Verb Issue R76 (May 3-9, 2013)

ISSUE #76 – MAY 3 TO MAY 9

CHRIS HO SEARCHING FOR HOPE AND

FREE!

READ & SHARE

STARTING UP Stashbelts and the entrepreneurial revolution PRAIRIE WINDS Q+A with Theresa Sokyrka IRON MAN 3 + THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED Films reviewed­

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRETT REID

CONTENTS

ON THE COVER:

CHRIS HO

Searching for hope. 10 / COVER PHOTO: COURTESY OF LISA WU

CULTURE

NEWS + OPINION

ENTERTAINMENT

Q + A WITH THERESA SOKYRKA A global songstress. 8 / Q + A

LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS Local music listings for May 3 through May 11. 14 / LISTINGS

LOVE AND ACTIVISM

TRUE BLOOD

NIGHTLIFE PHOTOS

The Traveling World Community Film Festival finds its footing. 3 / LOCAL

Carmela Laganse’s Spread explores vampirism. 9 / ARTS

We visit Earls.

THE STORYTELLER

IRON MAN 3 + THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED 16 / FILM

Jay Aymar digs into the Canadian experience. 9 / ARTS

15 / NIGHTLIFE

STARTING UP Stashbelts, crowdfunding, and the entrepreneurial revolution. 4 / LOCAL

BRING THE UFC HERE

DIVE IN

ON THE BUS

Our thoughts on prize fighting sports in Saskatchewan. 6 / EDITORIAL

We visit Rocks Bar and Grill.

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / COMICS

12 / FOOD + DRINK

COMMENTS

MUSIC

GAME + HOROSCOPES

Here’s your say on changing perceptions on bullying. 7 / COMMENTS

Simon Walls, Structures + Tim McGraw.

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

13 / MUSIC

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EDITORIAL

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

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

ART & PRODUCTION

DESIGN / LAYOUT@VERBNEWS.COM / 306 979 8474

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CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS / BAILY EBERLE, MAXTON PRIEBE, ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON

2 MAY 3 – MAY 9 VERB MAGAZINE

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LOVE AND ACTIVISM

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LEILANI ROY-WRIGHT

Now in its third year, the Traveling World Community Film Festival finds its footing

BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

t’s eight o’clock on Thursday night. A handful of people sit in the darkened auditorium at Dr. Martin LeBoldus High School, watching a movie.

On the screen in front of them is an image of a man holding a spray-paint canister. He’s crouched down, spraying a black number 99 on a white piece of Bristol board. And in the background a voice-over is saying, “this movement isn’t about 99% toppling the 1%. You know the next chapter of that story is that the 99% create a new 1%. That’s not what it’s about.”

The image on the screen cuts to a cluster of red balloons floating in contrast against a grey urban sky. It cuts to a man wearing a mustachioed Guy Fawkes mask. It cuts to another man bent down, using a sharpie to make a protest sign. And the voice-over continues: “What we want to do is create a more beautiful world, a world that our hearts tell us is possible. A sacred world. A world that is healing. A world of peace.”

The voice is telling the movie viewers that something significant is taking place. A shift in consciousness “that inspires such things is awakening in different people in different ways.” It is telling them, “love is expansion of the

self to include the other. There’s no one to fight. No evil.”

The name of the film is Occupy Love — a documentary by Velcrow Ripper that was chosen as one of the films kicking off the 2013 Traveling World Community Film Festival. “It’s a really exciting film,” says Jennifer Krall. “When you leave a film like this you leave changed. You want to make a change that helps inspire the feeling of love. That feeling of connectedness.

Leilani Roy-Wright put on her first film festival.

“I was in Grade 11 and we had this project on something like globalization,” says Roy-Wright. “It was supposed to be community focused, so I decided to put on a little film festival.”

And when Roy-Wright says “little,” she isn’t kidding. Her festival consisted of two films about poverty, and not that many people showed up. And while most people high-school age would view that as a failure, Roy-Wright was hellbent on doing better. So when she was on a road trip with her aunt that summer and found out about the Traveling World Community Film Festival, a light bulb snapped on in her head.

“While we were driving my aunt would talk about the film festivals she’d put on in the past, and she mentioned she brought the Traveling World Community Film Festival to Peterborough,” says Roy-Wright. “And I thought, ‘Hmm, maybe I should start a festival like that in Regina.’”

And that’s exactly what she did.

The following year, during her first semester in the 12th grade, Roy-Wright made her move to bring the film festival to Saskatchewan. While other people her age were hanging out, partying and thinking about graduation, Roy-Wright was busy contacting the creators of TWCFF in British Columbia and putting together a committee to oversee operations of the festival.

“One of my teachers in high school, who was fantastic, said they’d be on the committee and a couple of friends joined and some family friends,” says

…with a festival like this, you watch [a film], and it turns into what can ‘we’ do.

LEILANI ROY-WRIGHT

That’s what’s going to drive our next generation forward.”

And funny enough, it was a member of this next generation that started this film festival in the first place.

Rewind a few years, back to 2010, when Wikileaks dominated headlines and North Korea bombed the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.

It’s also the year a teenager named

Roy-Wright. “Then in February I went to B.C. to see how they ran things. I learned a lot there, then brought what I learned back and incorporated as much as I could.

And, presto! The Traveling World Community Film Festival was established in Regina.

Fast forward three years, to the present day.

The film festival — which shows documentaries dealing with topics like climate change, food insecurity, exploitation and a host of other issues facing the world today — is still going, stronger and smoother than ever.

“It’s a lot easier when you’re into the third year of something,” says Krall, who took over as festival chair this year. “You already have a base of volunteers, people know about it, stuff like that. It was much harder for Leilani. A lot more work. It’s tough when you’re first starting something.

You’re really passionate about it, but if people haven’t experienced it yet, it’s hard to get them excited.”

Slowly, though, this excitement has grown. Each year more people are attending the TWCFF. More students and teachers are paying attention to the documentaries and the issues they are bringing to the public’s consciousness.

“It’s really exciting to involve high school students,” explains Krall. “You want them to develop that passion,

that excitement over issues and activism. Inspiring that can be kind of hard.

But festivals like this can help.”

Roy-Wright wholeheartedly agrees.

After all, that’s the reason she brought the TWCFF to Saskatchewan in the first place.

“Film is a really good medium in getting messages across,” she explains. “People can watch a film and discuss it. It builds a sense of community because people go to these events and they have discussions after. They meet other like-minded people. If you watch a documentary at home you may enjoy it, but be like ‘so what can I do about it?’ But with a festival like this, you watch it and it turns into what can ‘we’ do.”

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

3 MAY 3 – MAY 9 /VERBREGINA

CONTENTS

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EDITORIAL

COMMENTS

Q+A

ARTS

COVER

FOOD + DRINK

MUSIC

LISTINGS

NIGHTLIFE

FILM

COMICS

TIMEOUT

NEWS + OPINION

LOCAL

STARTING UP

New Saskatchewan company uses crowdfunding to join the entrepreneurial revolution BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JONATHAN KALAN

W

hen Jeff Davis was 16 his father gave him a gift.

Up to that point in Davis’ life, he’d never really been away from home.

Never really traveled. But when the Rotary Club chose him to be an exchange student in France all that changed. And as a going-away present, his father gave him a money belt.

“My dad had it tailor-made for him back in the ‘70s,” says Davis. “It wasn’t really that great, but it had a pocket big enough to stash a couple hundred in there and a photocopy of your passport, health insurance, flight information … that kind of stuff.”

The belt came in handy more than once during the course of the next decade or so. But while Davis was in Kenya on a journalistic fellowship, the belt broke.

“It broke right where the hole is,” says Davis. “It was more than 30 years old, so that’s going to happen.

But it snapped right off. There was no way to fix it, so the first thing I said to myself was, ‘Where am I going to get a new one?’”

At first the answer was ‘nowhere‘ — at least not in any stores in Nairobi. But while on a tour of the Kenya

Industrial Research and Development Institute, Davis had an idea.

“There was a leather shop there, I talked to the leather master and he put me in touch with this artist named Jonnah Kandu,” says Davis.

“He made me a money belt to replace the one I had that broke.”

That’s when Davis started thinking: “wait a second, there’s some potential here.”

mies around the world have faltered and declined, new small independent businesses have sprung up in cities and towns all over.

To get things up and running, some of these entrepreneurs turn to the banks for a start-up loan. Others opt for investment equity.

But to help launch Stashbelt — his new leather goods business — Jeff Davis turned to crowdfunding.

I’m not going to lie to you, it seemed like a harebrained scheme…

JEFF DAVIS

Potential for what? Creating a company that makes money belts, of course.

But how does a journalist with zero business experience go about creating a company from the ground up?

At this moment in history, we’re in the midst of an entrepreneurial revolution of sorts. And it’s not just here in Saskatchewan. As econo-

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept of crowdfunding, it’s basically a way for people to network and pool their money through websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The money raised has been used to fund disaster relief, political campaigns, citizen journalism, and, in the case of Stashbelt, start-up companies.

“For us, it was basically a pre-sale,” explains Davis. “We were looking to get $10,000 to get things started.”

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

4 MAY 3 – MAY 9 NEWS + OPINION

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TIMEOUT

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JONATHAN KALAN

In the very first days their campaign was aimed solely at family and friends, who would pre-order products from Stashbelt.

From there, Davis and his partners expanded their reach using social media, word of mouth and traditional media.

“People had the option to buy a bag, buy a belt or go with the stockthe-stash option,” says Davis. The stock-the-stash option — which was designed for businesses that wanted to carry the Stashbelt line in stores — led to a $2,500 boost from a waterfront business in Halifax, N.S. 35 days after the campaign began, Stashbelt had achieved its goal of $10,000.

“Actually,” says Davis, “we ended up with a bit more. Our final total was $10,191.”

Of that money about a quarter million Kenyan shillings went to leather purchases. Stashbelt is also in the process of hiring three more full-time staff in Kenya — where all the products are made.

“The experience using Indiegogo has been awesome,” says Davis. “In starting or growing a small independent like this cash flow is king, so crowd funding was a really good option for us. It really worked.”

And that explains how a young journalist from Canada can create a new start-up company in Kenya.

Which now begs the question: why?

“I’m not going to lie to you, it seemed like a harebrained scheme when I first thought of it,” says Davis of his initial idea to start a company. “But there’s something

very inspiring about the way Africans are. There’s no safety net there. It’s 2013 and people in Kenya are still starving to death. If you don’t hustle there, you don’t live.”

So all around the country people are running small businesses, doing what they can to get by.

Chatting over a pint the day after Stashbelt’s Indiegogo campaign hit their monetary goal, Davis talks about his time in Kenya, and the essence of African entrepreneurialism. “There’s got to be a million small businesses there,” he says. “And I’m not talking small business the way we think of it here. It can be as simple as the bus pulls up to the bus stop and a guy jumps on with a big bag of candy saying ‘three candy for five cents.’ It’s a simple little business, but that guy makes a living off it.”

And as this spirit of entrepreneurialism slowly seeped into Davis, he decided to step out of his comfort zone into the world of business.

“A lot of people don’t get into business because they think ‘I’m not a businessman so I can’t do that,’” says Davis. “And that’s where I was, too. But after living in Africa, my thinking changed.”

Now Davis is hoping to change the way people carry their money when overseas.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

STASHBELTS Handcrafted by artists in Nairobi, Stashbelts are made of fine-quality Kenyan leather.

And while they look like a normal belt on the outside, the inside of a Stashbelt consists of an 18-inch zipper pocket in

which you can stash money, keys, jewelry, whatever. Oh, and there’s also a hidden $GB micro USB stick on which to store documents like a photocopy of your passport and insurance information.

5 MAY 3 – MAY 9 @VERBREGINA

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EDITORIAL

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE UFC

BRING THE UFC TO SASKATCHEWAN

It’s time to allow prize fighting events in our province

I

n June, Winnipeg will host Manitoba’s first-ever UFC card. And while that’s great for our neighbours to the east, we think it would be even better if Saskatchewan could play host to a similar kind of event.

Too bad we can’t. You see, Saskatchewan doesn’t have a provincial athletic commission to regulate fighting sports, which means the UFC can’t come to Regina. And we think it’s time to change that.

After all, the event Manitoba will be hosting sounds pretty great.

There’s a bantamweight title fight between champ Renan Barão and contender Eddie Wineland. UFC legend Dan Henderson takes on Rashad Evans. And fan-favourite Maurício Rua does battle with Antônio Rogério Nogueira. It threatens to be a night full of fireworks that will, in all likelihood, pack the MTS Centre to the rafters and bring in millions of dollars in revenue.

And we need to be doing that here, because there’s a ton of benefits to permitting fighting sports in our city. First of all, mixed martial arts is wildly popular in this province.

After all, all you have to do is head

out to your local sports bar the next time there’s a UFC pay-per-view card playing, and look at how many people went out with the express intention of watching the fights.

And the timing works out quite well. You see, there are proposed changes to Section 83 (2) of the Criminal Code of Canada, changes that aim to expand the definition of prize fighting. At the moment, boxing is considered the only legal prize fighting allowed in Canada. But should the changes to Section 83 (2) pass — as is expected — then mixed martial arts, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai boxing and

of fighting sports we could be hosting. But this all doesn’t mean much, unless the UFC wants to come here.

Good thing they do.

Yes, you read that right. This isn’t some Field of Dreams, “build it and they will come” scenario we’re talking about here. Tom Wright, director of operations for UFC Canada, has gone on record publicly saying the organization wants to put a show on in Saskatchewan, but simply can’t do it until the sport is properly regulated here.

And how do you “properly regulate” it? You create a provincial athletic commission, of course.

…if a UFC card were to be held here a sell-out would be guaranteed to happen.

VERB MAGAZINE

the like would become prize fighting sports under the law. And here’s the thing: if Saskatchewan doesn’t create an athletic commission, then any and all combat sporting events will constitute Criminal Code violations.

So we’ve got the desire, and we’ve (potentially) got an enormous variety

In Ontario, back in 2010, they decided to properly regulate mixed martial arts and do you know what happened? The first UFC event they put on in Toronto following the decision packed the Rogers Centre to the tune of 55,724 fans paying a live gate of over $12 million. In case you’re

wondering, that’s a record showing for a UFC card. It’s also part of the reason why UFC boss Dana White refers to Canada as the mecca of mixed martial arts.

See, whenever there’s a show in this country people go out to see it.

How many people? Well, let’s just say that the least amount of people to ever attend a UFC card in our country was 14,685.

To put that number into perspective, the Brandt Centre holds around 7,000. Needless to say, given the popularity of mixed martial arts in this province, not to mention the enthusiasm our neighbours to the east and west have for the sport, if a UFC card were to be held here a sell-out would be guaranteed to happen. A

live gate worth millions of dollars would also happen. Then there’s the economic spin-off for local business that an event like this would generate — restaurants, hotels, pubs, bars, and more.

So that raises the question: what in the heck are we waiting for?

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

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6 MAY 3 – MAY 9 NEWS + OPINION

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COMMENTS

ON TOPIC: Last week we asked what you thought about changing the way we perceive bullying. Here's what you had to say:

– http://www.youtube.com/wat ch?v=sJo366tlDu4&feature=you tube_gdata_player: “Feedback” ; YouTube clip of Mark Wills anti-bullying country song “Don’t Laugh At Me” with lyrics. Everyone should have a listen to that song since it pretty well sums everything up about bullying!! 0:-)

– Heads up to Mr. Harper if you think bullying has the connotation of kid’s misbehaving it’s easy to see which end of the stick you were on back in the day..

– I completely disagree with your editorial on bullying. I am not sayin that bullies shouldn’t be punished at all, but i think just puttin them in jail or whatever perpetuates and cements the behaviour that got them in trouble in the first place. There needs to be something in place to help them transition back into society after their time.

After all, these are teens. Yeah they did something bad to get in trouble but strict punishment is not the only answer.

– I agree that if an adult was hostile to another adult then we wouldn’t stand for it. And I know that what those kids did in NS was horrifying and adult-like in behaviour (allegedly did). But teens still don’t have a sense of things being bigger than themselves. How many kids would drink and drive as a teen and not worry about it, behaviour that would horrify us as adults knowing the tragic outcomes. This obviously doesn’t excuse the behaviour, but I just think it’s not as cut and dry as you presented. Interesting read though.

Text yo thoughtsur to 881 VE R B 8372

– Spare the rod spoil the child. Cyber bullying and what happened to that poor girl illustrates how out of control kids are these days.

OFF TOPIC – That was a great feature on Gerry Armsworthy. Kinda reminded me of my old friend Dave who would always pick up porcupine roadkill so he could sell them to First Nation artisans.

In response to “Furry Fashion,” Local, #75 (April 26, 2013)

– I agree with the government doing takes its a lot faster and convenient at least we get too look over them to see if we agree or not.

Mich* In response to “It’s Too Taxing,” Editorial, #74 (April 19, 2013)

SOUND OFF – To the authorities organizing flood fighting. Its gonna be bad so try not to waste resources on lost causes. Focus on the critical infrastructure and where you know for sure resources won’t be wasted.

– Well peeps Unfortunately we have “perfect storm” conditions like nothing in 50 yrs. Its gonna be at least 1 in 50 to 100 yr flood. Its gonna be bad! To those in the flood zone May God Bless and watch over your home and livliehood. To the rest do your best to help out or at least stay out of the way. People before property or money!

– I just read an article stating that Bonnie McLachlan, a teacher, is guilty of sexual exploitation of

a 15 year old child student. I am angry and sick she only gets conditional sentence and community service. It is a serious breach of trust towards a child. She sexually exploited a child and that is being a pedophile. Did she not get jail time because she is a woman?

A male would definitely be off to federal penitentiary. Seriously hard jail time warranted for ALL people who are sexual predators.

Bonnie McLachlan is a sexual predator who is selfish and wants to dominate and control children in a sexual way. Call your MP and your MLA tell them we won’t put up with light sentences for sexual predators.It disgusts me Bonnie got away with serious crime.

– https://mobile.twitter. com/TSwiftsUniverse/status/329030594837241856: Tweet of a quote from TAYLOR SWIFT saying happiness can’t be appreciated without going through some hardship & sadness. Perhaps she can write a good country song about that which would make millions of dollars for her!! :-D

– Why does Safeway play “Rock the Casbah” over the sound system but not “Lost in the Supermart”??

– Lots of good TV on the web free.

ITV. Movies Series. YouTube all the Canadian channels. Can’t get other countries. Don’t pay for cable and

– I live in a submarine house.

DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE! And it leaks too.

– We don’t need more liquor stores! We have way too many impaired drivers already!

POWERED BY THE CREW AT MOGA MOBILE

internet. Just get high speed and good TV with VGA plug for a PC. 3 or 4 yr old PC good enough. Watch what you want whenever. Pause rewind etc. Money saved on cable pays for good TV PC.

NEXT WEEK: What do you think about bringing the UFC to 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 MAY 3 – MAY 9 /VERBREGINA

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ARTS

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Q+A

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF ANTHONY HEYWOOD / JEAN-HUGO ORD

PRAIRIE WINDS

World traveler Theresa Sokyrka can’t stop writing about Saskatchewan BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

I

n the years since Theresa Sokyrka finished second on the second series of Canadian Idol, behind Kalan Porter, the Saskatchewan singer-songwriter has pushed back at the pop idiom. She released several albums of soulful folk and gentle rock, as well as a Christmas album and a collection of Ukrainian folk songs.

Prairie Winds, which will drop in June, is her first release of original material in more than six years. Written over a series of long trips, including a period spent working on cruise ships, and recorded in Madrid, Prairie Winds is softer and more thoughtful than anything the 32-year-old has done to date. I caught up with Sokyrka, who spends much of her time traveling and writing about her experiences, to talk about the new record, working overseas, and the 10 years since her Canadian Idol debut.

Alex J MacPherson: It’s been a long time, almost seven years, since you released a record of original material. What has the lead-up to Prairie Winds been like?

AJM: The strange thing about Prairie Winds, an album about leaving and coming back to the prairies, is that you cut it in Spain.

Theresa Sokyrka: It was a long planning period, for sure. Some of these songs I wrote about three or four years ago. You just have to trust yourself after awhile, but it’s definitely a fearful thing. Definitely.

TS: I did, yeah! I found some really great musicians just by going to jams every day, pretty much. Everything just started coming together. Once you really fall in love with the way somebody plays, you realize that nothing can possibly go wrong. Once

AJM: Does taking that long, giving yourself time to do it the way you really want, make it any easier?

…when I think back … I always knew I was going to be a musician…

THERESA SOKYRKA

TS: I think so. I think what I’ve really learned from being in the studio is to give it time. For the last albums of my career, the last four I’ve done, I’ve always kind of rushed into the studio and realized that there’s so much to be said for doing preproduction. It’s so important to take that time to really concentrate on where you want the songs to go. I’ve figured out that the process that works best for me is to really just take my time.

I picked my players and I picked my engineer, and made all those decisions, that’s when I sort of realized this album’s really going to be great, and I’m really excited.

AJM: So I assume being away sharpened your thoughts on home, but was making it so far away a struggle?

TS: No! I think what the record is about is leaving the prairies. There was that

yearning to be back, but it was a good thing to cut the record while I was away because it gave me that yearning for the prairies, and it really was nice to play with people that didn’t play folk music — the musicians are all jazz musicians. It was nice to give them a new type of music to play, and use their musicality to bring a new flavour to it.

AJM: Your introduction to the music business was unconventional. Does your career today match up with what you were thinking back in 2004?

TS: I think I’ve realized how difficult it really is. I really had a lot of help from Idol, and when I think back 10 years ago I always knew I was going to be a musician and I didn’t really think that

Idol was something I needed in order to do that. But it definitely did help me make some investments in my career.

Idol definitely made it so I could do it, so I could fathom the idea of having a career for sure. But if I think back before Idol? This was my only option in life. I really do believe it’s the only thing that makes me happy, the only thing I could see myself doing.

Theresa Sokyrka May 10 @ The Artful Dodger $TBA Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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TRUE BLOOD

Carmela Laganse’s Spread explores vampirism and society

V

ampires have never been more popular. Once thought of as malevolent villains best avoided or stabbed with a wooden stake, vampires have been rehabilitated by a tidal wave of novels, films, and television programs.

Today, the monsters of Gothic literature have become heroes and sex symbols. This shift in popular culture was the catalyst for Spread, an exhibition of sculptures by Regina artist Carmela Laganse.

“At the time I was building it, I was watching True Blood,” Laganse says, referring to the HBO series based on novels by Charlaine Harris. “I was fascinated by it, and I wanted to investigate the relationship between vampirism and capitalism. That idea of how we’re consuming things — or being consumed.”

Laganse’s sculptures combine elements of furniture and ceramics. The materials are expensive, the textiles rich, and the aesthetic overwhelmingly luxurious — but her creations are oddly uninviting. Each piece seems designed to contort the body in unnatural, or even sinister, ways.

Some resemble medieval torture devices, others hint at the brutality of

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

ancient medicine. A few, like “Grenadine” and “Sweetbreads,” seem to facilitate bloodletting.

And Laganse’s hints at the cycle of extraction and consumption are not just structural. By naming her pieces after foods, and by incorporating a series of ceramic vessels, which are long associated with the human body’s less appealing functions, she has transformed a collection of unusual pieces of furniture into a meditation on pop culture and politics.

“A lot of my work has to do with processing our pop culture,” she says, explaining that in many cases popular culture is a reflection of the broader political ecosystem. “It’s the idea of this visual culture surrounding me, and the idea of consumption and trying to be mindful of what I’m consuming — then realizing I’m very much a part of this deficit system.”

Spread examines the consumption of pop culture by hinting at consumption in pop culture — a distinction exemplified by the vampires of Twilight and True Blood. “Everything that a vampire represents are all the characteristics that capitalism markets promote,” Laganse says. “Things like immortality, youth, beauty, power.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF DENIS FARLEY

That’s all encapsulated in the image of a vampire. And not only has it become accepted, it’s normalized.”

The central question raised by Spread is one of awareness. Laganse is deliberately ambiguous, but it is impossible to overlook the connection between pop culture and the society that creates and consumes it. But even if pop culture reflects society and politics, and even if the fortunes of one are inextricably linked to the other, does anybody recognize this? Can a vampire see himself in the mirror of art?

Spread Through May 23 @ Dunlop Art Gallery Sherwood Village Branch

THE STORYTELLER

Jay Aymar digs deep into the Canadian experience BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

J

ay Aymar writes about the things people take for granted. In a career spanning two decades and countless thousands of highway miles, he has visited every corner of Canada — and written about his experiences along the way. In the tradition of Stan Rogers and Gordon Lightfoot, his songs about rusting tractors and rural dances, broken homes and late-night hockey games train the spotlight on the threads that make up the fabric of this country.

“I’m constantly touring, I basically live out of my car doing 150 to 200 shows a year,” Aymar says,

explaining that his stories emerge from accumulated experience. “I don’t set out to craft a song necessarily, like some writers do. William Wordsworth would be a hero in that he believed that poetry — in my case songs — are the creative overflow of emotion.”

Aymar’s latest album, Overtime, is a collection of 11 folk songs with a hint of bluegrass influence. They are moving portraits of individual lives carved from a mountain of experiences and many late nights spent talking. Although the songs stem from cities and towns across Canada, at least one has its roots in Saskatchewan.

“This Old Ravine,” which explores heartbreak and tragedy on the Canadian prairie, is based on a chance remark. “I was finishing a show and was invited out to stay at a farmer’s place,” Aymar recalls. “He showed me his property and said, ‘There’s an old ravine down there. Stay away from it, because it’s relatively dangerous.’

It brought back all these memories of two people, friends of mine, who lost their mothers in drowning accidents.”

Aymar’s meticulous songwriting style and passion for writing about the ordinary experiences of Canadians is heightened by the raw musicality of Overtime. Produced by

David Baxter and recorded live off the floor, the record is smooth and organic, its gentle textures forming the perfect backdrop for Aymar’s pointed lyrics.

But Overtime is also a departure for Aymar, who has for as long as he can remember eschewed political songs.

At the heart of the record are a pair of unabashed protests, songs that cast their creator’s views into stark relief.

“I think it’s a stage of life, I think you become, as you get a little bit older, less of an idealist and more of a realist,” Aymar admits. “You can’t help but be political. Here I am now, doing exactly what I didn’t like.”

But “King Of The World,” which is told from the perspective of George W. Bush, and “Your Precious War,” a look through the eyes of a wounded veteran, capture in just a few words the raw wound left by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — and show just how broad Aymar’s range can be.

Jay Amayar May 15 @ The Club at the Exchange $15 @ the door Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

9 MAY 3 – MAY 9 @VERBREGINA

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LISA WU

CITY OF DUST

Chris Ho’s search for hope in urban decay and environmental disaster BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

I

n 2010, Chris Ho traveled to Pennsylvania to work as a counsellor at a summer camp. He didn’t agree to spend the summer away from his home in Victoria because he wanted to reinvent himself; he accepted the job for the same reasons most people accept jobs — because he needed the money, and because he thought it would be fun. It didn’t occur to him that two months in the woods would reshape the arc of his life, and compel him to chase a career in music. But that is exactly what happened.

“There’s a lake that’s the centrepiece of this camp,” the young musician recalls. “You could go out on the little dock there and sit on this bench.” Ho spent a lot of time sitting on that bench, watching the sun set and idly strumming his guitar. His thoughts often turned to a friend — “someone who was very close to me, who I loved very much” — who had committed

suicide several months earlier. The wound was still raw and painful. As the sun plunged below the horizon, he found himself contemplating the delicate balance between existence and oblivion.

“There was this realization that life is too fragile to not be truthful to yourself, in what you actually love versus what you think you should do,” he explains. “I had a few moments within that quietness, just this feeling that things were falling into place. That this was something I was meant to do.”

Ho was already an accomplished musician and songwriter. Although stage fright kept him away from the coffee houses where aspiring singer-songwriters hone their craft, he had released a series of demos, gentle pop and folk songs burned onto blank CDs and illustrated with hand-drawn covers. “I started developing my sound a little bit, and getting better about producing these demos in my bedroom,” he says.

“And people were really relating to what I was going through: being out of university and entering a new world — and experiencing love or whatever in a more serious way for the first time.”

By the time he left for Pennsylvania, Ho had overcome his fear of the stage and started playing shows.

But music was never anything more than a sideline. He was determined to work as a high school teacher, and was completing a degree in English literature at the University of Victoria when two months away changed his life. In the fall of 2010, he returned home determined to cut a record, to carve out a career. “It’s that timeless universal story where someone experiences some sort of hardship in their life, and it causes a lot of pain, but it also results in a realization,” he says. “A kind of rebirth coming out of the ashes of that pain.”

Chris Ho released his first album, a five-track EP called

Answers, in early 2011. Although it hinted at Ho’s untapped potential as a songwriter and performer, Answers suffered from a lack of direction. Instead of presenting Ho’s musical vision, a desire to move beyond the limits imposed by

overwhelm the delicate guitar lines and thoughtful lyrics that give the songs their shape. “I was getting so caught up in creating something that sounded accessible that I was selling the songs short, almost, by not really adding more to it. It

It’s just looking past all the progress that we’ve made in society … and still finding something to hold on to…

CHRIS HO

his voice and his guitar, the album meandered across the landscape of folk and pop, going nowhere in particular. “I was trying to create something that was radiofriendly, almost more on the side of folk-pop,” Ho admits, alluding to the loud drum tracks that

seems to me that an album makes more of an impact when it’s accessible, but has a certain amount of musical depth.”

Ho was determined to do better.

City Of Dust, which he released in January, is everything its predecessor was not. Produced by Sam CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

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Weber, a close friend, the album dulls the jagged edges that made Answers hard to handle without flattening out the peaks and valleys that create resonance and tension.

“It was such a contrast from before, where it felt like there was someone hovering over me, saying we shouldn’t get too carried away,” Ho says of his newfound creative freedom and Weber’s expansive approach to production. “It clicked right away. He understood that it’s okay to spend an hour on the introduction and on blending a harmonica with a trumpet and making a trumpet sound like it’s not even a trumpet. To challenge the listener to listen even more closely, because if they’ll listen more closely then maybe they’ll listen more closely to the lyrics — and understand it on a thematic level.”

The songs on City Of Dust benefited from a long incubation period.

Ho spent a lot of time dreaming up the rich textures and complicated arrangements that give the songs their shape, and he made sure each track fit into the framework of his musical vision. Many singersongwriters flounder with a band behind them, the emotional weight of their songs eroded by wave after wave of sound. Ho skirted this problem by working backward.

Instead of building outward from a central riff or idea, an approach that puts a lot of stress on the foundation, he envisioned the whole before writing a note. City Of Dust embraces a wide variety of sounds,

PHOTO: COURTESY OF LISA WU

from sweeping indie rock to gentle acoustic pop, but the songs are linked together by the depth and openness of the music.

Although his acoustic guitar plays a pivotal role, each sound on the palette is structural: take one away and the song will collapse.

“Trouble,” which opens the record, accentuates a sparse guitar chord with big, open percussion and a wavering trumpet line. The title track features an angular guitar lick and the gentle swell of a synthesizer that contrast sharply with Ho’s liquid vocal line. “Doesn’t Make Sense” moves into rock and roll territory, with a pair of electric guitars weaving back and forth on top of a snappy drum beat and a series of joyous handclaps. But City Of Dust is much more than an exercise in blending sounds and blurring genres.

The record is a meditation on modernity: the human condition in the 21st century. “Because it was so broad on an instrumental level, inevitably the themes had to also be broad,” Ho explains. “It’s by no means a concept album. It’s an album that ties together these themes of modernity and our impact on the environment, and what that means. And also how we respond to the world around us, and consequently how we respond in relationships we have with people and with nature.”

City Of Dust envisions a postapocalyptic world, a place where harmony has been washed away by the rise of technology and the crushing weight of loneliness.

“With all the progress we’re pushing toward technologically, it’s simultaneously making us more connected than ever and somehow more alienated than ever,” he says, pointing out that he is a member of the last generation that will remember life before the internet.

“But this isn’t new; this is since the start of the 20th century. T.S. Eliot talks about it, all those modern poets do.”

This is a bleak outlook. But City Of Dust is not without hope.

Although the album sprawls across urban wastelands and receding icecaps, Ho finds redemption in the most uninviting places: “One day I’ll look up above the surface, see the simple notes dancing on the sea crest / Oh I’ll learn to live outside my head and see what I’ve been missing out on,” he sings on “Simple Notes,” which closes out the album. And while it is never made clear whether hope and joy

emerge from decay or in spite of it, the focus of City Of Dust meshes perfectly with the impulse that drove Ho to make music in the first place.

“In those moments when I feel like others are going through similar obstacles, it’s such a good mo-

ment, you feel so connected at that moment,” he says. “The album is searching for it, I’m searching for it.

It’s just looking past all the progress that we’ve made in society, and the implications in how we live, and still finding something to hold on to, finding that connection.”

Chris Ho May 16 @ Creative City Centre $10 @ the door Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

11 MAY 3 – MAY 9 /VERBREGINA

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Photos courtesy of Maxton Priebe

DIVE IN

Rocks Bar and Grill has a warehouse feel with high class food BY JESSICA BICKFORD

R

ocks Bar and Grill is upstairs in an old warehouse building, complete with funky wooden floors and brick walls. It’s a bit dark, a bit dingy-looking, but it’s the perfect venue for a casual lunch or a rockin’ evening out — especially if they have a live band playing that night.

What is probably most surprising about Rocks is their menu, which includes everything from classics like nachos and wings to more adventurous options like

Asian fusion and flatbreads. It’s a smaller menu, but it has lots of vari-

cooking style over to Rocks, and elevated some of the bar foods on

…the salad had large shavings of Parmesan, croutons, [and] bacon bits…

JESSICA BICKFORD

ety with everything being made inhouse by chef Chris Fink (formerly of the Fainting Goat). Chris has brought his fun and eye-catching

the menu with homemade sauces and an eye for details.

First I tried the #28, or Rocks’ take on a Thai noodle bowl. This fresh and colourful dish had a crispy spring roll, a super juicy piece of grilled chicken, a puddle of sweet chili sauce, and a few lime wedges on the side. The main part of the dish was, of course, the noodles, which featured carrot, green onion, red pepper, romaine lettuce and cilantro, along with a tangy dressing. Overall, this was a very fresh and tasty item.

Along the more traditional bar food line was Rock’s smokehouse burger, served with a side of handcut, skin-on chips. The burger was served on a focaccia bun, and had a tower of crisp and sweet fried onions, lettuce, tomato, red onion,

LET’S GO DRINKIN’ VERB’S MIXOLOGY GUIDE BACKYARD TEA

INGREDIENTS

It might actually be spring here now, so it is time to shovel the last of the snow away from the barbecue and get to grilling and enjoying summer cocktails.

This mix of both iced tea and lemonade is sure to sweeten up your springtime.

2 oz spiced rum iced tea lemonade lemon wedge

DIRECTIONS

Fill a tall glass with ice and add the rum. Fill the rest of the glass with one part iced tea and two parts lemonade, and garnish with a wedge of lemon.

cheddar cheese, bacon, aioli and homemade Jäger barbecue sauce.

This was a meaty, rich, and very messy burger with great flavours.

A classic steak and Caesar salad came next, and the salad had large shavings of Parmesan, croutons, bacon bits, and a lovely creamy dressing. The steak was wellseasoned and had a nice green peppercorn sauce that was rich, with a bit of a floral element from the peppercorns.

Last up was a jalapeño chicken tostada flatbread. Wrapped up in the fluffy flatbread was slices of chicken, tomatoes, red onion, and a homemade jalapeño hot sauce

mixed with a bit of ranch dressing to cool it off. This was a very spicy and flavourful item — great for those who like things hot!

Rocks Bar and Grill is a great space, and the fantastic food with lots of variety is a real bonus that seals the deal for an ideal hang out spot.

Rocks Bar and Grill 1235 Broad St. | 306 352 2255 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@TheGeekCooks jbickford@verbnews.com

12 MAY 3 – MAY 9 CULTURE

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MUSIC

NEXT WEEK

COMING UP

SIMON WALLS

STRUCTURES

TIM MCGRAW

@ THE ARTFUL DODGER SATURDAY, MAY 11 – $TBD

@ THE EXCHANGE SATURDAY, MAY 18 – $17

@ CRAVEN COUNTRY JAMBOREE FRIDAY, JULY 12 – $179+

What’s the farthest you ever walked? Bet you Simon Walls has walked farther. Why? Well, a few years back this emerging artist on the Canadian music scene strolled from coast to coast. That’s right. One day Walls bought a map of Canada and decided to walk from sea to shining sea — naturally playing music along the way. A singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist from Montreal, Walls began his career in 2004 with his debut album Don’t ask your eyes what the end looks like, a feel-good record with a rock/acoustic/indie/pop vibe. His latest album, Klein Blue, retains the indie/ folk-rock feel while adding new reggae elements to the mix. Oh, and much of it was influenced by the people he met and the places he stopped while walking across the country.

What do you get when you take Nick Xourafas, Brendon Padjasek, Andrew McEnaney, Spencer MacLean and Spyros Georgiou and put them in a band together? The answer is a loud, in-your-face, rawas-hell hardcore metal band. This five-piece, which hails from Toronto, takes a strong worth ethic, combines it with professional musicianship and a sound that will blow your hair back, and what you get is an up-and-coming hardcore act that you should probably check out.

Their debut album, Divided By, was released in 2011. Since then they’ve been touring about, blowing away audiences with their high-energy live performances that win over new fans every time they take the stage. Tickets at ticketedge.ca.

As far as country acts go, you don’t get much bigger than Tim McGraw. With more than 40 million units sold in the U.S. alone, this singer from Louisiana is one of the top-100 best selling country artists of all time. Not only that, but the guy has amassed so many awards who knows where he keeps them all?

Billboard Awards, American Music Awards, Country Music Association Awards, Grammys — you name it.

Oh, and on top of it all, appearing in hit movies like The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights and The Kingdom, McGraw has also put out a #1 single or two in his time. And by a single or two, I totally mean a few dozen #1 hits. This country superstar will be in headlining at the Craven Country Jamboree this summer.

– By Adam Hawboldt

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: THE ARTIST / THE ARTIST / THE ARTIST

SASK MUSIC PREVIEW The Next Big Thing: entry deadline reminder! All emerging country artists serious about a career in music are encouraged to enter Big Dog 92-7’s Next Big Thing contest. The prize package, valued at over $15,000, includes cash, mentorship, and career-building opportunities. The deadline to enter is May 9 — see www.thenextbigthing2013.ca for more details.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

13 MAY 3 – MAY 9 @VERBREGINA

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LISTINGS

SONIC ORCHID / Sip Nightclub — A local hard-rock/power-pop quartet. 9pm / Cover TBD J.J. VOSS / Whiskey Saloon — Outlaw country music from Queen City. 8pm / $10 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs. 8pm / Cover TBD

MAY 3 » MAY 11 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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FRIDAY 3 DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 MAYDAY 2013 / The Exchange — Featuring Dayglo Abortions, Herd of Wasters, and more. 7pm / $20 (at X-Ray Records and Vintage Vinyl) DJ PAT & DJ KIM / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover BIG CHILL FRIDAYS / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out and get your weekend started with DJ Fatbot. 10pm / Cover TBD BC READ BIG BAND W/ REGINA RIOT HORNS / McNally’s Tavern — Rock, roots and blues. 10pm / $5 CRAIG MORITZ / The Pump — A talented country musician from Alberta. 9pm NIGHTRAIN / Rocks Bar + Grill / Guns ‘n Roses tributes done right! 9pm / Cover TBD

SONIC ORCHID / Sip Nightclub — A local hard-rock/power-pop quartet. 9pm / Cover TBD JAM SESSIONS / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Promoting blues and country blues. 2pm / No cover J.J. VOSS / Whiskey Saloon — Outlaw country music from Queen City. 8pm / $10

SATURDAY 4

SUNDAY 5

ANDERSON BURKO / Artesian on 13 — A folk/roots duo that’s all kinds of good.

8pm / $20 THE OCCUPATIONAL SIDE EFFECTS / Artful Dodger — Catchy rock n’ roll. 8pm / Cover TBD RSO MASTERWORKS: JOURNEY IN TIME / Conexus Arts Centre - Mahler’s First Symphony. 8pm / $33-63 (tickets.reginasymphony.com) DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits. 10pm / $5 THE SPOILS, THE MACEVOYS, ROBOT HIVE, THE OIL FITTERS / The Exchange — A night full of rock, from post hardcore to tech.

7pm / $10 THE PROJECT / Lancaster Taphouse — A night of sweet tunes. 9pm / No cover EXIT ELEVEN / McNally’s Tavern — Classic rock covers. 10pm / $5 CRAIG MORITZ / The Pump — A talented country musician from Alberta. 9pm

VINTAGE VINYL SUPPORT SHOW / The Exchange — Featuring DJ Quartz, Alien Beings, Royal Red Brigade, The Montagues, NSST, Chronobot and Particles. 3pm / $20 (advance @ Vintage Vinyl), $30 (door) BLUE MONTEGOS / King’s Head Tavern — Down-home rock with a funky twang. 9pm / Cover TBD

MONDAY 6

OPEN MIC NIGHT / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover MONDAY NIGHT JAZZ / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring The Project. 8pm / No cover IMAGINATION MOVERS / Conexus Arts Centre — High-octane rock from those guys on the Disney Channel. 6:30pm / $31.50+ (conexusticket.com)

TUESDAY 7

OPEN DRUM JAM / Artful Dodger — Come out and show your skills.

TROUBADOUR TUESDAYS / Bocados — Come check out some live tunes from local talents every week, then bring an instrument and partake in the open mic/jam night. 8pm / No cover KIROS, SILHOUETTE CITY, TIGERS BROKE FREE, LEGENDS / The Club — Punk, acoustic, hard rock — it’s all here. 7pm / $12

WEDNESDAY 8

PETER KATZ W/ EMMA LEE / Artful Dodger — Soulful folk for your listening pleasure.

8pm / $15 WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLK / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring some of Regina’s upand-coming songstresses. 8pm / No cover HALFWAY TO HOLLYWOOD / The Exchange — A pop-punk trio from Vancouver. 7:30pm / Cover TBD JAM NIGHT AND OPEN STAGE / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover

THURSDAY 9

SHOTGUN JIMMIE / Artful Dodger — A Canadian singer-songwriter who rules! 8pm / Cover TBD RSO POPS: ITALIANISSIMO / Conexus — Everything from operatic arias to tangos, gypsy and folk. 8pm / $39-69 (tickets. reginasymphony.com) KRISIUN, ARSIS, STARKILL / The Exchange — Hard-charging metal for your ears. 7pm / $25 (ticketedge.ca) DECIBEL FREQUENCY / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS FRESH / The Hookah Lounge — DJ Ageless started spinning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They have come together to sling some bomb beats.

7pm / No cover OPEN MIC NIGHT / King’s Head Tavern — Come out, play some tunes, sing some songs, and show Regina what you got. 8pm / No cover ALISTAIR CHRISTL TRIO / McNally’s Tavern — A local rock act. 9pm / $5 DAMN STRAIGHT / The Pump Roadhouse — This quintet has been rocking the prairies for years. 9pm / Cover TBD ALEX RUNIONS / Whiskey Saloon — Urban country for the Queen City. 8pm / $5 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD

FRIDAY 10

THERESA SOKYRKA / Artful Dodger — A world-travelling songstress. 8pm / Cover TBD

DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits.

10pm / $5 SKYDIGGERS / The Exchange — Come celebrate the Skydiggers’ 25th anniversary tour. 8pm / Tickets 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 BIG CHILL FRIDAYS / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out and get your weekend started with DJ Fatbot, who’ll be doing his spinning thing every Friday night. 10pm / Cover TBD METHOD 2 MADNESS / McNally’s Tavern — Classic rock favourites. 10pm / $5 DAMN STRAIGHT / The Pump Roadhouse — This quintet has been rocking the prairies for years. 9pm / Cover TBD BILLY GRIND / The Sip Nightclub — Alt. country from Queen City. 9pm / Cover TBD ALEX RUNIONS / Whiskey Saloon — Urban country for the Queen City. 8pm / $10 DJ LONGHORN / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD

SATURDAY 11

SIMON WALLS, PANDACORN, JESSE & THE DANDELIONS / Artful Dodger — Three great acts! 8pm / No cover DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests. 10pm / $5 THE OLD 21 / Lancaster Taphouse — A night of sweet tunes. 9pm / No cover METHOD 2 MADNESS / McNally’s Tavern — Classic rock favourites. 10pm / $5 DAMN STRAIGHT / The Pump Roadhouse — This quintet has been rocking the prairies for years. 9pm / Cover TBD THE BRAINS / Rocks Bar and Grill — Another great band in a cool venue. 10pm / Cover TBD BILLY GRIND / The Sip Nightclub — Alt. country from Queen City. 9pm / Cover TBD JAM SESSIONS / Smokin’ Okies BBQ — Promoting blues and country blues, come in and play or listen and be entertained. 2pm / No cover ALEX RUNIONS / Whiskey Saloon — Urban country for the Queen City. 8pm / $10

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

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NIGHTLIFE

SATURDAY, APRIL 27 @

EARLS

Earls Regina South 2606 28th Avenue South (306) 584 7733 MUSIC VIBE / New age, top 40 FEATURED DEALS / Order 1 ounce

of anything, get $1 off DRINK OF CHOICE / Mojitos TOP EATS / Dynamite prawn rolls, and steak COMING UP / Patio party this summer, and the 16-ounce ribeye Steak Redemption event is on until May 21

CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, May 10. facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Photography by Bebzphoto

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

SHANE BLACK TO THE RESCUE

Super screenwriter breathes new life into Iron Man franchise BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

A

s far as screenwriters in Hollywood go, they don’t get much better than Shane Black. Seriously.

Anyone who has seen The Long Kiss Goodnight, Lethal Weapon or Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang knows exactly what I’m talking about.

Especially Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.

That was a hellfire, kingfish of a movie. Fast and funny, with razor-sharp dialogue and wit for days, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is easily one of the coolest movies made in the past decade.

So when I heard that Marvel Studios hired Shane Black as the screenwriter and director for Iron Man 3, I was excited. I mean, I figured that he’d come in, stick to the Marvel-movie-making blueprint while splashing a bit of his own style and panache subtly throughout the film.

Man, was I wrong.

From top to bottom, beginning to end, this is unquestionably a Shane Black movie. And personally, I loved it. Thought it was the best Iron Man movie to date.

Thing is: many comic purists out there will disagree.

ing as a recluse. Prone to panic attacks and suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, the eccentric billionaire has holed himself away from the world — so much so that he has even handed the reins of his beloved Stark Industries over to

…there are quick quips, exciting action sequences, and a surprise that you’ll never see coming.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

But let’s come back to this in a minute. For now, let’s look at the plot of Iron Man 3.

The story picks up where The Avengers left off. After nearly dying during the alien invasion, we find Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) liv-

long-time confidant and lover, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow).

Things go on like this for awhile, until an old friend comes back into Stark’s life. Okay, so it’s not really a friend. The guy’s name is Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce), a scientist with

a grudge who hooks up with a terrorist named Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) to attack the United States.

Because Stark is having a Raskolnikovian-style existential crisis, he isn’t too quick to don the Iron Man suit and fly to the rescue.

But eventually he does, and that’s when the action picks up.

From there on out there are quick quips, exciting action sequences, and a surprise that you’ll never see coming. This part is what the comic-book faithful will really dig.

It’s what, to many people, a superhero movie should be. The good guy, kicking ass and taking names, foiling bad-guy schemes.

And while, as a comic-book geek at heart, I enjoyed the heck out of this part of the flick, it was the first act that really shone. The character study Shane Black does of Tony Stark in the film’s beginning brings the man to life in a way he

IRON MAN 3 Shane Black STARRING Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Kingsley + Guy Pearce DIRECTED BY

109 MINUTES | PG

never has been before. Much of the credit here goes to RDJ who, as always, plays the hell out of his role.

But some of the credit has to go to Black, because his script makes for one of the most character-driven comic book movies ever made.

And trust me, that’s a good thing.

A really good thing.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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GENERAL BUTT NAKED

Documentary about former Liberian warlord will make you look into yourself for answers BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

S

ometimes I would enter under the water where children were playing. I would dive under the water, grab one, carry him under and break his neck. Sometimes I’d cause accidents. Sometimes I’d just slaughter them.”

That’s what Joshua Milton Blahyi told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer back in 1997, and chances are what he said was true. See, Blahyi — better known as General Butt Naked — was a Liberian warlord who ran nude into battle and confessed to killing more than 20,000 men, women and children during the First Liberian Civil War. So when the war ended in 1996 and General Butt Naked started talking about the atrocities he committed, people sat up and took notice.

Can you blame them?

I mean, here’s a guy who claims that at the age of 11 he participated in his first human sacrifice, and in the ensuing three-day ritual had a vision in which the devil told him he would become a great warrior whose power would be derived from human sacrifice and cannibalism. So that’s what he did. He sacrificed people and purportedly ate them. And, lo and behold, Blahyi grew to become a great warrior: the general of a savage child army that would slaughter anyone it saw. They got drunk and high and would wade into battle wearing nothing but shoes and colourful wigs.

They cut off victim’s heads and used them as soccer balls in the process.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF PART 2 PICTURES

So naturally, when we first meet Blahyi in the documentary The Redemption of General Butt Naked, he is most certainly in jail waiting to be tried for war crimes, right?

Wrong. In the opening scene of the documentary, we see Blahyi as a Liberian evangelist preaching to a crowd of onlookers. He has since renounced

And if nothing else, this documentary raises some interesting and complex questions: should … Blahyi be forgiven?

ADAM HAWBOLDT

They sacrificed small children, whose fresh blood they believed would satisfy the devil before battle.

his old ways and has found faith and redemption in the Lord. These days, instead of slaughtering innocents,

THE REDEMPTION OF GENERAL BUTT NAKED DIRECTED BY Daniele Anastasion + Eric Strauss STARRING Joshua Milton Blahyi 85 MINUTES | 14A

Blahyi travels around trying to help his former child soldiers find the right path in life, all the while looking for forgiveness from those who survived his reign of terror.

And if nothing else, this documentary raises some interesting and complex questions: should a beast like Blahyi be forgiven? Is he worthy of our compassion? Can a man who was once so evil walk the righteous path? Is Blahyi a consummate conman using religion to absolve him of his past sins? Thing is,

these questions are never answered in the documentary. They can’t be.

The answer to these questions lie in each of us and our own personal beliefs. Which is what makes The Redemption of General Butt Naked a fascinating, compelling and thought provoking documentary.

The film not only tells the story of a stranger-than-fiction character, it also asks you to delve within yourself and come to your own conclusion about Joshua Milton Blahyi.

The Redemption of General Butt Naked will open at the Regina Public Library on May 9; for more information see reginalibrary.ca.

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@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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

18 MAY 3 – MAY 9 ENTERTAINMENT

CONTENTS

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ARTS

COVER

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VERBNEWS.COM

TIMEOUT

CROSSWORD CANADIAN CRISS-CROSS

© WALTER D. FEENER 2013

1. Father of Confederation 2. Doing nothing 3. Self-esteem 4. Distance downwards 5. Pretentious people 6. Mixture of wonder and dread 7. Competes 8. Flag indicating nationality 9. Uses up all the credit on a credit card 11. Stared at stars 12. Utter breathlessly 14. Throws water on 17. Metal-bearing mineral 20. Mole relative 21. Handymen on movie sets

24. Mouse catcher A 26. Before now 28. Plant that grows along the ground 30. Carry the weight of 31. Word on a French stop sign 32. Drew an outline of 33. Ocean B 35. All that a person needs 36. Hunt illegally 37. Crosspiece fastened over the necks of oxen 40. Film genre 43. Sound quality 45. Rain heavily 47. Wear and tear 49. Pull behind

SUDOKU ANSWER KEY

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

DOWN 34. Pin worn for Remembrance Day 38. Be incorrect 39. They grow where they are not wanted 41. British washroom 42. Smell ___ 44. Jug handle 45. Mountain top 46. Make up for a loss 48. Simultaneously 50. On edge 51. Form words silently 52. Animal with antlers 53. Crooked

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

ACROSS 1. Going into overtime 5. Do some roadwork 9. Swarming fly 10. Due to be paid 12. Ride a horse fast 13. Playground toy 15. Wheel shaft 16. Place for a ring 18. Amount of space a thing takes up 19. Make sure 20. Gesture of doubt 22. Pick up 23. Mentally prepare 25. Some to-do list items 27. Circle segment 29. John Hancock: abbr.

30. Pounds repeatedly

HOROSCOPES MAY 3 – MAY 9 ARIES March 21–April 19

LEO July 23–August 22

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

You’re going to be smacked in the face by a sudden blast of inspiration this week, Aries. Be sure to make the most of it.

You’ve been striving towards a goal lately, Leo. Good news: some time in the next few days you’ll reach it.

Brace yourself.

Spring has sprung, Sagittarius. So get off your posterior and get out and do something. Active is the name of the game this week.

TAURUS April 20–May 20

VIRGO August 23–September 22

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

You may have a bunch of different people vying for your attention this week, Taurus. Be sure to give as many as you can the time of day.

You’re overdue for a rewarding adventure, dear Virgo. Take a trip with a new friend or allow yourself that mini-vacation.

You may have a difficult time committing to things this week, Capricorn. And good for you. There’ll be plenty of time for that later.

GEMINI May 21–June 20

LIBRA September 23–October 23

AQUARIUS January 20–February 19

A long-lost friend may try to get in contact with you this week, Gemini. So be sure to keep avenues of communication open.

It may be hard, Libra, but try to be enthusiastic in everything you do this week. A little excitement goes a long way.

Stay close to home this week, Aquarius. Something that needs your urgent and utmost attention is bound to spring up.

CANCER June 21–July 22

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

PISCES February 20–March 20

A friend in need is a friend indeed. Remember that this week, Cancer. It may help you make an important decision.

Feeling pulled in a lot of different directions lately, Scorpio?

Rest easy. All the external pressure is about to subside.

It’s time to think outside the box this week, Pisces. A creative solution to a predicament you’re facing could reap untold benefits.

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

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

A

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

B

19 MAY 3 – MAY 9 /VERBREGINA

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