scan with
oct. 22-noV. 4 2014 Vol. 01 issUe 23 UrBAnitenews.coM
out of the loop? katzman, Zeman, the story behind the rumours and p.04
the fate of windsor’s alternative entertainment complex
who is p.03
mystery mayoral candidate Bruce Martin? the Urbanite chats with the elusive man
wiff 2014 p.10
through the lenses of the windsor international film festival
VIEWS
THE URBANITE » URBANITENEWS.COM » OCT. 22-NOV. 4 2014 » 2
VOTE NOW, VOTE THEN, AS LONG AS YOU VOTE! Election day is fast approaching, and if you haven’t voted yet in advance polls, I urge you to vote on Oct. 27. In addition to being one of the most important civic responsibility citizen’s have, it’s also a right, and one that was fought long and hard for. The right to vote, to cast your decision and have it recorded, is inspiring and awesome; awesome in the truest sense of the word. While it’s easy to think we have little impact on the world around us, the sheer act of voting sends ripples throughout the world. Democratic societies prosper with an engaged citizenry, and the lure and appeal of voting resonates the world over. The issues affecting Windsor are serious, and you are able to affect the outcome of both where were going and how we get there. Judge your council and mayoral candidates now. Scrutinize their actions, words, media interviews, social media posts, and please, if you have a question, reach out to them.
social media generation posed questions to candidates through online channels and sought to engage in politics their way. In 2011, the social media generation — 18 to 39 year olds — accounted for roughly 35 per cent of eligible voters, the second largest voter block, followed by baby boomers (45 per cent) and seniors (20 per cent), according to Statistics Canada. While ranked ballots won’t be implemented throughout Ontario until 2018, other measures need to be enacted to ensure voters are provided with all the options. Urge the provincial government to implement the option to decline your vote as well. A declined ballot is recorded separately from spoiled ballots and can send a strong signal to candidates and politicians. The takeaway is simple: voting is important and it can affect change. Voting day is Oct. 27. Go vote.
— JON LIEDTKE
Don’t know where a candidate stands on an issue? Give them a call. Want to tell a candidate what’s important to you? Send them an e-mail. Want to ask why a candidate acted a certain way? Tweet them. The social media generation is constantly changing politics and elections are no exception. Last week at the #VoteNowVoteThen mayoral debate hosted by The Urbanite, YKNOT and Pathway to Potential, the
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NEWS
THE URBANITE » URBANITENEWS.COM » OCT. 22-NOV. 4 2014 » 3
Q&A with Bruce Martin The mysterious mayoral
candidate speaks up for the first time
Windsor mayoral candidate Bruce Martin » Photo Jay Verspeelt jon liedtke Windsor’s most enigmatic mayoral candidate broke the silence and sat down with the Urbanite to talk about his campaign for mayor.
I have a lot of experience. I know how difficult the job is, you’ve got to put up with a lot, but I think I can make a big difference in Windsor.
Bruce Martin, who recently revealed his platform to fellow candidates, has remained virtually silent throughout the election, even omitting any contact information from the CIty of Windsor website.
I’m not a lawyer ... I was raised by a single mother. I’ve done corporations, I’ve done trade work, apprenticeship … everything from A to Z. It’s more common sense experience. I’m a people person, I know what goes down on the street, from the drug dealers on the street right up to the corporate world.
Why are you running for mayor? I didn’t plan on it … I have a whole vision that we can do much better … my best friend prompted me to run, I didn’t really take it seriously. One of the things that prompted me was when I saw the people bugging the panhandlers downtown … we have a systematic system of poverty, there’s always going to be a certain percentage that are poor, but meanwhile why don’t they go bug the bankers that took $114 billion off the taxpayers in 2008. What is your experience?
Why is your campaigning being run like it is? The truth is when I went to register, I was going to put my campaign office, and the city said I can’t do that, I have to put my home. I’m a very private person … I do my own thing at home. My address will be 400 City Hall. I see right through the system, and our system is not a democracy. Everybody that’s running should be given equal time to present their platforms to the public.
They (the media) control all the elections, they’re a filter. You take a prism, sunlight goes through and comes out a different colour. If certain parties want certain people to get in, they can work that prism how they like. What are the issues as you see them? [Martin noted the assassination of United States presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy as plots to stop the implementation of a switch to a silver dollar standard, the US led creation of a central bank in Syria as a result of ISIS incursions, and the Bank of Canada Act which has caused citizens to “become enslaved to the banks.”] What are the top three Windsor issues? Create jobs. That’s prosperity. You don’t cut jobs or contract them out. You create jobs and the austerity attitude, that’s backwards. How do we create work? [Martin recommends implementing a
buy-local policy to encourage the purchasing of local food from the county.] What do you think of your opponents? They work hard, mean well, they’re ambitious … I’ve got to give Larry Horwitz credit, he’s running a hard campaign, he’s working his butt off, that means he’s got a good work ethic, same with Millson. How much money have you fundraised? That’s private, I don’t have no big backers or anything like that. I’ve studied the last three and a half years, I studied as if i was getting a master’s degree. But instead of doing it at the university, I did it on my own. Can you sum up why you’re running? I know more than these other people running, I know what the city needs, and we can turn the city around. We need a good council … business and jobs to create prosperity here in Windsor.
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The politics of dancing Taxes, landloards, rumours, lock-outs and the future of The Loop building
The fate of the local alt. entertainment complex that houses The Loop, Pogos, The Coach and Horses and FM Lounge has been the talk of the street » Photos Jay Verspeelt natasha marar
with files from jon liedtke
In 1980 a teenager began work as a dishwasher in The Old Fish Market Restaurant, located in a historic downtown building. From bartender to manager and owner, for over 30 years Jay Zeman has been a fixture at 156 Chatham St. W. Last month, he was barred from the premises. For years, the building’s four establishments, The Loop, Pogos, Coach and Horses and FM Lounge, have been run by Zeman and partner Mike Primeau. Today, the 25 employees — some of whom have worked there for nearly 20 years — call The Loop complex home. Now, artifacts such as the hot dog machine and an arcade game at Pogos, as well as gifts from customers are slowly being removed by employees and new management. On Sept. 20, Zeman was denied entry into the building that has become a staple in not only his own life but the lives of Windsor’s artistic community. “A big part of what we do is support the local arts scene … we put the money back into what supports us,” said Zeman. UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
The Loop complex’s liquor licence was to be revoked last month, but the building’s owner, Lee Brothers Limited was granted a temporary, one-year transfer. “We got a letter from the AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario) informing … they were going to take away the liquor licence from The Loop,” said
Sam Katzman, the new operator, whose family and parent companies Lee Brothers Limited and Katzman Enterprises also operate Cheetah’s of Windsor, Alley Katz and other adult entertainment businesses in Windsor and the United States. Katzman said learning of the licence termination was “a huge shock. These guys were great tenants. For 15 years we never spoke to them, they paid their rent, we never even came into the building, so it came as a big shock to us…” “We willingly transferred our liquor licence to [Lee Brothers Limited] basically for safe keeping, to make sure the business wasn’t affected,” said Zeman. “What the AGCO did as part of the transfer, they attached a document of sanction saying [the directors] couldn’t work for the licensee. We did not expect we’d be prevented in taking part in the business. Part of what we’re trying to do now is clear our name with the AGCO.” Katzman’s team realized they were faced with two options after receiving notice from the AGCO: “let them take it away, or transfer it and operate it, for lack of a better term ‘Save the Loop,’ save the staff, save the culture, and that’s what we decided to do.” Lee Brothers Limited registered two separate businesses named The Loop under its corporation in September. “The previous operators built a great business of 30 years, they really were able to understand the customer like I’ve never seen before,” said Katzman, referring to Zeman and Primeau. “... what we’re doing is following that paved path, keeping the
status quo, all four bars … are remaining open as before.” Local live music will still be featured prominently throughout the building and Katzman explained there is talk of bringing in larger touring acts. ANOTHER DANCE AT THE LOOP
The change of operators only affected business minimally with Pogos being shut down for one day. “The staff have been a great help, all the same staff are still here, and they help us learn about the business.” Katzman has injected capital to finance repairs to the roof and mechanical systems throughout the building to regulate heating and cooling, while the space has also seen a thorough cleaning. The Loop complex is a special place to many Windsorites and Katzman said he doesn’t want to compromise the environment that has been established. “Without [Zeman] here there’s a big piece of soul missing,” said FM Lounge bartender Randi Lunau. “There is very low turnover, I’ve been here almost seven years. I think there’s maybe two or three bartenders that have been hired since me but nobody leaves this place. Even if you quit you’re still part of the family.” Lunau said she is considering moving on to other employment opportunities. One security employee has already tendered his resignation. One of the main reasons customers keep
coming back is the staff, and Katzman explained that while “change is always concerning to people” that it’s “natural” and that concern among staff has “settled down.” Curtis Byrne, who has tended bar in The Loop complex for nine years, is still unsure of the new management. “I don’t like the idea of working for strip club people. I feel like that’s a different enterprise altogether. I feel like there’s an element of greed and vanity, and a bunch of other shit that we never had to deal with. Now, that being implemented into our whole world has made it a lot harder.” “Working for [Zeman], he took great pride in talking about drinks and spirits and beer. He has an impeccable palette. So him showing me how to taste beer, I feel like I didn’t really know how to bartend before I worked here,” he said, adding that Zeman and Primeau were “the best bosses I’ve ever worked for.” When asked if there was a role for Zeman or Primeau to play in the new business, Katzman replied “No. They can’t. And that’s [from] the AGCO.” Zeman sees his exclusion from the business differently. “I think they kind of looked at it as an opportunity to screw somebody over, and jump in and take somebody else’s business that they built up over 20 years,” he said. “What’s important is the people who know how to operate the business, (bartenders) Derek (Stonehouse) and Ian (Phillips),
have been screwed. Everything was in place for business to continue operating as it always had … so [they] could of easily maintained the operation exactly the way I left it when I wasn’t able to go into work on Sept. 20,” said Zeman. “Now you have [the Katzman’s who] make more money on a midnight on a Friday than we make all week long. That’s great, so you guys know how to make money, but you don’t know how to operate ... It’s a niche market, it’s arts based, we’re not about the money. … that’s not why The Loop exists, why the Coach exists. … we’re a freakin’ community centre … the customers that go there is because we’re not a corporate, profitmaximization vehicle.” KEEPING THE COMPLEX TOGETHER
While patrons line the bar stools each night, the businesses of The Loop complex have for over a decade dealt with legal and financial challenges unbeknownst to many. Writs of seizure and sale of property were filed by the Federal Court against 1214651 Ontario Limited and Winsong Limited — the corporations managing the four bars — in 2002, 2004 and 2008 for discrepancies related to GST payments, the Income Tax Act and SOCAN music licensing fees, which themselves totalled over $25,000 plus costs. Zeman said he can recall at least three times when the government has entered his building to take possession of alcohol and money in the till. On June 10, 2013, the CRA and Ministry of Finance registered security liens of
$373,413 and $860,700 against 1214651 Ontario Limited, and $1,163,212 against Winsong Limited, for seizure and sale of inventory, equipment, accounts and other assets. The ministry previously filed a lien on March 21, 2013, of $649,203 against Winsong Limited. “There are absolutely no security issues whatsoever standing,” said Zeman. “CRA are completely happy, and we don’t owe a cent … all of that is current … to the best of my knowledge.” A representative with the Ministry of Finance, who declined to provide her full name, said businesses who don’t file their tax returns are subject to assessments up to 25 per cent higher. She blames improper accounting and legal advice for many corporate defaults. “There are people out there that want to take advantage, and people who say, ‘I’ve hired this person to do this for me and they didn’t.’ All we can say is, ‘we’re sorry you’re in this position but at the same time let’s get you out of this,” she said. From 2008 to 2013, Wingsong Limited and 1214651 Ontario Limited appealed provisional assessments by the CRA in the Tax Court of Canada for non-filing of income tax returns for 2001 through 2005. As of January 2013, tax arrears amounted to $1,152,279.59 for Winsong. In an affidavit by Primeau to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in November 2013, he claimed “accounting and tax filing issues caused problems for the corporations many years ago. Part of the problem
was the accounting firm responsible for filing the returns was in Toronto. The firm was taking instructions from a former shareholder (John Wood).” Primeau didn’t respond to requests for interview. Zeman said he didn’t know about the tax problems until recently.
the government in advance of the dissolution of Winsong. According to correspondence between the Ministry of Finance and the corporation’s lawyer, Craig Allen, in July 2013, Winsong Limited had an outstanding balance of $663,085.65 which needed to be paid before the company could be revived.
“All the notices were going to the Toronto accountant, and we weren’t privy to this
Primeau and Zeman incorporated a new company, 2409352 Ontario Inc., in March
“Without [Zeman] here there’s a big piece of soul missing...” FM Lounge bartender Randi Lunau
in Windsor. I think they (CRA) assessed originally at $1.4 million, ” said Zeman. “We didn’t find out about this until the day before it had to be appealed in federal tax court.”
2014 to handle operations for the businesses. By September, the AGCO was going to pull their liquor licence, so Katzman created new companies to handle takeover of The Loop complex.
One appeal was dismissed and others settled with “significant corporate tax liabilities” of which the companies had no means to pay, according to Primeau’s affidavit.
“It becomes a messy game at this point...,” said Zeman. “I think this in depth experience of dealing with our landlord has taught us many lessons about how certain people operate their business. And it’s never a business model that I’ve employed … no one likes swimming with sharks, right? And that’s what those guys do best. It’s just a different way of doing business.”
Non-filings for 2006-2008 were eventually filed in 2012. Ultimately, however, both corporations were dissolved by the government: Winsong Limited in April 2012 and 1214651 Ontario Limited in July 2014. Primeau indicated in his affidavit he didn’t receive the required 90 days notice from
“Unless I buy the building (laughs) … you want to invest some money? Think we should do a Kickstarter?”
The WSO at the Capitol Theatre Toldo Pops
Changing the sport, scouting game
November 15–16
Celtic Fusion
Rant Maggie Rant Mike Murad, owner of Pursue Sports recruitment agency
» Photo Jay Verspeelt
Mike Specht
CSG Masterworks November 22
Scottish Fantasy
Having been through the rigors of trying to attain a professional soccer contract, Mike Murad has set his sights on placing the next generation of collegiate and professional footballers in programs where they can succeed. The University of Windsor student’s startup, Pursue Sports, gears itself toward the modern athlete combining advanced analytics and social media to give players a better idea of how they compare to athletes around the globe. The goal of Pursue Sports is to promote talented players who otherwise might be overlooked, or lost in the deep portfolio of an agent. Through the Pursue Sports placement website every athlete is given a profile detailing their personal history and statistics. Each player receives a numerical grade, which allows for coaches to be easily directed toward the right players. “Other companies like us, they send out mass e-mails to coaches and kind of spam them. Whereas with us, coaches come to our site looking for a specific type of player,” said Murad. Registration is free, but there is a charge for the Pursue Sports testing system which keys in on 32 different criteria including mental, physical and tactical abilities.
Tickets $40-$62 Full-time students always half price 519-973-1238 for tickets and information
windsorsymphony.ca
By allowing coaches and scouts to come to them it allows for Pursue Sports athletes to be recruited by teams who need their service. Often times players pay out of pocket to travel to Europe with no guarantee of a contract, or any type of extended stay.
This approach has allowed for Pursue Sports to place 38 athletes around the globe including Karnir Basra, an 18-yearold Vincent Massey Secondary School graduate. In November, Basra heads to Spain where he will train at the Edukick Academy on a six-week contract. Edukick, which has facilities in nine countries worldwide, has a long tradition of producing elite level soccer players. According to Basra, the testing provided by Pursue Sports was essential to his development and determining where he ranks compared to the international competition. “They use a lot of equipment that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Things that measure your shot speed and passing accuracy. You know it’s one thing to say that you can pass, but it’s another thing to be able to quantify it,” noted Basra. The experience will give Basra the opportunity not only to grow on the pitch, but off it as well. “I wake up in the morning and play soccer, and then in the afternoon I have two hours of Spanish classes before going for more training at night,” said Basra. In the world of professional sports where the talent threshold is razor thin, opportunity above all is the key ingredient to success. With the assistance of social media and advanced statistics Pursue Sports helps keep the dream alive for athletes whose talent would otherwise be overlooked for a more convenient option.
FOOD& DRINK
THE URBANITE » URBANITENEWS.COM » OCT. 22-NOV. 4 2014 » 7
» Photos Jay Verspeelt
ottawa street meets Bourbon street Rebranded restaurant hopes to age like fine whisky jon liedtke Even though Windsor is known for its whisky, a new establishment on Ottawa Street is catering to Windsor’s bourbon drinkers.
“It’s going to be hard, it’s going to take a little bit of time, but I think it’ll be good … I think it’s the right move, but that it’ll take people some time to get used to it.”
Owners Ryan Casier, Peppe Scalia, Joe Sperduti and George Marar recently opened The Bourbon at 1199 Ottawa St., the former location of Per Bacco Ristorante, of which Sperduti was an owner.
Ottawa Street is in the midst of a minor rebirth and Sperduti believes the restaurant will fit in with the landscape.
The four owners spent time brainstorming what the theme of the restaurant should be, and after drinking some beers they “came up with the name Bourbon and followed that theme [with] rustic [items], barrels and the old bourbon days,” said Sperduti. Casier worked at Per Bacco Ristorante for the past nine years and following Scalia’s entrance as a partner, he introduced the three to Marar before getting together and creating The Bourbon. The doors opened a few weeks ago, but the business was only in development for a period of months. “It was a very quick turnaround, a lot of hard work, a lot of hard nights and it all turned out really good,” said Sperduti. Per Bacco Ristorante and The Bourbon are very different restaurants, and Sperduti recognizes it will take time to re-establish his clientele.
“We’re glad other places are opening up … we want to be a part of Ottawa Street to give it a whole new name and new atmosphere and have things grow back up and get it hoppin’ again.” When asked why focus on a bourbon bar in a city known primarily for its whisky industry, Sperduti, an avid bourbon drinker, noted that the city lacked a bourbon pub and that he wanted highlight the spirit in Windsor. While not currently at full stock, The Bourbon will import specialty bourbons and will feature brands of bourbon “people have never heard of before,” according to Sperduti. Bourbon will be incorporated throughout the full-service menu — including a bourbon hamburger — which will be changed every three months with the seasons. The owners plan on establishing relationships with local vendors to source local food and ingredients.
Ask a brewer...
what’s the deal with casking? with Paul Brady,
head brewer, Walkerville Brewery What is casking and where do you get casks from? Those are from different bourbon providers, Jim Beam being one of the primary ones. I’ve got 10 at the moment. I‘ll be putting different beers in to age and condition and hopefully it absorbs some of the wood flavours, vanilla flavour and obviously left over bourbon that’s still in the wood. How does it affect the beer? Depending upon what colour beer you put in, if you put in a lighter colour beer it will absorb some colour, if you put in a stout or a darker beer, you won’t be able to observe as much of a colour difference. Flavour-wise, it will impart some smoothness and also a bit more alcohol because there’s always a bit of bourbon left in the barrel. Casks also tend to oxidize the beer slightly because the temperature, natural expansion and heat expansion and cold contraction all occur and air comes out, a little bit of evaporation occurs. You get a little bit of oxidation which can impart a different flavour profile to the beer as well. It’s going to smell much more potent. You’re going to get that creamy vanilla-ness, maybe a little oak woodness too. There’s a char on the inside of the barrel and we hope to pick up a little of that as well. How does casking affect the feeling of the beer? I wouldn’t say necessarily a silkiness, but the extra time for the beer to condition will increase the smoothness of the mouthfeel. We tend not to highly carbonate beer that come out of barrels because it will take away from that mouth feel. That nice maturity that we impart would get knocked away by the effervescence. CO2 is astringent and too much of that in solution will bite you a little on the back. I want it to be smooth and slide right down the pallet. How long do you keep the beer in the cask? There are many different schools for that.
Some people say you get what you want in two months, others insist it has to be in there a year. We are currently developing our program and I’m not at liberty to tell you what i’m doing, but it’ll be somewhere between two months a year (laughs). How many turns can you get out of a cask? Usually the first pull is what you really get. But then you can take what you’ve done to it, say I use a stout, now I’ve got a leftover barrel that probably doesn’t have a lot of bourbon left in it, but it has the bourbon flavour, a little vanilla flavour still, and the stout flavour. I age something else in that to try to pull that out. What brewers often do is they will trade barrels that they’ve used … wine barrels, or whatever it is. You have a lot of fun with it. Where did the idea of casking come from? Probably just a brewer who operated near a distillery and saw a barrel and said, ‘Hey I bet I could put some beer in that!’ People have been doing it for a very long time. The bourbon industry especially created this availability, because according to [U.S.] law, bourbon can only be aged in a charred oak barrel and it can only be used once … they can age other whiskys in it, others age maple syrup, beer, tea, wine, all sorts of things. Bourbon barrels are actually one of the stipulations for aging scotches. The bourbon industry ships them over to Scotland and that’s what the scotch makers make their scotch in. It’s an industry, they send them down to Mexico and people age tequilas in it. The reusing of barrels, they’re expensive, it’s a commodity, so you sell them. Do you have a timeline? We’re not even filling them yet, I would say February or March possibly? I can’t set a certain date, when I’m going to fill them, how long it’ll be aged, but there will be notice Don’t be afraid to try new things.
136-year-old on top of culinary trends Dominion House Tavern parks a food truck inside the kitchen for new menu
The Dominion House Tavern is changing their kitchen with a menu designed by food truck chef Billy Deslippe » Photo edit Stephen Hargreaves jon liedtke While the City of Windsor and neighbourhood business improvement associations are falling behind the food truck trend, The Dominion House is parking a food truck right in the middle of their kitchen. Looking to seriously up the food game in Sandwich Towne, Chris Mickle and Kristen Neil, owners of the Dominion House, have partnered with Billie Deslippe of The Smashed Apple Gourmet Catering and Food Truck to create a new menu for the 136-year-old Sandwich Towne institution. “We have been thrilled and impressed by his work ethic and his food for the past two years working with him at various events and festivals,” said Mickle. “We wanted to do something new and exciting in the west end for our restaurant.”
“There’s going to be a lot of new additions, and the stuff that’s currently there I’m going to give a retweak,” explained Deslippe. “I came in to help them to increase food sales and get their kitchen to a place where they’re serving awesome food people need to eat.”
“We know that you’ll taste it in the food. If you don’t give back to your own community, why would your community support you? People expect more from the Dominion House, so we’re going to give it to them,” said Mickle about working with local food vendors.
“I think putting my name on it to, I have to make sure that it’s going to be really good food because I’ve built my reputation on awesome food and I need to continue that standard wherever I put my name,” said Deslippe.
“It’s a very heavy prep menu where everything is made in house, every single sauce we have is homemade,” he said, adding that while traditional pub fare will still be offered, management recognized a need to listen to what customer demands.
Mickle calls the menu a “game changer for food in the west end” due to the food truck inspiration, but also the fact all ingredients will be both fresh and local.
The Dominion House will feature two menus per year starting Nov. 1. New menu items include jalapeno cheddar and ale soup, coconut shrimp tacos, Thai lettuce wraps, Westcoast double-smoked BLT,
chicken and brie grilled cheese with wild blueberry mayo, homemade pad thai and slow braised pulled pork. “We’ve seen the success of the food truck rally, Windsor’s Fork and Cork and saw which vendors were knocking it out of the park, and it was all fresh ingredients, food truck inspired food,” said Mickle, who also organizes the annual Fork and Cork food festival. “It’s popular right now and to be honest, it’s delicious, so we want to … hop on that truck.” “Sandwich Towne is changing. I think finally evolving … it’s becoming more of a destination spot and local businesses and restaurants are really stepping it up.”
ARTS
WIFF celebrate 10 years with 111 films Film festival fans rejoice with three extra days and just shy of 200 screenings jAY Verspeelt After over 400 movies and 10 years, Windsor International Film Festival audiences are ever growing. WIFF let its first silver screens glow in fall 2005 with 16 movies over three days. It’s goal was to show movies that might not otherwise be seen in the city. Now, a nineday event exhibiting 111 movies begins Nov. 3. It’s a growth industry for the non-profit. The first year attracted 1,000 people, while last year 14,000 people showed for the 65 screenings. “Pride has clearly developed around the festival. People look at it as something that really goes toward quality of life and livability in this city,” said WIFF executive director Vincent Georgie. Georgie started with the festival six years ago working with then director Peter Coady. The two became good friends spending Coady’s birthday, Nov. 3, together every
year. Coady, however, had been thinking of resigning for some time discussing with Georgie two years ago that he was on his way out. Coady finally pulled the plug last year, leaving Georgie to take over. “[Coady] was an enormously impactful executive director from the start,” said Georgie. “[What] helped the most in all of this is that I was heavily involved with the organization… Peter and I worked together constantly. We knew each others roles really, really well.” This relationship is helpful for the new executive, who now knows all the ins and outs of the festival. “I’ve taken on more of an overview of everything we’ve got going on,” said Georgie. “I now sit on every sub committee we have, whether it’s marketing, governance, finance. Anything we’re involved in I’m aware of. I have a much broader view of the organization.”
But that’s the behind the scenes evolution to the festival. In a much more visible sense, WIFF has gone through major changes throughout the years. Aside from extending its run and increasing its revue, WIFF lost the Palace Cinemas for showing, as well as ending screenings at Lakeshore Cinema. The festival, however, gained showings throughout the year. In fact the festival, had to buy new and expensive equipment to play DCP to coincide with increased digital format film submissions. Local moviegoer Sarah Irwin has attended WIFF annually since 2010. She describes the festival as having a very distinct energy that doesn’t analog to a typical multiplex. “I think there’s a certain atmosphere that comes with something like WIFF as opposed to just going on a Tuesday night with kids,” said Irwin. “There’s a sense of importance. Not to say a pretentiousness, it’s a different electricity.”
It’s mainstream status quo that gives rise to festivals like WIFF. Georgie said that major studios who own theatre chains will often to refuse to show small movies if they don’t think there’s any market for it. However, WIFF may have played some small role into changing the operations of local multiplexes. Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported that movie piracy cost the film industry $6.1 billion annually, but Georgie believes WIFF is largely immune to film theft. “I think our festival is far more immune to [piracy] because of the types of films we’re showing. Also at a film festival people are going there for the social aspect, to enjoy it, to be excited by it, they want to talk to people. There’s a buzz around a film festival that can’t quite be captured with a film at home,” said Georgie, adding that going to the festival instills a deeper respect for filmmakers.
THE URBANITE » URBANITENEWS.COM » OCT. 22-NOV. 4 2014 » 11
Six WIFF flick picks Life After Death From Above 1979
Sunday, Nov. 2 @ 9:20 p.m. Life After Death From Above 1979 is a story about the Toronto two-piece band that blew up before breaking up and consequently reuniting.
The Opening Sky: Whoops! The teenagers are pregnant!
Searching for Sugar Man
Sunday, Nov. 2 @ 11:15 p.m. The Mexican Bob Dylan whose album tanked in the 1970s tells the remarkable story of two South Africans that try to find him two decades later.
The Immigrant
Friday, Nov. 7 @ 9:20 p.m. I’m Not Here failure Joaquin Phoenix along with Marion Cotillard from Midnight in Paris tells the story of an immigrant in 1921 trying to make her way in America after her sister is deported at Ellis Island. Loren Mastracci
Yves Saint Laurent
Saturday, Nov. 8 @ 1:45 p.m. The man Esquire has said was the best dressed fashion designer of all time is now the subject of a new movie about his life and times. It looks well shot and is set in France.
Zombeavers
Tuesday, Nov. 4 @ 11:45 p.m. What might be the most outrageous movie playing the festival this year, a group of 20-somethings go to a cabin in typical horror movie cliche only to be attacked by a hoard of zombie beavers. This movie will actually be playing soon at Devonshire Mall but you’ll have more credibility seeing it here.
20,000 Days On Earth
Sunday, Nov. 2 @ 7 p.m. Undeserving and overrated hack Nick Cave makes a self important movie about his 20,000 days on earth in a tedious monologue about the creative process.
Decisions are not always easy to make. Their consequences sometimes lead to unpredictable results, affecting the future in different ways. This is true for the Phimisters, in which mother and daughter Liz and Sylvie, are two distant satellites of two different planets. Their relationship carries the burden of past events, which lingers on throughout Joan Thomas’ The Opening Sky in a thick fog of suspense. Liz is a perfectionist with great artistic talent and an attention for details. She stages her life and her surroundings as she prepares culinary sophistications for her less-than-perfect family. In her spare time, she practices yoga and sips wine with her girlfriends. Liz is the manager at the Sexual Education Resource Center in Winnipeg. She is the epitome of the self-made woman. Her husband Aiden is a fairly successful therapist. He works at his own private clinic and the plot follows the ups and downs of the interaction with his patients. Throughout the story, he becomes an expert in human characters, deciphering his daughter’s moods and becoming an ambassador of relationships. He is the bridge between Liz and Sylvie, the detached mother of a
detached daughter. In stark contrast with Liz stands Sylvie, her distant teenage daughter. Sylvie too has her own perks: ardent environmentalist, she’s eco-conscious to the point of seeming out of touch with reality. Sylvie loves Noah, a fellow just like her. And that is when the problems start. Oh, love! The saga evolves into each teenager’s parent worst nightmare: Sylvie is pregnant. This proves a hard blow for Liz, whose colleagues at SERC start to see her in a different light. Liz’s pragmatism clashes with her daughter’s idealism. Sylvie’s main concern is the baby’s carbon footprint. She does not question how she will support herself and the baby or what role will Noah have, proving to be a very annoying character. And this is where the book’s power lies: in the ability to suscitate strong feelings in its readers. From here the plot unravels. The past returns to haunt the present and the protagonists struggle to keep their balance. Sylvie and Liz have to resolve disputed issues, as their world falls apart. The Opening Sky is Joan Thomas’ third book. Modern in theme and characters, multiple points of views and stories.
✩✩✩✩
of 5
VARIOUS ARTISTS CITY OF ROSES 3 S/R
For all of Windsor’s amazingly rich diversity of genre and sound, it’s surprising we don’t get more compilation albums to showcase the tapestry this city’s music scene truly possesses. One that does is the City of Roses series, kickstarted by Jamie Reaume (Cowboys in Cardigans, Foreign Film Star) a few years back. It’s consistently featured not only some of the scene’s major players, but a smattering of up-and-coming talent. This year’s charity is the Musical Therapy programs of WindsorEssex area hospitals. City of Roses 3 features some great tracks from such esteemed songwriters as James O-L (from his amazing solo album of last year), Tara Watts (a track off of this year’s stunning Pale Blue Moon) and Leighton Bain (from last year’s Planes). It also features some exclusive tracks, including new Huladog (“Don’t Bring Me Down”), The Oh Chays’ “Big Old World” featuring harmonica from Big Sugar’s Kelly “Mr. Chill” Hoppe, “Amsterdam” from pub rocker Chris Bolister and a new track, “Fingertips,” from Reaume’s alt. rockers Cowboys in Cardigans. Always a great introduction to Windsor’s music scene, City of Roses 3 continues an annual tradition that continues to give back to the community. — JAMIE GREER
✩✩✩✩✩
of 5
ELLIOTT BROOD WORK AND LOVE PAPER BAG RECORDS
Elliott Brood’s new record Work and Love is the latest release by Windsor via Toronto band. Whether you love to work or love to hate it, this record is anything but work to get through. It is a stunning sonic overture of folk rock and grit country. Elliott Brood doesn’t sound contrived. The music will make you nod your head and tap your feet to the hooks which are many throughout the record. Some parts have a distinctly 1970s flavour to them, this comes out in the guitar lines of “Tired” while “Mission Bell” has that country sound that is all but lost in modern music — may Taylor be swiftly vanquished from her throne — this is what down south is supposed to sound like and the north does it better. Every gravelly vocal trips off Casey Laforet’s lips with effortless ease. It’s a testament to those who can’t actually sing being good front men with memorable vocals. The most memorable track on this album is “Better Times.” It’s the kind of song you’d have on late at night as you drive down the highway — erie, brooding and stoically depressing. I’d love to say there’s at least one awful song on this record but there isn’t. Maybe in the future we can make a band like this a cultural export and ride Justin Bieber off on the rails. The only somber thing about the record is the beautiful image of the Detroit’s iconic Packard Plant on the cover; total demolition of the Albert Kahn complex began on Friday.
— JAY VERSPEELT
cowBoYs in cArdiGAns
deAn droUillArd
the windsor scene
the creepshow
w/Jamie Greer
ex-pat dean drouillard drops new lp
Psychobilly legends The Creepshow return and Cowboys in Cardigans hit the small screen Dean Drouillard may not be a familiar name to a lot of the younger generation in the Windsor music scene, but he’s well known to the older set. Frontman for indie pop legends The Skin Thieves and Racecar back in the mid-90s local scene, he left Windsor for Toronto near the end of the decade. He’s since flourished as a session player for such artists as Sarah Harmer, Royal Wood and Matthew Barber, while remaining a relevant singer/songwriter in his own right. On Oct. 29, he releases his latest effort, an instrumental gem called UFO Houses. The first single, “Return to the Start,” is streaming now on Exclaim! Magazine’s website. Toronto psychobilly punk legends The Creepshow return to Windsor on tour with a stop at The Dominion House (3140 Sandwich St.) on Thursday, Oct. 23. Always a raucous punk rawk show, The Creepshow delivers with blood, sweat and booze. Local support comes from Thick As Thieves. Saskatoon indie rockers League of Wolves come through Windsor on their national tour with a stop at Phog Lounge (157 Unviersity Ave. W.) on Thursday, Oct. 23. While still working on the full length debut for a late fall release, they’re touring in support of last summer’s EP, Motions. Local indie rock outfit The Infidels (not to be confused
with early 90s BritPop band Thee Infidels or Holly Johnson’s band of the same name from the late 90s) opens the show. A trio of local heavyweights throw a loaded bill at The Dominion House Friday, Oct. 24, featuring rock storytellers Years of Ernest, the impassioned songwriting of Leighton Bain, and the quirky indie roots pop of Eric Welton. All three acts are genuine headliners in this city, so this is a great showcase to experience three of Windsor’s finest musical talents. Best of all – it’s free. Montreal’s thrash metal giants Cryptopsy return to Windsor for another rager at The Windsor Beer Exchange (493 University Ave. W.). They’re bringing along Toronto’s Killitorious and Brantford’s Door To Door Human Gore on their tour this time, with local support coming from House of Swine (formerly Reasons Lost) and Them County Bastardz. This is an all-ages event, with doors at 6 p.m. and tickets on sale now for $20. On Sunday, Oct. 26, Jamie Reaume unleashes his third annual charity compilation of local music, entitled City of Roses 3. Past compilations have featured a great mix of established local mainstays with emerging artists, and this edition boasts much of the same. A live launch showcase
is happening at O’Maggio’s Kildare House (1880 Wyandotte St. E.) from 2-11 p.m., featuring CD performers Front Row Cello (Ted Lamont & Melissa Scott), Huladog, Cowboys in Cardigans, East Grand Band, Tara Watts, James OL and Chris Bolister. On Tuesday, Oct. 28, CJAM program Milk & Vodka’s Riot Grrl Tuesdays throws its third annual Breast Cancer Benefit at Phog Lounge, raising funds to donate to International Dragon Boats for a Cure. This year’s event kicks off at 6 p.m. and features music from Colin Wysman (Middle Sister, What Seas What Shores), Gone Wrong, Drown The Noise, The Infidels and Uncle Ray. There’s a suggested donation of $5 at the door. If you’re itching for live music on Halloween, there’s a few parties around the city that are offering live music jams on Friday, Oct. 31. Venue Music Hall (255 Ouellette Ave.) is hosting a Halloween Hootenay thrown by alt. Rockers Cowboys in Cardigans, who will also be premiering their brand new music video, “Out of the Movies.” Opening up the show are indie dance rockers Of The Pack and indie popsters The Hoop. Tickets are $10 advance and at the door. Warren & The Wayward Jennys are throwing a party at The FM Lounge (156 Chatham St. W.) – under the alias
Warren & The Hexin’ Jenny’s – and are sharing the stage with Grit Lounge, a great roots/prog rock project featuring members of Theory of Everything with singer/ songwriters Chris MacLean and Natalie DiNatale. Over at Phog Lounge, Hamilton’s indie rockers The Zilis swing through town with the eccentric folk enigma Chris Crossroads. Windsor Beer Exchange throws a Day of the Dead party on Saturday, Nov. 1, headlined by Windsor’s “death ska” veterans The Nefidovs. Only $5 at the door, the ruckus is furthered by sets from Thick As Thieves and Heart & Harm. Another Day of the Dead party runs (semi) secretly at Sanctuary Tattoos (1341 Tecumseh Rd. E.), featuring an 11 p.m. set by The Vaudevillianaires. CJAM 99.1 FM, the University of Windsor campus & community radio station, is throwing a fundraiser benefit Saturday, Nov. 1 at Villains Beastro (256 Pelissier Ave.). To help raise awareness and funds, they’ve enlisted three amazing local acts, all for only $7. Local roots rockers James OL & The Villains are joined by singer/ songwriter extraordinaire Crissi Cochrane and melancholy folk outfit Tire Swing Co.
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FOR ENTREPRENEURS. BY ENTREPRENEURS.
SAVAGE LOVE
Q:
I’m a twentysomething married trans guy in an openish marriage. In the online hunt for a guy to have some aboveboard, under-thesheets fun with, I run into snags because I’m trans (I disclose on my profile) and because I’m married. I’m baby-stepping my way toward an offline search for guys, going to events hosted by the local gay pride center. I’ve been thinking of not wearing my wedding ring at these meet-ups, as I worry it says I’m taken and off-limits. Would it be dishonest for me to present as unmarried as long as I make it clear that I’m not looking for romance? Totally On-Limits Dude
A:
My response is likely to wind up on antigay websites, TOLD, so let me preface it with this: We only started hearing that monogamy wasn’t just the cultural expectation/default setting for married couples but a crucial, essential, definitional element of marriage when same-sex couples began to press for marriage rights. Married heterosexual swingers were fucking around (and recruiting other married heterosexuals into their “lifestyle,” a term swingers embrace!) decades before the marriage-equality movement got off the ground. And religious conservatives, while not fans of swinging, never argued that nonmonogamous heterosexual couples weren’t really married or that they should be barred from marrying. So it seems that monogamy—like children and religion—only defines marriage when same-sex couples want to marry. Anyway, TOLD, you don’t have to be married to be monogamous or
THE URBANITE » URBANITENEWS.COM » OCT. 22-NOV. 4 2014 » 14
» rings & things monogamous to be married—and most gay male couples, married or not, aren’t monogamous. So go ahead and wear your wedding ring. While a wedding ring on a straight married man (or woman) will be assumed to mean “taken and off-limits,” the same assumption doesn’t apply in the case of a married gay man. If someone at one of the events you’re attending is interested in you, he’s likely to flirt with you first and make polite inquiries about your marriage (monogamous? Monogamish? Open? Poly?) second. Your trans disclosure is likelier to be the bigger deal—and a far bigger obstacle for most (but not all) gay men—than your wedding ring. Good luck.
Q:
IMy husband recently admitted that he masturbates once a day, sometimes twice. My confusion stems from the fact that we have sex once a day, sometimes twice. We’ve had problems in the past with him staring at other women (everyone does it, but I do feel discretion in front of a spouse is required) and with him wanting more novelty in bed (watch porn, wear lingerie, use toys). I’ve always had the higher libido and the more positive attitude toward sex in all of my relationships, but right now, I feel overwhelmed and, honestly, a little put off. I want to feel GGG again, but am having trouble. What do you think? Whence This Feeling?
A:
The guys you were with before you met your husband—all those sex-negative/less-sex-positive guys with their lower-than-yours libidos—did you ever complain about them? Did you ever gripe
to friends about always being the one who had to initiate? Did you ever think about writing me a letter asking how to get those guys to be a little more adventurous in bed? And now you’re complaining about being with a guy who has a higher libido and who is just as sex-positive as you are? My advice: Stop pathologizing your husband. You probably didn’t appreciate it when past partners made you feel like your libido was a problem. Your husband’s libido isn’t a problem either. If you’re not interested in porn, lingerie, or toys, say so. But look on the bright side: You’re lucky enough to be with a guy whose libido exceeds your own (for a change!), WTF, so your needs will never be neglected. Yahtzee.
Q:
I recently moved to a new apartment where most tenants are retirees—I am a 25-year-old, just for reference. My SO and I enjoy loud play. She is very vocal, which happens to be one of my biggest turnons. But I’m worried we are being too loud. My old place had thicker walls and younger neighbors. I am concerned not only that we are waking up my neighbors, but that we may find ourselves on the receiving end of a noise complaint. Trying to stay quiet hasn’t worked; it’s hard for her to do, it hurts her feelings, and it makes it less fun for me. Is there a way to politely bring the topic up with my neighbors to see if we’ve been bothering them? Stressing Over Unwanted Neighborly Disputes
A:
If your neighbors haven’t made it an issue, why would you want to make it one? Maybe thinner walls and older ears resulted
in a wash, SOUND, leaving your older new neighbors just as insulated from your loud sex as your younger old ones used to be.
Q:
I am an adult hetero woman, and I have a recurring fantasy that gives me pause. I was never abused as a child, and I have ABSOLUTELY NO sexual interest in children. However, in my fantasy, I am 9 years old and being seduced by a gorgeous man in his 30s. It ends with us having intercourse. I don’t feel guilty—no harm done, after all—but I do feel strange. Help me out: Fight the fantasy? Or is it okay? Kinky In Distress
A:
You’re not fantasizing about having sex with children—excuse me: You’re not fantasizing about raping children—you’re fantasizing about being a child who is “seduced” (read: raped) by a gorgeous man (read: a rapist). Your fantasy is unrealizable except through consensual “age play,” a kink that has not been linked to pedophilia. So while your fantasy is very deeply squicky (VDS), KID, no one is harmed when you indulge yourself in your VDS fantasy. But be careful with whom you share it, KID, lest you wind up attracting an actual pedophile (someone who wishes you were a 9-year-old girl) or repelling someone who can’t wrap his head around the essential harmlessness of your VDS fantasy. (Some recommended reading for you, KID: The Toybag Guide to Age Play by Bridgett “Lee” Harrington.)
Q:
Now that fecal transplants are all the rage for correcting gut microflora imbalances, when are we going to hear about the healing benefits of sharing anal toys? Sharing Is Caring, Kids
A:
The poop being used to treat microflora imbalances is “strained, centrifuged, and frozen,” according to a report in the New York Times. This medicinal-grade poop now comes in pill form, and researchers predict that these shit pills—administered orally—could save the lives of 14,000 Americans every year. (I call on President Obama to appoint a microflora imbalance czar.) Since the poop in your butt hasn’t been strained, centrifuged, and frozen—you would have to be the Felix Unger of scat fetishists to go to that kind of trouble—sharing anal toys is unlikely to provide the same health benefits to your partners. So the advice around plugs and other ass toys remains the same: no sharing during play, abort if santorum is present, wash toys with hot water and soap before reuse. However, we may need to revise the insult “eat shit and die” in light of this new lifesaving/ shit-eating treatment. But telling someone to “eat shit and balance your microflora!” doesn’t have the same punch. On the Lovecast, Dan chats with sex party luminary Polly Superstar: savagelovecast.com.
» BY DAN SAVAGE » MAIL@SAVAGELOVE.NET » @FAKEDANSAVAGE
EVENTS
THE URBANITE » URBANITENEWS.COM » OCT. 22-NOV. 4 2014 » 15
FIND AND SUBMIT EVENTS AT Rino’s Kitchen & Ale House | 7-10 O’Maggio’s Kildare House | 12 p.m. URBANITENEWS.COM/EVENTS p.m.
COMING UP WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22
Len Wallace Taloola Cafe | 8 p.m.
Halloween Dance & Ceilidh The FM Lounge | 3 p.m.
Spirits of Amherstburg Ghost Tour Mayor’s Fountain, Navy Yard Park | 8:30 p.m. | $8 adults/$4 kids
The Spirits of Sandwich Walking Ghost Tour Mackenzie Hall | 8:30 p.m. | $8 adults/$4 kids
Rum Runners Tour w/ Life After Fifty Canadian Club Brand Center | 10 K. Trevor Wilson a.m.-3 p.m. | $70 members/$75 Comedy Quarry | 9 p.m. | $15 non-members Ward 6 All Candidates Meeting Average Joes Sports Bar | 6:30-8 p.m.
Are You Ready To Testify? Dance for Crohn’s disease research w/ DJ Shawn Renaud Phog Lounge | 9:30 p.m.
Minus the Bear w/ Young Widows Latin Night w/ DJ Belize Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | ONETHIRTYEIGHT Bar & Lounge 7:30 p.m. | $25 ADV/$29 ATG | 10 p.m.-2 a.m. | $5 BJ Laub JucBox The Manchester Pub The Manchester Pub THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 Good Food Charter of Windsor Windsor-Essex Pride Wine Tour Essex County Launch Devonshire Mall (departure) | The Good Community Church 9:45 a.m. | $50 WYC Third Anniversary Border City Brawlers’ Annual HalSerbian Centre | 6 p.m. loween Scrimmage League of Wolves w/ The Infidels WFCU Centre | $5 Phog Lounge The Matadors Villains Beastro Rock & Roll Barber Villains Beastro | $20 Bookfest Windsor: Louise Welsh Author Engagement Tainted Kordazone Theatre | 7:30-10 p.m. The Capitol Theatre | 1 p.m. | $5-$20 Papadosio w/ Twiddle St. Andrew’s Hall (Detroit) | 8 p.m. Life After Fifty Singers 8th Annual Choir Concert | $17 Holy Name of Mary Church | 1:30 The Erers w/ My Pal Val, King Ed- p.m.-3 p.m. | $15 die & Junglefowl Noah Gundersen Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | 8 The Shelter (Detroit) | 7 p.m. | $13 p.m. | $8 Nine Year Anniversary w/ Waka Flocka Flame The Boom Boom Room | 9 p.m.2:30 a.m. The Court of [Drag] Queen’s Bench The Bank NightKlub | 9:30 p.m. | $10 ADV/$15 ATG
Taloola Cafe | 8 p.m. Monster’s Ball 2014 The Fillmore (Detroit) | 8 p.m. Bike Friendly Windsor Essex Halloween Party Walkerville Tavern | 8:30 p.m. | $5/$10 w/o costume
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27
West Side Halloween Party Dominion House Tavern | 9 p.m.
Slow Roll Halloween Party St. Andrew’s Hall (Detroit)
Stand-prov Comedy Quarry | 9 p.m. | $15
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28
Scaryoke IV Villains Beastro | 9 p.m.
RIOT GRRRL Tuesdays Phog Lounge Women’s Economic Forum: Practicing Permission Marketing Spago Trattoria E Pizzeria | 5:30-8 p.m. | $29-$37 Tara Watts The Manchester Pub WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29 Slowdive w/ Low Majestic Theatre (Detroit) | 8 p.m. | $30 Andrew MacLeod & Leigh Wallace The Manchester Pub THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 Twiztid’s Fright Fest Majestic Theatre (Detroit) | 6 p.m. | $25 ADV/$30 ATG Slowdive w/ Low Majestic Theatre (Detroit) | 8 p.m. | $30 Monster’s Ball 2014 The Fillmore (Detroit) | 8 p.m.
K. Trevor Wilson Comedy Quarry | 8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. | $15
Stepdad w/ Sphynx & Goth Pith Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | 8 p.m. | $10 ATG/$12 ADV
So You Think You Can Dance’s Top 10 finalists Caesars Windsor | 8 p.m. | $35
Kenneth and Ron‘s Rent Party Phog Lounge | 10:30 p.m. Luc Michaud The Manchester Pub
Spirits of Amherstburg Ghost Tour Mayor’s Fountain, Navy Yard Park FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 Creepshow w/ Thick as Thieves Dominion House Tavern | 9 p.m. | | 8:30 p.m. | $8 adults/$4 kids Halloween Hootenanny w/ Cow$7 ADV/$10 ATG boys in Cardigans, Of The Pack & Luke Michielsen Taloola Cafe | 8 p.m. The Hoop South River Slim Venue Music Hall | 5 p.m. The Manchester Pub Dum Dum Girls w/ Ex Cops Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | 8 Friday’s After Work Party w/ FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 p.m. | $15 Colton Young Rino’s Kitchen & Ale House | 7-10 Pretty Ugly Dress Grand Opening Marion & Kenneth MacLeod p.m. Contest Phog Lounge | 11 p.m. Hello Beautiful Custom Fashion Downtown Brown w/ Zak & What & Bridal Boutique | 10 a.m.-8:30 JucBox Army? p.m. The Manchester Pub Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | 8 p.m. | 24th Annual Induction Ceremony SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26 and Sports Gala Halloween Costume Contest Giovanni Caboto Club | 6 p.m. | Vape Meet The Bull N’ Barrel | 8 p.m.-2 a.m. $75 Villains Beastro Downtown Brown w/ Zak & What Wrong for Each Other The Bank Theatre (Leamington) | Border City Brawlers’ Annual Hal- Army? loween Scrimmage Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | 8 7:30 p.m. | $10-$15 WFCU Centre | $5 p.m. | $6 Friday’s After Work Party w/ The Rocktoberfest Trevor Malcolm Jazz Trio Fountaines
Cheap Thrills – Halloween Costume Contest Dance Party w/ DJ Double A Artcite | 9 p.m. | $5
WEEKLY MONDAYS Open Mic Surgery w/ James O-L Phog Lounge | doors 9 p.m. TUESDAYS Open Stage Night w/ Andrew Macleod and Leigh Wallace Dominion House | 5 p.m. V.O.M.I.T. (Vocal Open Mic Instrumental Talent) Villains Beastro Free One-on-One Entrepreneurial Coaching WEtech Alliance | 12-1 p.m. Open Mic w/ Jamie Reaume The Manchester Pub Open Mic w/ Pat Robitaille The Willistead | 8:30 p.m.
Halloween Costume Contest 1-on-1 Entrepreneurial Coaching Party The Boom Boom Room | 10 p.m. WEtech Alliance | 12 p.m.-1 p.m. WEDNESDAYS Halloweekend Blackout Party ONETHIRTYEIGHT Bar & Lounge Wacky Wexican Wednesdays w/ | 10 p.m.
Chris Crossroads w/ The Zilis Phog Lounge | 11 p.m. Manchester Massacre III The Manchester Pub
Dee Russ Dominion House | 5 p.m.
P.U.K.E. (People Using Karaoke Equipment) Villains Beastro
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1
The Groove Trio FM Lounge | 8 p.m.
Stand-prov Comedy Quarry | 8 p.m.; 10:30 p.m. | $15
Vice Aerial Phog Lounge | 10 p.m. Trivia Night w/ Francois Jacques
The Manchester Pub | 7 p.m. Saint and Sinner Party ONETHIRTYEIGHT Bar & Lounge Dave Russell | 10 p.m. Dominion House Tavern
The Nefidovs w/ Thick as Thieves THURSDAYS & Heart and Harm The Windsor Beer Exchange | 9 Celtic Night w/ Mark Crampsie p.m. | $5 Dominion House | 5 p.m. CJAM presents James O-L & The Open Mic w/ Anderson Villains w/ Crissi Cochrane & Tire FM Lounge | 10 p.m. Swing Co. Villains Beastro | 10 p.m. | $5 FRIDAYS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 2 Blonde Redhead Magic Stick Lounge (Detroit) | 8 p.m. | $18 ATG/$20 ADV
Sky High Fridays Level 3 Vodka Emporium | 10 p.m. Loveless Fridays w/ Daniel Victor The Loop | 10 p.m. After Work Party
Rino’s Kitchen & Ale House | 7 p.m.
ONGOING Possible Futures: What is to be done? Art Gallery of Windsor, The Leamington Arts Centre, Leamington; The Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex, Lasalle; Drouillard Road, Ford City; The Capitol Theatre | until Jan. 11