal.

A severe windstorm on December 20, 2018, battered the White Rock Pier, causing boats to smash into it and a portion of it to break off, stranding a man who had to be rescued by helicopter. With repair costs estimated at $14 million, the City of White Rock managed to rebuild the pier (with funds that included donations and $1 million from the B.C. government) and officially reopened “Canada’s longest pier” on September 21.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE A QUICK SNOOZE OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME

Not all of us have the luxury of being able to catch some quick ZZZs at work (we’re looking at you, fancy tech startups with the fancy nap pods.)

But if your office is anywhere near Kitsilano’s new Casper Sleep Shop (2294 West 4th Avenue), you can book a nap in one of its miniature houses decked out with mattresses, pillows, and whimsical décor. You may find yourself in such a deep slumber on its ultracozy mattresses that you either

BEST RAINBOW REBOUND

Vancouver may have unveiled Canada’s first rainbow crosswalks back in 2013, and many Lower Mainland

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BEST f SPORTS & REC LOCAL SKI/ SNOWBOARD SHOP

INDOOR CLIMBING GYM

1. Comor – Go Play Outside Various locations 2. The Boardroom Various locations 3. Sports Junkies 102 West Broadway

1. The Hive Various locations 2. Cliffhanger Vancouver 670 Industrial Avenue 3. Clip ‘n Climb 120–1751 Savage Road, Richmond

SPORTING-GOODS STORE

KAYAK/CANOE RENTAL

1. MEC Various locations 2. Sports Junkies 102 West Broadway 3. Comor – Go Play Outside Various locations

1. Deep Cove Kayak 2156 Banbury Road, North Vancouver 2. MEC Various locations 3. Creekside Kayaks 1495 Ontario Street

LOCAL BIKE STORE

PLACE TO TAKE AN OUT-OF-TOWN VISITOR

1. Ride On Various locations 2. Reckless Bike Stores Various locations 3. West Point Cycles Various locations

1. Grouse Mountain 2. Granville Island Farmers Market 3. Capilano Suspension Bridge

COMMUNITY CENTRE

BIKE REPAIR

1. Hillcrest Community Centre 4575 Clancy Loranger Way 2. Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre 181 Roundhouse Mews 3. Trout Lake Community Centre 3350 Victoria Drive

1. Denman Bike Shop 2607 Main Street 2. West Point Cycles Various locations 3. Our Community Bikes 2429 Main Street

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municipalities may have followed suit, but it remains a controversial topic. A case in point was when Chilliwack city council voted against installing an LGBT–inclusive rainbow crosswalk on September 3, with only one councillor in favour. It was deemed too political and divisive.

But on September 17, the Chilliwack Board of Education debated the idea of painting a rainbow crosswalk in its parking lot. After a heated debate, the motion was narrowly passed in a 4-3 vote. Accordingly, there will be sunshine through the rain after all.

BEST RAINBOW RESILIENCE

Ladner United Church raised a rainbow flag to participate in the United Church of Canada’s inaugural Pride Sunday on June 2. But the next day, staff found the flag had been vandalized with black spray paint. The church ordered a replacement and also allowed attendees to write inclusive and supportive messages on the marred flag to “change the narrative” from hate to love. But that’s not all. Delta mayor George V. Harvie ordered the rainbow flag to be raised at City Hall for the first time, with the Delta Police Department and Delta firefighters in attendance.

Delta police also included a rainbow flag on their social media. Not stopping there, the Delta School District raised two rainbow flags, one at the school board office and another at an education centre. Unfortunately, Ladner United Church’s replacement flag was also vandalized. In response, Delta Secondary School students covered the steps and sidewalk with rainbow colours and messages of inclusion. Sometimes it takes a village to raise a rainbow.

BEST RAINBOW RESISTANCE

Surrey RCMP raised the rainbow flag on June 24 at its detachment, and the social-conservative group Culture Guard showed up to protest the event.

But the flag remained aloft as Surrey RCMP honoured LGBT Pride and commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City, which led to the LGBT rights movement in North America.

BEST RAINBOW MONEY

Canadian bills may be colourful, but a Canadian coin has outdone them.

On April 23, the Royal Canadian Mint released a limited-mintage $1 coin that commemorated the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Canada.

The coin features the work of none other than Vancouver artist Joe Average, whose career has been devoted to supporting LGBT and HIV communities. The Royal Canadian Mint released three million Equality coins, while a special collector’s edi-

tion in pure silver with the design in full colour was also made available in limited mintage for $49.95.

tion in Vancouver on the B.C. SPCA website are a variety of the often-maligned rodents, including Calliope, Claire, Emmi, Erata, and—most awesomely monikered of all—Mel. Don’t dare think about rechristening any of them Ricky, Ratso, or Ratatouille.

BEST WAY TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE INSIDE AN ANIME

If you grew up watching Japanese animated movies, then you’re familiar with Studio Ghibli’s well-loved film My Neighbor Totoro. It just so happens that Vancouver has a new cat café inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s fictional tale. Catoro Café features a “cat forest” where adoptable rescue cats roam through a space decorated with whimsical three-dimensional wall panels, cartoonlike artwork that alludes to Totoro, and a very realistic artificial tree. A visit here may even inspire you to book a trip to Tokyo’s Studio Ghibli museum, which contains gems and original artifacts conceived in Miyazaki’s genius mind. But until then, a visit to Catoro Café should be enough.

BEST PLACE TO FIND RATS

B.C. SPCA 1205 East 7th Avenue The easy answer is, in no particular order, the alleys of the Downtown Eastside, any fruit tree in East Van, or a steaming bowl of soup at the dearly departed Crab Park Chowdery. But as sure as Pamela Anderson earmarks a large portion of her Baywatch residuals for PETA, it’s important to remember that one person’s pest is another’s pet. And like every pet,

BEST WAY TO GET A PET ON THE CHEAP

Want a pet but don’t have a lot of money to buy one? How about mice?

That’s right. The City of Vancouver sells gerbils, hamsters, mice, and rats for $5 each. You can visit the city’s animal shelter at 1280 Raymur Avenue. If small rodents aren’t your thing, perhaps you’d like a small bird?

Budgies and finches are $10 each.

Photo by Vancity HUB

BEST f FALSE CREEK FROLIC

Skyscrapers abound on the Vancouver waterfront, but this urban jungle didn’t scare away these two orcas, who made their way to the middle of False Creek. This image on the @vancity Instagram feed was tagged to the Straight’s Instagram account and received 3,272 “likes”. That exceeded all other images on our account over the past year. sometimes rats end up not being wanted. Although most folks head to the B.C. SPCA for dogs. cats, and miniature donkeys, there’s also a healthy population of rats available for adoption. We’re not talking the wild brown rats that make grown

BEST f LIFESTYLE LOCAL ELECTRONICS STORE

HOME APPLIANCE STORE

1. Lee’s Electronic Components 4131 Fraser Street 2. Simply Computing 1690 West Broadway 3. Memory Express Various locations

1. Trail Appliances Various locations 2. Coast Appliances Various locations 3. Midland Appliances Various locations

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT STORE

KITCHENWARE STORE

1. Long & McQuade Various locations 2. Tom Lee Music Various locations 3. Rufus Guitar Shop Various locations

1. Ming Wo Various locations 2. The Gourmet Warehouse 1340 East Hastings Street 3. Cook Culture Various locations

RECORD SHOP

HOME-IMPROVEMENT STORE

1. Red Cat Records Various locations 2. Zulu Records 1972 West 4th Avenue 3. Neptoon Records 3561 Main Street

1. Home Hardware Various locations 2. Kerrisdale Lumber 6191 West Boulevard 3. Windsor Plywood Various locations

ANTIQUE STORE

LOCAL FURNITURE STORE

1. Antique Market 1324 Franklin Street 2. Baker’s Dozen Antiques 3520 Main Street 3. Filmgo Sales 121 McLean Drive

Thank you for voting us Best in Vancouver 2019!! #bestinvancouver 14 years in a row!!

30 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

BEST NEW HOME FOR A WAR MEMORIAL

1. Moe’s Home Collection 1728 Glen Drive 2. Structube Various locations 3. The Living Lab 1121 West 15th Street, North Van

It’s a fitting location for a Vancouver memorial commemorating the Battle of Britain, which was fought in the skies against Nazi Germany. On January 28, the park board approved a plan to move the Air Force Garden of Remembrance from its location in Stanley Park to Queen Elizabeth Park, which is the highest point in the city. As park planner Emily Dunlop wrote in a report to the board, the transfer will put the memorial “closest to the sky”.

men stand on chairs and shriek when they chew their way into a house, but instead fancy rats bred to be pets.

Rats have a deserved reputation as great companions that are not only curious and clean but also smart BEST EVIDENCE THAT THIS CITY IS and social. Currently listed for adop- HOME TO SOME FIRST-RATE TWITS In January this year, the Vancouver park board revealed that up to 50 young trees at the Langara Golf Course had been destroyed SPECIALTY FURNITURE by vandals. The culprits sawed off STORE the tops of sequoia, West Coast 1. Montauk Sofa cedar, Douglas fir, Fraser fir, and Vancouver alder trees. Earlier that month, 228 Abbott Street eight trees were damaged at Span2. By Design Modern Danish ish Banks, with their tops also cut.

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1. Filmgo Sales 121 McLean Drive 2. Attic Treasures and Mid Century Modern 944 Commercial Drive 3. ReFind 4609 Main Street

GARDENING STORE

1. GardenWorks at Mandeville 4746 SE Marine Drive, Burnaby 2. Figaro’s Garden 1896 Victoria Drive 3. Art Knapp 1300 Dominion Avenue, Port Coquitlam

BEST ARGUMENT TO DEFINE AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The City of Vancouver is subsidizing, with taxpayers’ money, private developments that supposedly offer “affordable” rents. What is considered affordable? As one example, the city’s 2018 guidelines state that $1,496 a month for a studio on the East Side of Vancouver is affordable. But as Coun. Adriane Carr pointed out in a motion, for a household to afford $1,496—which is just the starting rent at the time that council holds a public hearing on the rezoning proposal for a project—it has to have an annual income of $59,840. This is to meet the affordability threshold of housing expense as 30 percent income.

The trouble is, as Carr noted, half of the households in the city earn less than $50,000 per year. They’re shit out of luck. see page 33

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This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven 2244 East Hastings Street This emporium of oddities teaches you taxidermy with how-to classes that include all the tools and materials you’ll need for dissecting, stuffing, and—best of all—posing your first animal. Our hands-down favourite recent offering: a beginners’ class in making a kinky mouse couple piece that reimagines a Fifty Shades of Grey fantasy with tiny, ecstatic rodents (November 17). You can also turn your deceased critter into a serial killer for Halloween (October 27). The less squeamish can check out the butterfly-pinning classes—just the thing for your Victorian curio cabinet.

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Vessi.com It took three folks faced with the endless drizzles and puddles of Vancouver to come up with waterproof sneakers. The added bonus is that Vessi’s sleek and stylish kicks don’t just keep socks dry but breathe and are good to the Earth.

The shoes are all vegan, and the trio has developed a machine-knitting process that they say cuts each pair’s manufacturing energy consumption by 600 percent.

BEST CITY GIFT TO BOATERS IN FALSE CREEK

Swimming is not allowed in False Creek, which is heavily polluted with sewer overflows, storm water, and sewage from boats. But progress is being made on this front.

On February 13, Vancouver city council voted to extend free sewage pump-out service for boaters in False Creek, allocating $75,000 for the program this year. The service was piloted in 2017 and renewed in 2018. Last year, 561 boats were serviced, with more than 48,000 litres of sewage collected. That’s a hell of a lot of poo.

BEST EMBODIMENT OF VANCOUVER IN A SINGLE RETAIL STORE THAT ISN’T ACTUALLY IN VANCOUVER

frequent East Van—made headlines when he was reported missing in early September. Anonymous donors have even offered $10,000 for inforThrow Aritzia, Saje, and any one mation leading to his safe return, but of Vancouver’s dispensaries into a he has yet to be found. blender and you’ll get Burb: a Port Coquitlam cannabis store coated in muted hues of beige and taupe that BEST f LIFESTYLE stocks a minimalist line of casual PRIVATE GYM wear alongside a curated selection 1. Ron Zalko Fitness & Yoga of high-quality strains and artful 1807 West 1st Avenue smoking accessories. Throw in a rack 2. Equinox Fitness Club of spandex and an artisan coffee bar 1131 West Georgia Street and we’ll reach peak Vancouver.

BEST LOCAL CELEBRITY YOU PROBABLY WOULDN’T RECOGNIZE ON THE STREET

That’s the thinking behind Good Boy Collective, a local online pet-supply We’re shopping more ethically and store that opened a bricks-andsustainably than ever before, so isn’t mortar spot on Main Street in May. it time those efforts extended to The shop carries responsibly (and, in see next page products for our four-legged pals?

DENTAL CLINIC

MASSAGE THERAPY CLINIC

3. YWCA Health + Fitness 535 Hornby Street

1. Aarm Dental Various locations 2. Sunrise Village Dental Centre 2538 East Hastings Street 3. House of Teeth 331 East Broadway

1. painPRO Various locations 2. Electra Health Various locations 3. Myodetox Various locations

SPIN STUDIO

FERTILITY CLINIC

OPTOMETRY CLINIC

You’d be forgiven for not knowing Mimi Choi’s name. You’d also be forgiven if you happened to be one of her one-million-plus Instagram followers but failed to recognize her on the street. The locally based makeup artist works mostly behind the scenes, after all, and her trippy illusionist work means she’s often pictured online with her face disguised as a scaly fish, a black hole, or some other surreal, “how did she do that?” imagery.

However, Choi was thrust into the spotlight this year when she was hired to paint a set of campy-creepy eyes on actor Ezra Miller for the Met Gala in May. Miller revealed his seven-eye look on the pink carpet in New York City by removing a mask, stealing the show, and ensuring that Choi would become a household name among makeup artists and makeup-artistry enthusiasts around the globe.

1. Spin Society Cycling Studio Various locations 2. Ride Cycle Club Various locations 3. SoulCycle 1128 Mainland Street

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CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC

Sure, actor and comedian Seth Rogen may have won the hearts (and ears) of Vancouverites when he narrated TransLink public-service announcements last year. But the recent disappearance of a certain knifewielding bird reveals Vancouver’s true pride and joy: Canuck the Crow.

The fearless bird—who was banded by a federal registry and is known to

BEST PLACE TO PAMPER YOUR PUP

YOGA STUDIO

1. YYoga Various locations 2. Oxygen Yoga & Fitness Various locations 3. Semperviva Various locations

ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC

1. Acubalance Wellness Centre 208–888 West 8th Avenue 2. Greenleaf Acupuncture & Herb Clinic 1455–409 Granville Street 3. Alaunius Integrated Medicine 650 West Georgia Street

1. The Powerhouse Chiropractic 1675 Main Street 2. Kilian Chiropractic 205–555 Burrard Street 3. In Touch Chiropractic 580–555 West 12th Avenue

NUTRITIONIST

1. Nicole Porter Wellness 2. Erin Levine Nutrition + Wellness 3. Erika Weissenborn Nutrition

1. Olive Fertility Centre Various locations 2. Genesis Fertility Centre (tie) 300–1367 West Broadway 2. Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (tie) 507 West Broadway 3. Yinstill Reproductive Wellness 3523 Main Street

HEALTH SUPPLEMENT STORE

1. Finlandia Pharmacy & Natural Health Centre 1111 West Broadway 2. Body Energy Club Various locations 3. Popeye’s Supplements Various locations

INTEGRATED HEALTH CLINIC

1. Peakform Wellness Various locations 2. Acubalance Wellness Centre 208–888 West 8th Avenue 3. Qi Integrated Health 1764 West 7th Avenue

NATURAL PHARMACY

1. Finlandia Pharmacy & Natural Health Centre 1111 West Broadway 2. Pure Integrative Pharmacy Various locations 3. Sina Pharmacy & Health Centre 505 Smithe Street

1. Mount Pleasant Optometry Centre 104 East Broadway 2. FYIdoctors Various locations 3. Marpole Optometry Clinic 8679 Granville Street

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

1. Kerrisdale Physiotherapy— Nicole Fitzpatrick 2083 West 42nd Avenue 2. Myodetox Various locations 3. Insync Physio Various locations

NATUROPATHIC CLINIC

1. Acubalance Wellness Centre 208–888 West 8th Avenue 604-678-8600 2. Yinstill Reproductive Wellness 3523 Main Street 3. Integrative Naturopathic Medical Centre 730–1285 West Broadway

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1. Rolla Skate Club Rollaskateclub.com 2. Shameful Tiki Room 4632 Main Street 3. Bloedel Conservatory Queen Elizabeth Park

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The Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency At the Plaza of Nations Aquabus/False Creek Ferries dock The Blue Cabin sailed into Vancouver this summer, and what a journey it had getting there. Built in 1932, the funky structure with the red shutters was off Cates Park in North Vancouver, first as a home to maritime labourers and families, and then, from the late ’60s, as the studio for Vancouver artists Al Neil and Carole Itter. Slated for demolition in 2014, it has been rescued to become home to the Blue Cabin Floating Artist Residency, a dream realized by grunt gallery, Other Sights for Artists’ Projects, and Creative Cultural Collaborations. They saw it as a chance to counter the loss of artists and their work to the real-estate crisis; giving artists the space and time for live/work residencies has become almost out of reach here. The project is finally launching this month, with open houses, talks, and workshops. The first program is Skeins: Weaving on the Foreshore, featuring weavers from the three local First Nations—Debra Sparrow (Musqueam), Janice George and Buddy Joseph (Squamish), and Angela George (Squamish/ Tsleil-Waututh)—plus a residency by Australian Indigenous artist and activist Vicki Couzens. from previous page

some cases, locally) made furnishings, treats, clothes, and accessories for cats and dogs. The products are design-forward, to boot: think chic ceramic bowls, minimalist basswood beds, and adorable doughnutshaped chew toys.

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Vancouver has no shortage of facial spots, but few are as quick and efficient as Fig (2050 West 4th Avenue).

The newish Kitsilano facial bar has customers in and out within 30 minutes, during which they’re enclosed in a womb-like pod to have 95-percentpure oxygen blown onto their face.

(Sessions focused on exfoliation and lifting and toning are also available.)

You’ll want to linger after your appointment: Fig’s fig-inspired interiors (picture a palette of soothing green hues and an all-pink powder room that gives a nod to the fruit’s flesh) offer an ideal place to decompress.

BEST SOLUTION FOR KEEPING CLOTHING DONATION BINS

Following a number of deaths of people trapped inside clothingdonation bins across the Lower Mainland in the past few years, the City of Vancouver could have simply banned these containers. That would have meant depriving charities and nonprofits of money they earn from clothing (and other) donations. It would also mean more unwanted clothes going to the landfill. The city chose to amend the bylaw regulating the bins, requiring operators to submit an engineer’s certification that the box is safe.

BEST NEARBY GETAWAY THAT DOESN’T REQUIRE AIR OR BOAT TRAVEL

It’s enticing to book a staycation in Victoria or hop on a quick flight to Tofino, but people can forget that car travel is often the best way to explore nearby see next page

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1. G Adventures 109–1965 West 4th Avenue 2. Pacific Angler Fishing Charters 78 East Broadway 3. Landsea Tours & Adventures 500–666 Burrard Street

1. OPUS Vancouver 322 Davie Street 2. Wedgewood Hotel & Spa 845 Hornby Street 3. Loden Hotel 1177 Melville Street

1. Fairmont Hotels and Resorts 2. Marriott International 3. Sheraton Vancouver

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1. Scandinave Spa 8010 Mons Road, Whistler 2. Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa 4330 Island Highway South, Courtenay 3. Sparkling Hill Resort 888 Sparkling Place, Vernon

1. Spa Dog Organic Dog Spa 3471 Commercial Street 2. Pawsh Dog Spa + Boutique 80 Smithe Street 3. Pet Smart Various locations

1. Atlas Animal Hospital Various locations 2. Yaletown Pet Hospital 893 Expo Boulevard 3. Cypress Street Animal Hospital 1893 Cornwall Avenue

1. Urban Puppy Shop 1375 West 6th Avenue 2. Release the Hounds 194–3381 Cambie 3. Rover rover.com

DOGGIE DAYCARE

1. The Urban Puppy Shop 1375 West 6th Avenue 2. DogPlay 8826 Osler Street 3. Stanley Bark 1788 Alberni Street

destinations. If you’re not keen on long road trips, a quick visit to Sandpiper Resort in Harrison Mills should do the trick. Although it’s located on a historic golf course, guests who travel there will enjoy its amenities even if they aren’t golfers. Accommodations range from rooms at its colonial inn (Rowena’s Inn on the River) to rustic cabins to newly built luxury cabins.

Tuck into some hearty dishes at the Clubhouse Restaurant, watch wildlife at the eagle gazebo, or drive another 20 minutes to Harrison Hot Springs for a stroll through the village. Relaxing and rejuvenating is the key selling point here, and at the end of your trip, you’ll be surprised that the drive back home is only around 90 minutes.

BEST ARGUMENT FOR BETTER BIKE STOREROOMS IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS

Only a third of bicycle-owning, apartment-dwelling households use the bike-storage facilities at their building. According to a report to Metro Vancouver’s regional plan-

ning committee, there are many reasons for this. They are not confident that the storage is secure. They don’t feel safe going there. It’s crowded. In short, more developers and building owners need to give the same care and attention to the design of bike storage as they would to car parking spaces. But if they’re all cruising around in a Mercedes, they probably don’t give a hell of a lot of thought to how the hapless tenants are dealing with their two-wheelers.

BEST PLACE TO FEEL LIKE A KID AGAIN

can easily spend more than a couple bucks on everything from Skee-Ball to basketball to a pirate shooting game to Whac-A-Mole. Many of the arcade games give out tickets that can be redeemed at the prize counter. Redeeming 400 tickets for a bouncy ball and some cheap candy won’t feel like anything special, but the fact that you were able to feel like a kid again, even for just a short while, will be satisfying.

BEST REASON TO CLOSE DOWN THE CITY

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Granville Island can be overcrowded at times—it is a top tourist destination in Vancouver, after all. But when you’re in the mood to escape reality and enjoy some fun and games, don’t be afraid to brave the masses and head down to its Kids Market, home to several toy emporiums, a magic shop, bumper cars, and even virtual-reality rides.

You’ll need several hours to explore everything here. But its hidden gem is the Circuit Circus arcade, where you

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apply to the Parole Board of Canada for a pardon through a streamlined, simplified process,” Public Safety Canada announced this summer. “The $631 fee and waiting periods associatBEST REASON TO CALL A LAWYER ed with other pardon applications are It’s ridiculous that a 1972 conviction eliminated.” With recreational canfor pot in Canada can prevent some- nabis finally legal in Canada, it’s about one from entering the United States in time citizens stopped paying for past 2019. But the war on drugs continues infractions that are no longer a crime. and that’s the world we live in. There has long been a method one can use to BEST SHOUT-OUT TO THE VPD clear their record of past run-ins with It’s fun to imagine heads turning in the law. But the application to suspend surprise inside Vancouver police staa citizen’s prior conviction—a record tions when they heard their departsuspension, as it’s known in Can- ment’s name come up in a fracas ada—comes with a $631 price tag. The involving U.S. president Donald process is also complicated enough for Trump and the White House. The one to want to hire a lawyer. All that mess began when Kellyanne Conway, hassle and then there’s no guarantee a high-profile Trump spokesperson, a request will be successful. It’s dis- claimed that the dangerous synthetic couraging, to say the least. But as of opioid fentanyl was showing up in August 1, the federal government says cannabis. Washington, D.C., journalit has made it easier and much cheaper ists were skeptical and subsequently for Canadians to obtain a pardon for asked Trump officials on what basis a past conviction for cannabis posses- Conway made the claim. In response, sion. “Individuals convicted only of the White House said it came from see next page simple possession of cannabis can now

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the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). So reporters asked NIDA where it got the idea that fentanyl had found its way into weed. “Anecdotal reports,” the organization replied.

“Specifically a 2015 Vancouver police report claiming ‘fentanyl-laced marijuana’ was killing drug users.” The VPD had walked back that claim but Trump-administration officials apparently didn’t know that. Today, that VPD report includes a correction emphasizing that the force has never seen fentanyl in cannabis.

Vancouver has a memorial for sex workers tucked away in the West End on a decorative lamppost. The plaque outside St. Paul’s Anglican Church at 1130 Jervis Street honours ladies and gentlemen of the night who were displaced from the neighbourhood in the 1980s due to a court injunction that forced them out of the West End. That fateful decision played a role in dozens of sex workers being murdered in subsequent years after they were pushed into the shadows. For the first time this year, the annual Red Umbrella march to promote the safety of sex workers began at the memorial, which the city created in partnership with the West End Sex Workers Memorial Committee. Fun historical fact: the window of the apartment that housed former sex worker Wendy King can be seen across the street from the memorial. Her explosive memoir chronicled her dalliances with former chief justice John Farris, who was forced to resign in 1978.

BEST PROOF THAT GEN Z WILL SAVE THE WORLD

It might be a little crass to say, but if you’re 65 years old, you’re going to be dead long before the worst effects of climate change are upon us.

That simple fact probably has some relation to polls consistently showing that older people care a lot less about the environment than younger people. Children in Canadian schools today understand that they will be alive when the world passes a tipping point on climate change. Justifiably, they’re angry about this and, in 2019, began letting adults know it. In Vancouver, school walkouts have become a popular tactic of the youth climate movement. Last March, for example, hundreds of students gathered outside the art gallery on Georgia Street carrying signs with slogans like “The oceans are rising and so are we” and “Climate justice now”. And very recently, many thousands of mostly young people gathered outside Vancouver City Hall, from where they launched a march through downtown Vancouver demanding that governments do more to mitigate Canada’s contributions to climate change. The same week, Greta Thunberg, the 16-year-old de facto leader of this movement, pulled no punches summarizing the situation. “You are failing us,” she said in a speech aimed at adults. “But the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you.” There’s hope yet for our future, thanks to the leaders of tomorrow.

Photo by Mike Usinger

BEST f BUDGET MOVIEGOING EXPERIENCE

Movieland Arcade 906 Granville Street Most of the classic theatres (Capital, Lyric, and Colonial) that once dotted Granville Street were demolished decades ago. One moviegoing spot has endured, however, even as places like the Plaza were turned into entertainment-district bars: the Movieland Arcade. As its iconic sign has promised since the ’70s, the arcade does indeed offer games and shooting—you can kill hours playing Addams Family pinball or blowing up zombies in House of the Dead. But it’s in the back that you get the real bang for your buck. Seemingly unaware that there’s a thing called inflation, Movieland still offers 8mm peepshow films for a quarter. You step up to a booth, plug in your money, and watch the time-faded action through a five-inch viewing slot. Your 25 cents gets you 60 seconds of a looped film, after which you cough up another quarter to keep watching. Movie titles—1 Guy, Two Girls and, umm, Lesbians—are written in felt pen on the booths. You might bust a nut but you won’t break the bank.

BEST IMITATION OF A POWERFUL POLITICIAN

Kennedy Stewart has all the trappings of power. He’s the friggin’ mayor of the third-largest city in Canada, for goodness’ sake. Stewart has a huge corner office at Vancouver City Hall with a magnificent view. Citizens and city staff call him “your worship”. He chairs the police board. Reporters respond in a Pavlovian fashion any time he holds a media briefing. The prime

minister and premier likely have him on speed-dial. But the reality is that without a party, the first independent mayor since Mike Harcourt can only get things done if he cobbles together enough votes from Green and/or NPA councillors. Here’s just one example: Stewart came into office on the laudable promise of reforming the electoral system. He huffed and puffed about taking the province to court, if necessary, to ditch the at-large voting

BEST REASON TO WONDER ABOUT PREMIER JOHN HORGAN’S COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY

The city’s two loud and proud gay and lesbian NDP MLAs, Spencer Chandra Herbert and Mable Elmore, also happen to be the only two of the NDP’s eight Vancouver MLAs not in the provincial cabinet. What a coincidence. Both have been in office for more than a decade and both have diligently advocated for their constituents, yet they were passed over in favour of system. This was his life’s work as a politicians with far less elected expolitical scientist. He had to run for perience. Over to you, Mr. Horgan. mayor to fix this, or so we were told.

Nowadays, you hear zero talk of elec- BEST REASON TO WONDER toral reform. And anyone who feels ABOUT B.C. LIBERAL LEADER that the at-large system is respon- ANDREW WILKINSON’S CONCERN sible for the lack of local politicians FOR TENANTS with non-Anglicized names is better Wilkinson, who represents the off speaking to an official with real wealthy constituency of Vancouverclout—like new B.C. human rights Quilchena, called being a renter a commissioner Kasari Govender— “rite of passage” in a bizarre speech see next page rather than a feeble mayor.

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in the legislature in February. “It was part of growing up and getting better,” Wilkinson declared. “We’ve all done it. It’s kind of a wacky time of life but it can be really enjoyable.”

Try telling that to seniors living on fixed incomes, single parents, or anyone with a disability who’s been renovicted. Kind of fun? Maybe if you’re a doctor or a lawyer or a fat-cat politician! Like Andrew Wilkinson.

cess in the Pacific Northwest with its strategic approach to outwit its opponents before the internment of Japanese-Canadians in 1942 during the Second World War forced it to disband. Then on April 24, Canada Post launched its Vancouver Asahi stamp at the National Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre in Burnaby.

The event was attended by the last surviving team member, 97-year-old Koichi Kay Kaminishi, members of BEST PROOF IT’S THE YEAR OF the current Asahi Baseball AssociaTHE ASAHI tion, and Japanese-American activist While the historic Vancouver Asahi and Star Trek actor George Takei. baseball team may have gotten the big-screen treatment in the 2014 BEST CONSERVATIVE DISSENTER Japanese film Bankuba no Asahi (The For three decades, CKNW host Vancouver Asahi), Canadian institu- Charles Adler has been a conservations have been paying tribute to this tive media titan in Canada and the local Japanese-Canadian sports team United States. The son of Hungarthis year. On February 20, Historica ian Jews who survived the Holocaust, Canada released a Heritage Minute Adler has never been shy about sharabout the team, which was filmed in ing stories about his parents’ sacrifices Vancouver and near Hope, B.C. The and bravery in the face of abominable minute-long vignette (released in discrimination during the Nazi era.

English, French, and Japanese) tells But when Adler started voicing his the story of how the team rose to suc- objections to the loathsome bigotry

meted out against gays and lesbians— particularly through forced conversion therapy—he suddenly became a pariah among some on the right. A self-described member of the Bernier Nation tweeted that Adler must have developed a brain tumour the size of a watermelon. Another suggested that Adler might have suffered a stroke. Yet another suspected Alzheimer’s, which was particularly galling, given that Adler’s father had this disease. But Adler soldiers on, night after night, calling out Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer for waffling over a ban on conversion therapy. Kudos to Adler for standing up for those who are often unable to defend themselves—and for honouring his parents’ legacy.

BEST REASON TO STAY ANGRY IN THE FACE OF GOOD NEWS

Six years into an overdose crisis that has killed thousands of people in B.C., policymakers finally saw a reason for cautious optimism this past summer. Overdose deaths declined during the first six months of 2019

compared to the same period the previous year. There were 538 illicitdrug overdose deaths in B.C. between January and June 2019, down from 763 deaths reported in the first six months of 2018. A one-third drop is significant. But from 2001 to 2010, there were an average of just 102 overdose deaths in B.C. each six months. So although 538 is “good news”, it is also more than five times the number of deaths that was once considered “normal”. The year has seen overdose deaths decline, but only to a number that was once considered unimaginable for a population the size of B.C.’s. Worse, even as fatal overdoses have declined, emergency calls for overdoses continue to rise. “The psychological trauma that is being inflicted on people is increasing as the number of overdoses go up,” Eris Nyx, a member of the Vancouver-based Coalition of Peers Dismantling the Drug War, told the Straight this summer. “Even if they are nonfatal, the absolute number of responses are increasing, and this

is having very negative effects on people’s mental health.”

BEST INDICATOR WHY VANCOUVER RENTERS CANNOT EXPECT COUNCIL TO ADOPT VACANCY CONTROL

Vancouver councillors had the chance to impose vacancy control on a proposed rental development on West 4th Avenue, which would have meant that rents would be tied to the units instead of the tenants. If council had chosen to do this, the landlord could not have jacked rents for a unit beyond what is allowed by the yearly increases mandated by the provincial Residential Tenancy Branch, even after a tenant moved out. Coun. Jean Swanson thought this was a good idea. And when she proposed vacancy control for the rental project, city manager Sadhu Johnston confirmed that council had the power to do so. However, Swanson’s motion at a February 26, 2019, council meeting was defeated. see next page

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 37

the event, Chas Desjarlais, the district’s vice principal for Indigenous education, noted that although the board has a lot of art pieces referenIn the City of Vancouver’s 2019 cing Indigenous history and heritage criteria for affordable rents on the inside the building, the school board East Side, lease charges start at had nothing on the outside that speaks $1,607 per month for a studio unit; about this legacy. Now it does. $1,869 for a one-bedroom; $2,457 for two bedrooms; and $3,235 for BEST EXAMPLES OF HEALTH three bedrooms. Housing activist BENEFITS OF WALKABLE Sara Sagaii explained that this is COMMUNITIES because the rates are not based on People who live in compact and average market rents in that part of walkable neighbourhoods are 39 perthe city. Rather, they’re based on cent less likely to have diabetes than a citywide average, which means those in car-dependent areas. They West Side numbers are part of the are also 28 percent less likely to sufequation. Of course, average West Side rents are higher than those on the East Side. As a result, this pulls BEST f LIFESTYLE up rents on the East Side in forCREDIT UNION profit affordable-housing projects.

1. Vancity Go figure. from previous page

BEST EXPLANATION WHY RENTS ARE HIGH IN “FOR-PROFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING”

BEST REASON TO WORK HARDER ON THE RECYCLING FRONT

Starting in 2018, China banned several types of solid-waste imports and imposed stricter contamination standards for these types of shipments under its National Sword policy. In short, China no longer wants to be the world’s dumping ground. According to a report by Metro Vancouver environmental planner Andrew Doi in April this year, recycling companies in the Lower Mainland are having problems marketing their stockpiles abroad. This means that the region, and the country in general, need to find new solutions in dealing with plastic and paper waste.

BEST OUTDOOR ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

During the observance of this year’s National Aboriginal Day on June 21, the Vancouver school board unveiled three totem poles on the grounds of its main offices at 1580 West Broadway. The centrepiece was a 13-metre reconciliation pole.

On both sides of the work were welcoming poles representing male and female figures. In advance of

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fer hypertension. In addition, they are 23 percent less likely to develop stress. These are some of the findings of research led by Larry Frank, a UBC professor and director of the university’s Health and Community Design Lab. The results of the study, titled Where Matters: Health and Economic Impacts of Where We Live, were presented by Erin Rennie, a senior regional planner with Metro Vancouver, in a report to the district’s regional planning committee. Yes, folks, living in single-family homes in the sprawling, car-dependent suburbs can kill you. see page 40

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 39

from page 38

BEST REASON TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND TAKE THE BUS

Vancouver’s temperate climate is the envy of cities across Canada. While Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto freeze for half the year, Vancouver residents simply throw a windbreaker over their yoga gear and continue with their weekly walks along the seawall. Or at least that’s what we’ll tell future generations. Whereas Vancouver previously had four distinct seasons, each with its own charms, it increasingly feels like we’re down to two. For eight months of the year, it rains. And for four months, a blanket of heat settles over the Lower Mainland. Residents do their best to suck sufficient oxygen from the toxic smoke that occasionally floats in from the Interior’s annual forest fires. Infants and the elderly are advised to avoid the outdoors altogether. This shift in Vancouver’s climate is—unsurprisingly, to anyone who’s been paying attention for the past 30 years—a result of climate change. In January 2019, researchers at the University of Victoria examined 2018’s smash-all-records wildfire season and determined it was no fluke. “This profound influence of climate change on forest fire extremes in B.C. will require increasing attention in forest management, public health, and infrastructure,” it reads. We were warned.

BEST REASON TO HUG SOMEONE WHO USES DRUGS

There are plenty of good reasons we should be nice to people who struggle with an addiction. For starters, it’s more productive than stigmatizing them with tough love, recent studies suggest. But if that doesn’t convince you, consider this: in 2018, people who died of a drug overdose accounted for 32 percent—roughly one-third—of all organ donors in British Columbia.

The year before, that number was even higher, at 35 percent, according to statistics that Transplant B.C. shared with the Georgia Straight earlier this year.

Last July, B.C. health minister Adrian Dix convened a small celebration in a rooftop garden at St. Paul’s Hospital to

commemorate the province’s 5,000th person alive today who was saved by an organ transplant. “Donors are our heroes, and this incredible milestone is truly their legacy of the incredible gift of life,” he said. There’s one group of citizens that’s contributed an especially significant number of those heroes: victims of Canada’s overdose crisis.

GOING OUT BEST FILM USE SINCE DEADPOOL OF VANCOUVER AS A CITY THAT’S NOT VANCOUVER

Vancouver may be known as Hollywood North but it rarely plays itself in films and TV. It’s taken the role of Vancouver, Washington, in the tragically popular Fifty Shades series; the fictional crime-ridden town of Riverdale in Riverdale; and, perhaps most notably, a moody New York City in Deadpool. And though it’s fun as hell to see the Georgia Viaduct ripped apart on the big screen, Netflix’s Always Be My Maybe has recently swooped in to take the “cultural product with the best, most recognizable use of Vancouver” crown away from that Marvel film.

Why? For one, the Ali Wong–fronted rom-com ditches overused settings like Gastown and downtown in favour of local gems like New Town Bakery and the Biltmore Cabaret—often with hilarious results. And, really, it’s just way more fun to play “spot the distinctly Vancouver site masquerading as a fancy hotel or restaurant in San Francisco, New York, or Los Angeles” when you’re also enjoying a film that’s moving the dial forward for AsianAmerican representation.

BEST REASON TO BINGE-WATCH BATES MOTEL

Sure, the impalings, slashings, shootings, and stabbings are great, but the real reason to watch a young Norman Bates dive into his work on Bates Motel is the backdrop town of White Pine Bay in Oregon. You’ll notice that White Pine Bay looks a lot like Metro Vancouver, which makes sense, because that’s where the Psycho-inspired,

40 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

Netflix original series was shot for five seasons starting in 2013. As you work through the episodes, you’ll have no problem recognizing the 2400 Motel on Kingsway, the docks of Steveston, Via Tevere Pizzeria in East Van, and the stately Hycroft Manor off Granville Street. In what seems like a missed opportunity, no scenes were shot at House of Knives, West Coast Wigs, or Splashes Bath & Kitchen.

Sadly, the built-in-Aldergrove replicas of the Bates home and motel as first seen in Alfred Hitchcock’s classic Psycho were demolished after filming wrapped for good.

BEST JAM SPACE WITH BENEFITS

Pandora’s Box Rehearsal Studios 1890 Pandora Street As anyone who knows the history of the Replacements, the Murder City Devils, and Vancouver’s infamous Bludgeoned Pigs knows, nothing gets the creative juices flowing like a bathtub full of alcohol. If it hadn’t been for the magic of liquor, the world might never have seen Jim Morrison, Hank

Williams, and Alice Cooper become legends. Pandora’s Box isn’t the only jam space in town, but it’s one of the best for no other reason than its location. The space features 18 rehearsal rooms for you and two, or three, or 19 friends to get together and realize your dreams of becoming the next White Stripes, Green Day, or Polyphonic Spree. Drums and bass amps are found in every room, which means saving valuable setup time, with guitar amps available for rent if you don’t own your own Fender Twin Reverb or Marshall. But the greatest thing about Pandora’s Box (founded and built by local scene vets, including members of La Chinga and Terror of Tiny Town) is its location. The space is just off Victoria Drive in the heart of booming Yeast Vancouver, which means it’s within stumbling distance of Parallel 49, the Callister Brewing Co., Odd Society Spirits, Storm Brewing, and Doan’s Craft Brewing. Loosen up with a couple of pre-practice drinks and you’ll become convinced stardom is inevitable as you launch into that

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industrial punk-rap reworking of “There’s a Tear in My Beer”.

BEST PROOF VANCOUVER HAS ENTERED THE TWILIGHT ZONE

While Vancouver may be thought to be in an alternative universe for any number of reasons, ranging from the insanity of the real-estate market to weather that differs from that in the rest of Canada, we do have proof that The Twilight Zone is based in Vancouver. The new iteration, that is. The latest revival of the classic TV series that launched in 1959 was shot in Vancouver from October 2018 to March of this year. Season 1, narrated and executive-produced by Get Out filmmaker Jordan Peele, premiered on April 1 and included appearances by hometown stars Jacob Tremblay and Seth Rogen. The series has been revived twice before; the 2002-03 version was also shot in Vancouver. Perhaps visitors to Vancouver should be greeted with “You are about to enter another dimension. Next stop, the Vancouver Zone!”

BEST SIGNS MOVIE THEATRES ARE STILL IN DEMAND

The decade began with the impact of technological changes being seen locally as Vancouver lost numerous long-running movie theatres, from the Ridge Theatre to the Empire Granville 7. On April 3, Cineplex opened a new cinema at the Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver featuring seven traditional auditoriums and four adults-only VIP cinemas.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver International Film Centre announced on September 4 that it will receive more than $1.4 million in funding from federal, provincial, and municipal governments to transform its atrium into a multi-use space. The renovations will include the creation of an approximately 40-seat microcinema, a virtual-reality and augmented-reality lounge, and an improved concession. Sometimes Netflix just can’t replace the draw of the communal moviegoing experience. see page 42

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from page 40

BEST REASON FOR MORE POSITIVE LOCAL REPRESENT-ASIAN

The all-Asian lead cast of Crazy Rich Asians was definitely something to celebrate, helping to counter the dearth of Asian stars in Hollywood movies. But there was still that movie title. And for Vancouver, it could not have come at a more unfortunate time.

With anti-Asian sentiment at an alltime high in the city since the days of anti-Asian riots, the Chinese head tax, the Japanese-Canadian internment, and the Komagata Maru incident, and racially charged local debates over hot topics like Metro Vancouver real estate, money laundering, and immigration, Vancouver really doesn’t need any further fuel added to those fires. With a sequel planned based on the next novel in the trilogy by author

Kevin Kwan, entitled China Rich Girlfriend, and most likely a third movie based on the final novel, entitled Rich People Problems, it’s not likely to end there. What may be promising is that the commercial success of these films will continue to propel the careers of their stars, who will, hopefully, appear in a variety of other roles. And let’s hope that more positive Asian-Canadian representation can find its way into media and beyond.

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BEST f SIGNS OF THE CITY’S MUSQUEAM PAST WEAVING ITS WAY INTO THE FUTURE Siblings Robyn and Debra Sparrow have been using paint on concrete instead of threads to carry on the ancient weaving traditions of their ancestors. This summer, Musqueam artist Robyn designed a three-section crosswalk, on Granville Street between 68th and 70th avenues, that reflects timeworn textile hues of white, black, sonoma sand, brick red, and yellow. The public artwork is a good reminder, even as you walk through busy traffic, that the spot sits close to the ancient Musqueam village of ć sna m. Meanwhile, fellow wellknown weaver Debra painted textile patterns onto two towering cement pillars of the Granville Street Bridge near the Granville Island Public Market last year. keyboard, painstakingly shipped from Hamburg. The Steinway Model D concert grand piano comes in at 3,000 pounds and had to spend a month acclimatizing at the Tom Lee Music warehouse in Richmond. Crafted for crystalline clarity and the ability to carry notes throughout the 2,700-seat Orpheum, it will play host to the fancy fingerwork of music stars from around the world.

can be yours if you’ve got $1,852.57— with a big part of the record’s value being that only 200 were ever made. The Dishrags’ Past Is Past EP is a relative bargain at $79.40. D.O.A.’s Triumph of the Ignoroids EP—the uncensored pressing on Friends Records—is going for $159.96. And your great-grandparents said that punk would never pay.

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A grimy on-ramp may not seem like hallowed baseball ground, but looks can deceive. Under the Granville Street Bridge’s Hemlock Street entrance lies the former grandstand entrance of Athletic Park, a 5,000-seat wooden stadium built in 1913. (The approximate location of home plate is now occupied by a Minit-Tune.)

Constructed by sports impresario Bob Brown for his Class B league Vancouver Beavers, the park would give White Spot founder Nat Bailey his start in the food-service business—selling peanuts—and in the 1930s, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig would take to the field there in a barnstorming exhibition. In 1939, beer magnate Emil Sick bought the park for his minor-league Vancouver Capilanos. They’d stick around until 1951, when the city took the land for the bridge and built a replacement field (now known as Nat Bailey Stadium) on the slopes of Little Mountain.

Mobil Art School 60–268 Keefer Street What if you didn’t have to be enrolled in university to study painting with a local art star like Etienne Zack, dig into sculpture with porcelain master Tanis Saxby, or take an art-history course with MFA educator Sean Alward?

We’re talking life-drawing drop-ins, digital-camera how-tos, and even drinking-and-drawing get-togethers with local art legend Neil Wedman.

Best of all, no exams. This new and inviting artist-run Chinatown space is all geared toward making quality art education accessible to the masses.

True to its name, Mobil also goes out into the community, taking its talks to groups around town; check out its Instagram for some of the wicked stuff it’s inspired everyone from seniors to kids to create.

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Los Angeles, New York, and London got most of the international attention when people talked about the early days of punk rock, but sleepy Vancouver also produced its share of legendary acts. Think first-wave heavyweights like D.O.A., the Pointed Sticks, Subhumans, Young Canadians, and Modernettes. Lesser-known but just as important were scene pioneers like the Dishrags, U-J3RK5, Secret Vs, No Exit, and I, Braineater. All of those bands made records, and some of them have gone on to become the most sought-after punk releases in the world. Take the Subhumans’ early and rare single “Death to the Sickoids/Oh Canaduh”: the seven-inch is currently listed at $1,381.50 on the record collectors’ trading site discogs.com. No Exit’s self-pressed eponymous 1980 debut, originally sold for $3.99 at gigs,

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As recently as the late 1970s, there were seven—seven!—local drive-in movie theatres. But times change, moviegoing habits change, and now there are only three left in all of B.C. Happily, one of those is still in the Lower Mainland: the Twilight Drive-In, located on 260th Street in Aldergrove. Open Fridays and weekends until mid-November (barring extreme weather), the Twilight continues to offer all the joys of the drivein experience and serves as a real blast from the past. Bring the kids in their PJs, grab some popcorn, crank up the sound, and party like it’s 1959.

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from previous page

and Sales Program—operated by the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG)—can transform any apartment, house, or condo into a veritable museum.

Founded in 1952 by the gallery’s Ladies Auxiliary (now known as the Associates of the Vancouver Art Gallery), the service has its own thoughtfully curated collection, separate from the VAG’s permanent and visitingexhibit pieces (which are not for rent).

The program currently offers works by 121 B.C.–based artists, including Paul Wong, Kari Kristensen, Vanessa Lam, K C Hall, Gabryel Harrison, David Wilson, Rebecca Chaperon, and Kevin Boyle. Entrance to the program’s showroom at the VAG (750 Hornby Street) is free and it’s open to the public Monday through Friday. Rental fees start as low as $10 per month, with the average monthly fee around $80.

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BEST PUNK/HOT DOG/BASEBALL COMBO

Are there two things that go together better than baseball and hot dogs?

How about punk rock and hot dogs?

Or punk rock and baseball? If you like all of the above or any combination thereof (and also pinball), What’s Up? Hot Dog! (2481 East Hastings Street) could quickly become your favourite punk-rock baseball hot-dog joint. What’s Up? is owned by musicians Jenna Hagarty and her husband Matt. Among other bands, Matt has done a stint in the Isotopes, the local punk outfit named after a fictional baseball team from The Simpsons.

(The Isotopes are, in fact, also a reallife team in the East Van Baseball League.) If you can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than munching on a frank (or vegan equivalent) and watching MLB action on a big screen while the Clash and Ramones blare away in the background, this is your place. It also helps if you like pinball. And The Simpsons.

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It would be pretty easy to dress up as Nardwuar the Human Serviette for Halloween: just grab a microphone and don a tam-o’-shanter and you’re good to go. More creative types, however, might want to hit the October 31 party scene decked out in westernglam finery inspired by country outsider Orville Peck. A fringed mask and a Stetson hat will get you started, but for further motivation, pick up the Autumn/Winter 2019 edition of British GQ Style, which features Peck on the cover. According to the magazine’s website, the issue features a photo shoot in which the singer “wears a carousel of looks from Gucci, Bottega Veneta and Louis Vuitton, combined with iconic vintage western wear”.

You, of course, can’t afford any of that, which is why thrift stores exist.

BEST f GLASS-BOTTOMED SWIMMING POOL Imagine what it must be like to look down 19 floors to the ground while swimming laps. That’s the reality for residents of the ARC Vancouver at the corner of Expo Boulevard and Nelson Street, thanks to a glassbottomed pool that’s 11.6 metres long and 2.75 metres wide. Created by Walter Francl Architects and Glotman Simpson Engineers, it’s visible to anyone crossing the Cambie Bridge but only open to those who can afford to shell out well over a million for a condo. This pool is definitely not recommended for those with acrophobia.

BEST WE-KNEW-HER-WHEN MOMENT

cadia Cookbook is available only at Said the Whale shows, but remainWe always knew Hannah Georgas was ing stock (if any) will be sold online going places. (We even put her on our after the tour. cover back in 2016 when she headlined the West 4th Avenue Khatsahlano Street Party.) We also knew that she was a fan of the National, mostly because she very publicly declared BEST LOCAL EFFORT TO IMPROVE as much in her 2009 single “The Na- THE LIVES OF WOMEN IN AFRICA tional”, telling of singing along with Vancouver resident Oumar Barou the band at a concert. This summer, Togola was born in Mali, and now Georgas got to combine both of those he’s making regular trips to the landthings—going places and singing locked African nation to help bring along with the National—when the about positive change in the lives of group invited her to join them on the hundreds of female farmers in sevroad as a backing vocalist. The tour eral villages through direct trade with kicked off, aptly enough, with a local Farafena, his social enterprise. The show at Deer Lake Park on August 28. product? African superfoods: fonio Not gonna lie, we teared up just a little. (drought-resistant, it’s known as the next quinoa), moringa leaf powder, BEST NONMUSICAL RELEASE BY and baobab fruit powder. Abundant in LOCAL MUSICIANS nutrients, the foods have garnered inBetween putting out a new album, terest from the Bill Gates Foundation headlining a concert at Malkin Bowl, and are found in grocery stores across and touring the whole damn coun- Canada. The partnership boosts the try, 2019 has been a pretty big year well-being of entire villages and supfor Said the Whale. Alongside vinyl ports traditional farming practices. By LPs and T-shirts at its merch table, being paid directly for the crops they the band has been selling a some- harvest, the women are able to start what less expected item. The Cas- microbusinesses, build homes for their cadia Cookbook is an 80-page “culin- families, and educate their kids. ary companion” to Said the Whale’s album of the same name, featuring BEST NEW INITIATIVE TO ELEVATE recipes and drink pairings inspired WOMEN IN FOOD AND WINE by the record’s songs, plus photos by WORTH stands for “women of recreaLindsey Blane and the band’s own tion, tourism, and hospitality”, and Jaycelyn Brown. Currently, The Cas- the group aims to address the gender

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gap in those industries and connect women working within them. Founder Joanna Jagger worked as a chef, bartender, host, server, oyster shucker, and HR lead before joining Capilano University’s school of tourism and outdoor recreation as an instructor. She started WORTH to level the playing field in sectors she’s passionate about where women remain underpaid and underranked compared to their male counterparts. With events that raise funds for scholarships for young female culinary students and with workshops for women on topics like how to negotiate salary and handle sexual harassment, this is girl power at its best.

BEST LOCAL BOOST TO BELIZE FARMERS

Vancouver’s Umeeda and Nareena Switlo make Truly Turmeric—the world’s first wild-crafted whole-root turmeric paste—by partnering with hundreds of small-scale farmers in Belize. Belize has horrendously high unemployment rates. Naledo, the mother-daughter team’s social enterprise, employs people aged 19 to 32, paying them more than minimum wage while providing mentorship and entrepreneurial training.

When the pair appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2018, they got offers from all six Dragons. Turmeric has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The bright-orange paste can be swapped

Straight food writer Tammy Kwan regularly indulges in desserts like Japanese soufflé pancakes and salty egg-yolk cream puffs. But there’s one category of sweets she refuses to even taste: those that incorporate goodfor-you fruits and vegetables. Banana bread? Nope. Carrot cake? Nah. Apple pie? Try again. But even Kwan can’t resist Billy Button Dessert Bar’s Orange, a spherical treat that looks like a mandarin—grainy skin texture, stem, and all—but is actually orange-confit marmalade housed in a solid shell of orange-coloured white-chocolate ganache. The buzzy Mount Pleasant dessert spot also makes the Mushroom, a giant fungus-shaped sweet that looks like a mushroom but is actually made of cream puffs, pana cotta, and milkchocolate Chantilly.

BEST REASON TO GO FOR A DRINK IN VANCOUVER

Sweet hallelujah: gone are the days of rum ’n’ Cokes and crantinis. Cocktail culture is alive and well here in Vancouver, giving new meaning to the term Wet Coast. Beyond the city’s wide variety of cool bars and array of restaurants that have drinks lists as long and as carefully curated as their food menus, we are also home to several bartenders who are killing it on the national scene. Bittered Sling cofounder Lauren Mote is a bar star, the “cocktailian” having been the first woman to win the Diageo World Class Canada Bartender of the Year competition in 2015. Kaitlyn Stewart, who is currently shaking and stirring at Elisa, took home the award in 2017.

This year, the Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Botanist bartender Jeff Savage earned the title. (The Straight’s Golden Plates 2019 bartender of the year was Tableau Bar Bistro’s J S Dupuis.) These are just a few of our best bartenders, who are making us proud while making us superb and inventive drinks. Find others at a watering hole near you.

BEST BUDGET CULINARY EXCURSION

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BEST f RADIO TO COME OUT OF THE TRENCHES OF THE DTES “For us it’s a war. And it needs to be covered like a war—by war correspondents. That’s us,” Garth Mullins says in Episode 1 of Crackdown, a new podcast based out of Vancouver. If Mullins and his team live and work in B.C., what conflict are they covering? The war on drugs, the show explains, as it plays out in the city’s Downtown Eastside, across Canada, in the United States, and around the world. Mullins is a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), a grassroots organization that has fought to reform drug policy in Canada since its founding in 1997. In addition to Mullins’s role as the podcast’s host, a number of VANDU members serve on the show’s editorial board. In a partnership with the UBC-–ased Cited Media Productions, it is conflict journalism told through the eyes of the side that’s losing.

That unique perspective was recognized in June with a “silver” win at the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Awards. “We couldn’t go collect it in person at the awards gala because some of us can’t cross the border,” Mullins noted poignantly after learning of the honour. Since then, Crackdown has continued to share stories from the drug war that listeners won’t hear anywhere else. brilliant as the fried fish upstairs at Cha ca Lã Vong. For a less financially ruinous culinary journey, head to the strip of budget Vietnamese restaurants dotting Victoria Drive between 33rd and 41st avenues. Making the wrong decision for lunch is pretty much impossible, which is to say the bún bò Hue at the Hoi An Cafe is every bit as worth the trip as the bánh mì sot vang at the Hanoi Old Quarter Restaurant. But for best in show, there’s a reason the lineup is usually out the door at Bún Chá Cá Hoáng Yén. The sign promises “Vietnamese and Canadian cuisine”, but we’ve got a sneaking suspicion that might be a throwback to the ’70s—unless your idea of Canuck cuisine is the house specialty bún cha cá (fish cakes in vermicelli-noodle soup, served with a mountain of fresh basil, bean sprouts, shredded lettuce, and lemon wedges).

BEST SOCIAL-MEDIA DEBATE

When customers at Gastown’s now defunct Crab Park Chowdery posted a photo to Instagram of a rat allegedly found in their soup, Vancouverites were rightfully grossed out. But then came the skeptics: how does one scoop an entire dead rat into a small bowl without realizing it? Can a dead rat even fit into a standardsized ladle? Also, why was the customer in question’s Instagram page mostly dormant before this image— which immediately went viral—was posted? Soon locals were split into two camps: those who believed Crab Park Chowdery had violated some serious food-safety regulations and those who believed the rat was planted in the soup by a disgruntled former employee or someone with a vendetta against the joint. Crab Park asserted that the incident could not BEST ONE-STOP SHOP FOR have happened in its kitchen, but BEARD WAX, EAST VAN MERCH, the restaurant ultimately couldn’t AND GOURMET PICKLES recover from the bad press and shutJackson’s General tered less than a month later. Like a 1490 Kingsway good mystery or a decades-old cold Few stores encapsulate East Van liv- case reexamined, maybe this one ing in quite the way the cozy new just isn’t meant to be solved.

Jackson’s General does. Housed in a retro space near Kingsway and BEST REASON SETH ROGEN STILL Knight Street, the space has a herit- LOVES VANCOUVER age window sign that harks back Besides the weed culture, popular to the East Van of old. The latest filming locations, and the fact it’s brainchild of Grubwear founder his hometown, our city has a big Mike Jackson carries everything place in Canadian actor Seth Rofrom eco products to food and cloth- gen’s heart because of its food. He’s ing, all with a sustainable, buy-local given shout-outs to the Richmond feel. We’re talking Max fruit pop- Night Market eats (grilled squid sicles, Oddity kombucha, East Van and Little Phnom Penh’s wings, in Bees honey, and Kaylin & Hobbs particular) and the jelly doughnuts pickles alongside Bamboo Earth at Lee’s Donuts on Granville Island. true toothbrushes and Bearded No- He has also been seen with U.S. cemad or Splendid Bastard groom- lebrity chef David Chang frequenting products custom-made for the ing Richmond’s HK BBQ Master, facial-hair-happy hipster in your life. a cult-favourite Chinese barbecue Anchoring it all are Grubwear’s own shop tucked away in the parking T-shirts, like the one sporting the lot of a grocery store. Don’t be sur“Dude Chilling Park” sign and the prised to see him sit next to you at proud and simple “East Van AF” and one of Vancouver’s ramen joints or some obscure food vendor. g “Mount Pleasant” varieties.

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 45

BEST OF VANCOUVER

Plenty to celebrate on the design scene

by Janet Smith

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Clockwise from left: A pillow by 4 Oceans Art; a Spun chair at WallpaperSTORE*; WA MOGA 29’s preserved summer blooms.

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rom new home stores that brazenly bust out of the minimalist-white box to local designers upending everything from lighting fixtures to office furniture, there’s a lot to celebrate on the Vancouver scene. And for those in a more pessimistic mood, there are always mugs that tell the world exactly how you’re feeling. Read on for some of the best of the city’s new furnishings and homeware.

BEST WAY TO BRING EAST VAN STREETS INDOORS

from dark-purple polyethylene, the sculptural seat looks like a giant vase or spinning top and swivels when you tilt it on its side. Elsewhere, fashionistas will go ga-ga for the colourful BEST MIX OF THE SUSTAINABLE embroidered-bee or -cat Gucci pilAND SCI-FI IN LIGHTING lows, with their hand-applied braided Cheryl Cheng and Mario Sabljak’s trims and fringe tassels. concealed studio draws from crystals and other natural forms for its BEST WAY TO GREET THE unearthly, geometric lighting. At MORNING last year’s Why I Design show at There is nothing that says “Stay away the Museum of Vancouver, the duo from me until I’ve had my first hit displayed standing lights crafted of caffeine” quite like a handcrafted from paper offcuts. The backlit ob- mug emblazoned with the words jects were constructed without glue Fuck Off or Zero Fucks in lovingly or adhesive, and placed atop blocks hand-painted 18-karat gold on midof reclaimed cedar at different an- night-black stoneware. At last check, gles. Meanwhile, their custom 5.3 local ceramic artist Gabrielle Burke’s Architectural Panel features similar g ceramic & co. was sold out of cups folded-paper peaks and valleys, all bearing these spot-on sentiments, encased in a wood frame. Step into but there are still more positive vertheir ethereal world at this year’s sions announcing “Lady boss” and Eastside Culture Crawl, November “I am in love,” and others decorated with the moon phases. Find her latest 14 to 17, at the ARC studios. handcrafted pieces at the Circle Craft BEST PLACE TO DESIGN ROOMS Market from November 7 to 11 at the STRAIGHT OUT OF WALLPAPER* Convention Centre West. figurine straight out of a peyote dream. The vintage velvet home bars with gold accents? They’re the stuff of your Rat Pack dreams.

From the iconic Only Seafood neon to the monumental East Van sign or misty Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver artist and photographer Heather Johnston’s images now adorn soft velveteen pillows. The cushions, under her label 4 Oceans Art, come in the same West Coast grey scales that her photos do. Other favourite views: the ivy façade of the Sylvia Hotel, Stanley Park’s Girl in a Wetsuit sculpture, and the old Yale Hotel sign. (Find them online or at stores like Parliament InMAGAZINE teriors [115 Water Street].)

WallpaperSTORE* Pop-Up BEST WAY TO CAPTURE SUMMER Leisure Center, 950 Homer Street, IN A BOTTLE until December 31 The warm, sunny weather never lasts The online curated design store has long here on the rainy West Coast, set up a temporary bricks-and-mortar but WA MOGA 29 has found an outpost in the city’s sleekest lifestyle artful way to keep summer blooms shop—the first Canadian pop-up of year-round. Each sleek bottle acts its kind. Look beyond the leafy installike a mini desktop garden—one you lation by local vendor Celsia Florist won’t have to water or prune. That’s for a sleek installation conjured by because this Vancouver company me- Vancouver’s Jeff Martin and Henry ticulously dries its handpicked plants Norris. For sheer design genius, check and then displays them in a special out Thomas Heatherwick’s Spun, a preserving oil. No two are exactly playful creation that definitely isn’t alike, but we love the delicately long- your granny’s rocking chair: crafted stemmed Dear One #9 Delphinium in purply pale blue (a flower that represents “vivacity and an open heart”) BEST f SERVICES and the packed-with-blooms Flower Haze Limited in Rococo Pink (with LAWYER WHEN flowers like strawflower, celosia, ACCIDENT STRIKES statice, globe amaranth, and pepper 1. Warnett Hallen LLP berry), the latter in stackable bottles.

2. Taylor & Blair LLP The line, created by Japanese-raised, 3. Krista Simon Vancouver-based artisan Reiko Kata(Hammerberg Laywers LLP) yama, draws on the Japanese approach of wabi-sabi, or the wisdom BIKE LAWYER of natural imperfection—picture a 1. David Hay, Q.C. gorgeous, tiny petal that’s fallen to the (Richards Buell Sutton LLP) bottom of a bottle.

BEST PLACE TO FIND A PINK TUFTED VELVET COUCH

KARE Vancouver 1275 West 6th Avenue We seriously dig the upscale-mod Boogie Nights vibe at this new German interior-design hub, which recently found a permanent home on the bottom floor of Fairview’s Inspiration Furniture. No boring neutral tones here: the 4,000-squarefoot showroom specializes in the line’s bold pieces, from throwback ’70s hanging chairs to casino-gold bar-tray tables on wheels. Signature pieces include a curving brass-gold velvet sofa with seashell-like linear quilting (we’re picturing it in front of Blue Velvet’s purply-mauve walls right now), an Elvis-worthy woven Acapulco chair, a Daliesque melting gold mirror, and a paint-splattered horse

2. Joel Zanatta (Hammerberg Lawyers LLP) 3. Kevin McLaren (Hammerberg Lawyers LLP)

IMMIGRATION LAWYER

1. Catherine Sas (Sas & Ing) 2. Kyle Hyndman (McCrea Immigration Law) 3. Ryan Rosenberg (Larlee Rosenberg)

IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT

1. Sophie Yan (Top Consulting Group Inc.) 2. Fred Li (FP Immigration) 3. CICS Immigration Consulting

COOLEST CONFERENCE TABLES

Vancouver’s Union Wood Co. has brought a fun and sleek sense of design to one of the most staid realms of décor: the standard office conference table. Form and function balance with beautiful woods for four new styles. We like the Campfire, with its legs’ contemporary take on crisscross kindling, and the rounded Radius table’s tambour-woodwrapped base. The four styles come in a variety of sustainably harvested, solid North American hardwoods, including oak, walnut, and ash. g

NOTARY

1. David Watts 2. Alexander Ning 3. Jeremy Bohbot

REAL ESTATE AGENT

1. Tim Neame (Sotheby’s) 2. Jason Lim (RE/MAX Crest Realty) 3. Nels Agerbo (Oakwyn Realty)

FUNERAL HOME

1. Amherst Funeral and Cremation Services 1209–207 West Hastings Street 2. Glenhaven Memorial Chapel 1835 East Hastings Street 3. Kearney Funeral Services Various locations

HOME CLEANING SERVICE 1. AspenClean 2. Without a Trace Cleaning 3. Molly Maid

RECYCLING CENTRE

1. Return-It Various locations 2. Vancouver Zero Waste Centre 8588 Yukon Street 3. Regional Recycling Various locations

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 47

BEST OF VANCOUVER

Zero-waste designer shares her eco best

A

by Janet Smith

sha Singh comes by her dedication to zero-waste fashion honestly.

The youngest daughter of a seamstress, the Fijian-born, Vancouver-based designer started sewing dolls as a small child, later making all her own clothes—almost always from the remnants left over from her mom’s projects.

“In Grade 4 I was stitching my own [school] uniforms,” she tells the Straight over the phone.

Today, her appreciation for rescued fabric pairs with wildly creative ways of using those remnants in her hand-sewn slow-fashion line Ash and Grove, which shows at Vancouver Fashion Week on Tuesday (October 8) at David Lam Hall (50 East Pender Street). All of her fabrics are sourced from Vancouver retailers to support her community’s businesses and to reduce her carbon footprint.

In the spring 2020 collection that she’ll be debuting, look for her signature dramatic mix of salvaged denim with meticulously sewn tulle ruffles.

She says she’s drawn inspiration from the zodiac signs for each of the 12 looks.

Singh finds inventive ways to deconstruct and reimagine jeans, often blending different hues of indigo and incorporating original pockets or zippers. One of her most dramatic fall looks pairs denim “legs” in panels around a skirt with a frothy frill.

In another, a pocketed jacket is cut and sewn to become the off-theshoulder bodice to puffy tulle sleeves and a layered tulle skirt.

In past collections, Singh’s artistry has expanded to include handpainted elements. Every creation is a one-of-a-kind conversation piece.

BEST WAY TO MAKE AN ECO IMPACT WITH FASHION

“Buy slow fashion! I would go to artisan fairs or you can get something made at your tailor. Ditch the fast fashion and go thrift shopping.

Donate your clothes and shop local.

And you should be really mindful of what you have. Do you really want to spend money on that? You don’t know how it was sourced or how many child labourers were used to make it.”

FAVOURITE LOCAL ACCESSORIES DESIGNER

Singh tags HEX Metals and Minerals, a local handcrafted jewellery line that melds imperfect stones with minimalist arrangements.

The collection breaks free of binary gender categories and promotes the visibility of queer and trans people of colour.

BEST FASHION SPLURGE

“A vintage denim jacket! I love denim.”

Vancouver Fashion Week participant Asha Singh, of Ash and Grove, loves to rework denim pieces with salvaged tulle.

industry and from factories, usually with the fabric still on the bolts. It holds sales to the public at its address once or twice a month. Think coat-weight wools, fleece, homedécor fabrics, vintage prints, technical fabrics, knitting yarn, and Vogue patterns. (The next sale is on October 10, from 2 to 8 p.m. The FAVOURITE FABRIC SOURCE store is also open to the public durOur Social Fabric ing the Eastside Culture Crawl from 270–1275 Venables Street November 14 to 17.) “It’s not just for The nonprofit, volunteer-run textile fabric,” Singh notes, “but for norecycling initiative collects textile tions, zippers, bags—everything’s donations, mostly from the movie so cheap!”

It goes without saying this is labour-intensive stuff. “One outfit for this collection took me the whole month of August,” she says with a laugh. “Each garment has a story to tell.”

Below are some of her ethical and eco-spirited picks.

BEST SHOPPING ’HOOD’

Main Street “They have unique style and there are a lot of vintage stores I like.” Singh gives shout outs to style-savvy consignment and accessories shop Front & Company (3772 Main Street), and Smoking Lily (3634 Main Street), the Victoria-born brand known for unique handcrafted silk-screened apparel and homeware.

BEST VINTAGE

Singh’s pick is her mom’s closet.

“Those ’70s saris and those prints!”

BEST PLACE TO GET FASHION INSPO

“I love Europe and I travel a lot there and do a lot of people-watching. Everywhere you go they have a unique style of dressing—especially the people in Madrid; it’s kind of a cocky way of dressing. But also I get inspiration from f lowers, how all the colours go together, and from wallpaper, architecture…

All of that. “But I don’t want to follow the trends. I want my own style.” g Vancouver Fashion Week takes place from Monday to next Sunday (October 7 to 13) at David Lam Hall.

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BEST f STYLE PLACE TO BUY JEANS

1. Dutil Denim 303 West Cordova Street 2. Aritzia Various locations 3. Mavi Jeans Various locations

LOCAL SHOE STORE

1. John Fluevog Shoes Various locations 2. gravitypope 2205 West 4th Avenue 3. The Right Shoe 1601 West 4th Avenue

HAIR STUDIO

1. Suki’s Various locations 2. Artel Salon Various locations 3. Brush Salon Various locations

CUSTOM JEWELLERY STORE

1. Cavalier 217 West Hastings Street 2. Era Design 1795 Venables Street 3. Maharani Jewels 1500–701 West Georgia Street

LOCAL DESIGNER CLOTHING STORE

1. Blushing Boutique 579 Richards Street 2. Devil May Wear 110–1666 Johnston Street, Granville Island 3. Gatley Lifestyle Store 1136 Commercial Drive

LOCAL WOMEN’S CLOTHING STORE 1. Aritzia Various locations 2. The Latest Scoop Various locations 3. 8th & Main Various locations

LOCAL MEN’S CLOTHING STORE

1. Boys’Co Various locations 2. 8th & Main Various locations 3. Emil 100–1062 Homer Street

EYEWEAR STORE

1. Bruce Eyeware 219 Abbott Street 2. Durant Sessions Various locations 3. Ollie Quinn Various locations

CONSIGNMENT STORE

1. Turnabout Various locations 2. Front & Company 3772 Main Street 3. Hunter and Hare Various locations

TATTOO STUDIO

1. Adrenaline Professional Body Piercing & Tattoos Various locations 2. Gastown Tattoo Parlour 105 West Cordova Street 3. Liquid Amber Tattoo 62 Powell Street

SHOPPING NEIGHBOURHOOD

1. West 4th Avenue/ Kitsilano 2. Main Street 3. Robson Street

SHOPPING MALL

1. Metropolis at Metrotown 2. Park Royal Mall 3. Pacific Centre

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 49

Shameless Resale launches online

I

(This story is sponsored by Shameless Resale.)

t’s been a busy year for Courtney Hunter, founder and owner of Vancouver-based luxury consignment boutique Shameless Resale (3957 Main Street).

Since opening in March 2018, Courtney has spent her time buying, selling, and authenticating so she can offer her customers a carefully curated selection of preloved clothing at great prices. She recently decided to launch an online store after a successful first year with her storefront on Main Street.

“We started selling quietly on other third-party platforms to learn how to do it, and we’ve been doing pretty well, so we thought it was time to do our own website,” she says.

Shameless caters to a broad demographic, so customers can expect to find classic, timeless, well-made pieces from designers like Prada, in addition to more trend-driven items from brands like Aritzia.

Courtney says that leopard print— which she refers to as a “neutral staple”—will always have a place at Shameless. She is happy to help those looking for fashion advice on keeping up with contemporary styles, but her philosophy is to go with clothing that you love and that will last.

“Personally, my style is less about trends and more about classic style,” she says. “Sometimes I might accessorize with a trendy thing, but I wear what I like.”

Of course, part of the fun of consignment shopping is the thrill of letting an item find you. There has been a shift in the mindset toward buying resale as shoppers become more aware of the environmental impact of fast fashion.

“People are being more selective about the items that they choose, and they have to be perfect,” she says. “They are really looking for

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

The luxury consignment boutique’s e-commerce website makes it easy to find preloved, timeless, and well-made pieces to add to your closet. Photo by Kriss Munsya

quality over quantity. It’s important for them to know where their items have come from. People are being more sustainable.”

Despite more than 10 years of experience, Courtney is always striving to learn new things, including creating her e-commerce website. She has two employees who help manage the workload but otherwise it’s her time management, passion, and can-do attitude that have allowed her to thrive in an industry that’s notoriously difficult to break into.

To run a small, curated boutique means that Courtney, like her clientele, has to be selective when sourcing her products. As any shopper knows, it’s easy to get carried away.

“The hardest thing for me is turning people away,” she says. “I used to be the buying manager for a chain store, so I could take everything from everybody. But that’s something I’ve really had to learn about having my own store: that it’s okay to be selective. My focus right now is realizing what my goals are.”

Staying focused has been crucial to Courtney’s success. She took an entrepreneurial course at Douglas

1238

DAVIE ST., VANCOUVER, BC

College before she opened Shameless, and on the store’s one-year anniversary, she won the school’s award for retail business of the year. It was during her acceptance speech that she announced her plan to launch the e-commerce website.

“I’m happy to be learning new things every day,” she says. “It’s interesting and fun.”

Part of the expansion to an online retail outlet allows Courtney the opportunity to showcase more stock and give her customers more selection. She will be selling different items in-store than on the website, so keen shoppers should be sure to keep their eye on both.

One thing is for certain, Courtney will excel at whatever she sets her mind to. g To shop all the latest fashion finds, visit the website at shamelessresale.com/ and use promo code “WELCOME” for 10 percent off your online purchase. Go in-store at 3957 Main Street and don’t forget to follow @shamelessresale on Instagram to see the new arrivals. Go to straight.com/contests/ now and enter for your chance to win a $150 gift card.

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Get healthy in ways you might not have imagined

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by Gail Johnson

ancouver’s healthy lifestyle is legendary, with our love of yoga, the Grouse Grind, the Gran Fondo, and all things vegan being well established.

Here’s a handful of other ways we’re taking care of our physical, mental, and environmental well-being.

BEST REASON TO FORAGE WITH SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ONE MUSHROOM FROM THE NEXT

Foraging is all the rage among chefs and home cooks, but here’s a stark reminder why, when it comes to searching for mushrooms, it’s best to go with a pro. Amanita phalloides, also known as the death cap mushroom—and the world’s deadliest—could be growing in your front yard. Vancouver Coastal Health has got our back; on July 4, it issued this tweet: “A toxic death cap mushroom has been seen in Vancouver. Eating them may lead to liver & kidney damage or death. Please watch out for them.” Cooking, freezing, or drying the fungus does nothing to dilute the potentially fatal effects of amatoxin, the mushroom’s toxic compound. The Vancouver Mycological Society has identified more than 100 locations in the Vancouver region where death caps have been found.

BEST NEW FUNDRAISING AND AWARENESS RUN

Butterfly Run Vancouver After she lost her son Wilder in 2017, Kimberly Lockhart began looking for a memorial walk or run to raise awareness of infant and perinatal (pregnancy) loss. Coming up empty and yearning for a sense of community, she started one herself. Modelled after the Butterfly Run Ottawa/ Gatineau, the Butterfly Run Vancouver takes place for the first time on October 5. It’s already sold-out, which speaks to just how needed this kind of event is. It’s estimated that one in four women will experience miscarriage or pregnancy loss and that one in six Canadians experiences infertility—yet these topics remain largely taboo. Besides being a source of support for people who can relate and who wish to honour their child’s memory, the run will also raise funds for the B.C. Women’s Health Foundation.

BEST REASON TO WEAR PURPLE

October 10 is World Mental Health Day. It also happens to be the date that Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd died by suicide, in 2012. She had developed mental health issues after being bullied, cyberbullied, and extorted.

Over the past few years, you might have noticed BC Place, Canada Place, and the Olympic Cauldron, among other spots, aglow in purple (Todd’s favourite colour) on that day. The annual Light Up Purple initiative, which has been recognized across Canada and in other countries in Todd’s memory since 2014, aims to increase awareness of mental health issues and offer support and hope to people facing things like depression, anxiety, and bullying. The 15-year-old girl’s mom, Carol Todd, is hoping the purple movement will continue to catch on, not just at landmarks and public structures but in individuals’ own lives. “Many have asked ‘What can I do?’” Todd writes at lightuppurple.com. There, she shares suggestions like: Wear something purple. Open the discussion about what mental health is. Talk about wellness strategies. Change your outside lights to purple for the day. Use purple on your Facebook page. Light a purple candle. Have a purple bake sale. Take a selfie or a group photo holding a #lightuppurple or #worldmentalhealthday sign.

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The Ocean Legacy Foundation Founded in 2014, the nonprofit organization recently launched EPIC, a plastic pollution emergency-response program. The acronym stands for education (skill training for community members), policy, infrastructure (such as recycling systems for a plastic circular economy), and cleanup (hands-on removal of plastic pollution to create a cleaner, safer place for people, plants, and animals to live). The organization has participated in shore cleanups throughout British Columbia and in other parts of the world. To date, volunteers have removed over 70 metric tonnes of mixed plastic, foam pollution, and Japanese driftage from local and international coastlines. Info on how to plan a shoreline cleanup is at epic.oceanlegacy.ca/. g

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Studio cofounders on dancing to a healthy life

by Tammy Kwan

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Roman Magbanua and Saschie MacLean-Magbanua are the cofounders of Formation Studio in Mount Plesant, which offers dance-based group fitness classes. Photo by Jeremy Wong

INDUSTRY EXPERT FORMATION STUDIO

BEST THING ABOUT OPENING A DANCE STUDIO

S: Seeing how happy people are to have a space where they feel like d AFTER SASCHIE MacLean- they belong.

Magbanua lost her younger sister, R: Being able to dance with Chantal Yvonne, in a fatal car acci- everybody. dent in 2014, there wasn’t much that could get her off the couch during a BEST WARM-UP TO DO BEFORE A DANCE CLASS dark period of grief.

That changed when she saw a R: Just put on your favourite track friend teach a dance class to a Be- to listen to on your way here, yoncé song. After she’d joined a few because we run a warm-up, and of those sweat sessions, it was clear most dance classes do their own to MacLean-Magbanua that dancing warm-up. was a great form of relief and escape, S: I agree. and she proceeded to organize some BEST SNACK TO FUEL UP ON classes for a couple of friends.

BEFORE A FITNESS CLASS

I tell myself it’s going to be okay. No matter the outcome, no matter where I go.

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S: I would say nothing too heavy, in case you’re really exerting yourself.

R: Banana or apple. Bananas are rich in vitamins and natural sugars and give you the energy.

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S and R: Ramen. Specifically, the mild tamago ramen at Marutama, with extra-hard noodles.

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S: To know you’re going to push yourself, and wherever you end up is going to be a good place to be.

This led to the creation of R: I tell myself it’s going to be okay.

RSVP33, which evolved into the No matter the outcome, no matter newly opened Formation Studio where I get to.

(16 East 5th Avenue), a dance-based group fitness studio that she runs BEST SPOT TO PICK UP WORKOUT with her husband and business ATTIRE S: At Formation Studio, we’re going partner, Roman Magbanua.

“That feeling of tranquillity, to be carrying Girlfriend Collective, escape, and just being able to shut which is a Seattle-based brand that everything out was such an im- uses all recyclable material for their portant piece of it. Wellness, no leggings and has very size-inclusive matter what your capability, re- marketing. I still have a lot of love for quires that mental element,” Mac- lululemon, RYU, and all those other Lean-Magbanua told the Straight good spots.

R: I love OCIN. It’s mostly swimin an interview.

Her other half believes it’s import- wear, but their shorts are really great ant to have a happy state of mind to for working out. tackle things in life, and that can start off by joining something that BEST SONG TO DANCE TO S: It changes all the time, but my gomakes you feel good internally.

“You can work out and do all to is “Formation” by Beyoncé. It’s so these things, but if you’re not cheesy: my studio is called Formahappy, it’s hard to get your goals in tion and I’m going to say “Formaorder,” said Magbanua. “We play tion” is my favourite song. probably your favourite songs and R: “Drogba (Joanna)” by Afro B. It teach cool moves, so you’re getting makes me feel good. all the good feelings from multiple BEST FITNESS STUDIO THAT ISN’T sources here.”

Both still have their daytime FORMATION STUDIO jobs, and juggling their new pro- S: I love Ride [Cycle Club], Hustle, ject hasn’t been easy. But when you and Tight Club [Athletics]. have a dream and it becomes a real- R: I don’t really go anywhere, but the ity, sleepless nights and accidental last place I went to was Hustle, so I’m meal-skipping can be worth it. Here going to say Hustle. But being part of are some of their tips and insights this community, it makes me want for those who love fitness classes and to support and go to more studios around us. g working out.

BEST OF VANCOUVER

Irani grounds stories in the personal

by David Chau

N

ostalgia holds little appeal for Anosh Irani. The notion that the past was better, after all, can turn joy to despair. “But longing, for me, is different because it leads to a search,” says the acclaimed author and playwright. “Longing for home—if you think about the search for home—it’s one of the most primitive and oldest instincts that we have.”

Home in Irani’s material occupies not only the geographical and physical, but the psychological as well. The outsiders who populate his fiction—orphans, beggars, prisoners of the sex trade—face disillusionment while seeking a place in an often hostile world.

Translated From the Gibberish: Seven Stories and One Half Truth, his debut collection of short stories, maintains key themes and demonstrates his command of the form. Drawing for the first time on Irani’s experience leaving India for Canada to pursue literary ambitions, the vignettes move beyond the subcontinent where Irani has set previous fiction, which includes his 2006 novel The Song of Kahunsha, an international bestseller.

Already among his five books are a hero’s quest, a coming-of-age tale, and a family saga. (Respectively, these are The Cripple and His Talismans, Irani’s 2004 debut novel; Kahunsha; and Dahanu Road, from 2010, which was longlisted for the Man Asian Literary Prize.) Though strategies change, what remain constant are imagination-searing moments of savagery and grace.

Operating in closer proximity to autobiography here wasn’t his intent. “That’s one of the things that I love about writing,” Irani says to the Straight at a downtown restaurant.

“I have no idea what I’m going to find.

You start with what you know and you end up with what you don’t know.

I would say I always resisted when it came to writing about the immigrant experience with respect to myself, but this just came through me.”

After finishing his 2016 novel The Parcel, a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction and the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, Irani found himself writing short stories. The publication of one of those pieces, “Swimming Coach”, in Granta was encouraging, but winning an award from the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association for another, “Circus Wedding”, about a doubt-riddled clown’s proposal, led to the start of the collection.

A sense of urgency, resulting in part from the then approaching 20th anniversary of Irani’s arrival in Vancouver from Mumbai, spurred introspection. “There are some people who are immigrants and you ask them about ‘home’, they’re extremely comfortable about it,” Irani says.

“And there are others like myself— we don’t fit in anywhere now.”

This reflection helped produce Translated’s title story, told in two installments that bookend the volume and portray a solitary writer resembling Irani as he wryly contemplates dislocation and a life directed by artistic concerns.

“Perhaps, back then, I didn’t understand the seriousness of my undertaking—I was about to lock horns with something that was larger than me, more powerful, and completely dangerous,” the narrator observes. “I was on my way to becoming a flammable object. That’s what writers are.”

Ambiguity and trauma, which fuelled The Cripple and His Talismans,

exerts a different kind of pressure on the character,” he says, “and squeezes that character in a different way. Each genre exerts its own claustrophobia.”

Irani’s writing thrives on the reveal, the sudden remark or action exposing absurdity as a means of survival and rapport as a cloak for malice. This is exemplified in “Swimming Coach”, which maps the eponymous protagonist as he makes his way across pools in Mumbai, a riff on John Cheever’s classic story “The Swimmer”, and “The Treasury of Sweetness”, a tour de force in which the owner of a Vancouver sweet shop discovers his customer service yields unforeseen returns.

Along with the concept of home, Irani wanted to explore iterations of grief and legacy and how individuals can be snared between free will and destiny. Commitment to truth and complexity, imbued with dark wit, guides his prose. Despite describing segments of the book as “very personal”, he says, “I wouldn’t necessarily call it autobiographical.”

A memoir may one day appear.

For now, however, Irani plans to focus on other endeavours like Buffoon, his play about a clown, which premieres in Toronto this fall.

There’s no rush. Life and art, he notes, gain richness over time. “The depth that you get in your writing has so much to do with who you are as a person as well. At least for me it does.

The more I’ve grown as a human beAuthor Anosh Irani says writing draws him into the unknown. Photo by Boman Irani ing,” Irani says, “the more experiences itself a bestseller, inform Translated’s Literary Award for Drama, to broach I’ve had, I think my writing—if not “Mr. Molt”, where a gangster’s wife dangers posed by language barriers, better—it’s had more depth.” g covets a penguin from a Mumbai zoo, and to detail the alienation of an believing it to be the reincarnation of exploited cook at a Surrey restaurant. Anosh Irani is scheduled to make two her lost son. In “Behind the Moon”, Irani began writing the story a appearances on October 25 at this year’s Irani alters the fate of a character couple of weeks after completing Vancouver Writers Fest, which runs from from his 2017 play The Men in White, the play, and repurposing the cast October 21 to 27. See writersfest.bc.ca/ for a nominee for the Governor General’s opened new avenues. “The form the festival’s complete program.

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

To buy or rent? There’s no easy answer these days

E

by Carlito Pablo

my Flor likes to say one thing to people who ask for her help in borrowing money so they can purchase a home.

“Not everyone needs to buy a home to prove that you have a direction in life or that your future looks bright,” Flor told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview.

According to the Vancouver-based mortgage broker, she asks clients what their ultimate goal is in having a home. If it’s the creation of wealth through home equity that they’re really after, Flor suggests to them that owning a property isn’t the only means to do that.

“There are other ways of investing and I show them, because I’m very familiar with the financial industry,” Flor said.

That may seem surprising, as mortgage brokers like Flor make a living by putting together lenders and borrowers who need money to buy a home.

“If there are no clients, then we get no commissions, right?” Flor said.

“The only thing that I have is my integrity. If I’m going to lie to them and then later on, after a year, they encounter difficulties, I didn’t give them the best service.”

Flor owns a condo, and she also buys stocks and invests in mutual and segregated funds.

In recent years, mortgage debt was responsible fpr 100% of the increase in total debt – Statistics Canada

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An analysis by RBC Global Asset Management Inc. shows that Canadian stocks are more effective in generating wealth than real estate.

Looking at data from 1993 to 2018, the study indicates that a $300,000 investment in the stock market over that 25-year period would have resulted in an end value of $2.4 million.

By comparison, the same initial outlay in real estate would have gotten the investor a return of $1.17 million in Toronto or $1.12 million in Vancouver.

Commenting on this analysis, Robin Gullason, vice president and lead strategist of the Toronto-based Harbour Group of RBC Dominion Securities Inc., noted last March that although some investors “think real estate is key to building wealth”, data indicate that a diversified approach is vital.

“The returns from equities came with more volatility, but we think that is offset by the fact that stocks are significantly more liquid than housing with typically much lower transaction costs,” Gullason wrote.

A 2007 study from the Centre for Urban Economics and Real Estate at UBC provides a caveat. According to that paper, “only renters who are highly disciplined, savvy investors are able to match the wealth that owners can accumulate simply by making their mortgage payments.”

“If they meet these criteria, in the best scenario for renters, they can accumulate over 24 percent more wealth than owners in Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, and Regina, and they can accumulate at least as much wealth as owners in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Winnipeg,” states the study, titled Are Renters Being Left Behind?

Mortgage broker Emy Flor says buying a home isn’t the right choice for everyone.

Homeownership and Wealth Accumulation in Canadian Cities.

However, the document, which examines data from 1979 to 2006, also notes that renters in Calgary and Toronto “cannot on average over our study period match the wealth achievable through homeownership”.

Flor has been in the mortgage industry since 1995, starting as a specialist with RBC. She was a bank auditor in the Philippines. She said she likes to present different options to her clients so they can weigh each according to their financial capacity.

Flor noted that ultimately it’s the prospective homebuyer who decides what will work best.

“They know their budget,” Flor said. “Ours is just paperwork. But do you really have enough? It’s because there are also piano lessons and hockey games for the kids that you have to pay for.”

An August 2019 paper by Statistics Canada shows that many Canadians are willing to take on debt in order to own a home.

According to the document, titled Homeownership, Mortgage Debt and Types of Mortgage Among Canadian Families, mortgage debt represented two-thirds of the overall increase in debt for families from 1999 to 2016.

“In recent years (2012 to 2016), mortgage debt was responsible for 100% of the increase in total debt,” the paper states.

For Flor, the best part of being a mortgage broker is getting involved in people’s dreams of homeownership. “It’s a great deal for them that it becomes a reality,” Flor said.

The Straight also asked for Flor’s take on a number of things for this Best of Vancouver issue.

BEST USE OF HOME EQUITY

“Pay high-interest loans. If you get a mortgage at an interest rate of 2.69 percent and your car loan is seven or eight percent and your line of credit is at 21 percent, pay everything else and just have one amount, which is your mortgage.”

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“Stay with your lender. Try to negotiate with them and see what they can offer.”

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“Put aside as much money as you can. Try to save enough to carry you over for six months.”

BEST WAY TO SAVE MONEY FOR A HOME PURCHASE

“I would advise people to invest in RRSP [registered retirement savings plan]. It’s hitting two birds at the same time. You can use your RRSP for a down payment for a home and defer some of your taxes.” g

BEST OF VANCOUVER

Festivals elevate cultural awareness and empathy

by Charlie Smith

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Laura Byspalko and Sirish Rao are cofounders of the Indian Summer Festival.

rumpism and its Canadian mutations have taken some of us by surprise.

Five years ago, who would have thought that a rising tide of xenophobia would wash over parts of the world, fuelled by populist demagogues who delight in highlighting differences to advance their political positions?

In a lecture at SFU Woodward’s earlier this year, international-affairs commentator Gwynne Dyer recited a long list of elected authoritarian leaders—Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Mihály Orbán among them—who exploit people’s fears over job security just as it feels like robots are taking over the workplace.

Populism has a great deal of appeal in Canada, too. A recent poll conducted by the SFU Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue revealed

that almost a quarter of respondents believe Canada is offering too much protection for minority rights. In Quebec, a shocking 48 percent of respondents said they feel there is too much freedom of religion.

Fortunately, in Vancouver there are many multicultural festivals that are countering people’s lack of understanding of their fellow citizens and other countries. For instance, when the Richmond World Festival was created in 2015, nobody ever dreamed that it would be a useful counterweight against Trumpism and bigotry. But that’s been its effect in our community by bringing diverse cultures together from around the world for a weekend of intercultural arts, food, and music.

It’s actually helping to counter xenophobia in Metro Vancouver.

The Labour Day weekend celebration of TaiwanFest in Vancouver is another event that has served as see next page

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a channel to bring together diverse cultures. This year’s 30th-anniversary event had the theme Riding the Waves With Vietnam, which saw the organizer, the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association (ACSEA), team up with the Southeast Asian Cultural Heritage Society (SEACHS). This was the fourth installment of TaiwanFest’s Dialogue With Asia series, which previously engaged communities from Hong Kong, Japan, and the Philippines.

One of TaiwanFest’s hallmarks over the years has been to educate Canadians about Indigenous peoples who lived in Taiwan throughout the centuries when it was being colonized by the Dutch, Spanish, Han Chinese, and Japanese. Another has been to educate Vancouverites about sustainability in Taiwan.

The visionary behind this festival is Charlie Wu, managing director of the ACSEA. He’s not interested in creating an ethnic silo only for Taiwanese people. Wu’s objective is to form deep and lasting bonds with people from a multitude of cultures. Wu is also the brains behind LunarFest, which is where the Straight caught up with the only Vancouver police officer of Mauritian ancestry, Const. Darren Ramdour. He’s part of the VPD’s diversity and Indigenous-relations section.

“I’m trying to spread unity,” Ramdour said at this year’s festival. “I’m trying to learn about different communities and I’m trying to spread what I learn within the communities and within the department. The more we know, the richer we are as a person.”

He and Wu are not alone in this regard. The Indian Summer Festival also promotes tremendous cross-cultural dialogue and music, bringing together Indigenous, South Asian, and East Asian artists, comedians, and writers in a smorgasbord of events. One of its curators is Jarrett Martineau, who is Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) and Dene Suline from Frog Lake First Nation in Alberta. He is also the host of CBC Radio’s Reclaimed and the City of Vancouver’s cultural

58 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

TaiwanFest has highlighted Lu-ho Chen’s sustainable farming practices in Taiwan.

planner for music, and he likes creating points of encounter between Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists. It’s not fusion; it’s interculturalism in which artists do not give up their identity. And it’s helping to promote an appreciation for other cultures.

I’m trying to spread unity. I’m trying to learn about different communities – Const. Darren Ramdour

Indian Summer was created nearly a decade ago by the husband and wife team of Sirish Rao and Laura Byspalko. Their goal is not only to educate people about India’s thriving arts and cultural scene but also to introduce festivalgoers to the best of what’s being offered by other performers and writers. As an example,

they put on a concert at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts this summer that brought together a Grammy-winning Jewish American classical guitarist, Sharon Isbin and Amjad Ali Khan, an Indian Muslim and one of the world’s most celebrated classical sarod players.

Carnaval del Sol is yet another example of interculturalism, drawing performers, artists, and chefs from Mexico to Chile and Argentina to a memorable Latin American plaza. The brainchild of Colombian-born Paola Murillo, the annual event at Concord Pacific Place ref lects a region of more than 600 million people.

Like Wu, Rao, Byspalko, and the organizers of the Richmond World Festival, Murillo has ensured that the Indigenous people of Latin America haven’t been overlooked.

In fact, the Indigenous and African roots of the region occupied centre stage at several events during Latin American Week.

These Vancouver residents probably don’t think of themselves as cultural warriors taking on Trumpism. But in a way, they’re doing their part to help Vancouver become an example to the world as a city that rejects the type of small-minded, bigoted thinking that’s become depressingly common in so many other places in 2019. g

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Making connections through food

Vancouver restaurant legend Meeru Dhalwala turns her attention to issues global and local

A

by Gail Johnson

s chef, cofounder, and coowner of Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants, Meeru Dhalwala is one of the most successful women in the city’s food scene.

Overseeing kitchens staffed entirely by women, all immigrants—a rarity—Dhalwala has coauthored three cookbooks with her former spouse, Vikram Vij, with whom she has two grown daughters. She created Joy of Feeding, a food festival and fundraiser for the UBC Farm. A working mom, entrepreneur, and immigrant, she’s a role model for women. And Dhalwala is just getting started on some of the most important work of her life.

“Careerwise and communitywise, this is my time,” Dhalwala says in a phone interview. She’s calling from Toronto, where she’s doing TV for the first time, a show with CBC. It’s food-related, of course, but she can’t say any more than that, not even to her 20-year-old daughter, who’s studying physiology and immunology at the University of Toronto and with whom she has dinner every night after taping. (Her 23-year-old daughter recently graduated from McGill University with a degree in environmental science.) “I love my life right now.”

Two organizations in particular have Dhalwala’s attention these days, at least when she’s not in the kitchen at Vij’s or Rangoli, creating recipes, cooking, working, talking, and laugh-

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Meeru Dhalwala, cofounder and co-owner of Vij’s and Rangoli, will be inducted into the B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame on October 7. Photo by Stephen Taylor

refugee, and migrant communities a person feel like they don’t quite throughout B.C. She has joined its belong. Food, she says, is a springboard of directors, knowing firsthand board to connecting people. what it’s like to be a newcomer.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of food and cooking in terms of our personal sense of community and belonging,” Dhalwala says. “Both my parents were refugees in the 1947 War of Partition. My dad became an orphan and lived in the refugee camps of old Delhi for nine years. He and my mom were so isolated and depressed when they moved to the U.S. in 1969, but they did it because they wanted safety and all the options for their children that the U.S. was promising. The first thing my parents did when they – Meeru Dhalwala arrived is figure out where the grocery store was for tea, milk, and sugar— chai—onion, garlic, oil, and whatever foods they could afford. Mom cooked makeshift meals for us on an electric ing with her team. One is UBC’s facBorn in India, Dhalwala moved plate. While we ate, they would susulty of land and food systems, which to Washington, D.C. as a child and pend their fears of new arrival and develops solutions for urgent global came to Vancouver at age 30. Her laugh at how crappy yet expensive the issues related to human health and mother and father were from Lahore, vegetables were in America and how sustainable food supply. With a keen the capital of Pakistan’s Punjab prov- horrible their chapatis were—Wonder interest in the climate crisis, Dhalwala ince. Even here in Canada, she’s rou- Bread. is a member of its faculty advisory tinely asked where she’s from. It’s not “If there’s one thing I definitely board. The other is MOSAIC, a regis- that she minds the question, but she know about immigrants, it’s that they tered charity that helps immigrant, admits that it can sometimes make come with the culture of their cuisine,”

I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of food and cooking in terms of our personal sense of community and belonging.

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she adds. “There’s so much pride to it.”

Dhalwala may be just as busy as ever, but none of it feels like work, she says, because she loves what she does.

On October 7, she’ll be inducted into the B.C. Restaurant Hall of Fame.

She’s had to make tough decisions getting to this point. Dhalwala closed her Seattle restaurant, Shanik, after twoand-a-half years, for example, and not because it wasn’t successful; in fact, it was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for best new restaurant in the U.S. the year after it opened. (It was staffed by Ethiopian and Indian refugees, all women.) But travelling regu-

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VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM larly between Vancouver and Seattle after her marriage ended was simply too much, and she was missing her family and community. (She and Vij remain very close friends and business partners.)

“I call myself a feminist, and if someone like myself can’t make quality-of-life decisions, who can?” she says. “My mom just died at home with me and my girls on July 31st, and I’ve been thinking a lot about her life and how she carried it as an immigrant, woman, mother, wife, and politically active citizen. She told me that ‘mother’ was her most important.” g

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 61

BEST OF VANCOUVER

Chinese banquets aren’t out of style

M

by Tammy Kwan

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ost of us have probably enjoyed more than a handful of meals at Chinese restaurants around Metro Vancouver. From casual Hong Kong–style cafés to no-fuss Shanghainese eateries, and from popular Szechuan spots to traditional Cantonese dining establishments, there are Chinese flavours for all types of palates.

The majority of diners usually order à la carte items (especially for dim sum), or choose from set menus for convenience. Branching off from the often budget-friendly set meals, there are the Chinese banquets: multicourse Chinese meals usually found in Cantonese seafood restaurants.

This type of reserved, pre-ordered feast is usually set aside for the most festive occasions, specifically weddings, birthdays, and a newborn’s one-month or 100-day celebration (significant milestones in Asian cultures).

If you grew up in a traditional Chinese household, it’s more than likely you’ve been dragged along to a few of these underrated meals. In retrospect, these celebratory dinners are a treat, and when you know it’s going to take place at a reputable restaurant, it’s usually something to look forward to months in advance.

So, what’s the big deal about Chinese banquets?

For starters, they can range from 20 to 30 people (in a private dining area) all the way to 200 guests (which would require booking the entire restaurant). Each table can comfortably accommodate 10 to 12 guests, depending on the size of the establishment. In terms of cost, a banquet can range between $50 and $80 per person, and more if the menu includes pricier ingredients.

As for the food, Chinese banquets follow a certain structure. The meals are usually between eight and 10 courses, and dishes are served family-style. Banquets variy, as customers have the option of tailoring the menu. But for the most part, guests are happy going with the prearranged picks.

At Red Star Seafood Restaurant, a popular Chinese dim sum and dinner joint in Marpole, signature banquet creations include king crab, Chinese-style roast suckling pig, roast squab, and Beijing duck.

“In comparison to western restaurants, Chinese restaurant menus offer a much wider range of dishes,” Andy Cen, manager of Red Star Seafood Restaurant, told the Straight in an interview at its Granville Street location. “From specialty seafood

The roasted squabs at Richmond’s Fisherman’s Terrace Seafood Restaurant are always a popular dish at wedding and birthday banquets. Photo by Tammy Kwan

to other veggie dishes, it’s definitely a bigger selection.”

A traditional Chinese banquet will start off with an appetizer platter, before serving up a few hot plates. A hot soup, usually shark fin, will follow shortly—but Cen acknowledges that the shark-fin ban takes effect this month, and Red Star will switch to using bird’s nest.

Seafood items like crab, lobster, abalone, and sea cucumber means you’re halfway into the meal. Next come fish and/or chicken, and usually noodles and rice.

It’s important to note certain plates embody specific meanings, depending on the type of celebration.

“A suckling-pig platter signals a strong and healthy year, which is extremely popular for birthday meals.

For weddings, double lobster dishes have an auspicious meaning because having a pair is promising for newlyweds,” explained Cen. “Fish and chicken dishes always signify an abundance of health and wealth.”

At Fisherman’s Terrace Seafood Restaurant in Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre, the perennially busy kitchen team has been serving banquet meals for more than two decades.

The restaurant is known for seafood items like lobster and typhoon-style fried crab, and it maintains a regular clientele because customers know dishes will be consistent here.

Its manager, David Ngan, believes Chinese banquets are a steal

when it comes to multicourse meals around town.

“I think Chinese dinners are affordable compared to its western counterparts if you were to order the same type of dishes,” Ngan told the Straight in a phone interview. “If you’re ordering seafood like lobster and crab, it will definitely be cheaper at a Chinese restaurant. The cost of a meal can be very reasonable.”

Some of the most popular banquet items, he added, are a deluxe suckling pig and barbecued meats combo, crispy chicken, and steamed rock cod.

While there’s a lengthy list of destinations for consumers to choose from when it comes to finding a place that serves Chinese banquets, that also means those restaurants are operating in a highly competitive industry. But that’s not a bad thing.

“Healthy competition is good.

A single restaurant cannot handle all the business,” explained Ngan.

“Without competition, if it’s a monopoly, you won’t want to better the business or want to do better. You’ll always strive to improve your standards if there is competition.”

There are many reasons why Chinese banquets are go-to meals for special occasions, but besides good food, it’s also because of good company. It can be a little noisy and the dinner might go on for longer than expected, but enjoying tasty dishes while chatting with your family and friends is something that no one could get enough of. g

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Food stalls at Asian malls entice the adventurous

by Tammy Kwan

Popular breakfast items: congee and Chinese donut-stuffed rice rolls from Wah Yuen Noodle House at Yaohan Center in Richmond. Photo by Tammy Kwan

I

t’s hard to think twice about food courts at Vancouver malls. There are chains like OPA! at Pacific Centre for Greek fast food, New York Fries at Oakridge Centre for a quick poutine, and A&W at Park Royal if you happen to be craving a Mozza burger—hardly anything spectacular to write home about.

The point is, shoppers stop by shopping-mall food courts just to fuel up with a quick bite and drink, before continuing on their hunt for the latest apparel or other spending endeavours. There’s usually nothing more and nothing less to these kinds of food spots, if we’re talking about North American–style malls.

The food courts located inside Asian shopping centres in Richmond, however, are an entirely different story.

In fact, it’s safe to say that most people seen eating at the southern suburb’s food courts planned for their visit to include a meal. Enjoying breakfast or lunch at one of these hawker-style food stalls may not appeal to some, but you’re definitely missing out if you don’t venture into these ethnic establishments, some of which command lengthy lineups even before opening hour.

Aberdeen Centre’s food court is one of the newest of its kind. When this Hong Kong–style shopping mall opened, it took a couple of years to gain traction and a steady flow of tenants and consumers. But it has blossomed into a bustling spot that attracts guests young and old in search of good food. One fan-favourite stall is Wu Fung Dessert, which despite its name specializes in crispy deep-fried chicken wings and other snacks, like curry fish ball and deepfried squid tentacles.

Another is the Bubble Waffle Cafe, where guests tend to order noodlesoup bowls. Everything from the soup base to type of noodle to toppings can be customized, and paired with a drink and bubble waffle (Hong Kong–style egg-shaped waffle) for a special price.

“Our prices are reasonable, which is why people keep coming back,” Timus Chow, owner of the Bubble Waffle Cafe at Aberdeen Centre, told the Straight in an interview during the lunch rush hour. “We have good food and drinks, and we always have a special bubble-waffle deal. There’s also dessert, which should be appealing.”

Just across the street is Parker Place, another of Richmond’s Asian shopping centres. Its food court is not as shiny and new as Aberdeen’s, but you’ll have a hard time finding a spot to sit down even on a rainy weekday.

Its food-court stalls are momand-pop shops opened by no-fuss owners who couldn’t care less about taking an interview from a local English-language newspaper.

In the morning, you’ll usually find retirees and seniors chowing down on an egg-and-ham sandwich paired with a cup of Hong Kong–style milk tea. During lunch, the busiest (and most lucrative) time of day for the vendors, lineups will form at some

People come to food courts to look for fun places to eat, where they can try something new.

1ST BEST

BRUNCH

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of the more popular shops, such as barbecued meat specialists Tai Fook Noodle & Congee Shop—it serves a delicious barbecued-duck rice noodle—and Lai Taste, known for its Vietnamese-style pork-chop and fish-fillet sandwiches.

“Weekends during lunch are the busiest,” Jerry Yu, owner of Lai Taste, told the Straight in an interview at the 10-year-old food stall. “There are a lot of people who order takeout, and we have one regular customer who drives all the way from North Vancouver.”

You’ve heard of people driving up from Seattle or Portland for Metro Vancouver’s dim sum, but now there’s also evidence of city-dwellers trekking to suburban regions just for good food-court fare.

Next to Parker Place is Empire Centre, a little mall home to jewellery shops, a travel agency, and beauty salons. Its food court is small but offers chicken, bubble tea, and more. But its crown jewel is probably James Snacks, a popular joint known for its claypot rice—or, according to the menu, sand-pot rice.

This dish is popular in Hong Kong, but patience is key. It can take more than 20 minutes for your meal to be ready, but it will be well worth the wait. Customers can choose various pots, including preserved sausage, free-range chicken with mushroom, and spare rib with black-bean sauce.

Each dish is served with rice and some veggies, and guests just need to add soy sauce and mix before digging into the flavourful creation. Near the end, you’ll find pieces of compressed fried rice, crispy from the heat of the pot, which is extremely popular with young diners.

“We have been open for 15 years,” Edna Yu, co-owner of James Snacks alongside husband James, told the Straight at their food stall. “The easiest way to find out what this dish is, is to simply try it yourself.”

A little further away from the sideby-side shopping malls listed above is Yaohan Centre, home to a supermarket and other locally run shops.

Its food court is also loved by many, because it offers an expansive seating area and a wide selection of food stalls that are consistent and reasonably priced. On any given day, you’ll find a steady flow of customers at Wah Yuen Noodle House ordering

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OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 65

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from page 65

congee, rice rolls, and noodle soups.

At lunchtime, you’ll also find many hungry patrons huddled in front of Curry House, which has been in operation for 26 years at the shopping destination. Its Hainanese chicken and curry beef brisket with rice are bestsellers, and its customers range from Asian families to Caucasian trades workers on their lunch break.

Even though there are many other options available at the Yaohan Centre food court, Curry House’s owner, Sunny Wong, isn’t fazed.

“There’s always been competition, so it doesn’t matter,” Wong told the Straight as he was preparing an order. “As long as you make good food, then it won’t matter.”

It’s important to note that most Asian food-court stalls only accept

cash, so it’s best to stock your wallet before making a visit to these food spots.

It can also be pretty hectic on your first visit, but that’s part of the experience.

“People come to food courts to look for fun places to eat, where they can try something new and bring their whole family to have a nice meal out,” noted Bubble Waffle’s Chow. “It’s not as formal as dining at a restaurant, but equally delicious.” g

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

How to find the perfect birthday cake in the city

by Tammy Kwan

Bauhaus sets a new standard for refined dining in Vancouver. Owned

by German film director Uwe Boll, the award-winning restaurant is known for its modern take on German cuisine and attention to detail. With Bauhaus Restaurant’s seasonal tasting menu, diners are able to mix and match their choices from a three- to six-course meal that will take them through the tasteful journey of European cuisine seen through West Coast eyes.

Bauhaus Restaurant’s executive chef, Christian Kuehnel, had the opportunity to work at some of the best international restaurants, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal in London, listed on the World’s Top 50 Best Restaurants, and Spices, owned by Tim Raue and featured on the Netflix series Chef’s Table. By joining the Bauhaus team, Christian is continuing on his passion to explore what modern cuisine is while he builds relationships with the best local and organic suppliers from the Pacific Coast. “I want to show how far German cuisine has come— and how far it can go”, he says. You are welcome to discover the tastes of modern German cuisine with Bauhaus Restaurant’s seasonal menus.

A custom Thai milk tea-flavoured birthday cake from Buttermere, decorated with fresh roses and brushed with a metallic bronze finishing. Photo by Tammy Kwan

B

irthday cakes are a symbol of celebration, a wishmaking ritual, and, most importantly, a delicious treat to dig into on someone’s day of birth.

But it can be stressful when you’re the one tasked with choosing a birthday cake. What flavour do you go for? What style of cake will satisfy everyone at the celebration? Will it be within budget? These are all valid questions when ordering this symbolic dessert. Here’s a short but sweet guide to some of the most popular spots to pick up birthday cakes around town.

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like fresh mango, chestnut, and taro.

Saint Germain Bakery (various locations) is the largest Chinese bakery chain in Vancouver. Online ordering is available (customers can take 12 percent off online orders), and it offers creations like fresh mango, mango-passionfruit mousse, Black Forest, and more.

La Patisserie (1405–4771 McClelland Road, Richmond) creates tasty Chinese baked goods and pastries, but its cakes are also showstoppers. Go for its fresh mango, mixed fruit, chestnut, or white forest cake. It also takes orders for custom cakes, which can be made with a traditional or modern touch.

Cadeaux Bakery (172 Powell Street) is known for its beautiful layered cakes, usually featuring a Swissmeringue butter cream or Chantilly cream frosting. Popular flavours include London fog and dark-chocolate praline, and custom cake orders are also taken—just be sure to give one to two weeks of notice.

Soirette (1433 West Pender Street) specializes in photogenic butter pound cakes, many decorated in pretty pastel hues and topped with macarons. Flavours rotate seasonally, but signature picks include chocolate hazelnut, chocolate Earl Grey, and vanilla caramel.

Trafiq (4216 Main Street) is a busy café creating some fan-favourite cakes that are sweet and moist.

Popular flavours like salted caramel, tiramisu, and carrot cake almost have a cult following. You can also order custom chocolate plaques that are brushed with gold dust and handwritten with white chocolate for a sweet birthday message.

ONLINE ORDER CREATIONS

ASIAN-STYLE SLICES

The Gluten Free Epicurean (633 East 15th Avenue) whips up gluten-free baked goods and cakes, with dairyfree, vegan, and nut-free options.

Choose from flavours like doublechocolate raspberry, lemon lavender, London fog, and many more.

The best part is they look and taste great. g

Yan Bakery (2070 East Hastings Street) is a fuss-free Chinese bakery that requires advance ordering and accepts only cash. Its unassuming storefront is plastered with laminated photos of regular customers (you’ll find some famous faces), and it’s known for Asian-style cakes featuring flavours

Buttermere has been running its online cake business for a few years but has recently opened a brick-andmortar shop (636 Main Street). Order from its website, which features unique rotating French-style cake creations with an Asian twist, such as matcha lava, oolong peach, and strawberry devil. Custom orders are also available, and always works of art. Daily cake pickup is at Torafuku (958 Main Street).

Remi Patisserie serves mouthwatering pastries at weekly pop-ups around the city but also takes cake orders. Its cake menu changes seasonally, and flavours like matcha– black sesame and Thai iced tea are currently available. An omakase (chef’s choice) cake option is also available, whose flavour won’t be revealed until you take your first bite. Cake pickup is at Sweet Barrel Creamery (2729 Arbutus Street).

GLUTEN-FREE AND VEGANFRIENDLY

From our humble roots, Founder & Chef Mauro Martina is changing the way we think about breakfast.

“I created OEB with one purpose: to make breakfast the most exciting culinary experience of the day with quality, innovation, and wholesomeness. In a world where this important meal is often rushed, compromised on, or skipped altogether, I want to fill people’s souls with a truly uplifting breakfast experience.

Thank you to our loyal guests, dedicated staff, incredible partners, and talented local suppliers. You make our farm-to-table commitment to breakfast possible.”

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BEST OF VANCOUVER

Local sommeliers serve South Africa by the glass

by Kurtis Kolt

Find our cafes located at 28 W 5th Ave, 1022 Mainland Street, 4236 Main Street, 12151 First Ave (Steveston), our smoothie cart at Burrard & Robson or have our juice hand delivered straight to your home.

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Find wines by Anthonij Rupert, Protea, and BLANKbottle at local restaurants.

here were many inspiring anecdotes shared and revelations had as I travelled through South African wine country a few weeks back. Although it’s not the same as the 30plus hours of travel to set foot on the continent, much of the quality and deliciousness of the country’s finest offerings can be found by enjoying them at some of Vancouver’s best restaurants, where local sommeliers are increasingly waving the South African flag.

The first winery I visited was BLANKbottle in the Western Cape, where proprietor and winemaker Pieter Walser crafts 47 unique wines from 60 different vineyards. Part mad scientist, with a punk mindset and full of passion, Walser has a lengthy roster of wines that offer colourful, charismatic expressions of local terroir.

When sharing his red blend dubbed The Life of a Black Valentine, he spoke to a past era of South African wine a few decades back, when there were issues with making bolder wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. The small berries’ thick skin made for headaches in the winery, as having less juice to keep things moving in the pumps would cause the skins to block them up. The remedy at the time was to add another variety to ease the flow. Cinsault is a grape with thinner skin and plenty of juice, so it was often added to the mix but rarely mentioned on the label. The resulting wines were generally fresher and livelier than your average Cabernet Sauvignon, with the fruitiness of Cinsault making things a little more buoyant.

Although this workaround became largely unnecessary as winery

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1. Pourhouse 162 Water Street 2. The Keefer Bar 135 Keefer Street 3. The Shameful Tiki Room 4362 Main Street

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1. Shark Club Various locations 2. Red Card Sports Bar + Eatery 560 Smithe Street 3. The Pint Public House 455 Abbott Street

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1. Everything Wine Various locations 2. Liberty Wine Merchants Various locations 3. Marquis Wine Cellars 1034 Davie Street

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technology and winemaking methods evolved, many of the current generation of South African winemakers are fond of that profile and increasingly turning to Cinsault to lift up their red blends.

Walser’s Black Valentine harks back to this secret addition of something quite lovely, and it’s a multivintage blend that also incorporates Syrah and Mourvèdre, making for a berry-and-plum-laden wine spiked with pepper and herbes de Provence.

Local sommelier Van Doren Chan has an affinity for the wine, proudly pouring it by the glass ($15) at Ugly Dumpling (1590 Commercial Drive), her Asian-street-food-inspired hot spot. Do stop by for a pour; I’m thinking their crispy-skin aged duck breast with yuzu kosho and baby lettuce—or pork and duck rillette with five spice, garlic scapes, and Livia sourdough—will come up a treat.

For those who find themselves captivated by the wine, Liberty Wine Merchants (1622 Commercial Drive) has a small handful of BLANKbottle selections.

Over at Hawksworth Restaurant in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia (801 West Georgia Street), wine director Bryant Mao is pouring a dynamite Chenin Blanc, which is South Africa’s most planted variety. Bellingham “Bernard Series” Chenin Blanc 2017 ($17 per glass) is composed of oldvine fruit from Cape Town, Stellenbosch, Paarl, and Darling and is aged in just enough French oak to bring a light, toasty character to vibrant tropical fruit like mango, pineapple, and papaya. The wine’s bright acidity will be a lovely accompaniment to chef David Hawksworth’s foie gras parfait with pineapple and pickled mushrooms, or his smoked-cod ravioli with fennel, buttermilk, and tarragon oil.

Brand-spanking-new in Strathcona is VV Tapas Lounge (957 East Hastings Street), brought to us by Chase McLeod and Rachelle Goudreau, formerly of (now shuttered) Mission in Kitsilano and Provence Marinaside, respectively. Fun small plates

South African winemakers are increasingly turning to Cinsault to lift up their red blends.

– Kurtis Kolt

include fodder like devilled duck egg with white beans, crispy andouille and croutons, and lamb scrapple with Brussels sprouts and dehydrated tomato. There are a couple South African gems on the list here. Protea Chenin Blanc 2018 ($10 per glass) is an easy sipper with elevated aromatics of jasmine and lemon blossom, then waves of mineral citrus fruit on the palate.

Those who are wanting to go big can opt for Anthonij Rupert Optima 2013 ($22 per glass), from Franschhoek. The wine is a blend of 50 percent Cabernet Franc, 30 percent Merlot, 17 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, and three percent Malbec, and winemaker Dawie Botha oversaw double sorting of the grapes before a cold soak, a 20-day fermentation, and a couple years’ aging in both oak and steel tanks. This wine is just hitting its stride with dark berry flavours, dusty cocoa, and wellintegrated tannins.

Finally, for a dead-simple South African wine experience on the cheap, pick up a bottle of Protea Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 (Western Cape; $14.99, B.C. Liquor Stores), and then swing by African Breese Specialty Foods (3654 West 4th Avenue) and nab some authentic biltong. The South African take on beef jerky, often incorporating coriander and mustard seed, is quite addictive and will be very enjoyable with your feet up while sipping on that currant- and spice-driven bargain of a wine. g

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70 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

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arts

Transform fest fetes drag’s new diversity

I

by Janet Smith

t goes without saying that a major new event devoted to cabaret should include drag performances. But what makes the offerings at the Cultch’s new Transform: A Cabaret Festival so intriguing is how well they illustrate the changing face of the age-old art form—and how open and inclusive it’s become.

“Up until five years ago it was mostly seen as cisgender men dressing up as women,” comments Chris Reed, an Indigenous artist who’s part of the artfully theatrical, multiracial, and nonbinary Darlings troupe at the fest. “What we’re doing is not that original campy, glamorous drag— but I don’t think people realize we also love that! Growing up, we saw these big drag queens that were luxurious and had big hair and pretty diamonds—they were the people pushing definitions of gender, and I definitely go to shows like that all the time. We’re just different; there’s no better form of drag. It’s diverse.”

The Darlings don’t just challenge the conventions of drag through gender, they also do it through their one-of-a-kind mashup of dance, poetry, performance art, physical comedy, theatre, and art installation.

Members Continental Breakfast (Reed’s on-stage persona), PM (Desi Rekrut), Rose Butch (Rae Takei), and Maiden China (Kendell Yan) weave together their different skill sets in the Darlings. “All of us come from different artistic backgrounds,” Reed explains. “Rose was training as an actor, I was training as a comedian before drag, PM trained in dance, and Maiden China is a writer as well as a performance artist. Those four skill sets really give us a direction; we have all those components to put in the puzzle.”

The collective creates a new show for each performance, building a narrative around a theme—in this case, memory and the trials of queer

The Darlings (left) take drag in a multidisciplinary, nonbinary direction; Quanah Style embraces her Indigenous trans identity.

existence. “It has to do with everything from cultural teachings to trauma, every type of memory you have,” Reed explains. “We like to make people feel happy and sad and laugh and cry. It’s all really real to us; the stories contain tiny details that are all from us.”

In addition to their storytelling skills, the Darlings sport wildly artful makeup that goes far beyond the glam female impersonation often associated with drag, melding the male and the female, as well as, sometimes, clowning or conceptual-art looks.

“Sometimes drag artists get a face—they call it a mug, and they have fully realized that and that’s just how their face looks all the time,” Reed explains. “But the four of us change our look, typically every time we do a show.”

The Darlings also make inventive use of space, surrounding the

audience, using projections, and playing with lights. That makes the transition into a conventional theatre—an opportunity they’re eager to explore—a bit of new territory for these performance mavericks. “Usually we have up to six stages around a room, and the audience has to move themselves.…So this is a space we haven’t really considered our work in, and it’s really interesting to get tech support,” Reed says, adding with a laugh: “We are usually holding a spotlight for each other on a rave dance floor.”

LONG-TIME INDIGENOUS drag artist Quanah Style is also a trailblazer—one who lives her life as a woman, full-time.

To those who might question whether a post-op trans woman can technically be a drag artist, she has only this to say: “Honey, if I spend

three hours getting ready, I’m still doing drag!

“What’s so cool about drag is it’s so diverse and so inclusive now,” she adds, reflecting the Darlings’ sentiments. “Drag is changing and there are so many different types and that’s amazing.”

Style has made huge strides toward raising the visibility of trans people and drag alike, starring in Quanah TransOp on the streaming network WOW Presents and Season 2 of CBC’s Canada’s a Drag!, working in theatre productions like Zee Zee Theatre’s Trans Scripts, and bringing her powerhouse meld of music and performance to open for everyone from Peaches to Bif Naked.

But the world did not always welcome her with such open arms.

Style was raised on a remote reserve in Moberly Lake, in northern B.C. “I grew up in a very small com-

munity and I used to take a little yellow school bus in to school,” she recalls. “I was a little boy who was very feminine and my personality was very loud and outgoing. I felt bullied and ostracized by my peers.

“It wasn’t until I realized that my differences are my strength that things changed.”

Growing up, Style always loved to perform, enjoying powwows— though she was relegated to the boys’ grass dances instead of the girls’ jingle dances she would secretly perform in her sister’s costume. “I tried it at home but I was paranoid about being caught in the jingle dress,” she says.

Fear not: more recently, Style has been able to perform the jingle dance in public, at a powwow at Trout Lake. But at Transform, expect her to blend music with the dancers from the local voguing and waacking crew House of La Douche.

“When I’m at festivals people are so warm and inviting. And that’s beautiful, because as a kid I didn’t feel accepted,” says Style, whose next dream leap is into acting, thanks to Trans Scripts. “I’m hoping that by living my life so openly it breaks down barriers that have been normalized.

And maybe it’s someone who doesn’t know a trans person.”

And when it comes to her Indigenous community, Style is now proud to call herself two-spirit—if only so no one goes through what she did on that little yellow school bus. “I want to represent that term for kids coming up,” she says. g At Transform: A Cabaret Festival, the Darlings appear in the Opening Night Bashes at the York Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday (October 2 and 3), their own show at the Historic Theatre on Friday (October 4), and Drag Transforming at the York Theatre next Saturday (October 12).

Quanah Style features in the Opening Night Bashes and in Drag Transforming.

For these comics, visibility comes with laughs

M

by Guy MacPherson

artha Chaves and Steph Tisdell are two Indigenous standup comedians with very different backgrounds. Chaves, originally from Nicaragua, started her career in 1993; Tisdell, from Brisbane, Australia, is a relative newcomer, having “started properly” in 2014.

But it gets more complicated. “I have Indigenous blood but I don’t identify as Indigenous,” says Chaves on the phone from her home in Toronto. “In our country we are, let’s say, Métis. We are a mixed people.”

She started doing standup in English and it’s still more foreign for her to perform in her native Spanish. “I consider myself very Canadian. I’ve been in more places in Canada than I was ever in Nicaragua,” she says. “I have lived most of my life in Canada. Nicaragua is alien.

It’s like another planet.”

Tisdell is making a name for herself down under as one of the funniest Aboriginal performers in the country. Which raises the question: how many are there?

“There are not many at all,” she says from Brisbane. “I think it’s slowly widening. People are really interested in hearing different perspectives now. I think it’s going to continue to grow.”

Her profile is growing, too, with appearances at galas and as a roving reporter on The Project, a current-affairs talk show, so it’s only a matter of time before other Indigenous acts are accepted into the mainstream. Her old manager told her, “Don’t stress, because it’s only tokenism until it just isn’t anymore.” She agrees.

“That’s the honest truth,” she says. “Once there’s some representation, it opens the door for more representation and more visibility.”

Sometimes it takes that prime mover to open things up for others. Chaves, who speaks with a heavy Spanish accent, doesn’t feel the

At Transform: A Cabaret Festival, Nicaraguan-Canadian Martha Chaves (left) says comedy is all about communication and translation; Australian sensation Steph Tisdell finds more racism outside comedy circles.

need to address that much anymore, thanks to Sofia Vergara.

“Since Modern Family came along with a woman that has a huge accent, I don’t have to address the accent,” she says. “People have heard the Spanish accent. Before, I thought it was necessary to talk about that. Sometimes I still do, but now I speak up about everything. I still am the ethnic gay person, but now it’s embedded in other things; it’s not the subject of my jokes.”

Regardless of any given accent, Chaves feels that semantics is always at the forefront of a comedian’s mind.

“Comedy is communication,” she says. “Every

act of communication is an act of translation.

You always have to translate yourself to whoever you’re speaking to. The love of my life is communication. It’s been a challenge at times because English isn’t my native language, but in reality it’s harder for me to do it in my native language.”

Tisdell feels more racism out in the real world than inside comedy circles. She takes those experiences on-stage, where her aim is to educate gently.

“There’s a lot of ignorance in Australia and I don’t think people even realize when they’re being inappropriate or are saying things that are racist or ignorant,” she says. “It’s funny just to

point it out to people and then they kind of laugh and go, ‘Oh yeah, I didn’t even think about that.’

If you can turn it into a joke and just show a mirror to them to show how ridiculous that way of thinking is, then they’re laughing but learning.

So comedy’s a really great way to just break down those barriers, I think, and share a story and experiences without it being quite so confronting.”

Despite bringing racism to the fore in her act, she has a unique outlook on “white privilege”, a phrase she’s not a fan of.

“I just think there’s a lot of privilege, full stop,” she says. “I also feel like if you’ve got the time to be ranking privilege, you’re probably pretty fucking privileged. I just feel you can’t decide what privilege you have....Just recognize that everybody exists with some privilege.”

Despite starting as an ethnic woman in what was mostly a white man’s profession 26 years ago, Chaves has also found the comedy community largely welcoming.

“I’ve met a lot of good people in comedy,” she says. “I know a lot of people like to bitch about being discriminated against, but if it happens I didn’t notice because I was so focused on getting better.”

And if a fellow comic were to talk trash, she’d say, “Bring it on.”

“You can say anything about me, but let’s dance, motherfucker!” she says. “Let’s see who does better on-stage. That’s the proof.” g Martha Chaves and Steph Tisdell, along with Erica Sigurdson and Nour Hadidi, perform in The Women of Comedy at Transform: A Cabaret Festival at the York Theatre on Friday and Saturday (October 4 and 5).

Tisdell gives a comedy workshop there on Thursday (October 3), and performs her one-person show Identity Steft at the Cultch Historic Theatre on Saturday and Sunday (October 5 and 6).

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 71

A Firehall Arts Centre presentation Inverso Productions/Lesley Telford

ARTS

SPOOKY M ACTION

Boine sings for Norway’s Sami culture

by Alexander Varty

ari Boine never intended to become an internationally recognized spokesperson for Sami culture. Nor did she aspire to a life on-stage as an exceptionally powerful singer. In fact, her great aspiration was to become a teacher, an admirable hope—but both she and the world are glad that fate intervened. Since then, she’s emerged as one of the leading advocates for the Indigenous people of the Norwegian Arctic, whose social position is analogous to that of First Nations in Canada, and a recording artist with more than a dozen LPs to her credit.

It’s a remarkable story, and she’s a remarkable person.

“I was a young woman, and I went to teachers’ training college,” Boine tells the Straight, in a Skype conversation from her home on Norway’s northernmost coast. “Both me and my husband then, we were both Samis, and we had our first child, and we spoke Norwegian to him— without questioning, without wondering ‘Why are we doing this?’ And then, during those years at the teachers’ training college, I for the first time heard my people’s story, and I understood what happened about all this colonization of the mind and all this convincing people who are close to nature and have this nature religion, convincing them that what they had was from the devil. And then I just realized I have to take care of my language.

“I mean, I grew up with my language, but I wanted to become Norwegian and forget everything,” she continues. “I was so ashamed of everything about my culture—and then that all changed.…I tried to say ‘No, no, I am not the one who’s going on-stage. I’m not the one who is going to sing. I just want to be a teacher, and a mother.’ But I had nothing to say. I just had to follow.”

The 62-year-old Boine’s musical career has paralleled her acceptance of her Sami roots, beginning with her embrace of the language that she once wanted to forget.

“I knew that we had the traditional singing, and I knew that the Christians, like my parents, they were so afraid of those traditional songs,” she explains. “But I started to question ‘What is this?’ and ‘Why are we ashamed of our heritage? Where on earth does this come from?’ And then I learned by reading, because the old people didn’t really want to talk about this. They had accepted,

“strange, haunting and thought-provoking”

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72 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

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Mari Boine revives the singing of the Indigenous people in the Norwegian Arctic.

okay, ‘What is our religion? It’s gone, gone by, and should be forgotten.’

But then I started to read, and to see, and to study. One friend of mine who is a religious historian, she wrote a book about shamanism, and I started to understand more and more. At the same time—and I was a very shy person—this music started to come through me, and suddenly everything changed. It was like a wise old woman started to whisper the songs in my ear.”

People wanted me to be a guru or a shaman, and I said, ‘I’m an artist!’

– Mari Boine

Some of Boine’s older albums have shamanic content, inspired by traditional joiks or herding songs, and consisting of ecstatic paeans to nature. That remains an aspect of her work, she says, noting that her most recent composition is “a prayer to the sun, our father, and the earth, our mother”. But in 2017 she released See the Woman, sung entirely in English, a strategy intended to dispel some

of the myths that have grown up around her own nature.

“People wanted me to be a guru or a shaman, and I said, ‘I’m an artist!

Okay, this shamanistic music goes through me, but I’m not a shaman,’ ” the singer says. “Of course, artists can also have this healing power; I know there’s healing in my music.

But I also wanted to show there’s a woman behind this. I think in Germany they were shocked [by See the Woman]. I have a big audience in Germany and they just wanted me to be this magical woman from the North. They didn’t want to know my story.”

Boine laughs, acknowledging the contradiction: by embodying the mystical aspects of Sami culture, once endangered by colonialism and the loss of a traditional nomadic lifestyle, she ran the risk of not being seen as an individual. And in this phase of her career, her task is to integrate all the different aspects of her history, her artistic interests, and her personal life into a unified creative expression.

For this, she adds, there’s no better vehicle than song. “I’m so glad I have the music,” Boine explains. “I say that because I see my voice as a gift, as a talent somebody decided to give to me. They gave it to me, so I could be taken on this journey—and I’m so glad they didn’t give it to the neighbour’s daughter!” g Mari Boine plays the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on Saturday (October 5). She will also join Lil’wat singer and composer Russell Wallace in conversation at the Native Education College at 3:30 p.m. on Friday (October 4).

OCTOBER 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 73

ARTS Dancers delve into wishful thinking

P

by Janet Smith

O C T O B E R 2 0 19 MARI BOINE

Sat Oct 5, 8:00pm Presented by the Chan Centre Beloved Sámi vocalist Mari Boine’s trailblazing sound draws influence from her Indigenous ancestry and swells with shamanic beats, bold expressionism, and earthy mysticism.

UBC CHOIRS: RECONCILIATION & MERCY Fri Oct 18, 7:30pm

Presented by the UBC School of Music A concert performed by University Singers and Choral Union, featuring a dynamic piece by UBC School of Music’s new director, T. Patrick Carrabré.

DAKHABRAKHA

Sat Oct 19, 8:00pm Presented by the Chan Centre The mesmerizing folk fusion performances of Ukrainian quartet DakhaBrakha are seriously unexpected, seriously imaginative, and seriously fun.

VIVIAN LAI LIVE IN CONCERT Thu Oct 24, 8:00pm

Presented by Star One Entertainment Productions Singer Vivian Lai performs a live benefit concert.

lastic orchid factory’s newly remounted production is called I Care What You Think, and to prove that sentiment, its creators ask audience members to write down their wishes before the show.

Those wishes are read out and revisited as part of the interdisciplinary dance work—often with effects that surprise even the artistic team that is mounting this new version of a production that debuted in 2016 at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.

“I don’t think people, when they write their wishes down, expect them to resonate,” says choreographer James Gnam, who collaborated on the work with dance artists Vanessa Goodman and Jane Osborne, and lighting designer James Proudfoot.

He’s talking to the Straight by speakerphone, alongside plastic orchid co–artistic director Natalie LeFebvre Gnam. “In the performance space you can feel it when their wishes were read into the space.

“Wishing seems like such a childish, fanciful, whimsical thing, but the act of wishing makes us consider what we really want,” Gnam continues. “Our interactions with the world are largely defining the things we won’t do or won’t engage in. But this is to carve out space to imagine something better for the world.”

“It’s really intimate but you feel like you have this ginormous picture of things,” LeFebvre Gnam adds.

In the first run of the show, the group got desires as simple as “I hope the next hour is not a waste of my time” and “I wish someone would compliment my rain jacket.” But, more often, audiences’ wishes spoke to an inner or tumultuous world: “It was things like ‘I wish it would stop raining,’ and then ‘I wish we weren’t having to have

I Care What You Think plays with ideas of empathy and the state of the world.

conversations about Donald Trump,’ ” Gnam says, “or ‘I wish I didn’t have to have conversations about climate change.’ ” The communal act of voicing our concerns plays into the theme of the show, which Gnam describes simply as “how we can be together”. “We” refers to the artists, who have known each other well over a decade, but also to the larger community.

“Over the course of 12 years we’ve really been able to distill and understand where the other person is coming from,” Gnam says of the relationship between the dancers and lighting designer, all of whom strove to create the piece in a nonhierarchical manner, with an equal voice for every participant. “And then a lot of it is ‘How can we be together in the world the way it is right now?’ ” Look for direct references to Trump; in one scene, Osborne and Gnam draw directly from the physical language the U.S. president uses when he’s making his speeches.

But Gnam says they also interweave movement that portrays what he calls

a “reaching back for these personal wishes for things to be different”—a loss or a yearning for better times.

“One of the things that dance as a practice and as a vehicle for performance does really well is embodying paradox—things that are contradictory,” Gnam says.

Striking visual elements are as much a part of the piece as the choreography—in fact, the company calls it a “dance installation”. There are atmospheric projections and a small army of life-sized cardboard figures.

They lie broken on the floor, sometimes float in the air, and populate parts of the seating and front-of-house.

The wind from electric fans occasionally blows across them so they move in the space, and Proudfoot sends strobes and searchlights moving among them.

“We agreed that when we go to see dance, we’re often watching bodies in crisis—and all of us were exhausted with that idea. We said, ‘Let’s get these cardboard bodies and let them be in crisis,’ ” Gnam says.

“They [the cardboard figures] felt a little less inanimate and sort of eerily alive, animated in a world where they’re not human, but they’re kind of human,” LeFebvre Gnam adds.

In the end, the overriding—and most subversive—thing that I Care What You Think generates is empathy, Gnam stresses.

“How can we support one another in a world that is kind of fraught with division and misinformation and toxic politics?” Gnam says. “And then how can we actually resist— resist this tide of racism and hate and xenophobia?” g Plastic orchid factory and Boca del Lupo present I Care What You Think at Performance Works from Thursday to Saturday (October 3 to 5).

“A JEWEL OF A PERFORMANCE.” —VANCOUVER OBSERVER

MOZART & HAYDN WITH ALBRECHT MAYER Oct 25 + 26, 8:00pm

Presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Oboeist Albrecht Mayer, principal of the Berlin Philharmonic, leads a program of Mozart and Haydn.

NAOMI KLEIN IN CONVERSATION WITH KATHRYN GRETSINGER Sat Oct 26, 2:00pm

Presented by Vancouver Writers Fest Bestselling author Naomi Klein speaks to the most pressing issue of our time: how bold climate action is essential.

Unwrap new memories this holiday season! presents Alberta Ballet

The Nutcracker

HUFF

Wed Oct 30, 12pm & 7:30pm Presented by the Chan Centre Cliff Cardinal’s acclaimed solo piece centres on three brothers caught in a pattern of grief and solvent abuse following the death of their mother.

CHOREOGRAPHY

Edmund Stripe

Dec 28 29 – 1:00pm & 6:30pm Dec 30 – 1:00pm

CHAN CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 6265 Crescent Road, Vancouver (UBC)

SERIES SPONSOR:

74 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Accompanied live by Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Telus Studio Theatre

chancentre.com

COMPOSER

Tickets from $29

Queen Elizabeth Theatre balletbc.com SUPPORT FOR BALLET BC HAS BEEN GENEROU

PHOTO BY DARREN MAKOIVICHUK.

ARTS

Gender-bent classic has passion to burn THEATRE

HERRINGBONE

Book by Tom Cone. Music by Skip Kennon. Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh.

Based on the play by Tom Cone.

Directed by Kayla Dunbar.

A Patrick Street production. At the Anvil Centre Theatre on Thursday, September 26. Continues until October 6

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA

By William Shakespeare. Directed

by Cameron Mackenzie. A Studio 58 production. At Studio 58, Langara College, on Saturday, September 28. Continues until October 13

d WHAT HAPPENS WHEN you stage the tragedy of a Roman general and an Egyptian queen, and throw away all the rules on who should portray them? Well, at Langara’s Studio 58, magic happens.

This gender-bent Antony and Cleopatra is absolutely delicious, in both concept and execution. Director Cameron Mackenzie has dug to the heart of the implied core tenets of masculinity and femininity in Shakespeare’s script, and has brought those values to the surface so the show can smash them to pieces.

Placing one of Shakespeare’s butchest heroes and one of his sexiest heroines in the hands of the opposite gender, along with Julius Caesar and most of their armies, lets the actors revel in the artifice of performing that gender. The mesh of that artifice with their characters’ genuine emotion is truly a joy to watch.

As Antony, Ivy Charles is loud, bombastic, and commanding— she’s larger than life, dangerous in Antony’s temper and his passion.

Dylan Floyde’s Cleopatra is sensual and devious, equal parts sassy drag queen and mysterious femme fatale. Each of them has a lot of fun putting on the airs of his or her performed gender, but all the same, there’s something so honest about the life they put into the characters. Their chemistry is right on the

d IN MODERN THEATRE, stagecraft can make impossible things seem real in increasingly astonishing ways. With this in mind, it may be surprising to find that a whole musical can emerge from a sole performer, thriving on the possibilities of pure imagination. A darkly comic tale of possession, Herringbone is a one-person spectacle from which a dozen personalities collide in their quest for salvation, challenging the limits of theatrical performance.

Set in Depression-era Alabama, Herringbone tells the story of George, an eight-year-old boy whose talent for oration is noticed by Nathan Mosely, adjudicator for an annual speech contest and one half of an ex-vaudeville duo, the Chicken and the Frog. On his suggestion, George is suited in herringbone and enrolled in private lessons to become a full-fledged actor, only to discover that his towering abilities come courtesy of Mosely’s late partner, Lou the Frog, whose spirit now struggles for control over the boy’s body. Impoverished and starstruck by Hollywood, George’s parents, Arthur and Louise, strike an uneasy truce with Lou as they dance their way across America, vacillating between fear and avarice.

Written by Canadian playwright Tom Cone, this musical is an adaptation of an earlier one-act play by

Dylan Floyde and Ivy Charles play with artifice but put in emotionally engaged performances in Studio 58’s impressive Antony and Cleopatra. Photo by Ross den Otter

money, their bad romance thriving on the perfect mix of affection and spite. And still, their end is deeply, heartbreakingly tragic—helped by Charles and Floyde acting up a storm in Antony’s death scene, in particular.

Emma Ross, as Caesar, is also a standout in this production. She’s utterly venomous in her delivery as the callous, cunning strategist— which is, as it turns out, deeply satisfying coming from a female actor.

All three main actors are supported by a great ensemble—every soldier, senator, and servant is bringing his or her A-game, and making the show feel so full of life.

The action plays out within

Lauchlin Johnston’s ingenious set— four on-stage walls that rotate between gold, representing Egypt, and white marble, representing Rome.

It’s minimalist, but surprisingly versatile, and a great way of shifting the space and letting the actors fill out a new location with very few moving parts. Yet the show still feels decadent, Cleopatra’s palace rich and hedonistic.

The entire production is passionate, down to every detail. It pulls apart the affectations of gender, love, and war in brilliant ways, and has a fantastic time doing it. As for the audience, it will have a fantastic time witnessing it.

by Katherine Dornian

the same name, whose light tone and sombre theme carry over to this full-length piece. In twisted fashion, Cone has created a work that functions as a coming-of-age story, but instead of traditional morals drawn from boyhood misadventures, the play juxtaposes innocence against a courage that precipitates pitch-black outcomes.

At the same time, it is also a jaunt of infectious musicality, a run of musical numbers that beguile viewers with their benign joviality.

On alternating nights, Luisa Jojic and Peter Jorgensen play all the characters on-stage. Jojic, whom I had the pleasure of seeing, is consummate in her transformations— so complete are her personae that you momentarily forget there is only one person on stage at any time. Through cucoloris shadow work and a monogrammed trunk, set and lighting designer Sophie Tang turns a bare stage into a string of locales, among them the interior of a car, a gnarled garden, a store’s counter, and a hotel bed.

Director Kayla Dunbar keeps actions dynamic by varying the playing space, through an interplay of direct addresses to the cabaret audience and exchanges with Thumbs Dubois (Sean Bayntun), who leads a three-piece band through vaudevillian sounds.

With ways to integrate everincreasing complexities into theatrical productions, it is refreshing to see exemplary acting at the forefront of storytelling. Designed for a cast of one, Herringbone is a unique exploration of innocence, greed, vengeance, and love, all filtered through convivial song and dance.

by Danny Kai Mak

studio 5 8 / lang ara colleg e presents

UPCOMING CONCERTS Buy Today ANDREW CRUST

myVSO.ca

604.876.3434

CHRISTOPHER GAZE

BONJOUR PARIS! WITH CHRISTOPHER GAZE

OCT 3, 2PM | ORPHEUM

Parc Retirement Living Tea & Trumpets. Christopher Gaze and VSO Assistant Conductor Andrew Crust host a stroll through the streets of Paris with music of Offenbach, Berlioz and more.

JORGE CALANDRELLI: I BELONG TO THE STARS

STRAUSS & MESSIAEN

OCT 4/5, 8PM | ORPHEUM

London Drugs VSO Pops Jorge Calandrelli is the Six-time Grammy® Awardwinning composer and arranger to the stars behind albums by Tony Bennett (13 albums), Celine Dion, Madonna, Elton John, Yo-Yo Ma and many, many more.

Join Maestro Calandrelli and special guest Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis for an insider’s tour of some of the greatest music ever written.

shakespeare’s

antony cleopatra a ta le of power and lust sept 26 – oct 13

604.684.2787 | ticketstonight.ca

www.studio5 8 .ca

tickets from

$12.50

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VIVALDI’S RING OF MYSTERY

OCT 6, 2PM | ORPHEUM

OriginO Kids’ Concerts This touching story of a gifted orphan in 17th-century Venice, packed with Vivaldi’s best music, is sure to delight young audience members.

OCT 10, 7:30PM | PYATT HALL OCT 13, 2PM | PYATT HALL

VSO Chamber Players A reflection on World War II: Richard Strauss’s Metamorphosen was written in the closing months the war, while Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time was premièred in a prisoner of war camp in 1941.

ALONG THE DANUBE: STRAUSS, SCHUBERT, BRAHMS AND BARTÓK

OCT 11, 8PM | BELL CENTRE, SURREY OCT 12, 8PM | ORPHEUM

Surrey Nights & Musically Speaking Brahms’ Hungarian Dances, Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and more: featuring entertaining Viennese conductor Sascha Goetzel and soulful violinist Guy Braunstein. Don’t miss the VSO School of Music Honour Jazz Combo Prelude Concert in the lobby at 7pm on Friday Oct 11. Saturday’s performance includes HD close-ups of the performers.

OCT 3 TEA & TRUMPETS SERIES SPONSOR

OCT 4/5 VSO POPS SERIES SPONSOR

OCT 4 VSO POPS CONCERT SPONSOR

OCT 6 KIDS’ CONCERTS SERIES SPONSOR

PREMIER EDUCATION PARTNER

MEDIA SPONSOR

OCT 4/5 VSO POPS RADIO SPONSOR

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 75

Elixir will showcase the fusion between the two artists.

Boky and Blake share the figure as a material extension, a fragment, disseminated on the net in this digital age.

We are nothing more than a summation of destinies without an identity in an infinitude of places.

VETTA CHAMBER MUSIC

Back from electrifying performances in New York City and Barcelona

Joan Blackman Artistic Director

2019-2020 34

TH

SEASON

Thank you for voting VETTA CHAMBER MUSIC runner-up again for BEST LOCAL CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE!

Program 1 Oct 31 Nov 1 2 Aszure Barton BUSK Johan Inger B.R.I.S.A.

Que een Elizabeth Theatre balletbc.com PLATINUM SEASON SPONSOR

SUPPORT FOR BALLET BC HAS BEEN GENEROU

Y

ART FOR ALL SEATING

PERFORMANCE SPONSOR

HOTEL SPONSOR

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MARTHA LOU HENLEY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION season media sponsor BALLET BC DANCER SCOTT FOWLER. PHOTO BY MICHAEL SLOBODIAN.

76 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 / 2019

ARTS

Exhibit weaves together Indigenous world

by Robin Laurence

VISUAL ARTS TRANSITS AND RETURNS

At the Vancouver Art Gallery until February 23

d RANGING FROM FUR CLOAKS, fish traps, and multichannel videos to bark cloth, beaded moccasins, and a sequin-covered wind turbine, Transits and Returns is an ambitious and engaging exhibition. Based on themes of Indigenous connection to ancestral lands and journeys to and from them, from an enduring sense of home, the show is also remarkable for the spirit of collaboration that has brought culturally and geographically diverse artists, curators, and venues together.

Under the auspices of the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia, and organized by five curators, its current (and third) iteration surveys work by 21 contemporary Indigenous artists from around the Pacific.

Four of the curators—Sarah Biscarra Dilley from California, Freja Carmichael from Australia, Lana Lopesi of Samoan ancestry and based in New Zealand, and Tarah Hogue, the VAG’s senior curatorial fellow, Indigenous art—were at the recent media preview of the show. (A fifth, Léuli Eshrāghi, of Samoan, Persian, and other ancestry, was named but not present. His absence contributed to the impression that women as both artists and curators dominate the show.) As they toured us around the VAG’s thirdfloor galleries, the curators spoke eloquently about the art on view, much of it commissioned for the show. Daina Augaitis, the VAG’s interim director, remarked that contemporary Indigenous art is “inclusive of both ancestral

Carol McGregor’s impressive Skin Country depicts the local flora of her Aboriginal people’s land. Photo by Carl Warner

knowledge and global connections”.

Subthemes in Transits and Returns, the curators told us, include territory, kinship, representation, and movement. They also stressed their desire to be responsive to each Indigenous territory in which the show appears, and also to be sensitive to differing “cultural protocols”.

Within the context of Vancouver’s location on traditional and unceded Coast Salish territory, Debra Sparrow’s beautiful weavings of hand-spun sheep’s wool assert a powerful presence. Together with her sisters Wendy and Robyn, this Musqueam artist has led the renewal of her community’s

ancient weaving practice, represented here by four of her gorgeously conceived and executed blankets. Three of them were commissioned for family and community and the fourth is a replication of a historic Coast Salish blanket from a European collection.

Whether honouring traditional geometric patterns and pigments or creating new forms of expression through appliquéd motifs in unexpected colours, Sparrow speaks eloquently of the Musqueam past, present, and future.

The resurgence of Coast Salish weaving practices in the last few decades parallels that of possum-skin cloak-making within Australia’s

Aboriginal communities, represented here by Carol McGregor’s Skin Country. This impressive work—a monumentally oversized cloak— speaks to the garment’s cultural significance. However, instead of painting the inside of the skins with individual and tribal designs and symbolic maps of territory, as has been the custom, McGregor depicts her Indigenous community’s “country” with images of local flora. She has executed these images in the idiom of European botanical prints and drawings, perhaps in reference to the Scottish side of her family.

Other works on view include Hākari by the cross-cultural BC

Collective, based in Tāmaki Makaurau, New Zealand. (BC here stands for “Before Cook” and “Before Columbus”.)

A feast-table installation, it features handmade ceramic dishes, beaded napkins, and bark-cloth placemats, and evokes the sharing of food as a means of remembering home and strengthening kinship. Mariquita “Micki” Davis, a Chamoru artist from Guam, based in Los Angeles, has lensed a complex, multipart video work, Magellan Doesn’t Live Here.

Through the metaphor of an attempt to build an ancient Chamoru sailing canoe and pilot it across the ocean, the video grapples with the idea of home—where it is and whether it’s possible to find a place there.

Wuikinuxv and Klahoose artist Bracken Hanuse Corlett’s superb button blanket with projected animation, Qvùtix, references his family’s crest figures and the transformation that occurs when someone dons a dance robe. Within some North American Indigenous groups, Trickster may take the form of Coyote, a belief that resonates in I Bind You Nancy. This small sculpture by Modoc-Klamath artist Natalie Ball consists of a coyote skull partially dressed in beaded deerskin moccasins and mounted on a used, white cardboard box, as if the work had just been unpacked from it. Within the sharp-toothed jaws of the skull are beheaded pieces of vintage “Indian” dolls, each tightly wrapped in sinew thread. It’s a fierce and complex work, suggesting the legacy of colonialism—death, displacement, and misrepresentation. At the same time, it is a refusal of this history and, like many of the works here, an assertion of an enduring Indigenous presence. g

“A plan was forming in my head ...

I was saving to go to Paris” -Emily Carr

Emily FRESH Carr SEEING FRENCH MODERNISM AND THE WEST COAST

PRESENTED PRESENTED BY: BY:

21 SEPTEMBER 2019 — 19 JANUARY 2020

WHISTLER, BC

PROJECT IS FUNDED IN PART THISTHIS PROJECT IS FUNDED IN PART

BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA:

BY THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA:

MAJOR MAJOR SPONSORS: SPONSORS:

TOM TERESA TOM && TERESA GAUTREAU GAUTREAU

EXCLUSIVE EXCLUSIVE TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER: TRANSPORTATION PROVIDER:

HOTEL HOTEL PARTNER: PARTNER:

IMAGE CREDIT: LeLe Paysage IMAGE CREDIT: Paysage

(Brittany Landscape) (detail), (Brittany Landscape) (detail),1911.

1911.

Audain ArtArt Museum Collection; Audain Museum Collection;

purchased with funds provided purchased with funds providedbyby

Audain Foundation the the Audain Foundation

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 77

ARTS LISTINGS 9:30 pm, Vancouver Maritime Museum. Free.

ONGOING A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS Two women’s lives intersect through fate in a sweeping tale set in war-torn Afghanistan.

To Oct 13, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.

From $29.

HERRINGBONE Off-Broadway hit set in 1929 in the heart of the Great Depression. To Oct 6, Anvil Centre Theatre. $24-36.

THE SHIPMENT A subversive modern minstrel show about black identity. To Oct 5, Firehall Arts Centre. From $20.

THE BIRDS & THE BEES Play about a turkey farmer who splits up with her husband and moves in with her beekeeper mom. To Oct 26, Granville Island Stage. From $29.

LIVE 2019 The 11th edition of Vancouver’s LIVE International Performance Art Biennale features contemporary performance art from Vancouver and around the world. To Oct 6, VIVO Media Arts. $10.

WHAT WE’RE UP AGAINST A dark comedy about breaking the glass ceiling. Oct 1-12, 8-10 pm, Havana Theatre. $25.

ADIEU MONSIEUR HAFFMANN Romantic thriller about lives shaped by the twin scourges of war and the black market. Oct 1-5, 8-9:30 pm, Studio 16. $21-31.

BACK TO SCHOOL THEATRESPORTS Backto-school-themed improv. To Oct 12, 7:30 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.75.

OK TINDER Dating themed improv comedy.

To Dec 26, 9:15-10 pm, The Improv Centre.

From $10.75.

MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AT UBC aIN A DIFFERENT LIGHT: REFLECTING ON NORTHWEST COAST ART to summer 2020 aSHADOWS, STRINGS AND OTHER THINGS: THE ENCHANTING THEATRE OF PUPPETS to Oct 14 MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER aHAIDA NOW: A VISUAL FEAST OF INNOVATION AND TRADITION to Dec 1 aTHERE IS TRUTH HERE to Dec 31 VANCOUVER ART GALLERY aVIEWS OF THE COLLECTION: THE STREET to Nov 17 aVIKKY ALEXANDER: EXTREME BEAUTY to Jan 26 aROBERT RAUSCHENBERG 1965–1980 to Jan 26 aTRANSITS AND RETURNS to Feb 23 THE POLYGON aWITHOUT A WORD to Nov 3

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2

J PRE -CO OIN US NCE RT T FOR A ALK AT 6 :45P M

FRAGILE Live animation and detailed paper models invite us to look carefully at the intricate mechanisms of the everyday. Oct 2-6, Presentation House Theatre. $22/18/12.50.

WEDNESDAY NOON HOURS The Koerner Piano Trio performs works by Haydn and Schubert. Oct 2, 12-1 pm, Roy Barnett Recital Hall. $5.

OPENING NIGHT BASH TRANSFORM: A Cabaret Festival celebrations hosted by Musqueam artist Quelemia Sparrow and Australian cabaret artist Lisa Fa’alafi of Hot Brown Honey fame. Oct 2, 3, 7:30 pm, York Theatre. $26.

FOCUS CIA DE DANÇA: STILL REICH Brazilian dance troupe makes its West Coast debut with a program performed to the music of Steve Reich. Oct 2-4, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $34/25.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3

FOCUS ON CLASSICS

LUZIA Cirque du Soleil presents a poetic and acrobatic ode to the culture of Mexico. Oct 3– Dec 29, Under the Grand Chapiteau (Big Top), Concorde Pacific Place. $39-$270.

VANCOUVER ART SHOW One-day exhibition of established and emerging B.C. artists.

Oct 3, 5-9 pm, Beaumont Studios. Free.

AROUND THE WORLD IN A DUGOUT CANOE Join authors and marine historians John MacFarlane and Lynn Salmon for a book launch and illustrated talk. Oct 3, 7:30-

I CARE WHAT YOU THINK Multimedia performance-installation in which the artists oscillate between action and observation. Oct 3-5, 8 pm, Performance Works. $15-25.

TERROR BY GASLIGHT Vagabond Players present a play about a 19th-century doctor in need of cadavers. Oct 3-26, 8-10 pm, The Bernie Legge Theatre. $12-17.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 DANCING LESSONS Naked Goddess Productions presents Mark St. Germain’s play about a professor with autism who approaches his neighbour for a dancing lesson.

Oct 4-20, 4, Jericho Arts Centre. $15-25.

ART SONGS AND ARIAS Program includes works by Handel and Bernstein. Oct 4, 11:45 am, BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts. Free.

OUT FOR LUNCH The Vancouver Chamber Players Trio performs works by Brahms and Sviridov. Oct 4, 12:10-1 pm, Vancouver Art Gallery. Free for VAG members.

A CONVERSATION WITH MARI BOINE Sámi vocalist discusses her work as an artist and her Indigenous heritage. Oct 4, 3:30-4:30 pm, Native Education College. Free.

BED & BREAKFAST Comedy about being out and finding home. Oct 4, 7 pm; Oct 5, 3 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $49/47/19.

VHINE UND SZONG: FANTASTIC FEMMES Veda Hille and guests Jaye Simpson and Carleigh Baker read and sing and reminisce.

Oct 4, 7 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

debut novel, with host Lydia Kwa and guest reader Natasha Gauthier. Oct 4, 7-9 pm, Massy Books. Free.

THEATRESPORTS Two teams of players are pitted against each other in competitive improv matches. Oct 4-5 & 11-12, 7:30 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.75.

THE WOMEN OF COMEDY Standup comedy

by Martha Chaves, Steph Tisdell, Nour Hadidi, and Erica Sigurdson. Oct 4, 5, 7:30 pm, York Theatre. $26.

TEEN ANGST NIGHT Comedic reading series where adults share their angsty teenage musings. Oct 4, 8-10 pm, Fox Cabaret. $12/15.

A COMEDY OF TENORS Ken Ludwig’s play imagines the last frantic hours before a Three Tenors-style concert in Paris. Oct 4-19, 8 pm, Metro Theatre. $28/25.

THE DARLINGS Multidisciplinary, nonbinary, local drag-performance group. Oct 4, 9:15 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 TEATRO INTIMO DEL FLAMENCO Karen Flamenco presents live flamenco dance and music. Oct 5, 3-4 pm, 5-6 pm, Improv Theatre Vancouver. $12.

WORLD OF DANCE LIVE TOUR Live interpretation of NBC’s dance-competition TV show features performances by the Kings, Unity LA, and Luka and Jenalyn. Oct 5, 4 & 8:30 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. $75/59.50/39.50.

STEPH TISDELL: IDENTITY STEFT Indigenous comedian Steph Tisdell delves into

see next page

THE CAUSES Launch of Cathy Stonehouse’s

BEST f MEDIA, ARTS & CULTURE CLASSICAL MUSIC ENSEMBLE

1. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 2. Turning Point Ensemble 3. Vetta Chamber Music

CLASSICAL VOCAL ENSEMBLE

1. Chor Leoni 2. Vancouver Chamber Choir 3. Elektra Women’s Choir

PERFORMING-ARTS FESTIVAL

1. Vancouver Fringe Festival 2. PuSh International Performing Arts Festival 3. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

MUSEUM

1. Museum of Anthropology at UBC 6393 NW Marine Drive 2. Vancouver Maritime Museum 1905 Ogden Avenue 3. Museum of Vancouver 1100 Chestnut Street

THEATRE COMPANY

1. Arts Club Theatre Company 2. Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival 3. Firehall Arts Centre

PRIVATE ART GALLERY

1. Rennie Museum 51 East Pender Street 2. Catriona Jeffries Gallery 950 East Cordova Street 3. Equinox Gallery 525 Great Northern Way

PUBLIC ART GALLERY

1. Vancouver Art Gallery 750 Hornby Street 2. The Polygon Gallery 101 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver 3. Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art 639 Hornby Street

THEATRE OR DANCE VENUE

1. Queen Elizabeth Theatre 630 Hamilton Street 2. The Cultch 1895 Venables Street 3. Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage 2750 Granville Street

PROFESSIONAL DANCE COMPANY

1. Ballet BC 2. Kidd Pivot 3. Kokoro Dance

Closes Monday, October 14

7:30PM | FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2019 PACIFIC SPIRIT UNITED CHURCH, 2205 W 45TH AVE AT YEW ST

WITH THE FOCUS CHOIR OF UNIVERSITY AND COLLEGE SINGERS | CHLOE MEYERS & ELYSSA LEFURGEY-SMITH, VIOLINS | ALEXANDER WEIMANN & NATALIE MACKIE, CONTINUO Monteverdi and Schütz must have been soulmates.

Monteverdi grew up in the rolling landscapes of Catholic Tuscany, while Schütz was in Protestant central Germany, but their musical forms and ideals are uncannily similar. Their gift for setting texts to music and enhancing the words made everything sound natural. Buxtehude, Mendelssohn and Brahms were also masters of breathing life into words.

1.855.985.ARTS (2787) vancouverchamberchoir.com

78 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

The

Enchanting Theatre of Puppets

authors Michael Christie, Samantha Nutt, and Steven Price. Oct 7, 6:30-9:30 pm, Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel. $99.75-110.

Arts HOT TICKET

LUZIA (October 3 to December

ADIEU MONSIEUR HAFFMANN (To October 5 issues of identity and colonialism. Oct 5, 4 pm; Oct 6, 2 pm; Historic Theatre. $35.

VIRAGO NATION: STRIPPING FOR SOVEREIGNTY Vancouver’s very own all-Indigenous burlesque troupe. Oct 5, 8 pm; Oct 11, 9:15 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

VANCOUVER PHILHARMONIC 2019-20 SEASON OPENER Program includes works

by MacCunn (Land of the Mountain and Flood), Bruch (Concerto for clarinet and viola), and Dvořák (Symphony No. 8). Oct 5, 8 pm, Shaughnessy Heights United Church. $20/15/10.

ALICIA TOBIN’S COME DRAW WITH ME Audience drawings inspire Alicia Tobin’s comedy. Oct 5, 8 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $10/12.

COMEDY TRIPLE BILL: THE BEST OF THE WEST Standup comedy by Charlie Demers, Dan Quinn, and Toby Hargrave. Oct 5, 8 pm, The ACT Arts Centre. $29/37.50/45.

COMEDYPANTS Monthly standup-comedy showcase hosted by Alistair Ogden. Oct 5, 8:30-10 pm, Avant Garden. $10/15.

THE COMIC STRIP Standup comedy by Byron Bertram, Gavin Clarkson, and headliner Jon Gagnon. Oct 5, 9 pm, Tyrant Studios. $18.

JORGE CALANDRELLI: I BELONG TO THE STARS

(October 4 and 5 at the Orpheum) Jorge Calandrelli’s work as a composer and arranger spans the realms of jazz, pop, film scores, and more. He’s penned arrangements for megastars like Tony Bennett, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Michael Bublé, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, and Elton John. In this concert, he and Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis join the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for a jaunt through some of his greatest hits. g THE LATE SHOW Edgy, uncensored improv comedy for adults 19 and over. Oct 5, 11:1511:59 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.75.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 SUGAR SAMMY Comedian performs a standup show. Oct 6, 7:45-9:45 am, Centennial Theatre. $59.

INSIDE MAN: VOLUME 2 Improv comedy on the theme of masculinity. Oct 6, 7:30 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $10.

THE ANXIETY SHOW: F*$% BODY SHAMING Alternative comedy with a mental-heath focus. Oct 6, 8 pm, Kino Cafe. By donation.

EVAN DESMARAIS PRESENTS PIZZA & ICE CREAM Canadian comedian performs a night of standup. Oct 6, 8 pm, Keto Caveman Cafe (in the basement). $15/20.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 THE LAUGH GALLERY WITH GRAHAM CLARK Graham Clark and friends perform at a comedy show with trivia and prizes. Oct 7, 9 pm, Havana Theatre. $5.

VANCOUVER READ FOR THE CURE Literary event in support of cancer research featuring

OCT 9-12 8PM

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 VIEW FROM A WINDOW An original, comedic, and ultimately celebratory exploration of what life is like for seniors today. Oct 8, 7 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $10.

THE SHIPMENT A subversive modern minstrel show about black identity. Oct 8-12, 7:30 pm, Presentation House Theatre. $30/25/18.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9 MARINA THIBEAULT Violist performs works

by Schumann and Kurtág with pianist Philip Chiu and clarinetist Jean-François Normand.

Oct 9, 12-1 pm, Roy Barnett Recital Hall. $5.

JOURNEY TO SOUTH ASIA & BEYOND Multicultural evening of classical and contemporary South Asian dance and music. Oct 9, 7 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

WRITING VANCOUVER NOIR Author Sam Wiebe discusses how crime fiction can deal with social issues. Oct 9, 7-9 pm, BC Alliance for Arts +Culture. $10/5.

THE FLAME: CABARET EDITION Raconteurs, storytellers, spoken-word artists, and musicians share true stories. Oct 9, 7:30 pm, York Theatre. $25.

BED & BREAKFAST Mark Crawford’s comedy about being out and finding home. Oct 9-20, 7:30-9:40 pm, Surrey Arts Centre. $29-49.

AFRICAN VILLAGE EXPERIENCE Interactive event involving storytelling, singing, and dancing. Oct 9, 9:15 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 CHEECH AND CHONG Famed pot-comedy duo composed of Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Oct 10, Abbotsford Centre.

COST OF LIVING Pulitzer Prize–winning play about relationships and living with physical disabilities. Oct 10–Nov 3, Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre. From $29.

PIANOPOLY Performance by the Canadian Piano Quartet, composed of Anne LouiseTurgeon, Edward Turgeon, and Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann. Oct 10, 10 am–12 pm, The ACT Arts Centre. $27.50.

DISCOVER DANCE! VANCOUVER PARS NATIONAL BALLET Iranian traditional and folkloric dances. Oct 10, 6:30 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $22/18.

OK TINDER Improv comedy looking at the good, the bad, and the laughable of Vancouver’s dating scene. Oct 10, 9:15-10:30 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.75.

Photos: Daniel O’Shea, Hong Kong Exile & fu-GEN Theatre

29 under the big top at Concord Pacific Place) Cirque du Soleil’s back in town with a show that’s been wowing even critics who may be tiring of contemporary circus spectacles; the New York Times has called the Mexico-inspired show “peak Cirque”. Propelled by two giant turntables, the in-theround action travels from an old movie set to a cenote and jungle.

Among the highlights: a Cyr-wheel act is performed in the rain, a waterfall gushes at centre stage, and a life-sized mechanical jaguar goes on the attack.

at Studio 16) Vancouver’s francophone theatre company transports audiences to Vichy France, where a Jewish jeweller strikes a complex bargain to hide in his basement while his employee runs his store. Written

by Jean-Philippe Daguerre, the piece scored four of France’s prestigious Molière Awards in 2018. Enjoy it with English surtitles on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday performances.

NO FOREIGNERS HONG KONG EXILE AND FU-GEN THEATRE IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE SHADBOLT CENTRE FOR THE ARTS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

A multi-media meditation on cultural creation and clash in North American Chinese malls.

VANCOUVER HALLOWEEN PARADE AND EXPO Festival inspired by comics, anime, video games, and mythologies from various cultures. Oct 11-13, Robson Square.

shadboltcentre.com | 604-205-3000 shadboltcentre boxoffice@burnaby.ca |

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rne Eig performer, A y b t d create oration amongs ble of m b a colla r, and an ense e s c o m p o n t ag e n t s e l intel ig

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SUN OCT 20 at 3pm I VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE The members of this vibrant young trio — pianist Zhang Zuo, violinist Esther Yoo, and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan — met on the BBC’s prestigious New Generation Artists’ scheme. All three enjoy successful international solo careers, but something special happens when they join forces for chamber music performances… it’s pure musical alchemy!

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Free - RSVP Required www.sfuwoodwards.ca OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 79

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BODY AWARENESS Mitch & Murray Productions presents the Canadian premiere of Annie Baker’s comedy. Oct 11-20, Studio 16. $14-32.

CIRQUE TRANSFORMING Contemporary circus crossed with traditional hoop dancing.

Oct 11, 7:30 pm, York Theatre. $26.

UBC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Jonathan Girard conducts works by Debussy and Rachmaninoff. Oct 11, 7:30-9:30 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. $8.

HEDDA GABLER Norwegian realist Henrik Ibsen’s psychological drama. Oct 11–Dec 14, 7:3010 pm, Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre. $25.

IMPROV AGAINST HUMANITY Laughter Zone 101 presents The Fictionals’ improv show. Oct 11, 8-10 pm, Anvil Centre. $18.50.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

Thank you for choosing the Queen Elizabeth Theatre as

COREY PAYETTE MUSICAL SONGBOOK Music from Children of God and Les Filles du Roi, plus a sneak peek of the new musical Sedna. Oct 12, 7 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

Best Venue for Theatre/Dance

DRAG TRANSFORMING Drag show featuring performances by Quanah Style, the Darlings, Jaylene Tyme, Coco, and Celestial Seasons. Oct 12, 7:30 pm, York Theatre. $26.

THE COMIC STRIP Standup comedy by Jacob Samuel, Chris Griffin, and headliner Simon King. Oct 12, 9 pm, Tyrant Studios. $18.

SODA FOUNTAIN: A COMEDY SHOW Comedians perform sketches, character bits, improv, and standup. Oct 12, 10:30 pm, Little Mountain Gallery. $8/10.

Come celebrate with

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

at our 1960’s themed costume party

POSTCARDS FROM AFAR The Vancouver Academy of Music Symphony Orchestra performs works by Strauss and Saint-Saëns.

Oct 13, 2 pm, Orpheum Theatre. $10-15.

VIEW FROM A WINDOW Play explores what it’s like for seniors in today’s age of social media and instant gratification. Oct 13, 3-4:30 pm, The ACT Arts Centre. $15/22.50/29.

SHAKESPEARE AFTER DARK A highbrow fusion of Shakespeare and improv. Oct 13, 8 pm, Havana Theatre. $12.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15 THEATRE SPORTS SUMMIT Improv comedy featuring international performers. Oct 15-20, The Improv Centre. From $20.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16 MAESTRO IMPRO Crash-and-burn elimination-style improv show as part of the International TheatreSports Festival. Oct 16, 7:30 pm; Oct 18, 9:30 pm; Oct 19, 9:30 pm, Waterfront Theatre. From $17.

LE ROUNDABOUT Fully improvised contemporary play dealing with relationships, modern living, and the change that happens when we commit to what we want. Oct 16, 7:30 pm, The Nest. From $14.75.

LUCY GUERIN INC: SPLIT The Dance Centre presents Australian choreographer Lucy Guerin’s new work as part of the Global Dance Connections series. Oct 16-17, 8 pm, Scotiabank Dance Centre. $34/25.

OK TINDER INTERNATIONAL EDITION Vancouver TheatreSports ensemble members and international delegates present a global take on the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of dating in the digital age. Oct 16, 9:30 pm, The Improv Centre. From $17.

GORILLA THEATRE Advanced improv format where improvisers direct scenes from the audience. Oct 16, 9:30 pm; Oct 18, 11:30 pm; Oct 19, 11:30 pm, Waterfront Theatre. From $12.75.

LUGARES Improvisers create new stories and parallel worlds as part of the International TheatreSports Festival. Oct 16, 9:30 pm; Oct 18, 7:30 am, The Nest. From $14.75.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 ART MASTERS: PAINTING COMPETITION Painting competition in which artists are given a theme to express within one hour, using a mystery box of supplies. Oct 17, 7-10 pm, Portside Pub. $10.

BEST f MEDIA, ARTS & CULTURE ARTISAN CRAFT FAIR

1. Circle Craft 2. Make It Vancouver 3. Got Craft?

October 26th

Tickets are only $19.59

BURLESQUE SHOW

1. Kitty Nights Productions 2. Geekenders 3. Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society

COMEDIAN

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1. Ivan Decker 2. Graham Clark 3. Charles Demers

COMEDY CLUB

1. Yuk Yuk’s Vancouver 2837 Cambie Street 2. The Comedy MIX (Closed) 1015 Burrard Street 3. Vancouver TheatreSports 1502 Duranleau Street, Granville Island

HISTORICAL DRAMA

COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

1. West 4th Khatsahlano Street Party 2. Italian Day on The Drive 3. Car Free Day—Main Street

Written and Directed by

Marjorie Chan

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LITERARY EVENT

1. Vancouver Writers Fest 2. Word Vancouver 3. Cherie Smith JCC Jewish Book Festival

IMPROV TROUPE OR COMPANY

1. Vancouver TheatreSports 1502 Duranleau Street, Granville Island 2. The Sunday Service (Fox Cabaret) 2321 Main Street 3. The Fictionals Comedy Company Various locations

DANCE STUDIO

1. Harbour Dance Centre 927 Granville Street, 3rd floor 2. iDance Vancouver Various locations 3. Ballet Lounge 1340 Granville Street

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

WAEL SHAWKY: OPENING EVENTS Conversation and opening reception with artist Wael Shawky. Oct 17, 7-10 pm, The Polygon.

Admission by donation.

THE BECHDEL TEST Improv show explores the complexities, relationships, and stories of women as part of the International TheatreSports Festival. Oct 17, 19, 7:30 pm, Waterfront Theatre. From $17.

LIFEGAME An improvised staged biography of a guest’s life as part of the International TheatreSports Festival. Oct 17-18, 7:30 pm, The Nest. From $14.75.

LA TRAVIATA Vancouver Opera gives the perennial favourite a brand-new look. Oct 17, 7:30 pm; Oct 19, 7:30 pm; Oct 24, 7:30 pm; Oct 27, 2 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. $42-180.

THE CREATURE CREEPS! A throwback to classic (and campy) Hollywood horror. Oct 17, 8 pm; Oct 18, 8 pm; Oct 20, 2 pm; Oct 23, 8 pm; Oct 24, 8 pm; Oct 25, 8 pm; Oct 26, 8 pm; Oct 19, 8 pm, Evergreen Cultural Centre. $19-24.

THE BUSINESS OF MURDER Richard Harris’s psychological thriller on the theme of revenge. Oct 17–Nov 2, 8-10:30 pm, The Theatre at Hendry Hall. $20/18.

PLAY UNSCRIPTED An improvised contemporary play created from scratch as part of the International TheatreSports Festival. Oct 17, 9:30 pm, Waterfront Theatre. From $17.

THE FEROCIOUS FOUR An improvised tale of action, power, and heroines with an all-female cast as part of the International TheatreSports Festival. Oct 17, 9:30 pm; Oct 19, 7:30 pm, The Nest. From $14.75.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 HOLD THESE TRUTHS Play starring Joel de la Fuente as Gordon Hirabayashi, a U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who fought against the mass incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry during WWII. Oct 18–Nov 2, Historic Theatre. $25-50.

EL JAGUAR’S FIESTA CITY BUS TOUR Jump on a bus with masked Mexican Luchador El Jaguar for an “alternative facts” tour of Vancouver. Oct 18-20, 5 pm, The Improv Centre. $31.50.

SCARY MONSTERS (AND SUPER CREEPS) Kitty Nights Productions presents a rock ‘n’ roll variety show. Oct 18, 7-10:30 pm, Columbia Theatre. $20-45.

JUNCTIONS TOUR Violinist Amy Hillis and pianist Meagen Milatz perform works by André Mathieu, David L. McIntyre, and Claude Debussy. Oct 18, 8 pm, Pyatt Hall. From $15.

FRANKENSTEIN: LOST IN DARKNESS Experience Mary Shelley’s haunting fable of hubris and loss reinterpreted as an immersive audio drama. Oct 18–Nov 2, 8-10 pm, Pacific Theatre. $20-36.50.

BEAR WITNESS Thriller by James Reach about a young woman who witnesses a murder. Oct 18–Nov 2, 8-10:30 pm, Deep Cove Shaw Theatre. $22/20.

FRISKY FRIDAY An all-star cast of Vancouver TheatreSports ensemble members and visiting international improvisers explore the funny side of naughty. Oct 18, 9:30 pm, The Improv Centre. From $23.25.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 JUST A HOP OFF GRANVILLE! Enjoy wine and treats and works by more than 50 local artists and makers. Oct 19, 11 am–6 pm, Pacific Arts Market. Free.

FIRST PICK HANDMADE HOME DECOR Handmade home-decor show featuring works by more than 30 local artisans. Oct 19-20, 11 am–6 pm, Heritage Hall. $3.

THE TOYS STRIKE BACK! Improvised performance based on the toys and stories that kids bring to the show. Oct 19, 2 pm, 4 pm, The Improv Centre. From $9.50.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20 GLORIOUS STRINGS Performances by Quebec’s Saguenay String Quartet and B.C.’s Lafayette String Quartet. Oct 20, 3 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $49/47/19.

VANCOUVER GUITAR DUO Guitarists Staton Jack and Louise Southwood perform a mix of original duo guitar arrangements. Oct 20, 4-5 pm, Roedde House Museum. $15/12.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 MONSTER MATCHES Halloween-themed improv comedy. Oct 22, 7:30-9 pm; Oct 23, 7:309 pm; Oct 25, 9:30-11 pm; Oct 29, 7:30-9 pm; Oct 30, 7:30-9 pm, The Improv Centre. From $10.75.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23 WHAT DO PICTURES WANT: THE PHOTOGRAPHS OF SHEILA PREE BRIGHT American photographer and activist Sheila Pree Bright reflects on her work. Oct 23, 6-8 pm, Pyatt Hall. Free.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24 CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL Comedy, theatre, dance, and music, featuring Sandra Bernhard, Iris Bahr, Daniel Cainer, and Gary Lucas. Oct 24–Nov 24, various venues. $24-60.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

GATEWAYTHEATRE.COM , H GatewayThtr ৵৯৳ ৱ৶৯ ৰ৷ৰৱ Jennifer Tong. Photo: David Cooper.

80 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

VANCOUVER HORROR SHOW FILM FESTIVAL 2019 Join us at the York Theatre for a blood-red carpet night of horror films. After a sold-out inaugural year, the Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival is returning for the sequel on October 25-26, with three blocks of short horror films (32 films from 9 different countries), and the Canadian premiere of the feature film Puppet Killer. Oct 25-26, York Theatre. $17.50-22.50.

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 into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

viff ’19

Dogs, yaks, skin, and other delights

WITH THE lineup at last Saturday’s screening of The Lighthouse stretching for almost three blocks, it’s safe to say that this year’s Vancouver International Film Festival has already knocked it out of the park— and with more than a week left to go. See below for some of our recommendations (and otherwise), and go to Straight.com for even more reviews, features, and notes.

AMANDA (France) Subtle-minded filmmaker Mikhaël Hers uses a fictional (but too familiar) event in modern Paris to dramatize the smaller ways that families are altered by larger tragedies. Versatile up-and-comer Vincent Lacoste plays a somewhat aimless 20-something—himself sort of abandoned by an English mother (the great Greta Scacchi)—forced to grow up when suddenly put in charge of his little niece. She’s a charming but normal kid, rather than the precocious wonder we usually get in family dramas. The film ends abruptly, at a Wimbledon tennis match, but the game keeps going in your head, and heart. See it. International Village, October 5 (6:15 p.m.) and October 8 (11 a.m.) by Ken Eisner BELONGING (Turkey/Canada/France) A short movie that feels long, it begins with a reading of the confession signed by a boyfriend of the filmmaker’s aunt, who went to prison for helping to murder her own mother. Belonging then painstakingly reenacts not the crime but the commonplace romantic meeting between the unlikely killers. Burak Çevik’s intentionally stoical direction defies emotional involvement, but something about his film’s flat irony slowly creeps under your skin. International Village, October 5 (11 a.m.); Cinematheque, October 8 (6:30 p.m.)

by KE

BLOOD QUANTUM (Canada) Jeff Barnaby’s eagerly awaited zombie flick piles on the insane gore effects, and the rage. The haven here isn’t an indoor mall but a remote Mi’kmaq community, the undead bug (let’s call it Politicovirus allegoridae) affects settlers only, and the plot hinges on how to deal with white survivors from the city—with a measure of compassion in the case of Traylor (Michael Greyeyes), much less so for the young hothead Lysol (Kiowa Gordon). As with his Rhymes for Young Ghouls, Barnaby shows an impressive eye (and ear—hello, Waylon Jennings!) for pulpy comic-book style and excess, and the film even resolves into a couple of animated sequences. As such, what it lacks in tension, which is a lot, it gains in nerve and panache. Rio, October 2 (9 p.m.) and October 5 (9:30 p.m.) by Adrian Mack CHERRY BLOSSOMS & DEMONS

(Germany/Japan) Doris Dörrie had a smash with 1985’s comic Men…, and eventually followed it with the minor hit Cherry Blossoms in 2008. This sequel, now with added Demons, pulls together most of the original cast— minus the lead actor, significantly—for the tale of a Bavarian family weirdly intermingled with an odd Japanese clan. Aya Irizuki returns as a beyond-quirky performance artist whose relationship with youngish Karl (Golo Euler) is somehow creepier than the one she had with his late father. Throw in some neo-Nazis and pointless red herrings, and you have a two-hour mishmash that doesn’t know what the hell it wants to be.

Playhouse, October 4 (6 p.m.) and October 6 (11:30 a.m.) by KE DOGS DON’T WEAR PANTS (Fin-

land/Latvia) Following the death of his wife, a heart surgeon fails to mend his own broken ticker, as it were,

convincingly established. The late entry of veteran Fernanda Montenegro offers the film’s only emotional punch. But that comes more than two hours into this soapy slog.

Centre, October 7 (9 p.m.); Playhouse, October 8 (2:45 p.m.) by KE JOEL (Argentina) A childless couple

From left to right: Forrest Goodluck, Michael Greyeyes, and Kiowa Gordon star in director Jeff Barnaby’s gore-drenched Indigenous zombie flick, Blood Quantum.

falling into an obsessive relationship with a dominatrix while neglecting his teenage daughter. Here is an eminently watchable entry in VIFF 2019’s secret theme of grief, though it’s not as edgy as it thinks. Oddly enough, gangly lead Pekka Strang is fresh in our memory as leather-clad Tom of Finland—in a flick that took a similarly demure approach to its sleaze. International Village, October 4 (9:30 p.m.); Cinematheque, October 11 (8:45 p.m.) by AM

in remote southern Argentina wanted to adopt a baby, but they end up fostering a shy nine-year-old who’s been abandoned by his parents and the system—which does nothing to prepare these goodhearted people for what will happen. Writer-director Carlos Sorín takes an antidramatic approach to family crisis—most of the conflicts happen off-screen—and he remains resolutely sympathetic to everyone trying to cope. This makes for a somewhat unresolved story, but that’s probably about right. And the actors are subtly superb. International Village, October 5 (9 p.m.) and October 10 (1 p.m.) by KE

more generous with archival footage tracing the pre-salsa roots of Cuban son, and outlining its 1990s revival, culminating with a trip to Obama’s White House. For reasons unknown, it utterly elides Ry Cooder’s involvement with the Buena Vista album KNIVES AND SKIN (USA) Fresh and movie. SFU, October 5 (9:15 from dividing the audience at Frightp.m.); Rio, October 6 (1:30 p.m.) by KE Fest, this riot of mood and colour is nominally about the mysterious GATEWAYS TO NEW YORK (Switzer- disappearance of teenager Carolyn land) There are at least three stories Harper, her mom’s ensuing freak-out, told in this mostly German-language and the impact on her totemically DOLCE FINE GIORNATA (Poland) doc. One is the saga of Swiss archi- styled friends (all of whom belong to a While it doesn’t nail everything it tect Othmar Ammann, who found choir that performs reverent versions sets out to do, the film you could call his footing as a designer of modern of ’80s hits like “Our Lips Are Sealed” The End of Sweet Days takes on an bridges in early-20th-century Amer- and “Blue Monday”). If that puts us extra-difficult task: defining the role ica. (The Verrazano-Narrows is his somewhere inside Twin Peaks/Stranof artist-provocateurs in authoritar- deco masterwork, but he had a hand ger Things territory—topped up with ian moments. Eighties fave Krystyna in the Golden Gate Bridge, as well.) some Carrie, It Follows, and DonJanda (Man of Marble) stars as a Polish Another is the impact of all that nie Darko—Jennifer Reeder’s film is poet long ensconced on a Tuscan hill- hardware on the national landscape, distinguished by a kind of estrogenside with her wealthy Italian husband. for better or worse. And the third snakepit delirium in which every cast Already pushing social boundaries in involves the brave Mohawks, mostly member appears to have been hypnoher small town, she uses the occasion from Quebec, who actually did the tized, and all the men are presented of a literary award to say something high-wire work of bridgemaking, as utterly pathetic. Needless to say, that sounds sympathetic to terrorists. at tremendous cost. These narrative I loved it. Rio, October 6 (6:45 p.m.)

Director Jacek Borcuch sometimes building blocks never quite sit on the and October 9 (6:30 p.m.) by AM seems more interested in preaching same plane, and the biography feels than in building characters, or story. sketchy. But all the parts are fascinat- LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSBut there are surprises here and the ing. Vancity, October 6 (11 a.m.) and ROOM (Bhutan) The basic story here, of a mildly arrogant young teacher subject is more than timely. Playhouse, October 9 (6 p.m.) by KE forced to fulfill his contract in an October 9 (9:15 p.m.) by KE THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURÍDICE impossibly remote schoolhouse, is ELIADES OCHOA: FROM CUBA TO GUSMÃO (Brazil/Germany) The pretty familiar stuff, even given the THE WORLD (Cuba/Mexico) There’s streets of early-1950s Rio de Janeiro rare Himalayan setting of Bhutan. But a cornucopia of musical charm here, make a compelling backdrop to a tale first-time featuremaker Pawo Choyneven if the central figure—a guitar- that is mostly told in repetitive close- ing Dorji combines ethnographic eleist who revived several fading stars ups and contrived plot elements that ments with gorgeous cinematography, and styles of Cuban music—eludes don’t hold up to scrutiny. The act- a solid narrative structure, and surreal contact. Maybe Ochoa, a key ing is uneven at best, but the biggest prisingly effective acting—especially member of the Buena Vista So- problem (especially for a director from the beyond-adorable children— cial Club, is just too comfortable in as experienced as Madame Satã’s for a highly memorable effort. Espefront of filmmaker Cynthia Bies- Karim Aïnouz) is that the characters cially in the midst of heavier festival tek’s somewhat scattershot camera. of two sisters forced apart by their fare, this warm-hearted, yak-based As it moves along, the film becomes patriarchal pig of a father are never tale reflects what one character calls “a program of gross national happiness”.

International Village, October 6 (6:15 p.m.) and October 8 (1:45 p.m.); VanBEST f MEDIA, ARTS & CULTURE city, October 11 (6:15 p.m.) by KE INDEPENDENT CINEMA

PLACE TO MAKE A BET

1. Rio Theatre 1660 East Broadway 2. Vancity Theatre 1181 Seymour Street 3. The Cinematheque 1131 Howe Street

1. Hastings Racecourse Hastings Park 2. Parq Vancouver 39 Smithe Street 3. River Rock Casino 8811 River Road, Richmond

LOCAL FILM FESTIVAL

LOCAL CASINO

LGBTQ EVENT

LOCAL INSTAGRAM

1. Vancouver International Film Festival 2. DOXA Documentary Film Festival 3. Vancouver Latin American Film Festival

1. Queer Arts Festival 2. Vancouver Pride Parade 3. Queer Film Festival

GAMES BAR

1. Storm Crow Tavern Various locations 2. Colony Bar Various locations 3. Back and Forth Bar 303 Columbia Street

1. Parq Vancouver 39 Smithe Street 2. River Rock Casino 8811 River Road, Richmond 3. Grand Villa Casino 4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby

1. Dr. Pavlou/Skin Technique 2. Erin Ireland 3. Bitemevancouver

LOCAL PODCAST

1. Stop Podcasting Yourself 2. CBC Vancouver Various podcasts 3. Adventure.exe

MY FATHER AND ME (U.K.)

The Me here is Nick Broomfield, maker of controversial bio-docs like Kurt & Courtney and the recent Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love, and the dad at hand is Maurice Broomfield, the preeminent industrial photographer of postwar Britain. How these creative rivals influenced, fought, and learned to love each other is the subject of the director’s most personal, and genuinely moving, effort. It’s also an incisive, if unarticulated, reflection of the U.K.’s steady decline since the Thatcherite ’80s, although the focus stays on personal beliefs—in this case two radically different kinds of socialism, as viewed by both sides of Broomfield’s fascinating family. SFU, October 6 (6:45 p.m.); International Village, October 7 (1:30 p.m.) by KE MY WINDOW (Brazil) What might

appear to be merely an impressionistic camera study culled from images gathered by innovative Brazilian Rodrigo John over an 11-year period, this Window (Mirante, or

“viewpoint” in Portuguese) looks out over vast changes in the national landscape, even if it centres on everyday sights and sounds in the seaside town of Porto Alegre. (Snatches of music, both original and found, mix cleverly with voices from radio and TV.) Even if you’re not interested in the political tensions created by a decade of corruption, protest, and surging authoritarianism in that benighted country, the filmmaker— better known as an animator—has such tactile command of the material that it’s a sheer audio-visual pleasure to just let the 78-minute effort wash over you. Cinematheque, October 9 (8:45 p.m.) by KE RETROSPEKT (Netherlands/Belgium)

Dutch writer-director Esther Rots disorients her viewers with daring formal devices—abrupt chronological shifts, off-kilter camera work, and an outlandish soundtrack, all reflecting the fracturing of the central character’s mental state. The result is a domestic drama raised to a kind of Hitchcockian thriller, where the threats may be real or imagined. We flash between two scenarios. Mette (the spectacular Circé Lethem) is an unlikely protagonist, a social worker and the mother of a newborn and a toddler, whose husband heads off on an extended work stint. When she takes in an unstable domestic-abuse client (Lien Wildemeersch), her calm, IKEAcatalogue home is sent into upheaval.

But we also see her recovering from serious injuries, struggling to remember the events that put her in hospital. Codependency, paranoia, postpartum mental illness, liberal urges to “fix” others, and male aggression may all play a role in her implosion. Like the best VIFF offerings, this complex film is going to divide audiences—even as it totally engrosses them. International Village, October 8 (12:45 p.m.) and October 10 (9:30 p.m.) by Janet Smith

STAFF ONLY (Spain/France)

A delightfully unpushy little study of colonialism with sympathy for everyone involved, Staff Only’s title refers to the one-way door transgressed by a pouty Barcelona teenager (newcomer Elena Andrada) when she goes to Senegal with her little brother and their long-absent travel-agent dad (Franco-Spanish star Sergi López). Through her headstrong, if well-intentioned, actions, she makes trouble for a charming resort photographer she fancies. But the colourful, 81-minute movie’s real heart is found in her soulful connection with a local maid closer to her own age. Young director Neus Ballús is clearly a talent to watch. International Village, October 7 (6:30 p.m.); SFU, October 9 (4 p.m.); International Village, October 10 (11 a.m.) by KE

THOSE WHO REMAINED (Hungary) One of the movie’s alternate titles, Someone to Live For, reveals more about a tale that’s less concerned with the trauma of having survived the Holocaust than with fragile efforts to heal still-open wounds. Set in late-’40s Budapest, the film stars enigmatic young Abigél Szõke as a hollow-eyed teen who lost her parents to the Nazis. She latches on to a stoical, middle-aged doctor (excellent Károly Hajduk), deeply depressed over his own camp experience and struggling quietly with the new Communist orthodoxy.

French-born director Barnabás Tóth favours slow takes in static settings, but that suits a story that gradually finds each character’s still-beating heart. SFU, October 5 (7 p.m.); Vancity, October 10 (11:15 a.m.) by KE

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 81

MOVIES

Garlands for Renée Zellweger’s Judy

by Ken Eisner

REVIEWS JUDY

Starring Renée Zellweger. Rated PG

d “I’LL GO MY way by myself/Here’s how the comedy ends/I’ll have to deny myself/Love and laughter and friends.”

Those are key lyrics from “By Myself”, a signature tune delivered by Judy Garland in the 1963 film I Could Go On Singing, and echoed as an anthem of defiance in Judy, a so-so biopic with a knockout performance by Renée Zellweger.

The movie is itself a kind of comeback for the Oscar winner, after her early-2000s heyday, which included an unexpected turn in the musical Chicago. Here, she plays the Hollywood icon in her final year, awash in booze, pills, and self-pity while making one last grab at the brass rainbow.

At 47, Garland is fighting for custody of her still-small children with agent and ex-husband Sid Luft (Rufus Sewell) when she gets an offer from a big London theatre. Most viewers will see this aware that she died six months later, from a barbiturate overdose, so we know it’s not going to go entirely well. But the high-wire act she performed since childhood always gave her persona a kind of manic juice. People who bought tickets to her U.K. stand never knew if they were going to get triumphantly reborn Judy or train-wreck Judy, and that makes it a strong nexus in which to boil down her whole career.

Unwisely, however, the film (directed by Rupert Goold, with a script adapted by Brit-TV veteran Tom Edge from Peter Quilter’s musical stage play) opens up the story to include other landmarks of her life. There are numerous overly stylized flashbacks, with Darci Shaw (who looks nothing like either actor) as the teen star, force-fed diet pills—to deny herself— by a monstrous mother, and bullied by odious MGM head Louis B. Mayer, with intimations of sexual assault.

Mayer never let her forget she was born poor and unpretty Frances Gumm, and even

A star is reborn in Judy, starring Renée Zellweger as the iconic (and tragic) American entertainer.

after the success of The Wizard of Oz (with its fanciful set a touchstone here), she struggled endlessly to pull her act together. This Piaflike effortfulness was doubtless at the root of her popularity with gay audiences back when “Friends of Dorothy” was a popular euphemism. And that relationship is represented touchingly by an invented evening with a male couple who serve her a late-night supper.

This Judy also has a sketchy fling with fifth husband Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock), and engages in a resentful pas de deux with her poised London assistant (the quietly scenestealing Jessie Buckley).

But mostly it’s a solo act for Zellweger, who does her own singing and dancing, catching hard glimmers of Garland’s voracious talent in its most shopworn state. She grasps the essence of a star who, so far from Kansas, desperately wants your love—but also doesn’t really care what you think.

WHERE’S MY ROY COHN?

A documentary by Matt Tyrnauer. Rated PG

d THE TITLE OF this timely documentary was once uttered by one Donald Trump, who learned his entire legal strategy—“Attack, attack, attack!”—on Roy Cohn’s knee. The future, um, president met the infamous attorney when the latter defended his father against the federal government in one of many suits against the Trump Organization for rampant racial discrimination. Like thousands of cases that followed, they were settled out of court, since Cohn’s other salient advice was “Never admit you’re wrong!”

The Trumpian part of this dystopian saga comes near the end, and it begins with a twist on the usual immigrant success story. Cohn’s parents were wealthy Europeans firmly ensconced in turn-of-the-century New York,

minority division. But something in the young Roy’s makeup made him resent their liberalcapitalist world. Perhaps because he was short, Jewish, physically repellent (resembling Trump’s top baby-cager, Stephen Miller), and secretly gay.

Still, he thrived academically and quickly became a hotshot lawyer, making his name in the prosecution of the Rosenbergs for spying.

He pushed for their execution, and his taste for blood soon led him to represent Senator Joseph McCarthy, who may or may not have shared a closet with Cohn and FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover. Together, they gleefully purged the State Department and then the entertainment industry of left-leaning ethnics. When the army refused to give special treatment to Cohn’s great paramour of the era, David Schine (who may have been straight), the flagwaving duo went after the military, which proved their undoing.

Cohn bailed before his boss went under (McCarthy soon drank himself to death), and then made the logical leap to defending top Mafiosi, baldly lying to juries and the press while enjoying the high life, complete with pool boys, all-male yacht crews, and assorted rough trade.

As veteran filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer (Studio 54, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood) makes clear, through interviews with relatives, associates, and Cohn’s very few friends (Barbara Walters is notably absent), the master manipulator courted fame and social prestige, hanging around with Andy Warhol and, eventually, the younger Trump, who ultimately abandoned his notorious mentor when it became clear he was dying of AIDS. It’s rare to encounter a detailed biography that doesn’t engender at least some sympathy for its subject. But in this case, fellow feeling must be reserved for the viewers who now inhabit the world that Cohn helped create: a place where only winning matters and there are always new alternatives to the facts. As far as humanizing details go, he did have an incredible collection of toy frogs. g

Nature’s answer to opioid addiction

A

by Travis Lupick

82 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

little more than two years ago, Tyler Chandler walked through a forest, feeling a new appreciation for the trees and smaller plants that surrounded him.

“I had an experience with magic mushrooms,” the Vancouver documentary filmmaker told the Straight.

“And it was lovely and delightful, walking through nature.”

The experience set Chandler on a journey that would last much longer than one trip.

Shortly after his first dose of psychedelic drugs, Chandler came across a newspaper article that discussed psilocybin—the psychoactive compound in some 200 species of mushroom that allows humans to explore an altered consciousness—and its potential to help people manage and even eliminate addictions to more dangerous drugs, primarily opioids like heroin and fentanyl.

A week after that, Chandler received a text from a friend named Adrianne.

She was suicidal. Adrianne had struggled with a heroin addiction for as long as Chandler had known her. Now, she felt she had tried and did not succeed with every form of detox, rehab, and treatment program out there. “So I asked her about psilocybin,” Chandler recalled in a telephone interview. “It was all very serendipitous.”

Along with filmmaking partner Nicholas Meyers, the two Vancouver residents began an experiment with magic mushrooms that they hoped would finally free Adrianne from her addiction. The result is Dosed, an intimate exploration of the potential that psychedelics may possess to help people over more traditional treatments for drug addiction.

The film receives its Canadian premiere on Monday (October 7) at the Vogue Theatre, doubling as something of a local convention for people interested in the potential

Adrianne battles addiction with the help of psychedelics in the new doc Dosed.

clinical applications of psychedelic drugs. Trevor Millar, chair of Canada’s Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, will moderate a discussion with Chandler and Meyers, as well as notable members of the psychedelics-research community, including Mark Haden, Dennis McKenna, and Elena Argento. Adrianne will also be there, now free of opioids for more than a year.

Like most people who attempt to beat opioid addicton, Adrianne experienced challenges and setbacks, and Dosed doesn’t try to hide this.

“When things got intense, we said, ‘We’ll put the cameras away.

We do not need to film anymore.

We just want to help you get better,’ ” Chandler said. “And there were a couple times that the cameras were put away.”

Roughly halfway through the film, Adrianne has connected with an underground community of healthcare professionals who offer psychedelics as a treatment for psychological ailments at quiet locations throughout Metro Vancouver. They find that while psilocybin has helped Adrianne with anxiety and depression, she’s still struggling with her physical dependence on heroin.

At this point, Garyth Moxey, founder of Inner Realms Center and

a graduate of the Orenda Institute’s psychedelic-psychotherapy fundamentals program (located on B.C.’s Cortes Island), and then Mark Howard, cofounder of IbogaSoul Shamanic Healing, take charge of Adrianne’s treatment. He recommends she transition from psilocybin to a more powerful psychedelic: iboga, a central African shrub that contains the psychoactive compound ibogaine.

Almost as fascinating as Adrianne’s journey is the extent to which clinicians practising psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy were willing to go on-camera to publicly share their participation in illegal activities.

“It’s civil disobedience,” Moxey says in the film. “Fuck them and their bullshit. You’re going to kick my door in because I’m helping get people off heroin?”

Chandler described it as a matter of timing.

“The consensus among everybody who we spoke to…is that it is time to let people know about this, even if it means that negative consequences come back to them,” he told the Straight. “They are saving lives, helping people get off of heroin and opioids.”

Early academic research suggests that possible clinical applications of psychedelic drugs are at the very least worth further study. Patient sample sizes remain small, but outcomes have generally been very encouraging.

A 2018 Georgia Straight cover story described how Vancouver’s B.C. Centre on Substance Use is positioning the city as a global force in investigating mind-altering drugs for the treatment of addiction and mental disorders.

“The feeling is, it’s time for people to know,” Chandler said. “Hopefully, instead of getting people in trouble, this film will allow the government to look at things and change policy.” g Dosed plays at the Vogue Theatre on Monday (October 7).

Expand the Frame

Edition 38

Discover viff.org

Vancouver International Film Festival September 26 – October 11, 2019

Waves

Cherry Blossoms & Demons

Trey Edward Shults, USA, 135 min.

SAT. OCT 5

Doris Dörrie, Germany/Japan, 110 min.

12:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

The third feature from Trey Edward Shults (Krisha; It Comes at Night) catapults him into the front ranks of new filmmakers. This tremendously cinematic movie puts us in the head of Tyler, a high school athlete on the fast track to success. But when things go awry, bad decisions pile up like wrecked cars, and there will be an accounting, not only for Tyler but for everyone who loves him. Audacious and passionate, this is one of the most soulful and artistically daring American movies since Moonlight.

Marriage Story

The Specials

Noah Baumbach USA, 136 min.

THU. OCT 10

8:45 PM

Guest

Éric Toledano, Olivier Nakache France, 114 min.

CENTRE FOR ARTS

Now more devoted to their respective creative callings than they are to their marriage, Charlie (Adam Driver) and Nicole (Scarlett Johansson) have arrived at a crossroads.

As a playwright, he finds himself poised for success in New York City, their current home.

However, a move to Los Angeles might just vault her acting career to the next level.

BalancingBergman-indebteddramawithwarm comedy, Noah Baumbach entices us into falling in love with this pair and, in turn, mourning what they have lost.

SUN. OCT 6 THU. OCT 10

6:15 PM 11:15 AM

FRI. OCT 4 SUN. OCT 6

6:00 PM 11:30 AM

This sequel to Cherry Blossoms, an audience favourite at VIFF 08, features performances by two great actresses: Hannelore Elsner and Kiki Kirin, both no longer alive. The main focus is Karl (Golo Euler), a grown man stricken with grief at the death of his parents. Returning to his family home with Yu (Aya Irizuki), the sprightly dancer of the first film, he tries to face down his demons at last... Compassionate, whimsical, and poignant, this is another triumph for writer-director Dorris Dörrie.

The Song of Names

Frankie

THU. OCT 3 THU. OCT 10

MON. OCT 7 TUE. OCT 8

François Girard Canada, 113 min.

CENTRE FOR ARTS INTL VILLAGE 10

Vincent Cassel stars in Éric Toledano and Olivier Nakache’s (The Intouchables) humanist drama based on the true story of Stéphane Benhamou, a man who cares for those whose severe autism puts them outside the purview of the French state. With a brisk visual style and a sense of immediacy, the film conveys the heroic efforts of a few good people determined to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. “Powerful and accomplished... a rare film that comes both from the heart and reality.”—Screen

8:45 PM 6:00 PM

Ira Sachs France/Portugal, 98 min.

CENTRE FOR ARTS CENTRE FOR ARTS

This is the powerful, mysterious, and ultimately inspirational story of two unlikely childhood friends: Dovidl (Luke Doyle), a Polish musical prodigy whose parents were killed in the Holocaust, and Martin (Misha Handley), his adoptive brother. Girard’s powerful fable takes place over three decades as adult Martin (Tim Roth), possessed with an unquenchable desire to find his friend (now Clive Owen), attempts to explain why Dovidl disappeared the night of the concert that was to secure his fame.

Agnieszka Holland Poland/UK/Ukraine, 141 min.

WED. OCT 9

8:45 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

THU. OCT 10

1:45 PM

INTL VILLAGE 10

The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão

A 30th Anniversary Screening of Roger & Me SAT. OCT 5

MON. OCT 7

9:00 PM

CENTRE FOR ARTS

TUE. OCT 8

2:45 PM

PLAYHOUSE

In the spring of 1933, Welsh journalist Gareth Jones (James Norton) boards a train to Ukraine where he witnesses the ravages of a famine wrought

by Stalin’s agricultural reform and the Soviet Union’s dogged efforts to conceal the humanitarian crisis. Attempting to break the story to the world, Jones finds an ally in a New York Times reporter (Vanessa Kirby) and an adversary in a pro-Stalin journalist. Agnieszka Holland (Europa Europa) returns with another sweeping epic that’s grand in dramatic scale.

Karim Aïnouz’s (Madame Satã) stylish, colour-saturated “tropical melodrama” tells the story of two sisters, proper Eurídice (Carol Duarte) and freedom-loving Guida (Julia Stockler), in 1950s Rio de Janeiro who are divided by their father’s duplicitous misogyny. Pure pleasure for the eyes and told from a decidedly feminist slant, this is a tale of “high emotion articulated with utmost sincerity and heady stylistic excess, all in the perspiring environs of midcentury Rio de Janeiro.”—Variety

Box Office

Information

Online at viff.org In-person: All VIFF Venues During VIFF, all of our theatres serve as box offices for every film in the festival and open 30 minutes before the first show of the day at that venue.

Online at viff.org Film Infoline: 604-683-3456 Find Program Guide retailers at viff.org

PLAYHOUSE CENTRE FOR ARTS

DGC Master Class Series

Michael Moore Presents:

Karim Aïnouz Brazil/Germany, 139 min.

3:15 PM 9:15 PM

Isabelle Huppert is as graceful as ever in the latest from Ira Sachs (Keep the Lights On). She plays Françoise “Frankie” Crémont, a film star who has summoned friends and family to the lovely Portuguese town of Sintra. It’s a vacation she’s orchestrated with some secret motives, and this drama is imbued with a quiet sense of mystery... The brilliant ensemble cast includes Brendan Gleeson, Jérémie Renier, and Marisa Tomei. “[A]n achingly honest portrait of what life has to offer.”—Indiewire

Creator Talks

Mr. Jones

PLAYHOUSE PLAYHOUSE

11:30 AM

PLAYHOUSE

Holly Dale

Director, Batwoman SAT. OCT 5

2:00 PM

VANCITY

Song Exploder Live with Chuck D

On Cinema at the Cinema Live!

It’s the 30th anniversary of Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing and this exclusive show pays tribute by celebrating its theme song, Do The Right Thing.

Multi-media stage show with hosts Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington.

MON. OCT 7

SUN. OCT 6

7:00 PM

PLAYHOUSE

Premier Partner

8:00 PM

PLAYHOUSE

Premier Supporters

Schedule subject to change, visit viff.org for updates.

OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 83

THE VOGUE

#3 BEST LIVE MUSIC VENUE

THE BILTMORE

BEST SMALL LIVE MUSIC VENUE

THE IMPERIAL

#2 BEST MEDIUM LIVE MUSIC VENUE

THE YALE SALOON BEST COUNTRY NIGHT

KHATSAHLANO STREET PARTY BEST COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

DUBLIN CALLING #3 BEST PUB

84 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 / 2019

music

PUP much more than a punk band

A

by Mike Usinger

s much as he loves his hometown of Toronto, PUP frontman Stefan Babcock has discovered that nothing compares to the place he’s now fortunate to call his own.

“I have a cabin near Sudbury where there are a lot of lakes,” the thoughtful singer and guitarist says, on the line from an Indiana tour stop. “I’m super lucky to have it. I knew early on that it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever be able to buy a house in Toronto—it’s not as crazy as the prices in Vancouver, but it’s pretty close. So my partner and I decided that we would buy a little cabin on a lake for almost no money and then just kind of rent in Toronto in the winter and live up there in the summer.”

A big reason why he loves his cabin is that it allows him to get away from it all. The importance of that to Babcock is clear if you pay attention to PUP’s third and latest album, Morbid Stuff. As evidenced by lines like “This city’s slowly poisoning me,” it’s not always summer sunshine and magical snowfalls in Toronto.

Quiet by nature, Babcock cheerfully admits he’s happiest when the only person he has to worry about entertaining is himself.

“The cabin suits my lifestyle really well, because when I’m touring everything’s crazy and I have to be around people all the time,” he says.

“When I’m at the lake, I get to do the exact opposite.”

As both a blessing and a curse, downtime is in short supply for PUP these days, now that the band has come a long way from playing booze cans for beer money. An eponymous 2013 debut established the group as an important part of a Toronto punk rebirth that includes the likes of METZ, Greys, and Fucked Up. A 2016 sophomore outing, The Dream Is Over, suggested that PUP was going to be around for a while, thanks to distortion-blazed anthems salted with confessions like “I’ve never been good at anything except for fucking up and ruining everything.”

In hindsight, such lyrics seem a little disingenuous, mostly because Babcock and his bandmates—bassist Nestor Chumak, drummer Zack Mykula, and guitarist Steve Sladkowski—have done anything but fuck things up with PUP. Morbid Stuff is one of the best fast-and-loud

Pup’s new album Morbid Stuff isn’t without its dark moments, but it’s also a shitload of fun. Photo by Vanessa Heins

records you’ll hear this year, and the group is being rewarded for that.

March brought an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers—PUP’s network television debut in America.

Billboard described Morbid Stuff as “must-hear punk”, while on this side of the border Polaris Prize jurors deemed the record worthy of their shortlist. A spring tour saw the band sell out shows both in North America and overseas, including dates in such iconic venues as the Fillmore in San Francisco.

What makes all the adulation kind of funny is that Babcock in some ways doesn’t seem any more at peace with his existence than he was when he started exorcising his demons with PUP. Consider, for example, the very title of Morbid Stuff, and the fact the record kicks off with the lyrics “I was bored as fuck/Sitting around and thinking all this morbid stuff/Like if anyone I’ve slept with is dead.”

While he’s not afraid to chronicle his myriad problems, what bleeds through on the album is that Babcock’s self-aware enough to see the light in the dark times. The metal-

When I’m deep in the pit, I become very self-serious, and that’s not a good place for me – Stefan Babcock

punk maelstrom “Full Blown Meltdown” has him taking aim at artists who traffic in musical misery with “For all the people who love to fetishize problems/And to tell the truth/ I fetishize them too/It’s pretty messed up, isn’t it?” In case his point is missed, he then drives things home with “I know exactly what I’m doing/I’m just surprised the world isn’t sick/Of grown men whining like children.”

“Humour is a coping mechanism for me,” Babcock says. “I think that when I’m in my darkest places there’s not a lot of humour in the situation.

For a lot of people who deal with mental-health stuff—more serious stuff than I do—I can see how things would never be funny, so I hope that I’m not being offensive in the way I approach things.

“But for me,” he continues, “humour is the only way that I’ve been able to get through a lot of stuff. When I’m deep in the pit, I become very selfserious, and that’s not a good place for me to be. That’s when I have to remind myself that my problems are not world-ending, and that I need to keep that perspective. And if you can do that, suddenly there’s levity there.”

Nothing makes him angrier than those who’ve made a career out of wallowing in the darkness because it’s good for the bank account.

“You know, there’s something about the commercialization of depression that is so fucking disgusting to me,” Babcock says. “I know that PUP plays a role in that, so I’m trying

to make sure that everyone who listens to the band and who likes the band knows where we’re coming from.”

With a laugh, he adds: “The songs that we write are just sort of a byproduct of being a miserable piece of shit.”

That’s selling himself short, of course. PUP does indeed suggest things are often hopeless on Morbid Stuff. Consider how the turbocharged power-pop number “Kids” weirdly celebrates true love: “Just like the kids, I’ve been navigating my way/Through the mind-numbing reality of a godless existence/Which, at this point in my hollow and vapid life,/Has erased what little ambition I’ve got left.”

If that makes it sound like Morbid Stuff isn’t a shitload of fun, it shouldn’t. There’s a reason PUP is on an upward trajectory that Babcock and his bandmates never predicted when they formed the group a decade ago. While they’re filed under “punk” at the record store, that label doesn’t begin to do them justice.

Consider the way “Scorpion Hill” starts out in bourbon-scorched alt-country territory before lighting out for pure-pop heaven. Or the way “Free at Last” updates Wire-era new wave for the Spotify generation.

Or how “City” slowly morphs from hushed antifolk ballad to a feedbacksplattered alt-rocker.

“We kind of got labelled a punk band, but that was never something we set out to be,” Babcock says. “I started out writing songs, and then my bandmates would take them and they would change drastically into something even better. Sometimes I’m in a really introspective mood, and that’s what I’m writing, and sometimes I’m pissed off and writing heavier shit.”

And when he’s at his cabin, he’s mostly at his happiest. As much as Babcock loves PUP, he understands there’s more to life.

“I’m pretty good at turning it on and being sociable when I need to, but because I’m kind of an introverted guy, that starts to exhaust me after a while,” he says. “When we’re on tour for a couple of months, by the end of things, I’m really ready to be by myself with the dog, exist in nature, and recharge the batteries.” g PUP plays the Vogue Theatre on Tuesday and Wednesday (October 8 and 9).

Boy & Bear is back from the brink

Boy & Bear’s new Suck On Light finds the Australian band thrilled to be making music again after singer Dave Hosking’s serious health scare. Photo by Daniel Boud

d KILLIAN GAVIN sounds amused to find himself in Regina between tour dates when the Straight rings him in the Saskatchewan capital. Then again, the guitarist is probably just happy to find himself anywhere on the road with Boy & Bear, since there was a time when the very existence of the Australian band seemed uncertain.

When Boy & Bear wrapped up the tour in support of its last album, 2015’s Limit of Love, singer Dave Hosking could no longer pretend that he was capable of carrying on as usual. As far back as 2011, Hosking had been experiencing bouts of extreme fatigue, but things were getting worse, physically as well as cognitively. On the road, he had been forgetting lyrics and feeling as if he were in a mental fog.

Hosking knew he needed to get help, and Gavin admits that there was a point at which he was worried that Boy & Bear had reached the end of the line. “That was a scary, scary thing for all of us, though definitely a reality,” he says.

“You can’t help but get quite concerned and a bit anxious when you’re faced with these kinds of things, because you’ve spent a lot of years working really hard to achieve what you might feel is the impossible, and then to have to potentially end that prematurely is quite a hard thing to stomach.”

Rather than call it quits, though, Gavin and his bandmates—drummer Tim Hart, multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Hart, and bassist Dave Symes—opted to forge ahead and start writing a new record. This was a change to Boy & Bear’s previous modus operandi, in which Hosking would bring in skeletal songs to be fleshed out in the rehearsal space.

“When Dave brought up the idea that he needed to focus on his health and take some time out,” Gavin recalls, “we

were faced with a choice about ‘What do we do? Do we find some temporary work, or do we want to just go, you know, head down, bum up and keep writing?’ We decided, ‘Well, it works better if we just keep writing music, and we’ll end up with a lot more songs and ideas to work with for whenever he feels like he’s ready to come join us again.’ ” When Hosking did eventually rejoin the ranks, Boy & Bear decamped to Nashville to make its just-released fourth LP, Suck on Light. The album expands the quintet’s signature blend of indie rock and earnest folk, with “Telescope” straddling the line between orchestral pop and acid-etched psychedelia, and the krautrock-informed “Rocking Horse” riding a motorik pulse.

Hosking’s health issues, it turns out, were rooted in problems with his gut flora. The singer is doing much better now, thanks in partto some unconventional treatments. These included fecal microbiota transplant (which is exactly what it sounds like) and, more recently, laser therapy and the use of a light-therapy helmet.

“He’s doing remarkably well given what he’s been through,” Gavin says. “He’s had some pretty interesting treatments along the way, and it’s been a really lucky thing that we sort of stumbled across these doctors that had some pretty out-there ideas about what was going on.”

Ordinarily, spending your day off in Regina wouldn’t could be considered lucky, but in this case we’ll allow it.

by John Lucas

Boy & Bear plays the Commodore Ballroom on Wednesday (October 2).

see page 87 OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 85

1 10 9 G ranville St / 1838 West 4th Ave / 1204 Commercial Dr / 3255 Main St www.puffpipes.ca 86 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 / 2019

from page 85

BLEACHED CREATES MAGIC AFTER DECIDING IT WAS TIME TO DITCH THE BOTTLE d AS FRAMEWORKS GO, it’s one that’s been shaped by the title of Bleached’s third album, and then built upon in nearly every interview siblings Jennifer and Jessica Clavin have done since the record’s release.

That’s understandable, because the story behind Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is a good one.

For years the Los Angeles–based sisters were of the opinion there was no such thing as too much partying. With that in mind, it was perhaps no accident the band’s first two fulllengths—Ride Your Heart and Welcome the Worms—were loose, scrappy, and often chaotic affairs.

When the Clavins weren’t raging on the stage, they were doing their best to escape reality—until things started spiralling out of control.

Bleached’s singer, Jennifer, was the first to realize she had a problem and—more importantly—needed to do something about it. For her guitarplaying sister Jessica, getting some clarity took a while longer.

“It was like I had a bar in my bag,” Jessica says candidly, speaking on her cellphone from a tour van headed across Illinois. “I was secretly drinking on the side because I didn’t want anyone to see what I was doing. I felt like I had a lot of people worrying and I didn’t want anyone worrying, so my solution was to hide it. It was like, ‘I’m not going to stop doing this, so how can I make people think that I’m okay?’ I was hiding it from my boyfriend—who’s now my husband—and even hiding it from Jen, always making an excuse to go to the bathroom so I could drink more.”

At some point, it hit her that she wasn’t just hurting herself.

“When it became clear was when it started affecting the band,” she says.

A self-described people-pleaser, Jessica acknowledges that this mindset helped when friends and family staged what amounted to an intervention. The reward after rehab— besides the clear-headedness that comes with sobriety—was getting together with her sister and seriously committing to writing what’s been hailed as the best record of Bleached’s career.

That there have been some rough patches in the Clavins’ lives is made clear by lyrics like “We used to be the same/Now I’m losing sight of you” in “Silly Girl”. Or “Yeah, once I start, I don’t know how to stop” in the album closer, “Shitty Ballet”.

But as pretty much every glowing review has noted, Bleached’s great trick on Don’t You Think You’ve Had Enough? is managing to reinvent itself. Over the course of 12 tracks the Clavins roll out everything from sugar-spun glam (“Heartbeat Away”) to disco-strafed new wave (“Hard to Kill”) and dance-floor-friendly jungle pop (“Kiss You Goodbye”).

Changing one’s sound isn’t always easy—and sometimes it’s impossible, as the Ramones learned over the course of their entire career. That Bleached pulled it off has made the Clavins grateful not only for where they are today, but also for the past. As painful and awkward as some memories are, they can make you stronger.

“Jen and I love talking about things like ‘What makes you who you are today?’” Jessica says. “If you shut the door on the past, you can easily go back into old habits. But if you can talk about things like the bar in the bag, that’s when you keep moving forward.”

by Mike Usinger

Bleached plays the Biltmore Cabaret on Tuesday (October 8).

DIATOM RIBBONS KEEPS THINGS FREE RIGHT DOWN TO CHUCKING THE SET LIST d THE BEST WAY to grasp what pianist Kris Davis’s new Diatom Ribbons project is all about might be to consider the guests who show up on its eponymous debut album—including radical composer Olivier Messiaen and free-jazz pioneer Cecil Taylor.

Clockwise from top left: Bleached writes a new story; Mallrat knows what path she’s on; and Kris Davis is happy to scale back.

Taylor’s presence might not be a surprise; the pianist, who passed away last year, was a formative influence on the Vancouver-born Davis, who is now one of the most indemand musicians in the New York City avant-garde. But Messiaen died in 1992. How is it possible that he’s making an appearance on an album that was recorded just this summer?

Technology, of course, is the answer. Neither musician actually plays on Diatom Ribbons, but their recorded voices appear, with Taylor explaining his creative process on the album’s title track and Messiaen, a keen ornithologist, discoursing on the bird name-checked in “Corn Crake”. And their presence can also be felt in the 39-year-old keyboardist’s approach to music, which combines Taylor’s physical abandon with Messiaen’s more contemplative approach to melodic development.

The living contributors to Diatom Ribbons—guitarists Nels Cline and Marc Ribot, bassist Trevor Dunn, saxophonists Tony Malaby and JD Allen, and singer Esperanza Spalding—are equally impressive. For the tour that will bring the Diatom Ribbons band to Vancouver, however, the group has been pared down to its core of Davis, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and electronic musician Val Jeanty. When the Straight reaches Davis at her Brooklyn home, she readily admits that doing her music justice with a smaller ensemble has been on her mind.

“I was just thinking about that as I was wandering around the house,” she says, adding that she eventually hopes to take some version of the larger band on the road. For now, though, she’s going to adopt a very loose approach to the Diatom Ribbons material, preferring to showcase her trio’s instrumental and conceptual gifts. “We’re going to use the tunes as kind of a platform for landing on or jumping off from,” she explains. “So the tunes will be in there, but there’ll be no set list. We’ll just recognize that they are, and if one of us brings in a section or starts a tune within

the improvisation, then we’ll go with that—but there might be a chance that we don’t play any of the tunes if things are going well in the concert.

It’ll be kind of a fluid situation on the bandstand.”

Part of the fun, for Davis, is hearing Carrington cope with the challenges of playing free. The three-time Grammy winner is one of the most accomplished drummers in jazz, but this is the first time she’s worked in such an unstructured environment.

“Just the fact that she’s open to it and to trying these different things is really exciting to me,” Davis says.

“And she’s really good at it!”

The Haitian-born Jeanty might also seem like an unlikely free improviser: as a DJ, sampler jockey, and percussionist, she’s primarily worked with hip-hop artists and other electronic musicians. But Davis credits her with having an improviser’s quicksilver mind—and with bringing an enormous sonic palette to the trio. “She has the language element, the percussive element, nature sounds, tribal singing… It’s just endless, all the things that she has at her disposal that she can use in the music,” the pianist says. by

“But I lost the confidence to pursue that when I got to around high-school age. The problem was that I couldn’t see it being a real job. And it always seemed to be something that happened to people in other countries— people that weren’t like me. It wasn’t until I got a little older that I started to understand how it worked.”

A major revelation was that, thanks to the magic of computers and songwriting software, you no longer need a studio to make music.

In her mid-teens, Shaw began writing and recording bedroom songs by herself. That led to a debut EP, Uninvited, where tracks like “Tokyo Drift” blended hazy synths with digitally generated beats and a delivery that was part breezy bemusement and part all-consuming boredom.

Hands up if you’re sadly able to relate to these lines from “Inside Voices”: “Everyone talks nicely, but I don’t think they like me/’Cause when they go out they never invite me.”

Positive reviews gave Shaw the confidence to move forward with a sophomore effort, In the Sky, that ele-

vated her pop chops. On the record Mallrat turns something as simple as shopping for groceries into a celebration of being alive. The next time it all seems too much, make everything instantly okay with the winsome electro-folk jam “Better”.

“With Uninvited I’d never really written songs before, so I was just singing over beats that I’d found on SoundCloud,” she relates. “For In the Sky I started to coproduce and build the songs from scratch rather than starting with the instrumental parts already there. And the more I continued to write lyrics, the more than I started to understand what I wanted to do as a writer. It’s all about trying to nail a feeling. And the strongest feelings are the ones that are a little bit confusing.”

Shaw’s third record as Mallrat— the just-released Driving Music—is far removed from the days when she described her work as “bubble rap”.

Musically, the record swings from the minimalist grey-skies meditation “Drive Me Round” to the joyful keyboard-centric confection “Charlie”.

And despite lyrics like “My dad, he worked out west and he worked so hard/ My mum she smells like cigarettes, and they broke each other’s hearts,” Shaw is generally of the opinion that the sun shines more often than not.

“Everything is a bit of an amalgamation of different memories and stories,” she says. “I don’t know if I was as sad making the record as I was trying to figure things out. There was a lot of looking at situations, realizing they could be dark, but then also trying to find a sense of optimism.”

Not surprisingly, Shaw knows exactly where she wants her career to go from here, with writing for others as important as writing for herself.

Tellingly, she’s talking Post Malone and Rihanna, rather than someone hoping for a few thousand hits on SoundCloud. Some people know earlier than others what they want.

by Mike Usinger

Mallrat plays the Fox Cabaret on Thursday (October 3).

Alexander Varty

The Coastal Jazz and Blues Society and Western Front New Music present Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons at the Western Front on Thursday (October 3).

MALLRAT MAKES A CASE THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU APPLY YOURSELF d SOME PEOPLE ARE blessed to know what they want to do early on in life, that being true for Grace Kathleen Elizabeth Shaw. Years before she started fusing hip-hop, EDM, and candy-coated pop under the moniker Mallrat, the 21-yearold Australian had her career path mapped out. And except for a brief period of teenage angst and selfdoubt, she’s never wavered.

“When I was really little I wanted to be a singer,” Shaw says, on the line from a Washington, D.C., tour stop.

Music TIP SHEET

c IRON KINGDOM (October 3 at the Red Room Ultrabar) Remember when heavy metal was as new and heavy as fresh-from-theblast-furnace British steel?

Vancouver’s Iron Kingdom— celebrating its fourth studio album, On the Hunt—will see you in the front row. c TEGAN AND SARA (October 5 at the Vogue) The reigning darlings of whip-smart indie pop go back to their high school days with their ninth studio release, Hey, I’m Just Like You, which builds on songs mined from cassettes from their teen years.

c LOGIC (October 5 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre) You might know the California rapper for his Eminem collabo “Homocide”. Even if that’s the case, pretend you’ve been onboard since Young, Broke &

Infamous—the cassette, not the Apple Music version.

c CHARLI XCX (October 5 at the Commodore) We fell hard for Sucker, and even harder for this year’s Charli—to the point where we’re getting prepped for Charlotte Emma Aitchison’s return to Vancouver by trashing our hotel and getting drunk on the minibar. c NIKKI LANE (October 9 at the WISE Hall) While she’s filed under country—and looks pretty badass in a black cowboy hat—Lane dabbles in everything from Scottish twee pop to smoking garage rock.

She also runs with a gang that includes the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and could probably drink you under the table. g OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 87

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Daniel Johnston gets his due as a revered original

by Mike Usinger

POP EYE

WHEN NICK CAVE descends on the Massey Theatre in New Westminster next week as part of his Conversations With… tour, odds are good he’ll take a moment to pay tribute to a true American original. Recent shows have had the Australian-born icon performing “Devil Town” by the late Daniel Johnston.

Do a Google search and prepare to be moved. Cave isn’t the first person to cover “Devil Town”, a track featured on Johnston’s cleverly titled 1990 album 1990. Artists who’ve paid tribute to the song include respected, indie-spawned heavyweights like Bright Eyes, the National, and Beck.

Cave’s live readings have had him keeping to the spirit of the original by stepping away from the piano and performing a cappella.

It’s powerful stuff—gothic and Godfearing, like something you might be lucky enough to hear at Sunday church service deep in the American South.

And it’s a beautiful affirmation that Johnston, for all the problems that plagued him throughout his life, is now revered for all the right reasons.

That wasn’t always the case.

The genius of Johnston sometimes got overlooked, right up to his heart attack at the age of 58 this past September 11. For that you can thank, or blame, if you prefer, his back story.

Mental illness comes in many forms, and for Johnston it included schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

To get a sense of how bad things got at times, watch the absolutely essential 2005 documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston.

The film paints a rich, warts-andall portrait of a man who had been fixated on art of all types as a kid, and increasingly obsessed with demons—real and perceived—as he transitioned into adulthood.

Prodigiously talented as both a songwriter and a visual artist, Johnston was initially one of those people described as a bit off by those around him. For many original fans, that was part of the attraction. It was a way to make sense of the singer working triple shifts at McDonald’s as a young adult to pay for the endless cassette copies of his recorded work that he’d pass out to strangers. And it was a prism through which to embrace live performances that were often anything but traditional and linear.

When he started playing around Austin, Texas, accompanying himself on rudimentary guitar, Johnson was out-there enough to warrant coverage by then major influencers like MTV. As time went on, those quirks became a curse instead of a selling point.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston has him fighting on the street with the confused fanboys in Sonic Youth, raving about the power of Jesus while on-stage at industry showcases, and generally giving every indication that something isn’t right.

Eventually it gets surreal. Johnston’s father—a licensed pilot—recalls the time his son started thinking that he was Casper the Friendly Ghost.

The problem was that the two were up in the air in a two-seater when Johnston grabbed the keys of the plane’s ignition and threw them out the window. Speaking volumes about his grasp on reality at the time, the documentary makes it clear he was proud of what he’d done after both survived the plane crash.

Friends recall Johnston pulling into a small New Jersey town on a Greyhound, disembarking, and then promptly attracting the attention of an elderly woman after kicking over a bunch of garbage cans. When she called him out from the upper-story window of her walkup, the singer became convinced that she was possessed by the devil.

And like any good community

Daniel Johnston’s art lives on. Photo by Josh Head/Wikimedia Commons

exorcist, he broke into the building, ran up the stairs, and busted into her apartment. Sensibly, she jumped out the window and fractured her legs. Horrific as this sounds, it’s also blackly hilarious—even with the footnote that Johnston subsequently landed in a mental institution where he was obsessed with becoming a spokesman for Mountain Dew. It’s because of such stories that Johnston’s legacy is a complicated one. After writing an obit on his death, I got a message from a friend who wondered if people liked Daniel Johnston for the wrong reasons.

She was first turned on to the singer by boosters like Kurt Cobain, who practically lived in a Daniel Johnston “Hi, How Are You” T-shirt after Nirvana became the biggest band on the planet.

Her comment on Johnston’s legacy was this: “I feel so bad for this man and his family. From watching that doc about him I felt complicit in making him a hero and he was a mentally ill man who I don’t think would be treated the same way today.”

That’s an interesting read, and a valid one. After all, no one went to shows by the late Wesley Willis to sing along to “Rock N Roll McDonald’s”—they went because, back in the ’90s, irony was king. And if being ironic meant pretending to love someone clearly suffering from mental problems, then so be it.

But after becoming one of those people you were supposed to embrace back in the glory years of unrepentant freaks like the Jesus Lizard and Butthole Surfers, something beautiful happened to Johnston.

Thanks to the use of his gorgeously melancholy “The Story of an Artist” in a 2018 Apple commercial, a whole new generation was turned on to the singer via the magic of Shazam.

To those who headed down the rabbit hole, there was a whole beautiful lo-fi world to discover—one where the works of Daniel Johnston were judged solely on their artistic merit.

To be intrigued by “The Story of an Artist” was to discover the unvarnished and artistically pure genius of songs that should be revered as modern-day classics. If you don’t know them, you won’t find more perfect mixtape-worthy marvels than “Life in Vain”, “Mind Movies”, “Crazy Love”, and “True Love Will Find You in the End”.

Johnston might have been preInternet famous for his quirks.

Thanks to the efforts of fans like Beck and Bright Eyes, as well as the Flaming Lips, Tom Waits, Death Cab for Cutie, TV on the Radio, and too many others to list here, he’s now being celebrated for one reason, and one reason only: his body of songs.

Get ready to cry when Nick Cave, if we’re lucky, takes us to Johnston’s “Devil Town” in New Westminster next Thursday (October 10). He clearly understand that sometimes the worth of a man is measured by more than the tragic stories he left behind. g

OCTOBER 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 89

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Gal Gracen defies easy categorization NEW ORLEANS INSPIRED CUISINE

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Fantasy Gardens (JAZ)

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d GAL GRACEN JUST became Twitter-famous, but not for its own music.

Last week, the Vancouver musical project (the brainchild of Patrick Geraghty) tweeted out a video of a record on a turntable, along with the message: “This is absolutely the worst solo i have ever heard by any instrument.”

The solo in question comes from an alternate take of “The Jones Girl”, a 1956 doo-wop single by the Five Satins, and consists of a saxophone honking out the same note repeatedly over the course of about 30 seconds.

Geraghty’s September 24 tweet has, as of press time, been liked over 166,500 times and has been retweeted almost 36,000 times. (The counter on the video shows more than four million views.)

The AV Club even made a news item out of it, which shows just how much interest there is in bad sax playing.

Fortuitously, there is a brandnew Gal Gracen album out, which Geraghty, naturally, took all this Twitter attention as an opportunity to plug.

Fantasy Gardens also has saxophone on it, but that’s where any comparisons with “The Jones Girl” must end. This isn’t a doo-wop record by any stretch of the imagination. What sort of record it is, though, is hard to pin down.

One of the sax-featuring tracks, “Winds of Solace, Pillars of Sand”, is an instrumental that floats along in an oddly serene fashion, but in an unresolved sort of way, like a lost outtake from the score of Twin Peaks. Elsewhere, “Grass Mask” foregrounds twangy guitar for Maui-sunset vibes, and “Today or Tomorrow” is a loungetastic soulpop anthem for the young urban sophisticates of Alpha Centauri, while the harp and synth tones of “Is It Alive?”

suggest that trying to categorize it at all is a fool’s errand.

If your Spotify playlists are populated by fringe-dwelling art-pop weirdos like the Legendary Pink Dots, Magnetic Fields, and Television Personalities, you’ll probably get where Geraghty is coming from.

And if you’re still unsure, you can make up your mind in person when Gal Gracen plays the Biltmore on Thursday (October 3).

molten lead before returning to the darkness from whence it came. One criticism is that the 15-minute-long “Procession to Apocalypse” and the seven minutes of the relatively compact “Rise of the Millenarian” follow similar arcs, but each holds enough intensity and textural variation to make the journey more than worthwhile.

ANUNNAKI

d LOWER BACK pain is not a phenomenon you would normally associate with teenage dudes, unless something has gone very wrong, but the members of Lower Back Pain (singerguitarists Myles Hemy-Bain and Julien Hicks, drummer and bassist Will Jagger, and keyboardist Christian Petersen) were, unbelievably, 16 and in high school when they recorded Picnic on the Moon. (They’re 17 now.)

While there’s definitely a youthful exuberance to their shimmering and playful pop (and their angsty lyrics, which might flood you for nostalgia for the most tormented parts of being a teenager), there’s also a maturity to the song structures. That may or may not have something to do with the parentage of one of the band members. (Hemy-Bain is the progeny of Pointed Sticks guitarist Bill NapierHemy and Jill Bain, who is better known as Jade Blade of the Dishrags).

The lead vocals, on charmingly titled songs like “Turkey Sandwich” and “Green Stuff”, are nerdish and endearingly quirky—like something from the glory days of Williamsburg hipsters. Or when Jeffrey Lewis was young and beautiful. The press release says the album was recorded in “a parent’s basement”, and we’d guess that parent is plenty proud.

by John Lucas

Immanentize the Eschaton (NoiseAgonyMayhem)

d THOSE WHO DON’T know history are condemned to repeat it—and sometimes those who do know history willingly follow that same path.

There are few more knowledgeable aficionados of classic psych and contemporary noise than Dave Read, Anunnaki’s double-neck bass/guitar player and a partner in Nanaimo’s so-underground-it’s-almost-invisible Black Dot record store. Here, he’s teamed up with another deep listener, Wolf Parade drummer and synth jockey Arlen Thompson, for a throwback venture into space rock, complete with sprawling sidelong jams, two-note bass ostinatos, and skincrawlingly creepy electronic textures.

Think Pink Floyd—after Syd but before the bloat crept in—and Tangerine Dream, with some 21st-century abrasiveness to keep things current.

The combination makes for disturbing dreams, and yet Immanentize the Eschaton is also trippy enough to beguile, at least for those of us willing to tolerate the slow-building menace of tracks like the 21-minute-plus “The Demiurge Begins Anew”. Rising from droning keyboards and space-warp comet sounds, Anunnaki’s paean to a brooding god passes through vats of

Scan to confess Dating.

Don’t Squish Cat The other morning I let kitty underneath the blankets, tucked her in, and promptly forgot she was there. Later that afternoon, I saw a mysterious lump in my bed so I went to flatten it and kitty let out the most pitiful meow. Luckily I didn’t push down to hard, but I felt so bad I took her out to cuddle and gave her a treat.

She was purring after so I think I made up for it. When you live with a cat, lumps in your bed are not always what they seem.

Today....

Picnic on the Moon (Independent)

by Allan MacInnis

CHAIN WHIP

THAN K S VANCOUV E R !

WWW.SHAMEFULTIKIROOM.COM 4362 MAIN STREET

d MOST PUNKS MELLOW as they age, but at 35, Joshy Atomic of the Jolts—also known as Joshua Nickel—is going in the opposite direction, gleefully backsliding from his old band’s Ramones-worshipping, power-poppish punk to totally brutish, old-school hardcore. While there are metal bands in Vancouver who play with this intensity, speed, and savage commitment, for some weird reason there’s a shortage of this stuff on the punk-rock scene, even though punk is where this kinda thing started. It makes the album surprisingly refreshing: 14 Lashes boasts incoherently ranted lyrics that make you imagine spit flying from Nickel’s lips as he screams about how he doesn’t want to live in a fucked up world—for instance, in the song called, um, “(I Don’t Wanna Live in a) Fucked Up World”.

The High point is “Turner Street Ghost Motel”, which, at a length of just over two minutes, is the longest song on the album. Comparable to the fastest, fiercest pre-crossover DRI or Bad Brains tunes, 14 Lashes will make you wonder why you don’t listen to more hardcore.

by Allan MacInnis

GORDON GRDINA QUARTET

In the lineup of a grocery store, an older woman decided to racially attack another woman for being a black immigrant, telling her to get out of Canada, among other things. It took a few seconds for me to realise what was going on . I asked the woman who was on the receiving end of the racist tirade if, what I heard was correct. It was correct, I felt sick.... (con’t @straight.com)

Value Pillage ... I mean Village...

Is it a thrift store, or a grift store? Seriously. Their pricing is out of control. It’s less expensive to buy fast fashion and dollar store items brand new. Why are we being punished for not creating more garbage on the planet? Boycott VV!!!

If I had a million dollars I would just give it to my Mom. She’s been... (con’t @straight.com)

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LOWER BACK PAIN

14 Lashes (Independent)

The Georgia Straight Confessions, an outlet for submitting revelations about your private lives—or for the voyeurs among us who want to read what other people have disclosed.

Me and my ex broke up in January of this year. I had a date with a woman recently. We had about 3 coffee dates and she asked me to cook her dinner. So I made dinner and in the middle of the date she picked up her phone... (con’t @straight.com)

by Alexander Varty

to post a Confession

Cooper’s Park (Songlines)

d THE OLD ARGUMENT against improvised music—where are the melodies?—has never been less relevant than when applied to Gordon Grdina’s recent work. Based on some of his more abrasive performances in the past—which have bordered on abstract noise—this might seem strange, but lately the guitarist and oud player has shown to be as strong a composer of memorable themes as he is an instrumental virtuoso.

Take, for instance, the plethora of wonderful tunes that rush and spin through Cooper’s Park’s 18-minutelong title track. Grdina’s opening statement, played in near-unison by his electric guitar and Oscar Noriega’s alto sax, with bass counterpoint from see next page

90 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

Russ Lossing’s piano, suggests that his latest music owes as much to the more intellectual side of prog as it does to free jazz. It’s followed by a passage of parallel play in which piano, sax, and guitar wend their individual ways over Satoshi Takeishi’s careening drums, and then by a spare, atomized venture into deep listening, after which the initial theme, or a version of it, reappears.

Twelve minutes in, Grdina kicks on his wah-wah pedal to introduce an almost metal-flavoured riff, which in turn leads into a further quick, harmonized chase sequence, followed by scrabbly free-play, and then another impossibly precise statement of the theme.

It’s the kind of performance that is both exhausting and exhilarating, a description that can fairly be applied to a lot of Grdina’s output. But not all of it: his more meditative side emerges whenever he turns to the oud, and the Middle Eastern instrument is at the centre of “Wayward”, which earns its title with an episodic, dreamlike beginning before returning to tight group interaction midway through. Noriega switches to clarinet here, helping to create an almost avant-Turkish sound that’s unique in North American music.

None of this is easy listening, but there’s a lot to love about this music’s inspirational energy.

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by Alexander Varty

BLACK ON BLACK

SUNDAY

How Very (Independent)

d IF YOU FALL DOWN the same sort of online rabbit holes that we here at Straight HQ do, you have no doubt come across the so-called most mysterious song on the Internet. It’s a track that someone taped from a German radio station circa 1984 without catching the title or the name of the artist. Since 2007, the enigmatic recording has been circulating on the web, but in spite of high-profile coverage by Rolling Stone and Public Radio International, its origins remain shrouded in mystery.

If Black on Black had tacked that song onto the end of its four-song How Very EP and claimed it was an original, few listeners would question it. The title cut here, in fact, has a similar chord progression, to say nothing of its general air of Cold War–era darkwave.

Mystery solved? Well, no. Not unless Black on Black has discovered the secret of time travel. Mind you, given how much information is available about the artist on its Bandcamp page—which is to say, none at all— Black on Black could very well be the same band. A more likely scenario is that it’s the solo bedroom-recording project of a dude who wasn’t even alive during the Cold War. Whatever. Songs like “Talk to Me” and “I Don’t Want to Love You” will find favour with anyone who wishes they were living in the pre-Expo Vancouver that was home to Images in Vogue—or, at the very least, anyone who ever hoped this city would produce more bands like ACTORS.

by John Lucas

CRUMMY

Even If It Kills Me (Independent)

d WHATEVER BANDS HE’S playing with—from Chopper and the Saucermen to Daddy Issues, and from Little Guitar Army to the Strugglers—Bert Man puts on one of the more consistently entertaining live shows in Vancouver. (He’s got a pretty delightful Facebook page, to boot, digging deep for WTF photos and memes that no one else is posting.)

His current main project, Crummy, has just put out a second EP, Even If It Kills Me, with a title that refers to the difficult birth of the album. It’s kind of unfortunate to be obliged to say that the high point is his cover of David Bowie’s “Andy Warhol”, but when you hear what Crummy does with it—amping up the guitar hooks, making it much more anthemic, with Bert Man combining a superb faux-Bowie nasal whine with his usual growling and shrieking— you might just come away (as I did) thinking the Crummy version is superior to the original.

by Allan MacInnis

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Venue: Afrika Shrine @ Imperial Vancouver 319 Main St. www.karakataafrobeatsociety.com www.eventbrite.ca/e/felabration-2019-tickets-6695571515 OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 91

MUSIC LISTINGS CONCERTS JUST ANNOUNCED

LEELA GILDAY Canadian singer-songwriter, with guests Sandy Scofield and M’Girl. Oct 10, 7:30 pm, York Theatre. $26.

JANE DOE Local rock band, with guests Redwoods, Pedler, and Eleanor Rising. Oct 10, 7:30 pm, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM The Canadian Pacific Blues Society presents blues artist from Mississippi, with guests the Cerny Brothers. Oct 10, 7:30 pm, Fox Cabaret. $30.

BOWIE: THE TRIBUTE Eight-piece band performs a tribute to rock legend David Bowie.

Oct 11, 6:30-9:20 pm, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. $41.46.

THE ATOM AGE Punk-rock band from Oakland. Oct 11, 8 pm, Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse. $12.50.

THE SMALL GLORIES Folk duo composed of Cara Luft and JD Edwards. Oct 11, 8-10:30 pm, St. James Hall. $28/24.

J.S. ONDARA Kenyan singer-songwriter, with guest Elise Davis. Oct 11, 8-11 pm, WISE Hall. $17.50.

NICK BRACEWELL TRIO Drummer Bracewell leads his power-jazz trio. Oct 11, 9 pm, Tyrant Studios. $10.

LEELA GILDAY: INTIMATE & UNPLUGGED Singer-songwriter performs a soulful evening of acoustic song and storytelling. Oct 11, 7 pm, Historic Theatre. $35.

TREVOR GORDON HALL Acoustic-guitar virtuoso from Philadelphia. Oct 12, 7 pm, Horizon School Of Music. $30.

JILL BARBER Canadian pop singer-songwriter performs on her Dedicated To You tour. Oct 12, 7:30-10 pm, Chief Sepass Theatre. $35.

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HARD RUBBER ORCHESTRA WITH MARIANNE TRUDEL Eighteen-piece jazz orchestra performs with Montreal jazz pianist. Oct 15, 8 pm, Orpheum Annex. $25/15.

YOUNG FRIEND Local indie-pop singer-songwriter, with guests Michaela Singler, Scribbly Doodle, and Tessa. Oct 17, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $10.

JIMMY RANKIN Folk singer-songwriter from Cape Breton, formerly of the Rankin Family.

Oct 17, 7:30-10 pm, Chief Sepass Theatre. $45.

JIM BYRNES Vancouver blues legend. Oct 19, 7:30 pm, Genesis Theatre. $35.

THE WILD! Rowdy rockers from Kelowna.

Oct 24, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $12.

HALLOWEEN WEEN TRIBUTE NIGHT Three local acts perform Ween’s hits, misses, B-sides, and rarities. Oct 25, 8 pm, Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse. $10.

STEPHEN FEARING Canadian folk singersongwriter, with guest Matt Patershuk. Nov 1, 8-10:30 pm, St. James Hall. $28/24.

ALEX CUBA Cuban-born, B.C.-based soulpop singer-songwriter performs tunes from new album Sublime. Nov 6, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $49/47/29.

TRIO PLAYS... THE POLICE Guitarist-vocalist Andreas Schuld, bassist-vocalist Billy Mendoza, and drummer Phil Robertson perform music by the Police. Nov 14, 15, 16, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $42/40/29.

THE AQUADOLLS Indie-rock trio from California. Dec 5, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Oct 4, 10 am, $15.

JUDY COLLINS Iconic ‘60s folk singer and activist. Dec 15, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $59/56/29.

THEO KATZMAN American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, with guest Rett Madison. Jan 12, 8 pm, Venue. Tix on sale Oct 4, 10 am, $30.

TEBEY Canadian country singer-songwriter.

Jan 16, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom.

XAVIER OMAR American R&B singer, with guest Parisalexa. Jan 24, 8 pm, Fortune Sound Club. Tix on sale Oct 4, 10 am, $20/30.

THEORY OF A DEADMAN Hard-rock quartet from Delta, B.C. Jan 31–Feb 1, 9:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom. Tix on sale Oct 4, 10 am, $42.50.

TEMPLES Rock band from England, with guests Art d’Ecco. Feb 4, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret.

GRACE POTTER Rock singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Vermont. Mar 12, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $34.50.

BILLIE EILISH Superstar alt-pop singersongwriter from L.A. Apr 11, 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena. Tix on sale Oct 4, 10 am.

CELINE DION Superstar pop-vocalist from Quebec. Apr 17-18, Rogers Arena. Tix on sale Oct 4, 10 am.

THE ZOMBIES British psych-pop legends.

Apr 24, 7:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $45.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2

• OPEN UNTIL 3AM 7 DAY A WEEK •

CORNELIUS Japanese alt-pop artist. Oct 2, Imperial Vancouver. $35.

DAMIEN JURADO Indie-rock singer-songwriter from Seattle. Oct 2, Fox Cabaret. $24.99.

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

RISING APPALACHIA New Orleans worldfolk band led by multi-instrumentalist sisters Leah and Chloe Smith. Oct 2, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $25.

BOY & BEAR Indie folk-rock quintet from Australia. Oct 2, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $30.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 MALLRAT & ALLDAY Rappers from Australia.

Oct 3, Fox Cabaret. $15.

DODIE Singer-songwriter, author, and YouTuber from England. Oct 3, Vogue Theatre. $27.50.

CLAUDIO SIMONETTI’S GOBLIN PLAYS DEEP RED LIVE Italian prog-rock band performs a live scoring of Dario Argento’s horror classic Deep Red, followed by a set of their soundtrack classics. Oct 3, 6-7:30 pm, Rio Theatre. $40.

NF Rapper from Michigan. Oct 3, 8 pm, PNE Forum. $39.50.

IRON KINGDOM Local metal band, with guests Sandstorm and Damsel. Oct 3, 8 pm, Red Room Ultrabar. $10/15.

CROOKED COLOURS Electronic-music trio from Australia. Oct 3, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $22.50-27.50.

ROBERT ELLIS: CANCELLED Singer-songwriter from Texas, with guest Ian O’Neil. Oct 3, 9 pm, WISE Hall. Refunds at point of purchase.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4

Is. Oct 6, 7 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $50.

BURTON CUMMINGS Former member of the Guess Who. Oct 6, 7-9:30 pm, Massey Theatre. $89.50.

NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS Southern blues-rock band from Mississippi, featuring brothers Luther Dickinson and Cody Dickinson. Oct 6, 8 pm, Imperial Vancouver. $25.

JONTAVIOUS WILLIS A protégé of iconic bluesman Taj Mahal, the future of the blues is in great hands. Oct 6, 8 pm, St. James Hall. $25 advance/$30 door (cash only).

MONDAY, OCTOBER 7 DRAGONFORCE Extreme power-metal band from London, England, with guests Dance With the Dead and Starkill. Oct 7, 8 pm, Red Room Ultrabar. $25.

OH SEES Rock band from San Francisco.

Oct 7, 9 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $30.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8 KNOCKED LOOSE Hardcore punk band from Kentucky, with guests Candy and SeeYouSpaceCowboy. Oct 8, Rickshaw Theatre. $27.50.

BLEACHED Punk-rock band from L.A. Oct 8, Biltmore Cabaret. $16.

LEO DAN Argentine singer and composer.

Oct 4, Vogue Theatre. $47.50-99.50.

BUG ROCK INVASION Performances by the Mants, Steady Teddy and the K-Train Babies, and the Fake. Oct 4, 8 pm, Pat’s Pub & Brewhouse. $10/12.

TOM RUSSELL Singer-songwriter incorporates elements of folk, traditional country & western, and cowboy music. Oct 4, 8-10:30 pm, St. James Community Square. $35/31.

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

TINY ISLANDS Tim Sars and Nathan Barrett play originals and NOLA-style jazz classics with their quintet. Oct 4, 9 pm, Tyrant Studios. $10.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5

NIKKI LANE Nashville-based country singersongwriter. Oct 9, 8 pm, WISE Hall. $16.

TEGAN AND SARA Canadian indie-pop band, composed of identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin. Oct 5, Vogue Theatre. $39.50-79.50.

KISHI BASHI Indie-pop singer-songwriter from the States. Oct 5, Imperial Vancouver. $25.

LOGIC American rapper performs on his Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Tour, with guest J.I.D. Oct 5, 6:30 pm, Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. $50.

TOM LAVIN & THE LEGENDARY POWDER BLUES Juno-winning Vancouver blues band from the ‘70s. Oct 5, 7:30 pm, Genesis Theatre. $45.

SKERRYVORE Celtic-rock band from Scotland.

Oct 5, 7:30 pm, Centennial Theatre. $49/44.

MARI BOINE Sami vocalist performs traditional yoik chants of her Indigenous ancestry and Norwegian folksong. Oct 5, 8 pm, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts. From $38.

ASHE Pop singer-songwriter from the States, with guest Charlie Burg. Oct 5, 8 pm, Fortune Sound Club. $15.

CHARLI XCX Electro-pop singer-songwriter from England, with guest Brooke Candy. Oct 5, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $36.50.

BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS American blues, funk, and soul artist. Oct 9, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $20.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6

YOKE LORE American indie-pop singersongwriter, aka Yellerkin and Walk the Moon.

Oct 10, 9 pm, Imperial Vancouver. $39.50.

THE WATERBOYS British northern soul group tour with their album Where The Action

PUP Punk quartet from Toronto, with guest Charly Bliss. Oct 8-9, Vogue Theatre. $24.99.

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES: CANCELLED British punk-rock band. Oct 8, 8 pm, Venue. Refunds at point of purchase.

TINARIWEN Tuareg musicians from the Sahara Desert region of northern Mali. Oct 8, 8:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $39.50.

COSMO SHELDRAKE Singer, songwriter, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from London, with guest Altopalo. Oct 8, 9 pm, Fox Cabaret. $15.

ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES Alabama– based rock ‘n’ soul band. Oct 9, 8:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $39.50.

MARINA Welsh singer and songwriter Marina Lambrini Diamandis. Oct 9, 9 pm, Orpheum Theatre. $69/53.50/43.50.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10 TRASHCAN SINATRAS Scottish pop band.

Oct 10, Biltmore Cabaret.

NICK CAVE Australian musician, singersongwriter. Oct 10, Massey Theatre.

HOBO JOHNSON Hip-hop artist from Sacramento, California. Oct 10, Vogue Theatre. $25.

FULL MOON FEVER: A RE-IMAGINING OF THE CLASSIC TOM PETTY ALBUM Steve Dawson is joined by Birds of Chicago, Jim Byrnes, Roy Forbes, Rich Hope, Ndidi Onukwulu, Dawn Pemberton, Linda McRae, Maya Rae, and Tom Wilson in a re-imagining of the classic album. Oct 10, 11, 7:30 pm, Kay Meek Arts Centre. $56/53/29.

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BEST f MEDIA, ARTS & CULTURE LIVE MUSIC VENUE

1. Commodore Ballroom 868 Granville Street 2. Orpheum Theatre 601 Smithe Street 3. Vogue Theatre 918 Granville Street

LIVE MUSIC VENUE (MEDIUM CLUB)

1. Rickshaw Theatre 254 East Hastings Street 2. Imperial Vancouver 319 Main Street 3. Celebrities Nightclub 1022 Davie Street

LIVE MUSIC VENUE (SMALL CLUB)

1. Biltmore Cabaret 2755 Prince Edward Street 2. Fox Cabaret 2321 Main Street 3. Guilt & Company 1 Alexander Street

NIGHTCLUB

1. The Roxy Cabaret 932 Granville Street 2. Celebrities Nightclub 1022 Davie Street 3. Bar None 1222 Hamilton Street

LOCAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

5TH FLOOR, 595 HORNBY ST - 604.684.2000 THANKS FOR VOTING US BEST STRIP CLUB!

FRIDAYS bi-monthly

LADIES NIGHTS

92 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT OCTOBER 3 – 10 / 2019

1. TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2. Vancouver Folk Music Festival 3. FVDED in the Park

LOCAL BAND (SIGNED)

1. Mother Mother 2. Said the Whale 3. Dan Mangan

LOCAL BAND (UNSIGNED)

1. The Boom Booms 2. Peach Pit 3. Queer as Funk

COUNTRY NIGHT

1. The Yale Saloon 1300 Granville Street 2. The Roxy Cabaret 932 Granville Street 3. The Bourbon 50 West Cordova Street

DANCE/DJ CLUB

1. Celebrities Nightclub 1022 Davie Street 2. Fortune Sound Club 147 East Pender Street 3. Venue 881 Granville Street

DANCING CLUB

1. Celebrities Nightclub 1022 Davie Street 2. The Roxy Cabaret 932 Granville Street 3. Fortune Sound Club 147 East Pender Street

INDEPENDENT MUSIC LABEL

1. 604 Records 2. Mint Records 3. Nettwerk

JAZZ/BLUES VENUE

1. Blue Martini 1516 Yew Street 2. Frankie’s Italian Kitchen & Bar 765 Beatty Street 3. Guilt & Company 1 Alexander Street

PLACE FOR KARAOKE

1. Funky Winker Beans 37 West Hastings Street 2. Fantacity 1133 Robson Street 3. Numbers Cabaret 1042 Davie Street

PICK-UP BAR

1. The Roxy Cabaret 932 Granville Street 2. Numbers Cabaret 1042 Davie Street 3. The Cambie Bar & Grill 300 Cambie Street

PIPE, BONG, AND ACCESSORY SHOP

1. Puff Various locations 2. Ignite Smoke Shop 109 West Cordova Street 3. WEEDS Glass & Gifts Closed pending licence application

VISIT BEST OF VANCOUVER ONLINE AT STRAIGHT.COM

BANNERS Indie-rock musician from Liverpool, England, with guest Ellevator. Oct 12, 8 pm, Venue. $25.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11 STEVE HACKETT Former Genesis guitarist performs the album Selling England by the Pound in its entirety. Oct 11, Vogue Theatre.

THE JONAS BROTHERS American pop band featuring Nick, Joe, and Kevin Jonas, with guests Bebe Rexha and Jordan McGraw.

Oct 11, 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena.

WHITE REAPER Garage-punk band from Louisville, Kentucky, with guests the Dirty Nil and Criminal Hygiene. Oct 11, 7:30 pm, Biltmore Cabaret. $15.

MIKE DOUGHTY Former member of Soul Coughing performs the band’s debut album, Ruby Vroom, in its entirety, with guests the Ghost of Mr. Oberon. Oct 11, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. $25.

54-40 Local guitar-rock veterans play two nights. Oct 11-12, 8:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $45/four-packs $160.

SCOTT BRADLEE’S POSTMODERN JUKEBOX Jazz/ragtime/swing band from New York City. Oct 12, Vogue Theatre. $89.50/62.50/39.50/32.50.

NASHVILLE PUSSY Gritty guitar-rockers from the States. Oct 12, Biltmore Cabaret. $19.99.

CHILD CARE

Jiang Residence is looking for a Responsible Caregiver for 2 kids. Duties: Cooking meals, housekeeping, take children to and from school and appointments and maintain a safe environment in the home. $14.5/h, 40h/week. Minimum 1yr college diploma required, can travel with family. Please contact at v63744@gmail.com

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EMPLOYMENT Music Repairs

BLACK PUMAS Psychedelic soul band from Austin, Texas. Oct 16, 8 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $17.50.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 THE LEGENDARY DOWNCHILD BLUES BAND Canadian blues veterans, with local guest Jim Byrnes. Oct 17, 8 pm, River Rock Show Theatre. $59.50/49.50.

JADE BIRD Indie-folk singer-songwriter from South London, with guests Flyte. Oct 17, 9 pm, Imperial Vancouver. $20.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18 HOZIER Irish indie-rock singer-songwriter, with guest Freya Ridings. Oct 18, 8 pm, Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. $69.50/59.50/49.50/39.50.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 LUKE COMBS American country artist, with guests Morgan Wallen, Jameson Rodgers, and Dee Jay Silver. Oct 19, 7 pm, Rogers Arena. $55/40/30/20.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21 THE WHO British rock legends, featuring original members Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey. With special guest Liam Gallagher. Oct 21, 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena. $304/203/153/103/83/53.

LUCY DACUS Indie-rock singer-songwriter from Virginia. Oct 21, 8 pm, Rio Theatre. $18.

THOM YORKE Leader of Radiohead performs tunes from latest solo album Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes. Oct 21, 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre.

LANDON CUBE American indie-alternative singer-songwriter and music producer. Oct 14, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. $18.

MARTIN SIMPSON English folksinger, guitarist, and songwriter. Oct 17, 8-10:30 pm, St. James Hall. $30/26.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22

STEREOLAB Avant-pop band from London, England. Oct 14, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $39.50.

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

TYLER CHILDERS Country and bluegrass singer/songwriter on his Country Squire Tour.

Oct 22, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $36.

Volunteers

Child Care

THE INTERRUPTERS Ska-punk band from L.A., with guests Skinny Lister and Sharp/ Shock. Oct 16, 7 pm, Commodore Ballroom.

JOHN FOGERTY American rock legend performs his iconic Creedence Clearwater Revival hits. Oct 13, 8 pm, Rogers Arena. $129.

95/99.95/79.95/49.95/29.95.

Careers

Laser and Anti-Aging Medicine Centre and Doctors Gym LTD o/a Medical Spa Club is hiring Weight-loss clinic manager Perm, F/time. Wage - $31.00 /hr Requirements: Good English; Experience as a weight-loss clinic manager or similar position.

Education: high school; A college diploma is an asset. Main duties: Plan, and control the operations of the clinic; Establish and supervise weight-loss procedures schedules; Manage staff and assign duties, hire and train of new employees; Resolve work-related problems and customer complaints; Develop marketing strategies; Plan and control budget and inventory.

Job location and company’s business address: 6611, No 2 Road, Richmond, BC V7C 3L5 Please apply by e-mail: hiring@medicalspaclub.com

SHINEDOWN American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. With guests Papa Roach.

Oct 16, 5:30 pm, Abbotsford Centre. $39.50.

DACEY Local R&B/hip-hop act, with guests Amber Bayani, Maddie King, and Jada Klein.

Oct 13, Railway Stage and Beer Café. $8.

EMPLOYMENT Callboard

is looking for MARBLE SETTERS, Greater Vancouver, BC. Perm, F/time Wage - $ 30/h, extended medical benefit package.

Main duties: Lay out wall patterns or foundations; Cut, polish and fit marble or granite; Mix, apply and spread mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other materials; Install marble or granite slabs, architectural panels & moldings; Chisel, dress, and shape stone; Install of natural stone; Set vertical and horizontal alignment of structures; Dress the joints and wipe excess grout; Smooth marble or granite surfaces.

Requirements: 2-3 years of experience, good English, high school.

Company’s business address: 2474 Marine Dr, West Vancouver, BC V7V 1L1 Please apply by e-mail: admin@eurohouse.ca

SABATON Power-metal band from Sweden, with guests Hammerfall. Oct 16, Vogue Theatre. $39.50.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

Employment EMPLOYMENT

Eurohouse Construction Inc.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16

SONGHOY BLUES Desert blues from Timbuktu, Mali, with local guests Brass Camel.

Oct 12, 9 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $20.

MORRISSEY Former singer for the Smiths performs material from latest solo album.

Oct 14-15, Orpheum Theatre. Note: postponed from original dates of April 14-15.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

is HIRING a Construction Estimator, Greater Vancouver, BC. Perm, 30 hours/week Wage: $39.50 per hour. Main Duties: Understanding of the requirements of the construction projects; Analyze data and prepare estimates of probable costs; Examine and analyze tenders, perform risk analysis; Obtain best bids from vendors and subcontractors; Establish and maintain tendering process; Co-ordinate construction projects, prepare construction progress schedules.

Requirements: Several years of experience, High school diploma,Completion of a college program in related field is an asset,Good English.

Business address and job location: 20181 48 Avenue, Langley, BC V3A 3L3 Please apply by e-mail: hralandome@gmail.com

BLACK LIPS Punk rockers from Atlanta, with guests Blue Rose Rounders. Oct 15, 9 pm, WISE Hall. $25.

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER Folk band from North Carolina. Oct 12, 8 pm, Imperial Vancouver. $26.

PETRONIO Concert celebrating Latin American Heritage Month. Oct 11, 6:30-9:10 pm, Orpheum Theatre. $19- 80.

Chrome Dome Enterprises Inc.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15

SHELTER MOVERS,

a volunteer based organization that provides moving and storage services at no cost to women and children fleeing abuse, is looking for volunteers to help with these moves. We ask that you be able to lift 20 lbs. This is a great opportunity to make a BIG impact in a small amount of time. To apply email volunteervan@sheltermovers.com

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Beatles Tribute Band Forming

Can you sing and play like John, Paul, or George?

Drummer seeks to form a tribute band with a difference. Text or call 778-628-6240

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1 AMY BISHOP CSL-White Rock is thrilled to present internationally acclaimed bluesy pop rock singer Amy Bishop as seen on CTV’s The Launch. You won’t want to miss this! Part proceeds will go to new shoes for troubled youth in our communities.

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SAVAGE LOVE

Kick those selfish partners to the curb

by Dan Savage

b I MET A guy right around the time my boyfriend dumped me. I met him on a dating site, but he was really only interested in my boobs and me giving him head. I really like having him in my life and he’s very attractive, but he won’t do anything with me other than let me give him head while he watches porn. I’m very insecure, so I feel like part of the reason this has been going on for so long is because I’ve never had someone so attractive be into me.

He asked me to sign a “contract” that requires me to drop everything and send him pictures whenever he asks.

I’m not allowed to have a boyfriend, but he can have as many girls as he likes. I do a lot of stuff for him, and he doesn’t do a single thing for me.

I should have said no, but I was feeling very shitty about myself and thought I had nothing to lose. Currently he lives a two-hour bus ride away and he won’t pick me up. He’s also only available on weekdays. He keeps telling me to come out to see him, but I can’t justify a two-hour bus ride with nothing in it for me. I almost cut him out completely after an older coworker touched my butt—I confided in this guy, and he told me it would be hot if I showed my coworker a photo of my boobs. That he would say something like that makes my blood boil, yet I still haven’t cut him off. Maybe I’m just overreacting and expecting too much of him, as he’s told me multiple

times that he doesn’t like sex and he they’re all guys—don’t have any illusions about the men they’re servinever wants to see my lower half.

- Don’t Understand My Behaviour cing catching feelings for them. And most importantly, they get off on it. It Stop seeing this guy—or stop servicing turns them on to be treated this way, this asshole, I should say. This piece of to play this role, to have this kind shit swooped in when you were ob- of cocksucker-on-call arrangement viously feeling vulnerable (right after with someone who plays the role of your boyfriend dumped you), and the selfish, domineering top. he’s been leveraging his good looks But this doesn’t turn you on, against you ever since. And it’s not DUMB, it makes you feel terrible just head he’s after, DUMB. He gets about yourself. And I can tell you off on seeing you debase and degrade where this is headed: this guy’s assyourself—he wants to watch as you holery is going to escalate over time. feed your self-esteem into a shred- Cut this guy off now. der—maybe because it affirms how attractive he is or maybe because he’s b I’M A 26-YEAR-OLD woman in a twojust that sadistic an asshole. And while year relationship with a 32-year-old you may think you have nothing to man. I love him and we live together. lose, this asshole clearly sees what you He recently revealed that he thinks the have to lose: your self-esteem, which word vagina is disgusting. He likes the word pussy, but vagina turns him off he is disassembling bit by bit.

I know people with similar blow- and he hates when he hears the word. and-go arrangements; they provide I think this is ridiculous, immature, what’s called “no recip” oral to self- and, honestly, a bit insulting. I am ish and sometimes sadistic tops. But proud of my vagina—I love it, and I they do it for the right reason—they love what we do with it together. I don’t do it because it turns them on. If being have a hang-up with names for parts. this guy’s on-call cocksucker turned He assures me he loves my pussy, but you on and got you off, DUMB, if this vagina is a word that grosses him out. was a thrilling adventure for you and Am I crazy to be a bit upset about this a break from your regular routine, a terminology conflict? brief/erotic escape from the person - Vaginas Always Love Useful Erections you knew yourself to be (sexy, attractive, valued, et cetera), this could “First of all, VALUE is correct,” said be a healthy and playful release. Dr. Jen Gunter, an ob-gyn and author.

The guys I know who do this—and “There is nothing disgusting about the

word vagina. However, to many people, the word vagina has this connection because telling people that vaginas are dirty or gross or disgusting is a core tenet of the patriarchy. Vulva and clitoris have sadly been along for this societal shame-driven ride. I can see how a heterosexual man might have trouble with the word vagina because he has received that messaging since birth.”

But just because we can see how your boyfriend might have developed a problem with the word, VALUE, doesn’t make your boyfriend actually having a problem with the word okay.

“There’s an issue when a grown man finds the word vagina disgusting,” said Dr. Gunter. “I am curious if her boyfriend’s inability to say ‘vagina’ is a ‘bedroom-only’ phenomenon or an ‘everywhere’ phenomenon. If it’s bedroom-only, maybe she can help him work up to using the word by introducing it more. Exposure therapy! However, if his disgust at the word is an ‘everywhere’ phenomenon, then I can appreciate how that is a sticking point for VALUE. I wrote a whole book, The Vagina Bible, for this very reason. If he read it and appreciated how not saying the word vagina has been oppressive for women, maybe it might help?

Again, exposure therapy!”

Follow Dr. Jen Gunter on Twitter @DrJenGunter. The Vagina Bible is on sale now—and on the New York Times best-seller list! Congrats, Dr. Gunter!

b MY HUSBAND LIKES to give and receive enemas during sex. I was very inexperienced sexually when we met in our early 20s and very much in love.

He introduced me to enemas, and I went along at first and almost enjoyed the novelty. But in time, it started to feel less appealing. After we had kids, there was less opportunity for this sort of thing, and I eventually realized I didn’t like anal play. The enemas began to feel physically and psychologically violating. He introduced anal plugs as an alternative, but I still felt violated and frightened whenever he put one in me. I went to a sex counsellor who told me I had the right to say no. My husband began pursuing his anal interests alone. Now we’re both 68. My sexual drive has waned, but his has not. I don’t want to give up on the experience of PIV intercourse, but he doesn’t seem to understand that at this stage of life, sex for me is more about closeness and feeling loved and being held than about intense sexual pleasure. He is disappointed that I am not receptive to his need for anal stimulation. I have told him he is free to find people online who will do this, or if it is so important to him to have a partner who does this, we can separate. He would prefer that I be more accommodating.

- Absolutely No Anal Love You can and you should continue to say

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