Verb Issue S210 (Oct. 5-11, 2012)

Issue #210 – October 5 to October 11

greg ochitwa Saskatchewan actor + playwright talks adversity One bad son Kurt Dahl finds balance Frankenweenie + The Queen of Versailes Films reviewed­

noble pursuits

+

with

royal wood

Photo: courtesy of vanessa heins

contents

NEWs + Opinion

On the cover:

royal wood Musician, artist Royal Wood discusses his latest album. 14 / cover

Maid in Akihabara A Japanese maid cafe makes its way to Saskatoon. 4 / Local

culture

entertainment

Q + A with one bad son

Live Music listings

Kurt Dahl finds balance. 12 / Q + A

Local music listings for October 5 through October 13. 18 / listings

Glorified Bartender No More

frankenweenie + The Queen of Versailles

Harvest Classic Comedy Festival. 13 / Arts

The latest movie reviews. 20 / Film

verbnews.com @verbsaskatoon facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Death & Taxes

Nightlife Photos

Editorial

Nova Scotia rockers the Stanfields write what they know. 13 / Arts

This week we visited Premier Wine Fest. 22-25 / Nightlife

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

ART & Production

Coping with the unexpected

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

Greg Ochitwa talks adversity. 6 / Local

Home sweet home

Touchdown with red zone

Getting housing for the homeless just makes sense. 8 / Editorial

Business & Operations

on the bus

Food and sports! 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 plebiscites. 10 / comments

Bluessmyth, Sunparlour Players & Corb Lund. 17 / music

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

Office Manager / Stephanie Lipsit Marketing Manager / Vogeson Paley Financial Manager / Cody Lang

contact Comments / feedback@verbnews.com / 881 8372 advertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 979 2253 design / layout@verbnews.com / 979 8474 General / info@verbnews.com / 979 2253

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/verbsaskatoon

verb magazine

local

Maid in Akihabara Japanese maid cafe comes to Saskatchewan for Comicon event.

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

t’s Saturday and the foyer of the Alice Turner Branch Library is packed. People of varying ages stand around chatting and laughing, making a bit too much noise for your standard weekend library crowd.

But here’s the thing: these people, they aren’t your standard library goers. Dressed in bunny ears, superhero outfits and costumes of their favourite anime characters, these people are the self-professed comic book and anime geeks of Saskatoon.

And the reason they’re milling around this foyer on a sunny Saturday morning? They’re waiting for Cafe House 3.0 — a mini Comicon of sorts put on by the Saskatoon Love Love Anime Group — to begin.

While they wait, a young mother walks through the crowd, towards the library proper, holding a little boy’s hand. “Is it Halloween already?” he asks. The young mother kind of chuckles and keeps walking.

To her left, just before she enters the library, there’s a lady dressed in a French maid’s outfit talking on a cellphone. Black dress, white frilly

apron, red ribbon around her neck.

Her name is Laura Petrishen-Ha, and she’s the person responsible for putting on this Cafe House 3.0.

As I work my way through the crowd to say hello, a brown-haired teenager says to a friend, “This is pretty cool, right? Did you know this maid thing is HUGE in Japan?” Oh, how right she is!

If you’re ever in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, one of the first things you’ll notice are the girls dressed in French maid outfits. They’re everywhere: on the streets, in doorways, walking past cafe windows.

Why so many maids? Well, they’re there because of the otaku.

Otaku, loosely translated into English, means the equivalent of “geek.”

You see, in Japan there is a large and growing subculture of guys called otaku who spend much of their time watching anime (cartoons), reading manga (comic books) and playing video games. Living for hours and days on end in their virtual reality, otaku developed a sense of what is

called moe —an affection and attraction for characters in their anime, manga and video games.

Now, last time anyone counted (the Nomura Research Institute, in 2005), there were nearly three million otaku in Japan with a spending power roughly in the neighbourhood of $5 billion. So naturally businesses were built up around them.

And while the electronic and entertainment industries have reaped huge benefits catering to otaku, there’s a smaller, some might say slightly stranger business that’s fast becoming a phenomenon — Akihabara maid cafes.

When you walk into one of these cafes, you’re greeted at the door by a cute girl in a French maid outfit saying, “Welcome home, Master (or Mistress).” Once seated, you choose something from the menu and the maids get to work.

Now, we’re not talking vacuuming around your feet or dusting the table.

Not a chance. These maids, they stir your coffee, spoon-feed customers, draw smiley faces on your dessert in chocolate syrup, play games with Continued on next page »

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Maids and butlers serve tea, play games and chat with visitors. Photos courtesy of adam hawboldt / verb magazine

you at your table. They even clean your ears, wash your hands or give you a massage (fully clothed, of course), if you pay them enough.

But don’t get it twisted. These cafes aren’t simply strip clubs or gentlemen’s club disguised in French maid attire. Yes, at the heart of it otaku are paying for female company. But there are no lap dances or happy endings at an Akihabara maid cafe.

the festivities unfold. There are two other maids and two butlers designated to serve the 100-plus people in attendance. One plays a guitar. A few others do the Gangnam Style dance.

“This is just something different for around here” says Petrishen-Ha. Indeed it is. Here in this auditorium you’ll see Captain America chat with a caped man. You’ll see a girl and a guy in bunny hats seated,

There’s an appeal to being able to go to a place and interact with people like this…

Laura Petrishen-Ha

Just innocent displays of affection.

Silly, moe-infused giggles echoing in a cute culture boom.

It’s a boom that has reverberated through Japan and South Korea and Taiwan. A boom that echoed far enough to reach the Alice Turner Branch Library.

Inside the auditorium, dressed as a French maid, Petrishen-Ha watches

flirting, talking the afternoon away.

You’ll see girls dressed in top-hats, boys in make-up and horns. You’ll see elves and anime characters you couldn’t name if someone paid you.

But the people here could.

“There’s an appeal to being able to go to a place and interact with people like this, people who have similar interests to you,” explains PetrishenHa, an admitted anime and comic book geek.

“There’s some kind of escapism here, but not the negative kind,” she continues.

“I think it’s a chance to be someone else or be your real self. Some people may identify more with themselves in costume scenario than in jeans and a t-shirt.”

The same thing holds true for the myriad of maid cafes in Akihabara.

“People go to those and cosplay [dressed in costumes] and it’s completely normal,” says Petrishen-Ha. “But here, if all of a sudden you decide to dress up as Sailor Moon or Captain America and go out for dinner, people will be like ‘What the hell are you doing?’”

But here, at the Alice Turner Library, with black-and-white clad servants bringing visitors coffee and green tea and cupcakes, here among the anime and manga and cosplay crowds, there are no “what the hells” or “what are you wearings.”

Just goodwill. Oh, and maids.

Don’t forget the maids.

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@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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Coping with the unexpected

Photos courtesy of kiriako latridis

How Greg Ochitwa overcame adversity to write the play of his life.

by ALEX J MACPHERSON

A

few weeks ago, Greg Ochitwa was in Toronto for an audition. Afterward, he went and visited his old apartment building, on the corner of Dundas and Brock, where he lived for twenty months between late 2009 and early 2011. As he stood on the corner, the memories came flooding back. They were less than pleasant. “I bought the cheapest food I could and saw theatre and worked on Cope while sending out my packages and not getting any response,” he says with a grim smile. “I couldn’t get an audition. It’s not like I was getting seen and not getting called back; I couldn’t get an audition in Toronto.”

After receiving his BFA in acting from the University of Regina and graduating from the Globe Theatre Conservatory, Ochitwa moved to Toronto. Like many in his position, he struggled to land auditions, much less callbacks. With time on his hands, he started writing. “It was this outlet for me, this thing I could work on,” he says of what became Cope, a loosely autobiographical hip hop musical.

“The thing that kept me going was that feeling in myself, that I was an artist and that I was creating.”

Ochitwa visited coffee shops, where he scratched out whatever ideas came into his head. He filled notebooks with scenes and wrote

dialogue on the backs of envelopes; he covered flimsy receipts, both sides.

“I remember one night sitting on the couch, and [my roommate] asking what I was doing,” he recalls. “It was the first time I was plugging some of my scraps of paper in the computer.

He was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I was like, ‘Writing a play.’”

Ochitwa grew up in Balgonie, on the outskirts of Regina. His earliest memories are of the stage. By grade one, he was volunteering to play leading roles.

“I can see myself in the class, putting up my hand,” he says. His parents, both schoolteachers, offered nothing but encouragement. “As long as I can remember, the stage was not something where, ‘Oh, I don’t want to go up there,’” he says. “I wanted to.” More importantly, he adds with a crooked grin, “I was good.” While his classmates stared at the floor and shuffled from one foot to another, Ochitwa projected his voice and looked at the audience. “When it seemed like most of the people didn’t want to be up there, I loved it. There were no nerves. I was clearly enjoying every second — and that was in grade three.”

When Ochitwa was in grade nine, he was called up to star in the high school production of Grease. Shortly afterward, his parents enrolled him

in “a random acting class that they found in the city.” The class led to contacts which led to a role on Incredible Story Studio, a television program that transformed submitted stories into short sketches. It was picked up

by YTV and ran for five seasons. “That was my summer gig through school,” Ochitwa says. “Looking back…that’s about as safe a job as you can have — a TV show that is running. I appreciated it at the time and it went really well for me. I got some good roles in it and it really set me up for a lot of things down the road, I’m sure.”

Ochitwa found success early, but his career was almost derailed before it began. One morning while in high school, he woke up with a debilitating pain in his hip. When it refused to dissipate, his mother took him to the doctor. A battery of tests could not reveal the problem; it would be almost ten years before Ochitwa was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that produces inflamed joints and crippling pain. “If your body moves, it’s like the craziest pain in the world,” he says. “Meanwhile, doctors are telling me that it’s growing pains or a cramp or something like that.”

Today, Ochitwa manages by avoiding sugar, which aggravates the disease. His legs bother him periodically, but he is no longer chained to a bottle of painkillers or forced to plan every footstep. After high school, though, health concerns took Continued on next page »

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Saskatchewan actor Greg Ochitwa captures his fascinating life in his play, Cope. Photos courtesy of the globe theatre

a backseat to more serious problems.

Ochitwa’s acting plans were sidelined when he and a friend moved into Regina to hang out, write rap songs, and party.

Living in an enormous “art house,” Ochitwa had plenty of fun even as his world started to crumble, and the pleasures of experimentation gave way to the perils of addiction. “We were all trying things that were com-

Although he made some headway as an actor in Saskatchewan, Ochitwa left Regina and moved to Toronto. It was there that his memories began to crystallize into a play.

“It’s my life experiences or stories that I’ve heard,” he says. “If it didn’t happen to me, it happened to my good friend. It’s all very, very much me, a very personal thing I was putting forward.” Blending hip

The thing that kept me going was that feeling in myself, that I was an artist… greg ochitwa

ing into our lives,” he says. “I didn’t do things too much differently from a lot of the people I was around at that point, but for whatever reason it was harder on some people. It’s very easy for the things that are out there to take control of your life and to get caught up in things.”

Hard living took its toll on Ochitwa and his friends, the core of Regina’s hip hop community. At one point, Ochitwa witnessed a hostagetaking, presumably the result of a drug debt gone bad. Shortly after completing his university program, one of his friends committed suicide.

Today, Ochitwa wonders how he survived. “It seems like it’s so close,” he says. “It could have gone this way or it could have gone that way.”

hop, which Ochitwa still loves, with themes of addiction and recovery, disease and treatment, depression and redemption, Cope offers audiences a chance to understand how adversity works — and how it can be overcome.

After coming home, Ochitwa began to find success. Last September, he appeared in a Theatre NorthWest production of Becky’s New Car. Then he starred in the Globe Theatre’s Robin Hood. This summer, he took on Shakespeare’s toughest role in Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan’s Hamlet. His most important achievement, though, was a staged reading of Cope that precipitated a run with the Shu-

miatcher Sandbox Series at the Globe.

The unknown play by the young man from Balgonie was a smash; Cope remains the most successful show in the series’ history. People were enraptured by it. Some even agreed to buy tickets to sit wherever room could be found. Cope was also produced by Live Five in Saskatoon, and will be part of Persephone Theatre’s Youth Series and Youth Tour in early 2013.

Ochitwa’s brief trip to Toronto in September was a watershed. “So much had changed,” he says, pointing to how his résumés now generate calls. “I had sent [an important theatre festival] packages as soon as I got there and could never get seen. Two years later? The dynamic in the room when I go in to audition is so different now, I find.”

Through it all, from out-of-work playwright to successful leading man, Greg Ochitwa has maintained an even strain. Today, he is appreciative of the people that kept him on track when the situation looked grim.

“Every night [this summer], I’d be walking to Hamlet, thinking that this is the best,” he says. “One night, this guy was complaining: ‘I wish I was out on that boat.’ I was like, ‘What are you talking about? Where would you rather be?’ I love my job. I love my job so much.”

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Photos: courtesy of Luke stempien

Home Sweet Home

Giving houses to the homeless benefits us all. by the editors of verb

I

t’s no great secret that homelessness is a problem, one that’s been around for a long, long time. One that’s extremely complex and impossible to solve, right?

Well, not exactly. See, once upon a time ago, at the beginning of the new millennium, there was an American politico named Phil Mangano who, grom 2002-09, worked for both George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Dubbed the “homelessness czar,” Mangano spent his time on Capitol Hill trying to convince politicians and business leaders alike there was an easy way to end homelessness.

Mangano argued that if you want to end homelessness all you have to do is buy the homeless houses.

His “homes first” theory operated on the premise that not only was it humane to buy individuals without

shelter a house, it was also much more cost-effective.

Yep, you read that right. He claimed that it’s cheaper to house a homeless person than to leave them to their own devices while tossing a few coins their way when we see them out and about.

In fact, we think it’s high time our province gets its act together and gives Mangano’s “homes first” theory some serious and sober thought.

We live in a province where people aren’t really cool with letting poor folks die willy nilly in the streets, so our governments, churches, volunteers and charities do what they can to help. They open shelters, stock food banks, offer mental-health services, and emergency health care.

All of which, of course, costs money.

But the costs don’t stop there.

As Stephen Gaetz, director of the

Canadian Homelessness Research Network, points out in a recent study, homeless people also tend to run afoul of the law. Gaetz cites research that shows the homeless are likelier to get arrested and jailed than someone who has a residence.

What’s more, when released these people have a tendency to re-offend and, you guessed it, get tossed back in the clink where they have a roof over their heads, are fed, etc.

This vicious circle costs money — a lot of money. One study Gaetz used notes that it costs taxpayers between $66,000 and $120,000 every year to cover the prison and psychiatric costs of just one homeless person. Add emergency health care costs on top of that (which are usually high because living on the street isn’t the healthiest of lifestyles), toss in the cost it takes to run food banks

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Photos: courtesy of Daryl Mitchell

and shelters and, well, that’s a large chunk of change.

So large, in fact, that studies show, as Mangano proposed, it’d simply be cheaper and more effective to provide individuals living on the street with lodgings.

Now we know what you may be thinking: just because someone has a house doesn’t mean their problems will be solved. And you’re right — kind of. Even people with houses have problems.

But here’s the thing. If you expect a person to straighten their life out while they’re sleeping in a back alley, you have far too much faith in the human condition.

But get that same person an apartment and they may be able to work towards addressing issues in other areas of their life. With their basic needs taken care of, people

are much less likely to get arrested or visit the emergency room. In fact, a study in San Diego showed that when homeless people in the region were hooked up with housing, health care, income benefits and primary care, they was a 61 percent decrease in emergency room visits.

Simply put, with a house over your head you are less likely to get sick and less likely to get in trouble.

And since it’s cheaper for the taxpayer if we just housed all the homeless, why in the name of all things sacred haven’t we embraced the “homes first” theory? That’s a question that we’d like answered.

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On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about plebiscites and municipal politics. Here's what you had to say:

–Individual ignorance is the problem. But it exists in so many ways and always will. So I should let another individually ignorant person make my decisions for me?

No, thanks. At least plebiscites allow me to make my own mistakes (and foster individual responsibility, accountability and integrity).

instantly. There are to many selfish politicians out there working for their own personal good and not the good of the community. They need to answer for their choices.

text yo thoughtsur to 881 Ve r b 8372

– You guys have too much faith in humanity. People are inherently lazy and like to complain. The reasons we end up with plebiscites isn’t that people weren’t informed before, it’s that when the democratic process takes place and they don’t get what they want they freak out and keep yellin

– I totally agree. Plebiscites are a waste of time and money. We need to get involved much sooner in the process rather than later. Get out there and be active Saskatchewan!

It’s the time to make your voice heard loud and clear.

– Anti plebiscites sounds pretty undemocratic to me u guys should

– I would be fine with your proposal if there was a way to recall

be more careful about what you’re advocating for.

a good idea. Keep fighting! The people are the power!

– Participating in the election is a great way to make your voice heard, so get out there and vote!

That’s change we can all believe in.

– There are too many ignorant people around that I don’t trust so why would I just sit back and let them make all the decisions without consultation and advocation on behalf of the people they represent? That seems not smart to me at all.

– I totally disagree plebiscites along with participating earlier in community politics go hand in hand it’s not either or. U need to get out there get to council I agree with that. But u need to also continue the fight long after. Just because you participate and some moron votes it in doesn’t mean it’s

– I totally agree with your stance on plebiscites. It costs a ton of money to keep fighting the fight.

We need to participate more and then sit back and deal. Stadium a good example. If you didn’t get out there go to the meetings and argue then relax now.

Off Topic – Yeah Lingerie Footballll!!!! So hot all u haters just jealous. More sports should be played dressed like that LOL! In response to “Altering Perception,” Local page, #209 (September 28, 2012)

– Loved the Sawa profile, what an interesting man and an asset to our community. Well done!

In response to “It’s not that painful,” Local page, #47 (September 28, 2012)

Sound Off – Pretty crappy hamper at the food bank for the week before Thanksgiving. Not much to be thankful for.

– To the Chili for Children complainer… perhaps they should start educating the parents on how to save enough $ to feed their own kids. I mean, if the program is turning away kids, start looking @ other ways to stop this in the first place!

– Bill Cosby invented “Supsuck” to describe the involuntary double

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or triple nasal whimper gasp done during or after a good cry. Always one of my favorite. Little kids are especially prone to supsucking.

Sometimes half hour after a good cry you’d rip a double supsuck.

– HENDERSON! I was in grade 9 forty yrs ago. They played the last period of the game over the intercom. The cindercrete block school shook. Chalk vibrated.

– Thanks so the person who comment on gays it’s nice to see people so accepting on differant lifestyles god bless!

– To the comment about gays you gave me the strength the come out I’m so happy that I did! Thank you whoever you are!

– The Ottomans were just Turks in Progress.

– Poverty hurts families! Relationships get damaged in a ways that can’t be fixed. There’s a lot of poor families with estranged members?

– Money being spent for a new art gallery could be better spent on rerouting the train away from Central Ave and would benefit many more people.

– Saturday night at the roxy is a one show only of a new movie the film maker known personally by me is; Encouragement at 9pm I am excited to go. YB

– Well I been missing YOU, u no who u are!!

– Frankly I don’t want to be ‘evolved’ like the rest of you. I’m quite happy to be who I am.

– It’s difficult to do things when your trousers are on fire!!

– COMMUNITY patrol does Better Police presence!

– Thanks for bringing Sudoku back much appreciated! I love it :)

– To the one who texted about more xwalks on 22nd. Don’t be so lazy walk an extra block and wait at the lights! There are more than enough!

– So glad Suduko is back!! Thanks for bringing it back!!

– I’m getting older but my ideas are getting newer!

– The provincial government should seriously consider an overpass at Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Rd. How many more fatalities is it going to take?

– The provincial government should seriously consider an overpass at Highway 11 and Wanuskewin Rd. How many more fatalities is it going to take?

– Oppenheimer walks into a bar.

He gets bombed.

– Saw a barking puppy left all alone in the back of a truck no owner in sight. Non stop barking is annoying but the dog clearly didn’t know what was going on.

Owner: you should be ashamed of yourself!!!

– I drive to and from work every day, and I’m proud to say I share the road with bikes! So what if it takes a little bit for me to be able to safely move around them, or if we get stuck behind one going down Broadway Bridge. Sharing the road

is important for everyone’s safety, and just because someone isn’t in a vehicle doesn’t mean they don’t deserve your compassion.

Happy pedalings!!

– Halloween not even hear yet and I saw a store putting up A CHRISTMAS TREE! Omg relax!

– Happy Thanksgiving everyone have a great long weekend xo – Saskatchewan you just got COLD! At least we don’t have snow yet LOL.

– Divebombed by a bird. Scary.

Next week: housing for the homeless? 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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Stuck in the middLE

Photos: courtesy of Mark Maryanovich and the artist

One Bad Son find balance in rock & roll. by Alex J MacPhersoN

O

KD: It’s a tough balance. I think any musician, any guy we look up to, whether it’s Bon Scott or Eddie Vedder, or whoever — they had these jobs before they made it. And then you have to work your ass off until the band breaks. For me, sure it’s different because I’m a lawyer but in the end it’s not that different than what most musicians are up against.

I feel pretty lucky as well that I’ve really focused on music law.

ne Bad Son have been playing rock and roll for eight years. Now, after moving from Saskatoon to Vancouver, they are preparing to release their major label debut, a collection of songs that recalls Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones while demonstrating that ballsto-the-wall guitar rock can be relevant today. At its core, One Bad Son is a band with simple ideas.

“Great music gets a shot,” Kurt Dahl, the band’s drummer, says.

He’s right. And now, after eight years in the trenches, One Bad Son are getting their kick at the can. I caught up with Dahl in Vancouver to talk about the state of rock and roll — and how One Bad Son can be a part of it.

AJM: You guys get lumped in with hard rock bands, but this album displays a fair degree of musical diversity.

Alex J MacPherson: Eight years is a long time in this industry, especially when you’re in your twenties. What keeps you going?

pelin is this heavy band. On their albums, half the songs are acoustic.

AJM: Is this album a watershed moment for you?

AJM: One Bad Son feels like a breath of fresh air because it doesn’t sound over-produced. What’s your take?

KD: It’s so true. In one sense it’s only rock and roll, right? But in another sense there’s nothing much more important than rock and roll, at least in my life. That album definitely marks a huge turning point for us. I feel like the life of any rock and roll band is like a three-act play. The first act for us just happened to take eight years.

Kurt Dahl: That’s the million dollar question. I wish I knew the answer. In the end, it comes down to getting along. That’s the fundamental thing. The Rolling Stones, when they started off they weren’t great musicians but they had something — when the five of them got in a room together something clicked.

And that’s how it was with OBS. We didn’t start off and have a big following or a bunch of money; we were just poor musicians. But we just kept it together.

KD: We’re always pushing ourselves as musicians. A lot of mainstream rock bands get in this narrowlydefined niche where you can’t do anything that exciting, where it’s all bonehead rock. We’ve always aspired to be like the bands we look up to — Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Stones. People often think Led Zep-

That album definitely marks a huge turning point for us. kurt dahl

KD: It seems like rock and roll is in this weird space right now. On one end of the spectrum is the really polished, over-produced macho rock that’s on the radio. On the other side of the spectrum are all the hipster, indie, flavour-of-the-week bands. And there are also the throwback bands — complete throwbacks to a certain era without looking forward at all. We’re somewhere in the middle.

One Bad Son October 6 @ Louis’ & 13 @ Prairieland Park $15 & $25 @ Picatic Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

AJM: Is it difficult for you, working as a lawyer, to balance it all?

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Glorified Bartender No More Harvest Classic Comedy Festival pushes the limits of stand-up.

O

ne of my first assignments at this magazine was to write about Dez Reed, a Saskatoon comedian who has long been a pillar of the Canadian stand-up scene.

Back then, he ambled in 15 minutes late and immediately cut loose with a string of the funniest sentences I’d ever heard. This month, Reed is back in the spotlight as his homegrown comedy festival, the Harvest Classic, gets set for its sixth year.

“As you know, I run the Great Plains Comedy Festival,” Reed says.

“That’s more of a mainstream comedy festival, where we’ve brought in …

Emo Philips, Mike McDonald, some of the big name comics. With the Harvest Classic we wanted to more reflect the artsy side of comedy.”

Reed thinks of stand-up comedy as an art, no different from sculpture or music. He’s not far off the mark.

Effective comedians are patient observers and proven wordsmiths; they

rehearse and perform the same as any musician. Reed wonders why so few people think along the same lines. “I have my ideas,” he says, “but so many times stand-up is considered a commercial type of venture rather than an artsy thing.”

by alex J MacPherson

into the commercialized comedian archetype. This year, though, the highlight will be seven sets from Reed himself, each with a different theme.

From scandalous to squeaky clean, his nightly sets will feature a different type of comedy. So if you’re looking

With the Harvest Classic we wanted to more reflect the artsy side of comedy. dez reed

“I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that for years and years stand-up comedy was just another reason bars used to get people through the doors,” he continues. “A stand-up comic was just a glorified bartender.”

Enter the Harvest Classic, which was born from Reed’s desire to showcase comics who don’t necessarily fall

for some laughter, Reed says the Harvest Classic is the festival for you.

And after a conversation that featured more than a few guffaws, I’m inclined to agree.

Harvest Classic Comedy Festival October 15 - 21 @ Various venues Ticket price to be announced

Death & Taxes

The Stanfields write what they know. by alex J MacPherson

Photo: courtesy of Scott Blackburn

I

f you ask most people, they’ll tell you that there are only two certainties in life: death and taxes. Ask Jon Landry, and he’ll show you a third way. It’s called rock and roll.

Landry writes songs for and plays guitar in the Stanfields, a band from Nova Scotia. Their latest record, Death & Taxes, bridges the gap between raucous bar rock and

mainstream sensation. Blending traditional sounds and stories with conventional instruments and a bouzouki, the Stanfields’ music is often compared to that of the Dropkick Murphys and Flogging Molly. This is natural but wrong, Landry says, pointing to records like Ragged Glory, which Neil Young and Crazy Horse released in 1990.

Death & Taxes is an engaging record for the same reason Ragged Glory is an engaging record: it sounds live. Recording studios are notorious for dulling or eradicating the sound of a live band; Landry rejects this.

“It’s like reverse engineering,” he says. “For me, I have this nit picky perfectionist attitude. Instead of that mentality, it’s like, ‘That sounds too perfect, let’s dig our hands in there and mess this up a little bit.’ Because that’s what we sound like live.

Dancing around the big question of authenticity and honesty in music, Landry points out that the discussions that spawned Death & Taxes focused on the band’s unwillingness to make a commercially viable record. “I found so many times that I’d see a band, listen to their record, and it’s just pristine,” he says. “We didn’t want to do that.”

And they didn’t: Death & Taxes is rich and raw and ragged. And it also offers the band’s listeners some insight into where the Stanfields come from. “The Boston States,” for example, tells a heart-wrenching story of love during the American War of Independence; “Run on the Banks” tells of gun-runners, murder, and retribution in the postwar Maritimes. “I guess I’m kind of a history buff and a news junkie,” Landry admits. “I draw inspiration from these things.”

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372 The Stanfields October 16 @ Amigos Cantina Tickets available at the door.

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

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We Were Born to Glory Royal Wood finds his voice. by Alex J MacPherson

R

oyal Wood is a songwriter. It is his defining characteristic, his reason for being. It is natural — and wrong — to compare Wood, who in a career spanning more than a decade has released four full-length albums and three EPs, to crooners like Frank Sinatra or Michael Bublé. They are talented singers but not necessarily significant writers; Wood is both. And that’s important.

“It’s one that I don’t like only because I find it is lazy journalism,” Wood says of the widespread characterization, speaking on his mobile from a Montreal café. “I think they see an impression of someone in a suit and instead of doing their homework and listening to the record, they categorize me with the Bublés and the Matt Dusks, which is sad because it’s the antithesis of anything those men have ever achieved. These aren’t cover songs; this isn’t manufactured sugar. I consider myself an artist first and foremost.”

Nowhere is this attitude more evident than on Wood’s latest record, We Were Born to Glory. To be fair, it is easy to understand how some people conclude that Wood is a glorified lounge lizard. We Were Born to Glory is a slick package, a compendium of well-written songs performed with admirable verve and pitch-perfect vocals. But under the veneer lies an album of startling depth and emotional clarity.

Unlike Wood’s earlier efforts, which merely hinted at his potential, We Were Born To Glory is a fully-

realized artistic vision. And what a vision it is.

Royal Wood (his full name, by the way, is John Royal Wood Nicholson) was born in Peterborough, Ontario.

He started playing piano at four; formal lessons followed a few years later. After high school he quit studying music and started writing songs.

The rigours of studying business at McGill in Montreal couldn’t derail his musical ambition, and in 2002

is expressing himself in every way he can think of. The latter captures a singer at the height of his powers: confident and talented.

Although Wood is aware that stagnation is the enemy of all art, and although he is an outspoken champion of constant evolution, he admits that We Were Born to Glory is the product of perfect circumstances.

“I was in a very grounded place,” he says. “I was living in Montreal.

Obviously, the energy here, although it’s very electrified, it’s also laid-back.

[T]his isn’t manufactured sugar. I consider myself an artist first and foremost.

Royal wood

he released The Milkweed EP. Wood’s magnetic personality and seamless fusion of insightful lyrics and buoyant melodies captured more than a few fans. A slew of albums followed, culminating in We Were Born to Glory.

To understand just how far Wood has come, it’s worth listening to The Waiting, which he released in 2010.

“After I made The Waiting, things changed for me,” Wood says. “I did four tours on that record alone, and that’s hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of shows. It’s a confidence level. I’m a far different performer than I was then.” Ultimately, The Waiting sounds like a journey, We Were Born to Glory a destination. On the former, Wood’s voice is in flux; he

It’s a place where you celebrate life — you take time, you eat meals, you drink wine, you sit in cafés. It’s a different energy … I think that played a lot on the record.”

“The evolution has to be natural and I have to follow any muse that I feel, and that’s certainly how this record was born,” he continues.

“When I stepped back I realized everything was far more uptempo, full of energy, driving. My voice was driving along with it. It certainly wasn’t a conscious decision.”

The first lines on the record, “We were born to glory, it filled us up with love,” capture Wood’s views on Montreal — and his views on life.

Today, Wood’s success is no longer in

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Photo: courtesy of the KRISTIN VICARI

question. He plays big venues to bigger crowds. People buy his records and know his lyrics. He has an impressive catalogue of songs. He is married to Canadian pop darling Sarah Slean. Which means We Were Born to Glory is about wondering what happens next.

“I’m at a place in my life where a lot of the things I wanted to accomplish, I checked off the list,” he says simply. “My twenties were a blur.

I was kind of floating and, from a career standpoint, I was still finding my voice. You hear that on some

accessible yet deeply expressive songs brimming with imagery and universal emotion. The same is true of “Not Giving Up.” An anthemic ode to love not quite lost, the song drives its message home with a repeating chorus; the bridge gives Wood a chance to show off his vocal chops while offering an effective remedy for the black hole of depression and nihilism. And it doesn’t stop there.

Age brings with it a growing awareness of mortality. “Part of it,” he says, “is watching your parents age. You’re burying your grandparents and your siblings are having their first children. What do you do in your twenties? You go out and have a good time. I wasn’t asking big questions in my twenties; I was just following artistic instinct and life.”

Photo: courtesy of the artist

of my previous records — it almost sounds like a kid to me. Now, I’m a really confident, secure man, both in my relationship and in life. And that leads to far bigger questions.”

Many of those questions are addressed on We Were Born to Glory.

“The Fire Did Go,” a straightforward acoustic guitar-driven rocker, is about rekindling the flame of a dying relationship. Fusing cosmic metaphors (“Like the furnace of the sun”) with simple descriptions of love (“Oh the way that our lips did burn”), the song captures the essence of what makes Wood such a talented songwriter: an ability to write broadly

Fortunately, Wood investigates by writing, recording, and performing great pop songs. “How do you find your niche or your position?” he muses. “The gatekeepers are gone, labels are falling, publications are disappearing, record stores are gone by the dozen. The internet is just flooded with everyone calling themself a songwriter. How do you find a voice? I think you have to have a body of work that stands out. I truly hope that I’ll get to the point where I don’t have to discuss it ever again because my work stands for itself.”

Based on the trajectory of Wood’s career, it seems that this moment is at hand. We Were Born to Glory stands not only as his greatest achievement, but as a great record in its own right.

His ability to create great pop songs, songs fueled by his own need to push the boundaries of popular music, is unrivaled today.

“There’s something in you when you were born that makes you want to create,” Wood says. “It’s [a need] that keeps you awake at night and brings tears and heartache and sacrifices, but it’s certainly worthwhile.

It never occurred to me either that there would be anything else to do but create and make music. That’s it.”

Today, that need has found a home on the back of his records where, in small type, is printed: “All music and lyrics written by Royal Wood.”

Royal Wood October 18 @ Broadway Theatre $28 @ Broadway Theatre Box Office Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Photography courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

Touchdown with Red Zone New sports bar offers good food, great atmosphere. by adam hawboldt

O

kay, without cheating, what’s the name of the first Canadian-born pitcher to start a World Series game? Here’s a hint: he did it in 1975. Here’s another hint: he’s from Swift Current.

Do you give up? Ok, here you go: the man’s name is Reggie Cleveland.

But don’t be discouraged if you didn’t know the answer. Personally, I had never even heard the name Reggie Cleveland before last week, let alone knew of his accomplishments. Nor did I know that North Battleford’s Rueben Mayes won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1986. Or that Bonnie Baker, from Regina, was an all-star catcher in the All-American Girls Professional League from 1943-52.

are the televisions. There are a lot — more than fifty, in fact. So no matter where you sit in the bar, every seat is front row. Myself, I took a seat at a booth (each comes equipped with its own personal HD television), where I ordered a pint of Keith’s and turned my attention to football. I watched the Packers hand the Saints their fourth consecutive loss (poor buggers), then ordered some grub. By the time my food arrived, the Giants/ Eagles game was on and I dug in.

Instead of going with a big meal that might divert my attention away from the game, with all the cutting and picking up with forks and whatnot, I opted for two appetizers. The first was the New York Yorkers. What these delectable little morsels are is mini Yorkshire puddings stuffed with braised smoked beef, and served with a Kentucky bourbon barbecue sauce that really gives this bite-sized take of beef on a bun some zip.

The other appetizer I went with was called Champion Chicken Rolls.

Made from chili-lime chicken, roasted corn, black beans and guacamole wrapped in spring roll paper, these rolls were outstanding.

On their own they were sweet and spicy and savoury and oh so good. If you’re more of a dipper, then the Champion Chicken Rolls come served with fire roasted salsa, sour cream and a chilli lime sauce, which was my personal favourite.

By the time I was finished eating, two things were abundantly clear: 1) I will most certainly be returning to the Red Zone (probably next Sunday)

So where did I learn all this stuff?

At the new Red Zone Premium Sports Bar. Located on Circle Drive where the old Rodeo’s used to be, the Red

[T]he Red Zone is a great place to toss back a pint… and watch the game. adam hawboldt

Zone is a great place to toss back a pint, have a bite to eat and watch the game.

As soon as you walk through the doors, the first thing you’ll notice

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide First and ten

Ingredients

Going to kick back this weekend and watch some football? If so, and if you’re tired of beer, give this time-honoured, tangy cocktail a try.

3 oz gin 2 oz orange juice 2 oz pineapple juice 2 oz grapefruit juice 2 oz cranberry juice 2 oz lemon juice 2 oz lime juice dash grenadine splash soda water or seltzer splash dark rum

Directions

Combine all fruit juices and gin in a large shaker half filled with ice. Shake it well. Strain the concoction into two collins glasses filled with ice, then top with grenadine, soda water and a splash of dark rum.

and 2) I really, really, really dislike the New York Giants.

Red Zone Premium Sports Bar 106 Circle Drive W | (306) 978 6514

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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music

Next Week

coming up

Bluessmyth

Sunparlour Players

Corb Lund

@ Lydia’s pub Friday, October 12 – $ 5

@ Amigos Cantina Saturday, October 13 – Tickets available at the door

@ The Odeon events centre Tuesday, December 4 – $ 36.25

According to frontman Chris Yaholkoski, “in many ways, Bluessmyth is about making joy out of pain, good out of bad, rising above.”

And if you’ve ever listened to this band from Calgary play, you know that’s exactly what they give the audience. On the strength of Chris’ soulful voice and slick guitar licks, Jason Yaholkoski’s deep and delicious bass riffs and Celene Yohemas’ funky drum playing, this trio takes a deeply rooted blues sound, adds some heavy metallic overtones and a dash of gospel and soul to create a joyful, uplifting sort of music fused with pain and soul-searching. They’ll be taking the stage at Lydia’s next week, so if you’re looking for a funky, bluesy experience, be sure to stop by and give this trio a try.

Barns, backyards, bars, theatres … the Sunparlour Players have rocked them all. Based out of Ontario, this alt/folk rock band consists of Andrew Penner (lead vocals, guitar, bass, banjo, bass organ pedals, percussion, kick drum) and Michael “Rosie” Rosenthal (drums, glockenspiel, banjo, back-up vocals, keyboards and bass.) Together they have a sound that is fresh and unique, and one listen to their new album, Us Little Devils, will tell you that. Without a doubt the most realized, mature album the Players have released, Us Little Devils sees the band expand their sound, and embrace electronic and pop influences. The Sunparlour Players will be rolling into town October 13; come check ‘em out.

Talk about a run! From 2004 to 2010 the Canadian Country Music Association named Corb Lund their Roots Artist of the Year. He has also won a Juno and stolen fans’ hearts all across the country. Born in Alberta, Lund has a down-home honky tonk sound that’s damn near irresistible.

And he’s put his considerable talents to good use once again on his seventh album: Cabin Fever, which was released earlier this year. With song subjects ranging from bovines to bibles, and pistols to goth girls, Lund’s latest record is an introspective album that’s one of his strongest to date. Come join this award-winning singer when he lands in Saskatoon during his coast-to-coast tour to promote his new LP. For tickets, check out www.ticketmaster.ca – By Adam Hawboldt

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

Sask music Preview The Organization of Saskatchewan Arts Councils (OSAC) has announced the list of performers that will be appearing at the annual showcase event October 19 and 20 in Prince Albert, and Saskatchewan’s Zachary Lucky and JJ Voss will be taking the stage, along with 13 other artists, to perform. OSAC is a non-profit charitable organization that acts as an umbrella for

community arts councils across the province.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

Photo: courtesy of leftboot productions

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October 5 » october 13 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

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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 lays rock, blues, punk, jazz and soul. 9pm / $10/14 Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — 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 - 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 Invaders, 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 / $22.5040 (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 – Come down for a night of hot tunes! 9pm / Cover TBD Seahags / Vangelis — 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

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 / Tequile Nightclub – A night of hot tunes! 9pm / Cover TBD 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

Saturday 6

Cuff the Duke / Amigos Cantina — Hailing from Oshawa, this Ontario alt-country band is really worth checking out.

10pm / Tickets $12 (www.ticketedge.ca) Industry Night / Béily’s UltraLounge — Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy; this crowd 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 Hyper Crush / Tequila Nightclub — An electro-hip hop group from L.A. that’s sure to please. 8pm / Tickets $10, $5 for students SUNDAY JAM / Vangelis Tavern — The Vangelis Sunday Jam is an institution, offering great tunes from blues to rock and beyond. 7:30pm / No cover

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 high-energy 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 no a piano. Dig it? 9pm / Cover $10/14 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. 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

Sunday 7

Monday 8

Bob Dylan / Credit Union Centre — A living music legend will be headlining, Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler will be accompanying him. 7:30pm / Tickets $39.50-119.50 (www.ticketmaster.ca) Metal Mondays / Lydia’s Pub — If hard, heavy awesomeness is your thing, swing by. 9pm

Tuesday 9

Gorgeous Blue Dogs / Buds on Broadway — Come out for some good tunes and great company. 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 Continued on next page »

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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

Wednesday 10

HUMP WEDNESDAYS / 302 Lounge & Discotheque — Resident DJ Chris Knorr will be spinning all of your favourite songs.

9pm / No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter Wolfheart / Buds on Broadway — Come out and support these local bands.

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 Echoes of Erin / Holy Cross High School Theatre — Come out for some traditional Irish song, dance and humour. 7:30pm / Call 975-0551 or 477-7606 for tickets DJ Kade / the Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Wide Mouth Mason / Louis’ — This critically acclaimed blues-rock band from is playing a show on their home turf. 8pm / Tickets $23.25 (www.ticketmaster.ca) 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 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 12

GrimSkunk / Amigos Cantina — This Montreal rock band with punk, progressive and world influences is a must see.

10pm / Tickets available at the door Wolfheart / Buds on Broadway — Come out and support these local bands.

10pm / Cover $6 Irish Rovers / Dakota Dunes CasinoWith a rollicking, roushing performance, this celtic six-piece will have you stomping your feet. 8pm / SOLD OUT 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 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 Nightclub — Featuring a double CD release and a music video mixshow by DJ Sugar Daddy and DJ Stikman. 9pm / Cover TBD

Friday 12

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover The Karpinka Brothers / Amigos Cantina — Come out for a CD release party with this laid-back acoustic act. 10pm / Tickets available at the door Piano Fridays: Maurice Drouin / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some smooth jazz stylings? Come check out Drouin tickle the ivories of the Kinsman Yamaha S6 grand piano. 4:30pm / No cover UofS Jazz Ensemble / The Bassment — Led by Dean McNeill, the UofS jazz ensemble will be doing a selection of jazz standards and original compositions.

9pm / Cover $7/10 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 Fear of Knowing / Buds on Broadway — These local hard rockers put on a show that captivates audiences. 10pm / Cover $6 Suicide Messiah / Crown and Rok — A Black Label Society tribute band worth checking out. 9pm / Cover TBD Untimely Demise, Rehashed, Wrathed / The Fez on Broadway — Looking of a night of hard-rocking bands? Look no farther. 10pm / 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 Bluessmyth, Bokonists / Lydia’s Pub — Two bands, two awesome sets, one great price. Why not? 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; ladies in free before 11pm Red Blaze / Stan’s Place – An award winning band that plays country music and drum songs. 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, Mern / Tequila Nightclub — Two of the top DJs around spin the night away. They’ll have you dancing for sure.

9pm / Cover TBD Scenic Route to Alaska, Gunner and Smith / Vangelis — One band is from Edmonton, the other from here. Together they’ll put on one heckuva folk/indie show. 10pm / Cover $5 Seahags / The Woods Alehouse — Stop by for a pint and check out this sweet local band. 8pm / Cover $5

Saturday 13

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin soulful tunes. 9pm / No cover

Sunparlour Players, Kalle Matheson / Amigos Cantina — Want to hear some top-notch indie/alt/folk-rock?

Come check out these two incredible acts from Ontario. 10pm / Tickets available at the door 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: Terra Hazelton and Her Easy Answer / The Bassment — Come check out this excellent jazz singer from the Big Smoke. 9pm / Cover $15/20 Fear of Knowing / Buds on Broadway — These local hard rockers put on a show that captivates audiences. 10pm / Cover $6 Caught in a Dream / The Fez — An Alice Cooper tribute band you don’t want to miss. 10pm / Cover TBD DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up. 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

Rocktoberfest 2012 / Prairieland Park — Featuring One Bad Son, Grip Slips, Mr. Brownstone and more, this event aims to raise money for Care and Share — Helping Saskatoon’s innner city schools. 7pm / Tickets $25 in advance (www.picatic. com), $30 at the door (cash only) Red Blaze / Stan’s Place – An award winning band that plays country music and some of their own music (which includes drum songs.) 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 DJ Albert, Dislexik / Tequila Nightclub — Come on out for a night of sweet beats that’ll make you wanna dance. 9pm / Cover TBD Brucey Jam / Vangelis — Featuring Ride Til Dawn, The Junior Panthers and more.

10pm / Cover $5 Old Joe and the Truth Hurts / The Woods Alehouse — Swing by for some great local beer and musical talent. 8pm / Cover $5.

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Photo: Courtesy of Walt Disney pictures

Fan-Franken-tastic!

Tim Burton finds his old groove with new film Frankenweenie. by adam hawboldt

W

elcome back, Tim Burton. Man, it’s been awhile.

Sorry we gave you grief over your last flick — Dark Shadows. But c’mon Tim, you know you deserved it. And even though I personally dug some of your latest films, like Alice in Wonderland and Sweeney Todd, other critics weren’t so impressed. They lambasted you, called you a sell-out, said you were once an original who lost his vision somewhere in the rolling hills of Hollywood.

But you showed them, eh Tim? Your new flick is all kinds of good.

Really reminds me of the critically

Which, it just so happens, is often referred to as his best work.

Shot in black-and-white 3D stopmotion animation, Frankweenie has the look and feel of something fresh and new in the three dimensional oeuvre, yet it still retains that old, familiar Tim Burton feel.

With the help of his animation team, Burton captures the essence of 1970s-era ‘burbs in a creepy and stylish way. And it’s against this backdrop that he takes the story of Frankenstein and tinkers with it, making it about a boy and his dog and, in doing so, creates the kind of movie that just begs to be watched.

Frankenweenie Directed by Tim Burton Starring Martin Landau, Catherine O’Hara + Winona Ryder 87 minutes | G

is, understandably, devastated. Not for long, though, because in a science class at school, Victor’s spooky teacher Mr. Rzykruski (Martin Landau) teaches his class about electricity and, well, I bet you can figure out where this is going.

Victor pays a visit to the pet cemetery, finds Sparky, takes him up to his attack and zaps his old pal back to life. Soon his secret gets out and the town of New Holland gets turned upside down.

With a smattering of classic movie references (everything from An American Werewolf in Paris to Dracula and Godzilla), and a voice cast that is nothing short of topnotch, Frankenweenie is Tim Burton doing what Tim Burton does best.

Yet, like all his best films, Frankenweenie does, at times, suffer from pacing problems. But no matter. It’s just good to see the old Tim Burton again.

Frankenweenie is Tim Burton doing what Tim Burton does best.

Adam Hawboldt

acclaimed stuff you were doing in the late-80s and early-90s. Movies like Edward Scissorhands and Ed Wood.

Like those, Frankenweenie is dark, visually captivating and strangely charming. So take a bow.

That’s what I’d say to Tim Burton if I ran into him on the street anytime in the near future. And I’d mean every bit of it, word for word. Because truthfully his new film, Frankenweenie, is a visual and thematic return to the much-exalted director’s old work.

The protagonist of this story is a kid named Victor Frankenstein (voiced by Charlie Tahan) who lives with his parents (Martin Short and Catherine O’Hara) in the weird little town of New Holland. Victor’s two favourite things are conducting weird science experiments in his attic, and playing with his dog, Sparky. Anyway, when the film begins Victor and Sparky are happy together and everything is swell.

But when Sparky gets hit by a car and heads to doggie heaven, Victor

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A Mighty Fall New documentary The Queen of Versailles shows what the American Dream looks like when it explodes. by adam hawboldt

D

oes the name David Siegel ring a bell?

If not, here’s what you have to know about him: he is the guy who founded Westgate Resorts which, according to Siegel, is “the largest time share company on the planet.” He started peddling time shares when the industry was in its heyday, and soon became a mogul selling time-share apartments to people who simply couldn’t afford them.

Oh, and if Siegel is to be believed, his money and backroom “extralegal” politicking were directly responsible for George W. Bush getting elected.

Anyway, when we first meet Siegel in Lauren Greenfield’s documentary The Queen of Versailles, he’s living with his wife Jackie — a former beauty queen 30 years his junior — and his eight kids in their “starter mansion.” Located in

Photo: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

But then something happens.

About a year after the Siegels started construction the arse falls out of the American economy.

Remember 2008? Remember the financial crisis?

Well, seeing as Siegel’s business practices were intimately linked with all that noise, it’s no surprise he takes a hit. A big friggin’ hit. So when the economy goes down the

[T]he movie is genuinely funny thanks mostly to Jackie Siegel.

Adam Hawboldt

Orlando, their mansion has 17 bathrooms and spans 26,000 square feet.

But the Siegels need (or is it want?) new digs.

When we first meet the family it’s 2007 and they’re in the process of building a new mansion. And not just any old mansion. No, the Siegels intend to build the biggest, most opulent mansion in America.

At nearly 90,000 square feet, their mansion-in-progress is a replica of the Palace of Versailles in France. When the pseudo-palace is complete, it will feature 30 bathrooms, two tennis courts, a hockey rink, 10 kitchens, a bowling alley, a full-sized baseball field, and more.

Hell, the doors and windows alone are going to cost $4 million.

tubes and people simply stop buying time shares, Siegel is left out in the wind with an unfinished mansion and a drastically declining income.

So naturally the billionaire tells Greenfield to take her camera and get away before his kingdom collapses, right?

Wrong. For reasons only Siegel knows for sure, he lets Greenfield film his family’s descent for the next three years. This is when The Queen of Versailles takes a dark turn. The first half of the documentary leaves you in infuriated awe as you watch a septuagenarian and his 40ishyear-old, top-heavy trophy wife spend a fortune on lavish parties, jaunts on their private jet and building a super mansion.

The Queen of Versailles Directed by Lauren Greenfield Starring David Siegel + Jackie Siegel 100 minutes | G

It’s the American Dream on some serious steroids. But when the economy crumbles the Dream implodes, and all we’re left with is a defeated family spiraling to its nadir.

So is The Queen of Versailles a good documentary? You bet. It’s fascinating and exasperating, sad and hilarious. And I don’t mean hilarious in a schadenfreude kind of way either — unless you’re bent like that.

In which case you cackle your ass off watching things fall apart. But the movie is genuinely funny thanks mostly to Jackie Siegel. Whether she’s pointing to her Fabergé collection and saying “What do you call the, uh, eggs from Russia?” or telling her kids they may have to go to college because the family is broke, there’s just something so absurd and endearing about her that she will make you laugh.

The Queen of Versailles is currently being screened at the Broadway Theatre.

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Photography by Patrick Carley – feedback@verbnews.com

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Thursday, september 27 @

Premier

Premier Fine Wine, Spirits and Specialty Foods Festival 35 22nd Street East (306) 975 7777 By the numbers / Premier fea-

tured over 90 booths, and hosted around 1400 people each night live music / This year’s entertainment featured Kennie Marco & It’s All Good

23 Oct 5 – Oct 11 /verbsaskatoon

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Thursday, september 27 @

Premier top eats / New restaurant vendors this year included Saboroso and 12 Grill, and old favourites, such as the Prairie Harvest CafĂŠ and the Bulk Cheese Warehouse, were also in attendance interesting drinks / With around 250 different types of wine and spirits to sample, from Three Olives Rootbeer Vodka to Chateau Coufran 2003, Premier offered something for everyone the community / Once again, Premier was happy to donate a portion of their proceeds to Autism Services of Saskatoon

24

Konga Cafe

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Photography by Michelle Berg – feedback@verbnews.com

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

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timeout

crossword canadian criss-cross 32. Difficult to endure 36. One’s ‘I’ 37. Fortune-telling card 39. Lamb’s mom 40. A country’s military land forces 42. Bed and breakfast 43. Change course 44. Lower in dignity 46. Hold back, as a yawn 48. Published work 49. Three-legged stand 50. Bathroom floor 51. Ski tow

DOWN 1. Refreshing drink

2. Ready to harvest 3. Have being 4. Turn two companies into one 5. Cooking utensil 6. Outran everybody 7. Choir voice 8. Fastest pace of a horse 9. Courage 11. Canadian town council president 12. Baby bovine 14. Growl loudly 17. Part of EDT 20. Excessively expand 21. Body-hugging 24. Behave in a particular

way sudoku answer key 26. Kind of shooter 28. Apprentice A 29. Froth on a glass of beer 30. Bird with long ornamental feathers 31. Do a crime 33. Marijuana cigarette 34. Become larger than normal 35. In this place B 38. Beginning 41. Mysterious Himalayan humanoid 43. Travel document 45. The whole lot 47. Keyboard key

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

1. Learn hurriedly 5. Decorative drapery 9. Watered-silk 10. Utterly unlike 12. Barrel maker 13. Moose feature 15. Wheel shaft 16. Come down with 18. Margarine 19. Tell untruths 20. Humdinger 22. Eggs 23. Gone wild 25. Indoor shoe 27. Holiday home 29. About two & a half acres

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

ACROSS

© walter D. Feener 2012

Horoscopes October 5 – october 11 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

You’re under no orders to change the world, Aries. But maybe this week you could do some soul searching and make some changes in yourself.

It’s time to do what you do best, Leo. It’s time to get out there and socialize with the world. Put your best foot forward and turn on the charm.

Have you been looking for a new hobby to pick up, Sagittarius? A surprise trip could lead you to something that will ease your mind.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

If you find yourself running out of things to say in conversation, go home and memorize a bunch of random facts about partridges. Then share at will.

Feel like taking charge this week, Virgo? Do it, grab the bull by the horns, wrestle it to the ground, then take a chunk home and cook yourself a steak.

Boredom is a double edged sword.

It can, well, bore you silly. But it can also give you time to think about that important thing you’ve been avoiding.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

C’mon Gemini, you know you can be a bit of a chatterbox at times. So this week try opening your ears instead. You may be surprised by what happen.

Make up your mind already, Libra!

If you’ve been waffling on making a decision, stop it. Make your choice — it could lead you to good fortune.

This week you’ll become wellversed in the language of love, Aquarius. It may be with a person, a new pet, or even a record. Love is all around.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Stress is a killer, Cancer. Don’t let it catch up to you this week. Instead, hide (under a desk if need be) until it passes. Then enjoy the rest of the week.

If you find yourself at odds with the world this week, Scorpio, you have two choices: a) know that you are wrong or b) say to hell with the world.

“Don’t live too fast, troubles will come and they will pass.” Wise words from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pisces. Slowing down won’t hold you back.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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