Verb Issue R54 (Nov. 16-22, 2012)

ISSUE #54 – NOVEMBER 16 TO NOVEMBER 22

LIFE LESSONS THE WOODEN SKY

WITH

LIFE ON A BULL Aaron Roy is poised to make history, again BREAKING BARRIERS Q+A with Diamond Rings LINCOLN + STORIES WE TELL Films reviewed­

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JUSTIN BROADBENT

NEWS + OPINION

CONTENTS

CULTURE

ENTERTAINMENT

Q + A WITH DIAMOND RINGS

LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS Local music listings for November 16 through November 24. 14 / LISTINGS

On breaking down barriers. 8 / Q + A

LIFE OF A BULL RIDER Aaron Roy is poised to make history, again. 3 / LOCAL

NIGHTLIFE PHOTOS

THE YOUNG BENJAMINS

We visit The Sip.

On how they came to be. 9 / ARTS

15 / NIGHTLIFE

THE GALILEO PROJECT

LINCOLN + STORIES WE TELL

Tafelmusik takes to the stars. 9 / ARTS

We review the latest movies. 16 / FILM

VERBNEWS.COM @VERBREGINA FACEBOOK.COM/VERBREGINA

EDITORIAL

A LIFE UNDER THE LIGHTS

ART & PRODUCTION DESIGN LEAD / ROBERTA BARRINGTON DESIGN & PRODUCTION / BRITTNEY GRAHAM CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS / TAMARA KLEIN, DANIELLE TOCKER, ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON

Amy Matysio lights it up. 4 / LOCAL

ON THE COVER:

THE WOODEN SKY

Life lessons on the road. 10 / COVER

PUBLISHER / PARITY PUBLISHING EDITOR IN CHIEF / RYAN ALLAN MANAGING EDITOR / JESSICA PATRUCCO STAFF WRITERS / ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER / JESSICA BICKFORD

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

SCHOOL BREAK

BEYOND BEER

ON THE BUS

Our thoughts on the U of R students facing deportation. 6 / EDITORIAL

Get the laid-back pub vibe at Bushwakker. 12 / FOOD + DRINK

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / COMICS

COMMENTS

MUSIC

GAME + HOROSCOPES

Here’s what you had to say about alternative poppies. 7 / COMMENTS

Tim Chaisson, Half Moon Run + Great Big Sea. 13 / MUSIC

Canadian criss-cross puzzle, weekly horoscopes and Sudoku. 19 / TIMEOUT

OFFICE MANAGER / STEPHANIE LIPSIT MARKETING MANAGER / VOGESON PALEY FINANCIAL MANAGER / CODY LANG

CONTACT COMMENTS / FEEDBACK@VERBNEWS.COM / 881 8372 ADVERTISE / ADVERTISE@VERBNEWS.COM / 979 2253 DESIGN / LAYOUT@VERBNEWS.COM / 979 8474 GENERAL / INFO@VERBNEWS.COM / 979 2253

PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING & SHARING PHOTO: COURTESY OF PH

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THE LIFE OF A BULL RIDER

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANDY WATSON

Aaron Roy has a chance to make history, again.

BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

A

aron Roy climbs into the chute and eases himself down on his bull real slow. Careful to avoid any sudden movements. That might spook the beast, and cause it to buck or lurch violently — and no bull rider wants that. The space is too confined, the bull simply too big.

Once seated, Roy slips his hand under a rope wrapped around the bull, just below the shoulders, before another cowboy pulls the rope tight. Roy wraps it around and around his hand, getting a good grip, getting comfortable. Or at least as comfortable as a 160-pound man can be when he’s tied to an enormous beast. Think about being strapped to the top of a car, then it taking off, and you might get an idea of what it’s like to be sitting on a bull in the chute, waiting for the gate to open.

Most people, if found in a position like that, would likely be scared. Nervous, even, their mind racing a million miles a minute.

But not Roy. Sitting there in the chute, strapped to a quivering, restless bull, Roy isn’t thinking or feeling anything. He isn’t worried about getting injured or planning how he’ll ride 2,000 pounds of bucking animal. No, Roy’s mind is blank. Nothing else matters in this

moment: it’s just him and the bull and the next eight seconds.

When he’s ready, Roy nods his head, and bang! the gate swings open.

Bull riding has long been considered the most dangerous eight seconds in sports. And about a year ago, a team of researchers at the University of Calgary released a study confirming that this long-held consideration was, in fact, wildly true. The registry they compiled proved bull riding not only to be dangerous, but to be “the most dangerous organized sport in the world” — with 36 percent of all injuries falling under the category of “severe.”

Take Aaron Roy for instance. He has been bull riding professionally since 2009 and, by his own admission, hasn’t been hurt. Much. “I’ve been lucky to avoid being injured too much,” he says. “I’ve blown out both my knees. When I first started out I broke my arm. Other than that I’ve only broken my nose, cracked my cheek bone and earlier this year I got a pretty bad concussion.”

Those kind of injuries come part and parcel with the bull riding territory. Which is why, naturally, when you are new to a sport like this there’s going to be a modicum of knee-trembling dread involved.

“When you first start out, there’s

fear,” explains Roy. “For you to sit down on a bull, you’re going to be scared. Simple as that.”

But here’s the thing about fear and bull riding … if you’re afraid, you’re in trouble. “When you’re scared,” says Roy, “you’re not thinking clearly.

Your mind isn’t in the right place so your body is going to want to bail out of there. That’s when you’re going to get hurt or something else bad is going to happen.”

So how do you get yourself to the point where climbing onto the back of a piece of pissed-off livestock seems like a good idea? The answer is simple: you practice.

“When I was in college I was getting on 10 or 15 bulls a week,” says Roy. “Every Wednesday night I’d be out riding, practicing.” But Roy isn’t in college anymore. And these days, especially in the weeks leading up to the 2012 PBR Canadian National Finals in Saskatoon, the two-time Canadian bull-riding champ isn’t high on practice. “I don’t do it much anymore,” admits Roy, who, in 2010, became the first rider to win two national championships. “Now that I’m riding every weekend, I don’t need it.

I don’t get on practice bulls, it’s just too risky. It really increases your chances of getting hurt.” And with a significant cash prize on the line, along with the chance of being the first and only person to ever win three national

championships, that’s simply not a risk Roy is willing to take.

The split second the gate swings open at the Finals and his bull bursts out of the chute, Roy knows what to expect — sort of. He knows that once the bull turns out, that’s when everything will start pulling and jerking. He knows there’s no way in hell that a 160-pound man can physically overpower a bull, so he’ll have to constantly be in the right position to take the animal’s power away. The one thing that Roy doesn’t know, however, is how the bulls he draws will behave.

“You can study them a bit, but they’re living animals,” explains

Roy. “They’re like you and me.

Sure, they can have a set pattern … but they could also just have one of those days and do something completely different. You never know.”

But that kind of uncertainty doesn’t bother Roy. He is ready — mentally and physically — for anything any bull can throw his way.

He’s ready to let everything around him disappear, to block out the noise and crowd and just ride.

But above all else, Aaron Roy is ready to make history. Again.

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LOCAL

A LIFE UNDER THE LIGHTS

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MIKE FLY

Saskatchewan acting sensation Amy Matysio’s career comes full circle. BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

A

my Matysio wasn’t born to act. It just happened. “My career has been one thing leading to another,” she says over lunch in a crowded coffee shop, snow blowing past the window. “I feel like I discovered that it was a part of me very naturally as I was being exposed to different avenues, and I feel like I aligned myself with things I’m really passionate about. And then something comes along and I want to try it.” Deeply creative and driven, Matysio lives to work.

“I want to create work, produce work, be a part of other people’s work, say great words that writers write,” she muses. “And put myself in a place where my collaborations are constantly inspiring me.”

Matysio is one of the most recognizable faces in Saskatchewan. A pillar of the local arts scene, she has performed on stages and in front of cameras across the province. She has worked as an actor, a director, and a producer. She has performed in local productions and played opposite some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from Ryan Reynolds and Anna Faris to Woody Harrelson. Her recent projects include inSAYSHAble, a series of comedic shorts posted online, Midsummer [a play with songs], which ran at Regina’s Globe Theatre this autumn, and Stranded, a science-fiction thriller starring Christian Slater. Matysio has

always enjoyed the spotlight — an old home video shows her “just going to town” on impressions from the movie Police Academy — but she came to acting relatively late.

Growing up in Regina, Matysio dabbled in the arts but rarely thought of performing as anything other than a sideline; focus and direction came later, when she chose to attend a high school across town. “I went to LeBoldus,” she says. “That opened me up to a whole new set of problems — there was improv at LeBoldus and the theatre department was really strong.

I was doing band and doing theatre and doing choir — all the arts. High school was a great time to examine being an artist and figure out if this was something I wanted to do.” By the time Matysio hit grade 12, theatre was looking more and more promising.

That year, 1997, she starred in a play called Flock Formations, which was written by students and orchestrated

by Daniel Macdonald, one of Saskatchewan’s finest playwrights. She didn’t know it — she couldn’t have known it — but the experience would come to define her career, a life spent under the lights.

Matysio never looked back. After finishing high school, she embarked on a course that has taken her around the world. It has not been easy. Matysio knows this bet-

ter than anyone. “You have to really want to do this,” she laughs. “Because it’s not easy.” Her reputation has grown steadily over the past several years, but Matysio knows nothing is certain in an industry where jobs are scarce and talent abundant. What separates her from many of her contemporaries, and what has sustained and expanded her career, is fiery ambition. “You can see it in my eyes when I want something,” she laughs. “It’s like candy, I’ve got to get it. And when I don’t get it, it’s that same feeling of sadness and it really hurts because I invest so much of myself in everything.” Matysio has learned that fatalism — and brassy jokes — helps, but sometimes the pressure reaches intolerable levels.

Matysio first experienced this in 1999, while she was completing a BFA at the University of Regina.

“There came a point when I thought I might quit university,” she says, after debating whether to share the story. “I had forgotten what it was about performing and acting that made me want it in the first place.”

Rather than trudge on without meaning or direction, Matysio got out. She flew to England for a few months, where she studied acting at the York St. John University and saw as many shows as possible.

The experience was revelatory.

By throwing herself headlong into CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF CAREY SHAW

the English theatre scene, watching everything from big West End musicals to “crazy experimental work,” Matysio overcame her ennui.

Today, when she is feeling discouraged or downtrodden, she finds a way to recharge her batteries. “You have to gain a little perspective,” she says. “It’s very important, but it’s hard to do.”

Matysio has traveled all over the world and, until recently, has returned home to Saskatchewan

province. “That’s a lot of work,” she says, sounding morose. “If you take that away, there’s not very much left for me to do. The rest of the work is elsewhere and now I need to make up for that somewhere else.”

There have been many arguments tabled in support of the film tax credit; most focus on the idea that the industry is both an economic driver and valuable resource.

Matysio agrees. “Film is an industry and it is a resource,” she says. “We as

I want to create work, produce work, be a part of other people’s work…

AMY MATYSIO

energized and raring to work. Now, she’s worried that she might not return at all. Earlier this year, the Saskatchewan Party announced its intention to wind down an $8 million tax credit for the provincial film industry. Matysio’s Twitter account is brimming with indignation, but in person she just seems sad. “I can say it so plainly,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am without the film industry in Saskatchewan, and how it’s grown over the past decade. That’s just fact.”

She estimates that 80 percent of her résumé has some connection to this

people, as creative resources … will keep producing work for as long as we can. We’re not going to tap out — we’ll just do it elsewhere.”

For now, Matysio plans to stick around as long as she can keep working. But there are other reasons why she wants to stay, too.

Her family is here. Her boyfriend, award-winning fiddle player Karrnnel Sawitsky, is here. And Saskatchewan has always been good to her, a point driven home when

Daniel Macdonald revived Flock Formations, the play she starred in as a hungry high school student.

“They asked me to come back and do a cameo in the show,” Matysio explains, smiling at the memory. “So on closing night I went and I did a scene, a tiny walkon scene, playing opposite the girl playing my part.” Midway through the show, Matysio walked onstage and addressed the young actor playing the character that she had premiered more than a decade earlier: “You should be careful. You’ll never know where you’ll end up, maybe doing a walk-on in a high school play.”

“What was so crazy and surreal was being there and being on that stage and looking at this young girl who was about to set off onto the same course,” Matysio says, the enthusiasm in her voice palpable.

“She was my age when I played the role. Looking at her was like looking into the mirror, but in a very cool way, and that reminded me and told me that I have done something, and that my success has brought me all the way back to here, and to that moment.” ( ( ) 881 Feedback?

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALEC COUROS

SCHOOL BREAK

Deporting university students is too heavy-handed.

W

hen it comes to theories of punishment, people tend to fall into one of two categories.

First, there’s the utilitarian camp, which thinks punishment should be forward-looking and should act as a means to deter future crime. Then there’s those who favour retribution as a form of justice. These folks believe a person’s punishment should fit the crime they’ve committed.

And if you want to know which camp you fall into, take a good hard look at the case of Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi — the two University of Regina students who have been holed up in a Regina church since June 19, seeking sanctuary from deportation. For those of you unfamiliar with the case, here are the nuts and bolts of it: both Ordu and Amadi are from Nigeria, both are students at the University of Regina, both are here on full scholarships paid for by their government and, as in-

ternational students, both have visas that allow them to work on campus.

Oh, and in 2010 both Ordu and Amadi went to Service Canada and got Social Insurance Numbers.

Here’s the thing, though: both Ordu and Amadi were under the misconception that their SINs allowed them to work off-campus, and at one point last year they both spent a couple weeks working at a local Walmart. But guess what? That’s illegal. And as soon as Ordu realized this, she quit her job. Amadi was also made aware of her mistake during her second week of work, when she was led away in handcuffs by two Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) agents.

And that’s why Public Safety Minister Vic Toews and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney are so hell-bent on deporting the pair of students.

That’s right. For working a few measly weeks, the federal government has ordered Ordu and Amadi to be deported back to Nigeria.

Now if that seems a tad extreme to you, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Everybody from Liberal MP for Wascana Ralph Goodale and Sask Party minister Bill Boyd, to scores of students and concerned citizens feel the federal government’s treatment of Ordu and Amadi is too harsh. Even the U of R has contacted the government, advocating on behalf of the students’ pleas that the pair stay in Canada and complete their education.

And we also think that deportation is far, far too severe a punishment for what these students did.

Now, we’re not saying Canada shouldn’t enforce its immigration laws, because it should. And we aren’t suggesting that ignorance of these laws is an excuse that should exclude illegal workers from punishment.

But let’s try to keep things in perspective here. And quite frankly, deporting two college students for working a couple of weeks is borderline draconian.

So why can’t Toews, Kenney and company treat Ordu and Amadi in a manner that actually reflects the severity of what they did? Why can’t they approach this from a reasonable angle and allow the punishment to fit the crime?

Of course, that calls into question what would be considered reasonable. What we suggest is that the government could start by suspending the students’ study permit — which would cost roughly a couple hundred dollars to restore.

That’s a good chunk of change for most students. Heck, we wouldn’t even be opposed to giving them a fine. Say, perhaps, a total in and around the sum of what they made

during their illegal two week working tenures. And perhaps this is their only second chance.

But deportation? No way. That’s just unfair and wrong-headed. It’s high-time the federal government got off its too-tough-on-crime high horse and let reason dictate their actions.

These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers.

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COMMENTS

ON TOPIC: Last week we asked what you thought about alternative poppies. Here's what you had to say:

– I agree with article about poppies. Implying that remembering war in some way glorifies it is reductive. Ask anyone who was actually there (those few that are still with us). I’m pretty sure none of them are advocating for the glory that was drowning in mud, dying of wounds where no one can help you, alone in a battlefield, or of trench foot or of any number of other illnesses. Lest we forget.

– Simply remembering wars past (as your editorial suggests) without critically assessing them (i.e. blindly wearing a red poppy) is ludicrous and lazy. With a severe lack of critical thinking, just wearing a red poppy indeed glorifies war. We need those that remember the other casualties (animals, purple poppy, or civilians), the impact it has on the environment, on people’s mental healths. I say where whatever frickin poppy you want and consider war in whatever way you want. Just because it happened and most say you should be respectful in the way they deem respectful doesn’t mean anything.

– Hey keep the red poppies. And remember those who died for our freedom

Text yo thoughtsur to 881 VE 83

– Less young people wearing red poppies these days. Makes me sad. Let’s give thanks to those who went before us while they’re still here.

– Lest we forget. I think about the red poppies blowing in the wind, and will work for peace. Amen.

– Hello Alex, it’s Corporal Mark Webb. You interviewed me for the Verb. I’ve read the article a number of times and each time I enjoyed it more. It was very well written.

Thank you again for coming out and getting our story out there.

Hope you enjoyed your time in the field.

In response to “Relentless Pursuit,” Local page, #53 (November 9, 2012)

– I was skeptical going into the psychic story, but thought Powell was extremely well spoken, had a succinct way of trying to explain what she experiences, and a pragmatic perspective in her role aiding the police.

political party forced on Sask between 1988-1992…wear a Tiger Lily & never forget what a snake oil salesman & liar Wall is.

– I saw a commercial on National Geographics about sharks being ammune to any deseases like cancer, TB, AIDS…is that a hint ? That medical scientists found a cure to these deseases? We have to extinct the sharks? I think it’ll be worth it!

If it is a cure.

– Live long enough and the only things you really like and enjoy are a good meal good company and a good story.

In response to “Cold Casing,” Local page,

– There were many in the civilian population after the first world war that didn’t think honouring the soldiers was the way to go about fixing the problems of the world. Wearing red poppies honours those soldiers in a similar way. We need to consider more than their sacrifice!

#53 (November 9, 2012)

– Chad Bronlee is hawwwwwwt!

Nice cover :D In response to “Love Me Or Leave Me,” Cover story, #53 (November 9, 2012)

SOUND OFF – Wtf is with all the people wearing poppies on their hats they belong over your heart!!!

OFF TOPIC – Interesting read about the infantry soldiers I could never physically do that n these guys are reserve?

Wild! Way to make Canada proud!

God Bless!

In response to “Relentless Pursuit,” Local page, #53 (November 9, 2012)

– I like the DOWNtown person you make me laugh but the food bank complainers suck ( like get a job so ya dont have to go there you can afford a text phone like. Hello

– Flanders Field is in Belgium and anyone who is of Belgian ancestry has had to endure more wars and wars that were far bloodier than any country or citizens on earth - ever. If Sask people want to remember any disaster, let it be the fraud & bankruptcy Brad Wall’s

– People who are continuously hating on Obama, get real! Him just being (re)elected is a change already in itself. The economy was at its worst when he became president so keep in mind change doesn’t come over night and he has and continues to make a difference. Here you have someone who wants to make a positive change, genuinely cares about the ppl and that’s not good enough?

Oh hush with your hating cause at the end of the day he IS the president. KZ

– Result of USA election was a 2x4 to the skull of GOP Time for them to drop the goofs

– Teri I’m breaking up with you...

We are never ever ever getting back together :D ps whalers for the cup 2013

– There’s a lot of dysfunctional people trying to make money on the housing situation. They’re not up to landlording renos or building. Something’s gotta be done!

– I agree with the texter who said ‘’Keep Christ in Christmas’’. It seems we forget that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus not Santa!

– I don’t know why the person who texted in about keeping Christ in Christmas equated the two. Christmas is a massive, commercial holiday. Christ is a person who has been granted mythical status in christian folklore. If you believe in him, then the holiday season falls over his birthday (depending on which calendar you follow), but that’s about it.

– Santa is fake Jesus is real! Who would you rather believe in?

NEXT WEEK: What do you think about the U of R students facing deportation?

Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation: We print your texts verbatim each week. Text in your thoughts and reactions to our stories and content, or anything else on your mind.

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF NORMAN WONG

DIAMOND RINGS

Breaking down barriers with sight and sound. BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

F

ew people will recognize the name John O’Regan. These days, O’Regan is best known for his musical alter ego, Diamond Rings.

O’Regan fashioned Diamond Rings for himself after a period of introspection and rediscovery, his personal enlightenment. His first record, Special Affections, is packed with questions. Free Dimensional, which was released last month, doesn’t ask many questions, but it doesn’t provide any answers, either. The new record’s defining characteristic is confidence.

O’Regan seems comfortable with his new identity, and it shows. The songs, an eclectic mix of electro glam pop and guitar rock, reflect his desire to bend perceptions and shatter expectations in search of some truth, musical or otherwise.

Free Dimensional is at its root a terrific pop record, but it also raises important questions about identity and confidence in a world where anything is possible. I braved a patchy cellphone connection to catch up with Diamond Rings and find out more.

Alex J MacPherson: My first impression of your music is this tension between wanting to push the boundaries of what pop music can be, but also staying true to your influences. Is that fair?

DR: I think that’s pretty accurate. I feel like there’s a certain sort of liminality to what I’m doing. I think the nature of who I am is kind of in between a lot of things. I think with this record it was about wanting to explore pop conventions, but in a way that still felt familiar and honest to me as a songwriter and as a producer.

try to almost exaggerate some of those contradictions through my work.

AJM: Which is certainly plain on the new record. Is that something you worked toward consciously, or does it just happen when you write?

DR: I don’t really spend too much time — or any time — when I’m composing and producing thinking about it. It spirals into a bad place when that becomes the focus. Artistically, and for my own growth and

AJM: Are you trying to come to grips with that idea, or is this record an

What I do visually is one thing; what I do musically is in some ways another.

DIAMOND RINGS

expression of the fact that you’re okay with it?

development as an artist, I found it not really effective to spend too much time thinking about what other people are going to think about what I’m thinking about. I do what I do because it’s mine and it brings me joy and pleasure and furthers my understanding of myself.

DR: I think it’s a bit of both. A lot of people don’t allow themselves to fully explore, investigate, all of the contradictions that live within them, and I think artistically for me there’s a real touchstone or something I’m always trying to get closer to, understanding who I am, why I am the way I am, why I write music. And really

AJM: At the same time, are you conflicted by the need to sell records and play shows to keep doing this?

DR: Most definitely. I think I’d be flat-out lying if I said that wasn’t in a sense contradictory and also difficult to reconcile. Ultimately, I guess my hope is that through my own process I’m in a way able to make connections with listeners and with fans, and present for them situations or scenarios that are in some way relatable. There is a lot more that we as human beings have in common than we perhaps sometimes are led to believe.

AJM: I want to ask about your image too, which seems calculated to defy expectations and assumptions. Can you talk about that?

DR: Part of what is at play and what makes what I do interesting is my

willingness to try and defy expectations in that sense, to not always necessarily look and sound what people are going to think, what they’re going to imagine. What I do visually is one thing; what I do musically is in some ways another. I do what I do and you can’t always expect everyone is going to connect the dots immediately.

Diamond Rings November 22 @ The Exchange $12 @ Ticketedge.ca

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A HAPPY ACCIDENT

How the Young Benjamins came together and knocked ‘em dead.

M

any rock bands have lead guitar players. Fancy guitar work and gratuitous posturing are as old as rock itself. But as far as I know, only one rock band has a lead violin player. They are called the Young Benjamins, and they have spent the past year building a reputation for playing energetic shows and thoughtful songs that defy pop and rock conventions. But according to singer and guitarist Neusha Mofazzali, the band’s existence can be chalked up not to some desire, but to a series of happy accidents.

“The band joined through random occurrences,” he says. “How we discovered our sound was through playing open mics. Vaero [Poulin], the violinist, was at an open mic with us, playing a separate act. She liked what she heard, and we invited her to a jam session.” Mofazzali met drummer Kuba Szmigielski at university, and the Young Benjamins were completed when Brynn Krysa showed up with a bass.

The foursome wasted no time.

Their first EP, Young Benjamins, was released in December, 2011, and a full-length album is in the works. “We knew we had the sound as soon as we started recording,” Mofazzali says.

“We had a pretty good response to our songs, and once you get a good response, you think something good is going to happen.” Although he admits this isn’t always the case, it was with Young Benjamins, which solidified the band’s reputation in Saskatoon.

The EP only has three tracks, but on each a different side of the band is on display. “Out there (in the wild)” is a raucous alt-country stomp, a perfect showcase for Poulin’s slinky violin lines. “Tunnel Mountain” is a simple, reverb-drenched ballad, while “To Stay Here” sounds like something Wilco would have recorded 10 years ago. It’s a lot of territory to cover in less than 15 minutes, but the Young Benjamins pull it off without a hiccup.

But if the band’s willingness to push boundaries seems threatening, it’s worth noting that their songs

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MATT SMITH

are linked together by two common threads: Poulin’s violin playing, which is often smooth and sometimes manic, and Mofazzali’s voice, thin and immediately recognizable.

Mofazzali knows that breaking out of Saskatoon will not be easy — the odds are stacked against young bands — but suspects the strong friendships within the group will keep them going when times are tough. And it doesn’t hurt that they are one of the most promising bands Saskatchewan has produced in years.

The Young Benjamins November 23 @ The Artful Dodger $10 in advance; $15 at the door

THE GALILEO PROJECT

Tafelmusik explores the fusion of art and science.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF COOPER SMITH

G

alileo Galilei was a Renaissance man. His contributions to mathematics, physics, philosophy, music, and astronomy forever changed the face of modern science. The Galileo Project, an ambitious fusion of music, science, and revolutionary ideas created by Tafelmusik, a baroque orchestra from Toronto, is an attempt to showcase the value of Galileo’s work.

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

“Tafelmusik specializes in repertoire that starts right at that time,” says Alison Mackay, the Saskatoon expat who conceived of The Galileo Project. “That time of Galileo was a very interesting time for us, in the context of the music we play. We had been experimenting for several years with concerts that perhaps had a narrated script performed by an actor or with some kind of global or historical context for our music.”

In its finished form, The Galileo Project casts music by some of the most important baroque composers — Handel, Vivaldi, Monteverdi, Telemann — against a backdrop of high-resolution images of the solar system and poetic narration. “The Galileo Project is the first time we’ve experimented with

a theatrical set and lighting design,” Mackay says, adding that the musicians chose to memorize their parts, freeing the orchestra to move onstage and into the audience. “It really gives the audience a different impression,” she says. “We can move around the stage almost like constellations.”

The Galileo Project has something for everyone. Hard-line baroque listeners will be thrilled to hear music played on period instruments, while classical music neophytes will be able to hear a sampling of some of the most important music ever composed. Perhaps more importantly, The Galileo Project unites art and science under the banner of progress. “It’s quite revolutionary,” Mackay says.

“And it opens the door for people

who maybe aren’t that familiar with our kind of music.”

The Galileo Project November 30 @ Conexus Arts Centre $38+ @ Regina Symphony Box Office

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THE WOODEN SKY

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JUSTIN BROADBENT

Fast food is poison, and other life lessons from the Wooden Sky. BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

T

here are certain rules all touring bands must follow. These rules of the road are universal and inviolable. The most comprehensive list was compiled a few years ago by an American musician named Thor Harris. It includes gems like “If you fart, claim it” and “Don’t f*ck anyone in the band.” These are obvious and defensible. Less obvious — though no less important — are things like “Driver picks the

music” and “Remember the soundman’s name.” But Gavin Gardiner thinks commandment nineteen is the most important of all. “Fast food is poison,” he laughs. “And it’s true.”

Gardiner is an authority on the subject of touring. His band, the Wooden Sky, has logged thousands of miles and played dozens of shows this year. Known for releasing thoughtful alt-country records with a heavy dose of rustic introspection

and then touring the hell out of them, Gardiner and his bandmates have carved out a reputation for themselves as one of Canada’s preeminent live bands. Their latest project is a four-month odyssey in support of Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun, which was released in February.

Gardiner knows the road exacts a heavy toll, but he’s prepared for it. “I think it’s important that we all try to stay healthy,” he says. “Like, actually physically take care of ourselves.”

That means giving up rockstar indulgences (most of the time, presumably) and concentrating instead on good food and exercise. “But sometimes when you’re driving down the highway, the Trans-Canada, that’s it, that’s your only option,” he says of greasy spoon pit stops. “It’s pretty much impossible to eat well on tour.”

Fortunately for music fans across Canada, Gardiner and his bandmates are willing to endure the soggy hamburgers and greasy french fries. “For us, the constant goal is to be improving and striving to be a better band and playing to the wider audience,” he says. “You’re living it every single day [and] sometimes you lose sight of the fact that you’re having success.” If you measure success in sold-out concerts, ebullient audiences, and fantastic records, it

seems plain that the Wooden Sky are finding it — even if they can’t see past the golden arches.

The fundamental problem with a band like the Wooden Sky is that their music defies description. Or, more accurately, cleaves to it. Calling Gardiner and his compadres soulful alt-country pioneers is no less accurate than calling them introspective acoustic soundscape artists. Trying to capture the scope of Every Child A Daughter, Every Moon a Sun with a

Gardiner and his bandmates take to the stage.

Whereas some groups will only play rock clubs or theatres, the Wooden Sky will play anywhere.

Their catalogue is big enough and diverse enough that Gardiner and his bandmates can play raucous songs to a beer-drenched bar crowd or tone it down to fill someone’s living room.

“I think that’s why I love being in the band in the first place,” he says.

“I think that we have the ability to really shine as a rock band in a bar and we also have the ability to really

I want to make music for making music, for music lovers … I don’t know why I would make music that I didn’t like.

GAVIN GARDINER

handful of adjectives is futile, especially considering Gardiner’s view of things: “If we wanted this record to feel like a fairly loud, upbeat record, all we would have to do is drop six songs.” Their sound is malleable, and the ones on Every Child a Daughter are no exception. This is plain when

shine in a church, where everything is quiet and people are in pews and there’s so much natural reverb.” Like most people, Gardiner pines for what he doesn’t have. At the end of a rock bar tour, all he wants to do is play a church. “But,” he says, “I get a different high out of both. On this tour CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

10 NOV 16 – NOV 22 CULTURE

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF BEN ADAMSON

we’re playing a very diverse range of venues, so it really forces us to be a different band every night.”

The most versatile band in Canada began life as Gardiner’s bedroom project while he was studying at Ryerson University. One thing led to another, and the Wooden Sky soon emerged as a fully-formed band. Driven by Andrew Kekewich’s thoughtful percussion and Andrew Wyatt’s lissom bass lines, and ornamented with tastefully

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

luscious guitar lines by Simon Walker, the Wooden Sky transcends genre and style.

There are elements of rock and country and folk and roots and Americana in their music, of course, but their ability to collaborate in the studio and on the stage produces a

sound that cannot be mistaken for anything but the Wooden Sky. Their first record was called When Lost At Sea. It came out in 2007. A couple years later, they released If I Don’t Come Home, You’ll Know I’m Gone. Gardiner later realized that it was his breakup record, the profoundly bleak musings of a man captured by sorrow and frustration. The band followed it with a short EP and, earlier this year, Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun. The new record feels like Gardiner turning the lens outward. If If I Don’t Come Home chronicled a crumbling relationship and its reverberations, Every Child a Daughter addresses empathy and compassion and understanding — the pillars of human nature. “I don’t know if it’s the right term, but the bigger picture?”

Gardiner muses. “[It’s about] realizing how connected things are to each other, and that it can go from a personal to a universal idea. [And] trying to understand what it means to actually know someone.”

What’s really striking about Every Child a Daughter is the way it sounds.

More expansive than any of its predecessors, the record is overflowing with lush soundscapes and rich musical textures. Gardiner’s voice is afloat on a sea of sound, wash-

ing in and out of the mix, battered by the swells and rising again in sympathy with the powerful guitar chords. Sprawling across every inch of the sonic landscape, Every Child a Daughter is the sort of record where the sound of the song is just as important as the song itself. “It Gets Old To Be Alone” could, for example, stand up as a simple acoustic song, but the added instrumentation — especially Walker’s guitar parts, which are sensational — transforms a simple acoustic weeper into a deeply moving ballad, crackling with emotion.

Even today, eight months and dozens of shows after its release, Gardiner is not sure what to make of it. “It definitely feels like a home record,” he says, choosing his words carefully. “It’s warm sounding and lush and it’s fairly downtempo.

There are explosive moments, but for me it’s that kind of record.” This

is Gardiner’s interpretation, but he is willing to entertain a variety of other theories as well. In fact, he will even defend them. Pointing to a recent review of an unnamed friend’s new record, in which the unfortunate critic used the word “mistake,” he says: “I don’t think you can judge someone’s art and say they did it wrong. There’s no right or wrong; you take from it what you take from it.”

Gardiner understands that records are subjective; interpretation and meaning belong to the listener, not the creator. Every Child a Daughter may not receive the radio play it deserves, but Gardiner refuses to be cowed by industry standards. “I think that’s a difficult thing for people in the music industry, quote unquote, to wrap their head around,” he muses.

“It makes people nervous, I think, because it doesn’t allow you something to really latch on to immediately.

Those people, I don’t think they’re in it for the right reasons. I want to make music for making music, for music lovers. That’s not exclusive. I’m not trying to be pretentious by saying that; it’s just the kind of music I like. I don’t know why I would make music that I didn’t like.”

And as long as Gardiner and the Wooden Sky remember commandment nineteen, they should be making music they — and everyone else — like for a long time to come.

The Wooden Sky November 25 @ The Artesian on 13 $16 @ picatic.ca

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11 NOV 16 – NOV 22 /VERBREGINA

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FOOD + DRINK

BEYOND BEER

Photography courtesy of Danielle Tocker

Exquisite pub grub and pleasing pints at Bushwakker Brewpub. BY JESSICA BICKFORD

B

ushwakker is by far one of my favourite places to eat in Regina. They have great food, fantastic beers, and a comfortable atmosphere that can not be beat, whether you are out for an evening with your friends or having lunch with your colleagues.

I was excited to see what I would get to eat, as I tend to stick with my favourite bison burger with fries and a pint of red and black — which is always delicious, but I know that their menu offers so much more.

I started with a wild boar burger, which is made fresh with local wild boar meat from just outside of Kronau.

The thick, juicy patty was topped with aged white cheddar, crisp, smoky bacon, and a fire-roasted red pepper relish. The relish had a bit of heat and sweetness, and played nicely off the

flavourful boar meat, creating a well balanced and very tasty burger. This burger is for those of you who dig a messy but intensely flavourful meal,

team to eat all of the hand-cut taco chips, cheese, jalapeños, tomatoes, black olives, and onions packed onto a regular order. The Bushwakker does

The thick, juicy patty was topped with aged white cheddar [and] crisp, smoky bacon…

almost too smooth and easy drinking, and is a great limited time treat.

Bushwakker almost never disappoints on either the food or the beer front, and it’s because they make just about everything from scratch and keep things fresh, both with their seasonal beers and menus, as well as their daily specials. As I said before, Bushwakker just can’t be beat.

Bushwakker Brewpub 2206 Dewdney Ave. | 359 7276

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com

JESSICA BICKFORD

and it was served, of course, with Bushwakker’s perfect, thin-cut, housemade fries.

Next up were some nachos, and until you see them you will never believe how large the serving size is. I don’t recommend that you order these on your own because you need a

not skimp on the toppings either, and the crisp and cheesy chips are perfect with the zesty tomato salsa and fresh guacamole that come on the side.

Lastly I got a taste of something off their current seasonal menu — a Gaelic boxty. This traditional Irish dish featured a potato pancake (kind of like a crepe) filled with beef tenderloin tips, leeks, crimini mushrooms, and smothered in a creamy Jameson Irish Whiskey sauce.

The tender, juicy beef was falling apart and the mushrooms had such intense umami flavour. The thin, light pancake was perfectly browned, and the sauce was decadently rich and extraordinarily flavourful, with the Jameson adding a subtle sweetness and fabulous aroma.

Along with all of this, I was sipping some Bushwakker pumpkin spice ale, which is a fantastic seasonal beverage. Fresh ginger, vanilla and cinnamon are added to a base of Sodbuster Brown Ale to create a delicately flavoured, creamy, subtly spicy and remarkably aromatic beer. This was

LET’S GO DRINKIN’ VERB’S MIXOLOGY GUIDE BUSHWAKKER BLACK AND TAN

INGREDIENTS

This traditional blend of dark and light beers is sure to please anyone who loves the richness of a dark beer, but doesn’t want something quite so heavy, or those who like light beers and want to take a trip to the dark side.

½ pint Regina Pale Ale (or another pale ale) ½ pint Palliser Porter (or another porter or stout)

DIRECTIONS

In a pint glass, first pour the pale ale and then top up with the porter.

Alternately, make a red and black by mixing half Palliser Porter and half Dungarvon Irish Red Ale for a sweeter version of this classic pour.

12 NOV 16 – NOV 22 CULTURE

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MUSIC

NEXT WEEK

COMING UP

HALF MOON RUN

GREAT BIG SEA

$10 AT THE DOOR

@ THE EXCHANGE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 – $TBD

@ BRANDT CENTRE SATURDAY, MARCH 16 – $51+

This captivating performer first garnered some serious attention with 2009’s Broken Hearted Beat. Though it was Chaisson’s fourth album, it was his first to receive some national love, and this singer/songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist hasn’t slowed down since. Though Broken Hearted Beat featured the influences of a wide range of music, from folk to pop to country, Chaisson’s latest album — The Other Side — sees this music man going back to his East Coast roots. Chaisson began performing as a young child as part of a Celtic ensemble before breaking into his solo act, and he has received numerous accolades for that move, including COCA Emerging Artist of the Year in 2012. Check him out when he hits town; early tickets at ticketedge.ca

It’s been a rather busy year for Half Moon Run. In March they released their debut album, Dark Eyes, and leapt head-first into a dozen or so Canadian gigs before crossing the pond and pounding out 32 European shows in 32 days — creating buzz at festivals in France, Germany and England. And the buzz, let me tell you, was warranted.

This Montreal-based trio blends indie, pop and folk music together with atmospheric guitars and tender harmonies to produce a sound that’s unique and ethereal with a tinge of electronica. Consisting of Devon Portielje, Conner Molander and Dylan Phillips, Half Moon Run makes music that is moody, delicate, complex, classical, psychedelic and absolutely engrossing.

Great Big Sea may be a “dysfunctional-family-bar-room-brawlstudent-art-project-musical-piratecrew,” but man what a crew it is!

If you’ve never seen this trio from Newfoundland perform live, do yourself a favour and head to the Brandt Centre in March. Few bands put on a show like these guys. Affable, engaging and always entertaining, this group — consisting of frontman Alan Doyle, Sean McCann and Bob Hallett — take traditional Newfoundland and Irish tunes (from folk songs to sea shanties) and put a rock spin on them. The result? Gold and platinum albums galore and more East Coast Music Awards than you can shake a stick at. This show will definitely be worth catching.

Tickets available at Ticketmaster.

– By Adam Hawboldt

TIM CHAISSON @ THE ARTFUL DODGER TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 – $5 ADVANCE;

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: THE ARTIST / THE ARTIST / CINDY FUNK

SASK MUSIC PREVIEW

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BUSHWAKKER

SaskMusic would like to congratulate Bushwakker Brewpub on recently being named the top brewpub in Canada by vaycay.ca.

Coincidence, perhaps, that Bushwakker recently adopted an allSaskatchewan mandate for their background music? If you’re a Saskatchewan artist and would like your album to be added to their playlist, contact http://www.bushwakker.com.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

13 NOV 16 – NOV 22 @VERBREGINA

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LISTINGS

NOVEMBER 16 » NOVEMBER 24 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

FRIDAY 16 COAL CREEK BOYS / Artful Dodger — Country music rockers! 8pm / $10 advance, $15 door METRIC / Brandt Centre — An indie/New Wave band that rocks. 8pm / $42.50+ (www.ticketmaster.ca) ANDRE PHILIPPE GAGNON / Casino Regina — Part musician, part comedian, all talent. 8pm / $40+ (casinoregina.com) DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 THREE FISH, FOUR FISH / The Exchange — Featuring iONik, Demian, Chris Knorr and 7 Deadly Sins. 8pm / Tickets TBD NIGHTTRAIN / Gaslight Saloon — A Guns ‘N Roses tribute band. 9pm / $10 DJ PAT & DJ KIM / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover ALAIN LALONDE / The Hookah Lounge — Come check out this dope local DJ/ producer. 7pm / The Hookah Lounge METHOD 2 MADNESS / McNally’s — Playing rock and roll classics. 10pm / $5 TINSEL TREES / O’Hanlon’s — Downtempo tunes. 9pm / No cover

WYATT / Pump Roadhouse — Featuring rockin’ country music. 10pm / Cover TBD ALBERT / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night. 10pm / $5 cover FLICKERS / The Sip — A night of good tunes. 10pm / No cover charge if in attendance by 6pm CHRIS HENDERSON / Whiskey Saloon — A local country musician. 8pm / $10 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / $10

METHOD 2 MADNESS / McNally’s Tavern — Playing great rock and roll classics.

10pm / $5 DREWSKI / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best. 10pm / $5 cover FLICKERS / The Sip — A night of good tunes. 10pm / Cover TBD OPEN JAM SESSIONS / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Drop by to jam or just listen. 3pm / No cover CHRIS HENDERSON / Whiskey Saloon — A local country musician. 8pm / $10

SATURDAY 17

SUNDAY 18

SAM MCLELLAN, CHLOE CHARLES, ALY TADROS / Artful Dodger — Three wonderful women in concert. 7:30pm / Tickets at the Artful Dodger BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS / Casino Regina — A Canadian all-star band playing country/roots/rock. 8pm / $25-30 (www.casinoregina.com) DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 GALLOWS, BARN BURNER / The Exchange — A punk band from England, and rockers from Montreal. 7pm / $15 in advance (www.ticketedge.ca), $20 at the door AMAZE / The Gaslight Saloon — A night of awesome music! 9pm / $5 DJ NOOR / The Hookah Lounge — This talented DJ knows how to rock a crowd.

7pm / $5 cover HOPE ETERNAL / Knox Metropolitan United Church — Featuring the Regina Philharmonic Chorus and the RSO. 8pm / Tickets at Bach and Beyond, Golden Mile and Cobb Swanson Music JJ VOSS / Lancaster Taphouse — An acoustic musician. 9pm / Cover TBD

TOM FUN ORCHESTRA / The Artful Dodger — Think Tom Waits with east coast flair. 7:30pm / $10 advance (www. ticketedge.ca) or $12 door SONGWRITER SUNDAY / Creative City Centre — Featuring Belle Plaine, Nick Faye and Tiny. 7:30pm / $10 INTO ETERNITY / The Exchange — Featuring past and current members and Bloodline. 49m / $20 FABER DRIVE / Pure Ultra Lounge — An award-winning power pop band. 8pm / $20 (www.ticketedge.ca)

MONDAY 19

MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ AND BLUES / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring Shane Reoch. 8pm / No cover MADCHILD / The Exchange — This member of Swollen Members is doing his solo hip hop thing. 8pm / Cover TBD

TUESDAY 20

JULIE DOIRON / Artful Dodger — A folkrock musician. 7:30pm / $10 advance (www.ticketedge.ca), $15 at the door.

TROUBADOUR TUESDAYS / Bocados — Come check out some local talents every week. 8pm / No cover KARAOKE TUESDAY / McNally’s — Music venue offers patrons a chance on stage.

8pm / No cover PANDACORN, LORDS KITCHNER / O’Hanlon’s — A night of indie rock you’re bound to enjoy. 9pm / No cover DALLAS SMITH, CHAD BROWNLEE / Pump Roadhouse — Two talented country musicians. 7pm / SOLD OUT

WEDNESDAY 21

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLK / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring The Empire Associates. 9pm / No cover COMEBACK KID, BACKTRACK, EXPIRE / The Exchange — Three stellar acts, one hardcore show. 7:30pm / Cover TBD JAM NIGHT, OPEN STAGE / McNally’s — Enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover DIANA DESJARDINS / Pump Roadhouse — A sweet country act from Winnipeg.

9pm / Cover TBD DAVID JAMES AND BIG RIVER / Whiskey Saloon — Hot country! 8pm / $5

THURSDAY 22

PEANUT BUTTER GENOCIDE / Artesian on 13 — Pounding drums and wicked rock.

7pm / $7 JEREMY FISHER / Artful Dodger — Modern-day folk music that’s simply infectious. 7:30pm / Cover TBD GENTICORUM / The Club — A wildly talented folk trio from Quebec. 8pm / $12 at the door DIAMOND RINGS / The Exchange — Toronto musician offers pop/electronic music. 8pm / $12 (www.ticketedge.ca) DECIBEL FREQUENCY / Gabbo’s — An electronic dance party. 10pm / $5 PS FRESH / Hookah Lounge — Featuring DJs Ageless and Drewski. 7pm / No cover OPEN MIC / King’s Head Tavern — Come show what you got. 8pm / No cover SOL JAMES / Lancaster Taphouse — An up-and-coming country artist from Manitoba. 9pm / Cover TBD DAVID JAMES AND BIG RIVER / Whiskey Saloon — These guys put on a country show you won’t want to miss. 8pm / $5 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / Cover $5

FRIDAY 23

CELTIC THUNDER / Conexus Arts Centre — An entertaining Irish extravaganza.

8pm / $37-67 (www.admission.com) DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 BIG BAD STORM / Gaslight Saloon — A night of kick-ass music! 9pm / $5 DJ PAT & DJ KIM / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover ALAIN LALONDE / The Hookah Lounge — Come check out this dope local DJ/ producer. 7pm / The Hookah Lounge THE MONTAGUES / McNally’s — Playing classic rock and roll covers. 10pm / $5 TINSEL TREES / O’Hanlon’s — Enjoy some down-tempo music. 9pm / No cover ALBERT / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night. 10pm / $5 cover ROUSER / The Sip Nightclub — A night of good tunes. 10pm / Cover TBD KAL HOURD / Whiskey Saloon — A country musician from Saskatoon. 8pm / $10 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / $10

SATURDAY 24

RHINESTONE COWGIRL / Casino Regina — A tribute to the great Dolly Parton.

8pm / $20-25 (www.casinoregina.com) RSO MASTERWORKS: THE VOYAGERS’ SOUNDTRACK / Conexus Arts Centre — The music of composers from around the globe. 8pm / $33+ (reginasymphony.com) DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 ANDINO SUNS / The Exchange — Highenergy Latin folk rock. 8pm / $5 DJ NOOR / The Hookah Lounge — This talented DJ knows how to rock. 7pm / $5 CODY GAMRACY / Lancaster Taphouse — A local indie folk rock musician worth checking out. 9pm / Cover TBD THE MONTAGUES / McNally’s — Playing classic rock and roll covers. 10pm / $5 DREWSKI / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best. 10pm / $5 cover ROUSER / The Sip Nightclub — A night of good tunes. 10pm / No cover if in attendance by 6pm OPEN JAM SESSIONS / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — If you play an instrument, drop by for a jam. If not, stop by and just listen. 3pm / No cover

GET LISTED

RHINESTONE COWGIRL / Casino Regina — A tribute to Dolly Parton. 8pm / $2025 (www.casinoregina.com)

Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know! layout@verbnews.com

14 NOV 16 – NOV 22 ENTERTAINMENT

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NIGHTLIFE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9 @

THE SIP

The Sip Nightclub 306 Albert Street North (306) 352 5022 MUSIC VIBE / Varies all the time FEATURED DEALS / Buckets of

domestic beer (five beer) for $22.50, jugs of rye for $11 and jugs of paralyzers for $13 DRINK OF CHOICE / Jugs of rye or jugs of paralyzers TOP EATS / Ribs or pizza COMING UP / Live performances

by Flickers, Rouser and Conrad Bigknife

Photography by Klein Photography – feedback@verbnews.com

15 NOV 16 – NOV 22 /VERBREGINA

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FILM

LOVE FOR LINCOLN PHOTO: COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY FOX

New bio-pic of America’s 16 th president is excellent, despite its flaws. BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

H

ow much you like Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln will depend on what your expectations are.

If you want to see an epic, sprawling Civil War pic, well, you’re sh*t out of luck. Same goes if you want to see a real representation of how things went down in Lincoln’s day.

But if you’re into heavy American patriotism, serious character studies and, hands down, some of the finest

end the Civil War and all the underhanded tricks (bribery, lies, threats) Lincoln needed to get the Thirteenth Amendment (which outlaws slavery and involuntary servitude) passed.

This narrow focus really gives the movie weight.

So too does all the terrific acting.

Daniel Day-Lewis, arguably the best actor working today, doesn’t simply play a good Lincoln. He becomes Lincoln, breathing life into him —

LINCOLN Steven Spielberg Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field + Joseph Gordon-Levitt DIRECTED BY STARRING

120 MINUTES | PG

Thaddeus Stevens. Wow! The only way to describe Jones’ performance is incendiary. Every time he’s on screen, the film catches fire and soars to its highest heights. He’s a lock for an Oscar nomination and, to be honest, probably deserves to win.

And yet, for all the great acting and superb focus, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Spielberg could’ve done more with this movie — a feeling that started from the very first scene.

After a gruesome battle in 1865, we see Abe sitting on a tree stump, talking to four soldiers. Out of nowhere, the soldiers start reciting the Gettysburg Address verbatim.

“Oh brother,” I thought, “here we go! This unbelievable cheese is going to get unbelievably cheesier.”

Fortunately, I was wrong. But still, there is a lot of patriotic chest beating going on. And too much myth-making. Lincoln’s actual views on African Americans are barely breached (that might tarnish the myth of The Great Emancipator). And there’s nary a mention that Lincoln wanted to pass the 13th Amendment not because he

Daniel Day-Lewis…becomes Lincoln, breathing life into him…

ADAM HAWBOLDT

acting you’ll see all year, then you’re going to like the heck out of Lincoln.

Personally, I wanted all of the above, so by the time the final credits rolled I was conflicted as all get out of here. Still am — kind of.

See, on the one hand I thought the movie worked on so many levels.

Writer Tony Kushner (Munich, Angels in America) wisely avoids trying to tackle the entire life of Abraham Lincoln, instead opting to focus the script tightly on the last few months of Lincoln’s life, covering his struggle to

inside and out. So much so that by the time you walk out of the theatre you’ll have the feeling you’ve just spent the past couple hours watching and listening to Honest Abe do his thing at the most pivotal moment in his life.

But it’s not just Day-Lewis walking tall in this film. David Strathairn (Good Night, and Good Luck) is great as Secretary of State William Seward, as is Sally Field (Places in the Heart) in the role of Mary Todd Lincoln.

And then there’s Tommy Lee Jones playing abolitionist congressman

was against slavery, but for political reasons. See, if the South had no slaves that meant their economy would be crippled, there would be no one to grow their crops, their armies wouldn’t have proper supplies and, therefore, the North (Lincoln’s team) would emerge victorious.

Yet for all the things it neglected, Lincoln is still an excellent movie.

And a pretty darn good look into the

last days of a great man struggling through his greatest hour.

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PERSONAL STORIES

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MONGREL MEDIA

Canadian actress Sarah Polley takes an unflinching look at her life and family. BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

S

arah Polley’s intriguing story begins before she was born.

It begins when her mother, Diane, sees a young British actor named Michael Polley on a Toronto stage and falls in love with the character he’s playing. They get married, but soon Diane comes to realize the man is not the same as the character she fell in love with.

Things fizzle and the marriage grows stale. And in 1978, Diane (who’s a thespian herself) goes to Montreal to act in a play produced

by Harry Gulkin, after which she returns home. And shortly after, out pops little Sarah Polley.

berg’s eXistenZ, Michael Winterbottom’s The Claim.

She finds fame and critical acclaim and everything ends happily ever after, right? Wrong again.

See, Polley suspects her family of keeping a secret from her, so she begins to investigate. Research is done and the truth comes to the surface: Michael isn’t her real father. Her real dad is the producer Harry Gulkin!

This is the narrative Polley tells in her new documentary, The Stories We Tell.

Presented in a series of family interviews, old home movies, re-enacted events and talking heads, the

The Stories We Tell is an intensely personal movie that must’ve been hard as hell for Polley to make.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

Sounds like fairly standard story, right? Wrong.

See, when Sarah is 11 years old her mother dies of cancer. Polley and her siblings are left to be raised by their dad, Michael — a man she loves, but from whom she has always felt a certain distance. Eventually Sarah follows in her parents’ footsteps and becomes an actress.

She appears in Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter, David Cronen-

documentary is as direct as a kick to the private parts. A straight-inthe-eye look at family, forgiveness and one woman’s desire to unearth the truth … no matter what.

Needless to say, The Stories We Tell is an intensely personal movie that must’ve been hard as hell for Polley to make. And as a straightahead documentary meant to chronicle the history of someone’s life, The Stories We Tell works pretty

STORIES WE TELL Sarah Polley Cinematography Iris Ng DIRECTED BY

109 MINUTES | PG

well on the surface.

But when you dig a bit deeper you realize something is lacking. Just because it’s an intensely personal story doesn’t mean it’s penetrating or that it will resonate with others.

And that’s the main problem with Polley’s doc.

Even though it’s an interesting enough story and personal and, at times, touching, there’s not a whole lot for the viewer to grab onto. Yes, there are twists and turns and the movie is exceedingly well-shot. But there’s something missing, something standing in the way of it from becoming truly terrific.

Maybe because all the things Polley explores here (parents, family secrets, the slippery nature of truth) have all been done before and done better — by authors and playwrights and other movie makers.

I don’t know.

What I do know is this: The Stories We Tell is way more than just a movie about a Canadian actress letting us in on a family secret. It’s about big, universal ideas. It’s beautifully put together. And it’s much better than Polley’s last project, Take This Waltz.

But for all that, there’s some damn ineffable thing holding it back.

Go watch it for yourself, and if can figure out what that thing is, send me a message — I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Stories We Tell will be screened at the Regina Public Library beginning November 22nd; see reginalibrary.ca for showtimes.

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© Elaine M. Will | blog.E2W-Illustration.com | Check onthebus.webcomic.ws/ for previous editions!

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TIMEOUT

CROSSWORD CANADIAN CRISS-CROSS DOWN 1. One who gives financial support 2. Responsibility 3. Wild animal’s home 4. Rub out 5. Clothing 6. Rich soil 7. Take to court 8. One versed in rhetoric 9. Healing ointment 11. Insinuating 12. Whoppers 14. Bit of bird food 17. Musical beat 20. Interior design 21. Something that

belongs to me 23. Check for accuracy 25. Male children 27. Pack rat 28. Attention to detail 29. Corrosive chemicals 30. Makes a payment 32. Break out of prison 33. College officials 34. Place to play 37. Authoritative order 40. Come to a halt 42. Hit with the hand 44. Time period in history 46. Deceitfully clever

SUDOKU ANSWER KEY

A

B

8 5 7 6 4 2 1 3 9 2 9 6 3 7 1 5 8 4 1 3 4 9 5 8 6 7 2 6 8 3 7 1 9 2 4 5 5 4 9 8 2 3 7 6 1 7 1 2 4 6 5 8 9 3 9 6 5 2 3 7 4 1 8 3 7 1 5 8 4 9 2 6 4 2 8 1 9 6 3 5 7

28. Humorous drawing, as in a newspaper 31. Impoverished 35. Pass a test easily 36. Goes as fast as possible 38. Briny expanse 39. Parts of pairs of eyeglasses 41. Heart colour, on a card 42. Surgery souvenir 43. Gave final form to a film 45. Prince Edward ___ 47. Put away for use later 48. Cleans chalkboard erasers 49. Practice punching 50. Write with a computer

6 9 4 5 2 3 7 8 1 7 8 1 6 4 9 3 2 5 2 5 3 7 8 1 6 9 4 9 1 6 8 3 7 5 4 2 4 7 2 9 6 5 1 3 8 5 3 8 2 1 4 9 7 6 3 2 9 4 5 6 8 1 7 8 6 7 1 9 2 4 5 3 1 4 5 3 7 8 2 6 9

ACROSS 1. Be an omen of 5. As well 9. More rational 10. Rains heavily 12. Empty space 13. Songs of praise 15. Kinds 16. Crooked deal 18. Make fast 19. Night before 20. High-priced 21. Manner of doing 22. Wait on tables 24. Longed for 26. Formation of troops or ships © WALTER D. FEENER 2012

HOROSCOPES NOVEMBER 2 – NOVEMBER 8 ARIES March 21–April 19

LEO July 23–August 22

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

This is going to be a fun week, Aries. Whether it be an invite to a hip party or simply hanging out with friends, good times shall be had by all.

There are only so many hours in a day, Leo. Twenty-four, to be precise. So try to make the most of the time you have this week to start a new project.

We all have room for personal improvement, Sagittarius. So why not take this week to try and turn your shortcomings into something positive.

TAURUS April 20–May 20

VIRGO August 23–September 22

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

Contemplation. That’s the watchword this week, Taurus. Whenever you get a free moment, take the time to sit back and think about the big things in life.

It might take you a while to make sense of things this week, but once you get everything straightened out, clarity, thy name shall be Virgo.

This promises to be a magical week for you, Capricorn, full of wonder and awe. Enjoy it, before reality, inevitably, comes crashing down.

GEMINI May 21–June 20

LIBRA September 23–October 23

AQUARIUS January 20–February 19

You may find yourself feeling beaten down and run ragged early this week, Gemini. Don’t worry. In a few days you’ll be full of zip and zeal.

Sometimes how good you are depends entirely on how lucky you are. And this week, Libra, you’re going to be both lucky and good. Enjoy it!

If someone challenges you this week, Aquarius, don’t shy away from them. Instead, put on your game face and start taking names and kicking ass.

CANCER June 21–July 22

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

PISCES February 20–March 20

When the going gets tough, the tough grab the going and beat the ever-loving stuffing out of it. Yep, it’s going to be that kind of week. But you got this!

Some weeks are meant for exploring, other weeks all you want to do is curl up on the couch. If given the choice, opt for the latter in the days ahead.

Like sands in an hour glass, you may find your energy levels slowly but steadily dwindling this week, Pisces. Never fear: all will be right soon!

SUDOKU 9 4 5 3 8 1 6 4 2 5 2 4 9 6 5 7 6 3 8 3 2 1 4 7 2 6 1 7 8 7 9 5 1 3 8 9

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

A

5 4 9 6 3 1 5 8 1 8 6 7 8 3 7 9 2 4 4 2 6 2 5 3 5 7 8 1 9 4 2 1 9 6 3 7

B

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