Verb Issue S243 (June 7-13, 2013)

Issue #243 – June 7 to June 13

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BESNARD LAKES A game of chance and

culture

music

saskatoon

the art of making shoes Chatting with Adam Finn Brotherly love Q+A with the Karpinka Bros the purge + christcore Films reviewed­

Photo: courtesy of richmond lam

NEWs + Opinion

contents

the subtle art of shoe making SK cobbler Adam Finn tells all. 4 / Local

Until death do us part ... in style The changing face of funerals. 6 / Local

waste not, want not Our thoughts on curbside composting.

8 / Editorial

On the cover:

besnard lakes

comments

On taking a chance. 12 / Feature

Here’s what you had to say about mandatory dog training. 10 / comments

Photo: courtesy of richmond lam

culture

Q + A with the karpinka brothers Writing songs + giving back. 12 / Q + A

shooting guns

buns and stuff

Saskatoon-based rockers are loud and proud. 13 / Arts

We visit the Honey Bun Café.

16 / Food + Drink

inside out

Music

Artist Judy Chartrand’s unique perspective. 13 / Arts

Dent May, Neil McCoy + Hanson

17

/ music

entertainment

listings Local music listings for June 7 through June 15. 18 / listings

verbnews.com @verbsaskatoon facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Editorial

Business & Operations

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

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

ART & Production

Comments / feedback@verbnews.com / 306 881 8372

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

advertise / advertise@verbnews.com / 306 979 2253

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

the purge + christcore

on the bus

The latest movie reviews. 20 / Film

Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 26 / comics

Nightlife Photos

Games + Horoscopes

We visit The Yard and Flagon and Double Deuce.

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

22-25 / Nightlife

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Photo: Courtesy of Adam Hawboldt / verb magazine

The subtle art of shoe making Saskatchewan cobbler Adam Finn helps keep an age-old profession alive by ADAM HAWBOLDT

t

he south wall of Adam Finn’s workshop is lined with shoes. Or at least, at first glance, they look like shoes to the untrained eye. On shelves that hang at eye level, they’re lined up, all 189 pairs of them: toes aimed towards the centre of the room in neat, perfect rows.

As you get closer to them, though, you realize they aren’t shoes at all.

They’re made of plastic and wood, with sizes and widths marked on their sides. “Those are called lasts,” Finn says about the objects on the shelves. “They’re what give the shoe or boot its shape.”

And picking up a two-toned leather-and-suede shoe that’s only half made, Finn says, “What you do is you put the insole in, then pull the leather around the last. I’m stretching this leather right now. But you have to be careful when you’re doing this or you’ll rip it.”

Finn should know. Every cobbler makes mistakes from time to time. And while he may be the youngest cobbler in the country, Finn has still forgotten more about shoes than most of us will

ever know. Standing over an old desk, the one with the words “Soup Anyone?” scrawled on the inside of the top drawer, Finn pauses for a second.

Rewinds. Starts explaining the shoemaking process from the beginning.

of liquid and machines: stretching machines and sanding machines. Machines for sewing and polishing and cutting. At the back at the room he stops next to a big, green, 300-pound metal contraption.

You really have to wait … I’m always fighting the urge to keep going. adam finn

“When someone comes in, we talk about what I can make, what they want, and then I measure their feet,” says Finn. He points to a piece of paper on his desk that has a handdrawn outline of a foot within a shoe on it. “After I trace their feet, the next step it to figure out what size last to use. Then I make the pattern, put it on cardboard, and cut it out. The pattern ends up in several pieces.”

After he says this, Finn turns around and starts walking through his cluttered workshop. All around him are scraps of leather, tools, bottles

“This is where I skive the shoes,” he explains. “That’s when you bevel the end of the leather so, when you go to sew it, you get a flat seam. I used to use a really sharp curved blade and do it by hand, but it took six or seven hours and I’d always end up ripping something. It isn’t easy. If you hit a little leather ball, it’ll tear a whole.”

Finn then goes on to tell the story about how, not so long ago, he went to Vancouver to work with a cobbler named Rino (who he calls “The Shoemaker of the Stars.”) Turns out, they hadn’t talked money before, so Continued on next page »

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instead of being monetarily compensated for his services, Finn ended up with the big, green skiving machine.

Which was fine by him. It only served to increase his productivity.

When he’s finished his tale, I ask Finn how long it takes to make a pair of shoes. “It all depends on the shoe,” is what he tells me.

The story of how Adam Finn became a cobbler reads like your typical student-seeks-sensei movie line.

You know the one: where a young man gets beat up, hikes a mountain and asks the old kung-fu master to teach him how to fight? The master is reluctant at first, but eventually gives in when he sees just how much the young man wants to learn.

Well, the exact same thing happened to Finn. Only he didn’t get beat up, and he didn’t have to hike a mountain.

A few years ago, Finn was living in Montreal doing a ceramics degree. He returned home to Saskatoon when he was finished and developed a hankering to learn how to make shoes. Problem was, there weren’t many options. So one day he went back to Montreal, found a shop just down the street from Mont Royal, and asked the old Greek owner, John, if he’d teach him the tricks of the trade. John was resistant at first. “I was like, ‘C’mon, please?’,” remembers Finn. “But he told me people were always com-

ing in asking him the same thing. I didn’t believe him, so I told him I’d be back.”

And for the next two weeks Finn kept going by the shop, asking John if he’d teach him. The answer was always no. Until one day, John relented and took Finn under his wing.

“I was excited,” says Finn. “But then for the first two weeks or so he wouldn’t let me touch anything. I just stood around and watched what he was doing.”

Finn grew restless, and began asking John to let him do something, make something. But the old cobbler stood fast. Until one day, after he felt his student had paid his dues, John let Finn make his first pair of boots.

Those boots are old and faded now.

With their scuff marks and a cut from the time Finn dropped a knife on them, they sit on a shelf near the door of his workshop, next to a pair of shiny, new black boots that are being sent to a customer in Toronto.

Picking up his latest creation, Finn says, “Remember when you asked how long it takes to make a pair of boots? Well, these took about 20 hours of actual work.”

By “actual work” Finn means the number of hours he physically worked on the boots. After the leather is skived it has to be glued. Then he lets it sit for 24 hours to make sure the glue sets. After that the boot

is sewn and stretched. The staples need to be taken out of the bottom, then he puts a small, flat metal bar called a shank on the bottom of the boot to keep it from collapsing. Next comes the soles.

“The glue bonds instantly,” explains Finn. “But just to be safe I put them in a sole press.”

And after that the boots have to be trimmed and healed. The soles have to be sanded and dyed and burnished, and the insoles have to be cut.

“In the end, the material really dictates the process,” says Finn, putting the shiny black boots back on the shelf. “Often I’m waiting for leather to stretch or glue to dry. You really have to wait and take your time before you go to the next step. I’m always fighting the urge to keep going. I’d love to be able to start a pair of shoes, work straight through, finish them in 20 hours.”

And maybe that’s why his mentor, John, made him stand around and watch back when Finn was just an apprentice cobbler — to teach him the subtle, but mandatory, art of patience.

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Until death do us part ... in style

A modern spin on funeral services by Adam hawboldt

T

here is a subtle art in getting a body ready for a funeral.

You simply don’t dress the deceased in his or her Sunday best, apply a bit of make-up and then bring in the coffin. No, the process — which has been around for years — is much more delicate, intricate and nuanced than that. There are certain steps you have to follow to create a “pleasant memory picture” that, upon viewing, will help the deceased’s loved ones tackle an important stage of the grieving process — denial.

First thing that happens after the body arrives at the funeral home is the pre-embalming process. What that entails is, basically, setting the body’s features: closing the eyes, washing the hair and body using antiseptic soap, and any necessary shaving. “Depending on the death, you may be dealing with someone who passed away with hepatitis or some other sort of infectious disease,” says Kevin Almassy, a funeral director from Regina who has been in the business since 1988. “So you have to protect yourself and the public from bacteria or viruses. So it’s important to use the antiseptic soap to disinfect the surface area of the body.”

Once the body is disinfected, the next step is embalming.

Unlike ancient cultures, modern embalming practices are aimed at

you have a smaller person or someone [who suffered from malnutrition and/ or dehydration before death], you don’t want to use really strong fluid. It will

[A funeral] can be anywhere. It can be on the 18th hole of a golf course. kevin almassy

disinfection and preservation, as opposed to mummifying the body. To do this, you choose an injection point (say, in the clavicle or femoral area), raise the artery, hook up a line to the embalming pump machine, and inject the embalming fluid (a combination of water, methanol, formaldehyde and tinting dyes).

The fluid comes in different strengths that you choose depending on the situation. “Temperature and moisture enhance decomposition,” explains Almassy. “So if [death has occurred several days before embalming, you may require a] higher strength index because decomposition will be accelerated. The formaldehyde takes moisture out of the body tissue. So conversely, if

dehydrate the body too much. It will feel firmer, not as natural to touch.”

Embalming done, you move on to the final step — post-embalming.

This is where you apply a special moisturizer on the face and hands before turning to cosmetics. “The key here is to use the least amount of cosmetics possible,” says Almassy.

So with the aid of a photo, you determine the person’s natural colour.

Some people have strong highlights on their cheeks, orbital bones and foreheads. Others have lighter complexions. Once you know how you’re going to cosmetize, you go to work trying to make the body look as life-like as possible. This modern method of embalmContinued on next page »

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ing has remained relatively unchanged for quite some time.

The same can’t be said for modern funerals, though.

Fifty years ago, when people died here in the Western world, chances are their funeral was a traditional one: wake at a funeral home, service at a church, burial in a cemetery. You know the drill.

But what if you wanted something different? Say, having your service held in the middle of a boxing ring?

Or making a grand final entrance via helicopter? Or heck, how about getting your ashes packed into artillery shells and shot out of a 60-foot cannon into the air?

Okay, admittedly that last option may be a tad illegal, but that’s not the point. The point here is that 50 years ago having any of those things done to your body would be unthinkable.

Today? Not so much.

From Dallas to Hong Kong, Vancouver to Saskatchewan, there is a growing demand for themed and personalized funerals. Think of it as the last frontier of personal expression. Or as a true reflection of how you lived your life.

“What’s happening today is we’re dealing with baby boomers,” says Almassy. “They know what they want and they know what they don’t want.

And because of that there’s a demand for different kinds of services …

Years ago the traditional venue was the church. But things have changed.

Now you’re seeing funerals in banquet facilities, restaurants, bars. It can be anywhere. It can be on the 18th hole of a golf course.”

Almassy should know.

As a funeral director at Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services, an alt-funeral/cremation service, he is in the business of making your final wish his command. If green funerals are your thing, there are environmentally friendly options. A traditional funeral or cremation? No problem. And if you want your final service to possess a bit of memorable pizzazz, you wouldn’t be alone.

“There was a service done at our partner location in Vancouver for a guy who loved to bowl. Apparently he always hit the head pin,” says Almassy with a chuckle. “So instead of getting

cremated and purchasing a traditional urn, they bored out a bowling pin and put his ashes in that. Then they got some flooring and set up a makeshift bowling lane in the church for people to walk down. At the end of the lane they set up the guy’s urn with his picture on it as the head pin.”

And yet, while modern funeral services around the world are beginning to undergo a revolution of sorts, some things still remain the same. Like the embalming process. And what it takes to be a good funeral director.

“The keyword is empathy,” says Almassy. “In order to do this you need

genuine empathy and a solid understanding of the grieving process.” ( ( ) 881 Feedback?

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Waste not, want not

Photo: Courtesy of Becky Striepe

It’s time we adopt curbside composting

T

he one thing you’ll notice if you’ve ever been to most major cities in Canada is that, once every week or two, there’ll be green bins sitting at the end of driveways.

Those green bins are for organic compost, and you can find them in Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Halifax, Charlottetown … the list goes on. And we think it’s time that Saskatoon wet its feet in the curbside composting movement.

Currently, each household can choose to do their own composting under the present waste management system, and that’s great, but we think that investing in a new composting facility, and offering curbside composting as part of our regular garbage and recycling collection, will provide many dividends in the future. It’s a smart move that will be good for both the economy and the environment, and since so many other cities have already launched composting programs we have the added benefit of looking at what did and didn’t work for them, and selecting a model that will have the best chance of success here. Like, for instance, the one Nova Scotia uses.

Studied by representatives from Japan, Hong Kong, China, Russia and the United States, Nova Scotia’s cuttingedge waste management system includes both recycling and curbside composting. And according to a study conducted by the non-profit research group GPI Atlantic, Nova Scotia’s waste management system saves the province at least $31 million a year — that’s roughly $33 for every person — compared to their old method.

How do they do this? Well, in part because doing so diverts nearly half of

Nova Scotia’s waste to recycling and composting, thereby extending the lifespan of landfills. After all, landfills are anything but inexpensive to build or expand; in 2009, a Saskatoon’s Utility Services General Manager estimated it at around $75 million to build a new one. And at our current use rate, we’re going to need to build a new one fairly soon: a few years ago Saskatoon’s Utility Services General Manager estimated that our city’s dump only has 12 years left.

by using recycled and composted material as opposed to materials from virgin resources.

And the benefits don’t stop there: according to Environment Canada, diverting organic material away from a landfill also reduces methane emissions (a greenhouse gas), and will decrease the risk of groundwater pollution. And producing valuable compost instead of tossing organic matter in the dump seems like a great way to make a little money as well: after all, we are

It’s a smart move that will be good for both the economy and the environment… verb magazine

And along with the money we save by making our landfills last longer, there’s an additional benefit found in Nova Scotia’s current program: employment creation. The waste management industry valued these additional jobs at between $2.8 and $3.9 million a year. So if Nova Scotia can do it, and make money at the same time, why can’t we?

Now, we understand the initial start-up costs will be rather substantial — estimates by Saskatoon City Council put them somewhere in the neighbourhood of $45 million to pick up kitchen waste and compost — but if it could save us cash and even make us money in the long run, why not make the change?

And this isn’t just about economics. A waste management system that picks up our food scraps and other compostable material will save energy

surrounded by farmers. So why not sell the rich compost to them?

And that’s why we think that instead of dropping some coin to expand our dump or build a whole new one, we should invest in a waste management system that will actually make us money in the long run, not to mention doing a little something for Mother Nature on the side.

It’s time to be proactive and invest in curbside composting.

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 mandatory training for “dangerous” dogs. Here's what you had to say: – Re:puppy love article: I agree wholeheartedly! Its time the supposed “dangerous” dogs stopped taking the blame & losing their lives because of the way they were raised! I’m sure your co-worker wouldn’t even have run if it had been a Chihuahua not a big dog!

Not only should they have to pass training & tests but the treason they want that type of dog should be investigated as well! Some want them to be mean! And finally I believe all breeders should be shut down until every “unwanted” dog has a good loving home as all too often its the “dangerous” breeds that sorely need one!

– Verb, I do not make a habit of reading your magazine, however today at work I picked up a copy and proceeded to read the editorial “Puppy Love”. Although I can’t argue that the statistics speak for themselves when it comes to attacks made my pitbulls and rottweilers, I am concerned by the idea of singling out only these dogs requiring extra training by the owners. As it says at the end of the editorial: “Owning a dog is a privilege, not a right.” Personally, I think making it more an effort to adopt certain dogs will make it less likely these dogs get adopted.

For the wellbeing of all dogs, I think the playing field shouls be levelled and all potential dog owners should be tested on their knowledge and responsibility.

This would surely decrease the incidence of neglect and abuse of all dog breeds. It’s for the good of the animal.

– Good idea for ownsrs of certain dogs to get “certified”. Unfortunately I have seen much to often that the owners of these types of

text yo thoughtsur to 881 vE R B 8372

dogs want the dogs to be overly aggressive. It seems to be this macho idea people have. “I am a coward and have no balls at all but look how mean my dog is. So that shows you I am better than you and don’t disagree or I will sick my dog on you.” People with overly aggressive mutts should be shot, the dog is innocent. I say just ban certain breeds, they are useless to begin with. The owners are useless too, unfortunately we can’t ban them.

– Way to go supporting that “dog trainer lobby” Verb. Between you & the Saskparty supporting used car dealers through vehicle inspections there’ll be no freedom.

– Agree that mandatory training is a great thing that would benefit the animal, but disagree it should only be limited to dangerous dogs. Start there then make it for every dog? I know a few small ones that display agressive behavior that could be dangerous for a kid obviously not an adult though. This plan sounds like an inconvenience for owners but will benefit the animals in the long run and that is the most important thing to remember.

– Putting the onus on the owners to take resonsibility for their animals is brilliant. If you take your animal out into a public space then you are totally responsible for what it does. So many people see a puppy and think its cute let’s get it and then don’t know how to raise it properly. These aren’t toys people theyre real animals and you need to take better care of them. Heartbreaking when you see an agressive dog that you know is that way from bad owners. :(

Continued on next page »

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Powered by the crew at moga mobile

OFF TOPIC – Love Astronautalis nice to see some coverage of hip hop in the verb. Keep it up!

In response to “Whatever the hell I want,” Feature, #242 (May 31, 2013)

sound off – Removing the benches on 2nd ave by McDonald’s is a stupid idea it’ll only moving criminal activity over more foot patrol police is what is needed!

– Can’t believe the city is considering shelling out money to pull out some benches. Put the cash towards actual programs that help teens not feel so isolated, give them something to do. Sad the people we voted to help our city navigate forward come up with such a backward idea

– What TF tents in Bessborough park? SASJAT00N HOUSING CRISIS! THANKS SLUM LORDS

– Why is it so strange to people that I am not on facebook, don’t drive a fancy car and rent instead of own? At 37, I have seen alot of the world and because my face isn’t plastered to a screen all day…

I have REAL conversations with REAL people. Nothing will or can ever beat that!Come on world, take a step back and just BE.

– http://m.news1130. com/2013/06/05/city-of-abbotsford-dumps-manure-on-homelesscampsite/: re. Chicken manure dumped at homeless camp site in Abbotsford,BC by municipal workers. Some people might think it’s funny but it’s really appalling!! :-(

– I went to the clinic. I told the doctor “Doc I think I have Bieber Fever all over again! And this time maybe some Gomez Chills!” Last time he prescibed two weeks of Nickelback and Avril Lavigne. This time he prescribed four weeks of Anne Murray and BTO.

– Awesome comment on the Blades being a bunch of sissy crybaby choke artists I laughed my a$$ off! LMAO :-D

– Too many innocent people losing their lives in the line of duty. RIP Justin Knackstedt.

– Somebody better get a hefty sample of our finest into Sir Paul’s hands or he’ll think this place sucks!

– Halfway through watching game 2 of the Penguins series is starting to look a lot like watching the 2 Blades home playoff games! - ZJT

– What pet peeves do you have?

Time to vent and share. For me it’s loud vehicles and teens who don’t respect the elderly!

– Sometimes when I get up in the morning I have all the bedding wound around my legs. That’s just the way I roll!

– RED WEDDING holy f 2 much 2 handle whyyyyy :(

– It seems like celebrities have been dropping like flies. It is sad to hear of their passing on.

– A Man A Plan A Canal Panama is spelled the same backwards!!!

Next week: Should we have curbside composting?

Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation:

– Life opens up when you do.

– Be genuine to yourself.

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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Saskatoon’s favourite brothers Photos: courtesy of Shannon Heather

The Karpinka Bros. talk brotherly love, writing songs, and the art of giving back by Alex J MacPherson

A

lthough their fine collection of cowboy shirts makes them immediately recognizable, Aaron and Shawn Karpinka are much more than sharply dressed men.

After making a pair of records and playing dozens of raucous shows, the Karpinka Brothers have become a vital part of the Saskatchewan scene — musicians whose ability to write infectious folk-inspired rock songs is eclipsed only by their love of playing them for everybody. Today, the K-Bros are bringing electric instruments on board and playing more shows than ever. I caught up with the brothers for a conversation about the past, present, and future of Saskatoon’s favourite band.

Alex J MacPherson: Have you guys always played music together?

Shawn Karpinka: It was later. We tried to start bands, but it was always frustrating trying to find people that had the same ambitions or musical tastes.

Aaron Karpinka: You switch and you’re like, ‘Let’s go hide out and work at our craft and get better at what we love to do.’ Then let’s come back and go full blast. This seems like the best way to maintain some momentum, relying on ourselves.

AJM: And that evolution is apparent on your two records. The first feels like testing the waters, There Is A Light like a more realized vision.

AK: We finished the second one and I said, ‘This really feels like our first record.’ As a matter of fact, the first record we recorded in 2008 was us, no headphones, standing in our sock feet, one-taking 17 songs. It was to pass around, because nobody knew what we sounded like. We were having a fair amount of trouble getting gigs, trying to figure out how to break in.

tap dance on it a bit, but I’ll never go over it. Out of love and out of respect you don’t go over it.

AJM: And in between your first gig and today, you guys have become a big part of the Saskatoon music scene. How did that come about?

AK: We’re like a rugged prizefighter who’s always training, hoping for a shot. We’ve taken things short notice, day before. Rich Taylor was doing a thing once and three bands dropped out. We went to the nearest phone booth, switched to the matching shirts, and we were there. We’re proud to be able to do that at the drop of a hat.

We’re like a … prizefighter who’s always training…

AJM: And now you’re at the point where giving back to the community, playing free shows for people all over, has become a big part of what you do.

aaron karpinka

AJM: You guys are using electric guitars now. Is that something people can expect more of?

AK: If I can get a show where I’m playing with Gordon Lightfoot, and the first song I learned to play on guitar is “Early Morning Rain,” then I should probably be giving back every single shred I can give back for the rest of our life.

AK: There’s no electric on the record. It happened right after, and it was no different than when I first got a mandolin — I just have a natural curiosity and a gut instinct about switching to something. If I want to try it, I will try it and I’ll throw it in. And it worked well.

SK: That’s part of our philosophy, trying to give to as much charity as we can. Playing for free for care homes and stuff like that.

SK: I’ve kept playing the acoustic, and we did have a debate about it, but that’s all push and pull between the two of us, and meeting in the middle.

The Karpinka Brothers June 15 @ Broadway Theatre (MoSoFest) $27 @ door, see mosoconf.com for more info

AJM: Which raises the question: how does brotherly love survive the tension of being in a band?

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AK: We know each other so well that we know where the line is, so I don’t cross it. If I’m having a bad day I might

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Shooting Guns

A barrage of massive riffs from a Saskatoon-based heavy rock band

A

few weeks ago, Shooting Guns drove to Regina to play at JunoFest. Chris Laramee, who plays guitar in the Saskatoonbased band, was worried how audiences would react.

“I thought we were going to get bottled off, seriously,” he says with a laugh. “Before the show I was looking at the crowd thinking, ‘Okay, this is going to be interesting.’ It was a very diverse crowd. Not everyone’s going to like it, but we got out alive — it was good.”

Shooting Guns won over the crowd because the titanic, hypnotic riffs that form the backbone of their sound are as compelling as they are powerful.

With no vocalist in the band, Shooting Guns have been forced to write songs that look beyond lyrics for meaning and depth. This approach is apparent

on their debut album, Born To Deal In Magic: 1952–1976, which was longlisted for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize.

“I think that may be what sets us apart,” Laramee says. “Most people would probably get a vocalist to do something over top, but we like the sonic aspects of it — the loudness, the heaviness, the repetitiveness.”

Born To Deal In Magic is an engaging record, and its combination of mammoth guitar riffs and cascading walls of noise is transfixing. But Shooting Guns are best heard live –—where the volume that makes up an integral part of their sound is controlled not by the listener, but by how loud the amplifiers can go.

“It’s just volume,” Laramee laughs.

“I like a lot of the Who’s crazy live stuff, where the noise and the sonics take over.” The effect of this volume is

by alex J MacPherson

Photos: courtesy of janice weber

actually quite subtle, and the Shooting Guns have created an atmosphere that is both immersive and inspiring.

And Laramee, who says the band is planning to release their sophomore album sometime this fall, hopes Shooting Guns can jettison the limits imposed by convention and continue to grow. And every second will be worth hearing.

Shooting Guns 19 June @ Vangelis $10 @ Picatic

Inside Out

Judy Chartrand’s unique perspective

J.

M.W. Turner’s “The Slave Ship” is one of the most magnificent paintings ever created.

It is also an example of how artists have used positions of privilege to comment on the activities of the poor and the marginalized. Works of art that attempt to capture a difficult or intractable problem from within are relatively rare. This is but one reason why Judy Chartrand’s art, a collection of ceramic and mixed media pieces spanning almost 15 years, are so important.

“There are works that specifically show her lived experience in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside,” says Mary Longman, the Saskatchewan artist who curated a recent survey of Chartrand’s work. “Ever since the missing women of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside got exposure a few years back, different artists have produced work commenting either on the missing women or the Eastside in general. But they’re kind of like outsiders looking in.”

by alex J MacPherson

Chartrand is not an outsider looking in; she is a witness to years of devastation and addiction in Vancouver, as well as decades of institutionalized segregation and subtle racism.

She has worked in many different disciplines, and the most important examples of these are on display in an exhibition Longman designed to showcase not only Chartrand’s mastery of ceramics, but also to bring her work back to the prairies.

“The big thing for her is racism, and particularly discrimination and segregation,” Longman says, referring to Chartrand’s work with signs used to keep aboriginals out of bars and other venues, a stain on our society that is not well known, as well as her exploration of aboriginal identity through kitsch objects.

Chartrand’s work also confronts problems related to colonization and assimilation. Her collection of detailed and embellished chamois underwear, “Judy’s Secret” and “Buffalo Soldiers,”

spoof the rise of western consumerism and the fate of traditional techniques while raising difficult questions about the relationship between cultures — and how one perceives the other.

“All of her works have a political edge to them,” Longman muses, “but to get away with that in a humourous way I think is kind of a difficult approach.

But for her it seems to come naturally.”

The strength of Chartrand’s work is that while it will almost certainly produce a wry grin, that expression is weighted with decades of thoughts and reflections — a potent combination that offers viewers a perspective from within, rather than without.

Inside Out Through July 20 @ AKA Gallery Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Feature

An elaborate game of chance Photo: courtesy of richmond lam

The Besnard Lakes record and release their fourth album, Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO by Alex J MacPherson

T

he Besnard Lakes, a rock band named for a lake in northern Saskatchewan, released their first record in 2003. Spacious and unhurried, Volume 1 was widely ignored, mainly because its expansive and complicated songs clashed with the urgent indie rock that was emanating from Montreal at the time. But in the decade since their debut, the Besnard Lakes’ intoxicating blend of rock aesthetics and spacey atmospherics has won fans and critical acclaim around the world. Today, they are touring behind their fourth studio album, the complex and deeply moving Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO. Although it does not stray far from the sound established on 2007’s The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse and 2010’s The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night, the new record marks a departure for the Montreal-based group. But guitarist and singer Jace Lasek says making albums is never predictable. He

likens the process to an elaborate game of chance.

“I don’t think we ever have anything in mind when we start making

and who is also his wife, struggled to generate good ideas. “We got into the studio right away, and quickly realized that if you don’t have any ideas you’re

In the end, I don’t care how long it takes to make a record. I just want to make sure I’m super proud of what I’ve done.

Jace Lasek

records,” he says. “We just start spitting s**t out and whatever comes down at the end is what we’re stuck with.”

The first sessions for the record that became Until In Excess were listless and meandering. Lasek attributes the band’s lack of direction to haste. Both Dark Horse and Roaring Night took three years to make; he wanted to finish Until In Excess in two. He and Olga Goreas, who plays bass and contributes her haunting vocals to the mix,

not going to have anything on the other end,” he says with a wry laugh.

“We would go into the studio, be sitting there working, and come out with hardly anything.”

Until In Excess was, like Dark Horse and Roaring Night, recorded at Breakglass Studios, a suite of rooms hidden inside an industrial building in the heart of Montreal. Since it opened in 2005, the studio has hosted dozens of prominent musicians. It is also the Continued on next page »

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band’s sonic playground: the place where they go to write songs, record sounds, and grapple with the big ideas bound up in their miniature symphonies. Having access to a professional recording studio is an incredible luxury in an industry where most bands race against the clock, gambling their careers against the promise of success every time the tape starts to roll. But this freedom can be daunting, too.

“Usually, bands come into the studio when they’re ready to record,” Lasek explains. “We go into the studio when we have free time. If we don’t have any ideas, we kind of feel like we’ve wasted the studio’s time. It can be really frustrating. You start to wonder if you’re ever going to write another song again.” This is what happened when the band, which also includes guitarist and arranger Richard White and drummer Kevin Laing, started tracking Until In Excess. Frustration mounted and a breakthrough seemed impossible. Eventually, they decided to quit. It was not a decision the group took lightly — along with six months worth of material, Lasek jettisoned his dream of finishing the record in less than three years.

But it worked. When the band ventured back into the studio, ideas started to flow and songs came together. After weeks of tracking and many long nights spent mixing, the process by which the elaborate sonic architecture that defines the record is constructed,

Photo: courtesy of richmond lam

Until In Excess was released on time — three years and three weeks after Roaring Night.

In many respects, Dark Horse and Roaring Night were variations on a theme. Both derived their strength from the tension between towering walls of guitar noise and the airy blanket of atmospheric noise and ambient synthesizers. Until In Excess is much denser. Instead of exploring the distance between poles, it pushes them

together. From the opening salvo of “46 Satires,” a dreamy soundscape featuring gently propulsive guitars, swirling synthesizers, and the warm expanse of Goreas’s voice, Until In Excess feels more like a symphony in eight movements than a loose collection of songs.

“There’s a level of sophistication to it,” Lasek admits. “The songs are still pretty simple — that’s our writing style — but we investigated some things we’d never really looked at before. All of our records are something where you kind of have to dig in and absorb yourself in it to really get it, but I think with this record you really have to lose yourself in it to figure out what’s going on. It’s not going to hit you on the first listen.” This is the product of experience. After years on the road, the band is better than it was in 2010, when Roaring Night was released. This is evident in the contributions made

by Laing and White, who are great musicians and getting better at disrupting the bouts of obsessiveness that threaten to destroy even the simplest songs. “There were a couple of songs that were going to possibly scrap that they saved,” Lasek says. “They saw that outside perspective while we were locked in it, and they helped us dig out of it. That was awesome.”

The Besnard Lakes have always made records that sound important: the scope of their vision conveys an urgency and weightiness few bands can replicate. This feeling reaches its frenzied apex on Until In Excess, which was carried to new heights by collective purpose and some of the best songs the band has ever composed.

From the slow build of “And Her Eyes Were Painted Gold” to the menacing delicacy of “Catalina” and towering coda of “Colour Yr Lights In,” each song fills its place on the grand arc, every sound beautiful and profound.

Lasek’s signature pyrotechnical guitar work is, for the most part, gone, but it has been replaced with a much more cohesive vision: an album that transforms the band’s dramatic and expressive sound into a prolonged and meaningful experience.

“Oggy’s dad died while we were making this record, quite suddenly,” Lasek says, “and a lot of the songs on this record are kind of about her dad, her time with her dad, and the idea of loss.” The very real and very raw pangs of grief that are woven into the fabric

had an unusual result, he continues.

“The funny thing is once we actually felt a real sense of loss and started writing about it, instead of something fictitious like we’ve been writing about in the past, the album turns out to be one of the lighter, hopeful records — instead of the typical hopelessness that we usually do.” Whether this glimmer of hope, which is sometimes felt rather than heard, stems from the endless sun of nostalgia or the infinite possibility of life in the face of death is immaterial. In the end, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Until In Excess pushes the band into new territory, a land

where darkness and light are bound together, rather than locked in a perpetual shoving match.

Making records will always be a gamble, and Until In Excess proves that the Besnard Lakes are as susceptible as anybody else to the vagaries of chance. “But that’s why I built the studio,” Lasek says. “I need to be able to exhaust the options in order to find out what’s best for the song.

We scrapped a whole bunch of s**t because we were like, ‘we can’t put this out — we can’t be proud of this.’

In the end, I don’t care how long it takes to make a record. I just want to

make sure I’m super proud of what I’ve done.” Until In Excess shows that Lasek is right to say making records is a game of chance — and how the Besnard Lakes have once again stacked the deck in their favour.

The Besnard Lakes June 19 @ Amigos $15 @ ticketedge.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Photo courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

Bun and stuff

Honey Bun Café brings convenience and taste to downtown by adam hawboldt

J

oscelyn Armstrong arrives to work at Honey Bun Café early every morning. Like, 3am early. She has to.

When you open your own café that uses “fresh, local ingredients turned into fresh local fare,” there’s a lot of prep work to be done.

Especially when your main fare is original stuffed buns. There’s dough to be made, and pork to be seasoned, slow roasted and pulled. There are hamburgers, eggs, bacon, etc. to cook.

Then you have to weigh the dough, stuff it and turn it into scrumptious buns which, naturally, you have to bake fresh. Every day. Oh and then there’s the salads and soups and sandwiches to make. Cinnamon buns, too. But in the end, all this work — the coming in during the wee hours of the morning and staying until late — results in a product that’s worth it.

Bun Café last month. And the menu she created is a reflection of this idea.

Let’s say you’re in a hurry to get to work and forgot to eat breakfast. No worries: swing by and get a breakfast stuffed bun. Filled with omelette-like eggs, perfectly cooked strips of bacon and real oozing cheddar cheese, these buns are a tasty, hearty and convenient way to start your morning. And if it’s a

Now, I don’t know about you, but the idea of having a meal stuffed inside a bun so I can eat it with my hands (no muss, no fuss) seems like a damn fine idea. It’s a tried and tested formula. The Chinese have been stuffing buns (mantou) with food filler (baozi) since the Medieval Ages.

Ukrainian, Finnish, Greek, Japanese, Russian and oh-so-many more

The bun is slightly crispy on the outside, and the filling … was excellent. adam hawboldt

bit later in the day, grab a pizza bun or a hamburger bun. That’s what I did.

The pizza stuffed bun was pretty incredible. Think Pizza Pop, but way, way better. The bun is slightly crispy on the outside, and the filling — with ample amounts of cheese, sauce, and spicy pepperoni — was excellent. Same goes for the hamburger bun. Filled with a patty, blue cheese and caramelized onions, this is close to the epitome of convenient comfort food.

If it’s ease and taste you’re after, swing by the Honey Bun Café.

cuisines all make a variation of the dish. So why not bring a little local western flavour to the bun market?

That’s what Joscelyn Armstrong was thinking when she opened Honey

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide Prairie Oyster

Ingredients

Battling a hangover? Need a bit of the hair of that mangy (read: alcoholic) dog that bit you? Give this tried and tested concoction a try.

1 part cognac 1 part egg yolk 1/4 part Worcestershire sauce 1/4 part tomato juice (or Clamato) 1 dash of hot sauce

Honey Bun Café 167A 2nd Ave S | (306) 665 9901 Directions

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

Crack the egg and gently let the egg yolk slide to the bottom of the glass (preferably a wine glass, but martini will also work). Fill a shaker with ice.

Pour in cognac, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato juice. Shake well. Strain into wine glass. Add hot sauce to taste.

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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music

Next Week

coming up

Neal McCoy

Hanson

@ Vangelis tavern Tuesday, June 18 – $8

@ Odeon Events Centre Thursday, June 20 – $20+

@ Odeon Events Centre Tuesday, October 8 – $34.50-55

Dent May has developed a sound that’s all his own, and has used synthesizers, samplers and ukuleles to create some homegrown Mississippi pop music. And while that combination may sound a tad strange to some, whatever Dent May is doing is working.

His first two albums — The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele and Do Things — have been critically exclaimed, so much so that The Boston Phoenix named the NYU film school dropout as one of the best new bands in America for 2012. With a strange, oddballish stage presence and infectious songs like “Howard” and “Meet Me in the Garden,” this minimalist, roots-rock-pop artist is bound to win over fans wherever he plays. He’ll be doing his thing at Vangelis next week; tickets at the door and the show kicks off at 9pm.

Like most musicians, Neal McCoy’s rise to fame was far from meteoric. In 1981 he won a talent contest and became the opening act for Charley Pride. Things looked on the up-and-up for the country musician from Jacksonville, Texas, but there’s many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip, and it wasn’t until 1990 that he released his first studio album. After that, his star began to ascend. In 1992, Where Forever Begins reached #40 on the charts.

The following year his songs “No Doubt About It” and “Wink” both went #1 with a bullet. From there, McCoy (whose real last name is McGaughey) continued to pump out fan favourites — the most popular being “Billy’s Got His Beer Goggles On.” He’ll be bringing his special brand of country to Saskatoon next week. Tickets available through www.theodeon.ca.

Remember 1997? Princess Di got into a deadly car accident. Steve Jobs returned to Apple. South Park premiered. The comet Hale-Bopp tore through Earth’s orbit while “MMMBop” by the Hanson brothers was busy tearing up the music charts.

Sung by brothers Isaac (guitar/piano/ vocals), Taylor (keyboards/piano/guitar/drums/vocals) and Zac Hanson (drums/piano/guitar/vocals), the song was nominated for a Grammy and reached #1 in 27 countries around the world. Since then, the brothers have continued making music and garnering fans from around the world. With 12 tours under their belts, the brothers have been nothing if not busy. They are slated to release their latest album, Anthem, later this month, and are currently on tour again. Don’t miss them when they stop by Saskatoon in October. Tickets through www.theodeon.ca – By Adam Hawboldt

Dent May

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

Sask music Preview SaskMusic congratulates Dallas Elder, who just won the 36th Annual 620 CKRM Big Country Talent Contest! A big congratulations goes out to the second place winner, Tenille Arts; third place winner, Catlin Beaton; and the “Fred King Most Promising” was awarded to Cassandra Tomolak. Dallas’ first performance will take place on June 22 at the Casino Regina Show Lounge.

Tickets at http://www.ticketbreak.com/casinoregina

Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

17 May 31 – June 6 @verbsaskatoon

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JUNE 7 » June 15 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

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Friday 7 House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven up the atmosphere at 6Twelve. 9pm / No cover Skeletonwitch, Untimely Demise / Amigos Cantina — Heavy metal that’ll blow your hair back. 10pm / Cover TBD

Piano Fridays: Paul Suchan / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some smooth jazz stylings? 4:30pm / No cover Ana Egge / The Bassment — A folk singer with an angelic voice. 9pm / $15/$20 DJ Aash Money / Béily’s UltraLounge — DJ Aash Money throws it down. 9pm / $5 Mr. Brownstone / Buds on Broadway — A tribute to Guns N’ Roses. 9pm / $6 DJ Eclectic / The Hose — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy beats. 8pm DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite rocks. 9pm / $5 cover Lords Kitchner, Pandas in Japan / Lydia’s — Indie rock. 10pm / $5 Women Who Rock / Odean — Featuring Sarah Farthing, Kirby Criddle, and the Bear Jammers. 6:30pm / $40 (theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — There’s no better country party around. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm

Neil Roston / Prairie Ink — A local blues/ folk duo. 8pm / No cover Band Wars IX Finals / Rock Bottom — Featuring the best of the Rock and Metal categories. 9pm / Cover TBD Buddy Holly with England / Royal Canadian Legion (Nutana) — Come rock and dance the night away. 8pm / For tickets call 374-3292 or 955-3599 Soundwave / Somewhere Else Pub — Music of the ‘50s and ‘60s. 9pm / No cover Jones Boys / Stan’s Place — Come rock the weekend away. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD We Are the City / Vangelis — Dope Vancouver rockers. Also appearing: Fisticuffs and Hannah Epperson. 10pm / $8

Saturday 8

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin soulful tunes all night. 9pm / No cover We Were Lovers / Amigos — A local electro-pop duo. 10pm / Cover TBD The Stone Frigate Big Band / The Bassment — Swing music from the ‘30s and ‘40s. 9pm / $12/$16 DJ Aash Money + DJ CTRL / Béily’s — These two DJs throw down a high-energy top 40 dance party. 9pm / $5 cover Mr. Brownstone / Buds on Broadway — A tribute to Guns N’ Roses. 9pm / $6 DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Able to rock any party, this local crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres. 9pm / $5 cover

Lydia’s Fundraiser / Lydia’s Pub — A lineup of infectious music. 10pm / $5 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — There’s no better country rock party around.

8pm / $5 It’s Too Late, Baby / Prairie Ink — Playing the music of Carole King and James Taylor.

8pm / No cover Whiskey Songs, Black Water / Rock Bottom — Good ol’ fashioned rock. 9pm Soundwave / Somewhere Else Pub — Music of the ‘50s and ‘60s. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / $5 Sexy Saturdays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD Kleins 96, Chris Walter, Soul Mates, Mystery Squad / Vangelis — Hit up the ChristCORE after party. 10pm / $5+

Sunday 9

Caswell Arts Festival / Ashworth Holmes Park — Featuring Side of Groove, Apollo Cruz and more. 12pm / No cover Industry Night / Béily’s — Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy. 9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff DJ KADE / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Blues Jam / Vangelis Tavern — The Vangelis Sunday Jam offers great tunes. 7:30pm

Monday 10

The Seekers / Buds on Broadway — Come out for a rockin’ good time. 9pm / $6 Metal Mondays / Lydia’s Pub — If hard, heavy awesomeness is your thing, swing by. 9pm

Tuesday 11

The Seekers / Buds on Broadway — Come out for a rockin’ good time. 9pm / $6 DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Double Deuce — Able to rock any party, this crowd favourite has always been known to break the latest and greatest tracks in multiple genres.

9:30pm / $4 cover VERB PRESENTS OPEN STAGE / Lydia’s Pub — The open stage at Lydia’s has hosted many of Saskatoon’s finest performers, and is a chance for bands, solo artists and even comedians to showcase original material.

9pm / No cover Open Mic / The Somewhere Else Pub — Come out to show your talent. 7pm / No cover

Wednesday 12

HUMP WEDNESDAYS / 302 Lounge & Discotheque — With DJ Chris Knorr. 9pm / No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter

18 May 31 – June 6 entertainment

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The Seekers / Buds on Broadway — Come out for a rockin’ good time. 9pm / $6 DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Dr. J ‘Souled Out’ / Lydia’s Pub — Dr. J spins hot funk and soul. 9pm / No cover WILD WEST WEDNESDAY / Outlaws — Hosted by DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman.

9pm / $4; no cover for industry staff The Avenue Recording Company presents Open Mic / Rock Bottom — Hosted by Chad Reynolds. 10pm / No cover CJWW Karaoke / Stan’s Place — Your talent, aired on the radio! 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / No cover

Thursday 13

MoSoFest / Amigos Cantina — Featuring Hustle and Thrive, Foam Lake and more.

9pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com Slypstreme / Buds on Broadway — A local alt-rock band. 9pm / $6 Throwback Thursdays / Earls — Come experience the best in retro funk, soul, reggae and rock. 8pm / No cover DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — Sugar Daddy will be rocking the turntables! 8pm / $5; free with student ID before 11pm Thunder Riot w/Conky Showpony / Rock Bottom — Come dance the night away. 9pm / $5 Triple up Thursdays / Tequila — Featuring DJ Stikman. 9pm / Cover TBD MosoFest / Vangelis — Indigo Joseph, Hooded Fang and more. 9pm / $10

Friday 14

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover MoSoFest / Amigos — Featuring Ladyhawk and more. 9:30pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com

Kim Salkeld / The Bassment — Come check out Salkeld tickle the ivories. 4:30pm / No cover Roots Series: Anderson Burko / The Bassment — Engaging roots music from a local band. 9pm / $15/$20 Stuck in the 80s! / Béily’s UltraLounge — Playing ‘80s covers from Bryan Adams to Glass Tiger. 9pm / Cover TBD MoSoFest / Broadway Theatre — Featuring Deep Dark Woods, Gunner and Smith and more. 8pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com Hung Jury / Buds on Broadway — Covers from AC/DC to the Eagles. 9pm / $6 MoSoFest / The Hose — Featuring DJs Factor, Conky Showpony and more. 8pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite rocks. 9pm / $5 cover MoSoFest / Lydia’s Pub — Featuring Massey & the Fergusons, The Seahags and more. 9pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — There’s no better country rock party around.

8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Rita’s Parlour / Prairie Ink — Blues and spoken word. 8pm / No cover MoSoFest / The Refinery — Featuring Rosie and the Riveters and Christine Fellows. 8pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com MoSoFest / Rock Bottom — Featuring Jeans Boots, Powder Blue and more. 9pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com Rusty Men / Stan’s Place — Threatens to be a rockin’ good time. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD MosoFest / Vangelis — Renny Wilson, Light Fires and more. 9pm / $10

Saturday 15

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin soulful tunes all night. 9pm / No cover

MoSoFest / Amigos — Featuring Astronautalis and more. 9:30pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com The Klassen/Salkeld Quintet / The Bassment — Featuring Grant Currie and the Lost Keys. 9pm / $12/$16 MoSoFest / Beaumont Film + Record — Featuring Two Bicycles, The Moas and more.

3:45pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com DJ Aash Money + DJ CTRL / Béily’s — These two DJs throw it down. 9pm / $5 MoSoFest / Broadway Theatre — Featuring John K. Samson, Young Benjamins and more. 8pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com Hung Jury / Buds on Broadway — Covers from AC/DC to the Eagles. 9pm / $6 Kim Mitchell / Dakota Dunes — An iconic singer. 8pm / $35 (tickets.siga.sk.ca) SaturGAY Night / Diva’s — Resident DJs spin exclusive dance remixes. 10pm / $5 MoSoFest / The Hose & Hydrant — Featuring Charly Hustle, Teen Daze and more.

8pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com DJ Sugar Daddy / Jax Niteclub — This local crowd favourite rocks. 9pm / $5 cover MoSoFest / Lydia’s Pub — Rah Rah, Wintermitts, and more. 9pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 No Hurry Trio / Prairie Ink — Easy listening/classic rock tunes. 8pm / No cover MoSoFest / The Refinery — Featuring Little Criminals and more. 8pm / Tickets @ mosoconf.com MoSoFest / Rock Bottom — Featuring Code Orange Kids and more. 9pm Rusty Men / Stan’s Place — Threatens to be a rockin’ good time. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests, from Sinatra to Lady Gaga. 10pm / $5 Sexy Saturdays / Tequila Nightclub — Featuring DJ Dislexik. 9pm / Cover TBD

MosoFest / Vangelis — Pop Crimes, Foggy Notions and more. 9pm / $10

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

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Crime and Non-punishment Photo: Courtesy of universal pictures

New dystopian thriller The Purge will get your pulse racing and mind thinking by adam hawboldt

W

hat would you do if, for one night a year, you could commit any crime you wanted and not be punished? Murder, rape, larceny, assault with a deadly weapon — you name it.

They’re all up for grabs. No. Punishment. Whatsoever.

Given that opportunity, how would you conduct yourself? Would you be your normal, law-abiding self and remain out-of-sight-out-of-mind until the night passed? Or would you give in to the beast inside, grab

ise that raises questions. Here, let me set the scene for you: America.

a chainsaw and hit the streets in a frenzy of wild, atavistic bloodlust?

The Purge takes issues facing modern society [and] turns them inside out…

Adam Hawboldt

The year is 2022. Unemployment hovers around the 1% mark, the GDP is soaring, and crime is all but non-existent.

That’s the central question of the new thriller, The Purge. Okay, maybe “question” is the wrong word. It’s more of the central prem-

It’s March 21st. Or, as people in the not-so-distant future call it — Purge Night. The night when, from 7pm to 7am, citizens of America get immunity from any crime they commit.

A well-to-do security salesman named James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) returns home to his wife Mary (Lena Headey), son Charlie (Max Burkholder) and daughter Zoey (Adelaide Kane).

They settle in for the night to wait out the Purge, and James presses a button to “arm” his house. Thick metal shutters close over the windows and doors, turning their not-so-humble abode into a veritable fortress on lockdown. And for a while they’re safe.

But when Charlie hears a homeless man outside screaming for help, his conscience gets the better of him. He quickly disarms the house, and the homeless man scampers into safety.

Or has he? For a while things are tense. But once the tension begins to ease, things pick up in a hurry. A group of rich teens, led by a grinning psychopath (Rhys Wakefield), approaches the house and gives the Sandins an ultimatum: deliver the homeless guy to them in an hour or everyone in the house will be killed.

The homeless man isn’t handed over. Violence and terror ensue.

And while some of the terror is somewhat predictable, that doesn’t detract from the fact that The Purge is a pretty good dystopian, sci-fi

the purge James DeMonaco Starring Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder + Adelaide Kane Directed by

85 minutes | 14A

thriller. Think Straw Dogs meets The Twilight Zone meets, say, The Hunger Games.

And like any good dystopian flick, The Purge takes issues facing modern society — racism, disparity of wealth, crime, mob mentality, etc. — turns them inside out, lays them bare and, in doing so, provides an examination of modern society and human nature.

It does this under the assured, steady direction of James DeMonaco (The Negotiator, Assault on Precinct 13), who does a good job of moving the story in a way that, at least for the first hour or so, creates a ball of tension in the pit of your gut that you just can’t get rid of. Sure, as the climax and end approach that tension starts to wane a bit,which kind of takes away from what the film could’ve been.

But even then, chances are The Purge is going to be the most entertaining movie you watch in theatres this week.

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Christian hardcore punk?

What the what?

New Saskatchewan-produced documentary, ChristCORE, explores the world of an interesting music genre by adam hawboldt

T

hings you need to know about Justin Ludwig: 1) he was raised a Catholic, whose faith was ingrained in him through church, school and a strict, religious father; 2) by age 16 he was an atheist; 3) he’s the bassist and the lead singer in a punk band called Kleins96, which is “an atheist beacon on the Prairies”; 4) he recently made a documentary.

That documentary is called ChristCORE, and it’s about hardcore Christian punk music.

If the idea of punk music combined with Christianity sounds rather conflicting to you, don’t worry. It was for Ludwig, too.

In the beginning of the film, Ludwig talks about how punk music changed his life. How it challenged and defied everything he knew to be true and, ultimately, undid his Catholic faith. For him, hardcore punk is all about “selfreliance, progressiveness, heresy and hedonism,” so the idea of Christians coopting his music and using it to spread the word of the Lord was conflicting and crushing. He simply couldn’t believe “people were making this music about a God that [he] believed the music was meant to tear down.”

So Ludwig did something about it.

He hopped on a plane and headed to the American South to find out what this music, and the people who play it, are all about.

To do this, he spent time on tour with a new band called Messengers, and a popular, established band called Sleeping Giant.

At this point you may be thinking: “Hold on. An atheist, hellbent on tearing down religion, is making a documentary about religious bands?

This is going to be a biased skewering of the people he’s filming.”

Photo: Courtesy of Films We Like

If that thought crossed your mind, think again.

ChristCORE is not about exposing the (perceived) hypocrisy inherent in the music. It’s not about exposing these bands as right-wing Christian zealots or making fun of what they’re doing.

No, the documentary is an honest, unbiased account of this music, these bands, and their fans. Which is refresh-

It’s not about … making fun of what they’re doing.

Adam Hawboldt

ing. In this day and age, when so many documentaries are slanted to suit the director’s ideals, it’s nice to see a doc that isn’t heavy-handed. Ludgwig’s method of approaching his subject matter with “open ears and an open mind” allows viewers to formulate their own opinions about what’s taking place on screen.

Which brings me to the one thing that gnawed at me after watching the movie. Mainly, Ludwig sets out to find

Christcore Justin Ludwig

Directed by

74 minutes | NR

what Christian hardcore punk is about, what makes these people tick and, ultimately, how to reconcile the idea of punk and Christianity being combined.

But for all the questions he asks there are no real definitive answers. No revelations that help the viewer get to the bottom of things.

And that’s not to say it’s a bad documentary. Because it’s not. ChristCORE is actually quite interesting. By inviting the viewer into a world they may not know about, ChristCORE opens up unfamiliar doors and, for some, maybe opens minds. Being the dummy that I am, though, I just wish there were more answers. But maybe that wasn’t Ludwig’s intention.

ChristCORE is currently being screened at Broadway Theatre.

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

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crossword canadian criss-cross OWN D 1. Heavy dot 2. Not in use 3. Measure of one’s time alive 4. Perform maintenance 5. Big Band music 6. Feel like having 7. Special skill 8. Annoyed 9. Father 11. Mocking in an indirect way 12. Chesterfield 14. Grazing animal 17. Ask earnestly 20. Return a greeting 21. Refer to

23. Catch a calf 24. Be pitted against 26. With no protection 27. Turn around quickly 28. Beguiling behaviour 29. Away from the coast 31. Look over and change 32. Cost to the buyer 33. Story 35. Artistic category 38. Change direction 39. Verve 41. Brew “for two” 43. For

sudoku answer key

A

B

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

27. Use a debit card 30. Passage taken from a book 34. Source of plywood 35. Be wide open 36. Cenozoic, for one 37. Feeling lousy 38. Refuse to approve 39. Blackhearted 40. Put things in order 42. Join two pieces of rope together 44. Curl one’s lip 45. Eliminate completely 46. Face courageously 47. Having reached completion

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

ACROSS 1. Influence unfairly 5. Cashless transaction 9. Move slightly 10. Articles of merchandise 12. Merchant 13. Have in mind 15. Eye amorously 16. Get off one’s chest 18. Match yourself against 19. Attorney’s charge 20. Piece of chicken 21. Hand over 22. Pull toward without touching 24. Red ___ (Canadian rock band) 25. Make a pig of yourself © walter D. Feener 2013

Horoscopes JUne 7 – june 13 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

Whoa, buddy! This is going to be a kingfish, hellfire week for you, Aries. Full of discovery and new successes. Enjoy!

There’s a storm coming, Leo. But for the moment enjoy the calm that surrounds you. You’ll need the serenity in the weeks to come.

Batten down the hatches and prepare for a wave of rejection this week, Sagittarius. It won’t last long, though, or sting too much.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Chances are you’ll end up in an argument or two this week, Taurus.

Keep your wits about you and don’t get over-emotional.

It’s all about forward momentum this week, Virgo. If you’ve started a project recently, don’t half-ass things: attack it with vigor.

Are you flexible, Capricorn? Not touch-your-toes flexible, but flexible in your thinking? With what’s on the horizon, practice going with the flow.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

Confusion, confusion everywhere.

Confusion, confusion … but you shouldn’t care, Gemini. Things will soon become clear.

Keep a clear mind in the coming days, Libra. You’re going to need it because things around you may get muddled.

If you’re feeling stuck, Aquarius, there’s only one solution: dig yourself out of the rut and keep moving.

Change can reap untold benefits.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Are you in the middle of a transition, Cancer? If so, rest easy. What is tumultuous now will smooth itself out in a few days.

An abundance of energy will befall you this week, Scorpio. Be sure not to squander this gift. Put it to good use.

Your confidence is going to be running high, Pisces. And that’s a good thing — unless you let it get the better of you. Be careful.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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