1153: Holiday Gift Guide by Vue Weekly

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Though the case is closed on Bill 24, some of the larger questions it raised about Catholic school boards continue. Queermonton

The Saga Continues G

School boards keep a trained eye on education funds after passing of Bill 24

rab your popcorn everyone, because political theatre is heating up! On November 15, Bill 24, which among other things forbids schools from disclosing to parents whether their child is attending a GSA, finally passed. Hooray! Surprising no one, the United Conservative Party (UCP) caucus was unanimous in its dissent. There were a few notable absences in the house that day (including Brian Jean), but whether this was a silent protest or a coincidence remains to be seen. Of course, the bill was never in any real danger of not passing, but I will miss the political zingers generated by the debate. (What I won’t miss is the lives of queer and trans youth continuing

to be used as a political football.) Case in point: in her write up about the passing of Bill 24, CBC’s Kim Trynacity included a beautiful retort by Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehan. Apparently Feehan started quoting extensively from the Bible, encouraging UCP members to follow along (you’ll recall there were some biblical arguments mounted to oppose the bill) before pulling out the big guns: “There are many things that are different between me and the honourable Jason Kenney. One of the things that’s different is I actually finished my theology degree.” Jason Kenney has not completed a degree. (One could call him a drop-out, but I prefer to quote

from his Wikipedia page, which notes that he, “quit university to fulfill his true destiny in conservative realpolitik.” Bless you, Wikipedia. Bless you.) Though the case is closed on Bill 24, some of the larger questions it raised about Catholic school boards continue, with another small step toward challenging the constitutional enshrinement of Catholic education happening last week in small-town Saskatchewan. Known as the “Theodore case” (after the name of the small town in question, population 400), the crux of the matter is that a Court of Queen’s Bench judge in Saskatchewan ruled that the Constitution does not guarantee access to Catholic

schools by non-Catholic students. Translation: Catholic School Boards have no right to public funding to support nonCatholic students. After the ruling, the Saskatchewan government quickly invoked the notwithstanding clause to prevent the implementation of this ruling and the case is being sent up to the province’s top court. This has prompted the Public School Boards’ Association of Alberta (PSBAA) to apply for intervener status (and it’s safe to assume the Catholic equivalent will do likewise). Why is the PSBAA jumping into a very messy legal fray the next province over? Partly it’s because they have very firm opinions as to where public education dollars should be going and thus have a vested interest in the case. According to PSBAA’s June 2017 report, What is the Cost of Choice: “The Public system represents the most democratic and equitable educa-

tion system available to Alberta citizens.” It doesn’t get much firmer than that. The other reason is that Alberta and Saskatchewan have very similar constitutional protections for Catholic education; if this decision is upheld by the Supreme Court, the ramifications will be felt here, too. Keep in mind that school board funding is determined by enrollment, not by which school board election a voter decides to participate in. This means Catholic School Boards stand to lose a very significant portion of their funding—the Edmonton Journal reports that a quarter of the students attending Edmonton Catholic schools are not Catholic. It has taken 12 years for the case to make it this far, so it’s likely going to be years before this is all resolved. Keep that popcorn fresh, because things are bound to be interesting. Ashley Dryburgh ashley@vueweekly.com

Dyer Straight

A different kind of tweet W

President Trump’s unpredictability is concerning in light of ‘instant launch’ measures

hile serving in the U.S. Air Force in the ‘70s, Bruce Blair was a launch control officer for Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). “The president has absolute authority, unilateral power to order the use of nuclear weapons,” says Bruce Blair. The nuclear codes are, “The length of a tweet. It would take them one or two minutes to format and transmit that directly down the chain of command to the executing commanders of the underground launch centres, the submarines and the bombers.” Weekly dry runs down in the capsule, turning the keys that would send 50 nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles on their way, has led to profound reflection in many of the people who did it. It led Blair to found Global Zero, a group that advocates eliminating nuclear weapons entirely. Blair was being interviewed in connection with the controversy that has erupted in the U.S. since President Trump’s August tweet threatening to rain “fire and fury like the world has never seen” on North Korea if Kim Jong-un threatened the United States again. Does he actually have the unillateral power to do that, and if so, should it be taken away from him? 4 front

Senator Ed Markey and 13 cosponsors introduced a bill that would require Trump to obtain a declaration of war from Congress before launching a nuclear first strike. Senator Chris Murphy, a cosponsor, explained that, “We are concerned that the president is so unstable, is so volatile, has a decision-making process that is so quixotic, that he might order a nuclear weapons strike that is wildly out of step with U.S. national security interests.” The bill will never get past the Republican majority in Congress, but it did lead to a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing last week that examined the president’s power to start a nuclear war. As you would expect, various generals rolled up to say that everything is under control. But it wasn’t very reassuring. The star witness was Robert Kehler, a former head of U.S. Strategic Command, who said that in his former role he would have followed the president’s order to carry out a nuclear strike—if it were legal. If he doubted its legality, he would have consulted his own advisors—and he might have refused to do it. One senator asked: “Then what happens?” Kehler replied: “I don’t know.” The current head of U.S. Stra-

tegic Command, General John Hyten, had another go at it on Saturday. He told the Halifax International Security Forum that he and Trump have had conversations about such a scenario and that he has told Trump he wouldn’t carry out an illegal strike. (Under international law, using nuclear weapons first is almost always illegal.) “If it’s illegal, guess what’s going to happen. I’m going to say, ‘Mr. President, that’s illegal.’ And guess what he’s going to do? He’s going to say, ‘What would be legal?’” Hyten said. “And we’ll come up with options with a mix of capabilities to respond to whatever the situation is, and that’s the way it works.” But Trump doesn’t have to consult General Hyten, or any of his own military advisers, before ordering a nuclear attack on North Korea—or Iran, or anywhere else. He just puts the launch codes into the ‘football’ that an aide always has nearby. As Bruce Blair pointed out, it would only take a couple of minutes for the launch orders to cascade down the chain of command and reach the “commanders of the underground launch centers, the submarines and the bombers.” It’s even possible that none of the people on duty who would

have to execute the orders would be generals. The generals would get the order too, of course—but as Blair says: “If they felt that it was a really bad call or illegal, and they wanted to try to override it, they could try to transmit a termination order, but it would be too late.”

lose ‘em” was the mantra, so the U.S. and Soviet leaders both had the authority to launch their missiles in minutes. Later on both countries buried their ballistic missiles in underground silos or hid them in submerged submarines so they could not lose them in a surprise attack. They no longer had to launch on a warning that might be false: if there really was an attack, they could ride it out and retaliate afterwards. But the U.S.

Trump doesn’t have to consult General Hyten, or any of his own military advisers, before ordering a nuclear attack on North Korea—or Iran, or anywhere else. Trump really could make a nuclear first strike on North Korea all on his own. On this vital issue, there is no “adult supervision.” This bizarre situation dates back to the early days of the Cold War, when both the United States and the Soviet Union had ‘launch-on-warning’ policies because they feared that an enemy first strike could destroy all of their own nuclear weapons and leave them helpless. “Use ‘em or

VUEWEEKLY.com | nov 30 – dec 6, 2017

never took back the president’s ‘instant launch’ authority. That was an oversight that needs to be rectified. It would be a simple matter to restrict Trump’s unilateral launch authority to situations where there is hard evidence that a nuclear attack on the United States is underway. Simple in legal and technical terms, that is. In political terms, very hard, if not impossible. Gwynne Dyer gwynne@vueweekly.com

SEXUAL CONDUCT

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ L

pick up next week's issue for the further adventures of our comprehensive winter sports feature!

Younger generation of workers aren’t afraid to stand up for their rights

ast week, The Needle Vinyl Tavern closed its doors indefinitely roughly 48 hours after a woman named Brittany Rudyck shared, on Facebook, allegations of sexual harassment against one of the owners. The impact and speed at which the repercussions were felt has sparked a lot of conversation and has other businesses questioning their own immunity to these types of situations. The public outcry against sexual harassment in the workplace was fierce, gigs were cancelled and entertainment bookers scrambled to find artists other

“There is a younger generation of workers who are more informed about their rights and won’t put up with some of the old ways of doing things,” Cantwell says. Though she confesses that, “It’s not uncommon for small businesses to not have proper policies in place because they’re not aware of what’s required under WCB, Occupational Health and Safety, and the Human Rights Code, and this is true to food service and entertainment business owners too.” Businesses who don’t have policies in place, or need help

to feed, or they’re afraid they won’t be listened to, or their concerns taken seriously,” Rudyck says. “I want something to change so my story isn’t repeated again.” If a business neglects putting the proper policies and procedures in place to support a respectful workplace, hefty fines can be handed down but as we’ve seen from what’s happened here, it can also cost a business owner their entire investment, seemingly overnight. “I think in the future, we will witness a lot of changes in music and the hospitality indus-

Something [Brittany] Rudyck didn’t expect was the backlash against her for what transpired. venues throughout the city, and roughly 80 people were suddenly out of work. Something Rudyck didn’t expect was the backlash against her for what transpired. “I stopped reading the comments, otherwise I’d go insane,” Rudyck says. “They are so scathing and hurtful, attacking my character … Am I villain? I don’t know. I don’t care. I don’t care what I am in all of this. What I said has been said, it’s out there, and now I am trying to move forward with my own life and educate myself on how to be a better advocate and have a stronger voice, and not just roll over and take all this punishment.” There are laws requiring businesses to have policies and procedures in place to protect employees and ensure a respectful workplace, and according to Julianna Cantwell, a certified human resources professional with JUNA Consulting, people are also starting to demand it.

with the implementation can contact a human resources firm or access free information, training and template policies from the Alberta Human Rights Commission and Alberta Learning Service websites. Cantwell says there’s a caveat to successfully implementing policies though. “Just because you have a policy, doesn’t stop it from happening. Ideally, it’s a three step process. Step one: you have a policy. Step two: you train your management how to deal with it. Step three: you train your staff on what they can do.” Perhaps what has transpired will shift from a culture of victim blaming and shaming, as Rudyck has experienced, to a culture of holding businesses and employers more accountable for the safety and wellbeing of their employees. “One of the reasons women don’t come forward sooner is because they have mouths

SCIENCE OF SEX DECEMBER 7

try,” says James Renton, lead singer of local folk-punk-rock band Fire Next Time, one of the several bands who cancelled their show at The Needle. “The Needle will serve as a cautionary tale that times are a-changing,” he says. “You can either accept it and adapt, or push back and fail. Women are proving, now more than ever, that they have a voice, and they will be heard.” Katie Robertson @vueweekly

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Café Linnea 10932 119 St., 780.758.1160 cafelinnea.ca

FRENCH/SCANDINAVIAN

BELIEVE THE HYPE C

Compelte Galette / JProcktor

Café Linnea lives up to its prestigious reputation and high praises

afé Linnea, though relatively new to the city, already enjoys a bit of prestige thanks to being named one of the best new restaurants in Canada by En Route Magazine and being affiliated with Duchess Bakery (named one of the best bakeries in the world by Buzzfeed). A glimpse at their menu, boasting European flair and $40 entrees, and one might even feel a bit intimidated. Is my palate really discerning enough to get down with Café Linnea? That should probably remain a matter of debate, but I can say that despite an experience that might not have shown the place in its most accolade-winning light, I still sensed its guiding intelligence and superior taste, and I was impressed. Café Linnea currently occupies the same esthetically challenged city block occupied by Local Omni-

vore and satellites of the Duchess enterprise. The café space is big, bright and clean, utilizing simply adorned wall shelves and many a fern to create an elegant ambiance that not even the weird novelty country song soundtrack during our visit could dispel. The Scandinavian and French inspired menu is brief but meaningful, with many small plates and only a few entrees. The drink list is much more exhaustive—plenty of intriguing house cocktails, craft beers, wine and cognac to sample. One of Linnea’s signature items is the galette, a buckwheat crepe typical of Normandy that’s served with rustic cider. Sadly, they don’t serve galette at supper, but I went ahead and ordered a glass of Minotière Cidre Fermier Bio Brut ($8/glass) all the same. Café Linnea’s version of the Euro-

pean culinary esthetic is expressed not in dauntingly fussy haute cuisine but in preparations that emphasize the quality of the ingredients, with a sense of connection to the farm, to pickling and fermentation, to potent natural flavours thoughtfully combined. Our first exposure to this was the dodine de canard ($13), a baroque preparation of duck breast stuffed with pate and dotted with pistachios, which came sided with pickled onions, pickled mustard seeds, a daub of lemony substance and outstanding sourdough bread. It was duck-flavour concentrate, creamy and rich, which the pickled and citrus things complemented with astringent tang. Every bite was a pleasure that paid tribute to the savour of the duck. And the cider, amber in the glass with a beer-

like head, did well as a pairing in how it offered a lot fruit and just the right amount of what some might call “the aroma of the barn floor.” It definitely had the funk. Co-diner quickly opted for the Croque-Madame ($22) as an entrée, but I wanted to explore the small plates further so I asked for the Coquille St. Jacques ($14) and the carrot-cardamom salad ($13). Co-diner ordered very well. Some people called Croque-Madame (or Monsieur) glorified grilled cheese, but Linnea’s version was more of an exaltation, putting ham and gruyere together on that glorious sourdough, smothering it in béchamel and topping it with a fried duck egg, its immense yolk constituting a sauce unto itself. A heap of local organic greens took up the other half of the plate. I cannot fault anything in the Co-

joy to your world

6 dish

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

quille St. Jacques, though I should probably have noticed the coquille was singular. While only one, it was an enormous scallop and treated beautifully—it was perched on a cushion of fine-chopped mushroom duxelle dosed with cognac, sprinkled with bread crumbs and fresh dill, and a grating of lightly pungent gruyere. I took tiny slices from the insanely tender broiled bivalve to slowly relish it. The carrot and cardamom salad comprised pickled and steamed local carrots with a bright red fruity drizzle, pistachios, parsley and two generous scoops of goat cheese— time for more sourdough! Again, the quality of the carrots was central to the success of the dish, though the perfect tendercrispness of the preparation didn’t hurt. Name aside, I didn’t find the expected perfumey tingle of the cardamom to be very pronounced. Because we never say no to dessert, we ordered Le Grand Macaron ($10), a certainly-larger-than-usual chocolate macaron split and dark chocolate cremeaux, salted caramel, cultured cream and house made cocoa puffs, which looked weird at first but proved to be the masterstroke. The crisp little squiggles rolled in cocoa were unsweetened and earthy, adding surprising depth and texture to the already sweet and creamy dessert. The only problem we had was figuring out how to eat it, as the macaron, so deliciously chewy in the mouth, was resistant to spoons on the plate. For what looked like a slow night in the café, the pace of the meal was a little slow, and though our server was personable and very apologetic for not being better versed in the menu (she was new), she went missing completely when the meal was over and we had to go to the bar to ask for our bill. But from what we ate, I can tell that Café Linnea’s reputation is no fluke. I’d be excited to try anything on their menu. And I’m definitely going back for that galette. Scott Lingley dish@vueweekly.com

LITERATURE

/ Cur

tis H

ause

Author Paulina Cameron’s Canada 150 Women: Conversations With Leaders, Champions, and Luminaries

he road to gender equality has certainly seen progress, but there are still bumps that need to be ironed out. Author and entrepreneur Paulina Cameron re-discovered this after interviewing 150 extraordinary Canadian women for her book Canada 150 Women: Conversations With Leaders, Champions, and Luminaries. “There’s a little bit of a flavour of disappointment in the air,” Cameron says. “It’s something that many women feel is lacking and behind. There have been so many studies that have data that’s quite disappointing in terms of gender pay gap or women CEOs.” It’s one of the reasons Cameron created her book that features Q&As with notable Canadian women, such as past astronaut and current Governor General, Julie Payette, Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and filmmaker Deepa Mehta.

“I wanted to celebrate some of the women we have here in Canada,” Cameron says. “I want women and young girls to see all of the different opportunities that they can achieve here.” While the book includes interviews with well-known Canadian women, it truly shines in highlighting everyday women throughout the community. Readers can flip through the book expecting interviews with architects, divers, community support workers, educators, lawyers—the list goes on. “A vague reason why this was created was to change the notion of who we see as a leader,” Cameron says. “These luminaries are in our communities doing beneficial work.” Deciding which subjects to interview was a task in itself. At one point, Cameron had a spreadsheet of 1,800 names and worked with her team to compress it down to 150.

“We as a team looked at everything from Order of Canada, to Provincial order nominations, to top 100 lists and smaller community awards,” Cameron says. “We also talked to women leaders in their fields and asked them who they looked up to as well. We focused on women who are exceeding in their field and show exemplary qualities.” By doing this, Cameron was able to speak with many women who have achieved a variety of accomplishments in their lifetime. One woman she remembers fondly is Susan Eaton, a geoscientist and journalist who lead an all-female snorkeling expedition through the Northwest Passage. Another was with Kim Campbell, the only female Prime Minister of Canada. She offers a powerful message saying, “The cost of liberty is eternal vigilance. Canadian women need

to understand and defend their rights. They have to be players. The biggest risk in a country like Canada is complacency.” “There’s also a woman in the book named Caroline Codsi who actually interviewed Hillary Clinton when she was here in Vancouver,” Cameron adds. “She said, ‘When we legislate we find women. When we don’t legislate we find excuses.’ That quote has stuck with me since.” Like Codsi, many of the interviewees believe women are still underrepresented and face prejudice in the workplace and society. “In North America, there are more CEOs with the name John then there are for any name for women,” Cameron says. “Only 12 percent of venture capital goes towards female entrepreneurs in Canada. This means that woman businesses are not getting the capital they need to grow.”

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

This is not just a problem for women, but for all humanity. She believes society has to make a shift and that there are many ways to do so. “It’s companies and governmental leaders that hold the power, but we need to change that cultural understanding around women,” Cameron says. “Companies need to make sure they have equal gender pay by doing annual reviews and having internal regulations against that. Governments have to make sure they are appointing women in governmental roles.” Since the book’s release, Cameron is already seeing the improvement. “I’ve had a lot of male leaders say they want to buy the book for women in their companies,” she says. “It’s so they can show their support and champion them.” Stephan Boissonneault stephan@vueweekly.com arts 7

ART GALLERY

WORKING THROUGH HISTORY

Art history buff Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson speaks of oppression and rebellion

ewspapers are like snap≠ shots into another time. Columns on the war effort or ë womení s sectionsí speak to an≠ other time with social norms and constructs that are now almost completely foreign to contempo≠ rary culture. Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson, an Art History professor from McGill, decided to use this stark differ≠ ence in historical paper clippings. Her research, supported by the William Lyon Macendowment for Canadian studies at Harvard Uni≠ versity, juxtaposes clippings from Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Jamaica to analyze creolization through visuals detailed in news clippings. But the advertisements her talk will focus on are for missing fu≠ gitive slaves in Quebec from the 18th century. ì She really looks at these ad≠ vertisements as a type of portrai≠ ture,î says AGA public programs and outreach coordinator Manon Gaudet. ì Most people doní t re≠ ally think of Canada as having a history of slavery and so thatí s something that she really looks to bring to the forefront because ití s important to our own rela≠ tionships to this day.î Using standardized images of male and female slaves, the ads had the most similarities

Dr. Charmaine A. Nelson / Supplied

to what a lost pet ad would coveró a thorough description of the individual, the place and time of running away, and often a reward offered. An featured example is ì Ne≠ gro Lad named Joe.î Heí s de≠ scribed as ì born in Africa,î and ì a little marked with the small≠ pox.î The ad placed by the lo≠ cal printer goes on to say, ì all persons are hereby forewarned from harbouring or aiding him to escape, as they may depend on being prosecuted to the ut≠ most rigour of the Law,î before offering a $4 reward for infor≠ mation or his return. ì It really gives you this insight into this personí s experience and their life,î Gaudet says. The same notice was placed in the Quebec Gazette four times over the course of ve months leaving us all to wonder what became of Joe; had he found free≠ dom in some remote place? We will likely never know, but what we can say from snapshots of lives like Joeís is that these people were showing profound agency in harrowing circumstances. This is just one example of many, and although the language and simple existence of the ad is shocking to us today, Dr. Nel≠

Thu., Nov. 30 (7 pm) Canadian macassins and English shoes Art Gallery of Alberta Free son nds the ads to represent a strong common resistance of Africans and Indigenous people against slavery at the time. Her talk will discuss the rela≠ tionship people today with Af≠ rican and Indigenous ancestry share, given their shared circum≠ stances throughout history. ì I think both [groups] are still working through this and work≠ ing through their histories,î says Gaudet. ì Thereí s some≠ thing potentially really valu≠ able about looking at those histories together and thinking about how then, thereí s poten≠ tial for the future.î The lecture is organized in rela≠ tions with the AGAí s Turbulent Landings exhibition (until Jan. 7) looking at human movement and migration throughout history all the way into present day. Many of those migrations, however, were forced. Slavery is one such example, and its impact on those transported to North America as well as history as a whole re≠ sounds to this day. Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

Marie Heister Reid ì Study of a Headî / Supplied by AGA

ART EXHIBIT

REBELS WITH A CAUSE

Undaunted rediscovers Canadaí s trailblazing female painters

Sat., Dec. 2 ≠ S un., Mar. 25 Undaunted Art Gallery of Alberta Gallery admission pricing

he AGAí s newest exhibition, Undaunted: Canadian Wom≠ en Painters of the 19th Century features 30 female artists who either immigrated to Canada or were born in Canada between the mid≠ 19th to early 20th cen≠ tury. The art may span 81 years, but the narrative the collection reveals is concise. Many public art gallery collec≠ tions contain a section of small paintings by women who were involved in the organizationí s founding. ì Often those works end up rel≠ egated to an education collec≠ tion, or they get de≠ accessioned because they werení t ë profes≠ sional artists,í î says the exhi≠ bitioní s curator Laura Ritchie. ì We sometimes call them closet works, that someone in the ë 60s or ë 70s decided that they werení t good or they werení t worth it. So those paintings by women artists get shoved into a closet 8 !"#$

and no one thinks about them.î Undaunted goes directly against this outdated practice and shows these women as not only suc≠ cessful artists, but as important advocates that sparked progress. ì They were making paintings and making artworks in a kind of a unprecedented fashion,î Ritchie says. ì These were wom≠ en who showed an undaunted spirit by striving to be profes≠ sional artists in an age when that was quite challenging, for women especially.î Stories of the women are heav≠ ily featured in Undaunted, some≠ thing that was very important to Ritchie. Told through little stories and connections to trail≠ blazing organizations, the wom≠ en were widely unrecognized in their time, and still are. ì Many of them are not house≠ hold names,î she says. ì Their stories are undertold, and get≠ ting to see them all together in one place regardless of their gender makes you excited about the things that people can do, the boundaries that people can cross when they have that pio≠ neering spirit.î

Being a female painter in the early 1900s was a daring venture, let alone painting professionally exclusively. These women broke through the ceilings resting upon them, in their art and their soci≠ etal lives. ì One of the women in the show, Lady Aberdeenó who was a Vice≠ Regal Consort to Canadaó her husband was the Governor Gen≠ eral of Canada in 1893,î Ritchie says. ì She was the rst woman to address the House of Com≠ mons in Canada; she was the rst women to receive an honourary degree in Canada; and she was the rst president of the Interna≠ tional Council of Women [found≠ ed in 1888].î The exhibition is certainly not exhaustive. ì This isnít the whole story; we could have included many more artists and many more works,î Ritchie says. ì It doesnít account for the stories of Indigenous women, women of colour, or trans women.î As you progress through the show, the art ree cts the time it was created. The earlier works from the late 1800s are more

traditional, showing detail, which ree cts the romanticist and real≠ ist styles of Europe at the time. As the show goes on, the pieces begin to express a more modern impressionistic approachó remi≠ niscent of reveared Canadian landscape painters, The Group of Sevenó which was more popular in the early to mid≠ 1900s. Of the 53 works of landscape, portrait, and abstract only 14 are not from the AGAís collection, something Ritchie is very proud of. And in fact many, of the pieces are not new to the AGAís collec≠ tion, something that proves how

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

formative a role the institution has played in collecting works by female artists. ì Ití s really important to listen to and tell stories that in one moment might be a little bit un≠ derheard,î she says. ì Every time we open up a new exhibition that helps people be curious, or inquisitive, or lled with wonder about a moment in our shared collective history we also hope that weír e opening up pathways for bigger conversation and new histories to be written.î Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

THEATRE REVUE

COLD WAR IN SUNNY HAVANA It’s not top secret that Varscona Theatre Ensemble’s Our Man in Havana is a must-see

/ Supplied by Varscona Theatre

Until Sat., Dec. 2 Our Man in Havana Varscona Theatre $37

s the Mueller investigation marches forth, and the spectre of Russia looms large, the freshly minted Varscona Theatre Ensemble adaptation of Our Man in Havana is as topical as it is hilarious. Set in a pre-revolutionary Cuba, the Cold War-era farce follows Jim Wormold, an aptly named vacuum cleaner salesman who finds himself recruited by MI6 to help spy on the Soviet interests infiltrating the Caribbean. Grossly incompetent and desperate for money, Wormold uses this opportunity to invent agents and bilk the secret service out of compensation for the imaginary recruits. The play is indeed a product of its time, leaning heavily on the formulas laid out by other satires of the era. This being said, it is no-less brilliant—the rapid fire delivery, zany antics, and ubiquitous cases of mistaken identity are all welcome in what is undoubtedly one of the best shows in Edmonton. While a lot of the humour is pointed at two now-defunct governments—Batista’s and the Soviet’s—the humour finds

new life in our ability to laugh at the absurd measures organizations like MI6 and the CIA took to ensure protection against an elusive Soviet influence (think American Made for the British). The promotional materials boast a cast of four that can successfully fill all 32 parts in the show—a colossal risk that was here rewarded by standing ovations. The cast is, to say the least, magnificent, each of them a master of accents, physical comedy, and character development. Despite the lack of major costume changes (the most daunting seems to be someone trading their blazer for a Cuban officer’s tunic), at no point was there any level of confusion as to which character was on stage. Mark Meer proves decidedly versatile in his ability to conjure characters through facial expressions and gait alone. However, true credit ought to go to Paul Morgan Donald and Chantel Fortin, the production’s sound and set designer, respectively. The multipurpose

set is deceptively simple— scene changes take seconds and we’re able to jump from the vibrant and jazzy streets of Havana to the dingy basements of MI6 as fast as the lighting crew can dim the pot lamps. Sound aids made it easy for the cast to mime Donald’s score. The only real criticism to lob at Our Man in Havana, and an admittedly thin one at that, is with the costuming—while Pat Burden has assembled some striking outfits for our characters to wear, Mr. Hawthorne (our link to MI6) wears a suit that seems out of place for the era, with bellbottoms and lapels befitting the late ‘70s. But, most people won’t care about this. And why should they? Our Man in Havana is a brilliant adaptation that is an absolute must-see during its nine-day run. It’s perfect for those interested in comedy, the Cold War, and escaping the implications that the world of Russian spies and espionage is alive and well beyond our southern border. Buchanan Hunter arts@vueweekly.com

Doll House by Henrik Ibsen

An adaptation by Beau Coleman

NOVEMBER 30 - DECEMBER 9, 2017 @ 7:30 pm No performance Sunday, DECEMBER 3 | Matinee DECEMBER 7 @ 12:30 pm

Timms Centre for the Arts, University of Alberta

ualberta.ca/artshows VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

arts 9

STORYTELLING

Wed., Dec. 6 (7 pm) Voices of Amiskwaciy: Our Stories Citadel Theatre, Zeidler Hall

ecdote to something more historical. Basically, any way they define a story,” White says. His role in the project was to facilitate workshops and aid individuals in compiling their stories, particularly through audiovisual and digital tools. “Whether it was with video or a narration accompanied with photos,” White adds. “The hope is that they can take those skills and pass them on to other people in the community. Even if they don’t end up creating anything for the site, the ability to pass on this knowledge has been very rewarding.” The Voices of Amiskwaciy site

uses Murkutu, an open-source content management program designed specifically for curating and protecting Indigenous content. “It began in the Warumungu Indigenous community in Australia,” Mann says. “It offers community groups the ability to control the content that is uploaded. Anyone from the public can create a profile and upload, but the community administers and controls the content.” The types of stories on the site are diverse, spanning from the untold history of the Michel First Nation, to an individual’s experiences going to residential school.” “There’s also one about a young woman talking about how culture defined who she is as a person,” White says. “It’s been an honour to work with these people and help share their stories.” The upcoming event at Citadel Theatre will also give some of the storytellers an opportunity to share their digital stories live, but also provide context on what it means to them. “The site had a soft launch in November, but the goal of the event is to celebrate these stories,” White says. “We’re hoping that this will lead to more content, stories and awareness of what we are doing for the Indigenous community.” Stephan Boissonneault stephan@vueweekly.com

see the family before the explosion ... The arc of the play is how this explosion changes the family and challenges each character in their own way.” The Halifax Explosion took place on December 6, 1917. Two ships collided and lit a fire onboard one of them, thereby igniting its highly explosive cargo and killing roughly 2,000 people in the resulting blast. The 100th anniversary of the explosion is this week. Written by Trina Davies, Shatter explores the aftermath of the tragedy, touching on particularly poignant themes like media’s ability to reaffirm sentiments, ideas, and of course blame. Blame is a major aspect of the story, and Languedoc says that in the immediate aftermath of the play’s explosion, people search for the scapegoats nearest to hand. In 1917 that meant Germany. “For lack of a better term, we call it the bandwagon mentality,” says Languedoc. “Jumping on the bandwagon just because it’s the popular thing to believe at the time. I find that very problematic and especially with today’s tensions in the states and tensions here in Canada towards Muslims ... I find a lot of people have jumped on the bandwagon and don’t know why they’re on the bandwagon … Not questioning the mentality. That’s the issue that drew me to this play.”

Shatter is Languedoc’s first major play, having established himself as a playwright in greater degree than a director. Despite some nerves, he’s confident in the material and in his desire for greater Canadian historical fiction. While the anniversary of the Halifax explosion and subsequently the play’s opening night will no doubt ring a somber tone, Languedoc believes the suffering in the play still has some more optimistic notes. “Yes, the play is a tragedy,” Languedoc says. “There are some very tragic moments in it, but I think there’s a lot of hope sprinkled throughout this play as well. However, the play does offer a few flickers of redemption. “While I hope that audiences can really see the tragedy and see how characters can change in the face of tragedy,” he says. “I think it’s really cool that audiences have some glimmers of hope to focus on as well.” Shatter is an examination of how we behave in a crisis. It asks how people might deal with a cataclysm and how they might react under that pressure. Though it may also work as memorial of the Halifax Explosion, it shares its best aims with the rest of Canadian historical fiction—to get you imagining history. Lucas Provencher arts@vueweekly.com

PLAY IT FORWARD Elder, Wilson Bearhead / Supplied

Voices of Amiskwaciy project creates digital realm for Indigenous stories

tories have the power to inspire change, creativity, and discovery. Earlier this month, The Edmonton Public Library (EPL) took this message and introduced Voices of Amiskwaciy, a site that provides a digital public platform for members of the Indigenous community to share their stories. The project’s name comes from the Cree translation of “amiskwaciy-wâskahikan,” which means “Beaver Hills” and refers to the Edmonton region. The project was also guided by the values of ongoing collaboration and consultation with the Indigenous community.

“Our team started with a pipe ceremony with our Elder in residence, Wilson Bearhead, to ensure it would go forward in a good way,” says EPL digital public spaces librarian, Raquel Mann. “We formed a team and spent four months doing Indigenous community consultations. We spoke with artists, organization leaders and members of the public.” The result produced a site that reflected the principles and beliefs of Edmonton’s Indigenous community. “The library was very mindful of doing it in the right way,” says Indigenous digital storytelling assistant, Christopher White. “Every-

thing from the visual styling of the site has been informed by these community consultations. An example is that we had Indigenous and non-Indigenous members on the team work with Elders to determine what visual icon would represent the kind of stories.” Currently, the site has 10 categories: personal stories, current issues, history, rights laws and treaty, arts and recreation, education, leadership, place and territory, reconciliation and traditional knowledge. “We have a very broad definition of what constitutes a story. It can be anything from a personal an-

THEATRE

/ Supplied

HOPE IN BURNING HARBOUR Shatter offers a new take on The Halifax Expolsion of 1917

Wed., Dec. 6 – Sat., Dec. 16 Shatter Walterdale Theatre, $20

or all the creativity in Canada and for all that’s taken place in our 150 years since Confederation, there sure isn’t a lot of Canadian historical fiction in the 10 arts

popular imagination. Lawrence Hill’s The Book of Negros and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace are of course the notable exceptions, but for all that’s happened in the country it just doesn’t seem like enough has been imagined for Canadians to really take notice. When a play like Shatter comes

around and offers to take a few artistic liberties with a major event in Canadian history, it’s worth listening to. “For me, the story of Shatter is basically a family,” says director Josh Languedoc. “The Macleans, deal with [and are] changed by the Halifax explosion of 1917. We

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

ARTS WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

DANCE ARGENTINE TANGO DANCE AT FOOT NOTES STUDIO • Foot Notes Dance Studio (South side), 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 DANCE ASSOCIATION • Central Lions Recreation Center, 11113-113 St • 780.893.6828 • ebda.ca • An evening of ballroom, latin, country dancing • First Sat of every month, 8pm (doors) BEDOUIN BEATS PRESENTS THE BEST BELLYDANCE PAGEANT EVER • Royal Alberta Museum, 12845-102 Ave NW • 780.761.0773 • verynecessaryfitness@gmail.com • Dec 3, 6:30-9:30pm • $20-$30

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)

DANCE CRUSH • Spazio Performativo, 10816-95 St • milezerodance.com • Local and national artists curated by Gerry Morita expose Edmonton audience to the most current ideas about movement and the body in performance • Nov 30-Dec 3 • $15 or best offer at the door

FLAMENCO DANCE CLASSES (BEGINNER OR ADVANCED) • Dance Code Studio, 10575-115 St NW #204 • 780.349.4843 • judithgarcia07@gmail. com • flamencoenvivo.com • Every Sun until Jun 10, 11:30am-12:30pm

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: Professional Technique (10-11:30am), Contact Improv (7-9pm); Tue: Kids 6-10 (4:30-5:15pm), Toonie Yoga (5:306:45pm), Butoh (7-9pm); Wed: Noguchi Taiso (10-11:30am); Thu: Preschool 3-5 (10-10:45am), Beginner Contemporary (5-6:15pm); Sat: House (7-9pm) • $15 (regular), $12 (members), 10-class cards available for $100

NAKED • Spazio Performativo, 10816-95 St • milezerodance.com • This work is inspired by the stages of humans in the amniotic sac, the muscular, bones and sensoral development, contractions, breath and birth. Adult content (nudity) • Dec 8-9 • $15 or best offer at the door THE NUTCRACKER • Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 11455-87 Ave • 780.427.2760 • jubileeauditorium.com • Enter a Kingdom of Sweets, fall in love with a Sugar Plum Fairy and bravely face an army of mischievous mice. Featuring live music with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra & the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra • Dec 7-10

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

WHEN THE WATER TAP RUNS DRY • Westwood Unitarian, 11135-65 Ave • An American film but also concerns Canada. Discussion to follow after screening • Dec 1, 7pm

LOFT ART GALLERY • 590 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park • artsoc@telus.net • artstrathcona.com • Open Fri-Sun, Sep 9-Dec, 10-4pm • Artwork from local artists of the Society

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS

LOTUS ART GALLERY • 10321-124 St

ACUA GALLERY & ARTISAN BOUTIQUE • 9534-87 St • 780.488.8558 • info@acuarts. ca • acuarts.ca • Motanky, Felting and Weaving Show: artwork by Elizabeth Holinaty, Myroslava Oksentiuk, Elena Scharabun and Natalia Yashnikova; Dec 1-19 • Crafting Christmas: all day Christmas Workshops; Dec 9, 9am-4pm

ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY • 10186-106 St • 780.488.6611 • albertacraft. ab.ca • Landmarks: artwork by Julia Reimer, Tyler Rock and Katherine Russell; Sep 2-Dec 24

ALBERTA LEGISLATURE AND LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY VISITOR CENTRE • 9820107 St • 780.415.1839 • jeanette.dotimas@ assembly.ab.ca • assembly.ab.ca/visitorcentre/ borealis/LegionHalls.html • Legion Halls: photography by Tobi Asmoucha; Oct 13-Jan 2

ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL OF SPRUCE GROVE • Melcor Cultural Centre, 35-5th Ave, Spruce Grove • 780.962.0664 • alliedartscouncil.com • Artwork by Cindy James; Nov 6-Dec 2 • Novelty Show; Dec 4-Jan 19

ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA (AGA) • 2 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.422.6223 • youraga. ca • Turbulent Landings: The NGC 2017 Canadian Biennial: curated by Catherine Crowston, Josee Drouin-Brisebois and Jonathan Shaughnessy; Sep 30-Jan 7 • Monument: artwork by Dara Humniski and Sergio Serrano; Oct 14-Feb 19 • Calling Stones (Conversations): artwork by Faye HeavyShield; Oct 28-Feb 19 • WordMark: A New Chapter Acquisition Project; Oct 28-Mar 25 • 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 ART GALLERY OF ST ALBERT (AGSA) • 19 Perron St, St Albert • 780.460.4310 • artgalleryofstalbert.ca • Ripples of Loss: artwork by Terry McCue; Nov 2-Dec 2 • Outrospectives: artwork by Nathalie Daoust, Florin Hategan and Edwin Janzen; Dec 7-Jan 27

• lotus-gallery.com • Sam An Woven Art Collections: Oct 27-Nov 30

MCMULLEN GALLERY • U of A Hospital, 8440-112 St • 780.407.7152 • friendsofuah.org/ mcmullen-gallery • This Art Makes Me Feel...: Until Dec 3 MUSÉE HÉRITAGE MUSEUM • St Albert Place, 5 St Anne Street, St Albert • MuseeHeritage.ca • 780.459.1528 • museum@ artsandheritage.ca •The Michel Band: curated by members of the Michel Band Council; Sep 19Jan 7 • Ripples of Loss: artwork by Terry McCue; Nov 2-Dec 2 PETER ROBERTSON GALLERY • 12323-104 Ave • 780.455.7479 • probertsongallery.com • Group Show: Includes new artists and their new works; Nov 9-Dec 31 • Of Sky and Water: artwork by Gregory Hardy; Nov 16-Dec 9 • Giving Context: artwork by Steve Driscoll; Nov 25-Dec 30

A DOLL HOUSE • Timms Centre for the Arts, 87 Ave & 112 St, University of Alberta • ualberta. ca/artshows • Ibsen’s ground-breaking classic reframed and reimagined in 1950s America. What first appears to be a satisfying marriage soon reveals itself to be one of entrapment, unhappiness and suffocation • Nov 30-Dec 9

BACK TO THE 80S PART 2: THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES • Mayfield Dinner Theatre, 16615-109 Ave • 780.483.4051 • mayfieldtheatre. ca • Join Bill and Ted in their time traveling phone booth as they blast back to the '80s to relive the bad hairdos, spandex pants, iconic characters and, of course, it’s most excellent mix-tape of memorable music. • Nov 7-Jan 28

BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS PRESENT: OUR MAN IN HAVANA • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83

PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA

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

• 8555 Roper Road • PAA@gov.ab.ca • 780.427.1750 • culture.alberta.ca/paa/ eventsandexhibits/default.aspx • Open Tue-Sat, 9am

SCOTT GALLERY • 10411-124 St • scottgallery.com • Iron Light: artwork by Jim Davies; Nov 18-Dec 9 SNAP GALLERY • Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists, 10123-121 St • 780.423.1492 • snapartists.com • SNAP Annual Members Show and Sale; Nov 18-Dec 16

TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE • 11211-142 St • telusworldofscienceedmonton.com • Daily activities, demonstrations and experiments • The Science Behind Pixar Exhibition; Until Jan 7 • Free-$117.95

BLEEDING HEART ART SPACE • 9132-118 Ave • dave@bleedingheartartspace.com • Your Work, Our Walls: artwork by Open Walls 3; Nov 25-Dec 16

VASA GALLERY • 25 Sir Winston Churchill

BOREALIS GALLERY • 9820-107 St • assembly.ab.ca/visitorcentre/borealis.html • Legion Halls: produced by the Canadian War Museum; Oct 13-Jan 2

WEST END GALLERY • 10337-124 St •

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)

DIE-NASTY • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • die-nasty.com • Live improvised soap opera. Join the whole Die-Nasty family REBORN, for a whole season of great artists, earth-shaking discovery, glorious music, hilarious hi jinx...but mostly Machiavellian Intrigue • Runs every Mon, 6:30pm (doors), 7:30-9:30pm • Oct 23-May 29

HADESTOWN • Citadel Theatre, 9828-101A Ave • citadeltheatre.com • Orpheus’ mythical quest to regain the favour of his one true love, Eurydice, infused with the music of American folk and New

Orleans jazz traditions • Nov 11-Dec 3

HEY LADIES! • The Roxy on Gateway (formerly C103), 8529 Gateway Blvd • theatrenetwork.ca • Edmonton’s premier comedy, info-tainment, musical, game, talk show spectacular that’s suitable for all sexes! • Dec 1, 8pm • $26 (call 780.453.2440) or TIX on the Square LES NEIGES • Theatre of La Cité francophone, 8627 rue Marie-Anne-Gaboury (91 St) • lunitheatre. ca • Les Neiges presents a poetic, poignant and amusing look at our chilliest yet, most nostalgic season and what it often has to offer–in abundance • Dec 7-10

OPEN JAM • Holy Trinity Church, 10037-84 Ave • 780.907.2975 • grindstonetheatre.ca • Facilitated by Grindstone Theatre. Swap games and ideas and get an opportunity to play. For those of all levels • Last Tue of each month

ORANGE IS THE NEW PINK • Jubilations Dinner Theatre, West Edmonton Mall, #2061, 8882-170 St • 780.484.2424 • edmonton.jubilations.ca • Piper is pretty in pink and the life of every party. But when this queen of the New York party scene takes it a bit too far, she’s forced to trade in the pink party dress for an orange prison suit • Oct 20-Jan 20 PJ MASKS LIVE • Enmax Hall, Winspear Centre, 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square • edmontonsymphony.com • Watch Catboy, Owlette and Gekko as they try to save the day from their sneaky villains – Romeo, Night Ninja and Luna Girl • Dec 11, 6pm

SHATTER • Walterdale Theatre, 10322-83 Ave • 780.439.3058 • walterdaletheatre.com • Anna MacLean’s eye has been turned by all the handsome soldiers roaming about the streets of her hometown of Halifax. She feels the promise of something great is lingering on the horizon for her • Dec 6-16 SISTER ACT • Triffo Theatre (proscenium), Allard Hall, 11110-104 Ave • macewan.ca • When disco diva Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and her uptight Mother Superior • Nov 22-Dec 2, 7:30-9:30pm • $25 (adults), $20 (seniors 60+), $15 (full-time students) THEATRESPORTS • Citadel's Zeidler Hall, 9828101A Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Improv • Every Fri, 7:30pm and 10pm • Sep 9-Jun 8 • $15

Ave, St Albert • 780.460.5990 • vasa-art.com • Small Town Living: artwork by JakeJoy Mulyk; Oct 31-Dec 2 780.488.4892 • westendgalleryltd.com • Raynald Leclerc Exhibition of New Work; Nov 18-30

LITERARY

BRUCE PEEL SPECIAL COLLECTIONS • Lower level, Rutherford South, University of Alberta • bpsc.library.ualberta.ca • Salt, Sword, and Crozier: Books and Coins from the Prince-Bishopric of Salzburg (c.1500-c.1800); Sep 26-Jan 31

AUDREYS BOOKS • 10702 Jasper Ave • Gordon Self "A Most Spectacular Narrative" Book Launch; Dec 1, 7-9pm • Lisa Murphy-Lamb "Jesus on the Dashboard" Book launch; Dec 2, 2-4pm

BUGERA MATHESON GALLERY • 10345-124 St • bugeramathesongallery.com • Symphonic Timbre: artwork by Ernestine Tahedl; Oct 20-Nov 3 • Gardens Ablaze/Jardins de lumière: artwork by Michèle Drouin (RCA); Nov 17-Dec 7

CAVA GALLERY • 9103-95 Ave • 780.461.3427 • galeriecava.com • Miniatures Show Galerie; Dec 1-23

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

EDMONTON STORY SLAM • Mercury Room,10575-114 St • edmontonstoryslam.com • facebook.com/mercuryroomyeg • Great stories, interesting company, fabulous atmosphere • 3rd Wed each month • 7pm (sign-up); 7:30pm • $5 Donation to winner

DC3 ART PROJECTS • 10567-111 St • 780.686.4211 • dc3artprojects.com • Disclosures: Artwork by Dana Dal Bo, Dayna Danger, Shan Kelley; Nov 3-Dec 16

ROUGE POETRY SLAM HOSTED BY BREATH IN POETRY COLLECTIVE • BLVD

FILM

GALLERY@501 • 501 Festival Ave, Sherwood Park • 780.410.8585 • strathcona.ca/artgallery • Light in the Land–the Nature of Canada: artwork by Dr. Roberta Bondar; Nov 10-Dec 21

METRO • Metro at the Garneau Theatre,

HARCOURT HOUSE GALLERY • 3 Fl, 10215-

Parkallen Community Hall, 6510-111 St • Monthly Tellaround: 2nd Wed each month • Sep-Jun, 7-9pm • Free • Info: 780.437.7736; talesedmonton@hotmail.com

8712-109 St • 780.425.9212 • metrocinema.org • Visit metrocinema.org for daily listings • AFTERNOON TEA: The Sound of Music (Dec 17) • ART DOCS: Where the Universe Sings: The Spiritual Journey of Lawren Harris (Nov 30) • CANADA ON SCREEN: Black Christmas (1974) (Dec 22) • HOMO-CIDAL DRAG SHOW: Clueless (Dec 2) • METRO RETRO: The Crow (Dec 28) • MUSIC DOC: Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World (Dec 5) • QUOTE-A-LONG SERIES: Die Hard (Dec 23) • RECONCILIATION IN FOCUS: Re-Framing Land: A short film compilation on Land & Territory (Dec 6) • REEL FAMILY CINEMA: A Christmas Story (Dec 2), Home Alone (Dec 16), Elf (Dec 23), The Wizard of OZ (Dec 30) • SCI-FI: 2001: A Space Odyssey (Dec 10, Dec 13) • STRANGE CANADA: The Silent Partner (Dec 21)

9828-101A Ave • citadeltheatre.com • Three Ghosts of Christmas show Scrooge the value of giving. A heart-warming family classic to raise the holiday spirits • Dec 1-23

959 Ordze Rd, Sherwood Park • 780.467.3038 • info@picturethisgallery.com • picturethisgallery. com • The Winter Art Show: artwork by Roger Arndt, Luke Buck, Charity Dakin, Trisha Romance and more; Dec 1-Feb 28

POETRY BOOK LAUNCH AND SIGNING OF SLINGS & ARROWS BY JACQUELINE DOWSEY • Strathcona Chapters, 10504-82 Ave

100 Ave • Dances are taught to a variety of songs and music. No partner required • Every Wed, 7-9pm • $10

A CHRISTMAS CAROL • Citadel Theatre,

Ave NW • Cuba 1958. Meet Jim Wormold–a hapless vacuum cleaner salesman who gets sucked in to a dirty world of espionage and double agents when the chance of helping out MI6 with a job or two proves too good an offer to resist. And, quite frankly, he could do with the cash to pay for his teenage daughter’s ever increasing lifestyle • Nov 23-Dec 2

PICTURE THIS! FRAMING & GALLERY •

FAB GALLERY • Fine Arts Building Gallery,1-1 FAB (University of Alberta) • ualberta.ca/artshows • Artwork by Liz Ingram and Meghan Pohlod; Nov 21-Dec 9

SACRED CIRCLE DANCE • Riverdale Hall, 9231-

front of them, complete with impromptu songs, dance breaks and show stopping numbers • Every Fri, Oct 13-Dec 15, 11pm

112 St • 780.426.4180 • harcourthouse.ab.ca • 1984 Cranes: artwork by Elenor Coerr; Dec 7-Jan 19 • Bandaneira: artwork by Jonas St. Michael; Dec 7-Jan 19

HUMAN ECOLOGY GALLERY • University of Alberta 1-15, Human Ecology Building • 780.492.3824 • Imagining a Better World: The Artwork of Nelly Toll; Sep 28-Mar 11

JEFF ALLEN ART GALLERY (JAAG) • Strathcona Place Senior Centre, 10831 University Ave, 109 St, 78 Ave • 780.433.5807 • seniorcentre.org • Inspirations: artwork by Gladys Mathison and Darlene Comfort; Nov 16-Dec 13

Harcourt House Artist Run Centre in partnership with Jake’s Framing + Art Gallery presents:

A Christmas Carol Citadel Theatre Dec. 1 - 23

Jake's F raming

• Dec 2, 12-4pm

Supper x Club, 10765 Jasper Ave • Every Tue

TALES–Monthly Storytelling Circle •

UPPER CRUST CAFÉ • 10909-86 Ave • 780.422.8174 • strollofpoets.com • The Poets’ Haven Reading Series • Most Mon (except holidays), 7pm, Sep 18-Mar; presented by the Stroll of Poets Society • $5 (door)

THEATRE 11 O'CLOCK NUMBER • Basement Theatre at Holy Trinity, 10037-84 Ave • grindstonetheatre.ca • This completely improvised musical comedy is based on the suggestions from the audience who will get to experience a brand new story unfold in

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

Christmas Art Sale Fundraiser + Bohemian Extravaganza DECEMBER 1 - 3, 2017 at JAKE’S FRAMING + ART GALLERY 10441-123 St., Edmonton, AB

for more info visit: www.harcourthouse.ab.ca

Friday, DECEMBER 1st @ 7 - 11 pm: wine + cheese reception + cash bar live jazz by Bill Damur & The White Cats participating artists will be in attendance

ART SALES (December 1-3): Friday 12 pm – 11 pm Saturday 10 am – 5 pm Sunday 11am – 5 pm

arts 11

‘Lawren Harris’ at Mt. Lefroy / Supplied

DOCUMENTARY

Thu., Nov. 30 (7 pm) Where the Universe Sings: The Spiritual Journey of Lawren Harris Metro Cinema, $13

Where the Universe Sings documents one of Canada’s most prolific painters

n May 1913, an article penned by Dewar Montague titled, “The Classic Commonplace” appeared in the fledgling MacLean’s magazine. The rather poignant piece urged Canadians to luxuriate in the natural beauty surrounding us. “Beauty … lies in the eye of the beholder,” Montague

opens. “But if the beholder is too busy to see it—this is the modern, Canadian completion of the proverb.” Now, some 105 years after the article was published, Dewart Montague is suspected to be the pseudonym for the venerable Canadian artist Lawren Harris, a revelation uncovered by

Nancy Lang during her rigorous research for the documentary Where the Universe Sings. “He was a young guy just starting out as a painter,” Lang says. “It signaled what was to become lifelong passions for Harris—the championing of Canadian artists and his love for our landscape.”

FILM REVUE

EXPLORATION OF ECSTASY

Lang and Raymont’s stirring tribute Lawren Harris and his work

ou know his work. And if not, you’re merely uninitiated. Those stark landscapes in supple blues, whites, and purple; the smooth, fat glaciers flirting with cubism are all Canadian and all Lawren Harris. By the time of his death in the winter of 1970, the venerable Harris had more than earned his place as both national treasure and icon for the too-often disregarded field of Canadian art. In his 70-odd years as an artist, Harris successfully shaped the way we look at our own country by exploring the things unique to the Canadian experience. That is where directors Peter Raymont and Nancy Lang find footing in their latest documentary, Where the Universe Sings. Using recreated footage meshed with expert and celebrity analysis (Steve Martin graces us with a curious cameo in a curatorial role), 12 ﬁlm

Raymont and Lang explore Harris’ life and seemingly symbiotic relationship with Canada. The inspiration he took from the landscapes and wilderness were given back to us in the form of an identity. However, the true genius of Harris (and, indeed, the film in question) is the contemplations surrounding the nature of art and artists. Harris believed, correctly, that our time on this planet is merely transitory; the job of the artist is that of a perpetual pilgrim. The artist creates work that acts as an anchor to a particular time and place— ideally, the work will live on long after the artist is gone. Given the widespread interest and influence that still permeates from his work, it would appear that Harris was right. Buchanan Hunter film@vueweekly.com

The concept of Harris as an ambassador for Canadian art and culture is one that Lang and fellow producer Peter Raymont explore heavily in the aforementioned documentary. “I think what drew us to Harris … was his arc is so brilliant,” Raymont says. “Throughout his life, throughout his career, he was constantly changing.” Both Lang and Raymont are well acquainted with Harris’ ilk; Lang studied and practiced art for over a decade, while both she and Raymont have previously explored The Group of Seven and Tom Thomson in the 2015 documentary, Painted Land. The veteran producers also admit that the timing couldn’t have been more perfect— Steve Martin (yes, King Tut himself) undoubtedly played a role in building public interest for the noted artist. In the summer of 2016, Martin co-curated The Idea of North, an exhibit dedicated to Harris’ work at the Ontario Art Gallery. “After we premiered Painted Land, about 90 percent of the audience were asking us to do one about Harris. Everyone loves him,” Lang explains. And, really, why shouldn’t they? The man was a national icon who helped define the way Canadians observe Canada.

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

But what about Harris makes him so quintessentially Canadian? What about his art speaks so clearly of the Canadian identity? According to Lang, it all comes down to his eagerness (and ability) to explore. “Harris was unique in the sense that he had the means to travel to the different corners of Canada and show off the natural beauty, something European painters of the time couldn’t and wouldn’t do,” she says. Raymont adds that Harris’ desire to bolster Canada’s art community made him somewhat of a political activist, making him an indelible Canadian figure. “He really believed in the Canadian vision. He lobbied for the National Gallery to be a national gallery. He didn’t want it to be sequestered to Ottawa,” Raymont says. As an added bonus to their already thorough research, Harris’ own grandchildren (the executors of his estate) donated boxfuls of candid family photos from Harris’ childhood and early career, items that have never before been made available to the public. “We really are very fortunate,” Lang says. “[His grandchildren] have been so helpful in this whole process, we really can’t thank them enough.” Buchanan Hunter film@vueweekly.com

CRIME THRILLER

TEDIOUS LAW-MADE MARTYR

Roman J. Israel, Esq. Directed by Tony Gilroy Now playing 

Denzel Washington lets his inner anxieties out in Roman J. Israel, Esq.

ith his directorial debut Nightcrawler—street hustler-turned-freelance cameraman roams the L.A. nightscape for ‘on the crime scene’ footage—Tony Gilroy partnered a hollow-eyed character study with an adrenalized 1970s antihero drama. In his intriguing but far less successful follow-up, Roman J. Israel, Esq., Gilroy places a ‘70s throwback at the heart of an L.A. law drama. The title character (Denzel Washington), who came of activist age when the words and deeds of Angela Davis and Martin Luther King were still firing up front-line protests, is a shuffling savant behind the scenes. When his partner—their firm’s in-court presence—suffers a career-ending heart attack, Roman, nowhere to turn, falls in with George Pierce (Colin Farrell), head honcho at his own big, super-slick firm. Beatendown and fed-up, our favourite legal misfit decides to shuck off his principles and start looking out for himself.

Following Roman’s lead, the story has its curious tics and twitches—it’s a bit ragged yet hard to predict where it’ll shuffle to next. Gilroy, with his previous collaborators, cinematographer Robert Elswit and editor Joe Gilroy, keeps us so attuned to Roman’s different wavelength that his anxiety crackles up, dial-nudge by dial-nudge, until he turns on his old self. It’s then that his success marks and makes the tragedy. But, strung together, the moments here make for too much convenience and an overdependence on a quirky outcast’s best intentions. George’s backing of Roman—especially given what he gets up to in the timeline’s overstuffed three weeks—never quite makes sense (like some of Roman’s gnomic lines), because his drivingforce is his old law prof, Roman’s stricken partner, whom we never do see. One of those streetside encounters even seems, in retrospect, a plot-contrivance meant to make a young activist (Carmen

Denzel Washington as Roman J. Israel, Esq. / Supplied

Ejogo) plausibly look up to him. By the end, when Roman becomes a martyr for his great cause (a legal challenge of the entire system’s reliance on plea bargaining), he’s also that most Hollywood of heroes—the extraordinary maverick. Brian Gibson film@vueweekly.com

FRI, DEC 1–THUR, DEC 7

JAPANESE THRILLER

DEMONIC FEMME FATALE

Audition turns tables on male arrogance with torturous pleasure

Sun., Dec. 3 (9 pm) Audition Directed by Takashi Miike Originally released in 1999 Metro Cinema General Admission

ith Ichi the Killer, 13 Assassins, and Yakuza Apocalypse to his name, it seems as clear as blood what you’ll get with a Takashi Miike movie. But the Japanese director can, amid his brutal, outrageous offerings, show off startling variety: a samurai-classic remake (Hara-Kiri); a magic-realist trip to Yunan province (The Bird People of China); a black-humour musical (The Happiness of the Katakuris). No career spotlight on Miike is complete without Audition (1999), turning from a slow dissection of egotism and sexism into a homeinvasion nightmare. Its first half is even more chilling

now, when allegation after revelation of male moguls sexually intimidating, harassing, and assaulting women in the American TV and film industries have rippled out. We watch as widower Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) tries dating again, his movie-producer pal putting together an audition for women to be cast as his new wife. The session is a disturbing mix of awkwardness, the interviewees’ required self-exposure, and the two men’s evaluation. Men talk of women as menu items or potential property. Shigeharu’s son asks, “Why don’t you get re-married?” Chatting at a bar, after Shigeharu’s buddy calls the movie business “a game of torture,” the pair talk casually and judgmentally about “girls.” “What kind of female are you looking for?” the friend asks. After Shigeharu outlines his preferred attributes, he notes, “I’d like

LAST FLAG FLYING

to have enough time to observe her. I’d like to see many women, then choose my ideal one.” This collecting, selecting voyeur is soon picked out and hunted down, though, his own feelings returned, only much more coldly, calculatedly, and violently. There’s the icy shift from a drama—with fixed camera shots and a lilting score—about manipulation and an idée-fixe romance into a horror-film about fixation, paralysis, and strangulation. (There’s also a particularly Japanese acceptance of loss, wrenched into a fascination with pain, at the crumpled core of Shigeharu’s infatuation.) But it’s one man’s pursuit of one woman who turns out to be so much more of his crazed counterpart than he could have ever feared, which makes Audition so petrifying. Brian Gibson film@vueweekly.com

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

NEITHER WOLF NOR DOG FRI, SAT & MON TO THURS: 7:00PM SUN: 6:15PM RATED: PG, CL

RATED: 14A, CL

LOVING VINCENT

PARADISE

SAT & SUN: 3:15PM RATED: TBR

FRI & MON TO THURS: 9:30PM SAT: 1:00 & 9:30PM SUN: 1:00 & 8:45PM RATED: 14A

PRESENTS ART DOCS

WHERE THE UNIVERSE SINGS: THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF LAWREN HARRIS THUR @ 7:00

NOV 30 - DEC 6 HOMO-CIDAL DRAG SHOW

CLUELESS SAT @ 9:30

W/ LIVE DRAG PERFORMANCE BEFORE THE SCREENING.

100 FILM CAREER: TAKASHI MIIKE SPOTLIGHT SCREENS WITH LOCAL SHORT FILM LANA GETS HER TALK. AUDITION SUN @ 9:00 JAPANESE WITH SUBTITLES Q & A FOLLOWING THE SCREENING. RESTRICTED (R) - 18+, NO MINORS

SWEET VIRGINIA THUR @ 9:30 HARRY DEAN STANTON TRIBUTE

LUCKY FRI @ 7:00, SAT @ 12:15, SUN @ 7:00, WED @ 9:30 YOUR NAME FRI @ 9:00 – ENGLISH DUBBED SAT @ 7:00 – JAPANESE WITH SUBTITLES MON @ 9:30 – JAPANESE WITH SUBTITLES REEL FAMILY CINEMA

A CHRISTMAS STORY SAT @ 2:00 FREE ADMISSION FOR KIDS 12 & UNDER HUMAN FLOW SAT @ 4:15

A BETTER MAN MON @ 7:00

PRESENTED BY THE ALBERTA COUNCIL OF WOMEN'S SHELTERS. FILMMAKER IN ATTENDANCE AND Q & A FOLLOWING THE SCREENING. FREE ADMISSION MUSIC DOCS

RUMBLE: THE INDIANS WHO ROCKED THE WORLD TUES @ 7:00

W/ LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE BY JAY GILDAY AT 6:30 100 FILM CAREER: TAKASHI MIIKE SPOTLIGHT

ICHI THE KILLER TUES @ 9:30 JAPANESE WITH SUBTITLES RESTRICTED (R) - 18+, NO MINORS RECONCILIATION IN FOCUS

RE-FRAMING LAND: A SHORT FILM COMPILATION ON LAND & TERRITORY WED @ 7:00

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

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

film 13

Stuck on ideas for the perfect gift? Looking for a few odds and ends to round out the shopping season? Look no further than Vue’s Holiday Gift Guide, featuring an array of selections for nearly anyone on your list. From the musician to the adventurer, we showcase some of the hottest and oddest gifts to give this holiday season.

Adventurer

Artist

1 1. Icebreaker Flexi Chute - Merino wool to

keep the heat in and the stink out. Track ‘n Trail • shop.trackntrail.ca

4. daVinci Water colour Brush Set With brush soap for those messy painters. The Paint Spot • paintspot.ca

5. Gamblin Artist Oil Colours - Can 2. GoPro HERO6

MEC • mec.ca

be bought in a set for beginners or individually for the pro. The Paint Spot • paintspot.ca

6 6. Mixed Media Art blocks - Created

3. Mountain Hardwear Stretch

Down Jacket - Comfortable stretch for activity in the River Valley. Track ‘N Trail • shop.trackntrail.ca

14 Holiday Gift Guide

Culinary

by Edmonton mixed-media artist Maria Pace-Wynters. Sabrina Butterﬂy Designs • sabrinabutterﬂydesigns.ca VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

7. Tojiro DP Bread Knife 215 mm - Slice your

cake and eat it too! Knife Wear • knifewear.com

8 8. Holiday Cookie Boxes - The perfect item

to bring to a Christmas party for the uninclined baker. Duchess Bake Shop • duchessbakeshop.com

9 9. Italian Gift Baskets - Curated and designed in-house to offer a cross section of tastes. Italian Centre Shop • italiancentre.ca

Fashion Forward

10 10. Begg & Co Jura Scarf - Made of

lambswool and angora in Scotland. Gravity Pope • gravitypope.com

11. Blundstone 585 Rustic Brown - Leather

lined and light with unisex sizing. Gravity Pope, Blundstone, Browns, SoftMoc, MEC, Campers Village • blundstone.ca

12. Stance’s Star Wars Socks

The Brieﬁng Room • thebrieﬁngroom.ca

Alberta Branded Art. Alberta. Here.

Featuring Alberta Artists Andrew Glazebrook, Barbara Howe and Nicole Tremblay Edmonton Federal Building, 9820-107 Street | 780.422.3982 | assembly.ab.ca/visitorcentre Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Weekends and Holidays: Noon to 5 p.m. VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide 15

Freethinker

13. The Pro-ject Essential III turntable

Blackbyrd Myoozik • blackbyrd.ca

14. Silvertip Badger Hair Shaving Brush Available in both black and ivory. Kent of Inglewood • kentoﬁnglewood.com

15 15. Monthly YEG Box - With Edmonton-only items including the Food Box, Home Box and Baby Box. YEG Box Co • yegbox.ca

Liquor Aficionado 16. Strathcona Orange Aromatic Bitters Other iconic Edmonton flavours include Ritchie Cherry and Whyte Lavender. Token Naturals • tokenbitters.com

18. Seaberry Gin - Made with Edmonton-foraged seaberry. Strathcona Spirits Distillery • strathconaspirits.ca

17 16

17. Long Johns Salted Caramel

Alley Kat • alleykatbeer.com

Our comprehensive winter sports feature for our readers who love the great outdoors!

16 Holiday Gift Guide

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

DECEMBER 31ST, 2017

December 31st, 2017

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 6, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide 17

Literarian

Lovers

19. Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe - Some

of the best Christmas Vinyl Cafe stories. Audreys Books • audreys.ca

23. Stance’s Star Wars briefs - To awaken

the force in you. The Brieﬁng Room • thebrieﬁngroom.ca

23 20 20. The Flintstones Vol. 1 - Part of DC

Comics’ reimagining of classic cartoons with a modern take. Variant Edition Comics & Culture • variantedmonton.com

21 21. Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys: The Big Lie - When the Hardy Boys are

accused of murder, they must team up with Nancy Drew to prove their innocence. Variant Edition Comics & Culture • variantedmonton.com 18 Holiday Gift Guide

24. Tiani 2 - A remote-controlled couple’s

massager meant to enhance the feelings in the bedroom for both partners. Available at lelo.com

Musician

26 25 25. Dr. Scientist’s Bitquest multi-eﬀects pedal - A freak of nature with eight digital

effects, spanning from flanger to glitch delay with or without fuzz. Available at Leprechaun FX • leprechaunfx.com

26 26. Seagull Artist Studio CH Sunburst

A beautiful acoustic made of rosewood and spruce with an element pickup to ensure quality tone. Available at Stang Guitars • stangguitars.com

24 27 24. Karma Sutra Treasure Trove -

Includes oils, body powders, and pleasure balms for lovers to enjoy. Available at HUSH • hushcanada.com

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

27. MEINL 7” Djembe

A portable djembe with great tone and a light synthetic shell. Perfect for outdoor gatherings. Available at Long and McQuade • long-mcquade.com

vinyl / cds / accessories

The holidays sound better with vinyl.

GREGG ALLMAN

SAM SMITH

ALVVAYS

KENDRICK LAMAR

GORD DOWNIE

NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS

VINCE GUARALDI TRIO

COMEBACK KID

10442 82 avenue

blackbyrd.ca

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 6, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide 19

ADVENT LITERATURE

H&O’s 2017 Advent Calendar / Supplied

TALE OF MISFIT STORIES

H&O provide good reads everyday with short story advent calendar

The 2017 Short Story Advent Calendar hingstonandolsen.com $55

ust like how the music industry moved away from large record companies, more and more authors are moving toward using smaller, even independent, press houses to get their books out to the public. When Edmontonian Michael Hingston and Calgarian Natalie Olsen dreamt up their idea for a short story advent calendar, they soon after decided to join the ranks of publishers. The duo decided to start a press house exclusively for their idea to ensure creative and quality control. The initial inspiration came from a beer advent calendar Hingston bought himself the year before. “I spent $150 really on a whim, which I do not do,” he says. “I thought, ‘Wow, that mental decision-making process’—I was so willing to spend the money because it seemed like such a fun project that was curated by an expert.” As a writer and short-story lover, Hingston naturally went looking for a book version but soon discovered there was nothing of the sort. After mentioning the idea to some friends in publishing, he got re-

sponses of enthusiasm for the idea and hesitance about the format he wanted to fit it into. But Hingston was determined to let his idea see the light of day. Enter Olsen, who designed his first novel, The Dilettantes. With Hingston’s background as a writer and Olsen’s background in design and printing, the two made a practical team. He tracked down and organized all the stories while she covered the design and sample side of things. “Everything about this would be different, so we just decided it would be easier if we just did it ourselves and that way we could control all of the details down to the price point,” Hingston says. “We were really worried if we took it to another publisher that would be the first thing to go.” Their press, Hingston & Olsen (H&O) was formed in early 2015— just in time to publish the first advent calendar later that year. Every year since then, the colourful collection has held 24 sealed short stories, each with only the numbered day on the front to avoid hints and giveaways. To keep the price point down in ways that wouldn’t sacrifice quality, Hingston decided that rather than asking authors to write something

INVENTIVE GIFT IDEAS

specifically for the calendar, he would ask for their stories sitting without a home. Many short story writers end up with extras that get excluded from collections for one reason or another, whether that’s too many similarities to another or because they didn’t fit the theme or page count desired. “It doesn’t mean it’s a bad story, by any means,” Hingston says. “So those stories sometimes don’t really get the life they deserve.” It’s something he attributes to the lack of spaces to publish short fiction today. “I was banking on there being material lying around.” Luckily, he was right about the bounty of forgotten, misfit stories. With odds and sods stories and a sleek look created by Olsen, things escalated quickly, and their short story advent calendar had sold out. “It was very stressful and very exciting—sometimes at the same time—and hard to separate those two feelings,” Hingston laughs. “On the one hand, there was starting a publishing company, which is it’s own kind of roller coaster, and then on top of that we were trying to develop and sell this product.” Since its inception, their calendar has sold out every year, even as they up the amount of copies

printed. Additionally, a significant social media following has arisen to connect with one another every December since. Throughout the month of December, H&O will publish interviews with the author of each day’s story using the hashtag #ssac2017. VUE will also cover a post mortem after each week throughout December to feature authors from the collection. The stories in this year’s calendar come from authors across North

America, with a few European authors mixed in. The 2017 calendar also holds eight entirely new stories, the most new content they’ve ever had. But, as always, the majority fit their mainstay of misfit content. As curator, Hingston says there are some prevalent themes he’s found in the 2017 edition: ghosts, pianos, vans, being unfit for battle, and the charity of strangers. Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

INSIDE THE INVENTOR’S MIND Neil Enock’s imagination and creativity knows no bounds when creating his one-of-a-kind projects

Neil Enock’s iTinkr itinkr.com, shop.itinkr.com

Neil Enock rocks the Wrist Rack / Supplied

20 Holiday Gift Guide

hether it’s customizable wooden cribbage boards or a wrist-mounted smartphone case, Neil Enock likes to tinker. He’s the kind of guy that actually puts in the time to physically create the eccentric ideas that pop into his head. He even has a dedicated space for storing and working on his unfinished projects. “I lease a 2,000-square-foot bay filled with various junk and gadgets,” Enock says. “You know the warehouse in Mythbusters that’s full of projects? Mine is fuller.” Along with his company iTinkr, Enock has created an abundance of inventions. “You go, ‘Oh, that would work,’ and then you find out how to make it. It’s never really been a yearning for me,” Enock says. One of his most notable creations receiving a lot of buzz is the Wrist Rack, a wrist-mounted leather gadget case that can swivel along the wrist. The idea came to Enock as he was filming his scifi television show SomeWhen. I wrote and directed it and we needed a controller for the time

machine we created,” Enock says. “We didn’t want it to look like new technology, so we made it look like an iPhone and wanted it attached to the wrist, hence the Wrist Rack. I’ve been wearing it literally since then.” Being a science fiction fan, Enock was inspired by various pieces pop culture as well. “I thought it would be a good idea to make a wrist controller for your device,” Enock says. “You’ve seen it in the Fallout games with the ‘PipBoy’ and in hundreds of sci-fi movies.” Since its creation, the Wrist Rack has been a fan favourite at comic cons and within the steampunk community. Notable celebrities like Game of Thrones actor Kristian Nairn (Hodor) and Star Trek’s Garrett Wang have shown support. Enock has caught the eye of card players with his Cribscapes, artisanal handmade wooden cribbage boards that reflect specific themes like a railroad track or golf course. “There are a few set styles, but I can customize within those parameters,” Enock says. “The next one I’m working on is, ‘Board of

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

the Rings.’ The idea is that it will look like the Lord of the Rings world, much like the golf course looks like a golf course.” To prepare for Christmas, Enock is hitting up Christmas markets and bringing along his holiday-themed book Doc Christmas and the Magic of Trains—a more modern take on The Polar Express, but rooted in science fiction. “The Polar Express was the last real train Christmas story and, in my eyes, a massive disappointment,” Enock says. “I wanted to come up with a more heartwarming and modern tale. My elves are magical, meaning they’re smarter than us. So they have better technology than we do. I gave them flying cars and lots of high tech gadgetry.” The book reads like watching a movie with a heavy focus on whimsical visuals and imagery. “The elves get sick at the North Pole and they need help from a human boy and Doc,” Enock says. “I can guarantee I will make a movie of it. The question is whether I will make it or Hollywood will.” Stephan Boissonneault stephan@vueweekly.com

A perfect fit.

Discount ticket packages and gift certificates available The Arden Theatre Box Office • 780-459-1542 • ardentheatre.com

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

Holiday Gift Guide 21

Paul Shihadeh / Tomasz Rossa

JAZZ

Musician Paul Shihadeh talks Cirque du Soleil and his collaborative holiday performance

fter working the full gambit of jobs here and there in the music industry, Paul Shihadeh received a call from Cirque du Soleil offering him a job as music director for their ongoing Las Vegas production of O. Originally from Edmonton, Shihadeh left to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston in the late ‘80s. He returned to the city working as a freelance bassist, also taking other musical opportunities needed to advance his career. During that time he played with some of Edmonton’s best, including Tommy Banks, Bob Stroup, Alfie Zappacosta, and the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. “It really built up nicely,” Shihadeh says. “I was able to do a lot of different types of things whether it was jazz gigs, casuals, corporate stuff or recordings and albums.”

22 music

During the ‘90s, Shihadeh took a job at MacEwan University as head of the bass department, and every few weeks he would tour with Kenyan-British musician Roger Whittaker—taking him throughout Canada, Europe and the United States. This lasted for five years, while he taught, toured, and freelanced. In 2001, Shihadeh and his wife, Krista Monson, made the decision to sell everything and move to Los Angeles. “We thought, ‘You know, we’re young enough where if we make a choice of trying to explore a bigger market, this is it. We’ve gotta do it now; we can’t do it when we’re 50,’” he explains. “It was a toss up between New York and L.A. We decided L.A. because housing is a little cheaper and we had an 18-month-old baby at the time.” Shihadeh says the decision was

pivotal for both he and his wife’s careers, though it really wasn’t evident for him at the time. Desperate for a job after getting settled in a suburb of the city, he walked into a music store near his house and asked if they needed a bass or guitar teacher. “I just taught a couple of students in the back of this music store; and I remember my first cheque was a $12 biweekly cheque and I thought, ‘Wow, this is the beginning.’” He makes a point of mentioning that his success didn’t come quickly or easily. “It was tough. We had cardboard boxes for furniture and, you know, we were really pinching pennies, and the exchange rate was brutal, but it really started to grow,” Shihadeh says. After having the position with Cirque du Soleil for nine years,

Thu., Dec. 7 (8 pm) Paul Shihadeh Holiday Reunion Yardbird Suite, $26 Shihadeh says it’s pretty astounding to look back. “Somebody asked me the other day, ‘What is your greatest career moment?’ I said, ‘You know, I don’t have a specific career moment. I’m just really proud of the fact that I’ve made a living as a bass player since I was 22,’” he says. “And a lot of that was in Edmonton.” Shihadeh credits his success as a professional musician to his versatility as a player. “In Edmonton I can say, and I say this with a kind of humorous tone, I did everything at least once,” he says. “Some of it I was really bad at, and some of it I was pretty good at ... But you find your niche and I pursued those things.” He credits he and his wife’s decision to try their hands in a bigger pool. “If you have any of that in-

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

stinct inside of you, if you feel that you’re missing something, then yes, I think it’s essential.” Shihadeh also attributes a great deal of his valuable experience and career-building to Edmonton. Now, 16 years since he left for L.A., Shihadeh says he wants to pay homage to Edmonton, alongside some of his good musician friends in the city. His holiday reunion in early December boasts a seven-piece band, including such local favourites as Sander Dominelli on drums, Jim Head on guitar, Andrew Glover on keyboard, Shelley Jones as vocalist, Brad Tildsley on trumpet, Jim Babcock on sax, and Shihadeh on bass. Over the 90-minute set, the septet will feature pieces of jazz, funk, R&B, pop, and “maybe one Christmas tune,” he laughs. Sierra Bilton sierra@vueweekly.com

SYMPHONY

Upcoming BIG Events DEC 1

Upsidedowntown w/ Medical Pilot and guests

DEC 2

UFC 218

DEC 3

Holiday Binge Watching Event

DEC 7

HighKicks w/ Bud Frasier and the Electric Razors

DEC 8

Eugene Ripper K-Riz w/ Melafrique

Tickets and more event listings

TheRecRoom.com

#tellbetterstories

South Edmonton Common

Must be of legal drinking age. The Rec Room is owned by Cineplex Entertainment L. P.

Legend of Zelda Symphony / Supplied

ZELDA’S LULLABY

ELVIS With Robin Kelly

The Symphony of the Godesses brings the classic franchise to life

Fri., Dec. 1 (8 pm) The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium From $70

eople remember the first time they played a Legend of Zelda game. All it takes are those first few sounds of a horse galloping. The piano strikes in, followed by the strings, and then finally the winds, and suddenly you’re six years old again with your cool older cousin showing you Ocarina of Time. That music is perhaps the shortest path back to a childhood where a broken stick was The Master Sword. That music gave dimension and spirit to 2D and 3D sprites, so the ear of a concert producer like Jason Michael Paul makes something like The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses a few degrees better than nostalgia. “It’s just a joy,” Paul says. “We have a well-oiled machine in production. It’s very tight at this point, having done all those 280 shows worldwide, so we love it. We hope that we make it look easy because we put a lot of work into this production.” The performance features live

music executed by local and international musicians. It’s a four-movement symphony that draws from the titular videogame series, and uses scenes from the games on the big screen. Pieces from The Wind Waker, Majora’s Mask, Ocarina of Time, and more have been selected to represent more than 30 years of The Legend of Zelda’s history. All of the music is approved by Nintendo, most notably Koji Kondo, the legendary composer behind both The Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Arranged with a classical taste in mind, Paul says it’s about bringing new people to the symphony. “That’s been the goal,” Paul says. “That’s been my best reach in my medium, and my objective from day one—to hopefully bridge the gap between a younger generation and classical symphony goers.” Paul got his first taste of The Legend of Zelda when he was 10, playing Zelda on that old gold cartridge. He’s still a little shocked that he’s producing worldwide concert events for Nintendo. Paul initially met Kondo in 2006 at another event that that Paul had produced, entitled PLAY! A Video Game Symphony.

“Mr. Kondo performed at one of our concerts and that’s where our relationship began,” Paul says. “With PLAY! A Videogame Symphony, that featured music from Nintendo’s catalogue. Mario and also Metroid as well as The Legend of Zelda. Then fast forward to 2010 and they were beginning plans for the 25th anniversary concerts.” The original show opened in 2011, and has been continually updated as the iconic series has progressed over the past several years. With The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, rePlay: Symphony of Heroes, and an upcoming project with National Geographic, Paul is busy but says he’s still looking to cross a few more iconic musical arrangements off of his list. “There’s a lot of Nintendo properties that I’d like to do a show with,” Paul says. “Whether it’s a number of first party I.P.s, or whether it’s within a Super Mario, or a Metroid, or Kirby for that matter. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to update the world to let them know what my next project is. Hopefully it will be with Nintendo.” Bring a friend. It’s dangerous to go alone. Lucas Provencher music@vueweekly.com

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

cnty.com/edmonton

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

music 23

ROOTS/FOLK

William Prince / Supplied

Thu., Dec. 7 (7:30 pm) William Prince w/ Justin Lacroix Arden Theatre, $35

PRINCE AMONG MEN

William Prince tours Western Alberta with musical companion Justin Lacroix

eritage is a blessing that connects stories with deep roots of family and tradition. Rising star William Prince, an Oji-Cree from Peguis First Nation north of Winnipeg, is earning awards and playing large crowds due to his talent and hard work. His album Earthly Days—a showcase for Prince’s timeless honey baritone and wise songwriting—was nominated for two Juno Awards this year: Indigenous Music Album of the Year and Contemporary Roots Album of the

Year. When he won in the roots category, he felt validated as a songwriter. “It made me feel like they were addressing the songs,” Prince says. “They weren’t concerned with my background, my heritage—they just wanted to hear good music.” Not that where he came from didn’t shape the artist he is today. A teenage Prince played and recorded with his father, the late Ed Prince, a successful gospel musician. You can still feel the countless hours that Prince played in

churches, at wakes and at funerals. “As a younger kid I got to see how music brings about joy,” Prince says. “How it helped people. The old hymns and gospel allow people to cry, to feel, to raise their voice with other voices. I guess now I’m playing a modern-day folk church. And people express themselves so thoroughly and vividly after the shows, it helps them let something out.” His parents DJ’d events, often bringing young Prince who would

make a bed under the table. It’s where he first understood the power of songs—especially when played loud. “I got to hear really great songs from huge speakers at crazy volumes,” he says. “It was subconscious—the music seeps in through osmosis. The first time I ever heard Graceland by Paul Simon was like that. That song changed me forever.” Prince says he has a lot of new songs to play—no doubt some inspired by his young son Wyatt,

who is going on 16 months. He says it’s hard to leave his family to tour, but that’s his job. “It’s what I do to support him.” Keeping him company on the tour through the prairies to the West Coast is Justin Lacroix, a veteran contemporary in the Winnipeg music scene. Lacroix, a Francophone who writes songs and sings in both English and French, was buzzing with energy after scoring a beautiful instrument off Kijiji in Calgary. “I just bought a Martin D-18,” Lacroix says. “You can do a lot with very little, if your heart is in the right place. But sometimes having an instrument that can inspire you is priceless.” The Justin Lacroix Band has brought groovy-folk to stages since 2005, connecting with audiences through road-warrior touring and festival sets. He’s got an epic tour planned for next year: Paris, ON, where he’s opening for Prince, to Paris, France via Eastern Canada. “To be able to share the prairie-Franco experience is something I truly value,” Lacroix says. “I’m proud and honoured and just happy to be able to share that culture.” Josh Marcellin music@vueweekly.com

VARIETY FUNDRAISER

HANDS TO YOURSELF

Bedside Manner raises money for sexual assault victims by bringing artists together

Feminal Fluids / Stephan Boissonneault

24 music

his past Sunday, The Buckingham was packed in support of sexual assault victims, standing against an issue that has been plaguing our community. Edmontonians paid a $10 entry fee, with all proceeds going to the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton (SACE), and watched performances of diverse talents in burlesque, music, and comedy. The event was “Bedside Manner,” presented by the Vagabond Variety Show. While many media outlets previewed the event as a direct response to the sexual assault allegations that led to The Needle Vinyl Tavern’s closure, Bedside Manner was conceived months before. “I planned this in September for my own personal reasons,” says organizer and host Layla Le Lay. “I had a lot going on around sexual assault in my own life. My perpetrator actually pled guilty and went to jail, and then within that same week my best friend got raped. I felt claustrophobic and it led to me planning this show.” Layla Le Lay performed her own burlesque routine, and featured other members of her burlesque troupe Black Label Burlesque—

Lilly White, Betsy Ryder, Kittening, and Bryce Charlie. The performers blended perfectly, with a highlight of the night coming from the sketch comedy troupe, Don’t Not Talk to Strangers. The troupe’s performances were located in and around the bar’s patron traffic, making for a new, innovative and hilarious comedic layout. Sketch bits included “good cop, bad cop,” “chewing gum,” and “non-essential oils.” “These are venues not made for comedy, but it’s been wonderful to adapt and make these locations our own,” says comedian and actor Eric Smith. “It’s really important to have events like this that aren’t super sombre and dark,” adds comedian and actor Lauren Boyd. “We can address this issue through comedy, burlesque, and music. It doesn’t have to be a closed-off, intimidating conversation.” Being a fairly new comedy act, Don’t Not Talk To Strangers jumped at the opportunity to perform at Bedside Manner and support sexual assault victims. “It’s important because we are supporting an amazing cause,”

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

says comedian Jesse Harlton. “It’s incredible how much support is in the community. Look at tonight. It’s packed in here.” The night was capped-off with a performance from feminist punk band, Feminal Fluids. The band shook the walls of The Buckingham, screaming harshly about “shit that pisses us off.” The night can easily be called a success, with a good amount of money being raised for SACE. “This stuff is rising to a level of common conversation,” says performer and musician Dustin J Allen. “Lots of people were dropping in 20s instead of 10s, so presumably we made a lot of money for SACE.” Layla Le Lay hopes an event similar to Bedside will happen again in the near future. “We (Vagabond Variety Show) do a show every other month, so I think twice-a-year my goal is a semi-annual fundraiser for the SACE,” she says. “I hope people don’t stop coming forward about this issue. This is the beginning of everyone standing up and saying a big ‘fuck you’ to sexual assault.” Stephan Boissonneault stephan@vueweekly.com

NEWSOUNDS ways and unwilling to explore new ideas within the classic jazz ethos. Thankfully, times are changing (nod to BADBADNOTGOOD) and many new acts are breaking away from the mold by bringing jazz into the 21st century. Skim Milk is one such act, blending elements of electronic experimental music, adult-contemporary and trip hop with jazz to make great mood music. The first track “Raincouver” takes Skim Milk you on an elegant walk through a Fingerprints puddle filled city, the rainy day is Independent Jazz has been stagnate for too praised here and even longed for. long. The genre has been kept The urgency picks up on the foldown by old musicians set in their lowing song “Theft!” as luscious

piano gives way to frolicking guitar and speeds the song away in a dash. Flourishes of horns emerge as the album moves along and a great taste of bandleader Sam Davidson’s skilled use of the clarinet. Each song offers a whole new sonic palate keeping the listener engaged from from start to finish. The album is a testament to what can be done while using a jazz foundation to deliver exciting new ideas. It’s time to stop looking back and take a leap of faith, Fingerprints honours the genre while delivering excitement for the future. Jeff MacCallum cupsncakespod.com

longer exists. Bands come and go all the time, but when a band shows intense growth between releases it’s hard not to feel cheated by their demise. Such is the case with Painted Fruit. Melodic weaving guitars take centre stage as the album’s focal point and set the mood by moving from lush dreamscape to frenetic anxiety—somePainted Fruit times within the same song. PF II moves along swiftly, as the PF II drums and bass push the pace Independent Painted Fruit’s sophomore al- with danceable funky basslines bum, PF II, comes with the an- and rhythmic percussion, maknouncement that the band no ing it nearly impossible to

stand still while exploring its 11 tracks. Sounding like the beautiful love child of Television and The Talking Heads, the record is modern day post-punk that does an amazing job of paying respect to the legends of the genre. The calibre of music Painted Fruit created for its second and final release is so much greater than its debut that one can’t help but feel intense sadness knowing we won’t hear a third. Jeff MacCallum cupsncakespod.com

MUSICNOTES

Stephan Boissonneault stephan@vueweekly.com

Ian “DJ NTN” Campeau (left) is no longer in A Tribe Called Red / Falling Tree Photography

A Tribe Called Red w/ Karimah and nêhiyawak / Sat., Dec. 2 (8 PM) A Tribe Called Red has been creating “powwow step,” (a unique take on contemporary pow wow that blends rap and dubstep) and tackling social justice issues for a decade. However, the future for the group after this tour remains undetermined, with founding member Ian “DJ NDN” Campeau’s departure from the group in October. The only way into this show is with 10 local volunteer hours recorded. This may be the last chance Edmonton fans have to see the group perform. (Starlite Room, Guest list with 10 volunteer hours.) The Dead South / Fri., Dec 1 (7:30 PM) The Dead South are outlaws and sinners, sing-

ing songs about hell, delirium, and other dark parts of society’s mind. It’s with Nate Hilt’s ‘dead man’ lyrics that The Dead South have become a force to be reckoned with. (St. Basil’s Cultural Center, Sold Out) Craig Cardiff w/ Simon Hoskyn, Dylan Ella / Thu., Dec. 7 (Early show at 6 PM, late show at 9 PM) Craig Cardiff has been called many things and a Canadian gem is one of them. The 41-year-old singer-songwriter has been making music since the late ‘90s and has 16 full-length albums under his belt. His rootsy take on folk has dazzled fan’s senses and his performance at The Aviary promises to be intimate. Locals Simon Hoskyn and Dylan Ella will open the show. (The Aviary, $20) VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

music 25

MUSIC WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

THU NOV 30 ARIA'S BISTRO Open mic

with Garrett James; 6-10pm; All ages AUSSIE RULES KITCHEN & PIANO BAR Piano Show; Every

YARDBIRD SUITE Brett Hansen

MERCURY ROOM Double

Trio; 7pm (doors), 8pm (show); $11 (members), $15 (guests)

album release with The Gear Seabastian and Old Jack Tap; 8pm; $10 (adv at YEGLive)

Classical

ON THE ROCKS Radio Active;

TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH

9pm

O Joyous Light; 3-4:30pm; $20 (adults), $15 (students and seniors), family $40 (at door only)

THE COMMON The Common

BLVD SUPPER X CLUB B**ch A

Uncommon Thursday: Rotating guests each week

Thu-Sat, 9:30pm

Little, Wine Alot (house, hiphop and reggae music); Every Thu; No cover BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB

Karaoke/DJ; Every Thu-Sat, 9pm BRICK & WHISKEY PUBLIC HOUSE Big Rockin' Thursday

Jam & Open Mic; Every Thu, 8pm CAFE BLACKBIRD YEG Music

Presents: Sean Presiloski, Eric West, and Sam Huggett; 7pm; $10 FIDDLER'S ROOST Acoustic

Circle Jam; 7:30-11:30pm HAVE MERCY Thigh Thursdays

with El Niven & The Alibi and friends; Every Thu, 8:30pm; No cover LB'S PUB Open Jam hosted by Russell Johnston

ROSE & CROWN PUB Joanne SANDS INN & SUITES Karaoke

Band; 9pm

B-STREET BAR Karaoke; Every

9:30pm; Free

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Thu

BLUES ON WHYTE Sobo Blues

Thu, 8pm

REC ROOM–WEST EDMONTON MALL Slow Walkin' Walter;

Janzen; 9pm

Soul with DJ Modest Mike; Every Thu; Wooftop Lounge: Dear Hip Hop with Freshlan; Underdog: Underdog Comedy Show

ON THE ROCKS Salsa Rocks: every Thu; dance lessons at 8pm; Cuban Salsa DJ to follow

FRI DEC 1

with entertainment, Every Fri, 9pm SEWING MACHINE FACTORY

Prince Bunny, Heavydive, Latcho Drom, Ominous Cloud; 8pm; $10; 18+ only SHAKERS ROADHOUSE The James Beaudry Band with guests Fold; 9pm; $10; No minors SHERLOCK HOLMES– DOWNTOWN The Rural Routes;

9pm SHERLOCK HOLMES–WEM

BOHEMIA CHEF with Fake

James & Tropic Harbour; 8pm; $10 (contact CHEF or Tropic Harbor for adv tickets), $12 (door) BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB

Karaoke/DJ; Every Thu-Sat, 9pm BRIXX BAR Chron Goblin, Iron

by Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers every Thu; 7pm

Cramer Experience; 8pm; $15

RANCH ROADHOUSE Sean

Rockzilla; 9pm

L.N. Baba, Symfan, Robert Mallett, Blech; 8pm; $10; 18+ only SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Big Daddy Thursday Jam with host Randy Big Daddy Forsberg; 7pm SHERBROOKE PUB Jam hosted by Rockin' Rod Jewell; Every Thu, 7-11pm SMOKEHOUSE BBQ Live Blues

every Thu: rotating guests; 7-11pm SQUARE 1 COFFEE Singer/ Songwriter Open Mic Hosted by Tommy Barker; Every Thu, 7-9:30pm TAVERN ON WHYTE Open

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

Brit Floyd: Immersion World Tour 2017; 8pm; $48-$82.50 WOODRACK CAFÉ

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

EMPRESS ALE HOUSE Bands at the Empress; Every Sat, 4-6pm; Free; 18+ only THE FORGE ON WHYTE FKB

Fridays; Each Fri, 8-10pm; $5 suggested donation

CAFFREY'S IN THE PARK CARROT COFFEEHOUSE Live

music every Fri; all ages; 7pm; $5 (door) CASINO EDMONTON Last

Calls; 9pm CENTURY CASINO–EDMONTON

The Ultimate Tribute to ELVIS with Robin Kelly; 7pm (doors); $34.95 (plus GST, available at Century Casino and Ticketmaster) CENTURY CASINO–ST. ALBERT

Dirt Road Angels; 9pm; Free DENIZEN HALL Champ City Soundtrack; Every Fri-Sat DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY Duff

Robison; 9pm THE FORGE ON WHYTE

Tribute to the Blues Songs of Christmas; 7:30pm LB'S PUB Saturday Showcase;

6pm • Grave New World; 9pm LEAF BAR AND GRILL

Homemade Jam; 3-7pm; Free

Quartet; 7pm (doors), 8pm (show); $24 (members), $28 (guests)

Classical FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Annual Advent and Christmas Concert; 4-5pm HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH Vertex Quartet:

SUN DEC 3 ALIBI PUB AND EATERY Open

Sun, 9pm BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Sunday

Band; 9pm

NEWCASTLE PUB Sunday Soul

Service: acoustic open stage; Every Sun, 3pm ON THE ROCKS Radio Active;

9pm SANDS INN & SUITES Open

Jam; Every Sun, 7-11pm SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Sunday

with Remo, Noosh, Fingertips & guests; Underdog: Rap, House, Hip-Hop with DJ Babr; every Fri

Jam featuring The Joint Chiefs

THE COMMON Quality Control Fridays with DJ Echo & Freshlan EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR Resident DJs

playing the best in hip-hop, dance and classics; Every Fri-Sat, 9pm; No cover GAS PUMP Live DJ; 10pm THE PROVINCIAL PUB Video

Classical MERCURY ROOM Sun of

Man with guests; 8pm; $10 (YEGLive) MKT FRESH FOOD AND BEER MARKET Live Local Bands

every Sat ON THE ROCKS Radio Active;

9pm RENDEZVOUS PUB Code

Out, Escape Goat, Hellbilly, Wishbone, The Fantastic, Brown Dirt; 8pm ROSE & CROWN PUB Joanne

Every Fri-Sat

SEWING MACHINE FACTORY

playing outlaw country, rock and retro classics; Every FriSat, 10pm; No cover

SAT DEC 2

HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH HTAC Open Stage;

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

Counterfeit Jeans, Wares, True Branch, Fireproof; 8pm; $10; All ages

ALIBI PUB & EATERY Rising

ATLANTIC TRAP & GILL Sweet

Vintage Rides; 8:30pm AUSSIE RULES KITCHEN & PIANO BAR Piano Show; Every

Sat, 9pm BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Penny

Sanborn Trio; 8:30-10:30pm; $10 BLUES ON WHYTE Sobo Blues

Band; 9pm BORDERLINE SPORTS PUB

Karaoke/DJ; Every Thu-Sat, 9pm Failures, Thee Primitive Sound, The Men Who Fell To Earth; 9pm

TroyBoi Union Hall Dec. 1, 8 pm

Edmonton presents A Festive Mosaic; 7-9pm; $20 (adults), $10 (students), and free for children under 12

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: DJ Chris Bruce spins

SIDELINER’S PUB Singer/

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

MAIN (PROSCENIUM) THEATRE–ALLARD HALL

presents “Compete With The Beat”; Every Sun, 6pm; $10

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

Fiddlers Association: Acoustic instrumental old time fiddle jam every Mon; hosted by the Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Society; 7pm

Classical

BLUES ON WHYTE Sobo Blues

northlands.com

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL Wild Rose Old Tyme

AUSSIE RULES KITCHEN & PIANO BAR Piano Show; Every

HAVE MERCY YEG Music

DJs

HAVE MERCY Mississippi Monday Night Blues Jam hosted by the Dylan Farrell Ban; Every Mon, 8:30pm (sign up); No cover

Stage Hosted by Rhea March; Every Sun, 6:30-10pm; Free

Ellington's 'The Nutcracker Suite' featuring the Craig Brenan Band; 2pm; $31-$35

JUBILEE AUDITORIUM Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses; 8pm; $70 and up

7-11pm

THE ALMANAC Sunday Song

MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH

Ukrainian Male Chorus of

FIDDLER'S ROOST Open Stage;

at the Winspear: A Jann Arden Christmas; 7:30pm; $15-$94

mic night; Every Sun, 6-9pm

Brunch–PM Bossa; 9am2:30pm; By donation

YARDBIRD SUITE Champian

BRIXX BAR & GRILL Abject

ROBERTSON WESLEY UNITED CHURCH Music for a Festive

Season; 3pm WINSPEAR CENTRE Bach

Christmas Oratorio; 3pm

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main

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

Floor: DJ Zyppy; Every Sun

THE COMMON Get Down It's Saturday Night: House and disco and everything in between with Wright & Wong, Dane

Metal Phil from CJSR's Heavy Metal Lunchbox

GAS PUMP Kizomba-DJ; 8pm

MON DEC 4 BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Wooftop: Metal Mondays with

BLUES ON WHYTE The Joe

Nolan Band; 9pm

MacEwan University's Department of Music presents the Big Band Concert; 7:30-9pm; $15 (adults), $10 (seniors 60+), $5 (full-time, non MacEwan Students), plus applicable fees. MacEwan Students and Music Faculty/ Staff are free with ID at the door

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: Substance with Eddie Lunchpail

students are free WINSPEAR CENTRE My Kinda

Songs: A Tommy Banks Production; 7:30pm $39-$69

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: Chris Bruce spins britpop/punk/garage/indie; Every Tue

EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN + TEQUILA BAR Taco Tuesday

with resident DJs

WED DEC 6 BLUES ON WHYTE Lindsay

Beaver & The 24th Street Wailers; 9pm DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY Wed

open mic with host Duff Robison; 8pm GAS PUMP Karaoke; 9:30pm HAVE MERCY Whiskey Wednesdays Live Piano Karaoke featuring the Fab Tiff Hall; Every Wed, 8:30pm LEAF BAR & GRILL Wang Dang Wednesdays; Every Wed, 7-11pm; Free ON THE ROCKS Karaoke Wednesdays hosted by ED; Every Wed, 9pm 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

TAVERN ON WHYTE Classic

Wednesday

hip-hop with DJ Creeazn every Mon; 9pm-2am

SHAKERS ROADHOUSE 4 Dollar

TUE DEC 5 BLUES ON WHYTE The Joe

Bill Country Jam; 7pm TAVERN ON WHYTE Karaoke;

9pm

Nolan Band; 9pm

Classical

FIDDLER'S ROOST Fiddle Jam

ARDEN THEATRE Saint City

Circle; 7:30-11:30pm GAS PUMP Karaoke; 9:30pm LB'S PUB Tuesday Night Open Jam Hosted by Darrell Barr; 7-11pm; No charge SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Todd James Band and Right In The Eye on alternating weeks

Big Band & the St. Albert Community Band Winter Concert 2017; 7-9pm; $12 (adults), $8 (seniors/ students)–will be available at the Arden Box Office, and the door MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH

YARDBIRD SUITE Tuesday

Christmas Music at Noon; 12-1pm; Free

Session: Sandro Dominelli Trio; 7:30pm (door),8pm (show); $5

ROBERT TEGLER CENTRE– CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

Classical

Concordia Symphony Orchestra; 7:30pm

MAIN THEATRE (PROSCENIUM)–ALLARD HALL MacEwan University's

Department of Music presents the Showcase Band Concert; 7:30-9pm; $15 (adults), $10 (seniors 60+), and $5 (full time students, non-MacEwan students), plus applicable fees; All MacEwan

WINSPEAR CENTRE Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols For Advent & Christmas; 7:30pm; $18

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: DJ Late Fee; Every Wed

VENUEGUIDE ALIBI PUB & EATERY 17328 Stony Plain Rd THE ALMANAC 10351-82 Ave, 780.760.4567, almanaconwhyte. com ARDEN THEATRE 5 St Anne St, St Albert, 780.459.1542, stalbert.ca/ experience/arden-theatre ARIA'S BISTRO 10332-81 Ave, 780.972.4842, ariasbistro.com ATLANTIC TRAP & GILL 7704 Calgary Trail South, 780.432.4611, atlantictrapandgill.com AUSSIE RULES KITCHEN & PIANO BAR #1638, 8882-170 St, 780.486.7722, aussierulesedmonton.com B-STREET BAR 11818-111 Ave BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE 1042582 Ave, 780.439.1082 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 BRIXX BAR 10030-102 St (downstairs), 780.428.1099

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 EDMONTON 7055 Argylll Rd, 780.463.9467 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 FESTIVAL PLACE 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park, 780.449.3378 FIDDLER'S ROOST 7308-76 Ave, 780.439.9788, fiddlersroost.ca

/ Photo by Brandon Artis

26 music

Every Fri-Sat

Serioso; 2-4pm

at the Winspear: A Jann Arden Christmas; 7:30pm; $79

Y AFTERHOURS Live DJs;

the Leaf; Every Fri, 9pm; Free

TAVERN ON WHYTE Soul,

Y AFTERHOURS Live DJs;

WINSPEAR CENTRE Christmas

HAVE MERCY Resident DJs

LEAF BAR AND GRILL Karoake at

Nights: Indie rock and dance with DJ Maurice; 9pm-2am

FESTIVAL PLACE Duke

Janzen; 9pm

Blues - Rotten Dan Barry Mack; 6pm • Mourning Wood; 9pm

THE PROVINCIAL PUB Saturday

BOHEMIA Alone I Walk; 8pm

Music DJ; 9pm-2am

LB'S PUB Abusing The

Wong every Sat

WINSPEAR CENTRE Christmas

YARDBIRD SUITE Oded Tzur

HILLTOP PUB Open stage

MERCER TAVERN DJ Mikey

motown, funk, R&B and more with DJs Ben and Mitch; every Sat; 9pm-2am

HAVE MERCY Resident DJs

playing outlaw country, rock and retro classics; Every FriSat, 10pm; No cover

ENVY NIGHT CLUB Resolution Saturdays: top 40, throwbacks and club anthems

Jake Buckley; 9pm

SHERLOCK HOLMES–WEM

at the Winspear: A Jann Arden Christmas; 2pm & 7:30pm; $79

Timewarp with special guests; 9pm; $15 (adv), $20 (door); No minors

First Fri of every month, until Jun 1; 7-10pm

9pm

Live Music Video Shoot for My Bedroom; 12pm; No minors

Slumberjack; 8pm; $30; 18+ only

Classical

SEWING MACHINE FACTORY

Robison; 9pm

Fri, 9pm

CAFE BLACKBIRD The Will

SANDS INN & SUITES Karaoke Thursdays with JR; Every Thu, 9pm-1am

DUGGAN'S BOUNDARY Duff

SHERLOCK HOLMES– DOWNTOWN The Rural Routes;

Bands: live music; Every Fri

WILD EARTH BAKERY– MILLCREEK Live Music

night; Every Mon, 9pm; Free

Canyon Acoustic Christmas; 7:30pm

AUSSIE RULES KITCHEN & PIANO BAR Piano Show; Every

Band; 9pm

DEVANEY'S IRISH PUB Karaoke

+ TEQUILA BAR Resident DJs playing the best in hip-hop, dance and classics; Every Fri-Sat, 9pm; No cover

DENIZEN HALL Champ City Soundtrack; Every Fri-Sat

HORIZON STAGE Big Hank’s

BLUES ON WHYTE Sobo Blues

EL CORTEZ MEXICAN KITCHEN

Saturday Electric Blues Jam with Rotten Dan and Sean Stephens; Every Sat, 2-6pm No minors • Nathan Cunningham & Tradesmen Incorporated; 8:30pm; $10; No minors

Dirt Road Angels; 9pm; Free

SIDELINER’S PUB Friday Night UNION HALL Troyboi with

SHAKERS ROADHOUSE

SHELL THEATRE–DOW CENTENNIAL CENTRE George

Vintage Rides; 8:30pm

NORTH GLENORA HALL Jam

Karaoke with live band, The Nervous Flirts; Every other Thu, 7pm

CENTURY CASINO–ST. ALBERT

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

stage; 7pm

REC ROOM–SOUTH EDMONTON COMMON

Open mic; 7pm; $2

ATLANTIC TRAP & GILL Sweet

Fulton and Cory Weeds; 7pm (doors), 8pm (show); $24 (members), $28 (guests)

Kingston x Peter Jackson Concert; 8pm; $35

Rockzilla; 9pm

Jake Buckley; 9pm

Eyes, Dead Fibres, and Primeapes; 8pm; $10; 18+ only

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ Thu open

CAFFREY'S IN THE PARK CARROT COFFEEHOUSE Sat

DJs Main Fl: Rock N' Roll, Funk &

CAFE BLACKBIRD Paul Shihadeh Reunion Quartet; 8pm; $20

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10025-105 St NW THE FORGE ON WHYTE 10549-82 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 HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH 10037-84 Ave NW, 780.433.5530, holytrinity.ab.ca HORIZON STAGE 1001 Calahoo Rd, Spruce Grove, 780.962.8995, horizonstage.com JUBILEE AUDITORIUM 1145587 Ave NW, 780.427.2760, jubileeauditorium.com L.B.’S PUB 23 Akins Dr, St Albert, 780.460.9100 LEAF BAR & GRILL 9016132 Ave MAIN (PROSCENIUM) THEATRE–ALLARD HALL 11104-104 Ave NW MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH 10086 MacDonald Dr NW, mcdougallunited.com 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

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ 10303-108 St, 780.425.9730 NEWCASTLE PUB 8170-50 St, 780.490.1999 NORTH GLENORA HALL 13535109A Ave ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767 PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL 10860-57 Ave THE PROVINCIAL PUB 160, 4211-106 St RANCH ROADHOUSE 6107-104 St NW REC ROOM–SOUTH EDMONTON COMMON 1725-99 St NW REC ROOM–WEST EDMONTON MALL 8882-170 St NW RENDEZVOUS 10108-149 St ROBERTSON WESLEY UNITED CHURCH 10209-123 St NW ROBERT TELGER CENTRE– CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY 73 St & 112 Ave ROSE AND CROWN 10235-101 St SANDS INN & SUITES 12340 Fort Rd, sandshoteledmonton.com SEWING MACHINE FACTORY 9560-82 Ave NW SHAKERS ROADHOUSE Yellowhead Inn, 15004 Yellowhead Trail SHELL THEATRE–DOW CENTENNIAL CENTRE 8700-84 St, Fort Saskatchewan

SHERBROOKE PUB 13160118 Ave NW 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 11018-127 St SMOKEHOUSE BBQ 10810-124 St, 587.521.6328 SQUARE 1 COFFEE 15 Fairway Drive TAVERN ON WHYTE 10507-82 Ave, 780.521.4404 TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH 10014-81 Ave NW, 780.433.1604, trinity-lutheran.ab.ca UNION HALL 6240-99 St NW, 780.702-2582, unionhall.ca UPTOWN FOLK CLUB 11150-82 St, 780.436.1554 WILD EARTH BAKERY– MILLCREEK 8902-99 St, wildearthbakery.com WINSPEAR CENTRE 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square; 780.28.1414 WOODRACK CAFE 7603-109 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

EVENTS

WEEKLY

Brazil's traditional game of agility and trickery • Every Sat, 2:30pm • Free • All ages

SCHIZOPHRENIA SOCIETY FAMILY SUPPORT DROP-IN GROUP • Schizophrenia

COMEDY

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

BIG ROCK PRESENTS: DEVANEY’S COMEDY NIGHT • Devaney's, 11113-87 Ave

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY (TOPS) • Grace United Church annex, 6215-104 Ave •

EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

• 780.433.6364 • stephen.f.mcgovern@gmail. com • Weekly open-mic hosted by Stephen McGovern • Sep 6-Apr 25, Every Wed, 8:30pm • Free

BIG ROCK PRESENTS: URBAN TAVERN COMEDY NIGHT HOSTED BY LARS CALLIEOU • Urban Tavern, 11606 Jasper Ave • Every Sun, 8pm

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE • 10425-82 Ave • Underdog Comedy Show • Every Thu COMEDY FACTORY • Gateway Entertainment Centre, 34 Ave, Calgary Tr • Thu-Fri: 8pm; Sat: 7:30pm & 10pm (until Apr) • Vilmos; Dec 1-2 • Leif Skyving; Dec 7-9

COMIC STRIP • Bourbon St, WEM • 780.483.5999 • Matt Sadler; Nov 29-Dec 3 • Finesse Mitchell; Dec 7-10 • Collin Moulton; Dec 13-17

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

GROUPS/CLUBS/MEETINGS THE 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, 11am

EDMONTON CHAPTER, COUNCIL OF CANADIANS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) • Edmonton Hostelling International, 10647-81 Ave NW • Activity reports, priority settings, steering committee elections • Dec 3, 3-5pm (refreshments post 5pm)

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

LOTUS QIGONG • SAGE downtown 15 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.695.4588 • Attendees can raise their vital energy with a weekly Yixue practice • Every Fri, 2-3:30pm • Free NORTHERN ALBERTA WOOD CARVERS ASSOCIATION • Duggan Community Hall, 3728-106 St • nawca.ca • Meet every Wed, 6:30pm

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

RODA DE CAPOEIRA • Capoeira Academy, #103-10324-82 Ave • capoeiraacademy.ca •

780.479-8667 (Bob) • bobmurra@telus.net • Low-cost, fun and friendly weight loss group • Every Mon, 6:30pm

LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS DARK MATTERS–SCIENCE OF SEX • Telus World of Science, 11211-142 St NW • telusworldofscienceedmonton.ca/dark-matters • An 18+ event, where the science is served on the rocks and the adults come out to play. Discover what a cellphone and a vibrator have in common. Learn about some of the craziest sex lives in the animal kingdom and more • Dec 7, 7-10pm • $17.95-$27.95 FOREVER RESILIENT: A CONVERSATION WITH JACKIE FOORD AND MICHAEL PHAIR • EPL Whitemud Crossing Branch, 145 Whitemud Crossing Shopping Centre, 4211-106 St • bit.ly/2zQp0kQ • Join Jackie Foord and Michael Phair in dynamic conversation as they share pivotal stories, memories, and lived experiences as active and engaged members of Edmonton's LGBTQ community • Nov 30, 7-8:30pm • Free, register online

GREAT EXPEDITIONS TRAVEL SLIDE • St. Luke’s Anglican Church, 84240-95 Ave • 780.469.3270 (Gerry Staring), 780.435.6406 (John Woollard), 780.454.6216 (Sylvia Krogh) • Christmas Potluck (Dec 4) • First Mon of the month, 7:30pm • $3 donation (guests are asked to bring snacks to share); everyone welcome HABITAT FOR HUMANITY BASIC TOOL TRAINING WORKSHOP • HFH Prefab Shop, 14135-128 Ave • 780.451.3416 ext 237 • mstannard@hfh.org • hfh.org/volunteer/basictool-training • Gain the confidence needed to go out to build sites through careful instruction and hands-on practice • Dec 1, Dec 2, Dec 8; 8:30am-4pm • Free

PRIDE CENTRE OF EDMONTON • Pride Centre of Edmonton, 10608-105 Ave • 780.488.3234 • pridecentreofedmonton.org/ calendar.html • FIERCE FUN: (24 and under) Alternating Tue, 7-9pm, games and activities for youth • JAMOUT: (12-24) Alternating Tue, 7-8:30pm, music mentorship and instruction for youth • MEN’S SOCIAL CIRCLE: (18+) 1st and 3rd Thu, 7-9pm, for anyone masculine-identified • MOVIES & GAMES NIGHT: Alternating Fri, 6-8:30pm • ARTS & IDENTITY: Alternating Fri, 6-8:30pm • MEN TALKING WITH PRIDE: (18+) Sun, 7-9pm, group for gay or bisexual men • CREATING SAFER SPACES TRAINING: Interactive professional development workshops, with full or half-day options • QUEER MENTORSHIP PROGRAM: (Youth: 12-24) (Adults-26+) Queer to Queer Mentoring SPECIAL EVENTS ACUA Gallery & Artisan Boutique, 9534-87 St • 780.488.8558 • email info@acuarts.ca • Supporting a local nonprofit organization, and artists too. View thousands of handmade and unique items, created by local artisans • Dec 2, 10am-4pm

BEAD MARKET • Ramada Edmonton South, 5359 Calgary Trail • Featuring beads, gemstones, crystals, charms, jewellery-making, crafts supplies • Dec 2, 11am-5pm • Free (register at Eventbrite) EDMONTON TUMBLEWOOD LAPIDARY CLUB CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE • Elmwood Community Hall, 16415-83 Ave • 780.430.6694 • paulinez8@shaw.ca • edmontonlapidary.ca • Features lapidary crafts, artisan jewelry, silent auction, jewelry making demonstrations, some children's activities, door prizes and concession • Dec 9, 10am-4pm • Free

FESTIVAL OF TREES • Shaw Conference Centre, 9797 Jasper Ave • 780.407.5147 • festivaloftrees.ca • Baby it’s cold outside! Warm your hearts with designer trees, festive shopping, entertainment and children’s activities. Special events include a Luncheon and Fashion Show, Seniors’ Day, Family Night and Santa’s Breakfast • Nov 30-Dec 3 • $2-$10

Carter Place, 2216-24 St NW • 780.451.3416

Boutique, 9534-87 St • The Motanka doll is one of the most ancient handmade items that was made for a Ukrainian household. Discover why they look the way they do, their purpose and more • Dec 1, 7-8:30pm

POLITICS AT THE PUB: NAFTA • Devaney's Pub (Lower Level), 11113-87 Ave NW • edmonton@thecic.org • thecic.org/event • Mr. Helmut Mach, Alberta’s former trade representative and chief provincial trade negotiator, will speak about the current NAFTA negotiations • Nov 30, 5:30-7:30pm • Free

QUEER 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

LIGHT WALK • Muttart Conservatory, 962696a St NW • edmonton.ca • Take a stroll under the stars as you walk through the Temperate Pyramid surrounded by nature and other breathtaking wonders • Every Thu, Nov-Dec, 5-9pm • Regular admission

Volunteers Wanted

Be an “Elf Captain” at Bissell Centre’s gift wrap fundraiser at Southgate Mall. Shifts are available everyday, November 24 - December 24. Minimum age: 16. Visit

bissellcentre.org/bissellelfcaptain

or email giftwrap@bissellcentre.org Can You Read This?

Call Moncia at P.A.L.S. 780-424-5514 or email volunteers@palsedmonton.ca

Old Strathcona • oldstrathcona.ca/whytewishes • Experience the magic of the season on a horse-drawn sleigh ride, meet Santa and give him a list, and support local businesses in the process • Nov 13-Dec 24

Provincial Archives of Alberta, 8555 Roper Road • 780.644.0280 • john.vandenbeld@gov.ab.ca • Includes behind-the-scenes tours, exhibits, information about how to donate records, tips on how to better care for historical items, and more • Dec 6, 10am-8pm • Free • Cosmopolitan Music Society, 8426 Gateway Blvd • royalbison.ca • A twice a year festival of the best and quirkiest art, craft and design Edmonton has to offer • Dec 1-3

1600.

Habitat for Humanity Edmonton’s Women Build Volunteer Week Carter Place Nov. 28 - Dec. 2 Volunteers are required to register online prior to attending

ST. ALBERT INDOOR CHRISTMAS MARKET • St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne St, St. Albert • stalbertfarmersmarket.com • Featuring over 70 vendors with crafts, clothing, home décor, artwork, plants and more • Every Sat, Nov 25-Dec 16, 10am-3pm

/ Photo supplied

THURSDAYS TBD TO BE DISCOVERED • Legislative Assembly Visitor Centre, Edmonton Federal Building, Main floor, 9820-107 St • 780.427.7362 • assembly. ab.ca/visitorcentre/events.html • Visitors can look forward to an array of guest speakers, film screenings, free

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

Volunteers Wanted

Gift Wrap Volunteer e4c is looking for Volunteers to wrap gifts and raise community awareness at Edmonton City Centre Mall! To learn more about the event and how to sign up for shift(s) as a Gift Wrap Volunteer, go to our website: e4calberta.org/volunteer/

Help Someone Who Can’t! Volunteer 2 hours a week and help someone improve their Reading, Writing, Math or English Speaking Skills.

WHYTE WISHES IN OLD STRATHCONA •

PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA 50TH ANNIVERSARY OPEN HOUSE •

VUECLASSIFIEDS 1600.

concerts and more • Every Thu, Oct 5-Mar 1, 6-8pm • Free

ROYAL BISON

ACUA CHRISTMAS ART MARKET •

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY EDMONTON'S WOMEN BUILD VOLUNTEER WEEK •

MYSTERY & MAGIC OF THE MONTANKA DOLL LECTURE • ACUA Gallery & Artisanal

ext. 237 • mstannard@hfh.org • hfh.org/ volunteer • Women build volunteer week • Nov 28-Dec 2 • Volunteers are required to register online prior to attending

2005.

Artist to Artist

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

VUEWEEKLY.com

GET HYPE!

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

2005.

Artist to Artist

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

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at the back 27

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VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

SAVAGELOVE SOAP OPERA

I’m a straight man in a live-in relationship with a beautiful woman. There are no sparks in bed, and it’s been more than a year since we’ve had sex. She says, “I’m sorry, but I’m just not interested.” Sometimes she asks me if I’m disappointed, and I say something like “I miss sex.” She says: “Maybe someday. But the important thing is we love each other, right?” Before my last birthday, she asked me what I wanted as a gift. I replied, “A soapy handjob.” That would’ve been the most action I’d had all year. But when my birthday rolled around, all I got was a speech about how she loved me but was not in love with me. My question: In the year 2017, how does a straight man make it clear to the woman that sex is important to him without coming across as threatening? If I told her I’d leave her unless our sex life improved—and I have certainly thought about this—she’d probably “put out” to save our relationship. She has abandonment issues, and I fear she would be devastated if I left her. I only want to have sex with someone who wants to have sex with me, not someone I’ve coerced. What do I do? I love her, but a sexless relationship isn’t what I want or signed up for. SEXLESS OVER A PERPLEXING YEAR There’s being sensitive to coming across as threatening and wanting to avoid even unintentional coercion and being cognizant of the ways women are socialized to defer to men and the ways men are socialized to feel entitled to women’s bodies, SOAPY, and then there’s being a fucking doormat. She isn’t in love with you—she told you so herself— and she’s never gonna fuck you or soap you up to get you off. If you don’t want her putting out to keep you—if you don’t want her to fuck you under duress—then don’t give her the option. That means ending the relationship, SOAPY, not entering into negotiations about the terms for remaining in the relationship. (“1. Tell me you’re in love with me, even if it’s a lie. 2. A sad, soapy handjob once a year on my birthday …”) There’s nothing unreasonable about

Dan Savage savagelove@vueweekly.com

wanting a romantic relationship that’s both loving and fully sexual, SOAPY, and a man can put his wants on the table without pounding said table with his dick. Your girlfriend’s issue may be a mystery—maybe it’s her (she’s incapable of being in a loving and fully-sexual relationship), maybe it’s you (you never turned her on or you did something that murdered her libido)—but you’re not obligated to stay in an unsatisfactory relationship indefinitely because your girlfriend will be devastated if you leave. Also, devastation is a two-way street. If you dump her, SOAPY, her devastation will be immediate, like the impact of an earthquake or a hurricane. But if you stay, you’ll be the one devastated—but your devastation will be gradual, taking years, like the erosion of coastline or the destruction of our democracy. The destruction of your self-esteem and sense of sexual selfworth could take a decade or more, SOAPY, but it is already under way. She’s a lot likelier to get over the devastation she’ll feel if you leave—being dumped is a common experience that most people bounce back from— than you are to get over the devastation you’ll experience if you stay. Your gonads/self-respect/preservation/instinct are in that apartment somewhere. Get ’em and go.

YOUR BODY, YOUR CHOICE

A man impregnated me about a month into our relationship. He is adamantly against having the kid, as it’s too soon. I really don’t want to have an abortion—I have religious and moral beliefs against it. He states that since one parent doesn’t want the kid, I am wrong for even considering keeping it. Am I wrong? We’re both around 30, and this is my first pregnancy. Do I have the right to continue with the pregnancy? I feel like we’d be great parents. He’s already left me because I wouldn’t make a decision within a week. It’s tearing us apart. OPPOSING OPINIONS ON PREGNANCY SITUATION I’m going to sidestep the whole noabortions-for-religious-and-moralreasons-but-premarital-sex-is-not-aproblem issue. This pregnancy isn’t

tearing you apart, OOOPS, it tore you apart. He already ended things—he left you—which was a shitty thing to do, perhaps, but within his rights. It is absolutely within your rights to continue with the pregnancy—it’s your body, it’s your decision. While he will be on the hook for this kid financially if you decide to have it, no one can force him to do the work/experience the joy/clean up the vomit that comes with actually fathering this child. I’m sorry you’re in this position, and here’s hoping you have the love and support you need to raise a kid if you decide to keep the baby, and here’s hoping he comes around.

FUCKS TO GIVE?

I am a straight woman who just started fucking a hot, younger male coworker. The sexual tension between us was out of control until we stayed late one night and screwed on my desk. Since that night, we’ve hooked up a few more times. We grope each other in the office daily, as the “fear” of getting caught is a real turn-on for me. The problem—there always is one— is that he has a live-in girlfriend. He told me they are in an open relationship, so being with me isn’t cheating.

As per their arrangement, he won’t tell her about me, but if she finds out, he won’t lie. How do I know if he’s telling me the truth or if he’s saying these things so I’ll keep sleeping with him? She comes to work events with him, and I feel guilty because she is sweet and obviously adores him. Also, being co-workers adds another layer of issues. I am a well-liked employee who people consider very professional. He is new to the company and is a bit of a scatterbrain. The sex is amazing in part because he’s too immature for me to consider romantically. I’d love to keep seeing him for sex, but I don’t want to help him hurt someone else. Can I fuck him guilt free? NOT A HEARTBREAK HELPER If the genders were reversed here— if you were an older, more powerful man fucking a “hot, younger” female co-worker—I’d have to find you and set you on fire or something. Because even before we get to the is-he-orisn’t-he (in an open relationship) issue, the power imbalance makes this not okay. Or it does to some/many/most. But I’m going to let those who object to co-workers fucking—unless both are partners in the firm with equal tenure, power, and salaries—debate that issue in the comments thread while I address the issue you asked

me to address: Can you know for sure whether he’s practicing ENM, a.k.a. “ethical non-monogamy.” Short answer: No, nope, you can’t— and the signs don’t look good. I was making notes as I read your letter, NAHH, and wrote, “Has he lied to you about anything?” before I got to your postscript. While some couples have DADT agreements—outside sex is allowed, but they “don’t ask, don’t tell”—the DADT thing makes it hard for their thirds (or fourths or fifths) to verify that the relationship is actually open and they aren’t a party to cheating. So you have to trust the person you’re fucking—and if they’ve given you reason not to trust them and/or demonstrated that they aren’t honouring the other rules of their supposedly open relationship, well, then they’ve demonstrated their fundamental untrustworthiness. Basically, NAHH, if he’s lying to her, he’s probably lying to you, too. So you can fuck him—but not without guilt. On the Lovecast, Dan chats with Google powerhouse Blaise Agüera y Arcas: savagelovecast.com. mail@savagelove.net @fakedansavage on Twitter ITMFA.org

ALBERTA-WIDECLASSIFIEDS •• AUCTIONS •• CRUNCH FITNESS (formally Gold’s Gym) Westmount Shopping Centre, Groat Road & 111 Ave. NW, Edmonton, Alberta. Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m. Selling cardio equipment, selectorized weight training machines, plate load strength equipment and more; www.montgomeryauctions.com. 1-800-371-6963.

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•• EMPLOYMENT •• OPPORTUNITIES JOURNALISTS, Graphic Artists, Marketing and more. Alberta’s weekly newspapers are looking for people like you. Post your resume online. Free. Visit: awna.com/for-job-seekers. WEST FRASER values excellence in performance & people, challenge & satisfaction, & proﬁtability & growth. Chetwynd Forest Industries, a division of West Fraser Mills Ltd. is accepting applications: General Labourers. Submit your resume for consideration to this general position for upcoming employment opportunities. For more information visit our website at: www.westfraser.com/jobs. SANDMAN INNS RURAL BC recruiting management couples, both full-time and part-time roles available. Ask us about our great employee perks and accommodation. Apply on https://sandmanhotels.prevueaps.com.

VUEWEEKLY.com | NOV 30 – DEC 6, 2017

MEDICAL TRANSCRIPTION! Indemand career! Employers have work-at-home positions available. Get online training you need from an employer-trusted program. Visit: CareerStep.ca/MT or 1-855768-3362 to start training for your work-at-home career today!

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JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

Matt Jones jonesincrosswords@vueweekly.com

“The Price of Freedom”--a freestyle puzzle for today.

Across

1 What standard, no-frills items lack 16 November 2017 thriller with Denzel Washington in the title role 17 “What a relief!” 18 “... ___ any drop to drink”: Coleridge 19 Norse god of wisdom and war 20 Thunder’s org. 21 Israeli desert 24 Unlocked 25 1930s heavyweight champ Max 26 Twelve months from now 28 Pox 29 Explode 30 Double-___ (big mobile homes) 33 Passion 34 Word whose figurative meaning is frowned upon by grammar sticklers 36 Bob of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” 39 Ancient artifact 40 Lawyers’ org. 43 Take ___ (suffer financial loss) 44 Graduate 46 Deck on a cruise ship 47 Cold-weather transport 50 Retriever restrainer 51 South African golfer Ernie 52 Belgrade resident 53 Lab maze runner 54 Cough syrup holder 60 “Just a sec!” 61 It may follow a period of inattention

Down

1 Mrs., in Madrid 2 “Wonderful” juice brand 3 Former Radiohead label 4 James of gangster films 5 Head over heels for 6 Cracked, as a door 7 Tupperware topper 8 Camera lens setting 9 Crumble away 10 ___ “apple” 11 ___ Vogue 12 Ending for glob 13 Red fox of medieval lore 14 Paul Anka hit subtitled “That Kiss!”

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15 More unsophisticated 21 Tiny drink 22 “Ambient 1: Music for Airports” composer Brian 23 Interval 24 Pick out some food 25 Hide well 27 British islet 28 Able to be assessed 31 Before, in old poems 32 Course that gets its own bar? 34 30 Seconds to Mars singer Jared 35 Adjective dropped by rapper Bow Wow 36 Willamette U.’s locale 37 Kansas home of the Eisenhower Presidential Library 38 ___ Purchase (1853 deal with Mexico) 40 Gasteyer of the “NPR’s Delicious Dish” sketches 41 School vehicle 42 Incense stick remnant 45 Line of work 47 DIY stuff that might be made with glue and borax 48 Divided, as a highway 49 “___ knew that!” 52 Garbage-hauling ship 53 Completely engrossed 55 “___ Mine” (George Harrison autobiography) 56 Egg container: Abbr. 57 Burns’s dissent 58 Serpentine letter 59 Vietnamese holiday ©2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords

FREEWILLASTROLOGY ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope that everything doesn’t come too easily for you in the coming weeks. I’m worried you will meet with no obstructions and face no challenges. And that wouldn’t be good. It might weaken your willpower and cause your puzzlesolving skills to atrophy. However, let me add a small caveat. It’s also true that right about now you deserve a whoosh of slack. I’d love for you to be able to relax and enjoy your well-deserved rewards. But on the other hand, I know you will soon receive an opportunity to boost yourself up to an even higher level of excellence and accomplishment. I want to be sure that when it comes, you are at peak strength and alertness. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You were born with the potential to give the world specific gifts— benefits and blessings that are unique to you. One of those gifts has been slow in developing. You’ve never been ready to confidently offer it in its fullness. In fact, if you have tried to bestow it in the past, it may have caused problems. But the good news is that in the coming months, this gift will finally be ripe. You’ll know how to deal crisply with the interesting responsibilities it asks you to take on. Here’s your homework: Get clear about what this gift is and what you will have to do to offer it in its fullness. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Happy ‘Unbirthday,’ Gemini! You’re halfway between your last birthday and your next. That means you’re free to experiment with being different from who you have imagined yourself to be and who other people expect you to be. Here are inspirational quotes to help you celebrate. 1. “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” - George Bernard Shaw. 2. “Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one’s mind.” - W. Somerset Maugham. 3. “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson. 4. “The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.” - Friedrich Nietzsche. CANCER (June 21-July 22): I suggest that you take a piece of paper and write down a list of your biggest fears. Then call on the magical force within you that is bigger and smarter than your fears. Ask your deep sources of wisdom for the poised courage you need to keep those scary fantasies in their proper place. What is their proper place? Not as the masters of your destiny, not as controlling agents that prevent you from living lustily, but rather as helpful guides that keep you from taking foolish risks.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In his book Life: The Odds, Gregory Baer says that the odds you will marry a millionaire are not good: 215-to-1. They’re 60,000to-1 that you’ll wed royalty and 88,000-to-1 that you’ll date a model. After analyzing your astrological omens for the coming months, I suspect your chances of achieving these feats will be even lower than usual. That’s because you’re far more likely to cultivate synergetic and symbiotic relationships with people who enrich your soul and stimulate your imagination, but don’t necessarily pump up your ego. Instead of models and millionaires, you’re likely to connect with practical idealists, energetic creators, and emotionally intelligent people who’ve done work to transmute their own darkness. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): What might you do to take better care of yourself in 2018, Virgo? According to my reading of the astrological omens, this will be a fertile meditation for you to keep revisiting. Here’s a good place to start: Consider the possibility that you have a lot to learn about what makes your body operate at peak efficiency and what keeps your soul humming along with the sense that your life is interesting. Here’s another crucial task: Intensify your love for yourself. With that as a driving force, you’ll be led to discover the actions necessary to supercharge your health. P.S. Now is an ideal time to get this project underway. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Here are themes I suggest you specialize in during the coming weeks. 1. How to gossip in ways that don’t diminish and damage your social network, but rather foster and enhance it. 2. How to be in three places at once without committing the mistake of being nowhere at all. 3. How to express precisely what you mean without losing your attractive mysteriousness. 4. How to be nosy and brash for fun and profit. 5. How to unite and harmonize the parts of yourself and your life that have been at odds with each other. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I predict that in the coming months you won’t feel compulsions to set your adversaries’ hair on fire. You won’t fantasize about robbing banks to raise the funds you need, nor will you be tempted to worship the devil. And the news just gets better. I expect that the amount of self-sabotage you commit will be close to zero. The monsters under your bed will go on a long sabbatical. Any lame excuses you have used in the past to justify bad behaviour will melt away. You’ll mostly avoid indulging in bouts of irrational and unwarranted anger. In conclusion, Scorpio, your life should be pretty evil-free for quite some time. What will you

Rob Brezsny freewill@vueweekly.com

do with this prolonged outburst of grace? Use it wisely! SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “What is love?” asks philosopher Richard Smoley. “It’s come to have a greeting-card quality,” he mourns. “Half the time ‘loving’ someone is taken to mean nurturing a warmish feeling in the heart for them, which mysteriously evaporates the moment the person has some concrete need or irritates us.” One of your key assignments in the next 10 months will be to purge any aspects of this shrunken and shriveled kind of love that may still be lurking in your beautiful soul. You are primed to cultivate an unprecedented new embodiment of mature, robust love. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You know that unfinished task you have half-avoided, allowing it to stagnate? Soon you’ll be able to summon the gritty determination required to complete it. I suspect you’ll also be able to carry out the glorious rebirth you’ve been shy about climaxing. To gather the energy you need, reframe your perspective so that you can feel gratitude for the failure or demise that has made your glorious rebirth necessary and inevitable. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In an ideal world, your work and your character would speak for themselves. You’d receive exactly the amount of recognition and appreciation you deserve. You wouldn’t have to devote as much intelligence to selling yourself as you did to developing your skills in the first place. But now forget everything I just said. During the next 10 months, I predict that packaging and promoting yourself won’t be so ‘#$@&%*!’ important. Your work and character will speak for themselves with more vigor and clarity than they have before. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There used to be a booth at a Santa Cruz flea market called “Joseph Campbell’s Love Child.” It was named after the mythological scholar who wrote the book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The booth’s proprietor sold items that spurred one’s “heroic journey,” like talismans made to order and herbs that stimulated courage and mini-books with personalized advice based on one’s horoscope. “Chaos-Tamers” were also for sale. They were magic spells designed to help people manage the messes that crop up in one’s everyday routine while pursuing a heroic quest. Given the current astrological omens, Pisces, you would benefit from a place that sold items like these. Since none exist, do the next best thing: Aggressively drum up all the help and inspiration you need. You can and should be well-supported as you follow your dreams on your hero’s journey.

CURTIS HAUSER

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32 white elephants on parade

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