UVic students create bluegrass sensation by WILL JOHNSON Who: The Sirens Where: Solstice Café When: Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m. How much: $5 When The Sirens played their first bluegrass show at the Backpacker’s Inn in December, they were surprised to find the venue crowded out the door. The trio of UVic students, who have been playing together for less than a year, are already becoming well-known in the Victoria bluegrass scene. “We’ve been getting a really good response from our friends. We thought we’d try a bigger venue,” said mandolin player Lisa Feeney. The trio first started performing at Swans Brewpub, along with friends and fellow musicians like James Whittall, Oliver Swain and Colin Boland. They were inspired by local bands Ain’t Dead Yet, Four Chords of Wood and The Sweet Lowdown. As The Sirens gained confidence with their instruments, they decided to start playing shows on their own. “We just wanted to play with our friends and have fun with it,” said guitar player Jamie Elliot. Their upcoming show at the Solstice Café marks the first time the girls will be headlining their own show, playing alongside The Sailors. The Sailors and The Sirens will also be performing together, creating The Meares Street Family Band. “I’ve been meaning to be a musician my whole life,” said Caroline Tanner Venters, who plays the banjo.
January 14, 2010
WILL JOHNSON
UVic students Caroline Tanner Venters (left), Lisa Feeney and Jamie Elliot are the bluegrass trio The Sirens.
Tanner Venters said the opportunity to perform alongside her friends has been an amazing experience, as she juggles school and raising a family. The three classify their sound as “ho-down” music. Often singing in three-part harmony, Tanner Venters calls their song choices “pretty” and “easy to dance to.” With titles like “Railroad Bill,” “Mole in the Ground,” “Skillet
Good n’ Greasy” and “Been All Around This World,” this isn’t the typical music played in Downtown Victoria’s club scene. “It’s not like the music they play at clubs,” said Elliot, who added that she’s excited to introduce traditional tunes to a new audience. Ultimately, the three would like to tour. They dream of performing at The Leaf, a bluegrass festival in North Carolina.
B.C. director shines light by BROOKE BRASSARD Who: Velcrow Ripper What: Screening of Fierce Light Where: David Lam Auditorium When: 4:30 p.m., Jan. 19 Are you ready to see a film that will inspire you and provoke discussion about the nature of faith and activism? Velcrow Ripper, a B.C. documentary filmmaker, is coming to UVic to discuss his new film, Fierce Light: When Spirit Meets Action, on Tuesday, Jan. 19. Ripper is well known for his direction of Scared Sacred and sound work in The Corporation, but his newest efforts take interviews with prominent activists, celebrities, authors and spiritual leaders and explores historical events and current protests from around the globe. The film explores the relationship between spirituality and activism. In Fierce Light, which is filmed in a similar style to UVic’s The Anything Project (anythingproject. uvic.ca), Ripper interviews individuals one-on-one about their own passionate causes and issues and how spirituality affects their ultimate motivation and efforts. For instance, Buddhist peace activist and monk Thich Nhat Hanh leads others to remember the victims of the Vietnam War, while Darryl Hannah fights for an innercity farm in South Central L.A.
Through a barbed wire fence the night before her arrest, Hannah explains her reasons for not backing down even though police involvement was inevitable. This interview is only one of many where we catch a glimpse of the “light” fueling this type of action. Another interview and interesting experience captured by Ripper is the annual protest at Fort Benning, a U.S. military base in Georgia. Protesters allege human rights abuse and war crimes have been committed by graduates of the School of the Americas. In another part of town, Ripper interviews those participating in a celebration of the military. In one interview, Ripper asks the meaning of “spiritual activism” and receives this response: “Any kind of work for peace.” This is followed by a scene of a child holding a real sword to the neck of a man in a stereotypical Arabian costume while other children play with machine guns. All of this is in celebration of the fun of military and war, while across town protesters hold a candlelight vigil for the lives ruined by the same military. The screening was sponsored by the UVic Interfaith Chaplains Service, and will start with a keynote address by Ripper. For an engaging glimpse into the world of spirituality and activism, make sure you don’t miss it.
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