Issue #44 – September 7 to September 13
viva la revolucion Adam explores Regina’s food truck culture redgy blackout Jeremy Breaks, and the perfect pop song the words & Compliance Film reviews
+
The year that started it all with
sloan
Photo: courtesy of michael Halsband
contents
NEWs + Opinion
culture
entertainment
Q + A with patrick krief
Live Music listings
Patrick chats with Alex. 8 / Q + A
Local music listings for September 7 through September 15. 14 / listings
viva la revolucion!
redgy blackout
Nightlife Photos
Adam explores the food truck movement. 3 / Local
Jeremy Breaks on the perfect pop song. 9 / Arts
Tamara visit The Pump Roadhouse. 15 / Nightlife
power of reflection
The Words & compliance
On the cover:
Sloan
Mindfulness and the Creative Spirit at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. 9 / Arts
Jay Ferguson tells Alex about the year that started it all. 10 / cover
verbnews.com @verbregina facebook.com/verbnewsregina
Editorial
Adam reviews the latest films. 16 / Film
the good listener
Publisher / Parity Publishing Editor in Chief / Ryan Allan Managing Editor / Jessica Patrucco staff Writers / Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson Contributing writer / jessica Bickford
ART & Production
Ilene Busch-Vishniac can’t stop learning. 4 / Local
Design Lead / Roberta Barrington Design & Production / Brittney Graham Contributing Photographers / tamara klein + danielle tocker
Business & Operations
Heads up
Luiggi’s review
on the bus
Texting and driving gets a bad rap, but is it as bad as they say? 6 / Editorial
Jessica & Danielle check out a classic Italian spot. 12 / Food + Drink
Weekly original comic illustrations by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics
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Game & Horoscopes
Here’s what you thought about Verb’s new look. 7 / comments
Big Sean, Halfway to Hollywood & Dehli 2 Dublin. 13 / music
Canadian criss-cross puzzle & weekly horoscope readings. 19 / timeout
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VIVA LA REVOLUCION!
Photo: courtesy of bon burger
It took a while, but finally the food truck movement has crossed the 49th parallel. by Adam Hawboldt
I
t’s usually around 7am when Paul Rogers and Trevor Finch get to work. When they arrive, there’s a lot to do to get ready. A lot of chopping and dicing, mixing and slicing. A lot of prep work before the noon-hour rush arrives. See, Paul and Trevor work in a kitchen in downtown Regina. The plaza, to be precise. But this isn’t just any old kitchen they’re in — it’s located in the back of a food truck. Not so long ago, when people thought of food trucks they thought of big sweaty men named Frank or Joe, serving soggy, under-salted fries from the back of drab white trucks. They thought of grease-stained paper bags, sweat-stained T-shirts, heartburn. But that’s not the kind of racket Paul and Trevor are running. Their vehicle is no clunker. Earlier this year, Paul and Trevor purchased a truck and sent it to a company in Ontario to have it painted, pimped-out and retrofitted. What they got back was a sleek, state-of-the art kitchen on wheels. On the outside, the truck is painted solid black. Not far behind the driver-side window, there’s a large green circle with a white, lowercase ’b’ in the middle. The ‘b’ stands for bon, a nod to Paul’s training in classic French cuisine. On the inside, the truck is retrofitted with all the bells and whistles: flat-top propane grills, two double deep fryers, a fridge, sinks, storage space and a prep table with inserts for the garnishes. You name it. “Basically, it’s set up like a restaurant line should be,” says Paul.
And every morning, that’s where you’ll find Paul and Trevor. In the back of their Bon Burger truck, prepping food. Getting things ready. Which only makes sense. After all, that truck is their livelihood.
Paul and Trevor are not alone. Lately, food trucks have been popping up all over cities across Canada, from Vancouver to Edmonton, Regina to Hamilton. But this isn’t a new
[Affecting change] is what this movement is all about. Adam hawboldt
phenomenon. South of the 49th parallel, in the U.S., people have been purchasing everything from artisan Korean tacos to roasted lamb tongue garnished with chives from the back of food trucks for years now. “It’s definitely been a trend in America for a while,” says Paul. “But thankfully, now it’s starting to pick up in Canada.” The thing is, it didn’t come to Regina without some subtle cajoling. “We inquired about doing this with the city, but there was a bylaw in place stating that vending from a food truck downtown was not allowed,” explains Trevor. “Initially we were told no. It took a few more phone calls and questions until we
were introduced to someone else who had similar thoughts on the food truck initiative. We gave the city some contact information for people in other cities who were currently trailblazing this industry, and I believe they looked into how things were being done in other cities and modeled their plan accordingly.” Things weren’t moving fast enough for the young entrepreneurs, so they kept calling the city, pressuring and inquiring about how the process was going. Eventually they got their answer. Mobile food trucks were granted a place on Regina’s streets this summer. “I don’t know if we were the ones who made it happen,” says Trevor, “but we sure feel like if we wouldn’t have tried, it wouldn’t have happened.” At a time when the world economy is shaky, when space in cities is selling at a premium, when big business is beginning to push the little guy closer to the fringes, it’s good to see young, motivated Saskatchewanians like Paul and Trevor say “to hell with it,” strike out on their own, and affect change. And, in essence, that’s what this movement is all about. That’s what Bon Burger is about: changing how people eat. It’s about local, community-based, anti-corporate food. Gourmet food. Comfort food. “It’s meat and potatoes,” says Trevor of their grub.
But with a twist. Made from scratch out of 14-dayold Angus beef, these aren’t your av-
erage, run-of-the-mill burgers you’ll find at a local fast food joint. One the best sellers at Bon Burger is Le Bleu — a patty topped with red wine barbecue sauce and caramelized onions. Toss some blue cheese in there and a couple of greens, and you have yourself one fine gourmet burger. Then there’s the Piquant, The Classique, The Haus. They even created a Thai burger with peanut butter sauce. “We like to run a burger for a couple of weeks,” says Paul, “just so we know what we’re prepping. Then we like to introduce new burgers. We like to change up the menu as much as we can.” And the plan is to keep changing things up, keep things fresh, keep
winning over foodies and stimulating taste buds. Until one day they can grab hold of the culinary star they’re reaching for. “The ultimate goal is to have a restaurant,” says Paul. “With this, we can build up a bit of a reputation, a bit of a following, and hopefully that’ll make it easier when we open a brick-and-mortar place. As opposed to just opening and trying to attract customers cold.” Not a bad plan … not a bad plan at all. Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
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Photo:courtesy of the university of saskatchewan
The Good listener University of Saskatchewan President Ilene Busch-Vishniac can’t stop learning. by Alex J MacPherson
I
lene Busch-Vishniac is sitting at a round conference table in an absurdly large office, trying to explain how a deeply talented researcher becomes embroiled in the arcane realm of university administration. Busch-Vishniac, who is fifty-seven, leans forward as she speaks. Her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm; she radiates something that is like warmth but closer to benevolent authority. “I looked around and I thought surely I can convince someone to take this on and lead the charge,” she says, explaining that she was dissatisfied with the traditional, inflexible mechanical engineering curriculum at the University of Texas, where she worked in the 1980s and 1990s. “But the bottom line was that there was no one who I could finger, who I thought would be able to pull this off other than me. So I just decided I would do it.” Describing administration only half-jokingly as the “dark side,” she
points out how everyone seems to think that administrators want invitations to serve on committees and boards and review panels. “Since I obviously could not extricate myself from it,” she says, “I might as well do it with a focus.” And, after stints at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and McMaster University in Hamilton, she is the new president at the University of Saskatchewan. When asked what, exactly, a new president ought to do, Busch-Vishniac unknowingly answered the one question I was unwilling to ask: why the big office on the second floor of the College Building looked disused. Fully furnished, Busch-Visniac’s office nevertheless retained the sterility of an office pensively awaiting its next occupant. Excluding a battered laptop, a few newspapers, and an enormous bouquet of white flowers, signs of life were in short supply. “One of the great things about being a university president is you get to wander around and talk to people about the work they’re doing and ask
them all sorts of rude and impertinent questions because you find it interesting,” she laughs. This is not a laughing matter. Busch-Vishniac sees herself as a moderate, not a radical; she wants to make the university better, not change it. And, she says, learn a lot in the process. “What I bring to the institution is a very broad perspective,” she muses. “I’ve seen different models — I’ve seen all of them fail, I’ve seen all of them work. But the most important thing I’ve learned is you can’t make an institution what it isn’t. So I must be a good listener.” Busch-Vishniac’s office is spartan because she doesn’t work there; she works in the classrooms, the corridors, and even the cafeterias. Rather than shut herself up and issue edicts, Busch-Vishniac wants to meet the people she must govern. She wants to hear what the students think, what the faculty thinks, and even what I think. “Tell me what we do well and what we must preserve, but tell me also what we do not so well and must
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Photo: courtesy of Alex J Macpherson / Verb Magazine
change,” she says. And while the University of Saskatchewan is well-positioned to handle research, Busch-Vishniac says she sees storm clouds on the horizon — “and, as you know, on the prairies that means they’ll be here in ten minutes.” These problems are mostly philosophical. How to manage the emergence of new disciplines like quantum computing, for instance. But some of these problems affect everyone, even people with no connection to the university. Busch-Vishniac is deeply concerned with improving the student experience and ensuring that universities don’t become academic enclaves in an otherwise vibrant world. “The top several important items have nothing to do with what happens in the classroom,” she says of student experiences. “It has to do with living as part of a scholarly community, with building social networks, with working hard and thinking about your future. It has to do with being engaged with faculty. It has very little to do with the sage on the stage.” And that sage, she continues, needs to go beyond the classroom. Academic research has long been considered inaccessible and all but
impossible to understand. Just the other day, I complained bitterly when a paper I wanted to read was available for the bargain price of $38. Busch-Vishniac scoffs at this. “Part of being a scholar is making sure that the next person doesn’t have to recreate everything you did,” she admits. “But you can learn from that point. If we don’t publicize what we have done, we have failed in that
a long history in Canada of people who are not part of the aboriginal community being certain they can understand the problems and make decisions for the community. I will not do that. I want to speak with the community and understand what they see as the key problems, not impose my view of the problems on them.” And, she adds, laughing this time, “there is not a university in the
[T]ell me also what we do not so well and must change. Ilene Busch-Vishniac
responsibility. We serve the province better if we become better-known nationally and internationally.” And while it is no secret that the University of Saskatchewan is facing several serious short term problems — significant budget cuts and chronically low levels of aboriginal enrollment and engagement chief among them — Busch-Vishniac is determined to listen before she speaks. After thinking for a moment, she says: “I would say that there has been
world that couldn’t do marvellous things with more money. We’re smart people; we’ll figure it out.” Busch-Vishniac’s enthusiasm and dynamism, her irrepressible urge to explore, means that big office may seem unlived in for years to come. Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
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keep your eyes on the prize Texting and driving gets a bad rap, but is prohibiting it the way to go? by the Editors of Verb
R
ob Ford, mayor of Toronto, was recently photographed hard at work. Reclined ever so slightly, Mr. Ford was pictured busily perusing a handful of papers. Not surprising, given that he is a busy man. The problem is that he was doing this during his morning commute to work, while he was behind the wheel of his Cadillac Escalade on the Gardiner Expressway, where the speed limit tops out at 100 km/h. Asked by reporters whether what he was doing could count
as distracted driving, Ford merely offered a terse “Yeah, probably. I’m busy.” The man was clearly distracted, but what’s even more disturbing is that reading papers while driving isn’t technically illegal. If Ford had been reading the same document on his cell phone, he could be fined $155 under current legislation. In Saskatchewan a similar infraction would net 4 demerit points, along with a $280 ticket. But reading a fistful of printed papers behind the wheel while barrelling down a multi-lane highway
— there is no rule outlawing that. And we think that’s ridiculous. To rectify the situation, we think there are two options we can entertain. The first would make paying attention while driving the main goal by banning any kind of potentially distracting activity. The second would allow pretty much any kind of activity, but any driver that becomes a hazard would have their license revoked and be forced to pass a driver’s test before they’d be allowed behind the wheel again. The first option seems like the most reasonable, but also the most unworkable. Where would the line be drawn? Reading may be prohibited, but what about eating and drinking? How about putting on makeup, or smoking? Since the first option is an unenforceable pipedream, we suggest the second as a more realistic alternative. This would give drivers the benefit of the doubt, and if they overstep boundaries then they deal with the consequences. It’ll make safer drivers out of all of us, and heck — maybe the government will even pay for the extra road tests. And while it might seem counterintuitive to permit activities like texting while driving, consider this: using your MP3 player or smartphone to change tunes while you’re
behind the wheel requires a lot of the same motions as texting — holding your device slightly ahead and to the side, glancing down and back up to the road as your scroll through your music. Allowing people to do whatever they like as long as they do so safely would eliminate the giant loophole through which Ford distractedly drove his SUV. Since he was read-
of crashes in Minnesota, California, Washington and Louisiana either stayed the same or increased after anti-texting legislation was brought in, even after controlling for all other factors like number of miles driven, seasonal driving patterns, etc. The researchers suggested this was because drivers were now trying to be extra tricky, bringing their handheld devices down into their
[C]onsider the often ignored fact that texting laws don’t … seem to be working. verb’s editors
ing, frequently taking his eyes off the road, the police could’ve easily made the case that he was being unsafe and yanked his license — a far more effective response than posting “please get a driver” on their official Facebook page, which was about all they could do under the current law. And if that’s not enough to convince you change is needed, consider the often ignored fact that texting laws don’t actually seem to be working. According to a 2010 study by the Highway Loss Data Institute in the States, the number
lap and looking down rather than holding them higher up where they could keep an eye on the road. So sure, if everyone stopped texting, talking, eating, drinking, smoking or anything other than staying glued to the steering wheel — eyes forward, hands at 10 and 2 — safety would no doubt increase. But since that’s never going to happen, and since the rate of cell phone ownership is only going to increase, it’s clear that our distracted driving laws need a freshening up. Let’s drop the anti-texting hysteria and let common sense take the wheel.
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Hundred Thousand Pieces
How Patrick Krief made the album of his life. by Alex J MacPherson
T
his year, Patrick Krief made the album he always wanted to make. The album he needed to make. The album he was born to make. Hundred Thousand Pieces is an ambitious project, a collection of songs that weld Krief’s ringing, tape-delayed vocals to swirling, reverb-drenched guitars. It is a symphony of rock and pop, a reflection of the sounds Krief spent the past several years listening to in his head. A departure from Krief’s work with The Dears and Black Diamond Bay, Hundred Thousand Pieces was an ordeal to record. Krief, who is 32, played almost every track himself, learning to play drums in the process. But he says that he doesn’t want to do it any other way. Alex J MacPherson: You played every track on this record. How difficult was it? Patrick Krief: I knew what I was getting myself into. I had done it before with my first release but this time the arrangement was so much more ambitious. There were a few
moments where I was like, this is never going to get finished — what the hell was I thinking? It was a lot of work, especially the drums.
AJM: This album was built around the song “Lost in Japan.” Can you tell me a bit about how that process was for you?
AJM: Is it difficult, even now, to go from a band setting to making a solo record?
PK: When I heard “Lost in Japan” in my head, or however that song started forming, I was like, oh, this is the start of an album. Instantly after I had that thought, that I have an album, “Hundred Thousand Pieces” was the first song I actually demoed. I actually approached it before “Lost in Japan,” even though “Lost in Japan” got me [started].
PK: I was kind of in a place as a musician where I didn’t feel like I had a band, really. I was asking myself should I put a band together to work on all these songs I’m writing? Or should I just do this thing where I
It was brewing up in me for so long, to just be like completely in control of what I’m hearing. Patrick krief
I would lay down basic structure, a synth pad just playing the chords. Then I would play that on repeat and play guitar to it like I was jamming. Improvise, improvise, improvise until, “Oh, I like this, that’s the guitar part.” Meanwhile there’s a drum machine playing. Then I’d go to my rehearsal studio, throw up a microphone, and play drums all day to this recording. AJM: Hearing you talk about it, it sounds like this is the album you wanted and needed to make.
do all the instruments? That’s what I wanted to do in the first place. I saw an opportunity in the fact that my band at the time was dissolving. It was kind of a convenient opportunity.
AJM: You recorded all of these parts yourself. Can you tell me a bit about how you did it? PK: It was really fun for me. At home
PK: Absolutely. It was brewing up in me for so long, to just be like completely in control of what I’m hearing. I don’t know how this is going to
come off, if I’ll sound like a jerk, but every time I bend on something… maybe for an outsider the song is better in the end, but for me it will always feel wrong. So I was like this is the album where — it’s masturbatory, for lack of a better word — I am going to execute exactly what I’m hearing. Now, I don’t know if I’ll ever turn back. Patrick Krief September 18 @ The Artful Dodger $10 @ ticketedge.ca; $15 @ the door Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
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Redgy Blackout Jeremy Breaks on the perfect pop song.
J
eremy Breaks didn’t know he would be playing banjo in a pop band until he quit his job and went to plant trees in British Columbia. “There was a period when I was working a job I didn’t like when I first moved to Vancouver, about seven years ago,” he says. “To get out of the job, I went tree-planting. I said I’m going to go work for about six months and then I’ll be back, and when I was out there I started listening to Sufjan Stevens. He was my main influence for picking the banjo up originally.” When Breaks returned from the wilderness, he formed Redgy Blackout with his friend and songwriting partner, Scott Perrie. Although the pair approach songwriting from different angles, their views intersect where uptempo pop meets offbeat instrumentation. Counting among their influences everyone from the Beatles to the Avett Brothers, Breaks and Perrie have made the most of their differences, blending elements to create
by alex J MacPherson
a series of infectious pop songs. The band’s latest album is an expression of everything Perrie and Breaks stand for: bright acoustic guitars, driving banjo rolls, big choruses, and surprisingly tender lyrics. In other words: a commitment to perfecting the three-minute pop song. But these aren’t just conventional pop songs. From the juxtaposition of heartfelt lyrics and sunny guitars on “100 Cigarettes” to the nostalgiainducing “When U Were a Kid,” each song incorporates something unexpected — an approach Breaks attributes to creative tension and the band’s willingness to experiment. “I think it’s just being true to our influences,” he says, “and being true to what either one of us is into at the time … Any group that consists of a bunch of different people … you have to … learn to work with each other.” And in Redgy Blackout’s case, working together means trying every idea, no matter how bizarre it may seem. “We struggle with that,” Breaks
laughs, pointing out that a recent song didn’t come together until he and Perrie asked themselves what Tom Petty would do with the chorus. “It makes it stronger in the end,” he says. And that strength isn’t in dispute. Redgy Blackout are currently part of a Vancouver radio station’s project to promote local music. Competing against acts like Headwater and Jordan Klassen for more than $100,000, Perrie and Breaks are in it for the long haul. And you should be, too. Redgy Blackout September 18 @ Creative City Centre $ 10 at the door
Photo: courtesy of the artist
The Power of Reflection Mindfulness and the Creative Spirit at the MacKenzie. by alex J MacPherson
A
lbert Camus once wrote that the struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. Camus was writing about Sisyphus, a mortal condemned by the Gods to an eternity of futile labour, but the lesson is universal. Pure experience is intrinsically valuable; unmediated and unfiltered, the act of living becomes an end in itself, regardless of time or circumstance. Cast in different terms, this idea forms the basis of Mindfulness and the Creative Spirit, a multidisciplinary collection of works from the MacKenzie Art Gallery’s permanent collection. “Mindfulness can include paying close attention,” says Wendy Winter, gallery educator at the MacKenzie, “and that can be to anything, but to open up one’s self to the pure experi-
ence of just paying close attention to what one is observing at the moment. A lot of this has to do with tuning out that little voice we have in our head [or] recognizing those thoughts connected to that little voice.” The pieces Winter and head curator Timothy Long selected for the exhibition are centred on the idea that viewing art can be about experiencing the moment, not passing judgment or offering up criticism. The best example of this may be Aganetha Dyck’s “Poem to the Bees by Di Brandt.” Fascinated by bees, Dyck “collaborated” with them to honeycomb various objects, creating art in the process. Later, she commissioned Brandt to write a poem that would be translated into braille and placed in a hive for a similar honey treatment. Dyck’s piece can be read as an
outraged attack on those who seek to destroy the environment or an attempt to build bridges between humans and nature. But more importantly, the hours of quiet reflection that Dyck and Brandt experienced serve as an example — their communion with the bees should echo the viewer’s time alone with the art. The exhibition also includes Barbara Milne’s “A Time of Day #40,” a placid pastel of a boat beating against the current, which Winter sees as a metaphor for life in the wilderness — an experience as sharp and cold as a northern river. “It’s a metaphor,” says Winter, herself an avid paddler. “That becomes a very fitting metaphor because, when I’m canoeing, it becomes a metaphor for everything in life. You’re leaving behind all this craziness, and it’s a
real struggle to leave it behind. It’s a reflection of pure experience, a metaphor for life’s journey.” Deeply concerned by what she perceives as a lack of engagement brought on by electronic screens, which breed isolation and loneliness, Winter hopes Mindfulness and the Creative Spirit offers viewers a chance to revel in their experiences, if only for a moment.
As Camus wrote, “One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Mindfulness & the Creative Spirit Until Jan 6, 2013 @ MacKenzie Art Gallery Free Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
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Twice Removed
Sloan’s Jay Ferguson and the year that started it all. by Alex J MacPherson
M
ost musicians spend their time looking forward, working toward the next single, the next album, the next tour. Jay Ferguson, who plays guitar in Sloan, an altogether restrained yet hugely influential Canadian rock band, is no exception. He has spent the better part of twenty years looking up the road. Now, though, he and his bandmates are taking some time
to reflect on the past. Today Sloan is an institution, but back in 1994 they were just a bunch of kids determined to carve a trail for themselves. And that trail began with their seminal 1994 album, Twice Removed, which they are reissuing this year. “This is something Chris [Murphy] and I have been talking about for a couple of years,” Ferguson says. “I know that this year is not really a specific anniversary for Twice Removed, but it was kind of a year where we had no real big plan. We put out a new album last year and did a tour for it, but this year was a little bit of an open book. We thought, maybe we should do one of these reissues we’ve been talking about.” In a career spanning more than two decades, Ferguson, Murphy, Andrew Scott, and Patrick Pentland have released ten studio albums, a pair of EPs, and several compilations; last year, they celebrated twenty years of music with a new record and a series of transcendental shows. But that album, The Double Cross, was actually a vision for the future — definitive proof that four guys in their forties can make relevant rock in a time of tumbling record sales and industry turmoil.
A revamped and reissued Twice Removed, on the other hand, is a nod to the beginning. “I think at the time it seemed a little bit different,” Ferguson says, pointing out that Twice Removed underwhelmed American radio listeners. “And I think that’s what made it stand out a little bit at the time, amongst what was the comet trail of grunge and noisy guitar bands.” He’s right: Twice Removed is different. Unlike their first record, a riot of noisy guitars and drums, Twice Removed is bright and concise, a reflection of the band’s penchant for offbeat chord changes, modified pop structures, and lyrics infused with equal measures wit and wisdom. Although it is consistently overshadowed by the band’s 1996 masterpiece, One Chord to Another, Twice Removed is much more important — it set the band on course and outlined the shape of things to come. The template first used on Twice Removed is, more or less, responsible for keeping the band together and working for almost two decades. “I was just looking at an ad,” Ferguson laughs. “Smashing Pumpkins are playing the Air Canada Centre this fall, and it’s Billy Corgan and three strangers who I’ve never seen
before. I’m glad we’ve been able to keep it together for all these years.” Unlike some bands, which are basically dictatorships, Sloan is a democracy. Murphy may be the face of the band, but his recognizable eyeglasses and sparkling wit don’t affect how Sloan actually works. “The band is an outlet for everybody,” Ferguson says. “It’s not like there’s the disgruntled bass player who doesn’t get to write songs and has to go and make a solo record. The canvas of an album is open to everybody.”
includes at least two songs by every band member. And because each musician has a distinct voice, Sloan records are never boring or repetitive. Everyone writes differently, and that contributes to the band’s signature sound as much as any guitar chord. “Everybody is unique,” Ferguson says simply. “And everybody is essential.” “And,” he adds with a laugh, “we split the money four ways.” Talking about money may be gauche, but in this case it’s important. In most
I still feel like we’re a … work in progress. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking back… jay ferguson
The “four-headed monster” sputtered into life on Twice Removed. Scott, who plays drums most of the time, didn’t sing the lead on any of the band’s previous efforts; on Twice Removed, he sang “People of the Sky” and “Before I Do.” With just a couple of exceptions, every Sloan record
bands, people who write the songs get richer faster than people who don’t. Ferguson says dividing the cash — and the responsibility — has helped keep the band together as so many others fell into disagreement and disrepair. “If everybody is in the same boat,” he says, “it promotes Continued on next page »
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equality in the band.” But Twice Removed is more than just the glue that holds the band together; it is also a great record, as fresh and vibrant now as it was in 1994. This is because every note is hopeful. Recorded by a bunch of kids who had no idea what the future might hold, the record is a snapshot in time, a photograph of a moment when the whole world rested on hopes and dreams. And then those dreams turned into reality. That reality is evident on One Chord to Another (and every subse-
Photo: courtesy of maki toyoda
quent Sloan album), which reeks of confidence and a restrained sort of swagger. Twice Removed, on the other hand, is rough around the edges. From the urgency of “Penpals” and “Snowsuit Sound” to the raw emotion of “Coax Me,” the record is more hopeful than polished, more raw
than professional. And that’s what makes it great. And now, twenty years on, Sloan is taking it back on the road. Ferguson seems genuinely excited about playing the album in its entirety night after night, but he is also wary of turning the band into a living, breathing relic. It’s easy to get trapped in a never-ending cycle of reissues, a dismal pattern where creativity ossifies and dynamism fades. So too will the fans disappear: without the promise of new music, all but the most hardcore listeners will slip into the background. And Ferguson is understandably worried about squandering decades of hard work. “I do feel like we could almost coast, potentially, on tours like we’re about to do, the Twice Removed tour,” he admits. “We could come back and do a One Chord to Another tour and do that for years. But I’m eager to make new records and I was happy with our last record, The Double Cross.” Which means, of course, that Sloan are already talking about a new album. Ferguson says he has a few new songs on the go, and that Murphy’s new stuff is “really great.” Nothing has been finalized yet, but
Ferguson suggested that new material isn’t far off. “I still feel like we’re a bit of a work in progress,” he says. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with looking back and playing older music — I want to continue making new records but I’m also happy to go out and play Twice Removed for fans and for fun.” Since that album first hit record store shelves, Ferguson and his bandmates have grown up. They are looking forward and looking back, confident in their success and hopeful for the future. Sloan will surely produce more great records, but they will never make another Twice Removed, because in 1994 the only thing they could see was the broken yellow line, stretching across this vast country and disappearing over the horizon. Sloan knows where they came from and where they’re going. Sloan September 18 @ The Pump Roadhouse $20 @ ticketedge.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
11 sept 7 – Sept 13 @verbsaskatoon
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Mangia! Mangia!
Photography courtesy of Danielle Tocker.
Italian eats at Luiggi’s Pasta House. by jessica Bickford
M
mm pasta — is there anything better than all those carbs, those tasty sauces and all of that delicious cheese? I certainly don’t think so, and brothers Devin and Tyler Morrissette, who own Luiggi’s Pasta House,
a nice kick to the lemon, garlic, and parmesan flavours. The Mediterranean salad featured baby greens, tomato, pepper, red onion, cucumber, olives, and feta, tossed with a simple herb dressing that kept things fresh. Next was some bruschetta served on thick foccacia toast and topped
Scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels and fresh basil all rested atop spaghetti in a white wine sauce. jessica Bickford
probably agree with me. With their menu full of classic Italian dishes and pastas featuring homemade sauces, these guys know their way around many delicious combinations of carbs and cheese. A couple of salads started our meal off. The Italian chicken caesar came with juicy slices of seasoned chicken breast that you can get in hot, medium or mild, which added
with parmesan and a balsamic drizzle. The sweet balsamic, the hints of garlic, and the salty cheese balanced out nicely for this tasty appetizer. The pasta courses followed, and pescatore was first on the list. Scallops, shrimp, clams, mussels and fresh basil all rested atop spaghetti in a white wine sauce. The creamy, slightly acidic sauce was fabulously delicate, so the seafood was the star
of the show. For me the cannelloni blew the pescatore out of the water, though (no pun intended). Stuffed with beef, veal, onion and spinach, before being slathered in Sicilian sauce and baked with cheese, this cannelloni was excellent. The rich sauce had a bit of spice, but a subtle sweetness from the black olives and caramelized onions made sure it wasn’t too overpowering. The pasta was tender and the filling had a ton of meaty flavour. Did I mention it was baked in cheese, because that only made everything better. Dessert came next and I got not only some traditionally Italian tiramisu, but a trio of dessert shots. The tiramisu was very creamy, almost like a mousse, and had that sweet, but not too sweet flavour from the mascarpone. The first dessert shot was black forest cake, which had a strong, sweet cherry taste. Next was banana cream pie, which was very creamy with just a bit of banana flavour. The after eight was my favourite, though, and tasted a lot like mint Baileys.
You can try out a recipe for this shot up in that fancy new drink section. Luiggi’s has been open since 1984, but they have done some renovating of both their space and their menu recently. They serve an extensive Sunday brunch buffet, and almost all of their items have gluten-free alternatives, which is pretty impressive given the size of their menu. If you are in the mood for some Italian classics, Luiggi’s long history,
and dedication to quality make it the perfect choice for pasta and more. Luiggi’s Pasta House 470 Albert Street N | (306) 979 7427 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com
let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide After Eight shooter
Ingredients
Creamy and sweet, this minty green shot is as fun to look at as it is to drink. And what could be better than a boozy, liquid version of an After Eight chocolate mint?
½ oz. Irish Cream Liqueur ½ oz. Kahlua ½ oz. Green Creme de Menthe (plus a little extra to rim the glass) sugar
Directions
Pour some creme de menthe into a small bowl, then dip the rim of a tall shot glass into liqueur, then into a bit of sugar (coloured if you want it extra fancy). In a cocktail shaker with ice, shake all of the liquid ingredients to combine, then strain into the shot glass and enjoy.
12 sept 7 – Sept 13 culture
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music
Next Week
coming up
Big Sean
Halfway to Hollywood
Delhi 2 Dublin
@ Pure Ultra Lounge Tuesday, September 18 – $40
@ The exchange Wednesday, September 19 – $ TBD
@ the exchange Wednesday, November 7 – $15
Sean Michael Anderson is only twenty-four years old, but that hasn’t stopped him ascending to the very summit of contemporary hip hop. After building his career on the strength of digital mixtapes — rap of such high quality that it earned him a place on Kanye West’s GOOD Music label — Big Sean is gearing up to release another installment in his Finally Famous mixtape series and, reportedly, a second full-length studio album. Sean, who was born in Santa Monica and raised in Detroit, has come a long way from late-night underground rap battles; today, he is one of the rising stars of the rap world and bringing his international tour, Canada is Finally Famous, to Regina. Tickets available at ticketedge.ca.
Pop power trios are hard to beat, and Halfway to Hollywood promises to be one of the most exciting in recent memory. Based in Vancouver, Grant Walker, Brenden White, and Roman Zugarazo are just starting out — their debut EP, Speechless, just dropped — but they’ve already demonstrated their ability to generate infectious pop and rock. Bucketloads of talent, crunchy guitars, and screaming synthesizers combine to create upbeat, accessible, radiofriendly songs. Influenced by bands like Hedley and Blink-182, Halfway to Hollywood may be fresh, but they’re already on the road to success. This guys are nothing if not infectious, so check them out when they swing through Regina next week.
Delhi 2 Dublin is the sound of east and west colliding. Fusing traditional Celtic music to the rhythmic pulse of Bhangra, the Vancouver-based group have carved out a following among people interested in something new. Using traditional instruments — fiddle, tabla — alongside electric guitars and rack after rack of high-wattage DJ equipment, Delhi 2 Dublin perform like each show is their last. Now on tour behind their latest full-length album, Turn Up the Stereo, Delhi 2 Dublin are bringing their raucous show from summer festival stages to intimate clubs across the country. “I think the one thing you tell people is you’re going to get sweaty,” singer Sanjay Seran told me last year. Advance tickets $15; $20 at the door. – By Alex J MacPherson
Photos courtesy of: the artist / the artist / Josli Rockafella
Sask music Preview Some Saskatchewan nominees, including Prince Albert’s Donny Parenteau and Big River Cree, from Big River First Nation, have been shortlisted for the 2012 Aboriginal Peoples’ Choice Music Awards, a festival that celebrates Aboriginal music, arts, culture and heritage. The awards will be held on November 2, but for now the public is being asked to vote on the winners, so head on over to www.aboriginalpeopleschoice.com to let your voice be heard.
Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org
13 sept 7 – Sept 13 facebook.com/verbnewssaskatoon
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september 7 Âť September 15 The most complete live music listings for Regina. S
9
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10 11 12 13 14 15
Greg MacPherson courtesy of the artist
Miranda Lambert courtesy of the artist
Get listed Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know! layout@verbnews.com
14 sept 7 – Sept 13 entertainment
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nightlife
Friday, August 31 @
Whiskey Saloon The Whiskey Saloon 1047 Park Street (306) 779-1999
Music vibe / Country Featured deals / $4.75 whiskey Drink of Choice / Whiskey something new / $2.75 bar shots
all night on Thursdays; no cover for students with student ID
Photography by Klein Photoraphy – feedback@verbnews.com
15 sept 7 – Sept 13 @verbsaskatoon
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Photo: Courtesy of Alliance Films
Speechless
The Words lacks conviction. by adam hawboldt
W
hen it comes to “great writing” there are a host of warmed-up, overused clichés that people tend to believe. Such as: Great writing must come from great suffering. Great writing, especially by Americans, is done in Paris. Great writing comes in a white hot spasm of creativity. Great writing is a product of inspiration, not discipline or craft. Blah, blah, blah. The list goes on. And in The Words — the new movie written and directed by Brian
Klugman and Lee Sternthal — every single cliché about great writing you can think of is used and abused. The story focuses on Rory Jansen (Bradley Cooper), a struggling young writer whose ambition far surpasses his talent. One day, Rory finds an old, yellowing manuscript while honeymooning with his wife Dora (Zoe Saldana) in Paris. Turns out, though, this isn’t just any old manuscript. It’s an unpublished masterpiece. So, like many writers who came before him, Rory begins to re-type the book just to, you know, get the feeling of what it’s like to write
something great, to feel the keyboard’s rhythms, etc., etc. The problem is, his wife reads
Clay Hammond (Dennis Quaid). So basically what you end up with is a story within a story.
For all the different levels … there’s simply no depth to The Words.
96 minutes | PG
adam hawboldt
what he’s typing on his laptop, thinks the book is Rory’s new novel, says it’s brilliant and urges Rory to submit it to an agent. Which he does. The book goes on to win major literary awards, shoots to the top of the best-seller list, and everybody lives happily ever after. Well, not really. See, the Old Man (Jeremy Irons) who actually wrote the book turns up and threatens Rory’s reputation. As this is happening, the viewer finds out that all this — the entire story — is merely the plot of a popular novel called The Words, which is being read by its famous author
The Words Directed by Brian Klugman + Lee Sternthal Starring Olivia Wilde, Bradley Cooper + Zoe Saldana
Then, because, two levels simply aren’t enough, Klugman and Sternthal add another story to their story within a story. This one is told by the Old Man (yes, that’s really his name) and forms the plot of the manuscript Rory stole from him. Confused yet? Well, you shouldn’t be. In the sure hands of Klugman and Sternthal, all the stories slide seamlessly and slickly together to form a coherent and compelling narrative. What’s more, all the performances in The Words are solid. Irons is excellent, as usual, Saldana is charming and Cooper pulls off the guy-who-isn’t-as-talented-as-he’d-
like-to-be schtick convincingly. Those are the good things about The Words. But it’s too bad the bad thing heavily outweigh them. Not things, plural, just one big glaring thing (no s). For all the different levels it gives the viewer, there’s simply no depth to The Words. It doesn’t resonate. It doesn’t stick with you or linger. And that’s a shame, because outside of all the “great writing” clichés and lack of oomph, The Words could’ve been a fantastic movie. A shame indeed.
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
16 sept 7 – Sept 13 entertainment
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Stranger than fiction Compliance tells the creepy story of a prank gone wrong. by adam hawboldt
H
ave you ever heard of the Milgram experiments? No? Well, allow me to explain. Back in the early 1960s a psychologist at Yale University named Stanley Milgram conducted a slew of studies on obedience to authority figures. The “teacher” (the subject of the study) would be ordered by the experiment’s facilitator to give an electric shock to the “learner” (who was an actor and confederate) every time he responded with an incorrect answer, with the voltage increasing as the experiment progressed. And even though the “learner” in the other room was screaming in pretend pain, most “teachers” —
Pat Healy … is perfectly creepy and believable. Adam Hawboldt
like 80 percent of them — would increase the voltage when told to do so by the experiment’s facilitator. The only reason I bring any of this up is because, in a roundabout way, it is exactly what writer/ director Craig Zobel’s new movie
Photo: Courtesy of Entertainment one films
Compliance is about. Set in Ohio, Compliance tells the true story of a prank that spirals into a serious, scandalous crime. A man pretending to be a police officer (Pat Healy) calls a fast food restaurant, and tells the manager, Sandra (Ann Dowd), that one of her employees, Becky (Dreama Walker), has stolen from a customer. The officer tells Sandra to take Becky into the back room for questioning, and then a strip search, and then… Let’s just say Compliance is, without a doubt, one of the most unsettling, stressful and disturbing movies you will see this year. As the prank becomes more personal and increasingly perverted, you’ll
Compliance Directed by Craig Zobel Starring Ann Dowd, Dreama Walker + Pat Healy 90 minutes | 14A
find yourself wanting to yell things at the screen. Things like: “What in the name of Pete are you thinking, lady?” Or: “For the love of baby Jesus, hang up the phone.” Because that’s what you would do, right? That’s what any sane person would do. We all know that. Well, except no, we don’t. Remember the Milgram experiments? Basically, what those experiments and Zobel’s movie tell us is that even though most of us think we
would stand up to The Man, there’s a solid chance we’d kick the crap out of a cuddly kitten if commanded to do so. But I digress. What we’re talking about here is the movie Compliance — and what a movie it is! The acting is superb. Both Ann Dowd and Dreama Walker deliver subtle, nuanced and strong performances. And Pat Healy, as the pretend policeman, is perfectly creepy and believable. As for pacing and whatnot, that is also superb. The story is very lean and taught, and it moves/
snowballs at an ideal pace, allowing the viewer to both be drawn into the story, question their own ethics and/or yell at the screen. Whatever tickles your fancy. Compliance will be screened at the Regina Public Library starting on September 13.
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
17 sept 7 – Sept 13 facebook.com/verbnewssaskatoon
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Š Elaine M. Will | blog.E2W-Illustration.com | Check onthebus.webcomic.ws/ for previous editions!
18 sept 7 – Sept 13 entertainment
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crossword canadian criss-cross
timeout
ACROSS 1. Action word 5. Poke with a stick 9. Nest built on a cliff 10. Drink like a cat 12. Historical records 13. Good luck charm 15. Make fast 16. It’s not right 18. Battle memento 19. Warning sign 21. Cake part 23. Before 24. Good point 26. A little 28. Actor’s attire 30. It makes the heart grow fonder 33. Ground 37. Almost out 38. One who is always moving 40. Decrease bit by bit 41. Animal with a beard 43. Obligation 45. Expected standard score
27. Less than average tide 29. Child’s wheels 30. Aquatic plant 31. Starts up a computer 32. Wrap in bandages 34. Pillage 35. CD selection 36. In no other place 39. Cuban dance 42. Cooperative unit 44. It’s a wrap 47. Travel over snow 49. Flippable top
46. Affirm the truth of 48. Ill will 50. Thick drink 51. Edge of a steep place 52. Arab bigwig 53. Assistant DOWN 1. Thin layer of wood 2. Mesozoic, for one 3. Small stream 4. Harass constantly 5. Area of level high land 6. Smash into 7. Artistic creation 8. Pleasing to the ears 9. Varnish resin 11. Mount ___, Newfoundland 12. Level of children’s sports 14. Three in cards 17. XV 20. Pleasant 22. Frosty covering 25. Chinese secret society
© walter D. Feener 2012
answer key
Horoscopes September 7 – September 13 Aries March 21–April 19 Pay close attention to your dreams this week. Visionaries and thinkers are crucial to society, and your outside-the-box thinking could become a major asset.
Leo July 23–August 22 Be careful this week, Leo. Circumstances may conspire against you, but you can get through it with perseverance and a positive attitude. There’s nothing you can’t do.
Sagittarius November 23–December 21 Try not to spend time worrying about what other people think. It isn’t dignified and it certainly isn’t productive. Be yourself, and good things will follow.
Taurus April 20–May 20 It’s easy to get caught up in the rush that accompanies each autumn, but don’t push it too hard. You’ll be well-served by a spot of relaxation this week.
Virgo August 23–September 22 It’s easy to feel down when the leaves start to change, but try not to despair. The best way to feel better is to do something nice for someone else, and you’ve got what it takes to do that.
Capricorn December 22–January 19 Things could be looking up in the very near future, Capricorn. Don’t let any opportunities pass you by this week — you’ll regret it! Be aware of what’s going on around you.
Gemini May 21–June 20 This week is your time to shine, Gemini! Do something outrageous. Go out, drink too much, and party until the sun comes up. You’ve worked hard, but now is time for fun.
Libra September 23–October 23 Stress can cause all sorts of misery, so don’t let it get you down. The universe has a bigger plan in store for you, so breathe. Relax. Do something for yourself and all will be well.
Aquarius January 20–February 19 We all make mistakes, Aquarius, but try not to fret. This may not be the best week ever, but it can improve if you can keep your chin up. For now, try to go with the flow.
Cancer June 21–July 22 Curiosity didn’t kill the cat; curiosity made the cat smarter. Learn something this week, and stretch your brain. The whole world could be yours, if you could just imagine it.
Scorpio October 24–November 22 Arguments may happen, but try and see both sides of the story — there could be more going on than meets the eye. Listen hard and try to understand. You’ll be better for it.
Pisces February 20–March 20 Don’t settle, Pisces. Mediocrity certainly doesn’t become you. Be yourself and seize the day. You deserve a break, but only you can make it happen, so don’t sit back and wait. Get out there!
19 sept 7 – Sept 13 @verbsaskatoon
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