March 24, 2011 - B

section b The Sheaf ’s arts and culture section.

A cross-section of bands at Vivefest: Chad VanGaalen, Braids, The City Streets, Tim Hecker, Foonyap and the Roar, Rah Rah, Woodpigeon, We Were Lovers.

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Vivefest returns for its third annual shenanigans An endless list of musicians and activities promises this will be the greatest weekend of all time (of all time) HOLLY CULP Arts Editor I first went to Vivefest last year to see Saskatoon’s We Were Lovers (pre-duo) and Calgary’s Women in a wicked show that, if I remember correctly, was promptly followed by an interesting flute and drum number that was like hypnosis.

Vive is a local show promotion company that was conceived by Rich Taylor and Phil Greer a few years ago. In conjunction with local musicians, artists and film makers they have helped bring to light and cultivate the incredible artistic undercurrents of this city.

“Phil and myself were both avid show-goers,” said Taylor in regards to the origin of the company. “We met chatting at the back of venues in town and discussing how great the Saskatoon music scene was and, like most people, we thought we

could be a part of it and thought we could do something. So we met over pitas one night and laid out a five year plan.”

They are now in year five of that plan. With Vivefest3 being, obviously, the third installment of the festival. This year, Vivefest3 has diversified their content even more.

“Neither of us are musicians,” said Taylor. “The first festival was more of a big party but we wanted to call it a festival because that is what we were working toward. Everything we have done has been for the intention of something else. This year we have incorporated things that are going to be small with the hope that next year they will be bigger like a film festival, art show and so on.”

The list of artists at this year’s festival is staggering: Braids, Chad VanGaalen, Rah Rah, We Were Lovers, Woodpigeon, The City Streets, Tim Hecker,

“

There’s this Saskatoon-Regina divide, especially in music. We’re only two hours apart. If we try to grow this to the size of Sled Island, we’re going to need Regina.

A journey into Rabbit Hole

Foonyap and the Roar, Zachary Lucky and the list literally goes on and on.

It’s a great showcase of distant and local Canadian talent. Talent that, Taylor says, may not have had a previous opportunity to grow to its full potential.

“The nice thing about the community in Saskatoon is that there are a lot of things going on,” said Taylor. “There are a lot of really talented, really great people. All that seems to be lacking is a forum or a stage.”

Now with a stage, Vive can focus on achieving their goal of furthering the Saskatoon scene.

Part of that goal involves fostering an all-ages platform for musicians and concert-goers. It was noted in the interview that many music scenes across the country have been hurt by the eradication of regular all-ages shows. Since it moved to Caffe Sola in July, Vive has responded to the need for an

all-ages venue.

The festival has a pass that gets one into all of the shows.

Every single show is all ages save for one (Rah-Rah with We Were Lovers and guests at 302) and every show is fully licensed save for one. The festival has piqued the interest of people in Calgary and Regina, with the majority of the festival passes being sold in Regina.

“We’ve sold more passes to people from Regina than anywhere else. It may have something to do with Tim Hecker. He’s never played west of Winnipeg, I think. There’s this Saskatoon-Regina divide, especially in music. We’re only two hours apart. If we try to grow this to the size of Sled Island, we’re going to need Regina.”

The passes are subject to the pending capacity of each venue.

Vive cont. on B3.

DANIEL MYERS

Persephone play deals with birth, death and whatever you call that thing in between

Rabbit Hole does not take you to Wonderland.

Instead, it takes you to that unsettlingly familiar place where families clash and splinter, where people wonder if they really have any idea where their lives are taking them. Persephone Theatre’s latest mainstage takes a visceral look at suburban tragedy and

portrays it with ferocity and wit.

The action centres on Becca and Howie, a couple in their late 30s whose son Danny died in an accident eight months earlier.

Their relationship has broken down, and Howie struggles to understand Becca as she refuses to attend their support group and talks about selling their house — leading Howie to accuse her of trying to erase Danny.

Meanwhile, Becca’s

irresponsible and much younger sister Izzy winds up pregnant, complicating Becca’s feelings; she suddenly faced with the arrival of a new child while still reeling from the loss of her own. Her overbearing mother also stops by to offer unwelcome advice of how best Becca should grieve.

And to top it all off, the family hears from Jason, — the teenage boy who ran over Danny — as he attempts to make amends.

Before the show began, Will Brooks, Persephone’s youth program director called Rabbit Hole “one of the best pieces of contemporary theatre out there today.

Such tall praise sparked my interest. While I am not comfortable endorsing Mr. Brooks’s claim, I do have to say that David Lindsay-Abaire’s

Rabbit Hole cont. on B2.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Blair Woynarski Arts Writer

Signing Call of the North

run Mar 23, 11.indd 1

Saturday, March 26, 1:00 PM

RICK ANTHONY

Signing Red Smoke Rising Sunday, March 27, 1:00 PM

03/13/11 1:24:41 PM

Section B Hip Hop loses a hero: Nate Dogg dies unexpectedly

B2 •

the Sheaf • 24 march 2011

A look at the man’s life and career DORIAN GEIGER Sports Editor In the biggest death to rock the hip-hop world since the departures of 2Pac and Biggie Smalls, west coast rapper Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Dwayne Hale) succumbed to a lengthy battle with stroke-like symptoms on March 15.

Reports cited a deteriorating health condition as the cause of Hale’s death. The rap legend suffered a stroke in 2007, a catastrophe that rendered the left side of his body paralyzed. In 2008, Hale endured his second stroke and remained out of the spotlight leading up to his death.

For many, Hale’s death was a shocking surprise ­— he was only 41 years old.

Though hip-hop has been injected with some much needed oomph by artists Kid Cudi, Wale, Hoodie Allen, Kanye West and Lupe Fiasco in recent years, the saying “hip-hop is dead” became all too prominent following Hale’s passing.

Hale has remained a staple

Rest in peace Nate Dogg.

of west coast hip-hop since cultivating the G-funk movement in the early ’90s. G-funk or gangsta-funk, is a sub-genre of hip-hop which samples funk music with a lowered tempo, multi-layered melodic synthesizers and heavy bass.

Hale only collaborated with the best – lyricists such as 2Pac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Ludacris and an

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abundance more.

Not technically a rapper by definition, Hale’s background is R&B driven, but his affiliation with various gangster rappers and his lyrical content make him an exception to the term. Hale concocted a variety of lyrically catchy and smoothly hypnotic hooks on singles such as Warren G’s “Regulate,” Eminem’s “Till I Collapse,” Xzbit, Dr. Dre and

Rabbit Hole cont. from B1.

Despite being a tragedy, Rabbit Hole is also uplifting at times.

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script is one of the most honest depictions of modern family life I have seen.

The set for this show was as much a character as all the fleshy bipeds trotting around onstage.

Jim Guedo’s set design went for comprehensive realism, with Becca and Howie’s home very convincingly filling out the stage.

In addition to Guedo’s vision, the production employed a set decoration designer who did up the whole stage in earth-toned upper middle class chic.

The stage employs two levels, with a staircase leading to Danny’s room, still decorated in robot bedsheets, storybooks and toys. Though it is used sparingly

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Snoop Dogg’s “Bitch Please (I and II),” Dre’s “The Next Episode” and 50 Cent’s “21 Questions.”

Hale’s death has triggered lamentations from across the hiphop community. Comedian Dave Chappelle called for a moment of silence for a “hip-hop legend.”

Hale has appeared on upwards of 40 chart singles and at the height of his career it was mind boggling to comprehend the price tag attached to one of his 25-second choruses.

Few artists are even comparable to Hale; Akon has been trying to replicate a similar image — becoming the new age hook singer — but his appearances on the poppiest of singles with a variety of questionable artists will prevent him from ever reaching a level close to Hale’s.

Even Dr. Dre seems to have acknowledged this. Dre’s latest single, “Kush,” features cameos

by Snoop Dogg (not surprisingly) and Akon. It was curious that the esteemed doctor used Akon’s vocals to accompany his reentrance back onto hip-hop’s stage

rather than Hale’s. Had Hale’s health been where it needed to be when Dre recorded his new track, Hale likely would have been alongside Dre and Snoop in the studio. Akon’s lacklustre job on “Kush” just makes Hale’s passing that much more tragic — no one can replicate him. Hale’s voice carries a mystique unmatched by anyone in the music industry right now, period.

It will remain a mystery if Hale’s well-publicized indulgence of marijuana contributed to his ailing health. In the wake of Hale’s passing, fans should consider adopting the mantra of smoking weed every other day. If nothing else, it can be ascertained that Hale transformed west coast hip-hop in an unparalleled way and that his unique sound will remain synonymous with the genre for years to come.

in the play, the bedroom’s presence constantly hangs over the heads of the characters.

The dialogue is frank without being vulgar and witty without being insouciant. Although they crack a few jokes, it never feels as if they’ve forgotten the tragedy hanging over them. And as easy as it would be, given the subject matter, the characters never slip into self-referential “confession time” speeches. The problem is that he tries so hard to avoid exposition that for the first couple scenes, the viewers are drowning in a sea of cryptic references, and when the characters finally get around to revealing something, it feels like a wink to the audience.

Patricia Drake dominates the action as Becca, offering a deeply pained but brave performance.

She was also the only member of the cast to really settle into the set. The other actors never seem quite comfortable in their surroundings.

Tom O’Hara is solid as the frustrated Howie, having fiery collisions with Drake. He keeps a strong stage presence, though sometimes lacks intimacy.

Maralyn Ryan is also delightful as the busybody matriarch of the family.

Amy Matysio steals the spotlight as Izzy. She’s exuberant

and sassy, and though her performance is underscored by longing, she always lifts the mood of her scenes. But she has the unfortunate tendency of turning dramatically toward the audience after saying something noteworthy. And while not a fault of her acting, her character arc is left somewhat incomplete. There is a hint of resentment toward her from Becca for having her own child, but it never amounts to anything.

The whole production is helmed by Jim Guedo, a wellrespected director across the country and currently serving as the head of the drama department at the U of S. Characters are dragged through tragic circumstance, but instead of being able to pull together, they break apart, all haunted by the ghoulish spectre of social propriety. Most of the play is uncomfortable to watch, but it is also oddly uplifting.

I cannot speak to how accurate it is in depicting its central tragedy, but I think Rabbit Hole is relatable to anyone. It is a fearless play. You will follow the March Hare down into the pit, find yourself lost, confused and frightened. But you will reemerge in the end, with a greater appreciation of the world you left.

Section B • B3

thesheaf.com/arts

Epic adventure comes to campus with The Odyssey First two rows may get eaten Blair Woynarski Arts Writer Tell me, Muse, of the man of many ways, who was driven Far journeys, after he had sacked Troy’s sacred citadel.

Many were they whose cities he saw, whose minds he learned of, Many the pains he suffered in his spirit on the wide sea, Struggling for his own life and the homecoming of his companions.

Sound familiar? Unless you’ve taken a classics course recently, probably not.

Those lines begin one of the oldest surviving stories ever told by humans. And that story has now travelled from the shores of Ancient Greece to the heart of Saskatoon, where the Greystone Theatre is mounting a production of The Odyssey.

It is safe to say that the word “epic” is overused these days. You can hear people say, “Yeah, that YouTube video of the hamster on water skis was epic,” or something like that. So it is nice to be able to reclaim the word “epic,” that the drama department is staging a play of epic proportions. There is an ocean voyage, a cyclops, a trip to the underworld and a story full of love, murder and betrayal.

For those of you who were hung over that day in high school or never saw Wishbone as children,

Vive cont. from B1.

Which basically means just because you have a pass doesn’t mean that you’re going to get into the show.

“Braids is going to be a clusterfuck of 100 angry people outside,” said Taylor.

This potential clusterfuck is likely a consequence of the 70-person capacity at the festival’s primary venue, Caffe Sola. The possibility that Vive is getting too big for the cafe is not a preposterous notion.

“Finding artists has never been an issue,” said Taylor. “The difficulty is always the logistics. We’re just facilitating it at this point, trying to keep up with the project.”

Few people realize this, but Greeks loved eating shirts.

photo by Pete Yee

I’ll recap the story.

Odysseus was away from home fighting the Trojan War for 10 years. But when it ended, he was somewhat delayed in getting home thanks to an ill-advised taunt which angered the sea god Poseidon.

Now, another decade later, his kingdom is overrun by suitors who want to marry his maybewidow Penelope and stake their claim to his throne.

Odysseus has spent seven years captive on the island of the nymph Calypso, and when he finally gets free thanks to help from Athena, he travels to a nearby island kingdom where he tells everyone the details of his miraculous journey. Then he finally returns home in secret, to discover what has happened to his kingdom.

Natasha Martina directs the production. She says that her initial challenge was to find a play that could accommodate the 23 actors in the senior acting program and provide a challenge to each one of them. The Odyssey posed as a very interesting opportunity because of the size and scope of the myth. Martina, known for taking on staging challenges, says that she wanted to “create the possible from the impossible.”

The script that Martina is staging is the 2003 dramatization

by Mary Zimmerman (Zimmerman’s version of Metamorphoses was performed at the Globe Theatre in Regina this past fall). She looked at a few versions, but said she returned to Zimmerman, finding the

BRAIDS at Caffe Sola

I miss them. The Regina band is — from what I’ve heard — super fun live. The seven-piece group all share a common goal and often take turns taking the lead. They’re playing 302 with Saskatoon friends We Were Lovers and other dance-worthy groups.

I’ve never been terribly good at describing music to people, I don’t really have a vocabulary for it. But I once described these kids as — if I may quote myself — “If you were falling through the air, totally calm, this is what you would want to listen to.”

Beautiful and angelic on the outside with darker subject matter on the inside. The band has gained incredible renown from all over the world with their brilliant fulllength debut Native Speaker.

Rah-Rah

I have missed Rah-Rah on close to 10 occasions. For some reason, something always goes wrong and

Woodpigeon

Out of Calgary, Woodpigeon is the beautifully imagined project of Mark Hamilton. It is like a nature ramble infused with pastels and the imagination you don’t exercise anymore. Lovely.

They’ll be playing Christ Church Anglican to kick off the festival.

language worked best, because “Zimmerman uses the lyrical voice of the text and blends it into the modern day. It exists in two worlds.”

Actors in the play are completing coursework, so Martina had to give them a lot to chew on. Almost everyone involved is playing multiple characters, and they have been rehearsing in some form since the beginning of the semester.

To start off, each actor had to do an in-depth research project to understand their characters.

Alyssa Bennett plays Odysseus’ wife Penelope (in addition to various small roles), and talks about how her understanding of the character changed during the process.

“There is this image of her being the virtuous, sad queen,” she said. “But she’s actually quite proud of herself. She’s a schemer and she likes it.”

But the biggest question is how to take this sprawling epic and put it on stage. It will be quite a spectacle, with the constant shifting of boats, and with such creatures as the Scylla, the Cyclops and the Sirens.

“It’s going to be very big and full of images,” Martina said.

The set is going to be so big within the confined theatre space, Martina advises all audience members to keep their limbs close to their seats.

One cast member, Emily

Dueck, said that one of her favourite parts of the show is the Scylla, which is basically them working with a 10-foot puppet.

Jordan Svenkeson, another cast member, enjoys the slow-motion combat.

“It brings the feeling of those epic Greek movies like 300 but the dialogue is more fanciful,” he said.

It has been an intense process for all the actors involved, and they have had to bring the full force of their creative abilities in order to interpret the characters in a way that stays true to the story but also resonates with modern audiences.

“They’re always surprising me,” Martina says of her cast.

People reading this are probably not going to embark on an epic sea quest in their lifetimes, duelling with gods and monsters.

Watching The Odyssey is a pretty good substitute. It offers a generous dose of drama and adventure, and, let’s face it, it’s not often the high seas come to Saskatoon.

Zachary Lucky

Lake will all be participating, as well as hardcore dance infusion Foonyap and the Roar (awesome) and the Sea Hags. And there’s breakfast! Sounds like the best fucking breakfast ever. Unreal.

After being on tour for the past two months or so, the Saskatoonbased folk singer is playing for Vivefest. His music is wonderful and makes me homesick for reasons I can’t describe. He will be playing alongside Woodpigeon as well as some other festival acts like the Phonemes and The Mountains and the Trees. All in all it should be a beautiful show.

The Sunday Hair of the Dog Afternoon Breakfast

This just sounds like the perfect Sunday. Local heroes like Shuyler Jansen, Shakey Wilson and Foam

The Odyssey runs March 23 to April 2 at the Emrys Jones Theatre in the John Mitchell Building.

Shows are 8 p.m. nightly except Sundays.

Vivefest3 ticket are available at Caffe Sola and advance tickets are available for Woodpigeon, Chad VanGaalen and Tim Hecker on ticketedge.ca.

Info at vivemusic.ca

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B4 • Section B

the Sheaf • 24 march 2011

‘I want to offer an intimate encounter, not a quick fuck’ The reality of one student’s foray into sex work JACLYN LYTLE The Fulcrum (University of Ottawa) OTTAWA (CUP) — It’s late and the street corner is dark. Lacking a streetlight, or even the neon glow of an “open” sign, there is something sad about this scene.

The night is dreary and cold; spitting rain slowly drenches the sidewalk and the hair of the woman that stands upon its pavement.

Flaunting torn fishnets and a set of old stiletto heels, she peers out into the dark night, eagerly awaiting her next prospect.

Her eyes lift excitedly as a car approaches, and she adjusts her skirt to make it sit as short as she can.

Illuminated by little more than the moonlight, the girl leaning in through the open window of the car paints a striking vignette.

The scene screams: This is what a prostitute looks like.

Or is it?

A tall, natural-looking woman with long, dark hair falling into her makeup-free face, Tara Miller* does not look like a stereotypical prostitute. Instead, she is the picture of an eager student, clutching a coffee and heavily laden with a backpack full of books. A daughter, activist, undergraduate and a girlfriend, Miller is a woman of many interests. She is also a sex worker.

“I’m pretty open about it,” said Miller. “I think it busts a lot of myths about who is a sex worker. I think people perceive me to be smart,

independent and involved in political activism. I do all these things, and am also an escort. That really challenges [people’s ideas] of who is an escort.”

Getting involved in the underground

Miller has not long been involved in the sex trade. Relatively new to her profession, she explains that her choice to become a call girl was not based upon necessity or intimidation as some people might expect. In fact, Miller came up with the idea on her own and, after spending some time weighing the pros and cons of her tentative career, was inspired to take the plunge into prostitution last fall.

“I met someone in one of my classes who outed themselves as a sex worker as their introduction,” Miller explained. “After talking to her, I did some research for three months, going back and forth with the idea.”

Some may say her indecision could reveal some apprehension. On the contrary, Miller says her desire to involve herself in the sex trade has always been firm. “This was something I wanted to do,” she said.

A bit unsure of how to get started, Miller is thankful for the experience of meeting another more experienced sex worker who proved instrumental in helping her prepare for her foray into a new career.

“She basically became my mentor,” Miller said. “The first thing she did was grab a piece of paper and wrote down all the things I needed to do, and then helped me book a hotel

for the next week.”

After so many months of deliberation, Miller said she was both anxious and excited for her first encounter with a client.

“All of a sudden it was coming.

Bam,” said Miller. “I was super nervous, but I’m really glad that it happened because it gave me a deadline.”

Dealing with the dayto-day Now that she has made a name for herself in the Ottawa sex scene, Miller is more than used to the everyday experience of engaging in sex acts for money. Still, she admits there are some aspects of the job that still surprise her.

“I thought it would be little work for a lot of money,” she said. “In reality, there is the time I put in with actual clients, and also the time I put into advertising, maintaining a clean space, and maintaining my body in a way that is appropriate to feminine gender norms. That takes up a lot of time.”

Charging $220 an hour, Miller does make good money, especially for a student. Although her full-time studies are important to her, Miller admits that she is often forced to sacrifice school to focus on her work — at least for the time being.

“It’s really good pay, but I have a hard time balancing school and work,” she said. “I’m prioritizing work a lot because that’s the way it needs to be in the beginning. It’s like

Much like other women, most prostitutes have legs.

photo by Candace Gray/Flickr

starting a business.”

Luckily for Miller, however, her academic excellence does not require her to work more often than she would like.

“I’ve been on a four-year scholarship since I started university,” she said. “Right now, this is just covering my rent and living expenses.”

Monstrous misconceptions

While Miller admits to being stressed by the extent to which her work detracts from her studies, she is clear about the advantages to focusing on her work while establishing herself in the industry. The most important benefit is the luxury of defining her services on the basis of intimacy, instead of just sex.

“I want to offer an intimate encounter, not just a quick fuck,” she said. “Some escorts are okay with doing the most extravagant shit… and not talking to their clients at all, but I want to build a connection with the person that I’m with. I find that it helps my performance, and I enjoy it more.”

Miller feels the type of connections she is able to establish with her clients would surprise most people.

There’s a misconception “that all clients must be inherently over-sexual beings who want to release their frustrations on prostitutes,” she said.

“My clients are actually great people who I have great conversations with during sessions.”

Establishing an intimate, private connection with each of her clients has even allowed Miller to learn some important things about herself.

“I’ve learned a lot about how I interact with strangers and how my body interacts with strangers,” she explained. “I never thought I would be able to be so intimate with someone; to convey that sense of intimacy is something I didn’t know I could do.”

Miller regards the suggestion that her work may be dehumanizing with utter disdain. Instead, she feels that involving herself in her new career has been an extremely constructive experience.

“It has actually been really positive,” she said. “I feel so much more comfortable with my body, [and] in general I just feel great all the time.”

Changing our attitudes, one hour at a time

Though Miller has learned a lot about herself and about her clients, she notes that the most important part of her experience thus far has been the way it inspires her as an activist.

“On the surface, it’s women selling their bodies to men,” she said. “But, in a nutshell, my encounters with clients have been more about pleasure and consent than my encounters with men outside of my work.”

Already involved with various body-positive groups in the community, Miller is passionate about advocating for the rights of sex workers in both a legal and a social sense.

“To decriminalize sex work is not going to remove the stigma. It’s a start, and maybe it will give us more access to resources that are not available now, like health care and police [protection],” she argued. “The battle [won’t be] over after these laws are changed, which they are going to be. The government is putting out a preposterous argument saying that it’s not their obligation to protect sex workers.

“We aren’t asking for protection; we’re asking not to be endangered.

There’s a difference. The law is actively putting us in danger. What we want is to be left alone.”

thesheaf.com/arts

Section B • B5

Hipsters MIA at Indie Awards

Canadian Music Week’s Indies felt more like Teen Choice Awards E.D. CAUCHI Canadian University Press TORONTO (CUP) — There are a few understood requirements of hipsterdom, but two in particular are critical to the category: cheap beer and pretentious apathy.

So with $8.50 Molson Canadians and a buzzing all-ages crowd, credibility is what seemed most lacking at Canadian Music Week’s 10th annual Indie Music Awards that were handed out March 12 in Toronto.

The venue’s large Canada crests and French door balconies were uncharacteristically accompanied by two stages, blinking screen backdrops and swinging cameras that glided smoothly overhead.

The conference room had been transformed into a set reminiscent of the Teen Choice Awards.

For a competition that claims to represent the best of independent artists, the combination of shiny venue, giddy all-ages audience, high priced-booze and recent Grammy performer Janelle Monáe headlining, it had to be asked: Where were all the hipsters?

This was certainly no Polaris Prize. However, several Polaris notables were given the nod of approval. The Sadies, Shad and Karkwa were all recognized with wins for Folk/Roots Artist/Group of the Year, Urban Artist of the Year and Francophone Group of the Year, respectively.

Twenty-four awards were handed out in the form of customized black guitars. The first award for Single of the Year went to Marianas Trench.

They later took home the guitar for Pop Group of the Year.

Six artists/groups performed

Rock me like a hurricane. Or don’t. Don’t.

Canadian Music Week’s standard half hour sets. The opening band was Toronto’s largely unknown Desperate Union whose anthemic twang echoed of Nickelback.

To hammer in the bizarre setting, acclaimed alternative indie rockers Arcade Fire only took home one of their three nominations, winning Album of the Year for The Suburbs.

Alexisonfire beat them for Group or Duo of the Year, which was accepted by their flummoxed frontman George Pettit.

“I feel absolutely ridiculous accepting this award. What did we do, release an EP to mixed reviews? Arcade Fire won a fucking

photo by Megan Cherniak/The Cord

Grammy.”

As the night drew on and the air stank with the delirious combination of sweat and a smoke machine, the hipster atmosphere slowly began peaking through the night’s initial sheen. Hannah Georgas took the stage to perform “Bang, Bang, You’re Dead” in front of a backdrop reminiscent of Rainbow Bright. She beat out Toronto natives Owen Pallett and Diamond Rings for the title of Solo Artist of the Year.

Bombay Bicycle Club followed up with a set almost identical but equally well executed to the one they had performed the night

before. The alternative rock style of the British band was carried through by the lead singer’s vocals, which had the rough boyish tone of Bright Eyes’ Connor Oberst.

Montreal-based group Hollerado became winners of Video of the Year for “Americanarama.” They performed a full set bouncing up and down on imaginary pogo sticks to light sounds reminiscent of Vampire Weekend. With the winning song and known hits like “Juliette” and “Happy Birthday,” they launched an explosion they’d foreshadowed.

“We really wanted to explode confetti at CMW,” professed lead

singer Menno Versteeg two nights before. “They told us it would cost $500 for the cleaning fee, though.”

After the last guitar was given out, hip-hop artist Shad hit the stage. Losing Solo Artist of the Year was Shad’s second notable loss this year after he was denied the Polaris Prize in September after being named the front-runner up until the award was announced.

The snub didn’t seem to affect his projected happy mood though, even while he sang the bitter lyrics to his passive-aggressive hit “Yaa I Get It.” But the best act was saved for last. For an hour and a half, the walls seemed to reverberate with Janelle Monáe’s performance.

It was truly artistic majesty and emphasized the distinction between singers and performers.

She was not above the gimmicks with daunting futuristic opening videos, painting on a fresh canvas throughout a song, heart-shaped confetti and crowd surfing during her encore. But her dance moves stretched from a merengue to a moonwalk and her song selection energized the crowd with big band “Tightrope” and “Cold War,” but wooed them into silence during a cover of Nat King Cole’s 1950s classic “Smile.”

It was only the second time Canadian promoters had managed to convince her to come north of the 49th parallel — the first was to open for Arcade Fire last summer.

But Canadian Music Week has clearly opened the door.

“Thank you so much,” were her final words. “We will be back.

Artisan burgers at Jerry’s Food Emporium Local staple changes menu to include the greatest burgers ever

This burger looks good, yo.

HOLLY CULP Arts Editor

My initial encounter with Jerry’s food emporium was in my first year of university when I participated in what the Rez kids call “The Grub Crawl.”

Jerry’s was our dessert stop. Not surprising, considering that it serves incredible gourmet gelato and other such fine delicacies.

Jerry’s recently underwent an extensive renovation. Not only to its physical appearance but also to its menu.

The locally owned and operated establishment has now added artisan gourmet burgers to their

photo by Holly Culp

already delicious menu.

Owner Jerry Kristian spent a long time looking for the perfect combination of flavours to appeal to all demographics.

“When we renovated we tried to bring in a few new trends,” said Kristian. “With the artisan burgers, that was the last area where I felt we still needed to do a little work.

High end gourmet burgers are at the top of trends right now and have been for about two years. It hasn’t really come to Saskatoon until now. I really wanted to make them accessible to everyone. “ One of the most important aspects of a good burger is the bun.

Jerry spent a considerable length of time in search of the perfect bun for the burgers. When he couldn’t find what he wanted, he took the DIY route and built a bakery for Jerry’s where they make their own delicious hamburger and ciabatta buns.

“Finding great buns. It sounds simple,” laughed Kristian. “It’s actually incredibly difficult.”

At the sampling event I was treated to a broad selection of variations on the artisan burger, including a range of meats from lamb to beef, turkey to chicken and a variety of cheeses and toppings.

I went with a personal go-to of a bacon cheddar burger with Angus Beef with a side of fresh cream-ofC

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Finding great buns.

It’s actually incredibly difficult.

Jerry Kristian Owner

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place is friendly and comfortable. mushroom soup. It was delightful.

Jerry’s is a nice example of the If you have not yet been to Jerry’s Food Emporium I suggest you do ideal local establishment. The food so immediately. is tasty, the owners are charismatic swap.saskatchewan.pdf 3/18/2011 1:57:01 PM and the over all atmosphere of the

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B6 • Section B

the Sheaf • 24 march 2011

Music Listings March 16-23

Thusday 24

The Grave Mistakes @ Lydia’s PS I LOVE YOU with DIAMOND RINGS @ Amigos MEHTA @ Caffe Sola

Friday 25

Sinistro @ Lydia’s FLYING FOX with TIM O’DORAN @ Caffe Sola

CRESTWOOD @ Amigos FOGGY NOTIONS with CHASE WALKER BAND @ Walkers

Saturday 26

Kamilla and the Ne er Do Wells @ Lydia’s THE DODOS with READING RAINBOW

@ Amigos JAY CROCKER @ Caffe Sola

PHOTO ESSAY 5: Happy Birthday, Captain Kirk!

Tuesday 29

Open Stage @ Lydia’s

Wednesday 30

Souled Out @ Lydia’s Open Mic @ The Fez on Broadway

Culture Listings March 16-23 Friday 25

Tuesday 29

Until April 2 THE ODYSSEY @ Greystone Theatre Until March 30 RABBIT HOLE @ Remai Arts Centre

BFA RECEPTION @ The Snelgrove Gallery SASAKTOON SYMPHONY @ McNally Robinson

DOLLAR DRAUGHT @ Louis’ Pub REFUSE TO SIT DOWN OPEN MIC COMEDY @ The Fez

Thursday 24

Sunday 27

Wednesday 30

TALKSHOW with Jason Hattie @ Louis’ Pub

TONIGHT IT’S POETRY @ Lydia’s Pub Living Sky Taiko Drummers

$2 BEER @ 302 Discotheque and Lounge

THE SHEAF

March 22 marked William Shatner’s (a.k.a Captain James T. Kirk’s) 80th birthday! So show the man some love, if you somehow run into him. And please, please, please spend a little while remembering him for his starmaking turn as the captain of the USS Enterprise rather than for... anything else he’s done.

AGM 5:00 pm Monday, April 4, 2011 Room 108 Arts

Annual General Meeting The Sheaf Publishing Society Inc. Board of Directors have scheduled the Society’s Annual General Meeting to take place Monday, April 4, 2011 at 5:00 p.m., in Room 108 Arts.

Any proposed motions, changes to this agenda, or amendments to the Society Bylaws must be submitted to the Chair of the Board of Directors,

1) Call to Order 2) Call for Quorum 3) Approval of Agenda 4) Approval of Minutes - April 5, 2010 5) Society Report

in writing, by 3:00 p.m. Friday, April 1, 2011, to:

6) Financial Report -Auditor’s Report

The Sheaf Publishing Society Inc.

7) Business Arising - Reappointment of the Auditor

Room 108 MUB 93 Campus Drive Saskatoon SK, S7N 5B2 All are welcome to attend!

8) Bylaw Amendments 9) Election of Directors 10) Questions and Comments 11) Adjournment

• B7

thesheaf.com

Benjamin Ripley — The Gateway (University of Alberta)

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CORRECTION In the article “Punk teams up with comic books, births band” in the March 17 issue of the Sheaf, we incorrectly spelled Dan Smolinski’s name wrong.

Sorry, Dan!

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the Sheaf • ads@thesheaf.com • 24 march 2011