V-Rag Magazine #8 - February 2010 by V-Rag Magazine

V-rag vancouver's gay arts + culture rag

V a n R a g a z i n e

the gold edition

chromeo gonzales

mark tewksbury paul wong bash'd yacht woodpigeon caesar february 2010

issue 8

V-rag

febRuaRy 2010 iSSue 8

V-rag V a n R a g a z i n e

06 gOnzaLeS

Feist's collaborator comes clean

08 iT'S CHROMeO

They're back again, so tell your friends!

10 MaRK TeWKSbuRy

Why are there so few gay Olympians?

12 PauL WOng

Local art legend talks about his new project

14 being baSH'D

The best damned gay rap opera in town

16 HOuSe Of PRiDe

An Olympic first here in our fair city!

16 uRban ViSuaLS

The lights behind your favourite Games

18 WOODPigeOn

Calgary-based gay folk-rock heroes

20 CaLenDaR Of eVenTS

The most comprehensive calendar in Van

yaCHT 22

DFA recording artists prove they're not a cult!

COTTOn aROunD TOWn 24 The First Lady of Vancouver dishes the dirt

MuSiC:nOTeS 25

Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Donkeyboy

fiLM:nOTeS 26

It's Complicated, Nine

JOan-e'S Rag 27

The triumphant return of our Joan-E!

STeaM MaCHine. 28

Ian Sheh helps us show our Oympic spirit

WHaT'S HaPPening? 34

Event Listings & Vancouver Nightlife Guide

V-MaP 36

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get lost! Find everything here

CaeSaR 38

Q&a: Ex-porn legend turned fitness guru

vanragazine #8 Editor & Art Director

Cole Johnston Sales Manager

Skipp Johnson Copy Editor

Matt Roy Editorial Contributors

John Britton Rob Easton Justin Eugene Cole Johnston Jeff Lawrence Matt Roy Michael Venus Art & Photography

Lindsey Baker Angela Boatwright Angela Fama Ian Jackson Nicholas Jang Cole Johnston Sarah Meadows Ramon Palacios Pelletier Reverend Puppyteeth Ian Sheh May Truong Paul Wong Cover Art

Angela Boatwright Publisher

Cole Johnston Design Printed by

East Van Graphics Copy deadline for the March issue is Feb. 22. Ad space is available until Feb. 24 and can be booked by calling 604-3066541 or emailing ads@v-rag. com. Our rates are available upon request. V-Rag welcomes submissions but accepts no responsibility for the return of unsolicited materials. V-Rag Magazine 1535 West Broadway, PO Box 29141 Vancouver B.C. V6J 1W6 V-Rag is printed monthly by Cole Johnston Design. No part of this may be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written consent from the publisher. All content ÂŠ 2010 Cole Johnston Design.

www.v-rag.blogspot.com

Editors Note by Cole Johnston

After much anticipation, discussion, controversy and excitement, the Winter Olympics are taking over our fair city this month. And love them or hate them, they are definitely bringing a high calibre of talent to Vancouver! Not only will we see the best athletes in the world, but also the best in art, music and theatre. So, in the spirit of the season, we got to catch up with some of the brightest stars headlining the Cultural Olympiad, as well as other cool events around the city. We're super excited to feature one of my favourite Canadian exports Chromeo and chat with them about their upcoming gigs in Vancouver and Whistler. Fellow Canadian musical genius Gonzales will be playing with Feist during the Cultural Olympiad and takes some time out for V-Rag. Speaking of geniuses, Vancouver art legend Paul Wong explains his Olympic installations, and Calgary-based theatre sensation BASH'd rap about their gay hip-hop musical. Rob Easton sits down with Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Tewksbury this month to discuss the lack of gay athletes in the Games, and porn legend-cumfitness guru Caesar gets grilled by me. What a job! On a more indie tip, DFA recording artists YACHT and Canadian folk heroes Woodpigeon give us a taste of the huge amount of non-Olympic activities happening this month. While we may be getting caught up in the excitement of February's events, let's make sure our community still sees the bigger picture. V-Rag is proud to be supporting the Canada For Haiti Coalition (www.canadaforhaiti.com). Please show your support by making a donation or joining the Facebook group, already 150,00 strong. V

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GONZALES

The musical Supervillain comes clean

by Jeff Lawrence

photo by ramon palacios pelletier

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onzales is a musical supervillain. Or at least he'd like you to think he is. "I spent most of my free time fantasizing about being a supervillain whilst jumping up and down on a trampoline. Then I discovered the piano and that became my outlet for supervillainy," he says of his childhood. Those evil urges now make perfect sense. In case you haven't heard of him before, Gonzales has been in cahoots with homegrown superstars like electro-rapper Peaches and familyfriendlier indie star Feist. But it's his solo work that screams 'mad genius.' Who else could put rhymes like "Gonna rape that face/And erase the bad taste" over a muffled Korg and electro drum machine kit and still make it sound good? It was that brand of shameless lyrics and Euro-tinged electro that drew Gonzales away from his first passion, the piano. Having been trained as a classical pianist much of his life, he was so over it. "I had already been disillusioned with the piano when I left Canada, mostly to do with a lingering distaste for the masturbatory tendencies of young 'virtuosos,'" he says. "So it was quite inspiring to discover the electro scene in Berlin in 1998. Not only did it feel more relevant to my philosophy and age at that time, but it was easy and cheap to make that kind of music." Somewhere along the way he met Merrill Nisker, who would later become overtly sexual electro-rock goddess Peaches. Gonzales found in her a like-minded artist passionate about making music based around a single good idea and not overcomplicating it. Peaches' debut album The Teaches of Peaches was released shortly thereafter, and while Gonzales is clear he didn't produce the album, it's obvious the pair fed off of one another. "We both were attracted to that sound for practical, even economic, reasons," he says. "I would say her sound is extremely minimal, whereas mine still allows for a lot of old-school musical elements."

It all depends on which of Gonzales' musical personas we're talking about. Yes, he has more than one. Evil genius, remember? The aforementioned persona which sometimes goes by the name Chilly G is akin to a conglomeration of your favourite 90s MC's with a disaffected swagger. But the other Gonzales is the one who uses his powers for good, not evil. He's the one who carefully crafts melodies so strange and heart-breaking you'd swear you were listening to a crisp recording of composer Erik Satie. He's also the one who broke the world record for the longest-ever solo performance last May, which ran just over 27 hours. "It was a simultaneously ego-driven and generous act. I am not insane, I just pretend to be onstage," he muses. Fans will be treated to a glimpse of Gonzales this month when he headlines the Orpheum with Feist for the Cultural Olympiad ("Who could turn that down?"). It's set to be a great show, as collaboration has long been one of Gonzales' strengths. Daft Punk, Teki Latex, Boyz Noize and Jamie Lidell are among a few co-conspirators in his musical conquest. "First of all I have to find something to contribute," he explains of his many collaborations. "Sometimes friendship and mutual respect are the best basis for work. But I also prefer playing my own shows, and producing is very time-consuming and takes place in dark rooms with no windows." Though he's worked with megastars in Paris and Berlin, Gonzales says he still loves Canada's little quirks. "We really do have the best sense of humour along with our former colonial masters," he says. "Musically, things are a little outside of my wheelhouse, but I have enormous respect for Canadians who manage to make music that sounds Canadian." And this, folks, is the Canadian sound. V Gonzales plays the Orpheum Feb. 17 with Feist for the Cultural Olympiad. www.myspace.com/gonzpiration

vanragazine #8

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CHROMEO Invading Vancouver Night by Night!

photo by may truong

by Cole Johnston

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don't know if you know this, but Chromeo is a pretty big deal. With only two albums under their belt, this Montreal duo has single-handedly conquered the dance music scene in a manner that can only be described as revolutionary. Their tongue-in-cheek electro boogie sound has devastated not only dancefloors around the world, but the charts as well. Tracks like "Needy Girl", "Fancy Footwork", "Tenderoni" and the recently released "Night By Night" should be on the playlists of any iPod owner. So it comes as no shock to learn of their upcoming performance during the Cultural Olympiad, joining the best in Canadian musicians and artists. I got a chance to chat with the duo, consisting of Dave One and Pee Thug, in between studio sessions recording their new album in New York. That's right boys and girls, their third studio album is slated for an August release! "It's a little more sophisticated," says Dave. "More arrangements, vocal harmonies, more piano-based tunes. Sort of a night time disco feel on a couple of songs, too. So I guess somewhat of a natural progression from our last record." The first single, "Night By Night" has already been released and is available for free on their website. It's a campy nod to the power pop of the early '80s, but why release it so early and, more importantly, for FREE?! "We hadn't released a original song in so long," Dave explains. "We just wanted to see how it would feel. It'll be on the album. I like the idea of free music in general." On a side note, the video is one of the best of the year, check it out. With their busy studio schedule, touring has been sparce and sporadic. The duo will be satisfying their West Coast fans with two sold-out shows in Vancouver on the 20th and Whistler on the 22nd of this month. Fellow Montrealers and longtime pals Team Canada DJs will be joining them in headlining the Cultural Olympiad. Pee pipes up to tell me that this is just a one off show. "We're really busy with

the new album right now, but we had to do this gig. It's a great opportunity and maybe it will inspire me to get in shape in 2010 and start skiing!" If you didn't get a ticket for either of this month's shows, don't fret. Chromeo loves touring, and will definitely be back to promote the new album. "Seeing the fans and spending quality time with them at shows will always be my favourite part of touring," says Pee. "I also enjoy doing road trips, on a mission early in the morning driving to another city and having greasy breakfasts on the side of the road." So, if you don't get to see them this go round, just wait! A Chromeo live show is well worth any wait, mixing funk, humour and electro beats to dizzying effect. Not that they're new to the live music scene; the pair has been making music together since they were 16. "We were playing live funk, Parliamentstyle, back then," Dave says. "We became best friends and always stuck together through different bands since that first week we met." This funk and old school influence is obvious in their unique sound, and they credit influences like Hall & Oates, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Rick James and Phil Collins. Pee is sure to mention his contemporaries too. "We're seeing our peers evolve and achieve great things. Phoenix, with their great success in the US from their last album, and Vampire Weekend are another great success story." Dave adds "Daft Punk too, let's not forget them. They laid the blueprint for what we're still doing now on Discovery." Whatever their taste, Chromeo manages to fuse all these styles into one killer live show that I hope all of our readers get a chance to witness. Now go to their website, download the new track and read the full interview at www.v-rag.blogspot.com V Chromeo will be playing the CODE 1 Live Stage at the Cultural Olympiad Feb. 20th in Vancouver and Whistler Live on Feb. 22nd. www.chromeo.net

vanragazine #8

mark

TEWKSBURY A gay Olympian calls for culture change in sport

by Rob Easton

10 10

ark Tewksbury grew up afraid. Back when he was winning gold medals for Canada at a couple different Olympic Games, the world was different. “The word ‘fag’ in the locker room floats around. Who wants to stand up and say ‘I am the fag’?” he says. If you came out, you could risk losing the support of your family, your team mates, even your coach. It took courage, but he did eventually come out publicly. It shocked the nation well after his swimming career was over. It was in 1998, the same year he resigned in disgust from the International Olympic Committee over corruption allegations against the organization’s president Juan Antonio Samaranch. Years later in his book Inside Out: Straight Talk from a Gay Jock, he says his coach reacted very strangely; “He said ‘I prefer to remember Mark how he was.’ Yeah great, a terrified closeted unhappy person. Nice memory.” But to Mark, it proved a point. His intuition to stay in the closet was right. If his coach reacted so negatively more than a decade after his medal wins, who knows how his coach would have reacted back in the day? Even today, the world of sport hasn’t changed. “Fundamentally,” explains Mark, “you could lose the ability to do what you love to do. We’re not at the place where that’s been erased yet. What athlete wants to take that risk?”

V-rag

the football team owners, when the leaders of international sport like the IOC start to face some of these issues.” He says Burke’s reaction was so caring for his son. It amounts to a baby step. Now he’s taking aim once again at the IOC with his involvement with Pride House at the games here in Vancouver and Whistler. It’ll be a venue much like different country’s “houses” where the GLBT community and allies will be able to meet during the games. It’s never happened at a games before and he hopes the internationa media will notice. “It’s a community building exercise. Pride House is going to grease the wheels of the news machine. Even if we don’t see any queer athletes show up, there are still the multitude of trainers, coaches, physios and doctors who might.” In the end, Pride House is about visibility. And that’s what Mark wants. If they get the media on board with telling stories about queer people in sport, we will one day start to see athletes come out. For more information on Pride House, see pg. 16. Mark’s sure that gay athletes are out there. The culture just has to change where one day it really won’t be a big deal. V

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His proof for today: no major Canadian athlete like a downhill skier, an NHLer, or a swimmer has come out of the closet while still playing their sport. With the focus on ones game, the desire to rock the boat is low among athletes. He says it comes down to a culture of sport. Everyone is fine with gay people out in the world, but owners, managers, and even some players are in denial that there are, in fact, many closeted gay athletes. Still, on the surface, most people in and outside of sport say, “So what if they were gay? Big deal!” “I think it depends on where you’re coming from.” Mark fires back. “Most people would probably say ‘big deal’ if an NHLer were to come out of the closet but it really would be a big deal because it hasn’t happened yet.” He points out many players’ reaction to the son of Toronto Maple Leafs’ GM revelation that he is gay. Most of the players did say “big deal” because it was a father son thing. Personal. But, says Mark, if it were one of their team mates, it would have been different. “The culture is going to change when the leadership changes its attitude, when the GMs, when

VanRagazine #8

paul

WOng by Michael Venus

aul Wong is an innovator and pioneer in Video Art, not to mention one of Vancouver's most celebrates legends. He has been recognized globally for his contributions to this unconventional art form which he's been creating since the early '70s (when using a video camera also meant wearing practically fifty pounds of gear and batteries). Artistically speaking, Wong is like a surveyor of Vancouver’s urban landscape, seeing its social, political and cultural entities shift dramatically while remaining a part of the cities constant growth. His pieces are in the collections of such prestigious galleries as The Museum of Modern Art in New York City and Canada’s National Gallery. He is a founding member of Vancouver’s landmark education, resource, film & video centre Video In and also has his own gallery/art space right next door. Windsor, Ontario in the early '90s was when, as a teenager, I first heard the name Paul Wong. He was inspirational: a queer artist involved in an experimental and groundbreaking scene. Behold, 15 years later I had the joy to have a studio visit at his Main Street idea factory where he continues to create (for more than 20 years) wonderfully constructed, real life pieces of moving art. Tell me about your events during the Winter Olympics here in Vancouver.

I am producing a project called “5”, which is fi ve site-specifi c events; fi ve live events happening on fi ve Saturdays 5-10pm (5 hours) between the opening of the Olympics and the closing of the Paralympics. 5.1 is virtual;

5.2 is Zoom, a moving video bus where we take people on one-hour mystery tours; 5.3 are led down the garden path at Blodel Conservatory under the Blosmsiert-ish Dome (he didn’t actually design it – it’s a rip off of his design); 5.4 is called One More Than Three and it takes place at the Mountain View Cemetery and 5.5 is called 5 Elements, which takes place a the Sun Yat-Sen Classical Gardens in Chinatown. It's all part of the series of commissions from the City of Vancouver in which a number of artists got to ininiate their own ideas. I also have a mural going up at the corner of Broadway and Cambie outside the new Canada Line. A couple of exhibitions are set, one at the Winsor Gallery on South Granville opening February 4th and two exhibitions which opened January 22nd at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Vancouver is your hometown and you have witnessed decades of changes. What are some of the pros and cons of the city's dramatic growth and the effect it had on you as an artist throughout? There has been a noticeable shift in the 21st century and I think it is directly related to the people who were in my way with some of the other decades… Who just didn’t get it and who just didn’t want to get it. They happened to be in positions of power and thankfully (with a lot of love and respect) most of them are dead or near dead. So there has been a real shift in the people who are in power and in places of influence and the new generation seems to get it now. I do not have to apologize for doing what

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I do. When I talk about making time-based art, they understand. They have grown up along video art and cinematic art where â&#x20AC;&#x153;they get itâ&#x20AC;?. You don't have to try and convince them that what you're doing is art. There is a whole generation, a whole population much bigger than we ever expected who respond to this form of art. There is a lot more respect too. It has taken 30 years for people to discover my work for the first time. It's fantastic to have work that is timeless. Ups and Downs of living and creating in Canada? One of the great things about this country that I often forget and don't appreciate is our diversity. I have to remind myself that my parents came here, your parents came here and their parents before them, and they are still coming here because this is providing something different. There is a frontier mentality here. Strictly in the sense that this is truly a 21st century fusion of cultures and possibilities. It is not monocultural. We get to come here and reinvent ourselves. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;New Worldâ&#x20AC;?. I mean, who ever thought that there would be gay Marriage? V www.paulwongprojects.com

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BASH'd! We've always known that musical theatre is a little bit... well... gay. And we've always been very aware of the homophobic undertones of mainstream rap and hip-hop. So mashing the two genres together is obvious, really. Right? At least that's how Nathan Cuckow and Chris Caddock, the creators and stars of BASH'd!: A Gay Rap Opera, see it. V-Rag got a chance to catch up with Cuckow (T-BAG) and Caddock (Feminem) to find out about the genesis of this one of-a-kind play, a welcome addition to this year's Cultural Olympiad lineup. BASH'd! was inspired by the "equal marriage debate" in Canada from a few years ago. Ralph Klein, the Premier of Alberta at the time, was threatening to use the not-withstanding clause, effectively denying gay Albertans the right to marry their spouses. Using language like "we'll use every weapon in our arsenal", Klein may or may not have been responsible for an alarming spike in hate crimes in the province, but the political climate was tense. The play was created after a gay rap performance at Edmonton's Loud 'n Queer Cabaret. Nathan explains "Chris and I had such a good time creating and performing a track called 'Grab That Ass' with our gay rap alter-egos, we immediately knew we wanted to expand on the concept, and use Feminem and T BAG to narrate a full length show... We were interested in exploring this political climate, and the effects gay bashings have on the gay community, gay relationships, and gay families." Although the subject matter is dark, Cuckow and Caddock manage to blend comedy, drama, tragedy, and of course some phat beats. "I would say it’s mostly a gay love story, and a celebration of love and of the gay community." In an era where gay rappers like Cazwell, Deadlee, QBoy and Johnny Dangerous are becoming mainstream stars, T-BAG and Feminem see BASH'd! as a fictional satire rather then a true rap show. "If we in any way can help gain public awareness

photo by ian jackson

by Cole Johnston

to gay rappers and the gay rap movement, that's great," says Cuckow. "But we are hardly pioneers. We recommend people check out the queer documentary Pick Up The Mic." That's not to say these homo homies don't know their shit. The duo credit Sage Francis, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Missy Elliot, Public Enemy, The Gift of Gab, MF DOOM, and The Roots among their influences. Social consciousness seems to be the theme in both their musical tastes and in their message. "I want people to have the most engaging experience possible. BASH’d! can be seen as political theatre, a plea for equal rights, or it can just be seen as an entertaining celebration of love with a tragic twist. Our aim is for people to have both experiences. What an audience wishes to take away from our show, is up to them. So has the political climate changed since the conception of this project? "It seems in the case of all civil rights movements, it’s 3 steps forward 2 steps back. But hopefully in time we’ll see a more substantial change. I have faith in the younger generations who don’t have as much baggage when it comes to sexuality as our repressed religious elders." Take that, establishment! Read the full unedited interview at www.v-rag.blogspot.com. V BASH'd opens at the Cultch Feb. 16 and runs until the 20th. www.homohiphop.blogspot.com

SGN

Seattle Ga ayy New wss

vanragazine #8

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PRIDE The Olympics have always been a time of firsts, of groundbreaking leaps in athleticism, social change, and now a step closer to sexual equality. What better host city than Vancouver to debut the Olympics' very first Pride Houses, venues for athletes, supporters and allies of the GLBT community. It makes sense really, with German athletes having a Germany House, Russian athletes having a Russia House and of course Canadian athletes having a Canada House. Why not the GLBT athletes too? Not that there have been many gay and lesbian Olympic athletes historically (see Rob Easton's interview with Mark Tewksbury, pg. 10). But at least this encourages discussion, change and much needed equal representation. Pride Houses will be located in the Pan Pacific Hotel in Whistler, Qmunity at 1170 Bute Street here in Vancouver, and a special Pride House Celebration Venue at Score on Davie. The Qmunity Pride House will feature information ambassadors,

artwork, public speakers, discussions and workshops. Score on Davie will be a chilled out space for athletes and fans alike to have a beer while watching events and meeting new friends. An easy jump from being one of the gay community's most recognizable sports bars. Both Vancouver Houses welcome visitors and locals alike. Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be broadcast at Score on February 12th and 28th, respectively. V Vancouver Pride Houses will be open Feb. 12-28 and March 12-21. Whistler Pride House will be open Feb. 8 through March 21.

urban

VISUALS

Urbanvisuals is the electrical current that has been energizing Vancouver's best concerts and events in the last decade. Now, the visual firm is showing its work for the 2010 Winter Olympics. The design philosophy of the company is a simple one: digital media can be partnered with physical spaces to create a unique and uplifting experience that no one will soon forget. It's why they were nominated for a Gemini award for Best Visual Effects for its work on the now-defunct CBC show, ZeD. Keeping that in mind, it should come as no surprise that Urbanvisuals was tapped to provide one-of-a-kind edgy LED light displays for the Games in several locations. The first is Canada's Northern House, a pavillion in downtown Vancouver representing Nunavut and the Northwest and Yukon territories. Urbanvisuals installed a cool-coloured Aurora Borealis projection designed to draw people into the space in addition to a five-paneled 'fact wall', canvasses with projected displays of facts people might

otherwise not know about Canada's North. If you've walked down Granville Street recently, you might be one of thousands of who witnessed Urbanvisuals' other installation for the Olympics on the exterior of Republic nightclub. The collaboration with Samsung projects winter sport visuals on to the building's aluminum panels, bringing it to life with vivid, eye-catching light. Add this work to an already impressive resume of staging big shows like MSTRKRFT and David Guetta, and Urbanvisuals is on track to take home the gold medal for making the best parties ever shimmer with visual excitement. V

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photo by lindsey baker

WOODPigeOn by Jeff Lawrence

o for it. Compare Mark Hamilton's band to whoever you want. The affable frontman of Calgary-born folk-rock group Woodpigeon doesn't mind. The band has been stacked up against a who's who of indie acts since it debuted with 2006's Songbook. Back then, it was Belle & Sebastian. Recently it's been everyone from The Hidden Cameras to Grizzly Bear to Sufjan Stevens. "Belle and Sebastian was inescapable because there's eight of us and I sing like a girl," quips Hamilton before hitting the stage at the Biltmore Cabaret, where he played Jan. 16. As for comparisons to the Cameras, he's flattered. Hamilton was living in Scotland when their first album came out. His mother sent it to him and it changed his world. "I'm totally fine with getting grouped in with them, because they still mean an awful lot to me." But when everyone wants to compare your sound to someone else's, how does your band maintain individuality? Easy. Have a singer who looks like he wouldn't be out of place sloughing pipes around Albertan oil rigs and whose voice is purer than Earl Grey tea with honey, which coincidentally, is what Hamilton orders as we occupy a booth at the Howard Johnson Hotel bar above the Biltmore. "I don't drink," he says in a soft staccato. "I make all my mistakes sober." It stands to reason one of those mistakes was not founding Woodpigeon. The lore is this: As he became disillusioned with Calgary's love for big oil and high living costs, Hamilton and his friends did what any broke artists would do. They created. "It felt like the only thing that you owned was your artwork," he says. "You couldn't buy a house, you couldn't rent an apartment downtown, so you and your friends just started making all of this

music and art and films and things, and that was like your fort in a way." That led to Hamilton assembling musicians of all walks for a collaboration that would eventually outgrow the vast spoils of Alberta. After putting out three full-length albums including last month's release Die Stadt Muzikanten, it's safe to say the band has made it. Especially when you look at the comparisons. "I think comparisons are always based on timeframes," he says. "I find that it's the North American Press that makes comparisons a lot and the European press doesn't. And if they compare you to someone, it's like Procol Harum or something. I think they go back a lot further whereas here it's like, 'You're the new Vampire Weekend.'" That's not to say bands can't be affected by other bands. The Woodpigeon leader admits he is personally inspired by 60's rock band The Kinks. Wait, what? Says Hamilton: "With every record, I sometimes say, 'I want this to sound like the Kinks,' but I've never really gotten that close because when you try to sound like something it always comes out sounding different." Considering the difference between Hamilton's sweet and subtle voice and Kinks lead singer Ray Davies' grainy vocals is about 200 shots of whiskey, that's not surpising. But it's refreshing to know Woodpigeon, guided by Hamilton's steady hand, is in constant pursuit of something different. It's only a forethought at this point but the band's next album will be unlike anything they've done before, he promises. Thank god. The comparisons are getting tired. V Die Stadt Muzikanten is available now. www.woodpigeon-songbook.com

cottonmouthsmokeshop.ca

This month's artwork: Angela Fama is a Vancouver-based photographer who was featured in last month's art issue. Her work can be seen at Paul Wong's ON MAIN and grace-gallery in May 2010. www.angelafama.com

2010

february

27 Crystal Castles @ Gossip Ana Paula @ Celebrities

26 Lipstick Jungle @ Century House Calvin Harris @ Celebrities

25 Dieselboy @ Shine Shower Power @ The Odyssey

24 Red Hot Wednesdays @ Celebrities Mark Farina @ ginger62

Buck 65 @ LiveCity Downtown

Karaoke Tuesdays @ Oasis

Armin Van Buuren @ Gossip

Gareth Emery @ Gossip

Latin Complex @ Numbers

Industry Night @ Score on Davie

The Make-out Party @ 1181

Sunday Kegger @ The PumpJack

Jully Black @ LiveCity Yaletown

Please send event and calendar listings to events@v-rag.com.

Aftermath Party @ Celebrities

Olympic Closing Ceremony Vancouver/Whistler

Chromeo @ CODE Live 1 YACHT @ The Biltmore

Benny Benassi @ Gossip

Feist & Gonzales @ The Orpheum

BASH'd: Gay Rap Opera @ The Cultch

Industry Night @ The Odyssey

VALENTINE'S DAY Steve Aoki @ Gossip

16 - Opening Night!

14 Keisha Chante @ LiveCity Yaletown

Paul Van Dyk @ Gossip

Nordic Lounge @ ginger62

Awesome Showcase @ Shine

Tops & Bottoms @ J-Lounge

Queer Bash 4 @ WISE Hall

Chris Lake @ Celebrities

Paul Oakenfold @ Red Room

Freemasons @ Celebrities

Lollipop @ Oasis

DRAGonFire @ Honey Lounge

2010 Winter Olympics Vancouver/Whistler

Canamade Winter Market @ 151 W. Cordova

Bingo For Life @ Celebrities

Vagina Monologues @ Frederic Wood Thtr

Junior Boys, LA Riots @ CODE Live 1

Monday Madness @ 1181

Nouvelle Vague @ Venue

SPIT @ The ANZA Club

Wild Wednesdays @ 1181

Numbers 30th Birthday @ Numbers

Nevermore @ Granville Isl. Stage

Sanctuary @ Club 23 West

G.I.N. (New West) @ Heritage Grill

MOVE Dance Company @ Norman Rothstein Thtr

Faux Girls & Lips Inc. @ The Odyssey

Saturday

Craftacular: Tainted Love @ Little Mountain

Friday

Tuesdays at Celebrities @ Celebrities

Thursday

Wednesday

Industry Night @ Score on Davie

Tuesday

Monday

Sunday

VANRAGAZINE #8

team

YACHT by Matt Roy

, like many people I'm sure, find myself intrigued, and yet utterly confused by YACHT. The DFA recording artist duo is a musical enigma. Artists? Musicians? Cult?? Lucky for me, I get to ask the YACHT crew some questions to help me clarify the who, what, and why. YACHT is a fantastically unique musical/multimedia group, originally established as a solo act by Jona Bechtolt in 2003. Two years ago, Claire L. Evans joined “team YACHT”, a pairing I'm curious to understand the genesis behind. As Jona and Claire initially note, “collaboration is always difficult, as it requires some level of ego sacrifice.” But they continue “we were lucky to have shared many powerful experiences together—most importantly the ‘Mystery Lights’ for which our album is named.” Uh oh, it's Google time. The Mystery Lights that YACHT refer to (more commonly cited as the Marfa Lights) are an unexplained natural phenomenon that occurs near Route 67, just east of the town of Marfa, Texas. Spheres of light, roughly the size of soccer balls, appear in the night, levitating at just about shoulder’s height above the ground. Sightings are few and far between, but Jona and Claire were fortunate enough to experience this amazing display together, and it changed them profoundly: “YACHT immediately moved from a solo project to a duo. Afterall, we’d seen something truly rare, truly magic, truly unexplained, and yet evidently real. Coming face-toface with something like that changes you. We had to make music together which paid homage to that, and that is how YACHT changed.” Like the Marfa Lights, YACHT is genuinely a phenomenon. Jona and Claire are not your typical electro-band combo, but true ambassadors of art

and subculture; “we do consider ourselves to be a sieve through which thousands of ephemeral pieces of cultural detritus pass every day.” Their influences are vast, and cover an eclectic range of persons and styles, “from visual art, to writing, contemporary video and new media art, poetry, esotericism, and the paranormal.” When I ask why music is their main choice for expression, they are quick to stress that music is not their primary focus, but simply the most visible. “We consider ourselves generalists. According to the great architect and thinker Buckminster Fuller, overspecialization is the greatest limitation there is. Overspecialization is what leads to extinction in the animal kingdom, and it’s the same for us. We consider ourselves an evolutionary entity, and as such avoid specializing ourselves.” A quick look at YACHT’s portfolio will concur this statement. Gallery performances for New York’s Rhizome and Museum of Modern Art, an internet radio program with Clear Cut Press, a blog community called Urban Honking, and a large format collage of creative influences are just some of the projects listed on YACHT’s Wikipedia page. Thank you again, Internet. And while I’m on the topic of the Internet—still—I decide to ask Jona and Claire their feelings about music piracy, being recording artists and all. And I have to say, their response surprises me enough that I don’t dare paraphrase it: “music piracy is out of our hands, it's a cultural trend that is pushed forward by millions of invisible hands, and it will never go away, never disappear. It’s not in our interest to rebel against culture, to push back against those millions of hands, who don’t pirate out of malice or disapproval, but to live outside their means and experience culture through its media. We see our art in the Walter Benjamin sense—once we finish

V-rag

23 february 2010 Issue 8

photo by sarah meadows

producing something, it belongs to the world, through the wonder of both mechanical reproduction (albums, concerts) and the transparent forces of idea-sharing online. Everyone owns a tiny piece of YACHT. We want to encourage that.” These are the words of truly real and generous artists. I grant you all permission to quote YACHT (I’m sure they won’t mind) the next time you’re engaged in some kind of

intellectual debate concerning “illegal” downloading. That being said, YACHT is happy to share their music and mission on their website. So go check it out, grab some free tunes and check out the full unedited interview at www.v-rag.blogspot.com! V YACHT plays the Biltmore at the height of the Olympic madness on Feb. 19. www.teamyacht.com

VanRagazine #8

around town!

photo by nicholas jang www.double-take2.ca

oly smokes! The Olympics are here, The Olympics are here! I can’t believe after all these years and all this hype, the time is truly upon us. What will the month bring? It’s time to shape history, herstory and transtory! There is ample amount of House of Venus glamour going on this jam-packed, about to be legendary month in Canadian history. I am making my long awaited return after being on hiatus since the last decade! Some glamour vibes wil be recreated as we celebrate the return of some of the best classic house club nights in a series of parties called Brighter Days. Sundays at Honey Lounge will be transformed into the early '90s in beautiful Gastown, the heart of all the excitement. Things start at 7pm so the old skoolers and Monday morningers can still get a dancefloor weekend nightcap. I begin hostessing Sunday February 7th with the ultimate cult classic DRAGonFire with DJs Dickey Doo and Marlon English. Another cool happening is the Canamade 2010 Winter Market - Canada’s Handmade Market at 151 West Cordova February 11th – 28th from 11am-8pm daily. This features all kinds of local goodies made by our very own designers, artists and crafters. Not to be confused with Michael Venus’ Venus “Canadian Tourist” t-shirt line CANADE that hits local stores like Priape, Hitz Boutique, Boutique and Mintage, as well as the hot topic Market! Venus’s Icons and Demigods show will also be on display in the art wing as well as his Coffee Table Book and prints. Concerts and club nights are too many to keep track of this month, but remember to get ready for an all new Saturday experience coming your way to the re-opened Vancouver institution the Cobalt! And don't forget to take your sweetie out on Valentine's Day. Over and way out there! xoxo V www.misscotton.net

V-rag

! Spoon TRanSfeRenCe

Vampire weekend COnTRa

Donkeyboy CaugHT in a Life

If music history has taught us anything, it's that the task to follow up a record from an underthe-radar artist or band that finally broke through to the mainstream is one of the most daunting there can be as a mainstream musician. And when that record was liscensed to the point of Moby-Play-nauseua-inducement, expectations are, justified or not, understandably high. So it is with great consideration (and mild hesitation) that I proclaim Spoon's first offering since the afformentioned 2007's The Underdog is a half-hearted, underwhelming mess. There are bright spots, such as the record's lead “Written in Reverse” (arguably the best of the bunch) but they don't even come close to the power of The Underdog. This collection of songs feels like a rushed to release compliation of unfinished demos and B-sides from three years ago, minus any real heart or grit. Tracks like “Is Love Forever?” sound like the musical equivilant of beating a dead horse, just without any of the passion one assumes it takes to do so.

What I love about the Vampire Weekend crew is that their songs contain a unifying motif that spans the entire record. Their debut’s theme was “college band with an East Coast sensibility traipses over New England’s countryside”, and it was awesome. In their second album, Contra, the theme is “band on tour”, and it is awesomer. [Awesomer?? – ed.] Travel is undoubtably an influence for the group ("Horchata", "Holiday"), and they definitely sound more worldly. The new album is a little more electronic ("White Sky"), a little more frantic ("California English"), it’s honest and it works. But it’s not all fastpaced. There are some really marvelous ballads (somebody fell in love on tour), in particular "I Think You’re a Contra". In short, the boys of Vampire Weekend have made it big. They’ve done all the things they’re supposed to do on a second album: grow a little, spend a little more, and try something new. Definitely an early contender for 2010’s best albums.

If you’re a fan of Europop, then you’re probably already aware that the connotations it held in the 90s (when Aqua reigned supreme – shudder) are long-gone, and a new breed of smart-pop (i.e. ‘pop it’s OK to like’) defines the genre. The latest ones-to-watch are Norwegian quintet Donkeyboy, who have already scored big in their native Norway and are now catching fire on the international circuit. Stylistically, the group blends Europop's traditional elements (shameless fizz and deadly melodies) with quirky 80s elecro to superb effect. There’s an epic, stadiumrock feel to this album that is irresistible. Anthemic lead single "Ambition" was such a huge hit in Europe it seems in danger of overshadowing the whole set; however the songs on this collection are confident and assured in their own right. Besides a couple of low-points is a collection of dreamy electropop stunners that evokes early Duran Duran with shades of A-Ha and Cut Copy. And really, how can that be a bad thing?

by Justin Eugene

by Matt Roy

by John Britton

febRuaRy 2010 iSSue 8

MuSiC:notes

VANRAGAZINE #8

FILM:notes It's Complicated D: nancy meyers

Nine D: rob marshall

Nancy Meyers is a smart woman. In an industry where having breasts still seems to hamper prominence behind the camera (shockingly, only 7% of the Director’s Guild of America members are female and no woman has ever won directing honours at the Oscars), Meyers has niftily established herself over the past two decades as the Grande Dame of commercial Hollywood. Her formula is tried-and-tested and works every time; this one knows her audience. Hollywood usually shies away from the sex lives of older people, which is odd because we all know our parents and older relatives still do it. But by bestowing her more mature female leads with sexuality and all its complications, Meyers has tapped into a goldmine. There is huge demand for this material, and her box office grosses continually prove it. It’s Complicated is as formulaic as ever. However Meyers’ deft touch with comedy and her ability to draw the very best out of a superb crop of actors makes for a pleasant and –suprisingly – laugh-outloud couple of hours. That said, it’s as shallow as a cookie sheet. If you want a real examination of the sexual travails of an older demographic, or indeed the fallout of a marriage, look elsewhere. But if you’re in the mood for watching some wonderful actors having a ball (Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin are masterful), seeing Baldwin semi-naked for extended periods of time or gorging on some serious interior design porn (another Meyers staple), then you could do much worse than this.

When Rob Marshall took on the daunting task of adapting one of Kander and Ebb's richest and most celebrated stage works, Chicago, he brought along a bevvy of Hollywood beauties to sing and dance their way to the big screen. This time around, Marshall has armed himself with double the singing beauties and with Harvey Weinsteain still counting his Chicago cash, probabley double the budget; but unlike that film, which was good to begin with, Nine is a clunker of a movie that was an even louder mess of a stage production. When the source material is weak, it doesn't matter how hard your roster of awardwinning actors and wannabe pop stars kick, sweat and scream. You're going to be left with a mess. The story centers around Guido Contini (played with gusto by Daniel Day-Lewis; just not enough) a film-director whose failed personal life, and the various women who inhabit it, have left him stifled and stuck as he prepares to begin his lastest film. Everyone from his wife, to his mistress, to his costume designer to his own mother (played by an awkwardly out of place Sophia Loren) is fighting for his time and attention and manages to do so through Marshall's usual fantastia-turned-musical numbers. The major problem the music, by Maury Yeston. What should hold the weak and erratic story together (or at least make it forgivable) is entirely disposable and completely forgettable. So what can really be said about a musical that doesn't leave you humming any of the songs?

by John Britton

by Justin Eugene

photo by nicholas jang www.double-take2.ca

JOan-e'S Rag: OLyMPiC PRiDe Our more astute readers may have noticed that the last few issues of V-Rag have seen an absense of one of our most beloved contributors, Joan-E. After a few months on writing hiatus, we're pleased and proud to have Joan-E back on the V-Rag team!

had the pleasure of living in Calgary during the 1988 Winter Games. I was 18, had just finished the greater part of my rather difficult coming out process and was feeling the freedom of a young, fully realized gay man in the big(ish) city. As with many like me, my priorities were drinking and dancing and dating, and not always in that order. I really couldn't have cared less about sports or Community events or the Olympics. What did any of that have to do with me? I only cared about being on the dance floor, swinging to Erasure with that evenings' Mr. Wonderful suctioned to my lips! Then the Games happened. Calgary was transformed in a way that I could never really articulate. The World, for fourteen days, ARRIVED. People behaved in a way that we wish people always would. They were kind, helpful and polite and they were inclusive. There was always something to see, fascinating people to meet and great events to attend. The Games were NOT just a straight event. The gay clubs were packed every night, and the global GLBT community was out in full force. Locals, tourists and athletes were meeting and getting their games on! If Auntie Joan is in a really good mood one day and you buy her a very nice Martini, she might just tell you the story of the night she personally congratulated three of the four Swiss Bobsledders... I have heard many of my gays poo-poo the Games for a variety of reasons and many of

those reasons are more than valid. That said, don't rush out of town! Trust your Auntie Joan! If these games are half as magical as Calgary's were then we're all in for a fabulous treat! I have always said that it was a life changing experience to live in an Olympic city during the Games. I'm thrilled that I get to experience The Olympics twice in my life, and that all of you will experience them as well!! Let the Games begin!! V For more essential gay intelligence, check out www.pinq.ca

Come as you are. 455 Abbott Street Vancouver

604.685.7777

STEAMMACHINE

by ian sheh

PHOTOGRAPHED BY IAN SHEH www.iansheh.com clothing supplied by priape www.priape.com shot at steamworks vancouver www.steamworksonline.com models nick hsu, mic lyon, mat tomczyk www.matyboy247.com styled by cole johnston and skipp johnson www.v-rag.blogspot.com

vanragazine #8

LISTINGS thursday FEB. 4

SATURDAY feb. 13

SPIT The second installment of that dirty sexy East Van party! ANZA Club, 3 W. 8th Ave.

Lollipop Every 2nd Saturday, join MKW and friends at the Oasis, 1240 Thurlow

thursday FEB. 11 Canamade Winter Market Check out all things art, fashion and Canadianmade at 151 W. Cordova friday feb. 12 MSTRKRFT Canada's own electro superstars return to Vancouver. Gossip, 750 Pacific Blvd. FRI. FEB. 12 - sun. feb. 28 2010 Winter Olympics This is what we've been waiting for, folks! Two weeks of games and events. Come watch the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at the official Pride House of Vancouver. Score on Davie, 1262 Davie

Freemasons House music royalty, possibly the DJ show of the year! Celebrities, 1022 Davie sunday feb. 14 Valentine's Day The night to wine and dine your beau, or make out with a random stranger!

friday feb. 19 YACHT DFA's indie duo will make you think while you dance. Biltmore, 395 Kingsway. saturday feb. 20

tues. feb. 16 - sat. feb. 20

Paul Oakenfold The world's most famous DJ pays us a little visit at the Red Room, 398 Richards

BASH'd!: A Gay Rap Opera The name says it all. T-BAG and Feminem bring da beatz. The Cultch, 1895 Venables

Chromeo Our pick of the month. CODE Live 1, 577 Great Northern Way

wednesday feb. 17

friday feb. 26

Feist w/ Gonzales Two home grown musical geniuses in one show. Orpheum Theatre, 884 Granville

Calvin Harris DJ set from the British hitmaker himself. Celebrities, 1022 Davie

COMIX BY REVEREND PUPPYTEETH. www.eatpuppyteeth.com

INDUSTRY NIGHT

FREE POOL

INDUSTRY NIGHT: ANY SPECIAL

THE BOA SHOWS

SUNDAY KEGGER

CAESARS & REDSTRIPE SPECIALS

3SUM IN THE LOFT

LOCAL BEER SPECIALS

G80Z SUNDAYS

NUMBERS IDOL

HOUSE WINE & BLUE

MONDAY MADNESS

CAESARS & OKANAGAN SPRINGS SPECIALS

ROTATING DJ'S

Monday

GUINNESS/KILKENNY & MARTINI SPECIALS

WELL LIQUOR SPECIALS

GRANVILLE ISLAND, HONEY LAGER, PALE ALE

TOOLBOX WEDNESDAYS: EVERY LAST WEDNESDAY

FAUX GIRLS & LIPS INC.

MIDWEEK CRISIS

KARAOKE TUESDAYS FREQUEENCY

NUMBERS IDOL

PILSNER SPECIALS

RED TRUCK LAGER & BEEFEATER HIGHBALLS

DJ TIM

HIGHBALL SPECIALS

RUSSELL & TWISTED COOLERS SPECIALS

BINGO FOR LIFE & RED HOT WEDNESDAYS

TUESDAYS AT CELEBRITIES

Wednesday

WILD WEDNESDAYS

Tuesday

CHILL

Please send event and calendar listings to events@v-rag.com.

SCORE ON DAVIE

PUMPJACK

ODYSSEY

OASIS

NUMBERS

LICK

JUNCTION

FOUNTAINHEAD

CELEBRITIES

1181

Sunday

HIGHBALLS & BUCKETS OF DOS EQUIS SPECIALS

ALL BEER, CIDERS & COOLERS ON SPECIAL

SHOWER POWER

LATIN NIGHT

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

GRANVILLE ISLAND SPECIALS

GROWERS CIDERS & KEITHS SPECIALS

RELOADED

Thursday

CANADIAN JUGS & JAGERBOMBS SPECIAL

RUSSELL CREAM SPECIALS

CIRCUIT O

BANGIN'!

CORONA NIGHT

BLACK SATURDAY / SHOW YOUR STUFF

FALLEN ANGEL

LIVE PIANO SATURDAYS LOLLIPOP EVERY 2ND SAT

SATURDAY DANCE PARTY

GRIND, NAWTYBOX, & MAN-UP ROTATING

BASELINES: EVERY 3RD FRIDAY DJ DREW

CONNECTION SATURDAYS

THE SOCIAL

GRANVILLE ISLAND & SMIRNOFF ICE SPECIALS

RELEASE SATURDAYS

STEREOTYPE FRIDAYS KOKANEE & POLAR ICE VODKA HIGHBALLS

TIGHT

Saturday

MEAT NIGHT

Friday

NIGHTLIFE IN VANCOUVER

V-rag

vanragazine #8

DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER

BROUGHTON

Neptoon Records (3561 Main)

Numbers Cabaret (1042 Davie)

Oasis Lounge (1240 Thurlow)

Odyssey Nightclub (1251 Howe)

Pacific Cinematheque (200-1131 Howe)

Pacific Sun Co. (1060 Davie)

Penthouse Nightclub (1019 Seymour)

Priape (1148 Davie)

Pulse Nightclub (1138 Davie)

PumpJack Pub (1167 Davie)

Republic (958 Granville)

Roundhouse Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews)

E. 1ST AVE

Score On Davie (1262 Davie)

E. 2ND AVE

Scratch Records (726 Richards)

Steamworks (123 W. Pender)

Top Drawers (115-1030 Denman)

VanCity Theatre (1181 Seymour)

Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby)

E. 8TH AVE

Venue (881 Granville)

E. BROADWAY

CARDERO

1300

PACIFIC BLVD

1400

BRID

RAR D

BUR

VANIER PARK H.R. MacMillan Space Centre Maritime Museum Vancouver Museum

KS EE CR

MAIN

ID E

E. 4TH AVE E. 5TH AVE

E. 5TH AVE

SCOTIA

E. 6TH AVE E. 7TH AVE

E. 14TH AVE E. 15TH AVE E. 16TH AVE

MAIN

E. 10TH AVE

E. 11TH AVE

FRASER

E. 13TH AVE

QUEBEC

Zulu Records (1972 W.4th Ave)

ONTARIO

MANITOBA

E. 12TH AVE

COLUMBIA

WISE Hall (1882 Adanac)

ALBERTA

YUKON

West End Community Centre (870 Denman)

CAMBIE

Videomatica (1855 W. 4th Ave)

ST. GEORGE

LOWER GRANVILLE BEACH

False Creek Yacht Club

ENGLISH TELUS BAY World of Science

E. 3RD AVE

700

HARWOOD

SUNSET BEACH

MAIN

1100 DAVIE 1200

PACIFIC BLVD BEAC H

SEA WA LL PROME NADE

HOWE

23 27 3

HARWOOD

Stadium

800

900

THURLOW

BUTE

1200

1000

29 30 7

BURNABY

St .

ENGLISH BAY BEACH

34 19

HORNBY

DAVIE

15 10

BURRARD

1 31

Gr an vil

Burrard

BUTE

Mine Salon (177 E. Broadway)

DAVIE VILLAGE

GUELPH

Maxine’s Hideaway (1215 Bidwell)

PENDRELL

JERVIS

1000

PENDRELL

BUTE

Little Sisters Bookstore (1238 Davie)

NELSON PARK

BRUNSWICK

PENDRELL

COMOX

900

Lick Nightclub (455 Abbott)

800

Downtown 40

BARCLAY

EDWAR

ROBSON

NELSON

PRINCE

J-Lounge (1216 Bute)

16 West End

C Vancou Art Ga

HARO

1300

Independent Flixx (976 Denman)

GO LA

1900

H.I.M. Main Office (310-1033 Davie)

CHILCO

West End Community Centre

CHILCO

Grace Gallery/The Narrow (1898 Main)

ON DR IVE

700 Vanc

ALBERNI

BROUGHTON

CHILCO

Robson Market

HARO

Pacifi Centr

Paci Cent

Royal Centre

W. GEORGIA

SOPHIA

Gorg-O-Mish (695 Smithe)

500 600

ng us er Fe rr y

LOST LAGOON

NICOLA

Goldie’s (605 W. Pender)

1400

NICOLA

ginger62 (1219 Granville)

DER

WATSON

Bentall Centre

MELVILLE

EN W. P

Fountainhead Pub (1025 Davie)

EN SEAWALL PROM BAYSHORE

CARDERO

RK CAUSEWAY Y PA NLE STA

Flaming Angels (644 Seymour)

E AD

400

VA DO S COR STING HA W.

Coal Harbour Community Centre

Harbour Cruises

TO LIONS GATE BRIDGE, NORTH & WEST VANCOUVER, NANAIMO FERRIES AND WHISTLER

CARDERO 1500

Waterfront Sinc Cen Centre

W. H

CARDERO

East Vanity Parlour (46 Kingsway)

BIDWELL

Cottonmouth Smoke Shop (1120 Davie)

1600

H.M.C.S Discovery

COAL HARBOUR

Pa s

Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville)E ELIN

TO VA

Seabu

BURRARD INLET

NIC SCE

Royal Vancouver Yacht Club

PIP

BIDWELL

Club 23 West (23 West Cordova)

Imax Theatre Canada Place Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre

DEADMAN'S ISLAND

DRIVE

DENMAN

STANLEY PARK

1700 BIDWELL

Century House (432 Richards)

Celebrities Nightclub (1022 Davie)

GILFORD

Vancouver Aquarium

1800

Banana Tans (148 E. Broadway)

GILFORD

1181(1181 Davie)

fro

er at W

South Granville

V-MAP

KE EF ER

G TIN

IO N UN IO R

KE EF ER

AS W .P

EN DE R

W .H

EN DE R

ALE XAN DER PO W EL L CO RD O VA

AD VI R UI M NS DU

SO U LVD

PAC IFIC B

BEATTY EXPO BLVD

100

CAMBIE

HAMILTON

Ya l e t o w n

300

MAINLAND

IDE CRES

E AV

MARINAS

HOMER

RICHARDS

SEYMOUR

GRANVILLE

HOWE

TELUS World of Science OMNIMAX

FOX W

HORNBY

BURRARD

C DU

A VI

25 1200

1100 DAVIE

HELMCKEN

1000

400

500

600

NELSON

700

800

900

THURLOW

1000

Orpheum Theatre

SMITHE

SKYTRAIN

B.C. Place Stadium TERRY

ROUTE

RG GEO

GRIFFITHS WA

900

800

G.M. Place

ROBSON

Downtown 40 13

23 27 3

Vancouver Playhouse

Pacific Centre

ROBSON

15 10

EXP

DUNSMUIR

LV OB

Queen The Elizabeth 9 Theatre Pacific Bay Centre The Centre 700 Vancouver in Vancouver for the Centre Vancouver Vancouver Performing Arts Library Art Gallery

Royal Centre

500

Chinese Cultural Centre Museum and Archives

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

IE MB CA

W. PENDER

600

VILLAGE

W. HASTINGS

400 Bentall Centre

Harbour Centre

TT BO AB

Steamclock

CORDOVA Waterfront Sinclair Centre Centre

GaWAT

Waterfront The Station Landing

Seabus Terminal

Gassy Jack Statue

w sto

FRO

TER WA

DRAKE

OOD

1300

PACIFIC BLVD

RAR D

False Creek Yacht Club

BUR

entre

BEACH

GRANVILLE BRIDGE

BRID

1400 LOWER GRANVILLE

E LS

FA JOHNSTON

GRANVILLE ISLAND

CHARLESON PARK

E AV

KS EE CR

ID E

CIGARETTES CIGARS P I P E S PAPERS EROTIC TOYS LOVE OILS &

(at Venables)

M O R E !

february 2010 Issue 8

TO NORTH VANCOUVER

a in n Ch ow T

Imax Theatre Canada Place Vancouver Trade & Convention Centre

HA ST IN G S

V-rag

vanragazine #8

Q&A I'd have to go with cruising my house when I still lived in West Hollywood and the ones that ask to marry me or be my boyfriend when they've never actually met me in person... that's pretty crazy! Do you watch your own videos? Or have any favourite adult films? Not into watching myself in the professional vids but do enjoy making home videos just for personal use... those can be pretty hot. Favourite porn? I always enjoyed the Falcon classics...Manhandler being one that sticks out.

CAESAR

Caesar is one of gay porn's all-time royalty. After a quick rise to fame in the late '90s and throughout the last decade, he retired from the industry to pursue fitness and body building. We got a chance to talk dirty with the muscular sex symbol. How much do we love this job... When did you first become interested in the porn industry as a career? I guess it was in the back of my mind during my teens. When I got out of the US Marine Corps in 1996, I was approached by Chi Chi LaRue and the rest is history.

You have a history of competitive body building and your website now features workout and training tips. Is fitness your current career direction? Yes, it's my true passion and I'm working on a total finess-based website now and I do personal training here in Las Vegas. Winter Olympics are this month here in Vancouver! Any events you'll be watching? I've never been a real big winter guy. I'm a big baby when it comes to the cold so I never got too involved with the Winter Olympics but I do like the Speed Skating quite a bit. You're very disciplined as a body builder and trainer. Do you have any vices? Reeses Peanut Butter Cups are my weakness and I am an avid supporter of legalized Marijuana!

Looking back on your career, any highlights or regrets?

You seem to have dabbled in every career; dance, fitness, and porn. Is there anything you're still passionate to try out?

Probably lots of regrets but I don't focus on those. I met a lot of cool people, made some life-long friends, had lots of kinky sex and I make a pretty decent living with the name I built up.

I think I'm going to concentrate on fitness/bodybuilding for now. I want to increase my education and continue to grow as a trainer. Still doing the adult stuff but not as hardcore these days.

You're still one of the most recognizable faces in gay porn. Are you often recognized in public?

Does that mean you're coming out of porn retirement? What can we expect from you in the future?

Sometimes. If I'm in a gay area I am recognized often. The airport seems to be a common place to be recognized too.

Only time can tell... it just has to be the right project. Something new and creative without being silly. Stay tuned! V

What's the craziest thing a fan's ever done or asked?