1179: Hot Summer Guide 2018 by Vue Weekly

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What remains of the Accidental Beach / Doug Johnson

urban beaches

sandbars are hidden Gems near the river

Neighbourhoods near potential urban beach sites discuss their hopes for the future of their river valley access

hile beaches along the North Saskatchewan River aren’t entirely novel, communities that sit near some of them hope the City of Edmonton will give their neighbourhood ‘spin-offs’ the same kind of protection as the Accidental Beach will see. Well, assuming the Accidental Beach appears this year. The city released a list of 21 prospective sites for future “urban beaches,” and picked six sites out of those to investigate further: beaches near Big Island, Terwillegar Park, the Fort Edmonton Park foot bridge, Capilano, and Rundle Park. It will likely take the city from four to six years to develop rulings surrounding these beaches. However, these six beaches, and many other small areas of sand leading into the river, exist whether or not the city has rules for them. One of these beaches, the neigh-

bourhood has used for years, though it’s more of a sandbar near the Fort Edmonton Park foot bridge, says Miep Raedchelders, president of the neighbouring Riverbend Community League. “I think [the Accidental Beach] got a lot of coverage, while some of the other clandestine beaches are more word-of-mouth, and kept like little secrets. You don’t have the mass of people descending on them, so you don’t have the same kind of issues that arise.” Similarly, there’s a beach near the Beverley Heights Community League, which sits in Rundle Park, across from Gold Bar Park. Both beaches, or sandbars as the case may be, sit near parks which already have some infrastructure for visitors (bathrooms, trash bins, etc.), and both leagues expressed some interest in engaging their residents, and the city at large, in what

these spaces have to offer. Chris Keeler, civic affairs director for the Beverley Heights Community League says a beach could increase foot traffic in, and draw attention to, the part of the city. “I think it would be positive for this area of the city,” he says. However, both leagues also hope this interest in this area can be accepted with a level of care for the surrounding neighbourhoods. The Cloverdale Community League, which sits near the Accidental Beach, saw some difficulties last summer, as the impromptu addition to Edmonton’s river valley drew in crowds for which the area was not ready. The social media frenzy surrounding the ostensibly novel pile of sand “sparked some interest that the city wasn’t [and the] neighbourhood wasn’t pre-

pared for. It caused a little bit of consternation with the influx,” says Reg Kontz, president of the league. Currently, the residential neighbourhood has limited parking and amenities. Access, also, is undeveloped. In its current form, Kontz says, it’s not particularly “user-friendly.” Seniors and families with young children may have trouble getting down to the river bank, he adds. “We’re a caring and neighbourly kind of neighbourhood,” Kontz says. “But if you have a party at your house, and you have an illbehaved guest, it spoils the function for the rest of the guests.” According to Jason Meliefste, branch manager of infrastructure planning and design with the City of Edmonton, the city has never really looked at creating permanent infrastructure for these

kinds of beaches before; it’s never been something they’ve actively pursued, though for this year at least, the city will have similar mitigation strategies as last year. “It’s not part of any higher-level strategic document,” he says. Whether or not the city will expand the size of these six chosen sites also remains unknown. Actually, the form these beaches will take in the future, similarly, is up in the air. “It’s too early to tell,” Meliefste says. “Right now, it could be as small as what’s happening now in terms of a minimalist, natural use; or it could be as elaborate as putting weirs in the river and importing material and building washrooms and parking lots. There’s a broad spectrum, and it’s hard to speculate.” Doug Johnson doug@vueweekly.com

Dehydration

Boyle Street seeks summer heat supplies

Local homeless agency’s outreach team asks for bottled water, sunscreen, and bug spray

hen Edmonton heats up, it can put the city’s vulnerable at risk. Boyle Street Community Service’s street outreach team, this time of year, does what it can to minimize the risk of heatstroke among its members, while the centre itself offers those nearby a reprieve from the heat. According to Doug Cooke, lead with the street outreach team, the program always has a need for bottled water, socks, sunscreen, and bug spray. “The centre would certainly be more than happy to take any of these,” Cooke says. The 10-person team travels around the city—primarily in the River Valley and Edmonton’s various ravines—to check on people “living rough in the bush.” It operates Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. “We look for new camps, but we also check up on people who we know are in certain locations,” he says. “Our overall idea is that we

want to connect them to services that they might not otherwise be accessing.” Mostly, the team carries water, bug spray, granola bars, and socks. They occasionally leave these supplies at camps, if they see no one there when they arrive. “We’re doing our little bit out in the remote parts of the city,” Cooke says. To find these areas, the team spends a lot of time wandering around natural spaces, though it also has some idea of the places where people are more likely to be living outside. Mainly, these likely areas sit in parks near Edmonton’s downtown, like around the Shaw Conference Centre and Victoria Park. Operators with 211, a service that connects people to health and social services, also give out the team’s phone number to those who call them with concerns about a person they see.

However, according to Cooke, the team has had to expand its efforts over the past two years. Construction in the city’s core has pushed some people to the outer limits of the city. “We’re east, west, north, south of the Anthony Henday now. We find people camping out there,” he says. “Just the construction may have pushed people farther out. People living farther out of the city aren’t the ones to access some of the services available downtown, so we kind of bridge that gap for them, if they want us to.” The centre itself has a drop-in program, which provides food, water, and a cooler environment than the sweltering heat. A few years ago, an anonymous donor left funds for Boyle Street to build a water fountain that its members can access after hours. Donations can be made at the centre during regular operating hours. Doug Johnson doug@vueweekly.com

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URBAN AG

Tomatoes in the Oliver community garden / Doug Johnson

FIVE DAYS OF CHAMBER MUSIC

MUSIC FESTIVAL SUMMER SOLSTICE

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Urban agriculture experts weigh in on difficulties local projects can face

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rban agriculture has strong roots in Edmonton, but many projects in the field wilt after volunteer and organizer enthusiasm fades. On paper, the city supports urban agriculture, but it can also be a little cautious in that realm. The Vacant Lot Program, which launched last April, generated interest initially, but the city also asks that applicants either bring in their own clean soil, pay for a soil test and soil cleaning out-of-pocket, or provide raised beds for growing. So far, it also only runs until next October. “Pretty soon, there are 10, 12 pieces of red tape, and what was a very low-cost program turns into something that seems really complicated,” says Dustin Bajer, co-chair of the Edmonton Food Council. “At each of those hurdles, there are some people who jump off the bandwagon, and there are very few people left.” The city’s urban bee-keeping program has been implemented well, in general, Bajer says. However, the city also prohibits people from selling the honey they gather, which can cause problems as a honey bee colony can produce between 140 and 160 pounds of honey in a year. Other numbers online suggest this number is for factory bee farms, but, still, it’s a lot of honey to deal with. The city also has no granting systems specifically for urban agriculture, which isn’t to say there’s no

way for amateur city farmers to get some cash from the municipal government. However, according to Bajer, many of these projects in the city are still strapped for cash. “We have a lot of people right now who are trying things for the first time, and they’re largely making it up as they go,” Bajer says. “They are largely side-gigs; not a lot of people are quitting their jobs and getting into urban agriculture.” Similarly, while throwing money at large-scale agriculture projects (which is fairly common) can yield small results, throwing the same sum, or less, at urban agriculture initiatives can make a larger impact. Michael Granzow is a researcher in the University of Alberta’s department of sociology. His research is a critique of how urban agriculture is employed—he specifically cites the city’s Fresh initiative—but there are few practicing urban farmers, and these numbers dwindle for a number of factors. “Now, it’s become accepted and institutionalized, and once something becomes accepted it gets regulated, and then there’s firmer boundaries about what it is and what permits you need,” he says. “Those things aren’t necessarily bad, but it does mean there’s more red tape and rules to get through. It’s just a little more work and little more of a headache. There’s a risk in opening it up that it becomes a little less appealing for some.”

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

Both Granzow and Bajer agree that urban agriculture contributes little to the pool of food in a city. Instead, it offers some social value, connecting neighbours and community members. Though, according to Granzow, the research is somewhat divided on what the upper limit is for city-based food growth. “Maybe in terms of hard numbers, it’s not contributing a lot to food security at this point, but it’s important in a broader shift to opening up new understandings of the city that are ecology-based,” Granzow says. “I think it’s important to see how (urban agriculture) can serve some of these other roles.” Urban agriculture can be beneficial for cities in that its projects can soak up some excess water when there’s too much of it, and help keep moisture in the ecosystem when there’s not enough of it. Also, the city’s “heat island effect” makes it possible to grow some oddities, like apricots and pawpaws. However, to some extent, Granzow calls the activity “politics of the upper-middle class.” Simply put, people need enough time and money to get involved. “The danger is it becoming kind of an exclusionary space in this sense,” he adds. Doug Johnson doug@vueweekly.com

BAO

Pork belly bao / Supplied

BLEND OF CUISINES IN A BAO BUN IS A DELIGHT KaBao brings tasty new twist on bao buns to Edmonton’s bountiful food scene

take the last bite of KaBao’s pork belly bao bun. As my teeth sink into pillow-like street food, the delicious salty pork melts in my mouth, complimented by the sweet and tangy hoisin sauce. Green onions round out the rich and delicious meat inside. KaBao has been serving this spin on Chinese cuisine (inspired by American restaurateur David Chang’s modern take on bao) since last summer. Traditionally, bao is served like a dumpling, with a layer of dough concealing the filling. However, from this food truck, the chefs split the bao open, displaying the proteins and veggies in a more appetizing fashion. “The bao is like a taco, so you can put fresher, more dynamic ingredients on there, and [it can] be more creative and more visually appealing as well,” explains MacKenzie Mills, the co-owner of KaBao. The food truck’s two main dishes are pork belly and fried chicken bao. The latter is a take on chicken and waffles. It has fried buttermilk chicken, a sweet maple sriracha, pickles, green onions, and purple cabbage. The pickles cut through the richness of the dish. “[With] the whole Asian background, there’s tonnes of stuff to draw from in there, and you can be super creative and have a lot of fun with it. We change our baos up week-to-week,” Mills says. One of the weekly specials that KaBao has done in the past is the

“Rocky Bao Boa,” inspired by Philadelphia, the setting of the Rocky movies. Shaved steak, peppers, onions, jalapenos, and a cheese sauce sit atop the meaty homage. KaBao also serves brisket with Korean barbecue sauce and horseradish slaw as a special. However, they only have the beef special every once in a while as it is expensive to buy. Mills has had a varied history in the service industry. As a child, he had a love of Chinese cuisine, chowing down on shumai (a pork and shrimp-filled dumpling wrapped in bean curd and fish eggs), har gow (shrimp in a paper-thin dumpling wrapping), and he developed a fondness for sticky rice. At the age of 21, Mills travelled across the U.K., working at pubs in Scotland, and a five star hotel in Cornwall, England. He was there for a couple of years and got a handle on the wide spectrum of British cuisine. “It has a lot of awesome influences just like Canada does from India and from China,” Mills says. When he came back to Canada, he worked for seven years at various Vancouver bars, and then worked at the University of Calgary’s food services. Soon after, he decided to start the KaBao food truck in Edmonton. “It’s always just been kind of a dream—since you hear them

cropping up in the States,” Mills says. “I had a chance to open one with some family, and I want to bring baos to do something new in the city.” It’s a rough industry, and requires near constant attention, but Mills is passionate about his food truck. “It’s a creative outlet. It’s a chance to add maybe a little something interesting to the city,” Mills says.

He also loves the upbeat atmosphere he gets from owning a food truck. “Being at a food truck, especially, you’re getting people at their best. They’re outside, they’re out of the office, they’re getting some fresh air, everyone’s happy,” he says. And that community of foodies and the local industry is growing, Mills says.

“I think it’s going up and up, man. [It’s] totally dynamic,” Mills says. “Like any good food city in Canada, you’ve got all of these influences coming in from everywhere, and the variety of cuisines you can have in like a two block radius is insane. I’m just happy to be a tiny part of it.” Chris Penwell

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dish 5

MARKETS

City appears to be struggling to communicate new regulation regime with makers in the city, creating barriers for an emerging economy and its artists

dmonton may be the festival city, but a growing outlet for its vibrant culture has been the emergence of maker’s markets. For the over 2,000 makers in the city, these markets provide livelihood and creative outlets, for the city they provide significant municipal revenue, and for the thousands of regular customers— along with offering locally-made goods—they build community. However, the city seems to be struggling to communicate and regulate new changes to market licensing bylaws. “There’s a lot of temporary events that happen in Edmonton, especially around the maker scene,” says Marissa Loewen, creator of On the Spot Pop Ups. “There’s craft shows, there’s art exhibits— you name it—but to have a business license for every time you do an event to cost $521 is crazy.” The $521 dollar cost Loewen references for her Etsy: Made in Canada spring market this year can be broken down as $235 for what the city has newly termed a public market organizer business license and $286 for what a city official quoted her for a “high and maximum risk” new business license fire inspection. Loewen was later told by a city official the fire inspection fee could be decreased to $70, suddenly deeming her market a “low and moderate risk” inspection.

When speaking with a fire prevention officer to follow up on this number, VUE was told a second, inconsistent number of $133 for a standard fire inspection. Regardless of what Loewen paid, an apparent lack of communication manifested and led me down a path of confusing and often frustrating red tape that Edmonton makers must navigate in order to sell their goods in the city. The lack of clarity for this license category seems to reflect a deeper problem with the way the city regulates makers markets. Some of this confusion can be traced back to a city bylaw created in April 2018 that, despite its good intentions, left makers scrambling. The new public market bylaw category—essentially “any market that is not approved by the Province of Alberta or part of a festival”—was created in April to replace the slightly outdated flea market designation and sits alongside two similar bylaw categories: festival and farmers’ market. “What this was intended to do was make it a lot more easy for makers in craft-styles of markets be able to operate,” says Wai Tse Ramirez, program manager with the city’s business licensing branch, “and be able to be licensed in a way that would be balanced and in alignment with the other market categories that we had.”

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Unfortunately for Edmonton’s flourishing maker’s scene, the communication channels regarding this new change seem to be jammed. Loewen is not alone in her frustration with the system. She also found that many of her markets’ vendors have been told conflicting advice from city officials in the licensing department, which was confirmed when speaking with several vendors and organizers in the city, who told different versions of what they understood was required of them. Part of this, perhaps, is inherent in the nature of a “case-to-case” system, which considers each situation independently, Ramirez says. “It’s really important that vendors and market coordinators give us a call so that we could better understand their business operations and what they’re trying to do,” Ramirez says. “At that point we can facilitate the business category that best suits their business activity.” The city currently has 55 license classifications and has issued five public market organizer licenses and 250 public market vendor licenses since the new public market license was created. A problem with this approach is that the decisions can feel arbitrary. And the potential for this is amplified by what seems like internal miscommunication between government departments. On top of miscommunication, a further hinderance comes up for organizers like Loewen, whose markets and pop-up locations move around the city. The public market business license must be tied to one location in order for it to be considered annual, which becomes a serious cost to bear for organizers that set up markets around the city when charged per event. While there have certainly been attempts to update the system and make it easier to navigate—this April’s decision being one—and there is an annual industry event held by the city for feedback, many makers feel a lack of consultation, which results in a disconnect between policy and those affected, leaving the city to put out fire after fire because of gaping holes left after each new tabling. When it comes to public markets and makers, many organizers appear to be getting left in the dark regarding changes and decisions that not only affect

Rubble Road Soapstone / On the Spot Pop Ups

them and their markets, but also the makers and their businesses. Along with a need for better communication channels, Loewen is campaigning to create a more comprehensive system of categories that can actually represent this innovative segment of Edmonton’s economy, given the lack of bylaws that properly apply to moving markets and their organizers. The maker economy is not new to Edmonton; Loewen has been running her pop-up business since 2012, but in the process, has found that her innovative business model is continually an issue to license and fire-check properly. As such, a big part of her job has also become advocating for the makers and subsequent economy that she represents. Although vendors deemed “artesan” do not require a license under the new public market organizer license, a $55 sub-license is required for vendors who do not fit the category. Farmers’ market vendors do not require a license to sell goods under the market license. However, they do have a limit on the amount of non-vegetable vendors allowed, limiting the spaces for Edmonton’s 2,000 plus makers to sell their goods. Other bylaw changes made this spring involved lowering the fees for certain home-based businesses. As reported in April by the Elise Stolte of the Edmonton Journal, the city currently makes $10 million from business license fees— which amounts to several times what it costs to run the program. However, there are purposes for these fees, especially when it comes to safety. Loewen has heard of scams happening with unlicensed markets running off with table fees without putting on

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

a market; she’s also been to markets that have emergency exits blocked or lack fire extinguishers at booths, leaving major safety concerns for those attending. A further review of homebased business licenses was also launched in April to look into what other cities pay. But as it stands now, small business in Edmonton is seemingly still being stifled at bureaucratic levels in a way that leaves our artists most affected. “This is people’s houses,” Loewen says. “This is people’s businesses, this is small-use land developers.” Of 53 Etsy: Made in Canada shows across the country, Edmonton’s 2017 show was the largest; Loewen’s fall market last year saw $850,000 exchanged between vendors and market attenders. For Edmontonians, the importance of these public markets is three-fold: they allow small home-business makers to sell their goods in a financially sustainable way, they develop Edmonton’s surprisingly large maker scene, and they give legitimate arena to the many creative art forms that skirt the lines of “fine art” and “craft.” “Our goal is to have very low table fees and to stimulate that creative practice,” said another market organizer who asked to not be named. “Many vendors … aren’t career vendors, and so having any kind of higher barrier to participating would probably crush a very special, very independent scene.” The City of Edmonton’s business licensing is open to feedback from both coordinators and vendors at any time and can be contacted at 780-442-5054 for inquiries regarding licensing as well. Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

THEATRE

Playwright Aksam Alyousef / Ray Brickwood

Actress Amena Shehab (Hagar) / Ray Brickwood

A SIMPLE DESIRE

Two of Edmonton’s emerging artistic voices tell a story of our responsibility to one another through the eyes of one woman

our home is torn apart by war. Bombings happen at places of worship and markets with little discrimination beyond wreaking havoc and pain. This is not your country. Your country has always been where the displaced turn to for refuge and warm hospitality. But there is nothing you can do to reverse the damage that’s been done to your beautiful city and its vibrant neighbourhoods; streets that once filled with children playing soccer and kitchens wafting smells of savoury kibbeh and sweet knafeh now hold fear and apprehension suspended in the air. The inaugural production for Alma Theatre, directed by Morgan Norwich, Hagar is a story of simplicity: simplicity in its characters, simplicity in their desires, and simplicity in its message. And yet, the events that unfolded on the world stage in the last few years were as complicated and frustrating to watch as they are simple to explain. “Her dream is so simple,” says actor Amena Shehab, who plays the titular character Hagar. “She wants her son to get married and fall in love … He can be a garbage collector, he can be a lawyer—I don’t care—she just wants her son to live.” Hagar and her one-year-old son are left alone in Aleppo while the Syrian Civil War is beginning to break out. People are trying to flee to neighbouring countries, but they are being stopped near the border and placed in camps of tens of thousands of people with little opportunity for jobs, homes, and permanence. There are many camps to try to reach: 22 in Turkey, five in Jordan, 10 in Iraq, but there are also many across the fickle waters of the Mediterranean.

Many people are paying smugglers—almuharabin—to take them across the treacherous waters in hopes of a peaceful life for their children. But there are stories of waves surging from deep below and swallowing boats— dinghies, really—whole. “Everyday I follow the news, I see people from Syria or other immigrants sink in the Mediterranean when they try to reach Europe, and we lost a lot of children and women and men,” playwright Aksam Alyousef says. “My sister went through this experience. She travelled from Egypt to Greece in a boat … her husband did the same thing before her and when he reached Sweden, he died.” His brother-in-law’s family nearly sank in the Mediterranean; thankfully, a Greek coastguard saved them and brought them to Turkey, before he finally reached Sweden. He also heard many, many stories from people while he was in Syria about both successful and non-successful journeys across the Mediterranean. Upon arriving in Canada in 2016, Alyousef spoke little English. With a professional career in theatre in Damascus, he was determined to tell a story both of his people and their treatment by the world and of one more close to his heart, of loved ones and friends. He began learning English with determined intent and only three months later, Alyousef staged his first Canadian debut (Souls) at the Fringe Festival. Alyousef also has another Fringe play planned for this year, a comedy that follows the Fresh Off the Boat sitcom theme as well as a second full-length play, with

plans to premiere it next fall. But after two years of work, Hagar, which will be his mainstage debut in Edmonton, is ready, and it’s social commentary is undoubtedly pressing. “It’s also about the Arabian countries who made these people go through this experience,” Alyousef says. “They didn’t give them visas; they closed the border, and they didn’t send anyone to bring the refugees from camps. They let us die in the sea ... I think only Canada did that.” Alyousef and Shehab, who have been married nearly 21 years, also have family in Germany, Denmark, France, and Britain— all of whom had to travel at great risks in order to be safe—

Giselle Boehm / Ray Brickwood

but he calls this play “a thank you letter to Canadians.” “We’re talking about the humanity,” Alyousef says. “I have headache about what they say everyday about human rights and our rights as a people to live where we want, but actually all these countries close the border in the face of Syrians.” He adds that Syria has always been the home for refugees, taking in refugees during wars in surrounding countries like Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and instead of building refugee camps, brought them into their homes and offered them jobs to be a part of Syrian society, which is part of Shehab’s story after coming to Damascus from Palestine.

Fri., Jun 1 – Fri., Jun 8 Hagar Studio Theatre ATB Financial Arts Barns $15 – $20 “Nobody leaves his home and ride a rubber dinghy unless he trusts the rubber dinghy more than his home,” Shehab says. “The lifejackets are fake … and my sister’s neighbour, he lost seven kids, seven children and his wife in once...in once.” Two of the 50-minute shows will be in Arabic as part of a partnership with the Syrian Cultural Heritage Association. Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

Let There Be

HEIGHT

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COMIC STRIP • Bourbon St, WEM • 780.483.5999 • Andrew Santino; May 31-Jun 3 • Donnell Rawlings; Jun 7-10 • Michael Quu; Jun 12-13 • Ian Bagg; Jun 14-17

THE COMIC STRIPPERS • Myer Horowitz Theatre, 8900-114 St • A male strip parody and improv comedy show • Jun 8, 8pm • $39

EMPRESS ALE HOUSE • 9912-82 Ave • Empress Comedy Night: Highlighting the best stand-up Edmonton has to offer. New headliner every week • Every Sun, 9pm • Free FOUR BANGER FRIDAYS • Grindstone Theatre, 10019-81 Ave • grindstonetheatre.ca • Edmonton’s premiere independent stand-up comedy show. Host Simon Gorsak curates a staggering four comic showcase and plays host to the funniest people he knows from across Canada, and you • Every Fri, 9pm • $12

IMPROVAGANZA INTERNATIONAL IMPROV FESTIVAL • Citadel Theatre, 9828-101 A Ave • 780.443.6044 • rapidfiretheatre.com • Ten days of improvised comedy, music, and much more • Jun 13-23 • From $15

KEVIN HART • Rogers Place, 10220-104 Ave • 780.414.5483 • info@rogersplace.com • Jun 9, 7pm

LAUGH STEADY • Nook Cafe, 10153-97 St •

Live stand-up comedy hosted by Kevin Cianciolo • Last Fri of the month, 7:30-9:30pm • $5 (door)

DANCE ALBERTA DANCE ALLIANCE PRESENTS: FEATS FESTIVAL OF DANCE: FOOT PRINTS • Alberta Dance Alliance, 11759 Groat Rd • abdancealliance.ab.ca • Enjoy a wide variety of dance style during this festival • Jun 27-Jul 7

A NIGHT OF DANCE • Mill Woods Senior and Multicultural Centre, #201-2610 Hewes Way • info.millwoodsseniors@gmail.com • Participants can enjoy live performances and learn to dance • Jun 15, 6-10pm • Tickets can be purchased at the front desk of the Mill Woods Senior and Multicultural Centre

BRIAN WEBB DANCE COMPANY PRESENTS USHA GUPTA DANCE ENTOURAGE: KHOJ • Timms Centre for the Arts, 87 Ave, 112 St NW • bwdc.ca • KHOJ (meaning search, inquiry, quest) features an outstanding ensemble of local dancers and four dancers from India • Jun 1-3, 8pm (2pm on Jun 3) • $35 (general), $25 (student/senior), available at TIX on the Square

HOUSE OF HUSH PRESENTS: SWING, SWING, SWING! • Crash Hotel Lobby, 10266-103 St • hellothere@violettecoquette. com • houseofhushjune22.eventbrite.com • houseofhushburlesque.com • Get ready for House of Hush's highest-energy, swingin' acts, 1940s glamour, and film noir • Jun 22, 7pm (door), 8-9:30pm (show) • $30 (include a complimentary feature cocktail) • 18+ only

GOOD BURGER: PJ PARTY IN THE IMAX THEATRE • TELUS World of Science, 11211-142 St • telusworldofscienceedmonton. ca • Nothing better than watching a beloved film, curled up in your coziest PJ's with family and friends. Hot breakfast and special activities beginning at 8am and film starts at 9am • Jun 16, 8-11am • $9.95

METRO • Metro at the Garneau Theatre, 8712109 St • 780.425.9212 • metrocinema.org • Visit metrocinema.org for daily listings • • AFTERNOON TEA: Becoming Jane (Jun 3); Mansfield Park (Jun 3) • ART DOCS: Floyd Norman: An Animated Life (Jun 7) • HOMO-CIDAL MOVIE AND A DRAG SHOW: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything (Jun 14) • JAPANESE MASTERS: An Autumn Afternoon (May 31); Ugetsu (1953) (Jun 14); Tokyo Olympiad (1965) (Jun 17) • KINK ON SCREEN: Tom of Finland (Jun 10) • METRO RETRO: Super Fly (1972) (Jun 17, Jun 19) • MUSIC DOCS: Concert For George (Jun 5) • NIGHT GALLERY: Boys Beware...Cat Fight (Jun 16) Reel Family Cinema: Rio (Jun 2), Fantastic Mr. Fox (Jun 9); Free Willy (Jun 16); Willow (Jun 23) • RECONCILIATION SERIES: Rhymes For Young Ghouls (May 31); Indian Horse (Jun 1-3) • SCI-FI CINEMA: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (Jun 3), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) (Jun 5) • STAFF PICS: Full Metal Jacket (Jun 4) • SUNDAY CLASSICS: Lawrence of Arabia (Jun 24)

ALBERTA RAILWAY MUSEUM • 24215-34

8440-112 St • 780.407.7152 • friendsofuah. org/mcmullen-gallery • Aura of the Land: Blake Chorley and Ben Globerman; May 5-Jun 24

St • 780.472.6229 • AlbertaRailwayMuseum. com • Open weekends May 19-Sep 3 • $7 (adult), $6 (senior/student), $3.50 (child 3-12)/ child under 3 free; $5 (train rides), $3 (motor car rides)

ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL OF SPRUCE GROVE • Melcor Cultural Centre, 355th Ave, Spruce Grove • 780.962.0664 • alliedartscouncil.com • High School Art Show; May 7-25 • Open Seniors Show; May 28-Jun 22; Reception: Jun 2, 1-3pm

ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA (AGA) • 2 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.422.6223 • youraga. ca • Manning Hall: The Pre-History of M.N. Hutchinson: Site 24; until Dec 31 • BMO World of Creativity: Wild Wood; until Dec 31 • RBC Work Room: Metamorphosis: artwork by Gloria Mok; until Jul 1 • Painting Alberta, Details of Canada: artwork by William Townsend; until Jul 1 • WEEKLY DROP-IN ACTIVITIES: Tours for Tots, Every Wed, 10-11am • Youth Workshops, ages 13-17, Every Thu, 4-6pm • Kids’ Open Studio, Every Sat, 1-3pm • Exhibition Tours; Every Sat-Sun, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm • Art for Lunch; 3rd Thu of the month, 12-1pm • VIBE; 3rd Fri of the month, 5-9pm 19 Perron St, St Albert • 780.460.4310 • artgalleryofstalbert.ca • High Energy 23: Cultivating Change: artwork by St. Albert High School Art Students; May 3-Jun 2 • Birds, Bees, and Ambergris: artwork by Gerri Harden; Jun 7-Jul 28

ARTWALK • Person District, St. Albert • artwalkstalbert.com • The art hits the streets again! Discover a place to enjoy, view and buy art to suit all tastes and budgets. Featuring returning artists and new ones • May-Sep, 1st Thu of every month, 6-8:30pm (exhibits run all month)

BEAR CLAW GALLERY • 10403-124 St • 780.482.1204 • info@bearclawgallery.com • bearclawgallery.com • Summer Exhibition: rotating exhibit by gallery artists; Throughout the summer

BLEEDING HEART ART SPACE • 9132-118

MCMULLEN GALLERY • U of A Hospital,

MUSÉE HÉRITAGE MUSEUM • St Albert Place, 5 St Anne Street, St Albert • MuseeHeritage.ca • 780.459.1528 • museum@ artsandheritage.ca • Witness Blanket/ForgetMe-Not Métis Rose; Apr 3-Jun 3

CITY WORKERS IN LOVE • L’Unithéâtre at

959 Ordze Rd, Sherwood Park • 780.467.3038 • info@picturethisgallery.com • picturethisgallery. com • Spring It On! Art Show; Apr 14-Jun 30

La Cité Fancophone, 8627-91 St • operanuova.ca • Part of Opera NUOVA's Mainstage series. Sung in English. Tells the story of a street repair crew on a typical summer’s day as they strive to help their city and themselves • Jun 13, Jun 15-17 • $20-$28

PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA • 8555 Roper Road • PAA@gov.ab.ca • 780.427.1750 • culture.alberta.ca/paa/ eventsandexhibits/default.aspx • Open TueSat, 9am • 150 Firsts: How Alberta Changed Canada…Forever; Until Aug 1

SCOTT GALLERY • 10411-124 St • scottgallery.com • The Still Point: artwork by Matthew Tarini; May 12-Jun 2

SNAP GALLERY • Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists, 10123-121 St • 780.423.1492 • snapartists.com • India Inked!: currated by Nirmal Raja and Santosh Sakhinala; Apr 27-Jun 2

SOUTHGATE CENTRE • 5015-111 St NW • Fleurs de Villes’ Floral Mannequin Series; May 31-Jun 4 STRATHCONA COUNTY MUSEUM & ARCHIVES • 913 Ash St, Sherwood Park • strathconacountymuseum.ca • Wedding Dresses through Time; until Aug 31

TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE • 11211-142 St • telusworldofscienceedmonton.com • Daily activities, demonstrations and experiments • Terry Fox–Running to the Heart of Canada; Feb 16-Sep 16 • Dinosaurs Unearthed: Down to the Bone; Opens Jun 1

VASA GALLERY • 25 Sir Winston Churchill

• Lower level, Rutherford South, University of Alberta • bpsc.library.ualberta.ca • Experiment: Printing the Canadian Imagination; Apr 27Aug 24 • Experiment: Printing the Canadian Imagination; May 4-Aug 24

BUGERA MATHESON GALLERY • 10345124 St • bugeramathesongallery.com • Close Encounters: artwork by Ian Rawlinson; Jun 2-16 CAVA GALLERY • 9103-95 Ave • 780.461.3427 • galeriecava.com • The End of The Earth: artwork by Valerian Mazataud; May 4-Jun 8 • Members Exhibit; May 4-Jun 8

DC3 ART PROJECTS • 10567-111 St • 780.686.4211 • dc3artprojects.com • Crash Pad: artwork by Cindy Baker; May 4-Jun 9 • Zachari Logan; May 4-Jun 9

GALLERY@501 • 501 Festival Ave, Sherwood Park • 780.410.8585 • strathcona.ca/artgallery • Strathcona Salon Series: artwork by various artists; May 15-Jun 23

HARCOURT HOUSE GALLERY • 3 Fl, 10215112 St • 780.426.4180 • harcourthouse.ab.ca • Human Essence: Humankind at the Beginning of the 21st Century: 30th Annual Harcourt House Members’ Exhibition and Art Sale; Jun 2-Jul 14; Opening reception: Jun 2, 12-5pm

LANDO GALLERY • 103, 10310-124 St • 780.990.1161 • landogallery.com • May Group Selling Exhibition; May 10-31

CHIMPROV • Citadel's Zeidler Hall, 9828-101A

PICTURE THIS! FRAMING & GALLERY •

BOREALIS GALLERY • 9820-107 St •

BRUCE PEEL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

BUT HARK, A VOICE! • Heritage Amphitheatre, William Hawrelak Park • thouartheretheatre.com • A roving rehearsal of repertory rejects! Shakespeare's Mechanicals from A Midsummer Night's Dream are rehearsing their new play premiering at this year's Shakespeare festival. Unfortunately, they have no idea what they're doing • Jun 19-Jul 15

Ave • 780.455.7479 • probertsongallery.com • Colour Coherence: artwork by Jonathan Forrest; May 24-Jun 9

UDELL XHIBITIONS • 10332-124 St NW •

assembly.ab.ca/visitorcentre/borealis.html • Fur: The Fabric of Our Nation; Apr 25-Jul 3

THE ARCTIC FLUTE • Festival Place, 100 Festival Way Sherwood Park • operanuova. ca • Part of Opera NUOVA's Mainstage series. Re-imagined in the far north, the darkness of an arctic winter gives way to glorious spring in this sparkling, fun-filled adaptation of Mozart’s beloved fantasy • Jun 23, Jun 26, Jun 28, Jun 30 • $20-$40

Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Rapid Fire Theatre’s long form comedy show: improv formats, intricate narratives, and one-act plays • Every Sat, 10pm; Sep 10-Jun 9 • $15 (door or buy in adv at TIX on the Square)

PETER ROBERTSON GALLERY • 12323-104

Ave • dave@bleedingheartartspace.com • Liminal Space || awasitipahaskan: artwork by Marina Hulzenga; Jun 2-30

FRONT GALLERY • 10402-124 St • thefrontgallery.com • Pictures From Rome: artwork by Tony Scherman; Jun 7, 7-9pm

8 arts

NW • latitude53.org • TBA; Jun 8-Jul 21

LOFT GALLERY & GIFT SHOP • A.J. Ottewell Arts Centre, 590 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park • Sat-Sun, 12-4pm (excluding long weekends) • Artwork by Desserrie Plewis, Lynda McAmmond, Lynn Sinfield, Joyce Boyer, Kay McCormick, and Terrie Shaw; Mar 3-Jul 8

FAB GALLERY • Fine Arts Building Gallery,1-1 FAB (University of Alberta) • ualberta.ca/ artshows • Light/Matter: Art at the Intersection of Photography and Printmaking, 1954-2017; May 11-Jun 2 • Czecho-Slovak Fine Art Exhibition; Jun 12-Jul 6

/ Supplied

LATITUDE 53 • Latitude 53, 10242-106 St

ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY • 10186-106 St • 780.488.6611 • albertacraft. ab.ca •Home: artwork by various artists; May 5-Aug 18; Artist talk and reception: Jun 23, 2-4pm • The Surface of Things: Chasing Light: artwork by Brenda Malkinson; Jun 2-Jul 14; Opening reception: Jun 2, 2-4pm

ART GALLERY OF ST ALBERT (AGSA) •

FILM

Finest of Strangers Varscona Theatre May 31-Jun 16, 7:30pm (2pm matinees on Jun 2, Jun 9, Jun 16) Tickets start at $25

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS

780.488.4445 • udellxhibitions.com • UX MB; Jun 22-23 • MINBID; Jun 22-23 Ave, St Albert • 780.460.5990 • vasa-art.com • Friends of Mine: artwork by Denise Lefebvre; May 1-Jun 2

WEST END GALLERY • 10337-124 St • 780.488.4892 • westendgalleryltd.com • Exhibition of New Work: artwork by Claudette Castonguay; Jun 2-14

LITERARY AUDREYS BOOKS • 10702 Jasper Ave • An evening with Donna Kane; May 31, 7-8pm • Janet Wees "When We Were Shadows" Book Launch; Jun 6, 7-8:30pm • Read & Write With Pride 2018; Jun 12, 7-9pm • Darusha Wehm's Edmonton Launch, with Jennifer Quist; Jun 14, 7-10pm

EDMONTON STORY SLAM • 9910, 9910B109 St • edmontonstoryslam.com • facebook. com/mercuryroomyeg • Great stories, interesting company, fabulous atmosphere • 3rd Wed each month, 7pm (sign-up); 7:30pm • $5 donation

THE MAGIC OF POETRY • Carrot Coffeehouse, 9351-118 Ave • thecarrot.ca • A workshop that will help participants gain a strong grounding in the fundamentals of poetry writing, while encouraging them to embrace the ways poetry can create and express meaning • May 31, 7-9pm • $10

ROUGE POETRY SLAM HOSTED BY BREATH IN POETRY COLLECTIVE • BLVD Supper x Club, 10765 Jasper Ave • Every Tue

SCRIPT SALON • Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 10037-84 Ave • Every 2nd Sun of the month, 7:30pm • Free (donations accepted at the door)

THEATRE ALL SHOOK UP • Mayfield Dinner Theatre, 16615-109 Ave • Built around the songs made famous by Elvis Presley, this show follows the tale of a small town girl with big dreams and the motorcycle-riding stud she falls for • Now playing until Jun 10, showtimes vary (Tue-Sun) • $80 and up

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

FINEST OF STRANGERS • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • teatroq.com • A well-known television personality returns to the house where he spent part of his childhood, only to find himself utterly unable to leave it. This creates havoc for the current owner and occupants, many of whom are not entirely what they at first seem to be • May 31-Jun 16, 7:30pm (2pm matinees on Jun 2, Jun 9, Jun 16) • Tickets start at $25

FOREVER PLAID • Mayfield Dinner Theatre, 16615-109 Ave • This nostalgic revue centres on four eager male singers who are killed in a car crash on the way to their first big concert. They are miraculously revived from the afterlife for a chance to fulfill their dreams and perform the show that never was • Jun 15-Jul 29, showtimes vary (Tue- Sun) • $80 and up

FREEWILL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL • Heritage Ampitheatre, Hawerlak Park, 9330 Groat Rd • freewillshakespeare.com • The festival returns for its 30th season with the two classic plays: Comedy of Errors and Hamlet • Jun 19-Jul 15 (no shows on Mon) INTO THE WOODS • Festival Place, 100 Festival Way Sherwood Park • operanuova.ca • Part of Opera NUOVA's Mainstage series. Mind the wolf, heed the witch, and honor the giant in the sky • Jun 24, Jun 27, Jun 29-30 • $20-$45 LET THERE BE HEIGHT: AN AERIAL CABARET • Westbury Theatre, ATB Financial Arts Barns, 10330-84 Ave • info@fireflytheatre. com • Annual showcase and fundraiser • Jun 7-8, 7:30-9:30pm • $30 (plus applicable fees)

MASTER CLASS • L’Unithéâtre at La Cité Fancophone, 8627-91 St • operanuova.ca • Part of Opera NUOVA's Mainstage series. Maria Callas arrives on stage at Julliard to give a Master Class. As she works with three talented singers she triggers her own life's journey to awaken the appetite for perfection in these budding performers • Jun 12, Jun 14-17 • $20-$28

PUPPET SHOWS: HAMLET & THE COMEDY OF ERRORS • Heritage Amphitheatre, William Hawrelak Park • thouartheretheatre.com • Heading down to the Freewill Shakespeare Festival this summer? Looking for something fun to do before the show begins? Grab some refreshments and let Thou Art Here Theatre introduce you to the play through a fun and interactive puppet adaptation • Jun 19-Jul 15

ROCK & ROLL HEAVEN • Jubilations Dinner Theatre, WEM Phase 1, 8882-170 St • Imagines Heaven’s greatest concert with Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Prince and many more • Jun 15-Aug 19

SPROUTS 2018 • Westbury Theatre, 1033084 Ave • Introduce your children to live theatre through this engaging and gentle first theatre experience • Jun 2-3 • $7.50 (children under three free) TARTUFFE • Theatre at The King’s University, 9125-50 St • operanuova.ca • Part of Opera NUOVA's Mainstage series. Sung in English. A lively, comedic exploration of power and hypocrisy based on Molière’s most famous play • Jun 7-9, 7:30pm; Jun 10, 1:30pm • $20-$28 THEATRESPORTS • Citadel's Zeidler Hall, 9828-101A Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Improv • Every Fri, 7:30pm and 10pm • Sep 9-Jun 8

EXHIBITION

REFLECTIVE MEMORIES

Edmonton artist Brenda Malkinson uses woodcuts and glass to reflect experience and memory

renda Malkinson is an artist. For 35 of her 40 years as an artist, glass has been her primary medium, but printmaking comes in at a close second. This is what her solo exhibition The Surface of Things: Chasing Light consists of: print and glass. Glass is often seen in one of two categories: religiouslythemed—often classical stained glass—or as the unapproachable medium consisting of expensive and dangerous metal and glass variables. But Malkinson sees glass differently. “Because I’m basically self-taught, I didn’t have any of those perceptions starting off,” Malkinson says. “I was fortunate in that the odd person came along and asked if I would make them a window, but it’s the media that I fell in love with.” She got cheap studio space at the municipal airport and the rest is history. Along the way, though, blown glass began to take off and before she knew it, all the glass artists Malkinson had worked with or knew of moved into blown glass. Despite this, she persisted, quietly, and continued her own practice.

“I have no interest in realism,” she says, “I only ever saw it as a medium, it just happens to be on glass. So I paint on it, and I fire on it, and I gouge into it, and I etch on it; I just always saw it as a surface.” In the last few years, Malkinson re-discovered a second medium in printmaking after over 30 years and quickly realized how similar woodcut printing is to glass. “I really wanted this show so that people would look at the prints and then look at the glass and see that they’re the same person,” she says. The exhibition holds three multi-layered glass sculptures, which echo the woodcut prints on the walls. To do this, Malkinson carved several main layer blocks for the woodcut prints—inspired by reflections at a lake she often goes to outside of Edmonton— which echo the layers of colour on the glass she fixes together. Part of the body of work that resulted was an experiment for Malkinson to bring only what she could remember from her

ARTIFACTS

Until Sat., Jul 14 The Surface of Things: Chasing Light Alberta Craft Discovery Gallery, Edmonton Opening reception and artist’s talk on Sat., Jun 2 (2 – 4 pm) surroundings while at the lake back home to her studio. Each print is named after a certain time of day she spent at a specific square-foot of the lake she visits while kayaking, and the final products end up appearing to glow from within— just like glass catching light— thanks to a transparent medium she uses to build up thin layers of transparent ink, or what she refers to as memory. Malkinson hopes others can see the layers of memory and light each piece holds; She’s so devoted to this that she’s bought benches for the craft council so that visitors can sit and enjoy the pieces, giving ample time to consider the layers. Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

The new exhibition features perspectives on recent problematic developments around the globe that involve war conflicts and the mass fleeing of civilians, the endangerment of the environment, political and gender-based issues, famine, consumerism, among others. “For 30 years, Harcourt House has been a major voice I would say for Alberta’s and Canada’s

AROUND THE CORNER COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES

Chris Penwell

Harcourt’s 30th Anniversary/ Sat., Jun 2 (12–5 PM) Harcourt House is celebrating 30 years of offering local artists studio space and art education with the opening of an exhibition that looks into the human psyche and society: In Search of the Human Essence: Humankind at the Beginning of the 21st Century. The event on June 2 will be a fundraiser for the institution, with 30 percent of each artwork sold going to Harcourt’s upcoming art exhibitions and art education programs, and 70 percent going to the artists. In addition, art workshops for families will be conducted by visual artists and art educators. There will be a birthday cake, a glass of champagne, and other dishes available as the event runs from 12–5 p.m.

“June Twentieth 5:45 pm” / Brenda Malkinson

“Tit Bits” by M.N.V (Krista Acheson) / Ruta Nichol

contemporary and visual arts community,” says Jacek Malec, the executive director of Harcourt House, “and an incredible institution for the development and presentation of progressive Canadian talent.” The institution began as an initiative to help the victims of the July, 1987 Edmonton tornado. With the national prominence their art fundraiser received from coast to coast to coast, Harcourt House devoted its attention to providing support to Edmonton’s visual arts community, which at the time, had a critical shortage of studios that were affordable and sustainable.

Harcourt House also provides an outreach program with schools and arts centres for those who have low-incomes and mental or physical disabilities free of charge. They hire professional artists and art educators to provide classes to the general public, which include art history, art theory, and the practical applications in a variety of media in a non-judgmental environment. “We have created an environment of artistic vibrancy and community,” Malec says, “that cannot be matched anywhere else in Western Canada.”

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

Come see us for evidence-based, trauma-informed talk therapy including EMDR, arts-based therapy such as therapeutic filmmaking, and formal psychological assessment services A better life for you and your family is just around the corner.

8617 104 Street NW Edmonton, AB T6E 4G6 Tel: (780) 318-1480

aroundthecornercounselling.com info@aroundthecornercounselling.com arts 9

Millennium Falcon still from the film / Supplied

VUEWEEKLY.com/film DOCUMENTARY – RBG

SCI-FI/FANTASY

FRI, JUN 1–THUR, JUN 7

BOOK CLUB

FRI: 6:45 & 9:15PM SAT: 1:00, 3:15, 6:45 & 9:15PM SUN: 1:00, 3:15, 6:00 & 8:15PM MON TO THURS: 6:45 & 9:00PM RATED: PG, CL, SC

PRESENTS RISE RECONCILIATION FILM FESTIVAL

RHYMES FOR YOUNG GHOULS THUR @ 9:30 FREE ADMISSION JAPANESE MASTERS

AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON THUR @ 7:00

ON CHESIL BEACH

FRI: 7:00 & 9:30PM SAT: 1:15, 3:45, 7:00 & 9:30PM SUN: 1:15, 3:45, 6:15 & 8:30PM MON TO THURS: 7:00 & 9:15PM

MAY 31 - JUN 6 AFTERNOON TEA

BECOMING JANE SUN @ 1:00 AUSTENFEST SWEETS FOR THE SWEET SUN @ 3:15PM BUFFET OF PASTRIES, FRUITS, & TEA

TICKETS $35 AND INCLUDE ADMISSION FOR BOTH FILMS

JAPANESE WITH SUBTITLES FILM TALK BEFORE THE SCREENING

AFTERNOON TEA

INDIAN HORSE FRI @ 7:00 PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWING SCREENING SAT @ 3:30, SUN @ 7:00, WED @ 6:30 REVENGE FRI @ 9:30, SAT @ 9:30 MON @ 9:30

SCI-FI CINEMA

THE ROOM FRI @ 11:30

MUSIC DOCS

REEL FAMILY CINEMA

RIO SAT @ 1:00

FREE ADMISSION FOR KIDS 12 & UNDER METRO MOVIE PARTY!

NAPOLEON DYNAMITE SAT @ 7:00

MANSFIELD PARK SUN @ 4:30 INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1956) SUN @ 9:30 STAFF PICS

FULL METAL JACKET MON @ 7:00 CONCERT FOR GEORGE TUE @ 7:00

WITH A LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE BY NICK SAMOIL AND REBECCA LAPPA AT 6:30. SCI-FI CINEMA

INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (1978) TUE@ 9:30

Metro Cinema at the Garneau: 8712-109 Street WWW.METROCINEMA.ORG

10 ﬁlm

New Star Wars film defies its negative speculations, but falters in the classic breadth-of-plot problem

RATED: 14A, SC

f there is one word to describe the feeling I had before I watched Solo, it would be apprehension. From prior directors parting ways during production, to the rumours of acting classes for the lead, this movie had its fair share of bad press. However, I am happy to inform you that Solo: A Star Wars Story is a blast to watch. The plot is not the most interesting “Star Wars story,” but the high-stakes action, the onpoint acting, and the stunning visual effects will draw you in. I should have found my lack of faith disturbing. Solo is an origin story about the galaxy’s most famous outcast who went through the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. Han (Alden Ehrenreich) and Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) are orphans, who, like Rey in The Force Awakens, are looking for scraps to make a living. They have had to steal and connive in the Imperial city of Corelia. They try to escape, and through a series of circumstances Solo finds Chew-

bacca (Joonas Suotamo) and joins a group of outlaws to steal a highly sought after resource known as hyperfuel coaxium. For such an interesting character and incredible world to draw from, the best thing they can implement is the bland storyline of getting a power source and then don’t explain why it’s so important. You know, it’s powerful—but why and how is it being used? Han and Qi’ra’s relationship could have been developed further. They’re instantly a couple, and we don’t know how they developed and why they care about each other. The film doesn’t give much context to the places they are going to either. It’s as though LucasFilm relied on the books and the comics to provide those insights. The main villain Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) is generic. The performance from the Avengers star is great, as you don’t know what’s revolving in his head, snapping from his calm sensibility at random, unexpected points, but the writing doesn’t show how dangerous he is; he just makes threats. There are some standouts though. Alden Ehrenreich and Donald Glover are Han and Lando. Han has the charisma and Lando has the swagger. Their speech patterns are also spot on but the actors give their own spin on the characters as they are maturing into the people they will become in the original trilogy. They have instant chemistry between each other,

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

Solo: A Star Wars Story Directed by Ron Howard Now Playing  and I would love to see a film with them again as the leads. But that’s not all. Lando’s robot partner, L3–37, (Phoebe WallerBridge) is a hilarious addition to the Star Wars universe as she fights for individualistic robot rights. The jokes, while sparse, land with Han, Chewie, Lando, and L3–37. It is written like a Solo film should. The cameos are also a thrill for Star Wars fans and one of them may have a big influence on the future of the Star Wars cinematic lineup. There’s an unexpected twist in the end that turned the packed theatre electric. This is the most authentic Star Wars movie since The Force Awakens. With Solo, it feels like you’re in the Star Wars universe. The blend of stunning cinematography, puppetry, practical effects, and CG is seamless, and there are plenty of aliens and robotics to gaze in wonder at. The action scenes are also thrilling and inventive, but it’s a shame that they were spoiled by the trailers. Even though the plotline isn’t as interesting as one would hope, Solo: A Star Wars Story delivers a thrill ride in the theatre, thanks to a stellar cast, great comedic writing, and stunning special effects. Chris Penwell

ASTRAL HARVEST • Driftpile • Jul 13 – 16 • Three nights of music, workshops, performances, live art, conferences, food and markets. This year’s festival features performances by Average Gypsy, Hoola, Walker & Royce, SABO, and more • astralharvest.com BEAR CREEK FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL •

Muskoseepi Park, Grande Prairie • Aug 17 – 19 • $159 (three day adult pass), $75 – $79 (adult single pass) • Grande Prairie is bringing its third annual Bear Creek Folk Festival with artists City and Colour, Colin James, Freddy and Francine, and more • bearcreekfolkfest.org • 780.538.1616

BEAUMONT BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL •

Four Seasons Park, 41 Ave, Beaumont • Jun 15 – 17 • Free (12 and under), $60 (day pass), $95 (weekend pass) • A blues festival that’s aimed at getting feet tapping and bodies moving. Headliners this year include Serena Ryder, Terra Lightfoot, Sam Roberts Band, and Bardic Form

BIG VALLEY JAMBOREE

• Camrose Regional Exhibition Grounds • Aug 2 – 5 • Free (11 and under), $50 (kick-off party, no minors), $110 (single-day, adult), $240 (three-day ticket, 12 years and up) • This is one of the biggest country parties of the year. Featuring Thomas Rhett, Florida Georgia Line, Alabama, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and more • bigvalleyjamboree.com • 780.672.0224

BLUEBERRY BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL • Heritage Park

5100-41 Ave, Stony Plain • Aug 4 – 6 • Bring your family, friends and lawn chairs, and enjoy a weekend of bluegrass music. See acts such as Ricky Skaggs, Travelin’ McCourys, and Po’ Ramblin Boys • blueberrybluegrass.com • 888.915.4973

CALGARY FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL • Prince’s Island

Park • Jul 26 – 29 • $180 (adult four day pass), $120 (student/ senior), $60-80 (single adult ticket), $25-40 (single student/

senior ticket) • Featuring A Tribe Called Red, Destroyer, Neko Case, Damien Durado, and more • calgaryfolkfest.com

CALGARY FRINGE FESTIVAL • Different venues throughout Calgary • Aug 3 – 11 • A plethora of 160 unique theatre performances and rarities • calgaryfringe.ca

CALGARY HORROR CON 2018 • Clarion Hotel,

2120-16 Ave NE • Jun 2 – 3 • $35 for weekend pass, $20 (Sat), $25 (Sun) • The ﬁrst convention in Canada dedicated speciﬁcally to horror. Guests include: James Remar (Dexter, The Warriors), David Naughton (An American Werewolf in London), Danielle Harris (Rob Zombie’s Halloween) • horror-con.ca

CALGARY INTERNATIONAL BLUES FESTIVAL • Shaw Millenium Park, 1220-9 Ave SW • Jul 30 – Aug 5 • 12 – 9 pm • A week ﬁlled with workshops, special events, and concerts culminates in four days and nights of non-stop music on the mainstage • calgarybluesfest.com

CALGARY STAMPEDE

• Stampede Park, 1410 Olympic Way SE • Jul 6 – 15 • One of the biggest events of the year with the roughest, toughest cowboys ever to grace the Earth. Performances by Brad Paisley on Jul 13 • calgarystampede.com

COUNTRY THUNDER ALBERTA • 223 Castleridge

Blvd NE • Aug 17 – 19 • $179 (three day pass) • The music festival that brings some of the biggest country names in the world. Lineup includes Eric Church, Toby Keith, Dean Brody, and more • countrythunder.com

FUNNYFEST CALGARY

• Various venues throughout Calgary • Jun 1 – 10 • A festival delivered only by volunteers featuring some of the funniest minds on the planet • funnyfest.com

GLOBALFEST • Elliston

Park • Aug 16 – 25 • $12.50 (single admission to one night); $66.00 Global Passes • A friends and family-oriented multicultural affair, GlobalFest brings you cultural pavilions,

cultural food, performance stages, night market, beer gardens, children’s activities, and more. Come and be mesmerized by 22-minute pyromusicals coming from Ukraine, Spain, Philippines, China, and Canada • globalfest.ca

JAZZ YYC SUMMER FESTIVAL • Alexandra Cen-

tre Society, 922-9 Ave SE, Jun 16 – 17 • 12 pm • The summer festival showcases jazz in all its forms. Local artists and touring Canadian artists perform in concerts, jam sessions, workshops, and free public events at venues and unconventional spaces in Inglewood and downtown • jazzyyc.com

LETHBRIDGE JAZZ FESTIVAL • Lethbridge

(various venues) • Jun 8 – 16 • This year’s performers include Al Muirhead and the Canada Session All Stars, Nobuki Takamen, Colin James, and more • lethbridgejazz.com

on top of St Albert’s Seven Hills. Lineup includes headliner Elle King, Banners, Delhi 2 Dublin, Altameda, and more

SLED ISLAND • Various

venues throughout Calgary • Jun 20 – 24 • $214 (Discovery Pass), $35 (all ages passes) • A ﬁve-day music and art festival that brings over 250 plus bands. Featuring Dirty Projectors, Deerhoof, Slow, Wand, Thundercat, Michael Rault, and more • sledisland.com

SOUTH COUNTRY FAIR

• 555 Lyndon Road, POB #1251, Fort MacLeod • Jul 20 – 22 • $30 – $100 • Culturally curious and inclusive, this festival is ﬁercely Canadian in spirit, but it also enjoys presenting international artists because music sets its own boundaries • southcountryfair.com • 403.388.4414

UP!FEST • Waterfront Park,

Village of Wabamun • Jun 24 • Free • Featuring headliners Loverboy and Prism along with food, drinks, and fun. Come say hi to the 99.3 hosts • up993.com

VIKINGS IN THE STREETS • Across Viking • Jun 15 – 16 • A celebration of the town’s Scandinavian roots. Includes music, chili contests, laser tag, and much more • vikingsinthestreetsfestival.com

WILD MOUNTAIN MUSIC FESTIVAL • Entrance Ranch, 8 km north of Hinton • Jul 13– 15 • Three days of musical splendor in the serene foothills north of Hinton. Lineup includes Wolf Parade, The Jerry Cans, Eric Burdon & The Animals, and more • wildmtnmusic.ca

summer festivals CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 >>

MAGNIFICENT RIVER RATS FESTIVAL • Atha-

basca River Front, north of Edmonton on Hwy 2 • Jun 30 – Jul 1 • $40 (two day pass, before Jun 29), $25 (daily), $20 (youth 13–18 and seniors 65+), free (12 and under) • Featuring performances by: Jesse Roper, Alex May, Cindy Paul, Boogie Patrol, and more • riverratsfestival.com

NORTH COUNTRY FAIR

• Driftpile • Jun 22 – 24 • The closest thing to Woodstock in Alberta, with music, workshops, live art, food, and vendors. Lineup includes Boogie Patrol, Mad Bomber Society, Five Alarm Funk, and more • lslncca.ca/current

REIGN BOUGH FIDDLE FESTIVAL • Metis Crossing,

Smoky Lake • Jun 29 – Jul 2 • For one exciting weekend, get ready to leave ordinary at the door and follow your imagination to the Reign Bough Fiddle where you can see some of the biggest names in psytrance, house, funk, and more • reignboughﬁddle.com

SEVEN MUSIC FEST •

Seven Hills, 13 Mission Ave, St Albert • 1 pm – 11 pm • $80 (Adult Day Pass) • Seven bands

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

summer festivals 11

MOODY NEWS

Neko Case / Emily Shur

NEKO CASE DROPS NEW ALBUM

The veteran singer-songwriter will be bringing her new release Hell-On, a darker number, with her as she tours this summer

eko Case will be bringing new work to her extensive touring of summer festivals this year. The American (though, at this point, she may as well be Canadian) songstress will release her latest album Hell-On on June 1. Case is no stranger to folk festival stages in Canada. She’s been a staple of Edmonton Folk Festival’s lineup in years past, and she’s hitting both Calgary and Regina’s renditions of the event this year.

However, Hell-On breaks some new ground for Case. Her near-trademark voice—incredibly proficient while maintaining its distinctness, with or without distortion—rings true throughout, but the new release dabbles in some off-character instrumentation from the veteran singer-songwriter; its title track perfectly encompasses this, its tone sombre and dark, but Case doesn’t steer things towards sentimentality with as much vigour as she has in

previous releases. Instead, listeners get twinges of oddly cheerful effects and synth moulded within the framework of some truly bummer songs. Hell-On is still distinctly a Neko Case album: all of her traditional tropes appear, but imagine someone took them and dipped them in bourbon, codeine, and the sad parts of Cat Power, or the happpier parts of The Dresden Dolls. Doug Johnson doug@vueweekly.com

20TH ANNIVERSARY NUOVA OPERA & MUSIC THEATRE FESTIVAL •

Until Jun 30 (various venues) • Canada’s only summer opera and musical theatre festival is held in Edmonton celebrating local and national vocalists, and chamber musicians. This year’s highlights include a 20th anniversary masquerade gala, and special performances of Tartuffe, City Workers in Love, Master Class, The Arctic Flute and Into the Woods • operanuova.ca

AFROFEST 2018 • Grant MacEwan Downtown Campus, 105 St to 107 st • Jul 14 – 15 • Live music, Afican and Caribbean cusine, a fashion show, poetry, dance performances; and to kick it all off, a parade • facebook.com/afrofestyeg ALBERTA DANCE ALLIANCE PRESENTS: FEATS FESTIVAL OF DANCE: FOOT PRINTS

• Alberta Dance Alliance, 11759 Groat Rd • Until Jul 7 • Enjoy a wide variety of dance styles during this festival • abdancealliance.ab.ca

ANIMETHON 25 • Shaw Conference Centre, 9797 Jasper Ave • Aug 10 – 12 • Animethon is Western Canada’s largest and longest-running event celebrating Japanese animation. With voice actor guests Mela Lee (Fire Emblem), Erica Lindbeck (Persona 5) • animethon.org ANNUAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL •

Louise McKinny Park • Aug 17 – 19 • Free to watch • The 2,000-year-old Chinese tradition of dragon boat racing has captured the attention of international sporting scenes and is embraced by millions worldwide. This outdoor festival attracts more than 5,000 spectators and 1,500 participants each year • edbfa.com • 780.493.8158

Whether you are a closet collector, a fan of all things retro, or have a taste for the eclectic, there’s a special something waiting here for you. Your donations of quality used furnishings support fellow Edmontonians moving out of homelessness through the Housing First program. Your purchases help support Find in furnishing homes for those in need. Find South Retail & Donation Centre 5120 122 Street t: 780.988.1717

Visit our new location: Find Boutique on Jasper 12304 Jasper Avenue t: 780.425.0212

Find is an initiative of Homeward Trust Edmonton homewardtrust.ca

12 summer festivals

CARIWEST: EDMONTON CARIBBEAN ARTS FESTIVAL • Downtown

@findYEG findedmonton.com

Edmonton • Aug 10 – 12 • For three days, Edmonton will be steeped with the soul and spirit of the Caribbean. Say goodbye to the office, forget the daytimers. Indulge in the colours, music, and excitement • cariwest.ca • 780.421.7800

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

EDMONTON’S BLUES FESTIVAL • Hawrelak Am-

phitheatre, 9330 Groat Rd • Aug 25 – 27 • Weekend pass ($109) • Featuring performances by Anthony Geraci, Cécile Doo-Kingué, Monkeyjunk, Rusty Reed Band, and more • bluesinternationalltd.com

EDMONTON FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL •

Gallagher Park, 94 St and 92 Ave • Aug 9 – 12 • The Edmonton Folk Music Festival offers an eclectic mix of music for all tastes. Located in Edmonton’s scenic river valley, the park’s natural amphitheatre is ideal for the mainstage show and day stages offer musical samplings from around the world. Line up features Regina Spektor, Shakey Graves, The Decemberists, Tash Sultana, and more • edmontonfolkfest.org • 780.429.1899

EDMONTON HERITAGE FESTIVAL • William Hawrelak Park, 9330 Groat Rd • 12 pm – 9 pm (Sat), 10 am – 9 pm (Sun), 10 am – 8 pm (Mon) • Aug 4 – 6 • Join in the annual celebration of Canada’s multicultural heritage. Seventy outdoor pavilions feature over 85 unique cultures. Enjoy delicious food, unique entertainment, and shop for cultural crafts, artwork, and clothing. Food tickets available on site or in advance • heritagefest.ca

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL •

Old Strathcona, various venues • Aug 16 – 26 • For 10 days in August, life is truly a stage in Old Strathcona as one of the largest Fringe Festivals on the continent features more than 200 unjuried and uncensored shows from around the world. This year’s theme is Fringe-O-Saurus Rex • fringetheatreadventures.ca • 780.448.9000

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL

• Various venues through out Edmonton • Jun 22 – Jul 1 • A variety of jazz music with the divine jazz fusion group Snarky Puppy, GoGo Penguin, Moon Hooch, Ghost-Note, and more • edmontonjazz.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 >>

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VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

summer festivals 13

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL STREET PERFORMERS FESTIVAL • Dr.

Wilbert McIntyre Park, 8331 104 St • Jul 10 – 15 • The 34th annual street performers festival is home to more than 1,000 performances by acrobats, jugglers, musicians, unicyclists, and more • edmontonstreetfest. com • 780.425. 5162

EDMONTON ROCK MUSIC FESTIVAL • Hawrelak

Park, 9330 Groat Rd • Aug 17 – 18 • Edmonton has festivals for jazz, blues, and folk, so why not rock? Featuring performances by Don Felder, Los Lobos, Glass Tiger, Saga, and more • edrocks.ca

FREEWILL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL • Heritage Ampitheatre, Hawrelak Park, 9330 Groat Rd • Jun 19 – Jul 15, Evening shows (Tue – Sun) start at 8:00 pm, and mati-

nees (Sat/Sun) start at 2:00 pm. No shows on Mon • $ 53.50; pay-what-you-will performances on Tues evening and Sat matinees • The festival returns for its 30th season with the two classic plays: Comedy of Errors and Hamlet • freewillshakespeare.com

FOUND FESTIVAL •

Various locations around Whyte Ave and downtown • Jun 22 – 25 • Edmonton’s only found-space arts festival is back for its seventh year. It brings the arts out of galleries and concert halls and into the community, allowing audiences to experience performances and installations in ways they have never before • commongroundarts.ca/found

HEART OF THE CITY FESTIVAL • Giovanni Caboto Park, 108A Ave and 95 St • Jun 2 – 3, 11 am • Music, arts, and spoken word trans-

CRAVE MORE ADVENTURE?

JUNE 14

GREAT OUTDOORS JUNE 28

PRE-BOOK YOUR AD NOW! Call Joanne or James at 780 426 1996

14 summer festivals

HISTORIC FESTIVAL & DOORS OPEN EDMONTON • Various locations around Edmonton • Jul 2 – 9 • A festival focused on the history of the many cultures found in Edmonton. Visitors can enjoy a variety of events, such as exploring museums, archives and historic sites as well as participate in bus or walking tours of gardens, natural areas, cemeteries and neighbourhoods • historicedmonton.ca • 780.439.2797

IMPROVAGANZA INTERNATIONAL IMPROV FESTIVAL • Citadel Theatre,

9828-101 A Ave • Jun 13 – 23 • From $15 • Ten days of improvised comedy, music, and much more • rapidfiretheatre. com • 780.443.6044

INTERSTELLAR RODEO

’s

form Edmonton’s core of the city during this family-friendly festival. In its 15th year, the theme “sharing knowledge and growth” is at the heart of Heart of the City • heartcityfest.com

• Heritage Amphitheatre, Hawrelak Park, 9330 Groat Rd • Jul 20 – 22 • Offers music lovers a chance to see some of the hottest bands and solo artists • Lineup includes Courtney Barnett, Feist, The Mavericks, The Dead South, and more • interstellarrodeo.com

K-DAYS • Northlands Park,

73 St and 116 Ave • Jul 20 – 29 • Experience the sights and sounds of K-Days with the rides, midway, food, music, and other fair activities. Coming back this year is the K-Days rodeo. Lineup features The Beach Boys, Ice Cube, The Village People, and more • k-days.com • 780.471.7210

NEXTFEST 2018 • Featuring 28 various locations around Edmonton • Jun 1 – 11 • With 11 days of pure entertainment, 700+ artists featuring music, dance, theatre, visual arts, film, and more • nextf est.ca PRIDE WEEK • Various

Locations • Jun 8 – 17 • Celebrate diversity in Edmonton with a festival for the LGBTQ2S+ community. Featuring the 38th-annual Pride Parade (Jun 9), the inaugural Women & Trans March, Rainbow Art Gallery, and Pride Awards Night • edmontonpride.ca

SOUNDTRACK MUSIC FESTIVAL • Kinsmen Park,

9100 Walterdale Hill • Jun 23 • 1 pm – 11 pm • $89 (O) • Soundtrack Music Festival will be Edmonton’s newest music, arts and culture festival. Headliners are TLC, Goo Goo Dolls, and Blind Melon • soundtrackmusicfestival.com

ANTI-FOLK

SUMMER SOLSTICE MUSIC FESTIVAL • Knox

Evangelical Free Church, 8403-104 st • Jun 18 – 22 • Celebrate the summer solstice with the sounds of Beethoven and Chopin alongside the Edmonton Chamber Music Society • edmontonchambermusic.org

SYMPHONY UNDER THE SKY • Hawrelak Park •

7 pm • Aug 30 – Sep 2 • $135 (adult reserved), $75 (child reserved), $75 (adult grass), free (child grass) • Part of a unique four-night music under the stars event • winspearcentre. com

TASTE OF EDMONTON

• Capital Plaza, 9820-107 St • Jul 19 – 28 • With more than 45 vendors and various food trucks, Taste of Edmonton is one of Western Canada’s largest food festivals • tasteofedm.ca

THE WORKS ART & DESIGN FESTIVAL

• Capital Plaza, 9820-107 St • Jun 21 – Jul 3 • This festival features some of the best in contemporary and traditional visual art and design • theworks.ab.ca

WHYTE AVENUE ART WALK • Whyte Avenue • Free • Jul 6 – Jul 8, 10 am – 5 pm • Whyte Avenue will be covered in art, displayed by various artists • art-walk.ca

Regina Spektor / Supplied

REGINA SPEKTOR F

Regina Spektor will grace the Edmonton Folk Fest stage with her prescence

or more than a decade now, Russian-born, American singer-songwriter Regina Spektor has been challenging the mainstream perception of what a song can be and contain. The 38-year-old performer learned how to play piano at age six under a flourshing Soviet musical household (her father a violinist and her mother a music professor). Into her teenage years and early 20s, Spektor began selfreleasing albums like Songs, and Soviet Kitsch, which caught the ears of New York listeners. She cut her teeth

in the city and fit in nicely with the resurging anti-folk and freak-folk scene that was burgeoning around the Big Apple’s East Village. Spektor’s diverse vocal range and kooky lyrics (see song “Pavlov’s Daughter”) set her apart from other artists. It also helps that she’s a virtuoso on the keys. Her most recent works What We Saw From The Cheap Seats (2012), and Remember Us To Life (2016) are remarkably more poppy then her past releases, but you can sure she will make them more off-beat during her

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

live performance at Edmonton Folk Fest. Especially when busts out an old one like “Carbon Monoxide.” I also suspect she will release an EP or new album late 2018 or early 2019. Stephan Boissonneault stephan@vueweekly.com

Heart of the City 2017 / Supplied

FESTIVAL

Heart of the City Music, Art and Spoken Word Festival unveils its mentorship program to pass along talents

dmonton’s festival season kicks off with a bang this year as Heart of the City Music, Art and Spoken Word Festival celebrates their 15th year. The free event, which takes place at Giovanni Caboto Park, is a landmark anniversary for the locally-focused and volunteer-run festival that incorporates music, art, spoken word, and dance. To mark the occasion, they have a unique new logo design created by young local artist Dana Belcourt, which is being used for Heart of the City’s t-shirts, posters, and social media. Also for the 15th year, festival organizers, including Corine Demas and Heart of the City president Charity Slobod, have introduced a mentorship program to help up-and-coming artists develop their skills with the help of more seasoned artists. “We’ve really blossomed and grown, and we were wondering what really is at the Heart of the City’s core that has facilitated that growth, and a lot of it has been through mentorship,” Slobod says. “Mentorship is within everything. The 15th year is all about knowledge sharing and growth, and we funnel that into all aspects of the celebration.” Bill Bourne, a veteran in the Edmonton folk music scene, is the music mentor for the event. His mentees, Wendy Gregson and Renee McLachlan, a mother-daughter folk duo, entered an application on Heart of the City’s website to have the chance at mentoring sessions with Bourne, who ultimately chose them to win and work with him. “The thing that I’ve absorbed so much is that Bill has this expanded view of music, and such freedom,” says McLachlan. “He has so much wisdom and experience around it

that it feels like my brain has almost been cracked open.” Bourne says that while he hasn’t done much mentoring in the past, he has found the experience to be a great way to share his knowledge. “I don’t see much point in hiding your experience away and keeping it guarded. You learn things via experience that are difficult to learn any other way,” Bourne says. “You might be able to read it somewhere in a book, but it doesn’t really hit you until it’s hands on. At least I can share those moments of insight that I’ve experienced over time.” Bourne, Gregson, and McLachlan will play the main stage on Saturday each performing solo material, as well as a song they’ve been writing together during their sessions. “The song that we’re writing, it surprises me because I’ve never written anything like that. I always think other people do that, not me. It was through hearing Bill’s guitar playing that made me think, ‘I can write lyrics for this’,” Gregson says. The festival’s mentorship program extends to other art forms as well, notably a youth mentorship and a spoken-word mentorship. Nasra Adem, a poetry artist and former youth Poet Laureate, is currently mentoring Nadia Sadiq. During their sessions together, they have continued to take away positive advice and inspiration from one another. “Being a mentor is about passing the mic. Understanding and honouring the gifts and knowledge you’ve acquired through your experience and sharing it,” Adem says. “But, being a mentor is just as much about learning and re-

ceiving as it is offering. You have to understand how to communicate your knowledge, how to really reach people.” In addition to music performances and art workshops, which will feature over 50 live acts including Rebecca Lappa and the Revelry, Von Bieker, and The Spanish Flies, the festival is also introducing a brand-new interactive aspect in partnership with the Our McCauley Initiative. “We are bringing in a teepee, where there will be different activities throughout the day. It’s focused on intercultural sharing of knowledge, so some of that will be storytelling, drum making, bannock, a ring toss game, and smudging,” Slobod says. “We always have a First Nations initiative, and we are really looking at the sharing of cultures and inviting everybody in.” Fans of dance will be able to look forward to seeing local company Mile Zero Dance, who will have a special Sunday performance of their piece called Dream Parade, which will travel through the park. For visitors looking to leave their mark on the festival and in the city, local organization CreArt will be bringing in a few large murals for guests and artists to decorate, which will eventually be on display out in the community. The festival will also have an open jam on Saturday evening, where anyone can come out and share their talents and knowledge—a concept that brings the mentorship theme into full effect. “The mentorship idea is about passing things along. That’s a great phrase, passing it along,” Bourne says. “Music doesn’t belong to anybody. Art is like that. It doesn’t really belong to us, we’re just lucky.” Heather Gunn

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

Sat., Jun 2 – Sun., Jun 3 Heart of the City Music, Art and Spoken Word Festival Giovanni Caboto Park Free entry heartcityfest.com

music 15

FRANCOPHONE PSYCH

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE You don’t need to know French to enjoy Ponteix’s Francophone psych-pop sound

MUSIC WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 12PM

THU MAY 31 ACCENT LOUNGE Hewson Grey

with Rebecca Lappa; 9:3011:30pm; $10; 18+ only ARIA'S BISTRO Open mic with

Garrett James; 6-10pm; All ages AVIARY Andersonburko; 7:30pm;

$15 (adv), $20 (door) BLUES ON WHYTE Andy Sydow;

9pm BLVD SUPPER X CLUB B**ch A

Little, Wine Alot (house, hip-hop and reggae music); Every Thu; No cover BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB Kara-

oke/DJ; Every Thu-Sat, 9pm BRICK & WHISKEY PUBLIC HOUSE

Big Rockin' Thursday Jam & Open Mic; Every Thu, 8pm CAFE BLACKBIRD YEG Music

He first began playing music solo under his own name, but throughout the years he began to meet and play with other musicians including Adam Logan and Kyle Grimsrud-Manz. After a certain point, when he played with the same few musicians regularly enough, he decided to change the project’s name to Ponteix, even if he still wrote most of the compositions himself. “It felt right to change it because I didn’t want it to be representing me, I wanted to represent an idea,” Lepage says. Ponteix’s sound is filled with songs written in both French and English, with about 75 percent of their repertoire being in French. Despite this, Lepage says that you don’t necessarily need to know French to enjoy their music. They’ve played English festivals, and their reception from English speakers has been just as strong as from French speakers. “[It’s] been really, really cool to be a living example that music is a language in itself, or

music speaks for itself, or it’s an expression in itself,” he says. “[It’s] really cool that it’s like a universal language.” So far, the band has released one four-song EP titled J’Orage, which won them multiple awards at the Western Canadian Music Awards and the Trille Or Music Awards in 2017. Over the last year, they have been working on writing and recording their first fulllength album. The album is being recorded at La Piaule studio in St. Bernardin, Ontario, which is actually an old horse stable converted into a studio. “It really just felt super right to be out in the country,” Lepage says. “It really felt like I was at home, so it was a really nice environment to write in. It just fit really well.” The album is expected out early 2019, but just this past Monday the band released a first look at the album with a live video of their new song “Supernova.” Alexander Sorochan

YARDBIRD SUITE Paul Johnston Trio; 7pm (doors), 8pm (show); $11 (members), $15 (guests)

Classical WINSPEAR CENTRE Winspear

Overture Tour; 12pm; Free (email Michelle Jones to RSVP)

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Thu Main Fl: Rock N' Roll, Funk & Soul

with DJ Modest Mike; Every Thu; Wooftop Lounge: Dear Hip Hop with Freshlan; Underdog: Underdog Comedy Show Uncommon Thursday: Rotating guests each week every Thu; dance lessons at 8pm; Cuban Salsa DJ to follow

THE ALMANAC The JQ; 8pm; AVIARY VISSIA with Bears in

the Leaf; Every Thu, 9pm; Free

Hazenmore and Eva Foote; 8pm; $10 (adv)

MEMPHIS BLUES BBQ HOUSE

B-STREET BAR Karaoke; Every

Michael Chenoweth; 7-9pm; Free

Fri-Sat, 9:30pm

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ Thu open

BAILEY THEATRE–CAMROSE Echo

REC ROOM–SOUTH EDMONTON COMMON Space Classic "Tour"

Kickoff; 8pm; $10 (adv), $15 (door) REC ROOM–WEST EDMONTON MALL Throwback Thursday

with The Sissy Fits; Every Thu, 8:30pm; Free SANDS INN & SUITES Karaoke

Thursdays with JR; Every Thu, 9pm-1am SEWING MACHINE FACTORY

Sievi, Selci, Lyra Brown; 8pm; $8 (adv), $10 (door) SHAKERS ROADHOUSE The Katz

N Jammers Thursday Night Wail; Every Thu, 7:30-11pm SQUARE 1 COFFEE Singer/

Songwriter Open Mic Hosted

Bears in Hazenmore Aviary Jun 1, 8pm $10 (adv)

OUR THEME THIS YEAR WAS WE'RE THE FUTURE, AND THANKS TO YOU, WE'LL BE AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO EXPERIENCE FLYING CARS AND FRIDGES WITH BUILT-IN RADIOS. YOU'RE THE BEST! CJSR.COM VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY The Rural FIONN MACCOOL'S–MAYFIELD

Michael Chenoweth; 8pm; No cover THE FORGE ON WHYTE Retrofile, I Used to Love, Single Release Show; 8pm ONLY THE GOOD STUFF OGS Open Mic/Jam/Karaoke; Every Fri; Free; 18+ only ON THE ROCKS Live music; 9pm REC ROOM–WEST EDMONTON MALL DBL DIP; 9:30pm; Free

DJs

$15 (adv)

thanks you for upporting us during this year' FunDDive campaign.

16 music

Routes; 9pm

Branch; 2nd Thu of every month, 7-8:30pm; No cover (donations welcome)

LB'S PUB Open Jam hosted by

Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers every Thu; 7pm

CENTURY CASINO–ST. ALBERT Dirt

Road Angels; 9pm; Free

WOODRACK CAFÉ Birdie on a

FRI JUN 1

NORTH GLENORA HALL Jam by

A Tribute to Elvis In Concert featuring Chris Connor & Pete Paquette; 7pm; $45

DENIZEN HALL Champ City Soundtrack; Every Fri-Sat

with El Niven & The Alibi and friends; Every Thu, 8:30pm; No cover

stage; 7pm

CENTURY CASINO–EDMONTON

Atlas Moth, Mustard Gas & Roses, EVERYTHINGYOUEVERLOVED; 8pm; $15

ON THE ROCKS Salsa Rocks:

LEAF BAR AND GRILL Karoake at

Sat., Jun 2 (8 pm) Ponteix w/ Paul Cournoyer, and Rayannah The Aviary $12 at doors

TEMPLE–STARLITE ROOM The

FIDDLER'S ROOST Acoustic Circle

Russell Johnston

to experimental music because that’s how I played music—experimenting through instruments, trying to be a one-man band—since there was no one really to play with,” Lepage says.

with Michael Gress (fr Self Evolution); every Thu; 9pm-2am

THE COMMON The Common

Jam; 7:30-11:30pm

he flat prairies of rural Saskatchewan isn’t exactly the first place that springs to mind when the phrase Francophone electronic music is thrown around, but that hasn’t stopped Mario Lepage and his band Ponteix from creating some spacey, otherworldly tunes. Ponteix, a band out of Saskatoon, brings a mixture of psych, pop, and electronic music to their sound. Fronted by Lepage, the band draws heavy inspiration from new wave rock such as Radiohead, as well as electronic musicians like Nicholas Jaar and Brian Eno. Lepage began his musical journey when he was a child growing up on a farm near Saskatoon. His older brothers spent much of their free time playing music, and Lepage would often sneak into the room to watch them play and fantasize about being able to play with them. Growing up on a farm, it wasn’t like Lepage had a ton of people to pass around music with and help him discover new bands— his graduating class was only five people. Instead, he had to resort to finding new music on the internet. It was experimental music that spoke to him most. “I invested my time in listening

TAVERN ON WHYTE Open stage

Presents: Posy Jay, Sam Huggett, Andrea Shipka, and Whitney Ann B; 7pm; $10

HAVE MERCY Thigh Thursdays

Ponteix / Jean-Philippe Sansfaçons

by Tommy Barker; Every Thu, 7-9:30pm

Nebraska CD Release Show; 8pm; $25 (Students $15) at the Bailey Box Office or online BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Cello & Guitar Dinner Music; 7-10pm; By donation BLUES ON WHYTE Andy Sydow;

9pm BOHEMIA SpartanS with Calamity Jane and guests; 8pm; $10; No minors

RENDEZVOUS PUB Ruined Escape Plan, Them Suits; 8pm (doors); $12 RICHARD'S PUB DJ Brad House

Party; Evrey Fri-Sat, 9pm ROSE & CROWN PUB Chance

Devlin; 9pm SANDS INN & SUITES Karaoke with entertainment, Every Fri, 9pm SEWING MACHINE FACTORY

Andrew Phelan, Ponytails, Lucas Chaisson; 8pm; $10; 18+ only SHAKERS ROADHOUSE North America's Tribute to the Scorpions: BlackOut; 9pm; $10; No minors SHERLOCK HOLMES–DOWNTOWN

Doug Stroud; 9pm SHERLOCK HOLMES–WEM Mike

"The Party Hog"; 9pm SIDELINER’S PUB Friday Night

Bands: live music; Every Fri STARLIGHT CASINO Shane Young;

9pm TEMPLE–STARLITE ROOM

Vantopia Showcase with Ape Machine, Salems Bend, High Priestess, and Leonard, Salem's Bend, High Priestess, Leonard; 8pm; $10; 18+ only YARDBIRD SUITE Kristian

oke/DJ; Every Thu-Sat, 9pm

Braathen Trio; 7pm (doors), 8pm (shows); $22 (members), $26 (guests)

CAFE BLACKBIRD Andrea Graham

Classical

BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB Kara-

Quartet; 8pm; $10

CARROT COFFEEHOUSE Live music every Fri; all ages; 7pm; $5 (door)

WINSPEAR CENTRE Edmonton Symphony Orchestra presents Beethoven’s Ninth conducted by Alexander Prior; 7:30pm (Fri), 8pm (Sat); $15-$88

CASINO YELLOWHEAD Andre-

DJs

CAFFREY'S IN THE PARK Live

music; 9pm

Philippe Gagnon; 8pm; Tickets at Ticketmaster

/ Supplied

EDMONTON’S LISTENER SUPPORTED VOLUNTEER POWERED CAMPUS COMMUNITY R A D I O S TAT I O N

780.492.2577 CJSR.COM FM88

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: DJ Late Fee; Every Fri; Wooftop: Selection

Fridays with Remo, Noosh, Fingertips & guests; Underdog: Rap, House, HipHop with DJ Teddy Plenti; every Fri THE COMMON Quality Control Fridays

with DJ Echo & Freshlan

MKT FRESH FOOD AND BEER MARKET

Live Local Bands every Sat ON THE ROCKS Live music; 9pm REC ROOM–WEST EDMONTON MALL

Bandana Gold; 9:30pm; Free RENDEZVOUS PUB Wraith, Malicious

EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR Resident DJs playing the

Intent, Rising Sun; 8pm (doors), 10pm (show); $12

best in hip-hop, dance and classics; Every Fri-Sat, 9pm; No cover

RICHARD'S PUB DJ Brad House Party;

GAS PUMP Live DJ; 10pm

RIVER CREE–The Venue “Weird Al”

THE PROVINCIAL PUB Video Music DJ;

9pm-2am Y AFTERHOURS Live DJs; Every Fri-Sat

Every Fri-Sat, 9pm

Doreen, Juice, Delusions of Grandeur; 9pm; All ages

Paul Cournoyer; 8pm; $10 (adv), $12 (door) B-STREET BAR Karaoke; Every Fri-Sat,

Every Thu-Sat, 9pm CAFFREY'S IN THE PARK Live music;

9pm CARROT COFFEEHOUSE Sat Open mic;

6-10pm; Free CASK AND BARREL Tyler Allen; 4-6pm;

No cover CENTURY CASINO–EDMONTON A

Tribute to Elvis In Concert featuring Chris Connor & Pete Paquette; 7pm; $45

STARLIGHT CASINO Shane Young; 9pm

Classical

STARLITE ROOM Whale and the Wolf

ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL

YARDBIRD SUITE Sam Kirmayer

Quartet; 7pm (doors), 8pm (show); $22 (members), $26 (guests)

Classical MUTTART HALL Angela Cheng Piano

Recital; 7:30-10pm; $30 (at Eventbrite) WINSPEAR CENTRE Edmonton Sym-

phony Orchestra presents Beethoven’s Ninth conducted by Alexander Prior; 7:30pm (Fri), 8pm (Sat); $15-$88

WINSPEAR CENTRE Cosmopolitan Music Society Season Finale; 7:30pm; Free-$25

DJs

EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR Resident DJs playing the

THE FORGE ON WHYTE Black Fridays

best in hip-hop, dance and classics; Every Fri-Sat, 9pm; No cover ENVY NIGHT CLUB Resolution

ON THE ROCKS Karaoke Wednesdays hosted by ED; Every Wed, 9pm

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Acoustic Music Jam & Dancing; 7-10pm SIDELINER’S PUB Singer/Songwriter

Monday Night Open Stage; Hosted by Celeigh Cardinal; Every Mon (except long weekends), 8:30pm

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor:

Simon, Dan and Pascal; Every Sat, 4-7pm; Free

MERCER TAVERN DJ Mikey Wong

JOHN JANZEN NATURE CENTRE

every Sat

TAVERN ON WHYTE Classic hip-hop with DJ Creeazn every Mon; 9pm-2am

Edmonton Wildlife Festival featuring Praisejesus Artis and more; 9am

THE PROVINCIAL PUB Saturday Nights:

LB'S PUB Chillfactor; 9pm; No minors LEAF BAR AND GRILL Homemade Jam;

3-7pm; Free • Papparocca; 9pm

Indie rock and dance with DJ Maurice; 9pm-2am TAVERN ON WHYTE Soul, motown, funk, R&B and more with DJs Ben and Mitch; every Sat; 9pm-2am

BANDANA GOLD

JUN 1

THROWBACK THURSDAY w/ The Sissy Fits

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society; Guests and newcomers always welcome; every Wed, 7pm; $2 (donation, per person), free coffee available THE PROVINCIAL PUB Karaoke

Wednesday

Saturdays: top 40, throwbacks and club anthems

HILLTOP PUB Open stage hosted by

MAY 26

Double Bill!

GAS PUMP Karaoke; 9:30pm

MON JUN 4

7-11pm

DBL DIP

The Rec Room is owned by Cineplex Entertainment L. P.

DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY Wed open mic with host Duff Robison; 8pm

Wednesdays; Every Wed, 7-11pm; Free

FIDDLER'S ROOST Open Stage;

MAY 25

BLUES ON WHYTE Taylor Scott Band;

GAS PUMP Kizomba-DJ; 8pm

DEVANEY'S IRISH PUB Karaoke night;

ECHO NEBRASKA w/ Chloe Albert

9pm

with Tiff Hall; Every Wed, 8:30pm

Every Mon, 9pm; Free

SPACE CLASSIC w/ Yes Nice, Soft Violence

For tickets and full listings TheRecRoom.com

ARDEN THEATRE St. Albert Community Band; 7pm; $8-$12 (Available at Ticketmaster)

LEAF BAR & GRILL Wang Dang

BLUES ON WHYTE Slim Duncan; 9pm

Empress; Every Sat, 4-6pm; Free; 18+ only

The Good Lovelies with Moscow Apartment; 7pm; $30 (adv), $35 (door)

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: DJ

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Wooftop: Metal

WAYBACK PLAYBACK TOURNAMENT

WEST EDMONTON MALL

resident DJs

Zyppy with DJ Late Fee; Every Sun

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor:

EMPRESS ALE HOUSE Bands at the

MAY 31

HAVE MERCY Piano Karaoke featuring

Mondays with Metal Phil from CJSR's Heavy Metal Lunchbox

Night: House and disco and everything in between with Wright & Wong, Dane

Darker Days Album Release; 8pm; $10 (adv), $15 (door); 18+ only

Pro Coro Canada presents Saints, Legends, and Magic Songs; 3pm; Tickets available through Pro Coro

DJs

THE COMMON Get Down It's Saturday

Routes; 9pm

MAY 26

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor:

ALLARD HALL–TRIFFO THEATRE

18+ only

MAY 25

& Blu Kobina

SANDS INN & SUITES Open Jam; Every

Sun, 7-11pm

UNION HALL Tritonal; 9pm; $30;

SOUTH EDMONTON COMMON

RICHARD’S PUB Live musician jam

Party Hog"; 9pm

with Forester, Bedside, and FKB; 8pm; $10; 18+ only

EVENTS

DJs

WED JUN 6

DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY The Rural

DENIZEN HALL Champ City Soundtrack;

ONLY THE GOOD STUFF OGS Industry Nights; Every Sun; Free; 18+ only

UPCOMING

WINSPEAR CENTRE Edmonton Symphony Orchestra And YonaSistema presents Road to Joy; 7pm

with live karaoke, hosted by the Ralph Pretz Band; Every Sun, 4-8pm

Every Fri-Sat

CENTURY CASINO–ST. ALBERT Dirt

BLUES ON WHYTE Andy Sydow; 9pm

SHERLOCK HOLMES–DOWNTOWN Doug

DJ Chris Bruce spins britpop/punk/ garage/indie; Every Sat; Wooftop: Sound It Up! with DJ Instigate spinning classic hip-hop and reggae; Underdog: hip-hop open Mic followed by DJ Marack

Road Angels; 9pm; Free

Classical

EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR Taco Tuesday with

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Hair of the

BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB Karaoke/DJ;

Band; Every Tue, 7:30-11pm

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Sunday Brunch

RENDEZVOUS PUB Alone I Walk, Tanner Cyr, Bloom Circle; 7pm (doors), 8pm (show); $10

SHERLOCK HOLMES–WEM Mike "The

BOHEMIA Haxor; 8pm; $10

Jam; Every Sun, 4-8pm; No cover

SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Mark Ammar’s Saturday Sessions Jam; Every Sat, 4-8pm • Cadillac Junkies; 9pm; $10; No minors

BAILEY THEATRE–CAMROSE HYSTERIA of Def Leppard with guests Godfrey Blaque; 7:30pm; $45 at the Bailey Box Office or online

BLUES ON WHYTE Andy Sydow; 9pm

SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Rusty Reed

Chris Bruce spins britpop/punk/ garage/indie; Every Tue

Stroud; 9pm

BLIND PIG PUB Saturday afternoon live music showcase; Every Sat, 3-7pm

BLIND PIG PUB Blind Pig Pub Ham

ON THE ROCKS Live music; 9pm

9:30pm

Dog; 4-6pm; No cover

LB'S PUB Tuesday Night Open Jam Hosted by Darrell Barr; 7-11pm; No charge

HAVE MERCY Bring Your Own Vinyl

SEWING MACHINE FACTORY Fitness,

Night with Sheriff Taylor; Every 3rd Tue of the month • To-Do Tuesday: open mic night hosted by Justin Perkins

& Smith; 6:30pm; $10 (adv), $13 (door)

AVIARY Celeigh Cardinal with Gunner

ROSE & CROWN PUB Chance Devlin;

ALIBI PUB & EATERY Rising Star

AVIARY Ponteix with Rayannah and

ALIBI PUB AND EATERY Open mic night; Every Sun, 6-9pm

with PM Bossa; 9am-2pm; Music by donation

SAT JUN 2

GAS PUMP Karaoke; 9:30pm HAVE MERCY Outlaw Country Vinyl

SUN JUN 3

Yankovic: The Ridiculously SelfIndulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour with special guest Emo Philips; 7pm; Tickets starting at $59.99 9pm

Showcase of Cooper Studios; Every Sat, 12-3pm

Y AFTERHOURS Live DJs; Every Fri-Sat

Substance with Eddie Lunchpail

TUE JUN 5

SEWING MACHINE FACTORY Hazy, The

Pinc Lincolns, Caity Fisher, Pallor; 7pm SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Lady Lynne and

The Grinders; Every Wed, 7:30-11pm TAVERN ON WHYTE Karaoke; 9pm

Classical ARDEN THEATRE St. Albert Community Band Spring Concert 2018; 7-9pm; $12 (adults), $8 (students and seniors); Tickets at the door or at Ticketmaster

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: DJ

BLUES ON WHYTE Slim Duncan; 9pm

Late Fee; Every Wed

FIDDLER'S ROOST Fiddle Jam Circle;

7:30-11:30pm

VENUEGUIDE ACCENT LOUNGE 8223-104 St ALIBI PUB & EATERY 17328 Stony Plain Rd ALLARD HALL–TRIFFO THEATRE MacEwan University, 11110-104 Ave ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH 10035-103 St THE ALMANAC 10351-82 Ave, 780.760.4567, almanaconwhyte.com ARDEN THEATRE 5 St Anne St, St Albert, 780.459.1542, stalbert.ca/experience/ardentheatre ARIA'S BISTRO 10332-81 Ave, 780.972.4842, ariasbistro.com AVIARY 9314-111 Ave B-STREET BAR 11818-111 Ave BAILEY THEATRE 5041-50 St, Camrose, 780. 672.5510, baileytheatre.com BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE 10425-82 Ave, 780.439.1082 BLIND PIG PUB 32 St Anne Street St. Albert BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ 9624-76 Ave, 780.989.2861 BLUES ON WHYTE 10329-82 Ave, 780.439.3981 BLVD SUPPER X CLUB 10765 Jasper Ave

BOHEMIA 10217-97 St BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB 322682 St, 780.462.1888 BRICK & WHISKEY PUBLIC HOUSE 8937-82 Ave CAFE BLACKBIRD 9640-142 St NW, 780.451.8890, cafeblackbird.ca CAFFREY'S IN THE PARK 99, 23349 Wye Rd, Sherwood Park CARROT COFFEEHOUSE 9351118 Ave, 780.471.1580 CASINO YELLOWHEAD 12464153 St, 780.424 9467 CASK AND BARREL 10041104 St; 780.498.1224, thecaskandbarrel.ca CENTURY CASINO–EDMONTON 13103 Fort Rd, 780.643.4000 CENTURY CASINO–ST. ALBERT 24 Boudreau Rd, St. Albert, 780.460.8092 COMMON 9910-109 St DENIZEN HALL 10311-103 Ave, 780.424.8215, thedenizenhall. com DEVANEY'S IRISH PUB 1111387 Ave NW, devaneyspub.com DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY 9013-88 Ave, 780.465.4834 EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR 8230 Gateway Blvd, elcortezcantina.com

EMPRESS ALE HOUSE 9912-82 Ave NW ENVY NIGHT CLUB West Edmonton Mall, 8882 170 St FIDDLER'S ROOST 7308-76 Ave, 780.439.9788, fiddlersroost.ca FIONN MACCOOL'S–MAYFIELD 10813-170 St THE FORGE ON WHYTE 1054982 Ave (Whyte Ave) GAS PUMP NIGHT CLUB & BAR 10166-114 St HAVE MERCY SOUTHERN TABLE + BAR 8232 Gateway Blvd, havemercy.ca HILLTOP PUB 8220-106 Ave NW JOHN JANZEN NATURE CENTRE 7000-143 St L.B.’S PUB 23 Akins Dr, St Albert, 780.460.9100 LEAF BAR & GRILL 9016132 Ave MEMPHIS BLUES BBQ HOUSE 5317-23 Ave MKT FRESH FOOD AND BEER MARKET 8101 Gateway Blvd, 780.439.2337 MERCER TAVERN 10363 104 St, 587.521.1911 MERCURY ROOM 10575-114 St MUTTART HALL 10050 Macdonald Dr, 780.633.3725

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ 10303-108 St, 780.425.9730 NORTH GLENORA HALL 13535109A Ave ONLY THE GOOD STUFF 15135 Stony Plain Road ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767 PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL 10860-57 Ave THE PROVINCIAL PUB 160, 4211-106 St REC ROOM–SOUTH EDMONTON COMMON 1725-99 St NW REC ROOM–WEST EDMONTON MALL 8882-170 St NW RICHARD’S PUB 12150-161 Ave, 780.457.3117 RIVER CREE–THE VENUE 300 E Lapotac Blvd ROSE AND CROWN 10235101 St SANDS INN & SUITES 12340 Fort Rd, sandshoteledmonton. com SEWING MACHINE FACTORY 9562-82 Ave SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Yellowhead Inn, 15004 Yellowhead Trail

SHERLOCK HOLMES–DOWNTOWN 10012-101 A Ave, 780.426.7784, sherlockshospitality.com SHERLOCK HOLMES–WEM 8882-170 St, 780.444.1752, sherlockshospitality.com SIDELINERS PUB 11018127 St SQUARE 1 COFFEE 15 Fairway Drive STARLIGHT CASINO 8882170 St STARLITE ROOM 10030-102 St, 780.428.1099 TAVERN ON WHYTE 10507-82 Ave, 780.521.4404 TEMPLE–STARLITE ROOM 10030-102 St UNION HALL 6240-99 St NW, 780.702-2582, unionhall.ca WINSPEAR CENTRE 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square; 780.428.1414 WOODRACK CAFE 7603109 St, 780. 757.0380, thewoodrackcafe.com Y AFTERHOURS 10028-102 St, 780.994.3256, yafterhours. com YARDBIRD SUITE 11 Tommy Banks Way, 780.432.0428

June 16th Tickets $39.95 plus GST

Some conditions may apply. Promotion subject to change without notice and AGLC approval.

cnty.com/edmonton

VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

music 17

EVENTS

COUNTRY-ROCK

WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 12PM

GROUPS/CLUBS/MEETINGS ADULT DANCE CLASSES • Quantum Leap Dance, 11232-163 St • 780.974.0309 • MON: Adult Tap, 7-8pm; Stretch & Strength with Jazz, 8-9:15pm • Wed: Floor Barre 6:45-7:45, Adult Ballet 7:45-9:15pm • Drop in Rate $15.75 (inc. GST); 5, 10, 15 Class passes available AIKIKAI AIKIDO CLUB • 10139-87 Ave, Old Strathcona Community League • Japanese Martial Art of Aikido • Every Tue, Thu; 7-9pm

AMITABHA KADAMPA BUDDHIST CENTRE • 9550-87 St • 780.235.8257 • info@ meditationedmonton.org • meditationedmonton.org • Weekly meditation classes and events. All welcome • Every Sun, Tue, Thu Cadillac Junkies/ Supplied

STEPPING STONES ON THE TRAIL Sat., Jun. 2 (9 pm) Cadillac Junkies Shakers Roadhouse $10

fter three years of making music clad in cowboy boots, Edmonton outfit Cadillac Junkies is starting to hit its stride. Shalisa Liesch, the band’s vocalist, says 2018 is the group’s “foot-inthe-door” year, a formative year where the relatively new group —formed primarily of Liesch and co-song writer Dennis Boisvertr—starts trying in earnest to make a name for itself. Last summer, the band travelled to Sweden to play the Live at Heart festival, one of Scandinavia’s largest musical events. While there, the band—whose promo photo the festival used as their main marketing image— networked aggressively with the other bands. Live at Heart invited them back to play this summer but, Liesch says, the band wants to stay a little closer to home this year. “This year, we can’t make it. We were torn between going to the Canadian Country Music Awards or go there and do a followup, but I think we’re going to stay here. We’ve been building a pretty good foundation here,” Liesch says.

Live at Heart classified the group as Americana, a reckoning with which Liesche has no issue—given the proximity between the genre and country music—but one that, nonetheless, she hopes to buck in the future, erring more to the jingle and twang of a proper country act. This is an end goal she’s had for quite some time. “I feel OK with it because we’re not your typical country band. We have influence in a lot of different genres, so I think Americana really expresses that. For me, I really want to bring a new sound to country,” Liesch says. “Until people are really aware of who we are and what we do, we’re going to be labelled as Americana. It’s kind of a stepping stone to where we want to go.” Liesch and Boisvert have different writing styles, and interests in music, so Cadillac Junkies’ previous works were musically all over

the place. Liesch hopes to bring these disparate styles into a more cohesive blues country noise, with “a bit more grit,” she says. “This is going to be a little more honed in than our last album.” According to Liesch, the band has around four new songs written already for a new album, which has yet to be named. The band applied for the Project Wild grant, which pits country and roots bands against each other in a contest for $100,000, $75,000, and $50,000—first, second, and third places, respectively—towards future musical ventures, like Cadillac Junkies’ album, for instance. On June 10, the competition will announce its 12 finalists, each of whom receive $5,000. “I had a vision, and I wanted to go for it,” Liesch says. “That’s where I want to see myself ... My vision: I don’t know how I’m going to get there, but eventually, I feel like I’m going to get there.” This is shaping up to be a busy summer for Cadillac Junkies. The band will take the stage at Shakers Roadhouse on June 2, then another show at the Bourbon Room on June 3, a going away party for Axe Music; and, then, a show on June 22 at Knoxville’s Tavern. Liesch will also perform a solo set on Jun. 21 at Squires. Doug Johnson doug@vueweekly.com

10442 whyte ave 439.1273 10442 whyte ave 439.1273 CD / LP

JO PASSED

Their Prime

9708-45 Ave • 780.438.3207 • virenzi@shaw. ca • Argentine Tango with Tango Divino: beginners: 7-8pm; intermediate: 8-9pm; Tango Social Dance (Milonga): 9pm-12 • Every Fri, 7pm-midnight • $15

BALLROOM, LATIN, COUNTRY DANCE SOCIAL • Central Lions Recreation Centre, 11113-

This is the year Cadillac Junkies lay the groundwork for their future Cadillac Junkies returned from Canadian Music Week in Toronto, May 7-13, and, earlier in the year, performed at the Albertan Country Music Awards—all steps forward for band’s increasing momentum. “This year is when I met everybody that I can make contact with to do all the shows for next year,” she says.

ARGENTINE TANGO DANCE AT FOOT NOTES STUDIO • Foot Notes Dance Studio (South side),

113 St • 780.893.6828 • ebda.ca • An evening of ballroom, latin, country dancing • 1st Sat of every month, 8pm (doors)

CARROT COFFEE FRIENDSHIP CLUB • Carrot Coffeehouse, 9351-118 Ave • Have a cup of coffee with 55+ individuals single, divorced, or widowed who are looking to make new friends with neighbours in our local communities of: Delton, Eastwood, Parkdale – Cromdale, Westwood, Spruce Ave, and Alberta Avenue • Every Wed, 1-2pm

COFFEE WITH COPS • Carrot Coffeehouse, 9351-118 Ave • Edmonton Police Service invites the community to an open discussion • 1st Tue of every month, 10-11am DANCE CLASSES WITH GOOD WOMEN DANCE COLLECTIVE • Muriel Taylor Studio at Ruth Carse Centre for Dance, 11205-107 Ave • info@goodwomen. ca • goodwomen.ca/classes • Every Tue, Thu, Fri; 10-11:30am • $15 (drop-in), $65 (5 class pack), $100 (10 class pack)

DOWNTOWN EDMONTON BOOK CLUB • Downtown Edmonton Community League, 10042-103 St • facebook.com/declorg • Open to anyone who lives, works, or plays downtown and wants to meet new people, have great conversations, and read cool stuff • Every 2nd Wed, 7-8:30pm

DROP-IN D&D • Hexagon Board Game Café, 10750-82 Ave • 780.757.3105 • info@thehexcafe. com • thehexcafe.com • Each night will be a single campaign that fits in a larger story arc. For all levels of gamers and those brand new or experienced to D&D • Every Tue & Wed, 7pm • $5 (with drink purchase)

DROP-IN LARP • Jackie Parker Park • westernwinds.summerfrost.ca • Battle games and fighter practice using provided safe weapon boffer. An exciting way to get exercise while meeting new people with similar passions • Every Sat, 1:15pm • Free FERTILITY AWARENESS CHARTING CIRCLE • Remedy Cafe, 8631-109 St • faccedmonton@ gmail.com • fertilityawarenesschartingcircle.org • 1st Mon each month (Oct-Jun), 6:30-8:30pm • $10 (suggested donation) • RSVP at faccedmonton@ gmail.com

FLAMENCO DANCE CLASSES (BEGINNER OR ADVANCED) • Dance Code Studio, 10575115 St NW • 780.349.4843 • judithgarcia07@gmail. com • flamencoenvivo.com • Every Sun until Jun 10, 11:30am-12:30pm

FOOD ADDICTS • Alano Club (& Simply Done Cafe), 10728-124 St • 780.718.7133 (or 403.506.4695 after 7pm) • Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), free 12-Step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, under-eating, and bulimia • Meetings every Thu, 7pm

FORT SASKATCHEWAN 45+ SINGLES COFFEE GROUP • A&W, 10101-88 Ave, Fort

blackbyrd

18 music

w w w . b l a c k b y r d . c aVUEWEEKLY.com SEE MAG: Jan 3, 1c x 2”/ 28 AG RB: BLACKBYRD MYOOZIK

Saskatchewan • 780.907.0201 (Brenda) • A mixed group offering conversation and friendship • Every Sun, 2pm

| MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018

LGNYEG • Happy Harbor Comics, 10729-104 Ave NW • happyharborcomics.com • Events may include guest speakers, movie nights, board game nights, video game nights and much more • 1st Thu of the month

MILE ZERO DANCE DROP-IN DANCE & MOVEMENT CLASSES • Spazio Performativo, 10816-95 St • 780.424.1573 • mzdsociety@gmail.com • milezerodance.com/classes • Mile Zero Dance holds a number of drop-in dance & movement classes for people of all experience levels & ages; Mon: Contact Improv (7-9pm); Tue: House/Hip Hop with Sekou (6-7pm), Butoh with Sonja Myllymaki (7-9pm); Wed: Noguchi Taiso (1011:30am), Beginner Modern with Kathleen Hughes (67pm); Thu: Authentic Movement with Isabelle Rousseau (*Must pre-register*) (10am-12pm), Kids’ Dance with Jeannie Vandekerkhove (ages 3–5) (1-1:45pm) • $15 (regular drop-in), $12 (members drop-in), $15 (annual memberships), $100 (10-Class Card, which can be used for various classes. Purchase it at Eventbrite)

MONDAY MEET-UP • Hexagon Board Game Cafe, 10750-82 Ave • 780.757.3105 • info@thehexcafe. com • thehexcafe.com • Meet new gamers. Go to the event solo or with a group • Every Mon, 5-11pm • $5 (one drink per person)

MONTHLY MEDITATION AND VEGAN BRUNCH • Padmanadi Vegetarian Restaurant, 10740-101 St • info@vofa.ca • bit.ly/2hO97nq • 1st Sat of every month, 9am-12pm • Free (confirm via Facebook or email)

NORTHERN ALBERTA WOOD CARVERS ASSOCIATION • Duggan Community Hall, 3728-106 St • nawca.ca • Meet every Wed, 6:30pm

OPEN DOOR COMIC CREATOR MEETINGS • Happy Harbor Comics, 10729-104 Ave • 780.452.8211 • happyharborcomics.com • Open to any skill level. Meet other artists and writers, glean tricks of the trade and gain tips to help your own work, or share what you've already done • 2nd and 4th Thu of every month, 7pm

ORGANIZATION FOR BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER (OBAD) • Grey Nuns Hospital, Rm 0651, obad@shaw.ca; Group meets every Thu, 7-9pm • Free

PAINTING FOR PLEASURE • McDougall United Church, 10086 Macdonald Drive (south entrance) • 780.428.1818 • karenbishopartist@gmail.com • mcdougallunited.com • A weekly group for those who like to paint, draw or otherwise be creative on paper • Every Thu, 10am-noon SCHIZOPHRENIA SOCIETY FAMILY SUPPORT DROP-IN GROUP • Schizophrenia Society of Alberta, 5215-87 St • 780.452.4661 • schizophrenia.ab.ca • The Schizophrenia Society of Alberta offers a variety of services and support programs for those who are living with the illness, family members, caregivers, and friends • 1st and 3rd Thu each month, 7-9pm • Free

SUGAR FOOT STOMP! • Sugar Swing Ballroom, 10019-80 Ave NW • 587.786.6554 • dance@ sugarswing.com • sugarswing.com • Swing dance social • Every Fri-Sat, 8pm (beginner lesson begins) • $12, $2 (lesson with entry) • All ages

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY (TOPS) • Grace United Church annex, 6215-104 Ave • 780.4798667 (Bob) • bobmurra@telus.net • Low-cost, fun and friendly weight loss group • Every Mon, 6:30pm

TOASTMASTERS • Club Bilingue Toastmasters Meetings: Campus St.

Jean: Pavillion McMahon; 780.667.6105 (Willard); clubbilingue.toastmastersclubs.org; Meet every Tue, 7pm • Fabulous Facilitators Toastmasters Club: 9888 Jasper Ave. 10th floor; fabulousfacilitators. toastmastersclubs.org; Meet every Tue, 12:05-1pm • Foresters Toastmaster Club: SEESA, 9350-82 St; 587.596.5277; Every Tue, 7-8:30pm • N'Orators Toastmasters Club: Lower Level, McClure United Church, 13708-74 St: norators.com; meet every Thu, 7pm • Norwood Toastmasters: Norwood Legion, 11150-82 St NW; norwoodtoastmasters.ca; Every Thu, 7:309:30pm • Y Toastmasters Club: Queen Alexandra Community League, 10425 University Ave (N door, stairs to the left); yclubtoastmasters@gmail.com; Meet every Tue, 7-9pm

WICCAN ASSEMBLY • Ritchie Hall, 7727-98 St • cwaalberta@gmail.com • The Congregationalist Wiccan Assembly of Alberta meets the 2nd Sun each month (except Aug), 6pm

WOMEN'S CRICKET • Coronation Park Cricket pitch (north part of park) • incogswomens@gmail. com • Learn the game of cricket. The group plays for fun and no experience is necessary. Kids and men welcome • Every Sat, 6pm • $5 (drop-in fee, adult), free (kids)

QUEER BEERS FOR QUEERS • Empress Ale House, 9912-82 Ave • With DJ Jos • Last Thu of every month • Free • 18+ only EDMONTON SENIORS CENTRE GLBTQ • Edmonton General Hospital - Edmonton Seniors Centre, 11111 Jasper Ave • office@edmontonseniorscentre. ca • edmontonseniorscentre.ca/lgbtq-support.html • A safe environment to share: education, stories, and activities • 1st and 3rd Mon of the month, 10:30am12pm (in the boardroom) • Free

G.L.B.T.Q SENIORS GROUP • S.A.G.E Bldg, main floor Cafe, 15 Sir Winston Churchill Square • 780.4235510 (Sage) • tuff69@telus.net • Meeting for gay seniors, and for any seniors who have gay family members and would like some guidance • Every Tue, 1-4pm

PRIDE CENTRE OF EDMONTON • Pride Centre of Edmonton, 2nd Floor, 10618-105 Ave • Wheelchair-accessible elevator at 10610 105 Avenue • (780) 488-3234 • pridecentreofedmonton. org/calendar.html • OFFICE & DROP IN HOURS: MonFri 12-7pm; Closed Sat-Sun and holidays • YOGA: (all ages), 2nd and 4th Mon of every month • TTIQ: (18+ Trans Group) 2nd Mon of every month, 7-9pm • TRANS YOUTH GROUP & PARENTS/CAREGIVERS SUPPORT: (24 and under) 3rd Mon of every month, 7-9pm • FIERCE FUN: (24 and under) Biweekly Tue, 7-9pm, games and activities for youth • JAMOUT: (12-24) Biweekly Tue, 7-8:30pm, music mentorship and instruction for youth • TWO SPIRIT GATHERING: 4th Wed of every month, 6-8pm, gathering for First Nations Two Spirit people • MEN’S SOCIAL CIRCLE: (18+) 1st and 3rd Thu, 7-9pm, for anyone masculine-identified • WOMEN’S SOCIAL CIRCLE: (18+) 2nd and 4th Thu, 7-9pm, for anyone feminineidentified • MOVIES & GAMES NIGHT: Biweekly Fri, 6-8:30pm • ARTS & IDENTITY: Biweekly Fri, 6-8:30pm • CREATING SAFER SPACES TRAINING: Interactive professional development workshops, with full or half-day options • QUEER YOUTH MENTORING: (Youth: 12–24) (Adults 26+) STRAWBERRY DESSERT AND TEA • SAGE Cafè, 15 Sir Winston Churchill Square • 780.423.5510 • Join GLBTQ Seniors celebrating Pride Week with live performances, strawberry dessert and tea. Hosted by SAGES Over the Rainbow Group • Jun 14, 1-3:30pm

EATS ON 118 • Various Locations on 118 Ave • 780.760.9453 • wearewildheart.com • A guide will take participants along Alberta Avenue to discover a variety of dishes from some of the area's best restaurants • Jun 13, Aug 29, 6-9pm • $44

family-friendly festival. In its 15th year, the theme “sharing knowledge and growth” is at the heart of Heart of the City • Jun 2-3

EDMONTON CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL • Edmonton Expo Centre, 7515-118 Ave • albertabeerfestivals.com • A celebration of beer culture in Alberta, introducing beer masters, brewery reps, managers and chefs, and restaurant owners. Seminars will be held following the festival. Cast a vote for your favourite beer and food • Jun 1-2 • $19-$34

com • A staple event for children and families across the region for over 35 years, this one-of-a-kind experience exposes kids to arts and culture in an entertaining and educational way • May 29-Jun 3 • $13 (feature performance), $3 (site activity), $10 (toddler town, adults are free), $25 (festival finale), $20 (Kids Weekend Butterfly Pass)

EDMONTON INTERNATIONAL STREET PERFORMERS FESTIVAL • Dr. Wilbert McIntyre

NEXTFEST • Various locations throughout Edmon-

Six weeks of classic music • May 19-Jun 30

Museum, 11410 Kingsway Ave • jlsnightmarket.com • Whether you're looking to buy unique products, listen to live music, or eat great food you'll find a bustling space full of neighbours, families and friends browsing a variety of vendors • Jun 15-16

E-VILLE ROLLER DERBY PRESENTS: SLICE GIRLS VS BERZERKHERS • Edmonton SportsDome, 10104-32 Ave • eville.publicrelations@gmail. com • brownpapertickets.com • Jun 2, 6-9pm • $10 (adv at Mars & Venus or Brown Paper Tickets), $15 (door), free (kids 10 and under)

FESTIVAL OF BIG IDEAS • Edmonton Research Park, 9650-20 Ave • abctech.ca • A festival aimed to explore and celebrate how the future will be defined, featuring presentations by imagineers, inventors, and innovators • Jun 8-9

HASKIN CANOE SUNSET TOUR • Laurier to Capilano Park • 780.922.4324 • info@haskincanoe. ca • View the orange and red glow of the sun setting as you paddle on the still waters of the North Saskatchewan • Jun 1, Jun 6, Jun 15, Jun 20, Jun 22 • $50 (per person plus GST), $25 (youth 17 and under)

TEAM EDMONTON • Locations vary • teamedmonton.ca • LGBTQ2+ inclusive. Various sports and recreation activities. Events include: "Gayming", archery, swimming, floor hockey, volleyball, yoga, and more • Events are seasonal and can change, visit website for more details

PRIDE WEEK • Various locations throughout Edmonton • edmontonpride.ca • Celebrating LGBTQ2S+ communities • Jun 8-17

RAINBOW WINE TASTING • ASPECC, 12031-76 St • info@aspecc.ca • aspecc.ca/events • Enjoy wine tasting, cheese, fruit, and more • Jun 9, 7pm • Tickets avilable via ASPECC, Eventbrite or email

SUSTAINIVAL • Servus Corporate Centre, South Edmonton Common, 151 Karl Clark Rd • sustainival. com • The world’s first green carnival is back with games, attractions, and ride powered by renewable energy • Jun 8-11, 11am-11pm (ends at 6 pm on Sun) • $30 plus fees

TASTE OF RAMADAN • Boyle Street Plaza, 9538-103A Ave • 780.451.6694 • info@alrashidmosque.ca • Enjoy free food, diverse culture and entertainment for the entire family • Jun 2, 5-9pm • Free TREE TOP PATIO PARTY AT SNOW VALLEY AERIAL PARK • Snow Valley Aerial Park, 1320445 Ave • snowvalley.ca • Remember climbing all over treehouses when you were a kid? Now’s your chance to do it all over again as an adult–with beer • Jun 8, 6-10pm • $49 (plus GST)

NextFest Various locations May 31-Jun 10

YOGA WITH JENNIFER • 780.439.6950 • ThreeBattles.com • A traditional approach with lots of individual attention. Free introductory classes • Tue evenings & Sat mornings

SPECIAL EVENTS BISON FESTIVAL • Elk Island National Park, 35 km east of Edmonton on Hwy 16 • pc.gc.ca/en/pnnp/ab/elkisland/activ • The Bison Festival celebrates and cultivates an appreciation of all things bison at Elk Island National Park • Jun 2

VUECLASSIFIEDS 1600.

Volunteers Wanted

Can You Read This? Help Someone Who Can’t! Volunteer 2 hours a week and help someone improve their Reading, Writing, Math or English Speaking Skills. Call Valerie at P.A.L.S. 780-424-5514 or email palsvol@shaw.ca Have you always wanted to volunteer at Folk Fest, but couldn’t get past the wait list? Why don’t you try volunteering with Heart of the City Music and Arts Festival, June 2 & 3? We are looking for numerous types of helping hands! To ﬁnd out more, contact hotcvolunteer@gmail.com Artists wanted for artists housing co-op. $885/mo. http://artshab.com/spaces/arts hub-118

2005.

/ Nextfest Arts Company and Mat Simpson Photography

To Book Your Classifieds, Call 780.426.1996 or email classifieds@vueweekly.com Artist to Artist

Are you an artist with knowledge to share? Then you’re in luck! Heart of the City Music and Arts Festival, June 2 & 3, is looking for 2-3 artists to facilitate a creative workshop. Open to innovative ideas! Contact Fay at heartcityart@gmail.com

ART CLASSES FOR ADULTS, YOUTH, AND CHILDREN Check The Paint Spot’s website, paintspot.ca/events/workshops for up-to-date information on art classes for all ages, beginner and intermediate. Register in person, by phone or online. Contact: 780.432.0240 email: accounts@paintspot.ca

2005.

“Uh...”-- an uncomfortable pause.

NUOVA OPERA & MUSIC THEATRE FESTIVAL • Various locations • operanuova.ca/festival •

EDMONTON NIGHT MARKET • Alberta Aviation

9425-109A Ave • Music, arts, and spoken word transform Edmonton’s core of the city during this

Matt Jones

ton • theatrenetwork.ca • The hub for the cultivation and presentation of Edmonton’s emerging professional artists in theatre, dance, music, film, spoken word, visual art, and multidisciplinary collaborations • May 31-Jun 10

Park (Gazebo Park), 8331-104 St • 780.425.5162 • info@edmontonstreetfest.com • edmontonstreetfest.com • For 6 days, StreetFest will feature the best of the best jugglers, magicians, circus performers, comedians, dancers and hula hoopers from around the world • Jul 10-15 • By donation

HEART OF THE CITY • Giovanni Caboto Park,

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS • St. Albert • 780.459.1542 • childfest.

JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

Artist to Artist

ENJOY ART ALWAYZ www.bdcdrawz.com Check the site every two weeks for new work!

2005.

Artist to Artist

It’s hear...I mean here! Heart of the City Music and Arts Festival is searching all brands of musical genres to play on the Main Stage, June 2 & 3. Submit your information at http://www.heartcityfest.com/. Hey everybody! Join this summer’s Big, Big Pet Portrait Show with a 12x12” portrait of whoever/whatever your pet may be.

Heart of the City Festival Society is calling all Singer/Song Writers. We are opening applications for a mentorship with Edmonton legend Bill Bourne. The successful candidate will get two two-hour sessions focused on song writing and performance and will perform with Bill Bourne at the Heart of the City Music and Arts Festival. Emailheartcitymusic@gmail.com for information.

More information: https://www.paintspot.ca/galleri es/. Let’s cover the walls and ﬁll the windows with portraits of pets!

3100. Appliances/Furniture Old Appliance Removal Removal of unwanted appliances. Must be outside or in your garage. Rates start as low as $30. Call James @780.231.7511 for details

Across

1 World book? 6 Steakhouse order 11 Hominy holder 14 “Rocky IV” nemesis Ivan 15 “What the Butler Saw” playwright Joe 16 Moron’s start? 17 Question from one possibly out of earshot 19 Pizzeria order 20 “The Treasure of the ___ Madre” 21 Sammy Hagar album with “I Can’t Drive 55” 22 Rapidly 23 Edible pod 24 Sketchy craft 26 Nicholas I or II, e.g. 28 “The World Is Yours” rapper 29 Pomade alternative 30 Picturesque views 33 “Taxi” actress with a series of health and wellness books 35 Bundle of wheat 38 Hunk of goo 39 Oven protectors 40 2004 Stephen Chow comedymartial arts film 43 “That really wore me out” 44 Ending for bow or brew 45 River blocker 48 Newspaper dist. no. 49 Pig’s enclosure 50 Top-of-the-line 51 Pump, e.g. 53 Back muscle 55 Org. that goes around a lot 57 Schticky joke ender 58 Requesting versions of items at a restaurant that aren’t on the list 60 “Breaking Bad” network 61 Jouster’s weapon 62 PiÒata part 63 Minigolf’s lack 64 Out of money 65 Golfing great Sam

3 Onion features 4 Ancient Greek marketplace 5 Like some gummy candy 6 Nail site 7 B, in the NATO phonetic alphabet 8 Other, in Oviedo 9 Barely competition (for) 10 Paris-to-Warsaw dir. 11 One with shared custody, maybe 12 Planet’s turning point 13 Putin putoff? 18 Actor Rutger of “Blade Runner” 22 ___ Mae 25 Set of steps? 27 Fitting 29 Movie crew electrician 30 Group within a group 31 Out of business, for short 32 They consist of four qtrs. 33 Noisy bird 34 Velvet Underground singer Reed 35 Runner on soft surfaces 36 Fridge sound 37 Settle securely 41 Vague 42 Endeavoring to, much less formally 45 Tamed 46 Key disciple of Buddha 47 Went from two lanes to one 49 Unmovable 50 Be hospitable to 51 Little argument 52 Philosopher David 54 Domini preceder 56 Shakespearean quintet? 58 Pirates’ org. 59 “___ Haw” ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords

Down

1 Compounds 2 Three-horse team, Russian for “a set of three”

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SAVAGELOVE BI BYE MAN

I am a 38-year-old gay man with a serious problem. My boyfriend of five years has developed a strange fascination. We’ve always watched porn together, but now he has been looking at straight porn and even lesbian porn (!!!) more and more often. More than once he has expressed an interest in having a MMF threesome—and he’s a self-proclaimed gold-star gay! This week, I discovered he had hidden a Fleshlight from me. I could tell he had used it. What is going on with him? On the other hand, we still have sex pretty frequently. He really gets off when I call his ass a “pussy,” which I’ll do to turn him on, but I find it pretty weird. He also tells me he gets off on the thought of the two of us fucking a woman together. This really seems bizarre! Could my beautiful bottom boy be turning bi? If he is, I don’t know how we can handle it. GUY ALARMED, YEAH, BY YOUNGER BOYFRIEND’S INTEREST Turning bi? Unlikely. Always was bi and only just realized it? Likelier. Always was bi but identified as gay because (1) he prefers men as romantic partners and (2) the biphobia he encountered in gay male spaces/bedrooms/ buttholes convinced him to stay closeted but he doesn’t want to live a lie anymore and he’s done hiding from the man he loves but instead of using his words and coming out to you like a grownup, GAYBYBI, your boyfriend is letting you know he’s bi with his porn choices and a big push to make a MMF threesome sound like a sexy adventure you would both enjoy? Likeliest. As for how to handle it, GAYBYBI, you’ll have to use your words: Ask your boyfriend if he’s bi. (Spoiler: He’s bi, bicuri-

Dan Savage

ous, or so homoflexible he could tour with Cirque du Soleil.) If you’re not interested in having sex with women, tell him so. If being with you means he can never have sex with a woman, tell him so. And if you would never knowingly date a bi guy, tell him he deserves better.

OUTTA MY WAY

A relationship question that doesn’t involve sex: Occasionally when two people live together, they bump into each other or one may get in the way of the other. Is it reasonable to be put off if rather than simply hearing “Excuse me” when you are inadvertently in someone’s way, the person trying to gain access says, “Do you have to stand there?” JUST SEEMS RUDE People who are courteous to strangers (“Excuse me, can I squeeze past you?”) and contemptuous with intimate partners (“Do you have to stand there, you fucking dumbass?”) don’t value their partners and don’t deserve intimacy. People who are assholes to everyone don’t deserve intimacy either, of course, but they get points for being consistent.

SRI LANKAN ENDINGS

I recently posted an online ad for a jack-off buddy. I got a response from a man who turned out to be a gorgeous, young Sri Lankan dude with a huge, beautiful uncut cock. Anyway, I was really looking forward to him jacking me off and vice versa. But when I arrived, he said he was only interested in me giving him a massage and then a handjob. Apparently, he’s a straight guy who wanted to experiment with men in a very limited way. Like I said, SUPER HOT, so I happily obliged. But after he came, I was really aching for release myself. But as I stated ear-

lier, he made it clear he did not want to reciprocate. After we were finished, he indicated that he might hit me up again. Do you think I should continue with the massage and “happy ending” in hopes he will someday feel comfortable enough to reciprocate? Or should I just go ahead and find myself another jack-off buddy? CRAVING UNCUT MASCULINE SRI LANKAN Another jack-off buddy? No, no. Additional jack-off buddy.

POLYMOG

I recently spent a wonderful weekend with a young woman from out of town who identifies as queer and poly. Being the curious guy I am, I had her explain what these things meant to her. She went on to say that she is considering changing from poly to nonmonogamous. I find this confusing. I’m certainly nonmonogamous, but I’ve never thought of myself as poly. What is the difference? CONFUSED OVER LINES INSIDE NAMES I would describe the difference as googleable, COLIN. But since you asked: A nonmonogamous person has sex with their partner and others; a poly person has or is open to having committed and concurrent romantic relationships. For one example: An ethically nonmonogamous woman fucks the boyfriend/husband she loves and other guys she doesn’t; a poly woman has two (or more) guys she both loves and fucks.

a happy monogamish marriage, and I enjoy a very good, vanillabut-bordering-on-tantric sex life with my wife. Early on, when we discussed how open our marriage should be, we decided it would be all right for me to see escorts several times a year. This gives me some sexual variety and keeps her from feeling threatened by my becoming emotionally involved with a third party. She is very mono and has no interest in going outside the marriage for sex. My quarrel with you has to do with your oft-repeated advice that people should break things off with partners who don’t perform oral sex. My wife doesn’t like to give head—and I really don’t like getting it from her, since she doesn’t like doing it. It is, however, one of the things on my list for my quarterly pro session. So I go down on her, she doesn’t go down on me, and I see escorts who do. And… IT WORKS FOR US In regards to your first complaint, IWFU, there are sex workers out there fighting for their rights and fighting the stigma against sex work—along with fighting prohibition, the Nordic Model, and SESTA (google it)— but you don’t see the men who employ them stepping up and joining the fight. “[It’s time for] all of you clients

out there [to] get off your duffs and fight,” as sex worker and sex-worker-rights advocate Maggie McNeill wrote on her blog. “Regular clients outnumber fulltime whores by at least 60 to 1. Gentlemen, I suggest you rethink your current silence, unless you want to be the next one with your name and picture splashed across newspapers, TV screens, and websites.” In regards to your second complaint, IWFU, it is true that I’ve said—on one or two occasions—that oral comes standard and any model that arrives without oral should be returned to the lot. I’ve also said that you can’t be in an LTR without paying the price of admission, and I’ve said that a lot more often. If not getting oral at home is the price of admission you’re willing to pay to be with your wife, and if allowing you to get oral elsewhere is the price of admission she’s willing to pay to be with you, then Godspeed, IWFU, and tip the sex workers you patronize and speak up to fight the stigma against doing sex work and hiring sex workers. On the Lovecast, “Ask a FuckUp!”: savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

NO BJS HERE

I have two complaints: one with the world and one with you. My problem with the world is that it seems to think it is possible to embrace the rights of sex workers and still stigmatize the men who employ them. I am in

ON YOUR MARK, GET SET,

PORN!

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ALBERTA-WIDECLASSIFIEDS •• AUCTIONS •• 13 INDUSTRIAL LOTS Thorsby, AB. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, June 13 in Edmonton. 0.99 +/- to 2.39+/- Title Acres, Hwy 39 frontage. Jerry Hodge: 780-706-6652; Brokerage: Ritchie Bros. Real Estate Services Ltd.; rbauction.com/ realestate. LAKEFRONT PROPERTY - Whiteﬁsh Lake, AB. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, June 13 in Edmonton. 0.59+/- Title Acres, 1470 +/- sq ft home, 173 +/- ft of lake frontage. Jerry Hodge: 780-7066652; Brokerage: Ritchie Bros. Real Estate Services Ltd.; rbauction.com/realestate. 23 GOLF COURSE LOTS Cranbrook, BC. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers Unreserved Auction, June 13 in Edmonton. 23 parcels of recreational/ residential real estate in the River’s Crossing Golf Course Community. Jerry Hodge: 780706-6652; Brokerage: Ritchie Bros. Real Estate Services Ltd.; rbauction.com/realestate. UNRESERVED HORSE TACK AUCTION - Saturday, June 9 10AM. 134 Willow Street, Red Deer. Includes 60+ Custom, Barrel Racing, Roping, All Purpose Riding Saddles, Headstalls, Bits, Spurs, Straps, Chaps, Hats, Boots, etc. Additionally, 40’ custom display trailer. Travis 780-307-3144. DISPERSAL AUCTION June 9 11:00 AM. Margaret Lawrason Harrod. Fine Glassware, Great Furniture, Cargo Trailer. A must to attend. www.grunowsauction.com. Grunow’s Auction 780-842-7232.

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•• EMPLOYMENT •• OPPORTUNITIES INTERESTED IN the Community Newspaper business? Alberta’s weekly newspapers are looking for people like you. Post your resume online. FREE. Visit: www.awna.com/ resumes_add.php. P&D LOGISTICS LTD. is looking for full-time Class 1 Drivers to run to the US pulling reefer, vans and roll-tites. We offer late model equipment, beneﬁts and competitive wages. Please email resume to Lorene@ pdlogistics.ca or fax 1-877398-7974. MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! In-demand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employer-

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•• PERSONALS •• ELKE MANN - We are trying to reach Elke Mann originally from Germany on a family matter. Please contact Rick Perkins at 807-633-8198 or rperkins@tbaytel.net.

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FREEWILLASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): A critic described Leonardo da Vinci’s painting the “Mona Lisa” as “the most visited, most written about, most sung about, most parodied work of art in the world.” It hasn’t been sold recently, but is estimated to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Today it’s kept in the world-renowned Louvre museum in Paris, where it’s viewed by millions of art-lovers. But for years after its creator’s death, it enjoyed little fanfare while hanging in the bathroom of the French King Francois. I’d love to see a similar evolution in your own efforts, Aries: a rise from humble placement and modest appreciation to a more interesting fate and greater approval. The astrological omens suggest that you have more power than usual to make this happen in the coming weeks and months. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): These days, many films use CGI, computer generated imagery. The technology is sophisticated and efficient. But in the early days of its use, producing such realistic fantasies was painstaking and time-intensive. For example, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park featured four minutes of CGI that required a year to create. I hope that in the coming weeks, you will summon equivalent levels of old-school tenacity and persistence and attention to detail as you devote yourself to a valuable task that you love. Your passion needs an infusion of discipline. Don’t be shy about grunting. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): On Feb 17, 1869, Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleyev had an appointment with a local cheese-making company to provide his expert consultation. But he never made it. A blast of inspiration overtook him soon after he awoke, and he stayed home to tend to the blessed intrusion. He spent that day as well as the next two perfecting his vision of the periodic table of the elements, which he had researched and thought about for a long time. Science was forever transformed by Mendeleyev’s breakthrough. I doubt your epiphanies in the coming weeks will have a similar power to remake the whole world, Gemini. But they could very well remake your world. When they arrive, honour them. Feed them. Give them enough room to show you everything they’ve got. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ninety-five percent of your fears have little or no objective validity. Some are delusions generated by the neurotic parts of your imagination. Others are delusions you’ve absorbed from the neurotic spew of other people’s imaginations. What I’ve just told you is both bad news and good news. On the one hand, it’s a damn shame you feel so much irrational and unfounded anxiety. On the other hand, hear-

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ing my assertion that so much of it is irrational and unfounded might mobilize you to free yourself from its grip. I’m pleased to inform you that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to wage a campaign to do just that. June can and should be fighting for your freedom from fear month. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): During the next four weeks, I’ll celebrate if you search for and locate experiences that will heal the part of your heart that’s still a bit broken. My sleep at night will be extra deep and my dreams extra sweet if I know you’re drumming up practical support for your feisty ideals. I’ll literally jump for joy if you hunt down new teachings that will ultimately ensure you start making a daring dream come true in 2019. And my soul will soar if you gravitate toward the mind-expanding kind of hedonism, rather than the mind-shrinking variety. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Everyone has a unique fate that’s interesting enough to write a book about. Each of us has at least one epic story to tell that would make people cry and laugh and adjust their thoughts about the meaning of life. What would your saga be like? Think about what’s unfolding right now, because I bet that would be a ripe place to start your meditations. The core themes of your destiny are currently on vivid display, with new plot twists taking your drama in novel directions. Want to get started? Compose the first two sentences of your memoir.

Rob Brezsny

accomplishments, and totally forgiving them. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Marketing experts say that motivating a person to say yes to a big question is more likely if you first build momentum by asking them smaller questions to which it’s easy to say yes. I encourage you to adopt this slant for your own purposes in the coming weeks. It’s prime time to extend invitations and make requests that you’ve been waiting for the right moment to risk. People whom you need on your side will, I suspect, be more receptive than usual—and with good reasons —but you may still have to be smoothly strategic in your approach. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I bet you’ll be offered at least one valuable gift, and possibly more. But I’m concerned that you may not recognize them for their true nature. So I’ve created an exercise to enhance your ability to identify and claim these gifts-in-disguise. Please ruminate on the following concepts: 1. a pain that can heal. 2. a shadow that illuminates. 3. an unknown or anonymous ally. 4. a secret that nurtures intimacy. 5. a power akin to underground lightning. 6. an invigorating boost disguised as tough love.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Dear Oracle: I find myself in the weird position of trying to decide between doing the good thing and doing the right thing. If I opt to emphasize sympathy and kindness, I may look like an eager-to-please wimp with shaky principles. But if I push hard for justice and truth, I may seem rude and insensitive. Why is it so challenging to have integrity? – Vexed Libra.” Dear Libra: My advice is to avoid the all-or-nothing approach. Be willing to be half-good and half-right. Sometimes the highest forms of integrity require you to accept imperfect solutions.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When I was a kid attending elementary schools in the American Midwest, recess was a core part of my educational experience. For 45 minutes each day, we were excused from our studies so we could indulge in free-form play -- outdoors, if the weather was nice, or else in the gymnasium. But in recent years, schools in the U.S. have shrunk the time allotted for recess. Many schools have eliminated it altogether. Don’t they understand this is harmful to the social, emotional, and physical health of their students? In any case, Aquarius, I hope you move in the opposite direction during the coming weeks. You need more than your usual quota of time away from the grind. More fun and games, please. More messing around and merriment. More recess!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You have waited long enough to retaliate against your adversaries. It’s high time to stop simmering with frustration and resentment. Take direct action. I suggest you arrange to have a box of elephant poop shipped to their addresses. You can order it here: tinyurl.com/ ElephantManure. JUST KIDDING. I misled you with the preceding statements. It would in fact be a mistake for you to express such vulgar revenge. Here’s the truth: Now is an excellent time to seek retribution against those who have opposed you, but the best ways to do that would be by proving them wrong, surpassing their

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): For many years, actor Mel Blanc provided the voice for Bugs Bunny, a cartoon character who regularly chowed down on raw carrots. But Blanc himself did not like raw carrots. In a related matter, actor John Wayne, who pretended to be a cowboy and horseman in many movies, did not like horses. And according to his leading ladies, charismatic macho film hunk Harrison Ford is not even close to being an expert kisser. What about you, Pisces? Is your public image in alignment with your true self? If there are discrepancies, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to make corrections.

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CURTIS HAUSER

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VUEWEEKLY.com | MAY 31 - JUN 06, 2018