Issue #57 – December 7 to December 13
a lucky break Kal Hourd with
graffiti gold Making art on the streets Hipster classical Q+A with Warhol Dervish playing for keeps + smashed Films reviewedÂ
Photo: courtesy of the artist
contents
NEWs + Opinion
What’s up with the stadium? Q+A with Brent Sjoberg. 3 / Local
culture
entertainment
Q + A with warhol dervish
Live Music listings
Hipster classical totally rocks! 8 / Q + A
Local music listings for December 7 through December 15. 14 / listings
hidden language
Nightlife Photos
Exploring the Person, Place, Thing art exhibit. 9 / Arts
We visit O’Hanlon’s Pub.
verbnews.com @verbregina facebook.com/verbregina
15 / Nightlife
Editorial
personal histories Heather M. Cline’s exhibition chronicles the simple things. 9 / Arts
Playing for keeps + smashed We review the latest movies. 16 / Film
Graffiti Gold
ART & Production Design Lead / Roberta Barrington Design & Production / Brittney Graham Contributing Photographers / tamara klein, danielle tocker, Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson
Jayde “Wizwon” Goodon brings his art to the streets. 4 / Local
On the cover:
Business & Operations
one for the ages
goodbye gluten
on the bus
Why we think the drinking age should be lowered to 18. 6 / Editorial
This week we visit Kneaded Bake Shop. 12 / Food + Drink
Weekly original comic illustrations by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics
Kal Hourd
comments
Music
Game + Horoscopes
10 / cover
Here’s what you had to say about organ donation. 7 / comments
Third Degree Birnz, JJ Voss + The Arkells. 13 / music
Canadian criss-cross puzzle, weekly horoscopes and Sudoku. 19 / timeout
How a lucky break changed Kal’s life.
Publisher / Parity Publishing Editor in Chief / Ryan Allan Managing Editor / Jessica Patrucco staff Writers / Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson Contributing writer / jessica Bickford
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 the artist
2 Dec 7 – Dec 13 verb magazine
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
local
What’s up with the stadium?
Photo: Courtesy of the city of regina
Brent Sjoberg answers your most pressing questions by Alex J Macpherson
T
he failure of a recent petition to force a referendum on plans to build a new football stadium in Regina means the Saskatchewan Roughriders will soon be getting a new $278 million home. Technical and financial details have been reported exhaustively, but there are still plenty of rumours and misconceptions floating around. To get some straight answers, I caught up with Brent Sjoberg, Regina’s deputy city manager and chief financial officer — the point man on all things stadium-related. Alex J. MacPherson: The memorandum of understanding (MOU) was released in late July. Can you walk me through what’s happened since then? Brent Sjoberg: The only major item is the release of the concept design. That was at the end of September. The key piece is that it’s just a conceptual design [and] our procurement process will have the eventual bidders come forward with designs as well, so this … just … shows what might be possible within the budget. AJM: There is a council meeting this month at which a lot of decisions will be made. What’s happening, exactly? BS: There are three items we’re working to have ready for that meeting. One of them is the final concept design for council’s approval … Another item is initiating
the procurement process, the first step being a request for qualifications … That’s not slated to start until probably May of next year. Each [shortlisted contractor will] submit some of their own design work, their bid for the project, and by the end of next year we will select one of them to go forward. And then the third would be the funding agreements. AJM: Will the financial structure be similar to what was put forward in the MOU? BS: They’re all really consistent with the MOU. [This is about] taking each of the elements and converting them into a formal agreement. AJM: Because the eventual contractor supplies their own design, we don’t really know what the finished product will look like, right? BS: The procurement process works down to a shortlist of three bidders, and each one of those will put forward their own design … There will be a number of things in the RFP process that will be described as mandatory, so they will have to lay those out. AJM: Do you have an example? BS: It might say it is mandatory that the design have individual seats as opposed to bench seating… In other cases, if we’re really clear in what specifically we want, that would also be described.
AJM: What have you done to minimize the risk of delays? BS: In this case…the builder…is both designing and building, so they’re putting their design together, setting up their construction schedule, and all that kind of stuff. Where you tend to have problems is with change orders, if the design changes. Those cause issues. And we do a lot of work up front to lay out expectations. You don’t negotiate those contracts after it’s been awarded; [contractors] bid knowing they’re going to be responsible for a number of things, and if they don’t want to do that, then they don’t bid. It lays that process out, requires us to do our planning up-front. It takes more time but it also forces us to think through it in a more detailed way and be clear in what our expectations are. AJM: Who is responsible if the project goes long on time or money? BS: [The process] works on a guaranteed maximum price basis. We have our budget and the bidders need to put together their program and design and everything within that budget envelope. There are contracts set up which basically transfer a bunch of that risk to the private builder, so they are responsible for staying on time. AJM: That’s a lot of stuff going on. Is the timeline still set for 2017?
open in early 2017. We’re still right on track for that.
BS: The timeline is right on track at this point, so that would have the stadium
Transcript has been edited for length and clarity.
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
3 Dec 7 – Dec 13 /verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
news + opinion
local
Graffiti Gold
Photo: courtesy of jayde goodon
Jayde Goodon and 11 Hooks bring their art to the street by Adam hawboldt
G
raffiti writing breaks the hegemonic hold of corporate/governmental style over the urban environment and the situations of daily life. As a form of aesthetic sabotage, it interrupts the pleasant, efficient uniformity of ‘planned’ urban space and predictable urban living. For the writers, graffiti disrupts the lived experience of mass culture, the passivity of mediated consumption.” – Jeff Ferrell, Crimes of Style
If you want to become a graffiti artist, one of the first things you have to do is pick a name. Your name is your logo, your trademark; something like John or Steve simply won’t cut it. The next thing you have to do is develop a tag. This is your signature that everyone will see — your John Hancock, so to speak. It is the symbol (usually done with a marker) that will immediately identify you and your art. After that comes things like “throw-ups” and “pieces.” What these are depends on who you ask, but for the most part throw-ups are done with spray paint and usually consist of bubble letters, while pieces are more intricate designs. The key to turning your pieces into masterpieces and honing your throw-ups is practice. Jayde Goodon knows all of this. See, back when he was young, Goodon really liked to draw. One of his favourite things to sketch was his name — and the names of his friends — in graffiti letters on pieces of paper. This love of drawing soon led him to the streets of Regina, where he tried his hand as a graffiti artist otherwise known as Wizwon.
urban decay. But for the people who risk it all to have their work seen, for the lovers of hip hop culture, for some filmmakers, curators and aficionados of a certain pedigree, graffiti is much more than vandalism. It’s an art from. An art form that’s been around for quite some time. While many people believe graffiti to be a distinctly modern occurrence, the truth of the matter is graffiti was around in the days of ancient
“When I first started out, I was out tagging trains and other places around the city,” recalls the 26-yearold street artist. “Then I started to use spray paint. It wasn’t easy at first. We weren’t allowed to do it, so we would go to some abandoned places around the city, just f**k around, practice. I remember one time we kept going to the same spot and we almost got caught. I ran like hell that night. Then we’d just find somewhere else to go.”
When I first started out, I was out tagging trains… jayde ‘wizwon” Goodon
Greece, ancient Rome and ancient Pompeii (where the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. perfectly preserved graffiti, like Latin swear words, magic spells, political slogans and declarations of undying love, on walls and the sides of buildings). Graffiti was around in America on boxcars during the Great Depression. It was around in the ‘60s as an expression of political unrest. And in the 1970’s, in New York City, graffiti exploded into pop culture, riding on the coattails of hip hop. This is the type most of us have come to know, the type tightly intertwined with hip hop culture. The tags, the stylized letters, the bright colours and fresh urban vibes: this is the type of graffiti (along with a new wave of politically influenced stuff like, say, the work Banksy does) that has risen into the realm of
And so went the formative years of Goodon’s training, his apprenticeship in the art of graffiti. They were years spent illegally spray painting his urban vision, honing his skills on brick walls and parked trains while playing cat-and-mouse with authorities in the dead of night. It was an apprenticeship that wouldn’t last forever.
Anyone who has walked through downtown Regina lately has seen the works of graffiti artists scrawled on magazine kiosks, plastered on brick and mortar back alleys, and painted on the side of local businesses. Like it or not, graffiti is a part of our city. And believe you me, there are many out there who don’t like it, who flatout think it’s vandalism, symbolizes gang activity, or is a sure sign of
legitimate, commissioned urban art. At times, the works of graffiti artists have even made it into art galleries.
If you want to be an urban artist and get paid for your work, always be original. Don’t copy anything you see or bite another artist’s style; you’ll be branded as a “toy.” Instead, take inspiration from others and evolve your style until your work matches your vision. That’s what Goodon did. After abandoning the life of a graffiti artist and trying his hand at the rap game, Goodon returned to his first love with a renewed sense of vigour. He hooked up a with a few local graffiti artists, formed a crew and started doing legal and commissioned murals in Regina and around the province. His crew came to be known as 11 Hooks, and it was through working with them that Goodon was able to evolve his style. “Every year I’m doing this now, I look back and I’m like ‘Holy s**t! My style has really changed,’” says Goodon. “And part of that is because my friends inspire me. Every time I go out with them, go out painting with them, I see something new. I pick up a new technique. I learned fading from one of my buddies, another guy showed me how to cut my lines cleaner. We feed off each other.” It’s not only 11 Hooks that inspires and helps Goodon grow as an artist, either. He has also branched out to the GFC (a crew from Toronto), as well as with Saskatoon’s own YGW crew.
And all that inspiration and artistic evolution has paid off. Once upon a time, Goodon was tagging things around the city, leaving temporary signs that he was here. These days, things are a bit more permanent for him. Every year he does a mural on Brandee’s wall, he had some of his art work (the stuff he does on canvas) exhibited at the Green Canvas Art Gallery, and just last month he put on a fine arts exhibit called Organic Mathematics at the 11 Hooks Studio. Not too shabby for a kid who started out scrawling letters in a scrapbook. Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
4 Dec 7 – Dec 13 news + opinion
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
editorial
One for the ages Lowering the drinking age just makes sense
O
nce upon a time, we published a three-part series dealing with drinking in Saskatchewan. In the third installment, where we argued that the drinking age in Saskatchewan should be lowered to 18, we wrote that, “if you can vote, smoke, sign legal documents, be tried as an adult and be sent overseas to fight and possibly die for your country, you should be allowed to enjoy a beer.” Seems pretty straightforward to us. Now, fast forward more than a year to last month’s Sask Party convention, where a resolution was put forward to lower the drinking age. Here’s what premier Brad Wall had to say on the matter: “You can see the rationale that these young people come with. Someone can serve their
Manitoba.” Oh, and did we mention those provinces allow legal drinking at 18 years of age? Clearly, age is not the problem here. There are also those who are of the opinion that 18-year-olds are too immature to drink, and we think that is simply not true. In fact, a study in the journal Addiction found that while Canadian university students consume greater quantities of alcohol compared to their American counterparts, who must be 21, they drink less both in frequency and in volume. And besides, if you think 18-year-olds are abstaining from drinking — or that all adults consume alcohol purely in a responsible fashion — you’re sadly mistaken. No matter how you slice it, this question isn’t, “should 18-year-olds
country, be in harm’s way. Someone can choose their government … and yet that person serving his country can’t go to the [Royal Canadian] Legion and have a beer.” Now, we’re not saying we influenced the Premier’s comments or anything. Far from it. All we’re saying is that we applaud the Premier for putting this debate back on the table. You see, we are of the unwavering belief that lowering the drinking age to 18 is the fair and right thing to do. Sure, we know not everyone agrees; for example, there are those who claim that lowering the drinking age will lead to more instances of drinking and driving. To that we say (backed by numbers from Stats Can), “Saskatchewan actually has a vastly higher drunk driving rate — 618 per 100,000 residents — than Alberta or
be drinking?” It’s, “should they be allowed to drink legally?” And to that end, we’d like to commend Premier Wall for bringing this issue back to the public’s attention. After all, the Sask Party didn’t have to. Think about it: some critics are claiming the provincial government is only doing this to curry favour with the youth vote, but somehow we doubt switching the drinking age will provide Wall with an even cushier majority next time around. Heck, in a conservative province like ours, it might even hurt them. And that, good readers, is why this is so refreshing. There’s scant evidence of any immediate political payoff for a measure like this, yet there the government is, preparing to consult different interest groups while initiating healthy and
robust public discourse on a hot button topic. So here’s to hoping a vigorous debate ensues, reasonable minds prevail and the drinking age is lowered. The sky isn’t falling and the world isn’t ending in Manitoba or Alberta. So why don’t we get with the times and march in lockstep with our Western neighbours — at least on this issue. These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers. Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@VerbRegina feedback@verbnews.com
6 Dec 7 – Dec 13 news + opinion
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
comments
On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about changing organ donor policies. Here's what you had to say:
text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372
– I like the idea of opting out over opting in many individuals don’t even think about donating their organs so maybe this will strike up conversations!
the prairies.
– Opt out or opt in makes no difference if u want 2 donate u will or else u wont. Why spend $$$ to fix it if it works?
sound off
– Organ donation rates in this country definitely need to go up. Did you look into religious reasons why someone wouldn’t choose to donate? Does that make up a significant portion of the nondonating group?
– Get all the old people to donate! Our aging population is a great source of organs ripe for the plucking LOL!
– Cant they grow them FML i m gong 2need a liver or 2 :D !!!
OFF TOPIC – Bic Wreck. The story was very interesting,have never read any info on the band before… Their music is so good,would definetly see them in concert again. Seen them at the pump a few months ago. Marsha :)! In response to “Big Wreck,” Cover page, #56 (November 30, 2012)
– Love Joe Fafard’s artwork. I’ve been following his career for more than a few years. Brilliant man, and his sculptures are so inspiring. He’s a wonderful addition to the arts community here on
In response to “The Artist’s Eye,” Local page, #56 (November 30, 2012)
– Id love to thank my neices meagan Nekayla and jazmine for the courage they had to go in front of everyone in the church and talk about the grandpa they so much adored. I was so proud of you girls and grandpa would of been so proud of you! You were all amazing and again Im so gald what you did even though it was so hard to do. lotsa love auntie Ronda xo
– Unsigned editorials represent opinions of “Verb magazine” and not individual writers? Didn’t realize inanimate objects could hold opinions...
– Don’t matter if you believe in Jesus Christ or not Christmas is to celebrate his birth! It would be like Thanksgiving but not believing in indians and pilgrims.
– Think about this take the Christ out of Christmas and all you have is mas.
– When did JC state that shopping was the way to celebrate his birth
– Dear verb thanx for publishing my last text. It mean a world to me. You should have 2 whole pages just for texts lol . THe more we can send the more we can read. I look so forwrd in seeing what
people send in. Love this paper. Thanks
– THAT fire burning TV Screen S **t at Regina stadium ! WARNING SAskatchewan People Are F**d Burned to Pay for it! 87 Million is it? ?
drink plants and animals to eat this is the source of life. The pursuit of money is killing it!
– Good God Y’all! Now gimme some room. Heh!
– Had a James Brown moment there. He’s funnier than most people catch on when he’s performing.
– People think money is life. So wrong! Air to breathe water to
Next week: What do you think about lowering the drinking age in Saskatchewan? 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.
7 Dec 7 – Dec 13 /verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
news + opinion
q+a
Hipster Classical Photos: courtesy of the artist
Warhol Dervish brings chamber music from the concert hall to the rock club by Alex J MacPherson
W
arhol Dervish would be a good name for a rock band. Or a synthesizer-heavy new wave outfit inspired by ancient religious practices. The members of Warhol Dervish are certainly attracted to these ideas, but they don’t play pop or rock or even new wave. Far from it. Warhol Dervish plays hipster classical. An unorthodox (to say the least) string quartet, they are bent on bringing classical from the concert hall to the jazz club and the rock bar. Playing music by classicallytrained pop musicians like Bryce Dessner and Richard Reed-Parry, Warhol Dervish blurs the line between stuffy classical and accessible pop while affirming that good music is good music, regardless of form or style. I caught up with violinist Carissa Klopoushak, a Saskatoon expat, to learn more.
Alex J MacPherson: Let’s talk about bringing classical into the 21st century. Why is that so important to you?
AJM: So it’s a fairly informal type of music, less dressed-up than a symphony in a concert hall?
AJM: So tell me: what exactly is hipster classical? CK: I think it’s something relatable. Most people that would attend an indie rock show would really like this kind of music. There’s an
Carissa Klopoushak: Well, why isn’t it so important? It’s our livelihood. I think there’s a real need to connect as artists with the people that you’re playing for. There’s also a real need at this point to pare down the perceived elitism of classical music. We are strong believers in the idea that music is music. People generally like to listen to music of most kinds.
CK: There’s a little bit of a dresseddown approach, but that’s not the focal point. It’s music that’s univer-
[W]e’re playing this kind of 21st century music…it’s hipster classical, really. Carissa Klopoushak
AJM: So it’s about presenting classical music in a new and fresh way?
accessibility. If we’re talking about the hipster world, you have the arena concert featuring Radiohead and the small show at Amigos. It’s the same kind of thing, paring it down to seeing a local band playing Amigos — a little more independent, a different way of presenting it.
CK: The real goal was to do the unexpected. What’s really neat about this group is that right now we’re playing this kind of 21st century music. The composers are the same age we are. It’s hipster classical, really.
sally relatable and it’s absolutely steeped in classical composition tradition, but very aware of current trends in other kinds of music. And the lines have totally been blurred. None of us only play Mozart. Most classical musicians are in that same position, actually, it’s just that we don’t get to showcase it often.
AJM: And yet, this is still chamber music. CK: It is chamber music. And I’ve always equated chamber music with the indie band. It’s a small group of people getting together, collaborating, it’s more of a conversation. The roots of chamber music are in parties where people would sit down and read together and other people would stand behind and watch. It would always be new music, the hot-off-the-press Haydn quartet. There’s a real gap being bridged right now. Warhol Dervish December 14 @ Artful Dodger $10/15 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
8 Dec 7 – Dec 13 culture
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
arts
Hidden Language Person, Place, Thing explores the words we don’t see
W
e are surrounded by language. Televisions and radios blare constantly. Our sightlines are dominated by billboards and strips of neon lighting; we read books and magazines. We are so dependent on written and spoken words that we take for granted other, much more visceral languages — the same languages that are teased out and deconstructed in Person, Place, Thing. “I’ve been looking at embedded languages and meanings in environment in a few of the shows I’ve curated,” says John G. Hampton, who curated the exhibition. “It’s been a sustained interested, reading the environment around us. Visual literacy really allows us to decode the information around us, and I was interested in how our languages are influenced by or end up influencing environment in more subtle ways.” Person, Place, Thing, which features work by Bonnie Devine, Michael
by alex J MacPherson
Maranda, Loretta Paoli, and Arthur Renwick, focuses on the relationship between language and things that are not language, their intersections and diversions. This idea is further complicated by the shift from unconscious to conscious thought. “It is partially an awareness of where we are, but also the way we put meaning into the world around us and pull it out,” Hampton explains. “It’s about maybe bringing an awareness or a thoughtfulness to that practice.” Do not fear this exhibition. Its conceptual underpinning is complex, but Hampton worked hard to make the show accessible. “All of the works within it, I think, are very simple and elegant,” he says. “They don’t really overwhelm with the weight of the subject matter.” Arthur Renwick’s submission features punctuation marks layered on top of a series of bleak landscape photographs. Renwick, a prominent First Nations artist, is exploring the
fractured relationship between written treaties and the ineffable expanse of the great plains. “[The Renwick pieces] were the genesis for creating this exhibition,” Hampton says. “I was really intrigued by the way he paralleled these two ways of looking at land. I think by using the punctuation marks in this sculptural way, you can really see the foreignness of the text for someone who has never encountered written language before.” Person, Place, Thing is by no means a diatribe against written or spoken words, but it certainly calls their dominance into question. And because Hamtpon limited how much didactic text accompanies the exhibition, his interpretation of the works ceases to be the right one. Viewers are free to make connections without pressure. “It’s not a test,” he laughs.
Person, Place, Thing Through Dec 14 @ Neutral Ground Gallery
Personal Histories
Heather M. Cline’s latest exhibition chronicles the simple things by alex J MacPherson
Photo: Courtesy of the Mysteria Gallery
T
he paintings in Heather M. Cline’s new exhibition, City Streets, are not what they appear to be. At first, the show feels like a straightforward collection of cityscapes. Shifting perspectives shatter this illusion, transforming City Streets into a penetrating metaphor for personal history, time, and space. “I love the work of expressionist painters and prairie landscape painters, who are very painterly, but I’m also very interested in historiography and history as part of my work,” Cline says.
City Streets reeks of nostalgia, yet Cline is a champion of contemporary technology and materials: panoramic cameras, photo editing software, and compact video recorders. Working from multiple digital stills allows her to include several perspectives in any one piece, blending past and present in terms of technique as well as subject. Rendering multiple perspectives on a single canvas raises questions about the relationships between painting and viewer, viewer and memory. “I’ve always been subject matterdriven, to be perfectly blunt,” Cline says. “I’m just constantly looking for the medium that’s going to express the ideas I’m interested in.” City Streets is based on the notion that places can evoke moments in history that escape accounts of the so-called big picture. Which makes the inclusion of multiple perspectives of Safeway so important.
“I’m interested in engaging what appears to be a recognizable perspective, but then the more you look at the painting the more it falls apart and becomes metaphor,” she continues. Ultimately, City Streets offers an opportunity to engage in a prolonged emotional commitment. Of course, her paintings can be appreciated for what they appear to be, but they are best seen for what they can be — an exploration of the role played by communal spaces in thousands of different lives. City Streets Through Dec 22 @ Mysteria Gallery Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
9 Dec 7 – Dec 13 @verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
culture
cover
Lucky Break How a chance meeting changed Kal Hourd’s life by Alex J MacPherson
K
al Hourd was never much of an athlete. This made growing up in Stockholm, Saskatchewan difficult because most of his friends spent their time on the ice. “Basically, I was the guy from town who had next to no athletic ability,” Hourd says. “I think that’s kind of how I gravitated to music: I needed something, and that became my thing.” Hourd lugged his guitar around for years, strumming idly and writing songs whenever inspiration struck. It didn’t occur to him that a career in music, let alone a paid gig or a professional recording, was attainable: “I had always been the guy with the guitar at the party, and I didn’t really know that I could do anything with music until I won a contest through Country 100 in Moose Jaw.” In 2001, Hourd won a prize that would change the trajectory of his life: a house concert by Saskatchewan country musician Brad Johner. “While he was there, I pulled out my guitar and we just started jamming in the kitchen,” Hourd recalls. “He said to me, ‘Why aren’t you doing this?’” Meeting Johner was a catalyst. Hourd recognized that he could, with a lot of hard work and little bit of luck, forge his own career in country music. Country seemed like a natural fit, but Hourd’s taste has always been omnivorous. His
record collection includes albums by George Strait, Mötley Crüe, and everything in between. “I listened to everything,” he says. “A good song is a good song.” His take on contemporary country is influenced by his record collection, a hybrid of country, rock and roll, and pretty
the CKRM Country Talent Show or the GX94 Talent Show in Yorkton.” Pointing to stiff competition for relatively few slots, he says virtually all new acts are faced with the same conundrum: how to book gigs with little or no experience. Hourd attacked the problem head-on, throwing himself
They contacted me and said they wanted to take my album to the International Space Station. Kal Hourd
much everything in between. “We just happen to be called a country band,” he laughs.
Hourd quickly discovered that establishing a career in country music was more difficult than planning to establish a career in country music. He spent months agonizing over how few gigs were available. “For somebody that’s just starting out, the only place they get to sing is in a talent competition,” he says. “I started singing in talent competitions. The only time I was able to get onstage with a band was in
into the world of country music. “I was at everything: every industry event, every songwriting workshop, every concert, every event surrounding country music in the province,” he says. “I was always there.” Country music is insular. Made up of a small group of artists who profit from shared wisdom, advice, and friendship, the industry is wary of outsiders. Gaining admittance to the inner circle can take years. “I think at some point, people in the industry have no choice but to take you seriously because you’re always around,” he laughs, adding that true Continued on next page »
10 Dec 7 – Dec 13 culture
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
Photos: courtesy of the artist
acceptance came after he started securing shows in bars and at the Craven Country Jamboree. “I started getting offered gigs I was begging for a few years before.” But that is only half of the story. Hourd’s determination kept him visible, but the real test of an artist is simple: can he record
Photo: courtesy of the artist
and perform good songs? In Hourd’s case, the answer is yes. He released his debut album, Haven’t Even Met Yet, in 2009, almost eight years after his fateful meeting with Johner. A hearty dose of upbeat country with a dash of pop and a generous helping of rock and roll, the album positioned Hourd as an artist to watch. At the same time, he struggled to find a sound that appealed to radio without sacrificing his own artistic vision. “As an artist you want to push the envelope, and you want to do what you think is right,” Hourd explains. “But there’s always a piece
of you that wants to guess what radio wants to hear. That’s really difficult. There’s a lot of us that are begging for a spot on mainstream radio.” The problem facing artists like Hourd is that success on the radio depends on a constant stream of new material. “Every song you release is potentially [costing you] thousands of dollars,” he says. “The guy with the most money wins in some cases.” On the other hand, the country music industry loves its heroes. Today, Hourd is starting to find the success he has spent the past decade chasing — and a big part of that success stems from a song he didn’t plan to release. After an aunt died of breast cancer, rather than talk about it,Hourd decided to write about it, and “When Pink Is Just A Color Again” began to take shape. After playing the song for his family, Hourd quietly posted the song on YouTube. Everything changed. “The coolest thing … happened because the folks at the Canadian Space Agency saw the video and heard the song,” Hourd says. “It obviously connected with [Canadian astronaut] Julie Payette. They contacted me and said they wanted to take my album to the International Space Station.” Payette carried Hourd’s album into space aboard STS-127. Relatively few artists have had their music launched into space. Hourd is part of an elite group
that includes Beethoven, Chuck Berry, the Beatles and Taylor Swift. “It’s incredible,” he laughs. “A year later, I got to meet her and she gave me a picture she had taken. She’s beside a round window in the International Space Station. The earth is in the background and my CD is floating in the window. Onstage I always say it was really difficult to photoshop the CD in there, but it’s pretty incredible.”
Although Hourd’s career is starting to take off, he recognizes significant challenges ahead. Many of these are financial. Hourd has a family and works during the week; raising the funds to record a second full-length album is a daunting task, so he is planning an EP instead. “I’ve been doing a lot of writing, and I have some demos, a couple of which feel strong enough to record,” he says. And, of course, he’ll be busy playing shows. Heard live, Hourd’s band bridges the gap between contemporary country and straightforward rock and roll. His shows aren’t light on twang, but he’s not afraid to turn up and have fun either. “Any band with a fiddle in it is pretty much a country band, but we play a little bit of everything,” he laughs. Hourd plans to make use of this diversity on his still untitled EP, which, unlike Haven’t
Even Met Yet, will feature members of his backing band. And while he would be the first person to agree that he still has a lot to learn, Hourd is also a perfect example of how determination and talent can prevail in an industry where the odds are stacked against him. He has tasted success and wants more — and he has the tools to find it.
Kal Hourd December 14 + 15 @ Whiskey Saloon $10 at the door
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com
11 Dec 7 – Dec 13 /verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
culture
food + drink
Goodbye Gluten
Photography courtesy of Danielle Tocker
Kneaded Bake Shop offers a deliciously gluten-free haven in Regina by jessica bickford
W
e live in a world now where, either by choice or necessity, many people are cutting the gluten out of their diet. Sarah Clemens, owner and head baker of Kneaded, said, “I was so fed up with there being no choice for me,” and that’s why she opened her 100% glutenfree store. But she also says that you don’t have to be following a gluten-free diet to enjoy her products, because she uses the highest quality ingredients and everything is homemade. That’s certainly a recipe for success in my books.
of spices. The cake was topped with a sweet cream cheese icing and a little sprinkle of cinnamon.
I started with a pumpkin spice bar, which was paired with a gingerbread cappuccino. The cappuccino
The bar had chopped pecans and coconut in the dense and chocolatey base… jessica Bickford
Next was a big slice of Nanaimo bar, which came with a classic London fog. The bar had chopped pecans and coconut in the dense and chocolatey base, smooth sweet filling, and was topped off with a thin slab of rich chocolate. This slice had all the sweetness and decadence you want from a Nanaimo bar, and the extra crunch from the nuts added a great textural element. The London fog was just as creamy, warming, and aromatic as it should be. An unbelievably light and delicious piece of coffee cake came next, and it had just the right amount of sweetness to balance out an accompanying hot beverage and a delightful streusel topping. I had this with a creamy, minty and lovely peppermint mocha, which was topped with chocolate syrup and crushed candy canes. Last up was a surprise favourite for me: a creamsicle cupcake. The light, sticky and sweet cupcake had great vanilla flavour and the smooth icing had such a fresh,
had a subtle ginger flavour and was topped with fragrant cinnamon, and the pumpkin spice bar was a light, sweet, and airy cake that had a hint
let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide Gingerbread Cocktail
This festive tipple has all the flavour of a gingerbread cookie and all the booze that is required of a holiday drink. Gingerbread Simple Syrup
Coctail Ingredients
Ingredients
1 oz. each gingerbread simple syrup + vanilla vodka Half and half cream ½ oz. coffee liquor
1 cup each sugar + water 2 tablespoons molasses 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled + sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon whole cloves Directions
For the simple syrup, add all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring. Once the sugar is dissolved, strain out the spices, then set aside to cool and store covered in the fridge. For the cocktail, rim a martini glass lightly with brown sugar. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice add all the liquid ingredients, then cover, shake, and strain into the rimmed glass.
orange taste. This was wonderful, sweet and indulgent, and I cannot get over just how fresh the orange flavour of the icing was. If I hadn’t known, I would never have guessed that any of these baked goods were gluten-free. Oh, and did I mention Kneaded offers an ever-changing variety of both sweet and savoury items, like the cheese bread I also got to try? Sarah’s menu changes seasonally and with her whims, and always keeps the freezer stocked with things to take home. Kneaded also does seasonal trays of
baked goods for those functions or parties that need a little something special. And Kneaded Bake Shop really is something special, especially to those like Sarah who are often left with little choice elsewhere. Kneaded Bake Shop 100 - 3725 Pasqua St. | 585 0593 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com
12 Dec 7 – Dec 13 culture
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
music
Next Week
coming up
Third Degree JJ Voss Birnz
The Arkells
@ Pump Roadhouse December 13-15 – $TBD
@ mcnally’s tavern saturday, December 15 – $5
@ The Brandt centre friday, january 25 – $ 37.75+
Whether you want old-fashioned country or the hits of today, this local band plays it all. Consisting of Grady Birns, Paul Chesters, Jeff Stephen, Kurt Neis and Danny Latham, Third Degree Birnz have been kicking around the local scene since the early ‘90s, and have gone through a few line-up changes. During their time together, Third Degree Birnz has become well-known for taking songs you all know and love, adding a twist to them and putting them out there — fresh and new on stage. They’ve opened for the likes of everyone from Trooper to Nazereth, and do you know what? If it’s a party you’re looking for, this is the band for you. With an up-tempo stage show and songs you can sing along to, how can you go wrong?
Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, JJ Voss listened to a lot of Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, John Mellencamp and other like-minded artists who sang about underdogs and simple, hard-working folk. Fast forward to 2008, and with the release of his first album Hillbilly Storybook the influence of those early musicians was evident in his work — and still is. One listen to his new album, Show ‘em Who’s Voss, shows that not only does Voss stay true to the music he grew up on, it also shows he’s really coming into his own as a country musician. Released in May of this year, Show ‘em Who’s Voss was produced in Nashville by Harry Stinson (who also produced albums for Steve Earle, Corb Lund, and more). Tickets at the door.
If you haven’t heard of The Arkells yet, you should probably get on that. Seriously: these guys are all kinds of good. Their first album, Jackson Square, put this five-piece indie rock group on the map. Their second album, Michigan Left, proved that Max Kerman, Mike DeAngelis, Anthony Carone, Nick Dika and Tim Oxford are nothing if not rising stars on the Canadian music scene. With a penchant for pumping out rocking anthems and putting on live, foot-stomping, sing-along-inducing shows, this Juno-winning band from Hamilton, Ontario, is not to be missed. Come check them out when they open for the Tragically Hip in January. You, for sure, will not be disappointed. – By Adam Hawboldt
Photos courtesy of: the artist / the artist / Brennan Schnell
Sask music Preview The Big Gig, part of the 2013 JUNO Awards celebration, is a music talent search especially for Saskatchewan high school students. Interested solo or group artists can submit an audition video of original material by December 17. The top 10 semi-finalists will compete in live play-offs in Regina in January, with the top 5 finalists performing at paid gigs, and the winner performing at a special showcase performance. For more information, please see http://www.saskmusic.org/thebiggig/ Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org
13 Dec 7 – Dec 13 @verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
culture
listings
December 8 » december 15 The most complete live music listings for Regina. S
M
T
W
T
8
9
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Friday 7 College Kids, The Spoils / Artful Dodger — Local rockers take to the stage. Also appearing is The Spoils. 8pm / $10 Jesse Cook / Casino Regina — Come out and have your face melted during Cook’s Blues Guitar tour. 8pm / $30/35 (www. casinoregina.com) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 Kreayshawn / The Exchange — Check out her Group Hug tour. 7pm / Cover TBD DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club — Local DJs spin top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor. 9pm / $5 cover FOGDOG / McNally’s Tavern — Track suits and classic covers. 10:30pm / $5 Lords Kitchner / O’Hanlon’s — Hot indie rock from a Moose Jaw band. 9pm / No cover Wildfire / Pump Roadhouse — Hot country from this talented songstress. 9pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spinning thing. 10pm / $5 cover Big Bad Storm / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Chris Henderson / Whiskey Saloon — For some kickass country music, swing by and check this local boy out. 8pm / $10
Saturday 8
George Canyon / Casino Regina — Classic country from a Juno-winning musician. 8pm / $40-45 (www.casinoregina.com) Theory of a Deadman, Big Wreck / Conexus Arts Centre — Two badass rock acts. 8pm / $36.50+ (conexusticket.com)
Valdy / Artesian on 13th — A multi-talented, Juno-winning pop/folk artist. 8pm / $20 (picatic.com), $25 door John McDermott / Casino Regina — One of the finest Celtic singers you’ll ever see. 8pm / $30-35 (casinoregina.com) The Crooked Brothers / Creative City Centre — Classic country fused with the blues. 7:30pm / $12(advance), $15(door) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 Hardluck + Trouble / Lancaster Taphouse — Blues/rock/roots music that you’ll dig. 9:30pm / Cover TBD FOGDOG / McNally’s Tavern — Track suits and classic covers. 10:30pm / $5 Wildfire / Pump Roadhouse — Hot country from this talented songstress. 9pm / Cover TBD Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best, every Saturday night. 10pm / $5 cover Christmas Without Carols / Sachwyn Guitars — A fundraiser featuring Bob Evans, Ray Bell, Tahnis Cunningham, Ken Hamm + Keiffer McLean. 8pm / $20 Big Bad Storm / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Open Jam Sessions / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — If you play an instrument, drop by for a jam. 3pm / No cover Chris Henderson / Whiskey Saloon — A talented country artist. 8pm / $5
Tuesday 11
Open Drum Jam / The Artful Dodger — A night of chill vibes. 7:30pm / No cover The Prairie Roots Revue / Creative City Centre — Featuring Zachary Lucky, Carly Maicher, Kacy & Clayton, and Ryan Boldt. 7:30pm / $10 Karaoke Tuesday / McNally’s Tavern — Famous live music venue offers its patrons a chance to share the stage. 8pm / No cover
Wednesday 12
Steven Page / Artesian on 13th — Former frontman for The Barenaked Ladies doing his solo thing. 8pm / $32 in advance (picatic.com), $37 at the door. Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring The Dickens Yuletide Singers, a 60-minute show of holiday carols. 9pm / No cover Bret Michaels / Casino Regina — Former Motley Crue frontman on his Get Your Rock On Tour. 8:30pm / $70-75 (www.casinoregina.com) Kirby, Tyler Gilbert / Creative City Centre — An alt-pop singer/songwriter from Ontario and a little local flavour. 7:30pm / $10 Rouser / King’s Head Tavern — A hardrocking trio take to the stage. 8pm / Cover TBD Jam Night and Open Stage / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover
Sunday 9
The Huron Carole / Conexus Arts Centre — Featuring Tom Jackson. 8pm / $42-62 (conexusticket.com)
Monday 10
Open Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz and Blues / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring The Project, lead by guitarist Jay Harmon. 8pm / No cover
Thursday 13
Empire Choir, Snakeoil Salesmen, New Daze / Artesian on 13th — A night of sweet Regina rock. 8pm / $10
Kerri Senkow / Artful Dodger — A holiday Christmas concert for kids. 10:30am / Cover TBD Yana, Rachel Persson / Artful Dodger — Two talented musicians for the price of one. 7:30pm / Cover TBD The Lonesome Weekends, Nick Faye, Alexis / The Exchange — Bring donations for the Regina Food Bank and the Regina Humane Society. 8pm Decibel Frequency / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS Fresh / The Hookah Lounge — Featuring DJ Ageless and DJ Drewski. 7pm / No cover Open Mic Night / King’s Head Tavern — Come out and show Regina what you got. 8pm / No cover Black Drink Crier / Lancaster Taphouse — This local roots/country band is all kinds of good. 8pm / Cover TBD Pink Slips, Retallica / McNally’s — Come support local bands. 8:30pm / $5 Third Degree Birnz / Pump Roadhouse — A local band playing good-time party music. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / Cover $5
Friday 14
Warhol Dervish / Artful Dodger — Chamber music for the 21st century. 7:30pm / Cover TBD The Fab Four / Casino Regina — The ultimate Beatles tribute band. 8pm / $30+ (www.casinoregina.com) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits. 10pm / $5 Keep on Rocking in the Free World / The Exchange. Featuring Val Halla, Big Bad Storm and more, this benefit raises funds for the Rock Centre in Kabul, Afghanistan. 7:30pm / $10 (advance at BSharp Music, Bocados, Vintage Vinyl or Long & McQuade) or $15 (door)
DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover Break Down Party Band / McNally’s Tavern — Classic rock and roll favourites. 10pm / $5 Third Degree Birnz / Pump Roadhouse — A local band playing good-time party music. 9pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Come listen to Albert every Friday. 10pm / $5 cover Whatever / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Kal Hourd / Whiskey Saloon — A talented country musician. 8pm / $10
Saturday 15
Tinsel Trees, Bull North / Artful Dodger — Some down-tempo rock/folk music from local artists. 7:30pm / Cover TBD The Fab Four / Casino Regina — The ultimate Beatles tribute band. 8pm / $30+ (casinoregina.com) DJ Juan Lopez / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / Cover $5 Dirty Rose Band / Lancaster Taphouse — Playing a wide variety of tunes to get you dancing. 9:30pm / Cover TBD JJ Voss / McNally’s Tavern — Some great rock and country covers along with original songs. 10pm / $5 Third Degree Birnz / Pump Roadhouse — A local band playing good-time party music. 9pm / Cover TBD Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best. 10pm / $5 cover Whatever / The Sip — Come on down and rock out. 10pm / Cover TBD Open Jam Sessions / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Drop by for a jam or to listen. 3pm / No cover Kal Hourd / Whiskey Saloon - A country musician with loads of talent. 8pm / $10
Get listed Have a live show you'd like to promote? Let us know! layout@verbnews.com
14 Dec 7 – Dec 13 entertainment
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
nightlife
friday, November 30 @
o’hanlon’s pub O’Hanlon’s Pub 1947 Scarth Street (306) 566 4094 Music vibe / Varies all the time, though typically lots of indie,
and no cover Featured deals / Pints of Pilsner for $5.50, and Long Island Iced
Teas for $4.50 Drink of Choice / Moustache stout top eats / Pizza coming up / Boxing Day party — live music, $6.50 Heineken, and
no cover all night long
Photography by Klein Photography – feedback@verbnews.com
15 Dec 7 – Dec 13 /verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
entertainment
film
A Smashing Success
Photo: Courtesy of sony pictures classics
A new, refreshing film about alcoholism by adam hawboldt
W
here’s the strangest place you’ve woken up after a serious bender? In the back of a horse-drawn carriage? Tucked in between a washer and dryer in a stranger’s laundry room? Well, if you’re first-grade teacher Kate Hannah, the answer to that question would be “under a freeway on a ratty old couch after a night of kickthe-hell-out-of-your-liver drinking and a blast of free crack cocaine.” Don’t be mistaken, though. Hannah (played brilliantly by Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is no druggie.
Heck, the main character isn’t even the kind of person who drinks to deal with depression or other pitch-black secrets. Nope, Kate is just a smart, sweet, charming 20-something school teacher who has never really left her college days behind. She and her husband Charlie (Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul) go to bars, drink like rock stars, play lawn games in the backyard, make the drunken whoopie, pass out, wake up, drink beer in the shower … that sort of stuff. Anyone familiar with the university lifestyle is familiar with the routine.
smashed James Ponsoldt Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Nick Offerman + Octavia Spencer
Directed by Starring
85 minutes | 14A
her lies and convinces Kate to give AA a shot. But this is no Alcoholics Anonymous-is-the-end-all-and-be-all flicks. Instead, what Smashed does is take a sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking look at a young woman trying to tackle the first big problem in an otherwise fun, problem-free life. And Winstead (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) really plays the hell out of this role. Because it gives such an intimate look into one person’s life, the whole movie really rests on her shoulders. Good thing Winstead delivers in a big, bad kind of way. It also doesn’t hurt that the supporting cast of Paul, Offerman, Megan Mullally and Octavia Spencer all check in with strong performances. Smashed will open at Regina Public Library on Dec 13; see reginalibrary.ca for show times.
[T]he whole movie really rests on her shoulders. Good thing Winstead delivers in a big, bad kind of way… Adam Hawboldt
She only smokes the crack because, honestly, she can’t think of a reason to say no. But Kate does have a drinking problem. A serious one. And it’s this problem that’s front and centre in director James Ponsoldt’s new movie, Smashed. Now, Smashed isn’t your typical Hollywood movie about alcoholism. There’s no bottoming out or great triumph over drinking or death or any of the standard stuff associated with these types of movies.
But one day that routine gets broken when, while teaching, Kate — who’s hungover to the high heavens — pukes into a trash can in front of her class. Not knowing what else to do, Kate gives people the old “oh, it’s just morning sickness” excuse. This lie leads to another and another until Kate has everyone believing she’s pregnant. Well … almost everyone. Kate’s vice principal (played by the wonderful Nick Offerman) sees through
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
16 Dec 7 – Dec 13 entertainment
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
Ah, you can keep it…
Photo: Courtesy of open road films
Playing for Keeps ultimately falls flat by adam hawboldt
I
n the writing world, there are two schools of thought when it comes to chronicling something fictional based on your own experiences. In the red corner, you have the folks who adhere to the age-old adage: write what you know.
And when it comes to this week’s new release, Playing for Keeps, I can’t help but side with the alwaysamusing O’Rourke. See, back in the day, the guy who wrote the script for the movie (Robbie Fox) was a little league coach who was, for lack of a better
Playing for Keeps in just another ho-hum romantic comedy in a long line of other ho-hum rom-coms. Adam Hawboldt
In the blue corner, you have people like humourist P.J. O’Rourke, who once said, “Creative writing teachers should be purged until every last instructor who has uttered the words ‘Write what you know’ is confined to a labor camp. Please, talented scribblers, write what you don’t. The blind guy with the funny little harp who composed The Iliad, how much combat do you think he saw?”
expression, noticed he was “getting a lot of attention” from the moms of the players. So he took that experience, turned baseball into soccer (because one can only assume he wanted to make the movie a walking cliché), and pumped out a script that, while genuinely funny in parts, seems to fall flat more often than not. In the movie, Gerard Butler plays George — a former profes-
playing for keeps Directed by Gabriele Muccino Starring Gerard Butler, Jessica Biel, Uma Thurman, Judy Greer, Dennis Quaid + Catherine Zeta-Jones 108 minutes | PG
sional soccer player who has seen better days. Down on his luck, wanting to bond with his son, George decides to coach his son’s soccer team. Soon enough, the soccer moms come scampering out of the woodwork trying to woo the former sports star. Hilarity ensues. No, really. It does. The early scenes of this movie, in which soccer moms like Uma Thurman and Judy Greer try to win their hunky prize lead you to believe Playing for Keeps is going to be one of those good romantic comedies. But somewhere along the way the laughs get tossed to the wayside in favour of sentimental drivel and over-the-top sappy scenes about family and bonding and togetherness. Now you can’t outright blame the screenwriter for that. Chances
are what he put on paper was good, but the story got twisted, turned and diluted by the handful of producers attached to the project. And that’s not to say Playing for Keeps is terrible. The movie is, at times, entertaining, and Gerard Butler does a solid, nuanced job in the lead role. But for the most part, Playing for Keeps in just another ho-hum
romantic comedy in a long line of other ho-hum rom-coms. Watch at own risk.
Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372
@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com
17 Dec 7 – Dec 13 @verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
entertainment
comics
Š Elaine M. Will | blog.E2W-Illustration.com | Check onthebus.webcomic.ws/ for previous editions!
18 Dec 7 – Dec 13 entertainment
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
VerbNews.com
ACROSS 1. Instrument in a march ing band 5. Goodbye, in England 9. Large striped feline 10. Not getting any younger 12. Piece of firewood 13. Flag carried on a lance 15. With competence 16. Wine sediment 18. Exist 19. Equal outcome 20. Toothed machine part 21. Pond plant 22. Set of straps for controlling a horse
24. Beginning 25. Very brief time 27. Stewed fruit 30. Astronomical event 34. Complexion problem 35. Cart without sides 36. Rainbow colour 37. What a broken-down car may need 38. Broadcast 39. Resonant bronze plate 40. Printing mistakes 42. Pass by 44. Of birth 45. Noisy riotous brawl 46. Cribbage markers 47. 52-week period
DOWN 1. Handle for turning a rudder 2. Extremely displeasing to the eye 3. Stinging insect 4. Without any trickery 5. Become gradually smaller toward one end 6. Seemingly long time 7. Metal that shines like silver 8. Historical records 9. Shinbone 11. Eat greedily until full 12. You do it in a tub 14. Well-ordered 17. Part of EST
20. Chromosome part A 21. Against 23. Gratifying 24. By itself 26. Specialized school 27. Satisfy to excess 28. Oak tree fruit 29. Open on Christmas morning B 31. Right for the occasion 32. Become aware of 33. Move through a crowd 35. Distributes cards 38. Mature male deer 39. Festive celebration 41. Consumed 43. Area sheltered from the wind
sudoku answer key
5 9 2 1 3 8 4 6 7 7 4 3 5 6 9 8 2 1 6 8 1 4 2 7 9 3 5 2 1 4 9 7 5 3 8 6 3 7 6 2 8 1 5 4 9 8 5 9 6 4 3 7 1 2 4 2 5 3 9 6 1 7 8 1 6 8 7 5 4 2 9 3 9 3 7 8 1 2 6 5 4
crossword canadian criss-cross
6 9 1 5 3 7 4 2 8 2 8 7 6 4 9 1 3 5 5 3 4 8 2 1 7 6 9 8 7 3 1 6 5 9 4 2 1 2 5 7 9 4 3 8 6 4 6 9 2 8 3 5 7 1 9 4 8 3 1 6 2 5 7 3 5 2 9 7 8 6 1 4 7 1 6 4 5 2 8 9 3
timeout
© walter D. Feener 2012
Horoscopes December 7 – December 13 Aries March 21–April 19
Leo July 23–August 22
Sagittarius November 23–December 21
Have you been struggling with something big lately, Aries? If so, there’s good news on the horizon. Very soon all the pieces will fall into place.
Your head is going to be bursting with ideas this week, Leo. Some will be good, others bad. It’s up to you to differentiate between the two.
Rarely do you get upset or peeved about the occasional setback, Sagittarius. Usually you’re cool as a cucumber. Not this week, though, so get ready!
Taurus April 20–May 20
Virgo August 23–September 22
Capricorn December 22–January 19
Chances are you’re going to be very energetic this week, Taurus. Put all that energy to good use. It won’t last forever, you know.
As I gaze into my dirty crystal ball I see days filled with tumult for you, Virgo. This may lead to some negative emotions, so do your best to roll with it.
You may find yourself torn between two polar opposite urges this week, Capricorn. Which one to give into will depend on a coin toss.
Gemini May 21–June 20
Libra September 23–October 23
Aquarius January 20–February 19
Benjamin Franklin once said, “If passion guides you, let reason hold the reins.” Wise advice, Gemini. Best keep it in mind during the week ahead.
If you’re feeling irritated this week, Libra, try going for a run, hitting a punching bag, meditating … whatever it takes to chill the hell out.
Some advice from the incomparable James Dean: “Dream as if you’ll live forever. Live as if you’ll die today.” Get out there, Aquarius. The time is now!
Cancer June 21–July 22
Scorpio October 24–November 22
Pisces February 20–March 20
This is going to be a bizarre humdinger of a week, Cancer. Expect the unexpected, and embrace anything odd that comes your way.
“If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun.” Katharine Hepburn said that, Scorpio. And you know what? She was right.
Hesitation is your enemy this week, Pisces. If you have a feeling, a thought, an urge, go with it. Don’t second-guess your instincts.
sudoku 9 1 3 2 2 9 3 5 3 8 1 7 8 1 4 1 7 4 6 4 6 8 5 7 9 4 6 2 7 5 9 6 5 2 8 3
crossword answer key
A
9 2 3 8 4 6 7 6 9 8 2 1 2 4 7 5 3 8 6 1 9 5 3 7 4 5 9 6 1 7 1 4 2 3 8 5
B
19 Dec 7 – Dec 13 /verbregina
contents
local
editorial
comments
q+a
arts
cover
food + drink
music
listings
nightlife
film
comics
timeout
entertainment