Verb Issue S265 (Nov. 8-14, 2013)

Issue #265 – November 8 to November 14

arts

culture

music

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w0lfcop SK filmmakers embark on new project you gots 2 chill Q+A with Brendan Canning thor: the dark world + salinger Latest films reviewed

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H READ & S

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Photo: courtesy of Vanessa Heins

NEWs + Opinion

contents

wolfcop Up and coming horror flick kicks off filming in Regina. 4-5 / Local

one show at a time Extreme Midget Wrestling comes to Saskatchewan. 6-7 / Local

recycling doesn’t go far enough Our thoughts on

On the cover:

curbside composting. 8 / Editorial

said the whale

comments Here’s what you had to say about scrapping municipal Wi-Fi. 10 / comments

On growing up. 16 / cover

Photo: courtesy of vanessa heins

culture

Q + A with brendan canning On being mellow. 12 / Q + A

Exploring “home” in Un.

ribs, ribs and more ribs We visit Montana’s.

14 / Arts

18 / Food + Drink

more than a place great russian nutcracker Moscow Ballet reimagines a classic. 15 / Arts entertainment

Music Protest The Hero, CQuel MC + Lady Antebellum. 19 / music

listings Local music listings for November 8 to November 16. 20 / listings

thor: the dark world + salinger The latest movie reviews. 22 / Film

on the bus Weekly original comic illustrations

by Elaine M. Will. 30 / comics

Nightlife Photos

Games + Horoscopes

We visied Outlaws + 302 Lounge.

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

24-29 / Nightlife

homes Rumley condos update downtown + more. 32-35 / homes

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

Design Lead / andrew yanko Grahpic Designer / bryce kirk Contributing Photographers / Patrick Carley, Adam Hawboldt, Rory maclean + Ishtiaq Opal

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

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

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It’s like Dirty Harry... only hairier Photo: Courtesy of wolfcop

New horror-comedy flick WolfCop begins shooting on location in Saskatchewan by ADAM HAWBOLDT

I

t’s Thursday night, downtown Regina. For the past few days a cast and crew of talented, dedicated moviemakers have been buzzing through their first week of filming.

The movie they’re making is called WolfCop, and the energy on set is kinetic. Infectious, even.

“There has been such a build-up for this project,” says writer/director Lowell Dean. “On the first day of the shoot I showed up about a half hour early. Most of the crew was already there getting set up for the first shot, and I was like, ‘Oh my god! Am I late?’”

Dean wasn’t.

His cast and crew were just excited, amped up to get filming underway. Since then, fueled by coffee and Red Bull, the people working on WolfCop have been going non-stop.

“We’re definitely feeling under the gun a little bit,” admits Dean.

“It’s an indie movie. There’s not a lot of time, not a lot of money involved. People on the set realize this. We’re not waiting for anything. Sometimes we’re setting up two cameras, setting up two shots.

For example, if we have to smash something or break something and have a gun fired. One camera is setting up, getting ready to film the crash, and the other camera is

around the corner ready to get the gun shot.”

The frantic pace on set isn’t because Dean or the rest of the crew love working in hyper-drive. A bit more time would go a long way. But with a million-dollar budget (which they have thanks to winning an online competition) and a nationwide release date of April 2014, the WolfCop crew doesn’t have the luxury to dawdle. They have to move fast in order to finish filming.

After filming, the nitty gritty work begins.

There’s a moment in the WolfCop trailer that seems encompass, at least in part, the essence of the film.

It’s around the one-minute mark of the trailer. The main character, an alcoholic cop named Lou Garou (played by Leo Fafard) is in a bar bathroom transforming into a werewolf. Out in the bar a man hits a woman, knocks her to the ground, and gets on top of her. Things look grim for the lady.

But then the WolfCop emerges from the bathroom and proceeds to kick the ever-loving crap out of the man and his pals, slashing their faces and tearing out their intestines. At one point, one of the guys aims a gun at WolfCop and fires. It’s a direct hit.

But the bullet doesn’t affect Wolfcop. He nonchalantly brushes off his shoulder, as though wiping away dandruff, then pulls a gun and shoots his assailant.

And right there, in those few seconds, you get a sense that WolfCop isn’t going to be your average, everyday werewolf film. No, it’s going to be a horror flick, interspersed with comedy, packed with gore and action and a campy ‘80s vibe.

“I’m a child of the ‘80s,” says Dean. “I grew up on Teen Wolf and Back to the Future, RoboCop. So when I started out writing WolfCop, my goal was to make something that evokes the spirit of those movies. Something that, when you watch, you’ll have a lot of fun, give you something to laugh at, moments where you’ll cringe, moments that will scare you. Moments where you’ll see something and be like ‘I’ve never seen that before.’”

The idea for a movie like this was spawned by a conversation Dean had with a friend.

“It almost started as a joke, by accident,” remembers Dean. “I had an idea for a werewolf movie. A really campy, weird werewolf movie. And I also had this idea for a film noir cop movie. I was venting to a friend, saying I didn’t know which one to put my energy into, and he said, ‘Why not smash them both together’?”

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At first Dean chuckled, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized the tropes inherent in both the werewolf and the cop genre of movies would compliment each other well.

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” says Dean. “The more I thought

great, and B) we wanted to show the tone of the movie, that it would be both funny and scary. After that we planned to take it around and find investors.”

Or at least that was the plan. But when Dean’s wife mentioned CineCoup — an online film competition in

We’re dead in the fight without a passionate crew like this behind us. lowell dean

about it, the more the ideas in both genres overlapped. You have your conventions of werewolf films.

Then I thought about the cop, and alcoholic cop, someone who is used to blacking out. Not knowing where he was or what happened the night before. That’s exactly like a werewolf.”

So Dean started writing the script. That was about two years ago. Over time he tweaked and changed the first draft considerably, but the beats and the tone of the of the film remained the same.

Eventually it was time to film a trailer to try and get WolfCop made.

“Our plan was to make a trailer to show the idea of the film because that was how we’d sell it,” says Dean. “With the trailer we hoped to show that, A) we could create the monster and it would look

which aspiring Canadian filmmakers submitted trailers for movies, which were then voted on by the public using social media. The winner got one million dollars and a guaranteed release in Cineplex theatres in April 2014. The WolfCop trailer won the competition, and now they’re under the gun to get their film finished.

It’s still Thursday night, the WolfCop crew is still in downtown Regina, somewhere on 13th Avenue filming the first big WolfCop reveal scene, the scene where the audience first gets a glimpse of their hero — a cop who is also a werewolf. Nearing the end of the work day, Dean approaches his lead actor, Leo Fafard, for a chat.

“I just wanted to apologize to him about how frantic everything

was on set,” says Dean. “Things have been really hectic.”

Fafard’s response?

“He just told me he was loving the energy on set,” says Dean, “told me he was feeding off the energy, everything was great.”

Fafard is not alone.

“The crew we’re working with is so hard-working. So talented and understanding,” says Dean.

“We’re dead in the fight without a passionate crew like this behind us.

They all understand that nobody is getting rich off this movie. But that doesn’t stop them. They’re racing around and sweating, trying to get this thing made.”

Once it’s made, once the filming is finished and the cast’s work is done, another race will begin. This one, behind the scenes.

Anyone one who knows anything about film production and post production knows the WolfCop team is operating on a very short timeline. After filming, they still have to edit the whole picture.

They have to do all the post sound work, create a musical score, add digital effects and colour timing to the picture.

All this, with an April deadline constantly looming.

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Living the dream, one show at a time Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation set to take Saskatchewan by storm by ADAM HAWBOLDT

Photo: Courtesy of Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation

T

he phone is ringing, but you aren’t sure who to ask for.

Twenty minutes earlier you’d been talking to a guy at Extreme Midget Wrestling, looking to chat with one of the wrestlers. The wrestler you’re put in contact with is called Little Nasty Boy. Not Marcel or John or Amir. But Little Nasty Boy. No real names here.

On the third ring someone picks up and, using your most professional voice, you ask to talk to “umm, Nasty Boy … Mr. Little Nasty Boy.” “This is the one, the only,” says the voice on the other end of the line. “The L to the N to the B. Little Nasty Boy.” The man they call Little Nasty Boy was born in Calgary, but he

hasn’t been back to Canada in years. As a child he grew up watching wrestling and longed to be a wrestler. For fun, he and his friends would use the mattress from a bed as their wrestling mat and mimic their favourite stars. Either that, or they’d wrestle in the backyard.

“I did that for a while, then finally I said, ‘I gotta go further with this,’” remembers Little Nasty Boy. “So I started to train in Calgary. When I graduated I hooked up with a bunch of different midget wrestlers and the opportunities started coming.”

That was 31 years ago.

Since then, Little Nasty Boy has wrestled “from coast to coast and everywhere in between” in America. He’s wrestled in nine different

countries, and wowed fans with his bombastic ways in both the WWE and other independent wrestling organizations. For the past couple of years Little Nasty Boy has been the elder statesmen of the Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation, criss-crossing the states and wrestling in front of sold-out crowds along the way.

Next week he and the rest of his EMW pals will be in Saskatoon doing what they do best — beating the ever-loving s**t out of each other with anything in the arena that isn’t nailed down.

Professional midget wrestling has its origins in American vaudeville, but it really didn’t come into its Continued on next page »

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Photo: Courtesy of Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation

own until the 1950s, when guys like Sky Low Low, Little Beaver and Lord Littlebrook stomped the matted terra. It continued to be popular well into the ‘80s, but then came the ‘90s, and as its role in mainstream wrestling became

out of the crowd, but we sure as hell get them involved.”

For Little Nasty Boy, the people in the audience are everything. His ability to play to them, to embrace or

If it’s not bolted down, someone gets hit with it. little nasty boy

more comedic, midget wrestling became more of a novelty in North America.

These days, though, Little Nasty Boy and the Extreme Midget Wrestling Federation have made a resurgence. “We are a bunch of wild, crazy, extreme midgets,” says Little Nasty Boy. “We hit each other with pool cues, trash cans, tables. Anything that can be used as a weapon will be used as a weapon. If it’s not bolted down, someone gets hit with it. Just because you’re in the audience, don’t think you’re safe.”

Here Little Nasty Boy pauses for a moment, then says, “It’s not like we assault the audience, that’s illegal. But there isn’t a bad seat in the house. Sure we wrestle in that twelve-by-twelve ring, but that’s not were all the action takes place. We go through the whole building. No we don’t beat the hell

embarrass them, has been one of the keys to his longevity in wrestling.

“If you want to be here-todaygone-tomorrow in this business, all you have to do is ignore the crowd,” he says. “Ignore the crowd and they ignore you. But if you do what I do, if you get the crowd involved and make them a part of the show, they take that and remember it. It’s like, ‘Oh, he interacted with me. He embarrassed me in front of 20,000 people!’ They remember and cherish that because it makes them feel a part of something.”

But just because the crowd won’t forget Little Nasty Boy, that doesn’t mean he always remembers everything that happens during a show. You find this out when you ask Little Nasty Boy about how choreographed the EMW shows are.

“Easy now!” he tells you from a hotel room in somewhere, U.S.A. “If

the whole thing is choreographed, why does choreography hurt so damn much? You can’t choreograph a trash can smashing upside your head, a steel chair crashing into your back. It’s impact. It’s going to hit you, it’s going to hurt. When people in the back of the building here it go clang upside your face, that’s reality. Not choreography. I’ve been knocked the hell out, out cold. That’s reality.

A chair meets your head and boom!

Out go the lights. Things happen all around you while you’re out, then, boom! The lights come back on and it’s back to work mode.”

And for years now, that’s been Little Nasty Boy’s life. Sacrificing his body to live his dream. He’s been busted up, but not so bad that it wasn’t something a little crazy glue couldn’t fix. He’s been beaten down and punished his body so much that on some mornings his brain tells his body to get out of bed, but the body just doesn’t listen. But on he wrestles, never sure of when it will end, but positive about one thing: “Come to see one of our shows and you will be my next victim,” he says. His voice begins to trail off, low and menacing. “And you will remember the name Little Nasty Boy. For the rest. Of. Your. Life.”

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Recycling doesn’t go far enough

We should add curbside composting to our city’s green initiatives

S

askatchewan, it’s time to get down and dirty with curbside composting.

Look, it’s no great secret that Saskatchewan isn’t exactly at the forefront of green initiatives in this country. Sure, in major centres like Saskatoon and Regina we have blue bin recycling programs, but one visit to our city dumps will tell you we’re far behind other municipalities when it comes to recycling, reusing and dealing with our waste.

And while curbside recycling has put a dent in the amount of material that gets funneled to landfills, we’re not exactly out of the woods yet. Case in point: a recent city report showing that Saskatoon throws away more garbage than most cities in this country. Even Regina mayor Michael Fougere was bemoaning his city’s

late-to-the-party ethos when it comes to green initiatives, saying recently “We know that we were the last ones in Canada to have a blue box program and want to change that. We want to be leaders.”

And while it’s obvious we have taken certain steps in the right direction, there is still more we can do. Currently, the average residential bin in Saskatoon weighs about 19 kilograms, a significantly higher number than the national average of 13 kilograms. And as a result, the city’s landfill is being overrun with garbage — more than 117,000 tonnes of it in 2012 alone.

And a bursting landfill is not just a problem in Saskatoon. In Regina, there is so much unnecessary waste going to the landfill that there’s a city initiative to reduce the amount of garbage sent to the dump by 20

per cent by 2014, and sixty percent by 2020.

Enter curbside composting.

Working in tandem with curbside recycling, composting will tackle the amount of organic material that is being funneled into our dumps. In fact, the aforementioned report suggests that Saskatoon could reduce the amount of residential garbage going to the landfill by 40 percent if the city started collecting compostable material. And seeing as Regina is in a comparable position when it comes to waste management, undertaking a similar measure in the Queen City would most certainly alleviate the stress our landfills are under.

What’s more, since so many other cities have already launched composting programs — cities from Vancouver to Halifax — we have the added benefit of examining what worked and what didn’t, and then selecting a model that will have the best chance of success here.

Consider Nova Scotia’s model.

Studied by representatives from Japan, Hong Kong, China, Russia and the United States, Nova Scotia’s cutting-edge waste management system includes both recycling and curbside composting. According to a study conducted by the non-profit research group GPI Atlantic, Nova Scotia’s waste management system saves the province no less than $31 million a year — that’s roughly $33 for every person — compared to their previous model when operating and capital costs, new jobs and time spent sorting waste, among other factors, are considered.

Along with the money we save by making our landfills last longer, there’s an additional benefit found in Nova Scotia’s current program. It’s called employment creation, and the waste management industry valued these additional jobs at between $2.8 and $3.9 million a year. So if Nova Scotia can do this while saving money and creating jobs, why can’t we?

Now, we fully understand the initial start-up costs will be rather substantial (estimates put costs somewhere in the neighbourhood of $45 million to pick up kitchen waste and compost). But if having a comprehensive recycling program that included curbside composting could save us cash and make us money in the long run, why not make the change? Eventually it could pay for the initial start-up cost and start being a revenue generator.

But don’t be mistaken, this isn’t solely about economics (though extra money is always nice). A waste management system that picks up our food scraps and other such material will save energy by using recycled and composted material as opposed to materials from virgin resources.

And the benefits don’t stop there, either. 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 surrounded by farmers. So why not sell the rich compost to them?

With so many virtues attached to a comprehensive recycling program, and so few vices, it’s high time our cities got with the times, did some serious leg work in the coming weeks and months, became proactive and started making some concrete plans to introduce 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 fiber optic municipal Internet. Here's what you had to say:

complishment. I had never heard of bike polo before but seems pretty cool and cool that they made it to the world championships. Do they have drop in games or can anyone participate?

text yo thoughtsur to 881 ve r B 8372

In response to “Iron steeds and hardcourt deeds,” Local #264 (November 1, 2013).

your fiber future will really make that much of a difference?

– If switching out the Sask Connected for fiber optics will provide reliable service and generate revenue then let’s do it.

Because current mode is beyond freaking ridiculous.

– Anything that improves internet service to the consumer is fine by me. I’m willing to hear more about fiber optics

– Fibre optics have already been proven to be faster and more reliable than any internet connections available Truth Is PowerTry It

– Re:Fiber Optics Was this researched at all? Most cell towers are fiber fed there is fiber to most homes this text got to you over fiber!

– Interesting fiber optic thought it was going to be boring but who wouldn’t like better internet and if it draws as much economic activity as you say than we should definitely get on board. We are booming now obviously, so seems like a good time to make a change.

– Seems kind of stupid to spend so much cash on fiber optic network when most people have internet and their own data plans. Try again.

– Who uses municipal internet anymore anyways? Not sure if

– Can’t believe a team from Saskatchewan made it to almost the top of the world for bike polo.

Super proud of these guys you did a great job!

In response to “Iron steeds and hardcourt deeds,” Local #264 (November 1, 2013).

sound off – sir, can i ask why you’re smoking TWO huge blunts?” “officer, I’m...” *turns to camera* “double jointed” *cop starts breakdancing*

– In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The next best thing you can do is the wrong thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.

– This Rob Ford saga is shaping up to be a doozy! If he really is an addict then he should resign for his own personal health.

OFF TOPIC – Congratulations to the members of Mosquito! What an amazing ac

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– Between Ford and the Senate Scandal, Canadian politics are taking a turn for reality show spectacular!

– Media circus around Ford is disgusting. He is obviously dealing with something and the press is practically salivating to get the next bit of dirt. Let’s remember that he’s clearly got some issues. He should step aside.

– Ford is a hot mess right now can’t he be thrown out of office someone needs to do something because hes not making any smart decisions.

the most that have already made long term commitments to us that can’t get away from us.

– Just because you are some place doesn’t mean you have to stay there the rest of your life.

– I love the pics from the bars! Why does everything have to be so serious all the time. One page of pics of our locals enjoying each others company over a bevy is just FUN!!!!

– Lest we forget. Let’s all be in remembrance of the sacrifices made by soldiers past and present for all of the freedoms we enjoy.

– I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to not wear a poppy at this time of year. Lest we forget.

– In Flander’s Fields the poppies blow: take a moment to remember your veterans at this time of year.

You may not know what war is and you have them to thank for it.

It’s heartbreaking that these men who served our country so valiantly on our behalf are dwindling in numbers. Thank a vet in person while you have a chance! It’s meaningful to all involved.

– Big thank you to David Forbes (NDP MLA Saskatoon center) and his secretary for helping me fight rental supplement to pay the remainder of my rent. I am sure they would do the same for anyone if you asked them.

Truth Is Power - Try It.

– Who do we take our bad moods out on? The people that love us

– All this snow is getting me excited for xmas can’t wait! To early for a tree lol ;)

– I did not have a good start in life but I am determined to have a good finish.

– Behind every hardened heart is one that desperately needs to be loved.

– NO MORE SNOW OH GOD NO – Ender’s Game absolutely blew my mind I can’t believe how incredible that movie is go and see it if you haven’t already!

– OH NO SNOW! – LOL at Ford what a maniac at least we don’t have to deal with him here!

– I have not yet begun to procrastinate.

– Winter is here! It’s snow joke!

– Christmas decorations out ahead of Rememberance Day is absolutely disgraceful. I am disgusted by all the stores that have holly and Santa and other things up. it is despicable and I am writing The Verb so that people know how awful this is.

– Your thoughts and words precede all of your actions.

– Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.

– Don’t look back in anger

– If I’ve told you once I’ve told you a million times stop exaggerating.

– I wish I had a champagne supernova in the sky

– Agree with text about throwing out your butts from smoking. That is littering. Smoke all you want, but please dispose of the garbage properly. Thanks :)

– It’s better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all.

– Totally agree with getting more cabs on the road. It’s crazy how long you have to wait for one in this city, especially if you are on the west side or somewhere where they might not want to pick you up. I hate it! I’m the customer I’m willing to pay good money for a ride, come and get me.

Next week: What do you think about bringing curbside composting to Saskatoon? Pick up a copy of Verb to get in on the conversation:

– We need to do kind things for others without expecting anything in return.

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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You Gots 2 Chill

q+a

Broken Social Scene founder Brendan Canning mellows out on his first solo album in years by Alex J MacPherson

B

rendan Canning’s new solo record is not what it appears to be. On the surface, You Gots 2 Chill is a collection of mellow songs driven by a fingerpicked acoustic guitar and decorated with some tasteful keyboard lines. But it is not a traditional singer-songwriter record. Canning, who rose to prominence as a founding member of the indie rock collective Broken Social Scene, is more interested in the song as a concept, rather than a vehicle for some concrete idea.

You Gots 2 Chill is about capturing a feeling; it is a record for before the dawn and after dusk, a series of moody compositions outlined by simple chord progressions and coated in atmospheric noise. Two of the songs were recorded directly from Canning’s voicemail, which he uses to keep track of musical ideas; the rest were cut with Ohad Benchetrit of Do Make Say Think and Steve Singh, an old friend. You Gots 2 Chill feels more refined and more coherent than his first solo album, 2008’s Something For All Of Us. The songs are subtle and infectious; they take time to absorb, but each track leaves a pleasing glow. Last week I caught up with Canning, who lives and works in Toronto, to learn more about why his second solo album feels like his first, and why his voicemail is such an important tool.

Photos: courtesy of Norman Wong

Alex J MacPherson: You released Something For All Of Us in 2008, but it was closely tied to Broken Social Scene.

Does You Gots 2 Chill feel like your actual first solo album?

Brendan Canning: Yeah, even though if you compared it to Something For All Of Us, I have a couple of those sort of guitarish moments, like maybe “Snowballs & Icicles” is the closest thing that I have going on to this record. I’ve been playing that sort of style for a long time. Eventually I made a record. But yeah, I feel way more out on my own with this one. The only

a bunch of sounds I like, whether it’s primarily the acoustic guitar, because that’s what I definitely do most of my playing on at home — I don’t sit around and play a whole lot of electric guitar. It’s for right now, for sure, definitely for right now.

AJM: You Gots 2 Chill was in the works for quite awhile. Did you have a pretty clear idea of what you wanted it to be?

BC: Never. But I think it would be interesting to start a record like that.

I just watched a John Fahey documentary, and it sort of talked about how they’d always have long discussions about what kind of record

…I feel way more out on my own with this [album].

Brendan canning

AJM: Over the past few years you’ve been working on a lot of different stuff.

Was this an opportunity to make a definitive statement, like this is what Brendan Canning solo sounds like?

they were going to make. I’m not a big planner, I have to say. I think when we finally finished the record and decided what was going to make the cut and what wasn’t going to make the cut, that’s kind of when the conceiving of what it’s supposed to sound like comes into play.

BC: Definitive? I mean, it’s definitely a culmination of a bunch of stuff and

AJM: Did the finished album end up surprising you?

touring I did for Something For All Of Us was with Broken Social Scene.

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BC: I don’t listen to the whole thing very often. Mainly just to learn the songs, actually, and show other people the songs. I’m pretty happy with it. At the end of the day I can sit back and say that was worthy of investing a bunch of time in and it was never a painful process, which I like. Sometimes recording can not be super fun: if it’s not going right or if you’re arguing or whatever. Depending on what band you’re in. So yeah, I can be pretty happy with how things were done at the end of the day.

AJM: One thing I like about this record is how you moved away from the traditional idea of splashing the vocals across everything.

BC: Except for one song on the record, the vocals are always kind of the last thing in the equation. The only song I actually had written with a vocal melody was “Bullied Days,” and that’s the one Daniela Gesundheit from Snowblink sings. So it’s just like, what vocal vibe is going to fit into these tracks? It’s not so much about this grand statement about what the song is about. I’ve never been a singer-songwriter kind of guy.

You’re jamming away and you come up with ideas and you don’t want to forget them, and on lot of the tunes the guitars are in alternate tunings. So it’s dealing with remembering what all the alternate tunings are. It’s so dumb, I don’t bother writing them down at the time. So I have to go back and say, ‘Oh my god, how did I play this song?’ Next time I’m going to write the tuning down. [Laughs] But even then, you go back a year and a half later and it’s like, what a weird riff.

Lots of artists do that, whether it’s Sonic Youth or John Fahey or Joni Mitchell, they all explore alternate tunings, and I’m kind of of that mindset — I like the voicing that comes out. You can discover some new chords, new sounds without going through the trouble of learn-

ing the names of those specific chords. Like, is that an augmented sixth? Might be.

AJM: Which I bet makes teaching the songs to a band quite interesting.

BC: Well I’m going out with a fivepiece band. I just find myself trying to write some more songs for the live show that are in the same tuning as the song that is in the setlist.

So if I’m playing “Never Go To The Races,” which is a drop C tuning, I’ll just fire away on a couple songs. That’s what I’m doing in advance of this tour. I’m not going back. I’m going to play one song from Something For All Of Us and I’m not going to play any Social Scene stuff; I’m just going to write some new stuff in the same tunings and get the sound of the band, because the band is a different thing

than my record — it’s a different animal entirely.

Brendan Canning November 25 @ Amigos $TBA Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

AJM: I want to ask about answering machines. You’ve described yourself as being “technically inept,” but answering machines?

BC: When I play acoustic guitar, I generally can entertain myself.

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Home is more than just a place Photos: courtesy of Jérémie Battaglia

Mani Soleymanlou discusses what it means to be from somewhere in his new play Un by Alex J MacPherson

I

n the late eighteenth century travel was for most people an unimaginable luxury. Only the fabulously wealthy could afford to spend time abroad. The dawn of the industrial revolution, which produced the steamship and the locomotive, changed everything. Since the first train scythed its way across North America, the world has been shrinking at an alarming rate. Today, just a little more than two centuries later, it is possible to circle the globe in a matter of hours. Information travels even faster. We are more connected than ever before, and the idea of being from somewhere is far less appealing than the idea of being everywhere. But is this a good thing? In an age of rapid travel, what does it mean to actually be from somewhere? This question lies at the heart of Un, a one-man show about finding oneself in the modern world.

“The more immigration has become a widespread thing, the more borders and frontiers have disappeared,” says Mani Soleymanlou, who wrote and directed Un, which is performed in French with English surtitles. “More people need to find themselves. It’s an animal instinct, really, to find the ones who you resemble and to be comfortable with who you are.” But in a world without borders, finding a place to call home can feel like an impossible task.”

Soleymanlou didn’t plan to write a play about being from somewhere; Un emerged gradually, the ideas coalescing over a period of several years.

In 2009, a Montreal theatre invited Soleymanlou to discuss his experiences growing up in Iran, France, and Canada. “It was a one-night, carte blanche kind of thing,” he says. “They would let me do whatever I wanted.

I was just coming out of school, so it was huge for me. And that turned into a one-night reading of Un. But it was me talking to friends, nothing too theatrical: after that first reading, people told me to go ahead and make a show out of it.” So that’s what he did.

Un unfolds as a series of memories and experiences. On the surface, most of them are far from extraordinary; they are just stories about growing up in cities around the world. But together they trace the arc of Soleymanlou’s life, defining his peripatetic youth and acting as signposts for reflection. There are stories from his early life in Iran, his childhood in Paris, and his teenage years in Toronto. But rather than simply cataloguing his own experiences, Soleymanlou casts them against the backdrop of the 2009 Iranian election protests.

“With what’s happening in international politics, we see these people on the streets, claiming what is their country and where they’re from and where they want to live,” he says. “Their freedom and their democracy. I think we’re forced here, where we’re relatively comfortable,

to try to question these topics: what am I fighting for? Where am I from?

That’s what happened to me.” This is the crux of the problem presented in Un. Soleymanlou’s countrymen know exactly who they are and what they want. But because he has traveled and lived abroad, he struggles to identify with them. “It forced me to define myself more,” he says, “to define what it means to be from somewhere.”

And in defining himself, Soleymanlou went beyond the contents of a typical social media profile: being from somewhere isn’t the same as being born somewhere. Un is about needing to belong, yet being unsure about how to do so. It is about the compounding effect of experience, how everything that happens is important. And it is about the gulf between doubt and confidence. But Soleymanlou isn’t particularly interested in telling people what belonging is; he just wants them to think about what it means in the world today, a world where instantaneous often isn’t fast enough. “I don’t have an answer to the show, I don’t want to pretend to,” he says. “The journey is more important.”

Un November 15 - 17 @ Studio 914 $20+ @ latroupedujour.ca / (306) 667-1221 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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The Great Russian Nutcracker

Photos: courtesy of Moscow Ballet

Moscow Ballet adds some new twists to Tchaikovsky’s time-honoured classic ballet by Alex J MacPherson

T

he Nutcracker is the most popular ballet in the world. Although its December 18, 1892 premiere was far from successful, the ballet has grown to become a worldwide phenomenon. Millions of people have seen it; millions more are familiar with the story of the lovesick young girl, the dashing prince, and the villainous rat king. And because audiences keep flocking to see it, touring companies have been forced

story with several characters drawn from Russian folklore, a journey to the Land of Peace and Harmony, elaborate new costumes manufactured in St. Petersburg, and a rotating cast of young dancers, hand-picked by Myroshka in each city on the schedule.

“It’s a big opportunity for them, even if they are not going to be professional dancers,” she says of Moscow Ballet’s “Dance With Us” program, which has allowed almost fifty thousand dancers to appear alongside some

…it’s big fun for young dancers to be onstage with professional dancers. nataliya myroshka

to reenergize their productions of the Tchaikovsky classic. Few do this better than Moscow Ballet.

“It’s a very interesting story about a girl who falls in love with a nutcracker prince on Christmas Eve,” says Nataliya Myroshka, a Ukrainian dancer and the Moscow Ballet’s audition director. “It’s an old fairy tale, a very, very old show. But we have lots of new and interesting details.” Moscow Ballet’s current production, The Great Russian Nutcracker, livens up the traditional

of the finest performers in the world.

“It’s a big memory for the rest of life.”

To prepare for the upcoming tour, Myroshka spent most of the late summer and early fall on the road, meeting with and auditioning young dancers in Canada and the United States. Some sixty Saskatchewan dancers were chosen to appear alongside the cast of professionals, which includes Karyna Shatkovskaya and Vladimir Tkachenko, who dance Masha (Clara) and the Nutcracker Prince.

“Even if they do not want to be professional dancers, it’s very useful for them,” Myroshka says. “And of course it’s big fun for young dancers to be onstage with professional dancers. I remember, when I was little I was training to be a ballerina, and when I performed with [professional] dancers I was happy. So I think it’s the same thing with children now — very exciting.”

Ultimately, though, Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker promises to deliver exactly what audiences want: a beloved holiday classic with a few novel twists. It is difficult to imagine a scenario in which Tchaikovsky’s ballet, a confluence of universal storytelling and iconic music, is ever discarded.

Unlike so few pieces of music, The Nutcracker has found a home in the popular consciousness — everyone knows it, most of them love it — and Moscow Ballet is committed to ensuring it stays that way.

Great Russian Nutcracker November 17 @ TCU Place $45+ @ TCUTickets.ca Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Feature

On Getting Older and Growing Up

Said The Whale’s new album explores age without maturity by Ale

S

ooner or later every good rock band will be accused of making a mature album. What this actually means, however, is open to interpretation. Some records are deemed mature because they represent a significant improvement over the band’s earlier work, others because they mark a change in direction. A few albums are labelled mature simply because there’s nothing else to say about them. Tyler Bancroft, who plays guitar in the Vancouver, B.C. band Said The Whale, is acutely aware of the tendency to equate music and maturity. But he suspects the two are polar opposites, irreconcilable. “I think mature is a dirty word to describe a rock band,” he says with a laugh, pointing out that the vast majority of rock and roll is performed by scruffy musicians to dank clubs full of drunken twenty-somethings.

“People listen to rock music to get crazy, to experience something that’s a little out of their comfort zone, or hear somebody express something that’s a little bit edgy.

They don’t listen to it to enjoy a filet mignon and a glass of red wine.” People listen to rock and roll music to escape from maturity, not embrace it. And nobody wears a suit to a rock show.

That Bancroft would worry about this is understandable. Said The Whale’s latest album, the evoca-

tively-titled hawaiii, feels radically different from its blissful guitar pop predecessor, 2012’s Little Mountain.

Gone are the not-so-subtle references to Vancouver, moments of saccharine Canadiana that charmed pop music fans across the country. Also missing are the frantic garage rock licks, the off-kilter arrangements, the gloriously ragged pop aesthetic.

Hawaiii is much more confident than its predecessor, and it unfolds slowly, steadily. It is also the most diverse album the band has ever made.

One song, “Resolutions,” is glitchy

According to Bancroft, it wasn’t intended to do much of anything except please its creators. “This record was conceived with no real consideration for anyone’s feelings or any radio department or any promoter or anything,” he explains. “It was very much like, f**k expectations, this is the music we want to write, which is very freeing. As soon as you let that go, it gets really fun again.”

After spending two years on the road in support of Little Mountain, Said The Whale — Bancroft, Jaycelyn Brown, Spencer Schoening, Nathan

[Being in a band] is like [being] twenty-something forever. Which is really fun but also super f**ked up. tyler bancroft

and electronic; the band’s signature guitar tones are folded into a lush bed of synthesizers, buried beneath dense layers of sound. Weirder still, the coda is a rap verse performed by Shad — an indication of the band’s status in Canadian music as well as their desire to explore new ideas.

But hawaiii was not created to usher in a new phase in the band’s career. Nor was it meant to prove that Said The Whale are capable of more than assembling catchy pop songs.

Shaw, and Ben Worcester — were unsure about what to do next.

Somebody suggested that they make a mixtape, a random assortment of songs old and new; somebody else recommended a collection of singles, mostly because it would free them from the tyranny of narrative.

Everybody wanted to avoid the pressure that attaches itself to success, a parasite that if left unattended will destroy creativity. In the end, the band chose to record a bunch of Continued on next page »

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Photo: courtesy of Vanessa Heins

ex J MacPherson songs and worry about the rest later.

Instead of booking a block of time, they worked in short bursts.

“It enabled us to focus all of our energies on one or two songs at a time,” Bancroft says. “Our minds weren’t bogged down with a list of twenty songs we had to record and thirteen million overdub and time constraints and stuff like that. It was just really, really casual. Stroll into the studio, come up with an idea for a song, spend all day trying it. And if it worked, it worked. If it didn’t, it didn’t. We were really just trying

Photo: courtesy of Vanessa Heins

to make every song what the song called for, rather than trying to make it fit in to any sort of arc of a record.”

The songs that emerged are as diverse as they are powerful. Some, like the sun-bleached “On The Ropes” and the tortured anthem “I Love You,” hint at the band’s pop provenance while at the same time expanding on the palette of sounds that coloured in Little Mountain. The riffs are heavier, the verses tighter, the choruses catchier. Other tracks

are less conventional. “The Weight Of The Season” is dark and brooding, a heavily-orchestrated chiaroscuro of rich sonic textures. “More Than This,” which opens the record, is a stripped-down piano ballad, ninety seconds of aching hearts and unrequited love. The aforementioned “Resolutions” is quite simply the strangest song the band has ever recorded. But they are all honest, sometimes painfully so. Bancroft attributes this to the band’s laissez-faire approach to recording. With no outside pressure, creativity flourished.

“You can spend all day worrying about what people expect from you,” he says. “If you go into the writing process with too much of that on your mind I think it will affect you negatively, and the result will probably be quite awful. But we’re just writing stuff that makes us happy and gets us off, so to speak, and it’s much easier to sell it, you know?

People can smell bulls**t from a mile away. Music fans are smart now.

They know if you’re faking it.” After a pause he adds, “I also don’t think we want to be on the road for two years promoting a record that we didn’t write with the right intentions.”

But this doesn’t mean Bancroft and his bandmates have the answers. Hawaiii is a record of questions, and most of them revolve around the gulf between age and maturity. It is a problem anyone who has ever known a professional musician will have experienced, a disconnect between two separate realities. “Being in a band is like always being twenty,” Bancroft says.

“You’re at a club, you’ve got a lot of free booze, and people are saying nice things to you. It’s like, twentysomething forever. Which is really fun but also super f**ked up. That’s what a lot of these songs are about: feeling younger than I should be.”

This dissonance, and the struggle to overcome it, emerges again and again on the record. (It is also echoed in the album’s title, which is both deeply evocative and unquestionably distorted.) On “Mother” Bancroft finds the crux of the problem: “Maybe I should f**k something up good / Or maybe I should act like someone bad / I try to live my life like David does / But something always feels just slightly off.”

While Bancroft and his bandmates are making music, keeping vampiric hours, and drinking more alcohol than is really healthy, their civilian friends are getting married, getting pregnant, and settling into stable careers. The absence of structure and a concrete plan for the future can be overwhelming; that anxiety is splashed across every track on hawaiii. “A lot of the stuff that I wrote for the record is very much about reflecting the angst that I feel being twenty-eight years old, approaching thirty, and having zero stability in my life,” Bancroft says with a wry laugh. “I feel just totally adolescent, this aging without maturity kind of thing.” Unlike Little Mountain, which mined despair for even the faintest sign of hope, hawaiii turns to address the creeping sense that age makes certain demands, few of which can be met while spending the best part of each year sleeping in cheap hotel rooms. Art and anxiety will always be closely linked, of course, but on hawaiii Said The Whale embraced it.

Instead of fleeing from their anxieties and neuroses, they moulded them into a deeply moving exploration of what it means to exist in the blank space between twenty and thirty.

Even so, Bancroft insists that there is a difference between making a mature record and making a record about maturity.

“I remember being a big Get Up Kids fan,” he says, referring to the seminal mid-nineties emo band from Kansas City, Missouri, “and they put out a record which was their ‘mature’ record. And I f**king hated it because I wasn’t there yet. I was still sixteen and wanting to hear angsty breakup songs. Is maturing putting out a boring record? Is that what it means? If so, than I hope we never mature, because when I think about a band maturing, I think about their boring record. I don’t want to put out a boring record.”

Said the Whale November 27 @ The Broadway Theatre $28 @ Box Office or online Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon amacpherson@verbnews.com

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Ribs, ribs, and more ribs Photos courtesy of Adam Hawboldt

All-you-can-eat special at Montana’s hits the spot by adam hawboldt

H

ow many ribs do you think you can you eat?

That’s a question I had never asked myself — until yesterday.

Sitting around the Verb office on a cold November afternoon, maybe 20 minutes before I walked through the door of Montana’s, that’s all that was on my mind: how many can I eat?

ers for their guesstimates. The low guess was 26 ribs (ye of little faith!), while most people had it somewhere in the mid-to-high 30s range, and one bold soul predicted I’d eat 45 ribs.

Armed with a ravenous appetite and fueled by expectations, I went to Montana’s on 8th Street and ordered the all-you-can-eat-ribs special.

The first plate, a full rack consisting of 10 ribs in Texas Bold sauce, arrived with garlic mashed potatoes and coleslaw sides. Eager, I cut into the rack and tore away the first rib.

From the get-go, I knew it was going to be an uphill battle to live up to my co-workers’ expectations.

Why? Well, because the ribs at Montana’s were much larger than I’d expected. They’re big, meaty things that are fall off the bone tender, and melt in your mouth.

I sped through the first rack, ignored the sides, and asked for a second helping: a half rack of ribs smothered in Apple Butter sauce.

And we’re not talking about racks of ribs or anything. Just single ribs. One bone, covered in a hunk of meat, smothered in delicious sauce. Having never been to Montana’s, nor eaten more than a rack of ribs in one sitting in my life, I had no idea what the number would be. So I asked my cowork-

let’s go drinkin’ Verb’s mixology guide The Sidecar

Ingredients

This classic cocktail recipe, purportedly invented during the Second World War, is the perfect winter drink. Not only will it warm you up inside, but it’ll give you enough vitamin C to help you stave off sickness.

1 1/2 oz brandy 1 oz Cointreau 1/2 oz lemon juice lemon twist sugar

Directions

Pour the brandy, Cointreau and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker with ice.

Shake until frosty. Rim a cocktail glass with sugar. Pour the liquid into the prepared glass, garnish with lemon twist. Serve.

Like the first rack, they were delicious. I tore through them as fast as I could and asked for more — this time a quarter rack (three individual ribs) of honey garlic.

Eighteen ribs in, and I have to admit I was feeling good. But after the next quarter rack (this time Honey Chipotle), things started to slip away from me.

With a nearly full stomach and the meat sweats setting in, I took off my old-man sweater and ordered another quarter rack of Sweet and Sour Peach. Then a quarter rack of Cracked Pepper.

It was the Cracked Pepper that got me. Sure, they were tasty (probably my favourite sauce of the

bunch, to be honest), but I’d gone too far. Eaten too much.

And as I sat there with pounds of meat sitting heavy in my stomach, I instantly knew two things: 1) 27 ribs is my maximum; and 2) my co-workers are terrible at estimating my rib consumption abilities.

Except for the guy who guessed 26. He knows what’s up.

Montana’s Cookhouse Saloon 1510 8th Street East | (306) 384 9340 Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon ahawboldt@verbnews.com

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music

Next Week

coming up

Protest the Hero

Cquel MC

Lady Antebellum

@ O’Brians Event Centre thursday, November 14 – $22.50

@ Louis’ pub Saturday, November 16 – $TBD

@ Credit Union Centre thursday, March 6 – $TBD

After many years together, Protest the Hero found themselves in a bit of a predicament. They wanted to record another album, but their original drummer, Moe Carlson, had left the group. So what did the progressive metal band from Whitby, Ontario do? The looked south and enlisted the help of Lamb of God drummer, Chris Adler. The result was a genrebending album called Volition, which is fueled by steamy riffs and Adler’s hard-charging, terse drums. Going into the project, Protest the Hero knew full well that Adler wouldn’t be able to travel with them, so for their tour to promote the album they opted to go with Ottawa’s Mike Ieradi on drums.

Check out the new arrangement when they land in Saskatoon next week. Tickets at www.theodeon.ca

The year was 1995 and rap music was all the rage. Raekwon was releasing one of the finest albums of a generation, with Built 4 Cuban Linx, Tupac, one year away from his death, was at his very best with the release of Me Against the World. And closer to home, a local rapper who would go by the name of Cquel MC was picking up the mic and pen for the first time. For a while he wrote rhymes and freestyled at parties. Eventually, though, he acquired the tools of his trade and began making songs described as gangster jazz-funk infused beats with a raw, emotional warmth that would become his signature. In May of this year he released a 10-track EP called Dirty Thirties, and next week he’s bringing his talents to Louis’ Pub, where he’ll be opening for Josh Martinez.

Lady Antebellum is a hit factory — plain and simple. Since breaking onto the scene in 2007, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood have pumped out a steady stream of good-time favourites. From “Love Don’t Live Here” to “Need You Now” to “American Honey,” Lady Antebellum makes the kind of songs that appeal to legions of fans, appease critics, sell like hotcakes, and win awards. And it doesn’t look like this Tennessee trio plans on slowing down anytime soon.

“Downtown,” the first single off 2013’s Golden album, hit #1 on the Country Airplay chart, and their second single, “Goodbye Town,” is the kind of song that helped put them on the country pop map. Lady Antebellum will be in Saskatoon in March. Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster.

– By Adam Hawboldt

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

Sask music Preview The deadline to apply for the SaskMusic investment program, funded by Creative Saskatchewan Inc, is fast approaching! The program enables artists and music industry professionals to enhance their careers, and contribute to the overall development of the Saskatchewan music industry. The deadline for Single/Demo Sound Recordings and Commercial Sound Recording is November 15, 2013. See www.saskmusic.org for more information. Artists wishing to apply for funding for Marketing Initiatives and Travel Support can apply to the Creative Saskatchewan Investment Fund Grant program; more information at www.creativesask.ca Keep up with Saskatchewan music. saskmusic.org

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Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila — Come tear it up. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Nick Ruston / Uncle Barley’s — Come and check him out! 9pm / Cover TBD

By Divine Right / Vangelis — Torontobased indie rockers. 10pm / Cover TBD

November 8 » november 16 The most complete live music listings for Saskatoon.

S

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W

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8

Saturday 9

9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Friday 8

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover Death to the Pixies / Amigos — A Broadway Theatre benefit show. 10pm / $15 Brett Balon / The Bassment — Enjoy some smooth jazz. 4:30pm / No cover Belle Plaine / Bassment — A talented singer from Regina. 9pm / $17/$23 DJ Aash Money / Béily’s — DJ Aash Money throws it down. 9pm / $5 cover Stuck in the 80s / Buds — Some 80s tunes to celebrate the weekend. 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 — Kick off your weekend with all your favourite hits. 9pm / $5 Despite the Reverence / Louis’ — Appearing for Metal for Movember. 8pm / $10 Matthew Good / O’Brians — Former frontman of the Matthew Good Band doing his solo thing. 7pm / $35 (theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Keiffer McLean / Prairie Ink — Alt-folk music from Regina. 8pm / No cover Apollo Cruz / Rock Bottom — Highoctane blues from right here in Saskatoon.

10pm / Cover TBD Fred Mitchel / Stan’s Place — Kick off the long weekend with some good tunes.

9:30pm / No cover

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes. 9pm / No cover Shooting Guns / Amigos Cantina — With Krang + Chron Goblin. 10pm / Cover TBD Heidi Munro / The Bassment — A Prince Albert-based songstress. 9pm / $17/$23 DJ Aash Money + DJ Sugar Daddy / Béily’s — These two DJs throw down a dance party every Saturday night. 9pm / $5 cover Stuck in the 80s / Buds — Some 80s tunes to celebrate the weekend. 9pm / Cover TBD Tales of Bohemia / Convocation Hall (UofS) — The chamber music of Dvorak.

7:30pm / $10 Emerson Drive / Dakota Dunes — Canadian country music at it’s finest. 8pm / $35 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 DJ Goodtimes / Longbranch — Playing the hottest country music. 8pm / $4 cover DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5 The Lost Keys / Prairie Ink — Easy listening eclectic tunes. 8pm / No cover Big City Supreme / Rock Bottom — With Moonbath + Night Switch. 10pm / Cover TBD Fred Mitchel / Stan’s Place — Kick off the long weekend with some good tunes.

9:30pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / $5 DJ Anchor / Sutherland Bar — It’s the world famous video mix show! 10pm / Cover TBD

Saturday Night Social / Tequila — Electronic Saturdays will have you moving and grooving. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Thorpdeo / Uncle Barley’s — Spinning hot tunes all night. 10pm / Cover TBD The Noble Liars / Vangelis — Come out for this CD release party. 10pm / Cover TBD

Sunday 10

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 Passa Passa / O’Brians — Featuring DJs Scott Turner, Heywood and Classee. 9pm / Tickets TBD Zerbin / Rock Bottom — With I65. 9pm / Cover TBD Stan’s Place Jam / Stan’s Place — Bring your instrument. 8:30pm / No cover Steve Aoki / Tequila — Celebrate the long weekend with one of the most exciting DJs out there. 9pm / $61.74+ (picatic.com) Blues Jam / Vangelis Tavern — Offering great tunes from blues to rock and beyond.

7:30pm / No cover

Monday 11

DJ Audio / Dublins — Spinning dope beats.

9pm / Cover TBD Remembrance Day Concert / Knox United Church — Featuring the Saskatoon Chamber Singers. 2pm + 7:#0pm Mississippi Heat / Vangelis — Down-home blues from Chicago. 9pm / Cover TBD

Tuesday 12

Ross Neilsen / Buds — Blues, roots and rock done right. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ SUGAR DADDY / The Deuce — Come out and party. 9:30pm / $4 cover 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

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DJ Carlos / Stan’s Place — Playing your favorite songs. 9:30pm / No cover

Wednesday 13

DJ Modus / 302 — Spinning all your favourite tracks. 9pm / $3 Paper Lions / The Bassment — Indie rockers from Charlottetown, PEI. 8pm / $20/$25 DJ Aash Money / Béily’s — Spinning dope beats all night. 9pm / Cover TBD Michael Kaeshammer / Broadway Theatre — A boogie-woogie musician. 8pm / $43 Ross Neilsen / Buds — Blues, roots and rock done right. 9pm / Cover TBD Souled Out / Diva’s Annex — Featuring the spinning talents of Dr. J 9pm / $2 DJ Memo / Dublins — Spinning dope beats. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Kade / The Hose — Saskatoon DJ lights it up with hot tunes. 8pm / No cover Buck Wild Wednesdays / Outlaws — Come ride the mechanical bull! 9pm / $4 The Nobles / Rock Creek (Willowgrove) — A night of easy listening. 8pm / No cover DJ Carlos / Stan’s Place — Playing your favourite songs. 9:30pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / No cover

Thursday 14

Ross Neilsen / Buds — Blues, roots and rock done right. 9pm / Cover TBD Throwback Thursdays / Earls — With 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 hottest country music. 8pm / $4 cover Protest the Hero / O’Brians — Prog metal from Ontario. 7pm / $22.50 Speed Control / Rock Bottom — A night of powerful, animated rock music. 9pm / $5 DJ Carlos / Stan’s Place — Playing your favorite songs. 9:30pm / No cover

Triple Up Thursdays / Tequila — Featuring DJ Dislexic. 9pm / Cover TBD Alexandre Desilets / Vangelis — Pop music from Montreal. 8pm / $12+ Weak Ends / Vangelis — With White Slaves + Black Givre. 10:30pm / Cover TBD Open Stage / The Woods — Hosted by Steven Maier. 9pm / No cover

Friday 15

House DJs / 6Twelve Lounge — Funk, soul & lounge DJs liven it up. 9pm / No cover Ken Mode / Amigos — A hard rock band from Winnipeg. 10pm / $10 Marion Mendelson / The Bassment — Feel like taking in some smooth jazz stylings? 4:30pm / No cover Eileen Laverty / The Bassment — Singing heart-warming ballads. 9pm / $20/$25 DJ Aash Money / Béily’s — DJ Aash Money throws it down. 9pm / $5 cover The Nightrain / Buds — A Guns N’ Roses tribute. 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 — Kick off your weekend with all your favourite party hits. 9pm / $5 Drew Tofin Band / Louis’ — Local jazz musician doing his thing. 9pm / Cover TBD Mocha Girls / O’Brians — A singing/ dancing all-girl group from the Philippines.

7pm / $45+ (theodeon.ca) DJ Big Ayyy & DJ HENCHMAN / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5; ladies in free before 11pm Marty Grambo / Piggy’s — County music and vocal soul. 9pm / No cover Doug Boomhower Trio / Prairie Ink — A trio playing jazz standards. 8pm / No cover Fountains of Youth / Rock Bottom — Some local rock/blues/soul music to start the weekend. 10pm / Cover TBD Rusty Men / Stan’s Place — A rockin’ good time at Stan’s. 9:30pm / No cover

Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / $5 Party Rock Fridays / Tequila — Come tear it up. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Nick Ruston / Uncle Barley’s — Come and check him out! 9pm / Cover TBD PandaCorn, Minor Matter, The Northern Light / Vangelis — Indie rock, jazzy folk … you name it. 10pm / Cover TBD

Saturday 16

House DJs / 6Twelve — Resident DJs spin deep and soulful tunes. 9pm / No cover Nobunny / Amigos — A poppy/surfy/ punky rock sound. 10pm / Cover TBD The Jack Semple Band / The Bassment — Incendiary guitar. 9pm / $23/$28 DJ Aash Money + DJ Sugar Daddy / Béily’s — These two DJs throw it down.

9pm / $5 The Nightrain / Buds — A Guns N’ Roses tribute. 9pm / Cover TBD Neon ‘90s / Diva’s — Hottest retro hits, remixed! 8pm / $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 DJ Goodtimes / Longbranch — Playing the hottest country music. 8pm / $4 cover Josh Martinez / Louis’ — With Cquel MC. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Big Ayyy & DJ Henchman / Outlaws — Round up your friends. 8pm / $5 Marty Grambo / Piggy’s — County music and vocal soul. 9pm / No cover South of North / Prairie Ink — Indie/ acoustic folk music. 8pm / No cover Rusty Men / Stan’s Place — A rockin’ good time at Stan’s. 9:30pm / No cover Dueling Pianos / Staqatto — With Terry Hoknes, Neil Currie + Brad King. 10pm / $5 DJ Anchor / Sutherland Bar — It’s the video mix show! 10pm / Cover TBD Czech-Mate / TCU Place — Playing Dvorak’s masterpiece. 7:30pm / $32.50+

Saturday Night Social / Tequila — You’ll be moving and grooving. 9pm / Cover TBD DJ Thorpdeo / Uncle Barley’s — Spinning hot tunes all night. 10pm / Cover TBD The Balconies / Vangelis — With The Motorleague + Jumbo. 10pm / Cover TBD

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

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Photo: Courtesy of walt disney studios motion pictures

Back with a vengeance

Thor sequel better than the original in almost every way by adam hawboldt

W

alt Simonson was one heckuva comic book guy. He did work on the Fantastic Four and Wonder Woman, among others.

But by far his best, most important work came in the ‘80s, when he had a five year run writing Thor.

Hot damn! Those were the days.

Simonson took what had become a campy, sci-fi superhero and returned him to his roots. He brought back a gritty, mythic, more magical sensibility to the character and storyline. He introduced new characters, like Beta Ray Bill. He turned Thor into a frog for a few issues. He even dabbled in mythology other than Norse to create foes for Thor. One of them was the dark elf Malekith.

The only reason I bring this up is because the new Thor movie, Thor: The Dark World, dips into the Simonson grab bag and introduces the always-excellent Christopher Eccleston as Malekith.

The story begins with a flashback.

Think The Hobbit, but not as boring. We see Malekith and his dark elves using their weapon, the Aether, to try to take over the Nine Realms. The Asgardians take exception to this because, well, that’s home for them. And they wage war on the dark elves. Eventually the

dark elves are defeated and forced go into hiding.

Flash forward 5,000 years. As the Nine Realms are preparing to align, the Aether reappears and the elves decide it’s time to take over the universe again.

Sensing a battle is on the way, Odin (Anthony Hopkins) locks down the realm and prepares for war. He tells his son Thor (Chris Hemsworth) to sit tight, get ready. But Thor isn’t having it.

He figures a pre-emptive strike on the dark elves will go a long way towards saving lives. But he can’t do it alone.

thor: the dark world Alan Taylor Starring Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins + Natalie Portman Directed by

112 minutes | PG

relatively unknown shows like Game of Thrones, Mad Men, The Sopranos and Bored to Death), Thor: The Dark World, in almost every way, is superior to the first, Kenneth-Branagh-directed Thor

…Thor: The Dark World, in almost every way, is superior to the first [film].

Adam Hawboldt

movie. It’s more visually stimulating. The jokes work better (Loki is a hoot in this one). It’s a darker, more interesting look at the Thor character. The relationship between Thor and Loki is developed more.

Yessiree, Thor: The Dark World is superior in almost every way but one — its pacing. Because of the plot holes, the leaps of logic and the fact

So he enlists the help of his villainous brother Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston) who, in case you’ve forgotten, has been locked up on Asgard ever since the end of The Avengers movie.

Soon the Nine Realms align and Thor is left jumping back and forth from Asgard to Earth trying to save the day.

Directed by Alan Taylor (a television guy who has directed

that the movie gets bogged down in trying to explain things to the audience, the Thor sequel isn’t what you would call a terrific movie.

But that doesn’t mean it’s bad. Far from it. As far as superhero movies go, Thor: The Dark World is pretty darn good. It may not be Batman Begins or The Avengers, but it’s a lot better than some of the other comic-

book movies that have been pumped out recently.

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Reclusive genius

Even after Salinger documentary, the writer of The Catcher in the Rye remains an enigma by adam hawboldt

Photo: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company

O

kay. Pop quiz, hot shot: You’re given a sheet of paper, a pen, and you’re asked to write down everything you know about J.D. Salinger — what do you write?

Chances are you mention he was a famous American author. That he penned The Catcher in the Rye, one of the most famous books of the 20th century (and one that has been linked to the assassination of John Lennon). If you’re a serious fan of Salinger’s work, you might mention his other books Franny and Zooey, Nine Stories, or Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An

Shane Salerno’s documentary, Salinger, you’d be able to fill that sheet of paper with interesting facts that most people don’t know.

For example, did you know Salinger was a veteran of the Second World War? True story. In one of the most fascinating segments of the documentary, Salerno takes the audience back to the days of “the last good war.” Back to when a young, 20-something Salinger was a counter intelligence officer interviewing German prisoners and carrying around the first six chapters of The Catcher in the Rye with him. According to Salerno, the

…the documentary as a whole never really comes together.

Adam Hawboldt

Introduction. You might also write something to the effect that Salinger was a recluse, a writer of tremendous talent who stopped publishing his work, walked away from the literary game and lived out the rest of his life in the remote town of Cornish, New Hampshire.

What else would you write? Well, if you had taken the time to watch

Second World War had quite the affect on Salinger. He was in some of the war’s bloodiest battles, and observed the horrors at Dachau. All that, according to Salerno, scarred Salinger to the core and influenced every word he wrote afterwards.

But the documentary paints Salinger as more than just a traumatized war veteran and a brilliant writer. It

salinger Shane Salerno J.D. Salinger, Edward Norton, John Cusack, Martin Sheen + Joyce Maynard Directed by featuring

120 minutes | PG

also paints him as an obsessive perfectionist, a literary icon, and a lover of young and beautiful women.

In fact, the documentary paints Salinger with so many brushes that, in the end, he remains a convoluted enigma. And maybe that’s the point.

Maybe Salerno tried to shed just enough light on his subject while keeping his life, motives and drives a mystery. Who knows?

All I know is that for all the interesting things you learn about Salinger during the film’s far-toolong two-hour running time, the documentary as a whole never really comes together. Using a combination of snapshots, old footage, talking head interviews (with everyone from Tom Wolfe to Edward Norton), and recreations, Salinger comes off as a muddled, somewhat surface examination of this great man of letters.

And while some of these devices work wonders (like the interview with Salinger’s ex-lover, Joyce Maynard), others, like the recreated scenes, seem so hokey and con-

trived and out-of-place that they prevent the documentary from ever finding a true, engaging rhythm.

That’s not to say Salinger is a bad documentary. Anyone who is interested in J.D. Salinger will get some joy from it. But, for the most part, it’s a lackluster examination of one of the most enigmatic authors of the 20th century.

Salinger is currently being screened at Broadway Theatre.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

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thursday, october 31 @

outlaws

Outlaws Country Rock Bar 710 Idylwyld Drive N (306) 978 0808

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Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, November 15. facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

Photography by Patrick Carley

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thursday, october 31 @

302 lounge 302 Loung & Discotheque 302 Pacific Avenue (306) 665 6863

Photography by OpalSnaps.com

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Check out our Facebook page!

These photos will be uploaded to Facebook on Friday, November 15. facebook.com/verbsaskatoon

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Photography by OpalSnaps.com

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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 31. Inner ear part 35. Itemizes 39. Single thing 40. Be worthy of 42. Deep soft mud 43. Little pieces of fluff 45. Harvest a crop from 47. 60 seconds: abbr.

48. Play charades 50. Part of USSR 52. Rub out letters 53. Otherwise called 54. Where Adam and Eve lived 55. You can get one from a bank

A

1. Muslim ruler 2. Creation of beautiful things 3. Members of a ship’s staff 4. Vehicle with a trunk 5. Intrude on 6. One of the founders of the Dada movement 7. Work laboriously 8. Make very angry 9. ___ leaf 11. Exclamation of alarm 12. Like pillows 14. Camping requirement 17. Man concerned with fashion and elegance 20. Opposite of nope

22. Music category 25. Short piece of fiction 27. Quick haircut 29. Give courage to 31. Carbonated soft drink 32. In readiness 33. The filling in a chocolate 34. 100 square metres B 36. Of apes 37. Experiments with 38. Transmitted 41. Related to the nose 44. Little hopper 46. Sport played with mallets 49. Wear and tear 51. By way of

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

1. Pouches 5. Anniversary, e.g.

9. Guillemot 10. Humour based on opposites 12. Like most potato chips 13. The breath of life 15. Decide on 16. Move slowly in the air 18. Water-skiing locale 19. Pull the skin off 21. Entre ___ 23. Bible book: abbr.

24. Dogma 26. Argue against 28. Exclamation of delight 30. It sticks to fur

© walter D. Feener 2013

sudoku answer key

DOWN

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

ACROSS

Horoscopes november 8 – november 14 Aries March 21–April 19

Leo July 23–August 22

Sagittarius November 23–December 21

It’s no great secret you’re a sensitive person, Aries. But this week your sensitivity will be a bit too much for some.

Don’t take everything so personally.

Someone in your life may cause you to be jealous this week, Leo. Don’t let it get the better of you. There could be more going on than meets the eye.

You may have the urge to take control of certain situations this week, Sagittarius. Be sure not to step on too many toes.

Taurus April 20–May 20

Virgo August 23–September 22

Capricorn December 22–January 19

Your chances of achieving some measure of success are good this week, Taurus. But remember: success can be measured in different ways.

You wear many different masks, Virgo. Just be careful you don’t forget what you really look like. Check in with yourself every now and then.

Remember to remain flexible this week, Capricorn. And we’re not talking about yoga flexible, either. Just roll with it!

Gemini May 21–June 20

Libra September 23–October 23

Aquarius January 20–February 19

Walk softly this week, and remember to carry a big stick, Gemini. If you don’t have a big stick, a small one will do just fine.

You may soon receive a pill that is hard to swallow, Libra. Try your best to choke it down. It might be a tough lesson, but it’s worth learning.

Strong emotional undercurrents will sweep in and shake your foundations this week, Aquarius. Stand strong! You can endure this.

Cancer June 21–July 22

Scorpio October 24–November 22

Pisces February 20–March 20

Sometimes you can be a bit too critical of others, Cancer. Try to ease off a bit this week. Those around you are trying their hardest.

Tsk, tsk. You’re going to be so indecisive this week, Scorpio, that you’re going to find it hard getting things done.

Make up your mind and stick to your guns!

A big opportunity looms on the horizon, Pisces. Don’t be afraid to reach for it, even if there’s a chance you will miss.

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

crossword answer key

A

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

B

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Catching some Zzzzs

No matter your budget, there’s a bed out there for you by rory MacLean

T

he average person can spend around one third of their life asleep, or — if you’re like me — trying to sleep.

That’s a lot of hours spent in bed.

There’s probably no furniture in your house that gets as much solid use as your mattress.

What kind of surface you choose to sleep on is not a matter to be taken lightly. But the possibilities can seem endless. If you’re in your 20s you may be considering purchasing a new bed for the first time. There are a few things you should consider, primarily cost and personal taste.

How much are you willing to spend? Keep in mind this is something you will spend hours on every night. Are you looking for a hulking and luxurious pillow top fortress, or are you content with the oft-maligned but versatile futon?

Perhaps your budget and tastes lie in between.

For the tightest budget Futons are notoriously uncomfortable, but if you’re living in a one-

room bachelor suite, or are otherwise lacking in space, it’s hard to argue with the functionality. It can be a bed by night, and a couch when you’re just chilling with friends.

They start as low as $130 for a brand new one, and can go up to $500 for the Rolls Royce of futons.

Of course, there are other options. If you’re desperate and willing to go to the house of a total stranger that you met on the Internet, you can probably even find a used one for free on Kijiji, but do you really want to go that route?

A real bed If you already have a box spring or are cool just throwing down a mattress right on the floor, you can get a new one for as little as $250 from somewhere like Sears.

The bottom end goes up to just under $400 if you’re looking for a mattress and box spring set. This is really a world where you get what you pay for, so if you are willing to shell out for comfort but don’t want break the bank, splurge on a decent

mattress and buy a cheaper box spring separately.

The comfort zone The world is your oyster. Only the finest will do for you, so you should be willing to spend at least $1,000 on your mattress and more for a matching box spring. For about $2,000 you can be the proud new owner of a king-size Simmons Beautyrest “Tchaikowsky” (sic) hi-loft pillow top mattress. The price tag is high but you’ll have the added satisfaction of having a bed that (sort of) shares its name with a Russian composer. That’s no joke.

This unit even features a 1/2-inch layer of energy foam that will help stop your partner’s movements from disturbing your sleep. The Princess and the Pea has got nothing on this.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon rmaclean@verbnews.com

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To buy, or not to buy

When should you make that leap from renting to owning? by rory MacLean

“

move to take on a mortgage. Wait until you can generate more income, or take some time to pay off your debts or trim your expenses before making the leap to buying property.

That said, if the numbers still look good for you after you’ve done your calculations, you’re almost

“

E

very realtor will tell you it’s no use paying someone else’s mortgage when you could be building equity of your own. That way your home becomes a physical savings account, growing in value every month.

sider how long you plan on staying in this property. Where are you at in your life? Are you a few years away from starting to have children? Could you be offered a job in another city and want to leave?

The equity in your house grows the longer you stay there, but if you decide to sell again right away

this growth in value may not be enough to justify the transaction costs of selling.

This is a decision that can take five or more years to start paying off. Give it some thought.

For more information and to try out a handy mortgage affordability calculator, head on over to

the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation website.

Feedback? Text it! (306) 881 8372

@VerbSaskatoon rmaclean@verbnews.com

This is a decision that can take five or more years to start paying off.

Give it some thought.

But is buying really the best option for everyone? The truth is: no.

There are a few important things to consider for anyone trying to decide whether to rent or to buy.

First off, can you afford it? Start by tallying your monthly household expenses and debt payments.

This includes heating, rent, car loans, credit cards and lines of credit — any of your monthly obligations. The general rule of thumb is this figure should not add up to more than 40 per cent of your gross monthly household income.

If you are beyond or at this threshold then you’re spread pretty thin as is, and it’s probably not a wise

ready to talk to a lender. But before you do, get your hands on a copy of your credit report. Lenders want to see how well you’ve paid your dues in the past before they are prepared to loan you any money.

Even with a loan there are a few more costs to consider. On top of a down payment on your future home, which will affect your interest rate, there are other sizable costs associated with the transaction itself — things like brokers’ and legal fees, home inspection fees and possibly a deposit to show the prospective seller you’re serious.

The cost of the transaction itself is a major factor to consider. Con-

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Future focused

Photos: Courtesy of Heney Klypak

Downtown building updates Saskatoon’s past by Rory MacLean

W

hen Daisy Harington and Jerrad Servetnyk set out to buy their first home together, they knew what they didn’t want. A move out to the sprawling suburbs just wasn’t an option.

“I don’t really like the suburbs,” says Harington, a building code engineer with the City of Saskatoon. “We were looking at a lot of apartments.

We looked at Luxe, we looked at the King George.”

The first time they looked at the suites in the Rumley building (originally called the Rumely building, though a trademark dispute altered the “e”), the historical Chicago-style warehouse in the city’s north downtown was a clear favourite.

“My family’s from England, so it reminded me a lot more of London than

Saskatoon,” she continues. “It’s like nothing else we’d ever seen. It’s a vast space. It’s very industrial, but homeyindustrial. It’s definitely liveable.”

From the expansive views offered on their rooftop balcony to the 30-foot ceilings in their sitting room, Harington says there’s a lot to love about their home. The couple has lived there for just about two years.

Even if they had settled on a different space, the Rumley would have remained her dream home, she says.

There are some challenges to living in the city’s budding north downtown, admits Harington. There’s still no grocery store in the area, and having two nightclubs across the street from their residence has meant some loud music and interesting scenes during the weekends.

But it’s this kind of colour and vibrancy that is also part of the appeal of living downtown, she says.

“You don’t live in that area and expect it to be pristine,” she says. “You’re living downtown, you want it to feel like downtown.”

Harington says she looks forward to the completion of the 25th Street extension and the new police station — and a new school of architecture slated for the former city yards — which could open up the north downtown to a new era of development.

“I’m excited to be a part of this,” she said. “We like to travel a lot, and we usually go to bigger cities, so it’s nice to see Saskatoon evolving into a bigger city and sort of maintaining some of these historical elements, while bringing in improvements.”

Continued on next page »

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Photo: Courtesy of Rory Maclean

From industrial warehouse to urban chic

“

long been attracted to the building because of its location and its classic masonry work. When he set out to redevelop it into a mix of condos and retail space, he took great care to keep the masonry undisturbed.

Infusing state-of-the-art infrastructure into turn-of-the-century architecture was no easy feat, he admits.

Heney Klypak, the architect on the project, says they took great care to maintain the character of the building.

He admits it was quite a difficult task.

“It has to be a passion,” he says.

“Just when you think you should be

“

The Rumely building was built in 1912 for the M. Rumely Company, a manufacturer of heavy farm equipment, and was used as a warehouse for farm machinery until about 1960.

“They would manufacture the Rumely tractors on the lower floors and showcase them on the 5th floor,” explains Gordon Doell, the developer who converted the building from a tractor manufacturing facility into a mix of condos and retail space in 2008.

The floors of the building are composed of massive 9’’ thick concrete slabs, which were sturdy enough to

…it’s nice to see Saskatoon evolving into a bigger city and sort of maintaining some of these historical elements… support the weight of the heavy tractors on the upper floors.

“Back in the 1920s they used to refer to young strapping men as being built like the Rumely.”

The structure was also one of six buildings in Canada that was cited as a possible armoury during World War II because of its sturdy, bunker-like character, he says. Doell says he had

able to save a lot of money because the structure is all there, you run into all kinds of problems.”

Even just getting tradespeople to come work on it during the building boom of 2008 proved challenging, he says. Budget overruns were hard to avoid, and upon opening sales were not as strong as Doell may have hoped. But the people

who moved there have largely stayed, he says, even before the development now underway in the north downtown began.

“That project was developed probably three years before its time. But the people that got in there, they definitely had an advantage of going into a location that will be like the future Yaletown of Saskatoon,” says Doell.

While Doell says he won’t be undertaking such an ambitious project again anytime soon, the praise he and Klypak have received for their work has been a feather in their caps.

The building won a Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan Heritage Architecture Award in 2011, and a 2012 Masonry Design Award.

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