Verb Issue R120 (Mar. 21-27, 2014)

Issue #120 – March 21 to March 27

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Kings Of Leon +

for all ages Arthur Slade talks YA fiction the wheel turns Q+A with Laura Stevenson muppets most wanted + gloria Films reviewed­

Photo: courtesy of dan winters

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On the cover:

kings of leon

Comeback story. 9

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Photo: courtesy of dan winters

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NEWs + Opinion

entertainment

Q + A with laura stevenson And the wheel keeps turning. 8 / Q + A

Live Music listings Local music listings for March 21 through March 29. 14 / listings

for all ages

across the border

Nightlife Photos

Arthur Slade talks YA fiction. 4 / Local

The RSO looks south of the border.

We visit YQR Nite Club.

9 / Arts

15 / Nightlife

bend sinister

muppets most wanted + gloria

On their biggest album yet. 10 / feature

We review the latest movies. 16 / Film

green bud down Candid conversation on changes to medicinal marijuana laws. 5 / Local

privatizing problems Our thoughts on

la creperie chez regina We visit Marokena Crepe

privatization in jails. 6 / Editorial

Cafe. 12 / Food + Drink

on the bus Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics

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Game + Horoscopes

Here’s what you had to say about housing for the homeless. 7 / comments

Against Me!, Mudmen + Backstreet Boys. 13 / music

Canadian criss-cross puzzle, weekly horoscopes and Sudoku. 19 / timeout

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down. Wikipedia defines it as “fiction written, published, or marketed to adolescents and young adults.” But that seems too limiting.

See, recent research shows that the young-adult industry is driven largely by adult book buyers. Between December 2012 and November 2013, 79% of young adult books sold were purchased by people 18 years and older. The reason why is up for debate.

Some people feel readers are attracted to YA novels because their central characters are young and experience thing very intensely. Some believe it’s because “adults” these days exist in a state of perpetual adolescence.

For Slade, the reason he thinks so many older people are buying YA books goes hand-in-hand with how he attempts to define the genre. “Yes, part of what defines YA fiction is the age of the character,” says Slade. “But it’s also about the story. YA novels are more about this happens, then that happens … think of The Hunger Games. Those books are very compact. They have that main idea and you can get through them really quickly. Sure, it’s the story of someone who is young, but it’s a quick, entertaining story that adults can enjoy, too.”

And enjoy it they do. Between adults, teens and kids, the readership of YA fiction has exploded in recent years. According to the Nielsen BookScan, in 2006 981,000 YA books were sold. Jump ahead six years, and that number ballooned to 2.4 million units.

And even though Publishers Weekly is projecting a slight dip in sales in 2013,

for all ages Photo: Courtesy of black box images

SK author Arthur Slade talks YA fiction

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

A

rthur Slade didn’t intend to become an author of young adult fiction. It just kind of happened.

“I blame the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild,” he says with a chuckle. “They have a reading service where you’d send in a novel and a published author would read it anonymously. The person who read the manuscript I submitted wrote back, said some encouraging things and then said that it would be a perfect book for young adults.”

That line, the last one in the letter, shocked Slade. “I was kind of offended,” he remembers. “I’d written the book for adults.”

That was back in the early ‘90s, back before Slade was the author of seventeen bestselling novels, before he’d won the Governor General’s

Award, before his Hunchback Assignments series won international acclaim. But once the shock wore off, Slade reread his novel and came to a sudden realization. “I realized that my writing style was perfect for that age group,” says Slade. “I don’t spend a lot of time describing things. I’m very concise, my writing is very compact. The stories I tell are very plot driven.”

With this newfound epiphany in mind, Slade made a conscientious decision to write a book geared towards young adults. It’s something he’s been doing ever since.

Ask Slade to define young-adult fiction, and he’s hard pressed to do so. And for good reason. The term YA fiction is notoriously difficult to pin

the market for YA fiction remains robust and thriving.

A market that Slade was wise to crack all those years ago.

Most of the writing Slade does these days is done while he’s walking.

There was a time when Slade, like most writers, sat at a desk and pounded out his books. Then a few years ago, Slade had an idea. He’d read about Dr. James Levine’s theory that humans are meant to be upright and walking for most of the day, and he decided it was time for him give this treadmill desk, walk-while-I’m-writing thing a try.

Slade went to Canadian Tire, bought a Tempo Evolve treadmill, secured it to a shelf and jerry-rigged himself a makeshift treadmill desk.

In January 2009 Slade became a self-professed treadhead. Since then he’s finished up The Hunchback Assignments rewrites. He wrote a novel called The Dark Deeps. And he’s currently

working on his latest project — a YA novel called Flickers.

“I just got an image of these two twins,” says Slade. “I knew that one of them would end up in Hollywood.

They are two twins from Alberta … one of them becomes a Hollywood star back before movies had sound. She works with director on all these silent horror films, then the director decides he’s going to make the first sound picture. And in it the young girl will scream … and the scream opens up a new dimension.”

What happens after that, Slade doesn’t discuss. But a few things are certain: Flickers will be a strippeddown, plot-driven narrative that features teenage protagonists and appeals to young and old alike.

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Bud Down

Medicinal marijuana growers brace for change

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

F

or the past six years Jeff Lundstrom has been developing a new strain of weed called “aoku,” designed specifically for his ailments.

In 2000, Lundstrom fell from scaffolding and did serious nerve and tissue damage to his lower back. He was prescribed Dilaudid to help ease his pain but soon found himself addicted to the opiate. He kicked the habit and began using medicinal marijuana to alleviate his aching body. He’s been using marijuana as medicine ever since.

“I kind of panicked when I had to do it. [The government] made me destroy this breed I’ve worked on for years …

There were something like 35 plants we had to cut down.”

But time isn’t exactly on Lundstrom’s side when it comes to getting rid of his crop.

Photo: courtesy of facebook

Eventually he started growing medicinal marijuana — legally — for himself and two other patients who, by law, he was allowed to supply. It was during this time that Lundstrom perfected the aoku strain. “I know that no other person has it because I’m the guy who developed it,” says Lundstrom. “The cross we made from two different strains is unique. One of those strains doesn’t really exist anymore. It’s gone. But what I created is one of a kind.”

Or it was one of a kind. That’s because two weeks ago, in accordance with a government mandate, Lundstrom had to cut down his crop.

“It was a sad, sad day,” says Lundstrom.

“As of April 1, 2014, producing marijuana in a home or private dwelling will be illegal. As of that date the only legal source of marijuana will be produced under secure and quality-controlled conditions by licensed producers.”

That’s a paragraph from a Health Canada press release. It goes on to say that growers like Lundstrom must “provide written notice to Health Canada by April 30, 2014, stating that they no longer possess marijuana [and] must also attest that they have discontinued production.” Failure to do so will result in Health Canada notifying local law enforcement and swift action being taken.

“When you think about it, it’s really a bunch of bulls**t. This is a transition we’re all afraid of,” says Lundstrom. “We’re afraid the police are going to abuse their powers and take advantage of the new mandatory minimums [which are a result of a federal omni-bus crime bill that came into effect in 2012]. A lot of people don’t think about that.”

A lot of people also don’t think about the more-than-300 individuals licensed to grow pot in Saskatch-

ewan, and what they’re going to do with their crops.

Recently Health Canada suggested that these people destroy their existing supply by mixing it with kitty litter and water, and tossing it all out with the garbage. “Not a chance,” says Lundstrom, chuckling. “I’m gonna burn all mine up into my lungs and my head.

They can f**k right off.”

But for Lundstrom and others caught up in this medical marijuana maelstrom, it’s no laughing matter.

“These last few weeks, they’ve really been an emotional roller coaster,” says Lundstrom. “Not only am I dealing with the loss of my license, but with the loss of my two … patients …

It’s been emotional for them.”

Lundstrom takes a deep breath and shifts gears. “This is going to be a complete nightmare,” he says. “The government, they’re just looking at … how much money they can make.”

For Lundstrom, that’s the wrong way to consider things. After all, licensed pot growers have been producing outstanding medical strains for quite some time on the cheap. “I produce my cannabis for as little as 50 cents a gram,” says Lundstrom.

“Now the government is talking about selling theirs at something like $7.50 to $13 a gram. That’s profiteering. Someone who sells on the black market, [if] they get caught, they will go to jail. But these guys [governmentsanctioned growers] aren’t in danger … so why are they inflating prices?”

During the course of the conversation, Lundstrom talks about government greed, and the pre-employment drug test for people at Prairie Plant Systems — one of the corporations who can legally grow weed. About wanting to fight all these changes but not being able to because he’s a family man with a child (and another on the way).

But mostly Lundstrom talks about the negative effects shutting down small growers will have on the people who need it the most — the patients. “You’re dealing with sick people who are emotionally and already physically broken,” he says.

“Then on top of that you want to financially break those people as well.

Makes no sense. You know, the only way to access cannabis under this new system is online ordering. But what happens if a patient … doesn’t have access to the Internet? I have a patient I supply to who is 62 years old. He doesn’t own a computer, doesn’t have a cellphone. How is he going to get medication under this new program? Plus … what used to be a few hundred dollars a month is now going to be a couple of thousand. It’s going to be a nightmare.”

A nightmare that will soon be a reality. A reality that may very well leave people like Lundstrom and other users twisting in the wind.

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Privatizing problems

Photo: Courtesy of littleoffcentre.blogspot.ca

Food services in jail should not be for-profit

T

he Saskatchewan government is moving forward with its proposal to privatize corrections and young offender food services here in this province, despite concerns.

To put it rather bluntly, we think that’s a terrible idea.

There are myriad problems when you begin making any aspect of corrections for-profit, and food services is not immune. Specifically, when you begin turning to the private sector to provide this service costs threaten to escalate, inmate training can be undermined, and local businesses could suffer. Oh, and all you have to do is glance at the United States to see what full-blown privatization looks like (hint: not good). Do we really want to start down that path?

Let’s start with the dollars and cents of the proposal. Time and time again, the privatization of food services have caused prices to skyrocket when private contractors take over because they tend to overcharge and bill extra.

It happened in Ohio at the turn of the millennium. Aramark Correctional Services was paid for providing 4.5 million meals, but they only served 2.8 million.

Between 1998 and 2001, the company was overpaid by $2.1 million.

Then there’s Florida, where private contractors cut corners to save some cash and ended up feeding fewer inmates. A report found that the state would save $7 million if it made food

services in-house like they used to be.

In Kentucky, Aramark over-billed daily meals by up to $100,000 per annum.

Oh, and in Wayne County, Michigan, where Canteen Correctional Services took over the food business, they overcharged $2.5 million dollars.

And while the money side of things seems like an obvious reason not to privatize, there’s also the direct impact it will have on both the government employees and inmates who work in the kitchens. You see, the kitchen staff at corrections and young offender facilities tend to be journeyperson cooks. These cooks take inmates on as apprentices and help them get their SIAST Short Order Cooking Certificates.

They help them develop culinary skills, build confidence and provide them with tools that can help them get a job and provide for themselves and their families when they are released. It also helps occupy some of their time while they’re behind bars, and provides a solid incentive for good behaviour. But if food services gets outsourced, then all this professional development — not to mention the jobs of the 60-plus government workers who work in the kitchens — will be gone.

Another drawback to privatizing food services in correctional and young offender facilities is that it can potentially harm local business. While it has yet to be determined who will be taking over food services in Saskatchewan, there is a possibility the job could

be outsourced to a different province, or possibly even a private contractor from the States. There is no guarantee this move will help the local economy.

No matter which angle you approach this issue from, food privatization in our jails and young offender facilities will do more harm than good.

But what’s really concerning is our provincial government’s traipse down the path to privatization. The problems with a for-profit jail system are real and well documented in the United States, including the oft-cited “kids for cash” scandal, whereby judges would jail juveniles for something minor in exchange for a kickback from a private prison builder. And if you think we’re overreacting, consider this: U.S. private prison corporations are already lobbying to enter the Canadian market.

It seems obvious to us that privatizing the food services in our correctional facilities is not the way to go, and opens the door to a whole host of issues. It’s best to nip this problem in the bud, before it’s too late.

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

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Then you will be bitching about the bugs . Can t please every one .

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

– Homelessness doesn’t just come out of nowhere. Some people really do need assistance (children, mentally ill), but others are “victims” of their own folly and I’m not sure they deserve help. Those who can’t hold a job because of laziness and bad attitude, those who are disruptive and can’t keep peace with roommates, those who destroy other peoples homes and create disturbances so get evicted.. Should we really give these people free housing??

Seems like a kick in the face to all other low wage earners who are struggling, doing the right things, and scraping by

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372

and she is such a powerhouse.

In response to “It’s all about perspective,”

correctional facilities? Text in your thoughts to Verb to get in on the conversation:

– Found $20.00 dollars sat 15 if lose call me ha ha ??? !!!!

Next week: What do you think about privatizing food services in

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

Local, #119 (March 14, 2014)

sound off – Man are the side streets tough driving now! No snow removal.

This is what the new stadium will cost. 30 yrs of neglecting street maintenance and upkeep!

– Everyone is happy to see spring coming. Wait then you will be bitching how hot it is out side.

– Provide people with the basic necessities to survive and they will thrive it is as simple as that. You want people to stop being homeless then give them homes.

– Just providing shelter for people who need it seems like a dangerous precedent to set because so much could go wrong do they just get a house or do they have to apply?

– Didn’t they give people who needed shelter in Edmonton or Calgary access to homes or something and it helped reduce their homeless population? This seems like a good idea to me.

Once shelter food and stuff is taken care of you are able to focus on things like jobs, health issues etc.

OFF TOPIC – Love Buffy St. Marie her music and message is so empowering

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The Wheel Turns

Photos: courtesy of Dave Garwacke

Laura Stevenson’s latest record examines her place in the vastness of the cosmos by Alex J MacPherson

L

aura Stevenson’s latest record is a meditation on what it means to be a human being and have a place in the universe. Wheel, which was released in early 2013, is the Long Island, New York singer-songwriter’s third solo album since she emerged on the American scene as a member of the D.I.Y. rock collective, Bomb the Music Industry!. It is also by far the most ambitious project Stevenson has ever undertaken, a monumental collection of songs that sweeps across the musical spectrum, from the delicate folk of “The Move” to the punchy barroom rock of “Triangle” and the bracing alt-country clarity of “Journey to the Center of the Earth.” The songs on Wheel are dominated by Stevenson’s wrenching voice. It is the sort of voice that breaks things inside of people. Thematically, the record relies on her ability to draw universal understanding from intimate moments in empty apartments, scrapbooks full of faded memories, and the lingering scent

AJM: Wheel certainly moves in some new directions, both in terms of songwriting and production. How did making this record differ from the other albums?

of Lucky Strikes. Highly literate and saturated with emotion, the songs on Wheel mine memory and experience for even the faintest hint of meaning, the smallest suggestion that the universe might not be benign and indifferent. Perhaps more than anything else, Wheel is the culmination of everything Stevenson has achieved to date, from her earliest attempts at songwriting to the delicate beauty of 2011’s Sit Resist.

LS: It was more intensive and we have a sixth party set of ears in Kevin McMahon, which was really cool. We would sleep where we recorded so it became our life. Sit Resist was done over the holidays so we were kind of back and forth and took large chunks of time off from the project. The recording of A Record was totally scattered in terms of time and direction. Each process was really different but I think that contributed positively to the way that each record sounds.

I think Wheel is the most focused though, for sure.

Alex J MacPherson: After making A Record and Sit Resist, did you have a clear mandate or plan for the third record?

Laura Stevenson: I guess the plan was a little more ambitious with this record. I wanted it to be bigger for sure, I guess because there were more things that needed to get accomplished with just me and the band. The songs each took their own different path and it was cool to watch it happen.

AJM: Listening to Wheel produces these little moments of almost overwhelming nostalgia, like the smell of Lucky Strikes in the title track. Why do you think some of these seemingly insignificant memories can be so powerful and lasting?

What do you think they mean?

LS: I think memories are like that — sometimes they’re just broad and chronological and then it’s the tiniest seemingly insignificant things that resonate and take you right back to an exact time and place. It’s usually smells that do it for me, but that’s pretty common I think.

AJM: Many of the songs — I’m thinking of “Bells and Whistles” and “Sink, Swim,” as well as a few others — seem to contrast these very small human gestures and moments against massive natural occurrences. Why is putting yourself, as well as other people, in that context important?

LS: I think it makes you realize how fragile and fleeting everything is — remembering that and coming to terms with it and making peace with it will make you less terrified and more appreciative. I’m terrible at keeping in touch with people and I never pick up my phone but I’m getting better because hearing the voices of the people you love is important because you never know how long any of us have. Sorry that’s dark. I’m usually not this serious.

AJM: On the other hand, a song like “Journey to the Centre of the Earth” looks for meaning in the detritus of isolation and loneliness — dirty laundry and mail scattered on the floor. Why do you think imagery and ideas like that are so appealing and compelling?

LS: Well you know, when you isolate yourself from the world just because you’re miserable then your reality just becomes all this clutter because you’re hiding under all of your own sh*t. Materially and emotionally. It’s all just piling up and it becomes this thing that you feel like you’ll never get out of. But I guess the message is — you can get out. I mean, I got out. I don’t know what that means but it’s positive for me.

AJM: Ultimately, I think Wheel is about the big ideas — life, death, what it all means. Did making a record that hinges on this confusion and dissonance most people feel lead you to any answers or ideas? What did you learn, either about yourself or the world, while making this record?

LS: I think making this record made me so much less afraid of the inevitable. You know, I’m at the end of my twenties, I’ve spent this whole decade absolutely terrified of my own death.

I’m sleeping better now. I guess I just needed to put all of that anxiety out there and make it into something tangible so I could understand it.

Laura Stevenson March 30 @ The Exchange Sold out Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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comeback story Kings of Leon return to centre stage with new LP Mechanical Bull

T

here are few bands able to boast about having developed a sound that is entirely their own. Kings of Leon is one of them, and it transformed their career. Today, the family rock outfit is one of the most famous and popular bands in the world. But Kings of Leon has had problems, too. After a calamitous 2011 that spawned rumours of rehab, hinted at serious internal problems, and featured a chaotic end to at least one show, the band’s prospects looked bleak.

But the band appears to have recovered. After a brief sabbatical, the four musicians returned to the studio and produced the appropriately titled Mechanical Bull. Heavy on anthemic choruses, brooding introspection, arena-ready riffs, and Caleb Followill’s ragged blue-collar vocal delivery,

Kings of Leon’s sixth album builds on everything the band has accomplished to date. Which is a lot by any measure.

Kings of Leon was formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 1999 by three brothers and a cousin: Caleb, Nathan, Jared, and Matthew. They began playing a bouncy mix of blues and southern rock. By 2008, it was clear that the band was changing direction, incorporating slicker production values and more pop influences into its mélange of rock sounds.

This was evident on Only By The Night, which included the hit singles “Use Somebody” and “Sex On Fire.” By the time Kings of Leon released Come Around Sundown in 2010, it was clear that the Followills had transformed their band into a commercial success.

Then things started to go awry. At a concert in Texas in 2011, Caleb Follow-

by alex J MacPherson

ill announced that he was leaving the stage “to vomit” and “to drink a beer;” he left and didn’t come back. But after some time away from each other, the band regrouped to cut Mechanical Bull.

Featuring the steamy summer anthem “Supersoaker” and the pensive, brooding “Beautiful War,” Mechanical Bull emerged as the most Kings of Leon-ish record Kings of Leon have ever released. It is a distillation of the sounds and ideas that made them one of the biggest bands in the world, a collection of slick, propulsive riffs and Caleb Followill’s distinctive jagged lyrical ideas. On “Comeback Story,” he sings: “Race isn’t over ‘til the finish line / It’s a comeback story of a lifetime.”

This winter, Kings of Leon embarked on one of the biggest tours of the year. Early reviews have been mixed, praising the musicianship

and setlist while taking issue with the band’s disconnectedness. The Hollywood Reporter characterized a recent show in New York City as a “no-frills evening,” albeit one tempered by the fact that “the music’s sheer power effectively compensated for the band’s emotional reticence.”

On the other hand, many reviewers agree that the twenty-seven-song, two-hour setlist is a rarity in the world of arena rock — a comprehensive look at the band’s path to success as well as a chance for fans to hear a good chunk of the new record. Ultimately, Kings of Leon are still one of the most popular bands in the world — and for good

reason. Few other acts are as capable of producing songs as good as the ones that light up Mechanical Bull — and if the relentless optimism of “Comeback Story” is any indication, many more records to come.

Kings of Leon April 4 @ Credit Union Centre (Saskatoon — only show in Saskatchewan) $39+ @ Ticketmaster Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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Across The Border

The Regina Symphony Orchestra tackles music by the great American composers

M

ost European countries have a distinct cultural identity. This is mostly because European countries have existed in one form or another for a very long time. The same cannot be said of the much younger United States, which has often been described as a melting pot of imported traditions, ideals, and cultural influences. This is reflected in American classical music. Over the course of the twentieth century, American composers drew on a wide variety of ideas and tendencies — and in doing so created something that was entirely their own. Victor Sawa, who conducts the Regina Symphony Orchestra, likes to characterize American music as “a hodgepodge.” Across The Border, a new program of music composed south of the 49th parallel, features works by several composers responsible for shaping the identity of American classical music.

The most recognizable composition featured in Across The Border is undoubtedly George Gershwin’s jazz-inspired “Rhapsody In Blue.”

Gershwin’s 1924 composition has been used in countless films and television programs, notably Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 adaptation of The Great Gatsby. The program also includes Aaron Copland’s “Rodeo,” a symphonic suite that explores the vast expanse of the American west, and Leonard Bernstein’s score for the film On The Waterfront, which captures New York City in all its filth and glory.

“It became a ‘melting pot;’ because of that they had to come up with their own language,” Sawa says of the unique situation facing the United States in the twentieth century, a period during which the country was deep in the process of re-inventing itself. One of the most important developments was the advent of jazz. “There were popular composers like George Gershwin

by alex J MacPherson

writing classical music, and then all of a sudden you’re hearing what’s called the serious music strain becoming jazz-like,” he says. “Before that, if you listen to American composers — there weren’t many — it was very European; then all of a sudden in the twentieth century they’re writing jazz.”

This is evident in “Rhapsody In Blue,” which mated classical to jazz and ragtime, and in the process advanced an entirely new sound — one that was to shape music for decades.

Put another way, “Rhapsody In Blue” encapsulates the lowered inhibitions and newfound curiosity of the roaring twenties in America. It also influenced a generation of composers. Bernstein, who dedicated much of his life to popularizing classical music, also worked within the jazz idiom, Sawa says. “He was very much influenced by Gershwin, as was everybody. And ‘On The Waterfront’ is very reflective of that, with saxophone solos and everything.”

Similarly, Copland was open to the idea of new sounds and musical ideas. Although he is best remembered for the titanic “Fanfare for the Common Man,” he was deeply inspired by the openness and possibility offered by the American west. Although it is easy to write off “Rodeo” as a piece that deals only in extremes, Copland’s work is remarkably sophisticated, striking deep into the heart of the American dream. “They’re all new sounds, which is amazing,” Sawa says. “That lean western clean air type sound — that’s Copland.”

Across The Border also includes “Central Park In The Dark,” a modernist composition by Charles Ives, who worked as an insurance salesman and composed mostly at night; John Adams’ “Short Ride In A Fast Machine,” a work of sublime anticipation and remarkable depth by a disciple of Philip Glass; and John Estacio’s Frenergy. The concert also features an appearance by the

South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra and pianist Ian Parker, who is an active live performer and recording artist. And while the program is diverse, Sawa says that diversity is bound up in the character of American music. “They are very much influenced by black spirituals, there’s your jazz element. Musicals like Oklahoma! — there’s your western element. And then modern music — Philip Glass — and everything in between.” After a pause he adds, “it’s incredibly inventive and imaginative. Fantastic.”

Across the Border April 5 @ Conexus Arts Centre Ticket info @ RSO Box Office, reginasympony.com

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Animals

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Vancouver-based rockers Bend Sinister return with biggest, most ambitious record to date by Alex J MacPherson

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he last time Bend Sinister released an album, the Vancouver-based rock band was still trying to figure out what, exactly, it was going to become. Small Fame, which emerged in the summer of 2012, provided a partial answer. By mating frontman Dan Moxon’s fondness for classic pop and progressive rock with the edgier sounds favoured by guitarist Joseph Blood, drummer Jason Dana, and bassist Matt Rhode, Small Fame infused the band’s sound with new energy and verve. Most of the songs on the album animated conventional pop structures with punchy guitar licks, bouncy organ lines, and clever, heartfelt lyrics; the album felt like a more exuberant take on the band’s traditional sound, a hybrid of straightforward pop and proggy rock. A few tracks, however, hinted at the shape of things to come.

“It’s a really good dynamic changeover,” a plaid-shirted and headbanded Moxon said in 2012, referring to the album’s towering centrepiece, the pairing of “Hot Blooded Man” and “Black Magic Woman.”

“One about hot blooded men and one about evil women, one slow and one crazy fast and chaotic.” Sprawling across nearly ten minutes of

tape, “Hot Blooded Man” and “Black Magic Women” suggested a musical vision as innovative as it was ambitious. That vision came to fruition on Animals, which was released earlier this month. Threading together even more influences than its predecessor, Animals built on the foundation laid

by Small Fame to become the most expansive and fully realized album Bend Sinister has ever released.

The lyrics are more compelling, the arrangements more complex, and the technical sections more expertly executed. In other words, Animals is the product of a band working as a unit to create some of the strongest, strangest songs of the year.

Warped Pane, was released in 2002; a second, Through The Broken City, followed three years later. In 2008, the band released a concept album, Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers, that tackled friendships and relationships, both good and bad. But there have been problems, too. Like many bands, Bend Sinister has been plagued by near-constant lineup changes; by 2010, Moxon was the only remaining original member. Things started to turn around in 2008. Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers marked the first appearance of Jason Dana, whose versatile drumming has kept the band on course ever since. The band was further stabilized in 2010, when guitarist

A big part of Animals is that we were co-writing all the songs, hashing out all the lyrics in workshops with the band… dan moxon

Bend Sinister was formed in Kelowna, British Columbia in 2001 by Dan Moxon, whose angelic falsetto and penchant for upbeat pop and technical rock placed the band in a category of its own. Its first album, The

Joseph Blood showed up toting a black Gibson SG and wearing tight leather jackets . Bend Sinister’s current lineup was completed a year or so later, when Saskatoon expat Matt Rhode came onboard to play bass.

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“I think everybody’s gotten a lot more comfortable with each other and more tight as a band,” Moxon says of the current group of musicians, which feels more stable — and able — than any of the band’s previous iterations.

This is reflected in the process that produced Animals. In the past, Moxon wrote most of the songs himself before the band thrashed out the arrangements. Working this way was in some respects a necessity, a reaction to the band’s unstable cast of musicians. But with Blood, Dana, and Rhode eager to contribute, the band was able to take advantage of a much deeper pool of ideas. “A big part of Animals is that we were co-writing all the songs, hashing out all the lyrics in workshops with the band, figuring out all the parts, and building the album as a whole,” Moxon says. “Which is good, because it also pushes you as a songwriter to kind of finish things and have a song finished in an evening, in terms of the lyrical content, because you’re all working together to hash it out.”

This approach is evident on the album’s opening track, a sprawling nine-minute opus titled “Best Of You.” According to Moxon, the song was constructed around a single melodic idea. Then, he says, “we sort of filled in the blanks. Joseph told a personal story of his about being downtown in Vancouver and sort of bumping into a homeless guy who asked him for a cigarette. We ended up making that interaction the start of that song, and it sort of grew as we went verse by verse.

[We] just built it however it came at the time.” Other songs were constructed in similar ways from similar ideas. “Thunder and Lightning,” which kicks off

Photo: courtesy of Ed Spence

the second side of Animals, emerged from a thirty-second riff played by the band Small Fame, which featured Moxon and Dana, and later inspired the title of the last Bend Sinister record.

“We were just like, this is great, so we

should make it a song,” Moxon says.

“So we went in, wrote some verses, put together the structure of the song as a band, to this intro we loved to do back in the day.”

The upshot is that the songs on Animals are extremely diverse. Because so many originated not as fully realized songs but as melodic fragments or short lyrical ideas, transforming them into finished songs was a collaborative process — one that produced unexpected results. A few songs, like the manic “I Got Love” and the relentlessly upbeat kiss-off “Better Things To Do” echo the pop sensibilities of Small Fame. Most, however, explore new ideas. “Best Of You” unfolds in distinct sections, including a languid stoner-rock introduction and a middle section featuring the sort of rock and roll histrionics popularized by bands like Queen. “Fancy Pants,” on the other hand, takes its cues from upbeat cabaret pop, transforming some brooding Oasis lyrics, an enthusiastic trumpet line, and a drawn-out gang vocal breakdown into a lighthearted summer anthem. “Thunder and Lightning” is a hazy nod to metal sounds from the late 1970s and 1980s that casts Moxon’s spiky vocals against layer after layer of grimy guitars.

From a production standpoint, Animals is the best-sounding record Bend Sinister has ever released. After joining forces with producer Joe Marlett, whose résumé includes records by the Foo Fighters and Blink-182, the band cut the album in San Diego, California in just twelve days. The time frame was calculated to minimize distraction and maximize creativity. Put another way, the band wanted to produce a polished album that preserved the raw energy of a live performance without risking a Chinese Democracy-style catastrophe.

“It sort of pushes you to not sit on a record over a year and just think about it too hard and for too long,” Moxon says with a laugh. “With spontaneity, I think, you get a better and more livesounding record.”

Marlett was also responsible for the final mixes, which are warmer and richer and more evenly balanced than those on Small Fame; each instrument sounds like an indispensable part of a greater whole rather than a part that can be easily added or subtracted. “I think we gave him a lot of latitude to sort of

have a go and bring in some different elements, like horn players and things, which we hadn’t used in the past,” Moxon says. “We would listen to the mixes and so on as they came in, and just go with what sounded best for the song.” Because the songs were already so diverse, and because the band was open to going with whatever ideas happened to suit each particular song, Animals emerged as a compendium of rock and pop influences that combine in interesting and unusual ways.

Although it cannot capture the band’s onstage antics, it is the best representation of Bend Sinister’s notoriously energetic live performance to date.

But perhaps more importantly, Animals is evidence that Bend Sinister continues to grow and evolve with little regard for anything apart from making fun, engaging rock and roll. It takes rather a lot of courage to open a record with a track as long as “Purple Rain,” especially in an age dominated by cagey three-minute pop songs and radio-friendly kitsch. But Blood, Dana, Moxon, and Rhode didn’t hesitate to do what felt right, even if it meant ignoring convention and precedent. Bend Sinister has always been defined by a willingness to do the unusual, and Animals is the purest expression of that sentiment to date — an album made by four musicians eager to explore new sounds, investigate old ones, and, most importantly, create music that moves people. Moxon, though, is characteristically modest. “We certainly didn’t mind the idea of having songs that were six minutes or eight minutes long, or had long intros or more intricate parts on this one,” Moxon says. “We were just doing whatever we felt like, really, and wanted to cover our bases — all the sounds and influences that we have.”

Bend Sinister April 2 @ O’Hanlon’s No Cover Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Photos: courtesy of marc messett

LA CREPERIE CHEZ REGINA

Marokena Crepe Café and a great French classic by mj deschamps

T

rudging through this grey, subzero winter has been tough on this Easterner, and I’ve found myself daydreaming for more hours than I’d like to admit of warmer places and European vacations.

So when I saw a three-foot tall Eiffel Tower sticking out from the sidewalk in a strip mall in Regina’s northwest the other week, I fully thought I was seeing a mirage. But no, there it was: a small-scale replica of the famous Paris landmark outside of another Regina first – the city’s inaugural crepe café.

has been constantly buzzing. “People have been telling me that they’ve been waiting for something like this,” she said, grinning incredulously. For Erriha, though, the wait has been even longer.

Having immigrated to Regina from Morocco in 2005, Erriha said that her end goal has always been to open a small business. Seeing as she grew up making and eating crepes with her family back in Morocco, it only made sense to take what she knew and turn it into a business plan. The journey to the café’s fruition has been a long one, but for Erriha, all her hard work is now paying off.

The café itself is warm and cozy, while the menu is full of both sweet and savoury stuffed crepes, soups and salads, a full espresso menu and a list

Since opening its doors a few months ago, Marokena Crepe Café owner Ghizlane Erriha said that she has felt truly overwhelmed with the response that her business is getting.

A restaurant dedicated to making authentic French crepes was something severely lacking in the city’s culinary scene (according to this French Canadian writer, anyway), and that gap seems to have been evident among the café’s growing customer base.

Erriha said that her small café, which is open from the early morning to 9 p.m. every day of the week,

of Italian cream sodas and smoothies to choose from. The crepes themselves, made to order by spreading rich batter in a thin layer over a hot surface, are fluffy, light and soft, with a hint of vanilla added to the dessert-style ones.

Crepes for both dinner and dessert sounds great to me, and the café offers a solid list of savoury options, including one with chicken, mushrooms and pesto; goat cheese and red pepper; and Moroccan sausage.

I leaned more to the sweet side on my first visit, and started off with the crème brûlée crepe, which Erriha said is the café’s top seller. It arrived

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide spiked italian cream soda

Ingredients

Fruity, creamy Italian sodas are already indulgent, sweet refreshments – so why not kick them up one more notch and spike them?

4 oz tonic water 1 oz vanilla vodka 1 oz heavy spiked whipping cream splash of flavoured fruit syrup ice

drizzled in chocolate and topped with dabs of whipped crème and thinly sliced strawberries. The inside is stacked with fresh strawberries and layers of creamy, smooth custard.

Next I had the vanilla peach. It was drizzled in a peach coulis and houses peach slices and slivered almonds inside. Again, although it is a rich dessert, it tasted very fresh and light overall.

For those with a real sweet tooth, the Marokena’s ‘tuxedo’ latte (chocolate, caramel and rich, dark espresso) or salted caramel latte are a tasty way to balance out a more savoury crepe, while the café’s creamy, bubbly Italian cream sodas are a tasty throwback to childhood (not to mention tough to find around Regina).

So while not everyone can escape the tail ends of winter for a European vacation, the bit of Paris that has come to the Prairies certainly can’t hurt.

Marokena Crepe Café 5950 Rochdale Blvd | (306) 352 7373

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

directions

In a tall glass with ice, pour in tonic water, vodka and syrup, and stir together. Top the drink off with heavy whipping cream and garnish with fresh fruit, if desired.

@VerbRegina mdeschamps@verbnews.com

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Next Week

coming up

Against Me!

Mudmen

Backstreet Boys

@ the exchange sunday, March 30 – $25

@ artful dodger friday, April 4 – Cover TBD

@ Mosaic Place Tuesday, May 13 – Tickets TBD

Righteous rage, fear, doubt, anxiety, regret, sadness and joy. Like any good (and by good we mean “damn good”) punk rock band, the songs Against Me! play are filled with all the aforementioned qualities, and so much more.

Consisting of Laura Jane Grace, James Bowman, Atom Willard and Inge Johansson, this punk-as-hell quartet from Gainesville, Florida are one of those bands that you just have to see in a smaller venue like Louis’. Their in-your-face kickass sound is made for environments like that. Their 2007 album, New Wave, reached #57 on the Billboard 200. Their 2010 album, White Crosses, hit #34. And their raw, driving punk sound is something you have to see in person to fully appreciate. Hope you have tickets already because sadly the show is sold out.

St. Patrick’s Day may be over and done with for another year, but that shouldn’t stop you from going to see Mudmen — a kickass Celtic rock band that formed in Toronto way back in 1998. Featuring the talents of Steve Gore, Steve Volk, Alex Maletich, Mario Bozza and bagpipe-playing brothers Robby and Sandy Campbell, this energetic six-piece’s name comes from the occupation the Campbell brothers had before they formed the band.

Back then they were mixing mortar and hauling bricks. These days, though, the brothers and the rest of the band are busy making jig-anddrinking worthy singles like “5 O’Clock” and “Saturday.” The Mudmen will be playing at the Artful Dodger on April 4; check them out!

Do you remember the ‘90s? Do you remember the baggy pants, the No Fear t-shirts, and the middle part?

The frosted tips, chunky-heeled shoes, and overalls (that you probably wore with one strap hanging down)? Well, if you remember all that you definitely remember the Backstreet Boys — one of the biggest boy bands of the era.

Well, guess what? Backstreet’s back, baby. After a brief hiatus in the 2000s, the best-selling boy band in history has reunited and it feels so good. All the old crew is back — A.J., Howie, Nick, Brian and Kevin — and they’re in the middle of their 20th anniversary/In a World Like This Tour. So if you want to relive your glory years (or not-so-glorious years, as is the case with some of us), head down to Moose Jaw at the end of the month.

– By Adam Hawboldt

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

Sask music Preview The deadline entry for the BreakOut West Festival, Western Canadian Music Awards and Industry Awards has been extended to April 1! Taking place from October 2-5 in Winnipeg, MB, the Western Canadian Music Awards and BreakOut West Festival And Conference will see musicians, fans and delegates descend on a Western Canadian city for a weekend of information sharing and live music.

13 Mar 21 – Mar 27 @verbregina

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march 21 » march 29 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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Nana Mouskouri / Casino Regina — An internationally renowned singer form Greece. 12am / SOLD OUT

Saturday 22

Tyler Gilbert / Artful Dodger — Local folk guitarist. 8pm / Cover TBD Sask Sampler / Bushwakker — Featuring The Dead South, Mario Lepage, Jam Night / Bocados — Hosted by Sound Society, Blake Berglund + more.

Jaxe, come down and get your jam on.

7:30pm / $10 8:30pm / No cover Cruel Hands, FOCUSEDxMINDS + DJ night / Q Nightclub + Lounge — DJs more / The Club — Heavy metal and Snakeboots and Code E play bass heavy hardcore. 7pm / $12 (ticketedge.ca) breakbeats. 9:30pm / No cover RSO presents: The Listener / Conexus — Mime performance with symphony orchestra. 3pm / $26.25+ Keiffer McLean / Artful Dodger — (mytickets.reginasymphony.com) Come join this local singer/songwriter DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock at his CD release party. 8pm / Cover Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! TBD 9pm / $5 Wednesday Night Folk / BushwakAmy Nelson / Eldorado — A ker Brewpub — Featuring Last country songstress Mountain Breakdown. 9pm with some major / No cover pipes. 9pm / $5 Abandon All Islands, EsShips / The Excondido, change — With Indigo Palisades, Joseph / Skynet, Kill The ExMatilda + change more. 7pm / —A $13 (ticketnight edge.ca) of indie WayBack rock. 8pm Wednesday / $15 (tick/ McNally’s escondido COURTESY OF the artist etedge.ca) Tavern — FeaturMethod ing Leather Cobra.

2 Madness / 9:30pm / No cover McNally’s Tavern — Playing great rock classics.

10pm / $5 Marc Labossier / Pump Roadhouse — A Manitoba-bred singer/songwriter.

Queen City Rocks Runoff #4 / The 9pm / Cover TBD Exchange — And the battle of the bands Wafflehouse / Pure — Doing what he continues. 7pm / $10 does best. 10pm / $5 cover Decibel Frequency / Gabbo’s NightChris Henderson / Whiskey Saloon club — A night of electronic fun. 10pm — Some down-home country! 9pm / / Cover $5 Cover TBD PS Fresh / The Hookah Lounge — DJ Ageless started spinning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They Brooke Wylie / Artful Dodger — With both landed in Regina and have come Sol James and Kristopher Ulrich. 8pm/ together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm Cover TBD / No cover Live DJs / Cathedral Neighbourhood Open Mic Night / King’s Head Tavern Centre — Art market with some live — Come out, play some tunes, sing tunes. 3pm / No cover some songs, and show Regina what you got. 8pm / No cover James Buddy Rogers / McNally’s TavOpen Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — ern — Playing modern electric blues.

Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover 8:30pm / $5/$10 Monday Night Jazz / Bushwakker The Valentinos / Pump Roadhouse — Brewpub — Featuring The Project. 8pm A Winnipeg-based party band. 9pm / / No cover Cover TBD

Tuesday 25

Wednesday 26

Friday 21

Imagination Method 3 / Artful Dodger — DJs playing breaks, funk + more. 9pm / $10/$15 Phillip Phillips / Brandt Centre — Former American Idol winner is coming to town. 7:30pm / $47 (ticketmaster.ca) Andino Suns / Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre — With Buffalo Narrows, Local Onlyz + more. 7pm / $10 DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5, no cover for ladies before 11pm Amy Nelson / Eldorado — A country songstress with some major pipes. 9pm / $5 Snake River / German Club — Record release show w/Wizards, Herb and the Humans. 9pm / $10 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s Martini & Cocktail Club — Local DJs spin top 40 hits every Friday night that are sure to get you on the dance floor. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster Taphouse — Come out and get your weekend started with DJ Fatbot, who’ll be doing his spinning thing every Friday night.

10pm / Cover TBD Method 2 Madness / McNally’s Tavern — Playing great rock classics all night long. 10pm / $5 Marc Labossier / Pump Roadhouse — A Manitoba-bred singer/songwriter.

9pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night, come listen to Albert as he does his spinning thing.

10pm / $5 cover DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD Chris Henderson / Whiskey Saloon — Some down-home country! 9pm / Cover TBD

Thursday

27

Sunday 23

Monday 24

DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. 8pm / Cover TBD

Friday 28

MYLA & The Fix / YQR Nite Club — Playing RnB, jazz pop and rock. With 2Beats & A Hat. 10pm / Cover TBD

Saturday 29

Beat Gallery / Artful Dodger — With Flatland The Funk. 8pm Venus Ex/ Cover traction TBD / The Club DJ Dallas — With / Eldorado Iron Bison Country and Daniel Rock Bar phillip phillips COURTESY OF the artist Besuijen. 8pm — Regina’s / $5 number one party John McDermott DJ! 9pm / $5 / Conexus Arts Centre Tim Romanson / Eldo— An internationally acclaimed rado Country Rock Bar — With singer/songwriter. 7:30pm / $47.50 Cattle Drive, come on down and rock! (conexusticket.com) 9pm / $5 DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar March Metal 3 / The Exchange — — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / Featuring League of One, Bloodline, $5, no cover for ladies before 11pm Magnetic and Memorial. 8pm / Cover Tim Romanson / Eldorado Country TBD Rock Bar — With Cattle Drive, come on Dr. Bird and Bluebeat / Lancaster Tadown and rock! 9pm / 5, no cover for phouse — Covering classic reggae tunes ladies before 11pm and some originals. 9pm / Cover TBD Room 333 / The Exchange — A local F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s Tavern — Break band play hard rock with a dark edge. out your tracksuits and get ready to 7:30pm / Cover TBD party. 10pm / $5 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s Martini & MYLA / Mercury — With 2Beats & a Hat. Cocktail Club — Local DJs spin top 40 10pm / $5+ hits every Friday night that are sure to The Valentinos / Pump Roadhouse — get you on the dance floor. 9pm / $5 A Winnipeg-based party band. 9pm / cover Cover TBD Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster TapWafflehouse / Pure Ultra Lounge — house — Come out and get your weekDoing what he does best, every Saturend started with DJ Fatbot, who’ll be day night. 10pm / $5 cover doing his spinning thing every Friday Milkman’s Sons / Western Pizza night. 10pm / Cover TBD (Glencairn Mall) — Playing classic and F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s Tavern — Break modern rock. 9pm / No cover out your tracksuits and get ready to JJ Voss / Whiskey Saloon — Some rock party. 10pm / $5 and alt country. 9pm / Cover TBD The Valentinos / Pump Roadhouse — Freddy Todd / YQR Nite Club — A Winnipeg-based party band. 9pm / Detroit-based DJ will be bringing his Cover TBD sick beats to Regina for the first time.

Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — AppearWith Demian, Dreadbeat, Kataclysm + ing every Friday night, come listen to Krooked King. 9pm / $15 advance, Albert as he does his spinning thing. $20 door 10pm / $5 cover DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the Get listed best country beats around. 8pm / Cover Have a live show you'd like TBD to promote? Let us know!

JJ Voss / Whiskey Saloon — Some rock layout@verbnews.com and alt country. 9pm / Cover TBD

14 Mar 21 – Mar 27 entertainment

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saturday, march 15 @

YQR

Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, March 28. facebook.com/verbregina

YQR Nightclub & Hookah Lounge 1475 Toronto Street (306) 450 3899

Photography by Marc Messett

15 Mar 21 – Mar 27 /verbregina

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A classic, campy caper

Photo: Courtesy of walt disney studios motion pictures

Muppets Most Wanted a fun, song-filled romp by adam hawboldt

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hen writers Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller, along with director James Bobin, rebooted the Muppets franchise in 2011, they really hit a chord.

It was the soft, sweet, funny chord of nostalgia. The kind of genuinely touching chord that reminded everybody why they loved the Muppets so damn much.

This year’s sequel, Muppets Most Wanted, hits a very different note.

Sure, nostalgia still lingers in the air, but this time out the gang goes for a more rollicking, whacky adventure flick — reminiscent of, say, The Great Muppet Caper.

So is this sequel to the reboot as good as the first one?

Well, because the gang have hired a manager named Dominic Badguy (Ricky Gervais), wants to take the show on the road. Unbeknownst to the Muppets, while their tour is kicking off, a Kermit lookalike named Constantine (who also just so happens to be a criminal mastermind) has escaped from a gulag in Siberia.

Long story short, Kermit (who is mistaken for Constantine) gets thrown in the gulag, while Badguy and Constantine start robbing museums in different cities on their tour.

From there the movie unfolds along two story lines — a crime caper and a prison movie.

On the caper side of things, there’s song, dance, laughs, and more cameos than you can shake a stick at. Tony

Well, no. And the Muppets aren’t afraid to admit it. Picking up where The Muppets left off, this film begins with “The End” and fades into the Hollywood Boulevard ending the first reboot ended on. Then comes a song. And not just any song. It’s a musical number in which Kermit & Co. flat out confess to the audience that “ “Everybody knows that the sequel’s never quite as good.”

But here’s the thing: even though Muppets Most Wanted isn’t as good as the last film, it’s a pretty darn good movie in its own right.

The story (which, in truth, is merely a vehicle on which all the gags, songs, dances and cameos hitch a ride) shows the Muppets touring the world with their act.

Why are they touring?

Bennett makes an appearance, as does Celine Dion, Tom Hiddleston, Lady Gaga, Christopher Waltz and Salma Hayek. But pound-for-pound, the most entertaining cameo comes during a song featuring Danny Trejo (apparently playing himself) and Ray Liotta. Brilliant.

And while all this is going on Kermit is in Siberia, hanging out with a Broadway-musical obsessed camp commander named Nadya (Tina Fey).

At first Kermit is upset, but eventually he accepts his fate and takes over the annual prison stage revue — at the adamant behest of commander Nadya.

You can probably guess how all this ends up, but it won’t matter a lick. Muppets Most Wanted is like eye (and ear) candy for any die-hard

Muppets Most Wanted James Bobin Starring Rickey Gervais, Tina Fey + Steve Whitmire (as Kermit) Directed by

112 minutes | G

fan. It’s one of those classic, campy Muppet movies that will entertain both young and old with its excellent songs, chuckle-worthy gags, and zany premise.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

16 Mar 21 – Mar 27 entertainment

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Portrait of a lady Paulina Garcia gives stellar performance in Gloria by adam hawboldt

Photo: Courtesy of rialto distribution

S

ometimes in life you find yourself in a situation that you didn’t expect and never saw coming. The twists and turns of existence pick you up from the path you think you’re supposed to be walking and drop you down, with a thud, on a different path altogether.

That’s where Gloria (Paulina Garcia) finds herself in Sebástien Lelio’s new movie, Gloria.

Wearing over-sized glasses (reminiscent of Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie), Garcia breathes life into her title character in ways that will leave you slack-jawed and impressed. She plays an aging divorcée whose spirit and adventurous streak are nowhere near in sync with her current situation.

See, Gloria’s reality isn’t what she expected or dreamed of in her younger, halcyon years. She’s 58 years old, and works at a dull, well-paying office job. She has

grown children whom she keeps in contact via the phone. At home in her apartment, she’s driven nuts by her noisy, arguing neighbours and a hairless cat that keeps creeping into her place.

(Sergio Hernández), a former naval officer who, in the beginning, seems ideal for Gloria. They get along well, are sexually compatible, and offer each other some muchneeded company.

…it’s Garcia who deserves all the real credit here.

Adam Hawboldt

Simply put: Gloria is stuck in a midlife rut. It’s a dull, humdrum existence she didn’t sign up for, a life she never wanted.

To combat the boredom, Gloria tries to find excitement in nightclubs and discos, searching for love in all the wrong places.

She eventually finds it in the form of the silver-haired Rodolfo

But unfortunately for Gloria, Rodolfo has some baggage that soon threatens their relationship.

As a middle-aged woman trying to break free of the boundaries she’s put up around herself, Paulina Garcia completely steals the show.

It’s impossible to look at anyone else. She’s absolutely marvelous in the role of Gloria. She infuses the

part with a subtle exuberance, an understated spirt that is crucial to the film.

Why? Well, because on the surface Gloria is a film full of despair, a glimpse of ordinary, everyday moments in a middle-aged woman’s life. A life that has something dark and troubling bubbling just beneath the surface. And if it wasn’t for the vibrance and liveliness that Garcia gives the character, the film would’ve been a bleak and dreary examination of the difficulties of aging.

But since Garcia infuses Gloria with a certain joie de vivre, instead of witnessing a downer of a movie what the audience gets is a smart, intelligent, refreshing look at the trials and tribulations of being over fifty and single in this day and age.

It’s a delicate balancing act the actors and director pull off. Part of the credit must go to Lelio (who both wrote and directed the flick), but as I’ve mentioned and gushed about

Gloria Sebastián Lelio Paulina Garcia + Sergio Hernández Directed by Starring

110 minutes | NR

before, it’s Garcia who deserves all the real credit here. She paints a portrait of an older, single woman in a way you haven’t seen before.

A portrait that walks a fine line, constantly teetering between honest joy and soul-crushing despair.

Gloria will be screened at the Regina Public Library starting on March 27; see reginalibrary.ca for more info.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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crossword canadian criss-cross with flames 32. Make into a law 36. Elevator part 37. Felt crummy 39. On the yes side 40. Rural township located along the Rainy River In Ontario 41. Be suitable to 42. By means of 43. Known only to a few 46. Cabin in the Swiss Alps 49. Shoe with a blade 50. Stumbled in speaking 51. Point of light in the night sky 52. Despite this

DOWN 1. Brown-skinned or red-skinned vegetable 2. Exclamation of discovery 3. Big bang maker 4. Loss of hope 5. Night before a holiday 6. Permit 7. Not having been moved 8. Old Testament book 9. Trucking rig 11. Gownlike garment 12. Pied Piper’s followers 14. Attention-getting sound 17. Teeth sockets 20. One born in October

21. Gave in 24. Coffee, in slang 26. Cozy room 28. Brandy glass 29. Cold desserts 30. Appellations 31. Robes worn by monks 33. Program used within a web browser 34. Religious belief 35. Wrongful act 38. Draw on metal 44. Sneaky one 45. Airport info 47. Bale contents 48. Feeling of amazement

sudoku answer key

A

B

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

1. Lump of butter 4. Supermarket section 8. St. ___, Newfoundland 10. Part of a program of contests 12. Turn in a circle 13. Plays matchmaker 15. Collection of anecdotes 16. Navigational aid 18. Keyboard key 19. Make lace 20. Fragrant flower 22. ‘Deck the Halls’ contraction 23. Japanese sliding door 25. Railroad bridge 27. Watch attentively 29. Very hot place

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

ACROSS

© walter D. Feener 2013

Horoscopes March 21 – march 27 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

If you’ve been longing for a romantic encounter lately, Aries, things may happen this week that will bring a little love to your life.

Be polite and congenial in the next few days, Leo. You could meet a very influential person, and you don’t want to rub anyone the wrong way.

Body and soul might seem a little out of sync this week, Sagittarius. Do whatever you can to get them back in alignment.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Conflicts between your professional and personal lives will abound this week, Taurus. Try your best to maintain a little balance.

A powerful wind of inspiration is going to blow in later this week, Virgo. Your artistic energies will be ready to go, so give in and get creating!

Strange, vivid dreams will come your way at some point this week, Capricorn. Pay attention. They could hold some deeper important meaning.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

You might have problems communicating at some point in the coming days, Gemini. Don’t get too frustrated; speak from your heart.

Go get yourself involved in group activities this week, Libra. Resist the urge to hunker down and spend some alone time. People will energize you.

You will soon be forced to make a choice between your social and professional lives this week. Think carefully and choose wisely.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Have you been working on a pet project lately, Cancer? If so, get ready to enjoy the fruits of your labour. It will start paying dividends soon.

Aspects of life could become a real drag this week, Scorpio. Try not to get too down, for it will pass soon.

For now, it’s best to just grin and bear it.

You may end up being the butt of everyone’s joke this week, Pisces.

Don’t get upset. It’s best to take it all with a chuckle.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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