Verb Issue R83 June 28-July 4, 2013

ISSUE #83 – JUNE 14 TO JUNE 20

ARTS

CULTURE

MUSIC

REGINA

HIGH VALLEY

STAYS TRUE TO ITS PRAIRIE ROOTS FREE!

READ & SHARE

FASTEST MOUTH IN THE WEST Competetive auctioneering DIMENSIONS MacKenzie Art Gallery celebrates Saskatchewan crafting WHITE HOUSE DOWN + ROOM 237 Films reviewed­

PHOTO: COURTESY OF MAX HSU

NEWS + OPINION

CONTENTS

THE FIND OF A LIFETIME Dinosaurs and synchrotrons. 4 / LOCAL

FASTEST MOUTH IN THE WEST Competitive auctioneering. 6 / LOCAL

DRIVING BIG BROTHER Our thoughts on SGI’s proposed usage based insurance. 8 / EDITORIAL

ON THE COVER:

HIGH VALLEY

Country rockers stay true to their prairie roots. 12 / FEATURE

COMMENTS Here’s what you had to say about ignition interlock devices. 10 / COMMENTS

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JOESEPH YARMUSH

CULTURE

Q + A WITH JOEY CAPE Scorpios celebrate the life and music of Tony Sly. 12 / Q + A

LESS IS MORE

TWO VOICES BECOME ONE The genesis of Scarlett Jane. 13 / ARTS

Café Drip offers an ever-changing menu and a cool vibe. 16 / FOOD + DRINK

DIMENSIONS

MUSIC

The MacKenzie Art Gallery takes a look at fine crafts. 13 / ARTS

Mary Gauthier, Alice in Chains + Stars 17 / MUSIC

ENTERTAINMENT

LISTINGS Local music listings for June 29 through July 6 18 / LISTINGS

VERBNEWS.COM @VERBREGINA FACEBOOK.COM/VERBREGINA VERB IS OWNED BY PARITY PUBLISHING INC. PLEASE RECYCLE AFTER READING & SHARING

EDITORIAL

BUSINESS & OPERATIONS

EDITOR IN CHIEF / RYAN ALLAN MANAGING EDITOR / JESSICA PATRUCCO STAFF WRITERS / ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER / VICTORIA ABRAHAM

OFFICE MANAGER / STEPHANIE LIPSIT ACCOUNT MANAGER / KERRI SENKOW MARKETING MANAGER / VOGESON PALEY FINANCIAL MANAGER / CODY LANG

WHITE HOUSE DOWN + ROOM 237 The latest movie reviews. 20 / FILM

CONTACT

ON THE BUS Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 26 / COMICS

NIGHTLIFE PHOTOS

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

ART & PRODUCTION

COMMENTS / FEEDBACK@VERBNEWS.COM / 306 881 8372

We visied Pure UltraLounge.

PRODUCTION LEAD / BRITTNEY GRAHAM

ADVERTISE / ADVERTISE@VERBNEWS.COM / 306 979 2253

22-25 / NIGHTLIFE

DESIGN LEAD / ANDREW YANKO CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS / BAILY EBERLE, MAXTON PRIEBE, ADAM HAWBOLDT + ALEX J MACPHERSON

DESIGN / LAYOUT@VERBNEWS.COM / 306 979 8474 GENERAL / INFO@VERBNEWS.COM / 306 979 2253

2 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 VERB MAGAZINE

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THE FIND OF A LIFETIME

PHOTO: COURTESY OF JIMMY WAYNE

One University of Regina physicist is trying to colour the past BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

Q

uick question: What colour were dinosaurs?

If you’ve ever read a book about the great beasts or watched a movie like Jurassic Park, you probably think they were green or some shade of brown.

But here’s the thing: nobody really knows what colour dinosaurs were.

All we have are educated guesses based on the colour of reptiles and other animals found today.

But a physicist at the University Regina is hoping change all that in the not-too-distant future.

As a child growing up in Brazil, Mauricio Barbi would spend nights outside lying on his back, staring up at the stars. He often wondered what it would be like to go to space, and visit other stars and planets.

Like many young boys before and since, Barbi was also interested in things closer to our world.

Things like physics and dinosaurs.

“From a very young age, I was very interested in both of those things,” he says. “[And] I would read anything and everything to do with dinosaurs.”

Fast forward a couple of decades.

Past a Bachelor of Science Degree in Rio de Janeiro, through a Masters

in Science at the Univeristy of Santa Catarina and beyond a PhD from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro to a time about five years ago.

That’s when Barbi’s two childhood loves — paleontology and physics — began to converge.

“I would always watch movies about dinosaurs and stuff at home,”

We will use the synchrotron to look for structures in the skin.

MAURICIO BARBI

says Barbi, who by then was an associate physics professor at the U of R.” Once his daughter, Laura, was four years old, he began taking the family on trips to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Drumheller, Alberta, and the T.Rex Discovery Centre in Eastend, Saskatchewan.

The field trips piqued his interest, and on a whim Barbi decided to make some inquiries to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum. He sent

an email to the museum volunteering his services to work with fossils.

Maybe dusting them or something.

But the message Barbi received back from Tim Tokaryk, head of paleontology at the museum, proposed a job much more important than simply dusting dinosaur fossils.

On a warm, sunny day in June of last year, Barbi was doing fieldwork near a riverbed in Grand Prairie with a team that included paleontologist Phil Bell, a result of his email inquiry from years prior.

On that fateful day, his colleague Bell found a specimen while excavating. Thinking it was just an imprint (not all that uncommon in the paleontology world), Bell handed the rock-like specimen to Barbi. A piece of it came off, and he suddenly realized he was holding something extraordinary.

“This isn’t an imprint,” Barbi told Bell. “This is real skin!”

There in his hand was a wellpreserved piece of 70 million year old dinosaur skin, one that once belonged to a duck-billed dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous period called a Hadrosaur and one of only four such samples ever found.

Wary of using X-rays or an electron microscope to examine the skin (both methods degrade or destroy the sample), Barbi figured the best way to analyze the hadrosaur specimen was by using the Canadian Light Source synchrotron.

The machine, located at the University of Saskatchewan and described as one of the largest science projects in Canadian history, is a source of brilliant light that scientists can use to examine objects at a molecular level. It’s an extraordinarily complex device that has a footprint the size of a football field, but in simple terms it works like a giant microscope.

“The search for pigments is a tricky matter ... The evidence we have found so far is encouraging, but not conclu-

sive at all,” says Barbi. “We are using the synchotron to look for some structures in the skin called melanosomes.

They come in geometrical shapes.

They come in different shapes like cylinders and cigarette shape. The different shapes give you different colors.”

Barbi admits that testing the sample and interpreting the results could take months or even years, but if and when any such structures are discovered, the mystery of “What colour were the dinosaurs?” may finally be solved.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina ahawboldt@verbnews.com

3 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 /VERBREGINA

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LOCAL

PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRENNIN JACK

FASTEST MOUTH IN THE WEST

Brennin Jack does his thing at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championships BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he voice on the other end of the phone is slow and measured.

There are slight pauses between phrases. Moments of reflection to consider what’s about to be said.

All this kind of catches you off-guard.

Not because of the slowness of the voice or the vocal ticks. No. It’s because the voice belongs to Brennin Jack — one of the fastest mouths in the west, one the best livestock auctioneers on the planet.

Raised on his family farm in the Invermay/Rama area of East-Central Saskatchewan, Jack got his debut in the auction ring at a young age.

“When I was younger the guys that owned the auction market in Kelvington, Saskatchewan wanted me to try selling, but I was too scared,” says Jack, who now calls Prince Albert home. “Then one Fall, when I was nine, I built up enough courage to get out there and sell.”

For more than a century, Jack’s family had been involved in the livestock business, but because he was the first auctioneer, there wasn’t exactly a wealth of resources avail-

able to help him learn his art. So Jack enrolled in a short, three-day course in Regina, then set out to teach himself how to be an auctioneer.

But where does one begin to learn the art of auctioneering?

“You start by listening,” explains the 23-year-old. “Every good auctioneer should be an individual with their own style.” Here Jack pauses, thinks for a second, and continues.

“There’s nothing worse than, um, what I call a counterfeit — someone who tries to take something and copy it.

People who just listen to one auctioneer will never be as good as that

tioneers with their rhythmical chants.

Jack listened and learned, and along the way he developed an original style all his own.

When asked to describe his style, Jack says it’s more Western than anything. Then he takes a deep breath and launches into an auctioneer spiel: “twenty-five, five hundred and thirty, thirty and five, five hundred and forty, forty five, five hundred and fifty...”

The words roll of his tongue with rapid ease. Unlike when he’s speaking, Jack’s voice is smooth as glass, rolling and swaying to a constant, rhythmic, uninterrupted beat.

In situations like this, it’s mind over matter for me.

BRENNIN JACK

person. The original is always best.”

To avoid this pitfall Jack began listening to auctioneers from all over North America. He listened to rapid Southern-style auctioneers, to choppy Eastern auctioneers, to Western auc-

It’s the voice that has won Jack nearly every Canadian auctioneer competition out there — Canadian Livestock Rookie Auctioneer of the Year, Calgary Stampede International Auctioneer Champion, Canadian CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

4 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 NEWS + OPINION

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Livestock Auctioneer Champion ... you name it, he’s won it.

It’s also the kind of voice that earned him an invite to the 2013 World Livestock Auctioneer Championship in Montgomery, Alabama.

It’s 5 AM on a Saturday. June 15th, to be precise. While most other people in Montgomery are still asleep, Brennin Jack is crawling out of bed.

Since arriving in Alabama on Wednesday, Jack’s schedule has been chock-full of required things to do.

Thursday was spent in meeting after meeting about things related to the World Livestock Auctioneer Championships. On Friday, he — along with the other 30 best auctioneers on Earth — went through the interview segment of the competition in which they were asked the same three questions about the industry and how they represent it.

But today is the day when the auctioneers get to really show what they’re made of.

After getting ready and having a bite to eat, Jack and the other auctioneers boarded a bus at their hotel and drove to the Montgomery Stockyards for a 7:30 AM start to the competition.

“It’s one of the most nerve-racking things you’ll ever do,” says Jack, of the auction portion of the event.

“You’ve been selected as one of the 31 best auctioneers in the world and you don’t want to disappoint.”

To add to that pressure, Jack is the only Canadian at the World Livestock Auctioneer Championships.

But with something like threequarters of a million head of cattle sold over the past seven years, and 34 competitions under his belt, Jack is no greenhorn.

“In situations like this, it’s mind over matter for me,” he explains.

“That’s where the cream rises to the top. The guys who know how to control their nerves and fears will get into the top 10. If you fall apart and can’t handle it, the judges are going to see that.”

Nerves in check, Jack takes a seat in front of 500 people at the auction market in the Montgomery Stockyards. An additional 20,000+ people are watching the competition live on the Internet or on RFD-TV. Jack takes a deep breath. And for the next five minutes his steady, almost musical auctioneering voice takes firm control of the sale.

For the second year in a row, Jack made it through the first round of the World Livestock Auctioneer Championships, putting him into the top 10. And as one of the finalists, he had to go through another round of auctions before the overall champion was determined.

He didn’t win. But there’s no shame in that. After all, being named one of the 10 best livestock auctioneers in

the world is a heck of an accomplishment — especially for someone barely old enough to drink in the States.

And at 23 years of age, Jack knows there’s still room for him to get even better. All it’s going to take is practice, practice and more practice.

“The base of my chant probably isn’t going to change much from here,” he says, “but I’m always trying to incorporate new things, tiny things, in order to challenge myself.

Our business is very repetitious and you can get bored doing the same thing over and over again. So I try to keep it lively and keep it going.”

So how does one of the best livestock auctioneers on the planet do that, exactly?

“The best thing you can do is record yourself on something, like a cellphone, and play it back to yourself,” explains Jack. “Then when you’re driving down the road, plug it into your car and listen to yourself. You’ll pick up on stuff you won’t normally pick up on, things nobody will tell you.”

So if you’re out one of these days and see a young man driving past you in a cowboy hat, auctioneering chants wafting from an open window, chances are it might be Jack, honing his craft, trying to gain a new perspective on his voice.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

5 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 @VERBREGINA

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EDITORIAL

DRIVING BIG BROTHER SGI’s proposed usage based insurance is a bad idea

R

emember, not so long ago, when SGI announced a proposed hike of up to 73% on motorcycle insurance? The prospect of such a whopping increase caused outrage among motorcycle enthusiasts in the province, and sent the Crown corporation back to the drawing board.

Now the province has come up with a different idea — a pilot program that will use technology to track vehicle usage and set insurance rates.

To do this, they are proposing that telematics devices be installed on, at first, a few hundred motorcycles, presumably with a wider rollout to follow. According to a press release from SGI, these devices — the cornerstones of the province’s proposed usage-based insurance policy — record driving information such as “speed, braking, mileage and driving location” to determine how safely a particular driver or rider is behaving on the road, and adjust their insurance rates accordingly.

Donna Harpauer, the minister responsible for SGI, puts it like this: “Usage-based insurance is the ultimate in rating fairness because it essentially lets the driver control their own insurance rate through their driving behaviour. Simply put, those who drive responsibly pay less and those who don’t pay more.”

Makes sense, right?

Well, not so fast. We here at Verb think this is a pretty bad idea.

For starters, the whole program smacks of Big Brother. Think about it.

When you have this device installed in your vehicle the government can

track where you are, where you were, how long you stayed there, which routes you took, how long it took you to get there, what time of day you were on the road and how many kilometers you travel.

Advocates of telematic systems say the data will not be misused once collected, but if news headlines from the last decade or so have taught us anything, it’s that we should probably take such claims of foolproof, ethical government surveillance with a grain of salt.

And even if we buy that the government would never abuse the information, doesn’t gathering and storing it just create a prime target for hackers? Think of the havoc mali-

vehicle, or another driver cuts you off. Naturally you’ll be braking hard, suddenly and at unusual intervals.

In this case your awareness and quick reactions are actually avoiding accidents, but the telematic device has no way of knowing what’s going on outside the vehicle; it just shows you behaving like an erratic lunatic that deserves to have their insurance rates hiked.

Conversely, it would see the true bad drivers — people that always back up without looking first or regularly blow through red lights because they’re not paying attention — as the safest of all, while anybody forced to brake or swerve around these idiots would be penalized.

When it comes to responsible driving, government policy should be proactive.

VERB MAGAZINE

cious third parties could wreak - from bullying to breakups to blackmail - if they ever got their hands on the kind of detailed data we’re talking about.

In our view, driving data is like a sex tape: the only way to guarantee it’s never seen by the wrong eyes is to avoid creating it in the first place.

In theory, the kind of data the insurer want to collect will allow them to tell the good drivers from the bad.

But how can tracking simple metrics like speed, braking and the like truly show who is driving responsibly?

For instance, let’s say you’re driving or riding in the city and a small child darts out in front of your

We’ve said this before: when it comes to responsible driving, government policy should be proactive not reactive. So instead of wasting time and drivers’ money on things like usage-based insurance to promote safe driving, why doesn’t SGI host or certify advanced driver training courses and offer steep discounts for anyone who takes them and does well? Not just a few hours of in-class lectures, but comprehensive behindthe-wheel (or handlebars) defensive driving courses. Implementing such a program would help inexperienced or just-plain-poor drivers improve their skills, cutting down on the num-

ber of reckless and unaware people operating vehicles in this province.

To us, that makes way more sense than letting the government track your every movement in the name of responsible driving.

These editorials are left unsigned because they represent the

opinions of Verb magazine, not those of the individual writers.

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@VerbRegina feedback@verbnews.com

6 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 NEWS + OPINION

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COMMENTS

ON TOPIC: Last week we asked what you thought about ignition interlock devices for people convicted of DUI. Here’s what you had to say:

– Ignition interlock devices should be mandatory for people convicted of impaired driving. They should be happy to have another chance to drive. It’s no different than people under house arrest or probation being fitted with an ankle bracelet for electronic monitoring as an alternative to jail. :0

– Good idea! Bloody good idea.

There’s a real problem with drinking and driving here in Saskatchewan. It’s about time someone did something about it

– this is so dumb! drunk drivers should go to jail not back into their cars!

– ignition interlock for a long time after conviction seems like the least that should happen for drinking and driving, not sure why that isn’t the law already!!!

– Driving is a privilege, not a right.

People who abuse that privilege should be removed from the roads, not rewarded with another chance to keep driving.

– The government should implement this policy postehaste. Run, do not walk. Drunk drivers need to be taught a lesson. Let’s go one better, though. Let’s make the devices cost double what’s stated in the article

OFF TOPIC – Re:Safe injection sites. I on front line over 30 yrs.Van pop=SK pop.

Not all junkies will be able to use site.Unfair.Alternative is to make every healthcare centre in SK a needle exchange site.Before handing out clean needles give 5 min

Text yo thoughtsur to 881 VE R B 8372

POWERED BY THE CREW AT MOGA MOBILE

…

talk on alternatives to using(tre atment,rehab,methadone,other options,HIV/HepC impact). I know people in smaller SK centres have no access to clean needles. Clean needles=lower HIV/HepC rates.

Fact: Prince Albert has per capita more intravenous drug users than either Regina or Saskatoon.

Providing clean needles more cost effective than operating an injection site. No matter what is done drug use fuels crime. Stop drug use crime go down as well as overdose. Education people. Use your heads.Say no to an addict.

In response to “A Time To Heal,” Editorial, #244 (June 14, 2013)

SOUND OFF – I remember coming home late one night when the family was younger to hear everyone snoring bro downstairs, niece on the couch, sis in her bedroom, G and nephew’s little toddler snore in another. Sounded eerie fierce but I recognized their snores like their voices. Snoring may have been a very selectively scary defines mechanism for humans when we slept in the wilderness.

– Unplugging the condom and syringe jam in the storm sewer grating after a rain storm is DOWNtown!

– Don’t feed teenagers. Don’t give cougars the Big O. Don’t let crackerheads into the basment. None of them will ever go home!

– METAL FAN FACT #1 Bruce Dickerson singer of Iron Madien is a fan of trains on his down time he rides them and buys and collects model sets.

– How dare you confuse higher beings with animals. Animals often have more wits about them than us humans.

– Integrity costs money. Everyone knows this. In this greedy society few see the value. Fewer still are willing to pay for this priceless commodity.

– Apparently its still PC to make fun of and put down white trash hillbilly types. I’m abo. That’s not cool!

– Another thing that sucks a lot about maturity is you often see the other party’s point of view and

…

recognize a need to compromise.

Never ever get your way.

– Yes that dress does make you look fat.

– Something died somewhere for every single thing you buy with your paycheque. People seem rank ignorant of this for some reason???

Only what you need peeps!

– BBQ grilled salami or summer sausage. Pretty good. Burger size slices of the big kind. Kaiser bun lettuce tomato. I imagine balonie bolgna would be good too.

– There’s times when I’m led to believe hetero women have more of an eye for each other than do hetero men for them. Kind of a competitive thing I think?

NEXT WEEK: What do you think of SGI’s usage based insurance plan?

Read the story on page 6 and text us your feedback!

– That funny taste food from the Food Bank has sometimes thats what charity tastes like here.

– DO NOT go in the river to ‘rescue’ your dog. The dog is a much better swimmer than you could ever be.

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 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 /VERBREGINA

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Q+A

A FITTING TRIBUTE

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LISA JOHNSON

Joey Cape & Scorpios celebrate the life and music of Tony Sly

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

J

oey Cape is a member of the seminal California punk band Lagwagon.

He also plays guitar in Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, punk rock royalty known for raucous covers of old classics. But Cape is also a sensitive songwriter and talented acoustic guitar player.

He has been making introspective acoustic records for the best part of a decade, most recently with Scorpios and Tony Sly, who died last year. Scorpios, which consists of Cape, Jon Snodgrass, and Brian Wahlstrom, are currently on tour, paying tribute to Sly by playing his favourite songs. I caught up with Cape to talk about going acoustic, getting older, and Sly’s enduring legacy.

Alex J MacPherson: People who know you from Lagwagon and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes might be surprised to learn that you’ve been making acoustic music for years.

Joey Cape: A lot of people don’t know that, but that’s okay.

It’s such a self-indulgent thing, doing the acoustic thing. It’s way more of something that I know is not as appealing to as wide of an audience.

But I enjoy it so much. If you look at it like it can cross genres, into folk and country and alt-contemporary whatever they call it, then maybe it could appeal to more people.

But the fact is, we do it at such a

small level. I just put the music out myself and we just tour a lot.

It’s lesser-known, but it’s almost more enjoyable.

AJM: Do you think of playing alone, or with Scorpios, as completely separate from your other work?

We’re basically old friends getting together, and that in general is the cool thing about doing acoustic tours – you can tour with anyone, you don’t have to have a band, you just learn a few of each others’ songs, and you’re playing music for the joy of it.

JC: In so many ways anything I do musically I have the same approach. I do it because I enjoy it and I do it with low expectations of return. I’m used to that. I’ve been

AJM: It occurs to me that the music you’re writing now has undergone something of a shift. A lot of your songs seem to be about time and its passing.

JC: I think in general as you get older the things you write about are always going to pertain to what’s going on in your life. I’m 46. It’s not going to be too long before I’m writing about dentures and soft foods. But all kidding aside, as far as working with Tony in particular there was a real camaraderie and bonding point that had to do with us being fathers, very similar careers in music, making a lot of the same choices, good and bad.

That’s empowering.

It’s difficult. It’s exhilarating. We love him, we love his songs...

JOEY CAPE

raised that way as far as music goes: my current music has always been about maybe being a little bit self-indulgent and doing things because you want to do them.

AJM: This tour is a tribute to Tony.

Has it been difficult to carry on without him?

AJM: I like the idea of doing things because you want to do them.

Audiences pick up on honesty and authenticity, or whatever word you want to use, and they appreciate it.

JC: We just did the same thing in Europe, more or less. Every night it’s all things. It’s difficult. It’s exhilarating. We love him, we love his songs, and playing the songs is really enjoyable because we love the songs.

Honouring him is enjoyable because we loved him. There’s definitely some pain in it. But all these things

JC: It does mean something when people see you play, and see that you really enjoy it, and it’s not like a theatre thing. Which is kind of the cool thing about a Scorpios tour.

are cathartic, and I don’t think we’re going to do it after this. There may be some form of tribute to Tony the entire rest of my life. But as far as this tour goes, it kind of needs to be done after that. We’re coming up on the year anniversary of his death, and at some point you have to let go.

Joey Cape July 9 @ Ph $10 @ Ticketedge Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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8 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 CULTURE

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TWO VOICES BECOME ONE

The birth and evolution of Scarlett Jane

S

carlett Jane is the intersection of two parallel music careers. Andrew Ramolo and Cindy Doire have known each other for years. Each contributed to the other’s albums, and they occasionally ganged up to beat back the winter by touring Ontario and Quebec. But a true collaboration remained on the horizon – until a trip to Mexico spawned a batch of songs that was greater than the sum of its parts.

“From conception to release of the album, it took six months,” Ramolo says of their debut, Stranger. “This really happened quickly and organically, and that’s probably because the seeds were planted long ago. It was just a matter of when the right time was. And this is the best decision we’ve both ever made in our careers.”

Stranger, which was released last year, brings together a range of influences. Most of the songs were recorded live, and they incorporate strains of soul, R&B, jazz, and early rock and roll.

Ramolo and Doire grew up listening to similar music, and together they wove

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

a tapestry of intoxicating sounds and rich, luscious textures. But what separates Stranger from its contemporaries are the vocals. Ramolo and Doire have been singing together for years, and their intertwined vocal parts add depth and tension to the record.

Scarlett Jane is the combination of two distinct voices, but Ramolo and Doire are careful to write songs that enhance their partnership, rather than emphasize the differences between them. Stranger is a record about love and longing, loss and jubilation. From the aching story of “Wild Fire” and the sombre strains of “Oh Darling” to the rambunctious drive of “Can’t Come Back,” the album addresses raw emotions head-on.

“It’s a back and forth,” Ramolo says, “and we really push each other. There’s a nice sort of screening process that happens, because whatever story or whatever message we’re tying to communicate goes through two different hearts, two different minds. It comes out of two voices, but we’re trying to

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANDREW KNAPP

make that one – and that’s what Scarlett Jane is all about.”

But Scarlett Jane is more than just a musical collaboration. It is a friendship. “When we’re celebrating, we’re celebrating together,” Doire explains.

“When we’re going through hardships, we’re going through hardships together. Not only has this collaboration been fruitful on a musical level, but as a partnership it’s been so beneficial for the both of us.”

Artful Dodger 9 July $TBD

DIMENSIONS

The Saskatchewan Craft Council celebrates the best in fine craft

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE SASKATCHEWAN CRAFT COUNCIL

1. Annemarie Buchmann-Gerber, “Homo Sapiens on Stitches”, mixed media tapestry, 2013

F

or three decades, the Saskatchewan Craft Council has been presenting an exhibition called Dimensions. Selected by an impartial jury and intended to show off the best fine craft in the province, the 2013 iteration of Dimensions, which is on display at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, offers

a rare opportunity to trace the development of fine craft in Saskatchewan.

“I think what you’re seeing is a mix of what I think are fairly new, younger artists – very skilled, very technically proficient, very imaginative,” explains Jeremy Morgan, executive director of the MacKenzie

BY ALEX J MACPHERSON

Art Gallery, “with some of the people who have been doing this work for many years. The veterans, if you will.

It’s not a given that there’s always going to be a new generation that will come along and challenge the older generations, but at the same time learn from them. I think this exhibition is a pretty good example of that.”

The objects on display in Dimensions are selected by a jury. According to Leslie Potter, exhibitions coordinator at the Saskatchewan Craft Council, some of the selections reflect the jury’s personal taste, while some are selected because the quality is impossible to ignore. He cites Homo Sapiens On Stitches, a mixed media tapestry by Annemarie BuchmannGerber as an example of the latter.

“She finished that piece way back in the late 70s, and then she gave it to her mother,” Potter says. “Her mother had it all these years until she died.

And then I believe last year she started revisiting that piece, and basically painting on it. Besides the stitching and the fabric work, now she’s painting on it.” Buchmann-Gerber’s work, a stunning display of technical proficiency and expansive thought, was awarded the Premier’s Prize, as the most outstanding work in the exhibition.

But perhaps the most important aspect of Dimensions is that it shows how the poles of art and craft are moving closer together each day. Traditionally, craft objects have been defined by their utility, works of art by their aesthetic appeal. But this distinction becomes

murkier each year, as new artists push the boundaries of their form. Today, artists and craftspeople work with dozens of types of media and techniques, and the results are as diverse as they are engaging. The objects in Dimensions represent a sampling of the best fine crafts created in the province, but their presence in a formal art gallery hints at a bright and egalitarian future for both craft and art in Saskatchewan.

MacKenzie Art Gallery Through August 25 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina amacpherson@verbnews.com

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THERE AND BACK AGA

High Valley on the long road to success, and the longer road b

E

arlier this year three brothers from northern Alberta made their debut at the Grand Ole Opry, a broadcast that has been showcasing the best in country music since 1925. An invitation to perform at the Opry, which is held each week in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, is one of the crown jewels in any country music career. For Brad Rempel, one third of the country and roots trio High Valley, playing at the Opry marked the beginning of a new era. “Not only did we get to play the Opry,” he enthuses, “but we got to play at the mother church of country music. It was everything you could ever dream of. Being a Canadian band and debuting at the Opry? That doesn’t happen more than once every decade.” It was a fitting reward for the brothers, who have spent the last sixteen years touring relentlessly and playing their songs for anybody who would listen.

The story of High Valley begins in La Crete, a small town more than four hundred miles north of Edmonton. Brothers Brad, Bryan, and Curtis grew up on a small farm just outside town. From an early age, they were forced to rely on themselves, and on each other. Imbued with a strong

independent streak and the rigid moral compass that comes with life far from the city, the brothers grew up working on the family farm, playing hockey, and making music.

Because their church, the focal point of community life in La Crete, only had a piano, they learned to sing

on so much of that music, when country music was all about telling stories.

We never got over it.” The band’s latest album, Love Is A Long Road, bridges the gap between the traditional sounds of places like Nashville and Bakersfield and the sparking pop influences of contemporary country.

Being a Canadian band and debuting at the [Grand Ole] Opry? That doesn’t happen more than once every decade.

BRAD REMPEL

harmonies. Eventually, they started picking up instruments, too. Brad learned to play guitar. Bryan followed his father and started playing bass. Curtis, the youngest, figured out how to make noise with a mandolin and a banjo. Their musical education, like their personal lives, was shaped by time and distance.

“Maybe because our town is so small and isolated, we kind of got stuck in the nineties for maybe an extra ten years,” Rempel says with a laugh, referring to a time when country music was not yet the commercial behemoth it is today. “We just grew up

“I love what’s on country radio today,” Rempel admits. “It’s very fun, it’s very pop, it’s very catchy. And you need all that stuff.” But conforming to expectations is not the High Valley way. Rempel concedes that he and his brothers might have had a shorter road to success if they had abandoned their principles in favour of flashy pop hooks and shallow party anthems. To be sure, Love Is A Long Road includes a few barn-burners, fiery love songs that cast roiling banjo licks against a wall of thick electric guitar chords. But the heart of the record, and the songs that separate CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE »

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AIN

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

back home BY ALEX J MACPHERSON High Valley from so many of their contemporaries, are contemplative, thoughtful, and overflowing with raw emotion. “We like to think that ultimately these kind of songs will last longer,” Rempel muses. “In the long run, people twenty years from now will hopefully still be talking

PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

about a song like ‘Trying To Believe’ instead of just turning the page and thinking about whatever the new uptempo party song is.”

Unlike the band’s earlier releases, which focused on making sense of the gulf between their childhood in La Crete and the bright lights of the big city, Love Is A Long Road feels like the work of a mature band – three young men comfortable with their lot in life and capable of addressing important problems head-on. The centrepiece of the album, “Trying To Believe” features a pair of entwined guitar licks and an earnest yet powerful vocal

from Rempel, and details his attempts to raise his son in a strange and alienating world. “The best way to feel comfortable with your situation is to admit your situation, and that’s kind of what ‘Trying To Believe’ is,” he explains. “It’s a song about admitting exactly where I’m at. Instead of just hinting at it, we came right out and said, ‘Here’s what’s happening in the world and here’s how I feel about it, and I don’t know exactly how to make sense of it all, but I’m sure trying.’”

This confidence, in himself and in his songs, is an advantage for High Valley as they enter the next stage of their career. The band has been signed to Eaglemont, an American record label, since 2007. But Love Is A Long Road was released in Canada almost a year before their first single — an uptempo love song called “Love You For A Long Time” — started to spin south of the border. Rempel says trying to break into the American market feels a lot like starting from scratch. This time, however, he and his brothers know what they are doing. “For so many years we were absolutely brand-new, trying hard to get anybody to listen to us, so we’re very familiar with how that works,” he explains. “Now that’s how we find ourselves in the U.S. Every once in awhile it gets disheart-

ening. You get burnt out. Then it’s nice to go up to Canada and play a big show and have people really support you. It’s like, alright, this really does work.”

And if the invitation to play at the Grand Ole Opry is any indication, High Valley’s brand of earnest and honest country music has found an audience south of the 49th parallel.

Embracing the aesthetics of contemporary country might have catapulted them to the top of the charts overnight, but Rempel insists that High Valley will never pretend to be something they are not.

For the brothers from Alberta, staying true to their roots, musically as well as morally, is as important as commercial success. And that’s the reason so many of their songs harken back to the early days of country music, when traditional instruments were used to tell moving stories. “That’s where we’re at our best, when we’re bluegrassin’ it up,” Rempel says with a laugh. “For us, that’s just where we want to be – taking those two worlds of rocking country and bluegrass music and blending them together.”

And while High Valley have spent the last year making fans and earning accolades across North America, people embrace their music because it is clear that the Rempel brothers stay true to their roots. Last year, they

returned home to play a surprise show in La Crete. “We showed up with not much notice and we were able to play a set at this jamboree,” Rempel recalls. “When we sang the song ‘Porches,’ which is one of my favourite songs on the record, I’m looking out into the crowd. I know everybody, they’ve been on our front porch. I just broke down. We had a five-minute guitar solo because I was crying in front of everybody, and I couldn’t finish the song. Maybe that’s because of the three-part harmony. Maybe it’s because of the lyrics. Or just how real everything seems when you’re at the place that you wrote the song about.”

This is the essence of High Valley.

This is what allows their songs about

ordinary people, relatable problems, and simple pleasures to transcend international borders. No matter how far they travel from their home in La Crete, no matter how bright the lights or how big the concerts, they will never forget where they came from. Love and life may be long roads, but they will always lead High Valley right back home.

High Valley June 13 @ Craven

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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11 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 /VERBREGINA

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LESS IS MORE AT CAFÉ DRIP

Photos courtesy of Maxton Priebe

An ever-changing menu and a cool atmosphere will make this café one of your faves BY VICTORIA ABRAHAM

C

afé Drip is unlike any other restaurant in Regina. Taking inspiration from its location in the Warehouse District, the restaurant has a modern, industrial feel, sharing a large open space with Pearl Hardware. Huge windows diffuse the grey, black, and brown colour scheme with a soft light creating a feeling of being both indoors and outdoors simultaneously. The three heavy wood picnic tables, stonework and columns work to enhance the indoor/outdoor ambiance.

The shared quality of the space also means restaurantgoers can conveniently browse chandeliers, faucets and living room accessories with a Café Drip cappuccino in hand. In short, the space is incredibly cool and comfortable. Paired with their ever-changing menu and classic coffee and latte options, the combination proves irresistible.

The concept behind Drip is restaurant-quality meals prepared in fast food time with a “less is more” mentality. “It’s healthy fast food catering to people who are constantly on the go,” says manager/operator Lacey Baiton.

new café owner glow, the pair have made it their mision to banish the “why did I eat out” regret by providing people with delicious healthy otions that fuel their bodies and taste great at the same time.

The gluten-free soup was delectably creamy, with a hint of spice.

VICTORIA ABRAHAM

Baiton and Chef Nic Gignac met while working at Earls South years ago, discovered their mutual love for all things gastronomic and always joked about opening a place together. When the opportunity presented itself, they jumped on it, launching Café Drip on May 6. Both radiant with excitement and possessing that

Their menu, which Nic designs, changes every couple of days, but it always offers a soup, salad, and sandwich. “It’s very nice to be able to create. It’s my product being served,” says Gignac.

“It’s a challenge trying to keep everything new and healthy.”

When I went, the menu consisted of a potato paprika soup with a gluten-free garlic cheese biscuit, a mixed berry goat cheese salad and a roast chicken sandwich.

The gluten-free soup was provided by Serendipity, a local gluten-free catering service. It was delectably creamy, with a hint of spice and large morsels of carrots, celery and potatoes. The salad, which had baby spinach, avocado, blackberries, strawberries, carrots, red onion and soft goat cheese was fresh and light. Prosciutto, provolone and cranberry compote complet-

ed the chicken sandwich on fresh ciabatta baked at Lumsden bakery Fourth & James. I finished the meal off with a gluten-free pecan pie square dipped in milk chocolate, also provided by Serendipity.

That’s the other great thing about Café Drip. They are dedicated to supporting local businesses. So since Gignac is not a baker, he and Baiton make a point of bringing in delicious baked goods from Fourth & James and Serendipity, and supports other suppliers as well. “If we have a salmon salad sandwich, we go to Pacific Fresh [Fish, a local seafood vendor],” he said.

Baiton and Gignac frequently pause from excitedly sharing their

stories with me to greet customers, chat up their regulars, and bring out coffee and food. In the midst of all this, one lady comes up to declare that the chai latte she just drank is the best one she has ever had.

With such splendid reviews, a versatile menu open to customer input, and Baiton and Gignac’s exuberance, the only direction for Café Drip to go is up.

Café Drip 1275 Broad Street | 306 359 3747 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbRegina vabraham@verbnews.com

LET’S GO DRINKIN’ VERB’S MIXOLOGY GUIDE VANILLA VODKA CHAI TEA

INGREDIENTS

Turn up the heat by adding some vodka to your chai tea and you’ll be the classiest party animal with the prettiest drink.

6 oz. strong Chai Tea 2 oz. vanilla vodka ¾ oz. amaretto liqueur ½ oz. simple sugar ½ oz. half n half

DIRECTIONS:

Bring three cups of water to a boil and steep four tea bags for 2 to 4 minutes (following the tea directions on the box). Allow to cool and refrigerate until you’re ready to drink (3 cups of tea will yield 4 drinks).

In a cocktail shaker or tall glass, combine ingredients and shake or stir generously (shaking will froth up the half n half and help release the infused flavor in the spirits). Fill glass with ice and pour drink over ice.

Garnish with a cinnamon stick or two.

12 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 CULTURE

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MUSIC

NEXT WEEK

COMING UP

MARY GAUTHIER

ALICE IN CHAINS

STARS

@ THE EXCHANGE SATURDAY, JULY 6TH – $20+

@ BRANDT CENTRE SATURDAY, JULY 6TH – $53.50+

@ MOSAIC PLACE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6TH – $60+

Though she’s recorded with the likes of Tim McGraw, Jimmy Buffet and many more, Mary Gauthier’s life has been far from idyllic. Born in New Orleans to a mother she never knew, Gauthier spent the first year of her life in the St. Vincent Women and Infants Asylum. She was adopted and, at the age of 15, ran away from home. The next few years were spent doing drugs, entering rehab, and living in halfway houses, and she spent her 18th birthday in jail.

She even opened a Cajun restaurant one but was arrested for drunk driving on opening night. Thankfully she’s clean and sober now, and the songs the talented country/folk/ Americana artist sings are infused with the pain and hardships from her past. Tickets at ticketedge.ca.

Not so long ago bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were tearing up the musical landscape, and Alice in Chains was right there with them. In 1992 they dropped their first album, Dirt, which went quadruple platinum. Since then, the band has sold more than 25 million records, making them one of the most successful bands ever to come out of the 90s. And though original lead singer Layne Staley died of an overdose in 2002, new lead singer William DuVall has picked up the torch and helped Alice in Chains continue to create their famous blend of grunge, heavy metal and acoustic, introducing their music to a new generation of fans. The band is touring with their new album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, tickets through Ticketmaster.

It all started back in the late 90’s, when two friends from Toronto – Torquil Campbell and Christopher Seligman – went to New York and recorded a catchy, electro-pop album called Nightsongs. Soon they recruited childhood friend Evan Cranley, who in turn recruited guitarist Amy Millan, before they all moved to Montreal and found drummer Patrick McGee. As the band members were added, Stars’ sound began to evolve towards a vibrant, beautiful and soaring flavour of instrumentbased indie pop. With their sixth studio album, The North, Stars’ music is getting more mature and infectious. They’ll be swinging through Regina in September, opening for the Tragically Hip. Tickets available at mosaicplace.ca – By Adam Hawboldt

PHOTOS COURTESY OF: THE QUEEN’S HALL / P_A_H / EASTSCENE

SASK MUSIC PREVIEW

PHOTO: COURTESY OF SASKMUSIC

Regina’s own Alex Runions has been crowned the winner of Big Dog 92.7/ Astral Media’s The Next Big Thing country talent competion at The Whiskey Saloon. Already a familiar face in small town venues, Kipling-raised singersongwriter Runions will receive a prize package worth over $15,000, including $10,000 cash and performance spots at the Craven Country Jamboree and Queen City Ex. Runions beat out three other finalists for top spot in the judges’ hearts, including JJ Voss of Regina, Yorkton’s Samara Yung and and Tenille Arts from Weyburn. Next up for Runions is a meeting with SaskMusic to decide how to best invest the prize into his career.

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

13 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 @VERBREGINA

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LISTINGS

JUNE 29 » JULY 6 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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DANGEROUS CHEESE / The Sip Nightclub - Come out for an awesome 80’s experience. 9pm / Cover TBD CHRIS HENDERSON / Whiskey Saloon - A talented country singer who rocks this place often. 10pm / $10

meet-up. 8pm / $10 DANGEROUS CHEESE / The Sip Nightclub - Come out for an awesome 80’s experience. 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 CHRIS HENDERSON / Whiskey Saloon - A talented country singer who rocks the place often. 10pm / $10

SUNDAY 30

TRIGGER EFFECT, DISASTER STRIKES, BLACK THUNDER, FILTHY SENORITAS / The Club - A night of punk, hardcore and stoner rock. 8pm / $10 THE FLATLINERS, A WILHELM SCREAM, SUCH GOLD, CRICKET / The Exchange - Hard driving metal to celebrate preCanada Day. 7:30pm / $13 (ticketedge. ca)

SATURDAY 29

FRIDAY 28

SUMMER SCRATCH COMPETITION / Artful Dodger - Come out as DJs vie for top spot. 8pm / Cover TBD DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits.

10pm / $5 DESCALSO, THE DEAD SOUTH / The Exchange - A night of reggae and folk.

9pm / $12 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 right! Featuring Kinder and Mikhail. 10pm / Cover TBD F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s Tavern - Track suits and good tunes. 10pm / $5 TILTED KILTS / Pump Roadhouse — Come out for the Chive’s first unofficial Regina

SUMMER SCRATCH COMPETITION / Artful Dodger - Come out as DJs vie for top spot. 8pm / Cover TBD GEORGE FOX / Casino Regina - An ambassador of Canadian country music. 8pm / $25+ (casinoregina.com) CHRONOBOT / The Club - Slow, fuzzy stoner metal. 7:30pm / Cover TBD DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits.

10pm / $5 BESNARD LAKES / The Exchange - Indie rock done right. Also featuring The Highest Order and Tinsel Trees. 7pm / $15 (ticketedge.ca) THE DEAD SOUTH / Lancaster Taphouse Some folk/bluegrass that you’ll dig. 9pm / Cover TBD F.O.G.D.O.G. / McNally’s Tavern - Track suits and good tunes. 10pm / $5 ECONOLINE CRUSH / Pump Roadhouse - Reunited 90s alt-rock outfit from Vancouver. 9pm / Cover TBD

MONDAY 1

OPEN MIC NIGHT / The Artful Dodger — Come down and jam! 8pm / No cover

TUESDAY 2

KARAOKE TUESDAY / McNally’s Tavern - Famous live music venue offers its patrons a chance to share the stage. 8pm / No cover

WEDNESDAY 3

WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOLK / Bushwakker Brewpub - Featuring Chad Kichula, playing blue-collar American folk. 9pm / No cover THE TREBLE / The Club - Pop/folk music from a Winnipeg quintet. 7:30pm / Cover TBD

THE STRUMBELLAS / The Exchange - Sweetass alt-country music from Toronto. 7:30pm / Cover TBD JAM NIGHT AND OPEN STAGE / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover

THURSDAY 4

2 BEATS & A HAT / Artful Dodger - Presented by DJ Verbal & E-Major, come enjoy two DJs with guest performances the first Thursday of every month. 7pm / $5 in advance or at the door DAN HOLBROW, ALEX MULLOCK / The Club - Two local singer/songwriters doing their thing. 7:30pm / $5 SONS OF DAUGHTERS / Creative City Centre - A gritty, dynamic blues duo from Vancouver. 7:30pm / $10 DECIBEL FREQUENCY / Gabbo’s Nightclub — A night of electronic fun. 10pm / Cover $5 PS FRESH / The Hookah Lounge - DJ Ageless started spinning in Montreal, DJ Drewski started in Saskatoon. They both landed in Regina and have come together to sling some bomb beats. 7pm / No cover OPEN MIC NIGHT / King’s Head Tavern - Come out, play some tunes, sing some songs, and show Regina what you got.

8pm / No cover EMPIRE ASSOCIATES / McNally’s Tavern - Local folk/alt-rock music for your enjoyment. 8:30pm / $5 WILDFIRE / Pump Roadhouse - A local country group fronted by Melissa Mannett. 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 STEVE GIBSON BAND / Whiskey Saloon - Soft country rock all the way from Newcastle. 10pm / $5

FRIDAY 5

JON DAVIS, MATT TOMLINSON / Creative City Centre - Two talented singer/ songwriters you don’t want to miss.

7:30pm / $10 DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits. 10pm / $5 SNFU, ROYAL RED BRIGADE, TOMORROW STARTS TODAY / The Exchange - Punk and hardcore played by local bands. 7:30pm / $20 @ X-Ray Records 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 DAN SILLJER BAND / McNally’s Tavern - This local act plays funk/soul/rock guitar. 10pm / $5 WILDFIRE / Pump Roadhouse - A local country group fronted by Melissa Mannett. 9pm / Cover TBD THE MILKMAN’S SONS / The Sip Nightclub - One of Regina’s hottest new classic/modern cover bands. 10pm / $5 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 STEVE GIBSON BAND / Whiskey Saloon - Soft country rock all the way from Newcastle. 10pm / $10

SATURDAY 6

ALICE IN CHAINS W/ CHEVELLE AND MONSTER TRUCK / Brandt Centre - One of the biggest bands to come out of the Seattle grunge scene. 7pm / $53.50+ (ticketmaster.ca) RORY ALLEN / Casino Regina - A “G.I. Blues” tribute to Elvis Presley. 8pm / $20-25 (casinoregina.com) DJ JUAN LOPEZ / Envy Nightclub — This DJ loves requests, nothing is off limits. 10pm / $5 MARY GAUTHIER / The Exchange Hardspun folk music from a talented American musician. 7:30pm / $20(advance), $25(door) DAN SILLJER BAND / McNally’s Tavern - This local act plays funk/soul/rock guitar. 10pm / $5 WILDFIRE / Pump Roadhouse - A local country group fronted by Melissa Mannett. 9pm / Cover TBD THE MILKMAN’S SONS / The Sip Nightclub - One of Regina’s hottest new classic/modern cover bands. 10pm / $5 STEVE GIBSON BAND / Whiskey Saloon - Soft country rock all the way from Newcastle. 10pm / $10

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

14 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 ENTERTAINMENT

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NIGHTLIFE

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19 @

THE EXHANGE

Cultural Exchange 2431 8th Avenue (306) 780 9494

MUSIC VIBE / Live bands from vir-

tually all genres including roots, folk, alt rock, experimental, hip hop, electronic, jazz, punk rock, and heavy metal FEATURED DEALS / Bottles of Big Rock SAAZ Republic Pilz pilsner for $4.00 DRINK OF CHOICE / Big Rock beers COMING UP / SNFU Pig Headed Tour 2013 with guests Royal Red Brigade and Tomorrow Starts Today on Friday July 5, $20 advance tickets available at X-Ray Records

CHECK OUT OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, July 5. facebook.com/verbregina

Photography by Bebzphoto

15 JUNE 28 – JULY 4 /VERBREGINA

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FILM

ANNIHILATING 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE

PHOTO: COURTESY OF COLUMBIA PICTURES

White House Down a decent summer popcorn flick BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

n case you haven’t noticed, Hollywood has a history of laying waste to the White House.

A tectonic shift destroyed it in 2012, mutants tore the innards out of it in X2, aliens blew it to high hell in Independence Day, martians shot it up in Mars Attacks — the list goes on.

Heck, two movies that focused on destroying America’s most famous residence were already released this year: G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Olympus Has Fallen.

All of this raises the question: what’s Tinseltown’s fascination with wrecking 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

Some speculate it’s a commentary on modern government, others feel it takes advantage of the culture of fear inherent in contemporary America. But me? I blame it on the British. Think about it. Back in 1814, during the War of 1812, the redcoats took over Washington, D.C, and began setting fire to public buildings.

When they got around to burning the White House, their inner pyromaniacs grinned with glee and made sure they added extra fuel to fire to keep the building burning well into the next day. And tada! The idea of totaling the White House was born.

Okay, maybe that’s a stretch (seeing as films didn’t even exist in 1812), but it doesn’t negate the fact that Hollywood seems to have a fetish with destroying D.C. lately.

Which brings us to the latest beat-the-crap-outof-the-President’s-digs movies: White House Down.

Where does this one stack up against the rest of the films in this peculiar sub-genre (of which director Roland Emmerich was already a two-time member, with 2012 and Independence Day)?

Well, let’s just say it’s a lot better than Olympus Has Fallen, but not quite as good as or Independence Day or X2.

WHITE HOUSE DOWN Roland Emmerich STARRING Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal + Joey King DIRECTED BY

137 MINUTES | 14A

his daughter are separated and, next thing you know, he’s protecting the President (a very Obama-esque Jamie Foxx) from the villains. But don’t be fooled. This isn’t just another one of those save-the-President movies.

Instead of rescuing the head of state, it’s more of a buddy-action movie in which Cale and the President are a team on the run from the bad guys.

And what a run it is. Emmerich puts his foot on the gas slowly then continues to push down, harder and harder, until the movie reaches maximum acceleration.

That doesn’t mean White House Down isn’t without it’s flaws. There are plot holes so big you could sail a yacht through them, and lucky coincidences pile up to keep the plot turning. But for the most part, White House Down is exactly the movie you probably think it is — a mindless, sometimes funny, mostly entertaining summer blockbuster.

It’s better than Olympus Has Fallen, but not quite as good as Independence Day. ADAM HAWBOLDT

White House Down tells the story of John Cale (Channing Tatum), a war-veteran-turnedpolice-officer who goes to Capitol Hill to interview for his dream job — Secret Service agent.

He doesn’t get the gig, but while he and his precocious daughter, Emily (Joey King), are still in town wandering around the Hill, feces hits the fan. A group of bad guys lay siege to the White House, Cale and

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HEEEEERE’S STANLEY

Room 237, a new documentary about Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, raises all sorts of questions BY ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

here’s a good reason why the films of Stanley Kubrick have been debated, dissected and studied for years now.

Simply put, the man was a genius. An innovator who revolutionized nearly every genre of movie in which he worked. A visionary who created films that are still as interesting and invigorating today as the day they were made.

But that’s not the only reason we’re still intrigued by Kubrick’s films. No. Because if you watch his greatest movies really closely, you’ll realize they’re strewn with symbols, hidden anecdotes and visual puzzles meant to challenge the viewer and, perhaps, even tell a different story that what they seem to at first.

Think of 2001: A Space Odyssey with its Nietzschean allegories or its symbolic search for God. Or how about all the symbolic use of eyes and purported Illuminati overtones in A Clockwork Orange.

But of all Kubrick’s films, The Shining is perhaps the one most filled with symbols and hidden meanings. And that is precisely the focus of director Rodney Ascher’s first documentary, Room 237.

Released in March of this year, Room 237 is a movie geek’s wet dream.

Using massive amounts of footage from The Shining — along with snippets from other Kubrick movies, Italian horror flicks, The Three Little Pigs and more — Ashcer provides an intense, riveting backdrop against which five different people, all seemingly obsessed with The Shining, espouse their wild theories about Kubrick’s 1980 masterpiece.

ROOM 237 Rodney Ascher Bill Blakemore, Juli Kearns, Jay Weidner, Geoffrey Cocks + John Fell Ryan DIRECTED BY STARRING

102 MINUTES | NR

But make no mistake: these aren’t just some random crackpots Ascher has pulled off the streets. They are respectable, intelligent, lucid individuals who just happened to have watched The Shining one too many times.

There’s Bill Blakemore, an ABC news reporter, who maintains that The

The core idea starts off slow but builds in intrigue.

ADAM HAWBOLDT

Shining is a critique and condemnation of the genocide of Native Americans.

There’s Geoffrey Cocks, an professor of European history at Albion College, who uses the number 42 and the typewriter Jack Nicholson’s character use to prove The Shining is, in fact, Kubrick’s Holocaust movie in disguise.

Playwright/novelist Juli Kearns maps the floor plan of the hotel where the movie takes place to prove it was an architectural impossibility, artist John Fell Ryan finds such symmetry in the movie that he believes it was intended to be played backwards as

PHOTO: COURTESY OF IFC FILMS

well as forward, and Jay Weidner, an author/filmmaker, tries to prove The Shining is Kubrick’s veiled apology for staging the Apollo 11 moon landing.

Those are some wild, crackpot conspiracy theories, right?

But here’s the thing, and it’s perhaps the scariest aspect of the documentary: every now and then you’ll find yourself saying, “Holy crap! This person may be on to something.”

If that doesn’t happen, though, don’t worry. Regardless of whether you buy into any of the theories,

Room 237 stands on its own as an interesting intellectual exercise and a damn fine documentary.

What makes it such a good doc is the way Ascher put it together.

Unlike most documentaries featuring “experts,” Room 237 features zero talking-head interviews. Instead it allows all five of the “experts” to narrate their theories over top of film footage.

The result is a Errol Morris-esque experience in which the core idea starts off slow but builds in intrigue and intensity as the minutes tick by.

And as long as you approach the movie with an open mind and an understanding that Kubrik was known for placing things in his films to challenge his audience, Room 237 is definitely worth your time.

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CROSSWORD CANADIAN CRISS-CROSS 1. Garden vegetable 5. Copycat 9. Cut into a desired shape 10. Cut apart 12. Glossy fabric 13. Having existed from the beginning 15. Right for the occasion 16. Everyone has one 18. Car driven by a chauffeur, for short 19. Driven obliquely 21. Tip laterally 23. Bro’s counterpart 24. Dignify 26. Liability’s opposite 28. Railroad support

30. Its capital is Tripoli 33. Show fear 37. Historical period 38. Calamitous 40. Its chemical symbol is Fe 41. Small fruit pie 43. It’s used with water 45. Increase the quantity of 46. Go for a walk 48. Long-necked birds 50. Spooky 51. Members of the aristocracy 52. In case 53. An award similar to a Gemini

SUDOKU ANSWER KEY

DOWN 1. Slat used for fastening down tarpaulin 2. Earlier in time than 3. Well balanced 4. That can be defended 5. Trembling tree 6. According to 7. Wicked 8. Guilty of neglect 9. Rooster raised to be eaten 11. China grass 12. Fill to excess 14. Met with defeat 17. Respected conductor 20. Half-rotten, like timber 22. Variety of cabbage

A

25. Tapering nail 27. Trucking rig 29. Golden syrup 30. Consents to 31. Infuriated 32. Unit of volume in the oil industry 34. Hard liquor B 35. Veins of metal ore 36. Parts left over 39. Bit of land in the ocean 42. Pulled apart 44. High school dance 47. Fleur-de-___ 49. Side piece of a sofa

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

ACROSS

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

TIMEOUT

© WALTER D. FEENER 2013

HOROSCOPES JUNE 28 – JULY 4 ARIES March 21–April 19

LEO July 23–August 22

SAGITTARIUS November 23–December 21

Foot-in-mouth disease is fast becoming an epidemic around you, Aries. Try to make sure you don’t catch it this week.

A long-term project you’ve been working on has stalled as of late, Leo. Don’t give up. A chance meeting will help you get things back on track.

Minor disputes and disagreements could explode into all-out wars this week, Sagittarius. Confrontation can be tricky, but don’t lie down and take crap.

TAURUS April 20–May 20

VIRGO August 23–September 22

CAPRICORN December 22–January 19

Productivity, thy name is Taurus.

Try to take advantage of this energetic burst while it lasts. You could achieve an important goal.

Some people may try to get aggressive with you at some point this week, Virgo. Don’t let them push you around. Speak up and say your piece.

You may be torn in two directions this week, Capricorn. If so, remember to always trust your gut. Your instincts will guide you down the right path.

GEMINI May 21–June 20

LIBRA September 23–October 23

AQUARIUS January 20–February 19

If you start to feel anxious at any time this week, Gemini, don’t panic. Take a deep breath and remember to put things in perspective.

Your engine will be running on all cylinders, Libra, so get out there and let ‘er rip. Now’s a great time to finish up that project you’ve been working on.

Sometimes patience is a virtue, young grasshopper. That said, if you can be patient in the next few days, good things will fall into your lap.

CANCER June 21–July 22

SCORPIO October 24–November 22

PISCES February 20–March 20

Your job this week is to bring joy to people around you, Cancer. Do that, and the universe will richly reward your efforts.

Confidence and believing in yourself will not be issues for you this week, Scorpio, as well they shouldn’t. But be sure not to let that get the better of you.

Something big may have happened to you last week, Pisces. It’s either going to be great, or the death of fun. Flip a coin and see what happens.

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

CROSSWORD ANSWER KEY

A

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

B

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