Verb Issue S241 (May 24-30, 2013)

Issue #241 – May 24 to May 30

arts

culture

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saskatoon

NORTHCOTE his return to rock and

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bring on the apocalypse A zombie survival guide green man portraits Barbara Reimer’s brilliant exhibit the hangover part iii + fast & furious 6 Films reviewed­

Photo: courtesy of alsmith.com for vic42.com

contents

On the cover:

northcote

In his return to rock. 14 / feature

Photo: courtesy of alsmith.com for vic42.com

NEWs + Opinion

entertainment

culture

Q + A with caila ellerman Silent Sea talks new release. 12 / Q + A

Bring on the apocalypse

A Broad experience Gunner + Smith explore new musical territory. 13 / Arts

How to survive zombies. 4 / Local

The process of portraiture Barbara Reimer’s latest exhibit. 13 / Arts

listings Local music listings for May 24 through June 1. 18 / listings

The Hangover part III + Fast and furious 6 20 / Film Nightlife Photos We visit Jax and the Habitat for Humanity Gala. 22-25 / Nightlife

anarchy in the sk Prairie anarchism isn’t what you think. 6 / local

education overhaul

oh so tempting

on the bus

Our thoughts on abolishing tenure for professors. 8 / Editorial

This week we visit Yogurt Temptation. 16 / Food + Drink

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 26 / comics

comments

Music

Games + Horoscopes

Here’s your say about the Blades’ odds of winning the Mem Cup. 10 / comments

Classy Chassys, New Jacobin Club + Trooper. 17 / music

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

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Editorial

Business & Operations

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

Office Manager / Stephanie Lipsit account Manager / nathan holowaty sales Manager / Vogeson Paley Financial Manager / Cody Lang

ART & Production

Comments / feedback@verbnews.com / 306 881 8372

Design & Production / Brittney Graham + Andrew Yanko Contributing Photographers / Patrick Carley, Adam Hawboldt, Alex J Macpherson + Ishtiaq Opal

advertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253

contact design / layout@verbnews.com / 306 979 8474 General / info@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253

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Bring on the apocalypse

Zombie Camp preps you to deal with the undead

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he path to the top of the hill is lined with crosses: slender, brown crucifixes standing stark against a warm grey sky.

There’s an ominous quiet in the air. A sense of impending danger. See, most weekends Camp Monahan is host to children, campers scampering through woods playing games.

But not right now. This weekend, the camp is almost barren — save for the crucifixes and a dozen or so adult campers.

Oh, and the zombies. They’re here, too. Lurching through the bush. Clothes torn, blood and sores covering their decayed bodies, they wander the camp, longing to feast on human flesh.

As you climb the path to the top of the hill, you pass a crow perched atop a crucifix. Chills run up your spine. Your senses are heightened.

And on you climb, head moving on a swivel. Nerves buzzing.

At its apex, the path opens into a field of lush, green grass.

All around you the only sound is of trees rustling in the wind. You know you shouldn’t be up here. Not alone, anyway.

the Friday the 13th movies. “Is anyone out there?”

A branch snaps, this time in the bush to your left. You think you see something move behind a tree.

Is it a zombie?

The idea of the camp is to draw people out of the lull of modern culture … Take them out of their element and give them a sense of fear that will inspire a sense of survival. justin folk

There’s a sound behind you to your right.

You stop, statue-still, and look over your shoulder. Heart thumping in your chest, hair on the back of your neck standing on end.

“Hello?” you say. Feeling like one of those damn doomed campers from

If so, how in the hell are you going to escape?

Anyone who attended Saskatchewan’s first Zombie Prep Camp would know what to do. They know how fast the zombies move, Continued on next page »

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they know their patterns and their furious rhythms.

Or at least they knew how fast and furious the zombies were earlier in the weekend.

Back when the campers first arrived on Friday there was talk of zombie sightings. Then on Saturday morning, not long after going through a fitness boot camp, the zombies appeared.

At first the living dead were slow moving, easy to evade. That didn’t mean people were wandering willy nilly through the woods with disregard for their safety. No. They were still leery about that. But they knew, in a pinch, they could sidestep the slow-moving zombies on their way to their classes.

But as the camp wore on, the zombie virus evolved. The undead kept getting faster, more vicious, more prone to attacking in common areas. To deal with this (and to learn to survive), the campers began attending classes.

An unarmed combat specialist was there to teach them Krav Maga, wrestling techniques, and other evasion strategies to avoid being bitten. There were archery specialists, fire making and shelter building courses, and workshops on how to throw axes and perform first aid. Heck, there was even a talk by an expert in zombie and post-apocalyptic psychology. You know, just in case you have to kill a loved one and keep functioning when zombies are out to get you.

“The idea of the camp is to draw people out of the lull of modern culture, the zombie-like nature of modern culture,” says Justin Folk, camp co-ordinator. “Take them out of their element and give them a sense of fear that will inspire a sense of survival. You know, mindfulness of environment, skills that will keep you alive. Being able to transcend fear and doubt and self-denial.”

And sitting in front of the Camp Monahan mess hall, where the campers have assembled on the last day of the zombie survival course, you can see they have a handle on all those things, and more.

“I can’t believe you got away from those zombies,” says one camper to another.

“I know,” replies a guy in a black hoodie. “At first I only saw one of them. Then the other three came out of nowhere. It wasn’t easy, but I escaped.”

Behind him a camper with a bandaged hand, bandaged ankle, and what appears to be a festering sore on his shoulder limps up a set of stairs. And from the bench below the stairs a girl says, “I’m not necessarily sure I trust that guy.”

Most people in front of the mess hall agree. At Camp Monahan, you trust your teammates and no one else.

“and I’m sorry. Next time we have the camp, I won’t do that.”

“LIAR!” screams a voice, and the campers laugh, knowing the voice is right. And for the first time in a while, these campers look at ease. Just a bunch of people sitting around a camp enjoying a relaxing sunny day.

But when Mitchell screams “CAMPFIRE,” all that changes.

The campers dart down the hill to a fire pit, evading zombies the whole way. They rush to make a fire as quickly as possible. From there, the campers run a zombie gauntlet down a dusty dirt road to the next station. This is the final relay race, the day they put everything they’ve learned at the zombie prep camp to use.

If a zombie catches them, they’re out. The more people who make it through, the more points their team gets, and the better their chances of winning become. But as the campers run down that dirt road, dipping and dodging the outstretched hands of the undead, accumulating points isn’t at the forefront of their minds.

Survival is. Plain and simple.

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“I know I lied to you before,” says camp director Jonathan Michell,

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Photo: Courtesy of anarchy facebook

Anarchy in the SK

Prairie anarchism probably isn’t what you think

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

S

top. Look away from this story, but only for a moment. And in that moment, think about anarchists. Think what an anarchist looks like. What they wear. How they behave.

Okay. Finished?

What kind of picture did you paint in your mind’s eye?

Ask many people that question, and they’ll tell you they picture people dressed in black. Pissed off punk rockers and goths wearing balaclavas or bandanas, waving black anarchy flags and rioting in the street.

Ask most people what two things they associate with anarchism, and they’ll say something along the lines of violence and chaos, absurdity and disorder.

Problem is, most people are wrong.

You’ll realize this, instantly, if you ever meet Stephanie Pooler. Dressed in a green plaid shirt, a purple tank top and blue jeans, Pooler looks like your average, laid-back twenty-something.

She’s sweet, too. Bubbly, positive, and energetic. At first glance, the only thing that indicates her political leanings is a white patch on the left leg of her jeans.

There, in black letters, are the words, “Up with trees / Down with capitalism.”

Sitting across the table from me in a coffee shop downtown, Pooler is well aware, too, that she doesn’t fit

They’re like ‘There’s a protest, I’m going to go smash things.’ But out here, things are different than that.”

So if the black-clad, balaclavawearing people we see smashing win-

Prairie anarchists tend to be really good people, very laid back, more realistic.

Most of the anarchists I know are very gentle and caring and empathetic. stephanie Pooler

the stereotype of what certain people think an anarchist should be.

“There are a lot of misconceptions,” she explains. “When most people think of anarchism they think of Black Bloc tactics, like at the G-20 Summit. But that’s not the case. They’re very macho.

I know people who have participated in that. It’s very macho, very aggressive. I have a hard time considering those people as my comrades — or whatever you want to call them — because they tend to be sexist. They’re kind of like the jocks of anarchism.

dows during protests aren’t prevalent in the prairies, what kind of anarchists call Saskatchewan home?

Conversations with Stephanie Pooler are informative and interesting. She has an agile mind, and a tendency to take questions about big ideas, boil them down and answer in broad terms, then make the questions relatable to her life. For instance, when I ask her to elaborate on anarchism in Saskatchewan, here’s what she says.

Continued on next page »

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“Prairie anarchists tend to be really good people, very laid back, more realistic,” she says. “Most of the anarchists I know are very gentle and caring and empathetic. When I travel, I try to find anarchist groups. It’s a great way to meet people. When I was in Southern Ontario the people I met were very organized, very rowdy. They’re also very formal and rigid. It might just be prairie people in general, but anarchists here tend to be laid back. Our meetings are very relaxed. We sit back, have a beer, ask if anyone has ideas, then figure out what to do. It’s more formal other places, but anarchism in Saskatchewan is very laid back.”

Adam Hawboldt: I read somewhere that Howard Zinn said something to the effect that the “one central characteristic of anarchism on the matter of means, and that central principle is a principle of direct action.” What’s you’re take on that?

Stephanie Pooler: I love Howard Zinn!

Anyway, what were you saying? Oh yeah, direct action. I don’t believe that systematic change is going to happen with the system regulating itself.

I don’t think letter writing is going to change anything. I think there needs to be a wide variety of tactics. I don’t think there’s ever been any major social change that’s been done entirely peacefully. But on the other hand, that doesn’t mean peaceful tactics don’t help. I personally don’t participate in

Black Bloc tactics, I probably never will. I’m a very gentle person … but I am inclined to get out there. I went up north not long ago to an action camp against pipelines. That works for me.

Different tactics depend on where you are in life. If you’re a mom, you probably shouldn’t risk getting arrested.

That would be bad parenting AH: Do you have a specific vision of the perfect anarchist society?

SP: Oh my goodness, my roommates are going to hate me for this! Anarchism falls under a very big umbrella.

There are things like anarchical communism, where the workers will overthrow the state. Then there’s green anarchism, the anti-civ movement where they want to dismantle civilization, de-colonize — basically, live a very primal lifestyle. They think that industry is the worst problem in the world. I’m somewhere in the middle. I see problems with both, so I’m quick to call myself an intersectional anarchist.

But even though I’m an intersectionalist, I lean towards the anti-civ movement. My ideal not-state would be very communal, very primal. People would be living off the land and hunting, planting crops. There’s no ruler.

People would just deal with things in a consensual way.

first man who, having fenced in a piece of land, said ‘This is mine,’ and found people naïve enough to believe him, that man was the true founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars, and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows: Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.”

And in a way, that’s the ethos that propels Pooler’s politics. That leads her to be anti-industry, anti-government, anti-oppression. But don’t be mistaken, Pooler isn’t just some radical cynic who stands in opposition to everything. No, she also champions the causes of sex workers, the poor, and the environment. Then there are the indigenous issues she, along with many other prairie anarchists, hold dear.

“Particularly in Canada, a common thing amongst all the different branches of anarchism is decolonization,” she explains. “Canada is unique in the sense that most anarchist groups are trying to fight self-determination and sovereignty of aboriginal and indigenous groups.”

Pooler pauses for a moment, looks for the right words to say, then states, “The main thing to realize is that we’re sitting here, enjoying our coffee in a capitalist establishment on Treaty 6 territory.”

I ask if, at times like these, she feels conflicted. How does she reconcile supporting industry on colonized land?

“There’s a fine line,” admits Pooler. “This is a local cafe and they source their materials in ethical ways, but it’s still not the ideal situation. Is there an internal conflict?

Sure. At the end of the day, though, it comes down to doing what I can.

I can’t change everything. But if I’m constantly stressed about the state of the world and what an assh**e I am for being in a place like this, I wouldn’t be able to get any real work done.”

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In his book, Discourse on Inequality, Jean-Jacques Rousseau wrote: “The

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Education overhaul

Scrapping tenure will improve universities

I

f you think about it, being a university professor with tenure is a pretty sweet gig.

Job security. Good pay. Freedom to pursue scholarly interests even if they challenge the system or break from popular opinion.

Unfortunately, we think the system is wildly flawed, and needs to go.

Think about it this way: imagine you own a professional football team. To attract the best, top-end talent available you decide to offer players the potential of life-long contracts, ones that will breed loyalty to your team. The only catch is, all these people have to start at the very bottom of the organization, as water carriers, janitors and members of the practice squad. Their place in

your organization isn’t guaranteed at first. But if they’re good enough and work hard enough, one day they’ll get a contract to play for your team — forever. Even after their best years are well behind them, even if they show up but just sit on the bench, they’re still taking up spots on your roster and they’re definitely still on the payroll.

Does this sound just a little absurd to you? Like the kind of business model that will run your organization straight into the ground? It sure does to us. So why, we wonder, does academia continue to employ this model? Why does tenure for professors still exist?

Tenure, which allows professors to teach and research without fear of being fired, doesn’t provide

the proper incentives needed for long-term academic efficiency and excellence. Sure, in the beginning there’s incentive to work your butt off, be the best professor you can be, until one day you get that golden tenure ticket. That’s the holy grail to nearly every academic, so you better believe they’ll hustle and try their damnedest to get there.

But tenure is an economically inflexible system that can ultimately do more damage to a post-secondary institution than good. In his book Crisis on Campus, Mark C. Taylor estimates that an average American college invests somewhere in the neighbourhood of $10-12 million in a single tenured professor over a 35-year career. That’s a heck of a lot of cash for an organization to lay out when there’s Continued on next page »

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Photo: Courtesy of U of S facebook

no guarantee the person is going to continue to provide value.

And while you’re thinking about that, please keep in mind that universities around the country are struggling to pay their bills while tuition continues to climb much faster than inflation.

And along with tying up much of an academic institution’s finances, tenure can also provide safe harbour to educators that have lost their zeal for teaching. Ask any student who

and math subjects found that 70% still relied purely on lectures, rather than embracing more interactive methods that advances in technology have made available — a move the study’s authors relate directly to the laziness that tenure breeds in educators. And this has real-world implications: by not revamping their teaching methods, professors are putting students who are numbed by lecture-heavy courses at a disadvantage.

…give professors multi-year contracts based on merit. verb magazine

has been taught by tenured profs, and chances are he or she will tell you some of them weren’t standing there in front of the class, trying to inspire people. In fact, a 2011 UCLA study of undergraduate teachers in science, technology, engineering

Now that’s not to say all fulltime, tenured profs are like this.

Because obviously they’re not — there are incredible professors out there that are doing amazing research and stimulating the minds of their students. And that’s great! But

there’s just as many tired, lazy or just plain inept educators that are protected by tenure, because for many scholars, somewhere along the way the passion for teaching, conducting research, or both fades away, and the students and university are left to suffer.

So what’s the solution to the tenure problem? Well, for new hires at least, why not get rid of it all together and replace it with a renewable contract model? Do like responsible businesses do, and give professors multi-year contracts based on merit. The better professors are, the more they make, the longer the contract will be and the more job security they will earn. But no matter how secure their position

may be, if professors begin to coast in their jobs, said contracts can be bought out and the offendors can be sent packing.

Given the current fiscal problems in our universities, isn’t this at least worth a try?

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

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On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about the Blades winning the Memorial Cup. Here's what you had to say: – The Blades have just the same chance of winning the cup as any other team does it all depends on how they play hopefully they’ll win! GO BLADES!!

Text yo thoughtsur to 881 vE R b 8372

Each one shouts “look at me I have no class”.

In response to “Tattoo 101,” Local, #240 (May 17, 2013)

– First n formost it’s extremely disrespectful call a tattoo machine a gun do your homework first before printing its a machine not a gun

– GO BLADES GO!

– Good article on Blades. Mem cup gets so hyped but it really comes down to how well you play at that moment not what you did all season. The blades just need to get hot! Have faith Saskatchewan and we can bring the cup home!

In response to “Tattoo 101,” Local, #240 (May 17, 2013)

– I would love to know where the writer of the tattoo article went to get thier tattoo I’ve been thinking of getting one for years now.

In response to “Tattoo 101,” Local, #240

– Who cares about the Blades they’re only in it because they’re hosting they don’t deserve to be there!

– LOVE MONEYBALL if it helps the blades win the hell ya im in lol!

– Come out and support ur blades last couple games hardly anyone there these guys need u and they could take it all!!!!

– Nice hope that the Blades will win but they won’t be able to pull it off in the finals. Predict they’ll choke and not make it to finals but no disrespect meant those kids played there hearts out.

OFF TOPIC – Great article on cycling thanks In response to “Cycle for Success,” Editorial, #239 (May 10, 2013)

(May 17, 2013)

– Loved the tattoo article. Many perceive tattoos as offensive, tacky, etc., but there are some incredible works of art out there.

Self-expression is the most beautiful work of art of all. To the inevitable people who will hate on getting inked, the answer is simple: don’t get one :D In response to “Tattoo 101,” Local, #240 (May 17, 2013)

– Adam! Will you let us know what your mom says when she sees ur tattoo LOL ;D In response to “Tattoo 101,” Local, #240 (May 17, 2013)

– Tattoos look so unprofessional to me, I couldn’t imagine having something like that and working in a professional business. Guess you could get it in a place no one can see. Would love to get one! Love the quote!

In response to “Tattoo 101,” Local, #240

– The Romans were right about many things. Tattoos are tacky.

(May 17, 2013)

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Powered by the crew at moga mobile

– Lol mulcair wants to do away with senate. Agree they’re a bunch of unelected goofs but not sure that’s the best platform to be standing on.

– Thanks adam wish i new john addicted to sex.

In response to “Might as well face it, you’re addicted to sex,” Local, #240 (May 17, 2013)

– When I saw the headline for the sex article I thought it was going to be a gratuitious piece designed to shock but was pleasantly surprised to read a thoughtful and informative story on a very real form of addiction, one that often gets sensationalized as an excuse for being a cheating dog. Job well done!

In response to “Might as well face it, you’re addicted to sex,” Local, #240 (May 17, 2013)

sound off – One reason there are so many problems in the world is because people have lost their respect for each other. Children don’t honour their parents/guardians. Parents disrespect their kids. People cheat and lie to one another. People should be people of integrity and people of their word. Let’s treat each other with respect! It will have a domino effect in society if you just give it a chance.

– THE C0RRUPT P0LITICIANS!!

Public V0TED Them WE CAN DAMN WELL FIRE Them

– The wrong harper died! The others buddy Resigned He’s 0LLY!

– http://www.washingtonpost. com/local/crime/former-executioner-opposes-death-penalty/2013/01/26/ab95c49e-67ec11e2-85f5-a8a9228e55e7_gallery. html#photo=2: re. Fmr Virginia State executioner Jerry Givens now opposing capital punishment.

He also mentors young men to keep them out of trouble so they won’t end up in the criminal justice system in the first place. 0:-)

– I knew a gal who was so DOWNtown the cops hide from her!

– I knew a guy who was so DOWNtown he lived in a shoe!

– People who turn don’t signal.

People who signal don’t turn.

– Social services budget looks big doesn’t it? Those bums! Look closer! Half or more of it goes to housing landlords banks realescos. The heftiest piece of budget is paying for the real estate greediest, the money game of musical houses everyone is playing. A lot of the time on housing that would have been abandoned torn down in a normal market. Min wage workers are taking the worst of it. Full time job can’t afford a home!

– Harper says he’s disappointed with senate spending but maybe just disappointed they got caught?

Hmmmm.....

– Completely agree with text about Saskatoon learning how to signal when driving. I don’t understand how some people can just not?!?

It should be second-Nature. Safer for pedestrians, bikers and other drivers. Please signal!

– Wow watching London reel from broad daylight-murder of young guy by those guys with machetes how f’d up is that just walking down the street and witnessing this. Sounds like some tried to speak to them brave people! Doubt i would.

– Crazy week with tornado in Oklahoma and then slaying in London and funeral for guy who was murdered when people test drove his car and countless other things that didn’t make our news cycle got to remember we’re all humans. Goes along way to respect for others.

– Sheepdogs concert downtown was AMAAAAZING those guys are so hot! Love there music and what they’ve done for Saskatchewan to put us on the music map.

Great talent!

– Happy May long weekend everyone hope you had a gooder!

Next week: What do you think about abolishing tenure for university professors? 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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silent sea Photos: courtesy of hope ellerman

Saskatoon singer-songwriter on her first EP, And The Sleeping Ghost by Alex J MacPherson

A

fter years spent writing songs in solitude, Silent Sea — the nom de guerre of Caila Ellerman, a 21-year-old city bus driver — emerged with her debut record, And The Sleeping Ghost. The album’s six tracks juxtapose Ellerman’s decidedly bleak worldview with relaxed song structures familiar to anyone who has heard Jack Johnson. And The Sleeping Ghost is a sparse record that highlights Silent Sea’s ability to write simple and effective folk songs. I caught up with Silent Sea to talk about the transition from writing to performing, recording her debut EP, and the appeal of the beach song.

Alex J MacPherson: You spent years writing songs before making the decision to actually perform them in public. What prompted you to take the plunge?

Caila Ellerman: I guess a lot of friends and family said, ‘You should do this! It’ll be sweet!’ I was, like, alright. I guess I was never really afraid of being in front of a mic but

AJM: You did something a lot of young musicians don’t do right away, which is get down to recording.

his home, and I was like, ‘Let’s do it.’

He’s just starting out, I’m just starting out: it’ll be a process we can do together. We met once or twice a month, in between work, to record — and it went by really fast. I started recording last summer, probably in July, and we were done the whole thing probably

by January of this year. S.J. did all the background music on the EP, and it turned out really phenomenal.

CE: Totally. Looking back, I wonder if I should have started out a little bit

AJM: The big challenge with recording is to get the vision you have in your

it was just that I didn’t know where to go or how to go about it. I went to a few open mics, saw a few people.

I was just like, ‘This looks like fun, let’s do it.’ I kept doing it and now I absolutely love it. I can’t go back to not performing.

was about it. I’d never actually really pictured any other instruments in the background. I went to him and I was like, ‘Look, throw any ideas you have on me and we’ll see what works, what doesn’t, and we’ll go from there.’ I was pretty flexible: whatever flows, flows.

I love that blues riff, laid-back feel … you can just throw on the stereo…

Caila Ellerman

head to match what actually appears on tape. Was that something you struggled with, or did you come into the process without too many preconceived ideas?

slower, but I guess I already had all the songs. I was like, ‘Let’s just throw this down, get my name out there, and just go from there.’

AJM: Your EP came out a month ago.

What was recording it like?

CE: I would have to say I was pretty open to most of S.J.’s ideas.

Everything I’d played was just me and my acoustic guitar and that

CE: I recorded it with S.J. Kardash. He was just starting up a new studio in

AJM: One of the things that struck me about your record is the tropical vibe. It feels very laid-back, very beach appropriate. It’s a nice contrast with the ugly spring we’ve been having. Was that something you set out to achieve, or did it develop in the studio?

CE: I was definitely conscious of that. I’m a huge, huge Jack Johnson

fan. I love that blues riff, laid-back feel, something you can just throw on the stereo and play in the background. When writing songs I kind of look for the kind of relaxing, calm chords that work — and make you think, ‘Oh yeah, summer’s here, let’s run to the beach.’ It’s something people can relate to.

Silent Sea June 1 @ Piggy’s $TBA

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A Broad Experience

Gunner and Smith explore new musical territory with “River Of Stone” by alex J MacPherson

E

volution does not trace a tidy arc. It happens in fits and starts, long periods of inactivity punctuated by moments of frantic change. This is the story of Gunner and Smith, an alt-country band from Saskatoon. In just over three years, Gunner and Smith has been transformed from a singer with a backing band to a fully realized musical project, where feel is everything and ego is meaningless.

“It started out as a solo project,” explains Geoff Smith, who plays guitar and shares vocal duties with Olya Kutsiuruba. “The first set of songs was really something that developed around me being the focal point. As time went on we developed a bit more of the dual vocal aspect. And also in terms of the structure of the songs, and being more drum heavy and the guitar work being more intricate.”

Smith attributes the shift to harmony-laden country in the style pioneered by Gram Parsons and re-engineered by Uncle Tupelo to dozens of live performances. Playing shows allowed Gunner and Smith to transform the material on their early EPs, which were conceived as sparse

Photos: courtesy of matt smith

acoustic songs, into much broader musical experiences. This is evident on “River of Stone,” the band’s latest single, which hints at the scope of the band’s forthcoming full-length album.

“I’d always wanted to work with a band, but I hadn’t been able to find the right people,” Smith says, adding that the group — which also includes Nick Dueck, Jordan Bechtel, Lance Brown, and Tyson Goodyear — came together organically. “It just snowballed: I started out working with Nick, and we slowly added pieces until we had the five-piece going on. It wasn’t something I had planned, but everybody filled the need that we had.”

“River of Stone” is a moving altcountry ballad which casts a guitar lick reminiscent of “(Ghost) Riders In

The Sky” against a haunting violin line before Smith’s sonorous baritone wends its way into the mix. Kutsiuruba’s airy alto adds yet another layer to the tapestry of sound, which is at once relaxed and driving — the unmistakable sign of first-class playing.

Gunner and Smith have come a long way in the year since their second EP, Compromise Is A Loaded Gun, was released. And they are planning to spend the summer holed up, writing and rehearsing a new batch of songs that are sure to capture the feeling of “River of Stone” — while launching the band to even greater heights.

Gunner and Smith May 31 @ Vangelis $8 @ the door

The process of portraiture

Barbara Reimer on the search for an ecologically responsible photograph

Photos: courtesy of mendel art gallery

G

reen Man Portraits is ostensibly an Artists by Artists exhibition, a chance for an experienced creator to share knowledge and wisdom with an emerging one — and in the process create a body of work. But Green Man Portraits

is unusual. It is both a continuation of photographer Barbara Reimer’s long association with artist and critic Bart Gazzola, and an extension of the project that has consumed her life for almost five years.

“This particular exhibition came out of previous work that I’d done,” Reimer says, referring to her quest to “Find A Green Photo,” a socially and ecologically responsible art practice.

Most film is developed using a number of different chemicals; Reimer latched onto a parallel, nontoxic process that uses coffee. “It came out of the idea of form versus content,” she

by alex J MacPherson

says, referring to the time she spent shooting in Nicaragua. “I wanted to have my methods of working relate back to the content.”

This is more complicated than it sounds. The photographs that make up the exhibition were shot in Canada and abroad. They relate to her history of photographing waste, consumption, and garbage.

But Reimer conceived the show not as a contribution to portraiture, but as an exploration of process: the act of making art, and a desire to match the pathos of her portraits with a responsible, and not merely detached, process.

This quest to balance form and content has bedeviled artists for centuries. Reimer is not the first, nor will she be the last, to question tradition, to shape perspective with a responsible process. But the processes used to create Green Man Portraits echo the images themselves — and raise important questions about how portraits ought to be interpreted.

Reimer, who says the show’s mandate was sharpened and refined by long conversations with Gazzola, freely admits that she broke rules while photographing her subjects. “I wanted to be really aware of what I was shooting,” she explains, “where

I was shooting, and how I was representing what I was shooting.”

This awareness of the subject created a feedback loop that led Reimer to adopt a novel process — which in turn points inexorably back at her subjects, whose eyes reveal far more as a result of her efforts.

Green Man Portraits Through to June 2 @ Mendel Art Gallery Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

13 May 24 – May 30 @verbsaskatoon

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Feature

A call to sing along Nothcote turns a difficult year into a triumphant return to rock and roll by Alex J MacPherson

M

att Goud, who writes and performs using the moniker Northcote, had a difficult year. After touring behind his 2011 record, Gather No Dust, Goud moved from Vancouver to Victoria and settled into a period of listlessness and unease. He worked in cafés and as a janitor, supplementing his income by performing in bars and restaurants. The need to earn tips forced him to learn covers, familiar songs by artists like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. He felt unsure of himself and uncertain about the future. “When I moved out to Victoria, I didn’t have a lot of success,” Goud relates, his voice throaty and raw, nothing like the powerful tenor that cuts through his songs. “I wasn’t feeling quite myself. I was a little bit lost and tired.”

Goud was born in Carlyle, Saskatchewan, and played in hardcore bands before deciding to reinvent himself as a singer-songwriter. Gather No Dust emerged as a promising mix of bright roots rock and sombre introspection. Goud wrote it in hotel rooms across the country; its songs focus on the gulf between home and the road, the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. Although the record earned praise in some quarters, Goud struggled to make ends meet. By the time he began thinking about writing another

album, he was living and working in Victoria.

Because he didn’t have a rehearsal space, Goud retreated to the back of his van. It was the one place he could think and play music. The songs that poured out were unlike any he had produced before. “You know that band, the Hold Steady?” he asks, referring to the Brooklyn rock band known for writing about massive highs and crushing lows. “They have this album, Stay Positive. I was listening to Marc Maron interview [Hold

says. “I just decided to be positive. I don’t exactly know how I turned that page, but I decided that right now is a good time to put out some really cool songs.” Those songs, which were released last month on Northcote, reflect Goud’s newfound optimism: they are big and brash, loud and anthemic, simple and effective. “I’m not trying to be a typical singersongwriter,” Goud says, alluding to the tension between intimacy and raucousness that gives Northcote its shape. “I want to write good songs

I want to write good songs … but I like interactive shows. I like crowd surfing and hardcore music.

Matt Goud

Steady singer and songwriter] Craig Finn, and they were talking about how the album Stay Positive kind of means that everyone is going through a hard time. I mean, why would you say ‘stay positive’ to someone if things weren’t tough?’

Thinking about this idea helped Goud come to grips with his situation — and with his music. “Being late twenties with no degree, or any real plan or skill? With what I have to offer I have to get positive about it,” he

like those guys do and captivate an audience, but I like interactive shows. I like crowd surfing and hardcore music.”

Determined to create a record that bridged the gap between contemplative singer-songwriter material and the crackling energy of a rock band, Goud decided to follow his instincts.

He rarely said no to an idea, no matter how outrageous it seemed at the time.

Northcote emerged as a forty-minute exercise in intensity and dynamism Continued on next page »

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Photo: courtesy of jess baumung

— The River played on an acoustic guitar. The album’s big, open sound is, at least in part, a result of Goud’s decision to record it at Hive Creative Labs, a Burnaby, B.C. studio known for producing some of the best rock and roll albums in recent memory.

The opening track, “How Can You Turn Around,” establishes the album’s trajectory with a chunky acoustic guitar riff played punk rock style, and the anticipatory thud of a four-on-the-floor kick drum. The song builds as Goud’s voice and an

Photo: courtesy of the artist

arpeggiated electric guitar line enter the fray. The crescendo comes early: a series of gang vocal “whoa-ohs” that point at Goud’s desire to create sounds that are bigger and more exciting than anything he has done before. “It’s not a fist in the air type of thing, but I wanted it to be a call to sing along,” he says. “I just tried to be a bit more direct on this record. I’ve done a lot of experimental-type writing, where I thought it was intimate or something. But I realized I might

not be that good at that. I wanted to go more straight to the point.”

This approach is laid bare on “How Can I Turn Around,” which captures in fewer than twenty lines the perils of stagnation and self-reflection. Gone are the abstract ideas and complicated metaphors that animated Gather No Dust; Northcote feels like a rebirth for an artist who spent a year languishing on the edge of obscurity. “In a way, I look at it as my first record,” Goud muses. “When I was trying to think of a title for the record, I had a few ideas — but I went to just calling it self-titled because it feels like such a new start. I think I was struggling a bit with what I thought of myself and what I was doing with my life and stuff like that. And I turned the page on that, overcame it a bit, through this record.”

But Northcote is much more than a fusion of folk sentimentality and rock aesthetics. Songs like “When You Cry” and “Knock On My Door” show that Goud’s playbook is deeper than might be expected. The former is a subdued rocker that deals with the uncertainty of love, the latter a sprawling blues steeped in regret.

Goud attributes these songs to his tenure as a restaurant singer.

“I’m doing a blues, showing that I love the blues — trying to pull it off,” Goud says of “Knock On Your Door.”

“Then it goes into this really youthful song. ‘Find Our Own Way’ is the seventeen-year-old punk song on the record.” This transition, a sweeping

shift from introspection to unbridled enthusiasm, is a microcosm of the album — and the last year in Goud’s life.

But the great beauty of recorded music is that albums are out of date weeks, and sometimes even months, before they are released to the world. Goud had his moment of anxiety during the mixing process, which was overseen by producer Colin Stewart. “I spent about six days at the studio, at the Hive in Burnaby, and Colin was working through the songs,” he says. “I would put it on my phone and go for a walk.

I think that was when I realized, ‘Oh s**t, people are going to hear this.’ You

kind of just try to make something you think is good.”

Unlike the persona he projects on stage and on record, Goud is reticent and soft-spoken. Northcote became a lifeline, his attempt to overcome diffidence and isolation. “I was trying to go a bit bigger [on this record],” he says, “because a big thing for me right now is just not being too shy, you know?” Going big appears to have worked. Now all he has to do is take his band on the road. “One of the reasons I feel really positive about where this project is going is that I really do feel that it’s a unique

thing in Canadian music,” he muses.

“I mean, that’s really snobby to say, but I don’t feel like it totally blends in – and the people who get it are people who are like me. Or people who love the Hold Steady.”

Northcote June 1 @ Amigos Cantina $10 @ ticketedge.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Photos courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

Oh so tempting

Yogurt Temptation does self-serve with a smile by adam hawboldt

I

t starts with two gallons of water in a plastic Dole bucket. That’s the base for Yogurt Temptation’s frozen yogurt.

After that, it depends on what kind of frogurt they’re making.

If it’s for people with a dose of lactose intolerance, they add nondairy Dole Whip. If it’s for lactose friendly folk, they toss in sugarfree, sweetened Stevia.

Next comes the flavour. On metal shelves in Yogurt Temptation’s back room, there’s bottle after bottle of liquid flavours, with names like Orange Sunrise, Key Lime, California Cake Batter. You take a bottle of this stuff, add some to the bucket and mix away.

But there’s a catch. There’s no real measurements here. It’s all a matter of touch and taste. A bit of alchemy, if you will.

And the result?

No-fat frozen yogurt that is, simply put, delightful.

With new flavours featured every week, Yogurt Temptation offers

Sitting outside her store, Mezzo tells me about how her family spends winters in Arizona and that’s where she got the idea for a frozen yogurt shop. When a lady passes by our table, Mezzo stops for a second, smiles at the lady, and asks her if she wants a free sample of frozen yogurt.

Gestures like this aren’t the only reason Yogurt Temptation is such an inviting place, but it’s part of it.

Another reason is the product they’re peddling. With toppings like whipped cream, gummy bears, chocolates, flax, fruit, nuts and so much more, you can jazz up your frozen-yogurt any way you see fit.

Me, I had a waffle cone of strawberry/coconut swirl topped with whipped cream, raspberry and kiwi. And it was much better than I anticipated. Not because I had low expectations going in, but because I’d never tried frozen yogurt before.

True story. And I was expecting yogurt, but frozen.

Instead, what I got was a cone of light, not-too-sweet, melt-in-your

you something new nearly every time you visit — unless, of course, you visit every day.

Which, after eating the frozen yogurt, might very well happen.

And not only because of how good the frozen yogurt is.

…Mezzo brings a small-town charm and warmth to the establishment. adam hawboldt

Owned by Shalaine Mezzo, 20, Yogurt Temptation is one of the friendliest food establishments in the city. Born and raised in Mont Nebo, Saskatchewan, where her parents own a convenience store, Mezzo brings a small-town charm and warmth to the establishment.

mouth deliciousness. The perfect treat for a hot spring day.

Yogurt Temptation #36-2105 8th St E. | 306 249 3149

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide Cultured Spirit

Ingredients

Ever tried yogurt in a cocktail?

If not, you should taste this delicious dandy. Great for the upcoming summer season, the Cultured Spirit is an interesting, layered drink.

2 oz rum 1 oz pineapple puree 1/2 oz yogurt 1/2 oz Simple Syrup pineapple slice pineapple leaf

Directions

Combine rum, pineapple puree, Simple Syrup and yogurt in a shaker full of ice. Shake well. Garnish with pineapple slice and pineapple leaf. Serve.

16 May 24 – May 30 culture

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Next Week

coming up

classy chassys

New Jacobin Club

Trooper

@ Amigos Cantina Friday, May 31 – $tbd

@ Rock bottom Saturday, June 1 – $TBD

@ Odeon Events Centre Thursday, August 1 – $ 34.50+

It’s easy to identify a rockabilly song when you hear one. Its blend of country & western with rhythm & blues (or conversely, rock and bluegrass) stands out like a bloodred apple lying on a stark white snow bank. The music has been around since the early-’50s and, as genres are wont to do, has evolved and changed over the years. Enter the Classy Chassys. This local fourpiece combines elements of rock, punk, jazz and blues to produce a high-energy, new-wave rockabilly sound. Having honed their talents at venues and festivals across the country, Matt Joyal (guitar/vocals), Dan Neumeier (upright bass), Luke Saretsky (drums) and Kenny Martelli (saxaphone) put on an upbeat show you won’t want to miss.

Do you like good music? How about a unique, one-of-a-kind stage show? If so, you’re in luck.

Shock rock ensemble The New Jacobin Club puts on a performance you won’t soon forget. Featuring musicians The Horde (lead vocals/ rhythm guitar), The Rage (lead guitar), Vitruvius (bass), Poison Candi (theremin/percussion), The Luminous (cello) and Rat King (drums), New Jacobin Club plays an infectious blend of punk/goth/metal that’s hard to resist. Joined on stage

by The Angry Teeth — a group of sideshow performers who perform eye-popping stunts that include broken glass, machetes, flaming hula hoops and more. Come check out this local act when they play Rock Bottom in a few weeks.

Where to begin? With the millions of records they’ve sold? With the awards? With their hit songs?

Yeah — when talking about Vancouver’s Trooper, the best place to start is with the hits. Songs like “Raise a Little Hell,” “We’re Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time),” “The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car” and “General Hand Grenade” have cemented Trooper as bonafide Canadian legends. And with 38 years of playing together under their belts, Ra McGuire and Brian Smith — the founding members of the band — are still going strong. Along with Gogo, Scott Brown and Clayton Hill, Trooper continues to rock audiences from coast to coast with their soaring melodies and pop sensibilities. Tickets at www.theodeon.ca – By Adam Hawboldt

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

Sask music Preview The top 10 in the 36th Annual 620 SKRM Big Country Talent Show will be competing in the Grand Finale on Sunday, June 2 at the Pump Roadhouse. The winner will receive a spot in the Big Country Talent Review on June 22 at the Casino Regina Showlounge, a slot at Craven, recording time, airplay on 620 SKRM, and more! For advance tickets to the Grand Finale, please call 306-3597440 (includes a full dinner).

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

17 May 24 – May 30 @verbsaskatoon

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listings

May 24 » June 1 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

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26 27 28 29 30 31

1

Friday 24 House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover Young Benjamins, Indigo Joseph / Amigos Cantina — A night of sweet indie rock. 10pm / $10 (ticketedge.ca)

Piano Fridays: Denis Borycki / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some smooth jazz stylings? 4:30pm / No cover Roots Series: Alexis Normand / The Bassment — Colourful jazz/folk for the soul.

9pm / $15/20 DJ AAsH Money / Béily’s UltraLounge — DJ Aash Money throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party. 9pm / $5 cover Crawdaddios / Bon Temp Cafe — It’s the sounds of the Big Easy. 9pm / Cover TBD Riff Raff / Buds on Broadway — Come rock the night away. 10pm / $6 East of Eden / D’Lish Cafe — An intimate evening of good tunes. 8pm / By donation DJ Eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local turntable whiz pumps it. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite rocks all night long.

9pm / $5 cover

Apollo Cruz / Lydia’s Pub — High-octane blues. Also appearing: Ray Elliot Band.

10pm / $5 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — There’s no better country rock party around.

8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Doug Boomhower Trio / Prairie Ink — Smooth jazz standards. 8pm / No cover The Midnight Roses / The Refinery — Cool country and bluegrass. 8pm / $12 Big Bang Baby / Rock Bottom — A Stone Temple Pilots tribute band. 9pm / Cover TBD Sound Society / Spadina Freehouse — Cool hip hop/R&B/funk from Regina. 9pm Jomama / Stan’s Place — Rock music to get your weekend started. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to Lady Gaga. 10pm / $5

Party Rock Fridays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD Evil Ebenezer / Vangelis Tavern — With Factor and Gescha. 10pm / $10

Saturday 25

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes. 9pm / No cover The Brains / Amigos Cantina — A little psychobilly horror punk. 10pm / Cover TBD John Harm Quartet + more / The Bassment — A night of sweet, sweet jazz music. 9pm / $15/20 DJ AAsH Money + DJ CTRL / Béily’s — These two DJS throw down a high-energy top 40 dance party. 9pm / $5 cover Crawdaddios / Bon Temp Cafe — It’s the sounds of the Big Easy. 9pm / Cover TBD Eclipse / Broadway Theatre — Singing “Constant Craving” and more. 7:30pm / $20

Riff Raff / Buds on Broadway — Come rock the night away. 10pm / $6 DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite rocks. 9pm / $5 cover The Wizards, Rory Borealis and the Northern Lights / Lydia’s — Psych-surf and folk from two local bands. 10pm / $5 Fabolous / Odeon — Also appearing will be Pusha T. 7pm / $39.50+ (theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 The Dave Nelson Trio / Prairie Ink — Light latin and jazz music. 8pm / No cover Caught In A Dream / Rock Bottom — An Alice Cooper tribute show. 9pm / Cover TBD Saskatoon Brass Band / Roxy Theatre — Playing tributes to movies like Superman, James Bond and more. 7pm / $5 (students/ seniors), $10(adults) Charly Hustle / Spadina Freehouse — A local DJ spinning super-cool beats. 9pm Jomama / Stan’s Place — Rock music to get your weekend pumping. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt it out. 10pm / $5 Sexy Saturdays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD (ladies get free cover before 11pm) Plumes / Vangelis Tavern — With Minor Matter, presented by the Ritornello Chamber Music Festival. 10pm / $10

Sunday 26

Chains of Love, Mo’ Love, The Grove / Amigos Cantina — Get ready for a groovy soul-filled night of music. 10pm / Cover TBD Industry Night / Béily’s UltraLounge — Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff Chimo Chordsmen / Broadway Theatre — A timeless treasure of barbershop harmony from Saskatoon. 3pm / Cover TBD DJ KADE / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Meeting In Progress / Prairie Ink — A six-piece jazz combo. 12pm / No cover Jam Session / Somewhere Else Pub — Hosted by 11th Octave. 3pm / No cover Blues Jam / Vangelis Tavern — The Vangelis Sunday Jam offers great tunes from blues to rock and beyond. 7:30pm / No cover

Monday 27

Puttin’ on the Foil / Buds on Broadway — Hillbilly punk n’ rock! 10pm / $6 Metal Mondays / Lydia’s Pub — If hard, heavy awesomeness is your thing, swing by. 9pm

18 May 24 – May 30 entertainment

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Synaptic / Vangelis — A great night of electronic fun. 10pm / No cover

Tuesday 28

Puttin’ on the Foil / Buds on Broadway — Hillbilly punk n’ rock! 10pm / $6 DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Deuce — This crowd favourite rocks. 9:30pm / $4 cover New Found Glory / Louis’ — It’s an anniversary tour for this melodic punk group.

6:30pm / $27.50 (unionevents.com) VERB PRESENTS OPEN STAGE / Lydia’s Pub — The open stage is a chance for bands, solo artists and even comedians to showcase original material. 9pm / No cover Open Mic / The Somewhere Else Pub — Come show your talent. 7pm / No cover

Wednesday 29

HUMP WEDNESDAYS / 302 Lounge & Discotheque — Resident DJ Chris Knorr will be spinning all of your favourite songs. 9pm / No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter Puttin’ on the Foil / Buds on Broadway — Hillbilly punk n’ rock! 10pm / $6 Lucas Chaisson / Gillian Snider’s House Concert — A young and talented singer/ songwriter. 8pm / $10(advance), $15(door) DJ Kade / The Hose — 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 Kelly Read / Spadina Freehouse — A local musician doing his thing. 8pm / No cover CJWW Karaoke / Stan’s Place — Your talent, aired on the radio! 9pm / No cover WILD WEST WEDNESDAY / Outlaws — Hosted by DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman.

9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Featuring Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / No cover

Thursday 30

Puttin’ on the Foil / Buds on Broadway — Hillbilly punk n’ rock! 10pm / $6 Throwback Thursdays / Earls — Retro funk, soul, reggae and rock. 8pm / No cover

DJ Kade / The Hose — 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!

8pm / $5; free with student ID before 11pm Mudmen / Rock Bottom — A Celtic rock band from the Big Smoke. 9pm / Cover TBD Triple Up Thursdays / Tequila — Featuring DJ Stikman. 9pm / Cover TBD Flying Fox and the Hunter Gatherers / Vangelis — With Minor Matter and The Crackling. 9pm / $10

Friday 31

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover Classy Chassys / Amigos — A rockin’ night of rockabilly. 10pm / Cover TBD Piano Fridays: Neil Currie / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some smooth jazz stylings? 4:30pm / No cover Back of the Bus, The Residuals / The Bassment — Break out your dancing shoes, the Celts are coming. 9pm / $15/20 DJ AAsH Money / Béily’s — DJ Aash Money throws it down. 9pm / $5 cover Men Without Shame / Buds on Broadway — A night of rockin’ covers. 10pm / $6 DJ Eclectic / The Hose — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy beats. 8pm DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax — Able to rock any party, this local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9pm / $5 cover The Archers, Six Moons Later / Lydia’s Pub — A night of upbeat, unique folk rock.

10pm / $5 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — There’s no better country rock party around.

8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Lynn Jackson / Prairie Ink — A folk singer/songwriter you don’t want to miss. 8pm / No cover The Shoeless Joes, The Grove / Rock Bottom — Folky alt-rock done right. 8pm / Cover TBD Mitchy the Kid / Spadina Freehouse — A local DJ spinning some dope beats. 9pm / No cover

Idle Rains / Stan’s Place — Rock music to get your weekend started. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD Owls by Nature / Vangelis — With Gunner and Smith and Fisticuffs. 10pm / $8

Saturday 1

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin soulful tunes all night. 9pm / No cover Northcote / Amigos — Laid-back folk from Victoria. 10pm / $10 (ticketedge.ca) Tatrina Tai / The Bassment — A talented songstress performing with the Maurice Drouin Orchestra. 9pm / $15/20 DJ AAsH Money + DJ CTRL / Béily’s — These two DJS throw down a high-energy top 40 dance party. 9pm / $5 cover Men Without Shame / Buds on Broadway — A night of rockin’ covers. 10pm / $6 DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite is sure to have you on the dance floor in no time. 9pm / $5 cover Skylab / Le Relais — Everything from house to bass, breaks and dub. 9pm / $10-30 Jenavive / Lydia’s Pub — With Friends of Foes. 10pm / $5 Mazzfest 2013 / Odeon — Featuring Liferuiner, Expire, Being as an Ocean and more.

1:30pm / $25-40 (theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 Silent Sea / Piggy’s — A local folk singer/ songwriter. 9pm / Cover TBD Ian Martens / Prairie Ink — Acoustic folk rock. 8pm / No cover New Jacobin Club + more / Rock Bottom — A night of hard rocking bands. 9pm Idle Rains / Stan’s Place — Rock music to get your weekend started. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / $5

Sexy Saturdays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD (ladies get free cover before 11pm) Sled Island Fundraiser / Vangelis — Featuring Wizards, Powder Blue, Caves, and the Seahags. 10pm / $5

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

19 May 24 – May 30 /verbsaskatoon

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Photo: Courtesy of warner bros pictures

A hangover to end all hangovers

The Hangover Part III breaks from formula and brings the franchise to a close by adam hawboldt

H

ere’s the thing about comedy franchises: the first movie is usually the best.

Think about it. American Pie, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Rush Hour, Beverly Hills Cop — the first installment of all those series were better than what followed.

Granted, this isn’t a rule set in stone. One could argue that Life of Brian was the best of the Monty Python lot.

And for those who thought Fat Bastard is hilarious, Austin Powers:

The Spy Who Shagged Me was superior to the first Austin Powers flick.

franchises is the best and funniest because, well, you’re not sure what

…The Hangover Part III seems intent on bringing these characters full circle and closing out the franchise.

Adam Hawboldt

to expect. Take the first Hangover movie, for instance. When that

But generally speaking, the inaugural installment to most comedy

sucker came along it was unlike any comedy we’d seen before.

Well-written, full of surprises, and hilarious as hell.

Then came the The Hangover Part II. And boy, did director/writer Todd Phillips drop the ball on that one. Instead of evolving the franchise, he put out a stale, carboncopy of the first film — only this time he set it in Thailand.

But no matter. The Hangover sequel went on to rake in nearly $590 million worldwide. Who cares if it was a pale imitation of the first film? The thing was box office gold.

So naturally with The Hangover Part III, Phillips stuck with the formula and, presumably, is preparing to bathe in gold-flecked water once it hits the big screen, right?

Not exactly.

See, this time around there’s no bachelor party. There are also fewer spew-cola-out-your-nose laughs and more character development than ever before. But more on that in a minute.

Hangover III begins well after the gang left Thailand. Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) are all going about their merry ways, living their normal, peaceful lives.

Alan (played by Zach Galifianakis), well, not so much. He’s off his meds, his dad is dead and a pet he recently bought has bit the proverbial biscuit.

Needless to say, Alan has seen better days. So the Wolf Pack reunites, hits the road, and heads for Arizona to deliver Alan to a treatment centre. But along the way they’re run off the road by masked criminals who work for a

the Hangover part III Todd Phillips Starring Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms + Ken Jeong

Directed by

100 minutes | 14A

crime boss who goes by the name Marshall (John Goodman).

Why? Because he needs the Wolf Pack to find Chow (Ken Jeong).

Turns out, the poorly endowed gangster has stolen $21 million from Marshall and he wants it back.

And to ensure he gets want he wants, Marshall kidnaps Doug and gives the guys three days to bring him Chow.

Hilarity ensues — sort of. But like the other films, there are some good laughs to be had.

Unlike the other films, however, The Hangover Part III seems intent on bringing these characters full circle and closing out the franchise.

The result: a sometimes touching, sometimes sappy journey to Tijuana and back.

And, in truth, this break from its traditional R-rated formula is fresh and adds more depth to the franchise, and makes The Hangover Part III a surprisingly interesting and entertaining film.

But still — the first Hangover was better.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

20 May 24 – May 30 entertainment

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sixth time the charm?

Fast & Furious 6 is full of exactly what you’d expect — eye candy and jaw-dropping stunts by adam hawboldt

W

hat do you get when you combine epic car chases, all-out brawls, zippy one liners and a whole bunch of eye candy?

The Fast and the Furious franchise, of course. Sure, the movies have evolved over time — moving from an almost-realistic tale about street racing to implausible stories about thwarting terrorists — but for the most part, the Furious movies have remained true to their roots.

Roots that are big, dumb and full of death-defying fun.

And while all of these movies have been of the check-yourbrain-at-the-door-and-enjoy-theadrenaline-rush variety, they’ve still managed to gross nearly $1.6 billion dollars at the box office since debuting in 2001.

So whatever they’re doing is working — at least from a financial standpoint. And I reckon the latest installment, Fast & Furious 6, will do so well at the box office it will push the franchise close to the $2-billion mark worldwide.

But because I’d wager my first born that the Fast & Furious 6 will make hundreds of millions of dollars, does that mean it’s going to be a good movie?

Photo: Courtesy of universal pictures

that are thought-provoking and full of good acting, well, Fast & Furious 6 ain’t for you.

The story for this one picks up where Fast Five left off. Having recently pulled off a big Brazilian bank job, criminal/street racer/sometimes good guy Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) is chillin’ in the Canary Islands, enjoying the fruits of his labour with

If you’re into big summer flicks filled with sexy cars, sexy people [and] big explosions … you’ll love this movie.

Adam Hawboldt

Depends on who you ask.

If you’re into big summer flicks filled with sexy cars, sexy people, big explosions and physics-defying action sequences, chances are you’ll love the movie. If you’re into films

his girlfriend Elena (Elsa Pataky), his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), and his former nemesis/Mia’s boyfriend, Brian (Paul Walker.)

And if you’ve never kicked back in the Canary Islands with oodles of

Fast & furious 6 Justin Lin Starring Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson + Jordana Brewster Directed by

130 minutes | 14A

looted cash, you can’t even begin to imagine how blissful their life is.

But bliss isn’t forever, and along comes federal agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) to ruin their fun.

He makes Dom and Brian an offer too good to pass up. An offer that’s contingent on taking down an international criminal named Owen Shaw (Luke Evans.) But getting Shaw is no easy task, so they round up the old crew — Tej (Ludacris), Han (Sung Kang), Gisele (Gal Gadot) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) — to give them a hand. Toss former mixed martial artist Gina Carano (Haywire) in the mix as Hobbs’ sidekick, and you have a team that’s more than ready to take on the bad guys.

Oh, and as the crew drives and punches and explodes its way to glory, an old face from the past

comes back into the picture. No spoilers here, though. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll have to go and find out who it is for yourself.

But don’t be mistaken. They didn’t invent the wheel with this film. In fact, the re-emergence of this character is the only pseudosurprise in the whole movie. But there’s lots of skimpy outfits and daring stunts. And really, what

more could you ask for from a summer action flick?

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

21 May 24 – May 30 @verbsaskatoon

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saturday, may 18 @

jax

Jax Niteclub 302 Pacific Ave (306) 934 4444 Music vibe / Top 40 and dance Featured deals / Vodka specials

for $4.50, and Red Bull slushies (cranberry and lime) Drink of Choice / Jäg bomb and vodka specials top eats / Hamburger, hot dogs and Italian sausages coming up / Red Bull BBQ on now

22 May 24 – May 30 entertainment

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Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, May 31. facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Photography by Patrick Carley

23 May 24 – May 30 /verbsaskatoon

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thursday, may 16 @

habitat for humanity gala

The Delta Bessborough 601 Spadina Crescent East (306) 244 5521 attendance / With 200 people in attendance, this was a sold-out event money raised / Over $35,000 sponsors / Delta Bessborough and VIA Rail Canada Drink of Choice / Lemon drop martinis, courtesy of Diageo, and a

lime and thyme refresh with tequila top eats / A five-course meal, which featured roasted garlic,

Guinness and cheddar soup, charbroiled rare beef tenderloin, strawberry shortcake, and more something new / This year’s event featured Saskatoon’s first tombola raffle, a twist on the standard event next year / Next year’s gala will take place May 2014

24 May 24 – May 30 entertainment

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These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, May 31. facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Photography by Ishtiaq Opal

25 May 24 – May 30 @verbsaskatoon

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

26 May 24 – May 30 entertainment

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crossword canadian criss-cross 1. Cut calories completely 5. Fit for the job 9. Place to sleep on a ship 10. Words popular for a short time, usually 12. Give as a gift 13. “Nonsense!”

15. Corrode 16. Not as bright 18. Tell an untruth 19. Dogfight participants 21. Competed in a marathon 22. Ring slowly 23. Guttural 25. Like a rainbow 26. Arousing laughter

28. Bunch of bees 31. Brag 35. Like a doily 36. Land to build a house on 37. Monetary unit of Samoa 38. Abbr. in business names 39. Trousers 41. Routine of daily life 42. Spoke with a small weak voice 44. They may be sore after a game 46. Lively outing 47. Make proud 48. Having a hard time

sudoku answer key

choosing 49. Min. components

DOWN 1. Form pus 2. ___ Deco 3. Obey a red light 4. Seats used by rowers 5. Drained of colour 6. Become fuzzy 7. Fly the coop 8. All together 9. Lifeguard’s workplace 11. Duplicity 12. Regular route for a sentry 14. Castrate 17. Exaggerate 20. Feeling regret

22. Difficult journeys 24. Skill at hitting a target 25. Wholly 27. Struggles against 28. Shift position 29. Grows smaller 30. Take what is offered 32. Caps worn angled to one side 33. Become hardened to 34. Receives 36. Loaded down 39. One who is another’s equal 40. Underside of the foot 43. One in the NHL 45. Plant pouch

A

B

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

ACROSS

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

timeout

© walter D. Feener 2013

Horoscopes May 24 – May 30 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

Things may not be what they seem this week, Aries. For example, all those necklaces with a “T” on them are really crucifixes.

Your sentences may be full of poorly chosen words this week, Leo. And unfortunately, you won’t realize this until it’s too late.

Ever get the feeling you’re a saint, a living saint, but you get nothing out of it? If so, keep on being saintly.

There’s a payoff down the road.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

You may contradict yourself this week, Taurus. Like telling someone you love nature and animals while you’re wearing ostrich-skin boots.

If life gives you a bone this week, Virgo, don’t throw it away. Put it in a pot, add some broth and a potato, and, baby — you got a stew going.

Something may come up this week, and your gut will tell you not to do it. Thing is, your gut may just be hungry. It’s hard to tell sometimes.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

You may have the urge to play cupid this week, Gemini, or to sink your arrow into random buttocks. Don’t give in to this urge

If someone comes up and squeezes your body this week, Libra, don’t panic. Chances are it’s only a hug. Embrace affection.

Do something out of the ordinary this week, Aquarius. Try out for the Blue Man Group or learn magic or something. Anything.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Do you feel like getting a little fun and frisky this weekend?

Don’t be afraid to have some vodka and toast for breakfast.

When life hands you something special, Scorpio, you grab that brownish area by its points and never let go.

Do you understand?

Words of wisdom this week: don’t hide your father under a house that has just collapsed. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

27 May 24 – May 30 /verbsaskatoon

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