Verb Issue S209 (Sept. 28-Oct. 4, 2012)

Issue #209 – September 28 to october 4

storytelling

+

victor sawa Why classical music isn’t scary jersey boys Nick Cosgrove takes on Frankie Valli Looper + Celeste & Jesse Forever Film reviews ­

with

dragonette

Photo: courtesy of Shervin Lainez

contents

NEWs + Opinion

culture

entertainment

Q + A with Nick Cosgrove

Live Music listings

On Frankie Valli and family. 12 / Q + A

Victor sawa

young empires

Alex finds out about the other side of classical music. 4 / Local

Jake and Alex talk about thefuture of music videos. 13 / Arts

Local music listings for September 28 through October 6. 18 / listings

Looper + Celeste & Jesse forever The latest movie reviews. 20 / Film

verbnews.com @verbsaskatoon facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Gone wilde

Nightlife Photos

Editorial

Actor Joshua Beaudry on The Importance of Being Earnest. 13 / Arts

Patrick and Michelle visit LB5Q & Louis’. 22-25 / Nightlife

ART & Production

behind the uniform

Design Lead / Roberta Barrington Design & Production / Brittney Graham Contributing Photographers / Michelle Berg, Patrick Carley + Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson

Adam talks to the women of the Lingerie Football League. 6 / Local

Business & Operations

no plebiscites

The Woods alehouse

on the bus

They’re ineffective. But we think there’s a better option out there. 8 / Editorial

A new restaurant puts a fun twist on some favourites. 16 / Food + Drink

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 26 / comics

comments

Music

Games & Horoscopes

Here’s what you had to say about the penny tax. 10 / comments

Fountains of Youth, Bob Dylan & Dallas Smith. 17 / music

Canadian criss-cross puzzle, horoscopes, and Sudoku. 27 / timeout

On the cover:

dragonette Alex talks to Martina about making the best music of Dragonette’s career.

Publisher / Parity Publishing Editor in Chief / Ryan Allan Managing Editor / Jessica Patrucco staff Writers / Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson

14 / cover

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

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It’s not that painful Maestro Victor Sawa and the other side of classical music.

by ALEX J MACPHERSON

F

ebruary 9, 1978 dawned bright and clear. As the sun rose, legions of Harvard students armed with shovels set to work. Three days earlier, a vicious storm blanketed most of New England in forty inches of snow.

As the campus slowly came back to life, someone dropped the needle on the final movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and pushed some speakers to the window. Edmund Morris, writing in his excellent biography of the composer, describes the scene: “Nothing was ever so loud, so bright as that C-major fanfare, surging over a blare of trombones with all the force of Old Faithfull…Skiers, shovelers, and plungers stood transfixed. After three great leaps (the last requiring an extra beat to discharge all its sound), the chords subsided, only to gather strength for higher and higher ascents, to the crest of the scale and beyond…”

These are the moments Victor Sawa hopes to create, the moments when the music sweeps across the frozen landscape like spring in a good year. Sawa knows what it feels like to transcend the normal, the banal; he knows what it feels like to ride a towering geyser of music to some other dimension. And now,

he wants to share that experience with you.

Victor Sawa has been the musical director of the Regina Symphony Orchestra since 1997. In late 2010, he took on a similar role with the Saskatoon Symphony; today, he is the face of classical music in Saskatchewan.

But, he explains over breakfast in a Saskatoon café, his long career in music was actually the product of pure chance. “I was in grade eight,” he says. “And I needed another subject. They gave everybody tests, including listening tests. I scored high, like 99 percent, so they said, ‘You’ve got a good ear, why don’t you take up music?’”

Sawa says this very quickly. He speaks in short, clipped sentences, as if ideas are jostling for space, flowing faster than he can get them out. Wearing a sweater, jeans, and sneakers, Sawa looks more like a novelist than a conductor. His profound enthusiasm for classical music is matched, and perhaps exceeded, by his love of pop culture; his paragraphs are peppered with references to pop music, video games, television shows, and films. In fact, Sawa’s introduction to and infatuation with classical music were the product of darker forces than most people expect.

Living in British Columbia in the 1940s, Sawa’s parents were swept up in what became an indelible stain on this country’s record: the internment of Japanese Canadians during the Second World War. They relocated to Montreal’s east end, where Sawa’s father worked as a chef and his mother as a homemaker. But Montreal, where Sawa grew up, was not without bigotry. “In the early days, there was a lot of prejudice in this country,” Sawa says, meaning the 1960s. “But not in music. It seemed like it didn’t matter what you looked like, it mattered how you played. If you were good, you were in.”

Sawa, then learning the clarinet without any real direction, found inspiration in the concert hall. “By October or November [of grade eight], the Montreal Symphony was offering concerts on Saturday for a buck,” he says. “So I thought, ‘Why not? I’ve never been to one before, never heard classical music outside Fantasia and Looney Tunes.’ So I went to a concert and that was it — I was floored. I wanted to be the dude with the stick.” The one piece he remembers is Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

It was a life-changing experience.

To his parents’ horror, Sawa enrolled in the Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal. Unlike his contemporaries, some of whom had been playing for Continued on next page »

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Maestro Victor Sawa works to make classical music popular with the people. Photos courtesy of Merrissa Karmark

years, Sawa was a beginner. He had grown up on pop music; his parents didn’t keep classical records in the house. He started at the bottom, but hard work paid off; he went on to study at McGill and the New England Conservatory of Music. He played with the New England Ragtime Ensemble, performed at the White House, and won a Grammy.

Sawa came back to Canada in 1973, and a successful audition landed him the principal clarinet chair with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. He also worked with the North Bay Symphony and the Guelph Youth Orchestra. Everything changed in 1985, when a botched

says. “This massive wall of sound coming at you, that’s what does it.”

Today, Sawa is an extremely proficient conductor. Watching him conduct is like watching wind bite into a forest — he sways with the music, leans into it. But conducting Mahler and Beethoven is not Sawa’s greatest accomplishment; his greatest accomplishment is bringing Mahler and Beethoven to the people.

Classical can be intimidating.

Some experts scorn beginners, people who want nothing more than an evening of entertainment.

Sawa scoffs at this. “Snobbery is

It’s not a root canal. Don’t worry: it’s not that painful.

Victor sawa

dental procedure left him without feeling in the left side of his lower jaw. “I started practicing [clarinet] again, thinking I could do it, but conducting became more of a reality,” he says. In 1986, Sawa began at the Pierre Monteux School for Conductors in Maine.

When asked why he loves conducting, Sawa struggles to frame a reply. “It’s phenomenal,” he finally

another form of prejudice,” he says.

“I thought if I ever make it in this field, that’s the last thing I’m going to do.” Like Leonard Bernstein, who conducted the New York Philharmonic, wrote Broadway musicals and partied all night, Sawa is a populist.

“Except,” he laughs, “I have no cape.

Bernstein had a cape.”

“It’s like a great novel,” he says of classical music’s broad appeal.

“You can read it on many levels. Don Quixote is the perfect example. They say you read it in your youth because it’s a story, you read it in your middle age because you’re starting to understand, and you read it in your old age for the wisdom. Great art, great literature, great music — it’s the same thing. It’s totally satisfying on every single level.”

Ultimately, Sawa appreciates good art. In a single sentence he will reference Dvořák and the Beatles; he’s read Balzac, but he’s intimately familiar with Rowling, too. His enthusiasm is contagious, and it has done wonders to popularize classical music in Saskatchewan. By recruiting pop artists, conducting dozens of movie scores, and attracting dynamic young performers, Sawa has blurred the line between genres. It’s simple, really. All Sawa wants to do is share the things he loves.

And while he still harbours dreams of moving to New York and conducting opera, Sawa knows that he can make a difference in Saskatchewan, if only by showing people how it feels to ride a tidal wave of sound and joy. After thinking for a moment, he says: “It’s not a root canal. Don’t worry: it’s not that painful.”

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Altering perceptions

The women of the Lingerie Football League aren’t just eye candy, they can play football, too. Really well. by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he first time Ashley Richter put on her uniform, she paused.

“Oh my goodness,” she thought, “This is it? This is what we’re wearing?” What she was referring to was a green bikini with white lace frills.

Why she was wearing it, well, that’s the question a lot of people ask.

See, Richter is a rookie wide receiver for the Regina Rage of the Lingerie Football League. And what a lot of people want to know, a lot of people who have never seen an LFL game before, is why someone would dress in glorified lingerie to play football.

“Because it’s empowering,” says Richter. “For all the troubles and tough times women have had in the past, it’s nice to be able to do what I want to do. To put myself on display along with all these other girls to show that we’re strong. What better

way to show you’re strong than to show the world your ripped-up abs or bulging biceps, then go out there and really hit somebody?”

Richter pauses for a moment, then says, “It’s really nice to have that choice.”

And therein lies the crux of it all. This is a choice. These women choose to play in the LFL of their own accord because they want to.

And the reward they get for making this choice, for being bold and doing what they want, isn’t mounds of money or worldwide fame. The reward comes when these athletes open peoples’ eyes and change their minds.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most is when fans come up to you after the game and say, ‘I came to see pretty girls run around in underwear, but I ended up actually watching a football game,” explains

Richter. “To see the shock on their face and change their perceptions, that’s rewarding.”

Heather Furr knows precisely what that’s like. As an LFL veteran, the Saskatoon Sirens’ running back has shocked some people, helped change perceptions, and has fielded her fair share of “lingerie” questions over the years.

Her answer to those queries is direct and straight to the point.

“First … I didn’t choose what we wear, but now after playing in it I can’t imagine having a different uniform,” she tells you.

“And second, we play real, sevenon-seven tackle football. The lingerie brings people there and the football brings them back. So many times I’ve heard ‘Wow, you really hit!’ I just think to myself, ‘Yeah … I know.’”

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Photos: courtesy of joe petro

Now in her third season in the league, Furr knows what it’s like to get hit so hard that bruises build on top of bruises, on top of sprains and strains and an overall achiness.

She also knows what it’s like to get seriously injured in the LFL.

On the fourth play of the game Furr’s season came to an abrupt end.

“I scored a touchdown and went down,” she remembers. “My knee had gotten turned inside out, it felt like. I suffered a partially torn ACL, PCL, had posterior capsule damage

The lingerie brings people there and the football brings them back. heather furr

It happened during her rookie season. Back then the Illinois native was playing with her hometown team, the Chicago Bliss. Things were going well; they’d finished the season 3-1 and were up against the Los Angeles Temptation in the first round of the playoffs.

and probably everything else you can think of.”

The road to recovery was long and hard, filled with countless hours spent in rehab and a few tears. But, like most of the women in the LFL, Furr is tough. She’s persistent, resilient and strong-willed.

Soon enough, Furr was fully recovered. And if the first two games of this season are any indication, her knee is A-okay. So okay, in fact, that Furr currently sits fifth in the league in rushing yards, is averaging 7.1 yards a carry (more than any of the other top rushers), is fourth in receiving yards and third in interceptions.

She’ll be looking to add to those totals next week when Saskatoon hosts Regina.

Ask anyone in Canada what the best football province in Canada is, and chances are people will tell you “Saskatchewan.”

Sure, football is widely played and loved in other provinces, but here it’s a different beast altogether.

People bleed green and white. Rider pride is a birthright. Here, the roots of football run long and deep.

So it seems logical that when the LFL expanded to Canada this year that half the teams would be based in Saskatchewan.

What’s more, it made perfect sense to end the regular season with a home-and-home stand between Regina and Saskatoon. What better way to build rivalry and bring new fans into the equation?

“These two games aren’t just a battle of two LFL Canada teams,” says Furr, who is flown in from Illinois for games. “It’s a battle of Saskatchewan!”

The kind of battle that Ashley Richter, a proud Regina girl, is looking forward to.

“I’m so excited,” says Richter. “I can’t wait to see the crowd. Having

our two teams meet up in October is going to take what we’ve been trying to do here in Regina [and in Saskatoon] and really bring it to the province.”

Ultimately, what the LFL is trying to do — along with building a strong fan base, of course — is change people’s minds. Alter their perceptions. Show everybody that, instead of being a bastion of “pernicious objectification,” the LFL is a real league, where real, rock-’em-sock-’em football is played — and played well.

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Change we can believe in Why we don’t think plebiscites are a good way to go. by the editors of Verb

A

plebiscite, according to the Oxford dictionary, is “the direct vote of all the members of an electorate on an important public question.”

The only reason we bring this up is because in last week’s anti-penny tax editorial, we mentioned the idea that, should that tariff become law, it could possibly lead to referendums (ie. plebiscites) on various projects.

And we are not fans of that idea.

In fact, we feel that direct, representative democracy — while decent, just and equitable in theory — probably isn’t in our best interests. Now, that’s not to say that we all shouldn’t participate in the politics of our respective communities, nor that we shouldn’t educate ourselves on the issues that affect us. But what we are saying is that plebiscites are simply not the way to go about it.

Consider this: if you are of the esteem (and some of you out there are) that governments are bad now, imagine how bad it would become if each person had his or her say on every last, single issue put forth?

Think about the squawking and

jockeying. Think about the threat of herd mentality, the ineffectiveness, the wild inefficiency.

“Democracy,” H.L. Mencken once wrote, “is the pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance.” Individual ignorance, that’s the ticket. That’s what makes plebiscites and referendums and participatory democracy so darn risky. Now don’t get us wrong, we’re not using ignorance in a derogatory, all-encompassing sense. Not at all.

You, dear reader, are intelligent and socially responsible and politically savvy. But the thing is, not everyone is like you. There are people out there — a good many people, in fact — who aren’t politically aware.

They aren’t educated on the issues — politics may not interest them, or they’re more go-with-the-flow individuals, or they could simply be apathetic. There’s also the individuals who want consultation on every last little thing, or those who refuse to learn the ins and outs of an issue, relying instead on second-hand knowledge they picked up around the way or their own personal under-

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researched, over-ideological views.

Combine all this with a fickle public opinion and, well, things could really go south in a big damn hurry if pure democracy ever came to our city.

Because no matter which way you slice it, decisions made by an uninformed electorate may be democratic (there’s no disputing that), but they’re not always decent, and they can do more damage than good. That’s why we elect politicians to represent us. It’s their job to be informed on all matters. It’s their job to keep their constituents’ concerns in mind, to be educated on the complex, inner workings of government, even— from time to time — to make decisions that are unpopular with the majority because, in their esteem, it’s for the better of the community.

And yes, like you good reader, we too bemoan the ever-weakening role of individual citizens in the political process. We detest that, at times, it feels like we’re being tossed into the flotsam and jetsam of political boondoggling. But here’s the thing: there’s something we can do about it.

Something that doesn’t require a plebiscite.

You see, on a municipal level, city council is open to the public. If you have an issue and/or want to get more involved in the process, attend council meetings. Initiate debate.

Talk to councillors. If you feel really strongly about something and feel an absolute change is necessary, mobilize a bunch of like-minded citizens and march on City Hall. Get council’s attention and inspire change.

But if you don’t want to do that, well, how about we leave the politicians to do their thing on our behalf. Are they infallible? Certainly not. Do some of them make terrible decisions? Sure they do. Are certain politicians corrupt, power-hungry rascals who operate in their own self interest? You bet. But that’s why we need recall provisions — where an elected official can be removed from office before the end of term through a direct vote — to get rid of the cheating, conniving, bat-crap crazy politicos we elect.

We think that’s a much better solution than simply transforming our society into a flat-out direct democracy. And if you disagree, that’s fine.

We all see the world differently and want different things.

But if you’re hellbent on plebiscites and pure democracy, just remember this other quote from Mencken: “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.”

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On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about the idea of a penny tax. Here's what you had to say:

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372

– We are taxed enough remember elections coming up new maYor should put money for more infrastructure roads

SOUND OFF

– Look taxes aren’t fun, we all get that, but I think having a specific fund set aside only for infrastructure makes total sense, and would be something I would support, should it come to a vote.

– ...She hand’s me her cell phone says it’s my dad.... Man this ain’t my dad! This is a cell phone!!!! I THREW IT ON THE GROUND!!!!!!

– Right so every time before Harper didn’t mean to make any mistakes with money, but this time if we just give him a teeny bit more everything will be all right.

OFF TOPIC – I enjoyed reading people freaking out over the ‘holy crap article more then reading the article itself. Settle down people. The verb is right and you know it.

In response to “Holy crap,” Editorial page,

– Firing your Legal Aid lawyer to defend yourself is DOWNtown!

– Preferred old Verb format better.

Looks like your trying to compete with Metro. I like your niche with small info bytes - more arts stuff.

– People whine to no end EVERY SINGLE TIME Facebook changes it’s layout, explaining ad nauseum how the new version is so much worse than the last…yet nobody would ever go back to the very first version if they could. Based on this info, I’m going to say that Verb’s new layout is a success, if for no other reason than people are wining about it.

– Good Luck Verb i still love you!

– The damn thing is so boring you cant find anything to read!;-> – Don’t get the commenters who say there’s nothing to read. Not as many stories but longer, more in depth material. I don’t really love the verb but I appreciate the direction you’re trying.

– QUACK QUACK QUACK! Any Big Brother fan will get this!

Go Ian!

– Lets face it. Christian Fundamentalists who cling to strict I.D. doctrine just aren’t as evolved as the rest of us.

– Great sodoku is back. Why so many mistakes? Its hard to complete.

#207 (September 14, 2012)

– Churches like any charity should be tax exempt. How would you like money you’ve donated going to taxes rather than for the cause or faith you support? Gov. already gets its cut with corporate and personal income taxes. Its also ironic that this article was published in the same issue as the article about the struggles of Hands on Street Ministries.

In response to “Holy crap,” Editorial page,

– It really is funny how this weeks Verb has got the Sudoko in it.. after so many complained about it being gone. What’s the deal with it?

– Like the other person says the new verb sucks also too many ads not enough stories!;-(

– I used to enjoy reading Verb on the toilet...now its only good for toilet paper. New Verb sucks!

#207 (September 14, 2012)

– I AINT missing you since you’ve been gone away i AINT missing you at all ! N0 matter...

– To all the gay lesbian and transgender people be proud of who you are don’t let anybody bring you down God loves all his children!

– So excited for Breakout west gonna check out as many shows as I can!!!!

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– Heaven God Allah help any pocket of racially ethnically whatever “pure” people in the face of the cosmopolitan leviathian thats breeding across the planet!

– I see the RPS step over the line quite a lot. They’re arrogant cops.

I’d go after em for it. Got pics vid.

But I’m satisfied knowing how punk ass they are.

– Be the positive change that you wish to see in the world.

– I moved back to Saskatoon after being away for over 23 years. I have one question? Since when has it become legal to make a “U turn” at a controlled intersection… …I have never witnessed so many illegal U turns in all my life!

WOW………

– With all these hefty taxes, its hard to see how saskatoon can stay a boom town. Renters costs keep rising along with property taxes and the new residents can hardly afford to live anywhere.

More taxes are just going to drive new residents such as myself away. It makes me miss Alberta!

expensive car, then trick it out all ridiculous and make it look like Xzibit threw up all over it. They’re loud and ugly and scream insecurity. What an incredible waste of money!!!

– Saw you guys down at Parking Day, nice to meet you and see the people behind the Verb! (I had a dog with me and you gave me a paper - thanks!)

– LOL AND SHE’S OUTTA HERE! Bye E

– I understand body art is a form of self expression, and I’m all for individuals doing to themselves whatever they want, but do you ever stop to wonder what they’re going to look like when they’re 87 lol can’t picture my baba with a nose ring and arm tats

– Just wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe return to campus!

Let’s all take care of each other and keep and eye out and remember you can have someone walk you to ur car or bus if ur there late at night. I used this service all the time last year and was surprised it wasn’t more popular. Check them out, very friendly and helpful!

– News report last night. Chili for Children turning away hungry kids in North Central Regina.

Poverty is on the rise. In the middle of a so called boom. Loser Society!

Nothing but greedy selfish losers!

Nobody went hungry, least of all children, when the aboriginal chiefs rules this land!

– Talking over ideas is one thing, but implementing them is another entirely. Dialogue definitely has its place and is important, but implementing protocol/rules is another entirely, if individual experiences are also not considered.

– What’s with the consumer choice award all these businesses are ‘winning’ lately? There’s no way some of these winners are really Saskatoons consumers choice total marketing scam!

– Hi, just wanted to say no matter which candidate you vote for, it’s important to get out there and participate in the next municipal election. Your voice counts, so cast your ballot!

someone sends in a text riddled with in appropriate language etc?

– There is always hope. Never forget that. Love you Ash :)

– Happy birthday to my beautiful man Huxley. Love you babe! xo

– Why in the world would someone want to buy a hideously

– Do you guys really print everything verbatim? What happens if

– To continue or to break away and pursue something new?

– There needs to be more crosswalks with stop lights along 22nd it’s impossible to get across there cars zoom along and people end up jaywalking. So unsafe!

Next week: What do you think about our view of plebiscites? Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation.

We print your texts verbatim each week. Text in your thoughts and reactions to our stories and content, or anything else on your mind.

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Photos: courtesy of Joan marcus

Jersey Boy

Nick Cosgrove takes on the role of Frankie Valli. by Alex J MacPherson

J

ersey Boys is a story about music. It is a story about family. It is a story about underdogs, battered from years on the streets of New Jersey, who fulfilled their wildest dreams. It is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, one of the finest pop acts of our time — four kids from Jersey who had a dream. It’s not much different for Nick Cosgrove, who stars as Frankie in the show. A Chicago native, Cosgrove spent years pursuing the role; now, he’s in it, lighting up stages across North America with some of the most iconic songs of the twentieth century. I caught up with Cosgrove to talk about pop music, playing a legend, and the importance of family.

Alex J MacPherson: You’re a young guy. Were you familiar with the Four Seasons before you landed the Frankie role?

NC: I grew up singing. I sang in church and started doing theatre in fifth grade. I had been doing theatre and I knew that I was probably going to go into it, but I had yet to see a show and be inspired to the point where I was like, ‘I want to to do that.

I want to train to be Frankie Valli.

It’s an honour, but yes, it’s very scary.

You want to do this music justice and you want to tell this story as honestly as you can.

AJM: Going back to the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, why do you think it still resonates so strongly today?

NC: I can get emotional about it a little bit, but the reason I do theatre is to inspire, to teach. Truthfully?

This show is about family, what you as an individual define as family.

For Frankie, family was these four guys being together and the sound that they created, and I feel that

NC: I think what’s really interesting is that a lot of these songs, people have done covers of — like Lauryn Hill do-

AJM: Given the weight of this story, what does it mean to you to be a part of it?

For Frankie, family was these four guys … and the sound they created…

Nick cosgrove

Nick Cosgrove: I grew up listening to this music. Although I am very young, my mom wouldn’t let me listen to anything but Oldies 104.3.

Growing up, I was surrounded by Frank Sinatra and Etta James and Stevie Wonder and a lot of Motown music. When I first saw the show, I was 17, a junior in high school. I was like, ‘Crap, Holy Moly, I want to be a part of this show.

ing “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.” A lot of this music, it’s very much surrounding you and you don’t even know it. People come and see the show and they hear song after song and they go, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t know the Four Seasons wrote that.’ It has such memorable melodies, I feel like the beat and rhythms of the song just get into your body.

AJM: Were you involved in theatre at that point, or did Jersey Boys get the ball rolling?

NC: There’s very much a responsibility on your shoulders, of course, to be playing someone who is still alive.

AJM: What is it like playing Frankie Valli, who is still alive?

with all of the ugliness in the world — wars, everything else going on — people don’t band together enough anymore. I feel like this show on a human level has a chance to bring people back together.

Jersey Boys Sept 26 - Oct 13 @ tcutickets.ca $48+ @ TCU Box Office

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White Doves

Young Empires’ new single is changing the way we think.

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usic videos aren’t what they used to be. They are still produced, of course, but the realities of the Internet mean watching a video entails finding it first. Audiences are dwindling because it takes a certain amount of energy to seek them out. Now, though, a rock band from Toronto is changing the way we think about the form.

Young Empires are a relatively new band. Their debut EP, Wake All My Youth — a collection of songs that blends conventional pop structures with elements of world music and DJ culture into a deeply compelling symphony of sound — is less than a year old. On its own, Wake All My Youth is a solid record. But the second single, “White Doves,” is threatening to change everything.

“We just had this grandiose idea of making something interactive and brand new,” says Jake Palahnuk, who plays bass in the band. “We sat and brainstormed around multiple beers on the patio for a long time, and came up with this concept of integrating

by alex J MacPherson

your Facebook profile, to really make you feel that your memories are being burned.”

To watch the video for “White Doves,” you need a Facebook profile.

I don’t have one, so I borrowed one from my colleague, Adam Hawboldt.

We watched as his photographs appeared in the video — in the characters’ hands, posted on the wall, flying through the air.

Attempting to describe the video, which was directed by Miles Jay, except in the most general terms is futile. Each rendition is different, contingent on a new set of memories and moments, a new set of photographs.

But watching it is a mesmerizing experience. It is engaging because it is personal; no one else has the same experience. The video for “White Doves” promises to change the way people think about music videos — and that’s a rare thing.

“It was really ambitious,” Palahnuk laughs. “There were a lot of points where we thought we’re just not going to be able to pull this off. And I think a lot of people doubted us.”

Photo: courtesy of David pike

Today, though, Palahnuk is excited about what the future holds for his band, especially considering his aversion to labels and identifiers — the norm in a classification-obsessed business. “It’s been a little bit difficult for us now that we’ve had some label successes and commercial successes — hearing our songs on the radio,” he says. “I never imagined that this band would be on the radio.”

But here’s the thing: if you ignore what people tell you to do, the way people have always done it, anything is possible. And I think Young Empires know that.

Young Empires October 5 @ The Odeon Events Centre $22.50+ @ theodeoneventcentre.ca

Gone Wilde

The importance of The Importance of Being Earnest. by alex J MacPherson

S

ubtitled A Trivial Comedy for Serious People, Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest is, even today, one of the most popular plays in the canon.

First performed in February 1895, Wilde’s masterpiece is a devastating satire of Victorian life that remains relevant today because its themes are universal: the excesses of the rich, the nature of marriage, and the importance of sincerity.

Tracing the stories of Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, a pair of wealthy gentleman who invent alter egos — both dissolute men named Ernest — to escape obligation and behave in ways unbecoming a Victorian, The Importance of Being Earnest becomes a farce when a weekend of

wooing becomes a collision of identities. What began as simple deception becomes a deeply involved saga of make-believe, cucumber sandwiches and witty banter when the curtain starts to rise on their duplicity.

“It’s pretty interesting to get the opportunity to do a classic like this,” says Joshua Beaudry, pointing out that his character, a debt collector named Mr. Gribsby, is not in most adaptations of the play. “I think it adds a little bit more perspective on who these people are: they’re just going through life, amassing credit, with no thought to ever paying that off.

What their contribution to society is doesn’t really apply to them; they’re mostly just concerned with themselves and their own trivial lives.”

Beaudry, a Saskatoon-based actor, thinks the play is important today because its prominent themes — idleness and earnestness — are still relevant. Plus, he adds, “I think we can take pleasure in their folly.

I’m sure everybody can find an example of someone in their life who they think is getting away with doing very little.”

On the play’s other prominent theme, the balance between seriousness and triviality, Beaudry just laughs. “I think their whole being is triviality, so it’s a little bit out of whack. I don’t want to give too many witticisms away, but it’s a matter of treating all things trivial with a degree of seriousness and all things serious with a degree of triviality.”

“I think a dose of that is probably alright,” he adds.

The Importance of Being Earnest Now ‘til Oct 7 @ Remai Arts Centre $26+ @ Persephone Box Office

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Let it go

Dragonette make the best music of their career. by Alex J MacPherson

M

aking decisions is hard. Making important decisions is really hard. And making decisions that affect the way thousands of people perceive you is all but impossible. Just ask Martina Sorbara.

“I think it’s ultimately a little bit of a failure to commit to a single sound,” Sorbara muses. “Our attraction to so many different kinds of music makes us write songs that go all over the place, and it might even be a bit to our detriment. Maybe it confuses people, but for us it’s about having fun and following wherever a song takes us.”

Sorbara is the lead vocalist in Dragonette, a band from Toronto that blurs the line between conventional rock and progressive, danceable electro. Born from a collaboration between Sorbara and Dan Kurtz, Dragonette has evolved into a staple of the live dance scene — music that blends elements of rock and pop with loops and samples, hallmarks of electro-pop. But while some have applauded the band for trying new sounds, experiments that invari-

ably result in singles crackling with energy and excitement, Sorbara isn’t sure it’s a great idea.

“I know there are people who work with us, in our peripheries, that subtly or not so subtly are like, ‘maybe you should rein it in a bit,’” she explains. “But I don’t think that’s what we’re good at. We’re

unpredictable. But Sorbara’s voice links disparate songs together.

“The bottom line is that there’s one storyteller — my voice and my lyrics are one of the constants through it. You know that it’s all coming from the same person. And then with Dan and Joel [Stouffer], even if we find ourselves in some other fan-

I would hope that people are listening to the content, what’s inside the songs, and realize that there are personal stories… martina sorbara

not good at committing to one sound and being like, ‘Okay, here’s our dance record.’”

And they are richer for it.

Dragonette’s sound slides between high-energy dance pop and gritty electro, sounds so raw and heavy they feel like a kick in the gut.

This approach wouldn’t work for most bands. It’s too fragmented, too

tasyland of music, it’s coming from the same fingertips.”

This is important because, in many ways, Sorbara and Kurtz work more like conventional singer-songwriters than electro-pop dervishes.

Their performances are impeccable, of course, and Dragonette is a dynamic and exciting group of musicians to watch, but their songs Continued on next page »

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Photo: courtesy of the KRISTIN VICARI

display a talent that is absent in so much pop music — a talent that makes Dragonette appealing to so many people.

“I would hope that people are listening to the content, what’s inside the songs, and realize that there are personal stories,” Sorbara muses, “and hopefully stuff people

Photo: courtesy of the artist

can relate to beyond just beats and synthesizers and pulsing pads,” Sorbara’s lyrics wander between a brash exuberance for living and a deep, nihilistic despair. But while her songs run the gamut of emotion, they are universal enough to let listeners paste their own stories inside, which is precisely what she wants. “To me, that’s what I like about being in this

band,” Sorbara says. “Being able to mix essentially a folky singer-songwriter backdrop of lyrics and stories in the more dance-y elements.”

And speaking of dancing, Dragonette is a band that should be seen live. Sorbara, Kurtz, and Stouffer carry their audiences to the edge of control, that ineffable moment when reason gives way to passion. They hold them over the edge, suspended between fantasy and reality, their only safety line the rhythmic pulse of the music.

“I think I want them to be maybe a bit worn out from dancing,” Sorbara laughs when asked what she hopes audiences take away from the band’s performances. Another thing audiences will be able to experience is a slew of new songs. Sorbara says the band is working on a new record which will echo the themes in their current single, the fantastically danceable “Let It Go.” “There’s a lot of darkness,” she muses, “in dance music and in pop music. It’s all about getting crunked up or something, I don’t even know.

I was just thinking a lot about a

daytime, sunshine-y, in the meadows version of dance pop music.”

“I’ve had enough of that picture,” she continues. “I’ve had enough of this dark club scene image that’s being presented everywhere in music.

I just felt like this style, this whole genre, can live in different places and have sunshine in it, and outdoor green grass, meadow — taking the dance music out to the meadow is how I was thinking about it.”

And though meadows and sunshine may be absent this fall, as Sorbara and Kurtz take their latest record on the road, it doesn’t really matter: even if it’s cold and rainy, the music will transport you.

Dragonette October 5 @ The Odeon Events Centre $22.50+ @ Odeon Box Office Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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Photo: Courtesy of Adam hawboldt

INTO THE WOODS

A new alehouse brings a twist to some of your favourite dishes. by adam hawboldt

Y

ou can learn a lot talking to Steve Cavan.

For example, you may learn one of the beers at the Paddock Wood brewery is named after Yasigi, an African goddess of beer, dancing and masks. Or that before he founded the first and only craft brewery in Saskatchewan, Cavan earned two graduate degrees.

Also, if you listen very closely and have a good ear for languages, you could possibly learn the first line of Homer’s The Odyssey — in ancient Greek, no less.

Any way you slice it, Steve Cavan is a fascinating man who a) makes some pretty darn good beer, and b) just opened up a restaurant downtown on 2nd avenue that you’d be advised to check out. Like, statim.

And even though the Woods Alehouse won’t have its official grand opening until sometime in October, it doesn’t matter. The establishment is currently open and currently putting an interesting (and delicious) spin on pub/bistro grub.

Sitting in the Woods at lunchtime late last week, the wooden ceiling going way up into the air above me, the first thing I noticed about the place was the menu. Sure, there was a cheese plate in the appetizers section. Sure, there was a soup of the day, caesar salad and fish. But for every item you’d expect to see on

[T]here were two or three dishes … that took me … by surprise. adam hawboldt

a menu at your average ale house, there were two or three dishes at the Woods that took me completely by surprise.

For instance, how about the Duck Confit Mac n’ Cheese? Don’t see that in ale houses every day, do you?

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide THE CINCINNATI LUNCHBOX

Ingredients

This cocktail is reminiscent of the Monaco, so if you’re in the mood for a fruity drink on the morning after, why not give The Cincinnati Lunchbox a try. Not only does it have an awesome name, it also hits the spot.

6 oz. orange juice 6 oz. Beer pilsner or lager 1 oz. Amaretto

The same goes for the Red Hammer Veal Shank, served with broccolini all over a bed of rosemary gnocchi. With so many appetizing and delectable looking dishes to choose from, I hemmed and hawed for more than a few minutes before settling on eating a sandwich and sandwich, and an appetizer.

For the starter, I ordered the Saffron Arancini. What, you may be wondering, is arancini? Well, at the Woods it’s a dish of three risotto balls stuffed with saffron, pepper and cheese, which are then baked in tomato sauce and parmesan cheese, and topped with basil. Crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, these were downright ambrosial.

So too was the dutch mustard soup. What secret ingredients went into making this, I have no idea.

There was mustard in there, something hot, some pancetta, something sweet. Oh hell, I don’t know. All I know is the dutch mustard soup at the Woods is outstanding.

Last but most definitely not least, the pulled lamb sandwich. Moist and tender from being braised overnight, the lamb is served on a sourdough bun with mint and mustard aioli.

And, simply put, it’s incredible.

So head on down and check out the latest in Saskatoon dining. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

The Woods Alehouse 148 2nd Ave N | (306) 652 5883

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

Directions

Start with a cool pilsner or lager. Fill a chilled beer glass three quarters full.

Top it off with some freshly squeezed orange juice, then add a shot of Amaretto liqueur. Garnish with an orange wheel and cherry, and enjoy.

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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Next Week

coming up

Fountains of Youth

Bob Dylan

Dallas Smith

@ The Bassment Friday, OCtober 5 – $10/14

@ Credit Union Centre Monday, October 8 – $52.50+

@ The Odeon events centre Monday, November 19 – $20+

Comprised of Paul Kuzbik, Finn Day-Wiggins, Jesse Dawson and Roger Mercier, this local four-piece plays a catchy, infectious blend of rock, blues, jazz, soul and psychedelic jams. On their debut album, Flood Season, the band combines thick grooves, twinkling keys and big, impressive guitar licks with soaring vocals to take the listener on a sweeping musical journey. Not only are their songs catchy with deep, polished lyrics, but the Fountains of Youth also put on one heck of a live show. So if you like a little funky laid-back music, if you like excellent guitar playing and introspective songs, you should probably head to The Bassment in early October and give these guys a listen. You won’t regret it.

Simply put, the man formerly known as Robert Allen Zimmerman is a living legend. A giant in the history of American music who stomped the terra to the beat of his own drummer. One of the most important cultural figures alive, and one of the finest poets of the 20th century. Bob Dylan’s body of work, which spans five decades, includes classics like “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Like a Rolling Stone,” “Tangled Up in Blue” and oh so many more. And now he’s heading back on tour to promote his 35th studio album, Tempest. He’ll be stopping in Saskatoon in early October to grace the Credit Union Centre with his legendary presence, and to put on a show that’s definitely worth catching. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.

For a decade or so, Dallas Smith was the lead singer of the post-grunge/alt-rock band, Default. From 2001 to 2010, Smith and his bandmates pumped out hits like “Wasting My Time,” “Deny” and “Count on Me.” These days, however, Smith — who hails from Langley — has taken his musical talents in a new direction.

Having grown up in a house where country music played alongside classic rock, Smith decided to try his hand at the former. Earlier this year he released his first solo country album, Jumped Right In. For the former Default frontman, country music has always been about the “special combination of voice and song,” a combination that immediately stands out on his new record. He’s on tour this autumn with Chad Brownlee.

– By Adam Hawboldt

Photos courtesy of: the artist / the artist / the artist

Sask music Preview Dallas Boyer is one of many Saskatchewan artists nominated for an Aboriginal Peoples’ Choice Award this year. The 22-year-old Metis man from Saskatoon began playing the fiddle when he was nearly nine years old, and has learned from the likes of John Arcand and Lenny Dumont. His album, Metis Fiddle Music, is nominated for album of the year.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

Photo: courtesy of the artist

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september 28 » october 6 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

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Friday 28

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover The Moas, Bend Sinister, Pandas in Japan / Amigos Cantina — Come on down and check out three awesome acts perform at the CFCR-FM Phasis Show.

10pm / Cover $5 Piano Fridays: Saskatoon Symphony / The Bassment — Come take in some smooth jazz stylings. 4:30pm / No cover Rock & Blues Series: Anderson Burko / The Bassment — With a stage full of instruments and a briefcase full of original songs, this local act puts on a terrific show. 9pm / Cover $12/16 Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday night.

9pm / $5 cover Big Dave McLean / Buds on Broadway — This bluesman from Yorkton combines gravelly vocals with masterful guitar.

10pm / Cover $6 Rush / Credit Union Centre -The Beatles and the Rolling Stones are the only two rock bands to have more consecutive gold/platinum studio albums than these rockers from Toronto. 7:30pm / Tickets $40.25–117 (www.ticketmaster.ca) Breach of Trust, Thresh, Capitoline Escape / The Fez on Broadway — Three solid acts, one great show. Come check it out. 9pm / Cover $10 DJ Eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Able to rock any party, this local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. He’s sure to have you on the dance floor in no time. 9pm / $5 cover DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country

rock party around. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Ian Martens / Prairie Ink — Come out and listen to some excellent acoustic folk/rock. 8pm / No cover Elvis show and dance, with special guest England / Royal Canadian Legion, Nutana branch — Come out to take a step back into the past with the King. 8:30pm / $10 in advance (McNally Robinson bookstore or the Legion).

Earnest Ernie’s Pan Fried Blues / Somewhere Else Pub — Come out and enjoy some low-down blues jams. 9pm / No cover Rob Turner / Stan’s Place — Come out for a night of good, down-home local music. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests. 10pm / $5 cover Albert & Dislexik / Tequila Nightclub — A night of hot tunes!

Summer Brothers, Great Aunt Ida / Vangelis — Two solid acts, one great night of music.10pm / $5 cover Little Birdie / The Woods Alehouse — Good music, good beer … what more can you ask for? 8pm / $5 (includes a free pint)

Saturday 29

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes all night. 9pm / No cover SAVS, The Wizards, Pearson / Amigos Cantina — Three sound acts take to the stage for the CFCR FMPhasis Show.

10pm / Cover $5 Guitar Series: The Three Guitarists / The Bassment — Featuring Kris Craig, Richard Haubrich and Rich McFarlane, this show threatens to be all kinds of good. 9pm / $12/$16 Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Austen Roadz throws down a highenergy top 40 dance party along with DJ CTRL every Saturday night. 9pm / $5 cover Big Dave McLean / Buds on Broadway — A bluesman from Yorkton. 10pm / Cover $6

Destrier, Thrakken, Fairwell Mr. Chips, Question of Authority / The Fez — A heavy night of hella-good music. 10pm / Cover TBD DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes.

8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Able to rock any party, this local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. He’s sure to have you on the dance floor in no time. 9pm / $5 cover Sean Burns Trio / Lydia’s Pub — With a sound that echoes Blue Rodeo and Tom Petty, this trio from Ontario play with style. 9pm / Cover $5 LIFTED / Lydia’s Pub — Like good DJs? Come to Lydia’s upstairs loft for this back to school kick off party. 9pm / Cover $5 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 Wayne Bargen / Prairie Ink — A fingerstyle acoustic guitar player with loads of original songs. 8pm / No cover Earnest Ernie’s Pan Fried Blues / Somewhere Else Pub — Come out and enjoy some low-down blues jams.. 9pm, Somewhere Else Pub. No cover. 9pm / No cover Rob Turner / Stan’s Place — Come out for a night of good, down-home local music. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to Lady Gaga. 10pm / $5 Bass InvadRush ers, The Whiskey Jerks / Vangelis — Come out for a funky night of local music. 10pm / $5 cover Troy Hudson and Liz / The Woods Alehouse — A local folk act you don’t want to miss. 8pm / $5 (includes a free pint) courtesy of the artist

Sunday 30

Transit, Immaculate, Rational, The Intelligentleman & more / Amigos Cantina — With this much talent, how can this show be anything but awesome?

10pm / Tickets available at the door Industry Night / Béily’s UltraLounge — Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy; this crowd Continued on next page »

18 Sept 28 – oct 4 entertainment

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favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff DJ KADE / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover SUNDAY JAM / Vangelis Tavern — The Vangelis Sunday Jam is an institution, offering great tunes from blues to rock and beyond. 7:30pm / No cover

Monday 1

Tom Savage Trio / Buds on Broadway — An Ontario trio that plays infectious country rock.10pm / Cover $6 Metal Mondays / Lydia’s Pub — If hard, heavy awesomeness is your thing, swing by, listen to some killer music and get in on some concert giveaways. 9pm Kathleen Edwards / Broadway Theatre — With the voice of an angel, this singer/ songwriter is making waves in the music industry. 7:30pm / SOLD OUT Carrie Underwood / Credit Union Centre — Don’t miss this star of the country music scene when she rolls into town.

7:30pm / Tickets $58.25+ (Ticketmaster)

Tuesday 2

Rococode / Amigos Cantina — This band from Vancouver plays excellent arty pop rock. 10pm / Tickets available at the door Tom Savage Trio / Buds on Broadway — An Ontario trio that plays infectious country rock.10pm / Cover $6 DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Double Deuce — Able to rock any party, this crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9:30pm / $4 cover VERB PRESENTS OPEN STAGE / Lydia’s Pub — The open stage at Lydia’s has hosted many of Saskatoon’s finest performers, and is a chance for bands, solo artists and even comedians to showcase original material. 9pm / No cover Open Mic / The Somewhere Else Pub — Come out to show your talent. 7pm / No cover Clayton and his band of Merry Folk(ers) / The Woods Alehouse — What better way to spend a Tuesday than with some folk tunes. 8pm / No cover

Wednesday 3

HUMP WEDNESDAYS / 302 Lounge & Discotheque — Resident DJ Chris Knorr will be spinning all of your favourite songs and requests, every Wednesday night.

9pm / No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter

Three String Fretless / Buds on Broadway — Come out and give this local band a listen. You could hear anything from Elton John’s Rocket Man to Layla by Eric Clapton. 10pm / Cover $6 The Avenue Recording Company presents Open Mic / The Fez on Broadway -Hosted by Chad Reynolds. Sign up and play at this weekly event.

10pm / No cover DJ Kade / the Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Dr. J ‘Souled Out’ / Lydia’s Pub — Dr. J spins hot funk and soul every Wednesday night. 9pm / No cover WILD WEST WEDNESDAY / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — This is Saskatoon’s top industry night, hosted by DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff Sweet William / Rock Creek — This duo of Kal Hurd and Kelsey Fitch is all kinds of good. 8pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to Lady Gaga.

10pm / No cover

Thursday 4

Three String Fretless / Buds on Broadway — Come out and give this local band a listen. You could hear anything from Elton John’s Rocket Man to Layla by Eric Clapton. 10pm / Cover $6 Throwback Thursdays / Earls — Come experience the best in retro funk, soul, reggae and rock provided by Dr. J. 8pm / No cover Thunder Riot w/Conky Showpony / The Fez on Broadway — Come dance the night away as this local DJ plays the kind of music that’ll get your feet moving.

9pm / $5 cover DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Local DJ Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turntables to get you dancing on the dance floor! Every Thursday night will be filled with passion parties, pole dancing, shadow dancers and much more!

8pm / $5; free cover with student ID before 11pm Triple Up Thursday / Tequila — Featuring a double CD release and a music video mixshow by DJ Sugar Daddy and DJ Stikman. 9pm / Cover TBD JW Jones / Vangelis — Presented by the Blues Society, this show should be terrific.

10pm / Cover $5 Acoustic Open Stage / The Woods Alehouse — Come, bring your instruments, play Rococode away. 8pm / No cover courtesy of robyn jamieson

Friday 5

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover Piano Fridays: Jesse Brown / The Bassment — Come check out Jesse tickle the ivories of the Kinsman Yamaha S6 grand piano. 4:30pm / No cover Fountains of Youth / The Bassment — The group plays rock, blues, punk, jazz and soul. 9pm / $10+ Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Austen Roadz throws down a highenergy top 40 dance party every Friday night. 9pm / $5 cover Hung Jury / Buds on Broadway — With a setlist that includes AC/DC, Skid Row, Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac, this local cover band has a little something for everyone. 10pm / Cover $6 Unchained / Crown and Rok — A Van Halen tribute band worth checking out.

9pm / Cover TBD The 100th Meridian / The Fez on Broadway — A Tragically Hip tribute band like no other. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Able to rock any party, this local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. He’s sure to have you on the dance floor in no time. 9pm / $5 cover British Invasion / Lydia’s Pub — Featuring local bands Sly Business, Bass In-

vaders, Tim Vaughn and more performing Beatles covers. 9pm / Cover TBD Dragonette / The Odeon Events Centre — A talented electro-music band from Ontario worth watching. 8pm / $22.50–40 (www.theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm JoMama / Stan’s Place — Come out for a night of solid, catchy local music.

9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests,from Sinatra to Lady Gaga.

10pm / Cover $5 Ricky Rock & Dislexik / Tequile Nightclub — A night of hot tunes!

Seahags / Vangelis Tavern — A local country/folk rock band that’s big on talent. 10pm / Cover $5 Malika Sellami / The Woods Alehouse — WIth an eclectic folk sound that combines infectious melodies and creative instrumentation, this local musician puts on quite a show. 8pm / Cover $5

Saturday 6

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes all night.

9pm / No cover Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — With over 25 years of DJ experience, Austen Roadz throws down a highenergy top 40 dance party along with DJ CTRL every Saturday night. 9pm / $5 cover Jazz Diva Series: Sophia Perlman and Adrean Faruggia / The Bassment — Perlman is one of Canada’s most promising jazz vocalists, Faruggia is hellfire on a piano. 9pm / Cover $10+ Hung Jury / Buds on Broadway — With a setlist that includes AC/DC, Skid Row, Michael Jackson and Fleetwood Mac, this

local cover band has a little something for everyone 10pm / Cover $6 Unchained / Crown and Rok — A Van Halen tribute band worth checking out.

9pm / Cover TBD DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes.

8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Able to rock any party, this local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. He’s sure to have you on the dance floor in no time. 9pm / $5 cover One Bad Son / Louis’ — Come out and support this local rock band at their CD release party. 9pm / Cover TBD Red Ram / Lydia’s Pub — An alt/indie rock band from Edmonton with a unique sound. 9pm / Cover $5 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 JoMama / Stan’s Place — Come out for a night of solid, catchy local music. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to Lady Gaga.

10pm / $5 Mikey Dubz & Mern / Tequila Nightclub — A night of hot tunes!

Heard of Wasters, Royal Red Brigade, Rhubarbs, Knifedogs / Vangelis — Welcome to a night of sweet music and good drinks. 10pm / Cover $5 The Residuals / The Woods Alehouse — Come join this terrific Celtic band for their CD release party. 8pm / Cover $5

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Photo: Courtesy of TriStar Pictures

Throwing sci-fi for a loop Rian Johnson’s Looper is a brain-rattling, mind-blowing time travel flick. by adam hawboldt

Q

uick, name your five favourite movies about time travel. You have thirty seconds…twenty…ten…

Okay, time’s up. What did you come up with? If you’d asked me last week, my answer would have been something like: 12 Monkeys, Donnie Darko, Terminator, Back to the Future, and Groundhog Day. Wait, is Groundhog Day even a time travel flick? Maybe not. So to be safe, let’s stick Hot Tub Time Machine on that list instead.

At any rate, that’s how my list would’ve looked last week. But now

or so years in the future, crime syndicates will begin sending targets back in time that need to be killed.

That’s where “loopers” like Joe come in. It’s his job to kill these targets and dispose of their corpses.

And on the surface, for people of a certain bent, it seems like a pretty good, high-paying job. But there’s a catch. Eventually, old loopers are sent into the past to be executed by their younger selves. This strange, sadistic form of suicide is called “closing the loop.”

So when Joe from 2070 (Bruce Willis) gets sent back in time for dis-

[A]s far as acting goes, everybody here is at the absolute top of their game.

Adam Hawboldt

that I’ve seen Looper one of those other movies simply has to go. And to be completely honest, I thought Looper was better than all of them.

There. I said it. “Looper is the best time travel movie I have ever seen.”

Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom), Looper tells the story of Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an assassin in the year 2040. You quickly learn that, while time travel has not been invented yet, it soon will be. Thirty

posal, Joe from 2040 sets out to close the loop and kill the older version of himself.

Problem is, old Joe is a pretty hard dude to kill. And when young Joe briefly hesitates, the Joe from 2070 escapes. This is called “letting the loop run.”

What happens after the old Joe runs, well, that I refuse to tell you because this is the kind of movie you simply have to see for yourself.

Visually, it’s stunning. Intellectually,

Looper Rian Johnson Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis + Emily Blunt

Directed by Starring

118 minutes | 14A

it’s the kind of movie that leaves you wanting more.

And as far as acting goes, everybody here is at the absolute top of their game. Bruce Willis does his thing, Joseph Gordon-Levitt expertly captures the subtle nuances as a younger version of Willis, and the rest of the cast — from Emily Blunt to Paul Dano and Piper Perabo — are flat-out awesome.

As for director/writer Rian Johnson, well, he’s exactly what the doctor ordered to help remedy the sick, sad state Hollywood is stuck in at the moment. His range is uncanny; his vision arresting and unpredictable. A real and incredible talent, that’s what Johnson is.

Gordon-Levitt, too. So far they’ve made two amazing movies together.

And here’s hoping it’s a partnership that continues long into the future.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

20 Sept 28 – oct 4 entertainment

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What becomes of the broken hearted?

Celeste and Jesse Forever explores what happens when best pals date, break up and try to stay friends. by adam hawboldt

C

onfession time: I’m not a huge fan of Andy Samberg.

Sure, some of his Lonely Planet music videos were amusing, and yes, from time to time he was funny on SNL. But for the most part, the guy is remarkably unfunny. And Hot Rod and That’s My Boy were so bad I swore I’d never watch another film in which he starred.

But then he went and got himself cast as the romantic lead in Celeste and Jesse Forever, and I just couldn’t help myself. Why? Well, two words for you: Rashida. Jones.

Don’t know how she does it, but it seems like every character Jones plays is adorable, accessible, funny, and so darn engaging you simply can’t take your eyes off her.

Think Ann Perkins in Parks and Rec, Zooey in I Love You, Man, Cindy in Our Idiot Brother.

So when I found out that not only did Jones star in Celeste and Jesse Forever but she also co-wrote it, well, Andy Samberg be damned.

This was a movie I had to watch.

Photo: Courtesy of sonypicture classics

in sight) when the situation calls.

And call it does, because for all the laughs Celeste and Jesse Forever gets, at its core it’s a fairly heavy movie.

When we first meet the title characters, Jesse (Samberg) and Celeste (Jones) seem like the perfect couple.

They make heart gestures to each other with their hands, they talk to each other vit zee German accent, heck, they still sing “their song” and play silly games together.

And no, before you assume anything, they’re not in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. Jesse

[O]verall [Celeste and Jesse Forever] is a genre-bending original film…

Adam Hawboldt

And I’m happy I did. Not only was it a touching and original romcom, not only was it passionate and honest, but you know what else? Samberg actually did a pretty good job.

In the flick he plays Jesse, a slacker wannabe artist, just right.

He’s funny when need be, and deadon serious (not a silly voice or smirk

and Celeste have known each other since high school, and have been married for six years.

The thing is, though, for reasons you find out in the film the two have decided to separate. Yet even though they’re in the middle of a divorce, they adamantly try to remain best friends. Heck, Jesse still lives

Compliance Celeste & Jesse ForeveR Directed by Lee Craig Toland ZobelKrieger Starring Rashida Ann Dowd, Jones, Dreama AndyWalker + Pat Healy Samberg, Elijah Wood + Emma Roberts 90 minutes | 14A 89

and works in the studio behind the house he and Celeste used to share.

But things can’t go on like this forever. Or can they? Well, I’m not about to let the clichéd kitten out of the burlap bag, so maybe you should watch the movie and find out. You won’t be disappointed.

No, Celeste and Jesse Forever isn’t a perfect movie. There are pacing and structural issues, and sometimes the plot seems a tad messy. But overall it’s a genre-bending original film that’s funny and honest. And Jones, who is funny and charming as all get out of here, is captivating.

Celeste and Jesse Forever is currently being screened at the Roxy Theatre.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

21 Sept 28 – oct 4 @verbsaskatoon

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Photography by Patrick Carley – feedback@verbnews.com

22 Sept 28 – oct 4 entertainment

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nightlife

monday, september 17 @

LB5Q

this year’s Location / The Man-

hattan Ballroom who was there / This year 3,500

people attended, making it the largest-run student party in Western Canada live tunes / The music came courtesy of some of Saskatoon’s best DJs, including Mr. Mern, Mikey Dubz and Bobby Tables Drink of Choice / Molson beer or any hard liquor

23 Sept 28 – oct 4 /verbsaskatoon

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Photography by Michelle Berg – feedback@verbnews.com

24 Sept 28 – oct 4 entertainment

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saturday, september 22 @

Louis’ Louis’ Pub 93 Campus Drive (306) 966 7000

Music vibe / Eclectic, and tons of

live shows Drink of Choice / Great Western

draft beer top eats / Poutine Something new / Wednesday

nights “Humpty Hump” with DJ Charly Hustle, and Battle of the Brains trivia challenge on Thursdays

25 Sept 28 – oct 4 @verbsaskatoon

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

26 Sept 28 – oct 4 entertainment

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crossword canadian criss-cross 26. Term of endearment 28. Bedroom furniture 30. Rocky debris 33. Where plays are shown 37. Before, in poetry 38. Truth alternative 40. Sediment left in the bottom of a wine bottle 41. Not manual 43. Charge for the use of a bridge 45. Velvety surface 46. Roughly-made building 48. Inheritance 50. Largest moon of Saturn 51. Contract negotiator 52. Vein of ore

53. Filly’s brother

DOWN 1. Surgical knife 2. Hill builder 3. Ditch round a castle 4. Dignify 5. Canadian whose parents are Japanese immigrants 6. Lyric poem 7. Having more than enough money 8. Proposal in a meeting 9. Papal court 11. zip.ca rental 12. Put money in the bank 14. Depend on

17. Outstanding conductor sudoku answer key 20. Walk in water 22. Hymn pronoun A 25. Raised livestock 27. Spoken 29. Wood finish 30. Do a caulking job 31. Vinegar bottle 32. The selling of goods 34. Rent payer 35. Do a double take B 36. Catch sight of 39. Go to confession 42. Aware of 44. Brand of toy blocks 47. Degree of difference 49. Hair-styling stuff

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

1. Like some excuses 5. Standard 9. The law of a church 10. “Down in the dumps”, is one 12. Become brown 13. Part of the economy 15. Compass drawing 16. Unabridged dictionary, e.g.

18. Buzzy place 19. The area you can see from a window 21. Can of worms 23. Black gold 24. Proper for food

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

ACROSS

© walter D. Feener 2012

Horoscopes September 28 – october 4 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

This week facts may not fit the theory, Aries. If that happens, take Einsteins’ advice and change the facts — which is to say, “be flexible.”

Don’t be afraid to look a gift horse in the mouth this week, Leo. That way you can see what it’s eating. Or if it’s going to bite you.

If it feels you’ve been missing the mark as of late, Sagittarius, then here’s some sound and sage advice: move to your left half a step.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Don’t let people take control of situations you feel you should be in charge of this week, Taurus. Have the courage to stand up for what you believe in.

Your bullcrap detector may be on overload this week, Virgo, as people try to feed you lie after putrid lie.

Don’t let them get you down.

Is someone you know openly jealous of you, Capricorn? If so, there’s only one thing to do. Revel in their envy for the rest of the week.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

You don’t have to beware the ides of March, Gemini. March is a long ways away. But you should beware the police this week. Whatever you do, don’t speed!

For every problem there is usually a simple solution. Except for one you’re about to encounter. Time to start thinking out of the box, Libra.

Lately you’ve been completely out of answers, Aquarius. No worries, though; everything is okay! All you have to do is start avoiding questions.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Fight or flight? That’s the question this week, Cancer. And if you want our advice: get out of Dodge as fast as your two legs can carry you. Run, Cancer! Run!

This may be one of those weeks where your arse is jealous of all the crap that’s coming out of your mouth. It’s probably best to keep opinions to yourself.

You might find minor things annoying, so for the good of your health carry around a stress ball. Either that, or start working on your apology voice.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

27 Sept 28 – oct 4 /verbsaskatoon

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