Verb Issue S257 (Sept. 13-19, 2013)

Issue #257 – September 13 to September 19

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IRON

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say it ain’t so New federal regulations could decimate our indie music scene The wizard Q+A with pianist Jan Lisiecki the family + 20 feet from stardom Film reviews

Photo: courtesy of Craig Kief

NEWs + Opinion

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STRike a pose Modelling in Saskatchewan.

4 - 5 / Local

say it ain’t so...

New federal regulations could damage our indie music scene. 6 - 7 / Local

editorial On the cover:

iron & wine

On his latest album. 16 / cover

Here’s our thoughts on drinking and driving. 8 / Editorial

comments Here’s what you had to say about privatizing Canada Post. 10 / comments

Photo: courtesy of craig kief

culture

Q + A with JAN LISIEcKI Pianist talks Chopin. 14 / Q + A

FOUR IN ONE

Sumptuous steak

Shannon Rose invokes the changing seasons. 15 / Arts

We visit Station Place.

THE Tipping point Authority Zero talk punk. 15 / Arts

18 / Food + Drink

Music Tim Hicks, Chali 2NA + The Good Lovelies 19 / music

entertainment

listings Local music listings for September 13 through September 21. 20 - 21 / listings

the family + 20 feet from stardom The latest movie reviews. 22 - 23 / Film

on the bus Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 30 / comics

Nightlife Photos

Games + Horoscopes

We visited Odeon + Diva’s

Canadian criss-cross puzzle, horoscopes, and Sudoku. 31 / timeout

24 - 29 / Nightlife

verbnews.com @verbsaskatoon facebook.com/verbsaskatoon Please recycle after reading & sharing

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

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

ART & Production

contact

Design Lead / andrew yanko GRAPhic Design / Bryce kirk Contributing Photographers / Patrick Carley, Adam Hawboldt + Taylor Thomson

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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Photo: Courtesy of Holly Stewart

Strike a pose

Modeling in Saskatchewan and beyond

by ADAM HAWBOLDT

T

he first thing you notice about Holly Stewart is her eyes. A disarming shade of blue, they’re not quite turquoise, but not far from it. At their centres, surrounding the pupils, are flecks and rings of marbled hazel.

They’re the kind of eyes that light up a face, make it really stand out in a crowd. And seated in a busy coffee shop downtown, Holly Stewart certainly stands out. Tall, with porcelain skin and a naturally lithe build, she’s the kind of girl you see walking down the street and think, “Oh, she must be a model.”

Think that, and you’d be right.

“When I was younger, I never really thought about getting into modeling,” says Stewart with a smile. “But a lot of friends and family said I should try. So I thought about it and I ended up taking

always been uncomfortable with that.” So she started taking modeling and acting classes, and soon her confidence began to grow. Eventually, Stewart started landing the odd job here and there. Then one day, a few years back, she went to a model and talent audition and talked to a man named Charles Stuart.

He suggested she go to the Faces West International Model and Talent Convention in Vancouver.

In an upstairs room of the SHE Modelling agency, Charles Stuart is sitting at a table, eating a piece of Babybel cheese.

This is the calm before the storm. In a few minutes from now, established models and aspiring models will begin filing into the room, one by one, to talk with him.

I want to model, but I want to feel comfortable in my own body, too.

Holly Stewart

some classes at SHE [Modelling] to help boost my confidence.”

Wait a second … a confidence boost? Why would a young, pretty girl like Stewart need a confidence boost?

“I’ve always been kind of shy,” admits Stewart. “And for most of my life, I thought I was too skinny. I’ve

See, Stuart is kind of a big deal in the Canadian modeling industry. A former model who once did a photoshoot with Twiggy back in the ‘60s, Stuart opened his own modeling agency in Vancouver (Charles Stuart International Models) back in 1982.

A decade later, he created the Faces Continued on next page »

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West International Model and Talent Convention, which brings together agents, scouts, and managers from all over the world. And in 2004, he discovered supermodel Coco Rocha.

So what’s he doing in Saskatchewan? Looking to discover some new talent, naturally.

With a sheet of paper on the table in front of him, Stuart takes a bite of cheese and says,”When new people come in they have an information sheet they have to fill out and I talk to them about things. What are their hobbies? What’s their favourite movie? I get them to talk about themselves.”

Then tapping the sheet of paper, which lists categories down the left margin, he says, “Then I look at things like runway technique, poster, poise, presence, overall appearance, confidence, acting, presentation, voice.”

Thing is, though, even if a person scores high in all these categories, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll become a successful model.

“You can’t tell by simply looking at a person,” says Stuart. “Yes, you can get a general idea. But the thing I’ve found over the years, when people walk in and you meet them, you can have the most beautiful person in front of you and go ‘Wow!’ but put them in front of a camera and nothing works.”

Stuart shifts in his chair and says, “Then you can have the plainest person walk in, put them in front of a camera, and magic happens. A lot of the top models, if you met them on the street, you probably wouldn’t think much about them.”

Even then — even if they wow in their audition and the camera loves them — there’s one more element necessary to success.

“Personality,” says Stuart. “Personality sells. It’s what clients want to see.

They want projection on camera, they want someone who is outgoing. Not just someone who stands there and looks pretty.”

That is something Holly Stewart admits she sometimes struggles with.

Sure, she’s modeled overseas for two-and-a-half months in Japan.

And yes, she’s moving to Manhattan soon to work at Wilhelmina Models, one of the top agencies in the world.

But, at times, Stewart still finds it tricky to sell herself.

“Like I mentioned before, I’ve always been shy and laid-back,” she says, “I’m not a super bubbly person.

I don’t want to be like that, it’s not me. I’ve been told by a lot of agents that everything else is great, but that, personality-wise, I have to try to put myself out there more. It’s not like I’m serious all the time. I love to laugh and joke around, but it takes me time to warm up to people.” And the longer you talk to Stewart, the more you realize that last statement is spot on.

A tad hesitant at first, with her arms crossed across her stomach, Stewart slowly begins loosening up with each passing minute. She relaxes, her arms uncross, and she begins to laugh and smile more readily.

The other thing you realize when you sit down and chat with her is that,

for a young woman of 18 years, she’s remarkably put together and levelheaded — something that should play in her favour when she heads to New York in the fall.

When a lot of people look at the modeling industry, they see beautiful people living glamorous lives filled with photo shoots, fashion designers and glitzy parties. And while that can certainly be a part of it, there’s much more to the industry than meets the eye. There’s the never-ending parade of castings you have to go to if you actually want to make money. Think of going to a bunch of interviews, day in and day out, and you’ll get the picture.

Then there’s the fact that most people live in “model apartments” with the same people they’re competing with for jobs.

And don’t forget the image demands placed on models by the industry, and their constant need to deal with body-size pressures. “One thing that came as a shock to me was when I was working in Japan and they asked me to lose three centimetres around my waist,” says Stewart.

“When she asked me that it knocked me back a bit. I want to model, but I want to feel comfortable in my own body, too.”

From there, Stewart reminisces about the last time she stayed in New York. “When I was there, living with all those models, it seemed like none of them ate actual meals. Just an apple or something here and there,” she says.

“And that’s their own personal thing, but I want to stay balanced. I want to keep healthy.”

She also wants to make the most of her upcoming work at Wilhelmina, but, true to form, remains realistic about how her life in Manhattan might unfold.

“I’m not going there looking to become a multi-millionaire or anything,” she says, against showing a glimpse of wisdom beyond her years. “I’d just like to live there for a while, get a few decent jobs, make some money … I

definitely want to go to school, but I don’t know what I want to do for a career. So, for now, I’m going to do this and see where it takes me.”

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Photo: Courtesy of globochem3x1minus1

Say it ain’t so ...

New federal regulations could back our indie music scene into a dark corner by ADAM HAWBOLDT

B

rant Palko sensed change was coming.

And it wasn’t the kind of change he was hoping for.

Back in April, when a story broke that the Royal Bank of Canada had outsourced 45 information technology jobs to workers in India — workers who were reportedly brought in under the federal temporary foreign worker program — feces hit the clichéd fan. People around the country vehemently criticized the move, saying it was replacing Canadian jobs with cheaper, foreign ones, and called it wrongheaded and unethical.

Soon as he heard this, Palko, a longtime booker for Amigos Cantina, had a feeling his venue and other similar venues around the province were going to take one on the chin. “We knew it was coming,” says Palko, “My boss and I looked at each other when the RBC scandal broke and when the government said they were bringing in tougher legislation. We just knew bad news was coming our way.”

The bad news came shortly after, when Jason Kenney, Canada’s minister of employment, social development and multiculturalism, announced reforms to the temporary foreign worker program. Reforms that require, “a new $275 processing fee for each temporary foreign worker position that an employer requests through a Labour Market Opinion (LMO).”

Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “So what? If the government wants to penalize companies who bring in cheap foreign labour to undercut wages, that’s a good initiative, right?”

Not really. Because of these new regulations, and the oversights contained within, the indie music industry in our country is set to suffer. How? Well, it means the cost of bringing international bands to bars, restaurants or coffee shops in Canada has spiked significantly. Now, any venue whose primary business is something other than music must pay a fee of $275 per band member

(whether it be a musician, sound person, tour manager … whatever) when it applies for an LMO. What’s more, there’s also an additional $150 per member for a work visa.

All this could mean dark days ahead for Saskatchewan’s indie music scene.

Fees for foreign musicians being brought to Canada is nothing new.

It used to be that if you were a bar, restaurant or coffee house, you had to pay a one-time installment of $150 per band member, up to a maximum of $450. If the band was going to play at a few different places during their stay, typically this fee was split between the various venues.

Not anymore. Now, every nonexempt venue must pay the fee individually if they want to host international acts.

“This is completely ridiculous,” says Palko. “It was a hassle before, something we had to struggle with, but it wasn’t worth fighting against Continued on next page »

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because the fees were minimal. But the way things are now, it means we can’t host out-of-country bands.

I’ve already had to cancel shows.

I’ve already had promoters I’ve been dealing with for years tell me they can’t do shows here anymore. That greatly affects our bottom line and our reputation as, I think, a premiere music venue in Western Canada. We just can’t afford it.”

Not only is this a slap in the face to small business it’s also a poke in the eye to concert-goers.

Think about it.

In the absence of up-and-coming international bands, and having booked as many touring bands as possible, venues like Amigos are going to have to find acts to fill the void. Where will they find them?

Locally, of course.

But what happens if more new, local bands don’t start to emerge,

he’s never seen play live before.

There’s something special about it.

Something more engaging and more visceral than listening to the same music at home.

But Tessier isn’t simply a lover of concerts. He’s also a member of Indigo Joseph, a high-energy rock band from Regina. And for him, he sees this new legislation as a double edged sword — with one side much sharper than the other.

“I think there may be some positives for domestic bands potentially having some more opportunity,” says Tessier. “And while I do see that side of the coin, I can’t help but think the positives are going to be a short-term thing. Canadian bands will be filling these bills for a little while, but then eventually some of these venues will probably close because it’s the touring acts that are really bringing out the fans. They

…culturally, it’s not good for the development of new … music. eric tessier

and the indie scene gets over-saturated and homogenized with familiar acts from our own area code?

Eric Tessier loves going to concerts.

He loves seeing a band perform that

have the name that attracts audience members.”

If that does happen, if some of these non-exempt venues shut down, not only could there be less shows to see in Saskatchewan, but shows of a lesser quality.

And that doesn’t bode well for anyone — promoters, clubs, artists, or fans.

“I’m inclined to feel that, culturally, it’s not good for the development of new culture and new music,” says Tessier.

“It may lead to a kind of monoculture,” he continues. “We live in a global community nowadays.

Canadians are listening to music from outside of Canada, and they should have the ability to see those acts live. Cultural cross-pollination is important to fans and musicians.”

And while neither Tessier nor Palko think the federal government intentionally set out to harm our indie music scene, both think it would be prudent for them to go back, reexamine, and change the negative aspects of the legislation.

They are not alone, either. Online, at www.change.org, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition telling the government “don’t ruin live music” in Canada.

“People need to keep signing these petitions and tweeting at their MPs, MLAs, Jason Kenney,” says Palko. “Hopefully they’ll come to their senses … but I doubt it.”

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Road pop outrage

We need to fix Saskatchewan’s problem with drinking and driving This article is part one of a two-part series on drinking and driving in Saskatchewan. This week’s piece examines the current situation, and next week’s piece will propose some new solutions.

I

t’s no great secret that drinking and driving is a serious problem here in Saskatchewan, as we are some of the worst offenders in the country.

But we believe that part of the issue is the current methods we use to deter and prosecute drunk drivers, and that a more comprehensive approach would be far more effective.

To start, let’s review the current state of affairs: according to Statistics Canada, Saskatchewan has some of the worst drunk driving statistics in the country. Take our number of policereported impaired driving incidents, for example. In 2011, we had 683.35 incidents for every 100,000 people in the province. In case you’re wondering, that’s the highest rate among provinces. It’s also almost triple the national average (261.80) and more than five times the rate of the lowest province, Ontario (129.56). And that’s not even the worst of it.

When you look at per-capita rates of impaired driving deaths, things get even more grim. In 2009 (the last year from which comprehensive data is available) we had 8.44 impaired driving deaths per 100,000 people — again the highest among provinces. And again, almost triple the national rate of 3.18 per 100,000 people.

for all the damages, while facing a minimum fine of $600.

So that’s the punishment side of things. On the prevention front, many places (like Saskatoon, Regina, and Prince Albert) have implemented a road safety program called Report Impaired Drivers (RID). How this works is easy: if anyone sees a suspected impaired driver, he or she is encouraged to call 911 and report said driver to the police, thereby hopefully making the streets safer for everyone.

But all of these efforts are clearly not enough, particularly in the area of repeat drunk driving offenders. After all, this past summer a man from Saskatchewan was convicted of driving while drunk — for the 19th time. That would suggest that what we are doing now to prevent DUIs, and especially multiple DUIs, isn’t really working. This is a clear problem in Saskatchewan, and we need to approach it differently if we want a different outcome.

Because while we applaud our elected officials for taking some measures to improve the situation, we can’t help but think that the solutions they have arrived at only addresses part of the problem. Simply punishing people who do bad things doesn’t really address root causes, since penalties can only be enacted after an offence has already taken place. Instead, we believe that we also need to empower people to make better choices, so that they don’t get behind the wheel after drinking in the first place.

These numbers are simply unacceptable, especially in a province that has the highest legal drinking age (19) and the lowest legal limit for bloodalcohol content (in Saskatchewan, consequences for drinking and driving can kick in if you have a BAC of .04).

Simply put: something has to be done about this. But what?

At the moment, anyone caught drinking and driving with a BAC greater than .04 in Saskatchewan immediately has his or her license suspended for 24 hours. A second offence leads to another 24-hour suspension and a mandatory Driving Without Impairment class. For every offence afterwards, you face a 90-day suspension and mandatory addictions screening. If you are convicted of driving while impaired (a BAC higher than .08) then you face the following punishments: for a first offence, you receive a one-year license suspension; second offence, three-year license suspension; third offence or greater, a five-year suspension.

As for monetary punishment, minimum court fines begin at $1,500 for impaired drivers, which includes a $500 fine in accordance with the Safe Driver Recognition program.

However, it must be noted that this is just a minimum penalty. There are absolutely no maximums for fines, which are ultimately up to the judge’s discretion. What’s more, some offenders may lose the benefits of insurance. For instance, if you get into an accident you have to pay

Check back next week to see how we propose to lower drinking and driving rates in Saskatchewan.

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

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comments

On Topic: Last week we asked what you thought about privatizing Canada Post. Here's what you had to say: – I agree canada post should be gradually privatized. They had quite some nerve telling that guy “we won’t deliver to your house anymore because your front step is too high.” All businesses everywhere need equal competition to be fair to us, the “customer”

– Wouldn’t getting rid of Canada Post just make it more difficult for people who live out in the boonies

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r B 8372

to get mail? Do we care to subsidize there choices though? Just a though EK

– Regarding privatizing Canada Post, are you nuts? For one thing I noticed you didn’t mention anything about rural mail delivery and delivery in the north. Sure they can privatize the post office in countries like the U.K., Austria, the Netherlands and Germany. Those

countries are puny in comparison to the vast territory covered

by Canada. At best a privatized Canada Post could be required to continue rural and northern delivery for two, three, at most five years. But after that good luck. No business would buy Canada Post if they were required to do all rural delivery and northern delivery forever. And to prove the point, UPS and other competitive paradises to you don’t deliver to many rural and northern areas, they let Canada Post do it. Also, much of your editiorial is just full of statements like privatizing Canada Post “would allow our postal service to be run more like a business and less like a dysfunctional government department.” That’s just right-wing claptrap. Get real. I’d love to see Harper try to privatize Canada Post. All his rural support would melt away, including in Alberta, and the Tories would be in the political hinterland for a decade or more.

– Probably parcelling of Canada Post would free up some money that is tied up in Crown assets etc which should make for better service to all Canadians. I’d be interested in a partial privatization maybe for five or ten yrs to see how it works, then move on if it seems to be a good idea.

– I don’t know about getting rid of the postal service. Canada Post has been a part of our heritage for so long that it’s important to preserve our history.

– Canada Post definitely needs to give its head a shake. Refusing to deliver mail because of the height of a stair? Competition breeds a healthy dose of reality , and it seems like CP could use some of this. I understand refusing service for a legitimate reason (unshoveled stairs presents an actual safety hazard, but the height of a step?

Ridiculous. Not sure if getting rid of CP entirely is the answer.

Continued on next page »

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OFF TOPIC

sound off

– RED LIGHT CAMERAS SHOULD NOT BE SCRAPED!!! There was an accident earlier in the evening on Mon Sept 9,2013 at Parliament and Albert in Regina,Sask caused when a black SUV eastbound on Parliament ran a red light and hitted a vintage convertible and another car. An ambulance and a police SUV shoed up. The police usually don’t attend accidents unless there are injuries or fatalities and if drugs or alcohol are involved. Thank goodness there are RED LIGHT CAMERAS at that busy intersection which automatically take pictures of vehicles that run red lights!! :0

– Wow gotta a chance to cruise along the south bridge and it is slick but why is there a traffic light at clancy dr..talk about slowing the flow..

In response to “Smile! You’re on camera,” Editorial #255 (August 30,2013)

– Yes maybe red light cameras are a cash grab but they wouldn’t even be necessary if people would not run red lights in the first place!

In response to “Smile! You’re on camera,”

– They city is really stupid for taking away the bus stops at confed mall! I think they should bring it back!

– Nixon brought the boys home from vietnam. Lets not forget that!

– All drivers should know the basic rules of the road otherwise how did you get your license?

– Well we might have kinda crappy medicare system but at least we have some doctors like bone surgeons who are good and have good tech. They do a good job of fixing us when we break!

Editorial #255 (August 30,2013)

– Less cameras at red light intercections and more police patrols almost nobody runs a red light is they see a cop patrolling the intecection

– The only day more crowded than today in Saskatchewan is tomorrow in Saskatchewan!

– What’s with all the anti-God texts being printed? You’re just looking to shoot down the truth and you know it!

– There’s always someone who is worse off than you and doing better than you. And you are that person to other people.

– I will share my thoughts on Jesus anytime I want. Thank you very much!

– Riders charged with assault should be booted off the team I don’t care what they do for us but we should not be supporting those two it’s disgraceful

– Lots of back and forth on comments about loving God or not.

Respect for each is all you need.

– My street finally got swept! Just in time for it to get covered by falling leaves....

– Red car on 20 and L or something blasts past family partway across the road BE CAREFUL you might not want to stop the three seconds to let them go but you’ll hate more if you don’t and accidentally hurt someone

– Original cheese whiz is grey but I will still eat the crap outta it

– First years look hilarious all dressed up fancy for class wait til second year when university life beats you down you’re lucky if you make it to school with your teeth brushed

– You snooze you loose! Think about that next time your complaining about what I took! See you never ahole

– There is no excuse to not be polite to servers if something is screwed up with your food fine but explain it in a respectful way accidents happen.

In response to “Smile! You’re on camera,” Editorial #255 (August 30,2013)

– “decriminalization” is saying “i don’t approve of what you’re doing, but i’m not going to stop you” where as “legalization” is saying “go ahead, anytime, anyplace, no-one can stop you. (Response to legalizing marijuana) In response to “Marijuana should be legalized,” Editorial #253 (August 16,2013)

– Contruction zone speed limits are put up for a reason for the safety of the workers just be patient and respect the speed limits.

In response to “On the road again,” Editorial #254 (August 23,2013)

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– For some reason public servants in Sask from Social Services to the Crowns have this wierd arrogance and apathy. Saw it in the hospital too. Like they don’t get what civil service means or requires.

– Bus shelters are not garbage bins!

Please do not leave your trash in the shelters it attracts wasps and mice! Let’s try to keep Saskatoon a clean city!

– I yam what I yam.

– Sask is booming, but no one can afford housing here. As a student who’s been at the UofS for 2 years I have moved 3 times and each time into smaller and crappier apartments. Why can’t the city have more affordable housing geared at students? We’re a huge portion of the city’s population. Make it enviting and more students might come here!

toodling along and not budging an inch this causes the other driver to slow down to merge around you. Get real if you can’t handle simple road rules maybe you shouldn’t be driving.

customer even if the “customer” is not labelled “customer”

– Being back on campus with the community serivce-learning opportunities cut just doesn’t seem right!!!

– The foose is not loose.

– To the person who said to send dangerous criminals to Mars. Are you gonna pay to send them cause I sure as hell won’t think before you speak!

– In the end only kindness matters.

– Shorter days cooler nights <3 fall but not what comes after

– You know you’re DOWNtown when you don’t remember why you’re there.

– People meed to learn how to let drivers merge onto a busy road (sp Circle). If a car is driving on an on ramp approaching Circle MOVE OVER it’s unbelievable how many idiots stay in the right hand lane

– It’s BACK 2 SKOOL YALL :D

– Any way we can stop young kids from revving their engines and peeling out while driving in traffic? No? Fine I’ll go back to being a grumpy old man and forgetting I used to do the same.

Next week: What do you think of Saskatchewan’s drinking and driving problem? 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.

– Lack of respect! On the bus if you see someone who needs a seat more than you, stand up it’s greatly appreciated. thank you.

– The weird relationship between the media and politicians is freaky bottomfeaders existing on the crap of the other looking at you Obama

– The customer is every business’ most important business- no business can be a business without a

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The Wizard

Photos: courtesy of Mathias Bothor

Pianist Jan Lisiecki on his latest recording and the intricate art of interpretation by Alex J MacPherson

E

arlier this year, Jan Lisiecki released his latest recording on Deutsche Grammophon, one of the world’s preeminent classical music labels. Chopin: Études is a tour de force from the young pianist from Calgary. His interpretations of the Études, a series of studies composed by Frédéric Chopin around 1830, are as imaginative as they are daring. Lisiecki likes to dig deep, extracting sublime simplicity and purity of sound from some of the most technically demanding piano music ever composed. Chopin: Études also marks a transition for Lisiecki, who is 18 years old and still at the beginning of his career.

After a meteoric rise, Lisiecki is figuring out how to build a career that can transcend the notion of childhood brilliance. Chopin: Études is a fitting start, establishing him as a talented and mature interpreter. I recently spoke with Lisiecki, who was rehearsing in Poland, about his new recording and his egalitarian view of classical music.

Alex J MacPherson: Earlier this year Deutsche Grammophon released your latest recording, Chopin: Études. What was making the CD like?

Jan Lisiecki: I like to think of anything, be it a concert or a CD, as a performance. I think you still have to find that way to keep the natural flow of a concert, to keep the energy, that special effect, because you can’t really replicate that by playing something a hundred times. What works, in my

also play often in Canada. How important is that to you?

case at least, is to play something else.

I’d play for example some Bach or some Mozart or some other Chopin — something different — to put me in a different mood, to almost cleanse the palette before you start thinking again of Chopin and again of the Études.

JL: I love the fact that I am Canadian and I’m proud of it, so I’m happy to go explore my country and share whatever I can in my own place. Of course the audiences in Europe, there’s more of them and there’s more people who are interested in classical, there are also more people. I’m happy when I can do both, when I can play in Saskatoon and anywhere in [Europe].

AJM: Your interpretations are very bold, very stunning, and very different.

JL: We’ve heard people play it before, we’ve heard people record it before, so it’s not brand new music for us. It’s not about bringing the music to the people, because people know it already. It’s about bringing it in your way, in an interesting way for you. And for me, I really wanted to show the musical side.

I think the technique is there not really as a centerpiece; it’s only there to serve the music so you can show the beauty of the piece.

AJM: It seems like your career so far has been aimed at opening up this music to people who may not have heard it before, to giving people a completely new experience.

JL: It’s a completely different experience. And it’s something that should be experienced by everybody, so they can decide for themselves. That’s something which I think many people see classical music with this veil of uncertainty, and also that it’s not so interesting, that it’s not so fun, it’s kind of boring. But I think the more I have been to concerts myself, I’ve found that you just enjoy being there, that you enjoy listening to this music and finding your own stories to it. The music can speak for itself.

AJM: The Études are complicated and technically difficult, of course, but there’s a certain simplicity you seem to be after, on the record and in concert.

JL: My favourite quote by Chopin, absolute favourite, is: “Simplicity is the final achievement. When one has played vast quantities of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowing reward of art.” That’s fantastic. I completely agree. You have so many people who approach Chopin with this over-indulgent romanticism, thinking it has to be [that way], but I think Chopin was not simple as a composer, but the purity of the music speaks for itself.

Chopin: Études September 20 @ Third Avenue United $37+ @ Persephone Theatre Box Office

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

AJM: You spend a lot of time playing in Europe and the United States. But you

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Four In One

Pop songwriter Shannon Rose examines the changing seasons on her latest record

A

fter releasing her first album in 2008, Shannon Rose, a singer and songwriter from Ottawa, decided to spend a year away from the stage. But she couldn’t put down her guitar or her notepad. During her sabbatical, Rose, whose sound lands somewhere between folk and soft, melodic rock, spent her time writing songs and dreaming up ideas. In 2011, she began work on an ambitious project: four EPs inspired by and coinciding with the four seasons.

“We came up with the idea of doing four EPs, one for each season,” Rose says. “The idea was to have all the songs written, record-

ed, and released in their respective seasons over the course of a year.

By the end of it I was pretty exhausted. But it was challenging in the best possible way.” After releasing the four EPs, one every three months, Rose decided to collect them on one album. Seasons, which includes all 20 songs, was released in January. It is a sprawling collection of delicate, well-crafted songs that evoke a slew of emotions.

Rose says the project began life as an experiment. She wanted to understand how the weather affected her creative process, or if it had any bearing on songwriting at all. The results were predictable.

Although the songs that make up

by alex J MacPherson

Seasons were not necessarily written about the changing weather, the lingering mood of each season bled into the songs. “The winter one is probably more contemplative than the summer one,” Rose says. “Spring sort of has a fresh, renewing feeling and fall is maybe a bit more thoughtful. They seemed to take on some of those qualities you’d associate with the seasons.”

The ideas that pervade Seasons are more than just lyrical, however. Songs like “Winter Alibi” and “Corners,” which were inspired by the darkest months of the year, are slow and measured, simple guitar songs that hint broadly at the loneliness of a frigid weekend in

January. “Open Water” and “Under The Moon,” on the other hand, are full of possibility — charming acoustic grooves reminiscent of languorous afternoons under the scorching sun.

Although it was conceived as a writing exercise, an opportunity to explore how the arc of a year affects the soul, Seasons emerged as a strong foundation for a promising career. Rose’s pop sensibility and ephemeral voice give the album both strength and character. Seasons is an extremely long album, but its length should be seen as an invitation to soak up four different ideas, separate yet bound together forever.

Photo: courtesy of Mauricio Ortiz

Shannon Rose 19 September @ Village Guitar & Amp $10 @ villageguitarshop.com

The Tipping Point

Arizona punk rockers Authority Zero find a new beginning on their latest album

T

he first song on The Tipping Point — the latest album from Mesa, Arizona punk rock band Authority Zero — opens with the squeal of two guitars feeding back before launching into a series of blistering power chords. “No Other Place” is a strong and energetic punk rock song, a return to form for the band, who haven’t released a record since 2010, and proof that the SoCal punk movement isn’t dead. Singer Jason DeVore hasn’t been this excited about a record since the band released A Passage In Time in 2002.

“Mostly I think it’s just the energy of the production and the

writing process of the album,” he says. “A Passage In Time was such a pure early album that everyone was so excited about at such an early age. Everything was sparking on all cylinders. With time, ups and downs, there are different emotions that come with each album. But it was almost like a fresh start, a fresh energy with The Tipping Point.”

Authority Zero was formed in 1994 by three high school friends.

DeVore came onboard shortly after.

Following in the footsteps of bands like Bad Religion and Pennywise, who created an entirely new style of punk music, the band built a career based on political songs, machine-gun drumming, and

by alex J MacPherson

infectious power chord pop hooks.

At the same time, DeVore and his bandmates have always been willing to experiment with new ideas — an attitude manifested on The Tipping Point.

“That’s kind of what we do as musicians,” DeVore says, referring to songs like “Shakedown in Juarez,” a potent attack on immigration policy, and “Struggle,” a reggae anthem that shows the band at their most relaxed. “There’s not supposed to be any boundaries or any one set thing that you’re doing.

We’ve always tried to stretch things out, try all different types of music, different styles of music.”

But it hasn’t been easy.

DeVore is the only original member still in the band. He has ridden out the upheavals caused by personnel changes many times. “We’ve had people in and out since 2008, when Bill [Marcks] first left the group,” he says. “It’s been somewhat unstable and unfocused in a way. We’ve been putting all the effort in, working our asses off, mainly just trying to keep the group together.”

But the band’s new lineup, which includes Sean Sellers and Brandon Landelius, has created a new kind of energy. “The tipping point really was getting the right people in play,” DeVore says, referring to Malcolm Gladwell’s book about how small events can

have dramatic consequences. “That brought everything together. And I think it shows again in the writing and the vibrance that this album’s got.” And while The Tipping Point might be Authority Zero’s fifth album, DeVore can’t help but think that it marks a new beginning.

Authority Zero September 26 @ Rock Bottom Cover $TBA

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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GHOST ON GHOST Iron & Wine mines American music and the American Dream on

I

t is natural but wrong to think of Iron & Wine as a singer-songwriter project.

Sam Beam, who has been releasing records using the name Iron & Wine since 2002, has certainly played the part of the bearded folk messiah. His early records were simple and skeletal, collections of gently propulsive songs shaped by the ineffable interplay between a man and his guitar. In 2006, he transformed the Postal Service’s throbbing single “Such Great Heights” into a lodestar for the terminally hip. But these events do not define him; his musical vision cannot be defined in just a few words. Beam has spent the last decade building on the foundation laid by his first two records. Each album he releases pushes his sound, and his musical ideas, into fertile new territory.

His fifth, Ghost On Ghost, which was released in April, reinforces his commitment to sonic expansion — and his faith that the warmth of his voice will link his albums together.

“I feel emboldened by the fact that I have a kind of recognizable voice,” Beam says. “It’s not a very powerful voice. But it’s a recognizable sound. I kind of realized early on and was emboldened — maybe

naïvely — by the fact that there would always be this common element, which was my voice. So I felt free to try different types of music because it would always be tied into

The biggest addition to Beam’s musical toolbox is jazz, itself a hybrid of European and African-American influences that emerged in the early part of the last century. Many of the

I like making a big soup pot for all those types of music, where you just add them all in, stir it up, and see what happens. sam Beam

the songs that came before. Because it was me.” Ghost On Ghost, which draws its title from a line by the American poet James Wright, is the most complex record Beam has ever made. It is a melting pot of sounds.

Traditional folk and country ideas are laced with unorthodox jazz arrangements, soaring Appalachian melodies, and swampy blues rhythms.

“Honestly, it’s not too much of a cerebral thing when I’m doing it,” Beam says of his fusion of American sounds. “It sounds cerebral when I’m talking about it, but it’s pretty intuitive. I like making a big soup pot for all those types of music, where you just add them all in, stir it up, and see what happens.”

songs on Ghost On Ghost are shot through with ideas pioneered a lifetime ago; others, like the staggering “Lovers’ Revolution,” have more in common with Mingus than Dylan. “I have been playing with jazz players for the last few years and I think it’s seeped in, where I can finally figure out how to apply it to my records,” Beam says. “It’s something I’ve always enjoyed listening to but never really had the experience playing that kind of music. I was just doing it for a hobby. I still feel like I do it for a hobby. But I like the American song narrative, that narrative of how we came up with jazz music and what all went into it. And how it affected the rest.”

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Photo: courtesy of Craig Kief

his latest album by Alex J MacPherson Beam’s determination to expand his range beyond the lively roots and folk arrangements that appeared on 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog and 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean, affected his process.

Photo: courtesy of Craig Kief

In the past, he has allowed songs to chart their own course, to develop free from outside interference. But the instrumentation and arrangements on the new record demanded a certain amount of planning. Beam wrote the songs in much the same way as he has always written the songs. But instead of spending time experimenting in the studio, looking for inspiration, he spent a great deal of time dreaming up ideas before the tape began to roll.

“Before going into the studio I did quite a few demos of these songs,” he says, “and kind of got a feel for what kind of arrangements they’d be and the tone I was looking for.”

“Caught In The Briars” opens the record with a disjointed ca-

cophony of instrument noise and drums before settling into a syncopated groove driven by a sparkling acoustic guitar lick and elevated by a chorus of spongy horns. After a fairly conventional series of verses and choruses, “Caught In The Briars” launches into a long long piano coda — a potent reminder that Ghost On Ghost is a melting pot and evidence of Beam’s desire to experiment with as many musical ideas as possible.

“Caught In The Briars” also introduces the central theme of the record.

“The blurry details around the edges are these stories of this couple, these people,” Beam says. “I kind of collected songs that had these people, this couple, and it was fun to imagine that they were the same couple.” Just as the music on the album is uniquely American, so too are Beam’s stories.

“There’s a lot of unhappiness,” he says of the unnamed characters that populate the album. “They’re not settled in their station or where they are, always looking over the horizon for something better. That’s the American idea. You can move to another town and reinvent yourself.

It’s not always true but it’s definitely part of our makeup.”

Which is not to say that Beam has abandoned his roots. “Winter Prayers” is the simplest song on the record and also one of the most

profound. Casting Beam’s languid vocal delivery, anguished yet somehow detached, against a mournful backdrop of piano and soft guitar, “Winter Prayers” is made even more potent by its position on the album, between two sides of experimental roots music. The songs are linked by Beam’s voice, but also by his writing style — always incisive, always moving. The songs on Ghost on Ghost are about a pair of people experimenting with themselves and with each other. But the tone changes as the record progresses. Just as “Caught In The Briars” illuminates the feeling of limitless potential that accompanies new love (“Back alleys full of rain / and everything shining / as holy as she can be / the trick’s in the timing”), “Winter Prayers” captures a different reality: “Why you’d follow her there? / Milwaukee’s a deaf ear for winter prayers / There’s no night, there’s no day / With only hope in your pocket, and hell to pay.” Both songs, however, point to the idea embedded in the record’s title: that the moment when two lives intersect is the most important of all.

“It really was one of the most representative lives about these people and the characteristics of these people that resonate through all the songs,” Beam says of the characters and the album’s title. “They’re tied

together not just physically but also spiritually.” After a pause he adds, “But it also says we were dead before we even started.” This idea is bound up in the last two songs on the album, “Lovers’ Revolution” and “Baby Center Stage.” The former a sprawling assemblage of fragmented horns, pulsating jazz rhythms, and pop-influenced background vocals; the latter is a rootsy ballad in the tradition of the Band’s “Makes No Difference” — a stunningly beautiful love song that seems to transcend both time and distance. And by turning back to the impossible freedom, the unlimited possibility, of love, Beam reveals something about himself: “In your restless days / I made my bed, I dug my grave / In your restless nights / We both swam blind, Somehow falling into the light.”

This sense of potential has always animated Iron & Wine, whether Beam is performing alone onstage or in front of an enormous band. Ghost

On Ghost is merely the latest in a long string of albums that pushed the boundaries of what Iron & Wine could be. Beam concedes that this can be problematic, especially for fans of his music. “There are lots of artists I’ve felt that way about, like, man, I really liked what you did before,” he admits. “I get it. But, you know, as far as I approach working it doesn’t really come into it, unfortunately. It probably should. I could probably put my kids through college and not worry about it. But at the same time I can’t fake it.”

Iron & Wine September 20 @ The Odeon $36.75 @ Ticketmaster Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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SUMPTUOUS STEAK Photos courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

Saskatoon Station Place — a unique dining experience with some serious steak. by adam hawboldt

S

askatoon Station Place is unique, to say the least. There’s something cool and elegant and antiquated about the place. Maybe it’s the antique chandeliers, or the ornate mirrors, or the old train posters, or the brass luggage racks above the windows.

Whatever it is, the moment you take a seat in one of the maroon lounge car booths, it’s almost as though you’ve stepped back in time and are about to embark on long, comfortable train ride.

able. Beef frajolaki, buffalo express burger, strawberry spinach almon-

It’s Friday afternoon, the sun is shining. And with a glass of red

And as I get closer towards the centre, the more the blue-cheese-and-rosemary sauce begins to stand out. adam hawboldt

dine salad, peppercorn chicken with asparagus raisin medley…

Not sure why I’m even looking at this, though. Before I even came here, I knew what I was getting. Not so long ago someone told me the steak at the Saskatoon Station Place was pretty darn good. So here I am.

And when the waitress brings it to me, I can’t help but be pleased with what I see.

There on the plate laying next to a dollop of whipped potatoes, atop a few sprigs of asparagus and a balsamic drizzle, is a thick, juicy looking steak. Much thicker than I’d imagined. May a two-and-ahalf, three inch thick slab of top sirloin. Wrapped in bacon, it’s topped

wine on the table in front of me, I scan the menu to see what’s avail-

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide Red wine cooler

Ingredients

Anyone who is a fan of wine knows that a good red is hard to beat. But let’s say the red you have isn’t quite up to snuff. Just a bottle someone left at your place. If you ever find yourself in that situation, try this recipe to spice it up a bit.

4oz red wine 2oz lemon-lime soda 2oz ginger ale

Directions

Fill a highball glass with ice cubes. Pour the wine, lemon-lime soda and gingerale over the ice. Stir well. Garnish with a twist of lemon and a slice of orange. Serve.

with a blue-cheese-and-rosemary sauce and a mound of fried onions.

Without further ado, I take a sip of wine and dig in.

As my knife slices through the steak, a smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. Not sure about you, but I can’t count how many times I’ve gone to a restaurant and ordered a rare steak only to cut into the meat and find that it’s been cooked medium rare — or worse.

But not here. At the Saskatoon Station Place my steak was perfectly cooked, with a pretty good marble to it.

The first bite is good. Real good.

And as I get closer towards the centre, the more the blue-cheese-and-

rosemary sauce begins to stand out.

Talk about tasty!

And the rest of it is good too — the asparagus is cooked right (not too soggy, not too stiff), the potatoes are smooth and buttery, and the onions are tasty (especially when you dip them in the balsamic sauce). Paired with a good glass of red wine, it makes for a terrific meal on a sunny Friday afternoon.

Saskatoon Station Place 221 Idylwyld Drive N | (306) 244 7777 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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Next Week

coming up

Tim Hicks

Chali 2na

The Good Lovelies

@ Outlaws Thursday, September 19– $18.50

@ Louis’ pub Friday, September 20 – $20+

@ TCU Place Tuesday, December 3rd – $32.50+

It’s been a helluva year for Tim Hicks. After opening for Dallas Smith and Chad Brownlee on the 2012 Boys of Fall tour, the country musician from St. Catharines, Ontario, released his debut single, “Get By” — co-written by the guys from Florida Georgia Line and Neil Sanderson of three Days Grace. The song cracked the Canadian Hot 100 (#57) in February 2013 and was later certified gold. And rightfully so. Like most of the songs on his excellent debut album Throw Down, “Get By” is an upbeat country anthem that’ll pull you out of your chair and make you want to party. It’s the kind of music that makes you want to crack a beer and hang out with your friends.

Hicks will be performing at Outlaws next week, so come on down! Tickets at picatic.com.

Linkin Park, K’naan, Mos Def, Talib Kweli — these area few of the names Chali 2na (aka Charles Stewart) has collaborated with since bursting onto the rap scene. And those are just state-side artists. Across the pond, he’s worked with British hip hop star Roots Manuva, Dutch rapper Jerome XL and British dubstep master Rusko. It hasn’t been all collaborative work, though.

In 2009, Chali 2na released his debut album, Fish Outta Water. Then, earlier this year, he pumped out his second record, Against the Current. Both albums are marked by Chali 2na’s deep baritone and infectious beats, which are influenced by everything form reggae to soul music. He’s in Saskatoon next week, and will be kicking it at Louis’. Don’t miss the show. Tickets at Ticketmaster, Louis’ and Undergrind.

Do you know how The Good Lovelies met? No? Don’t worry, neither do they. Sue Passmore thinks they all met at a limbo competition, Caroline Brooks believes it was at a chess tournament, and Kerri Ough, well, she’s certain they all met during a bar fight. No matter, what’s important here is that these three ladies from Ontario eventually got together to form a band. And what a band it is! With catchy songwriting and an upbeat folky sound, this talented trio have been winning over fans in Canada and beyond. And their efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2010, their album, The Good Lovelies, won a Juno for Roots/Traditional Album of the year. Don’t miss them when they perform during the Vinyl Cafe Christmas show in December.

Tickets at tcutickets.ca – By Adam Hawboldt

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

Sask music Preview One of the biggest drum events to happen in Canada, the 3rd annual Regina Drum Festival, is back again! On September 28 + 29, the Exchange and the Club will host world class players who perform in the genres of metal, jazz, funk and more.

The trade show will feature a vintage drum expo and a fastest hands competition, not to mention Matt Halpern, Mark Kelso and Steve Ferrone — all that and more, all weekend! Weekend passes are $55, and available at Long and McQuade in Regina, Boomtown Drums and www.ticketedge.ca Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

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september 13» september 21 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

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13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

Friday 13

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover CFCR FM-Phasis ’13 / Amigos — Featuring Shoeless Joes and more. 10pm / Cover TBD Adrean Farrugia / Bassment — Come out for some jazz tunes. 4:30pm / No cover Zachary Lucky / Bassment — With the Karpinka Brothers and more. 9pm / $15/20 DJ Aash Money / Béily’s UltraLounge — DJ Aash Money throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday night.

9pm / $5 cover Men Without Shame / Buds on Broadway — A glamified classic rock party band. 9pm / Cover TBD BPM / Diva’s — Resident DJs spin electro/vocal house music. 10pm / $5 Harvest Dance / German Club — Featuring Snake River, Black Drink Crier and more. 9pm / $12(advance), $15(door) DJ Eclectic / The Hose & Hydrant — Local turntable whiz DJ Eclectic pumps snappy electronic beats. 8pm / No cover DJ Stikman / Jax Niteclub — Kick off your weekend with all your favourite party hits.. 9pm / $5 cover The Nightrain / Louis’ — A Guns N’ Roses tribute band. 9pm / Cover TBD Friday the 13th / Odeon — Featuring J.A. DJ, D-Monic and more. 10pm / $20+ DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Two Tall Dudes / Prairie Ink — A pop/ acoustic duo. 8pm / No cover

Pocket Aces / Stan’s — Come on down for a rockin’ good night. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie and Brad King belt out classic tunes and audience requests,from Sinatra to Lady Gaga. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila — Featuring DJ Anchor. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Nick Ruston / Uncle Barley’s — Come and check him out! 9pm / Cover TBD Brass Buttons / Vangelis — Also appearing is Keiffer McLean. 10pm / Cover TBD

DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Stikman / Jax — Ladies night with the Jax party crew. 9pm / $5 cover Bitchface + more / Louis’ — It’s a one of a kind show! 9pm / $10 DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws Country Rock Bar — Round up your friends ‘cause there’s no better country rock party around. 8pm / $5 Whiskey on a Sunday / Prairie Ink — A folk/pop/country/Irish trio. 8pm / No cover Black Hell Oil + more / Rock Bottom — Come out for a night of hard rock and old style metal.

9pm / Cover TBD Pocket Aces / Stan’s Place — Come out for a rockin’ good night. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King.

10pm / $5 DJ Anchor / Sutherland Bar — It’s the world famous video mix show!

10pm / Cover TBD Evening at the Opera / TCU Place — Featuring John Brancy and Wallis Guinta.

7:30pm / $32.50+ (tcutickets.ca) Sexy Saturdays / Tequila — A night of hot tunes. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Thorpdeo / Uncle Barley’s — Spinning hot tunes all night. 10pm / Cover TBD Ride til Dawn + more / Vangelis — Four hot acts! 10pm / Cover TBD

Saturday 14

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes. 9pm / No cover CFCR FM-Phasis ’13 / Amigos Cantina — Featuring Pandas in Japan, Cousins and Haunted Souls. 10pm / Cover TBD Sophia Perlman Quartet / The Bassment — A talented vocalist with an all-star band. 9pm / $20/25 DJs Aash Money + Sugar Daddy / Béily’s — These two DJs throw it down.

9pm / $5 Men Without Shame / Buds — A

Sunday 15

Braid / Amigos — Also featuring Mark Webber. 10pm / Cover TBD ray stephanson and the moxon trio COURTESY OF saskatoon jazz society Industry Night / Béily’s — Hosted by DJ Sugar Daddy.

9pm / $4 DJ KADE / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Blues Jam / Vangelis Tavern — The classic rock Vangelis Sunday Jam offers great tunes party band. 9pm / Cover TBD from blues to rock and beyond. 7:30pm / The Eagles / CUC — Legendary rockers No cover from LA. 8pm / $64.50+ (ticketmaster.ca) Matt Epp / Village Guitar Shop — Soulful SaturGAY Night / Diva’s — Resident DJs folk with pop sensibilities. 8pm / $10 spin exclusive dance remixes. 10pm / $5

Jesse Roads Band / Buds — Rockin’ music from Lethbridge. 9pm / Cover TBD Braid / Amigos — An art-rock band from DJ Memo / Dublins — Spinning dope Calgary. Also featuring Mark Webber. beats. 9pm / Cover TBD 10pm / Cover TBD DJ Kade / The Hose & Hydrant — SaskaThe Blue toon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm Mules / No cover / Trivium, Devildriver / Odeon — With After the Burial & Sylosis. 6pm / $32.50 CJWW Karaoke / Stan’s Place — Your talent, aired on the radio! 9pm / No cover Buck Wild Wednesdays / Outlaws — Come out and ride the mechanical bull! 9pm / $4; no pocket aces COURTESY OF artists facebook cover for industry staff Dueling Pianos / Staqatto Piano Lounge — Buds With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie — Playing and Brad King. 10pm / No cover blues all night long. 9pm / Cover TBD Calvin Love / Vangelis — With Body Lvl. DJ Audio / Dublins — Spinning dope 9pm / $8 beats. 9pm / Cover TBD

Monday 16

Tuesday 17

Tom Holliston / Amigos Cantina — Former member of No Means No doing his solo thing. 10pm / Cover TBD Jesse Roads Band / Buds — Rockin’ music from Lethbridge. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Double Deuce — This crowd favourite rocks. 9:30pm / $4 DJ Nick Ruston / Dublins — Spinning dope beats. 9pm / Cover TBD Verb presents Open Mic / Rock Bottom — Come and rock the stage! 9pm / No cover Open Mic / The Somewhere Else Pub — Come out to show your talent. 7pm / No cover Corinna Rose w/ Eliza and friends / Vangelis — Folk music from Montreal.

9pm / $8

Wednesday 18

HUMP WEDNESDAYS / 302 Lounge & Discotheque — Resident DJ Chris Knorr will be spinning all of your favourite songs.

9pm / No cover until 10pm; $3 thereafter DJ Aash Money / Béily’s — Spinning dope beats all night. 9pm / Cover TBD

Thursday 19

Les Jupes / Amigos Cantina — Indie rockers out of Winnipeg. 10pm / Cover TBD Harrison James Band / Buds on Broadway — Rockin’ tunes to pass the night away. 9pm / Cover TBD Throwback Thursdays / Earls — Come experience the best in retro funk, soul, reggae and rock provided by Dr. J. 8pm / No cover DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Goodtimes / Longbranch — Playing the best country music all night long. 8pm / Cover TBD Twiztid / Odeon — A hip-hop duo from Michigan. 8pm / $25+ (theodeon.ca) Thunder Riot w/Conky Showpony / Rock Bottom — Come dance the night away. 9pm / $5 Triple Up Thursdays / Tequila — Featuring DJ Dislexic. 9pm / Cover TBD AroarA / Vangelis — Haunting music from a Montreal duo. 9pm / $10/12 Open Stage / The Woods — Hosted by Steven Maier. 9pm / No cover

Continued on next page »

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Friday 20 House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover CFCR FM-Phasis ’13 / Amigos Cantina — Featuring Young Galaxy, Human Human, and We Were Lovers. 10pm / $10 Piano Fridays: David Fong / The Bassment — Come check out Fong tickle the ivories.

4:30pm / No cover Roots Series: Ryan Boldt / The Bassment — The Deep Dark Woods’ frontman goes solo. 9pm / $17/23 DJ Aash Money / Béily’s UltraLounge — DJ Aash Money throws down a high-energy top 40 dance party every Friday night. 9pm / $5 cover RipperTrain / Buds on Broadway — Local rock/altmetal. 9pm / Cover TBD BPM / Diva’s — Resident DJs spin electro/vocal house music. 10pm / $5 DJ Eclectic / The Hose — Local turntable whiz pumps snappy beats. 8pm / No cover DJ Stikman / Jax Niteclub — It’s all your favourite party hits.. 9pm / $5 cover Chali 2na / Louis’ — Featuring Hustle and Thrive. 8pm / $20 Iron and Wine / Odeon — A talented singer/songwriter. 7pm / $36.75

DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Bass

Blue Highway / Stan’s Place — Come on down for a rockin’ night. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila — Featuring DJ Anchor. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Nick Ruston / Uncle Barley’s — Come and check him out! 9pm / Cover TBD Old Joe and the Truth Hurts / Vangelis — Also appearing: Vicokid and the Milky Way. 10pm / $10

Saturday 21

RipperTrain / Buds on Broadway — Local rock/alt-metal. 9pm / Cover TBD Zac Brown Band / CUC — One of the hottest acts in country music. 7pm / $39.50+ SaturGAY Night / Diva’s — Resident DJs spin exclusive dance remixes. 10pm / $5 DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon’s own DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover DJ Stikman / Jax — Ladies’ night with the Jax party crew. 9pm / $5 cover Homecoming Show / Lakeview Church — With Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble and the Lastiwka Ukrainian Orthodox Choir + Orchestra. 7pm / $25 (McNally Robinson, Point Optical, Werezak Pharmacy) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5 Bass Invaders / Piggy’s — Get ready for some bass for your face. 9pm / No cover Jon Bailey / Prairie Ink — Local rock/folk music. 8pm / No cover

Blue Highway / Stan’s Place — It’s a rockin’ good night. 9pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / $5 DJ Anchor / Sutherland Bar — It’s a video mix show! 10pm / Cover TBD Sexy Saturdays / Tequila — A night of hot tunes. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Thorpdeo / Uncle Barley’s — Spinning hot tunes all night. 10pm / Cover TBD Highkicks / Vangelis — Some honest to goodness rock ‘n roll. 10pm / Cover TBD Sam Mitchell / The Woods — A night of laid-back tunes. 9pm / No cover

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House DJs / 6Twelve bass invaders — Resident DJs spin COURTESY OF artists facebook deep and soulful tunes all night. 9pm / No cover CFCR FM-Phasis ’13 / Amigos — Featuring the Karpinka Bros. + more.

In10pm / $7 vaders / Ray Stephanson and the Moxon Trio Piggy’s — Get ready for some bass for your / The Bassment — Reworked jazz stanface. 9pm / No cover dards. 9pm / $15/20 The Standards Trio / Prairie Ink — DJ Aash Money + DJ Sugar Daddy / Featuring Don Sawchuck, Todd Gursky Béily’s — It’s a dance party. 9pm / and Matt Gruza. 8pm / No cover $5 cover

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Laughs, violence and Robert De Niro

rainbow

Photo: Courtesy of relativity media

Yet despite all that, The Family still doesn’t live up to its potential by adam hawboldt

Y

ou know what really grinds my gears?

When a movie seems to have all the components to be amazing, yet somehow fails to put them all together into one big ball of awesomeness.

Only reason I mention this is because the other day, before I sat down to watch The Family, there was a fleeting moment when I said to myself, “You know what? This has the potential to be an excellent movie.”

It really does. Think about it. It has top-notch actors in it like Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Tommy Lee Jones. The writer/director, Luc Besson, is no slouch. After all, he’s the guy responsible for The Fifth Element, The Professional and La Femme Nikita. It had good subject matter — the mafia. A fantastic narrator in De Niro.

And it’s a mixture of dark comedy and action.

Yesirree, on the surface The Family had all the makings of a terrific movie. But, like so many films before it, The Family fails to put all the pieces together to make an amazing whole.

Sure it’s good and fun and entertaining and all, but amazing? No way.

The movie starts out with Giovanni Manzoni (De Niro) living in the witness protection program under the name Fred Blake. He and his family are on their way to small-town France after having been relocated from their previous hideout.

Why were they relocated?

Well, you can take the family out of the mob, but you can’t take the mob out of the family. And this clan — well, they’re a real handful.

You see this once they get settled in their new hometown.

Fred plans to spend the time quietly writing a memoir of his mafioso past. The writing soothes him … or so he thinks. When a plumber tries to

the family Luc Besson Starring Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer + Tommy Lee Jones Directed by

112 minutes | 14A

And while all this is going on, the guy trying to keep the family out of trouble, agent Stansfield (Tommy Lee Jones), is growing more and more frustrated with his assignment.

Sound like a fun, dark romp to you?

It is. In fact, that may be one of things holding The Family back from being a great movie. There’s too much fun, not enough noirish mafioso stuff.

That, and the fact that you can’t help but feel you’ve seen most of these characters before. De Niro goes a little Analyze This/That, Jones plays a watered down version of his character in The Fugitive, and Pfeiffer goes at it from a Married to the Mob angle (albeit better and turned down a notch.)

All that being said, The Family is still worth a watch. There are some great action scenes and big belly laughs to be had. Just don’t expect a classic (or even a cult classic) when you walk into the theatre.

…you can’t help but feel [like] you’ve seen most of these characters before.

Adam Hawboldt

rip him off, Fred snaps his leg. When his tap starts spitting brown water, he bombs the hell out of a nearby chemical plant.

And the rest of the family is just as violent.

Fred’s wife, Maggie (Pfeiffer) blows up a grocery store. His son, Warren (an excellent John D’Leo) is busy exacting revenge on the bullies in his new high school. And his daughter, Belle (Dianna Agron) has a penchant for beating the crap out of local boys who think American women are easy.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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In the background

Fascinating new documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom, looks at the life and times of renowned back-up singers by adam hawboldt

R

ape, murder!

It’s just a shot away It’s just a shot away.”

Quick, what song is that from?

If you answered “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones, you’re absolutely right. Now for a tougher question: who sang that line, right around the threeminute mark of the song?

Here’s a hint. It wasn’t Mick Jagger.

It wasn’t Keith Richards, either (though there is an eerie version in which he does sing those lyrics).

Okay, do you give up?

The lady’s name was Merry Clayton. A former Raelette with Ray Charles, who also sang on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” Clayton is one of the back-up singers interviewed in Morgan Neville’s new film, 20 Feet from Stardom.

She’s not the only one.

There’s Lisa Fisher, who sang with Sting and won a Grammy, but didn’t seize the moment to launch her solo career. There’s Claudia Lennear, a former Ikette with Ike Turner, who Mick Jagger wrote the song “Brown Sugar” about. Then there’s Darlene Love, a staple on records by everyone from

Photo: Courtesy of The weinstein company

But don’t be mistaken. 20 Feet from Stardom isn’t just some woe-is-me tale about a bunch of talented people who didn’t make it as far as they liked in the industry. No. It’s also an examination of how important these singers are to the creation of timeless songs and just how damn hard it is to make the leap from background to centre stage.

According to Bruce Springsteen — one of the many frontmen recruited

…there are enough snappy interviews and clips of lost footage that it’s one of those must-see documentaries.

Adam Hawboldt

Frank Sinatra to James Brown, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

These are just a handful of the dozen or so back-up singers that Neville sits down and chats with during the 89-minute duration of his film.

And their stories, well, they really are something. Some are sad, some are uplifting, some are enlightening. But all are entertaining, giving the viewer an intimate look into the oft-overlooked world of back-up singing.

by Neville for the film — to make that leap: “You gotta have that narcissism … You gotta have that ego.”

And even if you have the aforementioned things, along with the necessary musical chops, making it in the music industry is definitely no easy task.

“It’s not a level playing field,” explains Sting, on the documentary.

“It’s not about fairness, not really about talent. It’s circumstance, it’s luck, it’s destiny.”

20 feet from stardom Directed by Morgan Neville Starring Darlene Love + Judith Hill 89 minutes | NR

Therein lies the theme of 20 Feet from Stardom: for one reason or another, not everyone is destined to be a star. In fact, there isn’t even one particular star of this excellent documentary. All these renowned back-up singers share centre stage, tell their stories and leave the viewer with the feeling that “Hot damn!

These singers may not have made it to the apex, but without them some of our favourite songs just might not be our favourite songs.”

And while the film drags a bit at times, and will remind some of 2002’s Standing in the Shadows of Motown, there are enough snappy interviews and clips of lost footage that it’s one of those must-see documentaries.

20 Feet from Stardom is currently being screened at Broadway Theatre.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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friday, september 6 @

odeon

The Odeon Events Centre 241 2nd Avenue South (306) 651 1000

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Photography by Patrick Carley

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nightlife

saturday, september 7 @

diva’s

Diva’s Nightclub 110 220 3rd Avenue South (306) 665-0100

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Photography by Taylor Thomson

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

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timeout

crossword canadian criss-cross DOWN

28. Very little 31. Fine linen cloth 35. Decrease in size 36. Milk source 37. Doughnut shapes 38. Biblical boat 39. Not expertly made 41. Unfriendly dog 42. National dance of Spain 44. Bearlike 46. Notes at the office 47. Act like a person who is ashamed to be seen 48. Eats with a spoon 49. Bluish shade of green

1. One’s actions 2. Have a deed for 3. End of a hammerhead 4. Unpredictable 5. Get going 6. Being the only one 7. Bustling activity 8. Lisa of ìThe Listener’ 9. Where I point 11. Exclamation of joy 12. Rid oneself of 14. Most parents have them 17. Alberta’s ___ Mountains 20. Back of a book 22. Be worthy of 24. Hard-working insect 25. Home for a house plant

27. Component of particleboard 28. Wash the deck 29. Billiards shot 30. Socks cover them 32. Living together in communities 33. It’s at the rear of most cars 34. Ireland, in Ireland 36. Christian symbol 39. Trim a photograph 40. Eagle of the sea 43. Big bird 45. Skipper’s domain

sudoku answer key

A

B

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

1. Inside information 5. Close with a bang 9. Air controller’s place 10. It’s here before tomorrow 12. A bruise surrounding the eye 13. Inuit jacket 15. Chick’s mom 16. Iridescent layer of a mollusc shell 18. Greek X 19. Work units 21. Make doilies 22. Temporary state of mind 23. Loss of hope 25. Spanish dollars 26. Canine neighbour

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

ACROSS

© walter D. Feener 2013

Horoscopes september 13-september 19 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

Feel like doing something a little different today, Aries? Go for it. Branch out in directions you never thought possible.

Big changes are on the horizon, Leo. Some you can control, others you can’t, but all will be worth it. Enjoy the ride.

You might feel the urge to contact someone you miss, Sagittarius. Give in to the urge, even if it hurts. The rewards from doing so could astound you.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

If you’re feeling flustered or unable to communicate this week, why not try to get your thoughts in order by writing them down? Then take action.

Your reasoning and judgement powers are going to be firing on all cylinders this week, Virgo. It’s time to confront those hard-to-make decisions.

This is gonna be one of those weeks where daydreaming comes easily, Capricorn. Let your imagination roam free, and follow your heart.

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

You may find it exceedingly difficult to get going early in the week, Gemini, but this will pass. Now is the time to act on those impulses!

Energy is going to be hard to come by over the next few days, Libra.

But don’t let that stop you from getting things done.

Make an effort to contact your loved ones this week, Aquarius.

Chatting with people is the name of this game. You’ll be glad you did.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Cheerful and generous. That’s what you should strive to be this week, Cancer. Even if you don’t feel up to it, someone around you could really use the boost.

This is a week for socializing, Scorpio. The sun is still shining, the weather’s still warm, so get out there and meet people.

Summer is coming to an end, Pisces. So take some time to get out and enjoy what’s left of it. The upcoming months could be busy for you.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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