Verb Issue R127 (May 9-15, 2014)

Issue #127 – May 9 to May 15

arts

culture

music

regina

Neko Case +

robbie waisman Remembering the Holocaust modern day monsters Q+A with Torches to Triggers neighbors + like father, like son Films reviewed­

Photo: courtesy of emily shur

contents

On the cover:

neko case

The harder she fights. 10 / feature Photo: courtesy of Jason Creps

culture

NEWs + Opinion

entertainment

Q + A with Torches To Triggers On Modern Day Monsters.. 8 / Q + A

Live Music listings Local music listings for May 9 through May 17. 14 / listings

Birch Bark Ltd.

Nightlife Photos

KC Adams explores identity. 9 / Arts

We visit YQR. 15 / Nightlife

music reviews

Remembrance of things past Robbie Waisman on the Holocaust. 4 / Local

Drinking and driving dilemma Our thoughts on new SGI laws. 6 / Editorial

Andino Sun + Plague Vendor. 9 / music

neighbors + like father, like son

reviews

We review the latest movies. 16 / Film

TRULY THAI

on the bus

We visit Siam Authentic Thai Restaurant. 12 / Food + Drink

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics

comments

Music

Game + Horoscopes

Here’s your say about photo radars. 7 /

All Mighty Voice, PROF + Chad VanGaalen. 13 / music

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

comments

verbnews.com @verbregina facebook.com/verbregina

Editorial

Business & Operations

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

Office Manager / Stephanie Lipsit account Manager / joshua johnsen Marketing Manager / Vogeson Paley Financial Manager / Cody Lang

contact Comments / feedback@verbnews.com / 306 881 8372

Please recycle after reading & sharing

ART & Production

advertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253

design Lead / andrew yanko Graphic designer / bryce kirk Contributing Photographers / Adam Hawboldt + marc messett

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

2 May 9 – May 15 verb magazine

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

local

Remembrance of things past Photo: courtesy of private h miller

Holocaust survivor, Robbie Waisman, shares his story by adam hawboldt

R

obbie Waisman had heard the rumours.

He’d heard the American army was advancing on the Buchenwald concentration camp to liberate them. He’d also heard that the camp was lined with dynamite and that the Nazis intended to blow the place sky high, killing all the prisoners and erasing any evidence of the atrocities that had been committed there.

It was April 11th, 1945. As shells exploded overhead, Waisman and his friend, Abe Chapnick, lay motionless on the cold floor of Buchenwald’s Block 8, deciding whether they should try to escape or not. Run, and maybe they’d get out of this alive. Stay, and they might get blown to pieces.

Then there was dead quiet.

The shelling had stopped; their minds had been made up for them.

“Our block was close to the main gate,” says Waisman. “I remember looking out … I saw soldiers coming in through the gate. They weren’t German soldiers. They were wearing different uniforms.”

Waisman and Chapnick ran out of the barracks. People swarmed in all directions; American soldiers marched in unison.

Waisman remembers these moments like they happened yesterday.

He remembers seeing daffodils outside the compound, and wondering how something so beautiful and deli-

“What’s it like to go through the Holocaust?” Waisman asks the audience at the synagogue.

He isn’t looking for an answer.

Most of the people in attendance are teenagers, around the same age Waisman was when Buchenwald was liberated. Outside of what they might have read in books or seen in movies, they have no idea what the Holocaust actually was like.

Very few people do.

Waisman pauses for a moment to let the question sink in. Then he takes his hands off the lectern and says, “Let me take a moment and share some memories with you. I have some horrific memories. When I share them with you, it’s not my intention to sadden you. On the contrary, I want to empower you.”

Waisman begins his story with not horrific memories, but beautiful ones.

Memories of being the youngest of six children growing up in Skarszysko, Poland. Of a childhood filled with warmth and laughter and love.

In 1939, that childhood came to an abrupt end when his city was bombed and occupied by Nazis. At first Waisman thought it was all a game. Then he saw a Nazi soldier shoot and kill a man in front of him — that’s when the games ended.

Waisman was just eight years old.

Not long after that, a ghetto was formed in Skarszysko, and Waisman’s parents sent him to stay on a farm with

cate could grow in such a godforsaken place. He remembers blurting out the number 117098 instead of ‘Robbie’ when asked for his name. And he remembers the soldiers. He’ll never forget the soldiers.

Standing on a stage at the Congregation Agudas Israel Synagogue in Saskatoon, Waisman places his hands on the lectern in front of him, and says, “I was looking around at all these men.

Among them, there were some black soldiers. I’d never seen a black person before. I remember thinking, is this happening? Is it real? Then I went up to touch one of the black soldiers because I wanted to assure myself it was.

Since I was tormented by white people for so long, I was sure these black soldiers were angels. And, in fact, they were. They gave us our freedom.”

It took a while for Waisman and others at Buchenwald to realize this, to understand that they were free. Truly free. But once the reality of the situation set it, Waisman was overcome by a single, all-encompassing desire.

He wanted to go home and see his family.

What we remember from childhood we remember forever — permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, eternally seen.

— Cynthia Ozick

a non-Jewish family. He remained there for about a month, spending his afternoons tending to cows, until one day he decided to run away. “There were two reasons I left,” explains Waisman. “The first was I missed my family; I wanted to be with them. And number two: me and the cows didn’t get along.”

So Waisman stole away from the farm, and snuck back into the ghetto through a hole in a wall. When he returned home, his mother hugged and kissed him. His father took off his belt and gave him a beating.

It was the first and last spanking Waisman ever received.

“I’d never seen my father so furious,” remembers Waisman. “He thought he had saved me, thought he’d done the right thing by sending me away. But as it happens, after I left the farm, the Nazis put out a proclamation saying anyone harbouring a Jewish child should give up the child to the police in return for a reward — a sack of flour or sugar.”

Waisman pauses again, then puts his hands back on the lectern and says, “I know that many children survived in hiding elsewhere, but to my knowledge, in Skarszysko, none of them survived.”

It was blind luck that Waisman left that farm when he did. Blind luck he wasn’t denounced, handed over to the authorities, and murdered like the rest of the hideaways in the area.

In the years to follow, luck would play a big part in keeping Waisman alive.

The world shrieks and sinks talons into our hearts. This we call memory.

— Tim O’Brien

Chaim Waisman was the eldest of the Waisman brothers. During the Nazi occupation, his job was to drive trucks in an out of the Skarszysko ghetto. It was a privileged job that, at times, allowed him to stumble upon privileged information. Like in 1942, when he discovered that Skarszysko was going to be liquidated by the Nazis.

Not wanting the “baby” of the family to be liquidated, Chaim put his youngest brother (Robbie) in the back

of his truck, covered him with hay, told him to stay down, and smuggled him out of the city under the cover of night. He left him in an abandoned barn outside the city, and told him he’d return in a couple of days.

The youngest Waisman waited.

One day, two days, then three. At night he raided gardens for food; the rest of the time he waited and worried. He worried something had happened to Chaim, worried that his oldest brother might not be coming back for him. And at some point, while he was hiding in the barn, the remaining denizens of Skarszysko — the ones the Nazis didn’t deem useful and old — were rounded up. They were put on a cattle train, sent to Treblinka and were gassed.

Waisman’s mother was one of those people. But he didn’t know that then; he didn’t know that until later.

At the time, all he knew was he had to stay in hiding, he had to find food and he had to wait for his brother to return.

When Chaim did, he put Robbie back in the truck and took him to the work camp where their father and brother, Abraham, were being held.

“Life was hard there,” says Waisman. “When I first started working in the munitions factory it was my job to stamp anti-aircraft shells. At first it was very difficult, I wasn’t used to it.

My hands got torn apart; they began to bleed. I just put bandages on them and continued. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when your life is at stake.”

It’s also amazing what the human body, mind and spirit can endure.

“Going to the barracks from work was always dangerous,” remembers Waisman. “If some guard saw me and said, ‘Oh, a youngster! What is he doing here?’ who knows what could’ve happened? He could’ve just pulled me out of line and killed me right there.”

For Waisman, the walk to work was a journey along the razor’s edge, a constant teetering above a black abyss.

Back at the barracks, life wasn’t much better. The prisoners were forced to sleep together in cramped bunks — no mattresses, just straw.

They slept in their clothes. They didn’t change, didn’t shower. Lice ran rampant in the camp. When they turned out the lights, bed bugs would Continued on next page »

4 May 9 – May 15 news + opinion

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

descend upon them. There were rats all over the place. Filth was everywhere.

In these conditions it’s no surprise that typhoid fever soon swept through the camp. Waisman’s brother Abraham was one of the people who fell ill.

“There was an infirmary in the camp with nurses in white uniforms,” says Waisman. “People would go there thinking they’d get medicine, but the place was always empty. Whoever went there, they’d simply be taken out back and killed … We didn’t want that to happen to Abraham so we hid him under straw when we went to work. We gave him water when we could.”

Waisman and his father hoped against hope Abraham would get better. But one day, while Waisman was getting ready for work, his brother was discovered — pale-skinned and glassy-eyed.

“They picked him out and led him to a truck,” says Waisman, his voice wavering slightly.

“I followed them out and one of the men grabbed me and said, ‘You don’t want to go with your brother.’ I told him I did. I didn’t care, I wanted to tell him I loved him. I’d never done that … He was the one who showed me the art of survival. Going to and from work, he would make sure I was on the inside so the guards couldn’t see me. In line, he’d pinch my cheeks to make me look healthier.”

When the truck was full, it pulled away, drove out of the compound and into the woods. Waisman watched it go. Eventually he lost sight of the truck. Then he heard the crackling sound of machine gun fire.

“I didn’t make anything of it at first,” recalls Waisman. “But as it got

closer I looked and saw the truck.

It was empty. That’s when it hit me, when it all came down on me. Why did they kill my brother? What was his crime?”

The past is never dead. It’s not even past.

— William Faulkner

Sunday was Waisman’s favourite day in the camp, the day he most looked forward to.

Because Waisman and his father worked opposites shifts, they’d only see each other briefly while walking to and from work, two times a day. They’d wave to one another in passing and wait for Sunday — the one day they could spend time together.

But on the Sunday after Abraham died, things were different.

“I looked at my dad then, and couldn’t recognize him,” says Waisman. “His black hair had turned white.

His strength, his enthusiasm — everything was gone. I remember thinking, where is my dad? Where is his strength? And I remember being angry at him for that.”

Waisman regrets that anger to this day. Years later, when he became a father himself, he finally realized how painful it must have been for his dad to see Abraham die. He finally understood the empty hole the death must have left in the centre of his father’s being.

Yet at the time, even though he was mad at him, Waisman continued to wave to his father when they passed each other in the work lines. He waved to him on the Mon-

Photo: courtesy of adam hawboldt

day after Abraham was murdered.

He waved to him on Tuesday. And on Wednesday.

On Thursday he looked for his father, but couldn’t find him. Waisman never saw his father again. “To this day I wonder how my dad died,” says Waisman. “Did he fall because he was not fast enough, and was killed?

Or maybe he ran out and touched the electric wires of the camp? Or maybe he just lay down on the bunks and died of a broken heart.”

Not long after his father’s mysterious disappearance, Waisman fell ill with typhoid fever.

With both his brother and dad gone, Waisman had no one to take care of him. But someone must have.

Even though he doesn’t remember who, Waisman knows someone must have hid him under the straw and gave him water because somehow he wasn’t found. Somehow he got better.

But when he finally went back to work, Waisman was still weak — so weak that one day he stumbled. The guards noticed, pulled him out of work, and put him in the back of a truck — the same truck that ushered his brother Abraham to his death.

Waisman wasn’t afraid, though. He didn’t care anymore.

There was a sense of relief in knowing the end was near. Who wanted to live in a world like this, anyway? But live he did, thanks in part to a guard who recognized him from the munitions factory. This guard waved the truck over and had the young Jewish boy dragged from the truck back to the barracks.

Somewhere along the way, Waisman fainted.

Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it.

— Michel de Montaigne

The years spent in concentration camps — first in the Skarszysko, then in Buchenwald — hardened Waisman.

He transformed overnight from a child into an adult.

People died in front him — family, friends, strangers. With each ensuing death, it became just another thing for him to deal with. He developed a resistance to the outside forces that preyed upon him. He lived in his own little world; there was no bigger picture. Waisman walked through life in the concentration camps with blinders on, concerned only with the few feet in front of him. The next few minutes were all that mattered, the next few morsels of bread were all he needed.

He’d become a zombie who worked and existed on instinct alone.

That’s why, when asked his name during the liberation of Buchenwald, Waisman responded by giving his number. By that time, he’d become dehumanized. “We didn’t act like human beings,” says Waisman. “We didn’t have normal feelings. Hunger and thirst were about the only ones … After we were liberated, we had to learn how to come back to humanity.”

Eventually that happened.

Eventually they left Buchenwald.

Eventually Waisman immigrated to Canada and married a girl from Saskatchewan — he even lived here for a while. And eventually he began telling people his story.

It took some time, though. Waisman and the other young prisoners had promised the elders in the concentration camps that, if they survived, they’d tell the world what happened to their people. What they lived through and witnessed. But in the years after liberation, the memories were too terrible to deal with. Too raw to touch. Too painful to talk about.

It took a Holocaust-denying teacher in Alberta named James Keegstra to get Wasiman to break his silence. He has been talking ever since.

Standing at the front of the Congregation Agudas Israel Synagogue, Waisman steps out from behind the lectern.

His story has been told, but his wounds are far from healed.

With sure, steady feet, he steps down a short set of stairs into the main aisle. People clamour to the front of the room to meet him and talk to him. To take pictures and hug him.

It’s an outpouring of love and respect. And while it’s easy to see that Waisman appreciates this, no amount of love or respect can erase the memories he lives with. Memories that have intensified, that have returned more frequently the older he grows.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

5 May 9 – May 15 @verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

news + opinion

editorial

Drinking and driving dilemma Punish behind-the-wheel boozers, but only after they’ve been convicted

A

t the moment, anyone found driving with a blood-alcohol content (BAC) higher than .08 receives an immediate 24-hour suspension, followed by an additional 90-day suspension once SGI is notified.

In roughly a month and a half, all that is going to change.

At that time, anyone found driving with a BAC over .08 will have their

Presumed innocence: it is, and always should be, paramount. That’s why it was enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. But this new traffic law doesn’t seem to care too much about presumed innocence.

It applies to every alleged impaired driver, whether they be innocent or guilty. And in a province where impaired driving trials aren’t scheduled until six to nine months after

license suspended until their charge comes before the court.

We find this very troubling.

You see, section 11(d) of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms explicitly states that “Any person charged with an offence has the right … (d) to be presumed innocent until proven guilty according to the law in a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.”

you’re charge (and can be delayed for more than year under certain circumstances), this new rule could prove problematic — especially if you’re innocent.

Now you may be thinking: how can you be innocent of the charge if you blow over .08 on the breathalyzer? Well, for starters, breath testers can be wrong. Scientists have universally acknowledged that breath analyzers have an inherent error of plus or minus .01 percent, which has been recognized and upheld in U.S. courts, including (but not limited to) People v. Campos, 138 Cal. Rptr. 366 (California) and Haynes v. Department of Public Safety, 865 P.2d 753 (Alaska).

What that means is that even in ideal conditions, a BAC reading of .08 could be anywhere between .07 to .09. That’s a margin of error of about 20 to 30 percent. There’s no way you’d accept this margin of error from, say, your accountant, so why is it reasonable to accept it in court?

What’s more, there are substances that can lead to a false BAC reading.

As discussed in Potsdam University’s “DWI/DUI Facts & Fiction,”during one study a sober subject was asked to apply a pint of contact cement to a piece of plywood, then apply a gallon of oil-based pain to a wall.

Twenty minutes later the subject blew a .12 into a breathalyzer. In another study, a subject used a protective mask and spray painted a room for 20 minutes. He took a blood

test, it showed no alcohol. He blew into a breathalyzer and registered a .075 reading.

Now don’t get us wrong — we deplore drinking and driving. It is dangerous, stupid and reckless, and those who are convicted should be punished.

But dissolving the cornerstone of “presumed innocent until proven guilty” is troubling, too.

So what to do? Well, we would suggest focusing more on harm-reductive strategies to prevent drinking and driving in the first place — running buses later, for example, or making taxis more available. Hand in hand with that would be stiffer penalties if convicted. First offence for blowing higher than .08 would remain the same (one-year license suspension plus hefty fines.) The second offence would lead to a five-year suspension plus associated fines. A third offence would mean a life-time driving ban and six months in jail.

But only if a person convicted.

Until then, we should leave our system as is.

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

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina feedback@verbnews.com

6 May 9 – May 15 news + opinion

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

comments

On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about photo radar. Here's what you had to say:

– About photo radar in province ¤ what a bunch of bull its only to make the fatcats fatter and we all know pictures can b altered

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r b 8372

you have to move Roma different HUNDRED BLOCK. Until that bylaw is removed, the convenience of smart phone access is a moot point.

In response to “Parking Problems,” Editorial,

– Photo radar is known to be a cash grab that does nothing in the service of public safety. Disgusting.

We should not be paying for this.

– Photo radar seems like a pretty ineffective thing if you’re going to announce where you’re posting them. People would just speed anyways, and then slow down when they’re by the radar. Dumb.

– Photo radar = money for city. I would not be happy with a ticket months after. This is ridiculous but not surprising of course they want the cash grab.

– I think they put photo radar in Edmonton and it just got them more money Don’t stand for this!

Fight it because this is not how we should be helping people stay safe on our roads.

OFF TOPIC – Re: parking article: it’s a great plan except for one problem...by law, of you park for the maximum amount of time (in most places, 1.5 or 2 hours) you aren’t allowed to plug the meter again and remain;

# 125 (April 25, 2014)

– City plans to drop 1.2 million dollars to track black garbage bins...how about using the cash for painting white lines for lanes on ALL city streets so drivers know where they are driving

– The new neighbourhoods that are springing up don’t have much colour. All you see are browns and greys and black. How boring!

With many houses being built the same and also having the same colours, it could be possible for someone to go to the wrong house in the dark.

sound off – Double the bike plates double the pot holes . Can’t ride in this city.

– So sorry to hear about the two teens who lost their lives in the senseless tragedy on 22nd street.

It happened all because of some selfish thieves stealing a vehicle.

Life is precious. If there is someone in your life that you love, tell them so. You never know when you will never again have that chance.

– Sad to hear about the victims of the car accident - so young. As were the people who killed them.

Four lives irrevocably changed not to mention their families and friends. My heart breaks for the situation. Hold your loved ones close! Yo never know.

– Be strong because things will get better. It may be stormy now but it never rains forever.

– We sure could use a little good news today.

– I am unimpressed by the evening tv programming. Every night, there’s always programs about solving murders. So depressing.

Let’s get some wholesome family programming. I’m not talking leave it to beaver but more positive shows would be nice.

Next week: What do you think about the changes coming to those caught drinking and driving? Text in your thoughts to 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.

7 May 9 – May 15 /verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

news + opinion

q+a

Modern Day Monsters Photos: courtesy of Sean Smith, Stingray Pictures + Hatter photography

Calgary melodic hardcore band Torches To Triggers releases its sophomore album by Alex J MacPherson

I

n late 2012, Torches To Triggers released its debut album, a furiously energetic collection of melodic hardcore songs titled Doomsday In Douglasdale. The album cemented the Calgary-based band’s reputation for stacking ferocious guitar lines on top of punishing rhythm parts. Doomsday In Douglasdale also demonstrated that the five musicians — Chris Kreuger, Phil Schumacher, Justin Stillwell, Corey Tapp, and former lead guitarist Gavin Spate — were prepared to embrace not just melodic hardcore, but also elements of punk, rock, and metal.

After Spate’s departure, Torches To Triggers recruited a new lead guitar player, Kyle Wilson, and started writing their sophomore album. Released late last month, Modern Day Monsters builds on the success of its predecessor.

The songs on the record are more complex, more sophisticated, and more aggressive than anything on Doomsday In Douglasdale.

They are also much more accessible, fusing elements of hard rock (“Expect Revolution”) and popular punk (“Necro Love”) to the band’s signature hardcore sound. Vocalist Chris Kreuger is in his element, his voice strong yet malleable (the restrained brutality of “Expect Revolution” is the perfect backdrop, one of his finest performances on a record

full of them). According to bassist Corey Tapp, who is best known for his role in another Calgary hardcore band, This Is A Standoff, the new album benefited from more cooks in the kitchen. “From the get-go, our ethos was to collaborate on different music styles, kind of throw it together like a big old pot of stew,” he says.

“Throw the ingredients together, and hopefully it turns out okay!”

At the same time, spreading out the responsibility for writing and arranging songs is never easy. On the eve of the record’s release I spoke with Tapp about following Doomsday In Douglasdale, taming the band’s sound, and the difficult part of collaboration.

had to resort to doing what we had to do to [get] the album done.

everyone to digest. It kind of opens up the doors to different fans, and people who enjoy different styles of music — not just melodic hardcore.

AJM: Can you tell me what the recording process was like?

CT: Well, we were on a really, really huge time constraint. Basically, we had about three months to conceptualize the songs and get it into the studio. The actual studio time was broken up into two portions.

One portion was about two and a half weeks, where drums and Chris Kreuger’s vocals and his guitar were completed. Then we had a break in between. Kyle went in and did his guitar, and I ended off the instru-

Alex J MacPherson: After releasing Doomsday In Douglasdale in 2012, did you have a clear idea of where you wanted the new record to go?

AJM: Albums are usually recorded in that order for a reason. But did doing something other than the usual process lead to any interesting surprises, or was it just a hassle?

CT: There were a lot of surprises.

When I write songs, I write songs with every instrument in mind. By me not being there in that process, a lot of the things I tried to convey in my songwriting weren’t exactly conveyed properly with the guys.

But, at the same [time], they were able to do things I wasn’t thinking of. They created their own style of how to play it — it wasn’t necessarily the way

…this is what makes this record so cool: it has all sorts of different elements…

Corey Tapp: This record, it’s different from our last effort because the way we approached writing the record was to focus more on being a little bit more palatable. We kind of approached it thinking of, I don’t want to say pop, but more of a palatable sound. Our last record had a lot of scream vocals and on this record we toned that down considerably, just because I feel that a more palatable music style is just a lot easier for

corey tapp

ments with the bass guitar — and then we sat and did the backing vocals after everything was said and done. It was a little bit different from how I’m usually recording albums.

Usually it’s the rhythm section and then the melodic instruments and then vocals get put on top. But as our schedule did not allow for bass to be done immediately after drums, we

that I wrote it, but it was the way that it came out — it gave me a different perspective on the songs that I wrote.

AJM: That must have been an interesting experience. What do you make of the results?

CT: I’m an artist, and it’s like anyone: if you muck around with their art,

they tend to get a little bit testy. But I really think having those guys do what they did really kind of put a signature onto the sound. It wasn’t the Corey Tapp show, like the last album.

That was really cool for me to hear once everything was said and done.

AJM: That collaborative approach seems to align with the band’s mission statement, the notion that all of these musical ideas — from hardcore to technical, melodic metal — can and should be combined.

CT: It would definitely be different music if each one of us would have taken the reins on the whole album.

And I mean, this is what makes this record so cool: it has all sorts of different elements to it; it’s not just one genre. Some of it is rock and roll, some of it is more hardcore, some of it’s construed as straight-up punk rock, and alternative metal as well — we get a bit of that in the mix. It wouldn’t be possible without these guys collaborating, everyone pulling it together.

Going forward, this is the best way for us to be able to write music.

Torches To Triggers May 22 @ The Exchange $15+ @ culturalexchange.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

8 May 9 – May 15 culture

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

arts

Birch Bark Ltd.

Winnipeg artist KC Adams explores two sides of identity in new exhibition

K

C Adams conceived Birch Bark Ltd. as an expression of her life, both as a visual artist and as a person of mixed Cree, Ojibway, and European descent.

She wanted to unravel the complicated and often adversarial elements that make up her identity.

In a sense, this is familiar territory for Adams, who frequently explores identity politics in her work. But Birch Bark Ltd. was also intended to serve as a legacy, to be passed on to her son.

“I want to let him understand that I grew up not knowing about my culture, because there was shame attached to it,” Adams says. “I don’t want him to have that. I want him to be [part of] the first generation to break that off. I want him to be proud of his culture, but I also want to show him that I’m not just First Nations —

that I’m also non-aboriginal, of British descent with some Scottish as well.” A moment later she adds, “I also wanted him to understand that I sort of selfidentify as an artist first.”

Birch Bark Ltd. consists of twentyfour porcelain birch tree trunks, each rising from its own plinth. In the trunk of each tree are embedded emblems, corporate logos recreated as birch bark bitings. Birch bark biting is a form of folk art developed by the Ojibway, Cree, and other indigenous peoples, created by inscribing folded squares of birch bark with the eyeteeth. When unfolded, the pattern becomes symmetrical. According to Adams, the technique was frequently used to create patterns for beading.

By rendering corporate logos in a decidedly non-corporate way, and placing them on birch tree trunks, Adams emphasizes the duality of her life.

music reviews Andino Suns — It’s Time To Rise Independent, 2014 It’s Time To Rise, the sophomore album from Regina’s Andino Suns, is a testament to the band’s growth over the last eighteen months. Formed in 2009 by three Chilean-Canadians, Andino Suns quickly grew into a seven-piece band. It’s Time To Rise features drums and electric guitars alongside traditional instruments like the zampoña and quena.

Unlike the band’s 2013 debut, which was sung entirely in Spanish, It’s Time To Rise includes songs written and performed in English. On some, like the slow-burning ballad “Freedom Fighter” and the bright and cheerful “Dreaming,” Andino Suns sound like a folk-rock band deploying the slightest hint of Latin influence. Other tracks are more conventional: the fiery and propulsive “La Jula” and “Gitana,” a simple

by alex J MacPherson

The birch tree has for centuries been vital to First Nations people. It was used for practical purposes, including building canoes and shelters; its bark was used to make folk art. “But I also wanted to show that I’m not this sort of holier-than-thou spiritual Indian, the stereotype,” Adams says. “I’m also a consumer.”

One of the most important logos featured in Birch Bark Ltd. is the insignia of the Hudson’s Bay Company.

Established in 1670, the Hudson’s Bay Company is the oldest commercial enterprise in North America.

Like so many others, Adams’ familial and personal histories are inextricably tied to the company’s. “The white men in our family all worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company, and they would take on Cree women as wives,” she says. “And The Bay was sort of a big deal when we were kids,

taking the bus there. So my entire history is enshrouded by the Hudson’s Bay Company.”

Birch Bark Ltd. is more than just a collision of cultures, however. According to Adams, the installation also delves into environmental matters. It addresses the often troubled relationship between corporate success and environmental sustainability. The tree trunk sculptures are not rooted in the ground, but elevated on plinths.

Adams says this is meant to symbolize the disconnect between people and the land they inhabit, as well as her own relationship to her cultural ancestry. “We’re not connected to nature like we should be. We should be paying attention to what’s going on, but we’re not, we’re cut off.”

What makes Birch Bark Ltd. unusual is that the installation is confrontational but not antagonistic.

Adams is interested in forging connections between disparate elements of her identity, not pushing them apart. “I’ve always maintained that I don’t have to get my point across by being aggressive,” she says. “I’ve always felt that my position is to use beauty to draw people in — and then once they get closer they recognize what’s actually going on, that’s when I punch them in the stomach.” In other words, the installation — an expression of Adams’ identity — is about reconciliation, not conflict and division. “It’s refusing to call myself one or the other,” she says. “It’s creating a position in the middle. And it’s creating my own identity, where I can claim that.”

Birch Bark Ltd. Through June 4 @ Dunlop Art Gallery, Sherwood Branch

By alex J MacPherson

yet beautiful ballad, would not be out of place on the band’s first record.

The most engaging tracks on It’s Time To Rise are those that fall in the middle. The reverb-drenched guitars and Andrés Dávalos’ raspy vocals on “Havana Sun” conjure up the spectre of a darker, rootsier Bedouin Soundclash. The title track, a deeply felt examination of Latin America’s long history of political turmoil, unfolds over a hypnotic guitar groove, and ends on a triumphant note, as Dávalos bellows: “Raise your fists and resist, take no more / It’s time to rise!”

Andino Suns’ ability to seamlessly switch from Latin-style grooves to rock pyrotechnics is on display on “Toro,” which tells the story of a courageous bullfighter. The song opens as a traditional romantic ballad before settling into a lively groove. Then the band changes gears, and the song launches into a soaring guitar solo — an unexpected yet not displeasing blast of Santana-esque smoothness.

Musical fusion of the sort practiced

by Andino Suns is never an easy sell,

but the seven musicians who make up the band are getting better and better at melding their favourite sounds into something distinctive and compelling. With each new record, they come closer to a sound that is entirely their own. It’s Time To Rise is not perfect, but its best moments suggest the band is honing in on something great.

Plague Vendor — Free To Eat Epitaph, 2014 What Plague Vendor’s debut album lacks in length, it makes up for in raw energy. Clocking in at just eighteen minutes, Free To Eat captures the feeling of a disorderly basement punk show. The Whittier, California quartet got started playing shows in offbeat venues — basements, warehouses, anywhere.

Like those teenage mob scenes,

Free To Eat is proof that punk is best when dangling from the slenderest of threads.

The biggest presence on the album is vocalist Brandon Blaine, whose unearthly wailing is a potent counterpoint to the spiky guitars and roiling rhythm section. On “Cursed Love, Hexed Lust,” he sounds a bit like Jack White. Then the band ratchets up the tempo, and his primal howl is transformed into a machine-gun burst of black musings vaguely reminiscent of Anthony Kiedis. Blaine reaches his frenzied apex on “Seek The Ruby Scarab,” sixty seconds of violent power chords and shrieking vitriol.

But Free To Eat is much more than just eighteen minutes of noise.

Blaine’s secret weapon is not his willingness to let go, but his ability to exercise restraint. On “Garden Lanterns,” his delivery is measured.

Instead of dominating, he hangs back and allows Jay Rogers’ piercing guitar to propel the song forward. On “My Tongue Is So Treacherous,” he cuts loose with an inhuman scream

before settling into the song’s metallic, Dick Dale-inspired groove. It’s the same story with the guitars, bass, and drums: by backing off occasionally, Plague Vendor only accentuates the big moments.

The upshot is that Free To Eat maintains a sense of balance. Infused with elements of surf and early rock, the album is a refreshing break from the de rigueur California punk sound.

And by indulging their obsession with folklore and mysticism, as well as more straightforward themes like late-night debauchery and getting the hell out of town, Plague Vendor produced a record that is as penetrating as it is noisy. Which is as good a definition of contemporary punk as you’ll find anywhere.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

9 May 9 – May 15 @verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

culture

Feature

The Worse Things G The Harder I Fight

Neko Case on the difficult birth of her latest — and potentially gr

by Alex J MacPherson

T

he title of Neko Case’s latest album perfectly captures the spirit of her life and her career. Released late last year, The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You is Case’s eighth album, not counting her work with the New Pornographers, with whom she has made albums for fifteen years. It is also a disarmingly poignant collection of songs that branch out from her alt-country roots in half a dozen different directions. In some respects, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight is the natural extension of 2009’s Middle Cyclone: the sonics are similar, the songs more refined, more potent.

But Case’s new record emerged from much different, and much more difficult, circumstances than any of its predecessors.

After releasing Middle Cyclone, Case lost her beloved grandmother.

A few months later, she lost her parents, too. Although she was not close with her mother and father, all three deaths affected her deeply. She found herself sinking into depression.

In a 2013 interview with The Guardian, she described it as “physically disabling,” like being “in this plastic bag.” Her notorious sense of humour evaporated, leaving her “a little pan-

icky.” But Case refused to succumb.

Although she does not remember writing some of it, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight emerged not as a catalogue of infirmity, but a conscious attempt to examine, to analyze — and to overcome.

Neko Case was born in Alexandria, Virginia. After a childhood shaped by divorce and perhaps best described as transient, she left home at fifteen. After several years in Tacoma, Washington, she moved to British Columbia to study at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and

releasing cagey alt-country records.

She quickly established herself as a talented songwriter and an earthshattering vocalist. The battered and bruised Fender Jazzmaster she often plays is evidence of the way she attacks her guitar, playing each chord as if everything depends on it.

Since she released her third solo album, Blacklisted, in 2002, Case’s sound has been creeping steadily away from her alt-country beginnings. Her more recent efforts tend to bedevil critics searching for the

It was plain old grief and confusion. The record happened in spite of the depression rather than because of it. neko case

Design. (Her left and right forearms are tattooed with “Scorned as Timber” and “Beloved of the Sky,” which combine to form the title of a Emily Carr painting; it depicts a lonely tree soaring high into the atmosphere, far above the rugged earth below.) While still at school, she forged connections with members of the New Pornographers and began

perfect description. The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight contains elements of folk, country, pop, and rock and roll, yet cleaves to none of them.

The main anchor is her rich and lusty voice, which she manipulates with ease, moving seamlessly from contemplative restraint to unhinged wildness and back again. This is evident Continued on next page »

10 May 9 – May 15 culture

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

Get, Photo: courtesy of Emily Shur

reatest — album on tracks like “Man,” a rollicking subversion of traditional gender roles and an affirmation of common humanity: “I’m a man / There’s innocence in all mankind / It’s what kind of animal I am / It’s that simple.”

The centrepiece of the album is one of the strangest songs Case has ever recorded. A stirring a cappella tune, “Nearly Midnight, Honolulu” transforms a cruel conversation between a mother and child into an exegesis of the album’s prominent themes: strength and vulnerability, violence

distance and pain. The muffled sonar ping that opens “Where Did I Leave That Fire” hints at what follows: a clear and concise description of depression and fear: “A chill ran through me and I grabbed on tight / That was when I left my body for good / And I shook off all the strength I’d earned.”

Which is not exactly true. The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight finds Case at her most exposed, her most vulnerable. But the sheer force of will needed to transform a probing examination of identity into a ringing celebration of life makes it difficult to conceive of Case as a victim. “I think it can go either way,” she wrote in a recent e-mail.

“I don’t think you need to suffer at all though. I think it’s an unhealthy myth about creative people and the way they work.” The upshot is that Case didn’t make The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight because of her depression, but in spite of it. And that is just one reason why it ranks among her finest achievements.

Alex J MacPherson: The title of the record suggests that this wasn’t easy, and probably still isn’t. What prompted you to give the record a title steeped in conflict and, I think, uncertainty?

Neko Case: I was explaining to a friend the difficulty I was having naming the record. I said to him, “what I’m trying to get across is; the worse things get… etc.” Then I realized that was what I wanted to impart to my listeners.

AJM: You’ve spoken openly about the difficult circumstances surrounding this record’s birth. Can you tell me a bit about what happened, and how it may have influenced the writing and recording of this record?

Photo: courtesy of Emily Shur

and depression, a sense of helplessness in the face of time’s relentless arrow. Other tracks on the record are more conventional, but no less intoxicating. “Wild Creatures” is a brooding, mid-tempo ballad that strips the disguise of refinement from the beast within, “Calling Cards” a quietly hopeful denunciation of time and

NC: I was just really depressed. I lost several family members in a short time.

It was plain old grief and confusion.

The record happened in spite of the depression rather than because of it.

I was the opposite of inspired by it, in any way.

AJM: In the past, you’ve written songs from all kinds of perspectives, including that of a tornado. What is your songwriting process like? Do you

think, “I’m going to write about this” or “I’m going to write about that,” or do you find yourself surprised by what emerges?

the immediate nature of it. I liked the idea that if it could just exist in the air I would commit. Like jumping into a quarry swimming hole.

NC: Yeah, but it comes from hard work. Ideas are king. You really have to wait on them hand and foot. Then they breed like rabbits.

It can be overwhelming. I don’t always have a focus, but I always have intent to work.

AJM: How has your work with the New Pornographers, or indeed any of the other projects you’ve been involved with, affected the way you approach making a Neko Case record?

AJM: “Nearly Midnight, Honolulu” is a powerful centrepiece for the record, and I think a great expression of the themes that run through the album.

Can you tell me a bit about that song?

Was that an incident you witnessed?

Why did it resonate with you, and prompt the decision to put the song right in the middle of the record?

NC: They definitely inspire me toward choruses and gang-vocals.

The only difference is I usually have to make a “gang” out of myself on the recordings. [Longtime collaborator Kelly] Hogan helps a great deal.

AJM: Now that this record is out, how do you think it positioned you,

both as a songwriter and a person, for the future?

NC: I’m sure it has, and for the good, but I have to confess I’m still afraid of depression. I don’t want it back any time soon.

Neko Case May 18 @ O’Brians Event Centre $35+ @ obrianseventcentre.com

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

NC: It is a verbatim conversation witnessed by me. I still think about that kid and hope she’s doing okay.

AJM: You’ve talked about avoiding writing “traditional love songs,” yet “Calling Cards” is one of the most achingly beautiful love songs I’ve heard all year. Did you consciously relax that rule for this record?

NC: Well, it’s a love song for all my bandmates, so I still think it’s non-traditional. God help me if I actually fall in love! I might make myself puke with teenage mooning.

AJM: How do you think the process of living with and making this record changed you, and the way you think about the world?

NC: I realized even in the compromised state I was in that I was still effective, still functional and that was my road out.

AJM: Musically, this feels like one of the most diverse and eclectic records you’ve ever made. Did you maybe open yourself up to more musical ideas with this record?

NC: I try to do that with every record, but this one is a bit more odd, I think. The a cappella song was written in the car, I was singing into a handheld recorder. I think I liked

11 May 9 – May 15 /verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

culture

food + drink

Photos: courtesy of marc messett

TRULY THAI Planning a trip to Thailand? Swing by Regina’s Siam first for a little food preview by mj deschamps

T

hose with a hankering for Asian cuisine never have to search far in the Queen City, with Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai fusion restaurants on (practically) every street corner.

Despite the plethora of options, however, ‘authenticity’ is a bit harder to come by. Many restaurants mix together Asian flavours or add in Western influences, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in terms of taste but might illicit a bit of confusion upon visiting a traditional sushi bar in Japan or a Pad Thai restaurant

so accustomed to ‘Westernized’ versions of Thai dishes, that since opening Siam, he’s had customers approach him with confusion after being served the real thing. (Fun fact: Srisodsai said that the first rule for making an authentic Pad Thai is no ketchup and no green onion ­— two things he said he’s seen in not-so-traditional plates).

For those who know authentic Thai from the altered versions that exist out there, however, Siam is a breath of fresh, delicious air. “Most people who have been to Thailand before are surprised they can get the same food right here in Regina,” said Srisodsai.

Items range from more recognizable favourites, like curry chicken and garlic pork, to plates you might not normally see outside of Thailand, like the Pla Rad Prik (an entire deep-fried fish, complete with bones and eyeballs) or the fried rice served in a carved out, whole pineapple.

My authentic Thai meal began with a tray full of ‘hot shots’ — hot and spicy shrimp in a basil ‘Yum’ sauce.

Definitely meant to be a ‘share-sies’ sort of appetizer, the hot shots are true to their name: as someone with a lower than average tolerance to spice, my mouth was on FIRE. Lovers of all things hot and spicy will be all over this one, but those with a more refined palate will appreciate the complex notes in the basil shot, too.

in Bangkok and not recognizing anything on your plate.

That’s why the seemingly straightforward slogan “we serve real Thai food” at Hamilton Street’s Siam restaurant is actually worth noting.

The lack of truly authentic Thai food in the city is what first prompted owner Thutchai Srisodsai to start up the downtown joint back in 2007.

“When I first came [to Regina], I tried Pad Thai a few times…and it was very different from what we had back home,” he said. In fact, said Srisodsai, some of the city’s diners have become

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide MANGO PASSION COCKTAIL

Ingredients

Ripe, juicy mangoes are a muchloved ingredient in many Asian dishes, and can be found in everything from sweet sauces to fresh salads to garnishes. While you’re chowing down on something extra spicy, mangos in cocktail form can also act as a tasty way to help tame the heat.

2 ripe mangoes ½ cup vodka ¼ cup lime juice 2 tsp. sugar dash of salt 1 bottle champagne

directions

Cut mangoes and put into blender. Add in vodka, lime juice, salt and sugar.

Blend well to create a mango puree. Pour into glasses, half-filling them. Top up with champagne and garnish with wedges of lime.

Next was the ‘Tom Kah Gai’ — chicken sliced in a creamy soup flavoured with coconut milk, lemongrass, lime juice and tender mushrooms. The thick, colourful broth is full of bright red cayenne peppers, so it obviously packs a punch, but the heat only hits you after the first creamy, multilayered bite of tender chicken, sautéed veggies and spices.

I had heard that Siam’s Pad Thai dish was among the best in the city, and hands down, I have to agree: soft noodles, crispy and flavourful bean sprouts, juicy shrimp, nicely seasoned tofu, bright green chives….shall I go on? If you’re used to a sweet Pad Thai, you may be surprised by the more salty quality of this one — but I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll have zero trouble converting.

I finished off my meal with the Pla Rad Prik — a truly Thai plate that I doubt many people have seen elsewhere in the city. Piled on top of a deep-fried, whole tilapia was a beautiful, chutney-like topping of fresh green and red peppers and pineapple, mixed in a sweet, chili

garlic sauce. Under the thin, crispy skin, the inside was very moist and flaky — and although I was a bit apprehensive at first about my lunch looking at me, I decided to close my eyes and dig right in.

Although Thai food is known for being spicy, Srisodsai said that not all dishes need to be paired with icy jugs of water. In fact, customers have the option of adding different levels of spice to their meals, if they should so choose.

“About half the items on the menu really aren’t very spicy at all,” he said, dispelling one of the common myths about Thai food.

“Thai food has many different tastes and flavours — some of them are spicy, but many are sweet, sour, salty, etc., too.”

Siam Authentic Thai Restaurant 1946 Hamilton Street | (306) 352 8424 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina mdeschamps@verbnews.com

12 May 9 – May 15 culture

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

music

Next Week

coming up

All Mighty Voice

PROF

Chad VanGaalen

@ Artful Dodger Saturday, May 17 – cover tbd

@ The Exchange Sunday, May 18 – $25

@ The Exchange thursday, June 5 – $18

There’s something rugged and gritty about the music All Mighty Voice plays. But at the same time, there’s something elegant about it — elegant and simple. Building a wall of sound using upright bass, piano, organ, drums, harmonica, and electric and acoustic guitars, this folk quintet from Prince Albert plays the type of music that makes you want to kick back and chill out. Consisting of Jordan Balicki, Lucy James, Abraham Lancaster, Shayne Lazarowich and Ian Dickson, All Mighty Voice have played a wide array of venues around Saskatchewan, including the Main Stage at the Ness Creek Music Festival. Their single, “Movin’ On,” appeared on SaskMusic’s In Tune 2013, and their debut album, All For One, is coming out this month.

Prof knows what it is to grind it out.

For more than a decade he worked his way through the Minneapolis hip-hop scene, playing shows, rocking houses and gaining a loyal fan base. For a while, it looked like he’d never break out of that, but lately the rapper has been gaining national attention, and appearing with the likes of Yelawolf, Tech N9ne, Brother Ali and Atmosphere. With lyrics that are sometimes goofy, sometimes serious, Prof is an artist who embodies duality. He raps about the hardships and adversity he went through growing up, he raps about whiskey and partying and women. But no matter what he’s rapping about, Prof’s quirky flow is always present. He’ll be opening for Atmosphere when they roll into Regina; tickets at ticketedge.ca.

Calgary’s Chad VanGaalen’s first creative endeavour was that of a visual artists. Then one day, as a bit of a joke, he wrote a song. People liked it, so he continued writing songs. People continued to like them, and in 2004 he released Infiniheart — a record made up of songs mostly recorded in his bedroom/ makeshift studio. His first songs were of the indie-pop persuasion, but soon he taught himself to play guitar and turned his attention to making rock music. And while his sound might’ve changed over the years, one thing remains the same: VanGaalen is constantly making original, unique music. For years now, he’s been the flagship artist on the Flemish Eye label, a label that boasts a line-up that includes acts like Braids, Women, and Ghostkeeper. Tickets available through ticketedge.ca.

– By Adam Hawboldt

Photos courtesy of: the artist/ truncata/ amanda ash

Sask music Preview It’s time for a SaskMusic membership drive! Everyone who is a SaskMusic member by May 31 will be entered to win a $250 gift certificate to the music/tech shop of their choice, with more prizes to be announced. The benefits of being a SaskMusic member include one-on-one consultations; the ability to participate in Music2Media; discounts on (or free) music workshops, and much more. Prospective members are invited to stop in, give us a call, and/or book a free 1/2-hour consult to find out more about SaskMusic: 306-347-0676, 1-800-347-0676 or visit our Membership Benefits page https://www.saskmusic.org/about-us/membership-info

13 May 9 – May 15 @verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

culture

listings

Live Tunes / Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre — Get grooving! 3pm / Free

may 9 » may 17 M

T

W

Tara Solheim / Artful Dodger — A local pop singer/songwriter. 8pm / Cover TBD Comeback Kid / The Exchange — With Counterparts, Backtrack + more. 7pm / $20 Decibel Frequency / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS Fresh / The Hookah Lounge — Wtih DJ Ageless and DJ Drewski. 7pm / No cover Open Mic Night / King’s Head — Come out and show what you got. 8pm / No cover Hello Lady / McNally’s Tavern — With Fortunate Isles and Beautiful UFO. 9pm / $5 DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — One of Regina’s best DJs. 8pm / Cover TBD

Monday 12

Open Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz / Bushwakker — Featuring ‘round Midnight. 8pm / No cover

The most complete live music listings for Regina.

S

Thursday 15

T

9

10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Friday 9

George Thorogood and The Destroyers / Casino Regina — Kickass rock and roll. 8pm / SOLD OUT Charlie, Monster! / The Club — With Highwind, Alone I Walk + more. 8pm / $8 DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5, no cover for ladies before 11pm Tim Romanson / Eldorado — With Cattle Drive. 9pm / $5 Andino Suns / The Exchange — With The Bureau. 7pm / $10+ (@ Vintage Vinyl) DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays’ / Lancaster Taphouse — Cool lounge beats. 8pm / Cover TBD F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s — Break out the track suits and get ready to party. 10pm / $5 Naysa / O’Hanlon’s — With Laska. 9pm / Cover TBD 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 Alex Runions / Whiskey Saloon - Rockin’ country done right. 9pm / $10

Tuesday 13

Music Jam / Artful Dodger — Come get down with local musicians. 8pm / No cover DJ night / Q Nightclub — With DJs Snakeboots and Code E. 9:30pm / No cover

Wednesday 14

Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker — Featuring The Dead South. 9pm / No cover WayBack Wednesdays / McNally’s Tavern — Featuring Leather Cobra. 9:30pm / No cover

Friday 16

Cam’s Awesome DJ Party / Artful Dodger — Dropping dope beats on a Friday night. 8pm / Cover TBD

Black Thunder / The Club — With Dead Ranch, Good Girls + more. 7:30pm / $10 DJ Dallas / Eldorado — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5 whiskey manner / Exchange — With Iron Bison + more. 7:30pm / $10 DJ Pat & DJ Kim / Habano’s — Local DJs spin top 40 hits. 9pm / $5 cover Big Chill Fridays / Lancaster — With DJ Fatbot, who’ll be doing his spinning thing every Friday night. 10pm / Cover TBD Exit Eleven / McNally’s Tavern — Classic rock and roll covers. 10pm / $5 DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — One of Regina’s best DJs. 8pm / Cover TBD Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A local country songstress. 9pm / $10

Saturday 17

All Mighty Voice / Artful Dodger — With Blush. 8pm / Cover TBD

Jonathan Byrd / Creative City Centre — An amazing folk songwriter/singer from North Carolina. 7:30pm / $15 DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5 Dan Silljer / Lancaster Taphouse — A lefthanded guitar whiz. 9pm / Cover TBD JJ Voss / McNally’s Tavern — Some rockin’ country covers and originals. 10pm / $5 Jess Moskaluke / Whiskey Saloon — A local country songstress with a serious set of pipes. 9pm / $10

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

Saturday 10

I, Automatic / The Club — With Below the Tempest and more. 7:30pm / Cover TBD Mahler’s Fifth / Conexus — Playing the works of Gustav Mahler. 8pm / $66.15 DJ Dallas / Eldorado Country Rock Bar — Regina’s number one party DJ! 9pm / $5 Tim Romanson / Eldorado — With Cattle Drive. 9pm / $5 Whiskey Manner / The Exchange — Featuring Black Thunder and more. 9pm / $10 F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s — Break out the track suits and get ready to party. 10pm / $5 Alex Runions / Whiskey Saloon - Rockin’ country done right. 9pm / $10

Sunday 11

Wilma Groenen / Artful Dodger — With Storytellers and Chris Tafoe. 8pm / Cover TBD

14 May 9 – May 15 entertainment

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

nightlife

saturday, may 3 @

YQR

Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, May 16. facebook.com/verbregina

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

Photography by Marc Messett

15 May 9 – May 15 /verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

entertainment

film

Photo: Courtesy of universal pictures

Neighbours from hell

New Seth Rogen comedy is hilarious and real by adam hawboldt

H

ell is other people.”

John-Paul Sartre wrote that in his play, No Exit. And whether Andrew J. Cohen or Brendan O’Brien — the writing team who penned the new flick, Neighbors — ever read No Exit, I have no idea.

But I do know this: the idea of hell being other people is front and centre in their new comedy.

The plot of Neighbors is fairly straightforward. In the beginning, we’re introduced to Mac and Kelly Radner (Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne) — a young, married couple who have a new, doe-eyed daughter. The Radners live in the suburbs and are enjoying their quiet life — until they get new neighbours, that is, and their peaceful existence is shattered.

Who are these new neighbours?

A round-the-clock party better known as the Delta Psi fraternity, led by their alpha-bro president, Teddy Sanders (Zac Efron).

Mac and Kelly want to seem cool, so they greet the new neighbours

wilder and more outrageous as the war rages on.

Eventually, the college dean (Lisa Kudrow) is forced to intervene, and puts Delta Psi on probation. One more strike and they’re out. And you can bet your bottom dollar that Mac and Kelly try to instigate that last strike, by hook or crook.

with a smile and ask them — in a way that’ll make you giggle — if they could possibly keep the noise down.

Teddy promises they will, then invites the Radners to their house-warming bash. And what a bash it is! A bash where the Radners prove their coolness by drinking booze and doing copious amounts of hallucinogens.

…the humour in Neighbors gets better and bigger as the movie unfolds…

Adam Hawboldt

And that is the plot of Neighbors.

Admittedly it’s kind of thin, and essentially operates as one set piece after another. But here’s the thing: each and every set piece is kick ass and hilarious. And in Neighbors, the laughs begin early and never stop. Heck, unlike a lot of movies, the humour in

The relationship is off to a good start, but the next night the frat brothers are back at it: chugging beer and making an almighty uproar. Mac calls the cops on them, so Teddy declares war on his new neighbours.

What happens after that is a backand-forth series of pranks that get

Neighbors gets better and bigger as the movie unfolds at breakneck speed.

It’s raunchy and vulgar and wildly funny. It’s unpredictable and outrageous. It’s also disgusting and insane and ludicrous and unrealistic. But so what? It’s an enjoyable hour and a half in which Rogen and Efron get to do their thing.

And while Neighbors is arguably the funniest movie released so far this year, it’s also more than a joke-a-minute marathon. It’s also an intimate look at a couple who are facing some of the big obstacles of first-time parents — baby care, lack of sex, no time alone.

Put that together with some of the funniest sight gags you’ve seen in a

neighbors Nicholas Stoller Starring Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Ross Byrne, David Franco Directed by

96 minutes | 18A

while, and Neighbors is a sure-fire winner (though not for the easily offended or faint of heart).

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

16 May 9 – May 15 entertainment

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

Switched at birth

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s new film, Like Father, Like Son, is difficult but darn good by adam hawboldt

Photo: Courtesy of arrow films

P

icture this: you have a new baby boy. You take him home from the hospital, care for him, and raise him with love until he is six years old.

Then you find out he’s not actually your child, that someone else has your biological son.

Picture that, and you’ll get an idea of what happens in acclaimed Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s new film, Like Father, Like Son. And to be honest, a film with a subject matter like this couldn’t be in better hands. In case you’ve never heard of Kore-Eda, he’s a modern master of portraying intimate and complex family problems. In Still Walking he explores the inner working of a grieving family. In I Wish, he examines divorce and its effects on children. In Nobody Knows, the subject matter is children being abandoned by their mothers.

And now we have Like Father, Like Son — another excellent, tender, and compelling addition to the Kore-Eda movie case.

The story revolves around Ryota (played excellently by Masaharu Fukuyama), his wife Midori (Machiko Ono), and their young son Keita (Keita Ninomiya). The family is well-off, and lives in a fancy apartment in Tokyo.

Ryota is a successful architect who demands a lot from him son, and pushes him hard to get into an elite school.

He’s a stern, distant father whose

birth and has been raised by a family in a working-class neighbourhood.

Eventually the two families meet, and they couldn’t more different.

Whereas Ryota is a serious and wealthy man, the father of the other family — Saiki Yudai (Lily Franky) — is a disheveled toy keeper who lacks ambition and is great with kids. He and his wife (Maki Yoko) have two other

…Like Father, Like Son is beautifully shot … and excellently acted.

Adam Hawboldt

methods aren’t always condoned by his wife.

The family is moving through their daily motions when they learn that Keita isn’t their biological son.

Apparently their real son, Ryusei (Shogen Hwang), was switched at

children along with Ryusei. What unfolds when the families meet is a heartbreaking story about people stuck in a situation in which there are no right answers. A situation that is impossible to resolve without a whole heap of pain and suffering.

Eventually, certain decisions are made and after that the movie takes a turn. It goes from a whatare-they-going-to-do scenario to a graceful, intimate portrait of a man (Ryota) trying to come to terms with himself as he takes a slow march towards a breakdown.

Like all of Hirokazu Kore-Eda’s other films, Like Father, Like Son is beautifully shot, subtly directed, and excellently acted. He takes a trope you’ve seen before — kids switched at birth — and makes it his own. The result is a movie that is beautiful, elegant and so damn heart-wrenching.

And while Like Father, Like Son might not be for everyone (it’s not the fastest moving film you’ll ever see, and it can be a difficult to watch and

Like Father, Like Son Hirokazu Kore-Eda Starring Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Keita Ninomiya Directed by

122 minutes | NR

wrap your head around because of the subject matter), it nevertheless remains a terrific film by a modern master.

Like Father, Like Son will be playing at the Regina Public Library starting on May 15.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

17 May 9 – May 15 @verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

entertainment

comics

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

18 May 9 – May 15 entertainment

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

VerbNews.com

timeout

crossword canadian criss-cross

© walter D. Feener 2014

30. Boot uppers 33. Place in Ontario where ìJohn Qî film’s baseball scene was filmed 37. In the manner of 38. Some people 40. Of long ago 41. Made melodious sounds 43. ‘Got it!’

45. It may be served à la mode 46. One who skips school 48. Meddle with 50. Doug Henning’s forte 51. Sing in succession 52. Trellis piece 53. European river

DOWN 1. Speed up 2. Time period 3. Greedy 4. Translates into plain text 5. Having no distinctive flavour 6. Easy toss 7. Missing, as a soldier 8. Town crier 9. Dog with a foxlike head 11. Strong fibre 12. Word used to address the Queen 14. Drinks like a dog 17. Portable timepieces 20. A bit wet

22. Coughlike utterance sudoku answer key 25. Become corroded A 27. Guessing game 29. Complete outfit for a newborn baby 30. Immense 31. Warning of danger 32. Transmission type 34. Fall over 35. Bay window B 36. ___-do-well 39. Trailer’s connection to a car 42. Noise of a baby trying to imitate speech 44. British nobleman 47. Louse egg 49. Unruly group of people

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

1. The top 5. General lack of interest in life 9. Cut in slices 10. Put down 12. Picture made of small coloured pieces 13. Away from the mouth 15. Creative work 16. Fluffy feathers 18. Master of Tibetan Buddhism 19. Elderly 21. Father, in toddler talk 23. Mouth piece 24. Mosque tower 26. Keeps secret 28. What a bodybuilder builds

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

ACROSS

Horoscopes may 9 - may 15 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

You are going to be determined to get ahead this week, Aries. Keep your nose to the grindstone, but don’t run over others in your race to the finish.

Have you been feeling a little off lately, Leo? If so, it’s no big deal. Things should return to normal this week.

Don’t be afraid to take chances, Sagittarius. Even impossible tasks can be made possible if you try. All you have to do is take that chance.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

If the opportunity for travel comes along in the next few days,Taurus, be sure to jump at it. It’s important for you to get out there.

Be wary of your frenemies this week, Virgo. There could be someone close to you that doesn’t have your best interests at heart.

You’re going to be flooded with ideas later this week, Capricorn.

Problem is, they’re not going to be all good ones. Sift through accordingly.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

An increased clarity of mind will be yours this week, Gemini. Use this streamlined focus to accomplish that one thing you’ve been putting off.

All is not what it seems in the coming days, Libra, so don’t fret about things too much. Try to use your intuition to help you navigate.

This is one of those weeks when you may find your head in the clouds. Try to stay grounded — there’s stuff that needs your attention down here.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

If you leave yourself open to it, you will have some interesting practical and philosophical discussions this week.

Are you a self-aware person, Scorpio? If not, there’s no better time than the present to figure out who you truly are.

Keep your mind open to bits of advice others give you this week, Pisces. You may need guidance more than you realize.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

19 May 9 – May 15 /verbregina

contents

local

editorial

comments

q+a

arts

feature

food + drink

music

listings

nightlife

film

comics

timeout

entertainment

VerbNews.com