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#947 / DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013 VUEWEEKLY.COM

Woodwork then and now 10 | Ballad of Sean Nicholas Savage 33

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2 UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

UP FRONT 3 9/23/13 10:20 AM

ISSUE: 947 DEC 12 – DEC 19, 2013 COVER ILLUSTRATION: COURTENAY MCKAY

LISTINGS

FILM / 17 ARTS / 26 MUSIC / 39 EVENTS / 41 ADULT / 42 CLASSIFIED / 45

FRONT

6

"Fifty percent of pregnancies are unintended or unplanned."

DISH

10

"It’s the things we needed to make the food or make the drinks and celebrating the beauty of those thing."

FILM

15

"So much of what transpired during the 2008 expedition is, in the end, a mystery."

ARTS

19

"I’m not much for the forced gaiety of the season—pardon the pun."

MUSIC

33

27

"Everyone hates on what they want to hate on, and I’m drawn to a lot of different things and I love those things."

SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY #200, 11230 - 119 STREET, EDMONTON, AB T5G 2X3 | T: 780.426.1996 F: 780.426.2889 FOUNDING EDITOR / PUBLISHER .................................................................................. RON GARTH PRESIDENT ROBERT W DOULL .......................................................................................rwdoull@vueweekly.com PUBLISHER / SALES & MARKETING MANAGER ROB LIGHTFOOT.................................................................................................. rob@vueweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER / MANAGING EDITOR EDEN MUNRO .................................................................................................... eden@vueweekly.com NEWS EDITOR REBECCA MEDEL ....................................................................................... rebecca@vueweekly.com ARTS & FILM EDITOR PAUL BLINOV .................................................................................................... paul@vueweekly.com

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4 UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

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VUEPOINT

FRONT

REBECCA MEDEL REBECCA@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Mall madness We've all heard the news: an 85-store outlet mall is being built on leased Edmonton International Airport property and will be ready for shoppers by fall 2016. Ivanhoé Cambridge is the same Canadian real-estate company that built Calgary's CrossIron Mills outlet mall—although at 350 000 square feet, The Outlet Collection at EIA will be a fraction of CrossIron's 1.178 million square feet.

Just what is so alluring about an outlet mall that developers believe will draw in flight-weary travellers and bargain-hungry Albertans from a city already saturated with shopping? It probably has something to do with this area's young demographic, the profitable times for Canada's retail sector and the power of perception.

According to the 2011 national census, 46 percent of Edmonton's population is in the 25 to 54 age bracket. These are regarded as the prime years for earning an income and spending money. The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation states that compared to the rest of large Canadian cities, Edmonton has the fastest-growing economy and the fourth highest GDP of all cities at 3.9 percent or $53.981 billion. This all leads to Edmontonians having the highest disposable income in Canada.

So does it matter that another shopping centre home to many outlet stores—South Common—is situated only about 20 kilometres from the future home of The Outlet Collection at EIA? Esthetically, maybe, if the sight of too many shops dotting the landscape leaves a bad taste in your mouth. But with regards to Canada's retail market, the latest Retail Report of Canada states that since 2007, 57 million square feet of leasable shopping-centre space has been added across Canada, and it's not sitting vacant. American retailers like J Crew and Marshalls opening in Canada and the expansion of larger stores like Simons and Walmart has led to lease rates rising and mall vacancies declining.

Sure, some stores are downsizing as more customers turn to online shopping, but, overall, the retail scene in Canada has been having some productive years.

But what about the shoppers? Statistics about GDP and retail expansion don't make the average person ready to hit the mall and spend their supposed lofty disposable income. Just because this city has money doesn't mean people will necessarily spend it because there's a new mall in town. This is where perception becomes such a handy tool in the hands of brand marketers.

Many people equate outlet shopping to saving money on their favourite brands regardless of disputed quality and actual savings, according to American journalist Ellen Ruppel Shell, who wrote the book Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture in 2009.

She says the distance of outlet malls from the centre of a city lends itself to the perception there must be deals so far away and that taking the time to make the drive influences people to buy more.

Regardless of your beliefs about outlet shopping, this new mall is another indication that Edmonton is continuing to grow—if not upwards, then outwards. V

NEWS EDITOR : REBECCA MEDEL REBECCA@VUEWEEKLY.COM

NEWS // QUIDDITCH

Muggles on the pitch Quidditch defies age-old gender division in sports

Ouch!That’s a quaffle, not a bludger you muggle! // Ross Vincent

A

ll too rarely do fantasy and reality intersect in such a way that pushes our world in a better direction. There are valuable lessons to be learned from the most fantastic of stories, and their real-world applications often emerge in unexpected ways.

When Harry Potter author J K Rowling invented Quidditch, a fast-paced, ruthless and often violent sport played several metres in the air, I doubt she envisioned it as having a real-world analogue, let alone one that takes a progressive leap forward for gender equality in sport. In the book series, all Quidditch teams comprise both men and women, with no mention of any unevenness in capacity or skill. With the sport bleeding over into reality and rapidly gaining popularity, muggle quidditch (the game is referred to in lowercase when played in the real world) has become an apt rebuttal to the antiquated philosophy of separating men and women in sport.

According to Véronique Lacroix, who plays on the Edmonton Erumpents quidditch team, gender equality was simply a natural part of the sport's adaptation.

"Honestly, I think there's never been any segregation. From its creation, we've never separated men and women," she says. "When quidditch was created for muggles—for nonmagical folk—we just kept the same rules, as in everyone plays together."

Muggle quidditch—where two teams of seven do battle on a grass pitch by launching slightly-deflated volleyballs and dodgeballs at each other and through three vertical hoops, all while straddling a broomstick— comes with its share of roughness. Imagine a high-speed combination of tag, dodgeball and basketball with the added physicality of

RE: BIG HAIR ON TRIAL (NOV 28 – DEC 4)

Vue Weekly welcomes reader response, whether critical or complimentary. Send your opinion by mail (Vue Weekly, Suite 200-11230 119 St NW, Edmonton, AB, T5G 2X3), by fax (780.426.2889) or by email (letters@vueweekly.com). Preference is given to feedback about articles in Vue Weekly. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity. Not every letter will be published.

In this article a private Christian school in the United States is being misogynistic and racist for insisting that a seventh grade Afro-American student change her hair style or face expulsion.

The author accuses this school of racism because "Most black people do not have naturally smooth and straight hair while many white people do." She also accused them of being misogynistic

rugby, and you've got muggle quidditch.

And that's where the sport's progressivism emerges. Despite the contact and potential for injury, quidditch stresses inclusion, with its governing body not only strictly eliminating gendered teams but also doing away with the entire gender binary in its official rules.

The International Quidditch Association's rulebook states that "during a quidditch game, each team must have at least two players in play who identify with a different gender than at least two other players. The gender that a player identifies with is considered to be that player's gender."

Muggle quidditch is merely one example of Harry Potter fandom having a practical application. Edmonton Potterwatch, of which Lacroix serves as Internal Director, has taken a number of themes from the novels and given them life outside of the series.

Partnering with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton, Potterwatch raised funds to help ensure the preservation and rehabilitation of local owls as part of Project Hedwig, named for Harry Potter's own pet owl. In January, Potterwatch will host its largest event to date: a Yule Ball, offering hundreds a chance to dress in their Harry Potter regalia, dance to a number of local bands and meet other fans, while giving sales and silent auction proceeds to Youth Empowerment and Support Services.

Lacroix and Potterwatch had a table at the Edmonton Expo in September, giving them a prime opportunity to introduce the public to the group's goals and methods.

"We tried to make it as interactive as possible," Lacroix says. "So we gave the hypothet-

"because it is an attack on natural female beauty in the same way that Brazilian bikini waxes, douching, breast enhancements" are, arguing that it sends a message to young boys and girls, as well as adults, who internalize them and accept these as the "beauty norm."

I found the author's argument against misogyny very odd considering she is writing in a paper which advertises for escorts and massage parlours featuring scantily clad women in provocative poses. As for accusing the Christian school of racism, I find that offensive

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

ical question ... 'How would you use your fandom—those stories—to raise awareness or just get something going?' They got to go through that process of 'What can I do specifically to change what I don't like about my environment?'"

The quidditch community is doing just that—aligning seemingly fantastic situations with real-world issues—and alongside Potterwatch, quidditch is dealing with a similar growth spurt, as once-casual campus teams in Edmonton, Red Deer and Calgary have formed to create Central Alberta Quidditch, hosting fundraisers and tournaments as well as offering lessons to curious onlookers.

Evan Hamilton serves as captain for the Edmonton Erumpents, which morphed out of a team created at the University of Alberta. Recognizing that the broader Harry Potter community was eager to play quidditch, Hamilton and others formed the Erumpents in the summer of 2013, and have since been aided by the furor borne by Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Telus World of Science.

"It's growing much faster than I thought it could," Hamilton says. "Really, it was just something fun to do—then we had a tournament, then we were on CTV. It's really starting to get bigger a lot faster."

But most important is the sport is capturing the imagination of local youth, and the Erumpents are currently heeding requests to visit junior high and high schools to teach quidditch and perhaps inspire the formation of intramural leagues. With every intramural league formed, every successful fundraiser and every game played in front of a young audience, youth are excitedly latching onto the message that quidditch—as with all sports—is for everyone, regardless of what gender they identify with.

"Youth are always paying attention to whatever we do," Hamilton says. "Whenever we've done something with [Potterwatch] and quidditch together, it's families that come out.

"And with teachers who want to do quidditch for intramurals, the kids are looking forward to that. Because it's something that they've read about and it's kind of a dream for all of them, when they hear that it exists, once the rules are explained to them, they're very aware of it."

RYAN STEPHENS

RYANS@VUEWEEKLY.COM

and ridiculous. I am a white man, and I am married to an African woman, who, by the way, finds this article as equally ridiculous. I asked her about the dress code in African schools and yes, they were very strict, including guidelines on hair. And yes, even in Africa students cannot sport a puffy Afro, so then where is the racism? This type of hypocrisy should come as no surprise from the other intolerant and irrelevant liberal media. Though this article CONTINUED ON PAGE 09 >>

UP FRONT 5

FRONT COVER // FASD

A pregnant pause

A look at incidences of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in Alberta

I

t's a hidden disorder that used to be known by the distinctive facial features of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome— now widely referred to as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder—and prevention measures are being ramped up across the province to spare future generations of Albertans the difficulties of living with the brain injury caused when a prenatal baby is exposed to alcohol.

There are now 36 000 Albertans impacted by FASD, and prisons are full of men and women who, because of frontal-lobe damage—the part of the brain responsible for executive functioning—continue to make poor choices. That in no way means that people living with FASD will end up in

prison, but the John Howard Society of Ontario states, "Some researchers estimate the rate of FASD to be 10 times higher inside Canadian prisons than in the general population."

Every day is a challenge for those living with FASD. These individuals may look physically normal but struggle with cognitive functioning and associated behavioural issues.

"That's why I think a lot of the individuals who are impacted by FASD fall through the cracks, because they look perfectly normal," says Lisa Rogozinsky, coordinator at the Edmonton and Area Fetal Alcohol Network. "We also know that language-wise, they generally speak above average, but that doesn't mean that their comprehen-

When you look at the highest risk group to actually drink while they're pregnant, it's the higher income, higher education, over the age of 30 and successful.

sion is above average."

Rogozinsky says these comprehension challenges include understanding abstract concepts—things like money, ownership and time—as well as reasoning, judgment and memory problems, and sensory issues.

"So you have individuals, children, adults who feel too much or don't feel enough from what they see, touch, taste, hear and smell," Rogozinsky explains. "So we can have a child who breaks their arm and doesn't physically feel pain so doesn't know the arm is broken. On the flip side, you can have kids and adults that the tags in their shirts are physically painful for them."

Statistics gathered by EFAN show that 62 percent of women drink before

they become pregnant while almost 50 percent of pregnancies are unplanned.

"You can imagine, then, how many babies are at risk of being prenatally exposed because of those stats," Rogozinsky says. "So that's why we get the high rates of FASD." Some women continue to drink during their pregnancy, not realizing the implications doing so can have on their developing child.

"FASD is certainly not an aboriginal issue," Rogozinsky says. "When you look at the highest risk group to actually drink while they're pregnant, it's the higher income, higher education— so an undergrad or master's degree— over the age of 30 and successful.

So that's the largest group who will consume alcohol within their pregnancy. That doesn't necessarily correlate to them having the highest rates of children born with an FASD because there are so many other factors that come into play."

of the brain to develop and it's linked with those important decision-making abilities that are very important during times of adolescence as well."

Beaulieu says it's wrong, however, to suggest that the brains of children living with FASD are not developing at all.

"We know that the brain is plastic, it can change," he says, "and one of the things that our paper does show is that FASD kids do show the normal developmental patterns."

In other words, their brains are trying to catch up but there's just a bit less horsepower than healthy children have to reach normal thresholds for their chronological age.

"Are they going to be able to overcome it completely?" Beaulieu asks.

"Probably not because it is a brain injury. That's one of the most important things to get across, that it is a brain injury. It's not these individuals' faults that they're behaving the way they are."

Researchers at the University of Alberta have spent the past eight years studying which parts of the brain are different in children diagnosed with FASD. Dr Christian Beaulieu says this type of longitudinal study—the same group of children, some with and some without FASD, were studied in four-year intervals—can give a better indication of which parts of the brain are different, and whether those differences can be linked to cognitive and behavioural problems, than a cross-section of the population can.

The team found the developmental damage of the brain continues into adolescence and that white matter—the part of the brain responsible for transmitting signals to other parts of the brain about how to learn and function properly—was damaged in the kids impacted by FASD. "The main thing is that a bunch of these white matter tracks that connect to the frontal part of the brain were developing at a different rate in the FASD," Beaulieu says.

"Suggesting that, although we think that most of the injury probably happened before birth, it has lifelong implications—well this isn't lifelong, this is into adolescence. We'd have to study up to 50 years old to see that. But it has implications of how your brain develops at later time points."

"We know the frontal lobe is one part of the brain that develops throughout adolescence and early adulthood," adds Dr Carmen Rasmussen.

"That's one of the last parts

Not laying blame on either those living with FASD or their mothers is part of the Prevention Conversation, Alberta's year-long strategy to talk about FASD. It began December 1 with an emphasis on sending facilitators into communities to encourage doctors, social-service providers and other health-care professionals about the importance of conversing with— not lecturing to—pregnant women and women of child-bearing age about FASD. Alberta is also in the middle of a 10-Year Strategy to prevent FASD. "I think the government has recognized that even though we have all these prevention efforts out there, we have to bring it right back down to basics and talk about it," Rogozinsky says.

"We just say it's not healthy to drink anywhere in pregnancy. Whatever's developing in the fetus at the time a woman consumes alcohol, that's what has the potential to be damaged."

Rasmussen agrees. "The general consensus is there's no known safe amount of alcohol so you should not drink when you're pregnant, but there isn't a specific known amount that causes FASD." She says there's so much variability at play in the timing, exposure, type of alcohol, whether it was a binge or just one drink, even genetics.

"It isn't [the child's fault] but it's also not mom's fault," Rogozinsky says.

"I don't think in the 16 years that I've been working with people in the social-services field I've ever heard a mom say I drank on purpose because I wanted my child to be damaged.

Women fall into it, whether it's just not knowing that alcohol causes brain damage, the woman herself may have FASD, the woman may have addiction issues, it goes so much further than drinking, what is the trauma and the violence that she's experienced that leads into these addiction issues?"

Courtenay McKay

6 UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

REBECCA MEDEL

REBECCA@VUEWEEKLY.COM

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9/11/13 11:12 AM

Bullying.

That’s not the Alberta way.

13122SA0

Premier Alison Redford

Stop Bill 46 In 1977, Premier Peter Lougheed promised that in all future contract negotiations, provincial employees would have the right to binding arbitration in lieu of the right to strike.

Now, Premier Alison Redford has rammed through Bill 46, which goes back on that promise and takes the right to arbitration away from 22,000 front-line government employees.

Redford’s Bill 46 gives government the power to freeze wages, with no independent arbitrator determining what is fair and justified. That’s not negotiating, that’s bullying.

And bullying is not the Alberta way.

The Alberta way has always been to keep your promises and respect the rights of others.

Demand that Premier Redford scrap Bill 46 at TheAlbertaWay.com

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

UP FRONT 7

FRONT POLITICALINTERFERENCE

RICARDO ACUÑA // RICARDO@VUEWEEKLY.COM

No choice but to strike

Alberta's public service will more than likely strike in response to Bills 45 and 46 In the media releases announcing its latest labour legislation—Bills 45 and 46—the Alberta government claimed the bills were designed to "protect Albertans from illegal strikes" and to "provide a framework in which government and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees can negotiate a fair agreement that fits within the government's fiscal restraint policy."

The reality, however, is that the bills have made it impossible for AUPE to negotiate at all and have made an illegal strike more likely than ever.

Let's begin with the government's assertion that Bill 45 will protect Albertans from illegal strikes. If that was truly the bill's goal, then it was entirely unnecessary.

Public sector workers in Alberta lost the right to strike in 1977 when Peter Lougheed was premier. In other words, strikes by most public-sector workers in Alberta were already illegal and the government had a significant array of fines and penalties at its disposal to use as punishment. The fines assessed to AUPE last spring during the wildcat strike by prison guards and the individual repercussions faced by the guards who led the strike are evidence enough of

DYERSTRAIGHT

that. The fact that there have only the unions the ability to request that a and replaces it with one that rebeen a handful of illegal strikes since third-party arbitrator review the posi- moves fundamental rights and puts Lougheed's legislation was enacted is tions of both sides and issue a settle- all the power in the government's proof that the deterrent was working. ment that would be binding on both hands.

It is clear neither of these bills meet Was Bill 45 introduced out of a parties. This system has served the the government's publicly stated desire to further punish all public- province well for more than 25 years goals of fairsector workers for ness and prothe prison-guard What motivation would the government possibly have tection from action? Or is it rather that the govto bargain in good faith if they have the certainty that illegal strikes.

Instead, what ernment has some they will be able to impose their terms? they do is take drastic future plans away what litfor the contracts, tle bargaining pay and employBill 46, however, completely dis- rights the province's public service ment conditions of the province's public servants and felt it would be rupts any balance and fairness in had left and completely strip them better to preemptively remove their the system. By stating the govern- of any legal recourse for dealing with constitutional rights to free speech, ment will impose an agreement if bad-faith bargaining by the governAUPE does not reach a negotiated ment. But public-sector unions can assembly and association? agreement with them by January 31, challenge the bills in court, launch a Despite having taken away the pub- Redford has completely stacked the charter challenge, file labour-board lic service's right to strike, Lougheed bargaining deck in the government's complaints and work to defeat Redunderstood fundamentally that the favour. What motivation would the ford in the next election, and they workers still needed some recourse in government possibly have to bar- have already vowed to do all of that.

But all of those processes take time, cases where negotiations were dead- gain in good faith if they have the locked or where the government re- certainty that they will be able to and the members' agreements and fused to bargain in good faith. That's impose their terms? Why would the working conditions are under attack why he provided the public-service union even bother returning to the today. Now that Thomas Lukaszuk— unions access to binding arbitration. bargaining table in a situation where the government's aggressive and unIn cases where no progress was being they can't win? As with Bill 45, this reasonable pit bull on contentious made—when a union would usually bill takes a system that was working issues—has been named Minister of consider a strike—Lougheed provided fairly well and in the public interest, Labour, things are only bound to get

worse. Lukaszuk has made clear his disdain for unions.

With Lukaszuk implementing these bills, it means that labour relations in the public service are about to hit a crisis point. From wage freezes to increased work-loads and funding cuts, to the attack on pension plans, the workers have been painted into a corner with no legal way out.

Unions now have no choice but to find other ways to fight back: work to rule, coordinated call-in sick days and, of course, illegal work stoppages. That's the irony—in their rush to silence and oppress unions, the Conservatives have virtually ensured that things will get worse.

The unions have no choice but to take illegal job action and, when they do, the blame must fall on the government and these bills. Will they be prepared to fine themselves $1 million per day for inciting the public service to take job action?

Because ultimately, that is what they have done. V Ricardo Acuña is the executive director of the Parkland Institute, a non-partisan, public policy research institute housed at the University of Alberta.

GWYNNE DYER // GWYNNE@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Central African Republic: a genocide forestalled France's peacekeepers arrive in Bangui as tensions between Muslims and Christians mount The Central African Republic is one of the poorest and most inaccessible countries in the world. It's the size of France, but it only has four and a half million people. It is a serious contender for the title of Worst Governed Country in Africa, and it is now teetering on the brink of a genocide. Something has to be done and only France was able and willing to do it.

France moves fast. There are already 600 French troops in the capital, Bangui, and another 1000 will be moving out into country areas by the end of the week. (There are already 2500 African peacekeeping troops in the CAR, but they lack transport and don't have orders to shoot.) It has all happened so fast that France hasn't even decided yet if it supports the man who currently claims to be the president of the CAR. Asked last Saturday if Michel Djotodia, who seized power last March, should stay as "interim president," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said: "I don't think we need [to create] more difficulties by adding the departure of the president."

8 UP FRONT

On Sunday, however, President François Hollande said exactly the opposite: "We cannot leave in place a president who was not able to do anything, or even worse, has let [some very bad] things happen."

Fabius and Hollande may simply not have had time yet to talk to each other about Djotodia's future—and besides, it doesn't much matter: he controls virtually nothing.

The CAR has had eight coups since it got its independence from France in 1960, and got eight bad leaders out of it. The worst was Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who proclaimed himself emperor of the "Central African Empire" and used his "Imperial Guard" to murder people, including schoolchildren, who defied his rule, but even he had little impact on life outside Bangui, the capital.

The vast majority of people in the CAR are herdsmen or subsistence farmers who have little or no contact with the institutions of the state: the coup leaders and "presidents" came and went almost unnoticed. Until this time, because Djotodia is the first Muslim president in a mostly Christian country

and he was brought to power by Muslim fighters, many of whom don't even come from the CAR. Djotodia has been trying to seize the presidency for eight years.

Coming from the Muslim northeast of the country, he recruited some fighters from that area, but up to 80 percent of the soldiers in his Seleka (alliance) militia were Muslim mercenaries whom he hired from Chad and Sudan.

Except that he didn't actually have the money to pay them; he just tacitly offered them the chance to loot if they won. So when he ordered Seleka to disband last March, having fought his way into power in Bangui, they did nothing of the sort. They hadn't come all this way just to steal a few things and go home again.

Like Djotodia, the mercenaries are in the game to get rich, but while he can now do his thieving from the presidential palace, they still have to do it in the traditional way.

So the majority of Seleka's fighters have broken up into bands of marauders who plunder, rape and burn their way around the country.

Many of the country's villages now lie abandoned, while their former inhabitants hide from the bandits in the fields or the woods.

Tens of thousands may have already died in the more remote parts of the CAR and at least 400 were killed right in Bangui last week. Worse may follow: there is now a serious risk of genocide.

The Christian majority and the Muslim minority in the CAR have generally lived alongside each other in peace. However, the exSeleka mercenaries, being Muslims, tend to spare Muslim communities and target Christian ones. In selfdefence, the Christians have begun banding together in vigilante groups—and there are a lot more Christians than Muslims.

Inevitably, they suspect the local Muslims of helping the ex-Seleka killers, so they are starting to see them as enemies as well. In the circumstances of extreme deprivation and fear that now prevail in country areas—at least one million people are living in severe hunger or actual famine—this could quickly slide into a genocidal level of killing.

That's why France moved so fast.

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

It got the approval of the United Nations Security Council and the African Union for the intervention last Thursday and by Saturday it had troops on the ground in Bangui. Djotodia, who could not be found last week, has also belatedly endorsed the intervention.

The need for speed is still paramount, and French Defence Minister Jean-Yves le Drian said the job of disarming the ex-Seleka fighters got underway on Monday: "First we'll ask nicely and if they don't react, we'll do it by force."

This is the second time this year that French troops have been sent in to stop an African state from collapsing into slaughter and anarchy.

(The French intervention in Mali in January saved that country from conquest by jihadis.) It is deeply embarrassing for the African Union to admit that its own peacekeeping force cannot do the job in time, but it hasn't let its pride get in the way of preventing a genocide in the CAR. V Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.

BIG HAIR LETTER

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 05

espouses to be about tolerance and equality it clearly is not; it is about the intolerance and bigotry of the author and the author's agenda to discredit an academy because of its religious affiliation, "Christian." For if she was so concerned why then does she not write articles about the dress codes in Islamic academies? I will tell you why, because it is politically incorrect to do so, yet completely acceptable to do make unfounded accusations against Christians. As an artist who has enjoyed picking up Vue to read it, today I am ashamed of it.

John Witham

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 18, 2013

UP FRONT 9

DISH

DISH EDITOR : MEAGHAN BAXTER MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Then &

FEATURE // RESTO-BAR

PHOTOS BY: Meaghan Baxter

10132 - 100 St 780.757.4100 woodworkyeg.com

Now

JAN 31, 2013

Woodwork opens its doors

T

he goings on behind the papered windows adorned with a larger-than-life drumstick and liquor bottle has remained a mystery to passersby for months now, other than knowing it housed Woodwork, an establishment in favour of smoked meat and classic cocktails, and a collaboration between Nomad food-truck owner Mike Scorgie and cocktail aficionado Andrew Borley of the Volstead Act. Woodwork was set to make its debut this summer, but permit rigmarole and necessary hoops to jump through tripped up progress. That's a thing of the past now, as the restaurant opened for its first lunch service on Monday.

"We did all the work ourselves, too, and we're not professional contractors by any means, so that slowed us up a bit, but it's part of the deal trying to be independent," says Borley, who has a background in architectural technology in addition to his cocktail prowess.

"We're both the type to get our hands dirty and get it done ourselves, but it comes a point where there's just too much too much to do, so that's been a big learning curve, building up a team around us that can keep the whole machine going," adds Scorgie, who has since sold his food truck to focus on the restaurant.

The duo now has a team of 25 behind them in the new digs, which they took possession of last winter. The space is situated in the historic McLeod Building and has been transformed from its previous incarnation of stark white walls and concrete to an inviting room enhanced by dark walls and a cozy banquette, as well as an open kitchen and bar along the opposite wall, meant to provide guests with a front-row seat to the theatre of food and drink taking place.

"I think a lot of it is the idea of functional art. Instead of trying to design things as objects themselves we tried to show off things we're using: things like the grill and the firewood," Borley explains. "It's the things we needed to have to make the food or make the drinks and celebrating the simple beauty JAN 31, 2013 of those things."

Borley and Scorgie met in 2011 after their respective businesses continued to be asked to work the same events. The pair soon became friends and decided to go into business together in April 2012. The process of getting a restaurant off the ground has been no easy task, and much more arduous and time-consuming than the pair anticipated.

"Andrew and I need marriage counselling now," jokes Scorgie, maintaining the two are still close friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Borley is even going to be a groomsman in ScorCONTINUED ON PAGE 13 >> gie's wedding. "We operate pretty independently of one

10 DISH

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 18, 2013

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DISH VENI, VIDI, VINO

MEL PRIESTLEY // MEL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Wine gift guide The gift that keeps on giving Wine is the perfect holiday gift. Even if the recipient doesn't drink wine, it's still useful for everyone to keep a bottle around the house for company or to take to an event. Wine is also fantastic for re-gifting—and sometimes the best present you can give someone is preventing them from showing up somewhere empty-handed and looking like a jerk. It's truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Since it can be overwhelming to pick one bottle out of the thousands available, here are some tips to suit everyone on your list.

Your Boss Obviously you want this bottle to impress, unless you have the kind of relationship with your boss where you can buy them a wine with Bitch scrawled across the label (yes, this really exists) and get away with it. Barolo or Châteauneuf-du-Pape are great choices if you can afford them (and you know they like Old World wine); higher-end Californian or Canadian red blends are great for those who prefer fruitier, New World styles.

Recommended: Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape (France) Duckhorn Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon (United States) Laughing Stock Portfolio (Canada)

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Your Coworker Wines with funny and/or clever names or labels are perfect for coworkers, since they are entertaining and memorable—they'll probably open it up right at the office in front of everyone, so you want this to have a lasting impact.

Australia and the United States lead the world in wacky, gimmicky wines, so head to those sections and you're bound to find something good.

Recommended: Flor Prosecco (Italy) Catena Chardonnay (Argentina) Jackson-Triggs Reserve Series Niagara Estate Meritage (Canada) Your Friend (who knows nothing about wine but wants to learn) Go for the standard beginner wines: off-dry Riesling if they have a sweet tooth (especially from Germany); New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc if they prefer something dry but fruity (these are so abundant you can just pick one to suit your budget). Pinot Noir from the New World is a good choice for those who want to get into red wine but haven't yet developed a taste for heavy, full-bodied wines. Don't buy anything over $20—you don't want to set unrealistic expectations.

Recommended: Graff Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling (Germany) New Harbor Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) Cono Sur Bicicleta Pinot Noir (Chile) Your Other Friend (who knows lots about wine and you're afraid to disappoint them) Something a little obscure or offbeat is usually the best approach to gifts for wine enthusiasts; I highly suggest visiting a specialty wine shop (not a chain liquor store) and asking one of the staff for a recommendation—and if your friend is really wine crazy there's a good chance the staff will even know them already.

Recommended: DeWaal Pinotage (South Africa) Papantonis Meden Agan Agiorgitiko (Greece) Pisano Cisplatino Tannat Merlot (Uruguay)

Recommended: d'Arenberg The Love Grass (Australia) Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand) King Coal Cabernet Syrah (United States) Your Partner Since there's a very good chance you'll get to share this bottle, you want to pick something that you'll like as well. However, since there's also a good chance that you aren't only getting your partner a bottle of wine (unless that's how you two roll, and hey, right on), you don't want to drop a lot of cash. Go for a great value wine that's just a little above your usual price range; or go for that interesting/weird/tantalizing bottle they always comment on when you're at the shop together.

Recommended: Boekenhoutskloof The Chocolate Block (South Africa) Bonny Doon Le Cigare Volant (United States)

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Your Partner's Parents How much you spend on your partner's parents is dependent on your relationship with them, how long you've been with their kid and how wine-savvy they are, but crowd-pleasing red wines are usually the best choice since they'll probably open it up right at Christmas dinner or when company calls.

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013 2013-11-27 2:21 PM

WOODWORK

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

another, other than meetings about front of house stuff, so we're not on each other's toes too much."

Initially, Scorgie intended the menu to reflect a southern barbecue influence, and while there's still plenty of wood-fired meat to be found, his techniques have shifted towards French cooking styles. Scorgie explains a significant influence in the shift has come from his chef de cuisine, Emmanuel Theriault from Montréal.

"We're really working well together, and the ideas that we're coming up with and pushing each other's boundaries are working really well, and the NOV 7, 2013 product is awesome," Scorgie adds.

"That's one of those things where you end up giving up a bit of control and it makes the whole thing better," Borley adds.

The menu devised by Scorgie and Theriault consists of daily lunch selections—all priced at $15—such as the Woodwork charcuterie cold cut sandwich served with gribiche mayo and house pickle along with a BBQ pork burger with confit shoulder, house bacon and BBQ aioli. Lunch is available until 2 pm, but from then until 5 pm you'll find bar snacks like smoked chicken drumsticks with house BBQ sauce ($8) and warm molasses rye bread with pork butter ($7). After 5 pm, dinner is served via small share plates like steak tartare with pickled beet, egg yolk and pommes gaufrette ($13) and Bar-B-Cue soup with choucroute, Woodwork charcuterie, and white bean and pork consomme ($13), as well as larger plates from the grill such as shoulder of pork confit with gribiche sauce ($19) and Toulouse for two featuring course sausage, pork and onion reduction and Parisienne potato ($25). If some of the French terms have you scratching your head, fear not, there are translations at the bottom of the menu.

Cocktails will feature tried and true recipes such as Manhattens and Old Fashioneds.

Borley notes the menu will have little in the way of vodkas, instead favouring barrelaged items such as whiskies and bourbon, and cocktails will enhance the liquor rather than hiding it. A boutique selection of beer and wine will round out the bar list.

Borley also has an ice program in place to ensure the utmost quality of the drinks.

There's a cold draft machine that creates dense ice meant for shaking and stirring drinks as well as large format ice. Large blocks are frozen—it takes about a week to do so—and broken up to use in cocktails.

"It's the one thing that's in every cocktail essentially, and it does have a big impact on quality," he says, adding that the concept of the bar is not meant to be pretentious, but to show an appreciation for products and the customer. "Like some of these ice blocks we're making, I've been doing tests where I make a block and put it in a glass of water and see how long it takes to melt, and the cubes are lasting for two hours, whereas the average cube would be 10 minutes."

Top-notch food and drink are one thing, but education for staff is another important factor for Woodwork. Borley has modelled his end of things after cocktail bars in New York where staff works their way up from stockist to apprentice and principle bartender, learning to concoct syrups and prep ice along the way.

As for food, Scorgie has a butchering program in place for his staff.

"All of the cooks that come in are spending time with our butcher here and he's teaching them the craft so they can go on to bigger and better things or do their own projects."

DEC 9, 2013

MEAGHAN BAXTER

MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

DISH 13

14 DISH

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

FILM

FILM EDITOR : PAUL BLINOV PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

REVUE // DOCUMENTARY

Perilous Peak

The Summit documents a disasterous climb

W

hen you ascend past Camp too much the terrain of motivational Four you enter something they speakers for the sort of hardcore macall the Death Zone. It is not named niacs we find in this film. Am I out of that for nothing. After 8000 feet turn calling Ryan's subjects maniacs? every cell in your Perhaps, but body is reeling from Fri, Dec 13 – Thu, Dec 19 consider the fact that one in four oxygen deprivation. Directed by Nick Ryan climbers dies tryAside from the nu- Metro Cinema at the Garneau ing to get to the merous physical dif-  top of K2 and ficulties this brings, this means that you might start logical decisions become increasingly to wonder about their sanity, even bedifficult to make. You are in a sense fore they hit the Death Zone. Those inebriated—you've gotten very, very, odds actually turned out to be far too very high. That high comes with thrills optimistic for the crowd of 2008: 18 of the sort you may never again come climbers approached the summit; 11 across. As is often the case, the hard- did not make it back alive. est part is coming down.

Director Nick Ryan's The Summit is a To nitpick Ryan's approach to The documentary chronicling an attempt Summit: the portent is laid on a little made by representatives of various thick at times, there are a few too countries in August of 2008 to make many title cards providing informait to the top of K2, the world's sec- tion someone could have just told or ond highest peak, but the one more showed us, and the recreations seem serious climbers concentrate on, a little superfluous and confusing rather than Everest, which I guess is when there's so much excellent real

footage to work with. But all that aside, The Summit is pretty riveting.

The testimonies are engaging and ultimately very moving; the images of the Himalayas are consistently astonishing, a glorious landscape out of science fiction, Norse mythology or illustrated religious pamphlets; the narrative is mostly very well organized, with the emphasis wisely not on psychology but on story, most of all on the strangeness of this story, on how everything is stranger when you're up above the entire world, apart from it, immersed in airless beauty and imminent doom. So much of what transpired during the 2008 expedition is, in the end, a mystery.

Even to those who survived. Why did some of the climbers do what they did when what they did would so surely lead to their demise? As one of Ryan's subjects puts it, "Only the mountain knows."

JOSEF BRAUN

JOSEF@VUEWEEKLY.COM

REVUE // DRAMEDY

The Royal Tenenbaums L

ooking back now at Wes An- in cloistered, semi-absurdly selfderson's third film, The Royal serious, always-faintly-British ecTenenbaums seems like the boho- centrics. The writer-director's work, brownstone bedrock of his work. Of ever aware of itself as a carefully course, Anderson's constructed, multi-storied films always seem Wed, Dec 18 film, can occato be looking back, Directed by Wes Anderson sionally come at a past or past- Originally released: 2001 off as too like present, here Metro Cinema at the Garneau with dictaphones, tattered '80s dustjackets, two-dial TV sets, beaten-up Gypsy Co cabs, a packed closet of board games, push-button intercoms, pup tents, and secretaries, advisors, elevator-operators and manservants. And they're looking back at mirrors (how the cast is introduced here) or staring at painting frames or voiceover-narrating storybook pages to us, as every shot seems to take us into another little dollhouse room—even the cemetery sequence here is divvied up into discrete plots.

Anderson's fastidious framing and set design pairs up with his interest

hermetically sealed, too navel-gazing (that's why, for me, The Life Aquatic sank without a trace).

And that may be why Gene Hackman's patriarch Royal—a stuck-inthe-'70s, edging-on-racist, insensitive, gruff wiseguy, who says "Let's shag ass" or "I'm lovin' every minute with this damn crew"—so nicely spikes the punch here. Of course, he's still an Anderson character— what other type would declare, "You're taking my encyclopædias.* This is humiliating." (*Undoubtedly Anderson's preferred spelling.) But he's also a conniving, cantanker-

ous, bit-of-a-bastard thrill amid a slumping throng of post-precocious kidults and stunted middle-agers, lugging around their emotional hang-ups, baggage and dysfunctions.

The near-fantastic, offbeat, playroom sensibility of Anderson's work is much of his appeal—we feel like we move in with this family for a while and the rest of the world melts away. Here the cozy-roominess slots in well with the various cornered resentments, stacked secrets and crammed cubbyholes of bad memories. Usual moments of dry wackiness are laced with poignancy; "Hey Jude" or "Ruby Tuesday" or "Me and Julio Down By The Schoolyard" score scenes. Still, 12 years on, The Royal Tenenbaums holds up ... and holds up a mirror—it's a strangely comforting, only-slightly-distorted reflection of the quirky little messes that so many of our own families are.

BRIAN GIBSON

BRIAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

FILM 15

FILM PREVUE // TOPIC

Ghost In the Shell G

An anime classic, something like host in the Shell isn't about haunting impermanence but Blade Runner for the exploding IT hollowness and fluidity. In the har- industry of the '90s, director Mabour off a Hong moru Oshii and Kong-like crush of Tue, Dec 17 (7 pm) screenwriter Kabuildings, where Directed by Mamoru Oshii zunori Itō's adrivers and streams Originally released: 1995 aptation of Mabob with trash Metro Cinema at the Garneau samune Shirow's and run through manga is a mergforests of aparter of the lullingly ment towers and skyscrapers, a cy- reflective and the action-propelled. borg takes a break from her job as an The plot's fairly dense and slicked assault-team leader to float up from over, at times, with the jargon of the deep. As rain falls around the me- this 2029 networked-world, from tropolis and the "Old Town" is flood- "thermoptic camo" (thermal-optic ed, a man dives into a data-network camouflage) to "ghost-hacks" (peoto help that cyborg's Public Security ple's memories being erased or imsquad chase the Puppet Master, "a planted as they unconsciously do life-form that was born in the sea the hacker's bidding). And though of information." And in one floating we first see that assault-team interlude, the vast city itself washes leader, Motoko Kusanagi, in a past in glassy, pale luminescence, as mid-air raid on criminals, she also if the urban world is an eerily hol- ruminates on her consciousness and the "limits of me." low shell—what is its soul?

16 FILM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

Surveillance-camera and cyborg-eye shots make us feel like we're in an electronic casing, looking out. And both gender and the physical body's fluid and a temporary shell—Motoko's naked body is a constructed outer-form housing data, while the climax offers the male-voiced Puppet Master talking from Motoko's body after he's left another female body. He talks of transcendence through data-exchange, says "we are all connected"—utopian ideals still held by some in IT today— and his merger with Motoko is one of the most disembodied couplings on film. The rebirth that comes opens up the horizon for more Ghost in the Shell replicants (Oshii wrote and directed a quasi-sequel in 2004), but it's hard to see the ending, after the film's drifted us through a hollow 'Net world, as entirely hopeful or happy.

BRIAN GIBSON

BRIAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

ASPECT RATIO

JOSEF BRAUN // JOSEF@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Film and folk

Examining the history of American music Joel and Ethan Coen's forthcoming feature Inside Llewyn Davis is set within the folk-music renaissance that bloomed in gloomy Greenwich Village nightspots in the early '60s. "It was never new and it never gets old: it's a folk song," explains the film's titular troubadour (Oscar Isaac), a singer/guitarist solo act, based loosely on Dave Van Ronk, who embodies the crepuscular, worldweary, lonesome wanderer persona of American folk, the polar opposite of the winsome, cheerful, harmony-driven ditties popularized by the likes of Peter, Paul & Mary. Accordingly, it is the moodier material from the folk canon, songs of farewell, regret and oblivion, that dominates Llewyn Davis and, by extension, Another Day, Another Time, a new film documenting a concert performed last September at New York's Town Hall of music inspired by Llewyn Davis. It's now available on Netflix.

The music in Llewyn Davis and Another Day was overseen by roots music impresario T Bone Burnett, who had previously performed similar duties for the Coens' Depression era period comedy O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), which helped to spearhead a commercial resurgence of interest in American folk—the soundtrack album has sold more than seven-million copies. The

FILM

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music in Llewyn Davis is, if anything, more fully integrated into the narrative than was that of O Brother, and thus it follows that the songs performed on Another Day feel unusually unified in theme and tone, despite the varied styles of the assembled performers, among them Isaac, Jack White, Joan Baez, Gillian Welch, Patti Smith and Marcus Mumford, who helped Burnett with the production. In keeping with the intimate nature of the music and the reverby allure of the all-acoustic arrangements, there are no pick-ups or pedals in sight in Another Day. Everything is performed before a minimal number of microphones, forcing the musicians to listen carefully and huddle close as though sharing the warmth of a small campfire.

Smith's understated rendition of "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You" and the stirring "Midnight Special" performed

by Welch, David Rawlings and Willie Watson—none of them strangers to spooky Americana—are obvious highlights. But other standouts came from performers I was unfamiliar with, some of whom were less concerned with adhering to strictly traditional interpretations. Boston quartet Lake Street Dive, fronted by singer Rachael Price, inject a pleasing dose of soul into the CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS 2 (G) Closed Captioned FRI-SUN, TUE 1:45; 3D : DAILY 4:20, 7:00, 9:25

DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) DAILY 6:45, 9:15; SAT-SUN 1:45; ENDS TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17TH HOMEFRONT(14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) DAILY 7:15, 9:25; SAT-SUN, THU 2:15PM CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12 5074-130 Ave 780.472.9779

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DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) Closed Captioned FRI, TUE 2:30, 5:10, 7:45, 10:15; SAT 1:05, 5:15, 7:45, 10:15; SUN 11:45, 5:10, 7:45, 10:15; MON 1:20, 4:10, 10:15

WE'RE THE MILLERS (14a) (Sexual Content,Crude Coarse Language) Closed Captioned FRI-SUN, TUE 1:35, 4:30, 7:20, 9:55; MON, WED-THU 4:30, 7:20, 9:55

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BHAJI IN PROBLEM (PG) Punjabi W/E.S.T. FRI-SUN, TUE 1:10, 4:00, 6:45, 9:30; MON, WED-THU 4:00, 6:45, 9:30

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RAM-LEELA (STC) Hindi W/E.S.T. FRI-SUN, TUE 1:40, 5:10, 8:50; MON, WED-THU 5:10, 8:50 LOVE YOOU SONIYE (STC) Punjabi W/E.S.T. FRI-SUN, TUE 12:55, 3:55, 6:50, 9:45; MON, WED-THU 3:55, 6:50,

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SAVING MR. BANKS (PG mature subject matter) Closed Captioned, No Passes THU 7:00, 10:00

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R... RAJKUMAR (14A brutal violence) Hindi W/E.S.T. FRI-SUN, TUE 1:20, 4:35, 7:50; MON, WED-THU 4:35, 7:50

In the realm of fiction films whose narratives draw mightily upon the history of American music, few titles have proven as resonant or complex as Robert Altman's Nashville (1975), whose teeming ensemble of 24 central characters are each in some way connected to the cultural tapestry of the titular Tennessee capital, especially its music.

The film's many musical numbers, all of them performed live, all of them written by the cast—which includes Lily Tomlin, Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, Jeff Goldblum, Geraldine Chaplin and the late, great Karen Black—cover a broad spectrum of Americana, from Haven Hamilton's patriotic anthems of endurance, like the fussily arranged "200 Years" or the Opry-sized chick-a-boom 12:30, 1:30, 4:00, 5:00, 7:30, 8:30; 3D : No Passes FRI-TUE 1:30, 5:00, 8:30

CARRIE (14a) (Gory Violence,Disturbing Content) Closed Captioned DAILY 4:25, 10:00

FROZEN (G) DAILY 7:00; 9:10; SAT-SUN, THU 2:00

hootenanny, while Carolina Chocolate Drop Rhiannon Giddens uses her seriously impressive vocal chops to imbue her number with an operatic precision that some would consider anathema to the sort of warble normally associated with folk's supposed backwoods authenticity. I'm grateful that Burnett and Mumford left space for such blasphemous interpretations. This is, of course, exactly how folk songs become and remain folk songs, by which I mean timeless tunes, not by staying hermetically sealed in the cadences and colours of their time of origin, but by allowing themselves to be bent, shaken, dismantled and renewed by each new generation of musicians who take them on.

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: FALSTAFF (Classification not available) SAT 10:55 HOLIDAY INN (STC) WED 7:00 HOMEFRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) FRI 12:40, 3:10, 8:15, 10:50; SAT 12:40, 5:45, 8:15, 10:50; SUN 12:40, 5:40, 8:10, 10:45; MON-TUE 3:00, 5:40, 8:10, 10:45; WED 3:40, 10:45; THU 2:10, 4:40; Star & Strollers Screening: WED 1:00

CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH 14231-137 Ave 780.732.2236

FROZEN (G) Closed Captioned FRI 1:10, 3:50, 5:35, 6:40; Sat 10:40, 12:05, 1:10, 2:30, 3:05, 3:50, 6:40; Sun 12:05, 1:10, 3:05, 3:50, 6:40; MON-THU 1:10, 3:50, 6:40 3D : FRI, MON-THU 12:05, 2:40, 5:20, 8:00, 10:35; SATSUN 11:30, 2:45, 5:25, 8:00, 10:35

JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA (14A coarse language, crude content, not recommended for children) Closed Captioned DAILY 10:00

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Closed Captioned SAT-SUN 1:05; Closed Captioned FRI, MON-WED 1:50; SAT-SUN 2:10; THU 1:20; 3D : FRI, MON-WED 4:40, 7:40, 10:30; SAT-SUN 4:50, 7:40, 10:30; THU 4:20 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Captioned FRI 11:50, 12:50, 3:05, 4:10, 6:20, 7:20, 9:30, 10:45; SAT 11:20, 1:00, 3:10, 4:10, 6:20, 7:20, 9:30, 10:45; SUN-TUE, THU 11:50, 12:50, 3:10, 4:10, 6:20, 7:20, 9:30, 10:40; WED 11:50, 12:50, 3:10, 4:10, 6:15, 7:20, 9:30, 10:40

in its use of multi-track sound recording and mixing to capture and pluck out snippets of dialogue from multiple characters within a single roaming shot.

Altman's was not merely an enormous technical accomplishment but also an unprecedented way of altering the very nature of cinematic storytelling.

The film is now available in an excellent dual format collector's set from Criterion.

Chief among Criterion's extras is a new 70-minute making-of documentary featuring Tomlin, Carradine, Ronee Blakley, Michel Murphy, screenwriter Joan Tewkesbury and assistant director Alan Rudolph. Tewkesbury's testimony regarding the development of the script is a fascinating chronicle of research and imagination—and it ends with Altman ultimately telling everyone to then toss out of the script, as was his wont.

Which is not to say that Tewkesbury's work was done in vain. Altman simply had a gambler's sensibility and an exceptional instinct for facilitating happy accidents and drawing quality material from his collaborators. Besides writing their own songs, the cast also wrote some of their own dialogue and came up with some of their own actions based on whatever was happening on the day.

Hearing about Nashville's genesis makes you miss Altman, who died in 2006, that much more. It also makes you wish more directors understood the power of running a film set like its one massive, quietly controlled party. V

12:35, 2:55, 9:55; THU 12:15, 2:40, 9:55

PHILOMENA (PG language may offend) FRI, SUN, TUE 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:25, 9:50; SAT 4:00, 6:30, 9:00; Mon 12:00, 2:30, 10:20

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Captioned FRI-SAT, TUE-WED 12:25, 12:50, 3:45, 4:10, 7:00, 7:30, 10:15, 10:45; SUN 12:25, 12:55, 3:45, 4:10, 7:00, 7:30, 10:15, 10:45; MON 12:25, 12:50, 3:45, 4:10, 7:05, 7:30, 10:15, 10:45; THU 12:25, 3:45, 4:10, 7:05, 7:20, 10:15, 10:35; Star & Strollers Screening: THU 1:00 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Closed Captioned, No Passes FRI-SUN 1:00, 4:30, 8:15; MON 12:55, 4:20, 5:00, 8:05, 8:35; TUE-THU 12:55, 4:20, 8:05; 3D : HIGH FRAME RATE ULTRAAVX : FRI-SUN 12:00, 3:30, 7:10, 10:50; MON-THU 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:40; 3D: FRI 1:30, 2:15, 3:00, 5:10, 5:50, 6:40, 8:45, 9:30, 10:20; SAT-SUN 11:30, 1:30, 2:15, 3:00, 5:10, 5:50, 6:40, 8:45, 9:30, 10:20; MON 1:30, 2:15, 3:00, 5:40, 6:30, 9:20, 10:10; TUE-THU 1:30, 2:15, 3:00, 5:00, 5:40, 6:30, 8:35, 9:20, 10:10 DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) FRI-SAT, MON-TUE 12:10, 2:45, 5:25, 8:00, 10:35; SUN 12:10, 2:45, 5:20, 8:00, 10:35; WED 1:45, 4:15, 9:30; THU 4:00; Star & Strollers Screening: THU 1:00 THE BOOK THIEF (PG) Closed Captioned FRI-SAT, MONTUE 12:35, 3:40, 7:05, 10:05; SUN 3:40, 7:05, 10:05 SAVING MR. BANKS (PG mature subject matter) Closed Captioned, No Passes THU 7:15, 10:05 ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (STC) No Passes WED 1:00, 1:30, 4:00, 4:30, 7:05, 7:30, 10:00, 10:30; THU 1:05, 1:30, 4:00, 4:30, 7:05, 7:30, 10:00, 10:30 WWE TLC: TABLES, LADDERS AND CHAIRS (Classification not available) SUN 6:00

NEBRASKA (14A) FRI 1:05, 3:45, 6:55, 9:45; SAT 12:50, 3:45, 6:55, 9:45; SUN-TUE, THU 1:00, 3:45, 6:55, 9:45; WED 3:45, 6:55, 9:45; Star & Strollers Screening WED 1:00

OUT OF THE FURNACE (14A coarse language, brutal violence) FRI, SUN, THU 2:00, 4:50, 7:45, 10:40; SAT 11:10, 2:00, 4:50, 7:45, 10:40; MON-WED 2:00, 4:50, 7:55, 10:40

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) SAT 11:00 CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: FALSTAFF (Classification not available) SAT 10:55

1525-99 St 780.436.8585

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Closed Captioned, No passes FRI, MONTHU 11:30, 3:00, 6:30, 9:20; SAT 10:30, 11:30, 3:00, 6:30, 9:20; SUN 11:30, 1:00, 3:00, 6:30, 9:20; 3D : HIGH FRAME RATE ULTRAAVX : FRI-SAT 12:00, 3:30, 7:10, 10:40; SUN-TUE 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:30; WED-THU 11:45, 3:15, 6:45, 10:15; 3D : Closed Captioned FRI-SAT 12:30, 4:00, 7:30, 11:00; SUN-TUE 12:30, 4:00, 7:30; WED-THU

of "Keep A-Goin," to the ecstatic hymns of the all-black gospel choir led by the white Linnea Reese, to the fragile and willowy Barbara Jean's tender, vocally dexterous, autobiographical "My Idaho Home," to sexily self-loathing, womanizing singer-songwriter Tom Frank's dryly confessional "I'm Easy," which constitutes the film's brilliantly conceived, emotionally brutal centre-point.

Nashville is as durable as it is in part because it refuses to pander either to those seeking facile, cynical satire or those wanting a reverent, humourless homage to country and western—the genre most closely associated with Nashville, particularly in its rhinestoneNudie-suit-big-hair incarnation. By the same token, the film's political elements are hardly simplistic either, from the homespun electioneering of Replacement Party candidate Hal Phillip Walker, a precursor to Jimmy Carter, to scenes of at times uneasy racial integration or loosening gender roles, to the enigmatic assassination attempt that draws the film to its eerie close without ever offering an explanation as to the assassin's motivation or even confirming whether or not his target was killed.

Generous but never ingratiating, funny but never cheap, this is a sprawling, wildly ambitious film that to my eyes and ears only gets better with age. It's taken me this long to realize just how revolutionary Nashville truly was, not only in its insistence on maintaining a boggling panorama of protagonists, but

FROZEN (G) Closed Captioned FRI, MON-THU 1:35, 4:15, 6:50; SAT 11:00, 11:30, 1:35, 4:15, 6:50; SUN 11:30, 1:00, 4:15, 6:50; 3D : DAILY 11:55, 2:35, 5:15, 7:50, 10:25 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Closed Captioned WED-THU 2:00, 4:45, 7:35, 10:30; 3D: Closed Captioned FRI, SUN, TUE 2:00, 4:45, 7:35, 10:30; Sat 2:05, 4:50, 7:35, 10:30; MON 2:00, 4:45, 7:45, 10:30 GRAVITY 3D (PG coarse language) Closed Captioned FRI-SAT, MON-WED 1:05, 3:25, 5:45, 8:05, 10:20; Sun

HOMEFRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) FRI-SAT 12:40, 3:10, 5:40, 8:20, 10:50; SUN 12:45, 3:10, 5:40, 8:20, 10:50; MON-WED 1:55, 4:35, 7:20, 10:15; THU 1:55, 4:35 JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA (14A coarse language, crude content, not recommended for children) Closed Captioned DAILY 9:45 HOLIDAY INN (STC) WED 7:00

ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) SAT 11:00 PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA THE MOVIE: REBELLION (PG violence, frightening scenes) SUN 12:55 CINEPLEX ODEON WINDERMERE CINEMAS Cineplex Odeon Windermere, Vip Cinemas, 6151 Currents Dr, 780.822.4250

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Ultraavx, No passes FRI 3:30, 7:00, 10:30; SAT 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:30; SUN 3:00, 6:30, 10:00; MON-TUE 6:30, 10:00; DATE OF ISSUE ONLY: THU, DEC 12

FROZEN (G) THU, DEC 12: 9:30 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence,frightening scenes, not rec for young children) CLOSED CAPTIONED THU, DEC 12: 7:00, 9:55 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Captioned THU, DEC 12: 7:40; VIP 18+: THU 6:30, 8:30; ULTRAAVX: THU, DEC 12: 6:30 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) VIP 18+: No Passes THU, DEC 12: 10:00; ULTRAAVX: THU, DEC 12: 10:00 DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) Closed Captioned THU, DEC 12: 7:30, 10:10 THE BOOK THIEF (PG) Closed Captioned THU, DEC 12: 6:40, 9:40; THU, DEC 12: 7:30 DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (18A) THU, DEC 12: 6:50, 9:45 PHILOMENA (PG language may offend) Closed Captioned THU, DEC 12: 7:20, 9:50 LANDMARK CINEMAS 9 CITY CENTRE 10200-102 Ave, 780.421.7018

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Captioned, Digital, DTS Stereo, No passes, On 2 Screens FRI-SUN, TUE 12:00, 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 7:30, 10:00; MON, WED 3:30, 6:30, 7:30, 10:00; THU 3:30, 7:30 DALLAS BUYERS CLUB (18A) DTS Stereo FRI-SUN, TUE 12:40, 3:40, 7:15, 10:15; MON, THU 3:40; Wed 3:40, 7:15, 10:15

AMERICAN HUSTLE (14A coarse language) THU 7:10, 10:25

FROZEN (G) Digital, No passes, DTS Digital DAILY 3:20, 9:30; 3D : DTS Digital Fri-Sun, Tue 12:25, 6:45; MON, WED-THU 6:45

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (PG violence, mature subject matter) MON 7:00

OUT OF THE FURNACE (14A coarse language, brutal violence) Digital, DTS Stereo FRI-SUN, TUE 12:20, 3:10,

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

FILM 17

6:50, 9:50; MON, WED-THU 3:10, 6:50, 9:50

8:45; MON-THU 6:30, 8:45

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, DTS Digital FRI-SUN, TUE 12:45, 3:50, 7:20, 10:10; MON, THU 3:50, 7:20, 10:10

ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (STC) No passes, Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital WED-THU 7:10, 9:50

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) DTS Stereo FRI-SUN, TUE 12:40, 7:00; MON, WED-THU 7:00; 3D : FRI-SAT 12:15, 1:15, 4:00, 6:15, 8:00, 9:45; SUN, TUE 12:15, 3:00, 4:00, 8:00, 9:30; MON, WED-THU 3:00, 4:00, 8:00, 9:30 ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (STC) Dolby Stereo Digital WED 3:15, 7:10, 10:10 AMERICAN HUSTLE (14A coarse language) DTS Digital THU 6:40, 9:40

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital SAT-SUN 12:15 GALAXY–SHERWOOD PARK 2020 Sherwood Dr Sherwood Park 780.416.0150

FROZEN (G) Closed Captioned FRI 4:35, 7:20; SAT-SUN 11:15, 1:55, 4:35, 7:20; MON-THU 6:50; 3D : FRI 5:05, 7:50, 10:30; SAT-SUN 11:45, 2:25, 5:05, 7:50, 10:30; MON-THU 7:20, 10:00

4211-139 Ave, 780.472.7600

THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Closed Captioned SAT-SUN 1:05; 3D: Closed Captioned FRI-SUN 3:55, 6:50, 9:45; MON-THU 7:00, 9:55

JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA (14A coarse language, crude content, not recommended for children) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 7:10, 9:40; SAT-SUN 12:25, 2:55, 7:10, 9:40

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Captioned FRI 3:50, 6:40, 7:10, 10:00, 10:25; SAT-SUN 12:05, 12:30, 3:20, 3:50, 6:40, 7:10, 10:00, 10:25; Mon-Tue 6:30, 7:10, 9:50; Wed-Thu 6:30, 9:50

THOR: THE DARK WORLD 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Closed Captioned, Digital 3d, Digital Presentation FRI, MON-TUE 6:40, 9:30; SAT-SUN 3:00, 6:40, 9:30

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Closed Captioned, No Passes FRI 5:20, 6:30, 9:00, 10:10; SAT-SUN 11:20, 1:45, 2:50, 5:20, 6:30, 9:00, 10:10; MON-THU 7:15, 9:00; 3D : FRI 4:40, 8:20; SAT-SUN 1:00, 4:40, 8:20; MON-THU 8:00 3D : FRI 3:30, 7:00, 10:30; SAT-SUN 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:30; MON-THU 6:45, 10:15

LANDMARK CINEMAS 10 CLAREVIEW

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 7:30, 9:45; SAT-SUN 12:30, 4:00, 7:30, 9:45 DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 6:50, 9:35; SAT-SUN 12:40, 3:20, 6:50, 9:35 FROZEN (G) No passes, Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 7:15; SAT-SUN 12:10, 2:50, 7:15; 3D : Digital 3d, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 6:45, 9:15; SAT-SUN 12:55, 3:45, 6:45, 9:15 HOMEFRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 7:05, 9:55; SAT-SUN 12:25, 2:55, 7:05, 9:55 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes, Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI, MON-THU 7:00; SAT-SUN 12:00, 3:30, 7:00; 3D: No passes, Closed Captioned, Digital 3d, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI 6:30, 8:45, 10:00; SAT 12:45, 1:15, 5:00, 6:30, 8:45, 10:00; SUN 12:45, 1:15, 5:00, 6:30,

18 DISH

DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) Closed Captioned FRI 4:50, 7:30, 10:15; SAT 2:10, 4:50, 7:30, 10:15; SUN 11:30, 2:10, 4:50, 7:30, 10:15; MON-THU 7:30, 10:05 ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (STC) No passes WED-THU 7:20, 10:15 HOMEFRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) FRI-SUN 10:05; MON-THU 9:30 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) SAT 11:00 GRANDIN THEATRE–ST ALBERT Grandin Mall Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert, 780.458.9822

FROZEN (G) No passes DAILY 1:00, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:25 FREE BIRDS (G) FRI-TUE 1:05, 3:00, 4:50 CAPTAIN PHILLIPS (PG violence) FRI-TUE 6:45, 9:15 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG violence, not rec for young children) DAILY 12:45, 3:25, 6:15, 9:00

THOR: THE DARK WORLD 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) DAILY 12:40, 2:50, 5:00, 7:15, 9:35

PRINCESS

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes DAILY 1:15, 4:25, 7:55

PHILOMENA (PG language may offend) FRI 7:00, 9:00; SAT-SUN 2:30, 7:00, 9:00; MON-THU 7:00, 9:00

10337-82 Ave, 780.433.0728

12 YEARS A SLAVE (14A brutal violence, disturbing content) FRI 7:30; SAT-SUN 2:00, 7:30; MON-THU 7:30

ANCHORMAN 2 (STC) No passes DAILY 1:45, 4:15, 7:00, 9:20

MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM (PG violence, mature subject matter) Thu, Dec 26

METRO CINEMA AT THE GARNEAU Metro at the Garneau: 8712-109 St 780.425.9212

SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM

THE SUMMIT (STC) FRI 7:00, SUN 2:00, 9:00; MON @ 7:00; TUE 9:15; THU 9:30 GODZILLA VS. DESTROYAH (STC) FRI 9:00; SUN 4:00 CHILD’S PLAY (STC) DEDfest FRI 11:30 A CHRISTMAS STORY (PG) Reel Family Cinema SAT 2:00; free admission for children 12 & under IL FUTURO (STC) Subtitled SAT 9:00; SUN 7:00; MON 9:00; WED 7:00 GHOST IN THE SHELL (14A graphic content) Subtitled TUE 7:00 THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS–CULT CINEMA (14A) WED 9:00 SPECIAL ED (STC) THU 7:00 LANDMARK 7–SPRUCE GROVE 130 Century Crossing, Spruce Grove 780.962.2332

THOR: THE DARK WORLD 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) Digital FRI 6:00, 9:00; SAT-SUN 12:00, 2:40, 6:00, 9:00; MON, WED-THU 5:30, 8:10; TUE 2:45, 5:30, 8:10 HOMEFRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) Digital FRI 6:10, 9:10; SAT-SUN 12:45, 3:50, 6:10, 9:10; MON, WED-THU 5:40, 8:00; TUE 1:50, 5:40, 8:00 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Digital SAT-SUN 12:30; WED-THU 7:00; 3D: REALD 3D FRI 6:15, 7:30, 9:40; SAT-SUN 11:30, 2:50, 4:00, 6:15, 7:30, 9:40; MON 5:00, 7:00, 8:15; TUE 1:40, 2:30, 5:00, 7:00, 8:15; WED-THU 5:00, 8:15 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Digital FRI 6:30, 7:00, 9:50; SAT-SUN 11:45, 12:15, 3:10, 3:40, 6:30, 7:00, 9:50; MON 5:10, 6:30, 8:20; TUE 2:00, 3:00, 5:10, 6:30, 8:20; WED-THU 5:10, 8:20 FROZEN (G) Digital FRI 9:30; SAT-SUN 3:30, 9:30; MON, WED-THU 7:40; TUE 2:15, 7:40; 3D : REALD 3D FRI 6:45; Sat-Sun 1:00, 6:45; MON-THU 5:20 ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (STC) Digital WED-THU 5:05, 7:50

WEM 8882-170 St 780.444.2400

FROZEN (G) Closed Caption & Descriptive Video FRI-SUN 1:15, 4:00, 7:00; MON, THU 1:15, 4:00, 6:50; TUE 12:00, 1:15, 4:00, 6:50; WED 4:00, 6:50; Star & Strollers Screening: WED 1:00; 3D : CC/DVS: DAILY 11:40, 2:20, 5:00, 7:40, 10:15 THOR: THE DARK WORLD (PG violence, frightening scenes, not rec for young children) FRI-SUN 11:30, 2:15; MON-THU 1:30; 3D: FRI-SUN 5:05, 7:55, 10:45; MON-THU 4:30, 7:20, 10:20 GRAVITY 3D (PG coarse language) CC/DVS FRI-SAT 12:20, 2:40, 5:10, 7:35, 10:00; SUN 2:40, 5:10, 7:35, 10:00; MON-TUE 12:20, 2:40, 5:10, 7:35, 9:55 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG not rec for young children, violence) Closed Caption & Descriptive Video FRI-SUN 11:50, 12:45, 3:20, 4:10, 6:45, 7:30, 10:10, 10:45; MON-TUE, THU 12:45, 2:00, 4:10, 5:45, 7:30, 9:15, 10:45; WED 12:45, 4:10, 5:45, 7:30, 9:15, 10:45; Star & Strollers Screening: WED 1:00 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Closed Caption & Descriptive Video, No Passes DAILY 1:00, 4:40, 8:20; 3D : HIGH FRAME RATE ULTRAAVX FRI-SUN 12:00, 3:30, 7:10, 10:50; MON-TUE 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:40; WED-THU 12:00, 3:30, 7:00, 10:45; 3D : No Passes Fri-Tue 1:45, 5:20, 9:00; CC/DVS: WED-THU 1:45, 5:20, 9:00 LAST VEGAS (PG coarse language, sexual content) Closed Captioned DAILY 9:40 DELIVERY MAN (PG coarse language, mature subject matter) Closed Caption & Descriptive Video FRI-SUN 11:45, 2:25, 4:55, 7:45, 10:30; MON 1:10, 3:50, 9:45; TUE-WED 1:10, 4:20, 7:10, 9:45; THU 1:10, 3:50 THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG–AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes FRI-SUN 11:30, 3:00, 6:40, 10:20; Mon-Thu 11:30, 3:00, 6:30, 10:10 THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: FALSTAFF (Classification not available) SAT 10:55

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

WWE TLC: TABLES, LADDERS AND CHAIRS (Classification not available) SUN 6:00 AMERICAN HUSTLE (14A coarse language) THU 7:00, 10:00 HOMEFRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) DAILY 12:35, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10, 10:40 JACKASS PRESENTS: BAD GRANDPA (14A coarse language, crude content, not recommended for children) Closed Caption & Descriptive Video FRI, MON-WED 12:30, 2:50, 5:30, 8:00, 10:25; SAT 2:50, 5:30, 8:00, 10:25; SUN 12:25, 10:25; THU 12:30, 2:50, 10:25 ANCHORMAN 2: THE LEGEND CONTINUES (STC) No passes WED-THU 2:10, 5:05, 8:00, 10:55 PUELLA MAGI MADOKA MAGICA THE MOVIE: REBELLION (PG violence, frightening scenes) SUN 12:55 NEW FORT CINEMA 9922-100 St, Fort Saskatchewan, 780.992.1707; Office: 780.992.1878

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) DAILY 7:30; SAT-SUN, TUE 1:30 FROZEN (G) DAILY 7:00, 9:15; SAT-SUN, TUE 2:00 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG violence, not rec for young children) FRI-TUE 7:15; SAT-SUN, TUE 1:45 ANCHORMAN 2 (STC) THU DEC 12: 7:15, 9:40 LEDUC CINEMAS 4702-50 St Leduc, 780.986-2728

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) 3D : DAILY 7:30; Sat-Sun 12:15, 3:35; 2D: DAILY 6:15, 9:35; Sat-Sun 1:30 HOME FRONT (14A coarse language, brutal violence, substance abuse) DAILY 7:00pm & 9:30; SAT-SUN 1:00, 3:30 FROZEN 3D (G) DAILY 6:50, 9:35; SAT-SUN 12:50, 9:35 WETASKIWIN CINEMAS Wetaskiwin 780.352.3922

THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG 3D (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) 3D : DAILY 7:30; SAT-SUN 12:15, 3:35; 2D : DAILY 6:15, 9:35; SAT-SUN 1:30 FROZEN 3D (G) DAILY 6:50, 9:35; SAT-SUN 12:50, 3:35 THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (PG violence, not rec for young children) DAILY 6:30, 9:40; SAT-SUN 12:30, 3:40

ARTS

ARTS EDITOR : PAUL BLINOV PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

PREVUE // DRAG

An accidental Christmas story Stuck in an elevator

D

arrin Hagen wrote a Christmas play; Darrin Hagen hates Christmas.

To be fair, Hagen didn't mean to.

The 30-year drag veteran wrote in the initial stage directions for With Bells On that the main character, a drag queen named Natasha, was "dressed like a Christmas tree." He didn't mean it literally, but the people he was workshopping with took it in that direction.

From there blossomed With Bells On, a comedy about a seven-foot-tall drag queen—dressed as a Christmas

tree—and a "little short straight guy," Ted, stuck in an elevator. From there, the two must overcome their differences and work together to get out of the elevator so Natasha can get to the Christmas Queen Pageant in time. Ted—the apparent epitome of straightness—is more open than his character trope may suggest, while Natasha is charged with overcoming her own hang-ups to escape the awkward situation.

But even three years of showing the play still hasn't been enough to soften

Hagen's feelings about Christmas. for whatever reason," he says. "You "I'm not much for the forced gaiety of always ended up with all these waythe season—pardon the pun," he says. ward souls stuck in the big city at the Despite his hang-ups with the sea- gay bar who were creating their own son, Hagen says family and their own time to spend Christmas breeds Until Sun, Dec 22 (8 pm; 2 pm a unique sense of Sunday matinee) with loved ones." community among Roxy Theatre, $20 unlikely groups.

And that's what "When I was 18 and 19 working in With Bells On is the gay bar in town, I ran into a lot all about, says Hagen: creating a comof people whose families didn't wel- mon ground among seemingly opposite come them home for Christmas, or strangers—not just between the two people who chose not to go home characters on stage, but across cultural

and age barriers in the audience as well.

One of Hagen's favourite thrills is discovering that "old people like drag, too."

Over-arching themes of togetherness, a main character wearing a Christmas-tree getup and a play time weeks before Christmas: is With Bells On a Christmas play? Hagen isn't convinced.

"It's not quite like a Christmas play, but yet it is ... there's Christmas music playing on the elevator," he laughs.

KATE BLACK

KATE@VUEWEEKLY.COM

PREVUE // DANCE

Cage'd A

ndrew de Lotbiniére Harwood is together in performance, which was a big fan of John Cage. The con- so exciting, and it's pretty risky. temporary dance artist speaks of his People didn't understand at first; wonder and respect for the seminal they would think what is this? But composer with a sparkling zeal—it's with time and persistence and their enough to make one excited about a commitment to it, it became clear dance piece that inevitably brings to what they were after. I think it has mind the famed composition 4'33" an influence that we're still seeing (that's four minutes and 33 seconds to this day."

While Harwood is not using 4'33" of silence), which permeates references to Cage's influence and rep- in Cage'd, which he'll perform this weekend with Lin ertoire.

Cage'd, Snelling and Gersays Harwood, is December 13 and 14 (8 pm) ry Morita of Mile a piece that in- Centre for the Arts, Zero Dance, he vokes not only $15 Mile Zero Dance members, admits that there the composer's $20 non-members. will be elements values of indeterminacy and freedom of interpreta- of the famed (and inflammatory) tion in music, but also the voice of composition that will be included in the show. As for how silence in muCage himself.

Working at the epicentre of the sic translates to dance, Harwood's modernist movement in the United answer is simple.

"Stillness. That's what CunningStates in the '50s and '60s, John Cage influenced not only the way ham was all about. Stillness was an artists would think about music, but integral part of the work, it wasn't also the way dancers think about viewed as a break in between or dance. In his 50-year partnership pause, but it had its own raison with choreographer Merce Cunning- d'etre," Harwood explains. "Cunham, the pair created performances ningham found that it was very imthat challenged conventional ideas portant to stop at a certain point as opposed to keeping thing going of dance-making at the time.

"When Cunningham did his work, all the time, because nature's not John Cage did his work separately— like that. Nature rests, nature stops they brought it together in perfor- sometimes and it picks up again. mance," Harwood says. "They didn't Cage introduced that, and I think rehearse with the music. It all came Cunningham became fascinated

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

with that premise as well, stillness in movement but a vibrant stillness.

'How can you be still and still be dancing?' is how he would put it. I love that idea."

In terms of this weekend's performance, Harwood notes the goal is not to present a complete work, but rather a work that is created as a shared experience with the audience. Through improvisation, the dancers will create the piece along with a pianist and intermittent sound clips of Cage being interviewed about his work.

"The raw material, the raw diamond is what we're after, not the polished, gleaming diamond that's perfect. This diamond's got some dirt on it, but it has its own beauty," he says. "I think to see the wisdom of people, to see the minds and the bodies at work, it's very kind of real time event. So people should not come expecting to see a complete choreographed finished work; it helps if they come with an open mind and watch people make decisions on stage, and be very tuned to each other, but also know that we're in a performing mode. You're watching people who are conscious that they are making art live."

FAWNDA MITHRUSH

FAWNDA@VUEWEEKLY.COM

ARTS 19

ARTS

PREVUE // FESTIVAL

PREVUE // THEATRE

Sartre's Shorts

ing. In fact, this unseating and deconstructing of language is an important element of the stories, addressed directly (and hilariously) in Jon Lachlan Stewart's short, Nausea.

Blurry existentialism

T

he holiday season is the perfect of humanity during Christmas. Sartime to contemplate your exis- tre's Shorts is a dark foray into the tence. Underneath the hectic pace short stories of French existentialist of parties and shopping and all that Jean Paul Sartre, reinterpreted by five Christmas cheer it's different Edmonreally a cold, dark Until Fri, Dec 13 (8 pm, Saturday ton playwrights.

The show and stressful time & Sunday matinees at 2 pm) of year; no one likes C103, $18 – $22 opens in French, to be reminded that Sartre's native tongue: the suicide rates spike in the holiday season, but we all know production is bilingual throughout. this happens—and it isn't an inexpli- Non-Francophone audience memcable phenomenon. bers need not worry they'll be totally Yes, there's a shadowy side to the lost, however, as each of the shorts holidays, and it's certainly fitting that utilizes deeply expressive movement out of all of Edmonton's theatre com- (choreographed by Amber Borotsik) panies, Surreal SoReal is the one who that provides a different, but no less decided to explore the darker depths meaningful, avenue for understand-

Sartre's writings explored life's meaning—or lack thereof—through many different entry points, and Sartre's Shorts gives us a diverse handful: a disgusted wife watches her husband slurp food in Jason Chinn's Intimacy; a young man grapples with his desire to die, which leads to a different type of desire altogether in Darrin Hagen's I am Rimbaud; three war prisoners face their final moments before a firing squad in Amber Borotsik's The Wall.

All of this culminates with the ranting of a deranged man (played excellently

by Patrick Howarth) in Nicole Moeller's Erostratus—his obsessive disgust with the minutiae of mundane life is the impetus behind a grand act of violence.

Each of these stories contains a ghastly humour—it doesn't feel appropriate to laugh, but at many points that's all you can think to do. Existentialism is wonderful at revealing the ludicrousness of life itself, and Sartre's Shorts balances this absurdity by combining clever writing, poignant movement and a cast of easily confident actors: together these stories offer a profound yet droll meditation on the human condition.

MEL PRIESTLEY

MEL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Yule Ave: A Blast T

he holiday season is here whether will be on-hand to help instruct— you're ready for it or not. For the decoration designing, visit the artsecond year, Yule Ave is getting Ed- ist's market from which a portion of montonians into the spirit by offering proceeds will be donated to the Nina a plethora of festive activities and en- Haggerty Foundation and take in entertainment from local artists such tertainment on Alberta Avenue.

Festival creator Frank Zotter wel- as Chris Wynters, Amber Bissonette comed nearly 800 people last year, and Elena Porter and hopes to increase that number to Topping it all off will be the lighting 1000 this time around.

"I want it to be about families bond- of the Yule Ave Giving Tree in front of the Alberta Aving and creating something over Fri, Dec 13 – Sun, Dec 15 enue Community the holidays ver- Alberta Avenue League building, which will be left sus going out to YuleAve.ca for schedule, free buy things and up throughout fulfil a wish list," the holiday season he says. "It's all kind of meant to keep into the first week of the new year.

"We had a sign saying, 'give what the family together and really get a sense of the charity of the season and you will, take what you will,'" Zotter the values of the season versus the explains of the tree. "Many people just donated scarves and toques consumerism of the season."

Alberta Avenue is known for its and sweaters and that kind of thing, dynamic multicultural population, and so many people took from it beand Zotter notes the events won't cause they needed to keep warm. It be overtly Christian-centric. Santa got recycled over the holidays and and Mrs Claus will be making ap- it was, to me, a real, living symbol pearances for sleigh rides around of what I want this festival to be. the neighbourhood and storytelling, It's a piece of nature, but it is also but the stories will be lesser-known something that symbolizes the chartales than Frosty the Snowman or ity when people are giving to help others stay warm."

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

Visitors to the festival can also MEAGHAN BAXTER MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM participate in snow carving—pros

CHEERS TO THE EDMONTON BARS, PUBS, LOUNGES AND CLUBS WHO’VE MET A HIGHER STANDARD. A group of hardworking Edmonton venues have just achieved Best Bar None Accreditation for 2014.

And it didn't come easy.

They are committed to making a safer night out with friends that much more enjoyable. They are Edmonton's best, bar none.

Find out who they are at bestbarnone.ab.ca

20 ARTS

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

GOAB-183-13M01E HEADING/VERSION Cheers to the...

11/8/2013 1:49 PM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

ARTS 21

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2013

PREVUE // THEATRE

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SPONSORED BY

22 ARTS

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

As he opens the pages of The Velveteen Rabbit to read to his daughter, he is more than willing to adapt the tale when his daughter finds it lacking. Therefore, this account has notably more robot-action than the original. His daughter also interjects when she has a question—a clever way to explain to these 21st-century children what scarlet fever is and why the boy in the book only has a nanny and seemingly no parents.

Craddock breaks up the retelling of the storybook with laughs for parents as well. But even as an adult, when the rabbit drops his head in despair as he shivers in the cold upon being left outside at night, it's still worrisome. We all had that teddy or rabbit or elephant or monkey we thought was real and it would have been disastrous if it were lost to the elements.

At the end of the show the children are encouraged to come greet the puppets and marionettes. Though it's a simple production, if you've forgot what "child-like wonder" looks like, watching children pet the Velveteen Rabbit and his friends will give you a refresher.

KATHLEEN BELL

KATHELLEN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

PREVUE // THEATRE

Snow Globe Festival

the sea, where he belongs.

"This year it turned out that all the shows are sort of about dreaming and about sleeping and sleepovers and what happens in nightmares and dreams," Chorley explains.

There's, um, something behind you

B

oogie monsters, musical sleepovers and adventure are all par for the course at this year's Snow Globe Festival of Children's Theatre, presented by Promise Productions and Azimuth Theatre.

This year's Snow Globe features three distinct works: How to Eat Like a Child, directed by festival producer Ellen Chorley and based on the book by Delia Ephron, which covers important topics such as how to beg for a dog, sibling torture and eating like a child; Boogie Monster Club by Benjamin

The popular Holiday Half Time Show will be returning to entertain between plays as well. What exactly the show involves depends on the evening, but Chorley notes Thou Art Theatre will be preTue, Dec 17 – Sat, Dec 21 senting kid-friendly C103 Shakespeare in the tixonthesquare.ca for lobby along with schedule and tickets musical acts and storytellers.

Snow Globe is aimed at children, but Chorley strives to prepare a program Gorodetsky and directed by Andrew that posses some cross-generational Ritchie, a tale following three children appeal, too. who have immigrated to Edmonton "Often when kids come their parand brought their boogie monsters ents have to come too, so they might along with them; and Brother Platypus as well have a good time," she laughs & Sister SuKat Go To The Sea by Spirot before adding that children are often and Khiara Quigley, directed by Murray the most honest audience. "If they like Utas and presented by Azimuth The- something, they love it and if they are atre, which portrays sibling struggles bored, they hate it. I think keeping my in the form of a baby platypus who audience in mind challenges me to tell baffles his older sister with his behav- the best stories I can because the they iour. She begins to dream and imagines are listening and soaking it in."

Chorley adds that she's always on herself as a cat, a scenario that results in an adventure to get her brother to the lookout for shows that are first

and foremost unique, but which also provide a glimpse into what's going on in children's lives.

"That's really important to me that we're telling relevant stories. I like to look for stuff that has a good tie-in to schooling and things that can be educational as well," she explains, using Boogie Monster Club as an example of a story that delves into immigration and friendship. "I think physically with Boogie Monster Club there's an idea that you have to face your fear and you can do that with your friends.

That's really important this year—with all of the shows there's a big idea of friendship."

MEAGHAN BAXTER

MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

REVUE // THEATRE

A Christmas Carol 'I

Where's the humbug? // Epic Photography

It's the play's ability to flip bes it snowing?" whispers the little girl sitting behind me as fluffy tween Scrooge's cold, bitter exiswhite flakes start to drift down tence and the merry and bright spirtowards Maclab Theatre's thrust it of Cratchit, Tiny Tim and the rest stage. Then, without waiting for a of London on Christmas Eve that response from her mom, she de- makes the Citadel's version so moving—it's both frightening and joyful, clares, "It's snowing!"

Such is the magic of A Christmas frosty and warm, desperately dark Carol at the Citadel Theatre. Artis- and full of light.

The set is wondrous, the costic Director Bob Baker, along with a superb crew and an endearing tumes delightful, the lighting and collection of performers, has cre- sound are perfection, the level ated, for the 14th year running, an of cheer is at maximum capacity, enchanting theatre experience you except, of course, James MacDonald's Scrooge, whose humbugs can believe in.

Tom Wood's adaptation of the don't ring out simply as a caricaclassic Charles Dickens tale starts in ture of a grumpy old man, but as a a barren graveyard, as a few notes man who has truly soured from a from a stark "God Rest Ye Merry disappointing past.

And though his appearance is brief, Gentleman" linger in the air. Scrooge special mention is saying goodgoes to John Kirkbye to his only patrick's spooky friend and busi- Until Mon, Dec 23 (7:30 pm) Marley who pulls ness partner, Directed by Bob Baker off "doomed to Jacob Marley, on Citadel Theatre walk the earth for Christmas Eve. $35 – $93.45 all of eternity" to It's a chilling opening that quickly gives way to terrifying effect.

So if your heart is closed to the the happy streets of London, seven meaning of Christmas, seek out A years later, on the very same night.

The set spins like a carousel, twirl- Christmas Carol at the Citadel. It is ing from quaint little storefront sure to fill you with enough spirit to quaint little storefront until we to send you on a comfy-cozy sleigh find Scrooge's dark door, where ride straight through the season.

Bob Cratchit must work late into KATHLEEN BELL KATHLEEN@VUEWEEKLY.COM the night.

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

ARTS 23

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24 ARTS CLIENT CREATED CREATIVE

TELUS

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

FFH131103BC_30_EdmontonVue.VEVU.indd

Oct 5 2013 MAC ARTIST

ACCOUNT

Emily

APPROVALS ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER:

ARTS PREVUE // BALLET

The Nutcracker some young dancers will appear in The Nutcracker for a number of years while in the junior company.

"Maybe they've done four years as a soldier—that's how I got started, too.

When I danced with Ballet Repertory Theatre I got to be a baby mouse and work up through the ranks and finally I got to Sugar Plum, and that's every kids dream come true, really."

// Charles Hope

A

t the ripe age of 21, Taryn Nowels has seen her fair share of Nutcracker productions. It's her first season with Alberta Ballet this year, and the transplant from Huntington Beach, California professes that the prairie winter, while somewhat shocking, is a refreshing change from the beach life she grew up with.

"I really enjoy having actual seasons," she says. "A white Christmas is really nice, but no flip-flops anymore for me."

Like so many ballet dancers, dur- Alberta Ballet's production gives the ing the years and travels in her ca- very youngest of dancers some of reer she's played everything in The their first stage time with a professional company.

Nutcracker from a snowflake to a Thu, Dec 12 - Sun, Dec 15 "I play a 'party flower to an angel (7:30 pm) parent' as the female guest in the and a soldier. And, Jubilee Auditorium, $29 – $95 party scene, and like the myriad albertaballet.com in it I have three companies across children. The kids the globe with their own takes on Tchaikovsky's oth- are just so excited; they're all saying er most famous ballet (let's not for- 'This is my sixth time!' or 'This is my get the one with the big white birds), first time!'" Nowels says, noting that

Move over Odette, right? The legend of Sugar Plum and her seat as one of the more coveted roles in the balletic canon has puzzled me at times; it's not a big role. She gets one scene, the big pas de deux with the Cavalier, and then the focus pretty much goes back to Clara. So what gives?

"There's definitely something enchanting about the Sugar Plum Fairy," Nowels explains. "She comes out towards the end and gets to dance with the lovely Cavalier and gets to wear a pink, sparkly tutu and dance on pointe—I think as a young kid that really is enchanting," she says.

"And she's the Queen in the Land of Sweets. There's just something about that that draws people in."

FAWNDA MITHRUSH

FAWNDA@VUEWEEKLY.COM

PREVUE // THEATRE

The Nutcracker Unhinged And other stocking stuffers from Lemoine-land

mantic Christmas In Patagonia is being remounted along with a new play, but the details are under wraps.

"It's actually so brand new I don't even know the title of it," MacDonaldSmith laughs. "It's being formed and sort of secretly held as we speak. We start that right away. It no doubt will be a hilarious and touching piece."

T

he Nutcracker is best known as the silently heroic character who saves Clara from the dastardly mouse king. He rarely says a word, but that all changes in The Nutcracker Unhinged.

The short play, back for the second year from Teatro La Quindicina, transports the Nutcracker and company to the modern day, and the familiar haunts of Old Strathcona.

"He's got quite the story to tell," Andrew MacDonald-Smith says of his character. "It's a part of the story you never really hear, how he be-

With so many shows to take in during the holidays, MacDonald-Smith views Teatro's production as a budding tradition unto itself, for the audience as well as the cast.

"We try to make Christmas traditions with anything: people do it with It's A Wonderful Life and Love Actually even," MacDonald-Smith came the Nutcracker, and I really love notes of holiday entertainment. telling that story "And they're not because it's from Until Sat, Dec 14 (7:30 pm; 2 pm even Christmas the original, from Saturday matinee) movies particuall the books. I re- Directed by Stewart Lemoine larly, but everyally like that the Varsonca Theatre, $21 – $26 one still sees it as that way with the Nutcracker gets to tradition of the speak, and speaking as him, because he's someone Christmas season and going back to who's cursed and that's just a special, something that has heart, so on our end, as the actor who plays the Nutfun thing."

Along with a contemporary twist on cracker it's really fun to come back Tchaikovsky's classic, director Stewart to it."

Lemoine has two more short plays in MEAGHAN BAXTER MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM store. The comedic, yet undeniably ro-

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

HARNESS THE EXCITEMENT RACING | DINING | CASINO

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ARTS 25

ARTS WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM FAX: 780.426.2889 DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

DANCE ALBERTA BALLET • Jubilee Auditorium • The Nutcracker,

set to Tchaikovsky’s score, choreography by Edmund Stripe; accompanied by Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. Before each show, join us for a wonderland of activities • Dec 12-14, 7pm; Dec 14-15, 1:30pm

COMMON SENSE • 10546-115 St • TAKE A WALK ON THE

WILD SIDE: Prints and Paintings by Stephen Pardy and Sandra Márcia • Until Dec 20, by appointment

CORRIDOR COMMUNITY GALLERY–Red Deer •

Recreation Centre, Lower Level, 4501-47 Ave • PRIVATE MOMENTS: Art by Arto Djerdjerian • Until Dec 13

TURES: until Dec 24 • THE TWO CONTRARY STATES OF THE HUMAN SOUL: Works by Father Douglas • Until Feb 3

Dec 21 • ProjEx Room: PHANTOM LIMB: Shyra de Souza; until Dec 21

GALLERY 7 • Bookstore on Perron, 7 Perron St, St Albert •

ROMANCE IS IN THE AIR: Paintings by Olga Duc • Until Dec 27

MARJORIE WOOD GALLERY–Red Deer • Kerry Wood Nature Centre • LAST CALL: Group show • Until Dec 31

GALLERY AT MILNER • Stanley A. Milner Library Main Fl,

MCMULLEN GALLERY • U of A Hospital, 8440-112 St,

HARCOURT HOUSE GALLERY • 3 Fl, 10215-112 St •

MULTICULTURAL CENTRE PUBLIC ART GALLERY (MCPAG)–Stony Plain • 5411-51 St, Stony Plain,

Church, 10037-84 Ave • A short one act opera by Gian Carlo Menotti presented by Edmonton’s coOPERAtive • Dec 20-21, 7pm; Sat mat: Dec 21, 3pm

MUSÉE HÉRITAGE MUSEUM–St Albert • 5 St Anne

THE BEST LITTLE NEWFOUNDLAND CHRISTMAS PAGEANT...EVER! • Varscona Theatre • Whizgiggling

Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 780.944.5383 • Sculptors' Association of Alberta selected works; until Dec 31

CROOKED POT GALLERY–Stony Plain • 4912-51 Ave, Stony Plain, 780.963.9573 • CELEBRATE THE SEASON: pottery, handmade decorations • Until Dec 24

Main Gallery: THE QUIET REBUILD: Alexis Marie Chute • Front Room: GEORGE BOTCHETT: CURTAIN CALL: A retro-

DAFFODIL GALLERY • 10412-124 St, 780.760.1278 •

spective exhibition of the work of George Botchett; until Jan 17• Main Gallery: JILL HO-YOU: reverberation IV, graphite on mylar; until Jan 17

REPRISE: Works by various gallery artists; until Dec 22

DOUGLAS UDELL GALLERY • 10332-124 St • CHRIST-

MAS SHOW 2013: until Dec 21 • ANNUAL WINTER SHOW 2013: Dec 14-24; Opening: Dec 14, 2-4pm

HARRIS-WARKE GALLERY–Red Deer • 2nd Fl,

Sunworks, 4924 Ross St, Red Deer • 403.597.9788 • 900: DRAWING WITH THE BRAIN: Works by Amber-Jane Grove • Until Dec 31

EDMONTON DESIGN SHOW • 9911-72 Ave • Showcase of local design, featuring furniture and product design by Edmonton designers and makers • Until Dec 13, 9am-4pm

780.407.7152 • IMAGES MAKE THE WORDS COME ALIVE: by Barbara Hartmann & Gwen Molnar; until Dec 22

780.963.9935 • Drawings by Erin Schwab; until Jan 14

St, St Albert, 780.459.1528 • TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT: Youth Digital Photo exhibition • Until Jan 12

NAESS GALLERY • Paint Spot, 10032-81 Ave, 780.432.0240 • MEINE BILDER SIND KLUGER ALS ICH: Painting and Installation by Nathaniel Wong • Until Dec 31 NINA HAGGERTY CENTRE FOR THE ARTS • 9225-118

Ave • CHIMERIUM: HYBRIDS FROM NINA'S STUDIOS: Works by the NHCA Collective; curated by Sherri Chaba • Until Jan 4 • Opening: Dec 12, 5-7pm

MILE ZERO DANCE • Timms Centre, U of A, 87 Ave, 112

PETER ROBERTSON GALLERY • 12304 Jasper Ave,

St • Cage’d, by Andrew De Lotbinière Harwood • Dec 13-14, 8pm • $15 (MZD member)/$20 (non-member) at door

780.455.7479 • WINTER GROUP SHOWS: New work by gallery artists • Until Feb 8

ZUMBA BASHFIERY FRIDAYS • Central Senior Lions

PROPAGANDA HAIR SALON • 10808-124 St • The Comrades: 11 new paintings by outro • Until Jan 31

Centre, 11113-113 St • Shake your body to the Latin beat, and freestyle dance to live DJ music. Featuring Tamico Russell, Ike Henry, DJ Rocko and Zumba instructors Dru D, Manuella F-St, Michelle M, Sabrina D. and Cuban Salsa instructor Leo Gonzales

PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA • 8555 Roper Rd, 780.427.1750 • VICTORY ON THE FIELD EXHIBIT: Exploring the effects of the First and Second World Wars on sports in Alberta; until Jan 31; free

FILM

Pro's Art GAllery • 17971-106A Ave • GENE PROKOP

AND FRIENDS: Artworks by Gene Prokop with works by Zhaoming Wu, Robert Johnson, Sherri McGraw and Gregg Kreutz, and Monte Carlo car artist, Alfredo de la Maria (Argentina), and artists from the Ukraine and Russia • Until Dec 20

CINEMA AT THE CENTRE • Library Theatre, Stanley A. Milner Library basement, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 780.496.7000 • Centre for Reading and the Arts showcases little-known films every month• Die Hard (14A) USA, 1988; Dec 18, 6:30pm

ROYAL ALBERTA MUSEUM • 12845-102 Ave,

780.453.9100 • CHOP SUEY ON THE PRAIRIES: Until Apr 27, 2014 • Feature Gallery: PATTERN WIZARDRY: until Mar 9 • Orientation Gallery: SPECIES AT RISK: until Mar 9 • Spotlight Gallery: SEEDS IN DISGUISE: The Biology and Lore of Ornamental Seeds; until Feb 23

STANLEY A. MILNER LIBRARY THEATRE • 7 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 780.496.7000 • Interactive Movie: A Christmas Story (1983) • Dec 14 • Free FILM FORUM • Stanley Milner Library, 6th Floor, Rm 5 • A series of film screenings followed by facilitated discussions; running through the summer for 18+ • Drop-in; no registration • Beware Of A Holy Whore (STC), Germany, 1971, not rated, in German with English subtitles; Dec 14, 1:30pm

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS Grove Art Gallery, Spruce Grove Library, 35-5 Ave, Spruce Grove, 780.962.0664 • MINI SHOW: Members show; through to Jan

Bliss Robinson, Debra Milne and guest artists • Until Dec 31, 12-5pm

780.488.6611 • Feature Gallery: POTWORKS: Showing the contemporary state of the ancient tradition of pottery; until Dec 24

TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE • 11211-142 St • HARRY

POTTER: THE EXHIBITION: Peer into the wizard’s world in an interactive exhibit featuring hundreds of authentic props and costumes from the Harry Potter films; until Mar 9, 2014; tickets start: $14

ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA (AGA) • 2 Sir Winston

Churchill Sq, 780.422.6223 • Manning Hall (main level public space): NOW YOU SEE IT: A giant word search puzzle

by Megan Morman; until Dec 31 • LADY SPIDER HOUSE: Until Jan 12, 2014 • ANGAKKUQ: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS; until Feb 16 • DAPHNIS & CHLOÉ: Chagall; until Feb 16, 2014 • BMO World of Creativity: CABINETS OF CURIOSITY: Lyndal Osborne's curious collection; until Jun 30, 2014 • OF HEAVEN AND EARTH: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums; organized by the American Federation for the Arts; Dec 14-Mar 9 • SUSPEND: Brenda Draney: Dec 14-Mar 9 • Conversation with the Artist: RBC New Works Gallery, Level 2: Brenda Draney with Kristy Trinier; Dec 13, 6pm; free with Gallery Admission • BMO All Day Sunday: Games Day: Dec 15 • BYOP: Snow and Ice: with Ritchie Velthuis; Dec 18 • Bring Your Own Party: BYOP: 3rd Wed each month, 5-9pm; Snow & Ice, Dec 18, 5-9pm; free with admission • Art for lunch: Ledcor Theatre Foyer: Renaissance Man: Titian and the Venetian School with Devon Beggs; Dec 19, 12:10-12:50pm • THE AGA PRESENTS: Ledcor Theatre: Lecture by David Hoffos; Dec 11, 7pm; $15/$10 (member)

NEW YEAR’S DAY BRUNCH Kick off the new year with a scrumptious meal

CHRISTMAS EXHIBITIONS: Artworks by Jane Ash Poitras, Linus Woods, Aaron Paquette, Diane Meili, others; until Dec 31

9538-103A Ave, 780.422.5857 • Installation by Jill Thomson, Darcia Parada and Owen Brierley; and MOVING ON: by Allen Ball and Alysha Creighton • Dec

• Open: Thu-Fri 12-6pm, Sat 12-4pm • SANAUNGUABIK: Traditions and transformations in Inuit art, featuring prints, sculpture, textile, and video art; until Dec 21

BUGERA MATHESON GALLERY • 12310 Jasper Ave, 780.482.2854 • HOLIDAY EXHIBTION: Works by Les Graff, Brian Batsch, Les Graff, Cyndie Lack, Casey McGlynn, Madeleine Wood. New Works By: Meghan Hildebrand Scott Plear, Ian Rawlinson, David Wilson • Until Dec 31

FAB GALLERY • 1-1 Fine Arts Bldg, 89 Ave, 112 St,

CAFÉ PICHILINGUE–Red Deer • Art by Emily Thomson

FORT EDMONTON PARK • 1905 and 1920 Street •

CENTRE D’ARTS VISUELS DE L’ALBERTAS (CAVA)

• 9103-95 Ave, 780.461.3427 • MINIATURES AND MORE: Exhibition of miniatures plus works by Denise Parent and Gilles Lavoie • Until Dec 24

26 DISH

BOHEMIA • 10217-97 St • Edmonton Story Slam • 3rd Wed

ea month • Wed, Dec 18, 7:30pm (7pm sign-up) • $5 Writing Group • Every Tue, 7-9pm

780.492.2081 • ENOUGH IS AS GOOD AS A FEAST: Joe Doherty (MFA Painting); FUR STORIES [YOU ARE NOT WILD ENOUGH FOR ME]: Alexandra Emberly (MFA Printmaking) • Until Dec 21, Jan 2-11; opening: Dec 12, 7-10pm Christmas Reflections • Until Dec 23 • $15.75 (kids under two get in for free)

FRONT GALLERY • 12312 Jasper Ave, 780.488.2952 •

Christensen • Until Dec 31

JEFF ALLEN ART GALLERY (JAAG) • Strathcona Place Senior Centre, 10831 University Ave, 109 St, 78 Ave, 780.433.5807 • EWG PLUGGED IN: Special Projects from Our Members by The Edmonton Weavers Guild (Founded in 1953) • Until Dec 19 KIWANIS GALLERY–Red Deer • Red Deer Public Library

• Red Deer Arts Council Visual Arts Members Juried Exhibition • Until Dec 29

LANDO GALLERY • 103, 10310-124 St, 780.990.1161 • HOLIDAY EXHIBITION: Gallery artists and secondary market works • Until Dec 24

Group show for gallery artists • Unti end Dec

LATITUDE 53 • 10242-106 St, 780.423.5353 • Main

GALLERIE PAVA • 9524-87 St, 780.461.3427 • MINIA-

photographic history and fiction by Chuck Samuels; until

Space: BEFORE PHOTOGRAPHY: Chuck Samuels mixes

A CHRISTMAS CAROL • Maclab Citadel Theatre • Adapted

by Tom Wood Directed by Bob Baker Based on the story by Charles Dickens • Until Dec 23 CHRISTMAS CAROL PROJECT • Westbury Theatre

Arts Barns, 10330-84 Ave • Arts at the Barns Presentation Series: new musical version of Dickens' classic tale features an extremely talented cast of Edmonton musicians including Bill Bourne, Kevin Cook, Maria Dunn, Tom Roschkov, Terry Morrison, Al Brant, Dale Ladouceur, Bill Hobson, and Dave Clarke • Dec 20-21; 8pm (opening set), 9pm (Carol) • $31.50 (Early bird to Nov 30)/$36.75 (adv)/$42 (door) at Fringe Theatre Adventures, 780.409.1910

THE HISTORY OF ROCK ‘N ROLL STARS & STRIPES • Mayfield Dinner Theatre, 16615-109 Ave, 780.483.4051 • A musical evening all-American music review of the origins of rock ‘n roll from its infancy highlighting Chuck Berry, Elvis, the Doo-Wop groups of the '50s, the Beach Boys, and R&B groups of the '60s • Until Feb 2 THE NUTCRACKER, UNHINGED! (And Other Stocking Stuffers from Lemoine-land) • Varscona, 10329-83 Ave • Teatro La Quindicina presents a merry company of Teatro revellers bringing you a heartwarming program of seasonal music and comedy, a fireside reading by Jeff Haslam, holiday playlets

by Stewart Lemoine with Shannon Blanchet, Rachel Bowron, Mathew Hulshof, Kendra Connor and Andrew MacDonaldSmith, Stephen Delano (keyboard) and guest vocalists • Dec 12-14, 7:30pm; Sat 2pm and 7:30pm • $26/$23 (senior/ student) at 780.433.3399, VM 1, TIX on the Square

PROOF • Walterdale, 10322-83 Ave • Catherine has just lost her mathematician father after a long bout of mental illness, when one of his students comes across a mathematical formula that could have been authored by him. On her journey to try to prove the work to be her father’s, Catherine struggles with relationships and her fear of becoming mentally ill as her father had • Until Dec 14, 8pm • $12-$18 at TIX on the Square

SNOW GLOBE FESTIVAL OF CHILDREN'S THEATRE •

CARROT COFFEEHOUSE • 9351-118 Ave • Prose Creative ENTERPRISE SQUARE GALLERIES • 10230 Jasper Ave

Rapid Fire Theatre’s longform comedy show: improv formats, intricate narratives, and one-act plays • Every Sat, 10pm, until Jul • $12 (door or buy in adv at TIX on the Square) • Until Jun, 2014

WEST END GALLERY • 12308 Jasper Ave, 780.488.4892

Faith & Life Centre Chapel • Brian Evans, launch of the Remarkable Chester Ronning: Proud Son of China • Dec 14, 2-5pm • Free

HUB ON ROSS–Red Deer • LIFE, UP CLOSE: Art by Lydia

CHIMPROV • Zeidler Hall, Citadel Theatre, 9828-101A Ave •

• Until Dec 31

AUGUSTANA CAMPUS–Camrose • The K. Glen Johnson

WWW.FORTEDMONTONPARK.CA

• Based on the universally popular poetry of T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Featuring a cast of 50, a pit orchestra, and beautiful costumes • Dec 19-30 (dinner and brunch are available on select dates) • $37 (adult)/$24 (child) at Festival Place box office

SARTRE’S SHORTS • C103, 8529 Gateway Blvd • Playwrights Jason Chinn, Darrin Hagen, Amber Borotsik, Nicole Moeller, Jon Lachlan Stewart, and Josée Thibeault, writing in both French and English, making this Surreal SoReal Theatre’s first bilingual production • Until Dec 13, 8pm; Sat-Sun 2pm • $22 (adult)/$18 (student/senior) at TIX on the Square

VASA GALLERY • 25 Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert,

LITERARY

Landscape paintings by Donna Miller • Until Jan 15

• Until Dec 31

Gallery A: #ICONICCANUCK: Artworks by Brandy Saturley • GALLERY B: INSTITUTE OF MORPHOID RESEARCH: Works by Jennifer Akkermans • Until Jan 25

• ANNUAL CHRISTMAS EXHIBITION: A group exhibition from gallery artists •Until Dec 28

BLOCK 1912 10361-82 Ave • EXPLORING THE ROCKIES: BOYLE STREET PROJECTIONS • Boyle Street Plaza,

VAAA GALLERY • 3rd Fl, 10215-112 St, 780.421.1731 •

780.460.5990 • WET PAINT: Small works • Jan 24

St Albert, 780.460.4310 • FRUITS OFF THE LOOMS: Nina Haggerty Collective • BEYOND TRADITIONS: Hand hooked tapestries by Rachelle LeBlanc • Until Feb 1 • Contemporary Fibre Hooking: Workshop with Rachelle LeBlanc; Dec 14, 9:30am-4:30pm

BEARCLAW GALLERY • 10403-124 St, 780.482.1204 •

U OF A MUSEUMS • Human Ecology Gallery: Main Fl, 116 St, 89 Ave: THE RE-BIRTH OF VENUS: Fashion & The Venus Kallipygos: Explores the influence of art on fashion through the study of Venus Kallipygos, and its pervasive influence on dress • Until Mar 2, 2014

VELVET OLIVE LOUNGE–Red Deer • Art by Harvey Brink

ART GALLERY OF ST ALBERT (AGSA) • 19 Perron St,

CATS • Festival Place, 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park

HAPPY DAYS, A NEW MUSICAL • La Cité Francophone (L'Unitheatre) • Moxy B Productions, a community theatre production, based on the 1970's television series • Until Dec 14, 7:30pm • $15; Dec 13: Mat at 12:30pm; $8

THE STUDIO • 11739-94 St • Works by Glen Ronald,

ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY • 10186-106 St,

Productions presents a Newfoundland Christmas tradition by Barbara Robinson; featuring Jeff Black, Kayla Gorman, Natalie Czar Gummer, Cheryl Jameson, Corben Kushneryk, Graham Mothersill and Lindsey Walker; music directed by Kayla Gorman • Dec 19-22, 7:30pm; Dec 21, 2pm • $22 (adult)/$20 (senior/student/child under 15) at door, 780.433.3399, TIX on the Square

SNAP GALLERY • Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists,

STRATHCONA COUNTY MUSEUM ARCHIVES • 913 Ash St, Sherwood Park • CHRISTMAS IN THE MUSEUM: until Jan 15, 2014

ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL OF SPRUCE GROVE • Spruce

AMAHL AND THE NIGHT VISITORS • Holy Trinity Anglican

ELVIS AND THE LAS VEGAS HANGOVER • Jubilations Dinner Theatre • The annual Elvis festival in sunny Las Vegas featuring hit songs by Elvis Presley, and more • Until Feb 14

STRATHCONA COUNTY ART GALLERY@501 • 501 Festival Ave, Sherwood Park • LANDMARKS ON THE STUDIO WALL: Art by Robert Dmytruk, Les Graff, and Paddy Lamb • Until Dec 20

Hall (80 Ave, 81 St), 8008-81 St • Queen of the Sun; Dec 16, 7-9pm

Ave • An Improvised Musical • Every Fri through until Dec 13, 11pm

SHORTEN ARCHITECTS–Highlands Studio • 11208-65

10123-121 St, 780.423.1492 • MEMBERS SHOW & SALE: Until Dec 21

MOVIE MONDAY • King Edward Community Hall Small

THE 11 O'CLOCK NUMBER • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83

DIE-NASTY • Varscona, 10329-83 Ave • Live improvised soap opera • Runs Every Mon, 7:30pm until May 26, 2014

St • PRETTIE SHORTEN: SOME ASSEMBLY [WAS] REQUIRED: William Prettie with architect Sherri Shorten • Until Dec 21

nial Rm, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 780.496.7000 • Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events (PG, 2004) Dec 13, 2pm • A Christmas Carol (G, 1951); Dec 20, 2pm • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (PG, 2005); Dec 27, 2pm

THEATRE

SCOTT GALLERY • 10411-124 St • PANFORTE: Group exhibition featuring a three dimensional advent calendar; until Dec 25

FROM BOOKS TO FILM • Stanley A. Milner Library Centen-

Community Recreation Centre) • Until Jan 31

EDMONTON STORY SLAM • Bohemia, 10217-97 St •

C103 (Catalyst), 8529-103 St • A five day festival of theatre for families and young audiences • Dec 17-21 • Tickets at TIX on the Square • How To Eat Like A Child: Based on the book by Delia Ephron, John Forster, Judith Kahan • Boogie Monster Club: by Ben Gorodetsky • Brother Platypus and Sister Sukat Go to the Sea: Presented Azimuth, by Spirot with Khiara Quigley

TALES FROM THE SUN • SKILLS performance space,

10408-124 St • Rising Sun Theatre present a cozy show with stories and songs inspired by childhood memories; directed by Stephanie Leaf • Dec 13, 7pm, Dec 14, 2pm • Pay-What-You-Can

THEATRESPORTS • Zeidler Hall, Citadel, 9828-101A Ave •

Improv • Every Fri, 7:30pm and 10pm • Until June • $12/$10 (member) at TIX on the Square

Competitive story telling event. Up to 10 tellers have 5 minutes to tell their story. 5 audience judges pick the winner. Winner takes home the donations from the audience. 3rd Wed each month • Wed, 7:30pm • $5 Donation to winner

VELVETEEN RABBIT • Fort edmonton Park • This modern take on the classic children’s tale • Until Dec 24 • $28 (adult)/$12 (child)/$20 (student/senior)

ROUGE LOUNGE • 10111-117 St, 780.902.5900 • Spoken

WALTERDALE'S NEW YEAR’S EVE MASQUERADE PARTY • Walterdale, 10322-83 Ave • Celebrate New Year’s

Word Tuesdays: Weekly spoken word night presented by the Breath In Poetry Collective (BIP); info: E: breathinpoetry@ gmail.com

UPPER CRUST CAFÉ • 10909-86 Ave, 780.422.8174 •

The Poets’ Haven Reading Series: presented by the Stroll of Poets Society: Workshop; Dec 16, 7pm

THE WORKS GALLERY • 10635-95 St • BUNCH OF KIDS

AND SOME FLOWERS: Photos by Eleanor Lazare, Grace Law, Giulliano Palladino, Borys Tarasenko • Opening: Dec 18 (preview for a mural to be installed at the Commonwealth

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

Eve at a a fancy, funky fundraiser dress-up party. There will be food, beverages, dancing, masque making, and photos • Dec 31, 8pm (dor) • Tickets: $45 at TIX on the Square

WITH BELLS ON • Theatre Network, 10708-124 St • “He”, a mild-mannered accountant heads out for his first night of adventure after a nasty divorce, but gets trapped in an elevator with “She”, a 7-foot Glamazon who has created the Ultimate Christmas Queen Pageant Outfit. Come see these two mismatches try to escape in Theatre Network’s newest holiday tradition • Until Dec 22

SNOW ZONE

EDITOR : MEAGHAN BAXTER MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

ADVENTURE // BACKCOUNTRY

// Jeff Bartlett

W

hen I ventured to Highwood Pass in Kananaskis Country—just 40 minutes outside of Canmore—for an early season ski tour, I didn't expect a crowd. I expected untouched snow shared only with my touring partner.

There were 35 cars in the parking lot. I'd estimate at least 100 people beat us to the trailhead.

In Banff, Skoki Ski Lodge is setting itself up for another busy winter. Located 11 kilometres into the Lake Louise backcountry, Skoki Ski Lodge has been open for business since 1930. This winter, they're already fully booked through the holidays.

"January opens up pretty good," says Dan Markham, media relations specialist for Ski Lake Louise. "But as you get into February and closer to the Family Day weekend, Skoki is practically booked solid right up until the end of the season."

In Jasper, Parks Canada is busy building a new cross-country skiing hub west of town in the Decoigne area. This winter, the area will have a warming hut and fire pit at the trailhead of more than 15 km of new skate and classic ski trails.

Backcountry skiing is booming in the Alberta Rockies.

If you're interested in diving in for

a wilderness experience this winter, here is a guide to figure out which sport might suit you.

Ski Touring and Splitboarding "Backcountry skiing is a unique experience where you can feel the ultimate freedom in mountain travel," says Matt Reynolds, who is certified with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides (ACMG). "If you enjoy backpacking and hiking, you would love backcountry skiing.

The tour up is a rewarding experience similar to hiking, but without being confined by trails. The ride down is typically the highlight with great snow and a more intimate experience with close friends rather than the hectic and busy environment found at a resort."

Unlike at the resort, where skiers load chair lifts to reach the top in mere minutes, backcountry skiers use climbing skins and alpine touring bindings. Backcountry snowboarders can choose between conventional boards and split boards, which work just like touring skis, and snowshoes for the trek up.

It is important to remember that heading into the backcountry is nothing like skiing at a resort. The experience doesn't begin with an avalanche- control team ensur-

ing the slopes are safe. While an avalanche transceiver, shovel and probe are essential tools for companion rescue (everyone venturing into avalanche terrain outside of the resort boundaries should know how to use this important equipment), an education is far more useful.

"Knowing you don't need to accept any avalanche risk at all to ride in the backcountry is important," Reynolds says. "Being able to assess how much risk you're taking if you choose to ride more aggressive terrain is equally important.

Whether it's snowmobiling, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or anything else you may be doing in the mountains in winter, an avalanche course will start you on the right path towards comfortable decision making."

Mechanized Skiing Mechanized skiing—the general term for heli- and cat-skiing—is a blend of both the resort and backcountry experience. Both genres tend to yield epic ski days often hyperbolized as the best day ever.

Groups ski with a professional guide, complete multiple runs and, CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 >>

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

SNOW ZONE 27

ADVERTORIAL

FORT McMURRAY TOURISM WINTER What’s winter in Canada without hockey? Come watch the Fort McMurray Oil Barons play a game of AJHL hockey on their home rink at The Casman Centre. The Oil Barons represented Canada in the World Junior Club Cup in Russia and the team has had several alumni who have gone on to play in the NHL, so you just might see future stars in action.

If you prefer to lace up your own skates, Fort McMurray has plenty of opportunities for you to get out and play a game of shinny. The Suncor Community Leisure Centre on MacDonald Island Park offers two year-round, NHL-sized indoor rinks; there are also 18 other community skating rinks located throughout Fort McMurray. There are also plenty of chances to enjoy hockey or skating the traditional Canadian way: outside, on one of Fort McMurray’s six outdoor boarded rinks. In the New Year, don’t forget to check out the annual “Shootout on the Snye,” a decades-long tradition with over 60 teams competing in a lively pond hockey tournament.

Tucked into the boreal forest at the confluence of two beautiful rivers, Fort McMurray is a vibrant, diverse community and a hub of winter activities for all ages and walks of life. No matter your personal preference, you’ll find many opportunities for enjoying the winter all season long.

One of the best ways to really get a feel for the spectacular landscape in and around Fort McMurray is on a snowmobile. Sledding is a very popular activity in Fort McMurray, and the Sno-Drifters Snowmobiling Association has been at the forefront of it for over 20 years.

Sno-Drifters maintains a whopping 275 kilometres of well-groomed, clearly-marked trails, and is proud to partner with various businesses and organizations to connect its members with useful resources, instructors and information on all aspects of necessary safety training and snowmobile education. While you’re out enjoying the trails, make sure to stop and warm up at

28 SNOW ZONE

one of the many fire pits along the way and trade laughs and stories with fellow riders.

Sno-Drifters encourages everyone to engage in the social side of snowmobiling: the association organizes several events throughout the winter months, which kicks off with the annual Safe Ride on January 11, 2014 where you can learn the basics of riding, safety and etiquette on a guided tour throughout the trail system. Don’t forget their most anticipated event of the year: the annual Sno-Drifters Poker Rally, held on February 7 & 8, 2014. Essentially a snowmobile poker game, riders travel the trails and pick up their hand of cards along the way, with prizes awarded to the winners of the Rally. SnoDrifters also holds other events throughout the winter, such as couples’ rides, which are booked according to the weather and snow conditions – make sure to check out their website regularly for up-to-the-minute information.

Curlers also have plenty of chances to throw a few stones on Fort McMurray’s various rinks: chief among these is the eight-sheet curling rink in the Suncor Community Leisure Centre. Curling bonspiels are held throughout the winter months; check out the Fort McMurray Oilsands Curling Club for bookings and updated information on curling throughout the region.

The Rocky Mountains aren’t the only location for great downhill skiing and snowboarding in Alberta: Vista Ridge All Seasons Park has over 60 skiable acres with eight runs for every skill level. There are also trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, a beginner area for those just learning to ski, a comprehensive terrain park for those who want to test their mettle, and a tube park – tubing is essentially just tobogganing on an inflatable tube and is something that people of all

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

ages can enjoy. Make sure to check their website for upcoming events like their annual Family Ski Day. If you prefer more of a rugged skiing experience, the Fort McMurray area is laced with hundreds of kilometres of trails for crosscountry skiers. The Ptarmigan Nordic Ski Club maintains over 20 kilometres within the 130-kilometre Birchwood Trails system, located right in the heart of Fort McMurray. Snowshoers will also enjoy exploring the beautiful boreal forest along these trails.

Don’t wait until the ice thaws to try for that trophy walleye or trout – there are hundreds of locations to go ice fishing throughout the Fort McMurray area. Build a temporary shelter or simply drill a hole and drop a line in one of the numerous streams, creeks and rivers throughout the area. Or venture down to Gregoire Lake, which is just a short half-hour drive south from Fort McMurray. (Be sure to check conditions and local regulations before you head out.)

On any clear night in the winter months, the skies above Fort McMurray come alive with spectacular displays of the aurora borealis (northern lights). For those who really want to get off the beaten path and witness one of the most stunning northern lights shows in the entire world, a winter road runs over frozen rivers and marshes north to Fort Chipewyan and beyond into the remote Wood Buffalo National Park. Along the

way you might spy such animals as wolves, lynx, moose, snowshoe hares, owls and ptarmigan. Much like Fort McMurray itself, Wood Buffalo National Park is an often-overlooked gem, so be sure to make the most of your visit and do some ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing.

Fort McMurray offers a wealth of opportunities for everyone: whether you’re a permanent resident, temporary worker or visitor, the winter months are a perfect time venture out and shape the vibrant life of this dynamic northern Albertan community.

fortmcmurraytourism.com sno-drifters.com fortmcmurrayoilbarons.ca fmoilsandscurling.com vistaridge.ab.ca

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

SNOW ZONE 29

SNOW ZONE

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BEYOND BOUNDARIES << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

780.852.4056

414 CONNAUGHT DR OR 611 PATRICIA ST • WWW.SUNDOGTOURS.COM

Coolfor the

wholefamily!

almost always, find deep, fresh snow. Most safety considerations and run choices fall to the guide.

"The idea of skiing with a guide, in the mechanized world, is to find the best skiing out there," says ACMG guide Max Darrah. "We have a daily process that evaluates the type of group, the weather conditions and the snowpack. There's a big behind-the-scenes process that the guest doesn't always see."

At Caribou Snowcat Skiing, just outside of Jasper National Park in Valemount, BC, guests ski on Mica Mountain. The small group sizes coupled with the area's frequent snowfalls mean visitors never cross another skier's tracks. The skiing is unlimited; groups can squeeze in as many laps as time allows.

At CMH Valemount, one of Canadian Mountain Holidays 11 heli-skiing lodges, heli-skiing's distinct—and somewhat more expensive—advantages are on full display. The terrain choice grows exponentially. The group size, limited by the available helicopter seating, shrinks to a maximum of 10 guests.

Consider mechanized skiing like a private ski resort; it's like repeatedly riding the first chair on a powder day. Nobody will be competing for tracks, but the experience comes with a hefty price tag.

XC Skiing While both backcountry skiing and mechanized skiing come with inherent risks, it is possible to get out and enjoy a wilderness experience

CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT FOR ALL AGES AND ABILITIES

SKI SHOP 30 SNOW ZONE

www.pacesettersb.com

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

without crossing into avalanche terrain. This winter, Jasper National Park is set to open a new crosscountry skiing venue at Decoigne.

"The idea is to build a hub," says Rogier Gruys, product development specialist for Jasper National Park. "It's for visitors who might be used to a few more services. Right now there is a parking lot, warming hut, outdoor fireplace and a privy.

There are 15 km of trails, set for both classic and skate skiing."

Built near the park's west gates on Highway 16, these new ski trails shouldn't be compared to venues like the Canmore Nordic Centre.

These trails offer a quieter experience and they're in prime moose, wolf and deer habitat.

"Generally, if you go to any of our cross-country skiing areas you'll find a laid back wilderness experience," says Gruys. "Even if you don't see any animals, you'll definitely see tracks."

The lines between ski genres isn't black and white. The Tonquin Valley is typically considered a skitouring area, but the main trail to Amethyst Lake crosses few avalanche paths and it requires only basic route finding.

"It's unbelievable," Gruys says.

"I think it's the best experience in the Rockies. The Tonquin Valley is a true backcountry-ski experience, but by March, there is a well-set track that allows visitors to visit the valley with minimal avalanche experience."

JEFF BARTLETT

JEFF@VUEWEEKLY.COM

IN Tawatinaw Valley

d r a o b w Sno WILD A Alberta lberta Misty Ridge

Alpine and Nordic Centre

Open weekends 10:00 am - 4:00pm

Photo: Westlock News

Tentative opening: 2nd weekend in December! Whether you are an avid snowboarder, cross-country or downhill skier, Tawatinaw Valley Ski Hill is the place for you. Groomed and marked crosscountry trails, 4 lifts, a terrain park and wild jumps will provide more than enough variety for you and your family. Check out the newly renovated super pipe. There are only 2 in Alberta and we have one of them!

Open weekdays for school programs.

Ski Club

Grand Opening December 15 Misty Ridge is offering this year a TON of family fun! This year the club is offering downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding with a great free style area, lessons, rentals, chalet with concession snack bar and a fantastic view of the Athabasca River Valley!

Photo: Westlock News

i k S

HART GOLBECK // HART@VUEWEEKLY.COM

and

www.WILDAlberta.com Whitefish Mountain

Mountain resort parties and torchlight parades Celebrating New Year's Eve at Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana is epic. Years ago when I organized trips for the Mountain Rider ski club, Big Mountain, as it was called back then, was our go-to place for New Year's Eve. The tradition continues and they've even added several new activities since my last visit. The party starts early in the evening with a rail and ski jam, accompanied by plenty of music and refreshments from Ed and Molly's Pub. During a break in the action there's a dash for cash ($100) followed by the finals for both skiers and boarders in the jam.

Up next is the torchlight parade followed by fireworks and live music at Ed and Molly's. At 10 pm the show starts at the Bierstube, where the band 20 Grand will ring in the new year. If you are looking for a great New Year's Eve experience, get some friends together and head south of the border to Whitefish.

Celebrating the holidays at Lake Louise With the Winterstart World Cup ski events in the books, Lake Louise staff are now preparing for the holiday season. One of their premium hillside social happenings is the Torchlight Dinner and Ski event. As dusk falls over the mountains, participants meet at the mid-mountain Whitehorn Lodge for a few refreshments and appetizers. During your the event, groomers hit the slopes to lay a fresh track for your special run. Later, guides will escort you down the slopes while

holding lanterns. Following the run down, a fantastic buffet dinner waits for you in the Sitzmark Lounge. Dinner is followed by entertainment and much more fun. Needless to say, you must be able to ski or snowboard to participate in the run by torchlight. I think the $69 cost for adults is quite reasonable, and if you plan on drinking, hook yourself up with a $10 ride back to Banff. The next two available bookings are for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, so you better get on the phone and book your spots before they sell out.

Inuvik Sunrise Festival INUVIK • N.W.T • CANADA

January 10-12, 2014

Take it for a test run If you're heading to Lake Louise this weekend, bring your plastic to the hill, because Demo Days are taking place on Saturday, December 14.

Typically you need to show your driver's licence and a credit card to test run equipment demoed by Burton, Rossignol, K2, Ride and Stepchild, just to name a few suppliers.

No charge if you don't destroy anything during your test drive.

Alberta still lacking snow Mother Nature is not very fairhanded to our mountain resorts this year. Most of the nearby hills could use a few good snow falls, but that's not the case down south and across into British Columbia. Big White, Fernie and Kimberley are doing just fine, with Kimberley setting a snowfall record after receiving 100 cm in 48 hours. Long-term forecasts are looking promising for Alberta's resorts, so we'll just have to keep our skis crossed.

Flight, accommodation and tour for just $1,200 pp + taxes Book now at destinationinuvik.com or call 1.867.777.8618

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

SNOW ZONE 31

SNOW ZONE ADVENTURE // SKI HILL

// Sunridge Ski Area

Where it begins

Sunridge an ideal place to get a feel for the slopes

H

earing Sunridge Ski Area president Harold Weissenborn describe the experience of working at the ski resort when he first took over in 1988 can come across as a shock.

In an account of its history, Sunridge's website describes the current ownership winning the contract to run the ski resort after the original operator went into receivership, but it wasn't exactly the easiest of transitions, according to Weissenborn.

"It was pretty hand-to-mouth," he says during a phone interview. "Hectic, and it was all T-bars and [a] fairly antiquated snow-making system and

32 SNOW ZONE

groomer. You had a lot of fun working there, but improving the quality with all of the equipment ... [now] it's more reliable, [with] better snow quality and more terrain. Everything's been good since then."

Twenty-five years later, it's safe to say things are looking very positive for the local ski resort. It probably helped that staff focused on an angle to set it apart. For Sunridge, it was about providing a prime teaching experience for newbie skiers. Described

by Weissenborn as an "ideal beginner run," the bulk of Sunridge's business is aimed towards teaching people

how to ski and enjoying the experience. While there's a good variety of runs aimed at everyone, the Bunny Hill gets a rep as one of the main highlights for its ease and low slope.

It's a great introduction for children, either there with a school group or with parents also looking to have fun on the course.

With that said, there are challenges waiting for intermediate to advancelevel skiers, snowboarders and tubers, too. The Gully run is noted as a popular one because of its quarterpipe feel. There's also Eagle Ridge, which Weissenborn notes as having

something resembling a bowl at the top so skiers can come down in many different ways, like heading down a steep part or coming down around and carving a nice turn at the top.

Weissenborn freely admits Sunridge doesn't compare to any of the mountain ski resorts, but with its variety of different runs, not to mention being built on the banks of the River Valley, skiers can get a bit more feel and experience at a local level. He chuckles when asked whether or not competition exists with other local resorts.

"Of course," he replies. "We cooperate with Rabbit Hill and Snow

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 18, 2013

Valley and the Edmonton Ski Club, but, yeah, they're basically the competition. We all want to develop and grow more skiers, and if all of us do a great job, then the industry benefits.

"I think the advantage we have is if you want to learn to ski or snowboard or become better, [with] our proximity and our price point, we're easier to get to than going to the mountains. And you can learn the sport here just as [well] as you can in Big White or Whistler. We're serious about fun."

JIBRIL YASSIN

JIBRIL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

MUSIC

MUSIC EDITOR : EDEN MUNRO EDEN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

PREVUE // LIFE BALLADS

Or what?

Sean Nicholas Savage explores his Other Life

'T

he weird question is, 'Are you serious or cheap and be zany and lots of temporary unnot?' or, 'Do you really mean it or what?' derground venues go up, like an old restaurant And I'm, like: 'Or? Or what?' Just tell me what space or loft or something." the 'or' is, what the 'other thing' is! I'm mysHe soon fell in with a like-minded group of tified as to what that other possibility would pan-creative comrades. "Arbutus Records be—that I'm just grew out of an underground loft spending my life Sat, Feb 14 (8 pm) thing that was one of the popular pretending some- Sean Nicholas Savage ones for a few years," he recalls. "I thing? That would With Calvin Love, Renny Wilson started playing there, then lost my be impossible! Artery, $8 (advance), $10 (door) apartment and moved in there, then There is no other I joined the label. Later on, we lived way!" in a place called The Torn Curtain, Sean Nicholas Savage laughs while holler- more sketchy. Sometimes shows would go on ing his punchline, but his outrage is true and at 3 am, sometimes dawn. Clearly a different palpable. It's late, and he's tired. Another leg sort of entertainment. You learn so much; it of his Herculean tour has ended and Savage is was a scene, growing a certain kind of music temporarily lodged in Montréal, where the de- that lends itself to that time of night and audimands of renewing friendships are competing ence, so as a 'ballad solo singer-songwriter', it with his body's desperate need for sleep after had an interesting effect on my life, to be playan exhausting, but thrilling, run of shows. At ing all strung out in the middle of the night for points in the conversation, he's disjointed and a bunch of zombies." barely audible, tilting into Dreamland, but he's Those living conditions will strike you as eialso easily roused, a vigorous raconteur who ther paradisiacal or hellacious, depending on periodically ejects wholly formed vignettes, you, but Savage's current home life is inarguacted out with brio. ably not for the faint of heart.

"People say all kinds of things I disagree with "I don't have a home. I've been touring for about my music," he scoffs, "but I'm typically over a year. I lived out of a backpack, but it never being ironic or silly—it's a misinterpre- was stolen, so now I just walk around with tation." this little bag," he confesses. "It's trippy. And In defence of the confused, Savage's most playing all these shows, I got really confident recent album, Other Life, has a unique stylis- in my set. You might ask me today about my tic brew, incorporating elements of pop that lifestyle, and I'll say I want to stop, but that's are not normally drawn on with such frank af- just the tired talking. I'm actually pretty happy, fection—post-funk Lionel Ritchie tempos, the as long as I get enough sleep." kind of sounds used in '80s movie montages, After being embedded in a fecund scene, surodd and seemingly kitschy flourishes, produc- rounded by friends, it must have been shocktion that embraces the plasticky aural nature ing to strip everything away to a bag and of the keyboards, urgent crooning. And that's some gear, but Savage betrays little anxiety, just Other Life—Savage has an astounding although he admits to heartbreak and bedlam, eight additional records, from his 2008 debut, especially during the recording of Other Life, Summer 5000, to 2011's Flamingo, each with a stressful odyssey that included sessions in a different sonic profile.

Berlin, New York and Edmonton, a serious do"Everyone hates on what they want to hate over, consequent meltdown and creative reigon, and I'm drawn to a lot of different things nition, lit by music. and I love those things," Savage laughs. "How "Other Life is supposed to be this fantasy," am I supposed to know what everyone hates?" Savage says. "Like, I'm visiting another city, I Trawling the junkyards of culture to unearth go into this nice comfortable store and there's hidden gems may be a habit related to his this young girl working there, and she smiles childhood ambitions in Edmonton. "I wanted at me, and I think, 'Wow, she's beautiful, what to make real movies when I was a kid, I was if I just stayed here?'. That fantasy. But then always looking for a way to do that, which you just keep on going." developed into trying to record an album," Savage reconsiders. "But if you did it, it'd be Savage explains. "I played in bands that tried the same life anyway. It's completely imposto be cool when I was younger, but I wasn't sible to live the other life—your old life folinto the same music they were. So I started lows you; you'd have the same miseries and making these cheesy songs that really meant problems." a lot to me, and they became ballads, which was really embarrassing when I was younger. Maybe living stripped down to a bag and But they meant so much to me, I got addicted some gear keeps Savage poised between posto them! They just became what I do: 'life bal- sible lives, a reaction to that unkind and unlads' with little lessons in them, philosophical true fear people have in their late 20s, that love songs." you'll be stuck forever with the life you make right now, like a nightmarish game of musical Savage's self-created genre was honed by the chairs. environments he played in, which he frames Or maybe this is Savage's chosen life, his foras a serendipitous side effect of Montréal's ever life, since music is "therapeutic" to him, fractured cosmopolitanism. "Artists flock [to no matter how traumatic it was to bring OthQuebec]—it's very affordable, they keep the er Life into this world, no matter how many rent down and a lot of artists and hipsters live reversals and depressions and come-downs in the Hassidic areas. You go there, thinking as are ahead. Maybe this is worth it, to come out a Canadian, then there's this area that says, of this tough year-and-a-bit with almost noth'Keep out, we're French!', and within Montré- ing but the tools and the will to create. al, there's an area that's like, 'Keep out, we're "My life is fully music now. After this year, the Jews!' So there's this double 'wall' up, but constantly performing, recording, and writing, you never see police cars around, and you can more than ever, my life is fully music."

CHRISTA O'KEEFE wear a clown costume and walk down the MARY MARYCHRISTA@VUEWEEKLY.COM street and nobody bats an eye. People can live

Waiting to get on the road again // Rebecca Storm

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

MUSIC 33

MUSIC PREVUE // POP

Meaghan Smith 'I

'm looking forward to having this stylistic repertoire on her forthcoming last little moment in this era of album, due out in 2014. Her early inmy music—and I'm looking forward to fluences from the '20s, '30s and '40s moving on as well," states Meaghan rarely had the hard-hitting, punchy Smith during some down time in her choruses so prominent in contempohometown of Halifax before heading rary music. Smith's old-school writing style had done the out on her holiday Fri, Dec 13 (7:30 pm) tour. trick, but for her new album she Smith, whose Arden Theatre, $32 wanted to push talents extend to visual art—she'll herself to reinvent have some pieces at her shows, in her songwriting. fact—has been steadily gaining rec"I, for some reason, really like to ognition in Canadian music for her challenge myself until I have to try smooth, sultry voice and style remi- and take on that challenge. Then I'm niscent of vintage melodies. However, like, 'Why do I do this to myself?'" the 2011 Juno Award winner for Best Smith jokes, adding that Ron Lopata, New Artist is looking to expand her her A&R guy and now producer, sug-

34 MUSIC

gested she turn to Top 40 charts for inspiration, which led Smith to study the likes of ostensible hit-makers Katy Perry and Kelly Clarkson. "When I first started listening to those really huge choruses I was like, man, this chorus punches me in the face. It's this huge, emotional reaction and I really wanted to try and do that with my songs, so I basically had to relearn how to write songs."

This doesn't mean Smith has ditched her signature sound completely, though. She maintains the album is still very "her," but with some added modern production elements like synths and 808 drum machines, which were not used on her first album, The

Cricket's Orchestra.

Rebuilding her songwriting structure was one thing, but Smith's second challenge surfaced when it came to finding a producer—a process that took her across the Atlantic and back. "[For] the first album, I just wrote a whole bunch of songs for fun and then hired this producer that I found, for fun, and we made this really fun record. I put whatever I wanted on it; I didn't have anybody else working with me; I didn't have a manager or anything," says Smith, who is documenting her arduous and turbulent albummaking process in a book that will be released alongside the disc. "This time around I did everything completely differently and probably the worst way you can make a record, but I was really trying to find my way ... I pretty much went around the world looking for a producer: I went to Amsterdam and the UK and New York and Los Angeles and kept thinking I'd found my producer and then kept coming back to my A&R guy, who's a really fantastic musician, and my husband. The three of us were like, 'None of these

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

Tis the season

people are really getting the sound.'"

Now that the album is on track, Smith can enjoy her last tour of the year. The show is holiday-themed, featuring original and revamped classics from her album It Snowed, as well as some of her earlier work. Smith's got a full band in tow, too, which will help recreate the sounds of eras past.

"Music's really emotional for me.

When I listen to that kind of music, I feel happy. I feel sentimental, but happy and hopeful," she adds. "Things weren't so jaded back then and it's so perfect for the holidays. The holidays are so nostalgic and it's all about memories and making memories and being with people that you love and seeing old friends and your family. I feel like that kind of music really suits this time of year, for me anyway."

MEAGHAN BAXTER

MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

PREVUE // PUNK

DEC 13 & 14 • ANDREW SCOTT SUNDAY CELTIC MUSIC 5 - 8PM

Still alive and well // Florian Franik

The Flatliners

DEC. 16 • ANDREW SCOTT

'A

lot of things just add up," Chris until we get a good chunk of time at Cresswell sighs, referring to the home to really get together to focus accumulation of delays that sees his on that."

Those chunks band, the Flatliners, only able to release Fri, Dec 13 (8 pm) of available recording time are an album every With Living With Lions, Old Wives few and far bethree years or so.

A lot of things Pawn Shop tween, though: Language, add up, he says, but Dead Language it's mostly just one the band's fourth thing, constantly adding onto itself. album, comes three and a half years The Flatliners is a band that likes to after the last (2010's Cavalcade), but stay on the road: its touring pace is that's only a slightly longer-than-ava full-blown, continent-leaping sched- erage span of time between Flatlinule of shows that ends only intermit- ers records. Fittingly, Dead Language tently, for short bursts of time to came together piecemeal, recorded spend at home before setting back between legs of shows.

"We recorded it in between a bunch out again. It's a schedule happily accepted by the Ontario punk band, but of tours, and did it in a really sporadic not one particularly conducive to fin- way," Cresswell explains. "We'd write a chunk of songs and then record ishing new material.

"It's difficult for us to really find the them live, then go on tour for several time and focus on writing a lot, cohe- weeks, then go back home and write sively, song by song, while we're on some more songs. Then go in the stuthe road," Cresswell continues, over dio and record them live, then go on the phone from a cozy, temperate another tour. We just added it up that parking lot in California. "There's so way." "[That's] a lot more fun for us to do much downtime on the road, usually, but we spend that time separately that than sit at home and hope we sell working on riff ideas and lyrics and records," he continues. "We're always melodies and stuff. But it's not really trying to find a new, fresh approach

to the length to each tour. Or how to approach certain geographic hurdles, I suppose—that always evolves and changes. You meet up with where everyone's comfort level is at. But it's always been a thing where we've just done it as much as we can, as long as everyone's comfortable with it."

With Dead Language, the band found itself minimizing the recording process further, deciding against making many in-studio revisions in favour of recording the songs as the band first envisioned them.

"When you get to that [demoing] point in the process, you overthink a lot of stuff, you maybe overanalyze a lot of stuff," he says. "That's how we've done our last several records, but this one, we went into the studio with the stance of 'These are demos.' And then we heard them and were like, 'Oh, these were great.' We were really happy with how they turned out, so that's when we decided, maybe that process of demoing, picking it apart and doing it again, isn't us."

WEDNESDAY • OPEN STAGE W/ DUFF ROBISON

LIVE MUSIC AT “THE ROSE”

AMIE WEYMES DECEMBER 13 & 14

THE RURAL ROUTES DECEMBER 20 & 21

PAUL BLINOV

PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

In Sutton Place Hotel #195, 10235 101 Street, EDMONTONPUBS.COM

PREVUE // EXPERIMENTAL INSTRUMENTAL

Gary Debussy B

Now that the band's finally taken the ut for an ultimatum from bassist Tim Wilson it's possible that plunge in the past year it's made its Edmonton trio Gary Debussy might presence felt in the scene a lot faster than MacIntosh exnever have left Fri, Dec 13 (9 pm) the basement. pected. A Wunderbar favourite, Gary "He said that he With Desiderata and [willscott] Debussy found a was going to mur- Wunderbar, $10 singular genre all der us if we didn't its own, one that play a gig," laughs drummer Sean MacIntosh. "I said 'OK, encompasses bursts of noise, sudden OK, I'll talk to Parker (Theissen, Zebra silence, intricate, intense interplay and pure gonzo power. The songwritPulse/Krang) about getting a show."

It's clear that something had to ing, which MacIntosh says is partially give; 10 years of playing together out divided between full songs brought in of view of the public had also put a by Cullen and jammed out tunes beslight bit of stress on the drummer, tween all three, has mutated.

"We've thrown out a lot of them as who, along with Wilson and guitarist Kyle Cullen, had been slowly but we've progressed," MacIntosh says. surely honing their instrumental rock "But it takes us some time to write; to an edge. There were occasional we're slow fuckers in that sense."

Gary Debussy's got a few songs up early one-off gigs, and various other band names, but nothing concrete. on Bandcamp, but not much to show Even MacIntosh was beginning to feel for a decade's worth of writing. This the band was becoming somewhat will hopefully be rectified in the fucloistered, chafing at the thought ture. Gary Debussy are in the process that the songs it was working so as- of recording at the moment, though siduously on would never be heard.

MacIntosh cautions that people

shouldn't read too much into that.

"We're obsessively stupid about this stuff," he says. "We have a finished batch that Kyle has been mixing; we'll probably listen to it, and then scrap the whole thing and start all over again."

MacIntosh is vague about where the band may be headed to musically. Is there a trajectory to Gary Debussy?

Will the group eventually evolve into something that makes sense of its long gestation period in the basement? Maybe, but Mackintosh seems happy to confound all expectations if he can get away with it.

"I'd like to try something simple, like, I'll just play a snare drum, and we'll do four notes in half an hour," he says. "We're talking about this, actually, about doing something like writing a three-piece percussion type thing. I think it's nice to keep people guessing."

TOM MURRAY

TOM@VUEWEEKLY.COM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

DOWNTOWN

Dec 12 - Dec 14 DERINA HARVEY Dec 17 - Dec 21 JOANNE JANZEN

WEM

Dec 12 - Dec 14 MIKE LETTO Dec 17 - Dec 18 JIMMY WHIFFEN Dec 19 - Dec 21 STU BENDALL SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE

NOW OPEN

CAMPUS

Dec 12 - Dec 14 MIKE DOMINEY Dec 18 - Dec 21 AMIE WEYMES

EDMONTONPUBS.COM Colleen’s Amber Ale now available at all pub locations. $0.50 from each pint sold will be donated to Ovarian Cancer Research in memory of Colleen Tomchuk.

MUSIC 35

36 MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

MUSIC PREVUE // JAZZ

The Jivin' Belles A

local jazz trio known as the Jivin' lory Chipman. "We're basing our Belles is reviving the sounds of arrangements off of those and the big-band era with '40s-inspired then a mix of a capella and band accompaniment with those tight, evening of holiday classics.

Of course, a true big band is dif- three-part harmonies and kind of ficult to dig up these days, but winter, holiday and some Christmas music. We've tried the Belles have to keep it broad rounded up four Sun, Dec 15 (7 pm) because we want musicians to Sawmill Banquet Centre, $15 – back tunes in- $20 (tickets at Blackbyrd Myoozik people of all holiday designations spired by the leg- or through thejivinbelles@live.ca) to come." endary Andrews Sisters—a prevalent influence in their own music However, the evening isn't just a and vocal style defined by tight night to reminisce and perhaps do a little swing dancing—which is three-part harmonies.

"We're doing our own arrange- greatly encouraged by the Belles. ments that are inspired by either The event is a fundraiser for the the Andrews Sisters or Puppini Edmonton Humane Society, with Sisters, which are a group inspired 100 percent of ticket sales being by the Andrews Sisters from the donated to the organization along United Kingdom," says Kate Blech- with 50 cents from each drink inger, who attends the MacEwan purchased at the bar. The goal University jazz program along with is to raise $1000, but the Belles bandmates Emily Guthrie and Mal- hope to surpass that.

"I rescued some of my pets from the Humane Society or shelters and I just really think they do great services for the animals themselves," Blechinger notes.

"They've housed animals in the Humane Society for up to eight months fully supporting them, and they put on a program about animal and pet ownership—how to be a good pet owner. They investigate animal abuse claims and stuff like that, so they really are a crucial organization that we have in Edmonton."

"I think a lot of people will get animals as gifts and I think it's important to understand what that means," Guthrie adds. "It's a big responsibility and it's a living creature that you have to take care of, so it's an important time for people to remember that."

MEAGHAN BAXTER

MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

MUSIC 37

MUSIC

10442 whyte ave 439.1273 10442 whyte ave 439.1273 CD/ LP

VINCE GUARALDI TRIO

PREVUE // FUNDRAISER

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS

blackbyrd

Hip Hop for Hunger

blackbyrd S M Y O O Z I K M

Y

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w w w . b l a c k b y r d . c a

w w w. b l a c k b y r d . c a SEE MAG: Jan 3, 1c x 2”/ 28 AG RB: BLACKBYRD MYOOZIK SALES:Samantha H S01367

o far, Edmonton's urban music ing to see 12 years, it has lived to see community has raised 9502 lbs a whole new generation of Edmonof food for the Food Bank. With the ton hip-hop performers and fans— drive now in its 12th year, Hip Hop fans that will be in attendance on for Hunger orDecember 21. So ganizer Marlon Sat, Dec 21 (9 pm) to ensure the continuance of this Wilson hopes to Pawnshop, $10 (advance), $12 break the 10 000 (with food item), $15 (no food showcase for years to come we have lb mark—which item) to bridge the gap. means collecting another 1500 lbs.

This is the longestPrior to the event, which features the running annual hip-hop event in EdJaide, Doom Squad, K-Blitz the Libera- monton, and in 20 years from now tors and headliner Rellik, Wilson an- we should still be bridging the gap to ensure that the younger generation swered a few questions via email. can learn from those who came before them, but also prepare them to VUE WEEKLY: What do this year's performers represent in terms of hip hop take the reins.

Last year, we only had freshmen in Edmonton and where it's headed? ciphers, which was great for introMARLON WILSON: This year’s Hip Hop For Hunger performers represent ducing the artists to watch out for. the talent and diversity of hip hop But there are hip-hop emcees in Edmonton. In selecting artists to in Edmonton that we consider showcase we always look at acts that veterans who are still releasing have had a strong year, but also acts critically acclaimed music, tourthat will put on a good show. Raising ing and have strong followings and food donations is without a doubt our they deserve to be showcased primary goal, but our secondary goal as well. Hopefully we is to showcase the best in Edmonton are facilitating an environment that hip hop.

In terms of what the performers can lead to the represent for the future of Edmonton vets and young hip hop, well, three of the acts were guns of the part of last year's cipher and this Edmonton hipyear they are showcasing, so there is hop commudefinitely something to be said about nity sharing their talents and work ethic. These and learning artists represent a new generation from each that is creating great music and using other. the technology at their fingertips to What introduce and share it with the world, VW: all the while waving their YEG flag. made Rellik the best VW: Why is it important for you to choice to bridge the generational gap of Ed- headline? How monton hip hop? How will having does he reflect the two rap ciphers accomplish that? what Hip Hop MW: With Hip Hop For Hunger growfor Hunger is all

Four IN 140

about?

MW: Rellik has had an amazing year and he is a veteran that understands how to rock a crowd. Plus he will be backed by his band the Dirty Boots which will take things to another level, so it was kind of a no-brainer.

Rellik is a pioneer in Edmonton who has done so much for the city both through his artistic achievements and willingness to educate artists and provide them with opportunities.

MEAGHAN BAXTER

MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

@VUEWEEKLY

Kris Berry & Perquisite, Lovestruck Puzzles (Unexpected) @VueWeekly: Place a popular Dutch hip-hop producer with a beautifully soulful singer/songwriter Kris Berry & we have something you should hear.

Neil Young, Live at the Cellar Door (Warner Bros) @VueWeekly: Incredible live recording from 1970 shows a very playful and gentle Young.

R Kelly, Black Panties (RCA) @VueWeekly: R Kelly really is master of his own domain. His domain is sex—he seems to like it about 58 times more than Space Jam.

Lindi Ortega, Tin Star (Last Gang) @VueWeekly: A gruff country album that celebrates Jack White, Dolly Parton & Johnny Cash simultaneously.

38 MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

MUSIC WEEKLY

LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM FAX: 780.426.2889 DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO:

THU Dec 12

John Malka 780.447.5111

CAFFREY’S IN THE

OVERTIME Sherwood

PARK Replay

Park Jesse Peters (R&B, blues, jazz, Top 40); 9pm-2am every Thu; no cover

CARROT COFFEEHOUSE

RED PIANO Every Thu: Dueling pianos at 8pm

Live music every Fri; all ages; 7pm; $5 (door); this week: Terry Jorden, Threza; 7pm

SHERLOCK HOLMES–

Thu: Sister Gray; 10-11pm

Downtown Derina Harvey

ARTERY No Problem (pop

RIC’S GRILL Peter Belec

BLUES ON WHYTE Todd

WOlfe Band

BOHEMIA Otto Stalk THE BOWER Thu: Back to

Mine: Hip hop, funk, soul, rare groove, disco and more with Junior Brown and DJ Mumps

(jazz); most Thursdays; 7-10pm

THE RIG Every Thu Jam hosted by Lorne Burnstick; 8pm-12am SMOKEHOUSE BBQ Live Blues every Thur: rotating guests; 7-11pm TAVERN ON WHYTE

Open stage with Micheal Gress (fr Self Evolution); every Thu; 9pm-2am

Kilroe DIVAS; $59.95 (dinner and show)/$29.95 (show only)

CHA ISLAND TEA CO

Special Event: Sebastian Barrera - Latin (guitar concert); 8pm; $10

THE CLUB AT THE CITADEL Wannabe–A very

Spicy Christmas (tribute band); 8pm; $35

DOW CENTENNIAL– SHELL THEATRE Jimmy

BRIXX Hosted by Christian and Justin of the Canyon Rose Outfit: The Ultimate open stage, open jam, open turntables E: kevin@ starliteroom.ca for info

WUNDERBAR Zebra Pulse, Boosh, Glossary; 9pm DJs

EARLY STAGE SALOON–

CAFÉ HAVEN Music every

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Stony Plain Malcolm Maclean Band (CD release, cowboy crooner); $5

Thu: this week: Tasman Jude; 8pm

CARROT COFFEEHOUSE Zoomers Thu afternoon open mic; 1-4pm

CHA ISLAND TEA CO Bring Your Own Vinyl

Night: Every Thu; 8pm-late; Edmonton Couchsurfing Meetup: Every Thu; 8pm

CHA ISLAND TEA CO

Kings and Cathedrals; 8pm; free/donation

CHA ISLAND TEA CO Bring Your Own Vinyl

Main Floor: wtft w djwtf–rock ‘n’ roll, blues, indie; Wooftop: Dig It! Thursdays.

Electronic, roots and rare groove with DJ’s Rootbeard, Raebot, Wijit and guests

CENTURY ROOM Lucky

7: Retro ‘80s with house DJ every Thu; 7pm-close

THE COMMON The

Common Uncommon Thursday: Rotating Guests each week!

CITADEL Wannabe–A very

Spicy Christmas (tribute band); 8pm; $35

COOK COUNTY Pony Up

Thu: Country, Rock Anthems and Top 40 Classics with Mourning Wood

DRUID IRISH PUB DJ every Thu at 9pm

EARLY STAGE SALOON– Stony Plain Open Jam Nights; no cover

FANDANGO’S Rock out

Thu Rock Jam Leigh Friesen

FIDDLER’S ROOST

Thursday Nights acoustic circle jam; only acoustic instruments; 7:30pm; $3 cover

GAS PUMP Sugarfoot; 7pm; no cover

J+H PUB Early show:

Acoustic Open mic every Fri, 10-15 mins to perform; 5:30-8:30pm, no cover; Late show: Every Friday: Headwind (vintage rock ‘n’ roll), friends, 9:30pm, no minors, no cover

JEFFREY’S CAFÉ Jack

Reynolds

FILTHY MCNASTY’S

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Darin

Taking Back Thursdays

Epsilon; 10pm

KRUSH ULTRA LOUNGE

LIZARD LOUNGE Rock

Open stage; 7pm; no cover

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Funk Bunker Thursdays

LUCKY 13 Industry Night

every Fri

ON THE ROCKS Salsa

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

6:30pm

ON THE ROCKS Chronic

Rock with Edmonton’s Hottest DJs

OVERTIME Sherwood Park Dueling Pianos, all

every Thu

Brothers; 9pm

UNION HALL 3 Four All

PAWN SHOP Back From The Underground: The Flatliners (punk rock), Living With Lions, the Old Wives, Fire Next Time; 7pm (door); $17.50 (adv) PAWN SHOP RIOT in

Jam Thu; 9pm

APEX CASINO–VEE

JAVA EXPRESS–Stony

LOUNGE Karen Claypool

Plain Acoustic/singer songwriter the 1st and 3rd Thu each month, 7-10pm; no cover

ARDEN Meaghan Smith

(folk pop); 7:30pm; $32

ATLANTIC TRAP AND

RED PIANO BAR Hottest dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Fri; 9pm-2am

KELLY’S PUB Jameoke

GILL PUB Sweet Vintage

THE RIG Barefoot Kings

Paradise, Collections, Of Articulate Design, Eternal Prophecy, 8pm

SET NIGHTCLUB

Friday 13th Xmas Slasher: Krafty Kuts - Peep This Entertainment, Higher Ground; 9pm

the New Big Time with Rocko Vaugeois, friends; 8-12

Wolfe Band

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ Thu

Fiction Smiles, The Universe Machine, Beds Pushed Together, Headcase

Downtown Derina Harvey

BRIXX Silence Be Damned: Goth/Industrial with DJs Siborg, Nightroad; 9pm

and the Black Wonders; 9pm; no cover

open stage; 8pm; all ages (15+)

NEW WEST HOTEL

Canadian Country Hall of Fame Guest host Bev Munro

NORTH GLENORA HALL Jam by Wild Rose Old Time Fiddlers every Thu; contact

BOHEMIA CRBM Presents:

CAFÉ TIRAMISU Live

music every Fri

Wish: holiday concert with the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) Band, the Richard Eaton Singers; 7:30pm; free at door

Rault Band; 8:30pm; $10

BLUES ON WHYTE Every

Sat afternoon: Jam with Back Door Dan; evening show: Todd WOlfe Band

“B” STREET BAR Rockin Big Blues and Roots Open Jam: Every Sat afternoon, 2-6pm

BOHEMIA DARQ Saturday!

BOURBON ROOM Live Music every Saturday Night: The Dryland Band Live; 8pm CAFFREY’S IN THE PARK Replay CARROT COFFEEHOUSE Sat Open mic; 7pm; $2

CASINO EDMONTON Souled Out; 9pm

SHERLOCK HOLMES–

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Every Friday DJs on all three levels

Flows: Live Hip Hop and open mic every Fri with DJs Xaolin, Dirty Needlz, guests; 8:30pm2am; no cover

THE COMMON Good

Fridays: nu disco, hip hop, indie, electro, dance with weekly local and visiting DJs on rotation plus residents Echo and Justin Foosh

DRUID IRISH PUB DJ every Fri; 9pm

ELECTRIC RODEO– Spruce Grove DJ every Fri FANDANGO’S DJs night every Fri and Sat with DJ Stouffer FLUID LOUNGE R&B, hip

hop and dancehall with DJ Aiden Jamali; every Fri

LUCKY 13 Every Fri and Sat with resident DJ Chad Cook

W/ LIVING WITH LIONS OLD WIVES & FIRE NEXT TIME SAT DEC 14

BELVEDERE

W/ THE WEEKEND KIDS, STEP MOTHERS, & NEIGHBORHOOD ARCHERS FRI DEC 20

RAYGUN COWBOYS W/ THE VON ZIPPERS & SAM HATE & THE SPADES

***NEW YEARS EVE ***

WED DEC 31

THE MENZINGERS (ONLY CANADIAN DATE) W/GUESTS AUDIO ROCKETRY

APR 13 JUST SUN PLANET SMASHERS ANNOUNCED! W/ RUDE CITY RIOT & GUESTS FOR TICKETS- PLEASE VISIT WWW.YEGLIVE.CA

LA Express; 9pm

Meat Force, Indie Electronic Show; 9pm

THE CLUB AT THE Spicy Christmas (tribute band); 8pm; $35

LA CREMA CAFFE Back DV8 White Knights Finish

Last, In Search of Signals, Our Friends Never Came; 9pm

EARLY STAGE SALOON– Stony Plain Malcolm

Maclean Band (CD release, cowboy crooner); $5

EXPRESSIONZ CAFÉ

Uptown Folk Club: Chaka Concert, Zinyemba Mbira Concert; 7:30-9:30pm

FILTHY MCNASTY’S Free

Afternoon Concerts; 4pm; This week: The Living Daylights, Hungry Hollow; 4pm; no cover

GAS PUMP Saturday Homemade Jam: Mike Chenoweth

THE GLENS Montgomery Glen Golf and Country Club, 1km W of inters Hwy 2A and Hwy 13, Wetaskiwin, 780.352.8623.

THE GLENS Dine Dance And Sing Along with Don Johnston

RED STAR Movin’ on Up: indie, rock, funk, soul, hip hop with DJ Gatto, DJ Mega Wattson; every Fri

HILLTOP PUB Open Stage, Jam every Sat; 3:30-7pm

STARLITE ROOM KLUB

HORIZON STAGE Jimmy

OMFG

SOU KAWAII ZEN LOUNGE Amplified Fridays:

SIDELINERS PUB Nadine STARLITE ROOM White

SUITE 69 Release Your Inner Beast: Retro and Top 40 beats with DJ Suco; every Fri

Knights Finish Last, the Mighty Steeds; 9pm

THE FLATLINERS

CHA ISLAND TEA CO

DJs

Dubstep, house, trance, electro, hip hop breaks with DJ Aeiou, DJ Loose Beats, DJ Poindexter; 9:30pm (door)

Dec 10-14

FRI DEC 13

CASINO YELLOWHEAD

Porch Swing; 7:30pm

RENDEZVOUS Metal night

BLUES ON WHYTE Todd

WINSPEAR A Christmas

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Lionel

CHICAGO JOES Colossal

FRI Dec 13

L.B.’S PUB Thu open stage:

Enterprise Quartet; 12pm; Free WINSPEAR Christmas Bureau Caroling Sing-Along: Christmas music performed by local choirs, Jeremy Spurgeon, John Tessier; 11:30 (door), noon (music); cash donation to the Christmas Bureau

Hair of the Dog: (live acoustic music every Sat): Sean Brewer and Kiron Jhass of the Switchmen; 4-6pm; no cover

O’MAILLE’S Dwayne Allen;

PALACE CASINO The Rum

Dead Stringers; 8:30pm; $12

WHITEMUD CROSSING LIBRARY Pure Romantic II:

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

‘n’ roll open mic every Fri; 8:30pm; no cover

request live; 9pm-2am every Fri and Sat; no cover

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ The

Candlelight: A Joyful Noise Choirs; 7:30pm; $10 at TIX on the Square, door

ARTERY Sean Nicholas Savage (pop), Calvin Love, Renny Wilson; 8pm (door); $8 (adv)/$10 (door)

CITADEL Wannabe–A very

Wild Life Thursdays

Rides, Wyddershynns; 9pm

Spirit of Christmas: Edmonton Jazz Society presents Tommy Banks; 8pm (door), 9pm (show); $26 (member)/$30 (guest)

ARDEN THEATRE The Craig Brenan Big Band (performing Duke Ellington’s The Nutcracker Suite); 7:30pm; $35 at Arden box office

and alternative with Dusty Grooves, Fraser Olsen, Taz, and Josh Johnson

J R BAR AND GRILL Live

Night with the Nervous Flirts; every Thu, 9pm-1am; no cover

YARDBIRD SUITE The

SAT Dec 14

THE BOWER Zukunft: Indie

OUTLAWS ROADHOUSE

Thursdays: rock, dance, retro, top 40 with DJ Johnny Infamous

WUNDERBAR Gary Debussy, Desiderata, willscott; 9pm

ALL SAINTS’ ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL Lend Us Thy

Zero Cool, Down the Hatch

THE LION’S HEAD Todd

THE CLUB AT THE

Whyte Ave Rob Taylor

Project; 8pm

DV8 Panik Attak, the Mange,

ELECTRIC RODEO– Spruce Grove DJ every Thu

WALKABOUT PUB–

Classical

every Thu; 9pm

Night: Every Thu; 8pm-late; Edmonton Couchsurfing Meetup: Every Thu; 8pm

UNION HALL Waka Flocka

Rankin; 7:30pm; $45 (adult)/$42 (senior/youth)

Semple (acoustic blues Christmas concert); 9pm; $35 at 7870.451.8890

DRUID IRISH PUB DJ

Foundation Fridays

Flame; 8pm

LOUNGE Live Music every

LA Express; 9pm

punk), Sweat Hearts, Master Splinter; 6pm (door); $8 (adv)/$10 (door)

Y AFTERHOURS

FOUNDATION The

CENTURY CASINO Bonnie

RICHARDS’S PUB Chill

Factor

STUDIO MUSIC

CASINO YELLOWHEAD

CASINO EDMONTON

UNION HALL Ladies Night

every Fri

Soulicitors (reggae), Random Falter (funk), Tasman Jude (reggae), the Subculture (funk); no minors; 8pm (door), 9:30pm (music); $10 (adv)/$15 (door);

Souled Out; 9pm

ACCENT EUROPEAN

STARLITE ROOM Mortillery,

Fear of City; 9pm

TEMPLE Rapture–Goth/Ind/

alt; every Fri 9pm

Rankin; 7:30pm; $40 (adult)/$35 (student/senior)

IRISH CLUB The Acoustiholics

ISBE EDMONTON CRBM: Transit (R&B rap), Mitchell Lawler, Jo Thrillz and J Dats, Big Ben, Cab’Ral, Gillie; 6pm (door); $15 (adv)/$20 (door)

JEFFREY’S CAFÉ Jack

Semple (acoustic blues Christmas concert); 9pm; $35 at 7870.451.8890

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

MUSIC 39

LEAF BAR AND GRILL

Sat jam with Terry Evans, and featured guests; host Mark Ammar; Rose Marie C, Tall Dark ‘n’ Dirty at 1pm

THE LION’S HEAD Todd

DEC/13 DEC/14

Reynolds

STARLITE ROOM PRESENTS

METAL 13 FT MORTILLERY, FEAR OF CITY & MAJOR CHAOS AND GUESTS UBK PRESENTS

TWERK NATION: MAD DECENT

LOUISIANA PURCHASE Suchy Sister Saturdays: Amber, Renee or Stephanie with accompaniment; 9:3011:30pm; no cover

FROM VEGAS

O’BYRNE’S Live band every

DEC/21

IO PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

DEC/31

Sat, 3-7pm; DJ every Sat, 9:30pm

NYE FEATURING

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

SHOUT OUT OUT OUT OUT

WITH GUESTS WET SECRETS, CADENCE WEAPON (DJ SET) AND MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEEK!

O’MAILLE’S Dwayne Allen; 6:30pm

JAN/24 METZ FEB/28 PACK A.D.

MAR/15 ELECTRIC SIX AND THE MOHRS AND GUESTS

APR/4 BOY AND BEAR APR/8 STEVEN J MASKUS THE UNION PRESENTS

AND GUESTS

MRG PROSUCTIONS PRESENTS

APR/28 THE 1975 THE UNION PRESENTS

JOËL COSSETTE

W/ SPECIAL GUESTS PARIS AND THE ENGLISH, COLIN CLOSE, ATTACKED BY RAPTORS, & JUSTIN WIESINGER

DEC/16 JOEY STYLES, DJ CREEASIAN

AND GUESTS

DEC/20 WHITEMUD XMAS PARTY DEC/21 DEC/27 DEC/28

HONEY BADGER

W/ DIRTY BOOTS & DRAKES THEORY

THE THREADS ATOMIC ALICE AND GUESTS

BOOTLEG SAINT W/ GUESTS

EVERY RUBY TUESDAY TUESDAY LIKE RUBY TUESDAY ON FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS

EVERY EATS AND BEATS WEDNESDAY EVERY WEDNESDAY, $0.35 WINGS

EVERY THE ULTIMATE OPEN STAGE THURSDAY EVERY THURSDAY, OPEN TURNTABLES, OPEN STAGE

NOW HIRING PORTERS, BUSSERS AND SECURITY

SOU KAWAII ZEN

PAWN SHOP Belvedere

SUGAR FOOT BALLROOM

(hard rock, metal punk), the Weekend Kids, Stepmothers, Neighbourhood Archers; 8pm (door); $16 (adv)

RED PIANO BAR Hottest

dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Sat; 9pm-2am

RENDEZVOUS PUB Delilah and the Douchettes; 8pm (door), 10pm (show); $10

HALL Northern Lights

Folk Club: Highway 3 Roots Revue; 6pm (door), 7pm (music); tickets for the Nov 16 concert will be accepted; $20 (adv)/$25 (door)/child 6-12 1/2 price reimbursed at door/ child under 6 free; at TIX on the Square, Acoustic Music, Myhre’s

RENDEZVOUS PUB

Submerge, Our Friends Never Came, In Search of Signals, Petrify; 7pm (door), 8pm show); $10

RICHARD’S PUB Sun Jam hosted by Andrew White and the Joint Chiefs; 4-8pm

THE RIG Every Sun Jam hosted by Steve and Bob; 5-9pm SMOKEHOUSE BBQ Hair of the Dog acoustic Sun Jam with Bonedog and Bearcat; every Sun; 2-6pm VARSCONA Concert Series:

Christmas with the Janes (Plain Jane Theatre); 7:30pm; and a special ‘Charlie Brown’s Christmas’ scene by the Youth Performance Troupe; $15 (door, adv at TIX on the Square)

Swing Dance Party: Sugar Swing Dance Club every Sat, 8-12; no experience or partner needed, beginner lesson followed by social dance; sugarswing.com

Customer Appreciation Christmas Party; all day free show; 5pm

SUITE 69 Stella Saturday:

Classical

retro, old school, top 40 beats with DJ Lazy, guests

TAVERN ON WHYTE Soul,

THE RIG Dark Horse

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

RIVER CREE–The Venue

TEMPLE Step’d Up Saturdays with Lolcatz, Yaznil, Badman Crooks, Ootz

UNION HALL Celebrity

Saturdays: every Sat hosted by DJ Johnny Infamous

Y AFTERHOURS Release

WUNDERBAR Wundi

SUN Dec 15

CHURCH Christmas Choral

YARDBIRD SUITE The

BLACKJACK’S

Concert–Behold, Emmanuel: songs of Advent; 7pm

ROADHOUSE–Nisku Open

WINSPEAR A Pro Coro

WUNDERBAR Bebop

Cortez, Love Electric; comedy

by Mike Borchert; 9pm

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Sunday

DJs

BLUES ON WHYTE Todd

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Classical

BLUE SKYS CAFÉ/

ALL SAINTS’ ANGLICAN CATHEDRAL Kings and

MERCURY ROOM Hole in

Shepherds: Da Camera Singers, John Brough (conductor); 7pm; $20 (adult)/$15 (student/senior) at door, or online at a reduced $18/$13

ROBERTSON WESLEY UNITED CHURCH Festive

Brass: The Mill Creek Colliery Band; 7:30pm; $18/$14 (student/senior) at door, TIX on the Square

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: The Menace

Sessions: Alt Rock/Electro/ Trash with Miss Mannered; Wooftop: Sound It Up!: classic hip-hop and reggae with DJ Sonny Grimezz; Underdog: Dr Erick

THE BOWER For Those Who

the Guitar (acoustic, fundraiser for the Edmonton Food Bank): hosted by Lisa Pollon Seal and Diana Lavallee; 2-8pm; all ages; $10 and non perishable food donation (proceeds, donations to the Edmonton Food Bank)

CHA ISLAND TEA CO

CHURCH A Northern Nativity: Bella Voce Women’s Choir of Concordia, Concordia Community Chorus, Jubiloso!

Bells of Concordia; 7:30pm; $15 (adult)/$12 (student/ senior) at TIX on the Square; $40 (family admission at door only)

Main Floor: Soul Sundays: A

fantastic voyage through ‘60s and ‘70s funk, soul and R&B with DJ Zyppy

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Stylus

Industry Sundays: Invinceable, Tnt, Rocky, Rocko, Akademic, weekly guest DJs; 9pm-3am

MON Dec 16 BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

EXPRESSIONZ CAFÉ

Singer/songwriter open stage every Mon; 8pm; host changes weekly

Brittany Graling Music School (vocal/piano recital); 1:304:30pm

FANDANGO’S Sun Industry Night: House mix with DJ JEZ LF; Show and Shine/open stage every Sun: hosted by Marshall Lawrence; 6-11pm the Hog Jam: Hosted by Tony Ruffo; every Sun, 3:30-7pm

Sun; 9:30pm-1am

DUGGAN’S IRISH PUB

FIDDLER’S ROOST

Monday Nights Open stage hosted by Norm Sliter’s Capital City Jammers; all styles and skill levels welcome; 7:30pm; $3 cover

Slam

BRITTANY’S LOUNGE PJ

Perry every Wed; 8-11pm; $10

DUGGAN’S IRISH PUB ELEPHANT AND

Nest: mod, brit pop, new wave, British rock with DJ Blue Jay

CASTLE–Whyte Ave Open

Main Floor: Blue Jay’s Messy

DV8 T.F.W.O. Mondays:

Roots industrial,Classic Punk, Rock, Electronic with Hair of the Dave

TAVERN ON WHYTE

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

TUE Dec 17 ARTERY HungryHollow (folk rock, debut CD release), Rend, Big City Supreme; 7:30pm; $8 (adv)/$15 (door) BLUES ON WHYTE Anni

DRUID IRISH PUB

Jamhouse Tues hosted by Chris Wynters, guest FIDDLER’S ROOST Tuesday

Nights fiddle circle jam; all levels of musicians welcome; 7:30pm; $3 cover

mic every Wed (unless there’s an Oilers game); no cover

FANDANGO’S Wed open stage hosted by Michael Gress and Cody Noula; Original artist showcase at 9pm

FIDDLER’S ROOST

Wednesday Nights Folk and Roots Open Stage: amateur and professional musicians welcome; 7:30pm; $3

J+H PUB Acoustic open mic night hosted by Lorin Lynne

LEAF BAR AND GRILL

Wed variety night: with guitarist, Gord Matthews; every Wed, 8pm

MERCURY ROOM Little

Flower Open Stage every Wed with Brian Gregg; 8pm-12

NEW WEST HOTEL Free classic country dance lessons every Wed, 7-9pm OVERTIME Sherwood

J+H PUB Acoustic open mic night every Tue hosted

by Lorin Lynne; Everyone will have 10-15 minutes to play

Park Jason Greeley (acoustic rock, country, Top 40); 9pm2am every Wed; no cover

L.B.’S PUB Tue Variety Night

COMMUNITY HALL

Open stage with Darrell Barr; 7-11pm

O’BYRNE’S Celtic jam

every Tue; with Shannon Johnson and friends; 9:30pm

OVERTIME Sherwood Park The Campfire Heros

(acoustic rock, country, top 40); 9pm-2am every Tue; no cover

RICHARDS PUB

Barsnbands open stage hosted by Mark Ammar; every Tue; 7:30-11:30pm

RED PIANO Jamoeke

with the Nervous Flirts: Sing with the band; 8pm-12am; no cover

SHERLOCK HOLMES– DJs Main Floor: alternative retro

and not-so-retro, electronic and Euro with Eddie Lunchpail; Wooftop: The Night with No Name featuring DJs Rootbeard, Raebot, Wijit and guests playing tasteful, eclectic selections

DV8 Creepy Tombsday:

PLEASANTVIEW Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society; every Wed, 6:30-11pm; $2 (member)/$4 (non-member)

RED PIANO BAR Wed Night Live: hosted by dueling piano players; 8pm-1am; $5 THE RIG Open jam every

Wed hosted by Will Cole; 8pm -12am

SHERLOCK HOLMES– Downtown Joanne Janzen SHERLOCK HOLMES–U OF A Amie Weymes; 8pm WUNDERBAR Psychedelic Holiday Banger, Blackberry Wood, the McGowan Family Band; 9pm ZEN LOUNGE Jazz

Wednesdays: Kori Wray and Jeff Hendrick; every Wed; 7:30-10pm; no cover

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: RetroActive Radio:

Alternative ‘80s and ‘90s, post punk, new wave, garage, Brit, mod, rock and roll with LL Cool Joe

BRIXX BAR Really Good...

OVERTIME–Sherwood Park Monday Open Stage

RED STAR Experimental

Experience: Classics on Vinyl with Dane

PLEASANTVIEW

Indie rock, hip hop, electro with DJ Hot Philly; every Tue

COMMUNITY HALL

SUITE 69 Rockstar Tuesdays:

Happen: Alyssa McQuaig, Kings of Foxes, Higher and Higher; fundraiser for the Stollery

QUEEN ALEXANDRA

ROUGE RESTO-LOUNGE

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

Piper

BOHEMIA Edmonton Story

Psychobilly, Hallowe’en horrorpunk, deathrock with Abigail Asphixia and Mr Cadaver; every Tue

Acoustic instrumental old time fiddle jam every Mon; hosted by the Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Society; 7pm; contact Vi Kallio 780.456.8510

ON THE ROCKS Miracles

BLUES ON WHYTE Anni

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Piper

Ho Ho Ho Down with Cowpuncher; 10pm; no cover

Wed open mic with host Duff Robison

BLUES ON WHYTE Anni

Celtic Music with Duggan’s House Band 5-8pm

ARTERY’S Santa Santa

DJs

DUGGAN’S IRISH PUB

O’BYRNE’S Open mic every

Sound and Light show; We are

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

BETHEL LUTHERAN

Downtown Joanne Janzen

THE COMMON Get Down

ENCORE–WEM Every Sat:

Classical

Stylez; 9pm

Open mic with March Music Inc; Every Sun 7pm

HOG’S DEN PUB Rockin’

every Sat; 9pm

Party: Sister Gray (alt rock), the BlackStone, Green Light Disco, Oliver Buck; 7:30pm (door); $8 (adv)

Sleeman Mon: live music monthly; no cover; the Black Dog Customer X-mas Party

Know...: House and disco with Junior Brown, David Stone, Austin, and guests It’s Saturday Night: House and disco and everything in between with resident Dane

Christmas: Pro Coro Canada, Strathcona String Quartet, Edmonton Youth Choir; 2:30pm

Brunch: Jim Findlay Trio; 9am3pm; donations

WOlfe Band

MEAD HALL C E O Joey

BOHEMIA Acoustic Tue: Featuring Wares!

Whyte Ave Rob Taylor

mic every Sun hosted by Tim Lovett

S&M–STUDIO AND

LIVING Deep Winter Song–A Mystical Evening of Music and Story: Martin Kerr, Carrie Day, Gord Oaks, Marcus Fung, Cam Neufeld, dancers Nina Infinity and Raydel Portuondo, and other guests; 7pm (door), 7:30pm (music); $25 (adv at Earth’s General Store)/$30 (door)/$15 (youth/ low income)/free (child 9yrs and under)/$60 (family) FIRST BAPTIST

Spirit of Christmas: Edmonton Jazz Society presents Tommy Banks; 8pm (door), 9pm (show); $26 (member)/$30 (guest)

Open stage Wed with Trace Jordan; 8pm-12

Piper

Saturdays

Project; 8pm

Open Mic Night with Darrek Anderson from the Guaranteed; every Mon; 9pm

CENTRE FOR SPIRITUAL

WALKABOUT PUB–

DRUID IRISH PUB DJ

40 MUSIC

Saturdays: global sound and Cosmopolitan Style Lounging with DJ Mkhai

LOUNGE Ninjette

STARLITE ROOM TWRK,

DEC/14

PAWN SHOP Transmission

Brothers; 9pm

9pm

THE MIGHTY STEEDS, GOOD FRIDAY BRAWL, JOED D, ROBBIE (OLD TOWNS)

LUCKY 13 Every Fri and Sat

OVERTIME Sherwood

SHERLOCK HOLMES– Downtown Derina Harvey

DEC/13

Saturdays underground: House and Techno

ROUGE LOUNGE Rouge

The Fab Four; 6pm (door), 8pm (show); $29.50; sold out

WHITE KNIGHTS FINISH LAST,

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Collective

RED STAR Indie rock, hip hop, and electro every Sat with DJ Hot Philly and guests

PALACE CASINO The Rum

THE UNION PRESENTS

hop and dancehall with DJ Aiden Jamali; every Sat

Rock with Edmonton’s Hottest DJs

ON THE ROCKS Chronic

Park Dueling Pianos, all request live; 9pm-2am every Fri and Sat; no cover

MRG PROSUCTIONS PRESENTS

FLUID LOUNGE R&B, hip

Saturdays: Indie rock, new wave, classic punk with DJ Blue Jay and Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm (door); free (before 10pm)/$5 (after 10pm); 1st Sat each month

Country jam every Sat; 3-6pm

(UK) AND GUESTS

every Fri and Sat with DJ Stouffer

NEW WEST HOTEL

END OF THE WEAK PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

AUDIOFLY

FANDANGO’S DJs night

with resident DJ Chad Cook

DEC/20

DJ HIGH MAINTENANCE

Saturdays: Kindergarten

Mash up and Electro with DJ Tyco, DJ Omes with weekly guest DJs

WED Dec 18 ALBERTA BEACH HOTEL

Eats and Beats: every Wed with DJ Degree and Friends

THE COMMON The Wed

NIKKI DIAMONDS Punk and ‘80s metal every Wed

RED STAR Guest DJs

every Wed

TEMPLE Wild Style Wed: Hip hop open mic hosted by Kaz and Orv; $5

EVENTS WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM FAX: 780.426.2889 DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

COMEDY BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE • Underdog

Comedy show: Alternating hosts • Every Thu, 8-11pm • No cover

CENTURY CASINO • 13103 Fort Rd •

780.481.9857 • Open Mic Night: Every Thu; 7:30-9pm

COMEDY FACTORY • Gateway Entertain-

ment Centre, 34 Ave, Calgary Tr • Thu: 8:30pm; Fri: 8:30pm; Sat: 8pm and 10:30pm • Gif Skyving; Dec 12-14 • Gary Keshner; Dec 19-21• Bob Angeli; Dec 27-28

COMIC STRIP • Bourbon St, WEM •

780.483.5999 • Wed-Fri, Sun 8pm; Fri-Sat 10:30pm • Hit or Miss Mondays: Amateurs and Professionals every Mon, 7:30pm • Battle to the Funny Bone; last Tue each month, 7:30pm • Guy Torry; until Dec 15 • Godfrey; Dec 18-22 • JR Brow; Dec 26-29 • New Years Eve: JR Brow, Special Presentation; Dec 31

DRUID • 11606 Jasper Ave • 780.710.2119 • Comedy night open stage hosted by Lars Callieou • Every Sun, 9pm

FILTHY MCNASTY'S • 10511-82 Ave •

780.996.1778 • Stand Up Sundays: Stand-up comedy night every Sun with a different headliner every week; 9-11pm; no cover

KRUSH ULTRALOUNGE/CONNIE'S COMEDY • Komedy Krush following Capital City Singles' Mixer with P.J. McGuire (Vegas); call 780.914.8966 to get on roster • Dec 12, 9pm OVERTIME PUB • 4211-106 St • Open mic comedy anchored by a professional MC, new headliner each week • Every Tue • Free

ROUGE LOUNGE • 10111-117 St • Sterling Scott every Wed, 9pm RUMORS ULTRA LOUNGE • 8230 Gateway

Blvd • Every Thu Neon Lights and Laughter with host Sterling Scott and five comedians and live DJ TNT; 8:30pm

SIDELINERS PUB/CONNIE'S COMEDY •

Travelling Open Comedy mic with Darryl Junior Koszman, call 780.914.8966 to get on roster • Dec 17, 8pm

X-WRECKS /CONNIE'S COMEDY • Travel-

ling Open Comedy mic with P.J. McGuire (Vegas); call 780.914.8966 to get on roster • Dec 13, 8pm

VAULT PUB • 8214-175 St • Comedy with

Liam Creswick and Steve Schulte • Every Thu, at 9:30pm

ZEN LOUNGE • 12923-97 St • The Ca$h Prize comedy contest hosted by Matt Alaeddine and Andrew Iwanyk • Every Tue, 8pm • No cover GROUPS/CLUBS/MEETINGS AIKIKAI AIKIDO CLUB • 10139-87 Ave,

Old Strathcona Community League • Japanese Martial Art of Aikido • Every Tue 7:30-9:30pm; Thu 6-8pm

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL EDMONTON • 8307-109 St • edmontonamnesty.org • Meet the 4th Tue each month, 7:30pm (no meetings in Jul, Aug) E: amnesty@edmontonamnesty.org for more info • Free

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

BRAIN TUMOUR PEER SUPPORT GROUP

• Mount Zion Lutheran Church, 11533-135 St NW • braintumour.ca • 1.800.265.5106 ext.

234 • Support group for brain tumour survivors and their families and caregivers. Must be 18 or over • 3rd Mon every month; 7-8:45pm • Free

CANADIAN INJURED WORKERS ASSOCIATION OF ALBERTA (CIWAA) •

Augustana Lutheran Church, 107 St, 99 Ave • canadianinjuredworkers.com • Meeting every 3rd Sat, 1-4pm • Injured Workers in Pursuit of Justice denied by WCB

EDMONTON NATURE CLUB • The King’s

University College Atrium, 9125-50 St • Speakers this month will be club members Steve Knight and Gerald Romanchuk. Presenting stories and photos of adventures in chasing birds in Alberta, B.C., and Ontario • Dec 13, 7pm • Admission by donation

EDMONTON NEEDLECRAFT GUILD • Avonmore United Church Basement, 82 Ave, 79 St • edmNeedlecraftGuild.org • Classes/workshops, exhibitions, guest speakers, stitching groups for those interested in textile arts • Meet the 2nd Tue each month, 7:30pm EDMONTON UKULELE CIRCLE • Bogani Café, 2023-111 St • 780.440.3528 • 3rd Sun each month; 2:30-4pm • $5 FERTILITY AWARENESS CHARTING CIRCLE • Justisse-Healthworks for Women,

10145-81 Ave • justisse.ca • Meeting • Feb 3, 6:30-8:30pm • $10 (donation) Repeating dates: March 3, April 7.

FOOD ADDICTS • St Luke's Anglican Church, 8424-95 Ave • 780.465.2019, 780.634.5526 • 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 • 780.477.0683 • Downtown • Practice group meets every Thu

MADELEINE SANAM FOUNDATION •

Faculté St Jean, Rm 3-18 • 780.490.7332 • madeleine-sanam.org/en • Program for HIVAID’S prevention, treatment and harm reduction in French, English and other African languages • 3rd and 4th Sat, 9am-5pm each month • Free (member)/$10 (membership); pre-register

SONGWRITERS GROUP • The Carrot, 9351-118 Ave • 780.973.5311 • nashvillesongwriters.com • NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) meet the 2nd Mon each month, 7-9pm NORTHERN ALBERTA WOOD CARVERS ASSOCIATION • Duggan Community Hall,

3728-106 St • 780.435.0845 • nawca.ca • Meet every Wed, 6:30pm

ORGANIZATION FOR BIPOLAR AFFECTIVE DISORDER (OBAD) • Grey

Nuns Hospital, Rm 0651, 780.451.1755; Group meets every Thu, 7-9pm • Free

SAWA 12-STEP SUPPORT GROUP •

Braeside Presbyterian Church bsmt, N. door, 6 Bernard Dr, St Albert • For adult children of alcoholic and dysfunctional families • Every Mon, 7:30pm

SEVENTIES FOREVER MUSIC SOCIETY

• Call 587.520.3833 for location • deepsoul. ca • Combining music, garage sales, nature, common sense, and kindred karma to revitalize the inward persona • Every Wed, 7-8:30pm

SHERWOOD PARK WALKING GROUP + 50 • Meet inside Millennium Place, Sherwood

SUGAR FOOT BALLROOM • 10545-81 Ave

• 780.604.7572 • Swing Dance at Sugar Foot Stomp: beginner lesson followed by dance every Sat, 8pm (door)

TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY (TOPS)

• Grace United Church annex, 6215-104 Ave • Low-cost, fun and friendly weight loss group • Every Mon, 6:30pm • Info: call Bob 780.479.5519

THOUGHTFUL TUESDAY • King Edward

Community Small Hall, 8102-80 Ave • Movie Monday: Queen of the Sun; Dec 16, 7-9pm • Free; pre-register

TOASTMASTERS • Fabulous Facilitators

Toastmasters Club: 2nd Fl, Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Ave; 780.467.6013, l.witzke@shaw.ca; fabulousfacilitators.toastmastersclubs.org; Meet every Tue, 12:05-1pm • Y Toastmasters Club: Queen Alexandra Community League, 10425 University Ave (N door, stairs to the left); Meet every Tue, 7-9pm except last Tue ea month; Contact: Antonio Balce, 780.463.5331

QUEER AFFIRM SUNNYBROOK–Red Deer

• Sunnybrook United Church, Red Deer • 403.347.6073 • Affirm welcome LGBTQ people and their friends, family, and allies meet the 2nd Tue, 7pm, each month

BEERS FOR QUEERS • Empress Ale House,

9912 Whyte Ave • Meet the last Thu each month

BISEXUAL WOMEN'S COFFEE GROUP • A

social group for bi-curious and bisexual women every 2nd Tue each month, 8pm • groups.yahoo. com/group/bwedmonton

BUDDYS NITE CLUB • 11725 Jasper Ave •

780.488.6636 • Tue with DJ Arrow Chaser, free pool all night; 9pm (door); no cover • Wed with DJ Dust’n Time; 9pm (door); no cover • Thu: Men’s Wet Underwear Contest, win prizes, hosted

by Drag Queen DJ Phon3 Hom3; 9pm (door); no cover before 10pm • Fri Dance Party with DJ Arrow Chaser; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm • Sat: Feel the rhythm with DJ Phon3 Hom3; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm

WASKAHEGAN TRAIL HIKE • waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonalds, 1492087 Ave • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike from Fort Edmonton to Snow Valley witih hike leader Helen 780.468.4331 • Dec 15, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership)

Ave • 780.488.3234 • eplc.webs.com • Free year long course; Family circle 3rd Sat each month • Everyone welcome

WASKAHEGAN TRAIL HIKE • waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonalds, 1492087 Ave • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike from the John Jantzen Nature Centre to Snow Valley with hike leader Michele 780.417.6928 • Jan 5, 9:45am3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership)

EVOLUTION WONDERLOUNGE • 10220103 St • 780.424.0077 • yourgaybar.com • Community Tue: partner with various local GLBT groups for different events; see online for details • Happy Hour Wed-Fri: 4-8pm • Wed Karaoke: with the Mystery Song Contest; 7pm-2am • Fri: DJ Evictor • Sat: DJ Jazzy • Sun: Beer Bash

WASKAHEGAN TRAIL HIKE •

G.L.B.T. SPORTS AND RECREATION • teamedmonton.ca • Blazin' Bootcamp: Garneau Elementary School Gym, 10925-87 Ave; Every Mon and Thu, 7pm; $30/$15 (low income/student); E: bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca • Mindful Meditation: Pride Centre: Every Thu, 6pm; free weekly drop-in • Progressive Core Stability and Abdominal Training with Barb Turner: Parkallen Community League Hall; Every Thu, Sep-Dec 19, 6pm (beginner/intermediate), 7:15pm (advance); $50 (month), $200 (season) • Swimming–Making Waves: NAIT pool, 11762-106 St; E: swimming@teamedmonton.c; makingwavesswimclub.ca • Bowling: Bonnie Doon Bowling Lanes: Every Tue, 6:30pm; until Apr 1, 2014; $15/week • Volleyball: St Matthew Elementary School (NE): Tue, until Mar 11, 8-10pm; Stratford Junior-Senior High School (west end): every Tue, Mar 18-Apr 29, 7-9pm, $65 (season), $35 (Half season), $5 (drop-in) • Curling: Granite Curling Club: Every Tue, until Mar 25, 7pm • Martial Arts–Kung Fu and Kick Boxing: Every Tue and Thu, 6-7pm; GLBTQ inclusive adult classes at Sil-Lum Kung Fu; kungfu@ teamedmonton.ca, kickboxing@teamedmonton. ca, sillum.ca

waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: Capilano McDonalds, 9857-50 St • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike through the Kennedale Ravine to Sunridge with hike leader Sandra 780.467.9572 • Jan 12, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership)

WASKAHEGAN TRAIL HIKE • waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonalds, 1492087 Ave • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike from Laurier Park to Government House with hike leader Helen 780.468.4331 • Jan 19, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership) WASKAHEGAN TRAIL HIKE • waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonalds, Argyll Rd, 81 St • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike the Fort Sakatchewan city trails with hike leader Bev 780 469-7948 • Jan 26, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership) WILD ROSE ANTIQUE COLLECTORS SOCIETY • Delwood Community Hall, 7515

EPLC FELLOWSHIP PAGAN STUDY GROUP • Pride Centre of Edmonton, 10608-105

Delwood Rd • wildroseantiquecollectors.ca • Collecting and researching items from various periods in the history of Edmonton. Presentations after club business. Visitors welcome • Meets the 4th Mon of every month (except Jul & Dec), 7:30pm

G.L.B.T.Q SENIORS GROUP • S.A.G.E

WOMEN IN BLACK • In Front of the Old

ILLUSIONS SOCIAL CLUB • Pride Centre,

Strathcona Farmers' Market • Silent vigil the 1st and 3rd Sat, 10-11am, each month, stand in silence for a world without violence

LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS GREAT EXPEDITIONS • St Luke’s Angli-

canChurch, 8424-95 Ave • 780.469.3270 • 1st Mon every month, 7:30pm • Suggested donation of $3

Place • Weekly outdoor walking group; starts with a 10-min discussion, followed by a 30 to 40-min walk through Centennial Park, a cool down and stretch • Every Tue, 8:30am • $2/ session (goes to the Alzheimer’s Society of Alberta)

League Small Hall, 8008-81 St • Tue, Dec 17, 7-9pm • $25 pre-register at eventbrite.ca/ event/8641704571

SOCIETY OF EDMONTON ATHEISTS •

SEEING IS ABOVE ALL • Acacia Hall,

Stanley A. Milner Library, Centennial Rm (bsmt); edmontonatheists.ca; E: info@edmontonatheists.ca; Monthly roundtable 1st Tue each month

practices • Every Tue/Thu

HEALTHY, RAW AND VEGAN FOR THE HOLIDAYS • King Edward Community

10433-83 Ave, upstairs • 780.554.6133 • Free instruction into the meditation on the Inner Light • Every Sun, 5pm

Bldg, Craftroom, 15 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.474.8240 • Meeting for gay seniors, and for any seniors who have gay family members and would like some guidance • Every Thu, 1-4pm • Info: E: tuff @shaw.ca

10608-105 Ave • 780.387.3343 • edmontonillusions.ca • Crossdressers meet 2nd Fri each month, 7:30-9pm

INSIDE/OUT • U of A Campus • Campus-based organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transidentified and queer (LGBTQ) faculty, graduate student, academic, straight allies and support staff • 3rd Thu each month (fall/winter terms): Speakers Series. E: kwells@ualberta.ca LIVING POSITIVE • 404, 10408124 St • edmlivingpositive.ca • 1.877.975.9448/780.488.5768 • Confidential peer support to people living with HIV • Tue, 7-9pm: Support group • Daily drop-in, peer counselling MAKING WAVES SWIMMING CLUB •

geocities.com/makingwaves_edm • Recreational/competitive swimming. Socializing after

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

PRIDE CENTRE OF EDMONTON • Pride Centre of Edmonton, 10608-105 Ave • 780.488.3234 • A safe, welcoming, and nonjudgemental drop-in space, support programs and resources offered for members of the GLBTQ community, their families and friends • Daily: Community drop-in; support and resources. Queer library: borrowing privileges: Tue-Fri 12-9pm, Sat 2-6:30pm, closed Sun-Mon; Queer HangOUT (a.k.a. QH) youth drop-in: Tue-Fri 3-8pm, Sat 2-6:30pm, youth@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Counselling: Free, short-term by registered counsellors every Wed, 5:30-8:30pm, info/bookings: 780.488.3234 • Knotty Knitters: Knit and socialize in safe, accepting environment, all skill levels welcome; every Wed 6-8pm • QH Game Night: Meet people through board game fun; every Thu 6-8pm • QH Craft Night: every Wed, 6-8pm • QH Anime Night: Watch anime; every Fri, 6-8pm • Movie Night: Open to everyone; 2nd and 4th Fri each month, 6-9pm • Women’s Social Circle: Social support group for female-identified persons +18 years in the GLBT community; new members welcome; 2nd and 4th Thu, 7-9pm each month; andrea@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Men Talking with Pride: Support and social group for gay and bisexual men to discuss current issues; every Sun 7-9pm; robwells780@hotmail.com • TTIQ: a support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family/supporters; 3rd Mon, 7-9pm, each month • HIV Support Group: Support and discussion group for gay men; 2nd Mon, 7-9pm, each month; huges@shaw.ca PRIMETIMERS/SAGE GAMES • Unitarian Church, 10804-119 St • 780.474.8240 • Every 2nd and last Fri each Month, 7-10:30pm ST PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH • 11526-76

Ave • 780.436.1555 • People of all sexual orientations are welcome • Every Sun (10am worship)

WOMONSPACE • 780.482.1794 • womonspace.ca, womonspace@gmail.com • A Nonprofit lesbian social organization for Edmonton and surrounding area. Monthly activities, newsletter, reduced rates included with membership.

Confidentiality assured WOODYS VIDEO BAR • 11723 Jasper Ave

• 780.488.6557 • Mon: Amateur Strip Contest; prizes with Shawana • Tue: Kitchen 3-11pm • Wed: Karaoke with Tizzy 7pm-1am; Kitchen 3-11pm • Thu: Free pool all night; kitchen 3-11pm • Fri: Mocho Nacho Fri: 3pm (door), kitchen open 3-11pm

SPECIAL EVENTS CHRISTMAS REFLECTIONS • Fort Edmon-

ton • Until Dec 23

CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT ALBERTA LEGISLATURE • Legislature Bldg, 10800-97 Ave • Until Dec 24 • Free

DEEPSOUL.CA • 587.520.3833; text to:

780.530.1283 for location • Classic Covers Shindig Fundraiser • Every Sun: Sunday Jams with no Stan (CCR to Metallica), starring Chuck Prins on Les Paul Standard guitars: upcoming Century Casino show as well; Twilight Zone Razamanaz Tour; all ages • Fundraising for local Canadian Disaster Relief, the hungry (world-wide through the Canadian Food Grains Bank)

ETS CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOURS • North

Side of City Hall • See fabulous Christmas lights • Dec 13-15 • $5

A FILIPINO FUNDRAISER • Pawn Shop • Sun, Dec 22, 2-11pm

HAY RIDES AND PHOTOS WITH SANTA • Marketplace at Callingwood, 69 Ave and 178 St • callingwoodmarketplace.com • Get your photo taken with Santa, hop onto a free horse-drawn hay ride. Face painting, and festive colouring for the kids is also available • Dec 14, 11am-4pm POWER OF LOVE • Noorish Yoga, 8440-109 St, Downstairs • Join Andrew Misle and Teresa Byer for a Power Vinyasa class with the intention of spreading love to those in need • All donations to the Hope Mission and to Education and Action • Fri, Dec 20, 7:30-9pm • By donation

MUSIC 41

ADULTCLASSIFIEDS

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42 AT THE BACK

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

3.75” wide version

LUSTFORLIFE

BRENDA KERBER BRENDA@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Gift guide: vibrating veggies Unique and unusual sex-toy gift guide for the naughty list It's that time of year again: time for my annual list of unique and unusual sex toys. If you're still struggling to find something for that hard-to-buy-for pervert on your naughty list, check out these gift ideas.

so you can take them anywhere. They come in your choice of egg, shrimp, tuna or octopus. The site promises vibration that is "fresh, raw and delicious."

same time. Why? I can't quite figure that out. But the package has an adorable cartoon that's worth the purchase price alone.

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For the lover of luxury: If your naughty list includes someone with a weakness for high-end indulgence, check For the food enthusiast: It seems food out Betony Vernon's erotic jewellry and sex naturally go together. Ever year collection. It inthere seems to be a gold and a bumper crop of It plugs directly into your car lighter. It's perfect cludes pearl massage ring, food-themed toys. for traffic jams, long road trips and taming that a gold clit clamp Here's what I've and my personal discovered this nasty road rage. favourite, sterling year. silver ben wa balls on a chain. After she finishes her kegel for this little guy—it plugs directly into The corn cob glass dildo. This yellow workout, she can hang the balls around your car lighter. It's perfect for traffic glass dil looks exactly like an ear of jams, long road trips and taming that her neck as a stylish accessory. The Ben corn, niblets and all.

Wa chain is priced at $2415. nasty road rage. driving anya div.Distracted of Kokotilo Holdings Inc. one?

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FIREFIGHTING & POLICING super-sexy name—Whiskey Dick. Now silicone vibrating replica of the Eiffel Pass the butter-flavoured lube! when he tells you that he's got a case Tower. Don't worry, the designers had the forethought to round off that of Whiskey Dick, it's not necessarily a If corn doesn't make you hysterical, bad thing. V pointy spire at the top. the same company that brought you the corn cob glass dildo also makes the Brenda Kerber is a sexual health educaFor the one you love or would love glass banana dildo. to love: Looking for a gift to bring you tor who has worked with local not-forBut if fruits and vegetables don't fit profits since 1995. She is the owner of and that special someone even closer? the bill, you can pick up the sushi vibrathe Edmonton-based, sex-positive adult tor. These small bullet type vibrators Pick up a pair of Fundies. These bikini toy boutique the Traveling Tickle Trunk. briefs are built for two to wear at the come with a handy keychain attached For the commuter: Do you know someone who spends a lot of time on the road? Why not get her a Rabbit Travel Vibrator? No batteries required

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VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

AT THE BACK 43

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

DAN SAVAGE SAVAGELOVE@VUEWEEKLY.COM

MATT JONES JONESINCROSSWORDS@VUEWEEKLY.COM

“’Round Here”-- a token of my gratitude.

NOT SEXED ENOUGH

Across

1 Martial artist in “Lethal Weapon 4” 6 River that empties into the Caspian 10 Take quickly 14 Sweeping 15 Heat up in a hurry 16 Prefix that means “transcending” 17 Do a radio remembrance of a late Pantera founder?

19 Critters that may be “live” 20 Alternatives to Cokes 21 Portrayer of Ricky on “I Love Lucy” 22 “___ Lang Syne” 24 Metal coating that’s all the rage?

29 Another, in Argentina 30 Open a barrel 31 Electric fan setting 32 Altar area 35 Nicolas whom “Dog the Bounty Hunter” once posted bail for 36 Bilbao bear 37 Cater a party for Drew Brees?

42 Overly permissive 43 The Runnin’ Rebels of the NCAA 44 Some, in Seville 45 Lob’s trajectory 46 “___ recall...”

47 Right in the atlas 50 Punch out the clown from “It”?

55 A restaurant may hold it for you 56 Inkling 57 “Do Ya” rock group 59 “Burlesque” actress 61 Ubiquitous arcade game message, or a hint to this puzzle’s theme 64 Means 65 Drama king?

66 Water park slide 67 Some stocking stuffers 68 ___ of thousands 69 Logical flaws

Down

1 Hook-shaped ski lift 2 “Love Story” novelist Segal 3 Trunk 4 Youngster 5 Statement of denial 6 World Heritage Site org.

44 AT THE BACK

7 His fame involved a lot of twists 8 Wanted poster letters 9 21, often 10 “New car” or “burning tire” 11 TV ad come-on 12 The Falcons, on scoreboards 13 Pump contents 18 Former Israeli PM Golda 23 Word with crust or hand 25 Open-___ shoes 26 Coup d’___ 27 1900 Puccini premiere 28 Furry movie creatures 32 Insurance co. with a “spokesduck” 33 Oyster’s offering 34 “American Pie,” e.g.

35 Honda SUV 38 Visibly nervous 39 Pristine, to Brits 40 “That’s ___!”

41 “___ digress...”

47 “___ Game” (2013 film) 48 Yesterday, in Cuba 49 1980s timepiece 51 “Who ___?”

52 Jewish month that sounds like a car 53 Asian economic hub 54 Best of the best 58 Binary digits 59 Where Alabama may be viewed, for short 60 Follower of boo, yoo or woo 62 Wedding column word 63 Stand-up comic Margaret ©2013 Jonesin' Crosswords

I'm a straight woman who loves my boyfriend, but sex isn't a priority for me. His sex drive, on the other hand, is ridiculous. He gets very upset when I don't have sex with him and accuses me of not being interested in him anymore, which isn't the case. I just can't fuck on demand! Most people would probably say that my boyfriend is an insensitive asshole for pressuring me for sex. Except this was a switcheroo exercise: I, the girlfriend, want more sex. He, my boyfriend, doesn't see sex as a priority. When we first started dating, we had sex every day—it was incredible—but around the four-month mark, something changed. I've had to beg for it ever since—and I mean beg. I give him space, I take care of things on my own for as long as I can and right around the time when I feel myself start to get really anxious, I ask for sex. And I am rejected. Only when I'm so hurt that I'm literally sobbing on the floor is he suddenly interested in having sex with me. Right then, right there. It happens about twice a month. I don't know what to do. I love him so much and would be a fool to leave him.

Other than the sex, everything is wonderful. He is the best and most thoughtful boyfriend ever, but he says he likes being the one who's controlling the sex. Maybe I am just being a colossal asshole?

My problem sounds mundane, I know, but it's killing me.

Sexless And Depressed

years fly by, and the emotionally abusive games that cause you so much pain—pain that, again, seems to give him pleasure—will metastasize, spreading from your sex life to other areas of your life. The more difficult extricating yourself from this relationship becomes, SAD, the less wonderful and thoughtful he'll become.

End it now.

CONDOMS OR GOODBYE

I recently ended things with a guy I liked because he wanted to stop using condoms, but he balked when I said we should both get tested for sexually transmitted infections. He said he felt I didn't trust him. I tried to explain that trust has nothing to do with it and that if he didn't care whether I felt safe, I shouldn't trust him. That was the end of it. I'm not seeing this guy anymore. But what do you say to someone who conflates a request for STI testing with a lack of trust?

Seeking Truthful Insight "Bye."

please? Perhaps we can honour the differences between our experience and the LGBT experience with an ampersand. What do you think of LGBT&P? Privately Polyamorous Person You haven't been keeping up, PPP. We are no longer the LGBT community. We are the LGBTQLFTSQIA community, aka the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, leather/fetish, two-spirit, questioning, intersex, and asexual community/communities. I don't see why we can't slap a "P" onto the end of our acronym, so say it with me now: "I'm proud to be a member of the LGBTQLFTSQIAP community/communities!"

But I have to draw the line at the ampersand. Because if we give poly folks a punctuation mark, PPP, then soon everybody is gonna want a punctuation mark and our ever-metastasizing acronym is an unwieldy, sprawling enough mess already. So no special punctuation mark rights for you guys, PPP. And why should poly folks be held at arm's length with an ampersand? Because most poly folks are straight?

Lots of leather/fetish folks are straight and they're covered in the acronym. Lots of trans men and trans women are straight and they're covered.

David Jay, founder of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network, "is in a romantic relationship with an asexual girlfriend and hopes to adopt a child," according to his Wiki page, and he's covered. If the Ts and LFs and As aren't being held with a pair of punctuational tongs, PPP, why should poly folks be? You're a sexual minority, too, and poly people sometimes face discrimination, bigotry and oppression. So welcome to the club, PPP. Congrats!

And here's the best part of putting poly folks in the acronym: it brings us one step closer to seizing control of the entire alphabet.

While religious conservatives are fighting a losing battle to "take back the rainbow" from the gays— a movement led by a fundamentalist preacher in Washington State— we've been making off with the alphabet one letter at a time. Pretty soon, angry religious conservatives will have to post their hateful screeds in hieroglyphics because using the alphabet will be just as gay as putting a rainbow bumper sticker on your car.

So ... gee ... maybe I ought to let you have your ampersand. Why not steal punctuation marks from the haters, too?

And here’s the best part about putting poly folks in the acronym: it brings us one step closer to seizing control of the entire alphabet.

Sorry, SAD, but relationship graveyards around the world are crowded with tombstones that read, "Everything was great ... other than the sex."

And this isn't your mundane, runof-the-mill mismatched libido problem, which is bad enough (and, as I've written until my fingers are bleeding, reason enough to end a relationship.) You're dating a guy who can get it up only when he sees his girlfriend sobbing on the floor—that's apparently what it takes to make his dick hard—and this sobbing-on-the-floor shit goes down twice a month. I can only conclude that this is how your boyfriend likes it, SAD. He's turned on only when you're not just miserable but pushed past the breaking point.

DTMFA. Frequency is not a problem that improves with time, SAD. A boyfriend who wants sex only twice a month at four months into a relationship—and then only when his girlfriend is sobbing—won't want sex once a week five or 10 years in. You know what else doesn't improve with time? Assholery. I promise you that the "wonderful" and "thoughtful" will diminish as the

LGBT&P?

My husband and I have been married for 20 years and we both also share our lives with additional partners. Rather than spend a lot of time dishing about who and how we love—and how fortunate we feel!—I'd like to get right to my plea for support. I want freedom. I want the freedom in my life that I've always wanted for you, Dan: to be able to live and love and talk about your actual life without being afraid that it could cost you your job, your kids, your family. Having to live in the closet is difficult.

I cannot say that it is as difficult for us as it is for someone who is LGBT. I did not know I was "poly" as a kid. I never felt like I didn't fit in for that reason growing up—and I agree with you that this is a relationship structure rather than a sexual orientation. But it doesn't matter. This isn't a contest about who suffers more or where these things come from. Instead, I think we should ask ourselves if we stand for the same things and if we can become part of a movement toward freedom and equality for everyone, even if some of the ways we live and love are choices and some are not. The progress we have made together toward a more tolerant world for gay people gives me hope that we could be next. I don't think you are the emperor of acronyms, Dan, but you should be and that is why I am starting with you. So can we be added to the acronym,

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

On the Savage Lovecast, hear the tale of a college slut-shaming intervention: savagelovecast.com. V @fakedansavage on Twitter

CLASSIFIEDS

1600.

Volunteers needed at CHED Santas Anonymous

To place an ad PHONE: 780.426.1996 / FAX: 780.426.2889 EMAIL: classifieds@vueweekly.com 1600.

Volunteers Wanted

Are You Looking for a Great Volunteer Experience?

Habitat for Humanity’s On-Tap volunteer program allows busy people to get out and volunteer when they can This is a new volunteer program designed for busy volunteers who need to schedule shifts with very short notice. If you would like to volunteer but struggle to commit to a shift until the last minute because your schedule is so hectic, contact us to get more information about the On-Tap program. angela@hfh.org or 780-451-3416 ext 223.

HFH.org Are You Looking for a Great Volunteer Experience?

Habitat for Humanity’s On-Tap volunteer program allows busy people to get out and volunteer when they can ON-TAP VOLUNTEERS This is a new volunteer program designed for busy volunteers who need to schedule shifts with very short notice. If you would like to volunteer but struggle to commit to a shift until the last minute because your schedule is so hectic, contact us to get more information about the On-Tap program. angela@hfh.org or 780-451-3416 ext 223.

HFH.org Bells will be ringing November 14th - December 24th for the 2013 Christmas Kettle Campaign We are looking for volunteers to come out and ring in Christmas to help us reach our goal of $500,000.

We have 9000 volunteer hours to fill. If you have a few hours we would love to have you join us.

Call 780-423-2111 ext 241 to sign up or email:

edmonton_kettles@can.salvation army.org or online

http://www.salvationarmy.ca/ volunteer/

If you can’t make it out to a kettle but would still like to give visit: www.fillthekettle.com Can You Read This?

Help someone Who can’t!

Volunteer 2 hours a week and help someone improve their Reading, Writing, Math or English Speaking Skills.

Call Valerie at P.A.L.S 780-424-5514 or email palsvol@shaw.ca Growing Facilitators Volunteer Opportunity Sustainable Food Edmonton offers a Little Green Thumbs indoor gardening program to schools and childcare agencies and we are looking for volunteers. A green thumb is not a pre-requisite. However, gardening experience and a passion for children and youth are an asset. For info and volunteer application form: www.sustainablefoodedmonton.o rg

Habitat For Humanity is building a pool of volunteers to help us with renovations at our newest ReStore.

Flexible hours, no experience necessary If interested, please contact Evan at ehammer@hfh.org or call (780) 451-3416

1600.

Volunteers Wanted

Habitat for Humanity is building at Neufeld Landing!

We are actively scheduling individuals and groups of volunteers for Canada’s largest project located in South Edmonton’s Rutherford area.

To get involved, go to www.hfh.org and register as a volunteer. Questions? Contact Kim. Beginners to trades people welcome. We provide all tools, equipment and lunch.

All volunteers participate in onsite safety orientation/training. No minimum number of shifts required.

Contact for more info about the event: Kim Sherwood 780-451-3416 ksherwood@hfh.org Habitat for Humanity requires volunteers for our prefab shop.

We are now booking 10 – 15 volunteers per day Beginners to trades people welcome to help us build walls for our build projects. We provide all tools and equipment. All volunteers participate in onsite safety orientation/training. No minimum number of shifts required.

Contact for more info about the event: Kim Sherwood 780-451-3416 ksherwood@hfh.org Habitat for Humanity requires volunteers for our ReStores We are recruiting customer service volunteers to help us at least one shift per week at store locations in north, south or west Edmonton. Customer service volunteers at our new and used building supplies stores help customers, load vehicles, clean items, stock shelves and many other tasks.

Help our community to recycle everything from furniture to building supplies!

Contact for more info about the event: Evan Hammer 780-451-3416 ehammer@hfh.org Help someone in crisis take that first step towards a solution. The Support Network`s Crisis Support Centre is looking for volunteers for Edmonton`s 24-Hour Distress Line. Interested or want to learn more? Contact Lindsay at 780-732-6648 or visit our website: www.TheSupportNetwork.com Help someone in crisis take those first steps towards a solution. The Support Network`s Crisis Support Centre is looking for volunteers for Edmonton`s 24-Hour Distress Line. Interested or want to learn more? Contact Lindsay at 780-732-6648 or visit our website: www.TheSupportNetwork.com Help the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation create a future without breast cancer through volunteerism.

Contact 1-866-302-2223 or ivolunteer@cbcf.org for current volunteer opportunities Needed for our Long Term Care residence, daytime volunteers for various activities or just for a friendly visit!

Please contact Janice at Extendicare Eaux Claires for more details jgraff@extendicare.com (780) 472 - 1106

1600.

Volunteers Wanted

Volunteers Wanted

Room to Read is changing children’s lives in Asia and Africa through literacy programs and gender equality.

Join our Edmonton team and help us plan events to support our work, and spread the word about our amazing results.

Edmonton@roomtoread.org www.roomtoread.org Strathcona County Victim Services Unit Become a Volunteer Advocate and work in conjunction with the RCMP to provide assistance, support, information and referrals to victims of crime and trauma in Strathcona County Advocates must live in the area, complete an RCMP Security Clearance and Alberta Solicitor General Training prior to volunteering. On-going professional development and training sessions are available and are provided at no cost to volunteers. The opportunity to attend conferences, seminars and workshops are also available.

If you have an interest in helping people within your community, and want to engage in challenging work in a team environment.......contact Stacey @ 780-410-4331 or stacey.grilo@strathcona.ca for more information.

Volunteering - Does your employer have a Day of Caring program?

We invite you to come and spend some time with us at Habitat for Humanity!

It’s easy to sign up a group of volunteers to work on one of our builds. Volunteers from beginners to garage “putterers”, to trades people come out and help us to build homes for families in our community. We provide all tools, equipment, safety gear and lunch. Volunteers work in small crews under the direction of our site supervisors. Our primary focus is safety and we have a fun, welcoming environment that’s great for an employee group to experience giving back to community together.

For more information, go to our website at www.hfh.org or contact Kim at 780-451-3416 ext 232.

Volunteering - Improve the Lives of Children in the Developing World Room to Read is changing the lives of children in Asia and Africa through literacy programs and gender equality.

Join our Edmonton team and help us plan events to support our programs, and spread the word about the fantastic results we are achieving. Skills in event planning, PR, marketing, graphic design are needed, but not essential. We welcome all volunteers. If this sounds interesting, email us at Edmonton@roomtoread.org

BOOK YOUR CLASSIFIED AD TODAY! CALL ANDY 780.426.1996

CHED Santas Anonymous has been delivering the spirit of Christmas to the less fortunate children for 59 years in the City of Edmonton. To help with this work, we are looking for people to volunteer as 50/50 Ticket Sellers at two hockey games at Rexall place.

Oil Kings Game - Friday, December 6th. This will be a very exciting game as Santas volunteers will not only be selling the 50/50 tickets, we will also be selling Chuck Pucks and there will be a Teddy Bear Toss. At the first Oil Kings goal there will be a cascade of teddy bears as fans toss stuffed toys onto the ice.

Time commitment will be from 5pm to around 9pm, Dec 6th.

Oilers Game - Saturday, December 21st. Because it is so close to Christmas this is a great date for Santas volunteers to be selling 50/50s at an Oiler Game. The public will be responding very positively to our presence making for a very exciting event.Time commitment will be from 4:30pm to about 9:30pm Dec 21st.

For more information, visit our website at http://santasanonymous.ca , email

volunteer@santasanonymous.ca

or call Janet at 780 428-8697.

Thank You!

Volunteers needed at CHED Santas Anonymous CHED Santas Anonymous has been delivering the spirit of Christmas to the less fortunate children for 59 years in the City of Edmonton.

To help with this work, we are looking for people to volunteer as Greeters welcoming and signing in our warehouse volunteers. Our warehouse is located at 12345 121ST, inside Northgate Industries. Shifts available are: Saturday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm on Nov 16, Nov 23, Nov 30 and Dec7.

Sunday afternoons from 1pm to 3pm on Nov 17, Nov 24, Dec 1 and Dec 8.

Tuesday daytime hours available on Nov 19, Nov 26, Dec 3 and Dec 10.

Thursday afternoons from 3pm to 5pm on Nov 21.

For more information, visit our website at http://santasanonymous.ca , email

volunteer@santasanonymous.ca

or call Janet at 780 428-8697.

We’re Seeking Volunteers for Our Casino! Workshop West We are holding our casino on January 1 and 2, 2014 at the Palace Casino, located at West Edmonton Mall. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Natalia at tickets@workshopwest.org Volunteering for Workshop West Theatre is a great opportunity for independent theatre artists who are looking for affordable rehearsal space.

For every hour that you volunteer at our casino, you get three hours of free rehearsal space at EPIC Underground. For more information on EPIC Underground, email tickets@workshopwest.org

1600.

Volunteers Wanted

Volunteers needed at CHED Santas Anonymous CHED Santas Anonymous has been delivering the spirit of Christmas to the less fortunate children for 59 years in the City of Edmonton.

To help with this work, we are looking for people to volunteer as Toy Pickup Drivers collecting our toy donations from various locations around the city. To be eligible for this work, you must have a vehicle, show us your valid driver’s license and insurance and be willing to undergo a police check. You will need your vehicle for two or three trips a week to your location, where you will fill up the supplied bags with toy donations and bring them to our warehouse at Northgate Industries (12345 121 ST).

For more information, visit our website at http://santasanonymous.ca , email volunteer@santasanonymous.ca

or call Janet at 780 428-8697

Toy Pickup Drivers for CHED Santas Anonymous are needed at these locations: CHED RADIO STATION (5204 84 ST) - We need four volunteers for this location; one person for each day of the week, Tue-Frid. Pickups must be done before 5pm.

COSTCO SOUTH (2616 91 ST NW) - We would like to see two teams share this location (alternate days).

MILLWOODS TOWN CENTER (2331 66 ST NW) - We would like to see two teams share this location (alternate days).

2005.

Artist to Artist

2013 Palaeo Arts Contest at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller, AB. This year, our scientists have selected a Stygimoloch skull to discover and interpret through art. Our annual Palaeo Arts Contest is open to all grade levels, has prizes for every winner, including two $500 draw prizes that are awarded to schools, and offers the chance to have students’ winning artwork displayed at the Museum.

For more information, including topics for each grade level, visit: http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/ Palaeo_Arts_Contest.htm.

Art Gallery of St Albert (AGSA), a contemporary public art gallery, seeks submissions from artists working in all styles and mediums for exhibition in the 2015 calendar year.

Submissions are adjudicated by a panel of visual art professionals who represent a spectrum of expertise in the visual arts.

The artists chosen to exhibit receive CARFAC fees.

Deadline for submissions: Saturday, March 1, 2014, 5 pm For more information: Jenny Willson-McGrath, Exhibition Curator 780.651.5741 I jennyw@artsheritage.ca Botanical Artists of Canada (BAC) – Juried Exhibition, The Four Seasons, March 26 – April 6, 2014, Paper Mill Gallery, Toronto.

SOUTHGATE MALL (5015 111 ST NW) WEEKDAYS - We would like to see two teams share this location (alternate days).

Entry deadline: Friday, January 10, 2014.

WALMART WINDEMERE (6110 Currents DR NW) - We would like to see two teams share this location (alternate days).

www.botanicalartistsofcanada.org/ join.

ON CALL DRIVERS sometimes a location driver cannot make a trip and the location will call us asking for a pickup as their box is full.

We need people who are available either morning or afternoons in all sections of town.

Volunteers needed at CHED Santas Anonymous CHED Santas Anonymous has been delivering the spirit of Christmas to the less fortunate children for 59 years in the City of Edmonton. To help with this work, we have been granted a booth at the Edmonton Christmas Show 2013 which runs from Nov 28 to Dec 1st. We are looking for volunteers to help us man the booth. Shifts are mornings, afternoons and evenings. We will be setting up a silent auction table and a table with information on CHED Santas Anonymous.

Please visit our website at http://santasanonymous.ca for more information on CHED Santas Anonymous and the Edmonton Christmas Show 2013 event.

Open to all BAC members in good standing; non-members may join prior to entering exhibition

Submission fee $45 for up to three works.

Awards: Best in show – $350 and three other awards – $150 each.

To download the call for entries: http://www.botanicalartistsofca nada.org/exhibitions/calls-forentries For more information or questions, email exhibition coordinator Gerry Jenkison, gerry@jenkisonnetwork.com Call for Submissions : FAVA FEST FILM AND VIDEO ARTS FESTIVAL MARCH 25 – 29, 2014 FAVA FEST exposes the larger community to the artistic work of membership, stimulates new work, rewards past success and just generally makes a bigger noise about FAVA.

Interested people may contact Janet at

Hosting a media art gear expo and BBQ, screen 30-40 films directed by Northern Alberta filmmakers, hold an Artist Talk or Panel ( 2013-brought in noted Art Director Todd Cherniawsky) and give away $20,000 worth of awards at FAVA GALA – a celebration of excellence in media arts and FAVA’s big fundraiser for the year.

or 780-428-8697.

Festival details and schedule to come in early 2014.

volunteer@santasanonymous.ca

2005.

Artist to Artist

ARTIST requires agent/manager to assist in selling ART. Commission is generous percentage % .

Contact BDC at monkeywrench@live.ca

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

Paintings done especially for sale, its a type of pop art and they’re female. 26 to choose from, 16” x 16”. fancy triangle lips Mr. Jim Willans 780-438-1969

2005.

Artist to Artist

STUDENT POSTCARD EXCHANGE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS, THEME: MAPPING Create a postcard that follows the theme of MAPPING. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about mapping, these are only to start thinking about your piece and in no way are meant to be restrictive. Maps can direct you where to go; they can chart both physical places and ideas. Technology has changed the way that we understand mapping. Maps are no longer a static representation of space but change as quickly as the place that they represent. They can record public knowledge or a private understanding of an environment; they can be clear or cryptic. For this exhibition artists can make up to 2 original postcards. Postcards must be 2-dimensional, 4 x 6 inch postcards. Artists are encouraged to use any media (drawing, print media, painting, collage, etc.).

Submission Deadline (postmarked by): Friday, December 13, 2013 Please contact Brittney Roy for more details. harcourtexhibit@shaw.ca 780.426.4180

Teatro dell’Eco & Dramanation Theatre Company is looking for volunteer actors for a monthly variety show.

Auditions will take place December 18th from 3pm to 5pm.

To book your audition or for more information contact Daunia: daunia.delben@hotmail.com

The Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) is pleased to announce the 2015 Alberta Biennial of Contemporary Art Call for Submissions is now open to resident Alberta artists. Details of the call, which closes at 4 pm on Friday, December 13, 2013, can be found at youraga.ca. The exhibition will be on view at the AGA in early 2015 All resident Alberta artists are eligible to submit works for consideration.

Submissions should include: a curriculum vitae; a brief artist’s statement; a CD with a maximum of 20 images formatted as a PowerPoint presentation of recent work (with artist’s name, title, media and date of work clearly indicated for each image) or a maximum of three videos or DVDs for media or time-based work; and a self-addressed envelope with appropriate postage for return delivery if required.

Submissions should be sent directly to the Art Gallery of Alberta by Friday, December 13, 2013 by 4 pm. Please visit youraga.ca for more information

The Paint Spot, Edmonton would like to extend an invitation to your organization, club, society, school or association to make use of the many exhibition opportunities we offer to members of the Alberta art community.

We encourage individuals and curators, particularly those who are emerging, as well as groups, to make exhibition proposals to our galleries: Naess, Gallery, Artisan Nook, and the Vertical Space.

For further information on these three show spaces, please visit our website, www.paintspot.ca

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2005.

Artist to Artist

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta Gears Up for the 2014 Alberta Literary Awards!

The Writers’ Guild of Alberta (WGA) is preparing to celebrate another successful year with the 2014 Alberta Literary Awards. Writers from across Alberta and their publishers are invited to check out and submit to this year’s award categories. The deadline for submissions to the Alberta Literary Awards is December 31, 2013.

For more information and submission guidelines, please visit www.writersguild.ab.ca

2010.

Musicians Available

Old shuffle blues drummer available for gigs.

Influences: B.B. King, Freddy King, etc.

780-462-6291

2020.

Musicians Wanted

Experienced drummer wanted Double-kick, influences Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Rehearsal space a possibility as well.

Call Randy at 780-479-8766 Guitarists, bassists, vocalists, pianists and drummers needed for good paying teaching jobs.

Please call 780-901-7677

3100. Appliances/Furniture Old Appliance Removal Removal of unwanted appliances. Must be outside or in your garage.

Rates start as low as $30.

Call James @780.231.7511 for details

8005.

Services

ARTIST Wanting to donate artwork to ANY CHARITY. 8” x 10” prints of pencil drawings. 100% of proceeds go to charity.

Contact BDC for more info: monkeywrench@live.ca

Housemaid/House Sitter available.

Rate negotiable w/rent also Interested parties fax c/o VUE WEEKLY at 780-426-2889

ALBERTA-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS •• AUCTIONS •• NEED TO ADVERTISE? Province wide classifieds. Reach over 1 million readers weekly. Only $269. + GST (based on 25 words or less).

Call this newspaper NOW for details or call 1-800-282-6903 ext. 228.

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•• EMPLOYMENT •• OPPORTUNITIES POST FRAME BUILDERS - Prairie Post Frame’s premium buildings with competitive pricing has resulted in an unprecedented growth. We are looking for additional outstanding builders.

Please contact Phil: phil@prairiepostframe.ca. 1-855-767-8275.

Tired of semi truck driving? Haul RVs from USA to Western Canada!

1 ton trucks required. 1-800-8676233; www.roadexservices.com.

IRON WING HOLDINGS LTD. now accepting resumes for Journeyman Mechanic and Class 1 Tank Truck Drivers. Send resume: Attention: Laurier Laprise. Email: laurier.l@ ironwing.ca or fax 780-396-0078.

JOURNALISTS, Graphic Artists, Marketing and more. Alberta’s weekly newspapers are looking for people like you. Post your resume online. Free. Visit: www. awna.com/resumes_add.php.

INTERIOR HEAVY EQUIPMENT Operator School. No Simulators. Inthe-seat training. Real world tasks.

Weekly start dates. Job board!

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JOURNEYMAN AUTOMOTIVE Service Technician(s) in Hanna Alberta. Hanna Chrysler Ltd. offers competitive wages from $32/hour, negotiable depending on experience. Bright, modern shop. Full-time permanent with benefits. Friendly town just 2 hours from major urban centres. More info at: hannachrysler.ca. Fax 403-854-2845; Email: chrysler@telusplanet.net.

MOVIE THEATRE with attached suite in Provost, Alberta. 100 seats. New digital Real 3-D projection equipment. Selling for health reasons. Call Bruc 780-753-4703 or 780-753-0189.

CURLING EQUIPMENT HEADQUARTERS! Great Christmas Gifts. Shoes, brushes, jackets, timers, gloves, sticks, crutches, Hardline Icepad2, etc. Pro Shop, Red Deer Curling Centre.

Phone 1-403-346-3777. Email: proshop@reddeercurling.ca.

STEEL BUILDING. “The Big Year End Clear Out!” 20x22 $4,259.

25x24 $4,684. 30x34 $6,895.

35x36 $9,190. 40x48 $12,526.

47x70 $17,200. One end wall included. Pioneer Steel 1-800668-5422; www.pioneersteel.ca.

EVERY WATER WELL on earth should have the patented “Kontinuous Shok” Chlorinator from Big Iron Drilling! Why? Save thousands of lives every year. www.1-800bigiron. com. Phone 1-800-BIG-IRON.

•• MANUFACTURED •• HOMES UNITED HOMES CANADA invites you to view our Heated display homes. Purchase today at 2012 pricing. Inventory clearance starting at $92,500.; www.unitedhomescanada.com. 148 Eastlake Blvd., Airdrie. 1-800-461-7632.

•• PERSONALS •• SISTER MINA Psychic Reader, healer & advisor. Tarot card, palm & photograph readings. Helps in all aspects of love, marriage, business, health. 100% guaranteed, 35 year’s experience. Call today - solve problems tomorrow. 587-930-7675.

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•• SERVICES •• DO YOU NEED to borrow money - Now? If you own a home or real estate, Alpine Credits will lend you money - It’s that simple. 1-877-486-2161.

CRIMINAL RECORD? Think: Canadian pardon. U.S. travel waiver. (24 hour record check).

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FAST AND EASY LOANS! Bad credit accepted! Get up to $25,000 on your vehicle, mobile-home, land or equipment.

1st and 2nd mortgages. www. bhmcash.com. 403-879-9929.

GPRC, Fairview Campus, Alberta needs Power Engineering Instructors. No teaching experience, no problem. Please contact Brian Carreau at 780-835-6631 and/or visit our website at www.gprc.ab.ca.

GET BACK on track! Bad credit?

Bills? Unemployed? Need money?

We lend! If you own your own home - you qualify. Pioneer Acceptance Corp. Member BBB. 1-877-9871420; www.pioneerwest.com.

METAL ROOFING & SIDING. Very competitive prices! Largest colour selection in Western Canada. Available at over 25 Alberta Distribution Locations. 40 Year Warranty. Call 1-888-263-8254.

46 AT THE BACK

STEEL BUILDINGS/METAL BUILDINGS 60% off! 20x28, 30x40, 40x62, 45x90, 50x120, 60x150, 80x100, sell for balance owed! Call 1-800-457-2206; www.crownsteelbuildings.ca.

HEAVY DUTY Mechanic/Shop Foreman. Experienced in hydraulics, diesel engines, prime movers, tracked vehicles as well as spray equipment.

This is an opportunity for field work and shop. Please send resume to: acemail@acevegetation.com or fax 780-955-9426 or mail to: Ace, 2001 - 8 St., Nisku, AB, T9E 7Z1.

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Equity Mortgages for purchases, debt consolidation, foreclosures, renovations. Bruised credit, selfemployed, unemployed ok. Dave Fitzpatrick: www.albertalending.ca.

587-437-8437, Belmor Mortgage.

ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19): Franklin D Roosevelt was elected President of the United States four times, more often than any other president. We can conclude that he was one of the most popular American leaders ever. And yet he never won a majority of the votes cast by the citizens of his home county in New York. I foresee the possibility of a comparable development in your life. You may be more successful working on the big picture than you are in your immediate situation. It could be easier for you to manoeuvre when you're not dealing with familiar, up-close matters.

What's outside your circle might be more attracted to your influence than what's nearer to home.

tions that life will bring your way in the coming weeks.

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20): In 2009, actress Sandra Bullock starred in three films, two of which earned her major recognition. For her performance in All About Steve, she was given a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress. Her work in The Blind Side, on the other hand, won her an Oscar for Best Actress. I'm thinking that you may experience a similar paradox in the coming days, Taurus. Some of your efforts might be denigrated, while others are praised.

It may even be the case that you're criticized and applauded for the same damn thing. How to respond? Learn from Bullock's example. She gave gracious acceptance speeches at the award ceremonies for both the Golden Raspberry and the Oscar.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22): Mythically speaking, this would be a propitious time for you to make an offering to the sea goddess. In dreams or meditations or fantasies, I suggest you dive down into the depths, find the supreme feminine power in her natural habitat and give her a special gift. Show her how smart you are in the way you express love, or tell her exactly how you will honour her wisdom in the future. If she is receptive, you may even ask her for a favour.

Maybe she'll be willing to assist you in accessing the deep feelings that haven't been fully available to you. Or perhaps she will teach you how to make conscious the secrets you have been keeping from yourself.

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20): Almost 2000 years ago, a Roman doctor named Scribonius Largus developed recipes for three different kinds of toothpaste. One contained the ashes of burnedup deer antler, aromatic resin from an evergreen shrub known as mastic and a rare mineral called sal ammoniac. His second toothpaste was a mix of barley flour, vinegar, honey and rock salt. Then there was the third: sun-dried radish blended with finely ground glass. Let's get a bit rowdy here and propose that these three toothpastes have metaphorical resemblances to the life choices in front of you right now. I'm going to suggest you go with the second option.

At the very least, avoid the third.

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22): Are you feeling a bit pinched, parched and prickly? Given the limitations you've had to wrestle with lately, I wouldn't be surprised if you were. Even though you have passed some of the sneaky tests and solved some of the itchy riddles you've been compelled to deal with, they have no doubt contributed to the pinched, parched prickliness. Now what can be done to help you recover your verve? I'm thinking that all you will have to do is respond smartly to the succulent tempta-

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22): Have you ever situated yourself between two big bonfires on a beach and basked in the primal power? Was there a special moment in your past when you found yourself sitting between two charismatic people you loved and admired, soaking up the life-giving radiance they exuded? Did you ever read a book that filled you with exaltation as you listened to music that thrilled your soul? These are the kinds of experiences I hope you seek out in the coming week. I'd love to see you get nourished stereophonically by rich sources of excitement.

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22): Don't linger in a doorway, Libra. Don't camp out in a threshold or get stuck in the middle of anything.

I understand your caution, considering the fact that life is presenting you with such paradoxical clues. But if you remain ambivalent too much longer, you may obstruct the influx of more definitive information. The best way to generate the clarity and attract the help you need will be to make a decisive move—either in or out, either forward or backward, either up or down.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21): "It's a rare person who wants to hear what he doesn't want to hear," said TV talk-show host Dick Cavett. I will love it if you make yourself one of those rare types in the coming week, Scorpio. Can you bring yourself to be receptive to truths that might be disruptive? Are you willing to send out an invitation to the world, asking to be shown revelations that contradict your fixed theories and foregone conclusions? If you do this hard work, I promise that you will be granted a brainstorm and a breakthrough. You might also be given a new reason to brag.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21): There are pregnant truths I could reveal to you right now

that I've decided not to disclose.

I don't think you're prepared to hear them yet. If I told you what they are, you wouldn't be receptive or able to register their full meaning; you might even misinterpret them. It is possible, however, that you could evolve rather quickly in the next two weeks.

So let's see if I can nudge you in the direction of getting the experiences necessary to become ready. Meditate on what parts of you are immature or underdeveloped—aspects that may one day be skilled and gracious, but are not yet. I bet that once you identify what needs ripening, you will expedite the ripening. And then you will become ready to welcome the pregnant truths.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19): "Finifugal" is a rarely used English adjective that I need to invoke in order to provide you with the proper horoscope. It refers to someone who avoids or dislikes endings—like a child who doesn't want a bedtime story to conclude, or an adult who's in denial about how it's finally time to wrap up long-unfinished business. You can't afford to be finifugal in the coming days, Capricorn.

This is the tail end of your cycle.

It won't be healthy for you to shun climaxes and denouements.

Neither will it be wise to merely tolerate them. Somehow, you've got to find a way to love and embrace them. (PS That's the best strategy for ensuring the slow-motion eruption of vibrant beginnings after your birthday.)

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18): According to 20th-century British author John Cowper Powys, "A book shop is a dynamite-shed, a drugstore of poisons, a bar of intoxicants, a den of opiates, an island of sirens." He didn't mean that literally, of course. He was referring to the fact that the words contained in books can inflame and enthrall the imagination. I think you will be wise to seek out that level of arousal in the coming weeks, Aquarius.

Your thoughts need to be aired out and rearranged. Your feelings are crying out for strenuous exercise, including some pure, primal catharses. Do whatever it takes to make sure that happens.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20): "I am not fearless," says Mexican journalist and women's right advocate Lydia Cacho, "but I'm not overtaken by fear. Fear is quite an interesting animal. It's like a pet. If you mistreat it, it will bite, but if you understand it and accept it in your house, it might protect you." This is an excellent time to work on transforming your fright reflexes, Pisces. You have just the right kind of power over them: strong and crafty and dynamic, but not grandiose or cocky or delusional. You're ready to make your fears serve you, not drain you. V

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013

AT THE BACK 47

Hats, Sweaters & Jeans.

Meet Lea. She is in her senior year at the Collège Français in downtown Toronto, works not too far from there at our Flea Market on Spadina, and lives near Little Italy in her childhood home. Her dad is an interior designer from the UK and her mom is a francophone from Winnipeg whose job at Air Canada has allowed them to travel the world. Lea’s been to Beijing, Shanghai, Turkey, Budapest, Croatia, and France, but her absolute favorite spot is Puerto Vallarta. As a kid Lea wanted to become famous—like Britney Spears. But as the teen idol “fell from grace,” Lea decided maybe it’d be a better idea to pursue a career where she could help troubled teens. She is now looking to go into Ryerson’s Criminology program.

Sometimes nicknamed Kobe for her height (that is, if you think 6’2” is tall), Lea is pretty hard to miss; when she’s not busy with school or work, you’ll most likely find her painting, drawing, or enjoying a plate of moules-frites. She’s pictured here wearing the Cropped Fisherman Pullover, Easy Jeans and the Flannel Cap.

Retail Locations: Edmonton.......10750 82 Ave. Edmonton.......West Edmonton Mall Calgary............1429 17th Ave. S.W. Calgary............Market Mall

Canadian Inspired Made in USA—Sweatshop Free Operated by Dov Charney

48 YOUR FACE

VUEWEEKLY DEC 12 – DEC 18, 2013