vue weekly - 792 Dec 23 2010

2 // UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

COVER

INSIDE

IssuE no. 792 // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

IN CASE OF HOLIDAY, BREAK GLASS

UP FRONT // 4/ 4 6 7 7

Vuepoint Dyer Straight In the Box Bob the Angry Flower

DISH // 8/ 9 To the Pint

// 5

Edmonton's emergency workers tackle holiday challenges

SNOW ZONE

ARTS // 15 15 Prairie Artsters

FILM // 17 18 DVD Detective

MUSIC // 22/ 23 Backlash Blues 26 New Sounds 27 Old Sounds 27 Quickspins

// 12 SLIDESHOW

BACK // 29 30 Free Will Astrology 30 Queermonton 30 Lust for Life

LISTINGS 16 Arts 21 Film 24 Music 29 Events

Sean Nicholas Savage Sat, Dec 18 / Pawn Shop VUEWEEKLY.COM/SLIDESHOWS >> for more of Chelsea Boos' photos

10303 - 108 street, edmonton, AB T5J 1L7 t: 780.426.1996 F: 780.426.2889 E: office@vueweekly.com w: vueweekly.com

IssuE no. 792 // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010 // Available at over 1400 locations Editor / Publisher.......................................... RON GARTH // ron@vueweekly.com MANAGING Editor............................................. EDEN MUNRO // eden@vueweekly.com associate mANAGING editor................... BRYAN BIRTLES // bryan@vueweekly.com NEWS Editor........................................................ SAMANTHA POWER // samantha@vueweekly.com Arts / Film Editor........................................... PAUL BLINOV // paul@vueweekly.com Music Editor....................................................... EDEN MUNRO // eden@vueweekly.com Dish Editor........................................................... BRYAN BIRTLES // bryan@vueweekly.com creative services manager.................... MICHAEL SIEK // mike@vueweekly.com production.......................................................... CHELSEA BOOS // che@vueweekly.com ART DIRECTOR....................................................... PETE NGUYEN // pete@vueweekly.com Senior graphic designer........................... LYLE BELL // lyle@vueweekly.com WEB/MULTIMEDIA MANAGER........................ ROB BUTZ // butz@vueweekly.com LISTINGS ................................................................ GLENYS SWITZER // glenys@vueweekly.com

COVER PHOTO EDEN MUNRO // eden@vueweekly.com

SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER............ ROB LIGHTFOOT // rob@vueweekly.com LOCAL ADVERTISING.......................................... 780.426.1996 // advertising@vueweekly.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING............................... 780.426.1996 // classifieds@vueweekly.com NATIONAL ADVERTISING.................................. DPS MEDIA // 416.413.9291 ADMINISTRATION/DISTRIBUTION............... MIKE GARTH // michael@vueweekly.com ADMINISTRATION/PROMOTIONS................ AARON GETZ // aaron@vueweekly.com

Vue Weekly is available free of charge at well over 1400 locations throughout Edmonton.

We are funded solely through the support of our advertisers. Vue Weekly is a division of 783783 Alberta Ltd. and is published every Thursday. Vue Weekly is available free of charge throughout Greater Edmonton and Northern Alberta, limited to one copy per reader. Vue Weekly may be distributed only by Vue Weekly's authorized independent contractors and employees. No person may, without prior written permission of Vue Weekly, take more than one copy of each Vue Weekly issue. Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement No. 40022989. If undeliverable, return to: Vue Weekly 10303 - 108 Street Edm, AB T5J 1L7

COVER DESIGN PETE NGUYEN // pete@vueweekly.com CONTRIBUTORS Mike Angus, Chelsea Boos, Josef Braun, Alexa DeGagne, Jeremy Derksen, Gwynne Dyer, Jason Foster, Amy Fung, Brian Gibson, James Grasdal, Joe Gurba, Michael Hingston, Jan Hostyn, Carolyn Jervis, Brenda Kerber, Maria Kotovych, Omar Mouallem, Stephen Notley, Roland Pemberton, Adam Smith Distribution Todd Broughton, Alan Ching, Barrett DeLaBarre, Mike Garth, Aaron Getz, Raul Gurdian, Justin Shaw, Dale Steinke, Wally Yanish

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

UP FRONT // 3

UP FRONT

EDITORIAL

Vuepoint Future planning samantha power // samantha@vueweekly.com

A

s 2010 comes to a close and the new year approaches, our thoughts often turn to our own futures—renewed efforts to try new things, sticking to that diet and making something more of the upcoming year. So it seems a convenient time for the nation to turn its attention to the Canada Pension Plan—the very definition of preparing for the future—just as the nation's finance ministers did this past week when they met in Kananaskis.

Unfortunately, much like that diet plan you're currently planning to put off by the first week of January, talks of changing the CPP were delayed until a later date when the federal finance minister Jim Flaherty decided instead to look toward other options of pension reform.

Changes to the pension plan are a rather large deal in this country. Having existed for just over 40 years, the plan requires support from two-thirds of the provinces representing two-thirds of the Canadian population.

Discussions amongst the provinces began this time last year when a report was tabled discussing the inadequacy of workplace pension plans and how the recessionary trends had nearly destroyed

YOURVUE

GRASDAL'S VUE

the viability of private pension plans due to market volatility. This led to the majority of premiers believing an expansion of the CPP is the best way to increase assistance to retiring seniors and ensure Canadians are less likely to be reliant on tax-funded programs in their old age.

The one man who appears to stand in the way of future talks is our own finance minister Ted Morton, who has been vocal about his opposition to expansion of the CPP, along the same lines as the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses who believe expanding the CPP would place undue burden on businesses already suffering from recessionary trends. Flaherty now seems to be echoing these sentiments.

This all seems to be a show set to repeat from 1979, the last time CPP expansions were discussed and put on hold due to opposition from Alberta and Ontario. But if the Canadian government had led with some courage back then, seniors today would not be in the situation of poverty many of them are facing, a situation that 60 percent of Canadians without workplace pension plans will be facing soon.

This time we can't put the future off to tomorrow: the CPP needs changing and the discussion can't be left to the wayside like a forgotten new year's resolution. V

Your Vue is the weekly roundup of all your comments and views of our coverage. Every week we'll be running your comments from the website, feedback on our weekly web polls and any letters you send our editors.

WEBPOLLS go to vueweekly.com and have your say

Last week

COMMENTS FROM WEBSITE

This Week

With the Leduc smoking ban prohibiting smoking in cars

These fantasy franchises all bank on their villains. How they depict evil is revealing. Kids want to be Darth Vader even though he's a galactic dictator who blows up planets. I rooted for Darth Maul to chop Obi-Wan Kenobi in half, not vice versa. I don't root for Voldemort. And Snape—yuck! Harry Potter has the best villains—because only in a kid's fantasy would you think totalitarian filth like Sauron or the Sith were cool.

So maybe that's why you think Deathly Hallows is boring—it's a fantasy story saturated with evil that doesn't manipulate you into liking evil. Maybe you wished Dumbledore would come back to life like E.T. or Gandalf or Tinker Bell?

But let me ask you this—what in the world would justify seven films if Harry Potter was just baby food? —TEK10

with children present, have smoking bans gone too far?

Yes. Smoke 'em if ya got 'em! 35.3% No. Butt out, kids 64.7% As the year draws to a close, what is the story that will impact Alberta the most in the upcoming year: COMMENTS FROM LAST WEEK'S WEB POLL Tobacco is a legal product to possess and use. It is not illegal to smoke in a car. It is not illegal to smoke in the presence of minors, in fact it is not illegal for a minor to smoke. Though I feel smoking to be a disgusting habit and second hand smoke harmful to all, while it is a legal product, we should not limit its use. Put up or shut up, make tobacco illegal!

4 // UP FRONT

In response to "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1" (Nov 25 - Dec 1, 2010)

1. The health care crisis and debate 2. The recent recommendations on environmental monitoring in the tar sands 3. The inability to resolve Alberta's deficit 4. Other

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

In response to "Misplaced Threats" (Dec 16 - Dec 22, 2010) I think a few crucial historical details are being overlooked here. Aristide's two presidencies were marked by corruption, political murders, and massive human rights violations. Now that's not really anything out-of-the-ordinary for Haiti, but any action to keep him away from power in the future is something I wholeheartedly support.

That said, I agree that it's impossible and a bit foolish to point fingers regarding the ongoing election disaster. It's just another chapter in the two-hundred year old book of Haitian independence in which both supplying foreign aid and pulling the plug on it seem to result in catastrophe. —Joel Crichton

Work for the holidays

Edmonton's emergency responders take care of a city on holiday MIKE ANGUS // MIKEANGUS@vueweekly.com

T

he upcoming holiday season is a high point in many people's calendar year—the culmination of family, friends and ritual that plays out in idyllic settings. The hearth, the abundance of gifts, the warm gatherings and the lavish meals that accompany them.

For those of us able to spend the holidays in the peace and comforts of loved ones, or surrounded by the wealth and spoils of a Christmas tree crowded with gifts and a dinner table weighed down with goodies, we are often reminded of the ideal message of Christmas: charity, peace and a generous heart.

For those who struggle this time of year, however, the holidays can leave us feeling not only deprived of such romanticized settings, but can highlight the painful realities of broken relationships, financial strain or poor health; indeed, poverty, hunger, homelessness and loneliness don't take time off to coincide with our calendars.

Thankfully, neither do Edmonton's emergency services. The city's police, fire and ambulance workers approach the upcoming festive days just like any other day; while everyone hopes for a safe and happy holidays, frontline firstresponders know all too well that tragedy, accidents, poverty and domestic violence happen Police Sgt Mark Fay and fire Capt Dave Matwichuk are both veterans in their respective fields, and have seen the best and worst of yuletide spirit. Due to

the nature of their work, they and their teams show up for work December 24 like any other day.

While the types of calls aren't necessarily out of the ordinary over the holidays, the emotional context of situations must be handled with added care. "Everybody here is preparing continuously, but it's just more evident this time of year," Matwichuk points out.

"Emotionally, there's a lot more discussing things and talking about 'what ifs' and what might happen this time of year than there are in other times."

"When you're going to a call and dealing with it, there might be a moment where you see the contrast to what's supposed to be a nice time of year," Fay echoes. "You may be dealing with tragedy, domestic violence, impaired driving, or you see people's lives that don't necessarily match the holiday ideal, whether they be in absolute poverty, or children aren't being looked after.

"Normally [those days] are quiet, and [police on shift] will try to treat them just like any other shift, and try and postpone any feelings about the holidays," he offers when asked about any added stress due to the time of year.

"When calls come in, there's not any more [intensity] than normal."

Not that there's a "normal" day in the life of a police officer—a commonality that fire crews share with police, Matwichuk points out.

"Basically, we [firemen] prepare just like any other day. Obviously, more people are depressed this time of year,

some people can't afford the season this time of year and some people are lonely this time of year. Whether it makes our job harder or not, we just realize that that's going to happen and be ready for it."

As emergency responders responsible, first and foremost, for people's safety, police, fire and ambulance workers train extensively in diffusing potentially harmful disputes, deterring crime and violence, de-escalating domestic disputes and rescuing people in life-threatening situations—the list can be endless, and all situations require thorough attention to detail, which helps to keep emotions under check.

"When you're dealing with a situation, a tragedy or a crime scene, you have a job to do, and you focus on that job, so you don't spend time reflecting on what the bigger picture is," Fay explains. "There are so many tasks that have to be done, you focus on doing that, and doing that well. You don't spend time dwelling on the emotional side of it."

For both veterans, it's difficult to recall exact situations that stand out for them; as Matwichuk notes, he's seen "Just about everything under the sun— everything from people losing all their Christmas gifts to a lot of people who just can't afford this time of year. Obviously, in this neighbourhood [Matwichuk works out of Hall Number One, located downtown on 96th Street], it's

basically a lot of people that are homeless and things like that, so it's tougher on them right now at the moment," he sympathizes. "The other thing that's always very tough is [seeing] children this time of year, when you go to places where they can't afford Christmas."

NewsRoundup SAVING FOR THE FUTURE

F

inance Minister Jim Flaherty stepped away from his previous interest in expanding the Canada Pension Plan. The federal finance minister met with his provincial counterparts at a summit in Kananaskis this week to discuss reforming the national retirement plan .

Flaherty had expressed support earlier this year for expanding the plan, which would include increasing employer and employee contributions to the federal plan.

Instead the ministers left the meet-

IMMEDIATE REACTION

O

ne week after the Royal Society of Canada issued its review of the Alberta tar sands, the provincial government announced its intention to create a new monitoring system for the area.

Environment Minister Rob Renner reported he would be looking for indepen-

ing agreeing to discuss a pooled registered pension plan (PRPP)—an opt-in program that would focus on assisting the self-employed or those employed at smaller companies and which would be administered by banks.

Though talks on expansion were further delayed by this meeting, Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan says it at least demonstrated interest in change. "There remains a strong appetite—from coast to coast to coast—for pension reform, and most provinces are unequivocal in their support of improving CPP,"

dent analysis from experts that would give direction on provincial action. The experts should be in place in January 2011.

The Pembina Institute, an environmental policy group, notes that it remains to be seen whether it will actually be implemented. Nathan Lemphiers, a policy analyst with Pembina states, "Even with improved monitor-

As Fay explains, to acknowledge the very human suffering that exists in their line of work can be an obstacle to actually getting the job done, no matter what time of year. But with the holiday season's emphasis on peace and goodwill towards others contrasting with an average emergency situation, he has to push through what may be a moredifficult job.

"When you see certain situations, you can be disappointed that it's not better for those people, but you have to just focus," he reiterates of the emotional impact of Christmas calls. "If it's a difficult call, we may have a debriefing to talk about it amongst ourselves. We also have support services for our members, CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 >>

SAMANTHA POWER // samantha@vueweekly.com

says McGowan. "It is clear what happened here: the federal government, along with a tiny minority of provinces, bowed to the pressure exerted by the financial services industry and succeeded in delaying improvements to the CPP." A report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives revealed the most effective reform was to expand the CPP. Researcher Monica Townson says, "Expanding the CPP, would address the issue of coverage, security of benefits, and low cost of administration—all the key objectives of pension reform."

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

ing it will take years before there is sufficient data to make science-informed decisions about environmental impacts of oilsands development. Until the system is fixed and we have the results from a new monitoring system, the only responsible action the Alberta government can take is to stop issuing new approvals for oil sands projects."

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

"If we regulated hockey the same shoddy way we now regulate the oil sands and its impacts, here's how things might look: Inadequately trained referees would govern hockey players on improperly maintained ice in arenas of varying sizes. Not only would the scoring records of players remain a state secret, but no one would be able to track cumulative team performance overtime."

Andrew Nikiforuk The Tyee December 16, 2010

UP FRONT // 5

WORK FOR THE HOLIDAYS << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

whether that be counseling or what have you, to take care of one another."

With all these challenges come opportunities to make a difference. Matwichuk recalls one outstanding Good Samaritan moment following a response to a fire call.

"I can remember going to a home where the whole kitchen burnt, and the guys picked up a turkey and cooked it here [at the station] and took it over for Christmas Eve." It's these small opportunities to create greater change that offer emergency workers like Fay and Matwichuk some respite from the realities of their dayto-day jobs in a city that, both confer, surprised them from day one.

"Before I started, I don't think I was ever naïve as to what was out there, but what surprised me the most was how many people are in difficult cir-

6 // UP FRONT

cumstances," Fay offers. "I wouldn't say [working Christmas] changes my view of the holidays, but it does reinforce for me how many different types of lives there are out there. People live in many different ways, different lifestyles."

"It's a big city," Matwichuk agrees. "Edmonton is a big city. It's not small town anymore—you're going to see everything from very affluent to homeless, and the poverty is a lot greater than it used to be. There's poverty in every end of town."

While emergency workers like Fay find it helpful to "postpone" the emotion of festivities until after their job is done, Matwichuk and company are celebrating the season with family over dinner—right at the fire hall.

"We're having our families to the fire hall for a Christmas meal, and we do all the cooking," he laughs. "Everyone obviously wishes each other [a happy holidays], but it's coming to the firehall, it's a regular work day. They're coming in to experience that a little bit." V

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

COMMENT >> ISREAL - PALESTINE

Absence of war

But the peace process in the Middle East has been long dead "This parrot is no more," rants former deal with the Palestinians anyway?

Monty Python member John Cleese in Probably both, but we'll have to wait on a well-loved TV sketch. "It has ceased WikiLeaks to know for sure. to be," he tells fellow Python Michael Palin, playing a pet-shop owner who inAs for Mahmoud Abbas, he only consists that the obviously dead bird is trols the West Bank and must guard still alive. "It's expired and gone his flank against the more radito meet its maker. This is a cal Hamas Organization, which late parrot. It's a stiff. Bereft rules in the Gaza Strip and reof life, it rests in peace. It's jects peace with Israel. Abbas om eekly.c rung down the curtain and had gone as far as he safely w e u v e@ gwynn joined the choir invisible. could in agreeing to direct e n n y Gw This is an ex-parrot." talks while building in the JewDyer ish settlements was frozen.

Same with the "Middle East peace process," another old joke Netanyahu knew that refusing to that is getting a bit creaky in the joints. extend the freeze would force Abbas to The US State Department, like the end direct talks, but he was under great pet-shop owner, insists that the obvipressure from Washington to extend it. ously dead process is still alive. "There, To divert that pressure, he introduced a it moved," as Palin says in the sketch. new Israeli precondition for talks. The "No, it didn't. That was you pushing the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) cage," replies the outraged Cleese. But long ago accepted Israel as a legitimate the State Department still gets away state; now, if it wanted the freeze to with it. continue, it must recognize Israel speIt's a necessary fiction. Nobody in cifically as a Jewish state. authority will publicly admit that no That's a lot to ask of people whose Israeli government will take on the parents or grand-parents lost their Jewish settlers in the West Bank and homes and became refugees as a direct force through a "land for peace" deal, result of the creation of Israel, so that or that there is no unified government ended the risk of returning even to talks for Israelis to talk to on the Palestinian about talks. As Yasser Abed Rabbo of side anyway—that there is, in fact, no the PLO's executive committee said, prospect of an Israeli-Palestinian peace "The policy and efforts of the US adminsettlement in this generation. But that istration failed because of the blow it is the reality; the rest is the theatre of received from the Israeli government." the absurd.

Meeting in Cairo on December 15, the "I welcome this American decision. It is foreign ministers of the Arab League good for Israel. It is good for peace," said declared that "resuming the negotiaIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netantions will be conditioned on receiving a yahu on December 13. Yet the US had serious offer that guarantees an end to just abandoned all hope of getting Isthe Arab-Israeli conflict." By a "serious rael to freeze new building in the Jewish offer," they mean a US-backed proposal settlements in the occupied territories for a comprehensive peace settlement. (which already control 40 percent of No US administration would dare the West Bank's land) long enough to make such a proposal: it would be torn keep direct peace talks with the Palesto shreds in days by the Israeli lobby in tinians going. the United States and its allies in ConNetanyahu had agreed to a 10-month gress. So there really is no peace profreeze in new construction as a condicess. Most Israelis want a peace settletion for entering into direct talks with ment in principle, but there is just no Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority, consensus in Israel on the territorial but the 10 months expired just after the compromises that would be needed to talks opened, and he refused to extend bring it about. the freeze. The US even tried bribing Increasingly, there is no consensus on him with a multi-billion dollar pledge the Palestinian side either, with many to give Israel new F-35 fighters, but to people losing faith in the very idea of no avail. a "two-state solution." The only reason Why so obdurate? "If someone says that a fake peace process continues is that he agrees to 10 months of freezbecause the United States needs it to ing," said former prime minister Ehud reconcile its huge emotional investment Olmert last month, "and the president in Israel with its concrete financial and of the mightiest nation on Earth and strategic interests in the Arab countries. the friendliest nation to Israel comes to Is this an unsustainable situation? Not you and says 'Please give me two more at all; it has lasted more than a decade months, only two months,' I would say already. It could last for several more, 'President, why two? Why not three? with occasional interruptions by further Take three'."

Israeli punishment attacks on south Did Netanyahu refuse to grant Barack Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. It cannot Obama the extra time because he was go on forever, of course, but forever is a afraid that otherwise the settler lobby, long, long time. V which has powerful backers in his cabinet, would bring his coalition governGwynne Dyer is a London-based journalment down? Or just because he has alist. His column appears every week in ways secretly opposed a land-for-peace Vue Weekly.

R DYEIG HT

STRA

COMMENT >> HOCKEY

Copper and blue Christmas The Oilers had a thin week in advance of a few more points, but nowhere last year did the holiday season with a 6-3 win you ever see the gigantic upswing the over the visiting Blue Jackets (LiOilers have pulled off ever since the nus Omark had a goal and two team's crushing defeat to Phoenix assists) and a disappointing at the end of November. If, in a 2-1 loss in San Jose. Fleas Blah few years, while we're reveling om eekly.c Blah Blah, Patrick Marleau. in a new string of Cup wins, cel@vuew x o b e inth ng & Fleas Blah Blah Blah indeed. ebrating the new-dynasty Oilers, u o Y e v Da we can look back and say, "That Birtles Bryan BEST CHRISTMAS EVER? was the turning point." BB It's the best Christmas in a few years here in Oiler-land. At the beginning of the SPOT THE WRITER'S EMBELLISHMENT year all the chatter was about "exciting Oiler coach Tom Renney recently told losing efforts" and "one more lottery pick" the Edmonton media that he "wouldn't but now, thanks to eternal optimists like be surprised" if this upstart team made Tom Renney, the conversation is creeping the playoffs. At first glance, the comtowards playoff hope. And not that false ment seemed a bit naive and unrealistic playoff hope the Oilers come out with at the but I liked it. There's nothing wrong with beginning of every year—the real deal. Yes, a coach showing confidence and faith in I'll admit, this many games into last year's his squad, especially with young players. embarrassment of a season we actually had He went a bit far, however, when he fol-

IN THE

BOX

lowed the comments up by predicting his Jack Adams Trophy, Order of Canada and prominent place in Daryl Katz's Will. DY UPCOMING ROADBLOCKS

The thing that will make or break the Oilers' newly-resurgent playoff hopes is the next five games—four of which are against conference rivals that we're in the mix with for a playoff spot. I'm a big believer that all games are winnable, so I certainly wouldn't put it past the Oilers taking a few of them, with Khabi being the back bone and the kids continuing to perform. If they can make sure they win three of four against the teams in our division—and I think LA, Colorado and the evil Flames are the most doable—that's when it's time to start stocking up on rubber bullets and plastic handcuffs for Whyte Avenue's upcoming springtime pandemonium. BB

NEW FAVOURITE OILER ALERT

It's been 32 games but I've selected a sentimental favourite on this year's squad. Traditionally, these players are underdogs (Todd Harvey), oddballs (Andrei Kovalenko), pests (Esa Tikkanen; still my favourite Oiler), metalheads (Janne Niinimaa), headcases (Joe Murphy) and the obvious (Gretz). This year's pick distinguishes himself for being grounded, sensible and genuine. Congratulations go out to Kurtis Foster. The feature on Foster's ugly collision in San Jose before and during Tuesday's game reminded me of the tough road the guy's been on; in the interview, he reminded me of how humble and downright normal a guy he is. I probably could have done without seeing that hospital photo of his injury, bruises and scar (and ass). DY HAVE A HOLLY JOLLY FIST FIGHT

OMG! The Sharks A Cappella Holiday Album rules! If you haven't seen this video bit yet, Google away. It's a send-up of '70s/'80s albums on TV with Patty Marleau, Big Joe Thornton, Scott Nichol, Danny Boyle, Dany

Heatley and Ryan Clowe singing, dancing and sporting Five Neat Guys-esque sweaters and turtlenecks. Clowe is by far the best actor of the bunch and Heatley actually managed to turn the smug-o-meter down a notch or two and lighten up a bit.

It's great to see NHL players loosen up and have fun. It's one thing the American teams seem to do well; marketing personalities.

We're sooooo serious up here. Hockey is entertainment. Try more of this kind of thing, Oilers brass, and less cheerleaders. DY

OILER PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Ryan Whitney: Three more assists last week. Aside from drafting Taylor Hall, the best move last year was obtaining Whitney.

He even had his first goal of the season in San Jose—for about six minutes or so until they gave the goal to Dustin Penner. DY Dustin Penner: Ever since he was given the alternate captaincy because of injuries, Penner seems to have upped his game, really stepping into the leadership role. Maybe he should keep it. BB

BOB THE ANGRY FLOWER

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

UP FRONT // 7

DISH

Find a restaurant

ONLINE AT DISHWEEKLY.CA

Jan Hostyn // jan@vueweekly.com

C

hristmas is about chocolate. Granted, it's also about getting together with friends and family and feasting on divine food but, for most of us, Christmas without chocolate would be unthinkable, unbearable and, quite frankly, simply catastrophic. So this Christmas you can succumb to the endless, mind-numbing flurry of "Ooooh, I love Turtles" commercials that descend upon us every December and satisfy your cravings with mass-produced pseudo-chocolate ... but when you can nibble exquisite delights such as Cinnamon Kissed Granny Smith or Queen Caramel—delights that are as stunning as they are delicious—why would you?

Meet Jacqueline Jacek, creator of the tempting delicacies of and the face behind the newest addition to our local, artisan-chocolate scene, Jacek Chocolate Couture. "When I designed my current collection, I wanted a warm, Christmas-y theme with lots of reds and greens," Jacek explains. "The Cinnamon Kissed Granny Smith is like eating apple pie in a chocolate, and the Queen Caramel is about pure decadence. Really, I guess you could say decadence sums up the whole collection."

Jacek Chocolate was launched a year ago, but Jacek's interest in food started long before that. "I've always loved fresh, creative food. I'm definitely not a meat and potatoes kind of gal." Her love of food blossomed further during a stint in New Zealand, and it was there that she decided to use chocolate as a canvas for her creativity. She took a professional chocolatier program, began playing around with chocolate as a hobby and loved it so much that here she is today, with her own artisanchocolate business.

Each and every miniature work of art that emerges from Jacek's Sherwood Park studio is scrupulously handcrafted. The actual chocolate-making process begins with the finest ingredients available: Valrhona and Cacao Barry Chocolate, coffee from Café Haven and herbs from the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market. Really, though, the whole process starts long before that. "I'm always thinking about chocolate, always: every time I cook, travel, go to the market. I never know where my next idea is going to come from." Fig and Vine, one of her current creations featuring figs and a full-bodied Shiraz, was inspired by the warmth and contentment associated with sipping a glass of red wine by a blazing fire.

Jacek admits that her foray into chocolate has allowed her to fuse all her loves—art, fashion, food and chocolate—into one medium. "Chocolate is my canvas, and creating chocolates is about so much more than simply tempering some chocolate and putting it in moulds. It's truly an art."

8 // DISH

// Chelsea Boos

The chocolates are released in collections, much like the fashion collections that come and go with the seasons. Right now three collections come out per year, and the latest one is the Winter 2010 Collection. "Really, my chocolates are like fashion for your taste buds. The idea is to clad your taste buds in decadence, dress them up." Each collection is unique, each collection is limited and each

but somewhat conventional chocolates. The first boxes of Jacek Chocolate featured the more traditional whipped peanut butter in milk chocolate and the ever-popular Chilean chocolate. But, to her surprise—and delight—one of the most popular chocolates in the collection was also the most unique: a green tea dark chocolate infused with mango, papaya, pineapple and cardamom.

"Customers loved that chocolate. That

Creating chocolates is about so much more than simply tempering some chocolate and putting it in moulds. It's truly an art. collection incorporates seasonal tastes and nuances.

Her collections have evolved from what she describes as "being a bit more mainstream to definitely more adventurous." Although she has always loved to experiment with flavours and textures—she's played around with dipping everything from olives to basil leaves—initially she wasn't sure how the market would react to some of her more "avant-garde" creations. So, to start, she focused on crafting delicious

inspired me to have some fun and play with flavours more."

Other collections have included tiny delights such as cinnamon coconut, salted caramel, lime sherbet, lemon cheesecake and milk chocolate cardamom mousse. "I find that people are really embracing the chocolates that are different."

Her next collection, debuting at the beginning of February, is designed to "take your taste buds away." The collection is going to be a surprise, but Jacek

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

did offer a little snippet of what's to come: a Thai-inspired lemongrass coconut concoction.

So no, Jacek Chocolate is not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill chocolate company. Indulging in a Jacek chocolate is an experience that will enchant all of your senses. Every little detail, from the sophisticated packaging to the intricate chocolates themselves, is coated in sumptuous luxury. Jacek says they're the perfect Christmas indulgence—for yourself or, if you can bear to part with them, for someone special.

Actually, she thinks they're the perfect indulgence, period. "Quality is always better than quantity."

Be forewarned, though. Because these chocolates are fresh and not pumped full of preservatives, they're only good for two to three weeks. Somehow, though, I can't imagine them lasting that long. V Jacqueline Jacek Jacek Chocolate Couture Available at Kerstin's Chocolates, Credo and Café Haven jacekchocolate.com 780.935.5400

RECIPE Haven's Carmella Lava Cake (courtesy of Jacqueline Jacek)

150 grams Cacao Barry Guayaquil Chocolate, chopped 100 grams unsalted butter 2 eggs 2 egg yolks 1/4 cup caster sugar 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 tbsp freshly ground Transcend Coffee (available at Café Haven) 4 tbsp Dulce de Leche Preheat the oven to 350 F. Melt the chocolate and butter in a sauce pan, stirring until the chocolate and butter have completely melted. Add coffee and remove from heat. Place the eggs, yolks and sugar in a bowl and whisk until pale. Gently fold in the flour and the chocolate mixture, and spin into four lightly greased ramekins. Put the Dulce de Leche in a piping bag (or a zip-lock), and pipe approximately one tablespoon into the centre of each filled ramekin.

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes or until the puddings are puffed. Enjoy! V

BEER

Under the surface

Winnipeg has a thriving beer culture, once you find it Recently my day job sent me to Winnipeg— and insanely hopped double IPAs, many of afraid to offer a friendly jibe at even the not generally regarded as a prime junket which make it to our province. newest of customers. Again the only beer location. But I didn't mind it. As a prairie What Winnipeg lacks in brewing capachighlight is a good selection of Half Pints boy I appreciate the cities that formed on ity it makes up in beer spaces. There is an (OK, I admit all I drank while in Winnipeg the flatlands. The hardy, utilitarian, deterinteresting combination of impressive beer was Half Pints; why choose a standard mined spirit of the West is reflected in its lists and comfortable drinking spots. The macro-beer when delicious local beer is architecture and design. Winnipeg, Rehighlight among the former is Luxreadily available?), but it was fun to feel gina, Saskatoon and Edmonton all alune, which calls itself a Gastrolike a regular. share more qualities than each pub. Its beer menu is long, spanThe last place I visited may be the coolmight like to admit. ning every continent. You can est, and not just for its atmosphere. The At any rate, most people get more than 100 different Lo Pub, which his located in the Winnipeg ly.com beers in the bottle. The list is a might consider Winnipeg a Hostel International (HI), has become a eweek u v t@ in tothep wasteland for a beer lover. bit erratic, with many duds and hang out for the hipster crowd. LoungeJason Well, I am here to report that gaps, but it is an admirable atlike in its feel, it offers little in the way r e Fost those people—whoever they tempt at offering beer selection. of add-ons. However the chalkboard sign are—don't know the first thing declaring "no crappy beer sold here" inabout Winnipeg. I had no trouble finding And then there is the art of relaxed, pub-y forms the new visitor that you are not in good beer at funky beer places in the city. drinking. I was in a handful of pubs that any regular hostel bar. The beer list is not On the surface, the naysayers might apexuded relaxed, hip beer consumption. Alextensive, but all first rate stuff—quality pear right. Winnipeg only has two breweries.

One offers watery commercial lagers that Most people might consider Winnipeg a wasteland are slightly better than Molson and Labatt.

The second, on the other hand, is one of the for a beer lover. Well, I am here to report that those hippest, fastest growing and most highlypeople—whoever they are—don't know the first regarded craft brewers in the country. thing about Winnipeg.

I have spoken of Half Pints Brewing before. A number of its beers are available in Alberta. What few may realize, however, is that it is growing by leaps and bounds. low me to mention a couple of highlights.

Canadian micros (yes, Half Pints too) and The brewery opened in 2006 with a small The most famous location is the King's decent imports. brew system, little money and big ideas.

Head Pub in the central exchange district.

But what really makes this pub is its back Four years later, it has already been forced Tucked in a period building, it has over story. The hostel is a reclaimed skid row hoto move to a bigger space, won numerthe years slowly expanded, now taking up tel turned anchor for the local redevelopous brewing awards and earned acolytes three buildings and two floors. Twenty-six ment. The hostel sparked a push to create from a host of beer connoisseurs. Half beer on tap, although mostly your stana park across the street and today instead Pints is still quite small—producing about dard fare. However it has the entire Half of drug dealers, prostitutes and men down 350 000 litres a year which is a fraction of Pints line available. The décor is welcomon their luck, the block teems with travelwhat the big boys make in a day—but its ing; old wood floors, lots of burnished ers, politically engaged youth and hipsters. growth is exponential. brass and an overall British feel. The The Pub was a run-down "old man's" bar I visited the brewery straight from crowd was familiar and hospitable, making with sad men sipping glasses of watered the airport and got a great sense of the an outsider feel welcome. Pub grub plus down OV all day. And look at it now. range of product. The biggest seller is a decent Indian food on the menu.

The more I travel across Canada the light-bodied ale that goes down way too For a smaller, "local" feel, head over to more I come to the belief that every city easy. Unfortunately it is only available in the Yellow Dog. Only a handful of tables has a decent beer culture hiding under Winnipeg. However the brewery also profit into this narrow pub, but that's okay the surface. Winnipeg is just the latest duces an IPA, a solid stout and a host of because everyone knows each other. The example—you just need to know where one-time beers, including barrel-aged ales owner is personable, eccentric and not to look. V

TO TH

E

PINT

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

DISH // 9

PROVENANCE

The history of candy canes

The 17th century was a peculiar time. The same era that saw the Puritans running around also saw the development of a fun Christmas staple: the candy cane as we know it. Christmas candy had been around prior to the 17th century, but those sugary snacks were straight in shape and white in colour, not at all bendy and swirly like our candy canes today. In about 1670, a creative choirmaster in Cologne decided to spice up the candy sticks a bitâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;not by actually

10 // DISH

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 29, 2010

adding spice, but by bending the tops to make them like a shepherd's crook. He then distributed these to children in the church to remind them that you-knowwho is their shepherd. Candy canes didn't make their way to the United States until the middle of the 19th century. The swirly stripes and minty-cool flavour?

Those became common in the early years of the following century.

Maria Kotovych

// maria@vueweekly.com

Out of the cold

Escaping for an hour or two of Vietnam Adam Smith // adam@vueweekly.com

T

he year 1986 might have seen the Expo happening on Vancouver's West Coast, but while Trudeau, Cosby, and Depeche Mode were rockin' in Van City, bigger things were going down in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A move was taking place that would alter one special pocket of Edmonton's culinary landscape. Tu Van and his young family were packing up and heading west, to the land of opportunity. That year, Van would lay the figurative stones of the city's Thanh Thanh Oriental Noodle House. The Tu family, who come from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, are here delivering a healthy mix of local and regional favourites to salivating, landlocked Edmontonians who gladly embrace the flavours of the Far East—and there are many of us. When I walked in the front entrance, I found the door had opened up into a spot close to the middle of the restaurant, amidst many diners and I was receiving many a strange leer. A crowd had formed near the back door where the more-experienced masses were waiting for their tables, where there is a parking lot and the convenient rear entrance. It's a Tuesday evening, at the early 5 pm dinner hour, and the place is already packed.

The décor is refreshing, and the tropical imagery a pleasant change from what's outside. The napkins and menus boast the exotic image of a fair maiden donning a paddy hat, reclined luxuriously before a single palm tree on a tiny tropical island of one. The theme is reflected significantly in the food, and though Thanh Thanh focuses on the tropical influence in Vietnamese cuisine, it fearlessly ventures into Thai and Chinese favourites as well as items sourced to specific parts of Vietnam, such as its Northern, Southern and Central Vietnamese soups.

Making up my company is a strange little threesome comprised of myself, a friend, Y, and his newfound love, R. We decide on the imperial rolls ($3.95) and the grilled satay chicken skewers ($8.95) to begin.

The spring rolls are tasty, though typical in flavour and form. Y orders a half-litre of Santa Carolina Merlot ($16.95) as R cuts her spring roll with a knife and fork, she works them into thirds and ingests them.

The skewers promptly arrive which are large, sweet, spicy and taste as if they were flash cooked over a direct, open flame.

They are incredibly delicious but are posing a problem for R as she is trying to handle these things with tact, meanwhile I unleash myself on this grilled delight and my face is becoming peppered with sauce.

Y is sticking with the wine, and praising it well, remarking that, "It's very solid, well-balanced and easy-sipping" and that the "plum and black cherry hints work well with the sweet and spicy food." Our server, not one of Tu's two daughters who usually work the front of the house, but possibly Tu himself, works his way around the room efficiently and with an air of a man who has paid his dues and knows the score; he is business, brass tacks, but with a friendly air. The atmosphere is abuzz and we are all enjoying ourselves.

Thanh Thanh is like a tropical beacon in the snow

After confirming that all three of us are comfortable with the shared/Asianstyle feasting, we order the spicy curried mixed vegetables ($12.95), which I witnessed some ladies fawning over on my way in; hot and sour soup ($10.95); lemongrass chicken in spicy coconut sauce ($14.95) and steamed rice. Tu, his wife, and their son are the main force in the kitchen, and the result is a consistently high-quality, family cuisine. I am sipping on my tea as the conversation is getting more relaxed between the two young lovers opposite me. R is loosening up and Y's arm is behind her now, things are going well for two young lovers on a bitter Edmonton evening and I am third wheelin' hard.

The dishes arrive just as we finish our appetizers. Y and I destroy the soup alone, my lurking, treacherous cold being nursed by the hot, sweet, thick and sour soup. We all continue to enjoy the ambience and especially the spicy curried vegetables which are full of snap and are large enough to be eating from for days.

The lemongrass chicken in spicy coconut sauce leaves a little something to be desired; it comes off a pinch bland and has me craving a better rounded, Thai-style version of the dish.

As we finish up, the two lovers have fallen into the same wavelength and are ready to head into the night together. I collect the leftovers as they make swift departure from Thanh Thanh's comfort into the howling winds of bitter 101 St just north of the towers of downtown. A $75 tab seems fair with two appetizers and wine. The Tu's don't have any quirky stories about how they ended up here, or why they made the Thanh Thanh the way they did, but they are doing something right, and an ever-growing number of Edmontonians are in the know. V Tue – Thu (11 am – 9 pm); Fri & Sat (11 am – 10 pm) Thanh Thanh Oriental Noodle House 10718 - 101 St, 780.426.5068

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

DISH // 11

SNOW ZONE

COMMENT >> THE SNOMAD

Entry two: the mundane "It takes a very different kind of person to eke out a ski bum's life. Most of us, myself included, aren't tough enough to succeed."

–Steven Kotler, foreword to Instant Karma: The Heart and Soul of a Ski Bum I didn't expect this right out of the gate. trenches like so many others.

Overtime work, family complicaSince November 19, I've spent tions, late-night house-renoa lot of time on nordic skis— vation blues. After the first in the school field near our week's excitement burned house and out at Gold Bar off, the snow stopped, nothPark. Not how I envisioned m o .c eekly @vuew ing happened. Life took over. things unfolding, but when jeremy That's one of the challenges you make a commitment, Jeremyn of pursuing the skiing lifestyle. you have to follow through— Derkse I've spent five years-plus tryanother lesson for me in the ing to become a successful ski bum "sometimes you get what you ask and Kotler is right, it's tiring and tough. for" school.

Low wages, little praise, scant time for But the routine has renewed my appremuch else. And I've only chipped away ciation for the mundane. A fundamental at it from the periphery, not from the contrast between downhill and cross-

THE

SNOM

AD

country skiing is the process. Downhill is fast, fluid, constantly changing— gravity and terrain force you to react.

Nordic, on the other hand, is rhythmic, moderately paced and labour-intensive.

You put intention into every stride.

Like the contrast between white collar and blue collar, respectively. In one, you flow through a landscape of ideas glancing briefly off the contours, absorbing the kinetic energy and moving on to the next moment. In the other, motion is achieved through repetition, a functional monotony that leaves your brain free to wander.

I'm now 33 days in, and only about five have been on fresh snow. Nothing to do but plod on. It's what we do. The glory moments are few, but they come.

On returning to Jasper this fall, I found out that one of the longest standing members of Marmot Basin's avi crew, Peter Merkeley, hadn't returned for the 2010-11 season. He'd gotten a job driving trucks for considerably higher pay. Reality had finally caught up with him as he stared down that long mountain pass toward sunset.

One of Merkeley's contemporaries and former colleagues, Peter Amann, has spent over 25 years in the Jasper Rockies as a guide and former head of mountain safety at Marmot. While chatting last spring on a course, he summed up the mountain lifestyle with a self-deprecating joke: "What's the difference between a mountain guide and a large pizza? A large pizza can feed a family of four."

Merkeley and Amann are among those who have been tough enough

FALLLINES Cruz the Blues at Big White On one weekend every month, Big White Ski Resort is hosting a two-day Cruz the Blues event. It's open to the public and free to enter, and at the end of day two there are cool prizes including one-of-a-kind Cruz the Blues T-shirts. If you are up at Big White on December 29 – 30, January 8 – 9, February 19 – 20 or March 19 – 20, go to the activities desk at the Village Centre Mall, get a passport and start cruising, hitting all the blue—that is intermediate—runs. At Big White there are 118 marked runs, and 50 percent of them are classified as intermediate terrain, so you know why this is a twoday task and you have to work if you want to get them all. If you need some extra time, remember that Big White is unique because it offers night-time skiing and you may be able to knock off a couple of blues under the lights.

Marmot Basin's Terrain Park is Open Last weekend Marmot Basin opened its doors to the Roger's Terrain Park. Like last year, the park is located on a run called Lower Lift Line. If you're going up from the base on the Eagle Express Quad, the park is easy to spot, located just down on the lower right. Unless you're hoofing up to hit the rails and features, the Eagle Express is the easiest way to try them all, and you get in a good half-run of cruising before you get to the park. The park features multiple rails, table tops, fun boxes and jumps that are designed for both boarders and skiers

12 // SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

to stick it out for decades. Why did Merkeley finally pack it in, while Amann continues to run a successful guiding business?

There's no easy explanation. Naturally, we all have different desires and characteristics that shape our paths.

But we are also all susceptible to the mundane. The external influences— daily commutes, work stress, household chores, family and relationship worries—load some travellers' packs heavy.

That's why we have to find in the mundane the kernel of the miraculous.

Taking another lap around the school field, wishing I had waxed better, it's not always easy to uncover. But I keep going and going, searching and searching. If I'm going to find it, I have to believe it's there. V Jeremy Derksen has challenged himself to spend every day of the 201011 season on snow. Follow along at vueweekly.com/snomad.

HART GOLBECK // HART@vueweekly.com

to enjoy. Like most parks, this one is ever evolving as the snow continues to fall and more features are added.

Fresh Track at Whistler Many of us dream of skiing and boarding fresh tracks every time we hit the slopes.

Once again this year, Whistler is making it all possible. For an additional $17.95 you can load a chair at 7:30 am and ride it all the way up to the Roundhouse Lodge for a fabulous buffet breakfast. Sometime during you breakfast the ski-patrollers will announce that the runs are open and away you go. There are two lifts at the top that service terrain you can ride and cruise on until the rest of the base lifts are opened to the public at 8:30 am. This is a little earlier than our Rocky Mountain Resorts, but that's because the lifts at Whistler stop running at 3 pm in the winter and 4pm in the spring season. This special probably only adds up to three or four runs, but including a hearty breakfast, I think it's a great deal. V

BOOKS // REVUE

Counter the siege

Long-term viability in mountain communities Jeremy Derksen // jeremy@vueweekly.com

T

hink about the last time you passed through a resort town. What kind of interaction did you have with locals? A mumbled, less-than-100-word dialogue with someone as you paid for beer, settled a hotel bill or gassed up? Was it even a local, or perhaps a transient worker from overseas, just passing through?

While they might seem inconsequential, our local interactions are a critical part of the way in which we participate as consumers in the resort industry, especially when we rent accommodations or buy real estate. Loss of character in mountain communities is directly correlated to tourism and real estate impacts, argues author Robert William Sandford in The Weekender Effect: Hyperdevelopment in Mountain Towns.

However, Sandford takes a refreshingly positive spin on the future of these communities. Current trends in land development threaten the integrity and value of these communities, he acknowledges, but all is not lost if we can learn from the recent history of the "mountain West."

Communities like Banff and Jasper were formed in the first waves of Alberta tourism, primarily for their natural beauty. But soon enough they were in jeopardy of being overrun by the same people who came to enjoy their beauty.

In a series of rare bold moves, our government took steps to preserve the ecological integrity of these regions, eventually meriting UNESCO designation for the Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks World Heritage Site, which Sandford describes as a "contiguous system that now encompasses over 2 440 568 hectares ... of the most spectacular mountain landscapes in North America." If we came together once to establish such an immense preserve, Sandford points out, we can join together to save it too.

The obstacles we face go back to those local interactions. Sandford makes the simple but eloquent point that locals, industry and individual consumers are all complicit—though not always consciously so—in the current degradation of these communities.

If locals cannot express a vision of their community and engage visitors and new residents in that vision, de-

velopment will go unchecked. If we as consumers don't examine our parasitic tendencies and learn to appreciate the unique character and natural value of the land, we will continue to drive unhealthy demand.

As for industry, ski resorts need to recognize the vested interest they have in preserving ecological and community integrity—and tailor expansion accordingly. Real estate models would need to shift from short-term profit to long-term viability. For that to happen, residents and consumers alike must articulate a fair, responsible vision for growth, and governments must listen and respond.

"Many of the last best places are under siege," writes Sandford. The Weekender Effect is a call to unite—locals, visitors and governments—to counter the siege.

So next time you're in Jasper or Banff, slow down for a few minutes and talk with the local sitting next to you on the chairlift or pulling your pint at the bar.

You might learn something new about the place you're passing through. It's time to bridge that uneasy, ever-present gap between "local" and "weekender."

No less than the long-term viability and vitality of our cherished mountains is at risk. V Now available The Weekender Effect: Hyperdevelopment in Mountain Towns

By Robert William Sandford Rocky Mountain Books, 115 PP, $16.95

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

SNOW ZONE // 13

BOOKS // REVUE

The next big thing

White Planet recognizes both the drive and the futility of looking for bigger and better Carolyn Nikodym // carolyn@vueweekly.com

I

t seems almost everyone is attracted to the next big thing. One might camp out for hours to be the first with the latest gizmo, while another is glued to Twitter.

Another might give up career and status to travel, only to find the path to Phuket trampled and that Thailand is so last century. No matter what one's particular fix is, however, it creates a perpetual narrative—that life is simply not complete without the next big thing.

After some 20 years in the ski-writing biz, Whistler resident Leslie Anthony knows a thing or two about this elusive beast—which journalists are at least partly responsible for feeding. In the early '90s, he was in Alaska, charting the undiscovered country for Powder. A decade later it was Japan's turn, and over the years the spotlight shone on Greenland, Lebanon, Bulgaria and India, too. In White Planet, his second book, Anthony recognizes both the drive and the futility.

He amply illustrates the futility throughout the book, but especially in the final chapter when he recounts a night in a Bulgarian tavern. While in the country on a Skier assignment, he runs into a crew from both Skiing and Powder magazines. And while they all sit around drinking, a couple of Warren Miller ski-

At times he brushes off his own recklessness with a bit of bravado—as if that's all you need to read the snow's ability to avalanche. ers are being interviewed about a segment they are shooting in the country.

The next-big-thing beast is one whose maw is always open.

In the ski world, it's also about finding Eden in powder fields. As Anthony shares his passion for finding patches of the good stuff in chest-deep quantities, he is a generous guide. He carves his stories around the sport's history, its recent leaps in evolution and the differing ski

14 // SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

cultures around the world—although powder yelps need little translation.

While Anthony is a wonderful storyteller, if there is any weakness to his narrative, it is here. Yes, he manages to draw parallels between the desires of the average skier and daredevils like the late Shane McConkey, but at times he brushes off his own recklessness with a bit of bravado—as if that's all you need to read the snow's ability to avalanche.

That being said, however, Anthony does have a knack for making the reader feel a pal he's sharing stories with over a couple of après-ski beers. And to his credit, he does touch on ideas of personal responsibility and knowing the limits to flout. If nobody broke the rules, after all, skiers might still be navigating 30-degree slopes on narrow, wooden skis and in soft leather boots.

At the end of it all, though, anybody that straps on a board or two is out for the same thing. If we forget what the chase is about, it risks becoming a selffulfilling prophecy—that life is simply not complete without the next big thing.

It doesn't matter if you're hurtling down the bunny slope or down a double-black diamond, it all feels like flying—and that is what you're really chasing. V Now Available White Planet

by Leslie Anthony Greystone Books $21.95 291 pages

ARTS

VISUAL ARTS // REVUE

A line of progress

A Celebration of Light and Line expores Matisse's work as a printmaker Carolyn Jervis

// Henri Matisse

// carolynjervis@vueweekly.com

E

arly-20th-century French artist Henri Matisse is easily recognizable as a painter of pleasant, simple subjects pumped up with punchy, vibrant colours. His canvases are known for familiar images, like a woman reclining or other easy-to-look-attropes. He intensifies what would otherwise be a gentle viewing experience with gaudy flowered backgrounds in the brightest hues, energizing a scene of leisure with wild colour and brushstrokes. The art-history books tend to focus squarely on his use of colours with unnatural saturation or intensity. So what are we to understand about Matisse from a room of his works without colour?

The Matisse exhibition at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Henri Matisse: A Celebration of Light and Line, answers

Nadia with a serious expression

this question by necessity: the exhibit is an exploration of the artist's work as a printmaker. It's impossible to set the knowledge of his wild colours

aside as you explore this exhibition.

However, this need not be an exercise in dissatisfaction. Instead, choose to be fascinated by the liquidity and gestural quality in the elegant curves of a woman's face, and the way Matisse translated this through a woodcut.

When you consider the laboriously carved wood block responsible for these portraits of women in elegant line, the show becomes infinitely more fascinating. Easy-to-follow pamphlets provide background information about the printmaking techniques Matisse used, and these help make clear how the medium helped or hindered his talent for simple, energetic images.

As the AGA's exploration of Matisse makes clear, his strange and unnatural union of a labour-intensive technique and fluid lines in woodcut was short-lived. The artist only ever completed three. This technique was

never a substantial contribution to Matisse's oeuvre, but the tension present in these few works between technique and gesture, between meticulousness and the active and fluid, is a common thread that connects to the very composition and subject matter of the works in this show.

my own surprise at this observation, realizing then that intimidation and exclusivity are so deeply rooted in art institutions that in lieu of such behavior I was confused as to where I actually was.

• And the number one art memory of this year: getting to hear Lucy R Lippard speak about her relationship as a critic and curator to artist Eva Hesse. The

entire talk was invigorating, but what lingers still is knowing that, with time, writing does not get easier, but that language itself will expand and contract to distill thoughts and instincts into coherent expressions. That night, I heard phrases of thought that up until then were words I would never have put together on ideas that I barely had a grasp

The printmaking technique called crayon transfer lithograph allows the artist a more direct expression of fluid line and motion. These images all become explorations of the passive, or still, and of activity and energy. In these gestural line drawings, figures are articulated through a few simple lines applied by a deft hand. The grace of the subtle curve of a woman's spine and the pronounced curving line that defines her waist encourage your eye to travel up to the dark energetic scribbles that suggest a necklace, the only adornment for an unclothed body.

The absence of colour in this selection of Matisse's works allows for a focused exploration of the artist's remarkable capacity with line, and it becomes clear in this exhibition that some printmaking techniques are more agreeable to his predilection for dynamic line than others. Although the many etchings featured in the show illustrate how the technique was less successful in translating the artist's energy-filled renderings of familiar images, this exhibition nonetheless provides an opportunity to fall in love with Matisse's line through his woodcut, crayon transfer and linocut prints. V Until Sun, Feb 13 Henri Matisse: A Celebration of Light and Line Works by Henri Matisse The Art Gallery of Alberta (2 sir winston churchill square)

COMMENT >> VISUAL ARTS

Year end distillations

As the top-10 lists start piling in on the been pacing back and forth from for over best albums, films, books, etc of the year, 20 minutes. Then the only other person I too have been compiling my own top-10 in the gallery piped up and said, "Sorry to art-related residues of the year. Boiling interrupt, but actually, that work is mine. them down to moments rather than any I'm some-other-name." And while we specific shows, here is what I will rememall shyly smiled and went our separate ber as an art critic from 2010: ways, I realized that this was not • The opening weekend of the such an uncommon experience new AGA. There was excitein artist-run culture and totally ment in the air, no matter acceptable behavior. Strange. what you thought of the • Driving with a friend m kly.co new building. Everyone on westbound on 100 Avenue, uewee v @ y am the dance floor was from crossing 105 Street, we both my A Calgary, and at the end of the exclaimed at the same time, Fung "Did night I found myself sitting with you see that?" The giant ilDavid Janzen and Peter von Tiesenlustrated mural by Josh Holinaty hausen, two established Alberta-based and Luke Ramsey on the East side of artists I respect. At one point, we all the John Howard Society building was looked up from the belly of the building, a new public art project that, frankly, and I suddenly felt a wave of wariness didn't suck. Hopefully it's just the beginover the future of homegrown artists ning for Edmonton's Public Art Council, in this space, and I wonder if there had which has a mighty task ahead of it to been a collective sigh in that moment. change one's expectations.

• My first Winnipeg studio visit was • My first visit to The Mendel in Saskawith Aganetha Dyck, possibly the nicest toon. For years all I heard was "The Menand loveliest human being in all of Cendel's the best! It's what a public art galtral Canada. lery should be." I didn't fully realize what • Snide attitudes in artist-run centres. that meant until I got there, and realized Lots of examples to choose from, but the that it was a beautiful little building with last time I was at the Contemporary Art an adjoining planetarium nestled along Gallery in Vancouver, I asked the frontthe riverbank and that it was free all the desk attendant which artist was respontime, and therefore accessible and welsible for a particular work. He told me coming to everyone. Seeing a congregait was "so-and-so," and that it was "all tion of individuals and families from all pretty clear" if I look to the panel I had sorts of backgrounds, I was surprised by

on. It was an important moment for myself personally to hear the possibility for such clarity of thought through language spoken from the mouth of someone who has been doing what I want and try to do for over 40 years. V Amy Fung is the author of prairieartsters.com

IE PRASITRERS

ART

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

ARTS // 15

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

FILM DOC SOUP Â&#x153; E]ljg ;af]eY$ ;alY\]d$ 10*0%)()9 9n] Â&#x153; `gl\g[k&[Y'\g[kgmh'\g[WkgmhW]\egflgf Â&#x153; <g[ Kgmh jmfk l`] *f\ L`m ]Y[` egfl` ^jge <][%EYj

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS AGNES BUGERA GALLERY Â&#x153; )*+)( BYkh]j 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,0*&*0-, Â&#x153; Y_f]kZm_]jY_Ydd]jq&[ge Â&#x153; CHRISTMAS CHEER2 KeYdd ogjck Zq f]o Yjlaklk$ ;qf\a] DY[c$ ;dafl @mfc]j$ E]_`Yf @ad\]ZjYf\$ Yf\ gl`]jk Â&#x153; Until Dec 24 ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY Â&#x153; )()0.%)(. Kl Â&#x153; /0(&,00&..)) Â&#x153; YdZ]jlY[jY^l&YZ&[Y Â&#x153; Discovery Gallery: WORDS, WIT, WISDOM, AND WOOL2 9jlogjck Zq EYll ?gmd\3 until Dec 24 ALLEYSCAPE STUDIOďż˝Red Deer Â&#x153; ,1+(; Jgkk Kl$ Ydd]q ]fljYf[] Â&#x153; ,(+&-1/&1/00 Â&#x153; THE RED [AND] GREEN SHOW2 HYaflaf_k []d]ZjYl] l`] [gdgmjk g^ l`] k]Ykgf$ oal` l`] g\\ ha][] g^ \m[l lYh] l`jgof af ^gj _gg\ e]Ykmj] Â&#x153; Until Jan 14

ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA (AGA) Â&#x153; * Kaj Oafklgf ;`mj[`add Ki Â&#x153; /0(&,**&.**+ Â&#x153; qgmjY_Y&[Y Â&#x153; EDWARD BURTYNSKYâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;OIL2 H`glg_jYh`k ZYk]\ gf l`] kmZb][l g^ gad3 until Jan 2 Â&#x153; Sculpture Terraces: Ogjck Zq H]l]j @a\] Yf\ C]f EY[cdaf Â&#x153; REFRAMING A NATION3 until Jan 30 Â&#x153; ALL ABOUT STAR2 K]ja]k g^ dYj_] k[Yd] h`glg_jYh`k g^ [goZgqk Yf\ [go_ajdk Zq Oaffah]_ Yjlakl K`]adY Kh]f[] af l`] =jf]kl ;& EYffaf_ @Ydd3 until Jan 30 Â&#x153; BMO World of Creativity: PLAY ON ARCHITECTURE: ;`ad\j]f k _Ydd]jq Â&#x153; HENRI MATISSE: A CELEBRATION OF LIGHT AND LINE: gh]faf_2 until Feb 13 Â&#x153; DYmjY Kl Ha]jj]2 URBAN VERNACULAR: until Feb 13 Â&#x153; SYMBOLIST MUSE2 K]d][lagf g^ Hjaflk ^jge l`] FYlagfYd ?Ydd]jq g^ ;YfY\Y3 until Mar 13 Â&#x153; The Little Black Book Inc, Urban SoirĂŠe2 ;Yf[]dd]\ Â&#x153; New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve Dinner at Zinc2 Dec 31$ log k]Ylaf_k -%0he Yf\ 1he%)Ye3 ^gmj [gmjk]k$ )((3 raf[j]klYmjYfl&[Y Â&#x153; New Year's Day Brunch2 Jan 1$ ))Ye%*2+(he Â&#x153; @gda\Yq `gmjk2 <][ *,$ ))Ye%-he3 <][ *-%*/ [dgk]\3 <][ *0%+)$ ))Ye%/he3 F]o Q]YjÂżk <Yq2 ))Ye%-he ART GALLERY OF ST ALBERT (AGSA) Â&#x153; )1 H]jjgf Kl$ Kl 9dZ]jl Â&#x153; /0(&,.(&,+)( Â&#x153; VESSELS2 ;]jYea[k Yf\ hYaflaf_k Zq ;Yf\a[] Jaf_$ Eaf\q 9f\j]ok$ Kmr]ll] Cfm\k]f$ Ha]jj] :YlYaddYj\$ Yf\ EYjq KoYaf3 until Jan 29 AVENUE THEATRE Â&#x153; 1(+(%))0 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,//&*),1 Â&#x153; Khadd&&&2 =\egflgf k ;geegf ?jgmf\ 9jlk Kg[a]lq =;?9K! ^]Ylmj]k Yf Yjl ]n]fl3 l`]j] ak Yf gh]f afnalYlagf ^gj Yjlaklk lg Zjaf_ Y ^]o ha][]k g^ ogjc& HYafl Yf\ ]Yk]dk hjgna\]\ kg l`Yl Yjl [Yf Z] eY\] lg dan] emka[& L`] egkl hghmdYj ha][]k Yj] k]d][l]\ lg Z] k`gof Yl 9n]fm] L`]Ylj] gj Omf\]j :Yj O`ql] 9n]! Â&#x153; =n]jq *f\ Kmf

EXPRESSIONZ CAFĂ&#x2030; Â&#x153; 11+0%/( 9n]Â&#x153; /0(&,+/&+../ Â&#x153; ]phj]kkagfr[Y^]&[ge Â&#x153; 9jlogjck Zq dg[Yd Yjlaklk$ [mj% j]fldq k`goaf_ Yjl Zq ;`jak Jad]q$ ;`jak ?Yna_gf$ ;Yjja] <Yq$ <]fak] NYf <gek]dYYj$ <gjak KYm\]j$ @]a\] Emdd]j%@YYk$ B]Yf Egf[mj$ CYl`d]]f O`]]d]j$ Daf\Y :d]rrYj\$ LYjY` K[`oYjlr$ Yf\ KY``YjY Â&#x153; Through Dec FINE ARTS BUILDING GALLERY Â&#x153; <]hYjle]fl g^ 9jl Yf\ <]ka_f$ M g^ 9$ Je +%10 >af] 9jlk :d\_ Â&#x153; /0(&,1*&*(0) Â&#x153; DIALOGUE OF THE DOMESTIC2 9jlogjck Zq 9ffY @gmk] EYkl]j g^ >af] 9jlk af HYaflaf_!3 POEM FOR A HOMEBODY2 9jlogjck Zq Daf\kYq Cfgp EYkl]j g^ >af] 9jlk af <jYoaf_ Yf\ Afl]je]\aY!3 Dec 23, Jan 4-15 GALLERY AT MILNER Â&#x153; KlYfd]q 9& Eadf]j DaZjYjq EYaf >d$ Kaj Oafklgf ;`mj[`add Ki Â&#x153; /0(&1,,&-+0+ Â&#x153; FOREST RHYTHMS2 9[jqda[ hYaflaf_k Zq ?Yad =[`daf3 until Dec 30 Â&#x153; SUNREALM2 9[jqda[ Yf\ _jYh`al] hYafl% af_k Zq HYl OY_]fkn]d\3 Jan 4-31 GALLERY ISďż˝Red Deer Â&#x153; -)*+ ,0 Kl$ 9d]pYf\]j OYq$ J]\ <]]j Â&#x153; ,(+&+,)&,.,) Â&#x153; 9ffmYd eafaYlmj] k`go Yf\ kYd]$ Yjlogjck Zq nYjagmk Yjlakl Â&#x153; Through Dec HAGGERTY CENTREďż˝Stollery Gallery Â&#x153; FafY @Y_% _]jlq ;]flj] ^gj l`] 9jlk$ 1**-%))0 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,/,&/.)) Â&#x153; fafY`Y__]jlqYjl&[Y Â&#x153; TOTEMIC MANIFESTO2 ;dYq Yjl% ogjck Zq l`] FafY @Y__]jlq ;]flj] Yjlaklk [gdd][lan]3 until Dec 23 Â&#x153; a@meYf _jgmh ]p`aZalagf3 Jan 5-30 HARRISďż˝WARKE GALLERYďż˝Red Deer Â&#x153; Kmfogjck$ ,1*, Jgkk Kl$ J]\ <]]j Â&#x153; ,(+&+,.&01+/ Â&#x153; CHICKENS, CHICKENS, CHICKENS, PEOPLE, PEOPLE, PEOPLE2 ;]jYea[k Zq K`]adY C]dZY Â&#x153; Until Dec 31

CAFĂ&#x2030; HAVEN Â&#x153; 1 Kagmp J\$ K`]jogg\ HYjc Â&#x153; SHADOW AND LIGHT2 DYf\k[Yh]k Zq A_gj Ogjgfamc Â&#x153; Until Jan 15

JEFF ALLEN GALLERY Â&#x153; KljYl`[gfY HdY[] K]fagj ;]flj]$ )(0+) Mfan]jkalq 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,++&-0(/ Â&#x153; 9jlogjck Zq <gm_dYk D]kl]j Â&#x153; Jan 4-25 Â&#x153; Gh]faf_ j][]hlagf2 Jan 12$ .2+(%02+(he

CENTRE Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ARTS VISUELS DE Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ALBERTA Â&#x153; 1)(+%1- 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,.)&+,*/ Â&#x153; MINIATURES AND MORE2 >]Ylmjaf_ egj] l`Yf +- Yjlaklk Â&#x153; Until Dec 23

JOHNSON GALLERY Â&#x153; Southside2 //))%0- Kl3 /0(&,.-&.)/)3 CHRISTMAS ART FAIR2 9jlogjck Zq nYjagmk Yjlaklk Â&#x153; Northside2 ))0)/%0( Kl3

/0(&,/1&0,*,3 CHRISTMAS ART FAIR2 9jlogjck Zq nYjagmk Yjlaklk Â&#x153; Through Dec

JURASSIC FOREST/LEARNING CENTRE Â&#x153; )- eafk F g^ =\egflgf g^^ @oq *09$ Lgofk`ah J\ -., Â&#x153; =\m[Ylagf%ja[` ]fl]jlYafe]fl ^Y[adalq ^gj Ydd Y_]k KIWANIS GALLERYďż˝Red Deer Â&#x153; J]\ <]]j DaZjYjq Â&#x153; 24TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF THE ARTS2 Bmja]\ ]p`aZalagf Â&#x153; Through Dec

ʸ 9B Gll]o]dd 9jlk ;]flj]$ -1( :jgY\eggj :dn\$ K`]jogg\ HYjc Â&#x153; /0(&1**&.+*, Â&#x153; 9jlogjck Zq e]eZ]jk g^ l`] 9jl Kg[a]lq g^ KljYl`[gfY ;gmflq Â&#x153; The Gift Shop2 9dkg ^]Ylmj]k mfaim] keYdd al]ek eY\] Zq Yjlaklk g^ l`] Kg[a]lq Â&#x153; Jan 8-Feb 27 MCMULLEN GALLERY Â&#x153; M g^ 9 @gkhalYd$ 0,,(%))* Kl Â&#x153; /0(&,(/&/)-* Â&#x153; THE CROOKED TREES OF ALTICANE2 HYaflaf_k Zq C]f <Yd_Yjfg Â&#x153; Until Dec 24 MICHIF CULTURAL AND MĂ&#x2030;TIS RESOURCE INSTITUTE Â&#x153; 1 Eakkagf 9n]$ Kl 9dZ]jl Â&#x153; /0(&.-)&0)/. Â&#x153; 9Zgja_afYd N]l]jYfk <akhdYq Â&#x153; ?a^l K`gh Â&#x153; >af_]j o]Yn% af_ Yf\ kYk` \akhdYq Zq ;]dafY Dgq]j Â&#x153; Ongoing MILDWOOD GALLERY Â&#x153; ,*.$ ..--%)/0 Kl Â&#x153; E]d @]Yl`$ BgYf @]Yd]q$ >jYf @]Yl`$ DYjjYaf] GZ]j_$ L]jjq C]`g]$ <Yjd]f] 9\Yek$ KYf\q ;jgkk Yf\ Na[lgjaY$ Hgl% l]jq Zq FYZgjg CmZg Yf\ Na[lgj @Yjjakgf Â&#x153; Ongoing MISERICORDIA HOSPITAL Â&#x153; ).1,(%0/ 9n] Â&#x153; ]\egflgfYjl[dmZ&[ge Â&#x153; 9jlogjck Zq e]eZ]jk g^ l`] =\egflgf 9jl ;dmZ Â&#x153; Until Jan 29 MULTICULTURAL CENTRE PUBLIC ART GALLERY (MCPAG) Â&#x153; -,))%-) Kl$ Klgfq HdYaf Â&#x153; /0(&1.+&11+- Â&#x153; HYaflaf_k Yf\ \jYoaf_k Zq EYjq Bgq[]3 until Jan 11 Â&#x153; Dining Room Gallery2 HYafl% af_k Zq <Yh`f] ;gl]3 until Jan 6 MUSĂ&#x2030;E HĂ&#x2030;RITAGE MUSEUMďż˝ST ALBERT Â&#x153; - Kl 9ff] Kl$ Kl 9dZ]jl Â&#x153; /0(&,-1&)-*0 Â&#x153; PATTERNS I N GLASS2 EÂ&#x2026;lak <]ka_f af :]Y\k3 until Jun 2011 NAESS GALLERYďż˝Paint Spot Â&#x153; )((+*%0) 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,+*&(*,( Â&#x153; LANDSCAPES OF ALBERTA2 HYafl% af_k Zq FYlYda] K`]o[`mc%HYj]3 through Dec Â&#x153; <jYoaf_k Yf\ hYaflaf_k Zq BmklafY Keal`3 through Jan Â&#x153; Free art demos2 KYl ))Ye gj *he PETER ROBERTSON GALLERY Â&#x153; )*+(, BYkh]j 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,--&/,/1 Â&#x153; GHOST IN THE MACHINE2 9jlogjck Zq HYmd :]jf`Yj\l Â&#x153; ?9L@=J JMEHD= >D=P 9F< FOLD: 9jlogjck Zq K[gll ;meZ]jdYf\ RED DEER COLLEGE Â&#x153; NakmYd 9jl <hl$ >gmj ;]flj]k :d\_ Â&#x153; FAREWELL RECEPTION: 9jlogjck Zq nakalaf_ Yjlaklk DYmj]f ;god]k Yf\ Kl]h`Yfa] @Yf]k Â&#x153; Through Dec RED DEER MUSEUM Â&#x153; ,-*-%,/9 9n]$ J]\ <]]j Â&#x153; ,(+&+(1&0,(- Â&#x153; j]\\]]jemk]me&[ge Â&#x153; GLASS 2009: 9jlogjck ^jge l`] [gdd][lagf g^ l`] 9dZ]jlY >gmf\Ylagf ^gj l`] 9jlk Â&#x153; TOP SECRET: MISSION TOY2 mflad Jan 9 Â&#x153; MAGNIFICENT TOYS2 until Jan 9 Â&#x153; BERT FORS: FqY :Y[c]fÂşl`] F]o DYf\2 until Jan 9 Â&#x153; ALBERTA FARM WOMEN2 HgjljYalk g^ >Yje Oge]f Zq <Yof KYmf\]jk <Y`d Â&#x153; FARM FRAGMENTS2 9jlogjck Zq B]Yf H]\]jkgf Â&#x153; O] Yj] E9?khYjck E9?khYjck hYjla[ahYflk!

ROYAL ALBERTA MUSEUM Â&#x153; )*0,-%)(* 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,-+&1)(( Â&#x153; WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR3 until Jan 9 Â&#x153; THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ2 DYj_]j l`Yf da^] hgh%mh Zggc ]p`aZalagf3 until Jan 2 Â&#x153; TATTOO2 9jl Zq l`j]] g^ ;YfY\Y k d]Y\af_ lYllgg Yjlaklk$ BYjj]l ;dYjckgf$ 9f\j]k E]jjadd$ Yf\ ;jYa_ >]fja[c3 mflad Jan 16 Â&#x153; SHIFT2 ;gddYZgjYlagf Z]lo]]f B]kka] Bgf]k$ Ljak` Emjkcq$ Yf\ BY[c Keal` h`glg_jYh`]j 9f\j]o :g_\Y3 mflad Jan 16 SCOTT GALLERY )(,))%)*, Kl Â&#x153; /0(&,00&+.)1 Â&#x153; k[gll_Ydd]jq&[ge Â&#x153; CHRISTMAS TREASURES2 HYaflaf_k Zq _Ydd]jq Yjlaklk$ JgZ]jl Kaf[dYaj$ Bae Klgc]k$ K`Yjgf <]dZdYf[$ EYjaYff] OYl[`]d$ Yf\ gl`]jk3 []jYea[ ogjck Zq 9jf] @Yf\d]q$ Yf\ l`] K]d^ja\_]k& >]Ylmjaf_ ogjck Zq f]o _Ydd]jq Yjlaklk Bg]d Kaf[dYaj$ Yf\ Eal[` >]flgf Â&#x153; Until Dec 23 SIDESHOW GALLERY Â&#x153; 1.(1%0* 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,++&),+( Â&#x153; ka\]k`go_Ydd]jq&[Y Â&#x153; MENAGERIE2 ?jgmh ]p`aZalagf g^ keYdd Y^^gj\YZd] Yjlogjck Â&#x153; Until Jan 8 SPRUCE GROVE GALLERY Â&#x153; E]d[gj ;mdlmjYd ;]flj]$ +-%- 9n]$ Khjm[] ?jgn] Â&#x153; /0(&1.*&(.., Â&#x153; ;`jakleYk \][gjYlagfk Â&#x153; Until Dec 23 TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE Â&#x153; ))*))%),* Kl Â&#x153; /0(&,-)&++,, Â&#x153; l]dmkogjd\g^k[a]f[]&[ge']\egflgf Â&#x153; Inventorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Workshop2 \Yadq$ )*2+(%,2+(he Â&#x153; WHEELS, WINGS AND WAVES-A LEGOÂŽ WORLD OF TRANSPORTATION Â&#x153; Until Jan 2 Â&#x153; Margaret Zeidler Theatre2 HOLIDAY MUSIC MAGIC2 L`] ;]d]klaYd JYadjgY\$ L`] <a_alYd Mfan]jk] dan] k`go! Yf\ K][j]l g^ l`] ;Yj\ZgYj\ Jg[c]l Â&#x153; IMAX Screen2 L`] Da_`l :]^gj] ;`jakleYk $ The Oad\]kl <j]Ye2 ;gfim]kl g^ =n]j]kl$ @gjk]k2 L`] Klgjq g^ =immk$ <afgkYmjk 9dan] Â&#x153; The Science of Toys2 af l`] dgZZq oal` afl]jhj]lan] klY^^ \Yadq$ )*2+(%,2+(he Â&#x153; <][ *,%*- [dgk]\3 <][ +) dYkl k`go Yl +he$ [dgk]\ Yl ,he3 BYf ) gh]f Yl ))Ye$ Ă&#x2021;jkl k`go Yl )*he VAAA GALLERY Â&#x153; +j\ >d$ )(*)-%))* Kl Â&#x153; /0(&,*)&)/+) Â&#x153; Gallery Space 12 DRESS UP GAMES: JgpYff] LYqdgj Â&#x153; Gallery Space 2: IN SEARCH OF LOST TIME: 9jlogjck Zq <]ZjY :Y[`eYf Keal` Â&#x153; Jan 6-Feb 18 Â&#x153; Gh]faf_2 Thu, Jan 6 VASA GALLERY Â&#x153; ^gje]jdq Klm\ag ?Ydd]jq! )) H]jjgf Kl$ Kl 9dZ]jl Â&#x153; /0(&,.(&-11+ Â&#x153; WET PAINT: HYaflaf_k Zq N9K9 Yjlaklk Â&#x153; Until Dec 24 VELVET OLIVEďż˝Red Deer Â&#x153; ,1*0 Jgkk Kl Â&#x153; CANCIAS PERDIDOS2 9jlogjck Zq Lj]flgf D]Y[` Â&#x153; Through Dec WHYTE AVENUE Â&#x153; RETURN OF THE MAGIC: 9faeYl]\ j]klgj]\ Yflaim] oaf\go \akhdYqk Â&#x153; Oaf\go )2 9n]fm] NY[mme$ )((,) O`ql] 9n]2 L`] FYlanalq K[]f] Â&#x153; Oaf\go *2 L`] O]] :ggc Aff$ )(+)( O`ql] 9n]2 KYflYÂżk Ogjck`gh2 KYflY Yf\ `ak ]dn]k Â&#x153; Oaf\go +2 Dalld] JgqYd >jYeaf_$ )(++, O`ql] 9n]2 Oafl]j Ogf\]jdYf\ JgeYf[]2 9 e]jjq ZYf\ g^ ogg\dYf\ [j]Ylmj]k Â&#x153; Oaf\go ,2 Nana\ ;gdgmj Hjafl$ )(+,* O`ql] 9n]2 L`] @gf]qlgf]k :]Yj :Yf\2 <Yf[af_ Z]Yjk Â&#x153; Oaf\go -2 ;gf]q AkdYf\ ;Yf\q$ )(+,- O`ql] 9n]2 L`] ;Yf\q DYf\ Ca\k Â&#x153; Oaf\go .2 O`]f Ha_k >dq$ )(,/( O`ql] 9n]2 ?fge] >Yeadq ;`jakleYk Â&#x153;

16 // ARTS

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 29, 2010

Oaf\go /2 L`] Laf :gp$ )(-)* O`ql] 9n]2 KfgoeYf KlYf Yf\ l`] EY_faĂ&#x2021;[]fl Egfc]q :Yf\2 L`j]] [ml] Yf\ eak[`a]ngmk egfc]q emka[aYfk afkhaj] Y kfgo% eYf lg [ge] lg da^] Â&#x153; Oaf\go 02 Oad\ HjYaja] KgYh$ )(/,. O`ql] 9n]2 L`] ;`jakleYk =n] 9\n]flmj] Â&#x153; Oaf\go 12 ?gj\gf Hja[] Emka[$ )(0*0 O`ql] 9n]2 L`] Fml[jY[c]j Â&#x153; Oaf\go \akhdYqk jmf until Jan 9

LITERARY AUDREYS BOOKS Â&#x153; )(/(* BYkh]j 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,*+&+,0/ Â&#x153; Bg[]dqf :jgof$ l`] f]o Ojal]j%af%J]ka\]f[] Yl 9m\j]qk :ggck ]n]jq Lm] Yf\ O]\ *%-he CARROT Â&#x153; 1+-)%))0 9n] Â&#x153; Yjlkgfl`]Yn]&gj_ Â&#x153; Bgq k Oad\ HYjlq Yf\ Gl`]j Kgff]lk Zq L`] Hg]lk Oal`af2 hg]ljq j]Y\af_ Yf\ emka[ Â&#x153; Closed Dec 24, 1pm-Jan 3 ROUGE LOUNGE Â&#x153; )()))%))/ Kl Â&#x153; /0(&1(*&-1(( Â&#x153; Hg]ljq ]n]jq Lm] oal` =\egflgf k dg[Yd hg]lk ROSIEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BAR Â&#x153; )(,/-%0( 9n] Â&#x153; KLGJQ ;9>z2 L`] )kl L`m g^ l`] egfl` mflad Bmf3 gh]f ea[ ghhgjlm% falq3 /%1he Â&#x153; .

STANLEY A. MILNER LIBRARY Â&#x153; / Kaj Oafklgf ;`mj[`add Ki Â&#x153; /0(&,1.&/((( Â&#x153; Centre for Reading2 >jge :ggck lg >ade3 ]n]jq >ja$ *he Â&#x153; Teen Movie Scene2 egna] [dmZ ^gj l]]fk3 )kl Yf\ +j\ L`m ]n]jq egfl` Â&#x153; Writersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Corner2 =HDÂżk Ojal]j af J]ka\]f[]3 ^]Ylmjaf_ Y \a^^]j]fl Yml`gj ]Y[` egfl`3 dYkl Kmf ]Y[` egfl` Yl )2+(he T.A.L.E.S. STORY CAFĂ&#x2030; Â&#x153; Jgka]Âżk :Yj$ )(,/-%0( 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&1+*&,,(1 Â&#x153; lYd]kklgjql]ddaf_&[ge Â&#x153; Gh]f Eac] ghhgjlmfalq Â&#x153; )kl L`m ]Y[` egfl`$ /he Â&#x153; .

UPPER CRUST CAFĂ&#x2030; Â&#x153; )(1(1%0. 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,**&0)/, Â&#x153; kljgddg^hg]lk&[ge Â&#x153; L`] Hg]lkÂż @Yn]f O]]cdq J]Y\af_ K]ja]k2 ]n]jq Egf$ /he hj]k]fl]\ Zq l`] Kljgdd g^ Hg]lk Kg[a]lq

THEATRE THE ASH GIRL Â&#x153; ;gf[gj\aY Mfan]jkalq ;gdd]_]$ JgZ]jl L]_d]j 9m\algjame$ /+ Kl$ ))) 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,/1&1*/( THE BEST NEWFOUNDLAND CHRISTMAS PAGďż˝ EANT....EVER! Â&#x153; NYjk[gfY L`]Ylj]$ )(+*1%0+ 9n] Â&#x153; O`ar_a__daf_ Hjg\m[lagfk Yf\ Khajal g^ F]o^gmf\% dYf\ Hjg\m[lagfk& O`Yl `Yk l`] hgl]flaYd lg Z] l`] ogjkl HY_]Yfl ]n]j$ lmjfk gml lg Z] l`] Z]kl gf] Yk ]n]jqgf] d]Yjfk l`] ljm] e]Yfaf_ g^ ;`jakleYk Â&#x153; Until Dec 23$ /2+(he Â&#x153; *( Y\mdl!' )0 k]fagj'klm\]fl' [`ad\ mf\]j )- q]Yjk! Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj] CHIMPROV Â&#x153; NYjk[gfY L`]Ylj]$ )(+*1%0+ 9n] Â&#x153; =n]jq KYl Yl ))he fg k`go gf l`] dYkl KYl g^ l`] egfl`! Â&#x153; )(' - @a_` K[`ggd Klm\]flk! Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj]$ \ggj Â&#x153; Fg k`go Dec 25$ Jan 1 Â&#x153; )(' - @a_` K[`ggd klm\]fl!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL Â&#x153; ;alY\]d EY[dYZ L`]Ylj]$ 10*0%)()9 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,*-&)0*( Â&#x153; Lge Ogg\Âżk ZjaddaYfl Y\YhlYlagf g^ ;`Yjd]k <a[c]fkÂż [dYkka[ lYd] Â&#x153; Until Dec 23 DIEďż˝NASTY Â&#x153; NYjk[gfY L`]Ylj]$ )(+*1%0+ 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,++&++11 Â&#x153; \a]%fYklq&[ge Â&#x153; Dan] aehjgnak]\ kgYh gh]jY Â&#x153; =n]jq Egf$ /2+(he3 mflad May 30 Â&#x153; fg h]j^gj% eYf[]k gf Dec 27, Jan 3; shows start up again on Jan 10 Â&#x153; )* Y\n Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj]!

THE GREAT GAME SHOW SHOWDOWN SHINDIG 2010 Â&#x153; @gdq Ljafalq 9f_da[Yf ;`mj[`$ )((+/%0, 9n] Â&#x153; L`] 9;E= JY\ag L`]Ylj] ;gehYfq Yf\ L`] Hjgb][l8@gdq Ljafalq Â&#x153; ;]d]ZjYl] l`] F]o Q]Yj oal` *()(Âżk egkl ^mf Ă&#x2021;dd]\ Ă&#x2021;fYd]& ;gfl]klYflk \jYof ^jge l`] Ym\a]f[] ZYlld] al gml af Y khdal k][gf\ hYjlq _Ye] \]ka_f]\ lg l]kl _]f]jYd cfgod]\_] g^ l`] q]Yj l`Yl oYk& 9dd kg l`]q [Yf oaf Y [`Yf[] Yl l`] _jYf\ hjar] oYalaf_ Yl l`] ]f\ g^ l`] ;Yd]f\Yj <Yk` LjanaY Klmflk Hjar]k 9f\ Y [`Yf[] lg o]d[ge] *()) oal` Y ZYf_ L`j]] fa_`lk gfdq ;j]Yl]\ Zq <Yna\ :]dc] oal` Bmda]f 9jfgd\ Yk qgmj eYkl]j g^ []j]egfa]k Â&#x153; Dec 3031, Jan 1$ /he Â&#x153; )- Y\mdl!' )* klm\]fl'k]fagj!' 0 [`ad\ mf\]j )*! Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj] IT'S ABOUT TIME Â&#x153; 9j\]f L`]Ylj]$ Kl 9dZ]jl Â&#x153; Kl 9dZ]jl ;`ad\j]f k L`]Ylj] 9dmefa k +(l` 9ffan]jkYjq []d]ZjYlagf Â&#x153; L`m$ Dec 30$ /2+(he NILESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; JOURNEY Â&#x153; @gdq Ljafalq 9f_da[Yf ;`mj[`$ )((+/%0, 9n] Â&#x153; Rm%EY Hjg\m[lagfk Yf\ L`] Hjgb][l8@gdq Ljafalq Â&#x153; K[jahl Zq <Yna\ :]dc] Yf\ klYjjaf_ ;af\a RmZq Yf\ Dqf]ll] EYmja[]& 9^l]j `ak egl`]j ak ]fdakl]\ Zq Y ljYn]dd]j lg ^afak` Y bgmjf]q lg ^gddgo Y klYj$ l`] dgf]dq dalld] Fad]k lja]k lg Z] ZjYn] Zml ]f\k mh ^gddgoaf_ `ak egl`]jÂżk ljYad Yk `] Z]_afk Y im]kl ^gj dgn] Yf\ [gmjY_] Â&#x153; Jan 1$ *he Â&#x153; )- Y\mdl!' )* klm\]fl'k]fagj!' 0 [`ad\ mf\]j )*!

Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj] THE SUPER GROOVY 70'S PART 2: KEEP ON TRUCKIN' Â&#x153; EYqĂ&#x2021;]d\ <aff]j L`]Ylj]$ )..)-%)(1 9n] Â&#x153; /0(&,0+&,(-) Â&#x153; eYqĂ&#x2021;]d\l`]Ylj]&[Y Â&#x153; Ojall]f Yf\ [gehad]\ Zq Oadd EYjck Â&#x153; Until Feb 6 THEATRESPORTS Â&#x153; NYjk[gfY L`]Ylj]$ )(+*1%0+ 9n] Â&#x153; JYha\ >aj] L`]Ylj] k +(l` 9ffan]jkYjq =\alagf Â&#x153; =n]jq >ja Yl ))he Â&#x153; )( Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj]$ \ggj Â&#x153; J]_mdYj o]]cdq k`gok j]kme] Jan 7 and Jan 8 Â&#x153; )( TOM JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM Â&#x153; BmZadYlagfk <aff]j L`Â&#x2026;Â&#x20AC;lj]$ 000*%)/( Kl Â&#x153; /0(&,0,&*,*, Â&#x153; bmZadYlagfk&[Y Â&#x153; Until Jan 223 k]Ylaf_2 O]\%KYl2 .2)-%.2,(he3 Kmf2 -he WHITE CHRISTMAS Â&#x153; >]klanYd HdY[]$ )(( >]klanYd OYq$ K`]jogg\ HYjc Â&#x153; /0(&,,1&++/0 Â&#x153; ^]klanYdhdY[]& YZ&[Y Â&#x153; :q Ajnaf_ :]jdaf$ hj]k]fl]\ Zq >]klanYd HdYq]jk$ emka[ Yf\ dqja[k Zq Ajnaf_ :]jdaf$ Zggc Zq <Yna\ An]k Yf\ HYmd :dYc] Â&#x153; Until Dec 30 Â&#x153; +* Y\mdl!' *( [`ad\!3 E]Ydk Yj] YnYadYZd] ^gj kge] k`gok g^ l`ak hjg\m[lagf$ ^gj Y k]hYjYl] Y\\alagfYd [`Yj_]2 lg eYc] e]Yd YjjYf_]e]flk [gflY[l l`] >]klanYd HdY[] Zgp g^^a[] Yl /0(&,,1&++/0 Yl d]Ykl ,0 `gmjk Z]^gj] l`] \Yl] g^ l`] k`go THE WIZARD OF OZ Â&#x153; BmZad]] 9m\algjame$ )),--%0/ 9n] Â&#x153; Hjg\m[lagf ZYk]\ gf l`] JgqYd K`Yc]kh]Yj] ;gehYfqÂżk []d]ZjYlagf g^ l`] )1+1 E?E egna] Â&#x153; Dec 23, 24, 26

FILM

Idea-log: The wish-script-list of 2010 SIDEVUE Online AT VUEWEEKLY.COM

On wings of horror Black Swan a mostly riveting journey Josef Braun // josef@vueweekly.com

T

here's a moment when ballet impresario Thomas (Vincent Cassel), having taken a risk in casting the exceedingly demure Nina (Natalie Portman) as the schizophrenic dual lead in his new production of Swan Lake, explains that Nina will succeed so long as she lets go of her fear. "The only person standing in your way," Thomas tells her, "is you."

But these words intended as reassurance, spoken fairly late in Black Swan, couldn't sound more ominous. Nina's capacity for confusing her internal ambivalence with some external, independent, diabolical force has by now been demonstrated in myriad scenes marked by vivid hallucination. We've come to presume that Nina's only path to artistic transcendence is one that requires a morbid, perilously complete identification with her role.

Black Swan makes a fascinating companion piece to director Darren Aronofsky's previous film The Wrestler.

Both closely follow their protagonists through a crisis resulting at least in part from ambitions of athletic perfection. It's possible that Nina would

have arrived at the same crisis point without the pressures of ballet, but the film seems drawn to persuading us of a hypothesis concerning the psychological cost of zero body fat and immersion in a milieu that consumes and virtually cloisters those devoted to its craft.

Aronofsky revels in the amplified cracking of sore toes, in close-ups of wounds, in the eeriness of rehearsal hall mirrors, invoking the funhouse and foreshadowing the proliferation of doppelgängers to come.

Then there's Nina's home life, that frilly pink bedroom where her attempt at masturbation, as prescribed by the sleazy but shrewd Thomas, is overseen by a menagerie of plush toys—not to mention Erica (Barbara Hershey), Nina's mom, a failed ballerina herself who's life now consists largely of suffocating her daughter with hysterical maternal concern. It's interesting to note that in The Entity, Hershey played a woman repeatedly sexually assaulted by an invisible demon, but almost no one believes her—everyone thinks that she's crazy.

By contrast, you might say that Nina's tragedy emerges from the fact that no one acknowledges that she's crazy, even though she exhibits kleptomaniac and

Splitting personality

masochistic tendencies. But the film that comes to mind once we get a sense of Nina's fraught domestic life is Carrie, with its oppressive, infantilizing mom and naïve daughter whose ascendance to queenly status seems doomed. Like both Carrie and The Entity, Black Swan is a horror film. Like Roman Polanski's Repulsion, it's a horror film that derives its particular effects through rigorous subjectivity.

Working from a script by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz and John J McLaughlin, Aronofsky keeps things

moving at a remarkably clipped pace.

Even on a second viewing I marvelled at the way the film gallops through a lot of story without slackening. I think the problems with Black Swan become prominent when all that story seems to evaporate ahead of schedule.

We start to feel this when Thomas repeats the exact same, maddeningly vague critique of Nina's work—that she won't "let go"—for the umpteenth time. Despite Portman's radical transformation during the final act, the film never gives us any sense of what makes dance either dynamic or staid, sensual

or frigid, because Aronofsky doesn't appear to be the slightest bit interested in dance. Aronofsky is much more engaged in the deployment of his Goya-esque bestiary, perhaps echoing Ingmar Bergman's somewhat similarly themed Hour of the Wolf, but a significant difference between Bergman's film and Aronofsky's is that the more obviously hallucinatory Black Swan's hallucinations become, the cornier the film's entire notion of psychological frailty feels. Aronofsky deftly gets us worked up as the film builds toward its climax, but the entire last act finally feels silly, those escalating spasms of psychic unease that make a lot of fuss without taking us anywhere new, other than offering further attempts at shock with diminishing returns. Still, I heartily recommend taking Black Swan's mostly riveting journey to the end of Nina's psychic tether. I just don't want to lead you to believe that there's any place to fall once that tether slips out of her grasp. V Now Playing Black Swan Directed by Darren Aronofsky Written by Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, John J McLaughlin Starring Natalie Portman, Vincent Cassel, Mila Kunis Garneau Theatre (8712 - 109 st)



A rigid epic

Not everything gels for the Coens' take on True Grit Michael Hingston // michaelhingston@vueweekly.com

I

n its best moments, True Grit, the new western by the Coen Brothers, has a kind of mathematical precision to it. The shootouts and ambushes are staged like geometric figures, each point represented by a different gunfighter, all while a constant ticker-tape of equations runs through the viewer's head ([three men + one revengebent teenager + 30 yards and closing] x machismo to the power of drunkenness ... ).

Or maybe it's more like particle physics: take this many conflicting egos, motivations and reputations, smash them into each other and see who's left standing at the end.

Not that any of these characters have much time for book-learning of any kind.

The second adaptation of Charles Portis's acclaimed 1968 novel—the first won John Wayne his only Oscar—once again tells the story of Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld), a hard-nosed 14-year-old whose father gets killed by his farmhand (Josh Brolin) while away on business in Fort Smith, Arkansas in the 1870s. Skeptical of the local law

enforcement's commitment to the case, since her dad was from out of town, and since the culprit has since fled into Indian territory, Mattie decides to take matters into her own hands and hires a Marshal to go retrieve him.

But her first pick isn't available. So she winds up with a shamed, slurring, eyepatchsporting guy named Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges), and hires him on one condition: that Mattie herself accompany him and make sure the farmhand is brought back alive. Before long they're joined by an annoyingly boy scout-ish Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) named La Boeuf (carefully pronounced by Bridges as luh-beef), who's been tracking the same man for months.

It's never clear exactly which mode the Coens want to operate in here: if they want their western to be an epic, a procedural or a modern genre deconstruction. Judging from the stoic and overly stuffy sections that bookend the film, it feels an awful lot like an epic, and a rigid one at that. It's only when Mattie, Rooster and La Boeuf are out on the trails that True Grit loosens up, and considerably so. The scenes where they're wandering the Arkansas countryside on

Brolin's trail have real verve to them, and the tensions between all three generate some nicely salty repartee along the way.

But there's a lot that doesn't gel—not the least of which is the complete lack of depth of every character. Rooster is set up as a conflicted, well-intentioned officer who's nonetheless killed 23 men. Once we spend some time with him, though, there's no mystery at all: he's positively untroubled by his past. This same lack of scrutiny applies to La Boeuf and especially to Mattie, whose ultra-tough pose is never troubled or called into question. These developments are set up, kicked into motion, and then abandoned.

Performance-wise, is it a slight to say that Bridges is predictably good as Rooster?

I mean, he's far from unimpressive, and with a killer whisky-drawl to boot, but it's not much of a surprise; a scene of him, say, drunkenly trying to shoot pieces of cornbread from the sky is exactly what you're imagining right now.

On the other hand, Matt Damon as La Boeuf is an inspired choice. He brings just the right amount of blowhard charm to the

Battle of Grits

role, reciting the Ranger code out loud as everybody else rides off, blowing dust in his face. And of the two male leads, he has the much harder vocal challenge—speaking for most of the film as if his tongue is half bitten off. He's a pleasure to watch, and the movie's unlikely scene-stealer.

To be fair, much of what doesn't work seems to come from Portis's book, and not the Coens' adapted screenplay. (Here's a fun game: when the titular line is delivered

by Mattie to Rooster—with way too much emphasis—try and count the groans in the theatre.) And I bet it works on the page. But

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

considering how aural a medium like film is, in this case the Coens might have benefitted from straying a little farther from their source material. V

Now Playing True Grit Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen Written by Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, and Charles Portis Starring Hailee Steinfeld, Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin



FILM // 17

COMMENT >> DVD

Cavalier, cutthroat and chaotic

America Lost and Found: The BBS Story makes up a cinematic roadmap The initials stood for Bert, Bob and boutique. Seven such movies, a couple Steve, but however cavalier, cutthroat of them produced before the inauguraor chaotic BBS Productions may tion of the BBS brand, can be found have been during it's short but in America Lost and Found: The tremendously influential run BBS Story, a new box set elduring the late '60s and earegantly curated by the Crily '70s, this was the home terion Collection, released m ly.co eweek of an extended family of last month on Blu-ray, last u v @ e tectiv multi-talented movie artists dvdde week on DVD. A cinematic f e s Jo head-deep in collaboration. roadmap of post-studio era, Braun pre-Star Wars Hollywood, it's The name could just as easily have been LKJ, for László, Karen easily one of the most remarkable and Jack, as in cinematographer Kovács, thematic assemblages currently availactress Black and writer, director, proable on home video. ducer and, of course, actor Nicholson, Producer Bert Schneider and director each of whom could seemingly always Bob Rafelson, their partnership initially be found working in some capacity on dubbed Raybert, made a splash with some movie somewhere within the BBS The Monkees on TV in 1966. Neither the

DVCD TIVE

DETE

18 // FILM

eponymous band nor their show could be regarded as an auspicious foundation for creative daring, but Head (1968), ostensibly the Prefab Four's own Hard Day's Night ('64), took the Monkees' image in an audacious direction, openly confirming the critique that had been accurately leveled against them from the start: the band was manufactured from market research. "The money's in / We're made of tin / We're here to give you more," goes the chipper chant that launches this free-associative satire on antiquated genres and politics. Written

by Rafelson and Nicholson in offices, closets and Harry Dean Stanton's basement while under the influence of LSD, drunk on Brecht by way of Godard, brimming with bizarre cameos by the likes of Frank Zappa, Annette Funicello and Victor Mature, Head responded to the needs of a youth movement who didn't identify with what movies had been, an audience grooving instead to Bonnie and Clyde ('67) and 2001 ('68).

Truthfully, unlike everything else in Criterion's box, Head, its satirical targets as broad as its humour, feels at best like a time capsule.

Everything changes, for Raybert as well as the entire industry, with Easy Rider ('69), bad-boy actor Dennis Hopper's directorial debut, which took the aggressive, drug-addled provocations inherit in the exploitation cheapies helmed by Roger Corman—the producer who gave many BBS associates their first breaks—and elevated them into the realm of personal statement. A story of hippy bikers touring a country with whom they share a sense of mutual alienation, their restless journey unfolding to a soundtrack of Dylan, Hendrix, the Band and Steppenwolf, Easy Rider meant a great deal to me when I discovered it, as people generally do, in my teens. If it means slightly less now it's partly because Hopper's career only became more strange and fascinating from here on, partly because its most enduring innovations have their roots in richer European predecessors. Easy Rider made buckets of money. Shocked studios scrambled to mimic it. The biggest feather yet in Schneider's cap, it gave birth to BBS, Rafelson's first serious narrative film, and a peculiar star by the name of Jack Nicholson.

Five Easy Pieces ('70) remains Rafelson's most fully realized work. If it tells us a lot about the '60s, it does so strictly through the lens of a textured character study that's got nothing to do with flower power. When we meet Bobby Dupea (Nicholson) he's working oil rigs outside Bakersfield, going bowling, drinking beer and living with Rayette (Karen Black) who dreams of becoming the next Tammy Wynette and is frequently found perched on the bathroom sink like a giant witchy kitten. We gradually learn that Bobby comes from a very different class, region and skill set, that Bobby has seemingly condemned himself to a life of constantly frustrated escape

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider

attempts. Discovering that his father's ill, Bobby drives north to visit his family. He's at home nowhere and perhaps for that reason seems most in his element on the road, where he can let his mind wander while hitchhikers babble on about Alaska or memorably tell off cold-blooded waitresses. With Five Easy Pieces Nicholson finally found himself on-screen, capitalizing on that callous confidence that masks a fathomless despair. Bobby Dupea is mostly an asshole, but his fascination with other people and how they live their lives outweighs his contempt.

With Drive, He Said ('71), based on Jeremy Larner's novel, Nicholson proved to also possess directorial chops, using the contrast between a libidinous college basketball star and his prankster/activist friend as an opportunity to swing between classical and fragmented, sensation-oriented storytelling. For all its interest in student demonstrations it's not as politically engaged as it might want to be, but the film is lively, unpredictable and sometimes hilarious, very playful with form and music, and very concerned with male potency and its multiple shortcomings. And Nicholson clearly loves the court—I can't think of another basketball movie that captures the same nimble fluidity.

Having long been familiar with the more celebrated titles in America Lost and Found, my single most exciting personal discovery arrived in the shape of the hypnotic, haunting, at times hallucinatory A Safe Place ('71), the debut of writer/director Henry Jaglom, whose constant shuffling of images from different points in time recalls Alain Resnais' Muriel ('63), and who, not surprisingly, helped cut the stroboscopic transitions in Easy Rider. It's based on, of all things, a play, which Jaglom wrote for Karen Black, though the film's lead is Tuesday Weld. Slipping between various

Manhattan apartments and rooftops and stretches of Central Park, the film deliberately dissembles chronology in favour of rippling, disorienting psychological portraiture. The story as such is simple enough, concerning a love triangle between Susan (Weld), Fred (Philip Proctor) and Mitch (Nicholson), yet one of the most arresting sequences features a monologue spoken by a secondary character played by Gwen Welles, and one of the most memorable characters is a magician played by Orson Welles (no relation), intent on making someone or something disappear. Disappearance is indeed a goal for Susan, whose life, fraught with emotional turmoil, has become so unmoored and dreamlike that she almost seems to be disintegrating from the start. Though it's initially shocking to see Nicholson in this secondary role (!), I dare say he gives one of the greatest performances of his career, at once seductive and sad, heartbroken and horny, encircling Weld, eating a sandwich, showing up in the middle of the night, desperate for companionship, yet almost palpably uneasy with cuckolding Proctor. I don't know that he ever registered such genuine surprise on-screen again.

OK, there's still more praise for Nicholson to come, but in the meantime let's remember that once upon a time Hollywood raconteur—that's French for shameless name-dropper—Peter Bogdanovich made truly wonderful movies.

Based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Larry McMurtry, The Last Picture Show ('71) seems at first the antithesis of a hip BBS production: a period film, shot in black and white, rife with homage to the great American studio era directors Howard Hawks and John Ford. But this is a story about aimless youth, pointCONTINUED ON PAGE 19 >>

DVD DETECTIVE

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 18

less war—swap Vietnam for Korea— and most of all sex, a force which rules, changes and never quite ruins lives in a small Texas town in the mid-'50s, where everyone knows everyone's business and the local disc jockey never runs out of Hank Williams. Bogdanovich's bittersweet erotic web includes an achingly young Cybil Shepherd, Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges, and the not-so-young Ben Johnson, Cloris Leachman and Ellen Burstyn. The town's most respected bachelor dies, the kids go off to fight or get an education, and the beloved movie house closes down. Everything is ending in The Last Picture Show, yet life is just beginning for its soft-spoken, irresponsible, uncertain hero.

When The King of Marvin Gardens ('72) begins, David (Nicholson) speaks in darkened space, his face in close-up, telling a story about the everyday terror of family suppers. Turns out David's

a late-night talk radio storyteller. He's timid, wears owlish spectacles and ties, is resigned to solitude—in other words the opposite of Jack Nicholson. Yet Nicholson's superb here, as is Bruce Dern, who plays Jason, the lively younger brother hell-bent on convincing David that they're about to hit the big time by building a casino on a private island in Hawaii, though the bulk of the story takes place in a wintry Atlantic City. Rafelson, collaborating with László Kovács, who previously shot Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces, never moves the camera, preferring to let these mismatched brothers face-off against bleak land- and seascapes that feel frozen in time. Of course Jason's a con-man, and everything goes bad, but there's a muted vitality to The King of Marvin Gardens that makes it a perfect note to finish America Lost and Found on. There would only be one more BBS production, the documentary masterpiece Hearts and Minds ('74), which Criterion has already put out. V

How Do You Know Now Playing Written and directed by James L Brooks Starring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson



More than any other movie in recent memory, How Do You Know is festooned with an excess of close-ups, many of them reaction shots, or rather lack of reaction shots. Reese Witherspoon looking puzzled, Paul Rudd looking pained, Owen Wilson looking simultaneously distant and cheerful.

And dumb. These close-ups are often preceded by what I think is meant to be a gag, and thus it's as though writer/ director James L Brooks lingers on his actor's faces in a desperate search for some signifier of amusement, but I'm not sure any actor in the world is talented enough to make us believe that this shit is funny.

To call the negligently punctuated, product placement-friendly How Do You Know a romantic comedy would be misleading in at least two ways.

There are no plausible relationships to be found here, romantic or otherwise.

Witherspoon, perky with an edge, is a world-class softball athlete who gets cut from the team, while Rudd, vulnerable and shockingly creepy, loses his job while under investigation for fraud, even though his boss is his dad, and his dad is Jack Nicholson, who clearly felt he owed a favour to Brooks, the man who helmed two movies for which Jack won an Oscar, though I don't see any forthcoming for this performance. Wilson's a millionaire ball player and just plain old player who might just want to give up his revolving door of sex partners for something more serious with Witherspoon. It's painful to see Wilson in this. His trademark innocence never seemed so forced.

Truth is, none of the normally capable

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

actors in How Do You Know come off at all well, and this surely has something to do with, firstly, lousy comic timing, or rather lousy timing in general: the film moves at a snail's pace, dragging along with it numerous scenes that serve precious little purpose. Secondly, the script is so far below Brooks' standards—even his middling, Spanglish standards—that I'm nearly convinced an impostor is at work. "What has become of me? I've lost my ability to smile at bastards," says one.

"I don't want our relationship to become cannon-fodder for this apparition in your working life," says another. "I thought you were this silly guy—now everything but you seems silly," says Reese. "Amazing sex! Female jocks are amazing!" says Owen. I'd describe this dialogue as unspeakable, but sadly, that's not the case. I don't know what happened here, but did it have to happen for two whole hours?

Josef Braun

// josef@vueweekly.com

FILM // 19

The King's Speech Now Playing Written by David Seidler Directed by Tom Hooper Starring Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter



"Let the microphone do the work" is a mantra that seems to works for everybody in The King's Speech, except the man who would be king.

When the camera first finds George VI (Colin Firth), he's hesitantly leaned against a wall, mulling over several pages of an address he has to give while his wife Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) supportively clasps his arm. His discomfort is juxtaposed with a real radio pro preparing: gargling, lining himself up at ideal distance from the microphone, calm and collected, ready to begin. The mic does seem to do all the heavy lifting for him, but stubbornly refuses to help George; instead, a stadium's worth of people get subjected to

a truly painful speech with more lengthy awkward pauses than unbroken sentences. It rings out disembodied over shots of the crowd, expectant, then almost pleading, then finally accepting disappointment.

It's on par with George's own.

Almost a decade and little progress later, Elizabeth seeks out Lionel Logue, a laststraw speech therapist to cure her husband. And so while David Seidler's script is based on a relative footnote in history, and although the tropes are pretty recognizable—Logue's the proverbial "last hope," a teacher whose methods lie somewhere between unconventional and unsanctioned (though, after seeing a jowly, "conventional" speech pathologist convince George to fill his mouth with glass marbles and attempt to recite lines from a book, his techniques look downright sane) but the characters are so dimensional and lively on screen that The King's Speech is simply a joy to watch unfold.

Colin Firth doesn't even have to open his

mouth in front of an audience for you to witness the panic well up behind his eyes, for his jaw to lock up, throat to immediately dry out, brought on at just the thought of public speaking. It's something deeper than just fear of public speaking, and all the little ways Logue picks away at George are made immesely believable by Rush's assured performance. Bonham Carter strikes an unsually personable tone for royalty, but is clearly enjoying toying with her royal roles.

Timothy Spall's Winston Churchill skips caricature, as does Guy Pearce's King Edward VIII, the self-absorbed brother, the one who should take the throne, but prefers his lusty messing around with Mrs Simpson.

So it's a history movie, yes, but one about history's behind-the-scenes workings, and the great burden of preparing for the biggest roles on the world stage, that ends up as something far more human than strict historical reenactment.

PAUL BLINOV

// PAUL@vueweekly.com

Yogi Bear

A Boo Boo for cinema

Now playing Written by Jeffrey Ventimilia, Joshua Sternin, Brad Copeland Directed by Eric Brevig Starring Dan Aykroyd (voice), Justin Timberlake (voice), Tom Cavanagh



"Rabid Rider," the cartoon before the grisly, barren feature, is a Segway-driven showdown between a certain coyote and his fleet

20 // FILM

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

freeway-footed nemesis. It's short and painless (though not for Wile E), whereas Yogi Bear is like a steady, throbbing ache that, after 75 minutes, you realize was your nerve endings' collective scream at your numbedoff brain to flee this awkward hybrid of animation and live-action. Given the few little laughs at my afternoon screening, most kids will be bored by the weak adult dialogue (one smitten naturalist to another: "I'm like a Genus without a Phylum") and lack of inventive gags, topped by a stale "be proud of who we are" moral.

The human characters are more cartoonish than "your a-ver-age bear." The smilingly crooked, town-bankrupting mayor's planning to bring in profits and boost his campaign for governor by rezoning Jellystone Park to sell its lumber. Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh), an affable dope easily beaten by his lack of self-esteem and non-confidence with the opposite sex, is partnered with a sub-intelligent subordinate, Ranger Jones (TJ Miller). Looking to fast-track to the top (ie one step up), Jones is so dim-witted he doesn't realize the pointlessness of becoming park boss even after a big "Closed" sign's hung over the entrance. The opposite sex is faintly represented by Rachel (Anna Faris), a nature doc-maker who's lived in the wild. Her bubbliness makes her just daft enough to be

caged up with the other lame humans.

As for Yogi (voiced by Dan Aykroyd) and Boo Boo (voiced by Justin Timberlake), their animated antics could be bearable in a five-minute short, but they're stretched to elastic-band thinness here. Apart from Yogi's unhealthy obsession with his rump and a piece of dating advice he offers to Smith (urinate on the female to mark her as your own) which would be alarming in an Rrated film, let alone this G-whiz one, the plot plods predictably along. Or it does when it's being thought through.

When Ranger Smith and the writers realize, suddenly, that the park's centennial is now, they try to use that to thwart the mayor's plan. They fail, but a fortuitous gift from Mother Nature helps them out, even though the movie's promotion of wild America involves "pic-a-nicking," ATV-driving, tacky marketing and a bear obsessed with eating bad human food. Timberlake's name has a deeper bond with nature.

In the annals of deadly-turned-teddy, fuzzywuzzy bears, Yogi was long ago mauled to death by Winnie, Paddington, Rupert and the Berenstains. His feature-film debut only confirms that Jellystone's woolly Messiah should never be resurrected.

Brian Gibson

// Brian@vueweekly.com

FILM WEEKLY FRI, DEC 24 – THU, DEC 30, 2010 s

CHABA THEATRE�JASPER 6094 Connaught Dr, Jasper, 780.852.4749

CLOSED DEC 24 AND DEC 25 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) SUN�THU 7:00, 9:00; SUN 1:30 YOGI BEAR (G) SUN�THU 7:00, 9:00; SUN 1:30

CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12

5074-130 Ave, 780.472.9779

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes FRI 12:25, 2:50, 5:20, 8:00; SAT 2:50, 5:20, 8:00, 10:40; SUN�THU 12:25, 2:50, 5:20, 8:00, 10:40 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes FRI 1:10, 4:00, 7:00; SAT 4:00, 7:00, 9:45; SUN�THU 1:10, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 6:50; SAT 2:20, 4:40, 6:50, 9:00; SUN�THU 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 6:50, 9:00 TRON: LEGACY (PG) No passes FRI 12:45, 3:50, 7:00; SAT 3:15, 6:15, 9:15; SUN�THU 12:30, 3:15, 6:15, 9:15 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 12:15, 3:10, 6:15; SAT�THU 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Ultraavx, No passes FRI 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) FRI 1:00, 3:50, 6:40; SAT 3:50, 6:40, 9:30; SUN�THU 1:00, 3:50, 6:40, 9:30 THE FIGHTER (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) FRI 1:20, 4:10, 7:15; SAT 4:10, 7:15, 10:10; SUN�THU 1:20, 4:10, 7:15, 10:10 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3d FRI 1:40, 4:45, 7:40; SAT�THU 1:40, 4:45, 7:40, 10:15 THE KING'S SPEECH (PG language may offend) FRI 12:50, 3:40, 6:30; SAT 3:40, 6:30, 9:20; SUN�THU 12:50, 3:40, 6:30, 9:20 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) FRI 1:50, 4:50, 7:50; SAT�THU 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:20 BLACK SWAN (14A sexual content, disturbing content, not recommended for children) No passes FRI 12:40, 3:20, 7:10; SAT 3:20, 7:10, 9:55; SUN�THU 12:40, 3:20, 7:10, 9:55 TANGLED 3D (G) Digital 3d FRI 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:20; SAT 2:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:50; SUN�THU 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:50 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) FRI 12:20, 3:30, 6:45; SAT 3:30, 6:45, 10:05; SUN�THU 12:20, 3:30, 6:45, 10:05 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes SAT 2:40, 5:10, 8:10, 10:25; SUN�THU 12:15, 2:40, 5:10, 8:10, 10:25

CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH 14231-137 Ave, 780.732.2236

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes FRI 12:25, 2:50, 5:20, 8:00; SAT 2:50, 5:20, 8:00, 10:40; SUN�THU 12:25, 2:50, 5:20, 8:00, 10:40 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes FRI 1:10, 4:00, 7:00; SAT 4:00, 7:00, 9:45; SUN�THU 1:10, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 6:50; SAT 2:20, 4:40, 6:50, 9:00; SUN�THU 12:10, 2:20, 4:40, 6:50, 9:00 TRON: LEGACY (PG) No passes FRI 12:45, 3:50, 7:00; SAT 3:15, 6:15, 9:15; SUN�THU 12:30, 3:15, 6:15, 9:15 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) No passes, Digital 3d: FRI 12:15, 3:10, 6:15; SAT�THU 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30; Ultraavx: FRI 1:30, 4:30, 7:30 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) FRI 1:00, 3:50, 6:40; SAT 3:50, 6:40, 9:30; SUN�THU 1:00, 3:50, 6:40, 9:30 THE FIGHTER (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) FRI 1:20, 4:10, 7:15; SAT 4:10, 7:15, 10:10; SUN�THU 1:20, 4:10, 7:15, 10:10 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3d FRI 1:40, 4:45, 7:40; SAT�THU 1:40, 4:45, 7:40, 10:15 THE KING'S SPEECH (PG language may offend) FRI 12:50, 3:40, 6:30; SAT 3:40, 6:30, 9:20; SUN�THU 12:50, 3:40, 6:30, 9:20 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) FRI 1:50, 4:50, 7:50; SAT�THU 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:20 BLACK SWAN (14A sexual content, disturbing content, not recommended for children) No passes FRI 12:40, 3:20, 7:10; SAT 3:20, 7:10, 9:55; SUN�THU 12:40, 3:20, 7:10, 9:55 TANGLED 3D (G) Digital 3d FRI 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:20; SAT 2:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:50; SUN�THU 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:20, 9:50 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) FRI 12:20, 3:30, 6:45; SAT 3:30, 6:45, 10:05; SUN�THU 12:20, 3:30, 6:45, 10:05 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes SAT 2:40, 5:10, 8:10, 10:25; SUN�THU 12:15, 2:40, 5:10, 8:10, 10:25

CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH 1525-99 St, 780.436.8585

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes DAILY 11:30, 12:30, 1:45, 2:45, 4:00, 5:00, 6:15, 7:15, 8:30, 10:00, 10:50 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes DAILY 12:45, 3:15, 6:00, 8:25, 11:00 YOGI BEAR (G) No passes DAILY 12:30, 2:30, 4:30, 6:30, 8:30

YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Digital 3d, No passes DAILY 11:30, 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:30 TRON: LEGACY (PG) No passes DAILY 12:15, 3:00, 5:45, 8:30, 11:15 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) No passes Digital 3d: FRI 4:00, 7:00, 10:00; Ultraavx: DAILY 11:30, 2:20, 5:10, 8:00, 10:50 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) DAILY 11:40, 2:30, 5:30, 8:15, 10:50 THE FIGHTER (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) DAILY 12:40, 3:15, 5:50, 8:35, 11:15 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3d DAILY 11:40, 2:25, 5:00, 7:45, 10:30 THE KING'S SPEECH (PG language may offend) DAILY 1:30, 4:45, 7:45, 10:15 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) DAILY 12:55, 3:25, 5:45, 8:10, 10:40 BLACK SWAN (14A sexual content, disturbing content, not recommended for children) No passes DAILY 12:00, 2:45, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45 TANGLED 3D (G) Digital 3d DAILY 12:15, 2:30, 4:50, 7:10, 9:45 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) DAILY 1:00, 4:10, 7:30, 10:45 MEGAMIND 3D (G) Digital 3d FRI 11:30, 1:45 DUE DATE (14A crude content, substance abuse) DAILY 10:30 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes SAT�THU 11:45, 2:00, 4:20, 6:40, 9:00, 11:15

CITY CENTRE 9 10200-102 Ave, 780.421.7020

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes, Stadium Seating, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI 12:15, 2:50, 7:10; SAT 2:50, 5:25, 8:00, 10:35; SUN�THU 12:15, 2:50, 5:25, 8:00, 10:35 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, No passes FRI 12:00, 3:00, 7:00; SAT 3:00, 7:00, 10:00; SUN�THU 12:00, 3:00, 7:00, 10:00 THE KING'S SPEECH (PG language may offend) Dolby Stereo Digital FRI 12:20, 3:10, 7:20; SAT 3:10, 7:20, 10:15; SUN�THU 12:20, 3:10, 7:20, 10:15 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3d, Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating FRI 12:50, 3:40, 7:05; SAT 3:40, 7:10, 10:10; SUN�THU 12:50, 3:40, 7:10, 10:10 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, No passes FRI 12:30, 3:50, 6:50; SAT 3:50, 6:50, 9:45; SUN�THURS 12:30, 3:50, 6:50, 9:45 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating FRI 12:10, 2:45, 6:45; SAT 2:45, 5:20, 7:55, 10:30; SUN�THU 12:10, 2:45, 5:20, 7:55, 10:30 THE FIGHTER (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating FRI 12:40, 3:30, 6:30; SAT 3:30, 6:30, 9:20; SUN�THU 12:40, 3:30, 6:30, 9:20 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, No passes FRI 12:25, 2:40, 5:00, 7:15; SAT 2:40, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30; SUN�THU 12:25, 2:40, 5:00, 7:15, 9:30 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating, No passes FRI 12:05, 3:20, 6:40; SAT 3:20, 6:40, 9:55; SUN�THU 12:05, 3:20, 6:40, 9:55

CLAREVIEW 10 4211-139 Ave, 780.472.7600

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) FRI 1:20, 4:40; SAT�THU 8:00 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3d FRI 1:00, 3:40, 6:30; SAT 3:55, 6:30, 9:10; SUN�THU 1:00, 3:40, 6:30, 9:10 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) FRI 1:25, 4:10, 6:35; SAT 4:10, 6:35, 9:15; SUN�THU 1:25, 4:10, 6:35, 9:15 TANGLED (G) FRI 1:40, 4:15, 6:55; SAT 4:15; SUN�THU 1:40, 4:15 THE FIGHTER (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) FRI 1:30, 4:00, 6:50; SAT 4:20, 7:00, 9:45; SUN�THU 1:30, 4:20, 7:00, 9:45 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Digital 3d FRI 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:00; SAT 4:50, 7:15, 9:25; SUN 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:25; MON�THU 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:15, 9:25 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) No passes FRI 12:45, 3:45, 6:40; SAT 4:00, 6:40, 9:30; SUN 12:45, 3:45, 6:40, 9:30; MON�THU 12:45, 3:45, 6:40, 9:30 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Digital 3d No passes FRI 12:50, 3:50, 6:40; SAT 3:50, 6:45, 9:35; SUN 12:50, 3:50, 6:45, 9:35; MON�THU 12:50, 3:50, 6:45, 9:35 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes FRI 1:50, 4:30, 7:00; SAT 4:30, 7:20, 9:50; SUN�THU 1:50, 4:30, 7:20, 9:50 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes FRI 1:10, 4:00, 6:45; SAT 4:00, 6:50, 9:40; SUN�THU 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) No passes SAT 4:40, 7:10, 9:20; SUN�THU 1:20, 4:40, 7:10, 9:20

DUGGAN CINEMA�CAMROSE 6601-48 Ave, Camrose, 780.608.2144

CLOSED SAT, DEC 25 YOGI BEAR (G) SUN�THU 7:05, 9:05; FRI�SUN, TUE, THU 2:05; FRI, DEC 24 2:05 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) SUN�THU 6:55, 9:15; FRI, SUN, TUE, THU 1:55; FRI, DEC 24: 1:55

TRON: LEGACY (PG) SUN�THU 6:45, 9:20; FRI, SUN, TUE, THU 1:45; FRI, DEC 24: 1:45 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) SUN�THU 7:00 9:10; FRI, SUN, TUE, THU 2:00; FRI, DEC 24: 2:00 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for small children) SUN�THU 6:50 9:00; FRI, SUN, TUE, THU 1:50; FRI, DEC 24: 1:50

GALAXY�SHERWOOD PARK 2020 Sherwood Dr, 780.416.0150 Sherwood Park 780-416-0150

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes FRI 1:15, 4:00, 7:15; SAT 4:00, 7:15, 9:50; SUN�THU 1:15, 4:00, 7:15, 9:50 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes FRI 2:00, 4:40, 7:30; SAT 4:40, 7:30, 10:10; SUN�THU 2:00, 4:40, 7:30, 10:10 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 11:30, 1:50, 4:15, 7:00; SAT 4:15, 7:00, 9:20; SUN�THU 11:30, 1:50, 4:15, 7:00, 9:20 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 12:45, 3:45, 6:50; SAT 3:45, 6:50, 9:45; SUN�THU 12:45, 3:45, 6:50, 9:45 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) FRI 1:05, 3:50, 7:05; SAT 3:50, 7:05, 9:55; SUN�THU 1:05, 3:50, 7:05, 9:55 THE FIGHTER (14A coarse language, substance abuse) FRI 1:20, 4:10, 7:20; SAT 4:10, 7:20, 10:05; SUN�THU 1:20, 4:10, 7:20, 10:05 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3D FRI 12:15, 3:15, 6:45; SAT 4:00, 6:45, 9:30; SUN�THU 12:15, 3:15, 6:45, 9:30 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) FRI 1:40, 4:20, 7:25 TANGLED (G) FRI 11:40, 2:05, 4:35, 7:10; SAT 4:35, 7:10, 9:35; SUN�THU 11:40, 2:05, 4:35, 7:10, 9:35 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) FRI 11:45, 3:00, 6:30; SAT 3:20, 6:30, 10:00; SUN�THU 11:45, 3:00, 6:30, 10:00 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) No passes SAT 4:05, 6:40, 9:15; SUN�THU 11:20, 1:40, 4:05, 6:40, 9:15

SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.444.2400

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes FRI 11:20, 12:20, 2:00, 3:00, 4:25, 5:30, 7:10, 8:00; SAT� THU 11:20, 12:20, 2:00, 3:00, 4:30, 5:30, 7:10, 8:00, 9:50, 10:45 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes FRI 12:40, 3:40, 7:20; SAT�THU 12:40, 3:40, 7:20, 10:15 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 11:00, 1:20, 3:50, 6:30; SAT�THU 11:00, 1:20, 3:50, 6:30, 9:00 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes FRI 12:00, 3:30, 6:45; SAT�THU 12:00, 3:30, 6:45, 9:45 HOW DO YOU KNOW (PG coarse language) FRI 1:00, 4:00, 7:00; SAT�THU 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:10 THE FIGHTER (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) FRI 1:30, 4:50, 7:50; SAT�THU 1:30, 4:50, 7:50, 10:40 TRON: LEGACY AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG) No passes FRI 11:00, 1:50, 4:40, 7:30; SAT�THU 11:00, 1:50, 4:40, 7:30, 10:30 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) Digital 3d FRI 12:30, 3:20, 6:40; SAT�THU 12:30, 3:20, 6:40, 9:30 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) FRI 1:10, 4:10, 7:40; SAT�THU 1:10, 4:10, 7:40, 10:20 TANGLED 3D (G) Digital 3d FRI 11:10, 1:40, 4:20, 6:50 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) FRI 11:30, 2:50, 6:30; SAT�THU 11:30, 2:50, 6:30, 10:00 DUE DATE (14A crude content, substance abuse) FRI 11:45, 2:10, 4:45, 7:15 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS 3D (PG) Digital 3d, No passes SAT�THU 11:45, 2:10, 4:45, 7:15, 9:40

TANGLED (G) SAT�THU 11:10, 1:40, 4:20, 6:50, 9:20

WESTMOUNT CENTRE 111 Ave, Groat Rd, 780.455.8726

TRUE GRIT (14A violence) No passes, Dolby Stereo Digital FRI 1:15, 3:55, SAT 6:45, 9:25; SUN�THU 1:15, 3:55, 6:45, 9:25 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 1 (PG frightening scenes, violence, not recommended for young children) Dolby Stereo Digital FRI 12:45, 4:05 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) No passes, Dolby Stereo Digital SAT 7:20, 9:35; SUN�THU 12:45, 3:10, 7:20, 9:35 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) No passes, DTS Digital FRI 1:00, 3:40; SAT 7:05, 9:45; SUN�THU 1:00, 3:40, 7:05, 9:45 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) Dolby Stereo Digital FRI 12:30, 3:25; SAT 6:30, 9:10; SUN�THU 12:30, 3:25, 6:30, 9:10

WETASKIWIN CINEMAS

Wetaskiwin, 780.352.3922

YOGI BEAR (G) DAILY UNTIL JAN 2: 1:10, 3:20, 7:10, 9:20 TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Digital 3d DAILY UNTIL JAN 2 1:00, 3:40, 7:00, 9:40 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) FRI�TUE 1:05, 3:35, 7:05, 9:35 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) DAILY UNTIL JAN 4 12:55, 3:30, 6:55, 9:30 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) WED, DEC 29�SUN, JAN 2: 1:05, 3:35, 7:05, 9:35

GARNEAU

8712-109 St, 780.433.0728

CLOSED DEC 24 AND 25 BLACK SWAN (14A sexual content, disturbing content, not recommended for children) MON�THU 6:50, 9:10; SUN 2:00, 6:50, 9:10

GRANDIN THEATRE�ST ALBERT Grandin Mall, Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert, 780.458.9822

LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) DAILY 1:35, 3:35, 5:35, 7:35, 9:30 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) No passes DAILY 1:10, 3:15, 5:15, 7:20, 9:15 TANGLED (G) DAILY 1:00, 3:05, 5:10, 7:00, 8:55 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) No passes DAILY 12:50, 3:00, 5:05, 7:10, 9:20 YOGI BEAR (G) No passes DAILY 12:55, 2:45, 4:25, 6:10, 7:50, 9:25 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) No passes DAILY 12:45, 2:30, 4:15, 6:00, 7:40, 9:20

LEDUC CINEMAS Leduc, 780.352.3922

TRON: LEGACY 3D (PG) Digital 3d DAILY UNTIL JAN 4: 1:00, 3:40, 7:00, 9:40 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) THU�TUE 1:05, 3:35, 7:05, 9:35 YOGI BEAR (G) DAILY UNTIL JAN 4: 1:10, 3:25, 7:10, 9:25 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) DAILY UNTIL JAN 4: 12:55, 3:30, 6:55, 9:30 GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) WED, DEC 29�SUN, JAN 2: 1:05, 3:35, 7:05, 9:35

METRO CINEMA

9828-101A Ave, Citadel Theatre, 780.425.9212

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

PARKLAND CINEMA 7

130 Century Crossing, Spruce Grove, 780.972.2332 (Spruce Grove, Stony Plain; Parkland County)

NO EVENING SHOWINGS DEC 24; CLOSED ALL DAY SAT, DEC 25 LITTLE FOCKERS (PG crude sexual content, not recommended for young children) FRI DEC 24: 12:50, 3:10; SUN�THU: 12:50, 3:10, 7:00, 9:20 TRUE GRIT (14A violence) FRI DEC 24: 12:40, 3:15; SUN�THU: 12:40, 3:15, 7:20, 9:45 TRON: LEGACY (PG) FRI DEC 24: 12:30, 3:20; SUN� THU: 12:40, 3:15, 7:20, 9:45 YOGI BEAR 3D (G) FRI DEC 24: 1:30, 4:00; SUN�THU: 1:30, 3:20, 6:40, 9:40 THE TOURIST (PG coarse language) FRI DEC 24: 1:00, 3:30; SUN�THU: 1:00, 3:30, 7:30, 9:50 TANGLED (G) FRI DEC 24: 1:10, 3:40; SUN�THU: 1:00, 3:30, 6:50, 9:30 CHRONICLES OF NARNIA�VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER (PG frightening scenes) FRI DEC 24 ONLY: 1:20, 3:50, GULLIVER’S TRAVELS (PG) SUN�THU: 1:20, 3:50, 7:10, 9:10

PRINCESS 10337-82 Ave, 780.433.0728

CLOSED DEC 24 S25 127 HOURS (14A gory scenes, disturbing content) MON�THU 7:00, 9:00; SUN 2:30, 7:00, 9:00 MADE IN DAGENHAM (14A coarse language) MON� THU 6:50, 9:10; SUN 2:00, 6:50, 9:10

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

FILM // 21

MUSIC

Santa's soundtrack A look back at the trajectory of Christmas music

Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

N

o matter what your spiritual bent, if you celebrate Christmas in any way, shape or form, chances are music plays a big role in your ritual. From the truly memorable to the forgettable flops, classic hymns and secular carols are impossible to escape this time of year in North America, thanks in no small part to pop music's commercial embrace of what had previously been left to the traditions of the church. And to think it was the church, ironically enough, that at one time tried to banish Christmas in America—and its music—altogether.

The Puritan anti-Christmas law of 1659 banned the celebration of Christmas in colonial New England. The effects of this mindset would linger in the US until the turn of the 20th century, when Christmas was finally declared a national holiday.

But it was the state of Louisiana that first declared December 25 a holiday in 1837, and thanks to this colourful state—already known for its contributions to the roots of what would become "American" music— we have a glimpse into the evolution of Christmas pop music.

From Bing Crosby to David Bowie, Elvis to Bono or Phil Spector to Frank Sinatra, today's popular Christmas music has come a long way from the obscurity of Puritan New England. Long before Crosby

22 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

appeared on television in 1942 with his schmaltzy version of "White Christmas"— now considered a classic and the "birth" of Christmas pop—traditional religious hymns were slowly evolving toward mainstream society alongside the rest of American music, lending themselves to the secular carols of the late 19th century, black spirituals, jazz and blues variations, and, finally, post-war America's commercial embrace of all things Christmas: televised Christmas specials, flying reindeer and Coca-Cola's Santa Claus.

American traditional carols from the mid-19th century include "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," "We Three Kings of Orient Are," and "O Little Town of Bethlehem"; American folk songs like "Away in the Manger" and traditional black spirituals like "Go Tell it on the Mountain" have also been traced back to this era, with secular Christmas songs like "Deck the Halls" and "Jingle Bells" beginning to emerge as early as the 18th century.

War-time performances like Crosby's "White Christmas" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," capitalized not only on a nation still emotional from the war, but also on the post-war commercial realities of emerging television and radio, the portability of records and the potential spending of the baby-boom generation. Contrast the winsome pining

of "I"ll Be Home For Christmas" with the childish glee of Gene Autry's 1949 version of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and you'll see the way America's mood was ramping up for the baby boomers.

Of course, one of the largest turning points for Christmas pop—and rock 'n' roll—was Elvis Presley's Christmas album of 1957. A new generation of baby boomers—now tweens and teens—were glued to their televisions, watching the young, white, musical iconoclast transform black music into mainstream radio for the emerging white middle class. As far as pop music goes, Elvis was the flashpoint, because as of the '60s we start to see a cavalcade of Billboard pop Christmas records: Nat King Cole's "The Christmas Song" (1960), Phil Spector's A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector featuring Darlene Love's "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" and the Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1963); Vince Guaraldi Trio's soundtrack to A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965, and the Beatles' "Christmas Time (Is Here Again)" in 1967.

As the '60s came to a close, so did the unparalleled youthfulness of a conscience-free Christmas, embodied by John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" in 1971, marking the end of the heyday of original pop music come Christmas time, the last of an era that deftly married Christmas with pop, and whose impact has generated only weaker, shallower imitations since. V

COMMENT >> TOP ALBUMS OF 2010

Rollie's top 10 albums of 2010 As 2010 draws to a close, Vue columnist Roland Pemberton presents his top 10 albums of the year.

bered takes on Stevie Wonder renders an entire subgenre (chillwave) redundant.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, Before Today After eight albums of feedback, four-track beat boxing and AM radio schizophrenia, Ariel Pink delivered Before Today, an album that is sonically accessible but retains his predilection for bizarre songwriting. An indie classic.

Tonetta, 777 Toronto's Tonetta writes deceptively complex pop songs that capture comical depravity and a viral knack for melody. 777 is truly original, featuring theatrical lyrics and sketches of red-lined guitar seemingly created in a vacuum.

BLUES

Jom Comyn

BACKLASH

Big Boi, Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty Gonjasufi, A Sufi and a Killer om eekly.c @vuew It's rare that a frequently delayed album with dated Gonjasufi has an ancient voice but he makes roland d Rolanrton futuristic music. A tender synthesis of '60s psyreferences and singles that have been individually Pembe available for years would still succeed when finally chedelia, golden-era hip-hop production and conreleased, but Sir Luscious Left Foot is just that: a huge, temporary electronic music, A Sufi and a Killer is glossy rap record where the intro is better than most other conversely tough and fragile, an emotional rollercoaster emcees's best songs. by a stunningly versatile singer.

Sean Nicholas Savage, Mutual Feelings of Respect and Admiration Expanding his sonic palette to include lounge pop, disco and R&B, Montréal's Sean Nicholas Savage (with colourful production from David Carriere) continues to posit himself as the 21st century Canadian heir to Bowie.

Matthew Dear, Black City Black City sounds as if it were written as an alternate soundtrack to Lost Highway. Sensual and occasionally unsettling, Matthew Dear harnesses icy machine funk, a grab bag of hooks and the requisite techno bass wizardry you'd expect from the man behind Audion.

Caribou, Swim When Swim first dropped, every musician I talked to had the same reaction: "He figured it out." Dan Snaith discovered the key to organically combining human and electronic instrumentation, embracing both sides with equal care and expert craftsmanship.

Toro y Moi, Causers Of This Toro y Moi has proved himself to be more than a member of a specific sonic trend. By focusing on great songs over esthetics and production tricks this album of half-remem-

Joanna Newsom, Have One On Me Again eschewing obvious singles for a cohesive album-oriented approach, as on her last album, Ys, Joanna Newsom continues to prove herself as a brilliant composer and a gifted lyricist.

Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here A weary, harrowing journey into despair from one of the world's greatest living poets, I'm New Here is the hip-hop equivalent to Johnny Cash's last albums with Rick Rubin, updating Scott-Heron through covers and modern production to unveil his genius to a whole new generation.

Honorable Mentions: Arcade Fire, The Suburbs Curren$y, Pilot Talk/Pilot Talk II Deerhunter, Halcyon Digest D'eon, Palinopsia Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh) Grimes, Halfaxa How To Dress Well, Love Remains Jaded Hipster Choir, Pill Weekend Twin Shadow, Forget Waka Flocka Flame, Flockaveli V

Sun, Dec 26 (7 pm) The ARTery Having three releases in the same year is probably not recommended in the independent musician's business guide, but Edmonton's Jim Cuming—who records under the name Jom Comyn—doesn't care: he's in it for the art, and the commerce aspect is seemingly an afterthought, or an if-ever thought.

After two well-received folkier releases in 2010, Cuming is flipping his creative juices over to a noisier, jazzier tack with a tape release entitled Comynge Tegythere which, he explains is pronounced "Coming Together." The decision to do it on tape instead of on a medium with more sonic upside like CD had to do with the very inspiration for the music.

"I started to question the idea of progress," he explains over the phone. "We just make things easier for ourselves all the time and that's what I like about this resurgence of vinyl and tapes. There really is something about a tape—and they don't even have the nice quality of vinyl—but there is something about them."

That reality hit him hardest when he visited New York last summer and had all of his expectations about what the city was and what it meant dashed by the new, gentrified reality of the place.

"What you think is really exciting about it is how gritty it is, but it's actually a lot like West Edmonton Mall," he says. "I could see other

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

areas that were rougher but being gentrified and that whole process of gentrification was very interesting to me. It's this whole idea that, even though on the surface its a good thing that there's not drug dealers and prostitutes all over the place anymore, it's just a shopping mall. You go to Times Square and there's an Olive Garden and a family with fanny packs and it's like, 'Is this what I came to New York for?'"

Although a departure from earlier work, Cuming admits to being a little anxious about how the new one would turn out. Worried that he might be perceived as a carpetbagger who was raiding genres and mashing them together, Cuming pushed forward and is happy with the work he produced.

"There was one point where I thought, 'I'm just doing old stuff, there's nothing new in this album and if you're not going to do anything new and interesting then why bother?' I had a lot of anxiety about that for awhile, but I think I'm pretty happy with it," he says. "Some artists I know, they let it hang them up, but for me, I've always been the other way: 'Well, I've put all this effort into this and I'm just lazy enough that I don't want to have a wasted effort I guess.' At the end of the day I'm usually glad I kept it. My thing is, you put it out and even if it's flawed you just keep moving forward. I just want to keep writing and keep moving forward."

Bryan Birtles

// bryan@vueweekly.com

MUSIC // 23

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

THU DEC 23 ARTERY Jom Comyn (CD release) Our Mercury, Falkland, Old Wives, Our Mercury; no minors; $15 (adv)/$18 (door); tickets at Shades Of Grey Tattoo, Freecloud

DV8 Open mic Thu

hosted by Cameron Penner/ and/or Rebecca Jane

ELECTRIC RODEO� Spruce Grove Open

Thu; bring your own instruments, fully equipped stage; 8pm

CHROME LOUNGE

NORTH GLENORA HALL Jam by Wild Rose

Underground House every Thu with DJ Nic-E

Old Time Fiddlers

O'BYRNE'S Jesse Dee and Jacquie B; 9pm

PAWN SHOP Mod Club Christmas Party Works by Katrina Chaytor, Mindy Andrews, and Sam Uhlick; 9pm (door); $5; dress to impress

RIC’S GRILL Peter Belec ( jazz); every Thu; 7-10pm

Every Thu: 123 Ko

FRI DEC 24

CENTURY ROOM

EMPIRE BALLROOM

COMMON LOUNGE

Sooth It Out: Instigate, Sonny Grimezz, Twist, Allout DJs

IVORY CLUB Duelling piano show with Jesse, Shane, Tiffany and Erik and guests

THE DRUID IRISH PUB DJ every Thu at

JEKYLL AND HYDE PUB Every Fri: Headwind

9pm

FILTHY MCNASTY’S

Punk Rock Bingo with DJ S.W.A.G.

FLUID LOUNGE Girls

Stage Thu: Bring an instrument, jam/sing with the band, bring your own band, jokes, juggle, magic; 8-12

RUSTY REED'S HOUSE OF BLUES

Christmas Blow Out: Three Red Hot Harmonicas featuring Rusty Reed, Scotty Mcready, Rotten Dan

GAS PUMP Sophie and the Shufflehounds (blues, roots)

HALO Thu Fo Sho: with Allout DJs DJ Degree, Junior Brown

BRIXX BAR Radio

The Armada

Edmontons Original Nightclub Reunion for Flashback, Bronx and Rebar featuring DJ Mikee, DJ Don Knoxx, DJ Code Red, DJ Nick Delgado, Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm (door); $5 (with Starlite, Bronx, Rebar, Flashback member)/$10 (without membership)

TAPHOUSE�St Albert

Good Good Things Thu: with Schnaw and Squirrelly B; 4pm-3am; 9m (djs); no cover

BLUES ON WHYTE

Brixx: rock and roll with Tommy Grimes; 8pm

CARROT CAFÉ

Zoomers Thu afternoon Open Mic; 1-4pm

CHRISTOPHER'S PARTY PUB Open

stage hosted by Alberta Crude; 6-10pm

COLAHAN'S Backporch jam with RockSteady Freddy and the Bearcat; every Thu 8pmmidnight CROWN AND ANCHOR PUB Sherry Lee Wisor X-Mas Trio; Edmonton Food Bank fundraiser; 8pm; $5

CROWN PUB Crown Pub Latin/world fusion jam hosted by Marko Cerda; musicians from other musical backgrounds are invited to jam; 7pm-closing DUSTER'S PUB Thu

open jam hosted by the Assassins of Youth (blues/rock); 9pm; no cover

GLENORA BISTRO HOOLIGANZ Open

stage Thu hosted by Phil (Nobody Likes Dwight); 9pm-1:30am

HYDEAWAY�Jekyll and Hyde All Ages Open Stage; 7pm

J AND R Classic rock!

Woo! Open stage, play with the house band every Thu; 9pm

JAMMERS PUB Thu open jam; 7-11pm

L.B.'S PUB Thu

open jam with Kenny Skoreyko, Fred Larose and Gordy Mathews; 9pm-1am

LIVE WIRE BAR Open

Stage Thu with Gary Thomas

LEVA CAFÉ Cris Blackmoore, guest; 8-10pm MARYBETH'S COFFEE HOUSE� Beaumont Open Mic

Thu; 7pm

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ

Wayne Allchin and Blue Gator; 9pm

STARLITE ROOM

Ugly X-Mas Sweater Party: Mourning Wood, DJ Dusty Grooves; 9pm (show)

Night out

FUNKY BUDDHA� Whyte Ave Requests with DJ Damian

KAS BAR Urban House: with DJ Mark Stevens; 9pm

LUCKY 13 Sin Thu with DJ Mike Tomas

NEW CITY LEGION

ON THE ROCKS

WILD BILL’S�Red Deer TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close

Salsaholic Thu: Dance lessons at 8pm; Salsa DJ to follow

DJs

PLANET INDIGO�St Albert Hit It Thu: breaks,

BILLY BOB’S LOUNGE Escapack Entertainment

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Big Rock

Thu: DJs on 3 levels– Topwise Soundsystem spin Dub & Reggae in The Underdog

BRIXX BAR Radio Brixx with Tommy Grimes spinning rock and roll

BUDDY'S Thu Men’s Wet Underwear Contest with DJ Phon3 Hom3; 9pm (door); no cover before 10pm

Open stage every

Xmas customer appreciation party

(classic pop/rock); 9pm; no cover

RED PIANO BAR

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

WILD BILL’S�Red Deer TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close

WOK BOX Fri with Breezy Brian Gregg; 3:305:30pm

DJs 180 DEGREES Skinou *Wear*Red* Fri: with Femcee DJ Eden Lixx

BANK ULTRA LOUNGE Connected Fri: 91.7 The Bounce, Nestor Delano, Luke Morrison

BAR�B�BAR DJ James; no cover

BAR WILD Bar Wild Fri BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Fri DJs

Mental Thurzday with org666

spin Wooftop and Main Floor: Eclectic jams with Nevine–indie, soul, motown, new wave, electro; Underdog: Perverted Fri: Punk and Ska from the ‘60s ‘70s and ‘80s with Fathead

STOLLI'S Dancehall, hip

BLACKSHEEP PUB Fri

SUEDE LOUNGE

BUDDY’S Fri: DJ Arrow Chaser; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm

electro house spun with PI residents

RENDEZVOUS PUB

hop with DJ Footnotes hosted by Elle Dirty and ConScience every Thu; no cover

Celebrate Christmas with DJ Neebz

TAPHOUSE�St Albert

Eclectic mix with DJ Dusty Grooves every Thu

Bash: DJ spinning retro to rock classics to current

CENTURY ROOM

Underground House every Fri with DJ Nic-E

CHROME LOUNGE Platinum VIP Fri

VENUE GUIDE 180 DEGREES 10730-107

St, 780.414.0233

ARTERY 9535 Jasper Ave AVENUE THEATRE 9030118 Ave, 780.477.2149

BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

St, 780.429.0700

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE 11607

780.428.5618

Ave, 780.433.9676

LIVE WIRE BAR 1107

11845 Wayne Gretzky Drive, 780.704.CLUB

780.488.4841

9013-88 Ave, 780.465.4834

GOOD EARTH COFFEE HOUSE 9942-108 St HALO 10538 Jasper Ave,

DIESEL ULTRA LOUNGE

10765 Jasper Ave, 780.420.9098

DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB

Inn, 16625 Stony Plain Rd, 780.484.7751

DRUID 11606 Jasper Ave,

BILLY BOB’S Continental

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE 10425-82 Ave,

780.454.9928

DUSTER’S PUB 6402-118 Ave, 780.474.5554

FUNKY BUDDHA 10341-82 GAS PUMP 10166-114 St, GLENORA BISTRO 10139124 St, 780.482.3531

780.423.HALO

HAVEN SOCIAL CLUB

BLACKSHEEP PUB 11026

DV8 8307-99 St EARLY STAGE SALOON

BLUES ON WHYTE 10329-

EDDIE SHORTS 10713-124

BOHEMIA 10575-114 St BRIXX BAR 10030-102 St

EDMONTON EVENTS CENTRE WEM Phase III, 780.489.SHOW

HYDEAWAY 10209-100 Ave,

BUDDY’S 11725B Jasper Ave,

Spruce Grove 121-1 Ave, Spruce Grove, 780.962.1411

Trail South

780.439.1082

Jasper Ave, 780.420.0448

82 Ave, 780.439.3981

(downstairs), 780.428.1099 780.488.6636

CASINO EDMONTON

7055 Argylll Rd, 780.463.9467

CASINO YELLOWHEAD 12464-153 St, 780 424 9467

CHRISTOPHER’S 2021 Millbourne Rd, 780.462.6565 CHROME LOUNGE 132 Ave, Victoria Trail

4911-52 Ave, Stony Plain St, 780.453.3663

ELECTRIC RODEO�

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE�Whyte Ave 10314

Whyte Ave

8906-99 St

FLOW LOUNGE 11815

15277 Castledowns Rd,

10511-82 Ave, 780.916.1557 Wayne Gretzky Dr, 780.604.

CLUB

FLUID LOUNGE 10105-109

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

Knotwood Rd. East

MARYBETH'S COFFEE HOUSE–Beaumont 5001-

30 Ave, Beaumont

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ 10354 Jasper Ave

NEWCASTLE PUB 6108-90

JAMMERS PUB 11948-127

Ave, 780.451.8779

J AND R 4003-106 St, JEKYLL AND HYDE 10209JUNCTION BAR 10242-106 St, 780.756.5667

KAS BAR 10444-82 Ave, 780.433.6768

L.B.’S PUB 23 Akins Dr, St Albert, 780.460.9100

LEGENDS PUB 6104-172 St, 780.481.2786

Street, St Albert, 780.460.6602

ROSEBOWL/ROUGE LOUNGE 10111-117 St,

780.482.5253

RUSTY REED'S HOUSE OF BLUES 12402-118 Ave,

780.451.1390

SIDELINERS PUB 11018SNEAKY PETE'S 12315-

Gateway Blvd, 780.439.8006

SPORTSMAN'S LOUNGE

13535-109A Ave

STARLITE ROOM 10030-

780.414.6766

STEEPS�College Plaza

NIKKI DIAMONDS 8130

O’BYRNE’S 10616-82 Ave,

780.426.5381

RIC’S GRILL 24 Perron

Gateway Boulevard (Red Door)

NORTH GLENORA HALL

IVORY CLUB 2940 Calgary

RED STAR 10538 Jasper Ave,

780.428.0825

Ave, 780.490.1999

NEW CITY LEGION 8130

780.452.1168

HOOLIGANZ 10704-124 St,

100 Ave, 780.426.5381

FIDDLER’S ROOST

Jasper Ave, 2nd Fl, 780.447.4495

Ave, 780.490.7359

780.436.4403

COMMON LOUNGE CROWN AND ANCHOR

HILL TOP PUB 8220-106

9938-70 Ave, 780.437.3667

FILTHY MCNASTY’S

10124-124 St

15120A (basement), Stony Plain Rd, 780.756.6010

EXPRESSIONZ CAFÉ

COLAHAN'S 8214-175 St, 780.487.8887

24 // MUSIC

780.472.7696

CROWN PUB 10709-109 St,

ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767

PAWN SHOP 10551-82 Ave, Upstairs, 780.432.0814

PLANET INDIGO�Jasper Ave 11607 Jasper Ave; St Albert 812 Liberton Dr, St

127 St, 780.453.6006

118 Ave

8170-50 St

102 St, 780.428.1099

11116-82 Ave, 780.988.8105; Old Glenora 12411 Stony Plain Rd, 780.488.1505

STOLLI’S 2nd Fl, 10368-82 Ave, 780.437.2293

TAPHOUSE�St Albert

Albert

9020 McKenney Ave, St Albert, 780.458.0860

10860-57 Ave

WILD BILL’S�Red Deer

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL REDNEX BAR�Morinville 10413-100 Ave, Morinville, 780.939.6955

RED PIANO BAR 1638

Bourbon St, WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.486.7722

TREASURY 10004 Jasper Ave, 7870.990.1255, thetreasurey.ca

Quality Inn North Hill, 7150-50 Ave, Red Deer

WOK BOX 10119 Jasper Ave

Y AFTERHOURS 10028-102 St, 780.994.3256, yafterhours. com

THE DRUID IRISH PUB DJ every Fri at 9pm EMPIRE BALLROOM

Rock, hip hop, house, mash up; no minors

ESMERELDA'S Ezzies

Freakin Frenzy Fri: Playing the best in country

FUNKY BUDDHA� Whyte Ave Top tracks,

rock, retro with DJ Damian

GAS PUMP Top 40/

dance with DJ Christian

JUNCTION BAR AND EATERY LGBT Community: Rotating DJs Fri and Sat; 10pm

NEWCASTLE PUB Fri

House, dance mix with DJ Donovan

NEW CITY LEGION

Black Polished Chrome xxx-mas party with DJ Dervish, nonymouse, Blue Jay, The Gothfather; no minors; 4pm (door); no cover before 9pm

CROWN PUB Latin/ world fusion jam hosted by Marko Cerda; musicians from other musical backgrounds are invited to jam; 7pmclosing DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB Celtic Music

Session, hosted by KeriLynne Zwicker, 4-7pm

DOUBLE D'S Open jam

every Sun; 3-8pm

EDDIE SHORTS Sun acoustic oriented open stage hosted by Rob Taylor EDMONTON EVENT CENTRE Markus Schulz and Cosmic Gate (dance/ electronic), guests; no minors; 9pm (door); $27 (1st price level)/$37 (2nd price level)/$47 (VIP ticket) at TicketMaster, Rain Salon, Foosh, Shadified Salon

J AND R BAR Open

REDNEX�Morinville DJ

Gravy from the Source 98.5

jam/stage every Sun hosted by Me Next and the Have-Nots; 3-7pm

RED STAR Movin’ on Up

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE

Fri: indie, rock, funk, soul, hip hop with DJ Gatto, DJ Mega Wattson

Kinetic Formula Boxing Day Blowout

ROUGE LOUNGE

Soul Service (acoustic jam): Willy James and Crawdad Cantera; 3-6:30pm

Solice Fri

STOLLI’S Top 40, R&B,

house with People’s DJ

TEMPLE Options Dark Alt Night; Greg Gory and Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm (door); $5 (door) TREASURY Treasury In Style Fri: DJ Tyco and Ernest Ledi; no line no cover for ladies all night long Y AFTERHOURS Foundation Fri

SAT DEC 25 BOHEMIA Art+Muzak:

You're Sick of Your Family

by Now Edition: featuring local musicians and artists; no minors; 9pm; no cover, donation for the Foodbank

DJs BUDDY'S Celebrating 10 yrs; have dinner with us; open at 5pm

NEWCASTLE PUB Sun

O’BYRNE’S Open mic Sun with Robb Angus (Wheat Pool); 9:30pm1am

ON THE ROCKS

Boxing Day Beach Party: Mourning Wood

PAWN SHOP Boxing

Day Super Bash: The Frolics, The Hook 'em Revue, Free Shots on Nic, Shelly Voss, hosted

by Whiskey Wagon; 8pm (door)

RUSTY REED'S HOUSE OF BLUES

Sun open stage with the Rusty Reed Band; 3-6pm

STARLITE ROOM

Boxing Day Soundclash: Eprom vs. Mat the Alien, guests; 9pm (door); $20 at Foosh, Blackbyrd, TicketMaster

TREASURY VODKA BAR Boxing Day

SUN DEC 26

Blowout; 8pm

ARTERY Jom Comyn (CD

DJs

release)

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Who

Made Who–The Rock and Roll Resurrection: The Maykings (revive The Who), The Dirty Dudes (revive AC/DC); 10pm; no cover

BLUES ON WHYTE Megan Lane

BOHEMIA Boxing Day Hip-Hop Party: New/old school hip hop, R&B with DJ Duble A; no minors; 8pm; donations at door to Lois Hole Hospital for Women B�STREET BAR

Acoustic-based open stage hosted by Mike "Shufflehound" Chenoweth; every Sun evening

BACKSTAGE TAP AND GRILL Industry

Night: with Atomic Improv, Jameoki and DJ Tim

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Sun

Afternoons: Phil, 2-7pm; Main Floor: Got To Give It Up: Funk, Soul, Motown, Disco with DJ Red Dawn

COMMON LOUNGE

Boxing Day after Party: with Spiltmilk (homebreakin), Shannon Long (Clutches, CJSW), Allout DJs; $10 (adv)

FLOW LOUNGE Stylus

Sun

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE

Kinetic Formula Boxing Day Blowout

SAVOY MARTINI LOUNGE Reggae on

Whyte: RnR Sun with DJ IceMan; no minors; 9pm; no cover

SUEDE LOUNGE

Boxing Day Party with DJ Neebz

MON DEC 27 AVENUE THEATRE

Grim Empire Presents: Hip Hop On The Avenue III

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Sleeman

Mon: live music monthly; no cover

BLUES ON WHYTE Megan Lane

DEVANEY'S IRISH PUB Open stage Mon

with Ido Vander Laan and Scott Cook; 8-12

PAWN SHOP Yelawolf

(hip hop), Sonik, K-Blitz, DJ Twist; 9pm; no minors; $20 (adv at Blackbyrd, Foosh, YegLive.ca), more at door;

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

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

ROSE BOWL/ROUGE LOUNGE The Legendary Rose Bowl Mon Jam: hosted by Sean Brewer; 9pm

PADMANADI Tue open stage with Mark Davis; all ages; 7:30-10:30pm

HAVEN SOCIAL Open

RUSTY REED'S HOUSE OF BLUES

HOOLIGANZ Open

SIDELINERS PUB Tue All Star Jam with Alicia Tait and Rickey Sidecar; 8pm

PAWN SHOP Michael

Tim Williams; 8:30pm

SPORTSMAN'S LOUNGE Open Stage

hosted by Paul McGowan and Gina Cormier; every Tue; 8pm-midnight; no cover

STEEPS�Old Glenora

Every Tue Open Mic; 7:309:30pm

DJs BLACK DOG

stage with Jonny Mac, 8:30pm, free

stage Wed: with host Cody Nouta; 9pm

Rault (CD release); Bombchan, Vince Vacarro, Makeout Videotape; tickets at Blackbyrd, YEG; 8pm (door)

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society; Slow pitch for beginners on the 1st and 3rd Wed prior to regular jam every Wed, 6.30pm; $2 (member)/$4 (non-member)

FREEHOUSE Main Floor: CJSR’s Eddie Lunchpail; Wooftop: with DJ Gundam

RED PIANO BAR Wed

BRIXX BAR Troubadour

RIVER CREE Wed Live

BUDDYS Tue with DJ

RUSTY REED'S HOUSE OF BLUES Tim Williams;

Tue: The Balconies and Sean Brewer, hosted by Mark Feduk; 9pm; $8

Night Live: hosted by dueling piano players; 8pm-1am; $5

Rock Band hosted by Yukon Jack; 7:30-9pm

Arrow Chaser; free pool all night; 9pm (door); no cover

8:30pm

COMMON LOUNGE

every Wed; 8pm

Golden Era Xmas Edition: with guest DJ, Sonny Grimezz, Twist, Allout DJS; $5 (door)

ESMERALDA’S Retro

STEEPS TEA LOUNGE� College Plaza Open mic

TEMPLE Wyld Style Wed: Live hip hop; $5

DJs

RUSTY REED'S HOUSE OF BLUES

Tue; no cover with student ID

BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

FUNKY BUDDHA�

DJs

Whyte Ave Latin and Salsa music, dance lessons 8-10pm

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor:

Tim Williams; 8pm

BAR WILD Bar Gone Wild Mon: Service Industry Night; no minors; 9pm-2am BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main

Floor: Eclectic Nonsense, Confederacy of Dunces, Dad Rock, TJ Hookah and Rear Admiral Saunders

FILTHY MCNASTY'S

RED STAR Tue

Experimental Indie Rock, Hip Hop, Electro with DJ Hot Philly

WED DEC 29 AVENUE THEATRE F

UN Improv

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main

Wed Nights: with DJ Harley

Blue Jay’s Messy Nest Wed Night: Brit pop, new wave, punk, rock ‘n’ roll with LL Cool Joe

BRIXX BAR Really Good...

Eats and Beats with DJ Degree and Friends BUDDY'S Wed: DJ Dust 'n' Time; 9pm (door); no cover

COMMON LOUNGE

Metal Mon: with DJ S.W.A.G.

Floor: Glitter Gulch Wed

FLUID LOUNGE Mon

BLUES ON WHYTE

Treehouse Wed: Guest DJs every Week; 7pm (music); D.P.M., Travis Mateeson, Mr Wedge

Mixer

Jackson and Taylor

LUCKY 13 Industry

BRIXX BAR Really

DIESEL ULTRA LOUNGE Wind-up Wed:

Night with DJ Chad Cook every Mon

TUE DEC 28 BLUES ON WHYTE Megan Lane

BRIXX BAR Troubadour Tue: with The Orchard, Swear by the Moon, host Mark Fedukl 8pm (door); $5 (door)

CROWN PUB

Underground At The Crown: underground, hip hop with DJ Xaolin and Jae Maze; open mic; every Tue; 10pm; $3

DRUID IRISH PUB

Open stage with Chris Wynters with guests Scott Peters and James Morrisey; 9pm

Good… Eats and Beats: DJ Degree every Wed, Edmonton’s Bassline Community; 6pm (music); no cover

CROWN PUB Creative

original Jam Wed (no covers): hosted by Dan and Miguel; 9:30pm-12:30am

EDDIE SHORTS Wed open stage with Will Coles, all gear provided ELEPHANT AND CASTLE�Whyte Ave Open mic every Wed (unless there's an Oilers game); no cover

EXPRESSIONZ CAFÉ

Wed Open stage; 7-11pm; admission by donation

FIDDLER'S ROOST

L.B.’S Tue Jam with

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

O’BYRNE’S Celtic Jam

GOOD EARTH COFFEE HOUSE Wed with Breezy

Ammar; 9pm-1am

with Shannon Johnson and friends

Brian Gregg; 12-1pm

R&B, hiphop, reggae, old skool, reggaeton with InVinceable, Touch It, weekly guest DJs

FLUID LOUNGE Wed Rock This

IVORY CLUB DJ ongoing

every Wed; open DJ night; 9pm-close; all DJs welcome to spin a short set

LEGENDS PUB Hip hop/R&B with DJ Spincycle NIKKI DIAMONDS Punk and ‘80s metal every Wed

RED STAR Guest DJs

every Wed

STARLITE ROOM Wild Style Wed: Hip-Hop; 9pm STOLLI'S Beatparty Wed: House, progressive and electronica with Rudy Electro, DJ Rystar, Space Age and weekly guests; 9pm-2am; beatparty.net Y AFTERHOURS Y Not

Wed

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

MUSIC // 25

NEWSOUNDS Soulja Boy The DeAndre Way (Interscope)

million albums. I think this evidence alone is judge, jury, and executioner for this wayward generation. Incredulously, I would like to supplement that item with the fact that 50 Cent's guest appearance is actually the most intelligible verse on this record.

Here's a quote from 50: "Lick me up—till I pop—shorty swallow—e'ry drop—from the balls—to the top—she must do this shit a lot." At the end of the day, this album is a pretty strong argument for censorship.



Y Joe Gurba // joe@vueweekly.com



Y

ou need only press play on this album to feel significantly less intelligent. This is a compounding effect since the album only gets worse as it unravels like a tape worm.

Perhaps you can't understand what Soulja Boy is saying? It does sound like he had his wisdom teeth taken out before he recorded this album, no pun intended. Well don't you worry, he will repeat that for you. He'll repeat it eight or 16 times. I am pretty sure my brain is melting as I listen to "Pretty Boy Swag," the lead single. I find myself entering a kind of mental hibernation. You have to wait for the brief pause between songs to escape the catatonia. It is sort of like holding onto a livewire: it is difficult to let go until the power is cut off. I can't help but listen. I need to know if I can be any more indignant than I am right now. I need to know what the kids at the youth center I use to work at are listening to and believing in*, even if it hurts me. It is like a mother looking through her teenage boy's browser history. As the song "30 Thousand Hundred Million" indicates, Soulja Boy has sold 30 thousand hundred

ou need only press play on this record to feel your neck break. This is a compounding effect since the album only gets more banging and easier to memorize as it unfolds like a fucking bank roll. Perhaps you can't understand what Soulja Boy is saying? Who cares?

He's got swagger! I love the repetition.

The whole club can chant this shit like it's a holy incantation. The cutting edge "Pretty Boy Swag" is the future of rap. I find myself entering a state of mental relaxation as the album progresses. I love this shit cause it doesn't make me think. I can just enjoy it, you know? It's like holding a livewire. So long as the power stays on, I'm finna be pumping these jams all night. I need to. I need to know if I can feel any more swagged than I do right now. I feel like I am a teenage boy surfing the Internet for the first time. Make that 30 thousand hundred million and one, Soulja Boy, cause I got you. The 50 Cent feature is the only stupid thing about this record. 50 is so washed up. But don't worry, DeAndre, you'll always be the best.

Crank dat, Tellem. *The DeAndre Way is fun and numbing and bad for you, kinda like jib. Hipsters will love to indulge in the irony of this juvenile stupidity but it is the absolute truth that legions of prepubescent kids are taking Soulja Boy and his lyrical content very seriously, as hard as that is to believe.

Ryan Adams & the Cardinals III/IV (PAX AM) 

Culled from recording sessions that led to 2007's Easy Tiger, Ryan Adams has turned what might have been a slapdash collection of leftovers into a fairly cohesive whole, demonstrating the power of tight editing. Of course, a cohesive whole and a killer album are not always the same thing, and while the individual songs here sound as though they were meant to be heard as a set, the end result sometimes stutters. Still, the most disappointing moments are not bad so much as a little stale: the laid-back rhythm on "The Crystal Skull" has its moments, but it drags on, offering only glimpses of what could be as occasional musical turns roll up only to be left by the wayside as Adams remains steadfastly focused on the song's basic, unassuming backbone. On the upside, though, much of Adams best work has been in collaboration with the Cardinals, and despite occasional lapses, the music here often finds the band taking inspired stabs at a sound that is infused with the country and folk influences that wound their way through past albums, while moving beyond those roots towards a looser rock 'n' roll (and occasional punk and metal) rumble. What is perhaps the most interesting thing about III/IV is that the double record acts as a bridge between two distinct periods in the Cardinals brief run, featuring new guitarist Neal Casal alongside soon-todepart bassist Catherine Popper, a combination that is electric. Popper's bass complements Casal's guitar nicely, though it's her voice that provides some of the album's most powerful moments: on the crashing "Numbers," Adams' frantic "We're fucked / We're fucked" vocal gives way in a sedated breakdown to Popper's gentle voice singing, "You just got sad / You wanted to go out and feel like you were loved / Nobody's mad / These people love you and they want to see you happy and strong" before Adams amps the intensity up again. It's a moment that shows just how good Adams & the Cardinals could be at their best.

Eden Munro

// eden@vueweekly.com

Bikini RIPJDS (India Trading Company) 

RIPJDS is an album worth working for.

Underneath all of the fuzzed-out overtones and lo-fi, murky bass is some interesting electro melodies, perhaps better suited to watching snow fall into the street at 4 am than it is for packing the dance floor, but if your New Year's Eve gets a little wilder than perhaps you first expected, a little come down music will be in order. The vocals, mixed down low as they are, can get a little frustrating, only popping above the din when they're at their most yearning—which is to say, at their whiniest—but altogether, this EP is solid winter fun; low key but hopeful.

Bryan Birtles

// bryan@vueweekly.com

26 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

Various artists An Old Ugly Christmas (Old Ugly) 

Local label Old Ugly's produced a dozen holiday songs to let us reflect a more contemporary take on seasonal spirit through our speakers. An Old Ugly Christmas's strength lies in its diversity in tackling the festive notions of winter, Santa and seasonal spirit: "Christmas in Tibet (Part II)," a beautiful, shimmering Eno-synthy instrumental, immediately gets followed by Diehatzu Hijets' "What Did You Get?" a distorted, crunchy guitar number that layers a '90s alt-rock vibe under a building refrain of instrumentation and repeating the hook ("What did you give?/ What did you get?"). Including the handful of traditional carols tackled here—all of which get lovely, stripped-town takes—the compilation comes together to feel festive without just rehashing the classics. (Free download at oldugly.bandcamp.com) Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

David Shepherd Gotta Leave Where You're From (Independent) 

Soulful grooves cut through the spine of this record, though not in the over-produced way that the phrase has so often become shorthand for. No, one listen to a track like "Hospital Gown," built on hammered piano and jagged guitar chords beneath Shepherd's everso-slightly frayed vocals, and cut with a nicely mixed breakdown—guitar solo to the far left, piano over on the right, both left out in the open with no unpleasant gloss over top—makes it clear that Shepherd's voice—both singing and writing—and vision are well-established here, and the result is an uncompromising soul record.

Eden Munro

// eden@vueweekly.com

Souljah Fyah I Wish (Love Empire) 

Recently, a professor wrote me a comment in a returned essay: my paper was good enough, but he knows that I'm capable of tackling a more complex topic. That sentiment also expresses how I feel about this album. I Wish is certainly good; however, I feel that it's capable of more—taking more risks, for instance. The lead vocals and the instrumentals offer some catchy tunes, and I feel happy listening to this album. Still, many of the tracks do not depart from a mid-tempo range; by album's end, these works are woven together—flowers in a wreath—into my memory. But I can only recall a handful individually.

Maria Kotovych

// maria@vueweekly.com

OLDSOUNDS Phil Spector

A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector

(ABKCO)

Originally released: 1963 So much of what we've come to expect from Christmas music—never mind pop music—can be traced back to the signature sounds of Phil Spector. The iconic and idiosyncratic producer had a vision and template for recording that has yet to be fully matched, and while Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby tend to occupy their due share in people's "classic" holiday record collections, no other personality has shaped a sound with such lasting style.

On A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector, he gathers the brightest talents from his early roster of bands: the Ronettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love and Bob B Sox. Over the course of 13 songs (and clocking in at only 34 minutes), this album is a string of sleigh bell-tinged rock 'n' roll and early R&B that has become the measure for Christmas tunes in popular culture.

Darlene Love's contributions, for example, both solo and with the Crystals, continue to capture a powerful sense of place and nostalgia in the North American imagination. "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" (written by Spector) and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" have been

QUICKSPINS

covered by countless of bands, from Arab Strap to U2, Bon Jovi to Vince Gill, Celine Dion to Mariah Carey. Bruce Springsteen and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard have also covered Spector's works while Brian Wilson has openly professed the influence of the Ronettes, who perform the unforgettable versions of "Sleigh Ride" and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" here, on his songwriting, and the cohesion of the entire album hinges on Spector's "wall of sound" production.

Now considered a holiday classic, Christmas Gift was originally deemed a commercial failure. The day of its release coincided with the JFK assassination, thereby casting a long shadow over the holiday season of 1963. Like all great pop music, the bittersweet tone of Spector's songwriting and production, along with his smart selection of seductive voices of Love and Ronnie Spector, creates a persistent feeling of love and longing, hints at loss and nostalgia that continues to strike a chord with popular masses today. The chord progression to "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"— let alone the title itself—drives home a sense of vulnerability, innocence and youthful hope that, in a way, the American public continues to choose to see in itself.

On the awkward spoken-word track "Silent Night" that closes the album, Spector narrates his "desire to bring something new and different to the music of Christmas and the music industry"; another critic points out that Spector "believed he could produce a record for the holidays that would capture not only the essence of the Christmas spirit, but also be a pop masterpiece that would stand against any work these artists had already done." Judging by the iconic status of these recordings, the trajectory of its artists' careers after its release and the lasting commercial imprint Spector's catalogue has had in pop culture, it's not hard to say he was successful on all counts. V Mike Angus

// mikeangus@vueweekly.com

WHITEY HOUSTON // QUICKSPINS@vueweekly.com

Kylesa Spiral Shadow (Season Of Mist)

The Corin Tucker Band 1000 Years (Kill Rock Stars)

Still writing huuuuge riffs They're still putting the mental in monumental

Middle aged mom rock That's not really an insult Young moms rule my pants

Wyatt, Atzmon, Stephen ... For the Ghosts Within (Domino)

The Order of Good Cheer Tanto Monta (Independent)

You'll need nerd jazz smarts sweater vest, plus degree in Bow-tie-ology

Part tough dude-isms Part laid-back pussy strumfest It's hermaphro-rock

Twilight Hotel When The Wolves Go Blind (Independent)

Spiritus Dei Les Prêtres (Sony)

Great rootsy duo Squeezebox wheezes, guitar chimes and the horn flugals

Film credit music For any Tom Hanks movie Except Toy Story

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

MUSIC // 27

Hip Hop on the Ave

Komrade, founder of Hip Hop on the Ave

Mon, Dec 27 (1 pm) Avenue Theatre Free admission with one unused, unopened toy Hip Hop on the Ave started in 2008 as a wicked idea for Komrade's 20th birthday.

The birthday boy, nĂŠe Stephen Goyette, was known for two things: being a rapper (one half of Brothers Grim, his little brother Pat Grim being the other) and being a big bolster of 118 Avenue, his home turf. So he booked the neighbourhood's premier music venue, Avenue Theatre, and called up his favourite local emcees to celebrate the big two-oh.

"After seeing the success of the show and hearing from the younger crowd

28 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; DEC 29, 2010

about how they wanted a chance to perform, I decided to switch the direction of the show," says Goyette. "I took into account how much I enjoyed the few all-ages rap shows when I was a minor [and] how hard it was to set up my first show ... I made the second show all ages, and to prevent the usual obstacles of an admission fee, the show was free with a donation for Edmonton's Food Bank."

This year, Goyette has teamed up with 630 CHED Santas Anonymous. "They faced a shortage this year with toys and trends show that will continue in the years to come. All kids deserve a Christmas and Santas Anonymous is a great charity that ensures year af-

ter year this happens for thousands of kids," he says.

This year has also seen a surge in corporate support for the show, including a gold sponsorship from the Blue Pear fine-dining restaurant. That's ballin'.

As for the focus on up-and-comers, that hasn't changed. The first half of the show will allow seven new acts to make a fresh impression on many. "In a competitive, driven music like hip hop, it's rare when someone is willing to give you the time of day. I want to be able to give young kids coming up their first shot at rocking a show and having their friends, family and fans present."

Omar Mouallem

// omar@vueweekly.com

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

COMEDY

+j\ Lm] ]Y[` egfl`$ /%1he ?j]q Fmfk @gkhalYd$ Je (.-)$ /0(&,-)&)/--3 ?jgmh e]]lk ]n]jq L`m3 /%1he

h]]j kmhhgjl lg h]ghd] danaf_ oal` @AN Lm]$ /%1he2 Kmhhgjl _jgmh <Yadq \jgh%af$ h]]j [gmfk]ddaf_

SOCIETY OF EDMONTON ATHEISTS KlYfd]q Eadf]j DaZjYjq$ Je .%/ E]]l l`] )kl Lm] ]n]jq egfl`$ /2)-he

MAKING WAVES SWIMMING CLUB

SUGARSWING DANCE CLUB GjYf_] @Ydd$ )(++-%0, 9n] gj Hd]YkYflna]o @Ydd$ )(0.(%-/ 9n] /0(&.(,&/-/* Koaf_ <Yf[] Yl Km_Yj >ggl Klgeh2 Z]_aff]j d]kkgf ^gd% dgo]\ Zq \Yf[] ]n]jq KYl$ 0he \ggj! Yl GjYf_] @Ydd gj Hd]YkYflna]o @Ydd TOURETTE SYNDROME 9[Y\]eq$

BROOKLYN'S LOUNGE 1*).%+, 9n]

Caf_ =\oYj\$ 0-*-%)() Kl$ FO \ggj )&0..&0*,&1/., Kmhhgjl e]]laf_k ^gj LK Y\mdlk Yf\ hYj]flk g^ LK ca\k )kl O]\ ]Y[` egfl`$ /he3 Through to Jun

CEILI'S )(++0%)(1 Kl$ /0(&,*.&---- ;ge%

WOMEN IN BLACK Af >jgfl g^ l`] Gd\ KljYl`[gfY >Yje]jk EYjc]l Kad]fl na_ad l`] )kl Yf\ +j\ KYl$ )(%))Ye$ ]Y[` egfl`$ klYf\ af kad]f[] ^gj Y ogjd\ oal`gml nagd]f[]

/0(&**)&-..* Lm] Fa_`l Dan] Yl :jggcdqf k2 Gh]f Ea[ ;ge]\q fa_`l3 YeYl]mjk Yf\ hjgk o]d[ge] =n]jq Lm]3 02+(he Fg [gn]j

]\q Fa_`l2 ]n]jq Lm]$ 02+(he Fg [gn]j

CENTURY CASINO )+)(+ >gjl J\ /0(&,0)&10-/ K`gok klYjl Yl 0he L`m%KYl Yf\ dYl] k`go Yl )(2+(he gf >ja%KYl3 )* L`m!' )1 >ja'KYl!

LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS

COMEDY FACTORY ?Yl]oYq =fl]jlYaf%

DOC SOUP EDMONTON E]ljg ;af]eY$ ;alY\]d L`]Ylj]$ 10*0%)()9 9n] K[j]]faf_ k]ja]k$ *f\ L`m ]Y[` egfl` l`jgm_` lg EYj *%,he )(

COMIC STRIP :gmjZgf Kl$ O=E

HUMAN RIGHTS CAFÉ SERIES L`j]] :YfYfYk ;Y^ $ ;`mj[`add Ki$ 11)0%)(* 9n] b`[]flj]&gj_ )kl Kmf ]Y[` egfl` \aYdg_m] gf `meYf ja_`lk akkm]k >j]]

e]fl ;]flj]$ +, 9n]$ ;Yd_Yjq Lj L`m$ 02+(he3 KYl$ 0he Yf\ )(he <Yffq 9[Yh% h]ddY3 Dec 30-Jan 1

/0(&,0+&-111 O]\%>ja$ Kmf 0he3 >ja%KYl )(2+(he @al gj Eakk Egf\Yq2 Dec 27 :jgof gf :gmjZgf3 Lm]$ Dec 28 JgZ Dalld]$ Bgj\Yf ;`qrgokca$ K`Yof ?jYeaYc3 Dec 29-Jan 2 ;dgk]\ Dec 24-25 F]o Q]Yj k =n]2 JgZ Dalld]$ Bgj\Yf ;`qrgokca$ K`Yof ?jYeaYc3 >ja$ Dec 31$ /he ]Yjdq k`go!$ )(he dYl] k`go

DRUID )).(. BYkh]j 9n] /0(&/)(&*))1

;ge]\q fa_`l gh]f klY_] `gkl]\ Zq DYjk ;Ydda]gm =n]jq Kmf$ 1he

GROUPS/CLUBS/MEETINGS AIKIKAI AIKIDO CLUB )()+1%0/ 9n]$

Gd\ KljYl`[gfY ;geemfalq D]Y_m] BYhYf]k] EYjlaYd 9jl g^ 9aca\g =n]jq Lm] /2+(%12+(he3 L`m .%0he

AWA 12�STEP SUPPORT GROUP :jY]ka\] Hj]kZql]jaYf ;`mj[` Zkel$ F& \ggj$ . :]jfYj\ <j$ :ak`gh Kl$ Kaj Oafklgf ;`mj[`add 9n]$ Kl 9dZ]jl >gj Y\mdl [`ad\j]f g^ Yd[g`gda[ Yf\ \qk^mf[lagfYd ^Yeada]k =n]jq Egf /2+(he BUDDHUST CENTRE )(*+*%)(+ Kl =n]jqgf] k gf l`] :gYj\oYdc2 <jgh% af qg_Y'e]\alYlagf [dYkk]k$ Ydd d]n]dk o]d[ge]$ ). qjk# =n]jq L`m & /2+(%1he Yf\ Kmf )(2+(Ye%)* )(3 hj]%j]_akl]j Yl /0(&1(1&1+--$ Z]o]ddkgdmlagfk*((,_eYad& [ge CHESS FOR STUDENTS Jgnaf_

;`]kkFmlk LjYafaf_ >Y[adalq$ *(+$ )*()+% /. Kl =2 kg[a]lqg^[`]kkcfa_`lk8k`Yo&[Y L2 /0(&,/,&*+)0 D]Yjfaf_ Yf\ hdYqaf_ ghhgjlmfala]k ^gj klm\]flk Caf\]j_Yjl]f l`jgm_` ?jY\] )*3 lgmjfYe]flk$ af[dm\af_ l]Ye eYl[`]k ^gj ]d]e]flYjq k[`ggdk& 9dd d]n]dk

THE CLOSER, THE GOOD WIFE, OR THE UNITED STATES OF TARA 9 \g[lgjYd klm\]fl Yl l`] M g^ 9dZ]jlY ak [gf\m[laf_ Y ^g[mk _jgmh gf na]o]j h]jkh][lan]k gf LN k`gok until Jan 8

EDMONTON ESPERANTO SOCIETY

)((*-%)(*9 9n]$ Je )0)*0 /0(&/(*&-))/ =n]jq >ja Yf\ l`] *f\ L`m g^ ]Y[` egfl`3 )*%)he

FOOD ADDICTS Kl Dmc] k

9f_da[Yf ;`mj[`$ 0,*,%1- 9n] /0(&,.-&*()1'/0(&,-(&.)/1 >gg\ 9\\a[lk af J][gn]jq 9fgfqegmk >9!$ ^j]] )*%Kl]h j][gn]jq hjg_jYe ^gj Yfqgf] km^^]jaf_ ^jge ^gg\ gZk]kkagf$ gn]j]Ylaf_$ mf\]j%]Ylaf_$ Yf\ ZmdaeaY E]]laf_k ]n]jq L`m$ /he

HOME�Energizing Spiritual Community for Passionate Living ?Yjf]Ym'

9k`Zgmjf] 9kkakl]\ Danaf_ HdY[]$ ))),0%0, 9n] Home2 :d]f\k emka[$ \jYeY$ [j]Ylanalq Yf\ j]^d][lagf gf kY[j]\ l]plk lg ]f]j_ar] qgm ^gj hYkkagfYl] danaf_ =n]jq Kmf +%-he

LOTUS QIGONG /0(&,//&(.0+ <gof% lgof HjY[la[] _jgmh e]]lk ]n]jq O]\

MEDITATION e]\alYlagf]\egflgf&gj_

KljYl`[gfY DaZjYjq$ 0++)%)(, Kl2 <jgh%af ]n]jq L`m /%02+(he K`]jogg\ HYjc DaZjYjq2 <jgh%af ]n]jq Mon, starts Jan 3$ /%02+(he

ORGANIZATION FOR BIPOLAR AFFEC� TIVE DISORDER (OBAD) K[`argh`j]faY

Kg[a]lq g^ 9dZ]jlY$ *(($ )(.*)%)(( 9n]$ /0(&,-*&,..)3 Kmhhgjl _jgmh e]]lk )kl Yf\

QUEER BISEXUAL WOMEN'S COFFEE GROUP

9 kg[aYd _jgmh ^gj Za%[mjagmk Yf\ Zak]pmYd oge]f ]n]jq *f\ Lm] ]Y[` egfl`$ 0he _jgmhk&qY`gg&[ge'_jgmh'Zo]\egflgf

BUDDYS NITE CLUB ))/*-: BYkh]j 9n] /0(&,00&..+. Lm] oal` <B 9jjgo ;`Yk]j$ ^j]] hggd Ydd fa_`l3 1he \ggj!3 fg [gn]j O]\ oal` <B <mkl¿f Lae]3 1he \ggj!3 fg [gn]j L`m2 E]f¿k O]l Mf\]jo]Yj ;gfl]kl$ oaf hjar]k$ `gkl]\ Zq <jY_ Im]]f <B H`gf+ @ge+3 1he \ggj!3 fg [gn]j Z]^gj] )(he >ja <Yf[] HYjlq oal` <B 9jjgo ;`Yk]j3 0he \ggj!3 fg [gn]j Z]^gj] )(he KYl2 >]]d l`] j`ql`e oal` <B H`gf+ @ge+3 0he \ggj!3 fg [gn]j Z]^gj] )(he EDMONTON PRIME TIMERS (EPT)

MfalYjaYf ;`mj[` g^ =\egflgf$ )(0(,% ))1 Kl 9 _jgmh g^ gd\]j _Yq e]f o`g `Yn] [geegf afl]j]klk e]]l l`] *f\ Kmf$ *2+(he$ ^gj Y kg[aYd h]jag\$ k`gjl e]]laf_ Yf\ _m]kl kh]Yc]j$ \ak[mkkagf hYf]d gj hgldm[c kmhh]j& Kh][aYd afl]j]kl _jgmhk e]]l ^gj gl`]j kg[aYd Y[lanala]k l`jgm_`gml l`] egfl`& =2 ]\egflgfhl8qY`gg&[Y

G.L.B.T.Q, AFRICAN GROUP Hja\] ;]flj]$ 1-,(%))) 9n] /0(&,00&+*+, E]]lk *f\ L`m ]n]jq egfl`$ .he GLBT SPORTS AND RECREATION l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Badminton, Co-ed: Kl& L`geYk Eggj] K[`ggd$ 1.)(%).- Kl$ [g]\ZY\eaflgf8l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Badminton, Women's Drop-In Recreational: Gdan]j K[`ggd ?qe$ )(**/%))0 Kl3 ZY\eaflgf8l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Co-ed Bellydancing: Z]ddq\Yf[af_8l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Bootcamp: Dqffogg\ =d]e]flYjq K[`ggd Yl )-,-)%0, 9n]3 Egf$ /%0he3 Zggl[Yeh8 l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Bowling: =\ k J][ ;]flj]$ O]kl =\egflgf EYdd$ Lm] .2,-he Curling: ?jYfal] ;mjdaf_ ;dmZ3 /0(&,.+&-1,* Running: =n]jq Kmf egjfaf_3 jmffaf_8 l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Spinning: EY[=oYf ;]flj]$ )(1 Klj]]l Yf\ )(, 9n]3 khaf8 l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y Swimming: F9AL hggd$ ))/.*%)(. Kl3 koaeeaf_8l]Ye]\egflgf& [Y Volleyball: Egl`]j L]j]kY =d]e]flYjq K[`ggd Yl 1((0%)(-93 9eakcaoY[aq 9[Y\]eq$ )() 9ajhgjl J\3 j][ngdd]qZYdd8l]Ye]\% egflgf&[Y3 ngdd]qZYdd8l]Ye]\egflgf& [Y QG?9 @Yl`Y!2 >j]] Qg_Y ]n]jq Kmf$ *%+2+(he3 Cgj]rgf] >alf]kk$ *(+$ )(-/-%))- Kl$ qg_Y8l]Ye]\egflgf&[Y G.L.B.T.Q SENIORS GROUP K&9&?&= :d\_$ ;dYkkjgge :$ )- Kaj Oafklgf ;`mj[`add Ki E]]laf_ ^gj _Yq k]fagjk$ Yf\ ^gj Yfq k]fagjk l`Yl `Yn] _Yq ^Yeadq e]eZ]jk Yf\ ogmd\ dac] kge] _ma\Yf[] Jan 5$ Yf\ ]n]jq Lm] ^gddgoaf_$ )%+he Af^g2 L2 B]^^ :gn]] /0(&,00&+*+,$ =2 lm^^ 8k`Yo&[Y THE JUNCTION BAR )(*,*%)(. Kl /0(&/-.&-../ Gh]f \Yadq Yl ,he$ ^gg\ k]jna[] YnYadYZd] ^jge l`] ]Yl]jq mflad )(he3 jglYlaf_ <Bk >ja Yf\ KYl Yl )(he3 Egna] Egf\Yq3 Oaf_q O]\ -%1$ Yf\ CYjYgc] Yl 1he3 ^j]] hggd Lm]%L`m LIVING POSITIVE ,(,$ )(,(0% )*, Kl ]\edanaf_hgkalan]&[Y )&0//&1/-&1,,0'/0(&,00&-/.0 ;gf^a\]flaYd

_]g[ala]k&[ge'eYcaf_oYn]kW]\e J][j]% YlagfYd'[geh]lalan] koaeeaf_& Kg[aYdaraf_ Y^l]j hjY[la[]k =n]jq Lm]'L`m

PRIDE CENTRE OF EDMONTON 1-,(%

))) 9n]$ Fgjogg\ :dn\ /0(&,00&+*+, <Yadq2 Qgml`KhY[] Qgml` <jgh%af!2 Lm]%>ja2 +%/he3 KYl2 *%.2+(he3 b]kk8hja\][]flj]% g^]\egflgf&gj_ E]f LYdcaf_ oal` Hja\]2 Kmhhgjl _jgmh ^gj _Yq$ Zak]pmYd Yf\ ljYfk% _]f\]j]\ e]f lg \ak[mkk [mjj]fl akkm]k3 Kmf2 /%1he3 jgZo]ddk/0(8`gleYad&[ge @AN Kmhhgjl ?jgmh2 ^gj h]ghd] danaf_ oal` @AN'9A<K3 *f\ Egf ]Y[` egfl`$ /%1he3 `m_]k8k`Yo&[Y K]fagjk <jgh%Af2 Kg[aYd' kmhhgjl _jgmh ^gj k]fagjk g^ Ydd _]f\]jk Yf\ k]pmYdala]k lg lYdc$ Yf\ `Yn] l]Y3 ]n]jq Lm] Yf\ L`m$ )%,he3 lm^^8k`Yo&[Y LLAI2 =\m[Ylagf Yf\ kmhhgjl _jgmh ^gj ljYfk_]f% \]j$ ljYfkk]pmYd$ afl]jk]p]\ Yf\ im]klagfaf_ h]ghd]$ l`]aj ^ja]f\k$ ^Yeada]k Yf\ Ydda]k3 *f\ Lm] ]Y[` egfl`$ /2+(%12+(he3 Y\eaf8 hja\][]flj]g^]\egflgf&gj_ ;geemfalq Hgldm[c2 >gj e]eZ]jk g^ l`] D?:LI [ge% emfalq3 dYkl Lm] ]Y[` egfl`$ .%1he3 lm^^8 k`Yo&[Y ;gmfk]ddaf_2 >j]]$ k`gjl%l]je$ kgdmlagf%^g[mk]\ [gmfk]ddaf_$ hjgna\]\ Zq hjg^]kkagfYddq ljYaf]\ [gmfk]ddgjk]n]jq O]\$ .%1he3 Y\eaf8hja\][]flj]g^]\% egflgf&gj_ KL< L]klaf_2 DYkl L`m ]n]jq egfl`$ +%.he3 ^j]]3 Y\eaf8hja\][]flj]% g^]\egflgf&gj_ Qgml` Egna]2 =n]jq L`m$ .2+(%02+(he3 b]kk8hja\][]flj]g^]\egflgf& gj_ Hjae] Lae]jk ?Ye]k Fa_`l2 ?Ye]k fa_`l ^gj e]f Y_] --#3 *f\ Yf\ dYkl >ja ]n]jq egfl`3 /%)(he3 lm^^8k`Yo&[Y 9jl ?jgmh2 <jYoaf_ Yf\ kc]l[`af_ _jgmh ^gj Ydd Y_]k Yf\ YZadala]k3 ]n]jq KYl$ ))Ye%*he3 lm^^8k`Yo&[Y Kmal Mh Yf\ K`go Mh2 99 :a_ :ggc Klm\q2 <ak[mkkagf'kmhhgjl _jgmh ^gj l`gk] kljm__daf_ oal` Yf Yd[g`gd Y\\a[% lagf gj k]]caf_ kmhhgjl af klYqaf_ kgZ]j3 Y\eaf8hja\][]flj]g^]\egflgf&gj_3 ]n]jq KYl$ )*%)he Qgml` Mf\]jklYf\af_ Qgml`2 D?:LI qgml` mf\]j *-3 =n]jq KYl$ /%1he3 qmq]\e&[Y$ qmq8k`Yo&[Y

ROBERTSON�WESLEY UNITED CHURCH

)(*(1%)*+ Kl /0(&,0*&)-0/ Kgmd GML% af_2 Yf D?:L%^g[mk]\ Ydl]jfYlan] ogjk`ah *f\ Kmf ]n]jq egfl`$ /he3 ogjk`ah Kmf$ )(2+(Ye3 h]ghd] g^ Ydd k]pmYd gja]flYlagfk o]d[ge]& D?:L egfl`dq Zggc [dmZ Yf\ ^ade fa_`l& =2 bjYn]fk[jg^l8jom[&gj_

ST PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH ))-*.%/.

9n] /0(&,+.&)--- H]ghd] g^ Ydd k]pmYd gja]flYlagfk Yj] o]d[ge] =n]jq Kmf )(Ye ogjk`ah!

WOMONSPACE /0(&,0*&)/1, oge%

gfkhY[]&[Y$ ogegfkhY[]8_eYad&[ge 9 Fgf%hjg^al d]kZaYf kg[aYd gj_YfarYlagf ^gj =\egflgf Yf\ kmjjgmf\af_ Yj]Y& Egfl`dq Y[lanala]k$ f]okd]ll]j$ j]\m[]\ jYl]k af[dm\]\ oal` e]eZ]jk`ah& ;gf^a\]flaYdalq Ykkmj]\

WOODYS VIDEO BAR ))/*+ BYkh]j 9n] /0(&,00&.--/ Egf2 9eYl]mj Kljah ;gfl]kl3 hjar]k oal` K`YoYfY Lm]2 Cal[`]f +%))he O]\2 CYjYgc] oal` Larrq /he%)Ye3 Cal[`]f +%))he L`m2 >j]] hggd Ydd fa_`l3 cal[`]f +%))he >ja2 Eg[`g FY[`g >ja2 +he \ggj!$ cal[`]f gh]f +%))he

YOUTH INTERVENTION AND OUT� REACH WORKER aKEKK$ M g^ 9

/0(&*,0&)1/) Hjgna\]k kmhhgjl Yf\ Y\ng% [Y[q lg im]]j qgml` )*%*-3 qgm \gf l f]]\ lg Z] Ydgf]

YOUTH UNDERSTANDING YOUTH

qmq]\e&[Y E]]lk ]n]jq KYl$ /%1he =2 af^g8qmq]\e&[Y$ L2 /0(&*,0&)1/)

SPECIAL EVENTS THE GREAT GAME SHOW SHOWDOWN

SHINDIG 2010 @gdq Ljafalq 9f_da[Yf ;`mj[`$ )((+/%0, 9n] L`] 9;E= JY\ag L`]Ylj] ;gehYfq Yf\ L`] Hjgb][l8@gdq Ljafalq ;gfl]klYflk \jYof ^jge l`] Ym\a% ]f[] ZYlld] al gml af Y khdal k][gf\ hYjlq _Ye] \]ka_f]\ lg l]kl _]f]jYd cfgod]\_] g^ l`] q]Yj l`Yl oYk& 9dd kg l`]q [Yf oaf Y [`Yf[] Yl l`] _jYf\ hjar] oYalaf_ Yl l`] ]f\ g^ l`] ;Yd]f\Yj <Yk` LjanaY Klmflk Hjar]k 9f\ Y [`Yf[] lg o]d[ge] *()) oal` Y ZYf_ L`j]] fa_`lk gfdq ;j]Yl]\ Zq <Yna\ :]dc]$ oal` Bmda]f 9jfgd\ Yk qgmj eYkl]j g^ []j]egfa]k Dec 30-31, Jan 1$ /he )- Y\mdl!' )* klm\]fl'k]fagj!' 0 [`ad\ mf\]j )*! Yl LAP gf l`] KimYj] HOMELESS HAMPER HANDOUT =\%

egflgf =n]flk ;]flj]$ O=E ]hg%gj_Yfa% rYlagf&[ge >ajkl YffmYd @ge]d]kk @Yeh]j @Yf\gml bgaf mk lg `Yf\ gml `Yeh]jk o`a[` [gflYaf ]kk]flaYd al]ek l`Yl l`] `ge]d]kk [geemfalq j]imaj]ºeYc] Y \a^^]j]f[] l`ak `gda\Yq k]Ykgf KYl$ Dec 25$ *%,he

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

BACK // 29

COMMENT >> LGBTQ

COMMENT >> ALT SEX

Redefining the minority Break the bank The term "sexual minorities," said to have been coined Second, the term "sexual minorities" does not quesby Lars Ullerstam in the late 1960s, is now experiencing tion how some sexualities are rendered deviant or aba resurrection as it is gaining popularity in some LGBTQ normal in the first place, it merely assumes the posicircles, including some here in Edmonton. tion of being outside the majority. Contemporary, Simply put, the concept of sexual minorialbeit contested, popular theories of sexuality ties describes people who, based on their posit that the majority of the population is sexual conduct, orientation or lifestyle, heterosexual, therefore it is psychologicalare not part of the "heterosexual majorly, developmentally and morally normal kly.com ity." Following liberal-equal-rights-based to be heterosexual (the logic seems ciruewee v r@ e que politics, the concept of sexual minorities cular because it is). By calling themselves a x Ale emulates the concept of ethnic minorities: "sexual minorities" political groups are ne both terms are used to demonstrate that reaffirming the notion that the majority of DeGag their respective minorities are in need of state the population is unshakably heterosexual, that protection against the interests and wills of ethnic sexuality should be pathologized as a fixed identity, and sexual majorities. The minorities in question are and that any individual or group that does not fit the burdened with having to prove that they are victims accepted criteria is abnormal and undeserving of cerof abuse, neglect and/or inequality because of their tain rights and protections. biological and thus immutable identities.

And third, the term gives the impression that there The term "sexual minorities" is more politically coris a homogeneous sexual majority. But what exactly is rect, non-aggressive and palatable than its counterthe nature of the majority to which sexual minorities parts, which include the reappropriated identifiers of stand in opposition? Arguably, there are ever-more sexual deviants and queers. Supposedly, the heteropeople who do not live a strictly heterosexual lifesexual majority will be more amenable to tolerating style complete with children, a single-family home and accommodating the sexual minority than they will and monogamy until death. And it is not only the the indefinable and unruly queers. non-married homosexuals or queers that stand outBut the term's digestibility is its ruin. side this model, but those who are heterosexual, and First, using the language of "sexual minorities" shackwhose sexuality is interpreted, constructed and treatles any debate regarding sexuality too tightly to libered differently because of their race, religion, ability, al-equal-rights politics. Past and current equal-rights income and/or gender. These people have never comcampaigns have certainly assured some "minority" pletely belonged to the heterosexual majority. Thus populations serious and needed protections, in terms when we start adding up all the people who pracof employment, pay and housing rights and protectise, espouse, support, are affected by or celebrate a tions against abuses, mistreatment or neglect. But in sexuality other than the monogamous, white, middle fighting for and eventually gaining these rights, minorclass, reproductive, marriage-bound sexuality, we are ity populations are essentially asking to be accepted left with a large sum indeed—a majority even. V as part of the rights, bearing majority. In other words, equality comes with acceptance and the quickest route Alexa DeGagne is completing her PhD in political scito acceptance is assimilation. In order for these minorence, focusing on American LGBTQ movements and ity groups to be part of the majority and gain rights organizations. She is active in the queer movement they must mask or deny their otherness. Accommodain Edmonton, participating in CJSR's Gaywire and the tion thus occurs on the terms of those in power.

Pride Centre of Edmonton.

EERN Q UN TO MO

Last week, I extolled the virtues of Christmas gifts and up something for the home, how about a set of penisgestures from the heart. Turns out many people believe shaped salt and pepper shakers? In its catalogue, sex that the most romantic gifts cost little or nothing at all. toy boutique Coco-de-Mer invites you to "fulfil your The retail industry, of course, disagrees, and the daily phallic fantasies while flavouring your food sex toy sector is no different. With the everwith these one-of-a-kind, functional-art pieces." growing acceptance of sex toys in the mainThe cost: only $210 per set. You could make stream, it was only a matter of time before a lovely gift package by adding the "Bitch and we started seeing designer and luxury toys.

Wanker" tea cup set for only $165. kly.com Here are some of the gift selections availIf you thought it couldn't get any more biuewee v @ a d bren able this year for those with a taste for deczarre, I offer you Betony Vernon. According a d Bren er to the website "Instruments of Pleasure," "The adence and a bank account balance to match.

Kerb The list I'm about to present only proves the works of Betony Vernon are inspired by human theory that for every fantasy there is someone science and spirituality fused with lust for the finer with an entrepreneurial spirit waiting to cash in on it. things in life." Amongst these inspired creations is the For example, you bejewel your cell phone case, but Unicorn Butt Plug. The silver plated plug resembles a what about your condom case? Condoms could save gleaming unicorn horn. Attached to the end is a "tail" of your life, so don't they deserve the ultimate in luxury real horse hair. I can get behind the butt plug concept protection? Just in Case makes a sparkly version of its and even the pony play feel of the horse hair, but what I handy condom compact that's adorned with authentic can't understand is why you would want a unicorn horn Swarovski crystals and comes in several flashy metallic up your butt? colors. It retails for $199. And this seems to be one of the Well, if all of that doesn't fit the line of credit or the less-expensive luxury items up for grabs. fantasy, Victoria's Secret has one that will really bust From Kiki de Montparnasse, an upscale boutique in Los the bank: the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra. Every year, Angeles, you can pick up the pearl cock ring, handmade at its televised fashion show, Victoria's Secret unveils from real harvested pearls. It appears it may not be all a new bra. This glittering support garment, which it that functional as a cock ring, but it sure is pretty! The describes as a "work of art," is encrusted with a variprice? A mere $795. ety of gems including black diamonds and rubies. The Swedish sex toy designers Lelo produce some of the bra is not for sale. After all, if you think underwire most beautiful, well-made toys in the business, but uppinches, can you imagine how this baby would feel? scale moved up to another floor when the company But if it were available for purchase, this year's model brought out its Luxe line. These vibrators and dildos are would set you back $5 million. gold plated. Yes, you heard that right, they are plated in Now, if you're kicking yourself for going with the 18k gold. Prices on these little gems range from $1300 handwritten love letter instead of one of these outto $8000. standing luxury gift choices, don't worry, Valentine's Not a fan of gold dildos? What about platinum? Jimmy Day is only a few months away. Better start mortgagJane's very simple and inexplicably expensive toys reach ing the house. V the height of excess with this little model. The Little Platinum Eternity vibrator is made of medical-grade Brenda Kerber is a sexual health educator who has platinum and is encrusted with 28 round-cut diamonds. worked with local not-for-profits since 1995. She is the It's priced at $3250. owner of the Edmonton-based sex-positive adult toy bouIf you'd like to go a little more traditional and pick tique, The Traveling Tickle Trunk.

LUST E LIF

FOR

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19) "There's always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in," wrote novelist Graham Greene. I'll add to that: There are at least three moments in adulthood when a new door opens and invites the rest of the future in. Judging by the astrological omens, I'm guessing that one such breakthrough lies ahead for you in 2011. What can you do to expedite and encourage fate's summons?

Here's one possibility: surrender to the naked truth of what you love.

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20) If oil companies were given permission to sink their drilling rigs into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the petroleum they produced would ultimately lower gasoline prices by four cents per gallon. To my mind, that's not a good trade-off. Let this scenario serve as a cautionary metaphor for you in 2011, Taurus. Don't share your pristine wilderness or soulful beauty with exploitative types who offer iffy rewards. Instead, hold out for those who appreciate you profoundly and whose own gifts help you to thrive.

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20) Freud said that among all human endeavors, there were three "impossible professions" that inevitably yielded unsatisfying results. They were child-rearing, the governing of nations and psychoanalysis. My own experiences don't entirely confirm this. My parents raised me pretty well and I've given my daughter a decent upbringing. Of the nine psy-

30 // BACK

ROB BREZSNY // FREEWILL@vueweekly.com

chotherapists I've consulted in my life, two were excellent healers and none were damaging. I bring this up, Gemini, because I think 2011 will be a time when you will generate far more gratification and success than usual in your own versions of "impossible professions." Unsolvable riddles, chronic frustrations and maddening uncertainties won't be completely absent, but they could very well be at an all-time low.

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22) "We have to believe in free will. We have no choice." So said author Isaac Bashevis Singer. I encourage you to adopt that puckish thought as your motto in 2011, my fellow Cancerian. According to my reading of the astrological omens, this will be our year to supercharge our willpower and intensify our ability to carry out our plans—but always with good humor and a highly tuned sense of irony. In fact, one of the best ways to deepen our command over our own unconscious impulses will be to take ourselves less seriously.

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22) The coming year will be a time to think big—bigger than you've dared to think in over a decade. That doesn't mean you should be rash, reckless or unrealistic. Your expansive dreams should be carefully wrought and anchored in a detailed understanding of how things actually work. As an example of what not to do, learn from Snoop Dog. The rapper wanted to rent all 62 square miles of the small European nation of Liechtenstein so he could film his mu-

sic video there. Liechtenstein authorities turned him down, but only because his team didn't ask far enough in advance. Had he been better organized, the whole country could have been his.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22) An Oregon man stopped his truck by the side of the road and took home a 40-pound rock that caught his eye. For a decade he used it as part of a border to prevent his dog from messing up his garden.

Then he saw a TV show about meteorites and brought the rock to scientists. They told him it was a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite that fell to earth long ago and originally came from the asteroid belt. Other experts told him he could probably sell the exotic artifact for as much as $40 000. I predict a metaphorically similar development in your life during the coming year: the discovery of a valuable old thing from far away that you will underestimate at first.

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22) Richard Grossinger is my friend, my teacher and the brilliant author of numerous books. On his website, he has a page devoted to expressing vivid appreciation for the 71 best teachers of his life. His testimony is a riveting and touching reminder of how each of us is a creation of all the important people we've loved and hated. Compiling such a list should, I think, be a rite of passage for anyone who aspires to be an authentic human being.

There will never be a better time than 2011 for you to do this work yourself, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21) "Just when I found out the meaning of life," said comedian George Carlin, "they changed it." I'm hoping that will be one of your top inspirational jokes in 2011, Scorpio. If all goes well, you will no longer be content with all your previous answers to the question "What is the meaning of life?" either because "they changed it," or because it's no longer interesting or useful to you. This is very good news. You will have the invigorating privilege of going off in search of fresh answers to the riddle of the ages!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21) The United Nations has declared that 2011 will be the International Year of Chemistry. Meanwhile, you Sagittarians will be celebrating your own personal Year of Chemistry, although in the sense of the word that means natural attraction, spontaneous connection, intuitive allure and uncanny synchronicity. Be a master chemist intent on rigorously cultivating the very best experiments.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19) I have tracked down a formula that I think should be one of your central ongoing meditations in 2011. It's from newsman David Brinkley: "A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her."

In the coming months you will be extra smart about knowing which of these bricks to use and how exactly to position them in your foundation.

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

And more than that, Capricorn: You will have special insight not only about bricks that have been flung fairly recently, but also about those that have been hurled at any time in your life.

AQUARIUS ( Jan 20 – Feb 18) The city of Stockholm, Sweden consists of 14 islands that are spanned by more than 50 bridges. I'm hoping that in the coming year you will develop a certain resemblance to it. With a little luck and a clear intention to forge strong new links, you will connect the many fragmented areas of your life, creating a unified network that ensures each part is humming in resonance with the whole. In fact, let's call 2011 your BridgeBuilding Year.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20) At age 19, I wanted to be a poet when I grew up. My goal was to write a poem every day forever. I had almost no ambition to get published. Then one day I was browsing in a bookshop and saw a flyer for a big upcoming poetry reading. It included every major poet in my then-hometown of Santa Cruz—except me. I was shocked and hurt. Why was I left out? Eventually I realized it was because all the other poets listed had written a book. From that moment on I was obsessively driven to publish my own tome. A year later, after much hard work, it came to pass. I would love to see you experience a similar wake-up call in 2011, Pisces: a friendly jolt that motivates you to rise to the next level.

CLASSIFIEDS

FOUR LINES: $20 EXTRAS (BOLDING, CAPS, EXTRA LINE, BOX WORD AD, SYMBOLS): $4 EACH FORMS OF PAYMENT: CASH, CHEQUE, VISA, MASTERCARD DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3 PM PHONE: 780.426.1996 FROM 9 � 4, MON � FRI EMAIL: ROB�VUEWEEKLY.COM NOT FOR PROFIT LISTINGS: FREE FAX: 780.426.2889 OR EMAIL: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

Hook'em Revue Berlesque is holding auditions. Contact Sally at 780.902.6468 or e-mail hookemrevue@hotmail.com

Expressionz Café: looking for visual artists and creative business/wellness, green vendors for the Monthly Marketplace. Located south of Whyte Ave, 9938-70 Ave. Info/book vendor space E: expressionzcafe@gmail.com

Volunteer For Northern Light Theatre: In 2011 T: 780.471.1586: E: nlt.publicity@telusplanet.net

Musicalmania! needs strong supporting cast members for upcoming shows. All ages welcome. Call 780-460-2937 Night 32 Productions Inc. seeks a qualified screen writer for a TV pilot titled “Dogs 'n Snakes and Innocent Women”, a comedy set at the Blues on Whyte, Sat afternoon jam. The first draft has been written. Contact us with contact info and sample of work. Kevin Sisk, Associate Producer, drsiskphddd@msn.com

Top acting training Apply today! www.topactingschool.ca

Call for entries: 2011 Dreamspeakers; Deadline: Mar 31, 2011; Info E: info@dreamspeakers.org. Send entries to: Attn: Executive Director, Dreamspeakers Festival Society, 8726-112 Ave, Edmonton, AB, T5B 0G6

Pro Photo Lighting Instruction with Fri-Mon Light Kit rental Only $25 Gift cert. avail

Musicalmania! needs a strong tenor with musical theatre experience. Paid position, some touring involved. Call 780.460.2937

780.430.0008 lightrein.ca/content/lightrein/rental_promo.html

HELP WANTED Change your life! Travel, Teach English: We train you to teach. 1000’s of jobs around the world. Next in-class or ONLINE by correspondence. Jobs guaranteed. 7712-104 St. Call for info pack 1.888.270.2941 The Cutting Room is looking for Assistants and Stylists Please drop off your resume at 10536-124 Street

MUSICAL INSTRUCTION MODAL MUSIC INC. 780.221.3116 Quality music instruction since 1981.

Guitarist. Educator.

Graduate of GMCC music program

ARTIST TO ARTIST

ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ARTIST/NON PROFIT CLASSIFIEDS

Need a volunteer? Forming an acting troupe? Want someone to jam with? Place up to 20 words FREE, providing the ad is non-profit. Ads of more than 20 words subject to regular price or cruel editing. Free ads must be submitted in writing, in person or by fax. Free ads will run for four weeks, if you want to renew or cancel please phone Glenys at 780.426.1996/fax 780.426.2889/e-m listings@vueweekly. com or drop it off at 10303-108 St. Deadline is noon the Tuesday before publication. Placement will depend upon available space Writers Guild of Alberta: Submissions open for the 2011 Alberta Literary Awards. Deadline: Dec 31. For info/ submission guidelines, W: writersguild.ab.ca Expressionz Café is looking for café and special concert events volunteers. T: 780.437.3667. General kitchen help: front of house, food prep, baking, etc. Shifts available MonFri, 9am-12pm, 11am-2pm, 1-4pm, and evening shifts for special concert events (Wed-Sun 6-10pm) Want to be part of Edmonton's New Art community collective? Send info ASAP to d_art_man@hotmail.com for jury in upcoming show Free art demo Saturdays: Naess Gallery–Paint Spot, 10032-81 Ave, 780.432.0240 Musicalmania! needs experienced violinist w/strong acting/communication skills for upcoming musical theatre production. Call 780.460.2937 Call for submissions: artists, digital musicians, and proposals. "TechArt International 2011". Send CV, images, project description to d_art_man@hotmail.com

Any artist, musician, or performance artist interested in being featured for the Local Art Showcase @The Old Strathcona Antique Mall, please be inspired to contact Jenn@oldstrathconamall.com

Call to local artists, musicians, performers for Yuk Yuk's new "Thursday Night Variety Show". Call 780.481.9857 and ask for Chas or email: chaz_beau@hotmail.com for info

MUSICIANS Musicalmania! needs experienced violinist w/strong acting/communication skills for upcoming musical theatre production. Call 780.460.2937 Call for submissions: artists, digital musicians, and proposals. "TechArt International 2011". Send CV, images, project description to d_art_man@hotmail. com Musician available: Experienced upright bassist w/ strong music reading skills available. Adept improviser within most genres, esp. folk, roots, country, and bluegrass. Steve 780.718.2269 Morango's Tek Café is looking for bands and musicians for shows on Friday nights....contact Dr. Oxide at .....doctoroxide@shaw.ca Vocalist wanted – Progressive/Industrial/metal; age 17-21. Contact justinroyjr@gmail.com Musicalmania! needs a strong tenor with musical theatre experience. Paid position, some touring involved. Call 780-460-2937

COSMOPOLITAN MUSIC SOCIETY Opportunity for

amateur adult musicians and singers to learn and perform concert band and choral music under professional music direction. Contact Darlene at 780.432.9333; generalmanager@cosmopolitanmusic.org

VOLUNTEER Volunteer website for youth 14-24 years old. youthvolunteer.ca CHRISTMAS BUREAU Volunteers are needed to help at donation desks in various malls throughout the City of Edmonton.

T: Darlene at 780.414.7682; W: christmasbureau.ca

SHARE THE WARMTH WINTER LIGHT

Warm socks, mittens, parkas, scarves and toques are redistributed to people in need, and to agencies that serve the inner city community Items should be clean and warm. Wool socks are particularly useful Donations for Share the Warmth will be accepted at the Winter Light office and festival sites, and at Snow Valley. To donate used clothing before the festival starts, The United Way will take them through their Coats For Kids program. Drop-off your new or used coats at any Page the Cleaner location coatsforkids.ca

chelsea boos // che@vueweekly.com

Volunteer Lunch Deliverer/Driver: If you're available Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm, 1-2 days/week, be part of the team.

Mileage reimbursed for delivery routes. T: 780.429.2020, E: emow@mealsonwheelsedmonton.org; W: mealsonwheelsedmonton.rog Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival, Jan 8-9 and experience the arts on 118th Ave. Info on volunteer opportunities E: deepfreezevolunteers@gmail.com

Novastarz. Singing / songwriting competition. Cash prizes and more. Pre-register at novastarz.com; 587.989.6243

backwords

Edmonton Meals On Wheels Needs Christmas Elves: There are plenty of ways the community can help, from volunteering in the kitchen to collecting gifts for seniors to assisting in the gift assembly workshop; Info: 780.429.2020

Expressionz Café: looking for family friendly performers and presenters for the monthly marketplace at 9938-70 Ave. Info E: expressionzcafe@gmail.com

Profiles Art Gallery–St Albert are looking for functional and decorative pieces and are interested in hearing from fibre artists and artists working in wood and glass. E: jennyw@artsheritage.ca for info

EDUCATIONAL

Christmas Bureau of Edmonton: become a private hamper sponsor–contribute to purchasing, packaging and delivering a food hamper to a needy family. Info at christmasbureau.ca, look under the “Hamper” tab

Depression sufferers needed: Low energy, interest, drive?

Trouble sleeping or concentrating? Researchers at U of A need your help/ Call 780.407.3906 Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse seeks two volunteers who want experience in visual arts administration: Artisan Coordinator, and Window Gallery Coordinator; E: Lorraine Shulba at lshulba@shaw.ca for info/apply Volunteer receipting clerk needed: Info on this and the Christmas Bureau’s other volunteer opportunities contact Darlene at 780.414.7682, christmasbureau.ca The Sexual Assault Centre: recruiting volunteers for the 24 hours crisis line. If you're empathetic, caring, non-judgmental, want to gain experience, contact Joy T: 780.423.4102, E: joys@sace.ab.ca for info Do you remember someone who believed in you when you were a child? Be that person in a child's life today. All it takes is one hour a week, which may not be much to you but will make all the difference in the life of a child. Be a Big Brother or Big Sister!

Be a Mentor! Call Big Brother Big Sister today.

780.424.8181 The Candora Society of Edmonton–Board Recruiting; candorasociety.com; promotes positive growth in the lives of women, children/families in Rundle/ Abbottsfield communities. Info: Elaine Dunnigan E: edunnigan@shaw.ca Volunteer Meal Deliverer/Driver: "Life is a Highway" why not volunteer to be in the driver's seat? Come make a difference every day. Volunteer with Meals on Wheels as a driver. Call 780.429.2020 The Learning Centre Literacy Association: Seeking volunteer tutors to help adults develop reading, writing, math skills. Require High School reading, writing, and/or math skills; openness to tutor and learn with adults with various life experiences, including homelessness. Locations: Boyle Street Community Services and Abbottsfield Mall. Contact: Denis Lapierre, DowntownCentre, 780.429.0675, E: dl.learningcentre@ shaw.ca; Susan Skaret, Abbottsfield Mall Centre, 780.471.2598, E: sskaret@telus.net

Maybe I'm just feeling sentimental this time of year, but I love all the lights up all over the city right now. Obviously, I am not alone. I was among throngs last Sunday on a short tour of the city's best and brightest Christmas houses. People were loading out of chartered buses and flocking in droves to the elaborate shows of lights and animatronics.

It is a cultural phenomenon worth investigating. Fairy lights, as they are known in Europe, have a long history, rooted in the German tradition of illuminated trees. The Christmas Festival of Lights, one of the first outdoor displays of its kind, occurred in 1927 in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After outdoor electric lights became accessible to the masses, and tract housing became the norm in the 1960s, the custom of outlining houses with lights emerged.

There is something poetic about av-

erage people putting all of their effort into a light show once a year. For many, it is the closest thing to art that they will ever create. It might not be considered a work of fine art in the proper sense of the word, but there is something to be said for the element of folk art in Maisie's Magical Christmas House (9619 - 144 Avenue) and others like it around town. Formally speaking, they have a unified all-over composition, often including the coordination of sound and movement to capture and lead the eye around the piece. Like visionary environments built by outsider artists, these borderline-obsessive sculptural installations incorporate religious and traditional subject matter to create a fantasy world of the creators' imagination. I admire the Maisie Dolynchuks of the city for their contribution to our visual culture through the production of large scale decorative art. V

Edmonton Immigrant Services Association: looking for volunteers to help with Youth Tutoring & Mentorship, New Neighbours, Language Bank, and Host/ Mentorship programs. Contact Alexandru Caldararu 780.474.8445; W: eisa-edmonton.org Carrot Café seeks volunteers: baristas to serve coffee, tea and carrot muffins; full training given on making specialty coffees and teas. Also need volunteer to clean daily from 7:30am, Tue-Fri, or once a week on Sun. For info contact Irene Yauck at Irene@ehenri. ca, 780.471.1580 Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers, need volunteers to help immigrant children and youth of all ages–volunteer in a homework club. Phillip Deng at 780.423.9516, pdeng@emcn.ab.ca Mechanics needed: The Edmonton Bicycle Commuters' Society operates a volunteer-run community bike workshop called BikeWorks, 10047-80 Ave (back alley), also accepting bicycle donations; E: volunteer@ edmontonbikes.ca; W: edmontonbikes.ca Volunteers instructors needed–Tap Dancing, Line Dancing. Wed: kitchen helper, Fri: dining room servers; Wed evening dinners: dishwashers, kitchen prep and servers. Mary 780.433.5807 The Support Network: Volunteer today to be a Distress Line Listener. Apply on line thesupportnetwork. com or call 780.732.6648

YOUR BEST

ADULT

STEAMWORKS GAY & BI MENS BATHHOUSE. 24/7 11745 JASPER AVE. 780.451.5554 WWW.STEAMWORKSEDMONTON.COM THE NIGHT EXCHANGE Private Erotic Talk.

Enjoy hours of explicit chat with sexy locals.

CALL FREE* NOW to connect instantly.

780.229.0655 The Night Exchange.

Must be 18+. *Phone company charges may apply

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010

PICKUP LINE LOCAL CHAT. TRY IT FREE : code 2315

780.413.7122 1.900.451.2853 (75 min/$2495) www.cruiseline.ca Purchase time online now!

18+

BACK // 31

32 // BACK

VUEWEEKLY // DEC 23 – DEC 29, 2010