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Help Spay Neuter Idaho Pets fight black dog discrimination at a parade on Saturday, Nov. 28. ’Tis the season.
FRIDAY NOV. 27 noise THE SWELL SEASON When scruffy, redheaded Irishman Glen Hansard first harmonized with the frail, wispy-haired Czech pianist Marketa Irglova in 2007’s Once, it was obvious these two weren’t merely a movie band. Glancing at each other with soft, encouraging smiles, they belted out: “Take this sinking boat and point it home / We’ve still got time.” As it turns out, the two had already recorded their debut album The Swell Season in 2006, more than a year before the low-budget, filmed-in-three-weeks Once raked in $20 million at box offices worldwide. After landing best original song at the Oscars for “Falling Slowly” and subsequently falling quickly for each other, the two started touring as The Swell Season. For the pair’s second album Strict Joy, they invited producer Peter Katis (The National, Fanfarlo, Interpol) to add his layered touches. The album is at once hushed and lush, aching with an underlying sadness that most likely stems from the pair’s breakup. In an interview with The A.V. Club, Hansard describes that sadness as oddly joyful for audiences. “It’s an interesting idea, when you think of the guy with the blues guitar in the bar, who’s singing ‘I’ve got
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Think you can scarf more turkey than a lion? Find out at Zoo Boise.
doggie racism
FRIDAY NOV. 27
BLACK DOG LOVERS UNITE
anthropomorphism THANKSGIVING DAY THE ANIMAL WAY Remember the post-Thanksgiving there’s-a-monster-ofa-meal-bloating-my-stomach feeling from last year? You’re kinda sleepy, sorta happy and all-around content? This year, Zoo Boise wants to share that feeling with all of their furr y and feathered friends. For the first time since opening, Zoo Boise is bringing Thanksgiving to the animals. Leopards and hyenas will tear into some turkey; bears and monkeys will dip their collective paws into some homemade pie; and pumpkins will be given to ever y penguin and porcupine. Sound weird? According to Liz Littman, Zoo Boise’s director of development and communication, that’s the point. By thinking outside the box, Littman said that the Black Friday Fest will offer an entertaining destination to those burned out on shopping. The idea was borrowed from a Texas zoo from which one of Zoo Boise’s new veterinarians came. Littman believes it’s only fair that the animals get to enjoy the same tasty treats we do. “We thought that since we got such a good meal, they should get one, too,” said Littman. Feeding schedules for the animals will be staggered for the event, allowing zoo-goers a chance to see all their favorites devour their treats. “There’s no guarantee what will happen, but I imagine most of the animals will tear right in,” said Littman. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., $6.50 adults (12-61), $4 seniors (62+), $3.75 children (4-11), FREE children (3 and younger), Zoo Boise, 355 Julia Davis Dr., 208-384-4260, zooboise.org.
no girl, I don’t know where I’m going to sleep tonight, I’ve lost my job.’ … There’s something transforming in the idea that you sing about your sadness, and yet there’s actually some joy that comes out of that, you know?” Boise audiences can experience that sad joy on Fri-
| NOVEMBER 25 – DECEMBER 1, 2009 | BOISEweekly
SATURDAY NOV. 28
day, Nov. 27, when Hansard, Irglova and members of the Frames take over the stage at the Egyptian Theatre. With Rachael Yamagata, Friday, Nov. 27, 8 p.m., $36 adv., $39 door, The Egyptian Theatre, 700 W. Main St., 208-345-0454, brownpapertickets.com.
Though President Barack Obama taking office has made this a symbolic year, there is still one marginalized group that faces constant discrimination—black dogs. That’s right, we’re talking doggie racism. As more and more dogs and cats fill the nation’s pounds and animal shelters, black animals continue to be the most consistently euthanized bunch. Often overlooked in lieu of their lighter-haired brethren, it is believed that many people view black animals as mean or dangerous. Jerks. This holiday season, Spay Neuter Idaho Pets Inc. will host a holiday parade exclusively for black dogs as a way to raise awareness for Black Dog Syndrome. SNIP hopes to break this stereotype at the parade, as participants congregate and witness hundreds of the happiest, goofiest black dogs scampering around. Participants are invited to bring their friends, families and black four-legged furballs to help dispel the myth that black dogs are any different from other pups. The parade route begins at University and Capitol, heads north toward the Capitol building, west to Ninth Street and south to University Drive. Those who don’t own a dog but still want to participate, you’re in luck. Local shelters will have several shelter dogs on hand that would appreciate an early morning mosey. Camp Bow Wow, H3 Pet Foods and Bandanna Running and Walking will sponsor the event, the last of which will be providing bandannas for all participating pooches. So if you know a dark-haired doggie looking for a good holiday hike, help SNIP promote awareness by attending their holiday parade. 7:30 a.m. for walkers, 9:30 a.m. parade, FREE for viewers, $10 suggested donation for walkers, University Drive and Capitol Blvd., 208-968-1338, snipidaho.org.
FRIDAY NOV. 27 soup BOWL-ING FOR SOUP After a full morning of stampeding crowds and wallet-draining Black Friday gift-hunting, the Idaho Foodbank invites you down to the Grove for a soul-replenishing bowl of soup. The Empty Bowls fundraiser, now in its 12th year, collects handmade bowl donations from artists throughout the community then charges chowder hounds and bisque buffs $10 for a hearty ladle
of gourmet soup from a local restaurant. Last year, Empty Bowls sold out of its 2,392 bowls before the event was slated to end, raising a staggering $22,573.75 for the Idaho Foodbank. This year, bowl donations are still pouring in, with the largest numbers coming from paint-your-ownpotter y studios Ceramica and Artist for a Day. “That’s where people go and paint their own stuff, and then both of those studios are great enough to glaze and fire and collect all the bowls, and then they bring them to us in big chunks of like 300,” said Idaho Foodbank
events coordinator Shauna Stonehocker. Local restaurants including Asiago’s, Emilio’s, Highlands Hollow, Leku Ona, Bar Gernika and Cafe Vicino, among others, are all donating pots of soup for the event, which runs Friday, Nov. 27, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., or however long supplies last. “Chandlers is doing Idaho corn chowder … we have ever ything from miso soup from Mai Thai to chicken tortilla from Cafe Ole,” said Stonehocker. “We have a little bit of ever ything, and it just filters through throughout the day. Once the pot’s gone, we just move onto the WWW. B O I S E WE E KLY. C O M