Vue Weekly Issue 749 Feb 25 - Mar 3 2010

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VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

INSIDE

COVER

#749 • Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2010

UP FRONT // 4/ 4 Vuepoint 5 Dyer Straight 8 ZeitGeist 9 Issues 10 Well, Well, Well 10 In the Box 10 Bob the Angry Flower

DISH // 18/ 21 Veni, Vidi, Vino

ARTS // 22/ 23 Hopscotch

FILM // 26 28 DVD Detective

MUSIC // 31/ 34 Enter Sandor 42 New Sounds 43 Old Sounds 43 Quickspins

BACK // 44

31

The road inspires Basia Bulat

FRONT

FILM

44 Free Will Astrology 46 Queermonton 47 Alt.Sex.Column

EVENTS LISTINGS 25 Arts 29 Film 32 Music 45 Events

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Ali Abunimah proposes one country

26

Shutter Island: Martin Scorsese crafts a psychological thriller

VUEWEEKLY.COM VUETUBE // THE WHEAT POOL

MUSIC

Vuefinder: live show slide show of Christian Hansen & the Autistics Vuetube: Jeff Stuart & the Hearts perform at Vue Weekly FILM // SIDEVUE

Alfred and Marty: Brian Gibson makes an odd-couple out of Hitchcock and Scorsese ARTS // REVUE Bryan Saunders reviews A Beautiful Thing David Berry tunes in to review Caution: May Contain Nuts DISH // DISHWEEKLY.CA Restaurant reviews, features, searchable and easy to use. dishhweekly.ca

The Wheat Pool performs at Vue Weekly

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

UP FRONT // 3

EDITORIAL

INSIDE // FRONT

UP FRONT

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Municipal

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Israeli apartheid week Issues

GRASDAL'S VUE

Vuepoint

Stelmach the activist Samantha Power // samantha@vueweekly.com

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remier Stelmach has recently confirmed there will be, along with the mandated municipal elections this October, a vote held for the Senate. A Senate that is not actually mandated to be elected, and which, forgive me, holds little weight in democratic decision making of consequence in this country.

Think about it: when did you last cry outrage, or brag to your friends about something the Senate had done?

While this possibility of voting in what are effectively figureheads has been confirmed, the province has recently appointed a new and self-proclaimed "non-political" Chief Electoral Officer (CEO). While we can all agree on the importance of non-partisan and impartial operations of the elections office, the appointment of this electoral officer comes after the lowest voter turn out in Alberta history (41 percent) and after the controversial term of Lorne Gibson.

Gibson, on taking the role of the CEO put forward over 180 recommendations to encourage participation and remove the partisanship from Alberta's electoral system. Recommendations included ensuring returning officers were appointed without partisan inter-

ference, mandating stricter campaign finance laws, fixed election dates and increasing the accessibility of voting.

Unfortunately with the removal of Gibson last year, the provincial government demonstrated a significant disinterest in what he had to say, and with the apppointment of Brian Fjeldheim, announced an embrace of the status quo.

Fjeldheim, CEO from 1998 – 2005, has made clear he does not believe the role of the Elections Office is to encourage Albertans to vote. Although Justice Minister Alison Redford has announced the Legislature will debate some of the recommendations, it's not likely to include encouraging Albertans to vote.

Now, to run a Senate election in Alberta in 2008 it cost three million dollars. The Alberta government is taking an active stance and believes it is creating a more democratic process by electing Senators who may or may not be eventually appointed by the federal government. With the opening of the Elections Act during this Legislative session perhaps they should take the opportunity to embrace their activist position on democracy and dedicate a few amendments and resources to ensure the democratic ability of their own citizens. V

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Caution: more nuts

Real protestors don't wear masks

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hank you very much for your critique. ("Caution: May Contain Nuts: a little too nutty," Feb 18 - 24, 2010). It's been a bumpy road getting Caution up and running and actually picked up for a second season and we are incredibly proud of the work we are doing right here in Edmonton. We are still working out the quirks and with the legal constraints—pop-culture referencing is difficult to make work in comedy.

But we are very proud to have been nominated for a Gemini in 2009 for our writing of Season one and we look forward to many more nominations!

I have been personally writing aboriginal humour for more than 12 years as a stand-up comedian and I would welcome you to see me live in March at the Laugh Shop in Sherwood Park. Most of all, we are all very proud that we have filmed Caution right here in our home town and that we are supporting the local industry in Northern Alberta. Thanks for taking the time to watch, we are very proud of most of season two and planning on making season three even better! howie miller CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN NUTS

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VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

ouldn't agree more, David. ("Proper Protesting" Feb 18 - 24, 2010).

Your piece states a truism that is lost on many protestors/activists: there are better and worse ways to make your point, so don't undermine your intelligence with violent demonstrations. And let's face it, wearing a mask is NEVER the way to go, unless it's a Hallowe'en party. There's lots of things Olympic that need improving, no question about it. This particular "protest" in Vancouver that Berry relates reminds me of the "masked men" at the Montebello SPP conference a couple of years ago, trying to get some union marchers to pick up rocks and throw them at "the Pigs," as they called them (a bit outdated of a term, isn't it fellas?). In any case, the union leader there outed them as QPP officers, trying to incite the protestors to riot, when in fact all the marchers wanted to do was exercise their democratic right to civil disobedience and protest against a corporate/military alignment of Canada with the U.S. It is far too easy to infiltrate protest groups and discredit them by doing

asinine things like the vandals in Vancouver. Real protestors don't wear masks. They are proud of who they are and willing to stand up for what they have to say. The rest are merely dysfunctional radicals making things worse for the rest who truly have something to say ... like the Rainforest Action Network noted in Samantha Power's article ("Olympics can't wring clean" Feb 18 -24). These folks have good points, and made them clearly and without violence. Let's hope the other idiots don't undermine the good work RAN is doing there.

Marke slipp

FRONT // MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN

The way we grow food

Edmonton's Municipal Development Plan integrates local food strategies Jordan schroder // jordan@vueweekly.com

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undreds of concerned citizens packed City Hall on Monday, as Edmonton’s new Municipal Development Plan (MDP), The Way We Grow, passed through a second reading by councillors.

The Way We Grow will set the city growth agenda. Primarily dealing with land use and the quality of Edmonton's physical environment, the plan is rewritten every ten years. This particular plan marks a transition to a more compact and transit-oriented urban environment over the next decade, and may well have been entitled The Way We Grow Food thanks in large part to a dedicated campaign by the Greater Edmonton Alliance (GEA) to get local food security on the agenda over the past 22 months.

A non-profit advocacy group dedicated to social and community issues in the region, GEA has been working diligently to develop a strategy for a sustainable local food economy in Edmonton. By using broad based community support and a campaign including participatory democracy, they were victorious not only in framing the debate, but succeeded in getting a chapter in the MDP dedicated to the leading edge local food plan they helped to craft.

The new food strategy, along with the decision late last year to close the Edmonton city centre airport frame a strategy

FOCUSED ON FOOD >> Councillors debate urban development looking to maximize Edmonton's land potential. But these two areas aren’t the only points of interest in the new MDP. As well as addressing issues like affordable housing, this is the first plan which actively harmonizes transportation with regional development planning.

Unfortunately, many believe Edmonton, and the plan, is behind when it comes to sustainability. Councillor Don Iveson wanted to have stronger density targets for mature and core neighbourhoods, which the Planning & Policy Branch brass have only allocated 25% of our future growth in this plan, and the wording was finally compromised so that we would aspire to go above and beyond the minimum requirements set out by the Capital

// Samantha Power

Region Board - who need to approve the MDP before sending it back to council for 3rd reading and passage this summer.

As well, a last-minute attempt by a Metis business group to add a line in the MDP for a discretionary resource extraction process in the river valley, was invariably defeated 7-6. The amendment initiated by the Kanata Metis Cultural Enterprises group was in itself a lesson in the democratic process, and may well prove to be the beginning of an interesting shift in environmental ethos with respect to development in Edmonton.

Although the motion did not explicitly reference any applications for development in the river valley, the debate during second reading was somewhat side-

tracked by the Kanata plan for a gravel pit adjacent to the river on land they own near 199th Street.

Councillors on both sides had valid points and legitimate concerns boiling down to the fact that while there are few remaining gravel sites in the region, and the project would generate social and economic benefits to traditionally marginalized people, Edmontonians place an extremely high value on the ecological integrity of the river valley and strip mining should not be tolerated in it.

The motion was ultimately defeated because although the Kanata proposal does have it’s merits, least of which are their plans to convert the property into useable park land, the passing of the MDP won’t limit their ability to bring forth an application for the site via existing regulatory processes. They will still get their day at City Hall.

With the GEA campaign and the recent campaign successfully shutting down the Edmonton city centre airport, citizen participation in Edmonton politics has resulted in some interesting wins and with a civic election coming up in the fall, GEA has stated they're shooting to up voter turn out from 2007's 27 percent, to 50 percent of Edmonton's voting population.

Throughout the debate, in the presence of a packed crowd, councillors expressed gratitude for the involvement of developers, land-owners, citizens and advocacy groups as a testament to the legacy the plan will create.

In closing, Mayor Mandel stated that the MDP "means nothing" unless it is implemented properly, and that at the end of the day it’s still cheaper to live in the suburbs than in the core. The City has to

deliver the product at the end of the day via creative taxation or incentive based programs to help developers and builders get people to want to live in the core.

The city will be looking for good design of future development projects, holistic integration with the other key planning policies, and more public pressure to hold true to the vision. V

behind the murder, and most Western governments assume the same.

The Dubai police chief, Lt.-Gen. Dahi Khalfan Tamim, has asked Interpol for a "red notice" on Mossad head Meir Dagan, the usual preliminary to an arrest warrant, but Dagan need not stay awake worrying about it. What should be causing him sleepless nights is the fact that all these killings are counter-productive.

Killing off the leaders of Hamas—and of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia resistance movement—does not improve Israel’s security. For example, it assassinated Hezbollah’s leader, Abbas al-Musawi, in 1992, and got the far more formidable Hassan Nasrallah as his successor. It also got the revenge bombing of the Israeli embassy in Argentina, which killed 29 and wounded 242.

The leaders who get killed are replaced by others of equal competence, the cycle of revenge gets another push and Israel's reputation as a responsible state takes another beating. True, Israel does nothing that the United States, Russia and several other great powers have not done when fighting insurgencies, but they are shielded by their great-power status. Like it or not, there is one law for the great powers and another for the others.

Smaller countries are expected to obey the rules. Many Israelis think they don't need to worry about this because everyone hates them anyway, but the wiser ones realize that the state's security and prosperity still depend heavily on the goodwill of Western countries. Actions like the Dubai

operation, when they become public, erode that goodwill. But the wiser Israelis are not currently in the majority. V

COMMENT >> MIDDLE EAST

Mossad's latest blunder

Israel's foreign intelligence service only serves to enrage Everybody assumes that Mossad, the for Espionage and Special Operations, to Israeli foreign intelligence service, car- give its proper name, may be “legendried out the murder of Mahmoud alary," but some of its past operations have Mabhouh, a senior Hamas commander, in been anything but professional. Take the Dubai last month. The Israeli governcase of the Norwegian waiter. ment will neither confirm or deny In the 20 years after Palestinian it, but the average Israeli citizen terrorists massacred 11 Israeli is sure of it, and quite pleased athletes at the Munich Olymby it. After all, who else was pics in 1972, Mossad killed kly.com more than a dozen people it going to go after him? e e w e e@vu gwynn Well, theoretically it could suspected of involvement in e Gwynn have been the rival Palestinthe operation. Most of them ian political organisation, Fatah, had some link to it, but Ahmed Dyer which has been more or less at war Bouchiki had none at all. with Hamas for almost three years now.

Bouchiki was a Moroccan immigrant to (Fatah runs the West Bank; Hamas con- Norway who worked in a restaurant in trols the Gaza Strip.) Proponents of this Lillehammer. Mossad mistakenly thought theory argue that the Dubai hit was too he was Ali Hassan Salameh, the planner of clumsy and sloppy to have been a Mos- the Munich atrocity, so an Israeli hit team sad operation. murdered him as he walked home with his Would any serious spy agency put 11 pregnant wife. But the two killers commitpeople on a hit team? Why would seven ted the elementary error of driving to the of them be travelling on British passports airport 24 hours later in the same car they borrowed or stolen from British-Israeli had used for the getaway (which had been dual citizens resident in Israel? Would spotted by the police). they let themselves be caught repeatThey were arrested, and the woman edly on video surveillance cameras as of the pair broke down and confessed they set up the killing? This was just not that they were working for Israel. The a professional operation. man had a telephone number on him It certainly was amateur night in Dubai, which led the police to the safe house but that doesn’t necessarily mean that where the other three members of the Mossad was not behind it. The Institute team were staying. One of them had a

R DYEIG HT

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list of instructions from Mossad on him, and they all ended up in Norwegian jails.

Amateur night again.

Or take the Mossad attempt in 1997 to kill Hamas's political chief, Khaled Meshaal.

It happened in Jordan, which has a peace treaty with Israel, but the Mossad assassins travelled there on Canadian passports borrowed from Canadian-Israeli residents with dual citizenship. They broke into the building where Meshaal was sleeping and injected poison into his ear, but two were captured by Jordanian police and the other four took refuge in the Israeli embassy.

Jordan’s outraged King Hussein demanded the antidote to the poison, and the Israeli government reluctantly handed it over. In response to Canada’s furious protests about the use of its passports, Israel promised never to do that again.

Just as it promised Britain in 1987, and New Zealand in 2004.

This time the hit team, though ridiculously large, was less incompetent: the victim died, and they all got out of Dubai safely. The fact that they left enough evidence behind for the Dubai police to figure out what happened does not exclude Mossad from consideration: it has bungled operations before. The Dubai police say they are now "99 percent if not 100 percent sure" that Mossad was

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. His column appears each week in Vue Weekly.

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VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

FRONT // ISRAELI APARTHEID WEEK

Two nations should be one Israeli-Palestinian solution may lie in creating one nation, not two samantha Power // samantha@vueweekly.com

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ne of the world's oldest and most intertwined conflicts has hammered against a solution for decades—a solution that may be the cause of more problems than it seeks to solve. The resolution to the human rights abuses and oppression heaped onto the Palestinian nation has been to seperate the two nations into their own countries, but progress has been slow in coming. Journalist and author Ali Abunimah proposes the reason is the two nations should not be seperate, but together.

A radical proposal long forgotten, Abunimah posits the reason these two nations have not realized the two-state solution is because they are meant to be together. Abunimah submits the only way to realize the rights of every person is to fully realize a single state with full citizenship rights for each nation within it.

It's a difficult solution for any two nations that have committed atrocities against each other, but it may be the answer that guarantees the democratic freedoms of the oppressed Palestinian nation. Abunimah, author of the book One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse, believes the only way to guarantee the full citizenship rights of Palestinians is to start looking at a one-state solution. Vue Weekly spoke with Abunimah in anticipation of his talk next week for Israeli Aparthied Week.

VUE WEEKLY: The idea of separating into two states is the most talked-about solution, and seen as the most legitimate; what made you decide it was impossible?

ALI ABUNIMAH: Partition is impossible and becoming more so everyday with Israel's occupation of the West Bank, which no one has done anything to stop. And morally and legally it's problematic because it doesn't provide any justice to the principal victims: Palestinian refugees, Palestinians living in Israel and Palestinians living in occupation. So it's not just and it's not practical. That's why people keep talking about it, but that's also why it doesn't happen.

VW: Currently Palestinians live without basic human rights and living conditions. How could the two nations live in a single state and guarantee the rights of Palestinians?

AA: There would have to be a process of decolonization and restitution so that Palestinians currently deprived of fundamental human rights and resources receive those rights and resources. And that's where we have to look at the difficult and ongoing processes of decolonization in South Africa and Northern Ireland, which shows that it is very difficult but not impossible.

VW: It's interesting the majority of conflicts over the last 20 years are civil wars and their resolution has been to seperate, but here you're proposing the opposite.

AA: The problem created is in the effort to partition a country that was whole. So I don't think part of the solution is more segregation, more apartheid, more war—it's recognizing the reality there are multiple groups living in this land and it's important to find a way for them to all live there in equitable conditions.

VW: The two-state solution has been around for decades. What type of opposition do you get from your single-state solution?

AA: People make a number of arguments that Israelis wouldn't accept it or that Palestinians don't want it, but I would argue the other examples around the world show that this is very difficult but not impossible.

What I would say is, when you have had people talking about the two-state solution for so many decades producing nothing you need to start looking at other alternatives, which have been implemented in other areas of the world and have had similarly violent, intractible conflicts.

VW: Often it's leadership preventing any type of progress from being made. What types of leadership would you have to have in place to for a single-state solution to even be considered?

AA: Well I think the problem is deeper than leadership. You need a grassroots shift, and you see that happening on the ground amongst Palestinians where people are talking about this more and more. You also need the discussion to emerge among Israelis and I think that's starting to happen along the edges. One of the things that will push Israelis to think about alternatives is when

I don't think part of the solution is more segregation, more apartheid, more war—it's recognizing the reality there are multiple groups living in this land and it's important to find a way for them to all live there in equitable conditions. they start to realize the status quo is untenable and one of the facts that will push them is the growing global movements of sanctions, boycott and divestment modelled on the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.

VW: The international community, and especially the US, does play a major role in this conflict. Do you think the Americans would ever approach a onestate solution?

AA: Probably not initially, but they're also doing nothing for a two-state solution. So I don't look for leadership to governments that have talked for decades, monopolized the process and failed abjectly; I think we have to look elsewhere. The US and other countries allied to it have played an obstructionist role while claiming they're pushing a peace process.

And I think it's time we moved past them and built the sort of grassroots movement that pushed western countries to adopt sanctions against apartheid in South Africa when they didn't want to.

VW: Do you think something like a national reconciliation would have to happen before this could work?

AA: I think a lot of processes would have to happen at a lot of levels and that is one of the lessons we can learn from South Africa and Northern Ireland, where these processes are ongoing. These processes don't end with a peace treaty, they really start with it. There are a lot of rich lessons there and Palestinians and Israelis would have to adopt the right models that work for them, but there's lots of models out there that they can choose from. V Mon, Mar 1 (6:30 pm) Ali Abunimah Telus Centre, University of Alberta Israeli Apartheid Week Full details at psnedmonton.ca

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

UP FRONT // 7

COMMENT >> INTERNET LAW

Technology giants defend Canadian copyright Each April, the United States issues the 'adequate and effective' standard. Indeed, Special 301 Report, which examines the in- in a number of respects, Canada's laws are tellectual property laws of its main tradmore protective of creators than those ing partners. For the past 15 years, of the United States."

Canada has been included on the The CCIA based its conclusion watch list of countries the U.S. on four main criteria. First, it believes need reform. challenged claims that CanaAs the U.S. prepares its 2010 da's delayed implementation om .c ly k e vuewe edition, for the first time it of the World Intellectual Propmgeist@ l e invited the public to provide erty Organization's Internet Micha their comments on the process treaties are grounds for inclusion Geist and the link between intellectual on the list, stating there is "no basis property and trade policy. Among the for USTR to conclude that any country hundreds of submissions, one from the does not provide adequate and effective Computer and Communications Industry protection based on non-ratification of any Association (CCIA) stands out as critically treaty." Moreover, given that the majority important to Canada. of the world has yet to ratify the treaties, The CCIA represents a who's who of the the CCIA noted that watch-listing one natechnology business world, with a member- tion for non-ratification would seem to ship roster that includes Microsoft, Google, require watch-listing everyone that finds T-Mobile, Fujitsu, AMD, eBay, Intuit, Oracle themselves in the same position. and Yahoo. While critics of Canadian policy Second, it disputed the oft-repeated might expect these business heavyweights claim that the absence of legal protection to chime in with their own criticisms, they for digital locks—known as anti-circumtook the opposite approach. vention legislation—should be the basis Rather than building on the tired narrative for watch-list placement. In fact, the very that the current law is an embarrassment, companies that are called upon to develop the message from the technology world products compliant with digital lock syswas that Canada is actually doing just fine. tems argue that "neither Canada nor any The CCIA warned that including Canada other country is required to implement on the list of countries that need reforms any particular means of preventing copyundermines the credibility of the process, ing, and most assuredly not a right once adding "Canada's current copyright law removed from copying: circumventing a and practice clearly satisfy the statutory technological lock."

ZEIT

GEIST

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VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

Third, the CCIA challenged claims that the Canadian approach to Internet provider liability for alleged infringements of their subscribers is sub-standard when compared to the United States. The Canadian approach is described as "thoughtful" and "potentially superior" and the submission maintains that using the Special 301 process to pressure other countries to adhere to U.S. standards is inappropriate.

Fourth, it reminded officials that Canadian copyright law is more protective of creators than the U.S. in some respects, including the existence of moral rights and the limitations of fair dealing when compared to the U.S. fair use provision.

The defence is precisely the kind of response that Canadian officials should be making when confronted with unfounded claims denigrating the state of Canadian copyright law. That the world's leading technology companies are speaking out on this issue should send a strong signal to Industry Minister Tony Clement and Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore about how Canadian law is actually viewed by leading companies that sit at the heart of a Canadian digital strategy. V Michael Geist holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law. He can reached at mgeist@uottawa.ca or online at michaelgeist.ca.

COMMENT >> EDUCATION

Issues

Issues is a forum for individuals and organizations to comment on current events and broader issues of importance to the community. Their commentary is not necessarily the opinion of the organizations they represent or of Vue Weekly.

Government spin in the classroom Ricardo acuña // ualberta.ca/parkland

Buried among all the budget cuts and discontinued programs in the recent provincial budget there was an announcement of two new programs in the Department of Energy.

The first of these would see the energy department "work within Alberta’s education system to facilitate a flow of age-suitable information about the energy industry, its importance and its future." The second would see the department "develop and deliver education supports to raise awareness of carbon capture and storage technology and its important contribution to greenhouse gas mitigation objectives."

In case there was any doubt about what these two new strategies actually mean, Energy Minister Ron Liepert eliminated it when he told the Calgary Herald that the program is designed to highlight the importance of the energy industry to Alberta, the environmental successes of the Alberta government, and to combat the wide-spread "misinformation" about both.

If you've been paying attention over the last few years, you will know that this is not a new goal for the provincial government or the Department

of Energy. They have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on public relations campaigns designed to convince Albertans, Canadians and people and governments around the world that the tar sands are sustainable, and that Alberta is a global environmental leader.

What is new, and particularly disturbing, about these new initiatives is that they will be directed at children in the classroom. Why focus on children?

According to Mr. Liepert it is because, "They tend to be easily influenced, and from a social media standpoint, they're the most active and that's the easiest way to spread information, whether it is right or wrong."

Interestingly, that quote can be read one of two ways. Read one way, the minister appears to be saying that they are targeting children because they are easily influenced, and it wouldn’t take much to convince them that tar sands are good and environmentalists are liars. Read another way, the implication is that these easily influenced children are buying into all the information they get from lying environmentalists, and the government needs to combat that.

Either way, the end result will be that the energy department will now

be working with the education department to ensure that its "truths" about the energy sector and carbon capture and storage are being passed on to children in the classroom.

Interestingly the same budget included significant cuts to Alberta Environment, and in particular to the monitoring of water and air quality in areas with significant energy developments. The budget also included a cut to education funding—despite their previous commitment to do so, the Alberta government has now reneged on its promise to fully cover the provisions of the collective agreement they signed with the province's teachers.

Apparently, it's okay to de-fund children’s regular classrooms and schools, as long as they’re being exposed to the government’s version of the truth about energy and the environment.

What are some of the truths that the government wants Alberta’s children to understand about the province’s energy industry and carbon capture and storage? Some time spent on the various government websites dedicated to the topics reveal the following as priorities: Alberta's oil sands are green, and getting greener, and can be developed sustainably for years to come; reduc-

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

ing emissions intensity will help stop climate change, even though total emissions will continue to increase for years to come; emissions from tar sands are actually comparable to emissions from conventional oil, because one government-funded study said so, even though thousands of independent studies have said tar sands actually produce three times as many emissions as conventional oil; carbon capture and storage technology is a silver bullet which will virtually help Alberta eliminate its greenhouse gas emissions, even though the technology is entirely unproven, does not work in the tar sands, and will cost billions of dollars in public subsidies; and, of course, Alberta is a world leader in environmental and climate change legislation, research and development.

This is not neutral or passive information they will be providing, nor is it scientific or even true for the most part. It’s unbalanced government propaganda designed to indoctrinate rather than provide information.

Despite all of the lip-service paid at Alberta Education about developing critical thinkers, in this area the government will actually be stunting critical thinking by encouraging students to blindly absorb government P.R. and

spin. Currently, the system and curriculum allow for students to receive information about both the environment and Alberta’s energy industry.

And both energy companies and environmental organizations regularly provide curriculum specific classroom resources to schools and teachers.

Apparently, however, that’s not good enough for the Alberta government.

One can only guess that it's because children are seeing through the government spin and becoming critical of the government’s disregard for the environmental, social and health impacts of the energy industry. Their solution, once again, is not to change their behaviour, but to ramp up their spin and propaganda, and direct it at our children. This is shameful, and every parent and teacher in the province should be up in arms and trying to stop it from happening—out of respect for our children, support for the idea of critical thinking and a conviction that our government should not be sacrificing our children’s education for the sake of their friends in the oil patch. V Ricardo Acuna is executive director of the Parkland Institute, a non-partisan public policy research institute housed at the University of Alberta.

UP FRONT // 9

COMMENT >> ALT HEALTH

COMMENT >> HOCKEY

Mercury confusion Play-by-play What's being done about mercury in our food?

In my January 14 column on Alzheimer's microbial. It is also a potent neurotoxin. disease, I made a passing comment that In October 2009, in Behavioral and high-fructose corn syrup is often contami- Brain Functions, Dufault published annated with mercury as a result of mercury- other paper on the role of toxic and grade caustic soda used in its production. dietary factors in neurodevelopmental The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) disorders such as autism and mental rewas quick to get in touch with Vue tardation. Her team found that the peak Weekly, respectfully requesting the re- years for annual consumption of HFCS, moval of the "false claim that high fruc- which occurred between 2000 and tose corn syrup contains mercury."

2002, coincided with the peak for They say that "no mercury or autism.

L L , WE L L mercury-based technology Despite nearly 5000 downE W is used in the production of loads online, the paper has rehigh fructose corn syrup in ceived little media coverage. om eekly.c North America."

Dufault's paper states that @vuew health e Excellent. But it certainly mercury intake leads to zinc, Conni d has been used in the past. selenium and other mineral Howar And it is still being used in food losses alongside the toxic merprocessing in general. And we really cury increases, resulting in reduced have no way of being certain that it is no neuronal plasticity and learning capacity. longer being used in the production of Learning, behavioural and developmenhigh-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), short tal disorders are an epidemic. Children of taking the CRA's word for it. with Autism Spectrum Disorders have To clarify and update: mercury cell increased body burdens of mercury. technology—not limited to HFCS "The American Academy of Pediatproduction—is in the process of being rics has issued a strong statement sayphased out. But, as Simon Mahan of the ing that children shouldn't be exposed international ocean conservation organi- to any form of mercury," says Dufault. zation Oceana explained in an email, four "But it's everywhere in our food supply.

US plants still use mercury-cell technology, three of which make caustic soda for The issue is really the food industry. These factories have until 2012 to decide if they would like to that mercurymodernize to mercury-free technology cell products are or shut down. currently being used Further, although old technology is being phased out, there are no restricin all kinds of food tions on importing mercury-grade causprocessing. tic soda. And while imports have gone up, the consumer has no way of knowing which of their foods have been pro- A long list of additives linked to ADHD cessed with mercury-grade caustic soda, and learning disabilities can be contamiwhether from outdated domestic facto- nated. Food colors, sodium benzoate, ries or imported. you name it. Humans are bioaccumulatMy comment about HFCS was based on ing mercury." two studies published in January of 2009.

The Learning and Developmental DisThe first was a study led by former FDA abilities Initiative (LLDI) knows the imenvironmental health researcher Renee portance of the issue. Dufault summarizDufault and published in Environmental es for me: "They have issued a consensus Health, which found mercury in nearly statement that basically says learning half of HFCS samples collected in 2005. disabilities are linked to a number of The other was conducted by David Wal- factors, factors that include thimerosal, inga and the Institute for Agriculture and PCBs, nutrition, diet, and genetics. MerTrade Policy. It found mercury in nearly cury in all its forms is probably the biga third of HFCS-containing products gest stressor." its researchers took from supermarket The Institute for Agriculture and Trade shelves for testing.

Policy has recommended a complete ban The CRA’s statement that no mercury- on the use of mercury-grade ingredients based technology is used in the produc- in food and beverages. While we're waittion of HFCS is based on research con- ing on that to happen (and we could be ducted by Dr. Stopford, who, according waiting for some time), their recommento a CRA press release, was commis- dation for consumers is to "avoid foods sioned by their association to do the containing HFCS, particularly when it’s research. It wasn’t, according to Dufault, high on the label." peer reviewed. "We can only assume the The FDA has known about mercury samples were collected from plants not contamination since 2005. Dufault was using mercury grade chlor-alkali," she told she should drop the issue and that told me in a phone interview. they’d look into it, but it appears little "The issue is really that mercury-cell has been done. The agency's view was products are currently being used in all that the evidence is insufficient to conkinds of food processing," says Dufault. clude appreciable risk from potential "Current standards permit the use of mercury exposure in food. mercury cell chlor-alkali chemicals in The point is that although it isn't just food manufacturing. There are no re- the corn-refining industry, and that alstrictions on importing mercury-grade though old technology is being phased caustic soda." out, mercury-grade caustic soda is still Why does the food industry use mercu- being imported and widely used in the ry-grade caustic soda in the first place? food processing industry in general.

"For food production, they prefer mercu"When will we stop this?" asks Dufault, ry-grade because it confers longer product "when one in ten of us have some kind of shelf-life," says Dufault. Mercury is an antineurological disability?" V

WELL

10 // UP FRONT

The Olympic break has left us free of Oiler please. news and, considering the state of this 17:41 Prediction: 5-1 Canada. Locked in. season, that's a good thing. Tuesday night 17:50 Canada scores. Big Joe Thornton. was spent on a work road trip to CalOne goal is not enough to make up gary to enjoy the Men's Olympic for his lacklustre play against Hockey games. In The Box is in USA but a good start. You're the lounge in the hotel in the still on notice, Big Joe. City of Cows. Here's Canada18:02 First period over. m o .c kly Germany in brief: Phewf. A 1-0 lead. uewee v @ x o intheb 18:25 Second period startDave Times listed are Mountain ed. Goal scored? Awaiting g n u o Y Standard Time according to my replay results. 18:26 Yes! Shea cell phone.

Weber.

17:19 Get seat at hotel bar with about 18:28 Another goal! Iginla. Loud cheer 25 others. View of big screen. in the Calgary bar. But not "I'm-in-Cal17:29 The other TV behind the bar gary-and-this-was-Iginla loud." This is a shows a still of Joannie Rochette, the hotel—these may not be Calgary folk.

Canadian figure skater who tragically 18:37 Goal Again! Iggy again! 4-0. lost her mother days ago. If I can't see 18:44 Old guy enters bar; sits at table her routine live, I will make a point of directly underneath projector screen. watching it. It will be tough to watch, Offer him a seat with a view (respect!). however. That's real courage.

He declines but seems amused that the 17:38 First big hit. Eric Staal. More rest of us are watching him eat and

IN THE

BOX

BOB THE ANGRY FLOWER

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

drink. I can't wait to be an old guy. I may start hanging out at Legions.

18:50 Germans score with 3:26 left in the second period.

18:55 Second period over. 4-1 Canada.

Still not Russian-killing form. Allowing too many shots. Playing a bit loosey-goosey.

19:11 Crosby scores. 5-1! Just like I called it an hour and a half ago. Can't imagine it will remain 5-1. Kind of hope the score changes so I don't look like I made the prediction up. Seems suspicious, doesn't it?

You have no idea if I really predicted the score or just typed it in, do you?

19:19-19:36 Three goals. Niedermayer, Richards, Nash. 8-1.

19:40 Germans get one more to make it 8-2 Pull Luongo! The bum.

19:42 Game over. Submit column. Wait for Canada-Russia. By the time you read this, we will all know how that one went. No, I'm not locking in a prediction.

Too scary. V

INSIDE // SNOW ZONE

SNOW ZONE

13

Nordegg

SKI // PSYCHOLOGY

Olympic head games

Learning from the pros to manage self-critique and fear lete to excel. Identifying minor technical or physical weaknesses and fixing them helps us improve. But if the objective is always to improve then the activity can become toil instead of pleasure.

His suggestion that I relax once in a while and just enjoy skiing comes as a shock. I thought I was. But Strean, who uses humour as a form of wellness coaching, can sense that I'm somehow conflicted. I've got to make peace with my opposing selves.

JEREMY DERKSEN // JEremy@vueweekly.com

'I

t was the biggest wreck of my career," recalls Ryan Blais, aerialist with the Canadian freestyle national team and two-time Olympic competitor. But in January 2007, after a brutal crash during a World Cup training run in Mont Gabriel, QC, he thought it might all be over.

"Thirty minutes before the start of competition, I ended up going off the jump, caught an edge and did four flips off my head. It could have been a career-ending or at least season-ending crash."

That kind of fear-inducing moment can take days or weeks to shake off. Blais had only minutes. "Once the doctors cleared me, I had 20 minutes to get my mental focus back in check."

Difficult for any athlete. For a World Cup competitor, under scrutiny from fans, media and national coaches, the pressure is elevated. To help him get back in the right mindset, he turned to team psychological consultant, Penny Werthner.

"I went aside with Penny and we talked.

One of the things I do when there's big distractions, when there's something too big for me to get over ... I'll let it into my focus, address it ... but then I'll make a decision about it and put it off to the side.

And when I put it out it stays there."

Coming from Blais, it sounds easy enough. After all, he went out and nailed his competition jump that day at Mont Gabriel, winning World Cup silver.

For the average skier, putting fear, doubt and that inner critic aside can be challenging. I can't pinpoint when it started exactly but the last few seasons I'd been harassed by an overdeveloped self critic.

"You're weighting wrong. Edge more.

Lean forward. Stop dragging your uphill pole. Bend your knees. Too much!

Straighten up."

I would find myself making thousands of micro-adjustments, each turn correcting, then correcting again. Some selfcorrection is natural as you react to terrain change, but too much and you end up stiff and jerky. More importantly, constant nagging in the back of your mind takes the simple pleasure out of gliding downhill on snow. That's just wrong.

Added to that, a lack of confidence was holding me back from stepping up my game. Pulling up to a 20-footer, my heart would pump faster, my breath quicken.

Fifty percent of the time I'd blow the landing, and those are not landings you want to blow.

I had the physical conditioning, and I'd hammered on technique endlessly.

Whenever I could just turn off my brain, my skiing would elevate of its own accord. For any athlete seeking to reach that next stage or gain an edge, building

// Peter Nguyen

mental strength is key, Blais confirms.

"Technical gains, physical gains, all that sort of stuff—all of the athletes at this level are pretty much on an even playing field," Blais says of international competition. "Where you get to the next step is the mental gains, preparation and learning how to deal with the pressure."

I had never spent a single moment on the therapist's couch in all my life. But something had to be done. The way I figured it, what Olympians do to quell the roar of the crowd, the fear of injury or maybe just failure and disappointment, I should be able to apply to my own skiing.

"The vast majority of athletes need to work on the psychological as well as the physical," says Werthner, the sports psychology consultant. Once you've developed proficiency in your sport, "the next big piece to add to a good performance is being well prepared psychologically."

The challenge, as she describes it, is "finding the right balance of emotion and then knowing what to focus on and being able to do it when an Olympic title or a world championship is on the line."

To do that requires facing fears, especially, Werthner says, "when an athlete's already broken their neck, which is sometimes the case."

It's not something that just comes automatically, as one might assume. "We think we should be able to do it without having to train it. It's a training process.

Training our brain to be in that range where we want to be and focus on the

right things just as the physical process," Werthner emphasizes. "You have to train it or it won't work in a stress situation— you'll revert back."

Control is a key emphasis. There are a lot of things a skier can control, Werthner suggests, like training properly, maintaining physical condition and having reliable gear. Then there are things that are out of our control. "Often athletes get stuck—oh, it's crappy, it's too icy, it's too windy, it's too steep, I can't ski this. Well that's not a good focus. Easy to say, much harder to do—but if we're here, how do we turn that around?"

It's a process, she says, that can take years. "No athlete would say, I'm going to train twice this year then go to the Olympics. That's insane. [Mentally] it's the same thing; I'm going to think about psychological prep twice and then I'll be ready to go.

"Well maybe, but I don't think so."

Out the window of Billy Strean's Butterdome office I can see trees waving in the wind, the concrete, linear forms of a parkade and an intense blue sky.

It's there in front of me, but it doesn't quite register.

Strean's voice is low and calm, directing me to an inner place where I can find focus. It starts with recognition of my physical consciousness—sensing my toes and fingertips, limbs, neck and head, torso, hips and finally my core or centre, somewhere in the region of my

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

navel. And presto, my physical presence recedes from my consciousness. I'm in the moment, in my mind.

Several moments later, on Strean's cue, I drift back. The process he's just guided me through is known as centering, a technique athletes use to shut out distraction, ground themselves and concentrate fully on the present moment.

As the room comes into sharp relief my attention once again leaps to the overloaded bookshelves lining Strean's walls, the files sitting on his desk. There's no couch here, no psychoanalysis. Just two high-backed leather chairs and a smiling Strean—personal coach, speaker, author and PhD in sports psychology.

I've come to Strean to experience the "process," as Werthner put it. My session is brief, nowhere near the months and years Strean might work with a given athlete, but it offers some insight into mental coaching techniques. His guiding questions are designed to help me come to my own realizations about the role of fear and critique in my athletic progression.

For one thing, he suggests, fear felt while facing down a tight, jagged chute or high cliff can be rational. The mind's way of preserving the body. However, if you have the skill to navigate the terrain, then that fear starts to become irrational and it's a matter of reinforcing confidence.

As for the inner critic, Strean argues, there's a valid purpose for it as well. The inner critic is, in part, what drives an ath-

A million little voices ride on the alpine wind. The distracting beauty of the mountains, interaction with friends and ski partners, other skiers and boarders and my own personal baggage all compete for attention. I'm standing on The Peak at Marmot Basin, about to make my descent. But first, I allow myself a moment of reflection.

On the slopes, Ryan Blais has demonstrated mental grit and perseverance. Although he isn't competing in Vancouver, having just narrowly missed an Olympic berth in a qualifier event just two weeks prior, his example is one that any athlete would do well to imitate.

Now, for Blais, a whole new stage of life is beginning. It began not with a broken neck, but with a World Cup bronze. The end came suddenly, as it will, win or lose, for all Olympic skiers on February 28.

After years of intense focus on one thing, the next challenge will be life beyond the Olympics and, eventually, beyond skiing. I wish them all the luck in the world; I'm no Olympian, but that's one I've grappled with for years. Truthfully, I could probably use a little more time in therapy.

But it's time to set that aside. Ahead, I see surreal blue ether, weightless cloud, layered tectonic masses. With a determined, double-pole push, I drop off the cornice and into the temporal lag before impact. V

GOING mental There's no single textbook approach to mental conditioning, but a couple basic strategies may help the non-performance athlete start to create the right mindset.

1. Designate training runs distinct from competition or fun runs.

2. Focus only on those things you can control; block everything else out.

3. Use a centering technique to eliminate distraction and get in the moment.

4. Sight your line and imagine skiing it perfectly before you push off.

5. Practise every time out—you can't develop Olympic concentration in a day. V

SNOW ZONE // 11

SKI // SUNSHINE

Shiny guide-y people Riding with the Sunshine film crew Hart golbeck // Hart@vueweekly.com

I

got my start in the ski industry as a camera man for SkiTV, so the latest developments in ski marketing intrigue me. The marketing and media team at Sunshine Village are taking its web page to the next level. Not only can you find the regular content like conditions, ticket pricing and lodge accommodations, there's also an added link on Sunshine TV called ShineGuide, a weekly video with highlights of events, personalities and the "Rider of the Week."

I caught up with the team on the slopes January 22 and 23, while they were filming their latest episode. The team consists of two extremely likeable personalities who love their jobs.

Dylan Clarkson is the cameraman and producer, Megan Hutchison is the host and co-producer. Together they are quite a creative pair, dreaming up their next episode mostly while riding up the lifts or in the comfy lounge chairs in the Chimney Corner Lounge.

Clarkson was born and raised in Banff. He is currently finishing off his journalism degree at Mount Royal and to his credit has past stints at CBC, including a couple documentaries. Of Scottish heritage (and a direct descendant of William Wallace) he occasion-

12 // SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

ally wears a kilt while cruising and filming on the slopes.

Hutchison moved to Sunshine from Ontario a couple years ago and when not hosting she works with the Sunshine Village media and communications team.

Their goal is to showcase all aspects of the hill including night snowshoe-

Blue skies and perfectly groomed runs like the Sunshine Coast didn't hurt.

Dylan and Blake worked with two-way radios getting the positioning right and Hutchison worked the cell phone— sometimes even two phones at a time.

I don't think her other media and communications work stops for filming.

Blake, meanwhile, is an old pro with

Their goal is to showcase all aspects of the hill including night snowshoeing, grooming and avalanche awareness. ing, grooming and avalanche awareness. In the past several weeks they've showcased the arrival of the Olympic torch and had interviews with Alec Baldwin, Justin Trudeau and Mark Messier, who were all up for the Celebrity Ski Invitational.

After a quick meet and greet I headed up with them to Goat's Eye to film their latest "Rider of the Week" feature—a special treat for me because Clarkson's brother Blake was up from Aspen.

Blake is a member of the Freeskiing World Tour and skiing a couple runs with him became one of the weekend's highlights.

media, the intro only taking two takes and the ski segments coming together quite quickly.

Several days later I logged on to the Sunshine site and watched the edited version. Quite the impressive piece of work considering they are just getting started. As far as aspirations go, Clarkson would like to produce The Hobbit but those hopes were dashed when we informed him that was already being done. He quickly retorted that the "Life and Times of the Real Sasquatch" wouldn't be a bad alternative.

You can catch the latest ShineGuide at skibanff.com, scroll to the bottom and click the Sunshine TV icon. V

ICE CLIMB // NORDEGG

Ice man cometh

Learning to climb on Nordegg's biblical ice KIRK ZEmbal // KIRK@vueweekly.com

'T

rust your feet," says our instructor Phil Bietz. It's accepted ice-climbing wisdom.

"Not happening," says my unconvinced adrenal glands as I kick the front picks of my crampons squarely and with prejudice into the solid, dead vertical frozen ice face. Squarely being a close relative to off-kilter, I realize, as the picks fail to gain purchase. Instead I've created a "dinner plate" as the ice basally cleaves from the face.

With an embarrassingly high-pitched yelp, I lose all four points of contact with the wall and hang there in my harness. "Thanks for the catch," I yell down to Nicole Ganske, my instructor, belayer and target of a very irrational crush that started seconds ago in my racing heart. I feel like a damsel in distress.

Breathing heavily into the glassy, cold wall inches from my face, I try again: level out my heels and kick, testing my precarious grip before switching to the opposite foot. At last, a solid foothold— or at least what passes for a solid foothold in ice climbing: a mere half-inch of metal sunk into the wall.

Watching the Frontier Lodge instructors climb out here, near Nordegg, I can see that you only need that half-inch; but try telling that to your stubborn sense of self-preservation as you look down and see all the way to the ground in the space between your toes and the ice wall.

"You don't realize how much energy you lose when your body is constantly shaking," says another of the students here on an introductory weekend course. It is readily apparent that for us tenderfoots those first few times on the wall are a little unnerving.

"Tool!" yells one of the participants as they lose the handle on a leash-less ice axe and it falls to the deck. The springy aluminum shaft and top-weighted head creates a sharp pinwheel when it hits, reminiscent of a video game hedgehog. "That's the direction the sport is taking—going leashless," says Bietz with the calm demeanour of someone who's seen it all.

Ganske echoes this matter-of-factness going over the dangers inherent to the sport later that night in the main lodge. "I was belaying and my partner made it to the top, where he had earlier installed ice anchors and he said, 'Uh oh these aren't good anymore.' When I

Try ice? TRI-ICE With the abundant waterfall ice available in David Thompson Country, Nordegg is home to a very active climbing community which hosts the annual Tri-Ice-A-Thon: a climbing festival/ competition taking place February 26 – 28 at the three local manmade ice walls: Frontier Lodge, the Centre for Outdoor Education, and the HI-Shunda Creek Hostel. coe.ca/icefest

DON'T LOOK DOWN >> Climber ascends Big Horn Seeps

// Kirk Zembal

POTENT MIXED >> Variable ice and rock add to complexity of ascents went up to check I could pull out two of the three ice screws by hand," she says describing the dangerous "melt-out" weather conditions. "But that's not going to happen tomorrow," she hastily adds, perhaps seeing the concerned looks set on our faces.

We're sitting in the lodge as she attempts to bridge our expectations from the first day of climbing Frontier Lodge's 15-metre man-made ice wall towards the second day out at one of Nordegg's abundant and larger frozen waterfalls. A lodge adorned in the classic and common alpine tradition of beam and post, mounted moose and deer heads, cougar pelts, and the not-so common Biblical verse taking the place of the crown moulding along the walls.

The scrawled scripture is one of the few, yet very present, reminders that Frontier Lodge is a not-for-profit Christian organization. The grace before meals, Frontier Lodge's website, and their premier program Ascend— featuring three months of extensive outdoor adventure training and Bible

// Kirk Zembal

study—announce that reality well.

I get the sense that the instructors are always consciously trying to avoid proselytizing to our essentially secular CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 >>

ON the frontier The Frontier Lodge is located at the base of the Front Ranges that herald the first sprouts of the Rocky Mountains as you follow Highway 11 through Rocky Mountain House towards Lake Abraham and the Icefields Parkway at Saskatchewan Crossing.

The Lodge puts on very economical summer and winter camps and classes for adults and children. Some of the adventure sports they instruct include whitewater canoeing, ice and rock climbing, and all levels of mountain biking. In addition they host the popular Fat Tire Festival every summer featuring downhill, cross country and trials bike competitions. frontierlodge.ca

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

SNOW ZONE // 13

SNOWMOBILE // WHITECOURT

Blazing saddles

Hitchin' up 1000cc's in Alberta's snowmobiling capital

TAIL OF THE BEAST >> Taking up the rear on a Whitecourt Trailblazers ride ADAM SMITH // ADAM@vueweekly.com

S

nowmobiling, for me, conjures loud buzzing echoes bouncing through mountain valleys, psychotic colour schemes and Robocop-style snowsuits. I can picture sledders pumping their sleds up impressive steeps or ghost riding them down smooth deserted snow slopes, courtesy of films like 2-Stroke Cold Smoke.

Whitecourt, on the other hand, I associated with certain northern Alberta stereotypes—oil rigs, those plastic testicles dangling from truck hitches.

Sure, there were wide, snow-filled ditches, but it had never occurred to me that Whitecourt could be famed as the snowmobiling capital of Alberta.

In fact, the title is well deserved. The geography of the area is enchanting: grand rolling hills with great, wide valleys and rivers. Dense poplar and spruce forest occasionally part to reveal

14 // SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

// Adam Smith

the beauty of the shapes of the land. All this just steps from that well-travelled highway that moves humans into the heart of oil country, only two hours from Edmonton.

This is unmarked territory for me. As I head out to meet with Whitecourt dignitaries for a guided ride into the 320 kilometres of trails that the respected Whitecourt Trailblazers Club presently maintains, I have no idea what is in store.

The demographic of folks at the event is staggering: journalists, city and provincial officials, old folks and frothing kids. A crowd of at least 75 people has gathered. I expect the ride to be a touch slow going but as I schmooze with the mayor of Whitecourt, he suggests I hang back with a little group of City employees taking up the rear end of the massive snake of snowmobiles. These guys rip, he says. Sure, why not, I figure, I'm up for anything.

After being nonchalantly tossed the

keys to a brand new Yamaha by the owner of the local dealership, we hang back and watch as the head and body of the beast takes form and slithers into the forest.

Coming up on the rear, this noisy snake is a happy creature. Old ladies, cops, lumberyard workers and the elementary school janitor are here together, playing cat and mouse in the pines.

The Trailblazers maintain the area and charge a small fee for the use of the trails, but they do more than maintenance. They recently organized Sled Invasion, a sled rally that brought 5000 people together in ridiculous -28 C temperatures. An extreme rider demonstration at Sled Invasion earned Whitecourt a mention in Guinness World Records, as the location where Daniel Bodin landed the longest backflip on a sled, at 36 metres.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 >>

NORDEGG

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

group; they have no such hesitation, however, in doing the same about the sport of ice climbing.

"Anybody up for some night climbing?" Bietz asks, rounding up a group to climb under halogen floodlights— probably unneeded under a full moon, but appreciated. The floodlit shadows add yet another element of fear into the equation, but it is the fatigue that finally catches up to me and forces me to bow out short of the top. I'd "pumped out" in climbing parlance; in my parlance it meant my forearms and calves refused to participate in any more of this nonsense.

With a smaller group out for the night climb, Bietz and Ganske has time to get in a couple climbs as well as the opportunity to utterly embarrass our previous endeavours. "The record is 17 seconds," Bietz says, talking, of course, of his own best effort. "You don't even look at your feet when you're going that fast—it feels like you're swimming."

"Yes, but that was on different ice," Ganske interjects with the playful teasing of a recent fiancée. I get the sense that they are not the only couple to have met while working at Frontier Lodge.

The next day offers us some of the different ice Ganske had been referring too—blue, wet and soft. Great for your confidence. We have designs on hitting up Isaac's Wet Dream but another group beats us to the staging area at Crescent Falls so we check out the Big Horn Seeps instead.

The climbing is variable, with routes that feaure the aforementioned soft blue ice as well as some nastier ice that needs a little encouraging from an ice axe to yield a stable hold. Of particular interest is a little mixed climbing to climber's left (facing the pitch). Much of the growth in the sport is taking place on mixed routes combining ice and traditional rock climbing requiring some skill at "dry tooling" and using crampons on a rock face.

Of particular importance is not hammering Frontier Lodge's ice axes through the ice into the underlying rock and dulling the blades. This causes the guides to get a little excited. As well, on mixed routes the ice stability can be a little suspect so the lead climber—in this case Bietz—often knocks off any precariously hanging ice. They call the chunks that fall "death cookies"; which are very dissimilar to the death cookies you might find on the groomers at your local ski hill in the spring, or on your favourite single-track or even on the road when you're longboarding. No, think icebergs-calving-off-glaciers type hunks crashing to the ground. Helmets are a necessity for anyone in the vicinity, as is a belayer with fast reflexes.

It would also seem that a strong stomach and ultra-strong arms are necessary, but as the second day drew to a close I found myself climbing with more speed and surety. "Finesse it, don't force it" is in every climber's— and life coach' s—cliché book, but it is clear that with a little technique the verticality of the waterfall becomes a little less daunting.

And for the nerves? Gotta go with the most clichéd of clichés: don't look down. V

LGBT // SKIING

A brave front

Pride House opens doors, dialogue for gay athletic community jeremy derksen // jeremy@vueweekly.com

H

ere's a riddle: colourful skin-tight suits, flowers, gaudy jewellery, sculpted bodies, choreographed entertainment, high drama and big parades—what is it?

No, it's not a gay pride celebration; it's the Olympics.

Yet despite such flair, it is still hard for gay Olympians to come out, says Dean Nelson, executive producer of Pride House, a hospitality suite established to welcome gay athletes and encourage more acceptance in the international community.

"Right now there's Mark Tewksbury and he's known as the gay Olympian," Says Nelson. "Hopefully in a couple years that won't have to be the case."

Winter sports have a particular culture that can make it difficult for gay athletes to come out, Nelson argues. "Winter sports centre around events like curling and hockey, which tend to be more conservative," he says. "You don't meet many hockey players who are out right now."

Growing up in Alberta, Nelson was athletic and played school sports, but he never felt comfortable in the locker room or on the field because he knew he was different. The memory of several teammates tormenting a more flamboyant classmate left a deep impression on him. "Having sport available to everybody is important to me. With Pride House, my hope is that others coming up won't have to deal with the issues I did."

The oppression isn't localized in the locker room either. "Skiing is very much an old boys' club," Nelson says. "There's an unspoken protocol that skiers need to be 'tough,' and there's a type of behaviour that goes with it. Some athletes might not identify with that at all but they feel they need to go along with it so they can fit in."

Combined, as many as 10 000 gay and lesbian skiers and snowboarders seek the comfort and refuge of the annual gay

CHALLENGING CONVENTION >> Edmontonian Edmund Haakonson's "Slapshotolus" is one of several art pieces on display at Whistler's Pride House // Supplied ski weeks that take place in Vail, CO and Whistler. "There's a huge population out there and the reason why gay and lesbian skiers go to these events is they love the sport and they want to be around other people they feel comfortable with."

"I get people coming up to me and saying, this is what gets me through for another year," says Nelson, who also coordinates Whistler's Gay Ski Week. It's a statement that is encouraging as an indication of the success and impact of the event, but also profoundly saddening in this day and age.

"We hope that once we have this conversation going, maybe in a couple years more athletes will feel comfortable coming out and being a downhill skier and saying, 'You know what, I'm the number one downhill skier right now and I happen to be gay.'" V

MORE INFO Pridehouse.ca

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

SNOW ZONE // 15

WHITECOURT

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

The first hour and a half I am just trying to get the feel of the 1000cc's of power that were tossed so casually into my hands. Despite some grey hairs and beer bellies, it's obvious I'm with some skilled riders. They are jumping and jibbing on every available launch and kicker; I am weakly emulating them.

As everyone gathers around the fire at midpoint, it's refreshing to see the passion that people have for the activity and for representing the town and the area. Whitecourt Tourism and the Trailblazers Snowmobile Club have recently won and been nominated for several tourism awards from the Alberta Snowmobile Association, Travel Alberta and SnoRiders West.

The second half gets a little crazier; the 75 riders are spreading out and moving faster. The conditions are being described as temporarily less than ideal, but everyone is having a great time.

These trails have some interesting history, one example of which is an untouched, downed mercy flight (medi-

cal rescue) that was lost in a blizzard in 1953. It still rests where it went down, but is now joined with a small memorial plot to the three people who lost their lives in the crash. The relatively insignificant undergrowth that grows this far north leaves the crash sight looking strangely preserved.

The merging of history, geography and the lengthy accessible trails creates a natural attraction for the region. Unfortunately, snow has been sparse since the new year. This year's Poker Rally, a sled event where riders shred around from checkpoint to checkpoint collecting cards in an attempt to best the crowd and take the pot, was recently cancelled for the same reason helicopters are carrying massive loads of snow into Cypress Mountain in Vancouver.

But the Trailblazers are keeping their spirits up, and the support from youth and from sled culture's growing popularity are dutiful aids. The status of the activity as one of the rare outlets in modern Canadian culture where people of all ages and backgrounds are stoked together is another ace in the hole. Just ask the mayor. V

16 // SNOW ZONE

ALPINE >> NEWS Jib Academy dium" we should start with small steps On March 13 the Salomon Jib Academy is and "Strive for the Podium." coming to Sunshine Village. Intended for Leading up to these Olympic Games athletes under the age of 16, this event there were some lofty expectations will give freestyle skiers an opporplaced on the shoulders of our athtunity to ride with Salomon proletes. Significant dollars were fessionals, learn some amazing thrown at them to reach the tricks and meet other skiers top level, but time after time who have the same interests. our young athletes crumbled m ekly.co vuewe These types of coaching sesunder the pressure. hart@ sions can be costly, but SaloIt almost seems like the Hart k mon is putting this one up for ones who have the most reGolbec free. All aspiring jibbers need is laxed attitude cruise to victory. a Sunshine Village lift ticket, a waiver Prime examples of this were snowsigned by their parents and a helmet. boarders MaĂŤlle Ricker, Mike Robertson If you're concerned about your skill level, and skeleton rider Jon Montgomery. don't worry. The Salomon team is hoping These three were a fine example of a all levels of skiers will show up to glean carefree attitude. Winning did not apsome learnings from the experts. Along pear to be their be-all, end-all and in the with all the fun skiing there are some end they collectively grabbed two gold great prizes including a trip to Mammoth and a silver.

Mountain. For more information, contact Some of our national media will crujibacademy@salomon-sports.com. cify the "Own the Podium" program and criticize athletes' performances. Not fair, Relax, Canada I say. The blood, sweat and tears I'm Maybe instead of putting so much pres- witnessing should be applauded and exsure on our athletes to "Own the Poemplified. Fourth, eighth or even 30th in

FALL

LINES

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 3, 2010

the world is quite the accomplishment.

Cat at Castle Castle Mountain Resort near Pincher Creek is continuing its quest to compete with the mega resorts. The resort's latest adventure is sure to raise some eyebrows and undoubtedly bring more skiers to the slopes. At the end of January, it introduced cat skiing to their itinerary.

This is the only cat-skiing operation in Alberta. Being a lift-assisted cat operation, the price is well below that of many others. The cost is only $210 per day, or $155 if you have a seasons pass.

With this ticket you can access 600 acres of unbelievable backcountry skiing and riding where you will surely find those elusive powder stashes.

Currently they are operating Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so plan your trip carefully. Visit powderstagecoach.ca for complete details. Pay careful attention to the mandatory equipment list because you'll need to either bring them or rent in the pro shop. V

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

SNOW ZONE // 17

INSIDE // DISH

DISH

Online at vueweekly.com >>DISH

21

Restaurant Reviews

Veni, Vidi, Vino

Check out our comprehensive online database of Vue Weekly’s restaurant reviews, searchable by location, price and type.

PROFILE // BLAIR LEBSACK

The fresh prince

Chef Blair Lebsack's commitment to local producers all about taste Sharon Yeo // sharon@vueweekly.com

F

resh off the success of his third Farmers' Market Dinner, Chef Blair Lebsack is all smiles. Into his fourth year at the helm of Madison's Grill in the Union Bank Inn, he has finally recognized how to effectively promote the experience. "It's not about how many courses we can do," explains Lebsack.

"It's about showcasing our local farmers with our kitchen style. This is what makes us show up at work."

The Farmers' Market Dinner, an extravagant five-course meal, utilizes local ingredients almost exclusively, and demonstrates Lebsack's close relationships with area producers. Furthermore, the feast is arranged so patrons are seated alongside farmers who helped make the meal possible. "We really respect what the producers do," says Lebsack. "That's why we're having them come in and see what we do with their product."

Growing up on a farm south of Edmonton in Joffre helped Lebsack develop an early appreciation for hard work and food quality. He recalls the time he asked his mother for ice cream, who responded by telling him to milk the cows and make his own.

"I didn't really know what I was doing but I was out cranking a machine and next thing I knew, I was eating good ice cream," shares Lebsack. "Then, when we went out for dinner, I noticed the ice cream didn't taste like ice cream. My mom explained to me then that sometimes we make better stuff than they make in restaurants."

Although Lebsack's father eventually sold the farm and relocated his family to an acreage, they remained closely connected to the farming community.

"It was a longer drive than going to the store, but we still went out to our neighbours to buy milk," recounts Lebsack.

"You knew you could have a chat when you got there, see how things were going, that social aspect."

When he took over the kitchen at Madison's Grill after accumulating a decade of experience, it was no surprise that the year-round Old Strathcona Farmers' Market was his first stop. In the beginning, Lebsack made weekly trips to the market, seeking to build relationships and develop trust with the vendors. Yet, despite his consistent presence, Lebsack notes that it still took a year and a half to convince some farmers that his commitment to buy local was unwavering. "They realized that we're not trying to be that sell-out that does it for that one item and say we do local food," Lebsack conveys. "We're trying to actually do local food and they see our sincerity."

LOCAVORE >> Blair Lebsack's farm roots taught him the benefits of local sources Lebsack's respect for farmers means that in most cases, he orders whole animals, instead of only the choice slabs of meat such as tenderloin that the public is more often familiar with.

"It's beneficial to the farmers and to the customers, because the customers are then able taste the difference between the cuts of meat," says Lebsack. "For instance, on our new menu, we did tipto-tail braised beef: braised beef cheek, braised brisket and braised oxtail all on the same plate."

The complexity and depth of the Madison's Grill menu is apparent at first glance, and not only highlights the skill in the kitchen, but the creativity as well. "I started off a lot more basic than I wanted to four years ago," shares Lebsack. "But we ramped it up with

18 // DISH

// Supplied

each menu, getting better and better, pushing the kitchen to do more creative things and things that are more time sensitive."

He notes that the menu is designed so that patrons have something to look forward to. "I don't want to do what everybody can do at home in my restaurant," states Lebsack. "You want people to come out for a reason, to have something different. So we do the things that people don't do at home so they really appreciate it when they come out to the restaurant."

The grilled wild boar and oyster dish on the current menu (which changes five times a year to take into account the freshest ingredients available) underscores Lebsack's inspired streak.

"Boar has the same flavour profile as pork, but it has a meatier texture than

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

pork," says Lebsack. "So we wanted to counteract that meaty texture with something soft." Experiments in the kitchen led him to oysters, smoked inhouse then drizzled with a reduced veal stock. "We've almost manipulated the oyster to be fully textural and back of the palette," explains Lebsack. "It really takes the oyster to a different level than what you're expecting."

Being among the handful of restaurants that are in the forefront of the city's local-food movement, Lebsack knows that Edmonton still has a ways to go—with eateries sourcing local ingredients and patrons demanding that commitment. He believes something that might further that shift is a different restaurant approach. "We have to get a few fun restaurants that make it a little more casual," suggests Lebsack. "I

think that's a good way to do it so that people are being introduced to it in a different way, so it's not always, 'I'm going for local food, so it's going to take two hours to dine.'"

Of course, the heart of the local movement is the farmers, and at the end of the day Lebsack works to ensure his dishes adequately showcase their products. "Seeing these people at the farmers' market and how much pride they take in their land, that's the greatest thing," says Lebsack. "It has to go forward and we have to exude that same sort of passion into the restaurant." V Blair Lebsack Madison's Grill 10053 Jasper Avenue 780.401.2222

REVUE // SKINNY LEGS AND COWGIRLS ... A SORT OF BISTRO

Sort of not impressive Skinny Legs doesn't live up to its reputation Jan Hostyn // jan@vueweekly.com

W

hen Skinny Legs and Cowgirls ... A Sort of Bistro burst onto the dining scene a few years ago, it amassed heaps of accolades and many a devoted follower. Not bad for a self-proclaimed tiny-little-hole-in-the-wall. Space evidently became an issue, though, and a newer, bigger Skinny Legs was launched in December.

You'll now find the "sort of bistro," and the sign with the impossibly tall legs, at the west end of Jasper Avenue, close to where it veers off into 124 Street. It's an increasingly trendy district, one that seems fitting for such a purportedly trendy restaurant.

I never did visit the original location, but I was captivated by the idea of a family-run business that focused on locally-sourced, organic fare. Better yet, thoughts of all things quirky inevitably surfaced in any mention of the place, and how can you possibly resist quirky?

My friend and I couldn't.

Appearance-wise, this was not the quirky Skinny Legs of old. Old-world sumptuous might be the better description. Gauzy black drapes hang seductively from the large windows, old-fashioned chandeliers dangle from the ceiling and vibrant red walls, flickering candles and dim lighting bathe the place in a luxurious aura. The pièce de résistance, though, is the stunning glass-tiled bar that dominates the room.

The place was busy, especially for a Monday night in the middle of January, but our waiter promptly delivered waters and, because we were newbies, explained how Skinny Legs works. Everything on the menu, with the exception of soup (I think), is meant to be shared. It's not really tapas-style sharing, where you share bits of this and that. It's family-style. All the items are designed to feed at least two people and the entrées are aptly featured under "Platters."

We perused the menu and, although it

wasn't large, it seemed to offer something for everyone. Along with the "safe" dishes, there were quite a few with a twist or two thrown in.

We bypassed the signature mixed grill and instead went with the house salad ($25), half a dozen black tiger prawns ($20) and Skinny Legs' take on polenta ($18). And, because the room screamed wine, I ordered a glass of organic Red Truck Petite Syrah ($10).

We sipped wine—mine was fruitier and less intense than other Syrahs I've tried— and munched on the warm and heavenly multigrain bread that found its way to our table. A big plate of salad followed shortly after, along with an elegantly curved dish of prawns.

The salad was pristinely fresh, with a light and lively dressing and luxuriously rich goat cheese, but the promised feta and roasted veggies were nowhere to be seen, except for the addition of one lone mushroom. And the big metal tongs it came with challenged us to no end; they were awkward to manage and once they grabbed all of that lovely goat cheese, they wouldn't let go.

Our half dozen black tiger prawns turned out to be three of the most gigantic prawns I have ever seen. Prawns on steroids, if you will. The mammoth beasts were nestled neatly in an intriguing pesto and Cinzano sauce, with onions and peppers scattered underneath. A gentle hit of garlic livened up the dish, but it wasn't enough to save the rubbery prawns. Bigger is not always better, evidently. There was also the number issue: three prawns instead of the promised six make sharing a bit awkward.

The much-anticipated polenta arrived with a flourish. Coconut basmati rice, creamy polenta and hot-buttered salsa, all in the same bowl, sounded perfectly enticing, and parts of it were. The flawlessly cooked rice was just sweet and coconut-y enough, and the polenta was comfortingly mellow. But then we hit the onion.

Lurking in the innocent-looking salsa,

it wasn't buying into the whole sharing theme. Its sharp and pungent edge overwhelmed everything and took over our taste buds for the night.

Even though we arrived early enough that our waiter didn't know what the soup of the day was, we were too late for two of the four desserts. They were sold out. We settled for a couple of cups of the smooth but intense coffee, but at $3.10 a cup my friend didn't think fishing the grounds off the top of hers added to the experience.

Skinny Legs' new location has only been open a month, so maybe that accounts for some of the issues we encountered. Service was friendly and helpful at first, but once our food was delivered it became practically nonexistent. Our water glasses sat empty after we finished the first glass, we were never offered a refill on our coffee and it took forever to pay our bill. Oh, and then there was the case of the missing ingredients in the salad.

Sorry Skinny Legs: I sort of wasn't wowed. V Skinny Legs and Cowgirls ... A Sort of Bistro 12202 Jasper Ave., 780.423.4107 Lunch: Mon – Fri (11 am – 2 pm) Dinner: Mon – Thu (5 pm to 11 pm), Fri – Sun (5 pm – 1 am) Brunch: Sat & Sun (10 am – 2 pm)

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

DISH // 19

TIPS

How to cook eggs

Hard Boiled

will notice the difference.

The trick is not to boil them at all. It

makes the whites tougher and Poached leathery. In fact, several genForget about boiling yet erations ago they weren't even referred to as "boiled." again—steam them. Most om eekly.c food and kitchen stores sell They were either hardw e u v hers@ desroc cooked or soft-cooked. a variety of neat little egg ete P For hard-cooked eggs, allow hers poachers. There are even Desroc them to stand in hot water plastic ones that work well in just below the boiling point for the microwave.

20 to 30 minutes.

HOW

TO

Soft Boiled

Again, no boiling is needed. Allow eggs to stand for five to eight minutes in hot water just below boiling. I promise you

20 // DISH

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

Scrambled

For scrambled eggs, I add lots of milk, some grated cheese and season with curry. People never taste the curry, but they know I did something they really like. It’s

always fun adding diced meat, onions, mushrooms—almost anything.

Omelettes

Try a two-egg omelette with only one egg yolk. The yolk contains all the cholesterol so you can nearly double your pleasure without adding cholesterol and you’ll barely notice the difference.

Seasoning Your Eggs

Cut the salt to a mere pinch. Salt actually takes away from the taste rather than enhancing it, assuming you haven’t over-boiled your eggs. Pepper works better.

WINE

Image vs reality

Wine snobs in a titter over fake pinot grapes Last week, 12 French wine industry leaders were charged with fraud after it was revealed they had knowingly sold mislabeled, overpriced grapes to United States wine giant E&J Gallo. From 2006 to 2008, Gallo thought it was buying pinot noir when reVIDI ally the company was being VENI, sold plonk-grade merlot and syrah. Reactions have varied kly.com uewee from humour to outrage, gus@v mikean but the real story is what Mike this whole kerfuffle reveals Angus about our attitudes surrounding wine.

First of all, Gallo had been buying the grapes in question for pinot noir. In the infamous aftermath of the movie Sideways, pinot sales in the US skyrocketed, which Gallo was trying to capitalize on by producing an affordable bottle that would appeal to those seeking the vin du jour. Like any craze, demand outpaced supply, and in an industry that prides itself on hard-to-find, low-yield exclusivity, Gallo had to look outside of its own production capabilities to keep up with consumer demand.

The thing is, the French region the company sourced from wasn’t able to keep up with Gallo’s demand either. In reality, few regions could. One of the reasons pinot noir carries such a reputation is its unique characteristics and temperamental nature—obviously, two aspects that make it difficult to THAT'S THE GRAPES >> True vinophiles can spot the difference // File mass-produce. It was this very fact that tipped off the French authorities as to hand now. Wine snobs are laughing con- the validity of regulating bodies like the fishy business. Once they audited descendingly at the Gallo crowd, say- France’s OAC and Canada’s VQA. It also the French suppliers, they began to ing this is representative of the lack of demonstrates the looming revolution question how the region could possi- discernment among Gallo’s “slum wine in wine attitudes. Does your average bly be supplying the low-yield grape in drinkers,” as one comment reads. But wine drinker really care what they’re such high volumes. the subtext is powerful: the right brand drinking, as long as the wine’s image image, along with the right price point, suits their budget? Is this the future of This is the embarrassing part for ev- can outsmart your average palette. wine’s long, proud history as the drink eryone: it wasn’t even Gallo or its cusIt’s just such an embarrassing loss-of- of choice for a discerning elite? One tomers that broached the subject—Gal- face for an industry that bases itself on thing is certain: the regulating bodies lo’s customers never even noticed. So an appreciation for nuance and discern- are still relevant, as this debacle demwhat did they think they were drinking? ment. The reasons for the legal uproar onstrates, but does the average wine Did they even care? This is the issue at are of course valid, thus demonstrating drinker really care? V

VINO

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

DISH // 21

INSIDE // ARTS

ARTS

Online at vueweekly.com >>ARTS

24

David Berry previews Sweet Beats and Silent Treats

Karsh: Image Maker

PREVUE // STAGE STRUCK!

PREVUE // COURAGEOUS

February Fringe

Moral Courage

Stage Struck! puts up and critiques locally written one acts

Comedy pits rights against freedoms

Fawnda Mithrush // Fawnda@vueweekly.com

I

MY RIGHTS VERSUS YOURS >> Courageous' characters try to live up to perfect ideals David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

T

he Citadel's production of Courageous might be the second half of the play's world premiere—it's a co-production with Toronto's Tarragon, where it had its first run—but playwright and actor Michael Healey has already learned that he has to be a bit careful when it comes to discussing it.

"It's part of a trilogy about the nature of Canadian society, specifically about the challenges and the virtues required for responsible citizenship. All of which sounds unspeakably dull," Healey says with a dry wit. "Every time I describe it like that to people, I can just see them glaze over. But it's a comedy about imperfect people trying to live up to the perfect ideals which the nation created."

In this case, those ideals are our rights as laid out in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and what happens when all those assurances start bumping up against one another. In Courageous, those issues are explored in two loosely intertwined acts: the first sees a gay lawyer furious when a Catholic civil servant—who, in a smart twist, is also gay—refuses to perform his civil ceremony. The second follows a newlywed, unemployed man as he deals with his new Somali neighbour, whose refugee status gives him some benefits that don't seem quite fair.

But whatever grand ideas are at the centre of the play, they're explored with a deftly human touch by Healey. More than anything this play is about how we actually have to live with those big ideas, and as such it is in the interactions, the little bits of human back-and-forth, that these issues are obliquely brought up.

That has the benefit of not only avoiding a lecture-hall feel, but also bringing into

Dance-off: Fawnda Mithrush reviews both Dark Matters and Moulin Rouge

// Supplied

focus all sides of the issues at stake: Healey is less interested in telling you what to think than prodding you into thinking with relatable people.

"The position that I want to take is that these plays are a plea for complication," Healey says succinctly. "The way that society advances is through struggle, and if we can engage in the struggle with a spirit of generosity and an open mind and an enormous amount of respect, that's actually how we can move forward.

"We never assume that our rights are paramount," he continues. "The great challenge of society is to continue to engage in conversation, rather than just assuming that one position is final. It's when people become entrenched that society flounders."

Healey points to the political correctness backlash as an example of nice ideals becoming too strongly entrenched and running roughshod over more palpably human traits like logic and compassion. If nothing else, he says, he wants to show that, though these ideals we have laid out for ourself make our lives harder to live, they are ultimately worth the effort.

"One of the things I really want people to take away from the play," he sums up, "is that there is a kind of moral courage required to live in a society where we ask ourselves to struggle all the time." V Thu, Feb 24 – Sun, March 14 Courageous Directed by Richard Rose Written by Michael Healey Starring Ari Cohen, Healey, Melissa MacPherson, Brandon McGibbon, Maurice Dean Wint Citadel Theatre (9828 - 101A Ave), $50 – $65

22 // ARTS

t's that time of year again—when everyone gets so darn sick of winter that they start hallucinating and acting like it's actually summer. People start wearing shorts if the temperature nudges over zero degrees, the malls break out out all their Spring stock, the theatre community throws miniFringe festivals ...

Well, Stage Struck!, the Alberta Drama Festival Association's annual one-act play competition, isn't exactly like the Fringe, but it'll give you a nice, varied dose of quick and dirty shows at less than half the price of a Nevermore or Sweeney Todd ticket. So if you're antsy the get back in those comforting seats of Old Strathcona before they turn into the familiar sweaty August messes of the Fringe, Stage Struck! offers eight one-act shows produced and written by local talent.

The big difference with Stage Struck! is that each play is publicly adjudicated,

and one of the eight being presented this weekend will go on to represent Edmonton at the Provincial Festival held in Whitecourt in May. Geoffrey Brumlik faces the task of making that choice this year as the fest's official adjudicator.

New works will include Gerald Osborn's Ravenous, Chad Carlson's musical Frank and Shelly: A Destructive Love Story, plus works by Michele Vance Hehir, Phil Kreisel and Jacqueline Lamb. The fest also includes Elaine May's off-Broadway hit The Way of All Fish, and Barbara North's Army Brats.

"Army Brats is actually a monologue that I did for the Fringe in 2003, so I'm revisiting it," says North, who appeared last year in SS! with Sex and the Prairies, which she later took to the 2009 Fringe.

"It's all new now, based on the fact that it was picked up by CBC as a comedy special, since then I've redone it for the stage with some elements of the TV show in it."

As for what an audience might get out of the whole shebang, North explains that it's a good opportunity to see how

the back-end works.

"They'll get to see great entertainment basically, and they also get to see the people behind the scenes sweating it out in their process. Some of that process is brought to life with the adjudication."

Though facing public critique can be a tad freaky, North notes that the adjudication process is what she looks forward to most.

"As a matter of fact, I love it," she says. "It's such an important opportunity for an artist to have feedback from someone who knows what they're talking about, and it's so graciously, generously given—it's like water to someone dying of thirst, that's what it's like for an artist." V Fri, Feb 26 (7 pm) Sat, Feb 20 (1 pm & 7 pm) Stage Struck! 2010 Walterdale Playhouse (10322 - 83 Ave), $10 – $12; festival passes available for $24 – $28

VISUAL ARTS // IN MEMORANDUM

Lest ye forget

In Memorandum reveals the grieving process, but remains elusive Amy Fung // amy@vueweekly.com

W

ith indiscernible text scratched into one piece along the short wall, and an inexplicable reoccurrence of the same cherry tree and bowl fixated in the majority of the exhibiting works, Corinne Duchesne's In Memorandum remains mostly a mystery of her memories.

Relying heavily on Jungian, Freudian, and antiquity symbols as motivation for herself and hopefully for the viewers, the works throughout the exhibition were created during a period of intense grief for the artist. For whom she was grieving remains a quiet matter, one could guess it was for a child with the repetition of a plush rabbit with long ears, but for whom she is grieving ceases to be the point in an exhibition focused solely on the grieving process.

There is no doubt of the artist's technical capabilities; with each mark made and captured, the strokes of emotion run the gamut of calm to wild, and this energy in each piece makes for an open entry for viewers to engage. Multilayered with various treatments from washes to resistances, they are simply

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

appeasing to the eye, but stepping back and seeing the exhibition as a whole, there is an underlying disconnection between the emotion put into the work and the sensation one draws from it.

As a series of triptychs each hinged on a beginning, middle and end structure, each piece reads as a visual entry of a daily diary, bringing together fragments of thoughts, images and moments that do not necessarily cohere together, but are made to be remembered.

The repetition of certain images across the show do not connect with one another, existing as islands unto themselves, making each occurrence appear more like drawing studies and exercises. As large expansive bursts of colours textured onto 10-foot-long strips of mylar, Duchesne's pieces are individually engaging. Collected side by side, however, the works have no room to breathe, suffocating themselves and viewers with saturation.

The most interesting aspect of the show is that while the works were created during a grieving period, they are undeniably full of vitality, as to grieve is to honour life, be it the end of one or our very own. Understandably it is difficult to discern the logi-

cal process of how one person grieves, but as a visual exhibition designed to engage with a general public on the subject matter of grieving, the works are a document and history of heavily subjective visual metaphors that leave viewers in an unsatisfied state between a process and its praxis. To view somebody's drawings during their time of grieving does not necessarily translate to an understanding of that emotion, nor does it have to, as the show appears to be more about remembering this period of grief than anything else. But if the show is to be contextualized under the umbrella of exploring the nature of grieving, there should at least be some point of transference, or elicitation of understanding another shade of grief—otherwise, the works remain therapeutic exercises, that albeit are important to do, but not necessarily ready to exhibit under the same intentions.V Until Sat, Mar 20 In Memorandum Works by Corinne Duchesne Harcourt House Gallery (Third Floor, 10215 - 112 St)

HOPSCOTCH >> POINT OMEGA

World awareness

Don DeLillo's Point Omega questions and observes more than it explains The new novel begins and ends with brief tions." Maybe he was just flattered by the passages titled "Anonymity," set in 2006, attention. Maybe that's also the reason in which the anonymous protagonist why he allowed Finley to come out to the keeps returning to the Museum of Mod- desert to subvert his solitude. But then a ern Art to contemplate 24 Hour Psycho, third party joins them, Elster's daughter, Douglas Gordon's projection of the well- who Finley is clearly attracted to, though known Alfred Hitchcock film, slowed it takes him a bit to realize it. And then, down to the point where it takes in the midst of their subtly tense a full day to reach completion. cohabitation, she's gone. Out The protagonist is arguably here, in this place of expansive, the artist's dream audience— primordial stillness, where m time and space hold the the dream audience for auekly.co e w e u thor Don DeLillo—alert to hopscotch@v promise of slowing down and nuance, patient, subject to evaporating us, in this place Josef reverie, willing to take on the where the men come with cell Braun promise of ambitious, puzzling, phones and GPS to secure a conor ostensibly difficult work. "To see nection to the outside world which what's there, finally to look and to know they can utilize at will, the daughter just you're looking, to feel time passing, to be disappears, and the bond between these alive to what is happening in the small- men gets denser, and weirder. est registers of motion." The protagonist knows the work he's witnessing is incom- Point Omega shouldn't be read for the plete without an engaged audience there purpose of becoming gripped by a rousto grapple with it, willing to participate ing mystery tale, or by a work of poin a silent dialogue about the tingle of litical interrogation, something DeLillo inevitability, and how our perception of is surprisingly only half-interested in. time's passage defines our place in the Rather, I would suggest reading this as world. " ... things barely happening, cause a way of immersing oneself in a state of and effect so drastically drawn apart observation and questioning, of heightthat it seemed real to him ... " I saw 24 ened sensual awareness of the world, Hour Psycho myself some years ago in and of unnerving uncertainty. For this Mexico City, and found I related utterly, reason, Point Omega is much closer in rapturously to DeLillo's essay-like medi- spirit to DeLillo's 2001 novel The Body tation on Gordon's piece. So, you know, Artist than to his most famous novels, be warned. such as White Noise or Underworld. The The bulk of Point Omega (Scribner, Body Artist is, like Point Omega, a very $29.99), however, does not involve the slim book. It also deals with a sort of protagonist of these bookend passages. disappearance, also concerns the limits That protagonist would appear to be of language and also functions as a sort DeLillo himself, in fact, his sighting of a of essay on the power of audacious art peculiar pair of strange men at the Gor- to capture essences of being. It's about a don installation, as well as the installa- woman named Lauren, the body artist of tion itself, being the apparent prompt for the title, who loses a husband and soon this novel, which is far more concerned after discovers a strange, mentally handwith investigating Gordon's implied ques- icapped man hiding in her home who tions about time than it is with spinning seems to be channeling conversations out a fully realized narrative. (Another she'd recently had with her husband. Her warning.) The men are Richard Elster, a encounters with this man, as well as with 73-year-old scholar—he's the same age strangers spied on the street, lays the as DeLillo—who was summoned by the groundwork for a hypnotic new perforPentagon to help plan the Iraq War, and mance piece in which she adopts several Jim Finley, our narrator, a young filmmak- personas through a physical discipline er hoping to convince Elster to the be so rigorous it threatens to exhaust her the sole subject of a sort of minimalist beyond repair. documentary, something akin to The Fog I'd read The Body Artist a few times alof War or Blind Spot: Hitler's Secretary, ready, and when I decided to revisit it as but more formally rigorous, and prob- a way of thinking about Point Omega, I ably more foolish. Elster invites Finley found myself coming at it from two difto his home deep in the desert, never ferent media. I'm staying in Vancouver really conceding to do the project, but just now and, what with the weather beseducing Finley in an odd way with his ing uncharacteristically sunny, I've been often cryptic, sometimes funny, some- walking for hours every day through times quite profound thoughts on time the city, so I decided to have as my auand the elusiveness of self. "The true life ral accompaniment on these walks an takes place when we're alone, thinking, audiobook of The Body Artist read by feeling, lost in memory, dreamingly self- musician and performance artist Laurie aware ... This is how we live and think Anderson. I can't recommend her rendiwhether we know it or not. These are the tion enough—it helped me to rediscover unsorted thoughts we have looking out the compelling strangeness and wit and of the train window, small dull smears of insight of DeLillo's highly stylized novel. meditative panic."

And Anderson's so good with vocal modOf course, these abstractions may sim- ulations that Lauren's gradual absorpply be Elster's way of avoiding culpability. tion of other voices comes off as eerily "War creates a closed world," he tells Fin- plausible. Of course to enjoy this I've had ley. "We have a living history and I thought to steer clear of Olympic-mania, which is I would be in the middle of it. But in those about as far from engendering states of rooms, with those men, it was all priori- contemplation as anything I've ever seen ties, statistics, evaluations, rationaliza- in my life. V

HOP H C SCOT

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

ARTS // 23

PREVUE // KARSH: IMAGE MAKER

Capturing the moment of truth Karsh: Image Maker collects the artist's superb portraits Amy Fung // amy@vueweekly.com

D

ebuting last summer as part of Festival Karsh, a summer-long celebration organized by the Canada Science and Technology Museum and the Portrait Gallery of Canada, a program now contained within Library and Archives Canada, Karsh: Image Maker is an extensive tribute celebrating the centenary of Armeniaborn, Ottawa-based photographer Yousef Karsh's birth.

Standing as the premiere exhibition in the AGA's new second floor gallery space, the show highlights how important it remains for regional, and certainly national, acknowledgment of portraitures and photography in shaping our cultural identities.

Designed as an interactive bilingual exhibition, Karsh: Image Maker gives prominence to the photographic tools used as well as Karsh's portraits that span the bulk of the 20th century. As an internationally celebrated portrait photographer, Karsh, like many photographers of his generation, profess to seek that "elusive moment of truth." But if you compare and contrast every photographer who's ever been after the truth, from Cartier-Bresson to Sally Mann to Nan Goldin, it becomes clear how subjective the notion of truth really is and how their truth reveals more about the photographer than anything else.

From Thomas Church to Jean Paul Ri-

opelle, to legends like Cecil B. Demille and Winston Churchill, Karsh carefully crafted his portraits to reflect his subjects' iconic stature. The celebrity factor may be what continues to be heralded, but this was before people were famous for just being famous, and this fact overshadows an underlying credence Karsh sought in those who contributed some form of mass cultural significance.

The archival typewritten documents with hand-written marginalia are fascinating to note that Karsh had an ongoing wish list titled, "Important Personalities Yet To be Photographed For Possible Inclusion in the Book." Going after people with larger than life personalities like Ernest Hemingway, Jacques Cousteau, and Diego Rivera, Karsh had an ongoing interest in capturing writers, musicians, dancers, political figures and movie stars, all reputable for their contemporary achievements and translating their cultural stature into an emblematic portrait.

From over 15 000 portrait sittings, Karsh noted one of his favorite photographs was of French cellist Pablo Casals, playing inside a rotunda of an old stone church.

Vastly different from the majority of his well-known mid-frame shots and intimate close-ups, his image of Casals captures the cellist in full, sitting with his back turned and his instrument in hand, existing in perfect harmony with the curvature of space and light surrounding him.

Karsh, who began with photographing for theatre productions and experimenting in highly stylized abstract photography before establishing himself as a technically superb portraitist, undoubtedly preferred the large format method of staged photography. The only regret of this exhibition is the mummification of Karsh's large format 4 x 5 method, a heavy, laborious process involving complex alchemy, but one that still exists today. As it stands, large format and the medium of film is becoming a specialized art form as dark rooms continue to disappear from art schools and fewer artists can access this technique. The exhibition's digital reproduction of Karsh's large format process sent instantly to your email is a fun idea, but it is arguable that large format film and digital photography are in fact two different mediums, and an exhibition that pays tribute and educates viewers on the art and science of photography would pay more respect to its nuances. V Karsh is History, an award-winning documentary screens Friday Feb. 26 at 7pm at the AGA's ledcor theatre. Admission is free.

Until Sun, May 30 Karsh: Image Maker Art Gallery of Alberta (2 Sir Winston Churchill Square)

VISUAL ART // GOYA

Double bill

Goya's Disasters of War leaves an impression greater than Los Caprichos' technical presentation Adam Waldron-Blain // adamwb@vueweekly.com

G

oya's Disasters of War series is a powerful collection of images that leaves an overwhelming impression. The images, like modern photojournalism, are a collection of atrocities from the Spanish Peninsular War, and they wrap around the walls of the gallery in two rows. It takes a fair chunk of time to look through them all and to absorb the impact of their depressing content.

The exhibition at the AGA has taken pains to point out the political content of the works, and plenty of it is plainly visible even without extensive knowledge of early 19th century Spain. Most obvious is the emphasis on women, children and the elderly that not only makes clear the fact that atrocities are being depicted, but begins Goya's construction of a liberal heroic Spanish patriotism. The prints present a narrative about the common people of Spain resisting French soldiers in moments of great heroism and martyrdom.

But the unreason of war, the relentless and apparently purposeless advance of the soldiers is impossible to stop, and the heroic citizens are inevitably dismembered and abandoned on the fields of war. If they escape, their only refuge is with caricatures

24 // ARTS

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

of the reactionary priesthood which move in after the war and seize political power.

Goya's depiction of the priesthood and the post-war conservative monarchy in Spain have much in common with his other work on display here, Los Caprichos.

A copy of this earlier book is encased in glass in the middle of the room, open to its most famous image, "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters." Unlike The Disasters, Caprichos was published during Goya's lifetime—the plates and proofs of The Disasters were only shown to close friends, and Goya left no instruction or information about them beyond captions and a few words; they weren't seen by the public until their 1863 publishing as a book.

Unfortunately, Los Caprichos seems to be only presented here for historical educational value. The AGA has attempted to let us see a different side of the works than with The Disasters of War, displaying a bound copy opposite a computer terminal allowing viewers to page through the images. It's a good idea poorly executed: trying to preserve one aspect of the viewing experience, the presentation gives up on others. Not only are the images different on a screen than on a page, but the presentation has technical flaws. Only one or two people may view the work at a time, a se-

rious issue in the busy, newly opened gallery, and the software displaying the book is flawed and difficult to use: the touchscreen is unresponsive, forcing you to push the pages around painstakingly slowly or use buttons that require almost as much concentration, as just tapping them with a fingertip isn't enough. The controls to return to the first or last page are worse, a collection of tiny symbols in the bottom right of the screen which are smaller than most people's fingertips, making them difficult to accurately press. I observed and assisted several strangers having difficulty moving through the images during my visit.

A better viewing experience can be had on any other computer connected to the internet—since the AGA prefers to show the public-domain images only to paying customers, you can find the complete collection linked at the bottom of Los Caprichos' Wikipedia entry. The Disasters of War is worth a look, but Los Caprichos certainly shouldn't be receiving equal billing in this form. V Until Sun, May 30 Francisco Goya: The Disasters of War and Los Caprichos Art Gallery of Alberta (2 Sir Winston Churchill Square)

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

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FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

ARTS // 25

INSIDE // FILM

FILM

27

Online at vueweekly.com >> FILM

Alfred and Marty Honest, You Won't Get Hooked

by Brian Gibson Brian Gibson makes an odd-couple out of Hitchcock and Scorsese

REVUE // SHUTTER ISLAND

Fleshed-out psychological horror Martin Scorsese takes Shutter Island beyond a mere genre romp Brian Gibson // Brian@vueweekly.com

U

sually the best a big-budget, bigname, big-studio production can do is rework its genre, darkening the clichés, curdling the formula and thickening the plot. That's exactly what Martin Scorsese does with the gothicthriller in Shutter Island.

Sickness, madness and paranoia whip up from the start. It's 1954 and Federal Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) is coming by boat to Shutter Island, a forbidding rock off the Massachusetts coast that's home only to Ashecliffe Hospital, an institution for those deemed criminally insane. Daniels first suffers from seasickness, then migraines. As a hurricane moves in, he and new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) try to conduct their investigation into the disappearance—from her locked cell—of a patient, Rachel Solando (Emily Mortimer), who murdered her children.

But the authorities, led by Dr. Cawley (Ben Kingsley), seem uncooperative.

And Daniels has personal reasons for coming to Shutter Island, reasons related to the death of his wife Dolores (Michelle Williams), even as he feels Ashecliffe's walls closing in on him.

A mysterious lighthouse, rats, a fugitive hiding in a cave, a cemetery,

LOOK CLOSELY >> There's a mystery afoot in Shutter Island dreams of a blood-drenched woman, madmen in cells—all melodramatic stuffing for a tired turkey of a thriller.

But Dr. Scorsese, working from Dennis Lehane's novel, manages to pull off his experiment with genres past, pulping up the noir and gothic in order to slowly flesh out psychological horror. He mixes not only conventional moments of suspense with slightly off-kilter

// Supplied

conversations, but war veteran Teddy's golden-edged dreams of his wife with his nightmarish memories of liberating Dachau. Other reunions with the dead are disturbingly ecstatic.

This is an exercise in style so overheated that the controlled burn reignites the gothic's tropes (madwoman, abandoned building, apparitions, stormy weather).

Ash, fire and snow—white flares up throughout, only to be eclipsed by blood red—mingle death, trauma and grief. What's the line between bereavement, even bereft-ment, and madness, between denial and psychosis?

It's a world shell-shocked by the Holocaust's depravity, after a war where boys came back broken men, losing some of what they went off to supposedly

protect—humanity. Many of the story's scars of violence are scratched out by Dicaprio's performance as a lost saviour.

He's the baby-faced con man from Catch Me If You Can gone to seed, shaking and teeth-gritting through his descent into darkness. There's some eerie work from Kingsley and Mortimer. Jackie Earle Haley is a particularly haunting patient, while Williams vaults her character beyond the '50s dutiful housewife.

Where the film uncannily slips out of its genre shackles, though, is in its sly suggestion that we, the viewers, are patients eager to drug ourselves on the thriller formula, to willingly collude in its conventions and clichés. The easy answers are outside ourselves, we'd like to believe, in the solution to the locked room mystery the detective will solve or the web of machinations the cop will unravel. But take a closer look within, Shutter Island whispers, because that's where not just the hard answers but the easy lies are buried. V SHUTTER ISLAND directed by martin scorsese written by laeta kalogridis, dennis lehane starring leonardo dicaprio, mark ruffalo, ben kingsley

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PREVUE // MARY AND MAX

The strangeness of life

Mary and Max manages to be beautiful, heartbreaking and ridiculous all at once David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

T

hough it is kind of an extraordinary story, much of the reason Mary and Max works as well as it does is its plainness. This manifests itself partly in an attention to detail—the way a cigarette butt falls loosely into a cake, or a briefly mentioned mood ring adjusts to a character's mood, or a bird poops unobtrusively on a window sill—but mostly in the tone of the letters between its eponymous characters, simple and matter-of-fact. This sort of dry forthrightness makes both the humour, which is ample, and the crushing emotionality, which is also ample, speak for themselves, and rather than manipulate or point us towards them in any way, they are just simply presented, with the full weight of their meaning left for us to decide.

Mary is a pudgy, outcast Australian girl with a birthmark "the colour of poo" on her forehead, stuck with a hectoring mother who guzzles cooking sherry and a father who hides in his shed, doing amateur taxidermy on roadkilled birds. The sharp characterizations of her parents are sort of indicative of the care here: they're not left as tropes, but as very particularly kinds of lousy people, especially Mary's mother, shown tipsily listening to rugby on the radio or stuffing cupcakes into the dishwasher before passing out. She takes solace in her pet rooster and a cheesy children's show until she has the idea to write to America, inquiring about the origin of babies there (her grandfather had told her they were at the bottom of father's pint glasses, so she assumes that in America they show up in pop cans).

Enter Max, who informs her that ba-

26 // FILM

bies are actually hatched from eggs— laid by a rabbi if you're Jewish, a nun if your Catholic and a dirty, lonely prostitute if you're an atheist—as well as letting Mary into his bizarre, anxietyfilled world. He is a reckless overeater whose favourite meal is chocolate hot dogs, who is endlessly confused by the world around him—he likes the same television show as Mary because, as the narrator puts it, it has a "delineated and articulated social structure, with constant adherence"—and who lives alone, making him more or less the ideal candidate to correspond with a socially inept girl.

One of Mary and Max's most remarkable feats is how much it wrings out of a relationship that is never more than epistolary. The simple recitation of each of their letters lends them an exceedingly poignant quality, both in

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

terms of emotion and humour. It's hard not to feel Mary's pain when, after recounting an instance of being teased, she very bluntly explains that she has to stop writing, because her tears are smudging her writing. Max's plainly literal worldview—one of the effects of Asperger's, which is handled with a deft, understanding hand by writer/director Adam Elliot throughout—is also very simply devastating and hilarious, frequently in the same paragraph, as when he wishes he could cry ("I cry when I cut onions, but this does not count") or shares his favourite invented words, then later uses one of them to express his extreme anguish.

It's probably worth mentioning at this point that, besides Asperger's, Mary and Max also addresses, at some point or another, isolation, depression, alcoholism and suicide, while still managing to remain sweetly en-

dearing and simply hilarious. Inherent in its plainness is its understated recognition of the strange circumstances of life, the fact that these horrible and strange and challenging things exist right beside wonderful and uplifting and heartwarming ones. Ultimately, Mary and Max feels like a beautiful and troubling piece of the world that is just presented to us, and the fact such things could exist is ridiculous and heartbreaking and, above all, incredibly moving. V Sat, Feb 27, Mon, Mar 1 (7 pm) Sun, Feb 28 (9 pm) Mary and Max Written & directed by Adam Elliot Starring Toni Collette, Philip Seymour Hoffman Metro Cinema (9828 - 101A Ave)

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PREVUE // HONEST, YOU WON'T GET HOOKED

Just one puff

Honest, You Won't Get Hooked lights up modern smoker culture Paul Blinov // paul@vueweekly.com

F

or all the ways we've been slowly phasing smoking out of mainstream culture—no puffs in indoor public places, a curtain hiding packs from sight at convenience stores, massive fines for violations of either, huge taxes on tiny cartons—there's still a general, somewhat hypocritical tolerance pervading the air. Smoking's frowned upon more and more (compare your place of employment to the '60s setting shown in Mad Men, and the differences become even clearer), but we still allow it, at the end of the day, even as the regulations on how and where one can light

up become increasingly restrictive.

"The icing on the cake to me was the, 'you have to be five metres away from the building smoking," says Ben Babchishin over a frothy cup of coffee. "I thought, 'I can appreciate that smokers do have rights. I used to be a smoker, but we need to decide: are we going to allow it?'"

"It's sort of like the hypocrisy with alcohol, when you look at the way they advertise alcohol," he continues, "It's against the rules to show anyone drinking on television—which is really kind of ridiculous, because what else do you do with alcohol but drink? That sort of happens with cigarette smoking. You see lots and lots of cigarette smoking, you never

in television commercials unless it's an anti-smoking [ad]. And you very rarely see them in movies anymore unless it's relevant to the character."

Babchishin, a local filmmaker, president of Hired Gun productions and "militant" reformed smoker (he quit eight years ago), has taken to questioning this pervasive culture in a satirical short, Honest, You Won't Get Hooked, a free screening happens at New City Likwid Lounge this weekend before an online release in March.

It follows Georgie (Murray Cullen), lifelong smoker, from cigarette number one, stolen from his mama back in the worry free heyday of smoking

into his adult life as an addict, when restrictions start to fall into place, smoking ceases to be cool and attractive and he's left with a couple of non-sequitor, dark comic comments on smokers, former smokers and those of the former category trying to enter the latter one.

"I have a really dark sense of humour, so I call it a comedy," Babchishin says. "But I suspect only the really cynical are going to laugh. And I make some statements about organized religion that might piss off a few people."

That comedy, used here to make a bit of a social critique, is more the point than an actual message about the dangers of smoking; as one character

points out in Honest, there's plenty of information these days about the damage cigarettes can cause.

"I know what it takes to quit smoking, and this film's not going to convince a smoker to quit smoking," he says.

"But I think it may make them think a bit if they're waffling on that fence of whether they should quit smoking. At the very least, it'll get a laugh." V

minded viewers—the original film, and its timely plot concept so ripe for the plucking, garners a sizable helping of cultural spotlight that expands our familiarity with moving picture periods that precede our own.

The Crazies digs up one of several post-Night of the Living Dead thrillers by George A. Romero, its plot mimicking his previous zombie epidemic by instilling an incurable violent insanity into hordes of living civilians. Dashing small town sheriff David Dutton (Timothy Olyphant) is forced to shoot a local farmer brandishing a gun during a softball game, before witnessing most of the other Joe Six-Packs and their families embark on an inexplicable killing spree. Quite soon after, the military descends on the town to calm the masses, not surprisingly through fascist quarantine and bullets through the head.

David and his wife Judy (Radha Mitchell) are determined to escape the double threat, embarking on an immediate getaway with a few other townspeople.

But, as scary movies often demonstrate (or merely fill plot gaps with), monsters are also created when the innocents band together in a time of crisis. Hostilities emerge, weapons are concealed and everybody places different bets on their chances for survival.

Riding one of the more interesting plot themes for any wide-release film so far this year, The Crazies is very polite and obedient to the zombie genre, kicked off

by Romero, that helped this style of fright evolve. The barren town withholding in its shadowy depth costumed archetypes cursed and gone mad by an illness too rampant to give time to understanding— it's thrilling but familiar stuff. A climactic visit to a seemingly abandoned truck stop proves to be fun and skillfully executed, but follows after the first hit-and-miss two-thirds of the adventure.

While Romero's horror features underhandedly plugged commentaries on race, war and capitalism, this particular revamp seems to go through the suspenseful motions with no hopes of progressing beyond the post-Bush politics that it takes for granted. We should expect as much comparison to Danny Boyle's 28 Days Later, which also featured a virus and a cantankerous army but dared to break

some rules and set itself apart from the gritty legacy. Following the Republican tea parties in which attendees displayed similar behaviour to these subjects, The Crazies could really have taken its apocalyptic American vision a lot further.

Sat, Feb 27 (7 pm) Honest, You Won't Get Hooked Written & Directed by Ben Babchishin Starring Murray Cullen, Linda Grass, Andy Northrup New City Likwid Lounge (10081 Jasper Ave), Free

FILM REVIEWS 



S IAN MP OLY S THE ZIE ND CRA NA THE KSO JAC CY PER

Film Capsules Now Playing Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief Directed by Chris Columbus Written by Craig Titley, Rick Riordan Starring Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario

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Greek myth isn't too family-friendly. Those Gods up above could be a wild bunch, full of jealousies and nasty feuds, while their visits here tended to involve rape or murder, when demigods and humans weren't fighting blood-lustily in their honour. But it's not so much the strange sanitizing of Greek myth that makes Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief fizzle out as its plod-by-numbers trek through fantasy-adventure formula.

The opener of Rick Riordan's series has Percy (Logan Lerman) discovering Dad is water-god Poseidon even as the teen's being accused of stealing Zeus' lightningbolt. (Only an American re-myth would make Percy's disabilities—ADHD and dyslexia—not differences but latent super-gifts, signs of his restlessness to fight and being born to read Ancient Greek, not English.) After scorning a Fury's wrath and butting heads with a Minotaur, Percy's off to the Underworld to save Mom from Hades' clutches, though he must find three pearls en route (presumably because epics are always brought to you by the number three). He's accompanied by Grover (I

respectfully refrain from another Sesame Street joke here) and Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), a daughter of Athena.

After directing the first two Harry Potters, Chris Columbus helms another attempted launch of a teen-aimed franchise, but this show-boat seems to be rowing through the motions. Realizationof-special-powers, training camp/school with other kids like him, find-this-object while baddie-battling, CGI dark skies out of a muddled Mordor? Seen-that, beenthere fantasy-epic stuff.

The Lightning Thief seems to have pilfered subtle speech, too, because demigod dialogue is more wooden and hollow than the Trojan Horse ("one day you'll understand"; "they're selfish—they only care about themselves"). Euphemistically, Gods "hook up" with mortals. At worst, Persephone's imprisonment with Hades seems like being housebound with a washed-up rock star (when he's not turning into a Super-Demon™, fresh from Acme Hell-Creatures Co.).

This entertainment kills two words ("smart" and "inoffensive") with one stone-dumb move by making Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) not only a black guy who says "a'ight" and "whaddup?" but also a satyr, his goat horny-ness leading him to nymphs, honeys and any other mythical female creature that exists to fulfill his stereotype.

Inspired, at least, is one pearl hidingplace, a spot on the Vegas strip where everyone's stupefied not just by lotus

flowers but capitalist bling and gambling.

Perhaps the criticism hits a little close to home for this hopeful cash-cow because, by scene's end, a hippie stuck there fore 40 years makes the Lotus Casino seem like a bad hangover to be blamed on the '60s. Bummer. Even more of a downer— no river Styx or three-headed Cerberus in the Underworld, which has the same cinder-black sky as Olympus.

And that's the ultimate disappointment of this effort at crossing classical myth with teen adventure—there's no emotional or moral darkness here, just the most superficial gestures at making Percy & Co.'s struggles with abandonment, loss and maturity seem heartfelt. God-like effects are easy these days, but human feelings can't be green-screened.

Brian Gibson

// Brian@vueweekly.com

Opening Friday The Crazies

Directed by Breck Eisner Written by Scott Kosar and Ray Wright Starring Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell



Cinema is balls deep in remakes of both widely acclaimed and forgotten underground classic films, inspiring frustrated fans to cut themselves up over the more botched efforts. Horror films are a frontrunner, likely because they promise not only a bankable opening weekend but also a creative team of film buffs behind the project, eager to breathe new life into movies they may or may not have grown up on. The critical results vary, but one thing is certain, at least for less simple-

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

Jonathan Busch

// jonathan@vueweekly.com

Opening at the Metro Best of Ottawa 2009

Fri, Feb 26 (7 pm), Sun, Feb 28 (6 pm) Mon, Mar 1 (9 pm) Featuring Please Say Something, The Bellow's March, The Art of Drowning, Madagascar, Love on the Line and more Metro Cinema (9828 - 101A Ave)



As with any compilation, the collection of films will be hit and miss, but the annual Best of the Ottawa International Animation Festival is one of the more reliably intriguing collections of short animation moviegoers get a chance to see. With no real restraints on form—here we get stop-motion puppets, line drawings, computer animation, lush watercolours and traipsing tableaux—or subject—unlike, say, The Animation Show, which has a tendency to prize humour over inventiveness—it's an interesting survey of where animator's heads are at.

This particular iteration begins promisingly, with G. Melissa Graziano's old-timey cybersex comedy "Love on the Line." It's a relatively simple joke—telegraph machines replace IM windows as the steamy medium of choice—but the hand-crafted care of the paper puppets, with joints visible, and the way morse code swirls into shapes indicating the word give it a very tactile and archaic feel. "The Black Dog's Progress," by Stephen Irwin, draws similar attention to the physicality of animation, panning a camera around various little swatches of repeated animation, which gradually give way to a larger picture. It's a simple story told in an inventive way, and it reveals a talent willing to futz with traditional boundaries.

Alas, not everything that's willing to do that is quite as successful. Anchor "Inherent Obligations," from Estonia, isn't quite CONTINUED ON PAGE 29 >>

FILM // 27

DVD DETECTIVE >> '90S FIGURES

Strange genius

Quiet: We Live in Public and Brief Interviews with Hideous Men reveal a pair of bizzare '90s figures Josh Harris may or may not be a ge- public world we currently live in.

David Foster Wallace is a decidedly nius, but in any event he's surely the That last bit is certainly the most in- different kind of '90s American figmost bizarre guy to make millions off teresting. People roundly thought Harure—for one, I have no reservations the dot-com boom of the late-'90s. He ris was kind of insane to predict the about calling him a genius—though in came up with the first real internet TV world he did, where people willingly a lot of ways no less forward thinking station, largely predicted the coming give up their privacy for the validation than Harris. That is less on display in his publicity of private lives, threw lavish, of public attention, but the long line- short story collection Brief Interviews multimedia parties, invented an "artis- ups of people willing to participate in with Hideous Men than is his incredible tic avatar" clown named Luvvy which Quiet was a sign of things to come. gift for understanding and display the he would occasionally show up Harris has a good line tweakinterior lives of people. Wallace was to serious meetings dressed ing Warhol, pointing out that the rare combination of frighteningly as and, after his inevitable people won't just want 15 intelligent and helplessly emotional, crash, fled New York City to minutes of fame in their and he's at his best when those two run an apple orchard. But, traits are informing each other. kly.com life, but everyday, and the e e w e vu with all that, he still might dvddetective@ behaviour that could only The Office favourite Jon Krasinski not be the most interesting be considered nascent at adapted the eponymous stories from David part of his own life story. best in 1999 is fully matured that collection into his directorial deBerry That would be Quiet: We Live a decade later, where people but, and you can tell that he has a sein Public, the 1999 art project in aren't just willing but eager to exrious respect for source (and with his which a few dozen New Yorkers willingly sequestered themselves in a podPeople roundly thought Harris was kind of insane like hotel fully wired with cameras, and to predict the world he did, where people willingly which gives Ondi Timonder's (DiG!) give up their privacy for the validation of public documentary its name. Part group performance art piece, part Orwellian attention, but the long lineups of people willing to experiment, part forward-thinking participate in Quiet was a sign of things to come. demonstration of the world Harris Harris has a good line tweaking Warhol, pointing thought we were heading toward, it manages to capture the spirit of the biout that people won't just want 15 minutes of fame zarre, indulgently-rich world that was in their life, but everyday. the dot-com bubble in New York, the unique intelligence of Harris and make an interesting comment on the alwayspose themselves online. Some of the appearance in the Dave Eggers/Vendala observations and behaviours of the Vida-scripted Away We Go, he's slowly participants show just how intrinsic becoming one of the more literary that mindset is to the human condition thespians). It sort of goes too far here, in a media environment. though: though there is a tremendous It would likely be possible to get a amount of wit and sharp commentary fascinating documentary solely from in the speeches here, Krasinski doesn't the project, but Harris is really a driv- do much more than simply film them, ing force, and not just because he without a lot of consideration for film's extended the project to his own life, rhythms and dynamics. living in a fully wired loft with his That's most evident in the dialogue. girlfriend for a year. He freely pushed Moments that are utterly engrossing Quiet in a fascistic direction, interro- on the page just don't feel quite as gating and borderline abusing people, right out of the mouths of actors, even as if to prove what the dangers of such one as casually charming as Krasinski. willing boundary destruction could His speech, which closes the film, is be (although his only justification for kind of ecstatically harrowing textumost of his behaviour is "this is how ally, but it feels too much like, well, it's going to be," and he's been depress- a speech here, carefully crafted and ingly accurate on a lot of things). He rehearsed to the point that the emohas lately taking to insisting his entire tional punch is mostly lacking. And life is some kind of strange art project, that's by no means a rare experience: an act that seems delusional and self- though there are occasional flourishprotective—he doesn't have to live es—Will Arnett's turn as a creep is with his failures if it's all art—but also notably sharp—and in general the film another weird kind of comment on succeeds at being funny, it can't conhow we live now, whether we admit it nect its ideas to its emotions the way or not. Regardless what you ultimately Wallace can. It's a shame, but Krasinki's think of Harris, though, he's lead a fas- willingness to take on such an ambicinating life, and Timonder's documentious project is at least a good sign for tary is a timely exploration of it. the future. V

DVCD TIVE

DETE

28 // FILM

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

FILM REVIEWS

Film Capsules << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

as clever as it would seem to believe, and its claymation style feels tired, dressed up in a kind of needless esotericism. Christy Karacas and Ray Tintori's music video for MGMT's "Kids," too, seems a kind of simple interpretation of the song's themes, while "Magic Cube and Ping-Pong" is little more than splashy colours and cuteness.

Still, there are a couple here that are pretty brilliant. "Postalolio" is decidedly simple from a story perspective, but the verve and logistics of collecting its hundreds of postcards, which are placed down as the "frames" of the film, is admirable. "Chick," from Poland, has expressive and impressive characters, and tells a sharp story about the realities of love entirely wordlessly. "Madagascar, A Journey Diary" is a warm, lush and inviting recap of the director's travels in that country.

But the absolute champion of this collection is "Please Say Something," another wordless gem. The story of a cat and mouse's love, it is kind of darker reply to Up's romantic-life together sequence, a misanthropic bully of a writer abusing his lover but still feeling crushed when the end inevitably comes. It pulls far more emotion and resonance out of its little computer-animated characters—who show their geometric shape roots quite brazenly—than initially seems possible, and is a perfect testament to how simple but beautiful animation can tell a story.

David Berry

// david@vueweekly.com

A Town Called Panic

Fri, Feb 26, Sat, Feb 27 (9 pm) Sun, Feb 28 (7:30 pm) Metro Cinema (9828 - 101A Ave)



FILM WEEKLY

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) Daily 1:20, 4:30, 7:10, 9:55

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recom-

FRI, FEB 19 – THU, FEB 25, 2010

mended for young children) Daily 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:50

EDMONTON FILM SOCIETY

Royal Alberta Museum, 102 Ave, 128 St, 780.439.5284

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

KEY LARGO (STC) Mon 8:00

Digital Cinema Daily 12:10, 3:20, 6:30, 9:45

DEAR JOHN (PG)

s

CHABA THEATRE�JASPER

Fri-Wed 12:40, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40; Thu 3:50, 6:50, 9:40; Star & Strollers Screening: Thu 1:00

6094 Connaught Dr, Jasper, 780.852.4749

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

WHEN IN ROME (PG)

content, not recommended for children) Fri-Sat 6:45, 9:10; Sun-Thu 8:00

Fri-Wed 12:20, 2:40, 5:10, 7:40, 10:10; Thu 12:20, 2:40, 5:10, 10:10

DEAR JOHN (PG)

EDGE OF DARKNESS (14A, brutal violence, gory scenes,

Fri-Sat 7:00, 9:10; Sun-Thu 8:00

not recommended for children) Fri-Sun 10:25; Mon 12:45, 3:50, 6:40, 10:25; Tue-Thu 12:45, 3:50, 7:25, 10:25

CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12 5074-130 Ave, 780.472.9779

TOOTH FAIRY (G)

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK (STC)

Hindi W/E.S.T. Daily 1:00, 4:00, 6:45, 9:35

Fri-Tue, Thu 1:40, 4:15, 6:35, 9:10; Wed 1:40, 4:15, 10:00

MY NAME IS KHAN (PG, mature subject matter,

CRAZY HEART (14A, coarse language, substance abuse)

Fri-Sun, Tue-Thu 12:25, 3:40, 6:30, 9:15; Mon 12:25, 3:40, 9:15

violence) Hindi W/E.S.T. Fri-Sat 1:05, 4:25, 7:45, 11:10; Sun-Thu 1:05, 4:25, 7:45

SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Daily 12:30, 3:45, 7:20, 10:15

DAYBREAKERS (18A, gory scenes)

Fri-Sat 10:00, 12:20; Sun-Thu 10:00

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young

LEAP YEAR (PG)

children) Digital 3d Fri, Mon-Thu 12:00, 1:00, 4:00, 5:00, 8:00, 9:30; Sat-Sun 12:00, 4:00, 5:00, 8:00, 9:30

Daily 1:50, 4:50, 7:30, 9:55

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 6:50, 9:15; Fri, Sat, Sun, Tue 12:50, 3:15

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 6:55, 9:15; Fri, Sat, Sun 1:55

Daily 9:20

mended for young children) Daily 7:15; Fri, Sat, Sun 2:15

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Daily 7:05 9:05; Fri, Sat, Sun 2:05

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

recommended for young children) Daily 6:55, 9:30; Fri, Sat, Sun, Tue 12:55, 3:30

Daily 7:00 9:10; Sat-Sun 2:00; Movies for Mommies: Fri, Feb 26: 1:00

DEAR JOHN (PG)

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

TOOTH FAIRY (G)

content, not recommended for children) Daily 6:45, 9:20; Fri, Sat, Sun 1:45

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

Daily 7:15; Fri, Sat, Sun, Tue 1:15, 3:20

Daily 7:10, 9:10; Fri, Sat, Sun, Tue 1:10, 3:10

GARNEAU 8712-109 St, 780.433.0728

THE LAST STATION (14A)

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

Daily 6:50, 9:10; Sat-Sun 2:00

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

CRAZY HEART (14A, coarse language, substance

Fri 4:20, 7:40, 10:30; Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:20, 7:40, 10:30; MonThu 7:40, 10:30 No passes Fri 4:10, 7:30, 10:10; Sat-Sun 12:50, 4:10, 7:30, 10:10; Mon-Thu 7:30, 10:10

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

content, not recommended for children) No passes Fri 3:50, 7:15, 10:15; Sat-Sun 12:45, 3:50, 7:15, 10:15; Mon-Thu 7:15, 10:15

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

Fri 4:30, 7:45, 10:35; Sat-Sun 1:45, 4:30, 7:45, 10:35; Mon-Thu 7:45, 10:35

PRINCESS 10337-82 Ave, 780.433.0728

abuse) Daily 6:45, 9:15; Sat, Sun 2:00

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (PG, coarse language, frightening scenes) Daily 9:10; Sat, Sun 3:30

PRECIOUS (14A, sexual violence, coarse language, disturbing content) Daily 6:50; Sat, Sun 1:00

IT'S COMPLICATED (14A) Fri-Sat 1:25, 4:35, 7:05, 9:40, 12:00; Sun-Thu 1:25, 4:35, 7:05, 9:40

CELINE: THROUGH THE EYES OF THE WORLD (G)

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL

THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010: LIVE ACTION (STC)

mended for young children) Fri 4:15, 7:20, 10:05; Sat-Sun 12:30, 4:15, 7:20, 10:05; Mon-Thu 7:20, 10:05

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010: ANIMATED (14A, coarse language)

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Fri 3:40, 7:00, 9:50; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:40, 7:00, 9:50; Mon-Thu 7:00, 9:50

No passes Daily 1:00, 4:00, 7:30, 10:15

Digital Cinema Sat-Sun 1:00

(G) Fri-Sat 1:20, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15, 11:20; Sun-Thu 1:20, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15

Mon 7:00

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? (PG)

Thu 7:00

Fri-Sat 1:35, 4:15, 7:20, 9:50, 11:55; Sun-Thu 1:35, 4:15, 7:20, 9:50

CITY CENTRE 9

PRINCESS AND THE FROG (G)

Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 1:30, 4:10, 7:10, 9:20, 11:25; Sun-Thu 1:30, 4:10, 7:10, 9:20

INVICTUS (PG, coarse language)

Fri-Sat 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40, 12:25; Sun-Thu 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40

OLD DOGS (G) Fri-Sat 1:40, 4:40, 7:15, 9:30, 11:35; Sun-Thu 1:40, 4:40, 7:15, 9:30 Daily 1:45, 4:45, 7:25 Fri-Sat 1:15, 4:05, 6:55, 9:45, 12:15; Sun-Thu 1:15, 4:05, 6:55, 9:45

2012 (PG, not recommended for young children, frightening scenes) Fri-Sat 1:10, 4:20, 7:35, 11:15; Sun-Thu 1:10, 4:20, 7:35

CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Daily 12:15, 2:50, 5:20, 7:50, 10:40

CTV OLYMPIC GAMES BROADCAST (STC)

Fri-Sun 11:00

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

content, not recommended for children) No passes Daily 12:00, 12:40, 3:10, 3:50, 6:15, 7:10, 9:20, 10:30

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

TOOTH FAIRY (G) Daily 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:05 THE BOOK OF ELI (14A, brutal violence, not recom-

mended for children) Digital Cinema Fri-Tue, Thu 1:20, 4:15, 7:15, 10:10; Wed 1:20, 4:15, 10:10

SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Fri-Sun 10:15; Mon-Thu 1:10, 4:30, 7:20, 10:15

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Digital 3d Daily 12:30, 4:20, 8:15

THE BLIND SIDE (PG, mature subject matter) Daily 12:20, 3:30, 6:40, 9:30

CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH 1525-99 St, 780.436.8585

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

Daily 1:30, 4:40, 7:50, 10:30

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content) No passes Daily 12:15, 3:30, 7:00, 10:00

Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes, Digital Daily 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:05

DEAR JOHN (PG)

Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Fri-Wed 12:10, 2:50, 7:15, 10:00; Thu 12:10, 2:50, 10:00

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

DATE OF ISSUE ONLY: Thu, Feb 25 SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Thu, Feb 25: 1:15 4:00 6:45 9:10

CTV OLYMPIC GAMES BROADCAST (STC)

Fri-Sun 11:00

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) No passes Daily 12:10, 3:40, 7:20, 10:40

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) Daily 1:30, 4:30, 7:40, 10:20 PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Daily 12:30, 3:30, 6:45, 9:45

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:50 DEAR JOHN (PG)

Fri-Tue, Thu 12:15, 3:10, 6:40, 9:20; Wed 3:30, 6:40, 9:20; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE (14A, violence, coarse language) Fri-Sun 10:30; Mon 2:00, 4:50, 10:30; Tue-Thu 2:00, 4:50, 8:00, 10:30 WHEN IN ROME (PG) Fri-Tue 1:15, 4:15, 7:10, 9:30; Wed 4:15, 7:10, 9:30; Thu 1:15, 4:15, 9:30; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG, violence, not recom-

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Daily 12:05, 2:40, 5:20, 8:00, 10:35

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) Thu, Feb 25: 1:35, 3:45, 5:45, 7:45, 9:45

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Digital 3d Fri-Tue, Thu 12:45, 1:45, 4:45, 6:30, 8:45, 10:00; Wed 12:45, 1:45, 4:45, 8:45, 10:00

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recom-

No passes Sat-Sun 2:00

HALF THE SKY (STC) No passes Thu 7:30

CLAREVIEW 10 4211-139 Ave, 780.472.7600

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Digital 3d, On 2 Screens Fri-Sun 12:45, 1:15, 4:20, 4:50, 8:00, 9:00; Mon-Thu 4:30, 7:30, 8:00

TOOTH FAIRY (G) Fri-Sun 1:30, 4:00; Mon-Thu 5:40

Thu, Feb 25: 1:30 3:35 5:35 7:40 9:40

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not

not recommended for young children) Fri-Wed 11:45, 3:15, 7:00, 10:30

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Thu, Feb 18: 1:45, 4:15, 7:05, 9:25

THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010: LIVE ACTION (STC)

LEDUC CINEMAS Leduc, 780.352.3922

Thu 7:00

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

recommended for young children) Daily 6:55, 9:25; Sat-Sun 12:55, 3:25

Daily 7:00; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:30

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Daily 6:50, 9:35; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:35 THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

DEAR JOHN (PG)

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content) Daily 7:10, 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:25

Fri-Sun 6:55, 9:45; Mon-Thu 8:40

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE (14A, violence, coarse

language) Fri-Sun 1:50, 4:30, 7:00; Mon-Thu 5:20

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recom-

METRO CINEMA

9828-101A Ave, Citadel Theatre, 780.425.9212

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

Wed 8:00

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

Wed 7:00

No passes Fri-Sun 1:20, 4:15, 6:50, 9:30; Mon-Thu 5:30, 8:30

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

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

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) Daily 9:25

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE

THE BLIND SIDE (PG, mature subject matter) Dolby Stereo Digital Fri 6:50, 9:50; Sat-Sun 12:30, 3:30, 6:50, 9:50; Mon-Thu 5:20, 8:20 VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) DTS Digital Fri 6:25; Sat-Sun 12:15, 3:20, 6:25; Mon-Thu 5:10

TO SAVE A LIFE (STC)

Sat, Mon 7:00; Sun 9:00

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

content, not recommended for children) Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes Fri 6:35, 9:40; Dolby Stereo Digital, No passes Sat-Sun 12:00, 3:10, 6:35, 9:40; Dolby Stereo Digital Mon-Thu 5:00, 8:00

A TOWN CALLED PANIC (STC)

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

content, not recommended for children) No passes Fri-Sun 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; Mon-Thu 5:10, 8:20

111 Ave, Groat Rd, 780.455.8726

THE WOLFMAN (18A, gory violence) DTS Digital Fri-Sun 9:20; Mon-Thu 8:30

Fri 7:00; Sun 6:00; Mon 9:00

Fri, Sat 9:00; Sun 7:30

Fri-Sun 12:50, 3:50, 6:45, 9:35; Mon-Thu 4:50, 8:10

WESTMOUNT CENTRE

BEST OF OTTAWA 2009 (18A)

mended for young children) Fri-Sun 1:00, 3:45, 6:35, 9:20; Mon-Thu 5:00, 8:25

Fri-Sun 2:00, 4:45, 7:20, 9:55; Mon-Thu 5:50, 8:45

Mon 7:00

THE OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010: ANIMATED (14A, coarse language)

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not

Daily 9:30

Fri-Sun 9:25; Mon-Thu 7:50

AVATAR: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE (PG, violence,

recommended for young children) Thu, Feb 25: 12:40, 2:55, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30

LEGION (14A, violence, coarse language, gory scenes)

TO SAVE A LIFE (STC)

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) No passes Daily 12:00, 1:15, 3:15, 4:20, 6:45, 7:30, 10:00, 10:30

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Digital 3d Fri 4:00, 8:00; Sat-Sun 12:00, 4:00, 8:00; Mon-Thu 8:00

Daily 12:00, 2:40, 5:15, 7:50, 10:45

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

mended for young children) Daily 12:20, 3:20, 6:30, 9:40

Fri-Sun 1:40, 4:40, 7:15, 9:50; Mon-Thu 5:45, 8:50

Fri-Wed 12:50, 4:10, 7:15, 10:20; Thu 4:10, 7:15, 10:20; Star & Strollers Screening: Thu 1:00

mended for young children) Daily 10:00

WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.444.2400

DEAR JOHN (PG)

CTV OLYMPIC GAMES BROADCAST (STC) Fri-Sun 11:00

Fri 3:45, 6:50; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:45, 6:50; Mon-Thu 6:50

SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG, violence, not recom-

SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM

DTS Digital, No passes, Stadium Seating Daily 12:00, 2:35, 5:15, 7:50, 10:30

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It can't be a coincidence that the stopmotion puppets that animate A Town Called Panic (Panique au village) look like toys. Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar's creation has both the spirit and the particulars of children at play: comical, exaggerated voices, figurine-mashing physical comedy and a willingness to follow any idea to its ridiculous conclusion, held together by a kind of reckless, freewheeling energy, the main consideration of which is fun.

Based on their cult-hit television show of the same name, A Town Called Panic brings back the trio of Horse, Cowboy and Indian in another misadventure. The particulars of the plot aren't really terribly important, but in any event, things are kicked off here when the shiftless and dunderheaded Cowboy and Indian try to build a barbeque for Horse's birthday, and inadvertently order 50 million bricks in the process. In trying to sort that out, Horse will find love, some underwater gnomes will start stealing their walls, the trio will journey to the middle of the earth and the Antarctic, they'll get catapulted by a giant penguin robot, and eventually have a party to commemorate it all.

Again, this is wild, all-over-the-map type stuff, but it is only aided by the sheer liveliness of the proceedings. It's incredibly rare for sheer creative moxie to come across on screen—much less in a medium like stopmotion animation, which is so taxing and meticulous a way to create a film—but Panic never feels like anything less than giddy fun. The way the drunken neighbour

LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recom-

MARY AND MAX (14A) THE ROOM (STC) DOC SOUP: LAST TRAIN HOME (STC)

PARKLAND CINEMA 7 130 Century Crossing, Spruce Grove, 780.972.2332 (Spruce Grove, Stony Plain; Parkland County)

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Daily 7:05, 9:00; Fri, Sat, Sun, Tue 1:05, 3:00

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WETASKIWIN CINEMAS Wetaskiwin, 780.352.3922

DEAR JOHN (PG)

Daily 7:05, 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:05, 3:25

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Daily 6:55, 9:30; Sat-Sun 1:05, 3:30

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 7:00; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:35 THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

Daily 9:40

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content) Daily 7:10, 9:35; Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:25

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 >>

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

FILM // 29

FILM REVIEWS

Film Capsules << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29

Steven, for instance, throws cows at anyone who offends him, is both hilarious but also has a kind of whatever's-handy sense to it: when all you've got is little plastic farm animals with which to inflict violence, well, then, you throw some cows.

Of course, energy only counts for so much, and even at 75 minutes, without some kind of cleverness things would start to sag. Luckily, the characters are smartly drawn, broad, certainly, but with a classic kind of idiot-pals-and-their-straightman routine: Horse looks genuinely sheepish while he's a-courting, and feels genuinely exasperated by the relentless idiocy of Cowboy and Indian. It's a small detail, but it's the difference between something purely manic and something with just enough grounding to make its hyperactive ridiculousness endlessly fun.

And fun it is. There's a kind of particularity to it—the mix of playing with the toy-like aspects of their characters, a blunt crudeness and a breakneck speed—that doesn't really lend itself to description without killing the verve, but suffice to say that anyone who appreciates the cartoony physical comedy of Looney Tunes or the mild absurdism of Adult Swim will have plenty to enjoy here, all flying by so quickly as to necessitate second viewings to take it all in. More importantly, A Town Called Panic is a film thoroughly infused with childlike energy and imagination, and capable of producing childlike joy.

David Berry

// david@vueweekly.com

30 // FILM

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

Opening at the Garneau The Last Station

Written and directed by Michael Hoffman Starring James McAvoy, Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti Garneau Theatre (8712 - 109 St)



Valentin Bulgatov, the endearing protagonist of a drama otherwise centred around the life of Leo Tolstoy, is caught between two kinds of politics—the socio-economic one prescribed by the War and Peace novelist that he idolizes, and another of the human desire for intimacy. Such a private dilemma is permitted by the fact that The Last Station is based on Jay Parini's historical novel rather than a row of biographical elements, conceived in the vein of its own literary creativity. Fact is hence a loose cannon, free to be played with by the fiction that cinema so arguably comes to be.

Bulgatov (James McAvoy) is hired as a private secretary for Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), and in turn required to follow the tenets of his employer's philosophy, including vegetarianism and celibacy. The manifesto's co-founder Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) keeps close tabs on Bulgatov's work, as does Tolstoy's wife Sofya (Helen Mirren), who tries her best to prevent their entire estate being handed to the people of Russia.

Chertkov and Tolstoy believe in freedom, while Sofya values the family she devoted her entire life to; once Bulgatov meets and grows affections for fellow housemate Masha, he is uncertain which side he stands on. As Tolstoy nears his fi-

nal days, his newfound apprentice plays passionate witness to his master's ties to the grandest of conflicting forces, duty and love.

While it is difficult to observe The Last Station as veritable account of Tolstoy's life, it plays out the kind of love story that is, at best, an intriguing fantasy. High drama confrontations between Tolstoy and Sofya, both loving and hostile, affirm that the thoughtful basis for the film are the ideas sprung from the most melodramatic parts of a life story. By foregrounding a layer of strong emotion, the film risks falling prey to an almost caricature-like inaccuracy.

It is, arguably, how many biopics operate, regardless of the sources of their research; the audience makes the ultimate decision of what truth they essentially buy into. Framed by a novel inspired by Tolstoy's life, however, passes The Last Station some credibility, as it did for the abstract portrayal of Virginia Woolf in The Hours and the decadent camp of The Other Boleyn Girl, both themselves fictional adaptations.

Not to mention, the leading cast are all each familiar to roles in fairly subjective accounts of real-life characters, notably Mirren in her Oscar-winning title role in The Queen. Here, she plays Sofya with the same thespian uniqueness that cannot possibly be overshadowed by the character role. Very rarely can an actress play herself playing a famous person in such a strong and redeeming fashion, and it is watching Mirren do her thing in such an appropriate venue as The Last Station that keeps the train on schedule.

Jonathan Busch

// jonathan@vueweekly.com

INSIDE // MUSIC

MUSIC

39

KRANG

40

Library Voices

41

Bill Eddins

Online at vueweekly.com >>MUSIC Vuefinder: live show slide show of Christian Hansen & the Autistics Vuetube: The Wheat Pool performs at Vue Weekly Vuetube: Jeff Stuart & the Hearts perform at Vue Weekly

COVER // BASIA BULAT

On the road again

Basia Bulat's Heart of My Own inspired by her travels Paul Blinov // paul@vueweekly.com

"A lot of people can't stand touring, but to me it's like breathing. I do it because I'm driven to do it." – Bob Dylan

T

he first part of that Dylan quote speaks to the general malaise that seems to overtake bands while criss-crossing the countrysides of the world. Even if most touring acts don't outright despise the road (wrong line of work, if that's the case), the bumps along the way almost always seem to accumulate into a sense of worldweariness. Sure, you get to stamp your passport endlessly while performing your music across the globe, but the downsides—playing empty clubs, long hours spent crammed into vans or waiting in airports, relationships slowly expiring back at home—far more commonly colour the songwriting process than the good days.

Compare the number of songs written about a great tour a band had versus the volume of baleful, lonesome songs about time spent on the road. The former are rare; the latter seem pretty much inevitable if a band lasts long enough.

Basia Bulat, however, seems to subscribe moreso to the latter half of the Dylan quote where the folksinger makes clear his own road-ready school of thought. Maybe touring isn't as necessary as oxygenating her blood, but the spry 26-year-old, who a few years ago was quietly working through an Master's in English in London, Ontario, seems to have few qualms about being on the road after a few years of extensive touring. Except, perhaps, that incomplete MA hanging over her head.

"I need to finish that one day, because I do really love books," she says with a lamenting laugh. "I'm kicking myself every time it's brought up, because it's sort of, 'Oh gosh, I really need to ... ' But I need to take a lot of time and do a really good job on that."

And if there's one thing Bulat is short on these days, it's extra downtime to pursue her more literary inklings.

(Though that's not to say she's put books aside for music completely; Bulat happily admits to frequenting usedbook stores while out on the road, the acquired literature "filling up my little section of the touring vehicle.") On the phone from Toronto, she's enjoying a few days of downtime before embarking on a North America-spanning tour, but even her dwindling free days are being filled with tour preparation by her own volition—"I'm just relaxing. Well, a little bit relaxing. I'm actually practising a lot," she laughs

HEARTLAND >> Basia Bulat doesn't mind some rigorous touring when asked about how she's spending her downtime. Bulat seems genuinely excited to be heading out on the road again, bringing along the album she more or less wrote on her last few treks out.

Heart of My Own is Bulat's second album, and its 12 songs convey an undeniable worldliness, taking the endless landscape as her muse and interpreting all that distance as she passes along it. The string-led builds and collapses of "Gold Rush," were inspired by a trip to the Yukon to play

// Supplied

a northern music festival; Bulat and her band ended up staying an extra week (where the cover for Heart, Bulat against a long, pastoral backdrop, was captured). Elsewhere, bigger, whirling orchestration draws from new influences picked up on the road, and a general sense of motion is captured in flurries of instrumentation and her own lively, siren-like voice. Even quiter numbers—like the voice and ukulele-only "Sparrow," which seems to speak to the difficulty of maintaining contact on the road—take on a different tone than what she's done in

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

the past.

"I worry that saying I find that it's really easy to write on the road will mean that as soon as I go out on tour next week I'll never have a song again while I'm travelling," she sighs. "But I think maybe just the very fact that you spend a lot of time watching the rest of the world go by, it kind of gets your mind going to places you may not let it get to when you're at home, necessarily. Maybe you have a lot of distractions that you don't necessarily encounter when you're travelling."

Creating Heart marked a far differ-

ent process from how Bulat crafted Oh My Darling, the debut that found her massive critical success and earned a 2008 Polaris Prize shortlisting. That album she'd written and recorded with friends, financed largely by a few student loans, and didn't ever quite intend to tour behind, at least not as extensively as she did—it took her all over North America, Europe and down to Australia, and also saw her signed to Rough Trade Records. The touring changed how she'd pen a song, if only CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 >>

MUSIC // 31

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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10025-105 St

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FILTHY MCNASTY’S 10511-82 Ave, 780.916.1557

O’BYRNE’S 10616-82 Ave, 780.414.6766

ENCORE CLUB 957 Fir St, Sherwood Park, 780.417.0111 FESTIVAL PLACE 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park, 780.449.3378, 780.464.2852

32 // MUSIC

GAS PUMP 10166-114 St, 780.488.4841

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

STEEPS�College Plaza 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 9020 McKenney Ave, St Albert, 780.458.0860 UNION HALL Argyll, 99 St, 780.702.2582

Evolution Solution; 8pm

IRISH CLUB Jam session; 8pm;

no cover

IVORY CLUB Duelling piano

show with Jesse, Shane, Tiffany and Erik and guests

JASPER PLACE HOTEL The Hardline Blues Band; 10pm JEFFREY'S Rollanda Lee (jazz); $15

JEKYLL AND HYDE PUB Every Friday: Headwind (classic pop/ rock); 9pm; no cover

JULIAN'S�Chateau Louis

Graham Lawrence (jazz piano); 8pm

LEVA CAPPUCCINO BAR Live music every Friday

MEAD HALL The Frolics, Whiskey Wagon, The Crescent Heights, Fire Next Time; 8pm (door); $12 NEW CITY�Suburbs CJ

Ramone, Let's Dance, No Problem

ON THE ROCKS Mourning Wood with DJ Crazy Dave; 9pm PAWN SHOP Sonic Band of the

Month: The Wheat Pool; 8pm; $5

DJ's Groovy Cuvy, Touretto, David Stone, DJ Neebz and Tianna J; 9:30pm (door); 780.447.4495 for guestlist

NEWCASTLE PUB Fridays House, dance mix with DJ Donovan

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE DJ Anarchy Adam (Punk)

PLAY NIGHTCLUB The first

bar for the queer community to open in a decade with DJ's Alexx Brown and Eddie Toonflash; 9pm (door); $5

STARLITE ROOM Daisy Chain: Soundscape, The Shakedowns, No Witness, Birds Of Wales; 8pm TAPHOUSE Peribothra Harpozafalls, Neural Manifest, guests; 8pm (door); $10 TEMPLE Options dark

alternative night: with Greg Gory and Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm, $8 (door)

TOUCH OF CLASS�Chateau Louis Joe Lawrence (pop/rock);

8:30pm

WILD WEST SALOON Mark

Lorenz

YARDBIRD SUITE

Drumheller; 8pm (door)/9pm (show); $16 (member)/$20 (guest) at TicketMaster

Classical TIMMS CENTRE FOR THE ARTS Handel’s comic opera

Serse: University Symphony Orchestra, Tanya Prochazka (conductor), Brian McIntosh (director); 7:30pm; $25 (adult)/$20 (senior)/$10 (student); 7:30pm

DJs AZUCAR PICANTE Every

Friday: DJ Papi and DJ Latin Sensation

BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

Connected Fridays: 91.7 The Bounce, Nestor Delano, Luke Morrison

BAR�B�BAR DJ James; no cover BAR WILD Bar Wild Fridays BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

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

BOOTS Retro Disco: retro dance

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

ESMERELDA'S Ezzies Freakin Frenzy Fridays: Playing the best in country

FUNKY BUDDHA�Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock, retro with

DJ Damian

GAS PUMP Top 40/dance with

DJ Christian

GINGUR Flossin’ Fridays: with Bomb Squad, DJ Solja, weekly guest DJs

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Formula

Fridays: with rotating residents

JAMMERS PUB Saturday open jam, 3-7:30pm; country/rock band 9pm-2am Mohacsy (jazz); $10

JULIAN'S�Chateau Louis

SPORTSWORLD Roller Skating

Graham Lawrence (jazz piano); 8pm

STOLLI’S Top 40, R&B, house

L.B.’S PUB Molsons Saturday

Disco Friday Nights; 7-10:30pm with People’s DJ

STONEHOUSE PUB Top 40

with DJ Tysin

TEMPLE T.G.I Psydays; 9pm Pony Girls, DJ Avinder and DJ Toma; no cover

Fridays

SATURDAY SAT FEB 27 LIVE MUSIC 180 DEGREES Dancehall and

afternoon open stage hosted by Lenny and The Cats; 5pm

MARYBETH'S COFFEE HOUSE �Beaumont The

Alberia Playboys (blues/roots)

MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH The PreTenors with

AVENUE THEATRE Greater

Than Giants, The Red Threat, The Sky Life, With Hands Like These, Casey Barkley; all ages; 6:30pm (door); $10

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Hair of the Dog: live acoustic music every Saturday afternoon; this week 100 Mile House; 4-6pm; no cover

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Mid Winter Blues Roots Roundup: Alvin Youngblood Hart with Mike B.C. Park; 8pm; $70 (dinner/show)/$35 (show only); $15 minimum per person

BLUES ON WHYTE Saturday Afternoon Jam; James Armstrong 8pm BOHEMIAN ART GARAGE Art+Muzak: Babe Loyd and Personal Beef, guests; 9pm; memberships at the door

BRIXX BAR Stampede Queen,

Sekston Slang, Zero Something; 9pm, $12 (door)

CARROT Open mic Saturdays; 7:30-10pm; free CASINO EDMONTON Thomas Alexander (Motown tribute)

CASINO YELLOWHEAD Souled Out (tribute)

COAST TO COAST Live bands

every Saturday; 9:30pm

CROWN AND ANCHOR PUB West of Winnipeg

CROWN PUB Acoustic Open

Stage during the day/Electric Open Stage at night with Marshall Lawrence, 1:30pm (sign-up), every Saturday, 2-5pm; evening: hosted by Dan and Miguel; 9:30pm-12:30am

DV8 TAVERN February Feast:

NEWCASTLE PUB Featuring

Dave “Crawdad” Canterra, Larry Levre, Jim Guiboche, Grant Stovel, Big Hank Lionhart and Friends; 9pm (music), 7pm (door); $10 (door)

NORTHGATE LIONS REC CENTRE Summer Now blues

Party: Bobby Cameron and band, Rault Bros with David Babcock, The Pretty Kids with Gaye Delorme; fashion show; 6:30pm (door); $30 (adv)/$35 (door)

O’BYRNE’S Live Band Saturday 3-7pm; DJ 9:30pm

ON THE ROCKS Mourning Wood with DJ Crazy Dave; 9pm OVERTIME Jamaoke: karaoke with a live band featuring Maple Tea PALACE CASINO�WEM Huge

Fakers (pop/rock)

PAWN SHOP Library Voice, Lions For Shee, Jeff Stuart and the Hearts; 8pm; $12 at Ticketmaster, Megatunes, Blackbyrd RED PIANO BAR Hottest

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

RENDEZVOUS PUB Visvitalius, Petes Birth; 8pm (door); $8

RIVER CREE�Venue The

Canadian Tenors; 8pm

ROSE AND CROWN The Kyler

Schogen Band

STARLITE ROOM Oh Snap:

Bass Funkin Blows with Freq Nasty and Fort Knox 5, Degree and Jake Roberts

TAPHOUSE Grave New World, Ministry of Zen, The Shakedowns, guests; 8pm (door); $10 TOUCH OF CLASS�Chateau Louis Joe Lawrence (pop/rock);

8:30pm

WEST END CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH Stories: Kokopelli Choir; 2pm and 7pm; $18 (adult)/$15 (student/senior) /$12 (child under 10) at TIX on the Square

WILD WEST SALOON Mark

EDDIE SHORTS Future Echos, Blazing Violets (alt rock)

Lorenz; 8pm

ELECTRIC RODEO�Spruce Grove D.L.O EMPRESS ALE HOUSE John

Magnets; 8pm (door)/9pm (show); $16 (member)/$20 (guest) at TicketMaster

FIDDLER’S ROOST The Spirit

Classical

Henry Band; 4pm

of Mike Seeger: David Rea, Byron Myhre, Terry McDade; 8:30pm; $20 at TIX on the Square

HAVEN SOCIAL CLUB

Songwriter’s Association of Canada–Bluebird North: Chloe Albert, Bob Jahrig, Kat Danser, Joe Nolan; $12/$10 (SAC member) at TIX on the Square

HILLTOP PUB Open stage/

mic Saturday: hosted by Sally's Krackers Sean Brewer; 3-5:30-3pm

Saturday: DJ Touch It, hosted

by DJ Papi

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

YARDBIRD SUITE Crystal

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sorrows of Mary: I

Coristi Chamber Choir, Onyx String Quartet, portion of Beethoven String Quartet, Jeremy Spurgeon (organ), Diane Persson (bassoon); 8pm; $18 (adult)/$12 (student/senior) at TIX on the Square

TIMMS CENTRE FOR THE

ARTS Handel’s comic opera Serse: University Symphony Orchestra, Tanya Prochazka

DV8 TAVERN The EXPOS are coming (reggae/sk); 9pm EDDIE SHORTS Sunday acoustic oriented open stage hosted by Uncle Jimmy; all gear provided; 9pm-1am FESTIVAL PLACE Raylene Rankin, Cindy Church, and Susan Crowe (singer songwriters); 7:30pm; $36 (table)/$34 (box)/$30 (theatre) at Festival Place box office, TicketMaster HAVEN Numuv Art: Chips and Pop, The Lennie Suite, Epidermal Silver Band; 9pm (show); $10 (door)

Saturday DJs on three levels.

Main Floor: Menace Sessions: alt rock/electro/trash with Miss Mannered

HYDEAWAY�Jekyll and Hyde

BUDDY'S DJ Earth Shiver 'n'

every Sunday hosted by Me Next and the Have-Nots; 3-7pm

Quake; 8pm; no cover before 10pm

CENTURY ROOM

Underground House every Saturday with DJ Nic-E

EMPIRE BALLROOM Rock, hip

Sunday Night Songwriter's Stage: hosted by Rhea March

J AND R BAR Open jam/stage NEWCASTLE PUB Sunday

acoustic open stage with Willy James and Crawdad; 3-6pm

NEW CITY Open Mic Sunday

hop, house, mash up

hosted by Ben Disaster; 9pm (sign-up); no cover

ENCORE CLUB So Sweeeeet

O’BYRNE’S Open mic jam with

ESMERALDA’S Super Parties:

ON THE ROCKS 7 Strings

Saturdays

Every Saturday a different theme

DJ Damian

THE NEST Hands of Stone; 7pm

Oscar Lopez; 7:30pm; $58

AZUCAR PICANTE Every

MORANGO'S TEK CAFÉ

ALBERTA BEACH HOTEL

ARDEN Pavlo, Rik Emmett,

DJs

Gold Mash-Up: with Harmen B and DJ Kwake

Reggae night every Saturday

Open stage with Trace Jordan 1st and 3rd Saturday; 7pm-12

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for Kids: The Mysterious Maestro: William Eddins (conductor), Doug McKeag, Onalea Gilbertson (storytellers); 2pm; $21-$29 (adult)/$13-$17 (child)

the Metropolitan Chorus, Epsilon, 2Island Girls, Martin Kloppers, Pro Coro Canada, VOCE the a cappella experience; 7:30pm; fundraiser for David Garber's health Saturday open stage: hosted by Dr. Oxide; 7-10pm

EARLY STAGE SALOON� Stony Plain Saturday Live Music

VIP Fridays

show with Jesse, Shane, Tiffany and Erik and guests

ROUGE LOUNGE Solice Fridays

CENTURY ROOM

CHROME LOUNGE Platinum

IVORY CLUB Duelling piano

Ancestry, Empyrean Plague, Panzerfaust, Biile, Behind The Black Gates; 7pm

Last Horizon, Bohdi, Silent Line; $10

Underground House every Friday with DJ Nic-E

Wetaskiwin featuring jazz trios the 1st Saturday each month: this month: The Don Berner Trio; 9pm; $10

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

BUDDY’S DJ Arrow Chaser; 8pm; no cover before 10pm

WINSPEAR CENTRE

JUBILEE AUDITORIUM Wolven

Y AFTERHOURS Foundation

The Lonesome River Band, The Bix Mix Boys; 7:30pm (door), 8pm (show); $20(member)/$25 (nonmember) at TIX on the Square, Acoustic Music, Myhre’s Music, the door

IRON BOAR PUB Jazz in

RED STAR Movin’ on Up

ROSE AND CROWN The Kyler ROYAL ALBERTA MUSEUM

(conductor), Brian McIntosh (director); 7:30pm; $25 (adult)/$20 (senior)/$10 (student); 7:30pm

JEFFREY'S Bruce and Lori

Source 98.5

WUNDERBAR Fridays with the

Schogen Band

HYDEAWAY�Jekyll and

REDNEX DJ Gravy from the

RED PIANO BAR Hottest

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

Hyde Neural Manifest–Gordon Horde; 7pm

FLUID LOUNGE Saturdays Gone FUNKY BUDDHA�Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock, retro with GINGUR SKY Soulout Saturdays HALO For Those Who Know:

house every Saturday with DJ Junior Brown, Luke Morrison, Nestor Delano, Ari Rhodes

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Signature

Sound Saturdays: with DJ's Travis Mateeson, Big Daddy, Tweek and Mr Wedge; 9:30pm (door); $3; 780.447.4495 for guestlist

NEWCASTLE PUB Saturdays: Top 40, requests with DJ Sheri

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE Punk Rawk Saturdays with Todd and Alex

NEW CITY SUBURBS Black Polished Chrome Saturdays: industrial, Electro and alt with Dervish, Anonymouse, Blue Jay PAWN SHOP SONiC Presents Live On Site! Anti-Club Saturdays: rock, indie, punk, rock, dance, retro rock; 8pm (door) PLANET INDIGO�Jasper Ave Suggestive Saturdays: breaks electro house with PI residents

RED STAR Saturdays indie rock, hip hop, and electro with DJ Hot Philly and guests RENDEZVOUS Survival metal

night

Robb Angus (the Wheat Pool)

Sundays: with Jordan Lee, Jeff Morris; 9pm

ORLANDO'S 2 PUB Sundays

Open Stage Jam hosted by The Vindicators (blues/rock); 3-8pm

ROYAL COACH�Chateau Louis Petro Plujin (classical

guitar); 5pm

SECOND CUP�Mountain Equipment Co-op Live music

every Sunday; 2-4pm

WUNDERBAR Aktion Unit (Oz), Young Lions (Oz), Scratchplate (Oz), The Renderers, Plantation; 8pm

Classical FIRST PRESBYTERIAN

CHURCH Arthur Newcombe Rm: Josephine van Lier (cello, CD release concert); 3pm; $10 at TIX on the Square, Gramophone, door MUTTART HALL�Alberta

College Edmonton Recital Society, William Eddins (piano); 7:30pm; $30 (adult)/$20 (student/ senior) at TIX on the Square TIMMS CENTRE FOR THE ARTS Handel’s comic opera

Serse: University Symphony Orchestra, Tanya Prochazka (conductor), Brian McIntosh (director); 7:30pm; $25 (adult)/$20 (senior)/$10 (student); 2pm

WINSPEAR CENTRE

Edmonton Youth Orchestra, Michael Massey (conductor); 2pm; $15 (adult)/$10 (senior/ student) at TIX on the Square

SPORTSWORLD Roller Skating Disco Saturdays; 1pm-4:30pm and 7-10:30pm

DJs

STOLLI’S ON WHYTE Top 40, R&B, house with People’s DJ

Industry Night: with Atomic Improv, Jameoki and DJ Tim

BACKSTAGE TAP AND GRILL

TEMPLE Oh Snap!: Every

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Saturday, Cobra Commander and guests with Degree, Cobra Commander and Battery; 9pm (door); $5 (door)

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

WUNDERBAR Featured DJ and

BUDDY'S DJ Bobby Beatz; 9pm; Drag Queen Performance; no cover before 10pm

local bands

Y AFTERHOURS Release

Saturday

FLOW LOUNGE Stylus Sundays

SUNDAY

GINGUR Ladies Industry

B�STREET BAR Acoustic-based

Sundays

NEW CITY SUBURBS

open stage hosted by Mike "Shufflehound" Chenoweth; every Sunday evening

Get Down Sundays with Neighbourhood Rats

BEER HUNTER�St Albert

Reggae on Whyte: RnR Sundays with DJ IceMan; no minors; 9pm; no cover

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Sunday

SPORTSWORLD Roller Skating Disco Sundays; 1-4:30pm

Open stage/jam every Sunday; 2-6pm Brunch: Nuages Duo, donations; Mid Winter Blues Roots Roundup: Alvin Youngblood Hart with Mike B.C. Park, 8pm, $70 (dinner/show)/$35 (show only), $15 minimum per person

BLUE PEAR RESTAURANT Jazz on the Side Sundays: Rob Thompson (piano); 6-9pm

BLUES ON WHYTE Boggie

Patrol

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

DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB Celtic Music Session, hosted by KeriLynne Zwicker, 4-7pm

SAVOY MARTINI LOUNGE

WUNDERBAR Sundays DJ

Gallatea and XS, guests; no cover

MONDAY BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Sleeman Mondays: live music monthly; no cover

BLUES ON WHYTE Carson

Downey

DEVANEY'S IRISH PUB Open stage Mondays with different songwriters hosting each week; presented by Jimmy Whiffen of Hole in the Guitar Productions; 8-12 NEW CITY This Will Hurt you

Mondays: Johnny Neck and his

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 33

COMMENT >> MUSIC

I believe we need a new song Olympic gold should be celebrated with great Canadian music If you're like me, you're elated when Can- line. Since you want to get up and dance ada wins a gold medal at these Olympic when a Canadian athlete wins a medal, Games—then, as soon as the event is over, why not use a song that makes you want you make a dash to the remote control to to dance, not make your penis shrivel as turn down the volume on the TV set. if you've been in a long, cold shower?

After all, you have to find a way to avoid (Sorry, ladies, couldn't think of an analogy that "I Believe" song, the saccharine bal- that would be as descriptive that would lad written by former Glass Tiger man be gender-inclusive).

Alan Frew, along with Stephen Moccio.

"Fancy Footwork," Chromeo. The elecNikki Yanofsky's song makes Sarah tro-dance duo played Olympic stages McLachlan's "I Will Remember in Whistler and Vancouver. This You" (another song that has little dance number would been over-played at sporting work great for any skiing or events) come off as a balls-out skating medals. .com rocker. CTV/TSN/Sportsnet is "Marathon," Rush. If you weekly e u v @ steven using that song to commemwant to go classic rock, this n Steveor is another option. Neil Peart orate every gold, silver and Sand bronze Canada wins. waxes poetic on the spirit of Whether it's this Yanofsky song, competition and how dreams never McLachlan or even Green Day's "Time of die. But at least it's got a beat and Alex Your Life," why is it that the major producLifeson on guitar. That gives it some Trailers of sporting events think that great mo- er Park Boys cred, right. ments of athletic achievement need to be "Having an Average Weekend," Shadcommemorated with slow, acoustic numowy Men on a Shadowy Planet. It was bers with sappy, trite lyrical content? good enough for Kids in the Hall. It's good Really, there are a ton of Canadian songs enough for Canadian medalists. already out there (after all, CTV should "The Slow Descent into Alcoholism," The use a Canadian artist)—ones that rock New Pornographers. OK, this song has and wouldn't make us cringe after 30 or nothing to do with sports. But it has a lot so seconds—that the network could have to do with drinking. And winning medals used when our athletes strike gold, silver makes us want to drink in celebration. or bronze. Here is a look at some songs "I Drove the Coquihalla," Chixdiggit. You that got away: need to drive the Coquihalla to get to Van"Takin' Care of Business," Bachman-Turncouver. And this great little rocker clocks er Overdrive. Yes, this works. Athletes get in at a short and sweet 1:46, perfect to get the job done, and they aren't on the 8:15 the whole song in without having to scrub into the city. all those nice, bill-paying commercials.

"Dude You Feel Electrical," Shout Out Any instrumental song by Holy Fuck.

Out Out Out. "Dude, you feel unstoppaAgain, winning makes us feel like dancing. ble," sung electro style over a killer bass CTV could have simply called the band

ENTER

SAND

Job present mystery musical guests

PLEASANTVIEW

COMMUNITY HALL Acoustic instrumental old time fiddle jam hosted by the Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Society; 7pm PROHIBITION Chicka-Dee-Jay

Monday Night: Soul, R&B, British Invasion, Ska, Rocksteady, and more with Michael Rault

ROSE BOWL/ROUGE

LOUNGE The Legendary Rose Bowl Monday Jam: hosted by Sean Brewer; 9pm

Classical CONVOCATION HALL

Monday Noon Music: showcase of U of A Music students, 12pm, free; Kilburn Memorial Concert: Janina Fialkowska (piano), 8pm, $20 (adult)/$15 (senior)/$10 (student)

WINSPEAR CENTRE Piano

Spectacular: Angela Cheng, Jon Kimura Parker, Michael Massey, with Bill Eddins playing and coconducting with Lucas Waldin; $24-$69 at Winspear box office

DJs BAR WILD Bar Gone Wild

Mondays: 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

BUDDY'S DJ Dust 'n' Time; 9pm FILTHY MCNASTY'S Metal

TUESDAY BLUES ON WHYTE Carson

Downey

BRIXX BAR Troubadour

Tuesday's: Sally's Krackers, hosted

by Mark Feduk (Red Ram); 9pm; $8 (door)

CROWN PUB Underground

stage with Chris Wynters; 9pm

Tuesday night open stage; 9pm1am; featuring guests; hosted by Mark Ammar and Noel (Big Cat) Mackenzie

NEW CITY LIQWID LOUNGE

Every Tuesday open stage: Hosted

by Ben; 8-12

O’BYRNE’S Celtic Jam with

Shannon Johnson and friends

OVERTIME Tuesday acoustic

jam hosted by Robb Angus

SECOND CUP�124 Street

Open mic every Tuesday; 8-10pm

SECOND CUP�Stanley Milner Library Open mic every Tuesday; 7-9pm

SIDELINERS PUB Tuesday

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

SPORTSMAN'S LOUNGE

Open Stage hosted by Paul McGowan and Gina Cormier; every Tuesday, 8pm-midnight; no cover

TAPHOUSE Open Jam; 8pm

LUCKY 13 Industry Night with

YARDBIRD SUITE Tuesday

Daniel and Fowler (eclectic tunes)

HAVEN SOCIAL Open stage

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Open mic

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

Latin and Salsa music, dance lessons 8-10pm

Mixer

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE

DJs

THE DRUID IRISH PUB Open

FLUID LOUNGE Mondays

DJ Chad Cook every Monday

by Chuck Rainville; 9pm-1am

BUDDY'S DJ Arrow Chaser; 9pm

L.B.’S PUB Ammar’s Moosehead

ESMERALDA’S Retro every

Tuesday; no cover with student ID

FUNKY BUDDHA�Whyte Ave GINGUR SKY Bashment

Tuesdays: Reggae music; no cover

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE

‘abilly, Ghoul-rock, spooky with DJ Vylan Cadaver

FIDDLER'S ROOST Little

Flower Open Stage Wednesdays with Brian Gregg; 8pm-12 with Jonny Mac; 8:30pm; no cover

NEW CITY Circ-O-Rama-

Licious: Gypsy and circus fusion spectaculars; last Wednesday every month

OVERTIME Dueling pianos featuring The Ivory Club PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL Acoustic

Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society every Wednesday evening

PROHIBITION Wednesdays with Roland Pemberton III

PROHIBITION Tuesday Punk

Night

RED PIANO BAR Jazz and Shiraz Wednesdays featuring Dave Babcock and his Jump Trio

RED STAR Tuesdays:

RIVER CREE Wednesdays Live

WEDNESDAY

SCALLIWAGS PUB�Camrose

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

ARDEN Suzanne Vega; 7:30pm;

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

Scott Cook; 8pm

SECOND CUP�Mountain

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Equipment Open Mic every Wednesday, 8-10pm

BLUES ON WHYTE Carson

Bulat, Katie Stelmanis; 8pm; $15 at TicketMaster, Blackbyrd, Unionevents.com

$38

Main Floor: Glitter Gulch Wednesdays: live music once a month Downey

BRIXX BAR Launch of Really Good.... Eats and Beats: DJ Degree, Oh Snap crew, friends; 6pm COPPERPOT RESTAURANT

STARLITE ROOM Basia

STEEPS TEA LOUNGE� College Plaza Open mic every

Wednesday; hosted by Ernie Tersigni; 8:30-10pm

TEMPLE Wyld Style Wednesday: Live hip hop; $5

Live jazz every Wednesday night; 6-9pm

Classical

CROWN PUB Creative original

MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH Music Wednesdays

Session: Marty Majorowicz; 7:30pm (door), 8pm (show); $5

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

Classical

EDDIE SHORTS Wednesday open stage, band oriented, hosted

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

Steven Sandor is a former editor-in-chief of Vue Weekly, now an editor and author living in Toronto.

CONVOCATION HALL Piano Masterclass with visiting artist Janina Fialkowska; 10am-12pm; free

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

STEEPS�Old Glenora Every Tuesday Open mic; 7:30-9:30pm

Mondays: with DJ S.W.A.G.

34 // MUSIC

OR

Holy F***. I'm sure the members are used to it by now.

"When the Lights Go Down," Triumph. An '80s blues-influenced metal song about how you need to perform when, ahem, the lights go down. And I would much rather hear '80s metal than that "I Believe" dreck.

"Jerk It" by Thunderheist. With both electronica and hip-hop sensibilities, Thunderheist covers the 18 – 35 demographic a hell of a lot better than "I Believe," which I think pleases the 85 – 99 demo. It's a nasty track about getting sweaty. And a far more awesome tribute to the hard work athletes put into a medal performance than piano piffle.

"Smothered Hope" by Skinny Puppy. No, you don't play this when an athlete wins a medal. You play this when an athlete from a rival nation blows his or her chances.

When a figure skater falls or a shot from the red line eludes the netminder, this is the track to play. Yeah, I'm mean. But, hey, that Olympic spirit thing is sooooo 1952.

The point is, Canadian bands, then and now, have produced a heck of a lot of great songs that could have easily been appropriated for an Olympic theme. (Or, heck, use more than one song. Already, in my Toronto office, my co-workers and I cringe every time CTV uses those "I Believe" notes.

We're suffering from overkill.) Instead of commissioning dreck, CTV could have used these Games as a way to showcase great Canadian music in the same way it is showcasing great Canadian athletes. V

at Noon: Gordon Ritchie (Celtic harp); 12:10-12:50pm; free

WINSPEAR CENTRE U of A/ Grant MacEwan jazz bands,

Tom Dust and Raymond Baril, (directors), Bryan Hall (MC); $15 (adult)/$10 (student/senior)

DJs BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

Wednesday Nights: with DJ Harley

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

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

BUDDY'S DJ Dust 'n' Time; 9pm; no cover before 10pm DIESEL ULTRA LOUNGE

Wind-up Wednesdays: R&B, hiphop, reggae, old skool, reggaeton with InVinceable, Touch It, weekly guest DJs

FLUID LOUNGE Wednesdays

Rock This

IVORY CLUB DJ every Wednesday; open DJ night; 9pmclose; all DJs welcome to spin a short set LEGENDS PUB Hip hop/R&B with DJ Spincycle

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE DJ Roxxi Slade (indie, punk and metal)

NEW CITY SUBURBS Shake It: with Greg Gory and Eddie Lunchpail; no minors; 9pm (door) NIKKI DIAMONDS Punk and ‘80s metal every Wednesday

RED STAR Guest DJs every

Wednesday

STARLITE ROOM Wild Style Wednesdays: Hip-Hop; 9pm STOLLI'S Beatparty Wednesdays:

House, progressive and electronica with Rudy Electro, DJ Rystar, Space Age and weekly guests; 9pm-2am

WUNDERBAR Wednesdays with new DJ; no cover

Y AFTERHOURS Y Not

Wednesday

BASIA BULAT

my own head, but everyone else is still kind of learning it."

by giving her fresh sets of ears to experiment for each night.

"I ended up trying out a lot of the songs that made it on to Heart of My Own in concert first," she says. "I was maybe a little bit more predisposed to including songs on the record that I'd played live before.

"I ended up recording about 20 or 21 songs, and then I ended up pairing it down. I spent a lot more time in the studio trying out all sorts of different arrangements, doing different things," she continues. "I think performing is the other aspect of being on the road that influences [my] writing. I'm excited about being able to try stuff out at a show, so I end up writing a song right before the show.

"I try not to do it as much now, to spare [the band]," she laughs. "Because I know the song really well in

Still, there were parts of the recording process for Oh My Darling that she liked and maintained for Heart: friends still played on the new album (her brother returns to the drumkit), she kept her band playing together in the studio as much as possible to capture a lively performative feel in each take.

"I like to record a few people playing together, my brother and myself playing together, and the vocals, and have that all together so you can feel like you have that performance," she explains.

"It's a document, as opposed to something I'm constantly Pro Tools editing, or photoshopping, or whatever."

But that doesn't mean the versions of found on Heart remain their finalized ones.

"There's actually a very famous quote, a literary theorist, who says, 'The writer never knows when the

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

work is finished.' I think the rest of the quote goes on to say something like, 'The publisher's deadline or death are the only things that can,'" Bulat says.

"This theorist was talking more specifically about novels, I think, but I think it can be applied to anything. I think songs, they can grow and change all the time, and I always think of a record or an album as a document of where it is at that moment, but not necessarily the definitive version. Maybe I grew up in a time where I feel like I'm a fan of an artist or a band, and that I like to see that person live, and the recording is one version of how it was done.

"But that's one way of looking at it," she adds. "And you can look at in all sorts of different ways." V Wed, Mar 3 (8 pm) Basia Bulat With Katie Stelmanis Starlite Room, $15

ROAD SONGS Given the inspiration Bulat’s travels provided Heart of My Own, here’s a few other songs, plus one of her own, that look at life on the road: Basia Bulat, "Go On" (On Heart of My Own) The opening strums of Basia Bulat’s second album seem to personify a storm on the horizon, but one that is charged headlong towards, not shied away from. A voice like sweeping wind, she calls out to "let them know the burden of your blues," but it sounds more like a challenge than an admittance.

Cuff The Duke, "Long Road" (On Sidelines of the City) "It was somewhere in Saskatchewan / A storm rolled in but we carried on/ driving through the night / ‘til we noticed the gas light." Detailing the drive between shows that just spirals down and down (and on, and on), "Long Road" captures the alt-country Cuff the Duke recounting the weary days with energetic guitar riffing and harmony.

A roadside lament to hum along with, if one ever was.

Black Crowes, "Wiser Time" (On Amorica) An eight-minute trudge into melancholy-tinged rock, "Wiser Time" rings out long and clear about the travelogged blues—"No time left for shame / Horizon behind me, no more pain / Windswept stars blink and smile / Another song, another mile"—balancing out the weary sentiments with a solid bass groove and searching electric guitar that anchors the extended jam outro.

AC/DC "Ride On" (On Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap) A slow-burner from a band known more for classic riffs, the rawkus is present but subdued, the solos more reserved than usual, the song’s blues-y structure unusually obvious, lending the whole song a lived-in feel, as Bon Scott laments: "It's another lonely evening / And another lonely town / But I ain't too young to worry / And I ain't too old to cry."

Blue Rodeo, "What Am I Doing Here" (On Casino) Supposedly written after the band’s worst gig ever, headlining a high school Battle of the Bands at some fairgrounds in America, the song’s bristling with bittersweet melody and questions about the path the band was on: "All the drunks just stumble by / And mumble their abuse / Tell me what is the use." It’s now a fanfavourite.

Willie Nelson "On the Road Again" (On the Honeysuckle Rose Soundtrack) "On The Road Again" earned Nelson a number one single (his ninth) as part of a soundtrack to a movie he also starred in. A honky-tonk bounce carries the tune through his excitement to return to the road, "going places that I’ve never been / seein’ things that I may never see again." The original’s a country classic, but in a different way, so is the Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies take on it, spiked it with poppunk vitirol when they covered it for the album Love Their Country. V

VUETUBE

THE WHEAT POOL performing live at the Vue studio on vueweekly.com.

Fri, Feb 26 (9 pm) The Wheat Pool Pawn Shop, $5

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 35

36 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

COMMENT >> PROTESTS

Protest too much Have you been watching the Olympics? If you playing in fear of a riotous atmosphere, Rault did haven't, try and catch up because there have been eventually perform inside. He laments the protest some pretty exciting moments. A lot of games go- group's choice to challenge someone in an artistic ing on, many of them actually involving athletic discipline. feats and competitions, as you may or may not "Seeing as I am an independent Canadian artbe aware of. It seems most of the media has ist who is living under the poverty line, it focused on the periphery of the sportseems to me that having the Olympics H S A ing itself. This is understandable even B A C K L fund performances by artists like me outside of the socioeconomic angle, as may be one of the aspects of spending m there has been a deluge of logistical that these protestors wouldn't want to ekly.co e w e u @v roland problems throughout the past week. attack." d Rolanrton Blame it on today's instantaneous mee b Pem dia accessibility and a shorter news cycle, Rault's comment is at the crux of my but it can't help but feel like these are the problem with blind protest. As a former most troubled games ever. The list goes on: Torch- member of Amnesty International and United Stugate, Kumaritashvili, the malfunctioning Zamboni, dents Against Sweatshops, I have experience in Vancouver's blessed curse of unseasonably warm organized protest groups. I am all for responsible rainforest flashback. It's been a perfect storm, a di- protest. We can agree that the conduct of multivine protest of sorts. national corporations can be deplorable. Still, not If you were, however, to take a random sample everyone involved with the Games is an evil pupof the actual Olympic crowd, you'd be shocked by pet directly responsible for missing women, misthe overwhelming positivity. My friends who live managed funds or usurped land. These problems downtown aren't exactly thrilled about having to exist all the time. They exist in the fabric of our wait an hour for the SkyTrain, but the upbeat spirit society and cannot merely be reduced to scapeof the city, patrons and workers that I experienced there was exactly opposite of what I expected. HavSeeing as I am an ing read a doom and gloom article by Dave Zirin in Sports Illustrated (which rightly exposes the divertindependent Canadian artist ing of funds from necessary city services and the who is living under the deficit it will create; bit.ly/5nFDIO), I prepared for poverty line, it seems to me torrents of rain and a Final Fantasy VII-like dystopian, ramshackle futuristic city village in my wake. I that having the Olympics braced to leave a coffee shop and have a bomb go fund performances by artists off like in Children of Men. like me may be one of the There was a carnival-esque atmosphere to the streets, with Canadian flag capes identifying the aspects of spending that avoidable, not entirely unlike our local response these protestors wouldn't to shirts with fake diamonds fashioned into skull want to attack. shapes. It was like the Blue Mile. There was tension but it wasn't physical; it was of the mind. The most highly publicized protest (the vague, fringe anarchistic black bloc trashing of newspaper boxes and capitalist ventures) was firmly in the rear view goat events. by the time I set foot, but with Granville in my horiToday's musicians have to make more concessions zon, the drinking expatriate boys I traded talk with in order to create their art. The traditional release regaled me with highlights from the undercard I model for albums has been subverted and the value just missed. of music is at an all-time low. People like Michael Rault shouldn't be punished for doing what they In a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong can to continue making music. time, Edmonton's Michael Rault took the stage at And as is the wont of your average adbuster, Alberta House just in time to be blasted by the sports are perceived as the domain of the ignorawinds of change. "I had been scheduled to play two mus, a platitude of the lowest common denominasets during the Olympics opening ceremonies at the tor; they see sports as another pointless enterprise Alberta House and the Olympics parade was sup- for idiots to outnumber them. Much like pop music posed to be walking down the street right beside being maligned for being vacuous, there is much my stage. But I came out on stage and there were more than meets the eye when it comes to the thousands of protestors on the street instead." big pastimes. Accepting the energy of the group is Rault does have things in common with this year's what is so appealing about live music performance, Olympians. He has a prolific stripe to him, a work- so it's strange that people can't reconcile that with manlike sense of omnipresence reminiscent of Al sports.

Kooper's session days. He cut his teeth on the tourCall me an apologist or a sucker, but there is still ing circuit as soon as he possibly could and is ear- something powerful and communal about sitting nest in his desire to succeed. This Cultural Olympi- in a plane with our mini TVs, cheering on some kid ad was to be a laureled experience. He's young but from Canmore racing down a hill with a piece of operates with a respect for traditional values, such wood strapped to his feet. In an increasingly speas the instinctive Canadian predilection for decen- cialized culture where one needs not explicitly be cy. If only the protesters knew that about him. connected to other people or actually engaged in From that point on, Rault was lustily booed, but the outside world and its traditional celebrations decided to start into his first song anyway. "I sup- and forms, falling for the romance of nationalist pose I was sort of being fuelled by the intensity of sport isn't the worst thing in the world. the protestors as I played my first song, so I started The focus should be on formulating constructive yelling and hitting my guitar and stomping my feet arguments and rehabilitating the outside percepharder, which in turn sort of gave more intensity to tion of protesters to the point that their message the protestors. Before the song had ended certain can be allowed to be expressed properly through protestors had began yelling insults directly at me, mainstream media channels. We should be focusgiving me the finger." ing on ways to solve the world's problems all the "I think as far as I've heard, booing me off stage time, not just when the cameras are around, and may have been their biggest achievement and I'm certainly not when it's at the expense of our city's not exactly sure how that corresponds with their starving artists. V messages about the Olympics," relayed Rault, who is currently gearing up to tour Canada in sup- Roland Pemberton is a musician and writer, as well port of his upcoming album Ma-Me-Oh. Though as Edmonton's Poet Laureate. His column appears in forced by the Alberta House employees to stop Vue Weekly on the last Thursday of each month.

BLUES

FEB 25 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 37

38 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

PREVUE // DAVID REA

Watch, listen and learn

Folk singer says that's the key to making good music Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

N

STILL ALIVE AND WELL >> Just like early collaborator Gordon Lightfoot, David Rea is still making music today // Supplied

ow residing in Portland, Oregon, David Rea is originally from Ohio, a crossroad for American traditional music. Having grown up with folk music, one of his earliest successes was a collaboration with Ian & Sylvia and Gordon Lightfoot after moving to Toronto in the mid-1960s. When I ask him where he sees traditional music going, he turns it around on me.

"Well that's an odd question," he chuckles in his laid-back style. "Back in those days, Toronto had a great scene: we didn't care if some guy was American or who was Canadian. At 3 am, in the middle of a jam, no one was gonna tell Levon Helm that he couldn't be

there 'cause he was from Arkansas.

"The divisions you see in music now don't have anything to do with music, and I try not to let it bother me," he adds. "The only time politics have a place in music is when someone's trying to make a statement, like when Neil Young wrote ["Ohio"], the song about Kent State, which happened 12 miles from where I grew up."

Rea is animated over the phone, and he tells stories like this one after another.

He's worked with everybody, and reveres the history that he's helped forge, whether it's blues, folk, bluegrass or country. In a word, Rea is a living legend.

"Watching and listening, being able to absorb and learn to improvise with these guys," he says. "Gordon [Lightfoot] would just pull these songs outta

nowhere, so you had to know where to go very, very quickly, playing with different people with different styles.

"What every good musician I've ever met would do is to take time to show you what they were doing," he continues, "and you've got to have the ability to put your ego aside and watch, listen and learn."

When I ask him what advice he'd have for a young artist starting out, he gets serious and repeats, "Watch, listen and learn, no matter where it's coming from. Start with the basic, the very folk songs and ballads that might have originated in the 1500s and ask yourself, 'Why is this song still so important that it's lasted for hundreds of years?' and why people are still singing it."

For a guy whose influences are so time-

less, I ask him where his views of technology lie. "I remember hearing Robert Johnson records, wondering, 'How is he getting that sound, so clear and crisp?' and now we're trying to develop that with digital technology, and I'm sorry, but it won't happen," he laughs. "And don't get me started on piracy." V David Rea Thu, Feb 25 (8 pm) The Spirit of Mike Seeger With Mark Hummel and Rusty Zinn, Graham Guest, Ron Rault.

Yardbird Suite, $20 – 25 Sat, Feb 27 (8 pm) with Terry McDade, Byron Myhre.

Fiddler's Roost $20 – 25

PREVUE // KRANG

Unearthly sounds Duo mutates into sludgey quartet

KRANG >> They Came From Planet D—or maybe it was the kitchen David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

A

ny band that's starting out is looking for a spark, but when drummer Jared Majeski and bassist Jordan Foster first plugged in to record as the Two Man Electrical Band, they got one that wasn't so welcome.

"Our first space was in [Edmonton musician/producer] Lane Arndt's studio, and we were practising there one day and setting up a bunch of equipment and Jordan got this huge electric shock. All his pedals got fried and everything," Majeski recounts with a laugh. "But Lane ended up recording us for free and replacing all the gear because of it. But yeah, that was our first experience."

Needless to say, their more recent experience went a bit better. Having since expanded to four members—adding multiinstrumentalist Parker James Thiessen and hellacious guitarist Dean Watson— and taken on the more diabolical moniker KRANG, the group holed up in the more comfortable confines of Majeski's attic to lay down They Came From Planet D. As the B-movie title might indicate, the record is awash with sludgey, pulsing psych riffs, messy-electro-noise that could well be

// Supplied

picked up from the cold expanses of deep space, some alien civilization's advance warning of impending invasion.

Its roots, of course, are just a little more terrestrial. Majeski cites a strong love of '60s and '70s psych, though its easy to see how that vibe has been filtered through the paranoid synths of the '80s and '90s slacker-rock jam tendencies as well.

"From the beginning we wanted it to be really sludgey and atmospheric-y and stoner-y," explains Majeski, who points to Thiessen's electronic knowledge and Watson's pounding guitar as key links in their expanding sound. "Attention spans have kind of disappeared down into miniscule proportions, but I like the freedom that having a long, atmospheric kind of song gives you. I hope people don't get freaked out by an eight-minute song, but as a performer you can do so much more and as a listener you can get so much more out of it. It's the freedom of it." V Sat, Feb 27 (8 pm) KRANG With Sharp Ends, Grown-Ups, Outdoor Miners, JAZZ The ARTery, $10

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 39

VUE TUBE >> JEFF STUART

PREVUE // LIBRARY VOICES

Eight is enough

Regina band has communal spirit David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

M

aybe it seems redundant to talk about how an eight-person band— and that's down from the original 10—is all about community. But, well, even on a Canadian scene that is particularly adept at spitting out expansive pop collectives, Library Voices seems to embody unity and a particularity of spirit in a pretty special way.

It is not just the connection between the members, evident at their raucous live show, whose energy as much as the sheer number of people on stage resembles a living room dance party, bursting with the kind of comfortable freedom that can only come from intimacy and

exuberance. They also seem like a synecdoche for their home town of Regina, the spirit of a town united by its geographic and cultural isolation distilled into a group of musicians who no doubt incorporate a non-trivial fraction of the total into their band.

That's the spirit that comes across most in the raggedy-pop-orchestra's songs themselves. As much as they are infused with a host of university-educated pop cultural references and an encompassing pop music sensibility, they are also about the joys and limits of tight-knit people, the freedom and restriction of living in a town where it doesn't take much to get to know everyone worth knowing.

"We all sort of live in close quarters, in the same place," explains Michael Daw-

40 // MUSIC

son, the band's spokesman if not necessarily the frontman, pointing out that seven of the band's eight live in the same two block radius, in a sort of impromptu artist district that houses a lot of the bands of Regina. "All the bands share members, and you get this community spirit, and you don't often see that kind of thing. So I think that's where those songs come from, living in this proximity."

Much as it may be borne of a particular place, the feelings are no doubt universal: maybe not everyone is quoting Kundera to help them through, but that sense of connection, full of celebration and just a tinge of dissatisfaction, is recognizable to anyone who's felt themselves a part of a larger group. And its backed by a pop sensibility intricate but free-ranging enough to get the group's first EP, Hunting Ghosts (& Other Collected Stories), attention from the likes of The New Yorker, among others, leaving expectations for the upcoming full-length,

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

Denim on Denim, decidedly high.

Dawson brushes off thoughts of higher expectations, though, and says that, despite an initially more careful start, the group ultimately brought a similar approach to its full-length: combined creativity, the freedom to explore and a definite bent for fun. The result is something the group members hope marks a very particular place and time for them— which seems appropriate, considering how particular a milieu the band occupies.

"Our songs kind of represent our sense of pop culture, and all that entails," he says. "I think our hope is that it functions as kind of a time-stamp, that you can tell it was created here and now, that you can see where it came from." V

JEFF STUART performing live at the Vue studio on vueweekly.com.

Sat, Feb 27 (8 pm)

Sat, Feb 27 (8 pm)

Library Voices

Jeff Stuart & the Hearts

With Jeff Stuart & the Hearts

With Library Voices

Pawn Shop, $12

Pawn Shop, $12

PREVUE >> BILL EDDINS

The piano man

Bill Eddins trades the baton for 88 keys On Sunday, Bill Eddins will have his On Thursday, February 25, Eddins hands on a grand piano rather than on will conduct the Edmonton Symphony a conducting baton. While many Orchestra in a concert dedicated people recognize Eddins as to capturing the Olympic spirICAL it; however, Eddins makes conductor of the Edmonton S S CLA Symphony Orchestra, they it evident that it's actually might not know that he's m the Olympic spirit that has o .c ly k ewee also a pianist, having played captured him. al@vu classic a i since age five. For him, these "Oh, I'm an Olympics r a M performances are necessary. ch whore," he says definitively y v o t o K "I'm a pianist. I have to do this and without pausing. "Build once in a while," he says, adding me a track that's got ice on it, that he harbours an obsession with one and send people screaming down it at of the works from this concert.

150 kilometres an hour and I'm watch"I'm obsessed with this piece of mu- ing it. Tonight, you've got your choice sic," he says. "It's much easier to know between curling, ice dancing and skelthat one is obsessed, then you don't eton. Guess which one I'm watching?" have to spend all that extra money, on Forgetting what skeleton is for a mosay, counselling. 'I'm obsessed. I'm over ment, I guess ice dancing. it. OK, thank you. Fine.'"

"Fuck, no!—pardon my French—no,"

E SCOR

he jokes.

"Skeleton, man. I'm all over that. I just love it! I love that stuff!" he enthuses, adding a similar interest in speed skating and downhill skiing.

Still, despite enjoying televised skiing, Eddins himself refuses to ski.

"I'm a speed demon. I know I'd end up face into a tree. There are a couple of things that I don't do: I don't downhill ski; I don't ride motorcycles; I don't parachute jump. I'd kill myself somehow. I'd figure out a way of doing it with those three things," he jokes. "OK, I've got enough of a death-wish; I don't need to go overboard with it."

For sports, he plays tennis and he cycles. He also coaches his kids' baseball teams in the summer. Regarding

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

winter sports, Eddins thinks that he's a decent skater. Still, these activities are all part of a general love for sports.

"Hell, I'm male. I follow a lot of sports.

I'm a heterosexual male—what do you want me to tell you? I follow sports.

That's what we do," he jokes.

And while many Americans might not follow curling, the US born Eddins is no stranger to this sport.

"The funny thing is that I have either lived, or been associated with, the three cities in the United States that actually have a curling rink: my hometown of Buffalo, the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul and just north of us, Duluth, where my wife is the principal clarinet in that orchestra.

"I actually understand curling. I've actually watched curling. I've actually

on occasion—intentionally—watched curling," he laughs. "Not a lot of Americans who could say that." V Thu, Feb 25 (8 pm) Edmonton Symphony Orchestra A Tribute to the Games Winspear Centre, $20 – $60 Sun, Feb 28 (7:30 pm) Featuring Bill Eddins on the grand piano Muttart Hall, Alberta College, $10 – $30

Maria Kotovych highlights Edmonton's classical music scene with interviews and listings in The Classical Score. The column is available online at vueweekly.com every week.

MUSIC // 41

ALBUM REVIEWS

New Sounds

Johnny Cash American VI: Ain't No Grave (American) 

EDEN MUNRO // eden@vueweekly.com

M

ore than any of the other five volumes in the nearly decade-long series of collaborations between Johnny Cash and producer Rick Rubin, a shadow falls long over American VI: Ain't No Grave. The song choices certainly play a role in the album's tone, death looming in Cash's mind throughout: he faces down the inevitable on the title track, singing "There ain't no grave / Can hold my body down," as well as on his own "I Corinthians 15:55" where he sings, "Oh, death, where is thy sting? / Oh, grave, where is thy victory?"

If there's a flaw to be found on Ain't No Grave, it's in the multitude of layers on the record. Whereas Cash's collaborations with Rubin began with the simplicity of just voice and guitar on 1994's American Recordings, this album is the culmination of ever-increasing additions to that basic approach: "I Corinthians 15:55," "I Don't Hurt Anymore" and "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" all swell uncomfortably with numerous parts overlapping and thickening the sound, throwing Cash's voice out of focus.

There's no doubt that Cash's voice is wavering much of the time on these 10 songs, but that seems all the more rea-

son to treat it as a valuable resource, and it's a shame anytime the music overpowers it. Throughout his career Cash addressed emotions others willingly shrunk away from—the darkest thoughts often tempered with redemption—and much of his strength was found in the way in which he delivered his words, his voice always strong and straight ahead, unadorned by fancy vocal moves.

By the time that he undertook sessions for this album age had weakened Cash to the point where the ravages of time were obvious in his delivery, but that's a place he'd come to naturally, just part of his life's journey, and if Cash showed no fear as death approached then the music needn't shrink back from the edge and cradle his voice for fear that it might break.

Still, the layers sometimes work— "Ain't No Grave" leads into the disc with some of the darkest sounds to ever support Cash's voice, guitars both electric and acoustic, banjo, piano, a bell and even the clanking of chains coming together into a swirling darkness—and at other times they subside, illustrating the power that was still found in Cash's voice—"Cool Water," where he's accompanied by just a strummed acoustic guitar.

But those few moments are all too brief, and they don't stack up to the best of Cash's previous work, in both the American series and his even earlier records. That's unfortunate given the quality of the early American records and the promise that the series initially hinted at. In the end, though, Ain't No Grave is much like the last few volumes: Rubin's production too often assumes the spotlight, leaving a few gems scattered amongst lesser material.

It's perhaps the closing track that colours this album the most: Cash tackled "Aloha Oe," Hawaii's famous parting song, and Rubin chose it to wrap up the American series. While his intentions were no doubt well meaning, the result is a sense of closure that is thematically sound, but heavy-handed in its execution, much like the bulk of the music here. V

Massive Attack Heligoland (Virgin)  You almost have to feel sorry about how things have unfolded for Massive Attack. Onetime omnipresent arbiters of cool, the group now makes the electronic equivalent of dad rock, blasting like a tractor beam into every neighbourhood coffee shop iPod on Earth. The band arguably invented what the media lazily labelled as trip hop, a thick, dusty genre hybrid that conjoined found sounds and live instrumentation, but has now become trapped in a cage of its own creation.

Though signs of life persist ("Girl I Love You" makes perfect use of the group's best collaborator Horace Andy), it's become obvious for the first time that the guests are no longer in service of the songs. The cloying attempts at recapturing an aura of sexiness ("Paradise Circus" has a great arrangement but gets torpedoed by Hope Sandoval's selfconsciously breathy vocal) are like watching an amateur do a striptease. It's supposed to be natural and it used to be that way for them.

Roland Pemberton

// roland@vueweekly.com

Kate Maki Two Song Wedding (Confusion Unlimited)  Recorded and mixed for the most part over two days in Tucson, AZ, with and additional day of work taking place a few months later in Toronto, Kate Maki's Two Song Wedding weaves its way along a series of dark ledges, sombre without becoming morose. The record is brief—just over 27 minutes—but that leaves no room for filler. From the opening "Bloodshot & Blistered," with the slow duet between Maki and Howe Gelb, lifted by subdued, moody organ lines by Gelb, through to the closing "Crossfire," with its gently tapping drums and an uplifting trumpet, Two Song Wedding feels like a journey: the 10 country-tinged songs all stand together as a satisfying whole.

Eden Munro

// eden@vueweekly.com

Fan Death A Coin in the Well Ep (Last Gang)  The disco pulse that propels Fan Death’s A Coin for the Well isn't just retro posturing. The flourish of strings that announces "Cannibal," the almost inescapable hi-hat drumming, neon-laser synth lines and—most importantly—darker moods that span the five songs here are done in a way that adds depth to a genre that usually lacks any at all.

Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

42 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

Lindstrøm & Christabelle Real Life Is No Cool (Smalltown Supersound)  Once upon a time, there were two alternate realities where pop must be reconfigured: one based in the eastern United States and another based in Norway. In one galaxy, we see Timbaland and Aaliyah and in the other lie Hans-Peter Lindstrøm and Christabelle Sandoo, the foreign provocateurs behind the clever synth pop of Real Life Is No Cool. Outwardly, this album trades on the space-disco that Lindstrøm is blog-famous for, but there's an overt retro quality to the music as well.

Jams like "Lovesick" and "Music In My Mind" faithfully recall Giorgio Moroder's work with Donna Summer. Unfortunately, the lesson Lindstrøm has failed to learn from Quincy and the other masters is that of brevity, dragging this album down with unnecessary production ornaments (reversed vocals for two tracks) and laborious arrangements.

Roland Pemberton

// roland@vueweekly.com

Various artists Canada's Hockey Anthems (EMI)  Oh, Canada, is this what we've come to?

A sports album made up of the big names (Nickelback), shamelessly set alongside the standards ("The Hockey Song," "Cotton Eye Joe"), with a few random tunes thrown in ("If I had $1 000 000"), with the tracks broken up into three periods and overtime. This gets a bomb for the shameless commercialism, with a bonus star for including "The Final Countdown" and "Run to the Hills."

Eden Munro

// eden@vueweekly.com

The Sojourners The Sojourners (Black Hen)  You really don't expect authentic gospel music to come out of Vancouver— kind of like you don't expect the Winter Olympic Games to be held in a city without snow. But then, what's life without a few surprises? It all began when Canadian blues icon Jim Byrnes approached Marcus Mosely and a few friends to lay down backing vocals for an album he was working on. Byrnes began calling the trio of southern imports "The Sojourners" and the rest is history.

Their second, self-titled album borrows from a variety of styles—blues, R&B and country—to create a heartfelt and sincere sound. The best track on the album is an inspired cover of Los Lobos' "The Neighborhood" with its simple refrain "Please bring peace to the neighborhood." Or, at least some snow.

Jim Dean

ALBUM REVIEWS Johnny Cash "Chicken in Black" seven-inch (Columbia)

modern day, with some artists, like "Weird Al" Yankovic, making a living nearly exclusively off the form, and Cash himself was Originally released: 1984 no stranger to humourous m o .c ly k e vuewe approaches within song. But "American Recordings and eden@ Johnny Cash would like to acEdeno "Chicken in Black" was differknowledge the Nashville music there was a subversive edge Munr to ent: the song. establishment and country radio for your support."

The song's plot basically runs like Those are the words that ran this: Cash has in a full-page ad headaches, a doctor transplants in Billboard after Unchained, Johna bankrobber's brain into Cash's ny Cash's second collaboration head, Cash starts with producer robbing banks so he wants his own Rick Rubin, won a Grammy for best brain back only to learn that it's been country album of the year. A nice transplanted into sentiment on the a chicken which now performs in surface, except that it was acthe Johnny Chicken Show. The companied by the famous picture THANKS A LOT >> Cash salutes the industry sheer ridiculousof Cash thrusting his middle finger into ness of it all makes it relatively easy to read between the lines and see that Cash a camera's lens while on stage at Folsom Prison, giving the whole ad something of was essentially telling Columbia Records that the smart move was to release him a more sarcastic tone. The ad stands as from his contract—which the label did. an indication of just how far Cash's faith in the music industry he'd spent most of The production of the song is as close his life in had fallen. to terrible as Cash ever got, the music But this was not the first time that drenched in the processed sounds of the mid-'80s and Cash's words simply ludiCash railed against the suited men who crous: "I said stick 'em up everybody, I'm pulled the strings in the country music establishment. In the early '80s the robbing this place / Drop all of your monindustry had little use for the singer, ey in my guitar case / Don't nobody move throwing a little gloss onto his records and don't nobody reach for the door." And but assuming that Cash was washed to top it all off, Cash insisted that a video be made for the song (bit.ly/ExgUS). up and unable to deliver the sort of hit single that they wanted. This attitude, "Chicken in Black" was an impressive coming from Cash's long-time label Comiddle-finger salute by a man who had lumbia Records, was indicative of the about as much use for the music industry disposable nature with which the indusin the mid '80s as the industry did for him.

It took guts for Cash to be just that bad try has always treated artists. In 1984, with his relationship with the label on and he played his cards as best he could its last legs, Cash did the only thing he at the time, using rock bottom as a way could think of to give it one last kick out. Unfortunately, his move to Mercury over the edge: he put on a blue and yelRecords wasn't much more productive and he soon left that label as well. Thanklow costume, complete with a cape, and recorded "Chicken in Black." fully, a decade later Rubin would give him Now, there's a long and sort-of-proud a chance to make the music that was still tradition of novelty songs running from in his heart, and the two of them would the beginnings of Tin Pan Alley in late record American Recordings, the first in a 19th century New York City through the nearly decade-long series. V

OULNDDS

SO

HAIKU Van Scott Thief of Time (Reapit)

QUICK

SPINS

quic

Seeking dude-rock fans Ballcap must be on backwards Head must be up ass

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vuew kspins@

Whiteoyn Houst

Carrie Newcomer Before and After (Rounder)

Sitting in the tub Paralyzed with laid-back-ness This shit on shuffle

illvibe Sex, Love and Hip Hop Soul (Soulout)

The David Liberty Band Objects In Mirrors (Freudian Slip)

Dude clearly has skills There is soul and hip hop and Abundant self-love

What the hell is this?

Honking dad awkwardly sings Teenage Diary?

Brazen Angelz Fear Is Not Repect (Yeah Right)

The Constant Story Of The Year (Epitaph)

Trailer park granddads Loved Daughtry on Idol, thought pfffffft... I could do that

Somewhere in LA Jared Leto pops this in Gently rubs one out

// jim@vueweekly.com

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 43

PREVUE // BOBBY CAMERON

Life sentence

Cameron is in the music game for the long haul Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

B

obby Cameron has been working in music in Canada for over 20 years, and in that time he's continued to find new aspects of the music business to keep him going. As his career has been unfolding, there seems to be no end to the man's talents, as he's not only an accomplished performing singer-songwriter, but also a collaborator, producer and talent developer: he's written songs for Canadian Idol contestants and is currently helping local Edmonton artists get on their feet when it comes to navigating their early years as working musicians in Canada.

"When I first started out it was just as an artist," Cameron recalls. "Over the years, though, I've become a producer and songwriter on the sidelines, and now I'm helping develop young talent in Edmonton to help them further their careers. And this all came my way while I've been networking online. All these things took off for me as an independent artist. If you have any drive at all, no matter what your goals are, those goals are just totally out there for you."

Cameron marvels at the resources at artists' fingertips these days, from the Internet to home recording software, all within the convenience of home.

"I've been doing this a long time, and when I started it was simple: if you didn't have record label, you didn't get out there.

And if you weren't touring, you were just a local story. Now if you have any business savvy at all you can build up your fan base on the web—you can do some serious

learned in the studio has really helped me work with new artists. I'm drawing from the same pool of talent when I'm working in the studio. And then I take what I learn

And that's exciting," he continues. "Bands don't even want to be signed anymore. Now that you have your marketing at your fingertips, you can make your own records at your house. There's no reason why anyone shouldn't be selling out a gig these days. damage. There are a lot of independent bands doing that now, and record companies are scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to control that.

"And that's exciting," he continues.

"Bands don't even want to be signed anymore. Now that you have your marketing at your fingertips, you can make your own records at your house. There's no reason why anyone shouldn't be selling out a gig these days."

As his resume shows, Cameron's talents span farther than performing. He's really found a new excitement in helping young talent find their way, using all the hard lessons he's accrued over the years.

"The talent alone in this city is incredible—I'm just blown away," he exclaims.

"The vocal talent, the maturity and quality of the songwriting is just so good. The tools I'm using as an artist, and what I've

there and fire it back into my own music.

It's all about relationships, and trying to get the best results possible."

Being an artist first, however, means that he'll always continue to find his way to the stage to do what he loves most: sharing his music.

"I just love writing songs, I love playing to people, helping people out and getting projects completed," he admits.

"It's playing material and getting received. I'm a lifer. I may be switching gears now, but it's just unfolding, and the universe keeps offering me new things to keep me going." V Sat, Feb 27 (7 pm) Bobby Cameron With the Rault Brothers, Dave Babcock, the Pretty Kids Northgate Lions Centre, $30

HOROSCOPE ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

will have the luxury of feeling perfect "Everything is complicated," wrote poet certainty about what must be done. And Wallace Stevens. "If that were not so, life you know what the weird thing is Gemi‑ and poetry and everything else would ni? Something very similar is in the works be a bore." I hope you will choose his for the next few weeks: an eruption of wisdom to serve as your guiding light in crafty, practical power that will help you the coming weeks. It is high time, in my materialize the key to solving an old di‑ astrological opinion, for you to shed any lemma, hopefully followed by months of resentment you might feel for the fact carrying out your lucid plan. that life is a crazy tangle of mys‑ tifying and interesting stories.

CANCER ( Jun 21 – Jul 22) Celebrate it, Aries! Revel in Last night I had a dream in GY which I was addressing a crowd it. Fall down on your knees O L O R and give holy thanks for it. A S T .com of thousands of Cancerians in weekly l@vue And by the way, here's a big a large stadium. I was refer‑ freewil Rob y secret: to the extent that you ring to them as dolphins rather n do glory in the complications, than as crabs. "I say unto you, Brezs the complications will enlighten my fellow dolphins," I proclaimed (I you, amuse you and enrich you. myself was born June 23), "that you have been given a sacred assignment by the TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20) great gods of time themselves. And that This is one time when you can be both assignment is to master the art of Tim‑ the river and the bridge. In fact, I strongly eology." When I awoke from the dream, suggest that you make every effort to be I was awash with feelings of deep relax‑ both the river and the bridge. I'll leave it ation and ease, although I wasn't sure up to you to interpret how this metaphor why. I had never before heard that word applies to your life, but here's a clue to "timeology," so I googled it. Here's how get you started ‑ be a force of nature that the Urban Dictionary defined it: "spend‑ flows vigorously along even as you also ing time doing what you want to do, not provide a refuge for those who want to be accomplishing anything major but also close to your energy but are not yet ready not wasting time." It so happens that this to be inside it and flow along with it. prescription is well-suited to our current astrological omens. I suggest that you GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20) and I be as playful as dolphins.

Almost exactly ten years from now, you will be blessed with an eruption of per‑ LEO ( Jul 23 – Aug 22) sonal power that's so crafty and so prac‑ In an episode of the animated TV sci-fi tical that you will be able to visualize a series Futurama, we get to see inside the solution to a problem that has stumped headquarters of Romanticorp, where "love you for a long time. It may take you research" is being done. One of the experi‑ months to actually carry out that solu‑ ments involves robots delivering various tion in its entirety, but all the while you pick-up lines to actual women. The line

FREEW

ILL

44 // BACK

that works best is "My two favorite things are commitment and changing myself."

I recommend that you make that your own catchphrase, Leo—not just this week but for the foreseeable future. The entire year of 2010 will be an excellent time to deepen your commitments and transform yourself, and the weeks ahead will bring unprecedented opportunities to intensify those efforts.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers," advises a passage in the Bible, "for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

While that's always good counsel, it's es‑ pecially apt for you in the coming days. I believe you will come into contact with people who can provide you with valu‑ able teaching and healing, even if they're disguised as baristas or pet shampooers or TV repairmen—and even if this will be the one and only time they will provide you with teaching and healing.

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Metaphorically speaking, you have recent‑ ly begun crossing the water in a dream boat that has a small leak. If you keep go‑ ing, it's possible you will reach the far side before sinking. But that's uncertain. And even if you were able to remain afloat the entire way, the shakiness of the situation would probably fill you with anxiety. My suggestion, then, is to head back to where you started and fix the leak.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Some Scorpios bring out the worst in people. Other Scorpios draw out the best. Then there are those members of your tribe who sometimes bring out the

VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

worst in their fellow humans and other times bring out the best. Where do you fit in this spectrum? Regardless of your position up until now, I'm betting that in the coming months you'll be moving in the direction of bringing out more of the best. And it all begins now. To get the process underway, think of five people you care about, and visualize the won‑ derful futures that it might be possible for them to create for themselves.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

More than a few fairy tales feature the theme of characters who accidentally find a treasure. They're not searching for treasure, don't feel worthy of it, and aren't fully prepared for it. They may ini‑ tially not even know what they're look‑ ing at, and see it as preposterous or ab‑ normal or disquieting. Who could blame them if they ran away from the treasure?

In order to recognize and claim it, they might have to shed a number of their assumptions about the way the world works. And they might have to clear up a discrepancy between their unconscious longings and their conscious intentions.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

Everyone alive has some kind of learning disability. I know brilliant physicists who are dumb about poetry. There are fact-lov‑ ing journalists whose brains freeze when they're invited to consider the ambiguous truths of astrology. My friend John suffers from dyslexia, while I myself am incapable of mastering the mysteries of economics.

What's your blind spot, Capricorn? What's your own personal learning disability?

Whatever it is, this would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, to work with

it. For the next few months, you will be able to call on what you need in order to diminish its power to limit you.

AQUARIUS ( Jan 20 – Feb 18)

"We cannot change anything until we accept it," said psychologist Carl Jung.

"Condemnation does not liberate, it op‑ presses." Make that your hypothesis, Aquarius, and then conduct the follow‑ ing experiment. First, choose some situ‑ ation you would like to transform. Next, open your heart to it with all the love and compassion you can muster. Go be‑ yond merely tolerating it with a resigned disappointment. Work your way into a frame of mind in which you completely understand and sympathize with why it is the way it is. Imagine a scenario in which you could live your life with equanimity if the situation in question never changed.

Finally, awash in this grace, meditate on how you might be able to actually help it evolve into something new.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

If you were going to launch a career as a rap artist any time soon, I'd suggest that maybe you use the alias "Big Try" as your stage name. If you were planning to convert to an exotic religious path and get a new spiritual name, I'd recommend something like "Bringit Harder" or "Pushit Stronger." If you were about to join an activist group that fights for a righteous cause, and you wanted a new nickname to mark your transformation, I'd urge you to consider a tag like "Radical" or "Prime" or "Ultra." And even if you're not doing any of the above, I hope you'll carry out some ritual of transition to intensify your com‑ mitment to your life's vital dreams. V

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

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FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

BACK // 45

COMMENT >> LBGT

Resisting the brand Equality for all is the freedom to choose

Last week a friend told me the story of be upon a group of people he thought he a Surrey-based businessman named T.J. could speak for, for whom he thought he Johal, who donated outfits to the Indian was doing right by.

Olympic team when he heard they Hearing this story I thought of how would not be wearing official Mr. Johal can be seen as a metauniforms for the Games’ openphor for LGBT advocates and ing ceremonies. He was crestorganizations who like him use fallen when he saw the team resources they have access to, m wearing regular street clothes that others don't, to work, and ekly.co e w e u ted@v and tracksuits, rather than push others towards embracd e T the clothes he had given them. ing sameness and maintaining r Ker Commenting on how the team the status quo in the name of looked as they marched into BC equality (or being "up to par").

Place Johal said, "I don’t think it was up to Pushing against the notion of equality par." Talking to the CBC, R.K. Gupta, the In- as a brand rather than for it, activists and dian team’s Chef De Mission said the team writers Yasmin Nair and Ryan Conrad have did not wear the donated outfits because collaborated with others to begin Against the team is not a charity. For me this story Equality (AE), an online archival, publishis a tale of a person with means who tried ing and arts collective focused on critiquto input his ideas on how things should ing mainstream gay and lesbian politics.

EERN Q UN TO MO

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46 // BACK

The cornerstone of their work is their website (www.againstequality.org) which is, as Nair puts it, "An archive for radical potential."

The impetus of the group, which also informed the name, is born out of Nair and Conrad's desire to point out the empty rhetoric and potential injustice stemming from groups like Human Rights Committee's (HRC) use of "equality." "On the face of it who could be against equality?

Equality seems so self-evident as a 'movement' and it does appear that what the gay movement is asking for is simply inclusion and equal rights. However, equality in this framework is a way to increase the inequality in society."

An example of how equality can work as inequality, says Nair, is the LGBT prosame-sex marriage argument that sug-

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VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010

gests marriage is a way for many LGBT people to get health care coverage in the U.S., where it is not universal. Critics of this argument like AE as well as groups like the U.S.-based Sylvia Rivera Law Project reject this line of thinking, and instead ask why the act of marriage should privilege someone to get what should be available to all.

"I think it is really important to break the spectacle of silent consent around all this equality garbage. There is literally no time or space to have conversations about whether blindly marching in the direction of some vague notion of equality is actually progress. Is inclusion in the military or the institution of marriage progress?

Or should we be imagining a queer world that dismantles militarism and honors all people's rights to freedom of movement, access health care, defining their own family, et cetera" explains Conrad.

While focusing on challenging LGBT mainstream beliefs on current hot button issues in the U.S. like same sex marriage and the possible repeal of "Don’t

Ask, Don’t Tell" within the U.S. military, AE also focuses attention on the total injustice of prison systems. The AE website provides links to organizations like the Canadian-based Prisoner Correspondence Project, which coordinates a direct-correspondence program for gay, lesbian, transsexual, transgender, gender variant, two-spirit, intersex, bisexual and queer inmates.

Against Equality have launched a postcard project, have a Facebook group and are working on creating a book. By providing information in various forms Nair and Conrad hope to put the onus on the queer community to engage in conversation and action around, as Conrad hopes, "Imagining and even attempting to realize more fantastic queer futures."

As AE reminds us, we have a choice to blindly accept the notion of equality as it is sold to us and for us in our name, or like the Indian Olympic team declined the outfits, we can meet in the world in our street clothes and work towards real progress. V

Legion; $10 (door)

780.973.5593, randyglen@JumpUpDj.com

Metalcore band seeks serious vocalist and bass player, an open mind, commitment and proper gear (100+ watts) is a must. Contact Aaron at 780.974.8804

The Works Street Stage: call to artists from experimental, rap, hip-hop, to folk, bluegrass, country, blues, jazz and rock–all genres. theworks.ab.ca/ societyfolder/calls/calls.html; E: Dawn Saunders Dahl dawn@theworks.ab.ca Deadline: Mar 19

HELP! Edmonton's Rock scene is staggeringly DULL. Need to join an experimental band. Inf: X-girl, Removal, Baffin Island Party. Bill 633.3849 Professional metal band is seeking a dedicated guitar and bass player. Please, no cokeheads, etc.

Contact Rob at 780.952.4927 WANTED: JAMMERS for open public monthly jam on the 2nd Sun of the month at 9119128A Ave. Rock, country & old time music. Ph.

Freedom Challenge: EPL is issuing a challenge to all Edmontonians–Tell us in a photo, in a poem, in a song, in a short story, in a video, in a painting… express yourself any way you want. Email your submission to us at freedom@epl.ca or drop it off at your local EPL branch. Submissions will be posted anonymously on our Freedom to Read website: epl. ca/freedom

ADVICE >> SEX

Don' be a creep Dear Andrea: Dear Pro: I'm not your average twenty-something From this female's point of view, the best male. I love sex, but not unless it's part way to avoid coming off like a creep is not of a relationship. I guess I think too to be a creep in the first place, which unhighly of myself to tag random chicks fortunately leaves you out. I mean what, meaninglessly. I do have a high exactly, do you hope to accomplish sex drive and a great deal of by dividing women into "librarians" experience, but the women I and "tongue-ring-wearing sluts?" go for are usually highly eduMoreover, have you ever actucated, professional, librarian ally seen a "tongue ring?" In this kly.com e e w e vu types. From a female's point female's experience, one pierces altsex@ of view, what is the best way Andresaon the tongue with a barbell, not a to ask about a girl's libido and ring, and some of the finest sluts I Nemer kinkiness during the dating proknow are librarians. I fear that you are cess without seeming like a creep or acnot the sophisticate with discriminating taste tually trying her out? Remember, I don't in women you imagine you're seeing when date your average slut with a tongue ring you gaze (too long, no doubt) in the mirror and a Playboy Bunny tattooed on her every morning, but really a sort of combo ass, and I'm sick of playing T-ball when prig, prat and snob, and I will be sure to tell I'm a pro. my librarian friends not to go out with you.

Love, If you are interested in a particular woman Classy Pro (and have, presumably, already examined

ALT.

SEX

VOLUNTEER

Volunteer at ElderCare Edmonton help out with day programs with things like crafts, card games and socializing. Call Renée for info at 780.434.4747 Ext 4 NINA HAGGERTY CENTRE FOR THE ARTS is looking for artists to provide mentorship to our artists with developmental disabilities. Share your talents and passion while gaining work experience. For info contact Anna at volunteer@ ninahaggertyart.ca Meals on WheelsºNgdmfl]]jk f]]\]\ Lg deliver nutritious meals (vehicle required) O]]c\Yqk )(2,-Ye%)he Lg Ykkakl af l`] cal[`]f O]]c\Yqk .Ye Yf\ *he3 k`a^l lae]k Yj] È]paZd] 780.429.2020 Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut: LYc] Y ^]o `gmjk l`ak >]Z Yf\ bgaf gmj team of Heart Month volunteers. Visitheartandstroke.ca/help; 1.888.HSF.INFO Canadian Mental Health Association/Board Recruiting 2009 Learn about our community work: cmha-edmonton.ab.ca S.C.A.R.S.: Second Chance Animal Rescue Society.

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CNIB's Friendly Visitor Program needs volunteers to help and be a sighted guide with a friendly voice. If you can help someone with vision loss visit cnib.ca or call 780. 453.8304 Bicycle Mechanic Volunteers for Bissell Centre community homeless or near homeless members on Mon, Wed, Fri, 9am-12pm. Contact Linda 780.423.2285 ext 134 The Learning Centre Literacy Association: seeking an artist or arts & crafts person who would be willing to commit 2 hrs weekly to the instruction of their passion to adult literacy learners in the inner city. Denis Lapierre 780.429.0675, dl.learningcentre@shaw.ca Dr.’s Appointment Buddy–Accompany new refugee immigrants to their medical appointments lg _an] kmhhgjl Yf\ Ykkakl oal` hYh]jogjc& L`m$ )(2+(Ye%*2+(he& LjYfkhgjlYlagf fgl j]imaj]\& Leslie 780.432.1137, ext 357 H&9&D&K& Hjgb][l 9\mdl Dal]jY[q Kg[a]lq f]]\k volunteers to work with adult students in the ESL English as a Second Language Program. Call 780.424.5514; training and materials are provided

both her tongue and her tattoo, if any, to be sure that they meet with your approval before you waste your precious time or bodily fluids on someone who turns out to be just another average slut), it is permissible to bring up areas of interest, which can include vaguely sexual events or racy reading material. The kind of woman you claim to seek, however, will not be impressed by your presenting her with a questionnaire ("How kinky are you?" "Would you rate your libido high, average, or low?") before you're willing to spring for a frappuccino. Neither, come to think of it, is such an approach likely to work on Tongue-Ring (sic) girl. Unless you meet your librarian love through the personals (not a bad idea) or at an SM club or similar prescreened venue (which can certainly be done), there is no short-cut to intimate knowledge. However much classier you may be than the average shmo, you're going to have to put up with the inconvenience of actually getting to know someone. Take care to assure her upfront that you are a "pro," have tons of experience, and only date "classy" women. That should take care of daily items, please bring: coffee, sugar, powdered creamer, diapers, baby formula to Bissell Centre East, 10527-96 St, Mon-Fri, 8:30am-4:30pm People between 18-55, suffering from depression or who have never suffered from depression are needed as research volunteers, should not be taking medication, smoking, or undergoing psychotherapy and not have a history of cardiovascular disease. Monetary compensation provided for participation. 780.407.3906 @=9DL@Q NGDMFL==JK j]imaj]\ ^gj klm\a]k Yl Mg^9& ;Ydd /0(&,(/&+1(.3 =2 Mg^9<]h8_eYad&[ge& Reimbursement provided M g^ 9 ak k]]caf_ eYbgj \]hj]kkagf kmú]j]jk interested in participating in a research study. Call /0(&,(/&+1(.3 =2 Mg^9<]h8_eYad&[ge

some of the screening for you right there.

If she looks appalled, scoots her chair back, and leaves without a backward glance, she was probably just some slut anyway.

Love, Andrea Dear Andrea: Is it all right to say no to your partner in bed? I know it's legally my right, but if my boyfriend tells me to go down on him, do I always have to do it to be courteous? He wants more oral sex. I'm willing, but not all the time. Sometimes my boyfriend will try and convince me and either I give in and then later he regrets making me do something I didn't want to do, or I don't and then I feel bad. I wish I could refuse sometimes without seeming like a cold-hearted bitch.

Love, Guilty Girl Dear Girl: Yikes! Where did you get the idea that you have to say "yes" all the time at the risk of being impolite? What if you'd just had oral

ADULT

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surgery, or had a stomach bug? What if your dog had just died? Good grief, girl, of course you get to say no. Even your boyfriend knows this; he just has a hard time remembering it when both his hard-on and your mouth are present at the same time. He wants you to say yes if you really don't want to do it, so he doesn't have to feel like a bully.

There is an effed-up idea out there that we don't have to be as courteous to our nearest and dearest as we do to acquaintances and strangers. I have, quite obviously, a problem with this, but probably not as bad as the problem I have with you dispensing blow jobs you'd truly rather skip. That's not politeness, that's submission, and not the fun kind.

We all do things we'd rather not on occasion, just to keep a loved-one happy (and it's Valentine's Day, AKA BJ Day, as I write this, come to think of it). But being able to make the choice to dole out favors now and then depends completely on having the power not to. Grow a spine, babe. Spines are good for everyone.

Love, Andrea

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BISSELL CENTRE Community in need of basic Have you been affected by another person's sexual behaviour? S-Anon is a 12-Step fellowship for the family members and friends of sex addicts. Call 780.988.4411 for Edmonton area meeting locations and information, or visit sanon.org

FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

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VUEWEEKLY // FEB 25 – MAR 3, 2010