Verb Issue S222 (Jan. 11-17, 2013)

Issue #222 – January 11 to January 17

arts

culture

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saskatoon

a fresh start hannah georgas

with

Behind the scenes The making of a Blades’ documentary Johnny don’t On Sex Barbecue and breaking the rules gangster squad + take this waltz Films reviewed­

Photo: courtesy of mark cohene

contents

NEWs + Opinion

entertainment

culture

Q + A with johnny don’t

listings

Mike Colli talks Sex Barbecue. 12 / Q + A

Local music listings for January 11 through January 19 18 / listings

behind the scenes

Girls! GIrls! Girls!

An intimate look at the making of a Blades’ documentary. 4 / Local

Local playwright explores the nuances of women’s friendships. 13 / Arts

Gangster Squad + Take this waltz The latest movie reviews. 20 / Film

On Symphonies

Nightlife Photos

Kirk Smith on performing The Great, Schubert’s Ninth. 14 / Arts

We visit Pacific Billiards and Béily’s.

22-25 / Nightlife

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

Jason Hattie’s biggest gamble. 6 / Local

hannah georgas

A new album, a new beginning.

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

ART & Production

the wrong thing at the right time

On the cover:

verbnews.com @verbsaskatoon facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Business & Operations

dearly departing

tantilizing teriyaki

on the bus

Our thoughts on moving urban cemeteries. 8 / Editorial

Diane’s Kitchen serves up Seattlestyle teriyaki. 16 / Food + Drink

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 26 / comics

comments

Music

Games + Horoscopes

Here’s what you had to say about the war on Christmas. 10 / comments

Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, Powder Blue + BA Johnston. 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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14 / cover Photo: courtesy of tristan casey

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Behind the Scenes

The making of a Blades documentary by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he Credit Union Centre is silent, save for the sound of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” blaring from deep within the arena’s bowels.

It’s 3pm on New Year’s Day, and in dressing room #3 Jeff Newman is preparing to give his team a pep talk. But this isn’t the kind of team you’d normally find in a hockey dressing room. No, Newman’s team — comprised of a handful of cameramen, a sound guy named Lanny and Newman himself, the writer/ director — is in Saskatoon, making a documentary called On the Edge, which airs on SportsNet. The subject?

An intimate, eight-part look at the Saskatoon Blades and their march to the Memorial Cup. Today they’ll be shooting footage of the Blades’ game against the Medicine Hat Tigers. The music in the dressing room is turned off as Newman begins his speech.

“Alright,” says Newman to his team, who are huddled around him, listening to him as though he’s a coach or something. “Tonight I want you all to shoot in the moment.

Really commit to it. Stick with it.

Try not to just follow the puck, even though I know it goes against all your instincts.”

And Newman is right. His team consists of veteran sports cameramen whose natural tendency is to follow the play in order to capture the flow of the game. But what Newman is after isn’t flow, it’s the essence of the game.

“Always pay attention, always be listening, always be on the lookout for those little moments that will help make this thing unique,” advises Newman. “Don’t be afraid to take risks. Stay focused on a player after the whistle, on a goalie throwing a water bottle after a goal, on a ref. Whatever you think will work.”

One of the cameramen to Newman’s left pipes up and says, “How about the fans? Last game against PA there were those three fans who were in front of me, jumping up and down, always moving. What do we do about that?”

“That,” responds Newman, “is great. If you get a silhouette of fans, stay with it. We want that stuff. We want the dirty glass, we want to see the dividers. We’re not just film-

ing an ordinary hockey game here, fellas. We’re trying to give our viewers a new, fresh perspective.”

One of the keys to gaining this fresh perspective is a tall, slender cameraman named Mark Utley.

Fifteen minutes after the pep talk, Utley is in the Blades’ dressing room.

He moves freely through a place that is normally off-limits to outsiders. On the far end of the room, Utley reaches into leading scorer Josh Nicholl’s stall and grabs a pair of shoulder pads. He takes them to the trainer’s station, lays the shoulder pads down, and places a microphone on them.

“This is the front, right?” he kids, then pulls a long stick of black hockey tape from a roll and begins securing the microphone to the pads.

Utley is nearly finished attaching the mic when the team’s trainer, Steve “Hilty” Hildebrand, approaches.

“What are you doing touching my equipment?” he asks. Hildebrand’s tone is serious, but you can instantly tell he’s joking. Utley cracks wise back, then the two get into a short conversation about pressure points, pain and the Blades’ recent Christmas party.

Continued on next page »

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Photo: Courtesy of steve Hiscock

And while this may seem like a normal interaction to most, here’s the thing: very few people on Utley’s side of the camera have ever had the kind of access to a WHL team that he does.

For all intents and purposes, he’s the eyes and ears of the entire On the Edge operation. He travels with the Blades on the team bus, he stays at the hotel with them, he films road games and all the behind-the-scenes action that takes place — good and bad — while the Blades are away from Saskatoon.

At home, things are a bit different. Before games, Utley is in the dressing room filming coach Lorne Molleken’s pep talks. In between periods, he’s back in the dressing room filming. And while games in the Credit Union Centre are being played, Utley films from the ominously named “suicide box” — an area next to the Blades’ bench with no protective glass, from which he takes action shots of the bench.

“Simply put, Mark is essential to this whole operation,” says Newman, “He knows everything there is to know about the team. He brings us fantastic insider story ideas, does all the road games, is really entrenched

in the team … without him, this wouldn’t be the show it is.”

So what kind of documentary is Over the Edge?

Well, according to Newman, it’s kind of like HBO’s 24/7 series, which follows two professional hockey teams in the weeks leading up to the annual Winter Classic. The thing is,

laughs and fights. And we want to show all of that.”

Which means, from time to time, Newman may not be the Blades’ favourite person.

“Oh, after the first episode aired, some people weren’t overly happy with me,” he says. “But I’m going to have to be the bad guy every now and then. That’s the only way I can tell a balanced, true story here. So not being

I’m going to have to be the bad guy every now and then. That’s the only way I can tell a balanced, true story here.

Jeff Newman

though, Newman is in the process of making a show with a much different look and feel than 24/7.

“This is grittier,” he explains, as the puck drops to start the Blades vs.

Medicine Hat game. “We have different access than HBO does with that series. Maybe better access. So we want to give people a warts-and-all look at this team. It’s like a family with these guys. There are highs and lows,

everyone’s favourite all the time is just something you have to get used to.”

Another thing Newman has to get used to is a hands-off approach to directing. Admittedly, in the past, he’s had a more hands-on, micromanaging style. So much so that, on another documentary project, he once grabbed a camera off a guy’s shoulder and started shooting himself. But with five cameras set up around the rink

for the game against Medicine Hat, Newman knows he’ll end up with a better finished product if he just lets his camera team do its own thing — ­ with minimal supervision.

“It’s all about the letting go,” he explains, as he flits about the Credit Union Centre, going from camera to camera to ensure everything is running smoothly. “I trust my team, I trust them to get the footage we need. So I don’t get too hands-on during the game unless something out of the ordinary comes up.”

Something out of the ordinary like what happened against Medicine Hat. The Blades were comfortably ahead (they would go on to win 7-3) late in the game, when one of the Saskatoon players got drilled into the boards from behind. He lay there on the ice, not moving. Skirmishes

ensued. And before you could say “holy crap, that was a cheap shot,” Jeff Newman was up, running down stairs, turning corners at break-neck speed, heading to the dressing room to film that unique moment that happens after a player has just been hurt and taken off the ice. The moment viewers rarely get to see.

Lucky for him, Utley, his ace in the hole, had already leapt out of the suicide box and had the camera trained on the young hockey player as he told the trainer that he was “okay, just got real shook up for a bit.”

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The wrong thing at the right time Jason Hattie’s biggest gamble by Alex J Macpherson

J

ason Hattie is really good at doing the wrong thing. When his friends were going to lame high school parties, he was figuring out how to survive as a touring musician.

He immersed himself in dance music when dance music was profoundly uncool. He joined a German techno band when he was supposed to be studying jazz — and when no one wanted to hear German techno bands.

Fortunately for Hattie, he always seems to do the wrong thing at exactly the right time.

“I hate being told what to do,” Hattie sighs, leaning back and running a hand through his long blondish hair. It’s a Friday afternoon. A few hours from now, he will be onstage wearing leopard print pants and absurd sunglasses while hundreds of people writhe on the dance floor; right now, he just looks tired. “I’m good at rebelling from what I’m meant to do, especially in an academic situation. I just kind of fell in love with dance music because it was the anti-jazz. Then I fell so in

love with its simplicity and its hooks and its catchiness. The more I got into it, the more I got into all the other elements of it. Stuff beyond music.”

He couldn’t have known it five years ago, but his infatuation with

identical to the countless labels headquartered in basements and kept afloat by sheer stubbornness: release good music and share it with as many people as possible. The idea is simple. People who like one artist

The one thing I’ve learned lately is that there aren’t many people out there that are going to do any of the work for you. jason hattie

electronic dance music would give rise to the project that could define his career. Or bring it tumbling down.

Hattie’s project, Hairdu Records, is a label dedicated to releasing and promoting dance music from across western Canada. A record label is a concept, an idea. Big ones have office buildings and thousands of employees, but their mandate is

will probably like others on the same label. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement, one Hattie thinks is long overdue in Saskatchewan.

“There was a need within my group of peers and friends,” he says.

“There was that spot to be filled that hadn’t been filled.” But taking up space is just the beginning. To be successful, every record label needs three things: a viable market, employees with a broad set of skills, Continued on next page »

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Photo: Courtesy of alex j macpherson / verb

and a group of like-minded artists willing to trade control for the promise of a long-term benefit.

Hattie discovered the market when his band, 911 Turbo, began to find success. At the time, live dance music was deeply unpopular. “I think a lot of musicians have it in their heads that it’s some big evil or sellout, something they don’t want to do,” he says. “They think they’re sacrificing something about their heritage.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “And so over the last four years I’ve just been getting more and more and more and more into it.” An epic show in Vancouver showed Hattie that the idea was viable and convinced him to keep 911 Turbo alive, even though he was also working in a band called Mobadass (now The Steadies). “Vancouver was going off about 911 Turbo,” he laughs. “It was f*cked. We were like, ‘Okay, we should probably keep doing this.’”

He learned how to run a business after many false starts and even more wrong turns. Hattie, who is 25, has been playing and

recording music for more than a decade; he learned years ago that success is more than just a good song. “A lot of people that grew up in the eighties and nineties started learning music, started getting this dream in their heads that music was just this thing where it’s like, ‘I’ll make good music and that’s all it takes,’” he scoffs. “People tell you that to this day — and I just want to hit them in the nose.” Success in the music business, he explains, requires good music, hard work, infinite perseverance — and maybe a stroke of luck.

Although he enjoys modest success today, Hattie has struggled in the past. At one point, he found himself sitting in his grandparents’ basement with no money and no work. Rather than give up and get a normal job, Hattie doubled down.

He wrote a batch of songs and booked acoustic shows at coffee shops. He hassled everyone he knew, desperate for a chance to get back onstage. He promoted himself on Facebook. “The one thing I’ve learned lately is that

there aren’t many people out there that are going to do any of the work for you,” he says. “You have to figure out how to do it yourself.

It’s not that you have to do it yourself: youhave to figure out how to do it yourself.”

Hattie’s first experiences in 911 Turbo introduced him to other people obsessed with and bent on making the same kind of music. To date, he has agreed to work with artists like Ricky Rock, Bitchface, Secret Squares, Rave Wind, and PartyWolf.

Hairdu will also handle releases by 911 Turbo, Von Trask, and Hattie’s own project, GoldHeart. “It’s not trying to be big business,” he says.

“It’s trying to build something that

will help promote a group of us more efficiently.” Safety comes with numbers, but Hairdu Records also promises to give fans a place to hear old favourites and make new friends, a central hub of western Canadian dance music.

Hairdu Records is not a collective, which means Hattie will do most of the work himself. “It’s a control thing,” he laughs. “And it’s not uncommon either.” When he isn’t updating the website or putting the finishing touches on Speed Dating, a mixtape teaser scheduled for release January 15, he is emailing artists, trying to organize their work

under one umbrella and schedule releases well into the future.

It may be an impossible challenge, a potential career-killer, but Hattie couldn’t be more excited. “I’m going into this with the full intent of it being something I want to keep doing for 10 years, 20 years,” he says. “Hopefully.” Then again, Hattie has a track record when it comes to doing things nobody expects, doing the wrong thing. It always seems to be the right time. ( ) Feedback?

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The dearly departing Moving urban cemeteries to free up in-demand land just makes sense

A

s Saskatchewan grows our cities will continue to expand, and if we want to avoid endless urban sprawl we’re going to have to make better use of the city land that we’ve already got staked out In the past we’ve written about a few ways we can grow our city more efficiently, and we’ve got another idea that’s often overlooked: moving urban cemeteries outside the city limits. Doing so would free up some extra, in-demand land for urban development, land that is currently tied down housing the dearly departed of our fair province. Now we understand our proposal is an emotionally charged one. Often, the physical surroundings of one’s passed-on friends and relatives become just as meaningful as the person buried.

Complexities also arise when considering that some people purchase their plots ahead of time, with a cemetery’s specific location in mind.

But there are a good many reasons to consider this proposal, too, and moving a grave can be accomplished in a sensitive and respectful manner.

The first thing you have to realize is that in the early days cemeteries tended to be placed at the edge of communities, but because of urban growth they have since been swallowed by cities. So, instead of having a place where mourners are able to visit the deceased in peace, away from the tumult of the urban landscape, people now have cemeteries smack dab in the middle of their communities, as they try to pay their respects over the sounds of jackhammers and car horns.

The other thing to consider is that, historically, cemetery relocation is a pretty normal procedure for growing cities. 18th century Paris moved all their cemeteries at once, relocating the remains of six million people into the city’s old stone mines and creating the now famous Catacombs of Paris. In the late ’50s, when the Eisenhower Expressway was being built, about 1,500 graves were moved from Concordia Cemetery in Illinois.

In 2001, The Elmbank Cemetery in Toronto was relocated to make room for a new runway at Pearson International Airport. You get the idea.

So if we know cemeteries take up prime city space and have to be moved eventually, why not be proactive here and move Saskatoon’s cemeteries outside our city limits, allowing us (the living) to make more productive use of the space right now? Doing so would free up sought-after land, while also providing those who visit the graves of their family and friends with more peaceful surroundings to do so. Now, we’re not suggesting moving the cemetery so far out that it would take too long to get there, just far enough that foreseeable expansion of the city won’t reach it.

And not just anybody would be able to undertake this job. The moving of human remains would have to be overseen by an individual or group well-versed in the sensitive treatment of dead bodies, likely archaeologists (such as those employed in the Elmbank Cemetery move).

And once the bodies are exhumed with dignity and transported with care, we propose that they all be shipped to the same place. To a super cemetery, if you will. And we’re not just talking about a big, boring, runContinued on next page »

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of-the-mill cemetery in the middle of an old wheat field here. We’re talking something spectacular. Something beautiful. Think the Père Lachaise in Paris, La Recoleta in Buenos Aries, Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C — just with more peaceful surroundings.

We propose the construction of cemeteries that will not only be a quiet and respectful space for family and friends to pay their respects to their dearly departed, but will also draw other people to them from nearby cities, and beyond.

A sensitive solution to a pressing problem — to us, relocating cemeteries just makes sense.

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

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Cemetery trivia • The word cemetery comes from the Greek words koimeterion

(which means sleeping place) and koiman (to put to sleep).

• La Recoleta, located in Buenos Aires is the resting place of Eva Perón • Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in France is arguably the most famous cemetery in the world, in part because of its beauty, in part because it’s the final resting place of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Frédéric Chopin, and Gertrude Stein.

• Quick, what’s the difference between a coffin, a casket and a sarcophagus? The shape.

• One theory as to how tombstones came to be used goes back to the idea that ghosts could be weighed down.

• In many cemeteries bodies are laid to rest with their heads to the west and feet to the east.

• In early England, the Saxons would cut off the feet of the deceased so their spirits would be unable to get up and walk.

• On certain Hawaiian islands, corpses are traditionally tied in the fetal position and buried in caves.

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On Topic: Last issue we asked what you thought about the alleged war on Christmas. Here's what you had to say: – A good way to get rid of the argument (at least when it comes to buses) is to have the destination signs flash “Merry Christmas” … <destination. … “Happy Hanukkah” … <destination> … “Joyous Kwanzaa” … <destination> …

“Happy Holidays” … <destination> as well as any other holiday greetings. I plan on getting a peti

it was intended. Merry Christmas everyone!

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r B 8372

– Way to sit on the fence Verb.

Instead of picking a side you say those offended by Merry Christmas and those who say it both need to calm down. So no one says anything to anyone? that’s just a Tuesday.

tion together at some point next year. Let’s make it happen! -Scott.

– Totally agree. Not religious myself, but doesn’t bother me if someone wishes me a merry Christmas or anything else. I just take it with the spirit of kindness

– I disagree with your editorial on the war on Christmas. The holiday began as a celebration of the birth of our Saviour. What corruption it has evolved to over time needs to be overcome, and that is why it’s so important to push pass all this nonsense and wish people a Merry Christmas (NOT xmas), to remind them of the real reason for this joyous time of year. Peace be with all of you!

be putting their safety at risk. It’s not just about watching a stripper show, it’s about how will the guys watching it fulfill themselves afterward. I just don’t want to hear of women getting raped because of this sexual influence. It is something to think about.

In response to “Close, But Not Enough,” Editorial page, #220 (December 14, 2012)

– U r right it is high time SK allowed sex slavery & organized crime to expand & those who r opposed r archaic & puritanical

– In my opinion you should be able to say Merry Christmas if somebody takes offence to this it’s thier problem not yours!

– The NRA advocates for arming teachers? Remember that school that did have armed gaurds? It was called COLUMBINE

– My heart breaks for the 28 families whose lives was changed forever because a nut with a gun at connecticut elemantry school.

In response to “Close, But Not Enough,” Editorial page, #220 (December

– “Let’s give teachers guns” The NRA: remaining steadfastly out of touch, no matter how hard you try

14, 2012)

– Strippers are cool but live sex shows are better would love to see that come to Saskatoon!

In response to “Close, But Not Enough,”

– The war on Christmas, as you call it, is such a tiresome and infuriating sham. There are actual issues in this world, and people overreacting to a casual greeting need to yank their heads out of their asses and get on with their lives. Can’t believe this. There is no war on Christmas, so relax. You’re all free to celebrate it however you want.

– The NRA has spoken but instead of getting rid of assualt rifles they want to arm teachers whats next arm 6 & 7 year olds God help us all.

Editorial page, #220 (December

– If someone has made your job or life easier, say thank you. Two small words but when said can mean a lot!

14, 2012)

– Get rich or die mayan

sound off – Adults with pets LOSERS! Pathetic need for lesser creature in their thrall. Can’t relate to people. Can’t clean after the pet. Hair and stink up their home so bad you don’t want to visit. Can’t train pet. Pee and poop all over neighbor’s yards.

Child in adult body. Everybody sees everybody knows!

– Jesus Christ was born of a virgin birth. that’s what makes his birth so special and heavenly. He was sent by God to live among mankind for a time. Dec 25 isn’t necessarily the exact day but a day that has been set aside to celebrate his birth.

– I’m texty and I know it.

– Maybe u have advice 2 give on how 2b insensitive. You wrote the tune! JAN A

OFF TOPIC – It seems like a double standard in saskatchewan gambling at Casinos horse racing bingo VLTs are ok. but strip joints is not ok.

In response to “Close, But Not Enough,” Editorial page, #220 (December

– What a Fkn Fantasy a billionaire Industrialist International Rescue!

Thunder birds are GO more like GTFO!!

– I agree with the person who texted with all the things going on, someone is choosing to be upset by a bus sign. There are people losing their lives senselessly and a bus sign is what upsets an individual.

14, 2012)

– So when guys have just seen some strippers and are heading out on their way home, girls on the streets might be harassed. It could

– My prayers go out to the families affected by the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting may God be with you all!

– the merry christmas display on the transit buses will not change just because you come from another country you reside here. In canada don’t mean the saskatoon transit bus or the city has to bow down to deal with it <melly :-D>

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– The guy who’s making a big deal of the Merry Christmas on the front of buses needs to chill out and find somthing else to complain about.

– I’ve read a lot of comments on various media sites that are attacking the person who is advocating for taking Merry Christmas off the buses. Aside from the irritating fact that this covers up the destination display, making it difficult to tell if this is my bus or not, personal attacks / attacks that are not rooted in the actual issue at hand debase the entire dialogue. Not to mention that more often than not, these comments are grounded in unfounded assumptions, which are then often extrapolated to a racist conclusion. Let’s do better, people.

– for the guy complaining about “Merry Christmas” on the transit buses why not have one that reads “Bah Humbug”. I’m serious. That should satisfy non-Christmas believers and at the same time but a grin on other people’s faces. It’s all in good humour and good for a laugh. No harm intended.

– We need jokes written on train cars so that we have something to read while they pass by.

– Reading the silly comments in the paper makes me wish the world actually did end. People are morons.

– Question for the downtown texter in the verb. How come only the first four letters of downtown are capitalized in your texts? Any reason for that?

– I wish drivers would realize that there aren to always two full driving lanes because of the snow and ice. Stop trying to squeeze beside my vehicle and have some patience already!

– Somebody high profile like Dave Batters kills himself. There’s a big public outpouring. “Oh! We have to change how we address mental health!” is the “heartfelt” sentiment. Token efforts are made in the area. Then everything just stays the same. Doctors nurses social workers police everybody treats the mentally ill exactly the way they did before! Nothing changes. Suicide rates stay the same!

– There is no need to prove the existence of Jesus. It’s called having faith and that is what the Christian faith is all about. In a world that seems hopeless in so many ways, environmentally, financially, violently and the list goes on, everyone is, offered hope to live with God for eternity. You do not have to accept this offer and you can live your life without it. But for those that accept it, there is hope to live in the afterlife eternally.

– Have a nice day! I hope I haven’t offended anyone.

– To those who don’t believe in Jesus I pray for you that you may one day see the light and come to his grace.

– My Christmas wish is for all children to grow up in a world without violence and hatred.

– A happy two year anniversary filled with Love and Laughter to Kelton. Love Amy <3

– If an elderly person or sombody with a stroller gets on the bus and you’re in the front seats let them have that seat!

– Being busy doesn’t make you important. Self-interested busy busy with just your own stuff least of all.

Stop it! You’re just spinning wheels and annoying peeps!

– I’ll say I may I’ll say I will I’ll say I’m going to But I will Not ! Say I D0

– HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Lucky number 13 here we come LOL

– Empathy works.

– 2012: survived two apocalypses.

Feeling strong. Bring it 2013! :D

– Hey you guys! U there? I survived the apocalypse!! Did u? Do u know if anyone else did? Should we get together and hunt for food?

Do you have food? I don’t have food. Maybe this is hell. Maybe I didn’t survive the apocalypse.

– Just saw The Hobbit best LOR movie ever!!

– A fool puts faith in that which is seen. A wise person puts faith in that which is unseen.

– Hey Saskatoon u got a great art scene going on around you! Overhead some young women complaining about there being nothing to do here in the winter, but there’s theatre and galleries and concerts.

So much to do, if you just get out and look :)

– Wish I could be spending new years with u babe xoxo Sarah

– LOL dogs in snowsuits cracks me up. I know there small and cold n need the warmth but there’s no way they dont look stupid. Snowsuits and snowboots FML

– Very excited for mandatory curbside recycling to kick in here in the city. Great way to start the year!

Next issue: What do you think about moving urban cemeteries? 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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Sex Barbecue

Photos: courtesy of natalie struck

Johnny Don’t make another rock and roll fusion record

by Alex J MacPherson

J

ohnny Don’t are getting ready to release a new record, their first in more than two years. The album will be called Sex Barbecue. The first single, “Gone,” is a poppy anthem inspired by the looming apocalypse. (If you’re reading this, the world didn’t end and the hysteria-mongers were wrong — but it’s still a great song.) Although the band began as a duo, an outlet for musicians frustrated by the demands of genre and style, it has since evolved into a weird and wonderful fusion of everything from funk and R&B to rock and jazz — proof that breaking the rules can have unexpectedly good consequences. I caught up with singer and guitar-slinger Mike Colli to find out more.

Alex J MacPherson: You started as a duo. How did Johnny Don’t turn into a full five-piece band?

Mike Colli: Well, I was in a different band before. That band broke up, I moved to Montreal for

old after five or six years of touring.

Seeing as we listen to all these different kinds of music, we decided to write all those different kinds of music, whatever we feel like doing at the time.

a year, to find myself as a musician again, [and I] started writing songs. I came back and started jamming with our drummer, Grandma — his name’s Graham, but we call him Grandma — and we decided to try and see if we can get away with it. And we did.

Over the past five or six years we’ve gradually added members.

AJM: That must make marketing the band to club owners and the like quite difficult. Is there a temptation to tailor the sound to fit someone’s perceptions?

AJM: Let’s talk about sound. The best word to describe your music is diverse. I haven’t really heard anything else like it.

MC: That’s true. We did design a few songs that we can market toward CBC Radio and mainstream radio.

We specifically designed some songs

MC: We’re so musically diverse. Our bass player loves funk, our keyboard

We’re so musically diverse. Our bass player loves funk … I love the R&B. Mike colli

so we could go out and market ourselves the same way any other band would. We balance that all out in our shows, because there’s a lot of comedy and a lot of banter between the songs, even within the shows.

player is a bit of a jazz man, our guitar player is a metal guy. I love the R&B. Over the years of being in different bands we’ve been stuck to one genre, and we didn’t want to do that anymore, because it kind of gets

AJM: And that ties into the music as well. Tell me a bit about Sex Barbecue.

MC: When the first album was written, it was just me and Grandma, a two-man band. We’ve broadened our horizons on what the capabilities of this band are. There are more people to give input. There’s a little more R&B, a little more funk. We’ve veered away from some of the heavier stuff we used to do. It’s an all-around, feel-good album.

AJM: With a great title. Where does that humour come from?

MC: I think it came with experience touring. In the band we were in before, we lived in a tour bus for three

years straight and played almost every single night. And after awhile you start inventing ways to amuse yourself onstage, and that reflects out into the audience. First and foremost, we want to have fun. We treat it kinda like a business as well, but we want to have fun.

Johnny Don’t January 17 @ Winston’s Pub Cover TBD

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Girls! Girls! Girls!

Saskatoon play explores the depths of friendship

T

he simplest plays are often the most meaningful. When action is nowhere to be found, dialogue must carry the audience from confusion to understanding, from climax to conclusion. Nothing is more revealing than deep conversation — and nothing is more difficult to write. Tara Schoonbaert, a Saskatoon-based playwright, knows this better than most people.

Her latest play, Girls! Girls! Girls!, carries on the tradition established

by Edward Albee and brought into the 21st century by Yasmina Reza.

“I absolutely adore dialogue,” says Schoonbaert. “I like people talking. I like writing like they’re talking.

I like trying to make people sound like real people, having a ridiculous conversation. I really wanted to keep it just that simple.”

Girls! Girls! Girls! is about three friends, women who grew up together and know each other

by alex J MacPherson

intimately, but have drifted apart in adulthood. The play unfolds over a single evening, a reunion that promises to test their loyalty and expose fissures in their friendships. Caroline, Trish, and Sam must grapple with their differences while striving to maintain friendships too deep to abandon. It is a simple premise, but the ideas involved are complex — and fundamental.

“The beauty of these characters in particular is that they are an amalgamation of all the women I have in my life,” Schoonbaert says. “It feels like women I know having a conversation. We’re all so good at hiding the right things and saying just the right thing. That’s the beauty of how we are. It’s been interesting and exciting to try and write.”

What makes Girls! Girls! Girls! so interesting is that it is one of a handful of plays with no male characters.

“Historically speaking, men were

the writers and men were the actors,” Schoonbaert says. “Now, we’re trying to evolve away from that, and create more theatre that’s driven by women, that’s about women, that features women.”

But that doesn’t mean the play has a narrow focus. Girls! Girls! Girls! is about the way human beings interact with each other, the way we love and the way we lie. “I think we’re all people,” Schoonbaert says. “And so even though it’s female-driven in that I’m female, and the people in it are girls, it’s still about people trying to connect and trying to make sense of life.”

And one of the things that defines us as human beings is our ability to converse. To empathize.

To understand.

Girls! Girls! Girls!

January 17-20 + 24-27 @ The Refinery $18.50 (Student/Senior), $21 Adult @ OnTheBoards.ca

On Symphonies

Kirk Smith and Schubert’s Ninth

N

o one knows what Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 in C Major sounded like when it was first performed, in early 1839, more than a decade after its composer’s death. The score survived, passed from Schubert’s brother to Robert Schumann to Felix Mendelssohn, but the absence of recordings and deep ambiguities in the document mean no one has any idea what Schubert intended for his last symphony. The best we can do is guess — and nobody knows this better than Kirk Smith.

“I’ve always wanted to do this symphony,” says Smith, who is based in Houston and preparing to conduct the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra and soloist Haldan Martinson. “I’m in the process now of dissecting it from a performance standpoint rather than a theoretical standpoint.” In practical terms, this means figuring out what Schubert

by alex J MacPherson

meant, and how to make that happen when the lights go down.

“With Schubert’s scores, there are a lot of things that are there that look like an accent or look like a diminuendo,” Smith says. “You’re typically wrong, because of editing and how mistakes in music and mistakes in scores have been published through the decades.” Smith is poring over the score measure by measure, inch by inch, trying to divine Schubert’s intentions and cast light on the perfect balance between melody and harmony found in the piece.

The point of all this, of course, is that classical music is no more rigid than rock and roll, and that interpretation is where careers are made and broken, reputations won and lost. The best interpretations forge connections with the audience — and Smith says those connections are universal.

“There are so many stereotypes about classical music that simply aren’t necessary,” he says. “It’s pretty easy

to figure out when to clap and when not clap, and if you make a mistake, nobody dies. Just because you don’t ‘understand’ a piece — I mean, who understands the harmonic complexity of Michael Jackson’s music?”

And while guests like Smith and Martinson cannot in one evening transform the way people approach classical music, they offer something much more valuable: a fresh perspective and a chance to connect with music that continues to live and breathe and grow, almost two centuries after Schubert committed it to the page.

The Great January 19 @ TCU $18–60 @ TCUTickets.ca, TCU Box Office ( ) Feedback?

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Hannah Georgas A new album, a new beginning by Alex J macPherson

T

he choice was obvious.

“I toyed with a couple of things,” Hannah Georgas says of her new record, her voice dusky and ragged after weeks on the road. “At the end of it all, I didn’t feel like they summed everything up. It felt right to self-title it.

It felt like it was a good interpretation of where I’m at, musically and creatively. It felt right.”

Unless you are a member of the band Weezer, the decision to release an eponymous album should not be taken lightly. A name is an intimate possession. It is the simplest expression of our identity, the tool we use to separate ourselves from others without sacrificing our humanity. Its use implies presence and commitment; it guarantees promises and seals agreements. In the same way a signature transforms a worthless piece of paper into a contract, an inviolable agreement between two people, an eponymous album forges a bond between artist and listener. It is a new beginning. A musical rebirth.

Hannah Georgas, which was released late last year, keeps that promise. Georgas wrote the bulk of the album knowing she wanted to try something different. Her previous records made liberal use of electronic instruments, but were ultimately driven by guitars. Hannah Georgas is a departure. Instead of using synthesizers and samplers for depth and colour and texture, Georgas put them out front. But she couldn’t do it alone. To help realize her musical vision, she

enlisted Graham Walsh, who plays with Holy F*ck. “I’ve always been really into Holy F*ck, and I heard through the grapevine that he is a fantastic producer, so I put two and two together,” she says. “I knew that I wanted his influence and electronic style to definitely play a big role on where I was going.”

That direction was outward. Well before she and Walsh convened in Toronto to cut the tracks, Georgas had used her laptop to assemble a framework of ideas, a skeleton ready

sonic space, a range of frequencies is defined by the physical limitations of the instruments. Synthesizers know no such caveat; they can produce any sound that can be imagined.

Consequently, Hannah Georgas is broader and more expansive than its predecessors, sprawling across the sonic landscape, a series of sweeping strokes that fill in unexpected places and skirt more familiar ones. “I didn’t want to crowd the production,” Georgas says. “I wanted there to be lots of space in the music and just serve the

I find myself in these situations, where it’s like … I overthink things, and I’m like, ‘Why the f*ck am I like this?’ hannah georgas

for layers of muscle and tissue. Making complicated demos was a new experience for Georgas. “On my last record, I went into the studio and pressed record and played the song from top to bottom on my guitar,” she explains.

“This time I was like, I’d like to do a little more work on my end and give [Walsh] an idea of where I’d like to go.”

The end result pushes the boundaries of what a singer and songwriter can achieve, and undermines perceptions of Georgas as just another songstress with an effervescent voice.

Guitar records occupy a specific

song, what it is, and really have some tasty little production stuff here and there.” Walsh’s wizardry and Georgas’ ingenuity combined to produce a record that is heavy without being dense, forceful without being violent.

But Hannah Georgas is more than a sonic spectacle, more than a collection of songs tied together by a synthesizer riff and an ambient pad. It is also the most articulate and thoughtful record Georgas has ever made. She wrote the songs in just five months, forcing herself to work every day. “Some days there was nothing,” she laughs. “Other Continued on next page »

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Photos: courtesy of Tristan casey

days, stuff would come.” Because it was written so quickly, and because it was written during a time of emotional upheaval, the themes and ideas flow together; Hannah Georgas traces the arc of experience, from confusion and anger to understanding and acceptance. It is the story of Georgas’ struggle to understand time — to find her place in the world and ask if it is worthwhile.

“Everything I was feeling was just coming out, everything I was going through in my life,” she says. “I guess

that was why these themes were coming out, because it was all focused on a concentrated period of time.” Georgas explains the problem on “Elephant,” a sombre song propelled by wavering vocals and the hypnotic pulse of a synthesizer. It is a frank assessment of aging (“As I age it sinks deeper in / This life is temporary, it’s all gonna end / This is all gonna end”) weighted with a profound sense of uncertainty: (“I don’t wanna wake up one day thinking where the hell have I been”). “I think with that song I was just realizing I have different priorities as I’ve been

getting older,” she reflects. “And I’m realizing that I am getting older.”

If “Elephant” presents a specific problem, “Robotic” attempts to solve it — by dulling the pain with a new kind of anaesthetic (“I wanna be reprogrammed / I wanna be robotic / No more blood in these veins / I wanna press reset”). “Robotic” casts a moment of intense vulnerability against a backdrop of bright guitars and swirling keyboards. Its construction echoes the emotional uncertainty that permeates every note on the record. But it also leads to a conclusion. Only by banishing emotion and recreating herself as a dispassionate automaton can Georgas understand that humanity is defined by feeling: (“If you wanna win / You gotta play”).

“I find myself in these situations, where it’s like I’m a sensitive soul or I overthink things, and I’m like, ‘Why the f*ck am I like this?’” she says of “Robotic.” “I just want to brush this off and move on. A lot of the time I find myself battling that.”

“Ode To Mom” and “Waiting Game,” which close the record, take the ideas presented in “Elephant” and “Robotic” to their logical conclusion.

Rather than shrink from feeling, Georgas chooses to embrace it. “Ode To Mom” is about the rippling effect of her father’s death. It builds to a towering crescendo before lapsing, exhausted, into a dissonant coda, a moment of understanding. Georgas uses the permanence of death to illustrate the idea that each moment is valuable, each feeling worthwhile.

This idea overflows into “Waiting Game,” the moment of acceptance: (“Every conversation is all the same / I’m just a sucker, waiting for your call / I get so hard, I get so hard on myself”). “I think that was just a nice end to sum up the thoughts that are going through my mind,” she says.

“And the whole theme of the record, for sure. [“Waiting Game”] feels like the end, and that’s the end of the set we’re doing right now.”

Hannah Georgas is a record about the human condition. It is a deeply moving example of how a deeply personal journey can resonate with complete strangers. “[It is about] realizing what are the important things, what I want to do on this planet before I die,” she muses. “And I’m realizing I’m not this young kid anymore. I am a grown adult.” Georgas calls this realization a “sad clarity.” Life may be dark and stupid and painful, but it is all we have.

Hannah Georgas captures Georgas at her absolute best, artistically and musically. The choice was obvious.

Hannah Georgas January 24 @ Amigos $10 @ Ticketedge.ca or Amigos Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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Tantalizing Teriyaki Photo: courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

Diane’s Kitchen brings Seattle-style dining to Saskatoon by adam hawboldt

I

f you’ve ever been to Seattle, there are a few things you probably noticed: the Space Needle, the wet climate, and the abundance of teriyaki restaurants.

Yes, that’s right. No matter where you go in Seattle you’ll run into a teriyaki restaurant. Strip malls?

Check. Main streets? You bet. You’ll find them everywhere, from roadside vendors to Safeco Field.

See, Chicago has its deep-dish pizza, Philly has its cheesesteaks, and Seattle has its teriyaki huts.

Diane Lee knows this. She lived and operated her own restaurant in

quick, the prices are low, the staff is friendly and —perhaps most important of all — the food is delicious!

Seattle for years, and now she’s in Saskatoon, trying to bring a piece of the teriyaki phenomenon to the prairies.

[The teriyaki sauce] is sweet and savoury and maybe even slightly addictive.

Adam hawboldt

If you’ve never had a teriyaki restaurant experience, I highly recommend you go with the first thing you see on the menu. Literally.

Every teriyaki joint you go into will have the exact same #1 on their menu: chicken teriyaki.

And at Diane’s Kitchen, let me tell you: it’s crazy good.

Served with white rice and an iceberg lettuce salad (the standard teriyaki sides), Diane’s #1 is so good I ate it for supper one evening, then went back the next day and had it again for lunch. I kid you not.

The chicken (white meat only) is moist, the tempura-like crust is thick and delicious and stays crispy even when loaded with teriyaki. As for the sauce — which is made from scratch (like everything at Diane’s Kitchen)

Located near Holiday Park, Lee’s new dining establishment, Diane’s Kitchen, is everything a good teriyaki restaurant should be. The service is

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide CRAN-SAKE COCKTAIL

ingredients

Just like teriyaki restaurants have become intensely popular in Seattle, sake cocktails are popping up in bars and restaurants all around the world.

Here is a simple yet delicious recipe for you to try.

3 ounces of sake, chilled (good quality, like Momokawa Sake) 1 ounce cranberry juice, fresh if you can get it 2 lime wedges, divided Sprite (or 7-Up)

Directions

Fill the martini shaker with ice. Add the sake, cranberry juice and 1 lime wedge. Shake well, then strain into the glass. If you want it sweet, top the drink off with a splash of Sprite or 7-Up. Garnish with a lime wedge.

— it is sweet and savoury and maybe even slightly addictive.

But hey, if sweet, savoury, delicious chicken teriyaki isn’t your thing, don’t worry. They also serve hot and spicy chicken teriyaki, hearty beef teriyaki, pork teriyaki, tofu teriyaki, and more. You name it, odds are they’ve got it.

And while teriyaki is Lee’s specialty, it’s not the only thing she serves. Far from it. There’s everything from Mongolian beef to udon to General Tao’s chicken on the menu. Basically, Diane’s Kitchen is a Japanese-Chinese fusion restaurant that specializes in authentic, Seattlelike teriyaki dishes.

And the best part (aside from the taste, of course)?

Not only are the portions large, but there isn’t a single thing on the menu that costs more than $9.

Head to www.dkstoon.com to see for yourself.

Oh, and if you don’t feel like dining out some evening, good news: at Diane’s Kitchen you can either eat in or take out.

Enjoy.

Diane’s Kitchen 1517 11th St. W | 244 3663

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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Next Week

coming up

Powder Blue

BA Johnston

@ Gillian Snider’s House Saturday, January 19 – $10 (advance)

@ Amigos Cantina Saturday, January 19 – $TBD

@ Amgios Cantina Saturday, March 23 – $TBD

There ain’t no party like a good ol’ house party, and this one threatens to be better than most. Not only will there be great company, but the band — Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra — puts on a show that will make you want to clap your hands, nod your head, and stomp your feet. An acoustic ensemble consisting of Kurt Loewen, Ian Griffiths, Paul Wolda, Peter Mynett and Patrick M’Gonigle, TMO plays a brand of music that has been sharpened and honed from years of working together. With splashes of flamenco from Spain, percussion from Africa, bluegrass and more, this bohemian band from Victoria, B.C., has a sound they characterize as “gypsy-folk-roots-grass.” Tickets for this intimate affair are available through gillians@sasktel.net

Comprised of members from local bands like We Were Lovers, Ultimate Power Duo, Foggy Notions and Color Field, this all-female group is full of experienced and talented musicians. With a catchy and haunting sound, Powder Blue — which consists of Shelby Gaudet (guitar/vocals), Elsa Gebremichael (keys/drums/ vocals) and Amber Kraft (drums/keys) — plays an infectious blend of grunge-garage-psychedelic music that is sure to grab audiences’ attention. Since forming in 2011, this up-and-coming badass group of musicians has been honing their sound into something that’s simultaneously dark and beautiful, slow burning and infectious. See for yourself at Amigos next week.

Tickets available at the door.

If you haven’t heard this Hamilton musician before, brace yourself for a serious dose of tunes dripping with hilarity. In the past, this talented singer/songwriter from Ontario has released songs such as “Jesus is from Hamilton” (a song about JC helping the Hamilton Ti-Cats beat the Toronto Argonauts) and “Love Letters to the Girls in High School Art Class” (selfexplanatory). With his latest album Hi Dudes!, this alternative acoustic musician has amped up the funny and the off-beat awesomeness. His live shows are full of jokes and endless energy, and shirts are frequently optional. So if you’re looking for a hella fun time, don’t delay! Head to Amigos in March and see what this eccentric cat has to offer. Tickets will be available at the door.

– By Adam Hawboldt

Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra

Photos courtesy of: the artist / Ryan Smith / the artist

Sask music Preview Attention teachers: do you have students interested in the many different types of jobs available in the music industry, both off and on the stage? SaskMusic can come to your classroom to speak about our industry, and explain the ins and outs of the music business. For more info, please contact us at 3470767 or 1-800-347-0676.

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January 11 » january 19 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

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Friday 11

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover The Shakey Elevators / Amigos — A local bluegrass/folk-rock band. 10pm / Cover TBD

Piano Fridays: Maurice Drouin / The Bassment — Enjoy some smooth jazz stylings. 4:30pm / No cover Alexis Korchinski / The Bassment — An intimate evening of music and laughter with this talented singer/songwriter. 9pm / $10/14 Greg Rekus / Beaumont Film and Record — An alt/punk act from Winnipeg. 8pm / Cover TBD Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday night, so come on down and show off what you’ve got! 9pm / $5 cover Men Without Shame / Buds on Broadway — Classic glam rock you won’t want to miss. 10pm / Cover $6 Activist Maguire / Crown + Rok — Come out for some kickass music. 9pm / Cover TBD

DJ Eclectic / The Hose — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Come party with this local fave. 9pm / $5 cover DJ Butterz / Lounge 306 — Top 40 songs. 8pm / Cover TBD Kelly Read Band / Lydia’s — Local blues played by consummate professionals.

10pm / $5 Method Man / The Odeon — This famous rapper is swinging by Saskatoon on his So High Tour. 8pm / $42.50-60 (www. theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Troy Hudson / Prairie Ink — A folk trio worth checking out. 8pm / No cover Charly Hustle / Spadina Freehouse — He drops beats for your listening pleasure. 10pm / No cover DJ Mern + Chan-L / Tequila Nightclub — Come out for the 3rd annual Catalina Wine Mixer. 8pm / $10 advance, $15 at the door Dr. Cuthburts Lions w Triplophonics / Vangelis Tavern — Come on down for a hot show. 9pm / $5

Saturday 12

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

9pm / No cover

Wasted Cathedral / Amigos Cantina — The music of Chris Laramee, from the wicked awesome Shooting Guns. 10pm / Cover TBD Piano Series: Jan Janovsky Trio / The Bassment — Ragtime to classical to jazz to polka. 9pm / $12/16 Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party along with DJ CTRL every Saturday night. 9pm / $5 cover Men Without Shame / Buds on Broadway — Classic glam rock you won’t want to miss. 10pm / Cover $6 Activist Maguire / Crown + Rok — Come out for some kickass music. 9pm / Cover TBD Walter Ostanek / Dakota Dunes — Come celebrate Ukrainian New Year’s Eve with Canada’s polka king. 7pm / $40 (www.tickets.siga.sk.ca) Six Block / The Fez — A little alt-rock coming at you out of Meadow Lake. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9pm / $5 cover DJ Butterz / Lounge 306 — Top 40 songs.

8pm / Cover TBD Zooline, Groovepushers / Lydia’s Pub — Come check out the loft and get your funk on. 9pm / Cover TBD

DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. This promises to be one great night. 8pm / $5 Wire`s n’ Wood / Prairie Ink — Latin, jazz and gypsy tunes. 8pm / No cover Funktion Saturday / Spadina Freehouse — EDM from your favourite local DJs. 10pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests. 10pm / $5 DJ Qbert / Tequila Nightclub — A flat-out legend on the turntables. 8pm / $12.50 (www.ticketmaster.ca) The All Mighty Voice w/Guy and the Fellas / Vangelis — Some folk/roots/soul for ya. 10pm / $5

Sunday 13

Industry Night / Béily’s UltraLounge — Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff DJ KADE / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Blues Jam / Vangelis — Come and get your jam on. 9pm / No cover

Monday 14

Metal Mondays / Lydia’s Pub — If hard, heavy awesomeness is your thing, swing by, listen to some killer music and get in on some concert giveaways. 9pm

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Tuesday 15

Thursday 17

Jesse Roads / Buds On Broadway — Come out and enjoy some classic rock, straight to you from southern Alberta.

9pm / $6 cover DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Double Deuce — This crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. If it’s a dance party you’re after, then this is where you want to be. 9:30pm / $4 cover VERB PRESENTS OPEN STAGE / Lydia’s Pub — The open stage at Lydia’s has hosted many of Saskatoon’s finest performers.

9pm / No cover Open Mic / The Somewhere Else Pub — Come on out to show your talent.

7pm / No cover Blue Rodeo / TCU Place — Canada’s iconic country/rock band will be lighting up the stage. 8pm / $25-49.50 (www. tcutickets.ca) Synaptic / Vangelis Tavern — An electronic music open stage. 9pm / No cover

Rock & Blues Series: Outside the Wall / The Bassment — A night of Pink Floyd tributes. 8pm / $15/20 Jesse Roads / Buds On Broadway — Classic rock from southern Alberta.

9pm / $6 Throwback Thursdays / Earls — Come experience the best in retro funk, soul, reggae and rock provided by Dr. J. 8pm / No cover DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Local DJ Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turntables to get you dancing on the dance floor! Every Thursday night will be filled with pole dancing, shadow dancers and much more! 8pm / $5; free cover with student ID before 11pm Nelly Furtado / Odeon Events Centre — Come check out this Canadian music star on her Spirit Indestructible Tour. 7pm / $49.50-74.50 (www.theodeon.ca) Belle Plaine, Jenny Berkel, Jeans Boots / Vangelis — A night featuring talented musical women that you won’t want to miss. 10pm / $5

Wednesday 16

HUMP WEDNESDAYS / 302 Lounge & Discotheque — Resident DJ Chris Knorr will be spinning all of your favourite songs and requests. 9pm / No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter Jesse Roads / Buds On Broadway — Classic rock from southern Alberta.

9pm / $6 The Avenue Recording Company presents Open Mic / The Fez on Broadway — Hosted by Chad Reynolds. Sign up and play at this weekly event. 10pm / No cover DJ Kade / Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Dr. J ‘Souled Out’ / Lydia’s Pub — Dr. J spins hot funk and soul every Wednesday night. 9pm / No cover Gojira / Odeon Events Centre — This heavy metal band from France will rock the house. 7pm / $26 (www.theodeon.ca) WILD WEST WEDNESDAY / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — This is Saskatoon’s top industry night, hosted by DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman. And don’t forget to come ride the mechanical bull. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff Ben and Kaitlyn / Spadina Freehouse — Come out for a night of live music. 8pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests. 10pm / No cover

Friday 18

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover Body LVL / Amigos Cantina — Featuring Mehta and Will Kaufold, come enjoy a groovy psychedelic journey. Also playing will be Sleepwreck. 10pm / $5 at the door Piano Fridays: David Fong / The Bassment — Enjoy some smooth jazz stylings. 4:30pm / No cover Rock & Blues Series: Outside the Wall / The Bassment — A night of Pink Floyd tributes. 8pm / $15/20 The Wizards, The Faps / Beaumont Film + Record — Two sweet acts for your listening pleasure. 9pm / Cover TBD Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday night.

9pm / $5 cover Riff Raff / Buds on Broadway — Classic hard rock from a local act. 10pm / $6 Mayne Jayne / Crown + Rok — Come rock the night away.

DJ Eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats all night long.

8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — 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 Sirvis / Louis’ Pub — A CD release party thrown by a local rap talent. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Butterz / Lounge 306 — Top 40 songs.

8pm / Cover TBD Ultimate Power Duo / Lydia’s Pub — They’ll rock you like a hurricane.

10pm / $7 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Doug Boomhower Trio / Prairie Ink — Some smooth jazz for the soul. 8pm / No cover Tribute to the Everly Brothers / Royal Canadian Legion — A classic tribute show at the Nutana branch. 8pm / $10 The Gaff / Spadina Freehouse — He drops beats for your listening pleasure.

10pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests. 10pm / $5 DJs Mern + Modus / Tequila Nightclub — Come on down and get your party on.

10pm / Cover TBD The Lonesome weekends / Vangelis — Also appearing is Zachary Lucky. 9pm / $8

Saturday 19

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes all night. 9pm / No cover Powder Blue / Amigos Cantina — Haunting songs from this all-female quintet. 10pm / Tix available at the door Guitar Series: Doug Boomhower Quartet / The Bassment — It’s a night of nastily awesome guitar arrangements.

9pm / $12/16 Austen Roadz / Béily’s UltraLounge — Austen Roadz throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party along with DJ CTRL every Saturday night. 9pm / $5 cover Riff Raff / Buds on Broadway — Classic hard rock from a local act. 10pm / $6 Seven Strait / Crown + Rok — A hard rocking good time. 9pm / Cover TBD Suicide Messiah / The Fez — A Black Label tribute band. 9pm / $10 Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra / Gillian Snider House Concert — Foot stomping folk. 8pm / $10 (advance), $15 (door) DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up. 8pm / No cover

DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9pm / $5 cover DJ Butterz / Lounge 306 — Top 40 songs.

8pm / Cover TBD Blackberrywood / Lydia’s Pub — This multi-instrumental group is sure to please. 9pm / Cover TBD LIFTED / Lydia’s Pub — Come dance your heart out in Lydia’s loft. 10pm / $5 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 No Hurry Trio / Prairie Ink — Easy listening tunes from the 50’s to the present.

8pm / No cover Fuse Collective / Spadina Freehouse — Break out your dancing shoes and come have some fun. 10pm / No cover

Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests. 10pm / $5 Albert + Dislexik / Tequila Nightclub — Dust off your dancing shoes and get ready for a party. 9pm / Cover TBD Elsethings Fest / Vangelis — Featuring Magna Carta, Jeans Boot, Gunner + Smith, Economics. 10pm / $5

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

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Not quite right

Photo: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Gangster Squad might not live up to your expectations by adam hawboldt

H

ere’s the thing about Ruben Fleischer’s new flick, Gangster Squad: it’s a good movie, just not as good as you expect/want it to be.

Which is unfortunate, because on the surface the film has so much going for it. Fleischer is a very

something visceral, violent and epic.

You see, the movie begins with Cohen (played by Penn) standing behind the old Hollywood sign, explaining his uber-violent back story to a Chicago mobster. But this is no friendly explanation. See, the mobster is chained to a pair of motors. And to prove just

GangsteR Squad Ruben Fleisher Starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Nick Nolte + Emma Stone Directed by

113 minutes | 14A

turned-crime-kingpin, controls the city’s drug, gun and prostitution rackets with a bloodied iron fist.

To ensure he’s safe to shuck and illegally jive as he pleases, Cohen puts a plethora of police, judges and politicians on the payroll.

But it’s not enough.

Police Chief Bill Parker (Nolte) puts together a small team of LAPD officers to take Cohen down. The squad, led by war hero/super cop John O’Mara (Brolin), consists of wisecracking ladies’ man Jerry Wooters (Gosling), sharpshooter Max Kennard (Robert Patrick), tech expert Conwell Keeler (Ribisi), beat cop Coleman Harris (Anthony Mackie) and rookie tag-along Navidad Ramirez (Michael Peña).

As they go about their duties (by any means necessary), you’ll slowly realize this plot is far from original.

And at the point of the movie you hear Penn scream “I want them all dead! I want their families dead!” it’ll hit you like a sack of bricks — this movie is so much like Brian

[T]he unoriginality of it all really holds Gangster Squad back.

Adam Hawboldt

competent director (best known for Zombieland), the story is a real humdinger, and the cast is terrific.

Think about it: a crime flick about infamous LA crime boss Mickey Cohen, starring Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Giovanni Ribisi and Nick Nolte?

If you’re a fan of the gangster genre, one of the first thoughts that flitted through your head when you saw the trailer for Gangster Squad was probably something along the lines of, “Hot damn! Sign me up.”

And when you watch the opening scene of the movie, you’ll get the feeling that you’ve signed up for

how violent he really is, Cohen orders for the motors to be revved up and for the mobster to be torn in two while dogs feast on his guts.

Okay. Admittedly, that’s not a scene for everyone. But for anyone who likes their movies to start out with a bang (or in this case, an evisceration), Gangster Squad delivers — in a big way.

The problem is, though, that initial bang soon peters out into a clichéd, derivative whimper.

But more on that in a minute. For now, let’s look at the basic plot of the film. The year is 1949, in post-war Los Angeles. Cohen, an ex-boxer-

De Palma’s The Untouchables it’s almost criminal.

That’s what killed it for me.

Perhaps “killed” is too strong of a word. Because, to be honest, the movie has a lot of good dialogue, good action, and is really eye-catching (in an art-deco-advertising kind of way.)

But the unoriginality of it all really holds Gangster Squad back.

Unfortunately.

Verb prize

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An alright dance you won’t regret

This touching flick about love and redemption is pretty charming by adam hawboldt

T

here’s one scene in Take This Waltz that really stands out.

In it, Michelle Williams and Sarah Silverman are nude. In a shower. But this isn’t like any female nude scene you’ve seen before. There’s no sexuality, no music to tell you how to feel, no sexy lighting. Nothing of the sort. It’s just Michelle Williams, Sarah Silverman and bunch of women showering at a local pool, talking about relationships. The scene isn’t funny or sassy or dramatic. As Silverman said in a recent interview, “It just is.”

And what it is is a realistic, everyday occurrence that is completely unclichéd — much like the movie itself.

Written and directed by Sarah Polley, Take This Waltz is a searingly honest look at everyday life in relationships. The main relationship in question is between Margot (Williams) and Lou (Seth Rogen), who have been married for five years. Lou writes cookbooks; Margot is a freelance writer who does a lot of tourism work.

And on the surface, Margot and Lou appear to be a good, healthy couple.

Photo: Courtesy of Mongrel media

speaks lines you can guess, nobody sticks to one single mode of behaviour.

And in a world where a lot of Hollywood movies reek of convention and cliché, Take This Waltz is a refreshing blast — at least when Margot and Lou are on screen.

But when Daniel (Luke Kirby) — a guy Margot meets while on assignment in Cape Breton and who, it just so happens, is Margot and Lou’s neighbour — enters the equation, well, that’s when things get a tad stale.

See, Daniel is an artist with smoldering good looks and a strange pen-

[O]n the whole, Take This Waltz hums with anticipation…

Adam Hawboldt

They live in a trendy Toronto neighbourhood, they still enjoy each other’s company, and have a real affection for each other. Their relationship, like the aforementioned shower scene, is unflinchingly real and diurnal.

Also like the shower scene, these characters (and for that matter, every character in the movie) avoid cliché.

We simply don’t know these people in Take This Waltz. And that’s the best part about it. They’re all fresh. Nobody

chant for wearing pedal pushers. He’s also the guy who threatens to come between Lou and Margot’s seemingly solid marriage.

Take This Waltz is a tender and heartfelt movie that you should probably go see if explosions and CGI aren’t your thing. Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying Take This Waltz is a perfect movie. Far from it, in fact.

Whenever it turns to attraction between Daniel and Margot, the

Take This Waltz Sarah Polley Starring Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen + Sarah Silverman Directed by

116 minutes | 14A

entire thing fizzles. And, at times, Polley’s hand is a bit too heavy, a bit too contrived. But, on the whole, Take This Waltz hums with anticipation, with realism and the thrill of temptation.

Oh, and did I mention that the acting (save for Kirby, who never really brings Daniel to life) is excellent? You’d expect as much from Williams, who is a three-time Oscar nominee. But from Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman (who plays Lou’s alcoholic sister in the film) too? You bet. Even though they are better known for their raunchy comedy, both Rogen and Silverman deliver big in dramatic roles.

Don’t believe me? Think I’m giving them a tad too much credit? Go see for yourselves.

Take This Waltz is currently being screened at the Broadway Theatre.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@AdamHawboldt ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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Tuesday, January 8 @

pacific billiards

Pacific Billiards 609 1st Avenue North (306) 665 0009 Music vibe / Classic rock

and blues Featured deals / Domestic beer

for $4 Drink of Choice / Pints of

Original 16 top eats / Chicken fingers coming up / League play on Tuesday nights

22 Jan 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jan 17 entertainment

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Photography by Patrick Carley

23 Jan 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jan 17 /verbsaskatoon

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Photography by Cortez

24 Jan 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jan 17 entertainment

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monday, december 31 @

bÉily’s

Béily’s Ultralounge 2404 8 Street East (306) 374 3344 Music vibe / Top 40, hip hop,

country and party hits Featured deals / Prime rib Drink of Choice / Vodka water

splash top eats / Prime rib Coming up / Béily’s will once

again be hosting their DJ competition, which kicks off January 20th with Anthem Kingz

25 Jan 11 – Jan 17 @verbsaskatoon

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

26 Jan 11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jan 17 entertainment

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timeout

crossword canadian criss-cross 52. Tear apart 53. Roll call reply

DOWN 1. Crown worn as a sign of sovereignty 2. Travel constantly 3. Broke a fast 4. Model airplane wood 5. Look up to 6. Self-esteem 7. Curved entranceway 8. Win back 9. Pickling solution 11. Verb form 12. Comet part 14. Not pretended 17. Part of TGIF

20. Group of lions sudoku answer key 21. Easily taken advantage of A 24. Big coffeepot 26. Floral necklace 28. Be a sign of 30. Chinese figure of a god 31. Aroma 32. Assistant 33. Spike of corn 35. Intravenous solution B 36. Unforeseen development 37. Poker stake 40. Slender woman 43. Desperately urgent 45. Treating people equally 47. One who has taken vows 49. Anger

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

ing room 27. Make a long tear in 29. Make fast 30. Unidentified man 34. Scenic wide view 38. “___ on a Grecian Urn” 39. Clear a chalkboard 41. Barley bristle 42. Auction cry 44. Do your best 45. Move lightly and swiftly 46. Lying face upward 48. Act as a go-between 50. Program you’ve seen before 51. Word processing command

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

ACROSS 1. Not attractive 5. Area farthest from the front 9. Flora and fauna of a region 10. Wading bird 12. Go sightseeing 13. Beckham’s game 15. Assistant 16. Take small tastes of 18. Make more acute, as one’s skills 19. Suffix with hero 20. Eucharist plate 22. Canada’s neighbour: abbr.

23. Animal resembling a monkey 25. Knife used in an operat- © walter D. Feener 2012

Horoscopes January 11 – january 17 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

You have a strong creative component to your personality, Aries.

That’s no secret. So why don’t you tap into that side of you this week?

It’s a jungle out there, dear Leo. Lucky for you, you’re the king of that sucker. So stomp the terra this week like you own it.

No rest for the wicked, Sagittarius. If that old cliché holds true, then you must’ve been quite bad, because you’re going to be busy, busy, busy this week.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Sensitive much, Taurus? If so, you might want to work on toughening up in the coming days. You’re going to need a bit of a thick skin to get through.

Ideas are going to come at you this week like snowflakes in a blizzard. Don’t let the mess of ‘em confuse you. Pick out a few, and grab on.

It’s important to give, Capricorn, but if you hit a wall and find you have nothing left, don’t fret. Just take some down time and recharge your battery.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

Things could be getting hectic, Gemini, so when you get the chance take some time, kick your feet up and relax — if only for a few minutes.

Things will be happening on the home front this week, Libra — some good, some bad. Make sure you keep on top of it all.

Good things come to those who wait, they say. But what they neglect to tell you is that if you wait too long, you’ll miss your opportunity

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

You have a lot to offer, Cancer.

But sometimes you forget that.

This week make sure you show the world what you have. It may surprise people.

A chance for you to make a major commitment to something looms on the horizon, Scorpio. Look, think and ponder before you leap.

Don’t be a drama queen this week, Pisces. If things seem like they’re spinning out of control, don’t lose your head. Take a deep breath and be rational.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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