Verb Issue S211 (Oct. 12-18, 2012)

ISSUE #211 – OCTOBER 12 TO OCTOBER 18

LYRICAL AMBITION CADENCE WEAPON

WITH

A NEW DIRECTION Saskatchewan NDPs look for their next leader NOT A SINGER-SONGWRITER Q + A with Aidan Knight ARGO + AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER? Films reviewed

PHOTO: COURTESY OF RICHARD LAM

CONTENTS

NEWS + OPINION

A NEW DIRECTION Saskatchewan NDPs search for a new leader. 4 / LOCAL

CULTURE

ENTERTAINMENT

Q + A WITH AIDAN KNIGHT

LIVE MUSIC LISTINGS

On being wildly ambitious. 12 / Q + A

Local music listings for October 12 through October 20. 18 / LISTINGS

I’VE COMPLETELY F***ED MY LIFE

ARGO + AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER?

Grimes talks transformation. 13 / ARTS

The latest movie reviews. 20 / FILM

VERBNEWS.COM @VERBSASKATOON FACEBOOK.COM/VERBSASKATOON

A MASSIVE COLLISION

NIGHTLIFE PHOTOS

EDITORIAL

Farragut North explores the intersection of politics and ambition. 13 / ARTS

We visit Lounge 306 & Lydia’s.

22-25 / NIGHTLIFE

ART & PRODUCTION

INDIE STAND-UP

DESIGN LEAD / ROBERTA BARRINGTON DESIGN & PRODUCTION / BRITTNEY GRAHAM CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS / MICHELLE BERG, PATRICK CARLEY + ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON

An independent comedy scene is growing in the prairies. 6 / LOCAL

ON THE COVER:

CADENCE WEAPON

Rollie Pemberton realizes his musical vision. 14 / COVER

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

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

THE HOLY CHOP

JAVA & SWEET JAMS

ON THE BUS

Cutting non-Christian prison chaplains doesn’t make sense. 8 / EDITORIAL

Made-in-house eats and cool tunes at Underground Cafe. 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 housing for the homeless. 10 / COMMENTS

Dada Life, Christa Couture + Mother Mother. 17 / MUSIC

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

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

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PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING & SHARING

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2 OCT 12 – OCT 18 VERB MAGAZINE

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VERB MAGAZINE

LOCAL

(L-R) Cam Broten, Ryan Meili, Erin Weir and Trent Wotherspoon are vying for NDP leadership. PHOTOS COURTESY OF CAM BROTEN AND CHRIS NOWINSK

A NEW DIRECTION

Saskatchewan NDP’s quest for a leader and a change.

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

L

ast November, Saskatchewan New Democrats winced as their party was steamrolled by the Saskatchewan Party juggernaut. The NDP lost eleven of its twenty seats.

Many prominent New Democrats were defeated; their leader, Dwain Lingenfelter, was beaten

by Russ Marchuk in Regina Douglas Park. It was the worst election result in party history.

Lingenfelter resigned on election night, setting in motion a period of rebuilding for the battered NDP. In early March, party delegates will elect a new leader. Last month, four promising candidates emerged: Cam Broten, Ryan Meili, Erin Weir, and Trent Wotherspoon. Whoever wins will have plenty of work to do. Bethe leader must work to persuade the undecided to vote NDP in the next general election. Although the candiSaskatchewan can become — and how it should get there — they agree that an injection of new ideas is the only way to transform the party.

a very important time for our party,” he says. “But it’s an important time for election, it’s clear that we as a party have a tremendous amount of work to do, I think within our party but also with … rebuilding credibility.”

Broten’s campaign is framed in terms of needs and aspirations, an approach he says has worked well for the party in the past. In practical in the province health and happiness. “It’s about reducing inequality in our province and at the same time recognizing … the environment matters.” But while Broten is prepared to grapple with big ideas, he also understands that what happens in the legislature cannot be dismissed. there’s most certainly a responsibility and an expectation and a need in the province for us to hold the government to account,” he says. “But it’s also important [to consider] — and Jack Layton talked about this a lot — opposition as well as proposition.”

Put simply, Broten wants the NDP auditor of the government, but also -

Cam Broten is running what he calls a “campaign of ideas.” The current MLA for Saskatoon Massey Place, Broten, “I’m running because I think that it’s

cial to people across the province.

Ryan Meili, who ran for party leader in 2009, is driven by his experiences

as a physician. “My experience with patients has sort of woken me up to the level of inequality and some of the particular challenges that are facing us politically,” he says. “When I’m ing them help for what’s ailing them … but it’s very clear that to make any we need to be moving upstream to the things that have real impact: income, employment, education. And those are political questions.” elected. He thinks his lack of experience in the legislature could be an plus one,” he says. “We’ve got nine talented MLAs; why not add to that talent pool with another voice?” This idea echoes Meili’s platform, which is about generating ideas rather than developing policies. Although he concedes that the party cannot “ignore the mistakes the government is making,” Meili wants to use the tion of health — “full social, physical, mental well-being” — as a guide for improving income equality, education, and renewable energy use.

“We’ve got the most sun and wind in the entire country,” he says. “Why don’t we have the most energy production from solar and wind? That seems to me an obvious place for us to be investing the funds that are CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

4 OCT 12 – OCT 18 NEWS + OPINION

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF ERIN WEIR AND TRENT WORTHERSPOON

being brought in by nonrenewable resources. A place to start.”

Erin Weir, the other candidate without a seat in the legislature, chose to run for a simple reason. “What motivates me to seek the leadership is a sense that the Saskatchewan NDP needs to do a better job of articulating an alternative policy vision and

is to rebuild and renew the party,” he says. “That’s work that needs to be done outside the Legislative Building. I see it as being an advantage to have a leader who is … free to travel the province and lead that party renewal process.”

Trent Wotherspoon worked as an educator before entering politics.

His leadership campaign is focused

It seems plain that whoever wins will take the Saskatchewan New Democrats in a new direction.

ALEX J MACPHERSON

government,” he says.

Weir, who is 30, is an economist.

He has worked in the Treasury Board Secretariat and the federal Department of Finance, as well for the Canadian Labour Congress and the United Steelworkers union. Although his proposal to eliminate donations by corporations and unions has generated a lot of coverage, he thinks his background in economics will help defeat the ruling Sask. Party. “A large part of the Sask. Party’s appeal is a narrative about the economy, and to challenge the government it’s very important for the NDP to have a good sense of economic issues,” he says.

And like Meili, Weir thinks lacking a seat may be an asset. “The big challenge for the Saskatchewan NDP

on inclusion. “It’s about making clear in the eyes of the public and election for the sake of winning tions so that everyone can be in and everyone can have an opportunity

in Regina Rosemont, he is the opposition critic for Finance, Education, and SaskPower. Although his duties in the house are time-consuming, he relishes the opportunity to travel the province. “The bulk of my time in my community and across the province always has been this sincere and engaging and enjoyable experience where you’re out listening with families and listening with businesses

and listening with producers and building out solutions and having discussions,” he explains.

Rather than release his policy plans immediately, Wotherspoon hopes to solicit opinions from people across Saskatchewan. It seems plain, however, that his vision for the province and the party will focus on education. “I know that if we’re going to pursue better educational outcomes, which we must to improve the outcomes for young people and brighter futures but also for our economy as a whole, we have to understand what else impacts those educational outcomes or those health outcomes,” he says, pointing to housing pressures and growing food bank usage rates as indicators of problems.

“As we boom, as we prosper, we need to make sure that the many have the opportunity to advance the wellbeing and quality of life of themselves and their families,” he says.

To date, no clear frontrunner has emerged. Broten and Wotherspoon are well-known names in Saskatchewan, but Meili and Weir have been working hard to generate support for their campaigns. It seems plain that whoever wins will take the Saskatchewan New Democrats in a new direction. Given the importance of tion — to our political system, that can only be a good thing.

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5 OCT 12 – OCT 18 @VERBSASKATOON

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EDITORIAL LOCAL

INDIE STAND-UP

An independent comedy scene is slowly growing in the prairies. BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

J

ayden Pfeifer shouldn’t have been nervous.

It’s not like it was his

it out,” says Pfeifer. “Everyone in the room was really young, really green.

I was 28 years old at the time, and easily the oldest person there.”

been on hundreds of them, maybe thousands. As an improviser with the General Fools comedy troop, he’d been in the comedy game for more than a decade. He’d performed all across the North America, he’d written comedy pieces for radio and been nominated for improv awards.

No, he shouldn’t have been ner-

Finish them he did. It didn’t matter how good or bad they were, he just wanted to challenge himself and try something he’d always been a fan of.

[W]e’re working together to build a scene here. An indie stand-up scene.

JAYDEN PFEIFER

took the stage to perform a stand-up comedy routine he was frazzled.

-

You’d think being the guy who’d performed thousands of hours of live comedy, Pfeifer would’ve been

It’s not like he was hell-bent on being the funniest guy in the room.

2008? Pfeifer doesn’t remember exactly. But what he does remember is the crowd of people who were at The

up show. “In theory, you’d think that,” he agrees, “but for me, it was a

Five years on, and Pfeifer still isn’t hell-bent on being the funniest guy in the room. If, on any given night, he just so happens to be the most hilarious stand-up act, good. Great! He’ll be happy with his performance. But if someone else goes out and absolutely kills, Pfeifer doesn’t get upset.

“It’s not important for me to be better than any of the other come-

tried his hand at stand-up comedy.

“A bunch of young people got together and started a small, independent monthly show. I’d heard about it earlier, so one day myself and a couple of friends went to check

get up on stage and it’s just you and a microphone. There’s no one there you if you need a hand. It was, ‘Wow! I’m all by myself and if this isn’t funny, it’s all my fault.’ I just wanted

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

6 OCT 12 – OCT 18 NEWS + OPINION

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JAYDEN PFEIFER

dians in a show,” he says. “My job is to make the audience laugh, that’s it.

And hopefully everybody goes out and does their jobs. I want everybody to be funny, I want everybody to go up there and kill.”

And it isn’t just Pfeifer. A lot of stand-ups in Regina share the same sentiments. It seems to be an ethos of sorts for the indie stand-up scene that’s burgeoning in the prairies. A scene that began back where Pfeifer

show with helping to kick-start the scene here,” says Pfeifer. “Back then it used to be called Queen City Comedy, and like I said, it was just a bunch of young people getting together doing something we loved to do.”

These days Queen City Comedy is called Pass the Hat, and many of the original stand-ups still remain. They still root for each other to do well.

They still respect one another. They still help each other out, give each other advice on jokes.

“We’re not just working for ourselves,” says Pfeifer, “we’re working together to build a scene here. An indie stand-up scene.” So instead of putting on the more traditional stand-up shows, where you have an opener, a middle man, and a headliner, indie shows like Pass the Hat

and the Comedy Grind do things a bit “None of us are auditioning to be on someone else’s show,” explains Pfeifer of the more communal vibe.

“People start their own shows and invite other local comedians to be on it. Not only are they trying to build their own fan base, they’re trying to build up a fan base for the comedians they invite. It’s all very inclusive.”

And speaking of shows, Pfeifer is upping the ante. He has decided to throw caution to the wind and put on a full hour-long special called Jayden Pfeifer Live!

So how does a comedian make the jump from a smooth 30 minutes to an entire hour?

Simple: you tell everybody you’re going to do it. Then your hand is forced.

“I had a feeling this fall would be a good time to challenge myself and do a longer set,” says Pfeifer. “So before I could stop myself or think too much about it, at my variety show [Red Hot Riot] I announced to the crowd of comedy fans I was doing a stand-up special on October 12th and 13th did I? I had to do it.”

That was two months ago. Since then, Pfeifer has been work-shop-

ping material at weekly and monthly indie comedy shows in Regina, and slowly but surely ironing out the wrinkles in a set that will touch on personal (and hilarious) anecdotes about everything from Pfeifer’s adolescence to being a dad to relationships gone wrong.

crack at stand-up comedy, Jayden Pfeifer is ready to take on yet another comedy challenge. he still gets the jitters.

“Of course I’m nervous. Very nervous,” he admits. “But I’m also very

excited. This is going to be a whole new experience for me.”

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7 OCT 12 – OCT 18 FACEBOOK.COM/VERBNEWSSASKATOON

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EDITORIAL

THE HOLY CHOP

Cutting non-Christian prison chaplains doesn’t make sense.

BY THE EDITORS OF VERB

S

top us if you’ve heard this one before ...

A chaplain walks into the prison with a briefcase under his arm. In the briefcase there’s a Bible, the Torah, the Qur’an and a prayer sees, opens his briefcase and says, “Okay partner, what’ll it be today?” that joke funny? That’s fair, neither did we. But do you know what? It wasn’t really a joke. See, the Harper government recently decided to cancel nearly all the contracts of non-Christian chaplains in federal prisons. And if they have their way, the scenario you just read could very well happen.

The government, however, says this isn’t about targeting nonChristians. Instead, they defend their decision by saying they need to cut those positions in order to better allocate our (the taxpayers’) money.

But here’s the thing: it just so happens that nearly all the non-Christian chaplains who work the prisons are part-timers.

At the moment there are 80 fulltime chaplains in federal prisons across the country — only one of them isn’t Christian. And of the 49 part-time positions the government is cutting, 18 are of non-Christian denominations. So, if you crunch those numbers, that means the federal gov-

of all non-Christian chaplains in the prison system. No big deal, says the federal government. We’ll just have the remaining Christian chaplains buy into the multi-faith model already being used in the Canadian Forces. And frankly, we think that’s wrong.

First of all, who says that just because something is used in the Canadian Forces means it’s right and good? That’s just preposterous. But more important than that is the issue of Christian chaplains catering to Muslim or Jewish or Sikh or anything other than Christian inmates.

Stop and think about it for a second. It’s not as though these religions have a lot in common. Sure, at times they preach similar things and there is overlap in certain basic premises, but for the most part, people of different religions perceive the world okay — Canada prides itself on being ently except in jail. And it’s not just us that thinks this move doesn’t make sense. As B.C. Sikh chaplain Harkirat Singh tells the CBC, “How can a Christian provide spirituality to the Sikh faith? They don’t have that expertise.”

So what should the federal government do? Well, we believe that this is an all-or-nothing kind of scenario. You can’t favour one segment of the prison population over another.

And you can’t expect a Christian Muslims and Buddhists and Sikhs and people of any religion other than Christianity grow spiritually.

So do we cut all the chaplain jobs and let the inmates worship on their own time in their own way?

This probably makes the most sense, as there is no empirical data that inmates in any measurable way. Or we could stop playing religious favourites and employ chaplains of all if the federal government is looking to save the taxpayer money, would But probably not wise. So it may be best for the government to make sure there’s religious fairness in the prison system. And honestly, if they’re still hell-bent on cutting the part-time chaplain positions, then maybe they should get rid of some of the 80, full-time Christian chaplains and replacing them with purveyors prides itself on being multi-cultural and multi-religious, like Canada does, it only makes sense.

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8 OCT 12 – OCT 18 NEWS + OPINION

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NEWS + OPINION

COMMENTS

ON TOPIC: Last week we asked what you thought about housing for the homeless. Here's what you had to say:

– Response to Home Sweet Home.

Eye opening way to look at the matter. Wish more people thought the way Mr. Mangano thinks. Awesome.

Text yo thoughtsur to 881 VE R B 8372

– Giving houses to people who need them is a bandaid solution and doesn’t address the root issues at play. We need to look

– Housing for the homeless is a great idea i myself have it pretty rough at times it would be awesome to know that the community cares!

residences.

– Housing for homeless editorial a good idea. Very progressive way of looking at things, and makes sense help with basic needs and individuals are given assistence they require to pursue other ambitions.

SOUND OFF – Modern history quiz. What’s the Libya last year and Hungary in support.

– To the Chili for Children responder. I have a better idea. Lets forget about the Treatys. White people give everything back. Lets see how well all that hard work and personality plays without all that stolen aboriginal lands waters and resources! Better yet you also all go back where you came from! See how well your sh*t plays there!

– I’m appalled at the text about the ‘crappy hamper’ text! Maybe you should rather be thankful for what you get and realize that the community has graciously donated many items to be part of our ‘crappy hamper’!

10 OCT 12 – OCT 18 NEWS + OPINION

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– To the person complaining about your food hamper: The world does not owe you anything. You are luck you live in a country that allows you clean water, free healthcare, social services, and yes, “free” food. If you don’t like starving grateful child in Africa. people complain b/c they want junk food, instead of the nutritious be choosers. I sincerely hope this comment was a stab at irony. Even the very poor in Canada aren’t as who truly deserve help (working poor and homeless) are the ones who rarely use the system and never complain.

– About the food hamper comment: I also noticed that the food donation bin at my local grocery store was also looking slim. So many of us have so much to be thankful for! So perhaps we could all try and give a little extra. Working together as a community is the only productive way to get things done, and helping out those who need it is a part of that. Happy Thanksgiving and God Bless!

– Meagan K. Is the best neice a person could ever have in the whole wide world! If you know this girl you tell her that her auntie Ronda said so. And if your a friend of hers be a true friend to her do not use her nor take advantage of her treat her fair. Cuz youll never ya meagan. Xo

– Love how much diversity the verb has in it. But I’d love to hear more about the ever-growing metal/hardcore scene in the city.

– Lingerie football with womenl?

Okay. Well how about underwear football with men? It works both ways.

– God how I wish you would pick yourself up out of this slump. Its getting really hard on me mentally to watch you throw your life on the back burner. I feel like i cant do anything right to help you. Everytime I turn around I feel guilty for not being a strong person to help you the right way or in the right

direction. Its really really getting hard on me to watch you be like this. Im sorry I really am. I wish i could change things to make you happier but its out of my hands.

Its time you took a step in the right direction to make yourself happier.

I can always be there for you but I cant make you happy only you can do that. Im sorry.....

NEXT WEEK: Only Christian chaplains in jail.

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.

11 OCT 12 – OCT 18 FACEBOOK.COM/VERBNEWSSASKATOON

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Q+A

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BRIAN VAN WYK

NOT A SINGERSONGWRITER

Aidan Knight pushes the outside of the envelope. BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

A

idan Knight is a singer-songwriter who doesn’t sound much like a singer-songwriter. His latest record, Small Reveal, blurs the line between acoustic folk, sensuous soundscapes, and orchestral pop.

Knight, who is 25, spent more than a year working on the album — which he and his band recorded in just ten days. I tracked Knight down for a conversation about sound, songwriters, and listening to Small Reveal.

Alex J MacPherson: I get the sense that Small Reveal is as much about sonics as it is about songs. Is that the case?

Aidan Knight: Yeah.

It feels like there’s a lot to every song, and I don’t say that in terms of being full of myself. For me, I’m just as excited about creating a story and

AJM: It would be easy to slot you into the singer-songwriter category, but

that we had made an album, a collection of songs, about being creative, about being a musician, about writing songs.

middle ground between those two.

In a weird way, I can see some of that shining through on some of the songs, but on a lot of other moments on this record maybe none of those occur all at the same time.

AJM: Small Reveal has three instru-

AJM: So is it about trying to push the singer-songwriter paradigm?

AK: Sometimes, I think about how things will be listened to. On the other hand, I want to say that’s not important and I want to make the thing I want to make. And I certainly

AK: I would say that is very apt. To be totally honest, maybe some of those

I always want to make something that is so beyond my grasp, so wildly ambitious.

AIDAN KNIGHT

ideas really have nothing to do with the music at all, and have to do with the idea of expectation — how other people are going to react to having a

think those three instrumentals are make. They’re these three movements, but they’re also these breaths.

You’re hearing these dense songs and you get these moments, instrumentals. In the end, I felt like I couldn’t stand behind the idea of not having them in the album.

while I thought I had laid some of the ground for the things we’re doing on this, a lot of it did fall into a more classic singer-songwriter thing. I didn’t want to just create something standard; I always want to make something that is so beyond my grasp, so wildly ambitious.

Aidan Knight Oct 25 @ Christ Church Anglican $TBD

AK: When I start creating something AJM: What do you think you achieved? end result sometimes. We started out thinking we were going to create this marriage of the highs of classical music and the lows — well, not the lows

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

AK: It came together in this way I can only say is really miraculous.

Looking back at the songs, I realized

@MacPhersonA amacpherson@verbnews.com

12 OCT 12 – OCT 18 CULTURE

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ARTS

I’VE COMPLETELY F***ED MY LIFE Claire Boucher’s remarkable transformation.

C

laire Boucher is the only person I can think of who would willingly submit to what most would call torture: nine days without food or sleep or even company. But I’m glad she did, because her perverse odyssey produced one of the best albums of the year.

“Once you hit day nine, you start accessing some really crazy sh*t,” Boucher, who declined to be The Guardian in April. “You have no stimulation, so your subconscious

rod for hipster kids disillusioned with the commercialization of independent music. But unlike her earlier releases, Geidi Primes and , Visions turned Boucher’s let’s-see-whatcomes-out-when-I-let-myself-doon itself. Now, everyone is clamouring for Boucher, who has appeared in fashion magazines and become the sole architect of her profoundly confusing image.

“I’ve completely f**ked my life,” she told The Guardian. “I don’t live anywhere, I don’t see my friends. You

feel like I was channeling spirits. I was God. It was … as if my songs were already written.”

Boucher’s latest creation is called Visions. A weirdly compelling mélange of new wave sounds and spacey Visions has become a lightning

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

freedom.” That freedom is plain on Visions. According to Boucher, the album is a response to a period of drug addition, two deaths, a string of bad relationships, and a “f**ked-up assault experience.”

PHOTO: COURTESY OF RAPHAËL OUELLET / THE ARTIST

She describes Visions as “cathartic” and possessed of a “weird jubilance.”

all but impossible to parse. Visions, then, requires deviations from the fected emotion and manufactured sincerity, honesty, even weird honesty, is refreshing.

Grimes October 20 @ Louis’ Pub $15 @ Northerntickets.com | 16+

A MASSIVE COLLISION

Farragut North explores the intersection of ambition and principles. BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANGELA KEMP

F

arragut North is about what happens when ambition and principles collide. A play by Beau Willimon, Farragut North is the story of Stephen Bellamy, a virtuosic press secretary whose ruthlessness threatens to unseat his moral compass.

“The play is pretty universal,” Jaron Francis, who stars as Bellamy, says. “It’s almost a traditional tragedy, in a way. He’s got the whole world at his feet … But because he’s got this Bellamy is a study of the political idealist consumed by ambition. At

the beginning of the play he is a man of pristine ideals, but by harnessing his life to the electoral success of his candidate, Bellamy sets himself up for disaster. “His entire life is getting his candidate elected,” Francis explains. “And if his candidate isn’t elected…that would invalidate his entire existence in his mind.” Farragut North isn’t critical of the broader political system but it does examine the question of principles, Francis says: “No candidate in their right mind would admit to the kind of things that inevitably are going to go on in a campaign in order to get them elected … These candidates have to appear more perfect than anyone could really be.”

In this sense, the play is a character study. Bellamy must examine his own principles and decide how far he is prepared to go — whether he is interested in winning for its own sake or for some greater cause.

“As hard as he’s worked on every campaign before, he’s really given this one everything he’s ever going to have,” Francis says. “He really knows that if he gets this guy elected, he’s going to change the world. When it becomes clear it’s not that simple and his principles are tested, the audience gets to see if he’ll be able to maintain those principles. That’s the only time when principles are worth a damn: when they’re tested.”

Ultimately, Bellamy must decide, as we all must, how history will view him, and what is truly important.

Farragut North Oct 18-21; 25-28 @ The Refinery $18.50+ @ ontheboards.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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THERE’S HOPE IN DIRT CITY Cadence Weapon realizes his musical vision. BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

R

ollie Pemberton is a talented rapper, an incisive writer, and an eloquent speaker. And, as he demonstrated in September, a gracious loser. Pemberton, who raps under the name Cadence Weapon, was shortlisted for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize, an award for the best Canadian album of the year.

Nobody doubted that his contribution, Hope in Dirt City, was good, the end, Leslie Feist’s Metals took the prize.

Losing is not easy. Losing publicly is even harder. But Pemberton, who was also shortlisted in 2006 for , knows that every album on the list was a worthy contender, that qualifying greatness the shortlist sends a more important message than losing to Feist. “It’s

the Edmonton-based rapper says without a trace of bitterness. “I think it’s really cool to be able to represent hip hop in such a broad way, for all of Canada and the rest of the world.

I feel like it’s great to have my name next to Feist and Drake and Grimes … [i]t’s great to be a part of it.”

Today, the Polaris Prize is a big deal, but it hasn’t always been the centre of gravity for Canadian independent music. In 2006, when

ton says. “The scale of everything has gone way up. It’s being broadcast live on the internet; it’s being broadcast on TV. I really wanted to make the most of my time performing. I was really proud of how I dealt with it. I didn’t feel bad or anything about losing … I actually felt very motivated about the future.”

Given the strength of Hope in Dirt City, both as a landmark in Pemberton’s career and an indication of how good Canadian hip hop can be, that future is bright.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Pemberton approaches hip hop

reviews for before dropping out to concentrate on music. “I do feel like perhaps I am a little more analytical than your average rapper, and it’s probably somewhat related to having a journalistic tendency,” he admits while attempting to minimize his credentials. “It’s just the way I am.

I’m into the idea of deconstructing ideas, and whether or not that comes from journalism is hard to say.”

This notion runs through Hope in Dirt City. More importantly, though, ity to write accessible songs without pandering to his audience. But like a great novel, Hope in Dirt City can be read on many levels. “I want to write

The people that I’ve related to musically the most, are people who made music for disenfranchised youth.

ROLLIE PEMBERTON

awards weren’t broadcast; results came in slowly. “This time was a lot -

from a journalistic, almost academic perspective. His father was a popular radio DJ, his uncle a jazz fusion musician. Steeped in music and raised on radio lore, Pemberton is a walking, talking, rapping encyclopedia of music. Equally comfortable debating the merits of obscure Boston hip hop acts and the gritty resonance of the Hold Steady’s beer-drenched anthems, he has plainly spent serious time with a big record collection. He also studied journalism and wrote

something that has the depth of a book, ultimately, every time I put out an album,” he says. “I try to have serious depth of meaning … whether I’m talking about girls or whether I’m talking about a whole youth movement.”

At its most basic, Hope in Dirt City is about pushing the envelope of hip hop. The completeness of Pemberton’s vision is perhaps most evident on “Jukebox,” which blends pulsating funk guitar licks, New Orleans horns, and syncopated Brazilian CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

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PHOTO: COURTESY OF EVAN PROSOFSKY

ery and a simple, shouted chorus. It shouldn’t work — but it does.

Tracks like “Jukebox” work because Pemberton spends most of his time writing music, a process that begins with an expansive record collection and ends in the studio where samples are re-recorded live. “It was a very complicated, weird process that I was very possessed with doing, but I’m very happy with the way it ended up sounding,” Pemberton Bo Diddley and Suicide, he explains that his ability to transpose ideas onto tape is a direct result of his musical knowledge. “People might not assume

extended metaphor for, or perhaps an explanation of, loneliness, alienation, exclusion, and disillusionment.

In other words: it is a love letter to the internet generation.

“The people that I’ve related to musically the most, are people who made music for disenfranchised youth,” Pemberton says. “I believe the lyrics of somebody like Craig Finn from the Hold Steady — I feel songs, these anthems for young people. I always wanted to do that.”

Craig Finn writes songs about drinking beer and being in love and losing love. So does Pemberton. The real beauty of Hope in Dirt City is its universality. Dirt City is not Edmonton: Dirt City is every city. On “Crash Course for the Ravers,” Pemberton’s

he says, “It’s hard to stay alive, turn

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

that I listen to that sort of thing, but I feel like…people who make beats are encyclopedias of music. You have to ponents for your song.”

Because Pemberton’s musical reference points are so varied, Hope in Dirt City can’t help but be diverse and dynamic. At the same time, however, the emotional and intellectual arc of the album can be read as an

his attempt to provide perspective.

It’s about “seeing the generations of people who have been doing the same thing for years and years,” he says, “and realizing it’s just part of the natural order, that sense of being young and feeling hopeless.”

Hope in Dirt City has its share of sleazy parties and back alley makeout sessions, the detritus of modern living, but it ends on a redemptive note. Perhaps no song better captures the profoundly simple idea that everything is going to be okay than “Hope in Dirt City,” which closes out the album. Tracing a story of urban decay, addiction and despair, “Hope

in Dirt City” tells the story of “the troubled kids, concerned with existence.” But, Pemberton raps toward the end, “I will not be afraid of my habitation / life on the Avenue of Nations.” It’s a perfect wake-up call for a country and a generation that might not know what to do next.

“The whole point?” Pemberton muses. “Yes, it is worth it.” And it is.

Even though Pemberton didn’t walk away with the Polaris, he gained something much more important — gratitude from thousands of kids who didn’t know where to turn and a sense of having put Canadian hip hop on the map.

Cadence Weapon October 20 @ Amigos Cantina $12+ @ ticketedge.ca or Amigos Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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Photography courtesy of Adam Hawboldt.

COFFEE & MUSIC The Underground Cafe serves up a healthy dose of food, tunes and, of course, delicious coffee. BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

B

ehind the counter of the Underground Cafe, high above Dallyn Guenther’s head, are a series of chalkboards mounted side by side.

famous musicians. The meat paninis Zeppelin: there’s The Page, The Plant, The P.J. and The Bonham. On the veggie side of things, you have The Lennon, Sir McCartney, The Harrison and Ringo.

These titles were Guenther’s idea, as were the ones for the specialty drinks, which boast names like Sammy Davis, Otis Redding and Etta James. They suit the Underground Cafe perfectly. And here’s why: not only is the Underground Cafe a funky, music-themed cafe, it shares a space with Beaumont Film and Record. At the back of the store, past the counter, the tables and the converted

stacks of vinyl, music videos, rock T-shirts and more. Everything from Leonard Cohen to Tom Waits and The Sheepdogs.

It’s also a darn good place to grab some grub. When I was there the other day I had the urge to try a little bit of everything, so I went with the sandwich, soup, salad combo … with

[T]he Underground Cafe is a cool place to kick [back] and enjoy a cup of java.

Standing there, looking at the menu options, it was honestly hard to pick just one of each. But decide I did (eventually), and here’s what I went with.

For my sandwich, I tried The Page — a pesto chicken panini with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, etc. The soup was a creamy mushroom dill, and the salad a mix of greens, cranberries, almonds and balsamic vinaigrette.

And do you know what? For a place that just started serving food last week, I was massively impressed.

Everything was stellar.

The sandwich was delicious, the salad was simple and fresh, and the soup … oh boy, the soup! It was absolutely delectable.

The Underground also boasts

ADAM HAWBOLDT

And the music theme doesn’t stop with tunes. Over the tables, drawings of music greats like B.B. King and Bob Dylan hang on the walls — all done by local artists.

Yep — any way you slice it, the Underground Cafe is a cool place to kick up your feet and enjoy a cup of java.

sidewalk, so you’re welcome to kick

LET’S GO DRINKIN’ VERB’S MIXOLOGY GUIDE

So if it’s a nice, quick lunch with IRISH COFFEE

INGREDIENTS th and see what the Underground is all about.

What’s better on a cool, autumn with some whiskey? It warms the soul and soothes the spirit.

1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey 1 tsp brown sugar 1 oz whipping cream

Underground Cafe 430 20th Street W, | (306) 370 7963

DIRECTIONS

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

on top. If you want to get fancy, sprinkle on some chocolate.

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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MUSIC

NEXT WEEK

COMING UP

DADA LIFE

CHRISTA COUTURE

MOTHER MOTHER

@ TEQUILA NIGHTCLUB THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17– $18.50+

@ THE WOODS ALEHOUSE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24 – $ 5 COVER

@ THE ODEON EVENTS CENTRE WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5 – $ $36.25

You have to hand it to this electrohouse duo from Sweden — they sure know how to name a song. With titles like “Happy Violence,” “Kick Out The Epic Motherf*cker,” and “Rolling Stones T-Shirt,” Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom certainly know how to grab the audience’s attention.

And it’s not just their song names, either. Exceedingly good at what they do, Dada Life was voted #38 in DJ Mag’s 2011 Top 100 list of the most popular DJs. Known for their highenergy sets, the duo has a penchant

Playing a bright, sweetly orchestrated brand of indie folk music, this Alberta-born musician blends touching lyrics, fuzzy guitars, some bluegrass twinges and a quirky vocal arrangement to create a fun, catchy sound. Her latest work, The Living Record, is about living with

bananas and champagne bottles into the crowd. They’re no strangers to North America, and Dada Life will be performing at Tequila Nightclub to get Saskatoon dancing! Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.

and a voice that’s sweet and intimate, Couture is a true talent — and one that hasn’t gone unrecognized.

In 2008, her album The Wedding Singer and The Undertaker cracked the Top 10 on CBC Radio 3 and was awarded “Best Folk Album” at the Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.

She’ll be playing at The Woods Alehouse’s Grand Opening next week with Redgy Blackout.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: THE ARTIST / THE ARTIST / TODD M. DUYM

vocalist Ryan Guldemond decided to start a vocal-driven pop band. He recruited his sister and a college friend, and soon the trio began playing as an acoustic act. Fast forward half a decade and Mother Mother is now a art-pop quintet that uses tri-harmony vocal arrangements, playful piano licks, dynamic string music and a retrospective style of writing to give whirlwind year that saw the group do a bit of globetrotting, Mother Mother went back to the studio and pumped out their fourth record, The Sticks. The sky’s the limit for this fast-rising band. Mother Mother will be hitting up The Odeon in early December; tickets are available via Ticketmaster.

– By Adam Hawboldt

SASK MUSIC PREVIEW

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

The world-renowned CMJ Music Marathon — New York’s largest music festival — is taking place October 16-20 in NYC. It attracts more than 120,000 music professionals, artists and enthusiasts to the city, and features more than 1,300+ performers in over 80 of New York’s greatest music venues. This year, Sask Music will be taking Rah Rah and Foam Lake.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

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SEAHAGS /

OCTOBER 12 » OCTOBER 20

SATURDAY 13

M

T

W

14 15 16

T

SUNDAY 14

HOUSE DJS / 6Twelve — Resident DJs

The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

S

OLD JOE AND THE TRUTH HURTS / The

12 13

17 18 19 10

SUNPARLOUR PLAYERS, KALLE MATHESON / Amigos Cantina — Come check out these two incredible acts from Ontario.

AUSTEN ROADZ / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-

FRIDAY 12 HOUSE DJS / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk,

LAVAGOAT / Amigos Cantina — Hot tunes able at the door INDUSTRY NIGHT / Béily’s UltraLounge —

DJ KADE / The Hose & Hydrant — Saska-

ANDRE NICKATINA /

THE KARPINKA BROTHERS / Amigos Can-

JAZZ DIVA SERIES: TERRA HAZELTON AND HER EASY ANSWER / The Bassment — Come check out this excellent jazz singer

SUNDAY JAM / Vangelis Tavern — The Vangelis Sunday Jam is an institution, of-

PIANO FRIDAYS: MARUICE DROUIN / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some

FEAR OF KNOWING / Buds — These local -

UOFS JAZZ ENSEMBLE / The Bassment — Fazz standards and originals by the U Of

CAUGHT IN A DREAM / The Fez — An Al-

METAL MONDAYS / Lydia’s Pub — If hard, heavy awesomeness is your thing, swing

AUSTEN ROADZ / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-ener-

MEET THE BANDS / United Church – The Saskatoon Brass

TUESDAY 16 -

FEAR OF KNOWING / Buds — Check out

MONDAY 15

STANFIELDS / Amigos – Playing an awesome brand of rock with a distinct east-

DJ KADE / The Hose & Hydrant — SaskaSUICIDE MESSIAH / Crown and Rok — A Black Label Society tribute band worth UNTIMELY DEMISE, REHASHED, WRATHED / The Fez — A night of hard rocking

MOONDOG UPROAR / Buds on Broadway – Some sweet rock licks from this DJ SUGAR DADDY /

SHAHRAM SHABPAREH / Odeon — Come -

DJ ECLECTIC / The Hose — DJ Eclectic

JUSTIN BIEBER / Credit Union Centre – That’s right, The Biebs is coming to town.

If you’re a fan, how can you miss this?

DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Double Deuce

theodeon.ca) DJ BIG AYYY & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — There’s no better

VERB PRESENTS OPEN STAGE / Lydia’s

THE LOST KEYS / Prairie Ink – Eclectic

bands, solo artists and comedians to

ROCKTOBERFEST / Prairieland — This event raises money for Saskatoon’s -

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND / Odeon Events

THE STANDARDS TRIO / Prairie Ink – Jazz from Don Sawchuk, Todd Gursky, and

RED BLAZE / Stan’s Place – And award

OPEN MIC / The Somewhere Else Pub —

RED BLAZE / Stan’s Place – An award win-

DUELING PIANOS / Staqatto Piano Lounge

DJ SUGAR DADDY /

BLUESSMYTH, BOKONISTS / Lydia’s Pub — Two bands, two awesome sets, one DJ BIG AYYY & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws

DJ TAY JAMES /

DUELING PIANOS / Staqatto Piano Lounge DJ ALBERT, DISLEXIK / club — Come on out for a night of sweet RICKY ROCK, MERN / Tequila — Two of SCENIC ROUTE TO ALASKA, GUNNER AND SMITH / Vangelis — Two acts, one hot

BRUCEY JAM / Vangelis — Featuring Ride Til Dawn, The Junior Panthers and more.

DON MACLEAN, MORGAN DAVIS / Vangelis – Come out for a night of darn good

WEDNESDAY 17 HUMP WEDNESDAYS /

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RODNEY DECROO / The Bassment – A

MOONDOG UPROAR / Buds on Broadway – Some sweet rock licks from this THE AVENUE RECORDING COMPANY PRESENTS OPEN MIC / The Fez — Hosted

SATURDAY 20 PIANO FRIDAYS: DAVID FONG / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some

HOUSE DJS / 6Twelve — Resident DJs

ROOTS SERIES: THE GORDS / The Bassment – Featuring Gord Maxwell,

CADENCE WEAPON / Amigos Cantina – -

DJ KADE / the Hose & Hydrant — Saska-

AUSTEN ROADZ / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-ener-

DR. J ‘SOULED OUT’ / Lydia’s Pub — Dr. J

MR. BROWNSTONE / Buds on Broadway

WILD WEST WEDNESDAY / Outlaws — Hosted by DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman.

BED OF ROSES / Crown and Rok – This

DUELING PIANOS / Staqatto Piano Lounge

NIGHT SWITCH, OTENANG, NOSEDIVE, THE REBELS, THE WORKING MOJO’S / The Fez on Broadway — A night of hard

DADA LIFE / Tequila — Come check out DJ ECLECTIC / The Hose — DJ Eclectic

THURSDAY 18

DJ SUGAR DADDY /

CLASSIC SERIES: RITORNELLO UNDERGROUND / The Bassment – Featuring

cover CROOKED CREEK, LITTLE CRIMINALS / Lydia’s Pub — Two hot acts, one great

ROYAL WOOD / Broadway Theatre – This

DOOWAKADOOS / The Mix Gallery —

THROWBACK THURSDAYS / Earls — Retro

DJ BIG AYYY & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws

AUSTEN ROADZ / Béily’s UltraLounge — Featuring Austen Roadz and DJ CTRL, RCA BAND JAZZ TASK FORCE / The Bassment — Come check out the oldest

SEVEN STRAIT / Buds — These local muBED OF ROSES / Crown and Rok – A Bon DUSTY TUCKER BAND, COCAINE MOUSTACHE, DEAD PAST DUE / The Fez – Three Cover TBD DJ KADE / The Hose — Saskatoon’s own DJ SUGAR DADDY / GRIMES / Louis’ – Based out of Montreal,

THUNDER RIOT W/CONKY SHOWPONY / The Fez — Come dance the night away.

BANJOVAN, ALEX VISSIA TRIO / Lydia’s Pub – Come out for a night of good tunes ROCKFEST / Odeon Events Centre — Fea-

MATT HUNTER / Prairie Ink – Come check DJ KADE / The Hose & Hydrant — SaskaDJ SUGAR DADDY / DJ Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turn-

DJ BIG AYYY & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws ROUTE 66 / Stan’s Place — A local country

friends ‘cause there’s no better country IAN MARTENS / Prairie Ink – Come check

DUELING PIANOS / Staqatto Piano Lounge

FRIDAY 19

requests, from Sinatra to Lady Gaga.

King belt out classic tunes and audience

ROUTE 66 / Stan’s Place — A local country

MISE EN SCENE, THE NOBLE THIEFS /

DUELING PIANOS / Staqatto Piano Lounge

HOUSE DJS / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, LADYHAWK / Amigos Cantina – These indie rockers from Vancouver always

BLACK MASTIFF, LADY DEATH STRYKE / Vangelis — Come out for a night of hard MATT HUNTER /

-

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

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STRANGER THAN FICTION

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

A taut, compelling political thriller, Argo tells a true story that delivers in a big way. BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

t’s 1979. In Iran, a group of militants storm the U.S. embassy, taking 52 people hostage. Of the individuals in the building, six manage to escape out the back door and seek refuge in the home of Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor.

At Taylor’s place they become known as “houseguests,” but with each passing day the chance of

And that, good reader, is the

ARGO DIRECTED BY

Argo. Sound a little implausible?

Well, it’s a true story.

And Argo tells it in a way that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re a nail biter, expect your nails to be chewed down to the quick because Argo is an immaculately paced political thriller that you should watch.

128 MINUTES | PG

Well, let’s just say that Argo, in all probability, is going to be nominated for best picture come Oscar time.

not-too-distant horizon (and a few that have already been released). But given how good this movie is, there’s a good chance Argo will curry favour with the academy.

That’s not to say it’s a perfect movie. There’s an entire subplot

Ben Affleck is one of the finest directors working today.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

them being found increases. Danger mounts. If they’re found the consequences won’t just be harsh — they’ll be deadly.

Okay. That’s the scenario. Now, let’s pretend for a moment you’ve been charged with getting those six diplomats out of Tehran and back home safely. What would you do?

If you’re CIA operative Tony Mendez, you put together a group of

government to enter Tehran in order

of the diplomats.

-

STARRING

Wait. No, scratch that. Argo is an immaculately paced political thriller that you have to watch.

and his family that kind of detracts from the overall story arc.

And, being Hollywood, certain historical accuracies are, shall we say, tossed by the wayside (Canada!

Canada was involved!)

But other than that, I must admit Argo is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.

cast (Bryan Cranston, John Goodnot only is the movie tense, intelligent and wonderfully acted, but Argo is also further proof that Ben working today.

Seriously. Think about it. Gone Baby Gone The Town was cool as all get out of here. And now with Argo a serious and undisputed talent behind the camera. How serious?

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GOLDEN OLDIES

And If We All Lived Together? puts a new spin on an old idea.

BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

W

hen you get old, too old to really take care of yourself, where do you want to live?

Some people want to move in with their children, others choose to stay at home and hire a caretaker. Others, still, long for the safe they can play bridge and hang out with people in similar situations.

Those are the options many people go for. The people in French director Stéphane Robelin’s new movie, , aren’t most people.

Instead of going the usual route, the five main septuagenarian characters in the movie opt to say to heck with it, and move in together instead.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BAC FILMS

AND IF WE ALL LIVED TOGETHER?

Jeanne (Jane Fonda) and her husband Albert (Pierre Richard) decide with their friend Claude (Claude Rich) to move into the enormous house of two of their other friends, Annie (Geraldine Chaplin) and Jean (Guy Bedos). This group of pals have

and a remedy for laughs, right?

Well it is.

Lived Together? (Et si on vivait tous ensemble?, in French) is also a drama that explores the grim realities of mental, physical and emotional deterioration.

And If We All Lived Together? … explores the grim realities of mental, physical and emotional deterioration.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

known each other for decades — and what a group it is!

Jeanne is a former sixties political activist/retired university professor, Albert is on the cusp of dementia, Annie is the homeowner, Jean a romantic revolutionary. As for Claude, well, he’s a loveable, horny rogue who has a bad heart and a thing for young prostitutes.

Together they spend their days doing things old people do. You know, drink copious amounts of wine, crack Viagra jokes, have sex.

We watch as these elderly folks get on in age, deal with their own mortality, handle their sicknesses some young Danish men.

Wait a minute …where did that last bit come from?

Well, it’s one of the main plot points of the story.

See, one day Jeanne meets a young, shy man who’s out walking his dog. This guy’s name is Dirk (Daniel Brühl, of Goodbye Lenin! fame) and he’s an anthropology

DIRECTED BY STARRING

Jane Fonda, Guy Bedos,

92 MINUTES | 14A

student working on a dissertation about Australian Aboriginals.

Eventually, though, Jeanne (who still looks remarkable) convinces him to change topics and start studying the habits of the elderly.

You know, her and her friends.

How does she convince Dirk to informs him “I masturbate frequently” and presto! Dirk changes dissertation topics like a pair of dirty underwear.

motorized mobility scooter.

Which is to say that in no way, shape or form can Lived Together? be considered a suspenseful, fast-paced thriller.

And that’s a good thing.

Given its subject matter, We All Lived Together? unfolds at the proper speed with a proper amount of humour and an absolutely proper, perfect ending.

What’s that about the ending? Go watch and see for yourself. is currently being screened at the Roxy Theatre.

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 @

LOUNGE 306 Lounge 306 415 Circle Drive East (306) 664 8989 MUSIC VIBE / House and top 40 FEATURED DEALS / Double

highballs for $6.50 DRINK OF CHOICE / Grey Goose vodka TOP EATS / Bengal pizza and wings SOMETHING NEW / Belly dancers on Thursdays, DJ Lexx on Saturdays and Smoking Sexy Sundays, shisha on special

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 @

LYDIA’S Lydia’s Pub 650 Broadway Avenue (306) 652 8595 MUSIC VIBE / Live music courtesy

of the Tim Vaughn Superband for the British Invasion FEATURED DEAL / Any two appetizers for $12.25 DRINK OF CHOICE / Pints of Alexander Keith’s TOP EATS / Burgers

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CROSSWORD CANADIAN CRISS-CROSS

B

3 4 5 7 2 6 1 8 9

6 1 7 9 8 3 5 4 2

2 9 8 4 1 5 6 7 3

5 7 3 8 4 9 2 1 6

9 2 6 5 7 1 8 3 4

4 8 1 6 3 2 9 5 7

1 6 9 3 5 7 4 2 8

7 5 4 2 9 8 3 6 1

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

43. Paddle

48. Court order

2 9 7 1 4 3 6 5 8

40. Dead set against

8 3 4 5 6 7 1 9 2

8. “Go away!”

9. Belief 11. Behave theatrically 12. Some cleaning supplies 14. Pitcher with a wide spout

28. Wound with a knife 29. Bay window 30. Fat used to make candles 32. Feeling of anxiety 33. Military operation

7 4 3 6 5 1 2 8 9

6. You, in the Bible

A

1 2 8 4 3 9 5 6 7

16. Cousin of a bassoon 18. Kind of truck 19. Mild exclamation of surprise 20. Pass gradually through 21. Place where something stands 22. Advantageous purchase

36. Charge per unit 38. Nothing 39. Be wrong with 40. Well ventilated 41. Lawyer’s charges 42. Have its place 44. Part of the Pleistocene epoch 46. Reluctant

1. Short pointed beard 2. With nothing on 3. Winning serve 4. Spasm of pain

SUDOKU ANSWER KEY

6 5 9 2 7 8 3 1 4

12. Schoolbook 13. Change the title of

DOWN

20. Fruit of the blackthorn 21. Thirst-quencher 23. Painful

4 8 2 7 1 5 9 3 6

ticket 9. Put your hand on

49. Inheritable factor

9 1 6 3 2 4 8 7 5

24. Playing marble 26. Speak well of 28. Exclamation used especially by children 31. Be the reason for

1. Mosquito

3 7 5 8 9 6 4 2 1

ACROSS

© WALTER D. FEENER 2012

HOROSCOPES OCTOBER 12 – OCTOBER 18 ARIES March 21–April 19

LEO July 23–August 22

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

Better roll up your pants, Aries, because you’re going to be hit with a

Is there another word for thesaurus?

Is it wrong for a vegetarian to eat animal crackers? With some consideration,

what’s best for you, and all will be cool.

TAURUS April 20–May 20

VIRGO August 23–September 22

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

You many experience tension between you and a loved one this week, Taurus. But don’t sweat it. Things will pass and all will balance out … eventually.

Dear Virgo, we know you care deeply about others, but forget them for a week. Make the next seven days all about you. You deserve it, champ!

People see you as practical, Capricorn. As pragmatic and sensible.

So if you want to have fun this week act a little crazy, then enjoy people’s reactions.

GEMINI May 21–June 20

LIBRA September 23–October 23

AQUARIUS January 20–February 19

Flexibility: that’s the key word for this week, Gemini. And we’re not talking about your ability to put your ankles behind your head, either. Savvy?

Ever try to balance a knife on your

Take some “me” time this week, Aquarius. Relax, recharge the batteries, think about your life and where it’s

nowhere near as tricky as the balancing act you’ve got coming up this week.

CANCER June 21–July 22

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

PISCES February 20–March 20

Emotions will run strong this week; learn to harness their power or else you may end up weeping into a bag of chips watching reruns of Mad About You.

We know you like to play things cool, Scorpio, but this week do us a favour: pull down the mask and let people see the real you. Because you rock!

By nature you’re an easy going, laid back person, Pisces. Not this week, though. Something’s going to get stuck in your craw, but good luck getting it out.

SUDOKU 3 7 8 6 4 1

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

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

5 6

2 7

A

1 4 9 8 4 2 3 5 1 8 9 3

5 7 6

1

7 8 5 2 2 9 6

B

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

27 OCT 12 – OCT 18 FACEBOOK.COM/VERBNEWSSASKATOON

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