Verb Issue R91 (Aug. 16-22, 2013)

Issue #91 – August 16 to August 22

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into the void New SK gallery reimagines accessing art day trip Regina rockers look to the future kick-ass 2 + The venice syndrome Film reviews Photo: courtesy of monster truck facebook

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On the cover:

monster truck

Hamilton band talks love of rock ‘n roll. 10 / feature Photo: courtesy of monster truck facebook

culture

NEWs + Opinion

entertainment

Q + A with day trip

Live Music listings

Regina band looks to the future.

Local music listings for August 16 through August 24. 14 / listings

8/Q+A

cricket + community

ridergirl

Nightlife Photos

How one sport has taken over Saskatchewan. 3 / Local

New play examines life through the prism of football. 9 / Arts

We visit Envy Nightclub.

david lariviere

kick-ass 2 + The venice syndrome

SK artist takes on the art gallery in latest exhibit. 9 / Arts

15 / Nightlife

We review the latest movies. 16 / Film

into the void New SK gallery reimagines accessing affordable art. 5 / Local

let’s legalize marijuana We’ve said it before: it’s time. 6 / Editorial

verbnews.com @verbregina facebook.com/verbregina

A feast for the gods

on the bus

This week we visit Greko’s Restaurant and Steak House. 12 / Food + Drink

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 18 / comics

comments

Music

Game + Horoscopes

Your say on making parking meters smart phone-compatible. 7 / comments

Nick Faye and the Deputies, Begrime Exemious + Hollerado. 13 / music

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

Editorial

ART & Production

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contact

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

design Lead / andrew yanko Contributing Photographers / Baily eberle, Maxton Priebe, Adam Hawboldt + Alex J MacPherson

Office Manager / Stephanie Lipsit account Manager / Kerri Senkow Marketing Manager / Vogeson Paley Financial Manager / Cody Lang

Comments / feedback@verbnews.com / 306 881 8372 advertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253 design / layout@verbnews.com / 306 979 8474 General / info@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253

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cricket and community

Cricket, and easing the trials of immigration by ADAM HAWBOLDT

M

oving to a new country can be a trying experience at the best of times. Sure, there’s the excitement of experiencing something new, of being a stranger in a strange land. But that excitement and dither can, more often than not, be accompanied by a serious sense of bewilderment.

Think about it.

You pack your bags, leave everything you’ve ever known behind and settle in a place unlike anything you’ve seen before. A place with strange customs, a foreign culture, a language you don’t necessarily understand too well.

“It was quite a cultural difference.

A really big change, ” says Prakhar Shrivastava, who moved to Saskatchewan from Northern India back in

2001. “Looking back on it, one of the hardest parts was the language.

You come here and you’re not really comfortable speaking it. It can be difficult.”

Toss some good old-fashioned homesickness on top of that, mix in a pinch of culture shock, and what you have is a recipe for trying times.

Put in a situation like that, what would you do?

Some people might revert into themselves and become depressed.

They withdraw from daily life and long achingly for their homeland.

Others throw caution to the wind.

They do whatever is needed to make the assimilation process easier.

That’s what Shrivastava did.

Back at the turn of the millennium when he arrived here, the then-16year-old Shrivastava was looking

for a way to ease the transition. He found it in cricket.

“Back then there were only three cricket teams in Saskatchewan,” says Shrivastava. “One was in Saskatoon, two were in Regina. I started to play and it really helped. It was nice to come and play a sport you love, hang out with people who have the same interests as you. It eases the process.

You can still speak in your native tongue and feel at home.”

In Saskatchewan, Shrivastava isn’t alone when it comes to his relationship with cricket.

When you mention cricket to most people in North America, one of the first things they’ll say is, “Oh, that’s the game you play for days and days.

Seems crazy to me.”

Which can be true. There are cricket games that last for five days.

That’s called test cricket. But there are also shorter games for people who don’t have five days of their life to spare playing a sport.

“In the Saskatchewan Cricket Association, we usually play one-day cricket, which lasts for about six hours,” says Shrivastava. “Or we play T20 too, which is about half as long.”

But cricket isn’t traditionally played according to a clock. No. Instead, the duration of the game tends to depend on the number of pitches and outs. “For example,” says Shrivastava, “in one-day cricket each team gets 240 pitches. You have to try to make as many runs as you can in those balls. You either score or you get out. Each team gets 10 outs. Then the inning is over and it’s the other team’s turn at bat.”

For those uninitiated in the rules and terminology of cricket, talking to someone like Shrivastava — someone who has been playing the game most of his life — can get confusing at times.

With esoteric terms “googly” and “leg break,” “sledging” and “mullygrubber,” how can’t it be?

“When I have a conversation with people [who don’t understand cricket], I basically tell them to think of baseball, but different,” says Shrivastava. Then with a chuckle he says, “I tell them baseball is lazy man’s cricket. Cricket is a lot quicker, there are fewer things to worry about.”

And he’s right. In many ways, cricket is similar to baseball. There’s a bowler (pitcher, in baseball), a batsman (hitter) and a wicket keeper (back catcher). The bowler throws the ball, the batsman hits it, and the wicket keeper stands behind the batsman. There are also players who play the field, but that’s pretty much where the similarities end.

The cricket ground is oval (the newest one in Regina measures about 150 yards by 140 yards), rather than a diamond. There are no foul balls. Once the ball is in play, people who play positions like “silly mid on” and “deep backward square leg” are in the field trying to catch the ball while two batsmen (one striker, one non-striker) race back and forth along a straight dirt

path (the pitch) in the middle of the grounds scoring runs.

That’s just Cricket 101.

“It is a very tricky sports,” admits Shrivastava. “It can be very complicated and complex.”

It can also be a way for newcomers to Canada from certain, cricketplaying countries to make Saskatchewan feel a little more like home.

“There’s been a ridiculous boom in the number of people playing cricket in Saskatchewan,” says Shrivastava.

“In 2007 there were still only three teams. In 2008 I think there were four, but in the last three years is just kind of took off. Now we have 10 teams in Regina, five in Saskatoon, and just last year we added a team from Yorkton.”

And with this boom has come an increasing sense of community.

A community that eases the trials of immigration and the tribulations that can come with living in a foreign country with a different culture and set of traditions from your own.

“It really does help,” says Shrivastava. “Coming here, playing cricket with guys who share the same culture as you, the same language as you have, the same habits as you, it makes a big difference.

You’ll have a bunch of guys from the province of Punjab who hang out together, party together, and they’ll decide to put a team in the league.

You’ll have a group of similar guys from Northern India or wherever do the same thing.”

Shrivastava pauses for a moment, collects his thoughts and says, “The biggest plus that I’ve seen, in regard to cricket in Saskatchewan, is that once you start playing for a team they become your home away from home. They kind of become your family in the summer.”

Families that come from all different regions of the globe, brought together by two things — their love of cricket and the urge to bring a little piece of home to Saskatchewan.

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Photo: courtesy of void gallery

into the void

Sask gallery reimagines accessing affordable art by ADAM HAWBOLDT

B

elow the street, down a flight of brown carpeted stairs, you come to a landing.

If you turn right and walk a few steps you’ll see a small room filled with art. The kind of room that, as soon as you enter, feels comfortable. Inviting.

Cool and hip. On the walls, suspended from chains, hang a host of small, framed pictures. Silkscreen prints of of faces kissing, explosion symbols superimposed on a swirling background, of white numbers in red circles arranged in a rectangle with the words “Not Even Sesame Street Will Prepare You For This S**t” scrawled below them. There are plinths strategically placed around the room, each topped with wooden and metal works of art.

Tucked away in a corner near the

entrance is a black mannequin dressed in steampunk garb.

This is Void, a small art gallery in Saskatoon with a unique mandate: to show affordable, accessible art by new and emerging Saskatchewan artists. “Most galleries don’t show you until you have a sales history, but you can’t get a sales history if you’re not in galleries,” says Void owner Michael Peterson, pointing out a catch-22 of the modern art world. “And that just doesn’t seem right.”

So rather than sitting back and complaining about how there was nothing out there for new artists, Peterson — along with fellow owners Kris Kershaw and Nelson Fraser — decided to do something about it.

The idea of Void was born. The next step was to find somewhere to

turn their vision into reality. The small room under 8th Street Books & Comics proved the perfect place.

“The first thing we liked about the space was its size,” says Peterson. “We wanted a space small enough that artists — especially emerging artists who don’t have a huge body of work — can fill without stretching themselves.”

It seemed like a perfect fit for the Regina-based collective Articulate Ink.

Until September 1st, all those silkscreen prints hanging on Void’s walls are part of a show called Proof, created by the Articulate Ink collective.

Comprised of Michelle Brownridge, Amber Dalton, Karli Jessup and Caitlin Mullan, this Regina-based collective is precisely the kind of emerging, some-

times struggling artists Void gallery is looking to showcase.

“Having founded our collective and shortly thereafter our studio in the last three years, each of the four of us has been running flat-out to keep up with our day jobs, running the studio, and the rest of our lives,” says Mullan. “This hasn’t always allowed us to work on our own artwork, which is ironic as we spent so much time getting the studio usable for other artists. We wouldn’t trade the journey of the last few years for anything, but we are finally reaching a plateau where we are able to maintain the studio, workshops, etc., and start to return more fully to our own personal practices as artists.”

That return has resulted in their most recent show: Proof.

In case you were wondering where the exhibit name came from, “proof” is a term used in printmaking in which you create a test print (basically, fiddling with colours and other processes) to make sure everything is copacetic before you move on to your printed edition. That’s the literal definition. But for the women of Articulate Ink, the name of the show also holds another, more personal meaning.

“For the four of us,“proof” also refers to the place we have reached as an organization. That we have “proved” that running our studio in Regina is not only possible, but there is a demand for it in the community,” says Mullan.

“We didn’t always think it was possible in the beginning, or even sometimes in the middle, but we have emerged from our formative first few years having

reached nearly all of our original goals as an organization.

Like Articulate Ink, Void gallery also has some goals it would like to reach.

The first and foremost is to provide the art-loving public with a venue where they can purchase affordable art.

“The reality is, a lot of people can’t go in and buy a $2,000 painting. It’s just not in most people’s budget,” says Peterson. “I don’t know why anyone would want only those who can afford it, that small segment of society, to purchase art. We see that as a bit of a broken model, only relying on the richest part of society to support the art scene.”

Standing next to the Void counter, Peterson shifts his weight from one foot to the other, crosses his arms in front of his chest and continues. “For us, we think you should be able to buy art.

You should be able to buy local art and original art rather than going into a big box store and buying mass-produced art that everyone else has. We want to help grow the market.”

They also want to help emerging artists like Articulate Ink to continue to grow, get their art seen, and to bolster the art scene here in Saskatchewan.

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Photo: courtesy of cannabis training university

marijuana should be legalized

It’s high time that Canada took this next logical step

W

hen it comes to marijuana, it’s clear attitudes are shifting — especially when it comes to governments.

Previously, a certain fear (dare we say “hysteria”?) has been attached to marijuana use. It’s been touted as a gateway drug. It’s bad for your health and will lead to the deterioration to society. But as Bob Dylan once said, “the times they are a-changin’.” Legalizing marijuana is no longer the dangerous, morally corrupt act it was once perceived to be. And we think that’s great.

And we’re not the only ones. South of the border, both Colorado and Washington states have legalized marijuana and President Obama seems content to let them be. High-ranking politicians in Switzerland and Denmark are pushing their governments for legalization. In Uruguay, the House of Representatives have passed a bill to make weed legal.

And here at home, the Liberal Party of Canada has incorporated legalization as a part of their official platform.

Heck, even once-ardent-and-vocal critics of marijuana are beginning to sing a different tune. In fact, a couple of weeks ago CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta — the same guy who, in 2009, wrote an article called “Why I would Vote No on

was criminalized in Canada in 1923, we’ve been told that pot is a gateway drug. That it has a horrible impact on our health and that, should it be legalized, pot use will surely increase.

False, false, and false. First, there is no evidence there will be a surge in use. The Netherlands have been permitting the public smoking of marijuana since the mid-’70s, and according to the 2012 United Nations World Drug report, only 7.7 percent of people aged 15-64 use the drug. Here the rate is 12.7 percent. As for pot being a gateway drug, again that’s poppycock. If so, there would be an increase of hard drug use that parallels the increase in marijuana users, but there’s not. Yes, there’s been a jump in pot smoking, but the use of speed, ecstasy, cocaine and hallucinogens are actually lower now than they were in 2004, according to a 2011 Health Canada survey.

And finally, the myth that pot is horrible for your health has also been blown out of proportion. In fact, in 1995 the British medial journal the Lancet concluded that “the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health.” What’s more, the Journal of the American Medical Association recently found that pot is beneficial, at least in cases involving chronic or terminal pain.

Pot” for Time magazine — came out and said he was wrong. Gupta said that he “calculated about 6% of the current U.S. marijuana studies investigate the benefits of medical marijuana. The rest are designed to investigate harm. That imbalance paints a highly distorted picture,” and even said he was sorry for his previous stance. “We have been terribly and systematically misled for nearly 70 years in the United States, and I apologize for my own role in that,” he said.

We think that was pretty big of him.

And it would be big of our government (provincial or federal) to hop on this progressive bandwagon and legalize marijuana. Instead of, you know, cracking down hard, as has been the case in recent times. In fact, since the Conservatives came to power arrests for marijuana possession have increased 41 percent. According to a recent pro-legalizing marijuana article in MacLeans, “In those … years, police reported more than 405,000 marijuana-related arrests, roughly equivalent to the populations of Regina and Saskatoon combined.”

That is absurd. It’s time for this to change, it’s time to make pot legal. End of story. After all, as Mr. Gupta mentioned, we’ve been lied to for years about the perils of marijuana. Since it

So if the myths we’ve been taught about marijuana don’t hold much weight — and if all the criminalization of this drug has done is clog our legal system, waste taxpayers’ money on anti-drug resources, and allow the criminal underground to prosper — we have to make some changes. We have to legalize marijuana.

Not only would it create thousands of jobs (what with all the retail outlets we’d need to make), it would also be a new, hefty source of tax revenue for the government. That’s right. You see, a member study from Stop the Violence B.C., a coalition of academics, politicians and public health officials, estimates that British Columbia would earn around $500 million a year in

taxes and licensing revenues, should pot be legalized.

And that’s just B.C.! Just imagine the revenue our entire nation would reap through the legalization of pot? And you know what they say: if it makes dollars (and is also beneficial as a medicine), it most assuredly makes sense.

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

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On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about making parking meter smart phone-compatible. Here's what you had to say:

text yo thoughtsur to 881 vE R b 8372

– Clancy is a gem thanks for profiling someone who did so much for our great province. More features on people like this please.

In response to “Parks and Recreation,” Local, #89 (August 2, 2013)

SOUND OFF – Smart phones for meters is bloody stupid. Just use change like everyone else. How lazy do you have to be?

could be an experience on which one would blow good coin…but then there are those who buy a 26 and then think talking into the big white telephoner is fun.

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

– Citizens with Saskatchewan plates should not be charged for parking. Meter rates should be increased to $5/hour for all others.

– Re: parking meter story. Great idea! It would be so useful if I could pay for smaller amounts of time and only top up as needed, especially from far away. Bring this here NOW

OFF TOPIC – LOL at Adam Hawboldt’s salvia story! Loved it. Should do a series ;) In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90 (August 9, 2013)

(August 9, 2013)

I rarely read VERB, but every once in awhile, if I am waiting in a coffee shop, I may pick it up with a few others. After reading the above article, I had to really laugh when I read: “Verb recommends that you do not smoke salvia, ever”. But of course you do! Why else would you feature this article?

That is like saying to a drug addict not to do drugs, yet you feature Adam Hawboldt’s frightening experience with Salvia. He is a fool to waste himself and you are also foolish for featuring it. Are there no other interesting ideas in the world that you could use your ink for? Buh-bye!

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

– Salvia is legal even in anti drug US states but if some cancer patient there decides to smoke weed rather than use the meds flogged by big pharma they might end up doing time..that is stranger than tasting a silver pyramid.

(August 9, 2013)

– How stupid does Verb have to be to make one of their writers smoke salvia? What if something terrible had happened?

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

(August 9, 2013)

(August 9, 2013)

– Salvia article was pretty hilarious nice peak into AH’s mind. An interesting approach to exploring why such a powerful hallucinogen is available to the general public.

I’ll stick with my less intense drugs for now, though.

– WTF some crazy s*** like salvia is legal but weed isn’t thats messed up.

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

– Where can I find the video of the salvia trip? And great collum. Well put together.

(August 9, 2013)

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

– I think we’re all pretty fed up with traffic, waiting in line, waiting for hours at doc’s offices, half hour waits in phone ques, all the problems of a crowded province.

Enough is enough with growing the province! Our systems can’t handle any more people!

– Texting while driving is like allowing visually impaired people a license to drive.

– Before Modern Beliefs - The Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the sun, in which they put a man called Christ in the place of the sun, and pay him the adoration originally payed to the sun. There are no historic records of Jesus’ relatives before he was born. You would think that someone of his importance, there would be historic records of his relatives right? It’s almost like all of a sudden he just appeared out of nowhere - Thomas Paine 1737-1809. I don’t know about you but something smells a little fishy here!

– Jaywalkers are getting hit by cars. Good for them pedestrians should not be jaywalking

– Writing is funny. Write something positive popular and originality is often questioned. Write some popular critical negative and always get all the credit!

(August 9, 2013)

In response to “Smoking Salvia,” Local, #90

– Read the article on the salvia trip and really can’t see how this

– The Canadian government should absolutely boycott the Russian Olympics. The human rights tragedies beyond the LGBT issues are horrifying. We should not condone this. If powerful countries start pulling out we can send a powerful message.

(August 9, 2013)

– Back yard camp fires in a heavily populated urban center is hillbilly sh*t, made legal by a hillbilly mayor and city council. Anyone who does it is broadcasting hillbilly or bush hick ignorance! Self-indulgent MORONS!

– Don’t think of summer as almost being over. Just enjoy every day that comes your way. That way you can enjoy every day no matter what the weather is like. Every day is a blessing!

– I hate when you’re in a what you think is a nice relationship just to realize that its all been a liesince the beginning. Slowly picking up the pieces again! -L

Next week: What do you think of legalizing marijuana? Pick up Verb to get in on the conversation: We print your texts verbatim each week. Text in your thoughts and reactions to our stories and content, or anything else on your mind.

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Photos: courtesy of Sabeen Ahmad + Kim Jay

Regina rockers love playing rock and roll by Alex J MacPherson

D

ay Trip, a band from Regina, consists of four friends who were raised on the sound of classic rock and roll. After coming together to jam, Jesse Scobie, Chad Lachambre, Toby Hozempa, and Robbie Ryba discovered that they were having too much fun to play some shows and maybe make an album. After refining their sound and writing a batch of songs, the four guys recorded and released their debut, a collection of slinky guitar riffs and throaty vocals called Home Is Where You Make It. Inspired by three generations of riff-happy guitar players unafraid to dabble in funk and pop, Day Trip wants to resurrect the sounds of classic rock — and have a lot of fun while doing it. I caught up with bassist Jesse Scobie to learn more about one of the newest bands on the Regina scene Alex J MacPherson: I understand Day Trip was formed while you were riding your bicycle across the country.

Jesse Scobie: I’d played in a few previous bands. In 2008, I went on a crosscountry bicycle trip to raise money for Crohn’s and colitis, which is kind of my thing. And then

rock and roll record. Why go in that particular direction?

Chad [Lachambre], our singer, caught wind that I was bandless. He wanted to start a new band, got a hold of me near the end of my trip, and asked if I wanted to jam when I got back. I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, why not.’

JS: It seems like rock and roll kind of fizzled for a bit, but it seems to be making a resurrection here, which is great. When you’re all just in that groove, when the bass player and the drummer are in the pocket together, banging out the bottom of the band, and the two guitar players are rocking it out and everything just fits, I don’t think there’s any better sound or any better feeling than playing that sound for people.

AJM: Was there a moment when playing music for fun turned into something more serious and you decided to go ahead as a band?

JS: It took a while. I got back from the trip. Chad and I didn’t know each other that well, and I didn’t know Toby [Hozempa] at all — we just got

The last album was great, and we love the songs, but it’s time for new stuff. jesse scobie

AJM: One thing that stands out is that a lot of your songs, like “Mrs. Sippi” and “The Ballad of Jack Tripper,” are pretty funny. Is that evidence of your attitude toward music in general? Is it important to not take yourselves seriously?

together and started jamming in Chad’s garage. But when the three of us were playing it was fun. We were having a great time. Things felt right.

It was like, there’s some chemistry here, we could do a bit of damage.

Then we got Robbie [Ryba] into the picture, and it went great. I mean, we all work full-time jobs and that kind of stuff, but we keep chipping away.

everything worked out perfectly — but we don’t want to take ourselves too seriously, because that’s when fighting happens and egos come out.

AJM: First records are a foundation and now you’ve got another record in the works. How do you envision the band’s sound growing and changing?

JS: We’ve got eight or nine songs, and we’ve been playing some of them since before we recorded the last album. We’re thinking maybe this fall we’re going to start laying these tracks down. Hopefully we’ll get a full-length album out. We just want to get these songs recorded.

The last album was great, and we love the songs, but it’s time for new stuff. We’re proud of all those songs. They were the first songs we wrote together, and it was a great experience. We learned from that experience, too. And we feel that we’ve got better songs now.

Day Trip August 23 @ The Exchange $5 (advance @ Vintage Vinyl); $10 (door)

JS: Totally. We try not to take ourselves too seriously. I mean, we like to consider ourselves a tight rock and roll band and we take our live shows seriously — we like to have

AJM: Home Is Where You Make It feels like a fairly straightforward

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Ridergirl

New play examines life through the prism of football

T

he Saskatchewan Roughriders have a long history of inflicting misery on their fans. The long-suffering CFL club has on countless occasions seen Taylor Field transformed into a cathedral of shame, as the worst teams in the league march up and down the field with impunity. But the fans kept coming, through thin and thin and thinner.

RiderGirl, a one-woman play written and performed by Colleen Sutton, seeks to capture the spirit of Rider Nation — the peaks and the valleys of Rider fandom and the idea that watching football is about more than just watching football.

“That’s the big lesson of Rider Nation: you always support the ones

by alex J MacPherson

you love,” says Sutton, who was inspired to pursue a career in the arts after a transformative experience at a Roughriders’ game. “The true fans don’t bail. No matter what, we cheer for these guys.”

Sutton attended her first CFL game in 1993 as a member of the Roughriders Pep Band. The experience was given meaning by a woman whose love for the team knew no bounds. Swept up by a stranger’s enthusiasm and passion, Sutton became a devoted fan of the green and white. “She gave me my voice as a woman, as a person,” she muses. “Being able to scream at a game when I was really shy unearthed a passion in me that I didn’t know was there.”

RiderGirl, which premiered last summer in Winnipeg, is about despair and redemption and courage. Its arc follows the story of the team, from the bleak 1990s to the historic Grey Cup victory in 2007 and beyond. The play features a diverse cast of characters, all of them played by Sutton, which guides the audience on a journey through the experience of fandom. It is a story about life, and about courage and hope and devotion, seen through the prism of football.

“Some people think it’s just a football show, but it’s not,” Sutton says, explaining that her love for the Roughriders and their diehard fans, who refuse to stop cheering for their team, inspired her to

Photo: courtesy of Andrew Alexander Photography

chase her own dreams, regardless of the consequences. “Ultimately, it’s Rider Nation that is able to pick me up and let me forge ahead. No matter what happens.”

RiderGirl August 29-31 @ The Artesian on 13 $25+ @ picatic.ca

uses gnomes to attack the notion that the Group Of Seven should be lionized by all Canadians; “Pure Magic” is a play on Lawren Harris using “My Little Pony”). Other works in the show, like “American Sublime,” which uses video projection to insert a loop of the Zapruder film into a Rothko-style painting, add to art history rather than bending to its will.

Ultimately, The Art Gallery is about fracturing the experience of visiting an art gallery, where the mere presence of an object confirms its status as sacred. After conceding that he is as susceptible to the tow-

ering weight of canon and history as anybody, LaRiviere pauses. “I like to think of the work as problematizing,” he says. “It’s a verb. An action word. We’re engaged and the problem is ongoing.”

Questioning everything

David LaRiviere takes on the art gallery in his latest exhibition

T

here is a common misconception that art galleries, and the objects they contain, are supposed to inspire quiet admiration and reverence.

The Art Gallery, an exhibition by Saskatoon-based artist and curator David LaRiviere, is an attempt to dismantle this idea. In the past, LaRiviere has explored advertising and the deeply flawed notion that consumption is the raison d’être of citizenship; with The Art Gallery he turns his penetrating gaze and dark sense of humour on one of the last bastions of cultural elitism and historical fetishization.

“When we’re reverent toward art, when we get down on our knees, art dies,” LaRiviere says. “Art is always an activity. The activity is not so much about being reverent toward what happened, but to look at the work and see new possibilities, new meanings that have to do with the return of the work in a different time and different place.”

The Art Gallery is an attack on the idea of the canon. LaRiviere is concerned that viewers accept the mediated and censored history of art without question. His works subvert the familiar and the canonical; they are designed to add

by alex J MacPherson

another layer of experience — and thought — to the act of viewing art. LaRiviere, who is fascinated by the gulf between consumption and awareness, doesn’t want viewers to think about art galleries; he wants to them to think about how they think about art galleries.

“I think I’m full-on affirming art,” he muses. “But I’m affirming art not as something we should revere. I’m anti-reverence. And what that anti-reverence is really about is activating the work again.” The Art Gallery, a mixed-media exhibition featuring works that delve into the absurd (“The Group of Seven”

The Art Gallery Through August 30 @ Neutral Ground

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9 Aug 16 – Aug 22 @verbregina

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Furiosity Monster Truck on their love of rock and roll by Alex J MacPherson

M

aking a rock and roll album is a long and ridiculously involved procedure. From writing and recording to mixing and mastering, there are hundreds of things that need to be considered and completed before a record can be released. It is not uncommon for bands to spend months or even years working on a record; Axl Rose took almost 15 years to finish Chinese Democracy. The members of Monster Truck, a rock and roll band from Hamilton, know just how difficult the process can be. After emerging in early 2010 and rising to prominence after a string of soldout shows with the Sheepdogs, the band decided it was time to follow their debut EP with a full-length album. It was to be a long and frustrating process. They were forced to record the aptly titled Furiosity, which was released to the public in May, not once but twice.

“Around the end of 2011, we were getting ready to do the full-length,” explains Jeremy Widerman, who plays guitar in the band. “We were thinking about going back to the same guy, Eric Ratz, who produced The Brown EP, but we kind of got wooed in a different direction by a producer in L.A. He saw one of the shows we did with the Sheepdogs at the end of 2011 in Toronto. He was pretty impressed and offered to get on board. We got

pretty excited at the prospect of going to Los Angeles to record.” Smitten by the prospect of recording at Sound City Studios, the same studio where Neil Young made After The Gold Rush and Tom Petty cut Damn The Torpedoes, Widerman and his bandmates failed to consider how their vision might differ from that of the producer.

producers are a vital source of context and perspective for musicians shuttered in the studio and blinded by ambition. But when visions collide, as they did in Los Angeles, the result is inevitable. “Everybody had to come to terms with the fact that it wasn’t the record we wanted to put out,” Widerman says of the band’s first

It would be easy to … say f**k all that and mainstream rock sucks, but it’s really hard to make a change from your basement.

Jeremy Widerman

The sessions turned into a nightmare as both sides battled for control. “A lot of that had to do with us being under the gun and not really playing our best,” Widerman admits, “and a lot of it had to do with the way he wanted to record us and the way we wanted to sound being two different ideas.”

The importance of a good producer is difficult to overstate. Very few great albums are made without an equally great producer at the helm.

Depending on the people involved, the producer can be an active participant in the songwriting and recording processes or merely a voice of reason and restraint; in every case, however,

attempt, which he says sounded more like a demo than the polished rock album he had wanted to make. “So we decided to go back and do it again.”

There was no question that Ratz, who has also worked with Billy Talent, Cancer Bats, and Three Days Grace, was the right man for the job.

“He knows how to get big-sounding guitars, big-sounding drums without them being too slick or overproduced,” Widerman says. “He knows how to keep a lot of that grimy dirtiness intact while at the same time making it extremely high-quality and huge-sounding through speakers.

And the huge X-factor that almost Continued on next page »

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Photo: courtesy of Brooks Reynolds

nobody is able to capture with a producer is that he’s a friend.” With Ratz behind the console, the band churned out an album that embraces the influence of classic rock and roll while placing itself on the cutting edge of modern music — a record that is part of the history of rock rather than an attempt to capture it.

Photo: courtesy of Brooks Reynolds

It is easy to dismiss Monster Truck as just another group of rock and roll revivalists, musicians more interested in resurrecting the past than looking to the future. But Widerman and his bandmates — Jon Harvey, Brandon Bliss, and Steve Kiely — are more than just a bunch of longhairs who stopped appreciating guitar rock after Van Halen made 1984. Furiosity is packed with references to the golden age of riff rock, but songs like the propulsive “Power Of The People” and the soaring, organ-heavy “My Love Is True” show that Monster Truck’s rock playbook is as diverse as it is powerful.

“I think it’s a f**king cop-out to do a

revival, to take what people did in the seventies and do it again,” Widerman says. “You’re not challenging yourself, you’re not challenging your listener, you’re not taking any chances. You’re just taking something tried and true and rehashing it in your way.”

When Monster Truck made The Brown EP, the record that catapulted them to fame, they knew they needed to establish a certain sound. “We set out to make a record that was digestible, short, and to the point,” Widerman says. “If we put out a five-song record with a bunch of different styles on it, we’d run the risk of confusing somebody in such a short amount of time.” With Furiosity, the band had more room to experiment. Songs like “The Lion” and “Call It A Spade” build on the grinding, propulsive aesthetic of The Brown EP, but the best songs are also the most unexpected. The centrepiece of the record is a sevenminute epic called “For The Sun,” which evokes Led Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You” before building into a towering cascade of screaming leads and a turbulent riff that hints at a slew of modern influences.

The other standout track is “My Love Is True,” which brings the album to a close with five minutes and thirty seconds of bluesy riffs, tortured vocals from Harvey, and the dour optimism of the Rolling Stones’ “Shine A Light.”

Both “My Love Is True” and “For The Sun” are outliers, definitive proof that

Monster Truck are just as comfortable writing sprawling anthems for the late-night crowd as they are churning out blistering riffs for everybody still working on their second whiskey and coke, no ice. More importantly, the inclusion of songs like “For The Sun,” which took more than a year to write and perfect, hints at the band’s vision of what rock and roll is — and what it should be.

Widerman believes rock and roll is not so much a style as it is an attitude, the radical idea that the most exciting music will always run counter to whatever is popular.

Citing everybody from Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry to Rage Against The Machine and NOFX, Widerman says doing the unexpected — like basing a record around a song almost as long as “Stairway To Heaven” — is the key to unlocking the power of rock and roll. “We’re not exactly dangerous outlaws or anything,” he laughs, “but we’re definitely against the grain and we definitely don’t see eye to eye with the rest of the music industry. We’re part of the mainstream. We’re part of the radio system. But at the same time, I feel like it’s important for us to be in there because it’s easier to mount an attack with the kind of coverage we’ve been getting by accessing those platforms.

It would be easy to stick your nose up in it, stay in the underground and say f**k all that and mainstream rock

sucks, but it’s really hard to make a change from your basement.”

Over the past two years, Monster Truck have built up a strong following in Canada, which Widerman wants to augment by spending more time touring in the United States and Europe.

They have played concerts with Alice in Chains and Slash, and heard their single “Sweet Mountain River” played on radio stations across the country; earlier this year, they won the Juno Award for breakthrough group. But, Widerman says, that was never the point. “The band was started for me to quit,” he laughs. “I don’t mean quit playing music. I mean quitting the industry itself. I really was saying, ‘F**k you, I’m out, I just want to do this

band, I want to do it for myself.’” But by starting with no expectations and no goal other than having fun, Widerman and his bandmates have launched a serious attack on popular music from without and within — and taken their place in the long line of bands who just wanted to play loud, like their heroes before them.

Monster Truck August 23 @ Summer Invasion $35+ @ summerinvasion.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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Photos courtesy of Maxton Priebe

A feast fit for the greek gods Grekos’: dishing out Greek favourites for 35 years by victoria Abraham

W

ithin seconds of sitting down at Grekos’, I was transported to Greece.

I was enveloped by white columns, twinkling chandeliers, and softly playing Greek music.

The pretty blue and white colour scheme, scenic photographs of Grecian vistas, philosophers and tourist attractions in gold frames, and a wall-sized mural of the Acropolis furthered the impression that I had left rainy Regina behind for Greece’s cerulean waters, golden beaches and whitewashed buildings.

The owner, George, clad in a tan suit and with a preference for going by his first name only, began our

to be tamed by a squeeze of lemon.

It was crispy around the edges, chewy, salty, cheesy goodness with a mild lemon flavour that was absolutely sinful when eaten with the buttery toast.

Then came the meaty Greek ribs with lemon and various Greek

conversation with “how about a little bit of vino.” George owns the restaurant with his brothers Bob and Chris. While Chris takes the title of head chef, George and Bob also prepare the food.

The “vino” was a sweet and fruity Greek wine called Boutari and it marked the beginning of a nine-course journey through Greek cuisine, interspersed with a winking George saying, “I hope you have nowhere to be because you have to try the Greek…”

I started with a cheese saganaki and a basket full of garlic toast.

Cheese saganaki is a fried white cheese, which sizzled and crackled ferociously when lit on fire, only

No Greek food extravaganza is complete without home-made baklava… victoria abraham

spices, and fresh pita bread with homemade tzatziki, hummus, and a spicy feta dip called tirokafteri.

The creamy tirokafteri took top honours, as it was unlike any dip I’d ever had before.

Shortly after that the spanokopita, a hot phyllo pastry stuffed with spinach and feta, arrived. Then it was calamari with red onions, lemon and tzatziki. A beautiful Greek salad came after, with meaty, well-ripened tomatoes and cubes of feta.

As I was nearing the point where I could no longer breathe, George excitedly announced that

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide Ouzo Jelly Bean

Ingredients

If you manage to stop sipping the Boutari, try this cocktail with ouzo, the anise-flavoured Greek staple alcohol.

1 ounce ouzo dash Blue Curacao or grenadine 1.5 ounce lemonade 4 ice cubes

the entrée was on its way. (When he wasn’t being incredibly attentive to us, George was greeting customers at the door, seating

directions

Pour the ouzo and Blue Curacao or grenadine into a tall glass. Add ice cubes and then top up with lemonade. Enjoy!

them, and checking up on other tables). The entrée was a glorious seafood saganaki, with generous amounts of lobster, shrimp, scallops and crab legs, flanked by rice and vegetables. It was hearty, creamy, and delicious.

My inability to breathe properly combined with the delicious food and vino to produce a kind of euphoria, and that’s when George insisted that I must try the Greek cabbage rolls. And so I did. Known as dolmades, the rolls consist of meat and rice wrapped in dark green grape leaves in an egg and lemon sauce. They are small but

mighty, with a distinct, slightly sour flavour that’s truly appealing.

Alas, the feast was not over yet. No Greek food extravaganza is complete without home-made baklava and galaktoboureko with a generous scoop of caramel-drizzled ice cream. The baklava had the perfect ratio of phyllo pastry to walnuts, while the galaktoboureko was a marvel of fluffy custard encased in phyllo. Sweet and strong Greek coffee marked the end of the spectacular meal.

As we got ready to leave, a waitress came up to us and said, “Betcha he stuffed you guys to the max.” Indeed he had.

Greko’s Restaurant + Steak House 4424 Albert Street | (306) 584 3646

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@VerbRegina vabraham@verbnews.com

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Next Week

coming up

nick faye + the deputies

begrime exemious

hollerado

@ the club saturday, Aug 24 – $TBD

@ the club friday, Aug 30 – $10 (advance) $15 (door)

@ the exchange Friday, Nov 22 – $TBD

There’s something about Nick Faye and The Deputies’ new EP, Harvest, that sticks with you, lingering in your mind like a long-burning sunset. A three-song album that, according to its official description, “is a byproduct of a broken heart, rough hands, weary eyes, and an idle mind,” Harvest is an excellent follow-up to the band’s debut album, 2011’s The Last Best West.

Harvest, which features the talents of Faye, Byron Chambers, Ian Cameron and Jon Neher, offers up a style of alt-folk/rock music that echoes the rhythms of prairie living and rural life.

Pared-down and laid back with lyrics that resonate, Harvest grabs hold from the opening chords and refuses to let go. Come check Nick Faye and The Deputies out when they play The Club next week.

Begrime Exemious is no stranger to change. When the band first started out in late 2005 it consisted of B. Symic (guitar), L. Norland (drums), P. Jansen (guitar), B. Leland (vocals) and D. Orthner (bass.) That was the original line-up that recorded the band’s first demo. Then P. Jansen and B. Leland left the group and two new musicians were brought on board.

Then B. Symic parted ways with the band, but B. Leland came back, and one of the new recruits quit, but more came in and … well, you confused yet? Not to worry. All you have to know is that this metal quintet from Edmonton plays a hard-charging, in-your-face brand of death/black metal. The kind of metal that shakes pillars and strips the paint off walls.

The Club had better beware.

It’s easy to see why Ottawa’s Hollerado have so many fans. With infectious melodies, catchy hooks and heavy guitars, the kind of indie rock/ power pop they play is the stuff radio stations love to air — and music listeners like to hear. Case in point: since releasing their first LP, Record in a Bag, in 2009 and again in 2010, this indie four-piece has had a handful of songs crack the top 20 on the Canadian Alt charts. Their latest single, “Pick Me Up,” from 2013’s White Paint, climbed the highest. Made up of Dean Baxter, Jake Boyd, Nixon Boyd and Menno Versteeg, Hollerado was nominated for Best New Group at the 2011 Juno Awards. And while they didn’t win, just to be nominated proves they’re an up-and-coming band to watch. They’ll be rocking Regina in November.

– By Adam Hawboldt

Photos courtesy of: christina bourne / the artist / the artist

Sask music Preview

Photo: courtesy of telekhovskyi

Drummers, get ready! The Regina Drum Festival, which takes place September 28 - 29 in The Exchange and The Club, will feature a tradeshow, clinics and performances. This year you’ll see the talents of Kenny Aronoff, Matt Halpern and Richie Gajate Garcia, with more huge names being announced very soon. For more information, please see http:// www.jaysonbrinkworth.com/regina-drum-festival-2013/

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

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august 16 » august 24 The most complete live music listings for Regina.

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16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Friday 16

Powder Blue / Artful Dodger — A little shoegaze and psych for your listening pleasure. A great way to start the weekend off right!. 9pm / Cover TBD 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 /

Monday 19

Albert as he does his spinning thing.

10pm / $5 cover Indigo Joseph, the Dead South, Hello, Lady / Regina Performing Arts Centre. All proceeds go to roof repairs!

8pm / $8 advance, $10 door DJ Longhorn / Whiskey Saloon — Come check out one of Regina’s most interactive DJs as he drops some of the best country beats around. It’s a great way to get your weekend started! 8pm / Cover TBD Alex Runions / Whiskey Saloon — An old favourite will wow you, so come on down! 9pm / $10 cover

Open Mic Night / The Artful Dodger — Come down and check out all the local talent, or bring an instrument and show Regina what you’ve got! 8pm / No cover Monday Night Jazz & Blues / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring The Jazz Band-Its; boasting over 20 musicians, the Jazz Band-its are the largest band Bushwakker’s has ever hosted. 9pm / No cover

Saturday 17

Kelevra, Planet Eater, Lest we Fail / The Exchange. Regina metal band Kelevra will be rocking their CD release party! 8pm / $10 The Rebellion / McNally’s Tavern — Also appearing will be Misterfire, in this Saskatoon doubleheader. 9:30pm / Cover TBD Craig Moritz / The Pump — A country recording artist that positively shines, Moritz provides a live show that you’ve got to see to believe. 9pm / Cover TBD Drewski / Pure Ultra Lounge — Doing what he does best, powder blue every Saturday COURTESY OF the artist night. Come on Landown and dance the caster night away with this loTaphouse cal DJ. 10pm / $5 cover — Come out Alex Runions / Whiskey Saloon and get your weekend — An old favourite will wow you, so started with DJ Fatbot, who’ll be doing come on down and catch some rocking his spinning thing every Friday night. country tunes! 9pm / $10 cover 10pm / Cover TBD What Ever / McNally’s Tavern — It’s Locals’ night at McNally’s Tavern, so Gurdas Mann / Conexus Arts Centre come on down and rock out, then — One of most notable figures of Punenjoy the show from What Ever. 10pm jabi music will be cracing the stage at / $5 Conexus. You won’t want to miss this!

Craig Moritz / The Pump — A 6pm / $67+ (conexusartscentre.ca) country recording artist that positively Sexy Retro Dance Party / McNally’s shines, Moritz provides a live show Tavern — DJ Baby Daddy will be rockthat you’ve got to see to believe. 9pm / ing all your favourite hits from the 70s Cover TBD and 80s! 10pm / Cover TBD Albert / Pure Ultra Lounge — Appearing every Friday night, come listen to

Wednesday 21

Wednesday Night Folk / Bushwakker Brewpub — Featuring Dr. Bird & Bluebeat, playing ska, rocksteady and reggae. It’s a night of catchy music to get you up and on your feet. 9pm / No cover Brass Buttons / King’s Head Tavern — Come on in, enjoy a pint and some good tunes. 9pm / No cover Jam Night and Open Stage / McNally’s Tavern — Come on down and enjoy some local talent. 9pm / No cover

Thursday 22

Helen Reddy / Casino Regina — A Grammy winner from Down Under with more than a dozen top 40 hits in the United States. 8pm / $45+ (casinoregina.com) Leland / Casino Regina Summer Stage — Rock out at the F.W. Hill Mall on your lunch break. 12pm / No cover Kingsland, A Perfect Punchline, 10th Avenue / The Club — Calgary, Regina and Saskatoon punk and rock bands will be taking the stage to wow you with a night of hard, heavy awesomeness. 7pm / $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,

Sunday 18

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.

Too shy?

Just pull up a chair and craig moritz COURTESY OF the artist enjoy the show.

8pm / No cover Have, Victory Kicks, Rye Noble / McNally’s Tavern — Come out and support local talent. 9pm / Cover TBD Brian Kelly / Pump Roadhouse Rockin’ country that soothes the soul. 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 Cory Edward Brown / Whiskey Saloon — Country/ Americana/folk form Manitoba. 10pm / $5

Friday 23

Daytrip, Val Halla, I Automatic, None Shall Sleep tonight, New Century Rogues / The Exchange — Rock, roots and so much more. This is a fundraiser working towards a cure for Crohn’s and Colitis, so come on out for a good cause! 7pm / $5 (advance), $10 (door) 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 Brian Kelly / Pump Roadhouse Rockin’ country that soothes the soul.

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. It’s a night of hard rocking country, perfect for the start to the weekend! 8pm / Cover TBD Cory Edward Brown / Whiskey Saloon — Country/Americana/folk from Manitoba that is sure to impress.

10pm / $5

Saturday 24

Brass Buttons / Buy the Book rooftop — Ever rock out on a roof? Here’s your chance. Come on out and check out the Brass Buttons do their thing on the top of Buy the Book. 2pm / No cover Andy Shauf, Nick Faye and The Deputies / The Club — Some of the best singer/songwriters Saskatchewan has to offer. 7:30pm / Cover TBD John McCuaig Band / McNally’s Tavern — Great Canadian rock with

daytrip

COURTESY OF the artist

bagpipes, in a relaxed and laidback atmosphere.10pm / $5 Brian Kelly / Pump Roadhouse Rockin’ country that soothes the soul.

9pm / Cover TBD Cory Edward Brown / Whiskey Saloon — Country/Americana/folk from Manitoba that is sure to impress.

10pm / $5

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

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saturday, August 10 @

envy nightclub

Envy Nightclub 2300 Dewdney Avenue (306) 757 3689

Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, August 23. facebook.com/verbregina

Photography by Bebzphoto

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not so kick ass

Kick-Ass 2 is fun and funny, but lacks oomph of the original by adam hawboldt

T

here’s a scene in the original Kick-Ass that seems to capture the entire movie in a nutshell.

It happens when Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz) confronts a group of drug dealers, drops the C-word, then proceeds to kick the ever-loving s**t out of her adversaries. That scene was violent, foul-mouthed, irreverent, dark and highly original — especially when it comes to superhero movies. I mean, really.

In an age of superhero movies like Spider-Man and Superman, a scene like that really stands out. Really sets a movie apart.

That’s why the original Kick-Ass did so well at the box office (nearly $97 million worldwide), and garnered the film a cult-like following.

Chances are, the same won’t happen with its sequel, Kick-Ass 2.

Why? Well, there are a few reasons. But the biggest of all is the uneven, fragmented nature of the film. Directed by Jeff Wadlow (Cry Wolf, Never Back Down), Kick-Ass 2 picks up pretty much where the original left off. Big Daddy (Nicolas

Cage) is dead, Hit Girl is being cared for by her dad’s old cop partner, Marcus (Morris Chestnut), and Dave/ Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is still doing his regular-guy-wants-tobe-a-superhero thing.

But whereas the first Kick-Ass film moved all these characters along a coherent, tightly-knit plot line, the second installment sees fit to separate them. Not the wisest move, I tell ya.

Kick-ass 2 Jeff Wadlow Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloë Grace Moretz + Jim Carrey Directed by

103 minutes | 14A

On the other hand, there’s Dave: still inept, still looking to foil bad guys. He has since joined a ragtag superhero group called Justice Forever (led by none other than Jim

…the biggest [problem] is the uneven, fragmented nature of the film.

Adam Hawboldt

Carrey) and desperately wants Hit Girl to train him.

Eventually Chris D’Amico (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), aka Red Mist from the first movie, comes along and forms a bad-guy group of his own. He’s still pissed that Kick-Ass killed his mob-boss father

On the one hand, you have Hit Girl (aka Mindy) laying down her weapons, putting her ass-kicking ways aside, and trying to become a normal high school girl with normal high school girl problems — mainly, the queen mean girl at school (Claudia Lee).

so he takes on a new villain persona (The Motherf**ker), dresses up in his mom’s bondage gear, and vows revenge on Kick-Ass and everyone he knows. Things heat up and soon Hit Girl has a serious decision to make: remain a normal teenage kid or put on her spandex and lend a helping hand.

What happens next, well, it’s to be expected. Kind of.

And therein lies another small problem with Kick-Ass 2. Instead of subverting the superhero genre and doing the unexpected at times (the training montage, the effects of losing a parent, the being pulled in two directions at once), it occasionally falls into the trap of

being remarkably like other superhero movies. Which isn’t to say it’s squeaky clean or anything. There’s still gratuitous violence, the language is still saltier than the Atlantic Ocean, and there are still some raunchy-yethilarious moments.

But for the most part it doesn’t quite live up to the original. Then again, most sequels rarely do.

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A sinking feeling

Exploring the effects of tourism on one of Italy’s magnificent cities by adam hawboldt

Photo: Courtesy of Taskovski Films ltd.

V

enice, Italy, is one of the most remarkable cities on Earth. Hands down.

It’s the birthplace of Marco Polo, Casanova, Titian, and Vivaldi.

Shakespeare set two of his plays there. Thomas Mann wrote about it in Death in Venice. And with St. Mark’s Basillica, the Grand Canal, the gondoliers, the Piazza San Marco, and the ancient and romantic aura that hovers over the city like a blanket, it’s no wonder thousands of tourists flock there every day. But we’re not just talking one or two thousand tourists here. Nope. Nearly 60,000 people visit the Queen of the Adriatic every day.

Yes, you read that right.

Sixty thousand people, every single day. Which is a substantial number, especially when you consider the population of Venice hovers somewhere in the neighbourhood of 58,000 denizens.

But not to worry. Naturally all this tourism is a major boost to the economy, so outside of suffering mass invasions every day, the people in Venice are all well and good. Right?

Not a chance.

And that’s what a new documentary by Andreas Pichler is all about.

Called The Venice Syndrome, this documentary breaks past the beautiful veneer of the city and shows what life there is really like.

And boy oh boy, it’s nothing like the Venice you see on postcards or travel guides.

Many of people who live there live lives of struggle and hardship, yet their sad existences are pushed into the shadows by the overwhelming beauty of the city.

The documentary, for the most part, focuses on a few of these people. They love their city and are proud of where they come from.

But life isn’t easy. Property values are out of control, forcing normal citizens to do things they never envisioned — like renting out the main parts of their houses just to make ends meet, or being forced to leave their home and relocate to the mainland because they can’t find work.

At the heart of this, Pichler is quick to point out, is the nature of

The Venice Syndrome Andreas Pichler written by Andreas Pichler + Thomas Tielsch Directed by

82 minutes | NR

modern tourism. Once upon a time, people would travel to Venice and stay there for a week or two. They would rent a room in a hotel, eat at cafes, drink in local bars. Back then, all was well and good. These days, things are different.

pictures, buying souvenirs, then getting back on their ship and leaving. Much of the money they spend goes to international corporations

…this documentary breaks past the beautiful veneer of the city and shows what life there is really like.

tearing down the infrastructure of the city.

There’s more to The Venice Syndrome that just this. Much, much more. It’s a sobering, informational, at times alarming picture of a city in peril. Of a citizenry that knows exactly what the cost of mass tourism can be.

The Venice Syndrome will open at the Regina Public Library on August 22.

Adam Hawboldt

Instead of visiting, staying, and pumping money into the local economy, now hoards of people are showing up on cruise ships, wandering around for a day, taking

that have a stranglehold on the Venetian economy.

This is a major problem. So too are the cruise ships that constantly move the waters which, subsequently, are

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crossword canadian criss-cross 30. Lack of interest 34. Unable to agree on a verdict, as a jury 35. Colour of the clear sky in daylight 36. Wife of Adam 37. Big coffeepot 38. Turn sharply 39. Prove to be true 40. Tricky question 42. Pay no attention to 44. Selected as the best 45. Part of a pig 46. The Munsters’ pet dragon 47. Chase game

A

. Half-domesticated 1 animal 2. A microwave is one 3. Showery 4. Ballerina’s garment 5. ‘___ on a true story’ 6. Statement of what to do and not to do 7. Baseball stat.

8. Hit very hard 9. Let stay behind 11. Faithful 12. Elimination round 14. Measure out 17. Of laughter 20. Employment extra 21. A rooster is one

23. ___ Kong, China 24. Dark area on the moon 26. Feed 27. Block entrance to 28. Blender button 29. Records kept in chronological order 31. Deeply religious B 32. Done openly 33. Nothing more than 35. Cap with no brim 38. Vote that blocks a decision 39. Nameless, for short 41. Drink slowly 43. Animal with a beard

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

1. Poultry 5. Use a coffeemaker 9. River embankment 10. Pertaining to the ear 12. Regarding this matter 13. Skiing race downhill 15. Get through hard work 16. Arboreal animal’s home 18. Caustic soda 19. Address abbreviation 20. Word on a receipt 21. Castle’s protection 22. Ties to a stake 24. Flooring wood 25. A number showing the place in a sequence 27. Punish a naughty child

© walter D. Feener 2013

sudoku answer key

DOWN

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

ACROSS

Horoscopes August 16-august 22 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

It’s time to take that leap of faith, Aries. There may be some detractors saying it can’t be done, but you never know until you try.

Some long term plans could finally come to fruition this week, Leo. You’ve been working for this for a long time, so enjoy the rewards.

Something from your past could rear its head this week, Sagittarius. It would be a good idea to deal with this, once and for all.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Communication with someone you haven’t thought of in a very long time could lead to a relocation. Taurus, this is the week to pursue adventure!

Someone close to you could have a huge secret they want to share.

They may be nervous to spill the beans, so try to be open to what they have to say.

A new hobby or pastime could yield an unexpected surprise. It’s time to brace yourself for new and exciting things, Capricorn!

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

Confrontations might not be your thing, Gemini, but it’s time you stood up for what you believe in. Speak your mind.

You could be traipsing over some uncharted territory this week.

Enjoy it! Getting off the beaten path has its rewards.

Your longing to see someone or something has been growing lately, Aquarius. Never fear: soon all will be resolved.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

You could experience an enormous life change this week, Cancer. For good or bad, it’s hard to say, so get ready to roll with the punches.

Don’t be afraid of trying new things, Scorpio. Variety is the spice of life, and now is the time to flavour things a little differently!

Your creative energies are soaring this week, Pisces. Be adventurous with them — it’s time to try something new.

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

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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