July 2013

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Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative

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Superior Festivals

Blues and Folk on the North Shore

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THUNDER BAY BLUES FESTIVAL P7

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DAMON DOWBAK P 25

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THE RETURN OF RIBFEST P 29

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GUNFLINT LODGE P 32

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walleye the

Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative

Editor Michelle McChristie Associate Editor Amy Jones Senior Editor Tiffany Jarva Contributing Editor: Rebekah Skochinski Copy Editors Amy Jones, Nancy Saunders Marketing & Sales Manager Logan Wright: ​ sales@thewalleye.ca Photographers Chris Merkley, Darren McChristie, Bill Gross, Storm Carroll, Shannon Lepere, Dave Koski, Tara George, Amy Vervoort, Tyler Sklazeski

The Walleye is a free monthly publication distributed on racks throughout Thunder Bay and region.

Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission is strictly forbidden. Views expressed herein are those of the author exclusively.

Copyright © 2013 by Superior Outdoors Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Editorial and Advertising: Submissions must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Superior Outdoors cannot be held responsible for unsolicited material.

The northern lights at camp

Superior Outdoors Inc.

The Soundtrack of Summer

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Art Directors Steve Coghill, R.G.D., Dave Koski, R.G.D. production@thewalleye.ca

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Editor-in-chief Darren McChristie

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TheWalleye.ca

Shannon Lepere

Featured Contributor

On the Cover Blues musicians Sunday Wilde (left) and Tracy K (right) Photo by Shannon Lepere

Justyna Kondakow has been The Walleye’s fashion columnist since 2010.

With a sense of humour that rivals her sense of style, Justyna’s approach to fashion is about expressing individuality through a mix of wardrobe staples and thrift store finds. She is our local fashionista and was voted one of TBay's best tweeters in our 2012 Readers' Survey; follow her @LaModeOperandi.

s much as it’s a cliché to say it: I can’t believe it’s already July! Summer is in full swing and we have to confront the challenge of how to spend the eight precious weekends between now and Labour Day (sorry). Luckily for us, Thunder Bay has a growing list of summer festivals for those of us who opt for the “staycation” option, and unlimited lakes and forests for the masses who disperse to camps and campgrounds. This issue is a tribute to outdoor music festivals, with a spotlight on the Thunder Bay Blues Festival and Live from the Rock Folk Festival. Writer Nancy Ewachow provides a retrospective of both events and we’ve included some advice on must-see acts, thanks to local music gurus Peter Jabs and Richard Gale. For people who are less familiar with the festival scene, Amy Jones provides some lighthearted tips on where to procure essential festival gear, like a djembe or a Hawaiian shirt. Chef Rachel Globensky shares her recipes for grilled corn with gourmet butter (yum!) and Amy Jones and Kim Latimer further tantalize our taste buds with reviews of The Foundry’s new menu and Silver Birch, a newcomer to our city’s restaurant scene.

July will see the return of other summer traditions, like the Dragon Boat Festival, Lake Superior Day, and melodrama at Chippewa Park. With so much to do, it will be a challenge to find time to relax! Finally, July also marks The Walleye’s anniversary—our third which is traditionally commemorated with gifts of leather…hmm…new Birkenstocks, perhaps?

-Michelle McChristie

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Darren McChristie

Contents

FEATURES

FILM&THEATRE

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6 CoverStory: Superior Festivals ■ 7 Thunder Bay Blues Festival ■ 8 Rick’s Picks ■ 8 This Year’s Lineup ■ 10 Essential Festival Gear ■ 11 Red Rock Retrospective ■ 11 Memorable Moments at the Rock ■ 12 Pete’s Picks ■ 12 This Year’s Lineup

FOOD

■ 14 The Silver Birch ■ 15 The Foundry’s Evolution ■ 16 Festival Food, Grinning Belly

■ 20 Boo! Cheer! Laugh!

■ 20 Sam DiGiuseppe: A Local

Actor’s Theatrical Success ■ 21 Heaven On Their Minds Once Again ■ 22 Local Filmmaker Selected for NSI Online Short Festival ■ 23 A Music Documentary of Epic Proportions

THE ARTS

■ 24 Painted Turtle Art Shop ■ 25 Damon Dowbak ■ 26 Janice Andrews: Spirit in Colour

Style Evolution ■ 18 Beerfest!

ARCHITECTURE

CITYSCENE

■ 42 Outdoor Music Festivals

■ 27 Flirting with Basics ■ 28 Elfarrow Apparel ■ 28 Douglas Livingston ■ 29 Tarrymore Farms ■ 29 The Return of Ribfest ■ 30 Eric the Juggler ■ 31 Paddling with Legends

HEALTH

■ 44 Training Beats: How Music can Influence Exercise

■ 44 Don’t Get Ticked!

LIVING GREEN

■ 46 The Plight of the Honey Bee ■ 47 Connecting With Nature

GETAWAY

Through Monarch Butterflies

■ 32 Gunflint Lodge

■ 48 Recycled musical instruments

MUSIC

for kids ■ 48 Seedling Failure, Shopping Success

■ 34 April Verch Band ■ 34 Vince Gill ■ 35 Burnin’ to the Sky ■ 36 A Twice-in-a-Lifetime Show ■ 37 Greber at Black Pirates Pub ■ 37 David Smyth and Michael

■ 17 Drink of the Month ■ 40 Off the Wall Reviews ■ 50 July August EVENTS 9-11, 20 ■ 53 ZYGOTE bop ■ 52 The Wall ■ 54 The Eye

Abraham at Beaux Daddy’s ■ 38 The Crackling Storms

August 9-11, 2013

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Canada Day Marina Park July 1

Every July 1, all of Canada comes together to showcase how proud we are to live in the greatest country in the world. This year, join thousands of fellow Thunder Bayers in celebrating Canada’s 146th birthday at Marina Park. Festivities begin at 6 pm with a parade with a “green” twist, and ends with fireworks at 11 pm. In between, enjoy performances, workshops, face painting, an artisan’s market, a scavenger hunt, yoga, music, and more. Shuttles will be available from Intercity Mall and the 55+ Centre. Don’t forget to show your Canadian spirit and wear something red and white!

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Lake Superior Day Marina Park July 21

How lucky are we to live at the headwaters of the Great Lakes, on the largest freshwater lake in the world? Many of us take the awesome beauty, infinite value, and immensity of the lake for granted, and Lake Superior Day gives us time to pause for reflection. Hosted by EcoSuperior, this year’s event runs from 10 am–5 pm and offers litter-free fun for the whole family, including deck tours of the tall ship Sorlandet—the oldest and largest fully rigged ship in operation today. This year’s celebration also includes educational displays, the Science North Cool Science Caravan, a Canadian Coast Guard search and rescue boat, a tug boat, a cleanup by Thunder Bay’s EcoDivers, and food vendors. lakesuperiorday.org

Thunder Bay Blues Festival Marina Park July 5 – 7

Fans of the Thunder Bay Blues Festival will tell you that summer hasn’t truly started until the first act has taken the stage at Marina Park. Now in its 12th year, the festival attracts an audience from around the region, and features a lineup of musicians that the organizers say will appeal to a broad range of musical tastes. Not-to-beLos Lobos missed acts include Friday night headliners Collective Soul and local favourite Tracy K, the Latino double-bill of Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys on Saturday night, and the east-coast’s Great Big Sea on Sunday night. tbayblues.ca

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Celtic Fest

Fort William Historical Park July 19 – 21

Get your fill of all things Celtic this month at Fort William Historical Park’s Celtic Fair. Featuring highland games, Celtic cuisine, a bird of prey show with the Canadian Raptor Conservancy, live jousting with the Knights of Valour, The Irish Rovers and musical performances featuring acts ranging from Sweet and Pat Benatar to The Irish Rovers to locals Pierre Schryer and Flamenco Caravan, there is something for everyone. And for those who don’t want to miss a second of the fun, there will also be camping available, so bring your RV or tent and stay for the whole weekend! fwhp.ca

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First Annual Valley Fresh Busker Festival Bay and Algoma Business District July 27–28

Presented by the Bay and Algoma Business Association and sponsored by Valley Fresh Fruit, the first annual Busker Festival promises to bring the best in street entertainment to Thunder Bay while fostering a sense of pride in our community. Come out and cheer on local performers, or be amazed by something weird and wonderful from another part of the world. Busker festivals are all about the audience-performer connection, and audience participation is always a big part of the show, so bring an open mind and be prepared to take the spotlight yourself.

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CoverStory

Superior Festivals

Blues and Folk on the North Shore

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he Thunder Bay Blues Festival and Live from the Rock Folk Festival are well on their way to becoming iconic summer events. The festivals are about the same age, with the Blues Fest having one additional year of experience under its belt—the Blues Fest will mark its 12th year this month, while Live from the Rock marks its 11th in August. Both events attract world-class musicians, and always include local talent—it is this sort of grassroots approach that people find endearing.

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Lake Superior serves as the backdrop for both festivals—Blues Fest is held at Marina Park in Thunder Bay while Live from the Rock takes place at Pull-a-Log Park in Red Rock. The proximity to the lake makes for a reliable cool breeze and affords other means of transportation and, if your boat is big enough, accommodation.

With each year’s lineup comes a different vibe, but one thing is for certain—the vibes are always positive and this is what keeps people coming back for more.

Paul Jokelainen

CoverStory

Thunder Bay Blues Festival 2012 - Day 2

Thunder Bay Blues Festival Twelve Years of Music at Marina Park

By Nancy Ewachow

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he Thunder Bay Blues Festival has had an admirable history of bringing music to an appreciative audience at Marina Park since 2002, and this year’s programme is perhaps the broadest yet. Headliners Collective Soul, Los Lobos, and Great Big Sea will stretch people’s musical framework, but that’s all right according to Bob Halverson, general manager of the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium (TBCA) and festival programmer—he’s certain there will be “something for everyone.” The festival creates fertile ground for any split between traditionalists and non-traditionalists, and opportunity knocks when eclecticism brings the unexpected. You might go to see an old favourite and come home with a new one.

The festival was started with two sparks (and buckets of sweat, to mix the metaphors): Barry Streib of Tbaytel was inspired to float the idea in honour of an old friend who worked at the Ottawa Blues Fest, but who died unexpectedly. The Thunder Bay Blues Society, formed in 1998, had also explored the idea of a festival, but had by then only produced an AllStar Blues Revue. Streib brought in a programmer, excited sponsors and volunteers, and soon the biggest festival Thunder Bay had ever seen was born.

Murray Armstrong presided over the inaugural year as chair of the Blues Festival Association—the volunteer board tasked with making it happen. Mayor Ken Boshcoff was over the moon since he was a fitting

specimen of the demographic that concocted and appreciated the festival. Proceeds the first year went to the United Way and the Northern Cancer Research Foundation. With the sound of music ringing across the neighbourhood, and the sight of throngs of people walking downtown, one could argue that the event permanently transformed the city.

Attendance is usually around 15,000 for the weekend, and funds raised now support The Keg Spirit Foundation (which funds Camp Quality), the TBCA, and the Thunder Bay Blues Society. The Blues Society has grown as well, contributing to school programs (Blues in the Schools), providing scholarships, and sending winning local musicians to an International Blues Challenge. The TBCA replaced the Blues Festival Association as festival organizer in 2007, and have used their expertise and reputation to book acts as well as keep a synergy of culture supporting culture in Thunder Bay. The thrill of world-class musicians playing for three days by the lake, among hordes of locals and tourists, has made the festival an outstanding success and has garnered Thunder Bay a reputation as a venue where musicians are treated well.

This year look forward to 20 acts between July 5-7; a weekend pass is $99 ($149 for a VIP pass), and a oneday pass is $59.

(top) Jeff Healey, (bottom) Dickey Betts​

Blasts from the Past

By Nancy Ewachow When asking blues fans about outstanding Blues Festival performances, by far the most people mention Jeff Healey.

He played twice, the first time with his Jazz Wizards traditional big band. Fans expecting poppy, radio-friendly hits weren’t kind to him (while others were blown away by his depth), so when he returned in the last year of his life he shredded the harbour to pieces, laying out searing guitar to any and all, elegizing Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly to make sure the memory of the our cold shoulder didn’t persist. Fans of both of Healey’s bands bring up the same story.

Other names that come up: Koko Taylor playing in the rain, Colin James with David Gogo at the Apollo after-party, Ricki Skaggs, Dicky Betts, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Buddy Guy, David Clayton Thomas, Taj Mahal, and Dr. John.

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CoverStory

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ichard Gale is an intrepid music lover whose motto for this year’s lineup is “the more you look, the more you like.” As a constant fan of the local music scene, regardless of genre, his opinion is well-regarded, and more than one person has called him our city’s ambassador of music. Here are his five picks:

Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones will warm you up with their traditional early blues with a jump feel and a bit of jazz. Detroit-born Doug Deming has a clear view of how he would like to respect the genre. He brings along with him the stunning Dennis Gruenling, not only a world-class harmonica player who will have all the harp players in the crowd drooling, but also a teacher and radio host of Blues and the Bear on WFDU Teaneck.

This year the lineup is broad—in geography (Texan, Californian, suburban Toronto, southern rock and east coast Celtic), in age (a 14 year old!), and in era (from cabaret and jump music to the 60s and the 90s).

Friday 9:30-11:00

First is the Saturday headliner, Los Lobos. Why? David Hidalgo, the depth of the band, the albums, and years that have gone by since they formed in high school. Strong, influenced by American pop but in turn also influencing it, this is good music heavy with Mexican roots. They’ve been on the American musical business train for many years without losing even a drop of their East L.A. soul.

Collective Soul This is going to be blunt: on the Saturday afternoon schedule, Melvin Taylor is following 14-year-old wunderkind Quin Sullivan, who played with Buddy Guy at the age of 8! Yes top that, my friend, but I think it shall be done: Guru Pinetop Perkins thought Melvin Taylor was the real deal, and took him touring in Europe. Born in Mississippi and raised in Chicago, his life has been his guitar. According to Ken Wright, local blues aficionado, “Melvin Taylor balances the savage and the sublime on the same razor’s edge.”

They’re 1990s radio-friendly rock, but they’re still here, so can you blame them? The 80s came back too, and we don’t seem to mind.

7:45-9:00

The Steepwater Band Southern-fried rock, and Rick almost picked them as a top five.

6:15-7:15 Too Slim and the Taildraggers, from Washington state, are a trio centered on a veteran player of slide guitar. Tim “Too Slim” Lanford is a heavy player for a slim guy! Having taken the long and winding road to get where he is, starting when he got his first guitar after seeing ZZ Top, this might be might be the grittiest set of the weekend.

Cliff Stevens A Montrealer old enough to have seen Eric Clapton and Johnny Winters in the late 60s, he’ll show us how it’s done.

Kansas City native Samantha Fish spent the better part of 2011 touring the world on blues circuits and recording two CDs with her Ruf Records label mates. She also won the 2012 Blues Music Award for Best New Artist Debut for her self-penned CD Runaway, and well-earned accolades for her feisty flat-picking and intricate chording. Not bad for a 23 year old who fell into the blues via rock music.

Near finalists: The Steepwater Band (young southern-fried rock), Mingo Fishtrap (eight-piece, lots of horns, Austin funk).

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5:00-6:00

Tracy K

Our very own. She has played the festival before, has many home town supporters, and played in Memphis, Tennessee last year after winning the Blues Challenge. Also old enough to know better.

CoverStory

Saturday 2:30-3:30

6:15-7:15

Prepare to hear some guitar from a 14 year old.

If Buddy Guy says he’s the real thing, he is.

He’s smart, funny, a blast from our Canadian suburban past, and still kicking. Will he play “Patio Lanterns”? (If he doesn’t play “Patio Lanterns,” will you boo him?)

Quinn Sullivan 9:30-11:00

Los Lobos

Kim Mitchell

Let’s just say it’s just wonderful that we get to see them. A ground-breaking band.

1:45-2:15

The Groove Merchants 7:45-9:00

Los Lonely Boys

Walter Smith and The Groove Merchants played the festival every year until Smith’s death in 2012. Now the Minnesota band returns on their own.

5:00-6:00

Davina & The Vagabonds They played in 2009, and are happily returning to play their “surly songs with a pre-war feel.”

They’re brothers, young Tex –Mex rabble-rousers, and they tour with Los Lobos, so we know they’re going in the right direction.

12:00-1:00

3:45-4:45

Local Chrissy Ewacho Klaas has brought her amazing pipes to the festival before. She’ll ask us if we’re having a good time, and if there’s any doubt, she’ll make it right.

Maple Blues Award winner (and 13-time nominee) from Ottawa, sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

The Chain 6:15-7:15

Mingo Fishtrap Horn alert! Eight piece from Austin with a sense of fun.

Could this band turn up the funk on the weekend?

Sunday

JW-Jones Blues Band

2:30-3:30

Too Slim and the Taildraggers Raunchy slide guitar trio from Washington state.

5:00-6:00

Samantha Fish Award winning young woman from Kansas with guitar.

9:30-11:00

Great Big Sea Festival closers. It’s the kind of music from Canada’s east coast that gets people dancing, especially when cheering buddy over there.

1:15-2:15

Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones Traditional old blues that will make you dance.

3:45-4:45

Melvin Taylor Oh yes, prepare to hear some incredible guitar.

7:45-7:15

The Family Stone World peace isn’t here yet, so they’re not retiring.

12:00-1:00

Rebel Spirit Locals with singer who can bring out the Buddy Holly. We’ll be cheering them on.

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CoverStory

Binoculars

Essential Festival Gear

See if that really is Sally from your spin class up there on the left.

Nikon Sportstar binoculars, Imagetech, $99.99

Hat

A straw hat brings a little Coachella style to the Bay. And as dads everywhere know, nothing keeps the sun out of your eyes like a Tilley.

Tilley hat, JB Evans, $82.00 Delux straw hat, The Loop, $34.95

By Amy Jones

Wondering what to bring with you to that music festival this summer? The Walleye has got you covered!

Sundress

Perfect for staying cool while dancing up a storm.

Flying Tomato dress, The Loop, $69.95 Heart necklace, The Loop, $49.95 Beaded bracelet, The Loop, $40.00

Sunglasses

Because this is Northwestern Ontario, one of the sunniest regions in Canada.

White Oakley Eternal sunglasses, Fresh Air Experience, $93.00 Brown tortoise Oakley Holbrook sunglasses, Fresh Air Experience, $124.00

Bag

Because my goodness, you’re bringing a lot of stuff (and likely buying more!).

Lug Puddle Jumper bag, Global Experience, $88.00 Flying Tomato purse, The Loop, $59.95

Bug repellent

Slapping your body all over along with the music might look like fun, but really it’s just itchy.

Revenge lemongrass glycerin soap, Orysi (orysi.com), $4.99 Revenge body spray, Orysi (orysi.com), $9.99 Revenge after bite, Orysi (orysi.com), $9.99

Thermal mug

Keep your hot drinks hot, and your cold drinks cold.

Pure Hydration thermal mug, International House of Tea, $27.95

Hawaiian shirt

A music festival uniform staple since before you were born.

Hawaiian shirt, Changes Consignment, $15.00

Magazine

In case one of the bands shows up fashionably late.

Superior Outdoors Vol. 7 No. 1, various locations, $4.95

Festival chair

Be sure to find one that’s low-profile, so the people behind you can see over your Tilley hat.

Outbound Acapulco beach chair, Wilderness Supply Company, $49.99

Something to keep you amused in the downtime between music sets, and to keep your neighbours on their toes.

Thunder Bay Ultimate frisbee, The Loop, $15.00

Musical instruments

Avoid a burn on day one, and day two will be so much more comfortable.

100% Pure sunscreen, Streak of Green, $33.95

Shannon Lepere

Because this is Northwestern Ontario, and it will probably rain at some point.

Sea to Summit nylon tarp poncho, Wilderness Supply Co., $54.95

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For the wee ones, or just those with sensitive drums.

Hearos ear plugs, Music Workshop, $6.95

Frisbee

Sunscreen

Rain poncho

Ear plugs

Birks

Preferably worn without the pulled-up black socks.

Men’s Arizona Birkenstocks, Global Experience, $133.00 Women’s Gizeh Birkenstocks, Global Experience, $104.00

Because you might get inspired to make your own sweet sounds.

Hand-carved Guinea djembe, Music Workshop, $189.00 Hohner harmonica, Music Workshop, $39.90

Water bottle

Stay hydrated and be a hero for the environment, all at the same time.

Water bottle, Fresh Air Experience, $6.00

CoverStory

Memorable Moments at the Rock Sunrise and sunset ceremonies and songs offered by a native elder.

Bottomless bag of tunes played around a neverending campfire under the northern lights.

Kim Churchill​

Red Rock Retrospective Forever Folk

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Live From the Rock is so full of music lovers that the singalong campfire has serious rows of bleachers that become surrounded by people standing 10 deep, many of whom stay up all night. It’s family friendly, camping friendly, and very music friendly, bridging fans and players of all generations. A musical voyageur canoe trip between Rossport and Red Rock and a five-mile almost-vertical run up the side of the mountainous terrain are some of the other incidentals along the way. Is it a bargain? You bet ya!

Harvey-Foulds has passed the artistic director’s torch she lit for this eleventh year to Jennifer Ives, also known as Jives when she performs with a guitar in hand. She’s another folkie from southern Ontario who has shown the same steadfast commitment to the folk scene. Asking Ives about what makes the festival unique, she reiterates that it’s about the north, its artists and community. She relishes the fact that acts want to come here, even though it’s a long stretch from anywhere, because it’s so welcoming. The interaction in a relaxed atmosphere is really

Kim Churchill and his didgeridoo blowing away audiences.

Ducks in low-level flight skimming over the water.

By Nancy Ewachow iz Harvey-Foulds has been busy. A believer in community and a lover of folk music, the unlikely but beautiful Live from the Rock Folk Festival could only have been a draw because of her work. Along with Russell and Denise Krawczuk, Phil and Fawn MacAllen, and Brian Campbell and their years of promoting house concerts and shows at other venues, Harvey-Foulds and her By the Bay Productions agency supported both artist and fan alike, and developed a very strong folk music fan base. This little, beautiful site between the Trans-Canada Highway and a sheltered bay on Lake Superior with a Pink Floyd-esque view of a pulp mill, has hosted a weekend long folk music lovefest in early August every year since 2003, and has proudly done so on volunteer steam.

After staying up all night carousing, those Rossport sisters stooping to clean up debris from the grounds.

is a marvel to watch. With four stages (including an open stage) and lots of workshops, it’s truly interactive in the folk festival tradition.

Live From the Rock has grown to be big enough to just fit in the park, drawing about 2000 attendees, and it has been incorporated by many as part of their family tradition. It’s close and reasonably priced, and—and let’s hope this doesn’t disturb the folk faeries—it has also been noted that the weather is always good. How do they do that? This year’s theme is “Forever Folk.” It’s a folk music heaven with some freewheeling thrown in.

The train shunting cars at six am.

Fulfilling a lifetime ambition of singing in a choir.

Frisbee on the grass.

Kids playing on the sandy beach near the waters of the Great Lake.

Morning swims and morning camp coffee.

Willie P Bennett’s duet with a train.

Connie Kaldor 's face when she threw Kevin Breit a solo in the middle of a song he'd never heard before, and he played a brilliant break by simply (nothing simple about it) tuning and detuning his low E string.

Jean Paul De Roover’s workshop with Kim Churchill.

Manitoba Hal: big music, so simply done.

Also: Bonnie Couchie, Dala, Oh Suzanna, Nathan Caswell, Bill Houston, Nathan, Ian Tamblyn, Fred Eaglesmith, The Reggae Cowboys, The Wyrd Sisters.

Live From the Rock Slogans 2003 Get Folky in Red Rock* 2004 A Folk in The Road Worth Taking 2005 Folk On The Water 2006 Superior Folk. Superior Music.

2007 The Folk Goes On 2008 Folk Rendezvous 2009 Meet The Folkers 2010 All You Need is Folk 2011 Up In Folk 2012 Unfolkgettable 2013 Forever Folk *The original slogan was “Get All Folked Up in Red Rock,” but organizers received a barrage of complaints that it was rude and inappropriate for a family festival. Harvey-Foulds recalls, “I apologized profusely and we changed the slogan to Get Folky in Red Rock. We had the billboards changed and we got HUGE publicity across the country due to the controversy so in the end it worked out well!”

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CoverStory

This Year’s Lineup

By Peter Jabs

Once again, the Live from the Rock Folk Festival has come through with a true-to-itsroots, power-packed, sure-to-please lineup for the main stage performances.

Pete’s Picks

Friday

By Nancy Ewachow​

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ireless music seeker and long-time festival goer Peter Jabs has scanned the horizon to let us know what talent will be coming our way at this year’s 11th annual Live From the Rock Folk Festival. Here are five acts to look out for:

Nick Sherman hails from a trapline near Weagamow Lake and is presently based in Sioux Lookout.

Trained as an audio engineer, he co-hosts "Your Spirit is Your Voice" on Wawatay radio, a program about the healing journeys of residential school survivors. Sherman is self-taught after listening to his family play music for 14 years, and has an absolutely compelling voice that will nail you to your canvas chair. Sure to be a favourite at Red Rock.

Avalanche Alert! Fubuki Daiko are a troupe of Taiko drummers out of Winnipeg who combine precision drumming with graceful athleticism for unforgettable shows. Leader Hiroshi Koshiyama trained and played with San Francisco Taiko Dojo and moved to Winnipeg after playing Carnegie Hall in 1994. Let's hope the energetic, rhythmic pounding won't start the rocks at the top of those Red Rock cliffs to roll down.

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Christopher Thompson is a fingerpickin' good guitar virtuoso. Strumming since age three, and mentored by renowned Canadian guitarist Jason Fowler, Thompson is a quickly rising star with two albums of original material on iTunes. Each composition is a ringing testament to the worth of talent and hard work. Listeners will feel like they are being splashed by the cool sparkling waters of a fountain on a hot summer day.

If one can characterize Suzy Wilde (also playing) as “sugar sweet” then Sunday Wilde (aka Angie Sponchia, niece of Red Rock perennial Norm Sponchia) is “spice, not nice,” and not afraid to rub your nose in it. She's like camp coffee: gritty, strong, full-bodied, eye-lid peeling. One belted twangy note and you know it’s her. Garnering international awards and radio play, Wilde calls Atikokan home.

JD Edwards Band Sizzling fireworks.

Garnet Rodgers Folk in his veins.

Terra Hazelton Trio

Hazelton is a Toronto jazz fixture, discovered by Jeff Healey.

Del Barber

A Manitoban likeness of Townes Van Zandt.

Bill Bourne is alive and kicking. Solid as a brick shithouse and well-known nationally with three Juno awards for folk and country blues, Bourne is branching out internationally with recent collaborators that include Madagascar Slim and Eivor Palsdottir of the Faroe Islands. Fasten your seat belts and prepare for an eclectic musical ride.

Chuck Baker and Sarah Lichti Music with teeth.

CoverStory

The Greenbank Trio

Plaid-clad rock-folk up-and-comers, and LU music school grads.

Kalle Matson

Fascinating original folk-rock, and there’s good reason his song “Thick as Thieves” went viral. Hope he doesn’t mind the bugs up here.

Amanda Rheaume

Strong voice. Repeat at Red Rock.

Aaron Mangoff Haunting and dark, from Orillia.

Sunday Bill Bourne

There are lots of longstanding fans happy to see his return.

The Marigolds

Golden harmonies of all-stars Gwen Swick, Suzie Vinnick and Caitlin Hanford.

Teaser sets from:

Sunday Wilde

Atikokan-based true grit with bassist Reno Jack.

Keith and Renee

Emily Kohne

New country Canadiana.

Local prodigy, rookie.

Eileen McGann

Traditional Celtic Canuck.

Magoo

Teal & Joyce

Folkie utility player.

Topical songsters.

Billy Manzik

Bad-dog folk-blues from a local boy gone to California with flowers in his hair.

Fubuki Daiko

Suzy Wilde

Might be the thrill of the weekend, but will they play the campfire?

Sugar sweet. Nepotism isn’t fair, but I’d brag too if I was Nancy White’s daughter and Spiral Beach singer’s sister.

Saturday

Andrew Queen

Closing ceremonies highlight:

Kids' performer. Very funny.

Teaser sets from:

David Buley

Sudbury choirmaster will wrangle folk-soaked festival goers into tight-knit ensemble to sing in finale.

Nick Sherman Band

Fronted by a Sioux Lookout powerhouse.

Christopher Thompson

A tasty acoustic player, one of Pete’s picks.

The Walleye

13

Food

The Silver Birch Fine Northern Fare from the Land and Sea Story and Photos by Kim Latimer

W

hen it comes to northern fare, I think of things like pickerel, blueberries, bannock, elk, tourtiere, and toasted marshmallows. Each of these ingredients appears on the northern-inspired menu at The Silver Birch restaurant, and I can honestly say this is among the best northern fare I’ve encountered.

picking fiddleheads and mushrooms in the summer to use in her recipes. Her sister, Toronto designer Susan Calhour, planned the floor-to-ceiling white drapery and silver birch wall linings, and used Chef Green’s personal photos of birch trees to create the tile photographic mosaic at the entrance. The atmosphere is classy, serene and intimate.

Open since April in the former Armando’s restaurant location, The Silver Birch is a stone’s throw away from Marina Park and from the popular Red River Road gastro-pub scene. Owner and red seal chef Darlene Green’s talent for cooking was fuelled early in life, when she lost her mother started cooking for six siblings. “When I cooked, it made people happy,” she says.

Inspired by her Italian roots, she recalls

The single page menu is divided into two columns: Shores and Land. From the lake to your plate, freshly caught whitefish is delivered direct to the kitchen by local fishermen. Locally raised rabbit is used in the tarragon rabbit gnocchi, and a local favourite freshwater fish, pickerel, is found in the northern pickerel cakes. Even the birch Caesar salad features bannock croutons, elk sausage “chips,” and smokey

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garlic dressing that is made in-house.

Selecting from Shores, I dove into a perfectly prepared fillet of roasted whitefish saltimbocca. The fish, which is wrapped in prosciutto, was thoughtfully paired with fresh tomato-caper relish, creamy wild rice risotto, and garlic kale. All of it is as meltin-your-mouth delicious as it sounds.

For dessert, select from “beeramisu” (tiramisu made with birch beer and stout), toasted marshmallow chocolate cake, blue ice (vanilla ice cream rippled with blueberry cardamom sorbet), or lemon raspberry torte. I mention them all because Chef Green’s specialty is cakes and pastries. Trust me, it’s worth indulging— or make a special pit-stop simply for dessert and cappuccino.

Enjoy the Special Events, Festivals, Concerts and Activities that Thunder Bay and surrounding communities have to offer!

Bill Mauro MPP THUNDER BAY-ATIKOKAN Thunder Bay Constituency Office 240 Syndicate Avenue South • 623-9237 www.billmauro.onmpp.ca

14

The Walleye

Food

The Foundry’s Evolution

Popular North Core Restaurant Launches New Menu

Dave Koski

By Amy Jones

The Foundry’s new menu has been a long time in the making.

“T

hree of our very first specials are now on the menu,” says Derek Lankinen, head chef.

“We started testing for it early.” The new menu, which features old favourites alongside new creations designed to appeal to a more varied clientele, is a result of the evolution of the focus of The Foundry from a late-music venue to a more upscale, gastropub-inspired dining establishment.

“We are still featuring live music on the weekends, but we’re also hoping to evolve into more of a neighbourhood hub,” says front of house manager Joshua Dowbak. “We have a rich, comfortable atmosphere perfect for a relaxed lunch or dinner experience.”

Dowbak also points out that they have a large selection of beer on tap—“maybe the most in northern Ontario”—including a number of Ontario craft beers and Canadian microbrews.

Highlights of the new menu include a spicy buffalo chicken poutine, braised

beef sliders, sweet potato gnocchi, and fish and chips battered in a Sleeping Giant Brewery beer batter. The new menu also features a revamped selection of entrée salads that are perfect for a light summer lunch, such as an Athenian pork souvlaki salad and a Jack Daniels smoked salmon salad. And not to worry—they’ve kept the most popular items from the old menu, including bestsellers like the ribs and wings combo, and the decadent molten lava skillet cookies.

It’s clear that Lankinen and Dowbak, along with owner Dane Newbold, are passionate about their vision for The Foundry, and this passion extends not only to the rest of the team, who Lankinen describes as “like a family,” but also to the clientele, who keep coming back time after time. And with food like this, it’s no wonder.

To celebrate their one-year anniversary, The Foundry will be having a party on July 13.

Check out thefoundrypub.com for details.

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15

Food

Festival Food, Grinning Belly Style

By Chef Rachel Globensky

I

sundried tomato and chili-lime for dunking the grilly goodness. It was a big hit, and I had a lot of fun, to boot!

The first incarnation of my catering company, Grinning Belly, was a foray into the local festival food scene. My business partner and I decided what was missing at these events was corn on the cob, so we came up with an idea of barbecue corn with gourmet flavoured butters. Grilling or roasting the corn produces some of the sweetest sweetcorn you’ll ever eat. We worked with Valley Fresh Fruit and Belluz Farms to get the freshest, sweetest cobs we could, and made different flavours of butters (no margarine allowed, ever) like

To grill corn, husk the cobs and dunk in boiling water for about three minutes. Place on a hot grill, and turn with tongs before they get too charred. If you’d rather, you can also roast corn in the oven. Leave the husks on raw cobs, set the oven temperature at 350 F, and roast the cobs directly on the oven racks for 30-40 minutes. Peel the husks back and tie them in a knot—you now have a handle to hang on to.

love music. Whether it’s sultry sirens for a quiet evening, upbeat reggae for some patio time, or loud punk to get me through a long run, there’s very little in my life that I do without a background soundtrack. And one of the best things about summer is the music festivals. Being a bit of a foodie, I think it’s an added bonus that festival-goers can get some pretty great grub in addition to some great music.

So, now you can spark up the ‘cue while listening to your favourite summertime station, and have fun with the silky six pack of sweetcorn you’ve picked up. Here are Grinning Belly’s top secret methods and recipes for barbecued corn with flavoured butters. Just do me a favour, and keep it to yourself—I may want to reprise the corn stand someday.

Sundried Tomato Butter Sundried Tomato Butter 1/2 cup softened butter 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 8 finely chopped basil leaves 1 or 2 finely chopped sundried tomatoes (soften them up in boiling water for a few minutes first, blot dry, and chop) 1/2 of 1 minced garlic clove Whip the butter by itself using a mixer until soft and light-coloured.

Add in flavourings and mix well. Best if made ahead of time to let the flavours marry. Slather the corn in yo’ choice of flavour and enjoy!

Chili-Lime Butter 1/2 cup softened butter 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 lime’s worth of zest and 1-2 teaspoons of its juice 1-2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro leaves (optional, but yummy)

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The Walleye

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Food

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Rye & Rhubarb

By Rebekah Skochinski

Typically a “don’t try this at home” warning accompanies an act that requires immense skill (or bravery, and sometimes silliness, but that’s beside the point). In the case of the Rye & Rhubarb cocktail, it’s an admonition that will save you from disappointment, because most people couldn’t possibly replicate this brilliant formulation on their own. It’s a blend of Wiser’s Rye, Aperol (an Italian aperitif), freshly squeezed lemon and orange juices, house-made rhubarb purée that takes hours to prepare, and a few dashes of Fee Brothers rhubarb bitters (a company that has been around since 1864 whose products are somewhat obscure). The folks at Bight do not mess around. Oh, and the drink is pure genius. It is handsomely presented, the texture is smooth, and there is such a fresh taste from top to bottom that even the ice cubes taste good.

Enjoy some R&R at Bight on their newly opened patio at Prince Arthur’s Landing and listen to the happy sounds arising from the nearby splash pad, while sitting in the shadow of the Sleeping Giant.

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www.KeynoteEvents.ca The Walleye

17

Food

Beerfest!

Canadians think:

Think Europeans want in on the festing?

By Jeannie Dubois, Certified Sommelier

I

t’s officially summer in the great northwest and along with all the sporting fun that our Lake Superior has to offer, the great adventures you can have at cottage or camp, and the myriad out-of-doors activities being held in and around the city, the music festival season has also begun.

Now, what would a Canadian music festival be without the ubiquitous beer tent? The two are practically synonymous with each other! Somehow the sound of live music mixed with sweet summer rays creates an amplified sense of well-being, especially when paired with a cold cup of beer. Enter my summer, which doesn’t give me an inch of time for freelance festival-going. Fortunately, a recent trip to the LCBO lifted my spirits in that regard, as currently there are some pretty cool brews in circulation. Add a sunny day, lawnchairs, flip-flops and a live-music loaded ipod and you can have a beerfest chez toi.

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The Walleye

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The Walleye

19

Zak Kearns​

Lawrence Badanai

FilmTheatre

Boo! Cheer!

Laugh!

The Summer Melodrama Tradition Returns

By Kyle Poluyko

T

he guilty pleasure and zany summer tradition of melodrama showcasing local talent, originated by the late Moonlight Melodrama, returns to delight once again. In partnership with the City of Thunder Bay and The Friends of Chippewa Park, Rob McLeod’s Capitol Players present the New Moon Production of The Moose Meat Cook-off by T.T. Lucky. This wacky tale has the great people of Chippewa Park gathering for the event of the season: the Moose Meat Cook-Off. But will a notorious villain and his evil-doings—foiling the hero and putting a damsel in distress—spoil everything?

Capitol Players and New Moon Productions (New Moon being a tip of the hat to the bygone Moonlight Melodrama) are happy to return the summer theatre tradition to its original venue at the Chippewa Park Pavillion. “It’s a pleasure to be directing a local summer tradition,” says director Lawrence Badanai, who helms this delightful farce.

“Thunder Bay is known for its topical theatre entertainment and dirty pleasure of melodrama laced with local references, political references, and daily coffee talk.” More songs will intertwine jokes, boo balls, and wicked schemes the villain throws his protagonists’ way.

This year's talented cast includes Colin Stewart, Spencer Hari, Janis Swanny Swanson, Candi Badanai, Beverley Gravelle MacLeod, Jenny Costanzo, and Don McMahon. As with the genre's custom for cheers, sighs, and boos, audiences will surely find themselves immersed and involved in the hysterical commotion.

The Moose Meat Cook-Off will be staged July 4, 11, 18, and August 1 (Thursdays) at 7 pm, July 7, 21, and 28 (Sundays) at 4 pm, and July 8, 15, 22, and 29 (Mondays) at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the door and are $8 for adults/teens, $5 for 12 and under/65+, and children 5 and under are free. tbaymelodrama.com

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The Walleye

Sam DiGiuseppe

A Local Actor’s Theatrical Success

By Kyle Poluyko

W

hen Dorothy finds herself over the rainbow eight times a week in the Mirvish production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Wizard of Oz (currently on stage at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre) Sam DiGiuseppe of Thunder Bay is there to greet her. Long before public voting on the CBC reality show Over the Rainbow anointed Danielle Wade as Dorothy, DiGiuseppe had been cast following a formidable audition process. “There were three or four rounds of auditions,” says DiGiuseppe. “There was a dance audition for the casting director followed by a singing audition.” Callbacks for the artistic team followed, and soon a fortunate few were contacted with good news. The boy from Thunder Bay, too, would find himself in Oz. DiGiuseppe, 22, credits his parents and their love of travel for exposing him to great cultural experiences. His first taste for performing came in elementary school and his participation in local community theatre groups. “It wasn’t until high school that I became heavily involved in the singing and dancing aspects of theatre,” DiGiuseppe recalls. “My last two years, I really spread myself thin.” Those busy two years were spent performing in as many local productions as possible, his most memorable include portraying Ryan in High School Musical and its sequel at St. Ignatius High School, and as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for BOUNCE Productions.

In 2008, DiGiuseppe entered the intensive and demanding musical theatre performance program

at Sheridan College, training acting, singing, and dancing. He made his professional debut in 2010 with Broadway Gold, a musical revue at Brampton’s Rose Theatre. Notably, the fall of 2011 brought DiGiuseppe back to Thunder Bay, where he made his Magnus Theatre debut in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. “I was thrilled to come back,” he says. “The cast and creative team were incredible and I am proud of the work we created.”

Following a rigorous rehearsal process, The Wizard of Oz had its North American premiere in Toronto early this year. The production features new music

by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, the illustrious composer of Cats and The Phantom of the Opera, who is also the show’s co-producer. Recently, Lloyd Webber came to see the Toronto production and speak with the cast following a performance.

Recounting the moment, DiGiuseppe says “It was a surreal to be standing a stage with such an iconic man knowing I had just performed his show for him. A very special moment I won’t forget.”

Mirvish Productions recently announced that, upon concluding its Toronto run in August, The Wizard of Oz will embark on a North American tour with many members of the current Canadian cast. Already possessing a diverse and distinguished theatrical background, one thing is certain: be it yellow or more golden, Sam DiGiuseppe is heading down the road to a very bright future.

FilmTheatre

Heaven On Their Minds Once Again

A New Production of Jesus Christ Superstar for this Summer’s Theatre Season

By Kyle Poluyko

©propervillain at deviantART

A

n Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice seminal classic once again comes to the stage during this summer’s Thunder Bay theatrical season. Migliazza Productions is proud to present Jesus Christ Superstar, featuring some of Thunder Bay's finest actors, singers, dancers, and musicians. This crowd-pleasing musical extravaganza will be an event audiences don't want to miss.

What began as a rock opera concept album in 1970—one of the first of its kind—Jesus Christ Superstar became a worldwide phenomenon with major productions staged on Broadway and in the West End in 1970 and 1971 before reaching

across the globe. Very loosely based on the Gospels’ accounts of the final days of Jesus’ life, it dramatizes the political and personal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus, struggles not included in the Bible. It offers and encourages free interpretation of the psychological torments of Jesus and other characters, profoundly punctuated by a haunting rock score.

Jesus Christ Superstar will run from July 25-27 with performances at 7 pm at Redwood Park Church, tickets are $20 and can be purchased at Valente's Music, Steeper's Tea, and Redwood Park Church. Proceeds will support the Redwood Park Church Food Bank.

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Alex Skochinsk

FilmTheatre

Local Filmmaker Selected for NSI Online Short Festival

By Amy Jones

R

ed Light, a short film written by local filmmaker Ryan La Via, has been selected for the NSI Online Short Film Festival. The festival, hosted by the National Screen Institute, is the only year-round, 100% Canadian online film festival. This is not the first time La Via’s work has been noticed by NSI—in 2012, he was selected to participate with his short film, Teabagged.

The two-minute Red Light—about a man and woman catching each other’s attention while waiting side by side at a red light—was produced by Good Shout after being selected as one of 50 short film scripts to win a screenwriting competition hosted by The London Screenwriters’ Festival.

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La Via says, “It's always a great surprise finding out that your film makes it into any film festival, and the fact that Red Light will be seen by audiences across Canada and the world will really help spread the word about its existence.”

New films are added to the NSI website weekly, and all NSI website content can be accessed for free. Red Light is scheduled to premiere online at nsi-canada.ca the week of August 19.

22

The Walleye

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FilmTheatre

The Second Most Pleasurable Thing We Do In The Dark: A Column About Movies

Painted Turtle

A Music Documentary of Epic Proportions

By Michael Sobota

“L Ahnisnabae Art Gallery 7-1500 James St. S Thunder Bay, ON 807-577-2656 www.ahnisnabae-art.com

Northwestern Ontario's largest selection of Native Art

ike wow, man." Michael Wadleigh's Woodstock is the grandparent of music festival documentaries. There may have been better music festivals before or after Woodstock, but the films are inferior. There is nothing quite like Woodstock—it was not just a music festival, it was a cultural event that saw a half-million people gathering in one place for three days of peace and music. The film spreads that message throughout the world.

Held in late summer 1969 on a farm in upstate New York, the festival was supposed to attract around 200,000 people. Originally, tickets were priced at $6 per day, but as youth kept pouring in by the thousands, with many

Wadleigh had planned to shoot a documentary of the event earlier in the spring. He and his cameramen arrived on the site in August. Shooting with old-fashioned (but portable) handheld cameras, he would eventually capture something close to 120 miles of film footage. Some of this is brilliant, some not so good. His mastery is in the editing. Within two minutes, he splits the screen, showing us two different activities simultaneously. His mastery of split-screen editing adds

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simply jumping the fence, by the second day it became a free festival.

There was no way the producers could stop entry. Their challenge shifted toward how to feed and get water to the growing crowd.

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both energy and excitement to the music acts, and allows him to infuse humour into non-musical sequences.

The documentary covers everything from the setting up of the stage, the music, and the rain storm, to attendees turning the field into spontaneous mudslides, warnings about "bad acid," sex in the bushes and skinny dipping in the pond, birth announcements, and long lines of kids waiting to use pay-phones to call home. That Woodstock happened with all these people present who mellowed to the event and survived it, while simultaneously hearing some of the best musicians of the time (the musicians were still in their twenties—all of them), is astonishing. That it was filmed and turned into this exhilarating documentary is nothing short of genius.

Woodstock was produced for approximately $600,000. It went on to make more than 50 million in its American release alone. It won the Oscar for best documentary in 1970. Wadleigh, just 30 when he made Woodstock, never made another film of this magnitude or success. In the credits there is an assistant director listing for Martin Scorsese. He was 27.

Woodstock has been released in several versions. I recommend the 40th anniversary director's cut, released in 2009, which contains 40 minutes more footage than the original release.

thewaterfrontdistrict.ca

The Walleye

23

theArts

Painted Turtle Art Shop Celebrating 30 Years

Marlene Wandel

By Tiffany Jarva

The Turtle Girlz (from left to right: Angie Jenson, Lorraine Cull and Ruth Tye McKenzie)

Y

ou would be hard-pressed to find an artist in town who is not familiar with the Painted Turtle Art Shop. It is an institution. And the “Turtle Girlz” who run it are not just passionate about art, but about helping to build a strong, connected, and vibrant arts community.

On a bright sunny day in June, the art shop celebrated 30 years with some coffee and not-to-be-missed turtle cake, and a show featuring a retrospective of paintings by artist Ruth Tye McKenzie—the shop’s founder and original “Turtle Girl.” McKenzie’s paintings (from monoprints to coloured pencil) line the walls, including “Seagull

Nudescape”—a stunning three-panel acrylic piece. “I just love the nudes in the clouds,” says McKenzie. The other Turtle Girlz, Lorraine Cull and Angie Jensen (who took over the shop 10 years ago when McKenzie retired), nod in agreement.

The laughter of all three Turtle Girlz floats pass me as I step into the shop’s relatively new space on Cumberland, where they moved a few years ago from Red River Road. After so many years, the Turtle Girlz really seem to genuinely enjoy one another’s company— they laugh a lot. “The Baggage Building wouldn’t be happening if it wasn’t for Ruth,” says Cull. McKenzie shakes her

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The Walleye

head like Cull is crazy. Jensen jumps in, adding, “We just continued what Ruth had started.” McKenzie shakes her head again. “What these girls have done has blown my mind,” she says.

The ladies breezily share some of the highlights from over the years like The Millennium Show, which featured two artists working in the window every week for the year. “This is Harbourfest years ago,” Cull says, pointing to a symmetrical piece featuring photographic images of many kids painting on the street. “Symmetrical imaging was pretty popular at the time,” adds McKenzie. Over the years the shop has hosted many do-it-yourself art

workshops and artists-in-studio, including Chris Merkley, a well-known local artist and regular contributor to The Walleye. Merkley says, “The Painted Turtle has been with me through art openings, grant applications, teaching art classes.

In a world of cold, big box stores, having a shop where they help and look out for you is rare and precious.”

In addition to running the Painted Turtle at 33 Cumberland Street, Jensen and Cull also operate the Baggage Building Art Centre at Prince Arthur’s Landing. paintedturtleart.com

Alastair C. MacKay, Thunder Bay Art Gallery

theArts

Yelloworange, 2013, glass, lead came, painted and fired, 206.4 x 53.9 cm

Damon Dowbak

Meditations on Colour and Form

By Michelle Zapf-Belanger

I

was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at one of the Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s newest exhibitions, Damon Dowbak’s beautiful glass installation, Meditations on Colour and Form. Dowbak is a celebrated artist in the community, having owned and operated Kleewyck Stained Glass on Simpson Street since 1976. “I’ve been doing this for about 35 years. I primarily do commission work for residential and commercial spaces and churches,” says Dowback. “About three years ago I started working on a collection of my own work.” This collection shows not only his maturity and love for the medium, but also his joy in expressing his own ideas and imagery on a large scale.

The style of Meditations is abstract and geometric with strong influences from natural and urban landscapes.

Sometimes it’s obvious what Dowbak is thinking—here and there you see trees, mountains, or water; sometimes,

as Dowbak puts it, “I want you to make a connection with the shapes and colours on your own.” His colour palette is bold and vibrant, but used judiciously for maximum contrast and effect. An interesting feature of this collection is how he has experimented with texture by applying paint to some of the glass surfaces, playing with the opacity of the glass.

One of the best things about stained glass art is that it is partly transparent. Light flows through each piece, transforming not only the work itself but the space around it. The gallery floodlights don’t just light Dowbak’s glass, they make it magical. I truly hope that some of these pieces end up finding homes beside some natural light, where even the seasons, weather, and time of day can change their impact.

Meditations on Colour and Form opened on June 14 and will remain open until September 8.

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BlueYELLOW, 2010, glass, lead came, vitreous paints, 80 x 99 cm

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The Walleye

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theArts

T H U N D E R B AY ’ S S U M M E R MUSICAL TRADITION

The 12th Annual

Dave Koski​

BLUES FEST Gerbera Riot, 2013, acrylic on canvas; 40 x 60 in (101.6 x 152.4 cm)

Janice Andrews

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Spirit in Colour

By Bobbi Henderson

F

ormerly a classroom, the studio of local fine artist Janice Andrews is full of immense canvases bursting with vibrant colours and bold contrasts that evoke a powerful yet peaceful energy. With several pieces on the go, tubes of paint in bright hues lay scattered about in true creative disarray. As she places the final strokes on a dazzling piece, inspired by gerbera daisies, for Definitely Superior Art Gallery's 25th anniversary exhibition, I notice a quote from Pablo Picasso scrawled upon the chalkboard: “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” Clearly, inspiration is in no short supply for Andrews.

“I am a shy person. I don't really open up,” confesses Andrews. “Painting is a way to bring me out into the world.” She reveals how painting to music gives her a certain kind of energy. “Sometimes I almost blank out, unaware of the colours I'm mixing. Spirituality is so wrapped up in what I do and it comes through,” she says.

Using her impressions from nature, Andrews will intertwine the figurative with the abstract to show emotion and movement. "I may be inspired by a sunset. I paint not necessarily that which occurred, but the feeling of the moment using those same colours. Abstract allows me to get my essence into the painting. I translate the sounds that I hear and the feelings that I have. I aim for the viewer to see something different each time they view a painting."

As a student in Lakehead University's Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts, Andrews’ long-term goal was to pursue her passion full time. In 2010, she graduated with first class honours which gave her the confidence needed to allow her sense of beauty to be expressed for anyone to see. Through her work, she has earned several awards, and has been selected for both juried and solo exhibitions in Thunder Bay, Toronto, and Brockville. “My only goals are to paint, to learn, and to bring joy through my art,” she says.

Andrews’ paintings can be viewed at Gallery 33, the Baggage Building Art Centre, Definitely Superior Art Gallery’s Member Show June 14-July 13, and her studio located in the Centre for Change. janiceandrews.ca.

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Thunder Bay’s arts & culture alternative

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The Walleye

CityScene

Flirting with Basics

By Justyna Kondakow

F

resh Lake Superior air tickles my ear lobes as I write this, a click-snip from the bonfire behind me. You know it TBay—summer is upon us. Blah blah blah.

It's that statement you forget when you are presently enjoying it. And yet here we are, and my heart and attitude continues to grow as the sun beats even brighter than last year’s Walleye.

And with the fresh growth and misty nights, my thoughts on the emphasis on style have began to ease.

destination. On top of a basic pair of sturdy shorts to last the summer, accumulating weightless layers adds to the ease, and come in handy for when musical and cultural festivals come our way, which require an outfit that can do double duty for daytime temps in the high 20s and also at night for when it might snow.

The norm. Just listen to the sound of your TBay. Dress to satisfy your curiosity rather than stress about self image. Throw something on and get out there. Mr. P. Arthur can't resist.

This new state of simplicity has served me well since moving from Fort William—still close to my heart—all the way over to the “other side” of town. I ease into P.A. as I lower my jutted elbows onto a soft, 70s-printed couch, like sitting beside your crush for the first time.

It's like I am dating my new neighbourhood, in a way. It serenades me from my street-side window with inklings of rhythm, chimes welcoming its partner. Foreshadowing music plays throughout this change in season. The warm weather and fresh scenery does it for me—”it” being an influence on the way that we dress for the occasion, especially when it comes to the obligatory summer festivals and concerts.

Shannon Lepere

Outdoor music calls for clothing pieces that I can rely on in real life. A basic wardrobe staple like my jean bermuda shorts will take me through whatever situation I find myself in.

Past the musicians jamming near the Hoito, my proverbial date with my neighbourhood leads me towards shore, where I was glad to have balanced the versatility of the shorts with the adventure of the veiled layers—an outfit variation easy to slip into and alter for any

P.A Approved: ■ Bermuda shorts, blue satin tunic A Second Look ■ Cropped top - Westfort Friendly Neighbourhood Thrift ■ Sheer watercolour blouse Changes Consignment ■ Architectural scarf - Satellite Studio (Carol Kajorinne) ■ Purse - Winners ■ Sandals - JustFab.com

The Walleye

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CityScene

Douglas Livingston Our Very Own Existentialist/ Beat Poet

By Peter Jabs

Elfarrow Apparel Story by Tara George

“B

rian [owner of the former Red Earth Imports] brought me overseas to shop with him in Nepal, and when it was time to go, I didn’t get back on the plane.” And so began the journey that ultimately lead Kyley Blomquist to open the new Elfarrow Apparel store in the Bay and Algoma district. The multi-dimensional artist spent two years in Nepal, embracing the lifestyle, falling in love with the people, and drawing inspiration for what would eventually become her socially conscious women’s clothing line, Elfarrow Apparel.

Upon returning to Thunder Bay, Blomquist devoted herself to her art—designing, producing, and exposing herself to the community through venues such as the Thunder Bay Country Market. With an ever-expanding market, Blomquist found herself drawn back to the Nepal this past January, new ideas and patterns in hand. She worked for two months with locals, designing fabrics, coming up with new concepts, and producing her most recent line, made from all natural fibres. Art among art, Blomquist’s clothing and jewelry designs are beautifully displayed in her new space, which has a gallery vibe thanks to the hard work and input from her artisan friends.

Elfarrow Apparel is located at 196 Algoma Street South, and online at elfarrowapparel.com.

Sunday Wilde

Kyley Blomquist teaching new techniques and observing production at a family-operated weaving studio in Kathmandu, Nepal.

I

n the corner of a café on Bay, a soft-spoken man with kindly eyes under a neat beret quotes lines from W. B. Yeats' “The Curse of Cromwell.” He tells me, “I wrote my first poem in first grade.”

One of our most important poets, Livingston has been a part of Thunder Bay’s poetry scene for years, including a stint with Thunder Bay Poetry Workshop from 1982-1983 with Mary Frost, Maynard Bjorgo, and Charles Wilkins, and on the editorial cooperative of Whiskey Jack magazine from 1989-1990. He has published three volumes of poetry—or "hypo real delays" as he calls them. After graduating high school, Livingston attended Ontario College of Art. He still paints— stark, flat symbols on canvasses that have shown at Atikokan's Pictograph Gallery and at Calico Coffeehouse. But his real education commenced after academia. An interest in symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud led to reading Jack Kerouac and other beat writers. He devoured work by existentialist J. P. Sartre, surrealist avant-garde playwright Antonin Artaud, and novelist James Joyce. References and allusions to historical figures

and works of literature and art permeate his work due to constant and continual study.

Livingston’s second volume of poetry, The Perplexed Room (2003), is a slow read. The works are dense.

It takes wandering with them through the forest a while before light breaks through the canopy.

The poem “Memoriam” is a raw and powerful communication of Livingston's experience of his mother's suicide when he was 23. “The Graduate” refers to what he refers to as his “quarantined sleep” at Fort William Collegiate from where he graduated in 1962. The phrase “Guernica moonbeams on a high school desk” is the start of a wave that crashes into the poem “Mentor Paranoic.” The more recent 66 poems of Myoclonus (2011), have themes of “loquition whiskey catastrophe surreal,” as described by Livingston on the back cover. As in a jigsaw puzzle, the picture is not complete until the last piece is read.

Livingston is working on a fourth volume of poetry, called Kata Hotus, which is Greek for “way down” that will be published in the fall by Unspeakable Press. He still uses a manual typewriter—can anyone suggest a source for typewriter ribbons?

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The Walleye

CityScene

Go Local

Tarrymore Farms

By Rebekah Skochinski

B

ill Groenheide has a simple philosophy: pick a few things, do them well, and you will succeed. Originally dairy farmers, Bill and his wife Jenny, along with sons Martin and Tom, have been operating Tarrymore Farms since the mid-nineties on a plot of land in South Gilles that was homesteaded in 1906. As their family grew, so did the business. Bill and Jenny raise Red Angus beef (“The cows are Bill’s babies,” says Jenny) along with free run hens; Walkabout Farm in Cloud Bay is run by children Robert and Janice and that’s where the pork and lamb are raised. Susan Groenheide (son Chris’ wife) is behind the successful gardening venture, Tarrymore Vegetables. Collectively, they offer vegetables in the summer months, and meat and eggs year-round.

Now that barbecuing weather has arrived, Jenny recommends a no-fail cut of beef for the grill, bean fiend Walley AD July.pdf

1

either a striploin or rib eye, or a juicy pork chop.

She adds, “The one great thing about knowing where your meat comes from means you can enjoy it worry-free, and perfectly pink in the middle— even pork.” Vegetables like zucchini, swiss chard, mixed greens, and beans will be ready toward the end of the July and if you’re looking to get every colour of the rainbow on your plate, it’s certainly possible thanks to Susan’s penchant for purple potatoes and orange cauliflower.

Jenny admits that what they do is hard work, but the rewards of creating high quality products make it worthwhile. “We chose this, we love what we do, and we love sharing what we do with the community.”

You can find Tarrymore Farms at the market every Wednesday and Saturday. To learn more about this vendor visit thunderbaycountrymarket.com.

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or the second year, Ribfest—a sinfully delicious food and music extravaganza—will take over the Waterfront District from August 23–25, in conjunction with Motors and Muscles. With ribs being the star, it’s sure to satisfy your love for food (incidentally, ribs have high amounts of zinc, selenium, and vitamin B-12, so mouth-watering ribs are less sinful than you think). If ribs aren’t your thing, don’t fret, there will be plenty of other options ranging from sinful to angelic to tantalize your taste buds. There will also be a children’s play area, vendors and a beer tent. The proceeds benefit our community, too!

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The Walleye

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CityScene

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Eric the Juggler

Keeping Several Balls in the Air... on a Slackline

71 S. Algoma St. • 343-9122 • www.streakofgreen.com Tues 9-8pm • Wed 10-6pm • Thurs 11-8pm • Fri 10-6pm • Sat 9-5pm Sunday & Monday Closed

By Michelle Kolobutin

L

ast summer, my five-year-old nephew decided he was going to be a juggler.

The decision was inspired by a popular Summer in the Parks performer and Thunder Bay’s Best Busker as voted by The Walleye’s readers in 2012—Eric the Juggler. And while I can see Mitchell eventually becoming a juggler, for now I am happy to watch the fire and knife throwing skills of a local pro.

You have likely seen him juggling fire, knives, clubs, a chainsaw (a crowd favourite), and walking on a slackline. Despite these exotic props, Eric says his favourite thing to juggle are his hacky sacks, “because I always have them with me.” Eric loves to entertain and teach, and enjoys meeting new people—all perks of being a juggler.

Regardless of where he is performing, Eric says that “every performance is kidfriendly and interactive and I make each show a bit different.” This is likely why neither pint-sized onlookers nor grey hairs tire of his show. Eric learns new tricks through meeting and practicing with other jugglers, and occasionally, he'll turn to YouTube to study new tricks.

This summer, Eric will be teaming up with Dee Marie, a poi spinner, for a couple shows, and he will test his luck adding a double-bladed axe to his repertoire. But perhaps the most exciting act for Eric, who holds degrees in mathematics and education, will be his launch of CirqueWorks, a program featuring drop-in classes and workshops for people of all ages, as well as custom curriculum-based programs for schools.

Through his antics, Eric reignites the child in us all. “No matter where you go in the world, people love to watch a juggler,” he says. And thanks to him, we don’t have to go far. Be prepared to be mesmerized by Eric at Summer in the Parks, Canada Day, and various community events, including those in Eagle River First Nation, Kenora, and Terrace Bay. For more information on Eric’s workshops, upcoming performances and CirqueWorks, visit ericthejuggler.net .

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The Walleye

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CityScene

The Bucket List:

Paddling with LEGENDS Jess Vamplew

By Amy Jones

LEGENDS practicing on Boulevard Lake.

I

am not a team player. Probably the closest I’ve come to being a part of a sports team is nodding at the guy on the treadmill next to me at the gym before cranking up my iPod. But in the interest of self-improvement, I decided it was time to learn to play well with others. I would try practicing with a dragon boat team—the somewhat notorious LEGENDS. Dragon boat racing is as team-oriented of a sport as they come: packed two by two in a narrow boat, you move together as a unit, maintaining a rhythm set by a drummer and the pacers at the front. And LEGENDS are as tight as a team gets: they have rad jerseys, inside jokes, and a common language that extends beyond the jargon of the sport.

But they are also excellent ambassadors for dragon boat racing—welcoming and helpful, making something that might seem intimidating to an outsider

feel relaxed and fun.

After a lesson with experienced paddler Hedy Koski—straddling the picnic table on the edge of Boulevard Lake, learning to lean forward at the somewhat unnatural angle required of the racers—I cram into the back of the boat with another first-timer and raise my paddle with the rest of the team. Behind us stands the steersman, Dave Koski, a fifteen-year veteran whose good-natured leadership has kept LEGENDS at the top of their game. We begin pulling our paddles through the water under gentle reminders from Koski to keep our heads up, lean into it, use those abs. At first it feels awkward, but I know if I stop I risk getting in the way of the paddler in front of me, and I have nightmarish visions of causing a domino effect that culminates in the entire team in the water. So I keep paddling, and soon

something that felt unnatural begins to take on an almost soothing rhythm.

By the time we are back at the dock, my butt is numb, I am completely soaked, and my fingers have seized into an ugly, talon-like configuration from which it will take hours to free them.

But I’m smiling, begrudgingly admitting I had fun. Hobbling to my car, I look back and see a clutch of supercool yellow jerseys preparing to head out for post-practice beers, and I feel a momentary pang of yearning for that team camaraderie, that group dynamic, that common language. Or maybe it’s just a pang of actual pain from turning my aching neck. Either way, I’m opting for a solitary beer at home. After all, selfimprovement is an ongoing process.

LEGENDS is recruiting new recreational and competitive paddlers for the 2013 season; contact Dave at bigbraindog@hotmail.com for details.

Amy Jones (right) and fellow newbie paddler Chantal Hargreaves (left) at the end of practice.

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We have great wedding and bridal shower gifts complimentary gift wrapping always available

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(Bay & Algoma Shopping District) The Walleye

31

GetAway

Gunflint Lodge

An Adventurous Retreat in the North Woods Darren McChristie

By Michelle McChristie

F

or most of my life, the Gunflint Trail has been a mystery. Driving through Grand Marais, I had assumed that the trail, which was marked with a large sign featuring a voyageur portaging a canoe, was exactly that—a trail to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. With plenty of wilderness around Thunder Bay, we don’t look often to Minnesota’s “North Woods” as a destination, but the Gunflint Trail, which is actually a paved road, is akin to Highway 60 through Algonquin Park with 20 plus lodges and outfitters, unlike anything in Northwestern Ontario.

www.SuperiorOutdoors.ca

Our weekend at Gunflint Lodge, located 70 kilometres up the Gunflint Trail, was to be a relaxing family getaway—the cabins have no cellular service, phones, or television and

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The Walleye

wifi is only available in the main lodge. We also wanted to check out the Towering Pines Canopy Tour, go horseback riding, and do some paddling and hiking. The lodge has a full range of programming, from guided nature hikes and fishing trips to the zip line and massages.

After a scrumptious breakfast enjoyed overlooking Gunflint Lake, we headed to the stables, where wranglers Betsy and Elyse gave us an introduction to the dos and don’ts of horseback riding. Having never been on a horse, each of us listened intently—even the smaller horses looked intimidating. My son Nathan was first to saddle up, on a female horse named Butterscotch.

My daughter Sarah rode Houdini, a female described as a timid, well-behaved escape

artist, and I rode Pongo, Houdini’s fiancé who is happy to go on rides without his love, but kicks up a fuss when she leaves him behind. My husband Darren rode Dakota, the lodge’s only 100% Arabian horse.

After the ride, we headed back to our cabin to enjoy the hot tub and sauna and eventually made our way to the lodge for lunch.

Since perusing the menu the night before, I was curious to try the walleye quesadilla.

Delicious—the marriage of walleye and wild rice with cheese and soft tortillas was meant for me. Darren raved about the salmon chowder and the kids—well, their chicken fingers, cheeseburgers and fries were “the best ever.” We watched a storm roll in as we enjoyed our lunch—the afternoon’s forecast called for thunderstorms, so we rescheduled the canopy tour for the following morning.

Opened in 2012, the tour has eight zip lines with the longest being 244 metres. After we donned harnesses, helmets, and leather gloves (the palm of one is covered with thick leather which serves as the brake), our sky guides, Dan and Jason, showed us the ropes in “ground school”—a low-hung, shorter zip line. To explain braking, they used a Mexican food analogy: to slow down or stop apply pressure to the cable, a quesadilla works best, taco is okay, but the burrito should be avoided as it makes for a very

Our guide Betsy led the way, somehow managing to sit sideways and face backwards in her saddle to carry on a conversation with the rest of us. Any apprehension and nervousness quickly dissipated we settled into our saddles and headed for the trail. An occasional and gentle pull on either side of the reins kept the horses in the centre of the trail, and a pull upwards prevented grazing (and stomach aches from poisonous plants). The horses responded so quickly, it was like having power steering.

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GetAway abrupt stop. Got it. I was first up to give it a try, so I clipped the carriage onto the cable and stepped off the platform. “Whoa!” I said, not expecting to travel that quickly. I immediately demonstrated a perfect “burrito” and came to a screeching halt. But with a little practice, I felt like a pro by the time I had completed the first zip on the “bunny hill.”

The zip lines are hung between platforms built into the canopy of old growth white pines. Each platform has a unique design and the highest is 18 metres. The highest zip starts from a cliff that is approximately 24 metres high. If you are afraid of

heights, relax—participants are clipped onto a cable at all times. The panoramic views of Gunflint Lake and the surrounding forest are unmatched by any of the hiking trails, but the key is to remember to look around and soak it in (rather than being preoccupied with quesadillas and burritos!).

As a testament to his zeal for the canopy tour (and perhaps sympathy for our children who missed out on the experience), Darren began researching and procuring the hardware needed to build a small zip line in our backyard. Within a few weeks of our trip we had our own “bunny hill.”

Gunflint Lodge was established in 1927 and is operated by the third generation of the Kerfoot family. Nostalgia abounds in the cabins and main lodge, with photos and antiques and accommodations range from rustic canoer cabins to fully-equipped lake homes.

Visit gunflint.com.

The Walleye

33

Jim Wright

Music

April Verch Band

Franco-Celtic Music to Take Grand Marais by Storm

By Margaret Ryan

T

here’s something off-kilter about travelling to the states to see Canadian musicians, but it does lead one to feel a certain kinship with the fellow Canucks on stage. On July 13, the Ottawa Valley’s April Verch will bring her unique style of Franco-Celtic folk music to Grand Marais’ Arrowhead Center for the Arts. Verch is an award-winning fiddler, step dancer and singer-songwriter who last performed in Thunder Bay in 2011 with Bowfire.

three passionate musicians tour tirelessly across Canada, the United States, the U.K., Europe, and Australia. They have established a reputation as consummate performers, winning over audiences not only with sheer virtuosity on their respective instruments, but also with charm, humor, and boundless energy on stage. The band concludes each concert with Verch fiddling and step dancing—and often executing two entirely different intricate rhythmic patterns—at once.

The April Verch Band is rounded out by upright-electric bassist and clawhammer banjo player Cody Walters and guitarist Hayes Griffin, who has a masters in jazz improv from the New England Conservatory. Together, these

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students/children (18 & under) and available at tix.com or at the door. northshoremusicassociation.com

Vince Gill

Country Legend Promises an Incredible Evening

By Pat Forrest

V

ince Gill’s upcoming show at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium is billed as “One Incredible Evening,” and if past performances and accolades are any indication, it will truly be a night to be remembered. Characterized the Country Music Federation’s Kyle Young as “a living prism refracting all that is good in country music,” Gill is a genuine country legend.

With 20 Grammys (more than any other male country artist) and 18 Country Music Association Awards (CMA) under his belt, Gill has seen his star shine brightly both as a solo performer and a member of a band since the 1970s. In the 1980s, he had an impressive string of hits, but it was his 1989 album When I Call Your Name that put him on top of the charts.

The title song reached Number 2 on the Billboard Hot Country chart and earned him a CMA for Single of the Year and a Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007 and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2012.

Vince Gill will be performing at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on Thursday, June 25. If you were lucky enough to score tickets, prepare to be part of something incredible.

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The Walleye

Music

Burnin’ to the Sky The Outdoor Music Festival

By Gord Ellis

T

here is probably a reason events like Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Live Aid and even the First Farm Aid concert are recognized as such huge, culture-changing events. They were all massive music festivals, held outdoors, with hundreds of thousands of fans in attendance.

They say if you can remember Woodstock, you weren’t actually there, but that doesn’t stop it from being regarded as the most famous outdoor music festival in modern history. The monster event, held on a farm in New York state, turned into a giant communal city of mud. It rained, stormed and finally cleared off as the who’s who of sixties rock made history. It may not have seemed so great if you were actually there, however, due to insufficient sanitation, food, and water. Things got so bad New York’s governor of the time actually

declared a state of emergency.

lovers that flock to outdoor music festivals.

“I went to Woodstock and I hated it,” singer Billy Joel recalls in Steve Gillon’s book Boomer Nation: The Largest and Richest Generation Ever and How it Changed America. “I think a lot of that community ‘spirit’ was based on the fact that everybody was so wasted.” Joel has also said that Woodstock was mainly mud, BO, and bad acid. Not so cool really. But who could not have been moved

by Jimi Hendrix playing the American national anthem?

The earliest Northwestern Ontario outdoor festivals I remember were in the late 1970s and 1980s and included the Summer Solstice Festival and very first blues festival. That first blues festival was a not very successful one as I recall, with only a few hundred people. But it had some of the heaviest blues acts I’ve ever seen including Sam Lay, Hip Linkchain, Luther Allison and the great and truly legendary Willie Dixon. I’ll never forget sitting on the grass, no more than 15 feet from Dixon, watching him balance on a cane as he belted out his own classics like “Wang Dang Doodle” and “Little Red Rooster.” It was a transformative moment. There is something about pure blues music that works very well outside, and it certainly did that cool summer night 30 years ago.

Despite its flaws, Woodstock really has been the template for all subsequent festivals. It’s all about varied musical acts, playing their best stuff in a short period of time. The difference these days is organizers have more control of the crowd, and are generally well-prepared to feed, water, and provide facilities to the thousands of music

Of course, the annual Thunder Bay

Blues Festival that’s held at the waterfront these days is a much larger affair that has proven to be not only a treat for music lovers, but a highlight of the summer music season. There are always great blues bands and singers featured, as well as musical acts with a broader appeal like Blue Rodeo and Great Big Sea. If you’ve never checked out this great event, you owe it to yourself to do so. It’s a winner.

Some of the other fantastic Northwestern Ontario outdoor music festivals to take in include the Trout Forest Music Festival in Red Lake, and the Live from the Rock Folk Festival in Red Rock. That short list doesn’t include the impromptu jams that strike up in campgrounds, cottage lakes, and gravel pits across the region in July and August.

Music is just that much better outdoors.

Let it take you higher outside this summer.

The Walleye

35

Music

A Twice-in-aLifetime Show Slash Returns to Thunder Bay

Story and Photo by Bill Gross

E

ven though a packed house came to witness a “once-in-a-lifetime” concert the first time Slash was at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium, ticket sales suggested that fans were more than willing to jump at the opportunity to witness a “twice-in-a-lifetime” concert. Slash, featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, will again be stopping in Thunder Bay as part of their Apocalyptic Love Tour which started in March 2012 and has visited 40 countries in 147 shows. The lineup features Slash on lead guitar, Myles Kennedy on vocals (formerly with Alter Bridges and known for his four-octave range), Todd Kerns (Age of Electric) on bass, and Brent Fitz (Econoline Crush) on drums.

With his trademark top hat and long curly hair, Slash is arguably one of the most iconic music personalities. Slash developed a dedicated fan base in the 80s as the lead guitarist of Guns N Roses. Slash co-wrote and performed a number of highly recognizable songs and guitar riffs—you would be hardpressed to find anyone who did not recognize the opening guitar notes of “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Slash gained a new generation of fans when his image and music was featured in the highly popular Guitar Hero video game.

Since the disbandment of Guns N Roses in the 90s, Slash has released albums with Slash’s Snakepit, Velvet Revolver—whose frontman Scott Weiland performed at the Auditorium with his original group Stone Temple Pilots— and two solo albums including Apocalyptic Love, released last May. Rolling Stone lists Slash as #65 in their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists; he will be performing on July 3 at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

FIDDLE LESSONS with

OLIVIA KORKOLA

Private instruction with Fiddle Champion and Canadian Folk Music Award Nominee Olivia Korkola.

All ages welcome!

Summer session now on. Space is limited.

or call7pm, 632-0298 today Friday, March 15, 2013 • Finlandiaemail Clubokorkola@berklee.edu (314 Bay St.) • Doors open Show 8pm

www.oliviakorkola.com

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Alex Grattan

Music

Greber at Black David Smyth and Pirates Pub Michael Abraham at Welding Grindcore and Doom Beaux Daddy's

By Jacob Romu

J

une 2, 2012 was the loudest Sunday I've had in recent memory.

Wiggins Pro-Ductions hosted the band Greber, from Cambridge, Ontario, who were supported by locals Fist Fight with Gandhi, The Unbalanced, and The Vilification at Black Pirates Pub

Though the genres of grindcore and doom metal are opposites, with grind being an incredibly fast genre, and doom being slow, they both share similar aesthetic aims. The aural goal of both genres is to convince the listener that they are indeed, in hell. Greber is able to harness both genres effectively, without sacrificing songwriting and dynamics. Both of its members (bass and drums) seem totally in love with music, and the crowd responded appropriately. Greber share members with some big names in Canadian extreme metal including Fuck The Facts, The Great Sabatini, and BIIPIIGWAN. And my God, are they ever loud.

Half of the appeal of bands like this is the visceral effects of high volume amplification. I feel like the sheer weight of their output forced me into the mosh pit along with most members of The Vilification.

The Vil, as they are affectionately known around town, took to the stage with every member wearing Greber shirts. The Vil participate in a fairly recently coined subgenre called "djent" that is a spinoff from progressive metal (the word "djent" is an onomatopoeia for the distinctive low-gain, distorted palm-muted guitar sound that characterizes the music). The Vil’s set was definitely djenty—they unleashed complex and ferocious songs into a particularly rough moshpit.

Greber are touring in support of their self-titled demo, available on cassette and mp3. facebook.com/grebermetal

Love and the Higher Chakras Story and Photo by Peter Jabs​

I

t’s Saturday evening at Beaux Daddy's, and the founder's vision of a place that serves dinner with live music has become reality.

David Smyth and Michael Abraham are pickin' and vamping respectively through their repertoire of mellow sixties favourites written by Jimmy Webb, Burt Bacharach, Smokey Robinson, and others. Not allowing the garishly lit room to distract them, the guitar-playing duo blend into the background and allow the music to flow through them. A warm, relaxing feeling insinuates into our bloodstreams. Open wide the gates for (organic biochemical reference alert!) a rush of oxytocin.

Between sets, Smyth and Abraham join my companion and me and tell us about themselves.

Smyth proudly hands me a newspaper clipping that announces his free lifetime membership to the Canadian Federation of Musicians, which he earned after paying dues for almost fifty years.

During this span he kicked the blues across the country and worked with our own Paul Shaffer in the Toronto production of Godspell. In 1993 he became the musical director for Dream a Little

Dream starring Denny Doherty (The Mamas and The Papas), which ran for four years. He co-wrote Cheatin' Hearts, which played internationally as well as in his hometown of Thunder Bay. Returning to his roots a few years ago, Smyth called up Abraham with the intention of doing the gigs that they now do. Abraham is an immigrant whose claim of being a conscientious objector was disallowed by the draft board in his home state of Oklahoma. As we chat, news clips of killer tornadoes near his sister’s home roll on the screens above us. Performing rhythm and blues, rock and roll, western swing, folk and blues, Abraham has opened for George Thorogood, CCR, and Buckwheat Zydeco among others.

Thanks to the staff at Beaux Daddy’s for carrying on the tradition of kind and courteous service started at what once was Uncle Frank's Supper Club, of which many people have fond memories—Smyth among them. After a drink at the bar, we were found a front table, even without reserving ahead. Then we dined and enjoyed the realized dream.

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Music

Grand Marais arts Festival July 13 & 14, 2013

Celebrating fine art on the shore of Lake Superior

The Crackling Storms Thunder Bay Story and Photo by Tyler Sklazeski

W

ith the familiar intensity of a summer storm, The Crackling’s sophomore full-length release, Mary Magdalene, offers steady, smouldering tracks that build into a furor by the final moments. Their June 17 show at Black Pirates Pub lived up to the unpredictable, melancholy feeling of the record as the group cut their way through a laundry list of regret and trepidation, belting out lines like “Keep me drunk, keep me wandering,” lead singer Kenton Loewen traversing a wide range of vocal territory. From soft melodic whispers to harsh and raspy roars, their performance was reminiscent of Johnny Cash with the ethereal darkness of Tool’s Maynard James Keenan.

The Crackling’s weapon of choice is a gritty folk-rock sound that is occasionally tempered with country tones on songs such as “Sold the Children” and “The Cold Sky.” Guitarist Gord Grdina’s solos on songs like “Ashen” (featuring friend & tourmate Dan Mangan on the album version) were a welcome surprise, though the live performance would have been well complemented by the haunting synthesizer and piano pieces featured on the album, thanks to keyboardist Tyson Naylor.

The band’s presence on stage was irreverent, and while Loewen recognized that this isn’t a band that gets people into a frenzy, the music is well-constructed and the group’s live performance has obviously benefited from extensive touring with indie-rock sweetheart Dan Mangan. However you spin it, these gentlemen were seasoned killers on the stage, and while a bit heavy on the bravado, Loewen’s showmanship was entertaining.

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Original Handmade Artwork • Artist Demonstrations • Live Music • Lakeside Location GrandMaraisartColony.orG • Grand Marais • MN • (218) 387-2737

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39

Off theWall

REVIEWS

Books

Music

Video

B.B. King: The Life of Riley

Directed by Jon Brewer B.B. King’s life story is nothing short of extraordinary, and The Life of Riley lays it out perfectly. Riley B. King was born in 1925 in the cotton fields of Mississippi, during the height of slavery. Although his early years were fraught with tragedy, he fondly recounts his introduction to music (via his snuff-dipping aunt’s gramophone)

The Hurry and the Harm

City and Colour

Dallas Green has crafted his best effort yet with the release of The Hurry and the Harm.

The new album has a much fuller sound, building on the acoustic folk of his earlier recordings. There's a wonderful haunting pedal steel guitar in many of the tracks and strings fill out a few more. If you’re a fan of his earlier work, don’t worry—Green is still a master of the acoustic guitar and his falsetto vocals are as melodic as ever. Green has come into his own as a songwriter, his lyrics are poetic and often speak of searching for meaning and dealing with love and loss. There's a good variety of pop, alt-folk, ballads, and rock-inspired tunes as well. In his song "The Golden State," Green wonders why everyone is so enamoured with California. He writes fondly of Canada and for "the cold wind whistling through the winter pines."

How can you not like a musician who loves winter?

-Gerald Graham

Orchestrated Noise

Maestro Fresh Wes

Donning his original moniker, Canada’s hiphop flagbearer Maestro Fresh Wes returns to the mic with Orchestrated Noise, his first album in over a decade and a conceptual extension to his 1989 debut album, Symphony in Effect. The Juno Award-winning MC enlists a diverse group of Canadian artists to feature on this orchestrally-influenced project. Standout collaborations include the high-tempo “Dearly Departed” (with Kardinal Offishall), “Desire” (with beautiful vocal harmonies courtesy of electropop artist Lights), and “I Wanna Know” (with Rich Kidd and The Trews). The album, however, is plagued with production flaws. Many tracks are peppered with clicks and pops from poorly-edited audio and the mixing is inconsistent. Nonetheless, Mr. Wes Williams’ flow and cadences solidify his position as an important fixture in Canada’s hip-hop scene, something he confidently states in track “Gladiator”: “[I’m] the reason why a lot of rappers in Toronto started even rhyming in the first place.”

- Uko Abara

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and the electric guitar (played by the reverend of his church). King provides a deeply personal account of his life, and explains how he evolved his distinctive guitar style, why he calls his guitars Lucille, how he got the nickname “B.B.” and the influences and advice he’s picked up along the way. Testimonials from a healthy

sample of music hall of famers and esteemed guitarists only confirm what is already known—B.B. King is a legend. This movie is a must see for any music-lover; look for it on DVD and iTunes in the fall.

-Michelle McChristie

Listening Post

Rosie June

The west coast music scene has seen an explosion of new artists in recent years (Japandroids, White Lung, Hey Ocean!, Dan Mangan, and Mother Mother to name a few) who have been getting more mainstream exposure. The newest addition, Rosie June, comes into the spotlight with a set of angelic pipes she uses to near maximum effect on this, her debut album. When mixed with lush keyboards and a heavy beat, her ethereal wall of feminine sound produces a dreamlike effect that floats the listener into reverie, as on her track “Sound it Out.” In songs such as “Broadway” and “Figure 8” her voice transports you on a nostalgic cloud of imagery you have a hard time pinning down. The album’s biggest problem is also its biggest advantage: it is impossible to classify, making it destined for greatness or marginalization. Hopefully this is not going the last we hear from her.

-Patrick Thompson

One True Vine

Matadora

Neil Young

Mavis Staples

Elizabeth Ruth

It's hard to find useful things to write about artists whose careers span an interval like that of Mavis Staples. After all, at 73, she's been recording for over thirty years. Her new album is a restrained set of gospel numbers in her signature style. While she does cover a track by Funkadelic (“Can You Get to That?”), and “I Like the Things About Me” listens more like a female Jimi Hendrix is covering it, the tracks are, largely, in an acoustic southern gospel style, and cover the associated thematic territory. Fortunately, Staples is a craftsman and Jeff Tweedy, who produced the album, clearly understands how to show the material in a usefully fresh light. The best part of this album is that it shows restraint—in the ballad “One True Vine,” for example, there are plenty of opportunities to simply take off and run the melody through the stratosphere, but that's not Staples' choice.

Rather, it's grounded, a little raw, and soulful.

Elizabeth Ruth’s Matadora brings to life the sensual and brutal world of Spanish bullfighting, with a gendered twist. The orphaned maidservant Luna capitalizes on guts, ambition, and a heritage that's only slowly revealed to the reader—and to Luna herself—to become El Corazón, Spain's most successful female bullfighter. Set against the backdrop of the bloody Spanish Civil War, Ruth skillfully interweaves the history of the period with the intricate rules of bullfighting to paint a picture of a time and heroine struggling with the contradictions between old and new worlds. Luna's evolving sexuality provides another layer to Ruth's lush description of the era and the bullfighting ring. Like its heroine, Matadora is ambitious, passionate, and intense. And like her heroine, Ruth deftly manipulates her audience, leaving us wondering until the very end exactly who will come out on top in a world where even the most honorable death is a blood sport.

-DMK

-Susan Goldberg

X

X is a collection of original collaborative recordings by artist pairings from the Arts & Crafts roster to commemorate the label’s tenth anniversary. I don't love this album—these nine very different songs from various artists lack the flow of a carefully crafted album or even a mixed tape. Certain tunes are atmospheric and don't quite stand out. Dan Mangan and Amy Millan's “Chances Are,” with its phonograph sound, seems headed in the right direction but doesn't quite get there. And maybe I just like the original too much, because the same goes for Apostle of Hustle and Zeus's cover of New Order's “Bizarre Love Triangle.” The Hidden Cameras and Snowblink's “The Chauffeur” keeps an ‘80s vibe with better results. Talented vocalists Amy Millan, Feist, Hayden, and Jason Collett can do no wrong and their respective offerings don't disappoint. My favourites include “Lady Bird” by Gold & Youth and Trust, and “Lonely Is As Lonely Does” by Hayden and Jason Collett.

-Nancy Saunders

Neil Young is best known as a Canadian singer, songwriter, and guitarist—a top go-to guy for songs about loneliness and broken hearts, or a straight up guitar solo. In the early 60s, he formed part of The Squires, a band that played regular gigs in Fort William. In Waging Heavy Peace, Neil Young's autobiography, Young casually documents a life and career that is as meandering as his wideopen musical style. The book introduces the reader to a “shakey” evolution from a moody, joyful, and youthful songwriter into “Uncle Neil”—a more introspective, reflective, and somewhat haunted soul. In his narrative, Young shifts from the past to present and from career to personal experiences while intermingling his current work establishing high quality digital music, electric car companies, and many environmental and political interests. In all it is the conversational style of the book that differentiates this from the many other Neil Young biographies and makes it well worth the read.

-Stephen Hurrell

Your

Arts and Crafts

Waging Heavy Peace

perfect night starts now.

kegsteakhouse.com

735 Hewitson Street (807) 623-1960 The Walleye

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Architecture Food

Outdoor Music Festivals Fun by Design

Story and Drawing by Andy Puiatti

Theoretical site plan of the festival area at Marina Park.

O

utdoor music festivals carry a power distinctly unique to events of their kind. They are capable of transforming a city, bringing an energy and vibrancy, uniting personalities and demographics, and bringing together musicians from all over. The Thunder Bay Blues Festival is a great example of how a festival can bring a city to life.

Performer Taj Mahal, who played at the festival in 2010, prefers outdoor performances, saying in a 2006 interview with the Georgia Straight: “The music was designed for people to move, and it’s a bit difficult after a while to have people

sitting like they’re watching television.

That’s why I like to play outdoor festivals—because people will just dance.”

He is hinting at a key to music-festival design: the concept of movement.

Movement must permeate through venues, allowing artist and audience to feed upon each other. But it must be thoughtfully planned. And although the Marina Park festival site has improved immensely, there are still some simple design changes that can boost its evergrowing success.

Providing areas for people to sit, lie, or dance—perhaps alongside/adjacent to

2013 Events Lake Super ior’s Playground

FREE WIFI INTERNET ACCESS IN THE DOWNTOWN

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Schedule

• Lake Superior Day – July 21 • Drag Fest – Aug 2-4 • Lighthouse Street Festival – Aug 23 • Canuck Amusements Midway – Aug 30-Sept 1 • Fall Crafts Fair – Sept 8

www.terracebay.ca

the lawn chairs near the stage—would allow ample space for people to express how the music speaks to them. Properly grading the site and slightly raising the stage could create more of an amphitheater, ideal for views and acoustics.

Building a permanent roof structure over the stage and speakers would aid in the lighting requirements for some of the larger acts that are beginning to join the lineup, while at the same time protecting performers and their equipment. More trees in locations where they would not obstruct views would provide additional shade for those hot summer days.

Terrace Bay is a Short Drive Away from Area Provincial Parks • 45 minutes from Neys • 25 minutes from Rainbow Falls Tourist Information Centre • Open Daily • Located on the Hwy. 1-807-825-3315

tourism@terracebay.ca

These are just a few design solutions that could promote the festivals at Marina Park. Any change requires an investment that would need to be carefully weighed.

The strength in careful planning is that it can offer solutions that satisfy the needs of more than just one of the waterfront events. Marina Park’s ability to evolve for its mixed functions will be essential to its longevity.

Andy Puiatti is an intern architect with Brook McIlroy, a member of the Northwestern Ontario Society of Architects.

Find them online at nwosa.com.

Aguasabon Falls Beaches Boating Fishing Golfing Hiking Kayaking Lighthouse Shopping Slate Islands

Old-time Melodrama Returns!!!

Rob MacLeod’s Capitol Players In partnership with

The City of Thunder Bay &

The Friends of Chippewa Park Present

A New Moon Production

THE MOOSE MEAT

COOK-OFF

By T.T.Lucky

Directed by Lawrence Badanai

At the Chippewa Park Pavilion!

Thursdays: July 4, 11, 18, & August 1 7:00 p.m.

Sundays: July 7, 21, 28 4:00 p.m.

Mondays: July 8, 15, 22, 29 7:00 p.m.

Tickets at the door: Adults/Teens - $8.00 65 & over/12 & under - $5.00 5 & under - Free WWW.TBAYMELODRAMA.COM

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Health

Adult wood tick (brown legs)

Training Beats

How Music can Influence Exercise

By Paul Hemsworth

S

ome people prefer Jay Z. Others would rather have Lady Gaga. And some choose a smooth composition from Beethoven. Whatever your musical taste, most people can agree that music can be great motivation for working out. In the last 10 years, research has exploded in this area and has given us some insight on whether or not music helps us train harder, and also what types of songs work best for different activities.

It appears that the beat of a song plays a substantial role in determining your perception of exertion during exercise. According to most research, the magic number seems to be between 120-145 beats per minute (bpm). Faster tempos do not lessen perceived exertion any further. In addition, the right music also seems to distract people from pain or fatigue.

The tempo may also cause a synchronized effect between the music and the exercise, which can increase efficiency in activities such as running. For weight

Deer tick female

training, music has a larger effect prior to starting exercise and between sets, and is like “taking a mild stimulant,” according to Dr. David Priest a researcher out of England.

So, music appears to increase motivation, reduce perceived exertion, distract you from pain, and is an effective performance enhancer. Sounds like a magic drug!

Personally, I think that music is great when paired with exercise; however, I still believe there is a need to unplug during exercise to experience the sounds that nature has to offer, and also get tuned into your body. Sometimes it is good to feel discomfort and fatigue; it allows you to feel a sense of accomplishment.

However, as The Beatles sang, sometimes it’s easier to “get by with a little help from [our] friends.”

Paul Hemsworth is a strength & wellness coach and owns Hemsworth Strength & Wellness. You can contact Paul at 777-1717 or paul.hemsworth83@gmail.com. hemsworthstrength.com

Don’t Get Ticked!

By Robin Cooper

I

f you are active outdoors, you may have noticed an increase in the number of ticks in the Thunder Bay district. Most are harmless wood ticks, but more deer ticks are being identified each year. Deer ticks have the potential to carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Although the risk of Lyme disease is low, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself and your family to reduce your risk of a tick bite.

■ Avoid places with long grasses and stay in the centre of the trail.

■ Wear light-coloured clothing so it’s easier to find ticks.

■ Cover as much skin as possible. Wear long sleeves and tuck

pants into socks.

■ Use insect repellent with DEET on uncovered skin and clothing.

Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

■ Check everyone, especially your pet, from head to toe before

you go indoors.

■ Wash clothing in hot water and dry on the hottest setting to

kill any ticks you may have missed.

Thunder Bay 622-8235 Longlac 807-876-2271

Every One Matters

Armstrong 807-583-1145

Mobile Health Services 807-626-8474 Toll Free 1-866-357-5454

If you do find a tick, follow these steps to remove it safely: ■ Do not burn, squeeze, or smother.

■ Use tweezers to grab tick by the head and pull straight out.

■ Wash the bite with soap and water and then disinfect with

rubbing alcohol.

■ Bring the tick to the Health Unit for identification

(999 Balmoral Street).

Armstrong • Longlac • Thunder Bay • www.norwestchc.org

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Find us on Facebook

For more information, call a public health inspector at 625-8318 or visit tbdhu.com/id and download a “Ticks and Lyme Disease” brochure.

The Walleye

45

LIVINGGREEN

The Plight of the Honey Bee

Thunder Bay No Longer Mite-Free

Zack Durnford

By Tiffany Jarva

W

hen I met with local beekeeper Barry Tabor two years ago, Thunder Bay was one of the last places in the world that could boast having mite-free honeybees. Sadly, that’s no longer the case.

“We have the varroa mite now. We think someone, who probably didn’t know we were mite-free, brought it in from outside of Thunder Bay,” says Tabor. According to Tabor, the Slate River Valley has been hit the hardest, with some beekeepers losing up to 50% of their colonies. The varroa mite is an external parasitic mite and possibly the main cause of Colony Collapse Disorder (when worker bees desert their hive and queen).

So far, Tabor’s colonies, just off

Lakeshore Drive and in Armstrong, have been spared, but he is quick to say that it’s not a matter of if, but when he and all other apiaries in the region will have to deal with the mite. The varroa mite weakens the immune system of the colony— think of the bees as having colds, explains Tabor—making it difficult to fight off other diseases. And yes, the mite-infested colonies can be chemically treated, says Tabor, but can “never, ever be treated when the honey is on.”

For the time being, Tabor’s mite-free queens and nucleus (starter) colonies are in high demand. Tabor slides out frames from the colonies, looking for the queen to put in a nucleus

MEMORIAL

package for a client tomorrow. He points out how the eggs are hatching. My son Beckham and I eagerly watch as a baby bee emerges from one of the eggs, and then another and another. “I see three!” Beckham exclaims. The weather is shifting from warm and sunny to cool with the threat of rain, so with that in mind and with the bees being “a little more aggressive than normal,” Tabor opts to put together the “nuc” package after we leave.

At the height of honey season, Tabor has about 3.6 million honey bees (80,000 bees x 45 colonies). He sells most of his honey at farm gate and it is also available at George’s Market, Bonobos, and Maltese.

Save $100.00 on the “Dock in a Box” 4'' x 8'' Stationary Dock Hardware Kit

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(upper level Dove building)

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Paolo Costa Baldi

Saturday 8am - 1pm custom designing for all occassions

Connecting With Nature Through Monarch Butterflies

By Pat Forrest

T

hought by many to be the most beautiful of all butterflies, Monarchs embark each fall on an incredible journey. As the weather turns cooler, Monarchs from Canada and the U.S. begin a 3,000-4,000 kilometre migration to overwintering sites in Mexico and California. In the spring, they turn around and do it all again, each generation moving further north.

I’ve often thought that we humans have a lot to learn from these colourful

creatures, and there are others who agree. The Monarch Teacher Network of Canada offers a seminar series, entitled Teaching and Learning with Monarch Butterflies, and one such seminar is going to be offered here in Thunder Bay for the first time from August 22–23. Hosted by the Little Lions Waldorf Daycare and held at the Forestry Lab at Lakehead University, the workshop will include hands-on experience in raising Monarchs, a field

trip, tagging, and more. Open to everyone, the cost is $95.

Little Lions Waldorf Administrative Officer Marilyn Grudniski said that the centre is hosting the event to help people to connect children with nature through the creation of butterfly gardens in schools and daycares, as well as to cast light on a species that is facing threats.

For more information and to register visit monarchteacher.ca.

Considering a private high school for your son or daughter this fall?

Consider a school close to home,

Quetico College School Two hours from Thunder Bay, near Atikokan.

Full Academic Program Grades 9 to 12 University Preparation

www.queticocollegeschool.ca 807-598-1600 | 1-800-753-1747 Passion, Dedication and Excellence for Life

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LIVINGGREEN featuring the Norwegian tall ship Sorlandet!

Q&A EcoSuperior

July 21, 2013, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Pool 6 Cruise Ship Dock, Marina Park www.lakesuperiorday.com

Recycled musical instruments for kids​

By Ellen Mortfield looking for some eco-friendly Q I’m rainy day activities for the kids this summer—any suggestions?

who has had the chance to spend A Anyone time with children knows that there is one thing that every child loves to do, and that is MAKE NOISE! That’s why turning discarded household items into musical instruments is a great activity for a summer day when there’s not much to do. Not only is this a great way to keep the kids busy and spend time as a family, but studies show that stimulating the imagination in new ways with music can help develop areas of the brain for later academic tasks such as reading and math (but you don’t need to tell them that).

A good place to start looking for inspiration is in your recycling bin. Items such as tissue boxes, tin cans, and paper towel rolls are as good as gold when making your own instruments. A few ideas for instruments include: Tissue box guitar - One of the cornerstones of a recycled material orchestra.

All you need is a box (tissue, shoe, or cereal boxes work well), a paper towel roll, a few elastic bands, pencils, and tape (see picture).

Rain stick - Bring the outdoors inside by filling a paper towel (as shown in photo) or toilet paper roll, or stack tin cans with items like sticks or toothpicks, pop can tabs, dried rice or beans. Then seal both ends and listen to the sounds that are made as the materials tumble from end to end.

Tom-tom - Instead of letting them have free reign over the pots and pans with wooden spoons, allow them to see how many different drum sounds they can make by stretching different materials (think balloons, plastic, fabric) over the end of a tin can to make a variety of tom tom drums.

Tambourine - Place two pie plates together edge to edge, fill with pebbles, beans, beads, etc, attach a few streamers and voila, a tambourine.

All this noise too much for you? EcoSuperior is offering week long Summer Day Camp programs where making instruments will be one of many eco-themed activities.

Children aged 6-10 are sure to enjoy many structured outdoor learning opportunities, disguised as creative games and crafts. Each week offers a different theme—Webs, Wings & Crawly Things, Animal Adventures, Plant Paradise. ecosuperior.org/camp

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LIVINGGREEN

Gardening 411

Stay 2 Nights, Save 2 Ways 20

Gift Card

OUNGE STEAKL

&

15

% OFF OUR RACK ROOM RATE

Andrea Stach

$

Stay 2 or more nights between Thursday and Sunday and receive a $20 Gift Card to use in our Timbers or Runway 25 Steaklounge Restaurants and 15% off our rack room rate.

After enjoying our great outdoors, it’s good to relax at Thunder Bay’s Largest Full Service hotel.

Valid with rack rate only and bookings made for stays between May 30th and Sept 1, 2013 Thursday thru Sunday.

Based on availability and advanced reservations. Not valid with any other discounts.

1 Valhalla Inn Road • For Reservations Call 577-1121 • Quote Rate Code: SAVE

Seedling Failure, Shopping Success Story by Tara George

T

his month I’m starting with an admission—my home grown tomato seedlings are just not making the grade. An unfortunate combination of procrastination and substandard indoor growing conditions has led me to believe that at this rate, I’ll be serving my tomatoes at Christmas dinner. However, one of the wonderful things about gardening is there are experts out there who have their finger on the pulse, and when faced with failure, you can turn to them and walk away with everything you need to make it look like you know what you’re doing. And so, this is how I found myself to be browsing the garden centre at Belluz Farms.

As much as I enjoy wandering up and down the vast rows of green, I can’t help but feel a little bit intimidated when it comes to selecting my plants.

Which variety do I get? Do I pick the one with the most leaves? Should I buy the flowering plant? Fortunately for me and a fellow gardening friend, Millie (gardener support extraordinaire) was assigned to our case. She talked us

through each herb, fruit, and vegetable that caught our eye, giving us tips on how to plant, maintain, and harvest.

My mentor Kevin Belluz also provided some useful shopping advice, telling me to “select a plant that looks healthy, but not too overgrown or big.” He warned that older plants can get too “soft” from the comforts of the greenhouse and may be more shocked when transplanted (think small root system supporting many bigger leaves that transpire and act as sails in the wind).

I’ll admit to being a sucker for marketing, and if a seed package is pretty, I’ll buy it. However, this year I decided to take a more defensible approach to seed selection. My strategy involved paying attention to information on the length of growing season (60-75 days is best for us), learning the pros and cons of heirloom versus hybrid seeds, and starting to document what seeds work best in my garden soil. The latter will be a trial and error process, but if it results in a bountiful harvest, sign me up!

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EVENTS GUIDE KEY GENERAL FOOD ART SPORTS MUSIC

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Brought to you by:

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theWall

132 Cumming St. Thunder Bay 807-622-9627

Thurs., Fri., Sat. Darren McChristie

11am-5pm

New items arriving daily

Beyond Genres Outdoor Music Festivals

By Michelle McChristie

I

love outdoor music festivals. I love the eclectic collection of performers and fans, the thrill of discovering new artists, and the carefree feeling that comes with masses of people unified through music. My introduction to music festivals came through Another Roadside Attraction, which was held at Big Thunder in 1993. The lineup included Hothouse Flowers, Daniel Lanois, and Midnight Oil, and was headlined by The Tragically Hip. Although the details are a little foggy, I had a blast and will never forget the sight of Peter Garrett singing “Beds are Burning.” A few years later, I crammed into a car with my friends to experience the Winnipeg Folk Festival, where I learned that Los Lobos has a lot more depth than what I had heard in “La Bamba”—I was in awe during their set, which ended with a stellar cover of Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl.”

Since having children, my husband and I have introduced them to the Montreal Jazz Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, Big Top Chautauqua, the Winnipeg Folk Festival, Thunder Bay Blues Festival, and Superior Youth Festival, and they’ve yet to miss a Live from the Rock Folk Festival in Red Rock. We go to festivals whether we are familiar with the lineup or not because we know there will be hidden gems that, once discovered, will become new favourites. When they were babies and toddlers they fell asleep in their strollers during main stage performances and as they have grown older they’ve come to appreciate a wide range of music, regardless of the genre (because that word is not part of their vocabulary).

I’ve heard people say that they don’t go to this festival or that festival because they don’t like “that kind of music.” But what people are missing is that all festivals— particularly those with a blues, jazz and folk descriptor—book an incredible diversity of acts that is much broader than the genre mentioned in the festival’s name. A folk festival isn’t full of hippies, nor is a jazz festival full of hepcats, because any outdoor festival is bound to attract music-lovers of all ages and interests. Go for the music and stay for the atmosphere.

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Darren McChristie

theEYE - Cooling off at the splash pad, Prince Arthur's Landing

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The Walleye

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