rupaul's drag race winner
sharon needles comedy's head person
pam ann scissor sisters tour dj sammy jo
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35 issues and 3 years in, it's hard to believe the very first edition of V-Rag was released in June 2009! We're all thrilled to continue to bring you the high quality of interviews and features that you've grown used to, and this summer is going to be our biggest season yet. Mark Saturday, June 30th in your calendars for our annual Anniversary Party at Oasis starting at 8pm. Come early to avoid the line, and receive a complimentary gift bag as well as finger food, door prizes and the July Pride edition of V-Rag! In this special 3 Year Issue, we chat with RuPaul's Drag Race winner Sharon Needles, Aussie comedienne Pam Ann and Scissor Sisters tour DJ Sammy Jo. V Editor & Art Director
Cole Johnston • cole@v-rag.com Editorial staff
Art & Photography
Tommy Dolanjski Jason Goodwin Cole Johnston Pop Trash Addict Mike Chirstopher Monk Mumbles Matt Roy Michael Venus
Phil Dunne David Ellingsen James & James Nicholas Jang Cole Johnston Kate McLaren MTV Canada Austin Young
Printed by
East Van Graphics Publisher
Cover Photo by
Austin Young
Cole Johnston Design Copy deadline for the Pride issue is June 20. Ad space is available until June 22 and can be booked by calling 604831-8179 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
1167 Davie street Vancouver
www.pumpjackpub.com
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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 Š 2012 Cole Johnston Design.
www.v-rag.com
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v-rag at 3 years
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sharon needles
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pam ann
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v-map
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father's day gift guide
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symone says
020
1 girl 5 gays
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health & wellness
026
film & music notes
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q&a: dj sammy jo
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calendar of events
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v-rag 3 year anniversary
So much has happened in 3 short years, and we'll take a look back. Our gal pal and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4! Welcome aboard, we're delighted to chat with comedy's head person. Don't get lost! Find everything you need to know here. From gizmos to gadgets, you'll be sure to get some ideas for Dad. Hot off the heels of her New York F.U.C.K. trip, Symone Says all! Meet MTV star Jean-Paul Bevilacqua and see what makes him tick. Part 1 of our special Fitness column, get buff without a gym! Nerd out to The Avengers and XMen, or get hip to some new tunes. The Scissor Sisters' intrepid tour DJ lets us into his glammed out world. The city's most comprehensive calendar in a new format! Save the date! Saturday June 30th at Oasis is our annual soiree...
v-rag magazine #35
by jason goodwin
O
ver the course of the last 3 years, V-Rag Magazine has transformed from a small aspiring black & white rag to a Canadian force to be reckoned with. Every issue saw more and more growth and development, until V-Rag became the largest monthly GLBT magazine west of Calgary. With distribution in Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler, Seattle, Portland, the Okanagan, the Kootenays and Toronto, this little magazine has been creating a buzz both nationally and internationally. Since its inception in June 2009, V-Rag and its team of talented contributors have consistently brought Vancouver some of the coolest articles, features, photo shoots and interviews. With a roster of profiles that include Kylie Minogue, Grace Jones, Tegan & Sara, Lisa Lampanelli, Dan
Savage, Bruce LaBruce, Robyn, RuPaul, Mike Ruiz, Margaret Cho, The B-52s, Brent Corrigan, Frankie Knuckles, Dita Von Teese and Ace of Base, the magazine just keeps pushing to bring readers the highest level of arts & culture news. We're incredibly thankful to all of our readers, supporters and advertisers, who believed in us from the very beginning. In a time where print media is becoming harder to sustain, V-Rag's fans have allowed us the opportunity to continue to elevate GLBT arts in Vancouver. As a thank you, I hope everyone can make it out to our very special 3 Year Anniversary Party at Oasis on Saturday, June 30th at 8pm. The first 100 people will get free grab bags and there will be entertainment, food and drinks all night. Here's to another 3 years of V-Rag Magazine!
BE THE FIRST TO READ OUR SPECIAL PRIDE EDITION ON JUNE 30TH AT OASIS ULTRA LOUNGE Featuring interviews, full Pride 2012 listings, maps, exclusives and photos! Available everywhere else July 1st, 2012
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photo by austin young
"'I didn't go into RuPaul's Drag Race trying to be a role model. But ta-dah!"
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v-rag magazine #35
by tommy d
W
e have a wiiiinner! Without a doubt, season 4 of Logo's hugely successful reality show RuPaul's Drag Race was the most entertaining and controversial yet. Would it be the bitchy pageant queen? The seasoned impersonator? The large and in-charge diva? Or the spooky punk underdog? To our utter shock and sheer delight, V-Rag favourite Sharon Needles came out on top! Tommy from homorazzi.com had the chance to catch up with Sharon after her big win and talk about her upcoming Vancouver performance at Five Sixty. I swear - you are probably the most impossible person I've ever tried to get in contact with... on the planet! Yeah, get in line! (laughs) I was gonna say! I mean, I gotta ask you, how does it feel to be pretty much the most famous person in the world right now? You know, it's lonely at the top... No, it's exciting, it's terrifying, it's embarrassing, it's ridiculous. And yeah! It's pretty fuckin' awesome! I'm America's Drag Superstar and you know... It hits me in phases throughout the day! Now I gotta ask... I think this is the question that everyone has on their minds and I'm sure you've been asked a million times, but we're just gonna ask it anyway. Did you know before they announced it on television that you had won, or was it as much of a shock to you as it was to everyone? I found out watching television with everyone else. Fortunately, I had my best friend and my manager and my boyfriend and my mom with me to do so. You know, it was really special. Most people don't get to find out that they've won a competition with the rest of America. And this is RuPaul's Drag Race – my favourite show! So it was fun to not only view it as a competitor, but as a fan of the show as well.
Definitely. Now, let's just go back to the start of the competition so we can just get an idea. How did you feel when you walked into that workroom the first time? It was really odd. Some of the girls had worked in television before or were quite aware of the process... I walked in pretty naive, thinking that that the show went just as I had viewed the past 3 seasons. I thought it maybe took an hour to film a day and it went at the same pace as how it's aired. And walking into that workroom for the first time... It was like walking into my television, where I have full control of the camera, and just to feel the camera guys and lighting and sound people... and to realize that the workroom didn't have a ceiling was really odd! Oh wow! You miss all the secrets! You know, it washes away a lot of the TV magic when you can see what it really is. So the biggest thing this season was your fights with Phi Phi, I would say... I guess your rivalry, you would call it? Um, how is that? Well, I would say that's unfortunate that the biggest thing on the show would happen to be something negative... I mean, I personally think my one-liners were the real T of the season, but we'll move on to where you're headed to. (laughs) I wanted to know how it translates into your post-RuPaul's Drag Race life with Phi Phi. Are you guys cool now? Yeah! I would say we're cool. You know, now I'm working in the industry and I'm dealing with some real bitches, so Phi Phi's a cakewalk compared to some of the people in the industry! But you know, Phi Phi's a real human being... She has her flaws and she also has her great parts. She used her television platform in a different way than I did and like I say "If you wet the bed, pull up a hair dryer, gurl!"
features What was your favourite throughout this season?
challenge
I had a lot of favourite ones... The Rupocalypse was a lot of fun because it was like I walked into the workroom the underdog, but basically had the first day catered to me. So I loved that challenge. I also loved The Snatch Game 'cause it was a little risky for me to do Michelle Visage. It was a very last-minute choice on my part but I had so much fun doing it... And anytime you genuinely make RuPaul laugh is a real treat. God, I liked so many! I loved the Presidential Debate episode. I thought it was really fun and it allowed me to show that the beautiful, spooky, stupid Sharon Needles can demonstrate a lot of wit and a lot of intelligence in terms of political knowledge. Now, did you think going into the show that you would have this much of an impact? I mean, you're kind of going to be a pretty big icon for younger kids, especially the ones getting bullied. Did you think that this is what would come out of it? No! I thought I was gonna be a niche-market queen! I thought I would get through a couple of episodes with some underground fashion and some witty punk sensibility. I thought maybe the hippies and the punks and the goths and the hipsters might attach to my character. I never thought I would have this broad spectrum of fan-base, especially amongst bullied youth. I didn't go into Rupaul's Drag Race trying to be a role model. But ta-dah! Along with this interview, I'm also bringing you up to Vancouver in June, so I wanted to know– I know! Thank you so much, Tommy, and I just want to say homorazzi.com has been such a big supporter... of not just me, but of the show itself. And you guys really write like fans and not like the paparazzi, so I really appreciate that, and we all follow you guys! Excellent, thank you! So I wanted to know, have you been to Canada before? Have you come up to the West Coast? Yeah! I used to go to Montreal every year for New Year's! I've never been to the West Coast though, no! I've never even been to the American Northwest Coast before,
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so I'm really excited to see how beautifully green it is. I heard you guys have spectacular marijuana! I was just gonna say! I didn't know if you partake and I don't know if we should let anyone know but yes, we're definitely known for that! Well thank you, because international travel just puts a real damper on my drug smuggling! Will you give us a little teaser? What can we expect from a live performance by Sharon Needles? You know what? It's three numbers that embody the three things that make me! You'll see a lot of beauty, you'll see a lot of spooky horror, and you'll see a lot of stupid humour. All in all, basically an overpaid drag queen embarrassing herself in a nightclub! Enjoy! V Sharon Needles performs at Five Sixty on June 23 for TFD & Poni Saturday. www.tfdpresents.com www.homorazzi.com www.sharonneedles.com
Adult Boutique Where pleasure meets style...
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features
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photo by james & james
"'WestJet has always been on my radar... Do they still board by a rope?"
v-rag magazine #35
by cole johnston
F
asten your seatbelts, Vancouver. Pam Ann is back and she means business (class)! International jetsetter and Aussie comedienne Pam Ann (aka Caroline Reid) has been honing her bitch from hell air stewardess routine for years. Madonna is a self-described huge fan, calling Pam "cruelly funny", Cher just booked Pam on her latest Farewell Tour, Dannii Minogue is a close friend, and Elton John's hubby hired Pam as his in-flight stewardess for his 40th birthday bash. We had the pleasure of chatting with comedy's head person about the upcoming Vancouver leg of her Canada-wide tour June 16th and 17th. Be sure to get your tickets quick, almost all of Pam's performances have sold out, including 4 shows at London's Pallaium and Hammersmith Apollo theatres. Crikey!
like a mini-Australia. I went to Whistler a few years back and the only people working there were Aussies! We are going to take all of your jobs if you’re not careful. We're like first cousins, Aussies and Canadians... We love adventure and white snow-capped mountains... You are also inappropriately friendly and love to travel like Aussies. I feel right at home in Vancouver.
Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us! For those who missed your last layover in Vancouver, who is Pam Ann and why do Cher and Madonna keep bothering you?
Let's get all political now. There's been a lot of controversy about the new security x-ray scanners, which supposedly "invades privacy" by generating a "naked" image of a passenger. What is your take on all this?
Pam Ann is your air hostess from hell. She says everything that real flight attendants would like to say. "Sit the fuck down, shut the fuck up, don’t press the call button or I’ll nail your hands to the armrest". Cher always calls Pam Ann because she wants to turn back time and Madonna wants Pam to traffic more children in from Malawi for her. Pam’s phone never stops ringing!
I love a virtual fisting through a scanner! It turns me on to be honest, knowing there are people looking at my insides... Plastic surgeons should we waiting airside to give you their business cards.
You'll be touching down in Vancouver again for your Around The World Tour. Being such a jet-setter, any thoughts on our city by the sea? I would love to make a water landing on the Burrard Inlet just like US Airways did on the Hudson. You remember that right Canadian geese flew into the engines? Anything you would like to say about that? It was a Miracle on the Hudson, but oh for God's sake I do it every day. Vancouver is
After Vancouver, you'll be heading to Toronto for Pride. Just why is it the gays love you so much? Because I am a gay man trapped in a woman’s body! How does someone go from being an air hostess to hosting Mardi Gras 2009? Because I am a drag queen trapped in a woman’s body!
Air Canada employees were recently forced back to work after a proposed strike. Do you think air travel is an essential service, and what is this "forced work" going to do to the moral of the flight crew? Air travel is my life and without it I would die! "Forced to work", really, c’mon Air Canada cabin crew. You need to get tougher and fuck the big knobs, power to the cabin crew. The crew are obviously far too nice and don’t know the value of their power, especially if they stick together. Stay strong and refuse to work period until they are respected and get what they deserve. I back the cabin crew 120%. Fuck
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the government fuckwits who think they know everything. Listen to your crew and airline staff, they are the ones who know. To me, the big knobs are foolish, greedy and clueless to treat people like that. Come work with Pam Ann Airlines. We lick our cabin crew to sleep at night. Being in Vancouver, we've all had our experiences with Air Canada. What do you think of our little aviation company? Well after finding out the directors are mistreating and disrespecting their flight attendants, I don’t like the people running Air Canada. As far as the service and the crew... They are some of the best crew in the world and shouldn’t be fucked with. Super friendly... maybe too friendly to some capacity. But personally I love to be inappropriately touched and I love a warm cookie!
You have countless characters other than Pam Ann… Who else do you really enjoy bringing to life during your shows? Lily, my Asian character. She is a lot softer than Pam, sweet and so shy. You have a new DVD coming out later this year. What can we expect from that? It’s shot live from NYC at Joe’s Pub. It’s a lot more intimate than my last DVD and much more filthy!
I've heard WestJet has a few planes in Canada too… Are they on your radar?
What other projects do you have on the go after your world tour?
Hell yeah WestJet has always been on my radar. Are they flying over water yet and serving a hot meal? Do they still board by a rope?
I am writing Pam Ann: The Movie as well as producing a range of merchandise and working on a TV show.
Of all the airlines in the world, which would you least want to fly on? Ryan Air... Where are the Al Qaeda when you need them?
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Virgin Atlantic give a great seat demonstration and their crew get lost on an A330. They are so stupid and now they have to whisper. It’s always entertaining on Virgin Atlantic. I also love EVA Air’s Hello Kitty plane. Now that’s the direction all travel should be going in. A big pussy in the sky! "Sorry for the delay, but the pussy is a bit wet today". So hysterical!
Which airline would you say is the most fun?
Thanks again for doing this interview, we're huge fans! And I’m a huge fan of you. Love you! V Pam Ann touches down in Vancouver on June 16th with a layover on the 17th as well at the Vancouver Playhouse. www.pamann.com
v-rag magazine #35
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features
Edifier Aurora
Caya, 808 Davie St., 2706 Granville St., 991 Denman St. & 14 Water St.
Help "jazz" up your dad's personal sanctuary without taking up too much space. With a universal wide range power supply, your Dad will have no trouble connecting to any power outlet. www.thisiscaya.ca
2010 Bodegas Carchelo 'C'
Available at Marquis Wine Cellars, 1034 Davie St.
A concentrated and intensely aromatic blend. Good structure, mouth filling, powerful, black fruit and spiciness from Syrah, juicy and fresh. Perfect for a Father's Day picnic! www.marquis-wines.com
Apple TV
Available at Simply Computing, 1690 W. Broadway
The sleek new Apple TV is small in size but big on entertainment. Rent HD movies, watch YouTube videos, or enjoy Netflix. Also streams music and photos from your home computer. www.simply.ca
Bear Nation DVD
Available at Videomatica Sales, 1972 W. 4th Ave. (in Zulu)
A great documentary for the other kind of "Dad" in your life! Malcolm Ingram lovingly chronicles the stockier, hairier and "woofier" side of the gay community. www.videomatica.com
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photo by nicholas jang
v-rag magazine #35
photo by david ellingsen
E
ver wanted to take a bite out of the big apples but you were counting carbs or afraid of getting sauced and lost in Sex in the City hype? Well Momma is just back having spent a week slicing it up into bite size pieces for you. I call it my NYC F.U.C.K tour. F is for FOOD. Manhattan is a culinary wonderland ranging from street meat to holla dollar. All street vendor gyros are great, as long as you don't smell anything burning... Pastis for french in the Meat Packing District is not to be missed. Cafeteria is still hipsterville and open 24/7, where you will most likely be rubbing shoulders with a supermodel, movie star, indie rocker or fashion designer... all in the same night! Joe's Pizza is best late at night drunk. Delicatessen opposite Times Square is where you will most likely run into David Letterman staff or Wendy Williams (no wig). Shake Shack is the new uptown burger spot, and it was yummy! U is for UNDERSTATED Trends. Buy the following and you will thank me: stripes, stripes and stripes, light weight black leather bomber jackets, and neon accents; laces or bracelets layered under a dark t-shirt or even dyed pooka shells. C is for Cocktails and Clubs. Campbell Apt. in Grand Central... Google it. Stonewall Inn for a piece of history... Google it. G Lounge gets sweaty and sexy... Google it. Escuelita Club Latino is blatino heaven. Barracuda Club is a smaller space with unbelievably hot bartenders. Thanks Kevin... K is for Kicking around Manhattan. Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge, go to Century 21 for a cheap deal, walk Central Park day or night [scary! – Ed.] and look way up, the buildings are incredible. A few last minute F.U.C.K. tips: Use VRBO. com for reasonable accommodations. Spend the night in Seattle then fly out in the morning, you'll be glad you saved hundreds of dollars to spend in the big apple. So there you have it babies! New York broken down in a New York minute. Enjoy, and bring me something in a size 14 with a 10 inch heel. V
THURSDAYS AT SHINE
FREE BEFORE 11 364 WATER STREET, GASTOWN Shine Night Club 364 Water St Gastown 604 408 4321 www.shinenightclub.com
entertainment
by michael venus Jean-Paul Bevilacqua Fave drag queen?
What's on your iPod right now?
The Toronto drag queen Donnarama.
The new Adam Lambert, Gossip and Carrie Underwood records all went on recently... as well as some Donna Summer classics.
The culture, the food, the people, the buildings, the parks... I love it so much. Who is the prettiest gay on the show? The show is full of attractive men, but I'll say Dean.
Either the yoga studio or wherever I'm meditating (usually at home).
What is the very best thing about being gay?
Current obsession?
Being able to fully love and be passionate about anything and everything you want to be... And to be a part of a community that appreciates and shares these passions as well.
Brit girl pop like Girls Aloud, Cheryl Cole, Nicola Roberts and The Saturdays. V
Favourite vegetable? A potato!
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Your most sacred place?
New episodes of 1 girl 5 gays air every Friday at 8pm and 11pm on MTV Canada. www.mtv.ca www.logotv.com
photo courtesy of mtv canada
Fave things about Toronto?
v-rag magazine #35
DJ george v 4pm
$8 pitchers of bowen island lager $20 buckets of whistler grapefruit ale
june 2012 - issue #35
Last year, over 35,000 locals and tourists read the Pride Edition of V-Rag Magazine.
Become part of this year's very special July Pride V-Rag and get the most exposure for your dollar! Booking deadline is Friday, June 22nd! contact: ads@v-rag.com or cole@v-rag.com
CHOCOLATE MILK THURSDAYS 22
health
by christopher monk
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et's face it; in our community the gym is like church to many. But not everyone has the time or money to spend every waking hour lifting weights, or on the bench press at a gym. That doesn't mean you can't develop a strong healthy body from your own home. In the next 3 issues of V-Rag, we'll be looking at ways to strengthen and tone at home, with gym-quality results. This month we'll be looking at upper body strength and developing a muscular chest. Through a simple regime of various pushups, you can be well on your way in 8 short weeks. Weeks 1 – 2 Try these exercises 3 days a week in this order, with at least 1 day of rest between workouts. While you should only do as many reps as you can, try making your goal 10-15 rep sets, resting 2 minutes between each set. Once you feel comfortable with 3 sets of each pushup type, see if you can do 20 reps per set. Wide pushup: Do a standard pushup with your hands wider than shoulder-width. Alternating shuffle pushup: S tarting in a standard pushup position, move your right hand to the left until your two hands are next to each other. Now slide your left hand farther left
until your hands are shoulder-width apart again. Do a pushup and repeat, this time moving to the right and doing another pushup. Diamond pushup: Do a pushup with your hands almost together, leaving room for the tips of your thumbs and index finger to touch and form a diamond shape. Weeks 3 – 6 Try these more advanced exercises only once you feel comfortable with the previous ones 3 days a week. Complete 4 sets of each pushup type, resting 2 minutes between sets. Again, aim for 10 to 15 reps in each set. With these ones, you'll need a 6-inch-high box or step. One-arm pushup: Do a pushup with your right hand on the floor and your left hand on the box or step. Switch arms and repeat. Crossover step pushup: Do a one-arm pushup with your left hand on the box or step. From the starting position, lift your right hand and place it beside your left hand. Move your left hand down to the floor so your hands are shoulder-width apart again. Perform a pushup. Hands-on-step diamond pushup: Perform a diamond pushup, but with both hands on the box or step. Dynamic step pushup: Put your hands on the box or step in the diamond pushup position. Lower your body and press strongly off the box, with your hands landing on the floor. Lower your body and press strongly up so your hands land back on the box in the starting position. Weeks 7 – 8 Complete the exercises in weeks 3–6 as a circuit, performing one exercise after the other with no rest. Try performing 10 reps of each exercise. Do this three times a week, allowing 4 days of rest. V Christopher Monk is a personal trainer based in Victoria and the author of Health Tips, an online fitness blog. Look for Part 2 of his Home Health column in the July edition of V-Rag.
Vancouver Fabulous since 1969 Gay love has been legal in Canada since 1969, protected by the Constitution since 1992 and celebrated with marriage since 2005.
www.checkhimout.ca/facebook www.twitter.com/HIMtweets
HIM is dedicated to strengthening the health and well-being of gay men.
entertainment
the avengers assemble
astonishing x-men: gifted
The Avengers is like the ultimate gay action movie. You’ve got hot daddy Stark (Ironman); timeless heartthrob Rogers (Captain America); sexy geek Banner (Hulk); muscle god (literally), Thor; and to balance the sausage party, hero hag Romanoff (Black Widow). Not to mention our emo twink antihero, Loki. Do we even need a plot? Oh, I suppose. After several years of individual hero films, with hints of a big union, The Avengers finally hit the big screen. Loki, the outcast half brother of Thor, teams up with the evil alien race, Chitauri, to take over the world, a threat big enough to bring the gang back together. After that it’s pretty much action, action, action, until the big finale. What makes The Avengers such a hoot is that director Joss Whedon (of Buffy fame) encapsulates perfectly the awkward teen boy fantasy that is at the heart of comic books. Not only is the action and comedy flawless, Whedon develops the characters well, showcasing how their human weaknesses affect their superhero strengths. Of course, the good guys win in the end (they always do), but how they get there is pretty much eye heroin through and through. One of the first of the big blockbusters to debut this summer, I have no doubt The Avengers will hold a top spot as one of the best.
OK, this might be a tough sell, so here goes. Firstly, Astonishing X-Men: Gifted is a motion comic. This means instead of using traditional animation, the producers have animated original cells of a comic book, giving the proceeding a very unique look. Love it or hate it, it's not going to look like Pixar. Secondly, this draws on a lot of previous X-Men mythology so this might not be a great intro to the uninitiated fan. If you can get past these two initial peculiarities, then you're in for a real treat. Season 1 of Astonishing X-Men is based on a series of comics written by Joss Whedon (Avengers, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Firefly) and animated by the legendary John Cassaday. Which means the biting wit, heart-stopping action and hilarious one-liners that made those projects such hits are all present here. To many, X-Men has always been an allegory for homosexuality in America; the original "Born This Way". Whedon doesn't skirt around this connection either. Facing an imposed cure for the mutant gene, one character says "What are they going to do next? Cure homosexuality?" Astonishing X-Men is also the series that introduced Northstar, an openly gay superhero hailing from Canada. With Marvel announcing the upcoming wedding of Northstar to his longterm partner Kirk, Gifted will no doubt be getting a lot of attention in coming months. Highly reccommended!
D: Joss Whedon by Matt Roy
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D: Joss Whedon by Cole Johnston
v-rag magazine #35
simian mobile disco
regina spektor
ultra naté
The duo behind Simian Mobile Disco continue to carve out their own sound with their third full length album. James Ford and Jas Shaw masterfully practice the art of letting tracks build from low-fi rustlings into full throttle synth dance attacks. The album works best as a whole to fully appreciate how each piece creates a richly textured sonic puzzle. Standout tracks "A Species Out Of Control" sounds reminiscent of Orbital's best work and "Your Love Ain't Fair" sounds like a lost deep house gem from the '90s being held under water as it struggles for release. Each song seems to take the norms of dance music and present them in unexpected new ways. The Simian Mobile Disco boys have been busy these past few years with various remix and collaboration projects and this album just proves that there is still a long and rewarding musical journey ahead for us all.
Regina Spektor is precious in that her albums don’t carry some overarching cliched theme that strains to connect with the listener. Instead, she writes and sings life, which does not follow a formula, and as such she hits home no matter what subject she’s on about. Her latest album, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, moves seamlessly from flippantly fun to solemnly soulful in classic Spektor style. With her own voice, she samples a song covered to death ("Oh Marcello"), dubs drumbeats, and otherwise lilts all over while simultaneously breaking your heart with a lyric. My personal favourite is "Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)"; I’m always tickled by alternating languages within conversation (or in this case, song). Regina Spektor is one of the few artists that six albums in has maintained a level of consistency and growth that keeps her current; no small feat in this age of musical regurgitation.
Forget about Beyoncé and Lady Gaga. Delete Christina and Maroon 5 from your iPod. The bad dancer from Destiny's Child just shut the game down with the hottest duet of the year! Yes, Michelle Williams collaborates with dance icon Ultra Naté on a hot club track called "Waiting On You". The song has been doing the rounds for months but the video finally dropped, so hopefully this means it will get the push it deserves. Williams has dedicated her career to praising Jesus and making Kelly look coordinated but spiritual fulfillment and goodwill won't keep her in wigs and House of Dereon dresses! Despite her 5% discount. "Waiting On You" is a fabulous old school house anthem. Ultra Naté always tears it up with her powerful pipes but Michelle steals the show with her throaty vocal. So what about the video? Um... it's almost as classy as the cover (above). You're gonna love it as much as I do. Promise!
"Unpatterns" by Mumbles
"What We Saw from the..." by Matt Roy
"Waiting On You" by Pop Trash Addict Mike
by michael venus
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iving between Barcelona and New York, DJ Sammy Jo has been the official tour DJ for the Scissor Sisters since 2004. His upbeat and edgy dance sounds have propelled him to the forefront of the club charts with remixes and new productions. When did you start DJing? I think it was around '98 or '99 when I first got paid to play music. I was Justin Bond's boyfriend, who was doing Kiki & Herb at a joint called Flamingo East in NYC. He asked me to run sound for the show and play walk-in music and also play during the intermission. I remember they had one turntable and one CD player so I had to bring both formats. All my vinyl was from growing up in the '70s and '80s and all my CDs were from my Brit-pop phase in the '90s. It was quite the melange...
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1. WAFA – "Abandon Me (Crookers Mix)" 2. The Carry Nation – "This Bitch Is Alive" 3. letthemusicplay feat. UTRB – "Don't Weigh Me Down" 4. BellaSaona – "Off With Their Heads (MK Remix)" 5. DJ Spen presents Forte – "Fall Down On Me (DJ Spen & Irvin Madden Remix)" 6. Nneka – "Shining Star (Joe Goddard Mix)" 7. Surkin – "Lose Yourself (Brodinski Remix)" 8. Destructo – "Technology" 9. Tommie Sunshine – "The Dominating Force is Sound" 10. Les Bijoux – "Emy (David Jones Edit)" What kind of music do you play? Electro, retro, disco and house. Favourite gigs? "Any little rat-hole on 10th Avenue..."
Rock star moment?
Words of Wisdom?
I think one of the most rockstarry moments was hanging out late one night in a hotel lobby bar with Patti Smith and Tilda Swinton and a couple other people. It was funny to see how enamored Patti was with Tilda... Totally hero worshipping.
Don't be a cunt, just be good at what you do. V DJ Sammy Jo opens for The Scissor Sisters June 20th at The Commodore. www.facebook.com/sammyjodj
v-rag magazine #35
thursday june 14
Rainbow 24: LGBTQ Voices
Chocolate Milk
Tune in to CiTR 101.9FM for a full 24 hours of LGBTQ content!
saturday june 2 Fit For A Queen 2012
The bevy of beauties are back in support of Shooting Stars Foundation, hosted by our own Joan-E. The River Rock, 8811 River Road.
Classic house, dance, soul and disco with a sprinkling of new dancefloor jams make this party the place to be every Thursday. Shine, 364 Water.
Hustla: Get Yo Beach On
wednesday june 20
1181
TFD Productions and Poni Saturdays are kindly bringing us the first lady of deadly drag at 560 Seymour.
Pam Ann
saturday june 9
Sundays
Sharon Needles
sat june 16 + sun june 17 Australia's funniest export since Kath & Kim touches down in Vancouver just for us! The Playhouse, 601 Cambie.
V-Rag and the boys of Queer Bash/Apocalypstick team up to bring you the latest in homo hip-hop, just in time for the summer! The Cobalt, 917 Main.
saturday june 23
saturday june 30 V-Rag 3 Year Anniversary
Obviously our pick of the month, this is going to be the best Canada-eve celebration with gift bags to the first 100, free finger food, drag performances and more! Starts at 8pm. Oasis, 1240 Thurlow.
Scissor Sisters
Hope you got your tickets early to this sold out show featuring Rye Rye at The Commodore, 868 Granville. Mondays
BACKDOOR T-DANCE
CELEBRITIES
Tuesdays
Wednesdays
Thursdays
Fridays
Saturdays
CHILL
gossip COCKY WEDNESDAYS THURSDAYS
TRIGGER FRIDAYS
DELUX SATURDAYS
TUESDAYS AT CELEBRITIES
BINGO FOR HARD CANDY LIFE & black sun empire
STEREOTYPE FRIDAYS
RELEASE SATURDAYS
cirque fridays
poni SATURDAYS
GROWERS CIDERS & KEITHS
KOKANEE & POLAR ICE VODKA
GRANVILLE ISLAND & SMIRNOFF ICE
MENERGY THURSDAYS
STUDENT LOCKERS $7 ANYTIME
Rotating dirty & thumper
spin cycle ABSOLUTLY w/ drew & DRAG-U-LOUS robyn graves w/ CARLOTTA
five sixty FOUNTAINHEAD
CAESARS & OKANAGAN SPRINGS
HOUSE WINE & RUSSELL & BLUE TWISTED COOLERS
F212
super SUNDAys 12PM-6PM
BLACKOUT MONDAYS
BUDDY TUESDAYS 2 FOR 1
dj drew
industry night & pub trivia
toonie tuesdays
KARAOKE & KEGGER NIGHT
4U PERFORMING LIVE
DJ DEL-ICIOUS PITCHER & KARAOKE NIGHT
Social @ 2PM $8 PITCHERS
tops & bottoms
karaoke
cheap date wednesdays
gay'er peaches w/ fridays w/ kasha rotating djs kennedy
SUNDAY KEGGER
FREE POOL
WELL LIQUOR SPECIALS
TOOLBOX ALL BEER, WEDNESDAYS CIDERS & COOLERS
RUSSELL CREAM SPECIALS
Weekend brunch/ Caesars
1/2 price wings $3 PBR
3 appies for the price of 2
Burger & beer $15
JUNCTION NUMBERS OASIS PUMPJACK SCORE ON
DAVIE
STEAMWORKS the waldorf
SUNDAY SPIN CYCLE W/ NICK BERTOSSI ice cream social
RED TRUCK LAGER & BEEFEATER
dj dennis
POOL DJ DREW TOURNAMENT
$10 Pizzas Chef's daily $4 Hiballs/$6 creation Dbl Hiballs Jugs 1516
DJ SHELLY
BLACK SATURDAY Weekend brunch PINTS $6
LIGHTS OUT PARTY
SQUIRT EVERY BEARS, BATH 2ND FRIDAY/ & BEYOND NICK BERTOSSI EVERY 4TH
c86
Rock 'n' Roll endless w/ Mandysummer Lyn
Please send event and calendar listings to events@v-rag.com.
friday june 1
Phil Dunne is an Irish artist from Dubland with an impressive portfolio of work for Playstation, Guiness, 3 Mobile and Computer Arts Magazine. Phil has also created artwork for V-Rag and appeared in every anniversary edition since 2010! www.lovetherobot.com
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
1
Saturday
2
Electric Fridays Grease! electric owl
denman cinema
Rainbow 24: Fit For A LGBTQ Voices Queen 2012
9
Tops & Bottoms Tuesdays @ oasis
celebrities
Face Forward Edmonton Pride MOV 20s Formal Music Paste shangri-la
edmonton ab
Pub Trivia junction
Food Talks Vol. 1
Matthew Presidente
Artists Anonymous
backstage lounge beaumont studios celebrities
the cobalt
11
12
13
14
16
the biltmore
10
w2
7
the river rock
Sunday Kegger
Kitty Nights
6
8
4
the pumpjack
5
citr 101.9fm
3
vancouver art gallery
little mountain
Hustla: Get Yo Laidback Luke Beach On
15
Social Sunday Vancouver Toonie Tuesday Calvertron oasis Nightlife Awards junction celebrities
Porter Robinson Jack The the commodore House!
Above + Beyond
Sunday T-Dance
SWEET Friday
Pam Ann
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23
the commodore
the den
the commodore
Blackout
Once Upon A Cheap Date Lesbian oasis
Chocolate Milk
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18
19
20
21
Craftacular 8: Up in the Sky
Free Pool
Buddy Tuesdays
Nick Thayer celebrities
Friends for Life San Francisco Friends for Life Breakfast Pride Yard Sale
venue
Karaoke
Scissor Sisters + Rye Rye
New Edition
Digitalism
Sharon Needles
25
30
1181
little mountain
Pam Ann
the playhouse
24
f212
the pumpjack
The Cribs
the railway club
f212
oasis
shine
canvas lounge
the playhouse
sfu dialogue centr san francisco ca friends for life
the commodore the river rock
celebrities
five sixty
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27
28
29
PINK in the City Ice Cream society
the waldorf
Nickelback
Xanadu
Chocolate Milk
Bass Drums of East Side Pride Death mcspadden park
Seattle Pride
Industry Night
Tuesdays @
Cocky
Richie Hawtin
seattle wa
junction
rogers arena celebrities
granville island stage
Milk
shine
denman cinema 1181
the biltmore celebrities
V-Rag 3 Year Anniversary oasis
PERFORMANCES BY JOAN-E, SYMONE, CONNI SMUDGE, DJ G-LUVE & KASHA KENNEDY + GIFT BAGS, FINGER FOOD & MORE!