FREE (SNOW IN YOUR BOOTS)
#950 / JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014 VUEWEEKLY.COM
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SNOW MUCH FUN!
Check out The Big Bear on January 10, where you can watch pros stomp out tricks on custom designed ramps and rails, all to the beats of a live DJ. Tickets are only $10 and the party goes from 6 to 9.
2 UP FRONT
Celebrate winter with SnowDays, a month-long festival jam-packed with events and activities that celebrate Banff ’s historic love for winter. Enjoy skiing, ice climbing, skating, geocaching, cultural activities and more! This year, SnowDays is even bigger.
On January 11, join CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos as he hosts the send-off party for Canada’s Olympic athletes during the Molson Canadian Block Party presented by Hilton HHonors.
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
During the Travelers All-Star Curling Skins Game on January 11 and 12, 16 of Canada’s top men’s curlers will compete for $100,000 in prize money during TSN’s annual skins game held at Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre.
BanffLakeLouise.com/SnowDays
ISSUE: 950 JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014 COVER ILLUSTRATION: CHARLIE BIDDISCOMBE
LISTINGS
ARTS / 13 FILM / 26 MUSIC / 31 EVENTS / 33 ADULT / 34 CLASSIFIED/ 36
FRONT
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"Ranting and swearing about someone, saying he'll 'rip out his fuckin' throat.'"
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"Edmonton, often seen as a bit of a cultural hinterland, is inordinately blessed with great places to eat."
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"He liked how the giant mouse got stabbed."
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"This character/milieu doublestudy is immaculately crafted, brutish, sad, inventive and very funny."
MUSIC
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"Lock yourself in your room and get ready to bawl your eyes out."
SNOW ZONE
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EDUCATION
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MUSIC EDITOR EDEN MUNRO .................................................................................................. eden@vueweekly.com DISH EDITOR / STAFF WRITER MEAGHAN BAXTER ................................................................................. meaghan@vueweekly.com LISTINGS GLENYS SWITZER ....................................................................................... listings@vueweekly.com PRODUCTION MANAGER CHARLIE BIDDISCOMBE .............................................................................charlie@vueweekly.com PRODUCTION SHAWNA IWANIUK ..................................................................................... shawna@vueweekly.com GENERAL MANAGER/ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE ANDY COOKSON ...................................................................................... acookson@vueweekly.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE JAMES JARVIS ................................................................................................... jjarvis@vueweekly.com ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE DALE CORY ....................................................................................................... ...dale@vueweekly.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER MICHAEL GARTH ..........................................................................................michael@vueweekly.com
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
UP FRONT 3
FRONT VUEPOINT
RYAN BROMSGROVE RYAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Riled up zombies In a leaked National Security Agency PowerPoint presentation, the contempt for average people—zombies, as it describes them—oozes like the creeping, smiling puss from a festering plague sore laughingly settling on the body of its begging victim. I normally dislike 1984 comparisons, but when the NSA itself gleefully likens its surveillance of iPhones to Apple’s 1984-inspired Superbowl ad depicted in the year 1984, that clichéd line about the book not being an instruction manual should, rather than cue a groan, rip from the mind of any thinking person the assumption that our governments are trustworthy. The Wikipedia page summarizing Edward Snowden’s leaks currently sits at almost 8000 words with nearly 300 citations. The documents— the majority unreleased—are claimed to number 1.5 million. Suffice to say, space forbids covering a meaningful fraction here, but the trend is that if they have the power to collect something, they probably will—and if there’s a law against it, they’ll probably break it or use international partnerships to skirt it. And the US isn’t alone in spying on its own or foreign citizens. Canada’s knee-deep in the corpse of privacy, too.
Unsurprisingly, Stephen Harper is not outraged on our behalf that using electronic communications means we’re being watched—domestically or internationally. Unsurprisingly, Stephen Harper, who loves to gush on behalf of all Canadians about dead politicians as opposite as Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela, is not outraged on our behalf that using electronic communications means we’re being watched—domestically or internationally. But you can’t only blame him, just like you can’t only blame Obama: this is not new, with at least the intention, if not the power, predating our current flavours of government. Facing this vast, all-encompassing international surveillance of ordinary people, it seems horribly quaint and worthless to recommend writing your MP a letter requesting they help kill the spying. But still, enough people demanding change will theoretically move the most spineless of politicians to try rather than risk electoral defeat. We can’t count on their leadership and integrity, so the next best thing is making the right thing the safer thing. Failing coaxing these critters toward respecting people’s business, the next federal election is in 2015, which means people will be putting themselves up for party nominations this year—some already have. If the privacy of you and your fellow human beings means anything, demand that those who condone mass surveillance are cut. And if you fail, or are fed a hefty dump of non-committal political speak feigning concern, look beyond the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP. Those parties have no more right to this country just because they represent degrees of the status quo than anybody else—look for smaller parties with candidates who stand for something more. And if those aren’t enough, put yourself forward. Whatever you do this year, and whatever it is, if you see something you don’t like, do something. Say something. You’ll probably fail when you take on the crushing, political-industrial machine and apathetic carelessness of the public that accepts rather than challenges. But at least you’ll have tried, and regretting a failure is volumes more noble than having done nothing. If you—we—don’t succeed, that still has to count for something. V
4 UP FRONT
NEWS EDITOR : REBECCA MEDEL REBECCA@VUEWEEKLY.COM
NEWS // YEAR IN REVIEW
2013's slithering political snake
Harper, Cheney, Obama and Ford—the things they did that left us all floored
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lowing smoke. Clouding the issue. Passing the buck. Such idioms of serpentine slinking away in the grass from a burning controversy—evasion through diversion, deflection and denial—seem intimately associated with politicians, but rarely more so than this year. In just one week in late October, three extraordinary scandals—the beyond-1984 National Security Agency's electronic surveillance-network, exposed by Edward Snowden; the Senate expenses scandal; the 416 crack-video—were dealt with by the US President, our Prime Minister and Toronto's mayor sidestepping into more and more shit.
"Um, I'll call you back ... " "These decisions are made at [the] NSA ... the president doesn't sign off on this stuff,"" said an anonymous senior US official to The Wall Street Journal, October 28, 2013, after German paper Der Spiegel revealed current German chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone had been bugged by the NSA since 2002. The Journal article also noted, "Officials said the NSA has so many eavesdropping operations under way that it wouldn't have been practical to brief [Obama] on all of them." (And the NSA's metadata-collecting is so voluminous that the agency's been tracking, as just two examples, 60-million phone calls in Spain a month and nearly five billion cellphone calls a day worldwide.) But ignorance, in the face of overwhelming secret-surveillance, is a scary national defence. If the president can't practically rein in or isn't being allowed to rein in the NSA—can't watch the watchers—who will or who can? It's chillingly reminiscent of the scene in nuclear-war black-comedy Dr Strangelove, where the president asks about "Plan R" and a top general says, "You approved it, sir, you must remember ... " So far, despite calls to harness the NSA and limit their data-tracking and datacollecting powers, nothing has even been seen to have been done.
Senators? In Ottawa? You mean the hockey team boys' club of right-wingers? "How many members of the NDP are aware that [their] party leader not only claims expenses for court cases he loses, but also expects his political party to actually pay for him the damages imposed by a court of law?" said Stephen Harper on October 30, 2013, raising an 11-year-old event, when Thomas Mulcair was an MLA for the Quebec Liberals. Harper raised this old news two days after Mike Duffy had declared in the Senate that Harper's chief-of-staff Nigel Wright had arranged two cheques for him, to repay expenses and for legal bills, and that the PM's Office had coached him on a story to tell about them. Harper had already prorogued Parliament for the third time in less than five years, a move many critics claimed was made to ensure the growing Senate scandal blew over. The result? Three senators suspended, even as one of them, Duffy, handed over his chain of email correspondence to the RCMP, who weeks later disclosed that the e-correspondence showed Wright's complicity, but no conclusive evidence of the PM's knowledge; Harper kept his head, barely, above the fray. Fjording the chasm of a cracking mayor's career "I have no reason to resign," said Toronto Mayor Rob Ford on October 31, 2013, after the news that Toronto Police Services recovered the long-rumoured and long-reported video of Ford smoking crack. Some city councillors immediately called for Ford to step down while the air cleared. Ford admitted he "made mistakes" (including being caught by police surveillance cameras as he urinated
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
curbside in broad daylight? Or getting wasted in city hall one St Patrick's Day?) and that he had taken crack while "in a drunken stupor." But he denied addiction-problems and refused to resign, even after another video surfaced of him ranting and swearing about someone, saying he'll "rip out his fuckin' throat." And even after he made crude comments about cunnilingus or declared he'd sue a waiter who said he saw him doing lines of coke in a restaurant or when he became a laughing-stock on American late-night shows, Toronto Council found it couldn't force him to step down. A political deathspiral became more and more of a clowncar stuck doing donuts in Nathan Phillips Square. Ford had already committed actual political sins while in office: soliciting lobbyists' money on city letterhead for his private charity and voting on council to drop an investigation into the matter; proposing that watchdog agencies be eliminated soon after he was being investigated for misconduct; the list goes on. Shocking acceptance speech from the biggest Dick of all Meanwhile, with two shocking acceptances of harsh realities, Dick Cheney proved to be 2013's winner of politics' Least-In-ExtremeDenial award. In his first interview since a heart transplant, the former American VP, a survivor of five cardiac arrests (perhaps proving that Death has a sense of humour, though it remains unclear whom the joke's on—Cheney or the rest of us), declared in a late October interview with ABC that his Republican party, in picking Sarah Palin for VP in 2008, made "a mistake." Even more amazing? The heart—an organ metaphorically known for its compassion and love— somehow never rejected its recipient. So far, medical authorities have not revealed who, or what, the heart was transplanted from. BRIAN GIBSON
BRIAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
QUEERMONTON
ASHLEY DRYBURGH // ASHLEY@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Exposure says goodbye Unique to Edmonton queer festival closes its doors We ring in the New Year with some sad news: Exposure, Edmonton's queer arts and culture festival, is shutting down. Full disclosure: I am a board member and while I usually don't use this column to discuss activities I am involved with, I am making an exception this time. Below, you'll find the statement from the board explaining our decision; you'll also find it on our website and Facebook page soon. Before I turn to the announcement, I want to reflect briefly on what Exposure means to me. I knew about Exposure before I moved to Edmonton: I was working for a queer organization in Hamilton and it seemed impossible to us that this creative and wholly-original festival was happening in Alberta of all places. Impossible, yes, but also inspirational: if Edmonton, not exactly known as a queer
DYERSTRAIGHT
mecca, could create something like Exposure why couldn't Hamilton, or any other place that isn't Toronto, Montréal or Vancouver? I became involved with the organi-
the year. We partnered with some amazing events: Crip Tease, What I Love About Being Queer, the Born This Way: Two Spirit Voices conference and others. Exposure was not
While we were trying to figure out how to get more people excited about Exposure and bring back a festival, a whole host of queer cultural events were sprouting up all around us. zation in 2012. The 2011 festival had faced a number of challenges, evidenced by the fact there were only two other board members when I started, and the organization was undergoing a process of renewal. If you're a fan of Exposure, you might recall that we did not host a festival in 2012 or 2013; instead, we took time to regroup and experimented with hosting events throughout
responsible for instigating any of these events; we just lent a hand and helped where we could. However, an odd disconnect began to form: while we as an organization were trying to figure out how to get more people excited about Exposure and bring back a festival, a whole host of queer cultural events were sprouting up all around us. So while I am sad that Exposure is
no more, I like to think that perhaps this is partly because it is no longer needed. To me, Exposure will always be more than the sum of its parts; it told the country that queer communities are as strong, political and creative as they have ever been. What better legacy could we ask for? Dear friends, It is with regret that we announce the dissolution of Exposure. The administration of the festival has proven to be too unwieldy and the resources too few, and so we have decided to retire gracefully rather than suffer a protracted decline. We want to thank our founders, particularly Michael Phair, former board members, volunteers, community partners, sponsors and general supporters for making Exposure as successful and exciting as it was. Without you, Exposure would not have existed.
The last five years have been an absolute whirlwind; some of Edmonton's best and brightest queer citizens came together and made an unforgettable festival which makes this announcement all the more poignant. However, nothing lasts forever and we hope that our closing will inspire new energy and momentum in the community. We are confident that Edmonton is a fertile place for the emergence of new queer arts and cultural forms and so hope that individuals who were involved with Exposure in the past as participants or volunteers continue to get involved with the wide array of exciting groups and projects happening in Edmonton as their energy continues to be an invaluable resource in our queer community. Our remaining assets will be donated to the Pride Centre of Edmonton. With much respect, Exposure. V
GWYNNE DYER // GWYNNE@VUEWEEKLY.COM
A look at the world in 2013
Edward Snow
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More than a list of events, deciphering the why's of last year's political decisions
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the mission’s already accomplished”—nobody laughed. Unless you just want a list of events, a year-end piece should be a first draft of history that tries to identify where the flow of events is really taking us. By that standard, Snowden comes first. The former National Security Agency contractor, once an unremarkable man, saw where the combination of new technologies and institutional empire-building was taking us and stepped in front of the juggernaut to stop it. “You recognize that you’re going in Syria // Crea blind ... “ Snowden told the Washtive Common s - Maggie O sama Post. “But when you weigh ington Post It’s always danthat against the alternative, which gerous to declare “mission accom- is not to act, you realize that some plished.” analysis is better than no analysis.” Former US president George W So he fled his country taking a huge Bush did it weeks after he invaded cache of secret documents with him, Iraq, and it will be quoted in history and started a global debate about books a century hence as proof of the acceptability of mass surveillance his arrogance and his ignorance. techniques that the vast majority of British Prime Minister David Cam- people did not even know existed. The bloated American “security” eron did it a couple of weeks ago in Afghanistan and you didn’t know industry and its political and miliwhether to laugh or cry. But when tary allies call him a traitor and claim Edward Snowden said it this week— that “everybody already knew that ”In terms of personal satisfaction, all governments spy,” but that is a
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
shameless distortion of the truth. Almost nobody outside the industry knew the scale and reach of what was going on, nor did the US government and its faithful sidekick, the British government, want them to know. As Snowden, now living in exile in Russia, put it in a Christmas broadcast on Britain’s Channel 4: “A child born today will grow up with no conception of privacy at all. They’ll never know what it means to have a private moment to themselves, an unrecorded, unanalyzed thought.” Unless, that is, the monster of state-run mass surveillance is brought under control. US district court judge Richard Leon called the NSA’s mass surveillance program “almost Orwellian”, and in a 68-page ruling declared that the indiscriminate collection of “metadata” by the government probably violates the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution (relating to unreasonable searches and seizures.) Leon also rejected the spies’ usual defence that their techniques are vital to stop the evil terrorists from killing us all: “The government does not cite a single case in which analysis of the NSA’s bulk metadata collection actuCONTINUED ON PAGE 6 >>
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ally stopped an imminent terrorist attack.” The spooks’ stock response would be that they could have told him, but then they’d have to kill him. The truth is that they snooped on everybody just because they could. It’s called hubris. This is not just an American issue, though the protagonists in the debate that Snowden has unleashed are inevitably American. These techniques are available to every government, or soon will be. The tyrannies will naturally use them to control their citizens, but other countries have a choice. The future health of liberal democratic societies depends on the restrictions we place on these techniques in this decade. “The conversation occurring today will determine the amount of trust we can place both in the technology that surrounds us and the government that regulates it,” Snowden said in his Channel 4 broadcast. “Together we can find a better balance, end mass surveillance and remind the government that if it really wants to know how we feel, asking is always cheaper than spying.” He has paid a high price to give us this opportunity and we should use it.
the men and women who had been the heroes of the 2011 revolution cheered the soldiers on. And now these “useful idiots” are joining Morsi and his supporters in the regime’s jails: the counter-revolution is complete.
a Russian-led customs union instead. So far, so good—but the opposition leaders have also been playing with the idea of using the demonstrations in Kiev as a way of forcing the elected president out of power. That has been done once before, in 2005, when the extra-constitutional action was justified by a rigged election, but there is no such justification this time—and it is unwise to make a habit of changing governments this way in a country that is so evenly
dan between the country’s two biggest ethnic groups, the Dinka and the Nuer. Pogroms have emptied Nuer districts in the capital, and there are tank battles near the oilfields as the army splits on Dinka-Nuer lines. The African Union is stripping troops from its other peacekeeping missions But it gets weirder: in Thailand for to strengthen its force in South Suthe past two months, non-violent dan, but this war could end up with protestors have been explicitly dekilling on a Rwandan scale. manding the end of democracy. The African continent is emphatiThey are relatively privileged people, cally NOT at war, but the band of termostly from Bangritory bekok and the south, tween the Unless you just want a list of events, a year-end who bitterly resent equator piece should be a first draft of history that tries to and about the fact that a series of elected govidentify where the flow of events is really taking us. 15 degrees ernments led by north is in Thaksin Shinawavery deep tra or his sister Yintrouble. You can’t just gluck has been spendblame all these ing their tax money to improve the lives of wars on the fact that the the impoverished rural majority in the north of dividing line between Muslims Thailand. to the north Naturally, most of the poor vote for the Shiand Christians to the south nawatras, who win every time generally runs through this territory. Mali, after all, is Mali // Creative Commons
DYER
Now, in no particular order, some other new things this year, most of them unwelcome. Have you noticed that protesters are starting to use non-violent techniques to overthrow democratically elected governments? We have grown familiar with the scenes of unarmed crowds taking over the streets and forcing dictators to quit: it didn’t always succeed, but from Manila in 1986 to Thailan d Prote sts // F Cairo in 2011, it had a pretty good lickr Cre ative C ommon success rate and at least two dozen s Licen ce, Pitta dictators bit the dust. But the crowds ya were back in Tahrir Square in Cairo there is an election. In last July to overthrow President 2006, the rich party (“yellow shirts”) Mohammed Morsi, who had been conspired with the army to remove divided between the pro-Moscow, elected only one year before in a free the party of the poor (“red shirts”) Russian-speaking east and the proelection. in a coup, but as soon as there was EU, Ukrainian-speaking west. Morsi had won with only 51.7 peran election, the Shinawatras’ party The outcome is unclear in both Thaicent of the vote and a lot of people returned to power. So now the “nonland and Ukraine, but non-violence who did vote for him were holding violent protests” have begun again, can now also work for the Dark Side. their noses. The secular liberals who supported by the prosperous middle had made the revolution in 2011 diclass of Bangkok, and this time they Meanwhile, in Africa, wars have vided their votes between several are demanding a non-elected “peoexploded across the continent rival presidential candidates, leaving ple’s council” made up (surprise!) of this year like a string of firecrackvoters in the second round with only people like them. ers. In January, France sent troops a choice between Morsi, the Muslim Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawato Mali after Islamist rebels who Brotherhood candidate and an advertra responded on December 9 by had already captured the sparsely sary who was part of the old regime. calling an election. But of course populated north of the country Morsi often talked as if he had a the “yellow shirts” don’t want an threatened to overrun the rest of it mandate to Islamize Egyptian socielection, because they would lose as well. The north was more or less ety (though he didn’t actually do it. They have declared a boycott of reconquered by mid-year, but the all that much), and it alarmed the the vote, scheduled for February, situation remains highly fraught. former revolutionaries. They could and resumed their demonstrations. In March, Muslim rebels captured and should have waited for the Democracy is their enemy, and nonBangui, the capital of the Central Afnext election, which Morsi would violence is their weapon. rican Republic. Their leaders quickly certainly have lost, mainly because lost control, and the rebel troops the economy was still a wreck. But There was a point when it looked began to massacre Christians. Christhey were too impatient, so they like the mass demonstrations in tian militias then began carrying out made a deal with the army and Ukraine that began in late November mass reprisals against the Muslim went back out on the square. were heading in the same direction. civilian minority and thousands, Their little pantomime of non-viThe protests were originally against perhaps tens of thousands, were olent protest lasted only two days President Viktor Yanukovich’s refusal dead before French troops arrived before the army stepped in and to sign an association agreement in December. A kind of peace has removed Morsi from power. It subwith the European Union, which was now descended on the capital, but sequently murdered about 1000 of legitimate—and they did deter the elsewhere, who knows? Morsi’s supporters in the streets of president (who was under severe And in December, a full-scale civil Cairo to consolidate its rule, while pressure from Moscow) from joining war suddenly broke out in South Su-
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
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almost entirely Muslim, and South Sudan contains very few Muslims. Maybe it’s just that these countries are all among the poorest in Africa and the traditional social networks are collapsing under the strain. The good news is that there are no major wars anywhere else in the world—except Syria, of course. But there are already 120 000 dead in Syria, and more than a quarter of the population is living as refugees either inside Syria or in the neighbouring countries. Siege warfare conditions prevail across much of the country, now a patchwork quilt of government- and oppositioncontrolled areas. The United States went to the brink of bombing the regime’s key centres after poison gas was used in Damascus in August, but it managed to avoid war after the Russians persuaded Bashar al-Assad to surrender all his chemical weapons. And by now there is nobody left for the United States to back in the Syrian war even if it wanted to, because the larger rebel groups are rapidly falling under the influence of extreme Islamist organizations including al-Qaida. As evidence of how little Washington wants to be drawn back into the Syrian mess, there is now an attempt
underway to defuse the 34-year-old US-Iranian confrontation by negotiating a deal on Iran’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, if Iran wants to go on supporting the Syrian regime with arms and money, Washington will not object very loudly. So the war can go on indefinitely, and it has become a proxy Sunni-Shia war. The arms pour in from Qatar, Turkey and Saudi Arabia to the rebel groups, and from Iran and Iraq to the Syrian regime, because the former are all Sunni Muslims and the latter are all Shia Muslims. (Assad’s regime is drawn mainly from the 10-percent Alawite minority in Syria, which observes a deviant form of Shia Islam.) And the risk grows that all this Sunni-Shia hostility could morph into something like Europe’s 16th-century wars of religion, with Sunni or Shia minorities rebelling in Arab countries like Iraq, Lebanon or Saudi Arabia. What else? Oh, yes, a list. Right, then. Iran sent a monkey into space in January, North Korea carried out its third underground nuclear test in February, and the Catholic Church got a new head when Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis I in March. The United States also fell off the “fiscal cliff” in March, but nobody was hurt. Xi Jinping took over as President of the People’s Republic of China for the next 10 years (no election required), and “Curiosity”, the Mars rover, found evidence for running water in ancient times on the red planet. It was a busy month. In April, Nicolas Maduro was narrowly elected president of Venezuela a month after Hugo Chavez’s death. In May, Silvio Berlusconi, three times prime minister of Italy, was sentenced to four years in prison for fraud. In June, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin announced his divorce. In July, Croatia joined the European Union. In August, Robert Mugabe won his seventh term as president of Zimbabwe at the age of 89. And in September, Japan, emotionally shaken by the Fukushima incident, switched off the last of its 50 nuclear reactors. (This means the Japanese will be burning far more coal to keep the lights on, and so they have cut their target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 from 25 percent to only 3.8 percent. But they probably feel better about it, so that’s all right.) In October, New Zealand announced the official Maori-language alternative names for North Island (Te Ika-a-Maui) and South Island (Te Waipounamu). In November, Typhoon Haiyan, possibly the largest tropical storm to make landfall in recorded history, devastated the central Philippines. And in December, the Chinese spacecraft Chang’e landed the Jade Rabbit rover on the Moon. It was the first soft landing on the Moon since 1976. So you see, there IS progress. V Gwynne Dyer is an independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries.
DISH
DISH EDITOR : MEAGHAN BAXTER MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
BEST OF 2013 // FOOD
Some stand outs in the city's diverse dining scene
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very Christmas or so I go visit my sister in London, ON—an occasion she looks forward to since she'll have some company trying out ethnic restaurants that her family of unadventurous eaters aren't interested in. And every Christmas, I'm thoroughly underwhelmed by the quality of the experience. In recent years I've sampled the most middling Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Thai and, this year, Persian cuisine I've ever tasted and I wonder if London is some kind of foodie purgatory. It occurs to me now the more likely answer is that Edmonton, often seen as a bit of a cultural hinterland, is inordinately blessed with great places to eat, from the finest fruits of the global diaspora to the fleet of inventive food trucks patrolling our streets, from our well-established boutique dining rooms to our growing assortment of locally oriented artisanal eating experiences. There's no way to do justice to all the good food served to me in 2013, but I humbly offer a random assortment of memorable gustatory moments from the past year, secure in the knowledge that 2014 will be no less surprising and satisfying. Based on sheer frequency of visits, my favourite restaurant must be Castle Bake (16845 - 109 St), the site of numerous offbeat, vegetarian-friendly weekend brunches. Not only is its Lebanese cuisine fresh, authentic and affordable, but the folks who run the place are surpassingly hospitable and proud of what they do, and the recent renovations have all but effaced the prior donairshop ambience. While they deal in delicious shwarma, hummus, falafel and other Middle Eastern favourites, sharing Lebanese breakfast staples like fatti (chickpeas, toasted pita and toasted almonds in garlicky yogurt) and ful (simmered fava beans) or the grilled pita wrap with labneh and zataar is a fantastic (and cheap!) way to start the day, along with a cup of sweet black tea with a sprig of fresh mint dropped in it. By this same metric, my favourite new restaurant (moveable feast category) has to be the Bully Food Truck, which
took my lunch money on numerous occasions through seasonable months. In a milieu where you never know if you'll get adequately filled for under $10, Bully consistently delivered well-rounded meals, whether it's Philly cheese steak, Vietnamese brisket banh mi or grilled meatloaf in whiskey mushroom gravy with dilled potato salad and marinated onions. By the end of the truck's season, I had developed a bit of a fixation on its homemade peanut butter cups topped with bacon. I pride myself on ferreting out hidden gems tucked in our city's many strip malls, but I can't believe it took me until 2013 to find Kathir (9318 - 34 Ave), an unpretentious yet outstanding vendor of Southern Indian eats in Mill Woods. The house specialty might be the dosa, a comically large crispy crepe stuffed with curried contents of your choosing and savoury condiments, but the bargain price point encourages experimentation with other unique dishes like idli, sambar and the Sri Lankan-derived kotthu roti. In the category of local favourites I should have tried a long time ago, I finally got to try Café Amore Bistro (10807 - 106 St), which might have furnished the platonic ideal of a hearty, well-made Italian repast featuring an abundant salad, grilled calamari and perfect smoked salmon penne with baby shrimp. Be sure to book ahead—Amore packs 'em in. I shared many fantastic higher-end meals with my Very Special Co-diner this year at places like Corso 32, RGE RD, The Common and Canteen (twice), but she agreed with me that the sweetest of our date nights might have transpired at Tavern 1903 in the newly resurrected Alberta Hotel (9802 Jasper Ave), with its open yet cozy interior, excellent service, mind-boggling array of wines by the glass and procession of heavenly comestible delights like the ridiculously succulent spinalis ribeye rolls—possibly the most delicious beef preparation I ate all year—the duck tacos with marinated carrot slaw and dried cherries and the smoked pork ribs in bourbon-molasses glaze, chased with a little jar of Glenlivet butterscotch pudding with candied pretzels. Tavern 1903 also exemplified a welcome trend in fine dining, the sharing of small plates that enable you
to experience a bewildering array of premium flavours in one sitting. I'd say my most extravagant meal of 2013 was at the Wildflower Grill (10009 - 107 St), but it was so densely saturated with sensual delights that it resolved into a hedonic blur in my memory. Guess I'll have to save up and go back. As I mentioned above, Edmonton seems almost ludicrously oversupplied with excellent ethnic eateries of many extractions, but 2013 saw the closure of Sabzy, our sole purveyor of Persian cuisine. I hope 2014 sees the Persian gap filled, maybe by more than one establishment, just to make things interesting; I also hope that my former favourite Vietnamese noodle house, Thài Bính, resurfaces in a new location or someone points me in the direction of a reasonable replacement to supply my authentic ph¨o fix. SCOTT LINGLEY
SCOTT@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Scott Lingley’s
TOP PICKS
OF 2013 Best date night: Tavern 1903
Most welcome trends: Signature restaurants; small plates; more vegan options Biggest culinary gap: There is no longer a Persian restaurant in Edmonton. Nicest pre-show meal (kids not invited category): Sofra Most extravagant meal: Wildflower Grill Desperately seeking: A replacement for Thài Bính as my go-to noodle house
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
DISH 7
DISH TO THE PINT
PROVENANCE
JASON FOSTER // JASON@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Something's brewing Calgary's Tool Shed works its way up
The aroma is dominated by toasted There is something new brewing in Calgary, or at least there will be soon. grain, light toffee and a touch of Tool Shed Brewing is a new opera- breadiness. There is also some roastition trying to break into the Alberta ness, which is unexpected in a beer so light in colour. craft beer market. When you take a Tool Shed is basiRed Rage Ale sip, the first imcally Graham SherTool Shed Brewing, pression is toasty man and Jeff Orr, Calgary, AB /Aldergrove, BC sweetness, a touch two IT guys from $14.20 for six pack of burnt caramel Calgary who were and a dried fruit doing security work in Afghanistan when they came note of date and raisin. In the middle up with the idea of opening a brew- a rounded hop character appears ery. Upon their return, they started to eat away at the sweetness, but homebrewing like crazy to build leaves the burnt caramel and toast their chops and test drive potential behind. There is also a roast underrecipes. They also pooled the money current which continues to surprise. they made working in a war zone to The finish is dry with a noted piney, sharp hop taste. get Tool Shed up and running. For now, Tool Shed is a virtual brewery, meaning they contract to I find this an interesting interpreDead Frog in British Columbia to brew their beer and then ship it back to Alberta for sale. The plan is to open a physical brewery in Calgary in the next year or so, meaning the contract brewing stint is temporary. For the moment, Tool Shed has three beer, all packaged in cans. There's a blonde ale called People Skills, Star Cheek is the assertive IPA, and then there is an amber known as Red Rage Ale I could have reviewed any of the three, but decided to write up my experience with Red Rage, given that is a flavourful yet accessible beer. It is light reddish-brown with copper highlights that build a voluminous, tight, off-white head. It actually pours a bit too aggressively, producing an excessively big head requiring some time to let it calm down. the
tation of a red ale. It is sharper and drier, plus more roasty and hoppier than most versions. Those looking for Kilkenny or Yukon Red will be disappointed. Their approach is more assertive up front and lacking the gentle subtlety found in many examples. Personally, I would prefer the flavours to blend more, creating a more holistic experience. I really like the roast touch it offers, but wonder if combining both roast and hop is overkill. Tool Shed is clearly a new brewery still developing its approach, but definitely a promising start. I am looking forward to the product made at the impending Calgary brewery. Jason Foster is the creator of onbeer.org, a website devoted to news and views on beer from the prairies and beyond.
about tamarind
Due to popular demand The tamarind tree originated in tropical Africa—particularly Sudan—and produces pod-like fruit used in cuisine around the world. Its cultivation has expanded to other tropical and subtropical regions such as South Asia and Mexico. In North America, tamarind is grown in the southern states, particularly southern Florida. Physical attributes Tamarind fruit grows in a pod measuring 12 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length and is covered by a hard shell. The fruit itself possesses a fleshy, acidulous, sweet and sour pulp that is generally brown or reddish-brown.
3” wide version
e SqueezMOST out of your advertising dollars
A fruit of many uses The ripened fruit is used in jams, ice creams, sorbets and blended into juices. Unripened tamarind is often considered too sour for culinary use. Unexpected ingredient Tamarind is used as in ingredient in Worcestershire sauce and HP sauce. Fever cure? In traditional medicine throughout Southeast Asia, tamarind is applied to the forehead to aid those suffering from fevers. A new way to polish Tamarind is edible, and considered healthy, but when it’s concentrated it can be used to polish brass and metal. In temples in Buddhist Asian countries, tamarind pulp is used as a method to polish brass shrine statues. V
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
7/25/11 12:30 PM
SNOW ZONE
EDITOR : MEAGHAN BAXTER MEAGHAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
SNOW ZONE // JASPER
Ditch the hustle and bustle Jasper offers a reprieve from city life
predominantly black-diamond territory) in wide, loose lines, letting the eyes scan the open terrain above the tree line, and pushing the body to do what it's meant to do—move—is what a trip to Marmot is all about. It's not far from Edmonton; it's not a big fancy resort. It's an affordable portal into old-school mountain life. Marmot caters to all levels, and runs funnel to either the mid-mountain lodge or the day lodge at the resort's base. So if you're skiing with buddies of different abilities, it's easy to meet up for a cold one at
// Jane Soneff
J
ust because Jasper is chill doesn't mean you have to ski that way. There's something about the oldfashioned town of Jasper that calms a person down. Maybe it's because there's only one stoplight, or that elk lazily amble along main street, or that McDonald's tried to set up shop and failed. Whatever the case, Jasper's relaxed vibe simply seeps into my pores the moment I arrive. I headed to Marmot with my sister, Shannon. We grew up together in a skiing family. In Edmonton, we
straight up the Canadian Rockies Express Quad. As we glided over evergreen stands, skis dangling from the chairlift, all the worries of the city seemed to fall away. Marmot Peak stands like a guarding sentinel at 2601 metres, forming the upper resort boundary. It's the crowning peak, the grandeur, the heart-thumping adornment at Marmot Basin. Adventurous riders can hike their way to the top for long-range views and glorious terrain, then take Peak Run or Suzie's
// Jane Soneff
were often the only girls in our ski lessons at Snow Valley, but that never stopped us; our love of skiing runs like little avalanches through our veins. But it had been a long time since we'd ripped together. Shannon has two young children and I'd had mine before that, so it was due time for the skiing sisters to reconnect. We started the day by heading
down for spectacular turns. Arriving at the top of the quad, we drank in views of additional peaks in the distance; views that pulled up the corners of our lips and caused deep breathing. Ahhh. Back in the mountains. Many have felt this pull to the simplicities of the mountains. Officially, Marmot has been open for half a century. It was discovered by Joe Weiss,
lunch. The folks there make the experience convenient. Pre-purchase tickets, pre-arrange your rentals so they're ready and waiting for you and enjoy the layered parking above the day lodge, so that the walk to the mountain is never too far. And when it's all over, rehash your ski-day memories with a beer and a smile at the Whistle Stop Pub before heading upstairs, looking out to main street Jasper and smiling at the fact that you can do it all again tomorrow. JANE SONEFF
JANE@VUEWEEKLY.COM
who guided cross-country skiers to those pristine slopes. In the '50s a road connected Marmot to the highway, and skiers made their way in on converted trucks and cars adorned with cat tracks. Next came a long rope tow on Paradise, constructed from parts of an old British Army truck. Parks Canada made everything official in 1964, and since then people have been developing a love for the movement of skiing and snowboarding upon Marmot's uncluttered slopes. Marmot's a place where families can ski without worry, and where intrepid riders can explore additional peaks— where all-inclusive takes on a different meaning. Post ski, Shannon and I headed to our favourite Jasper restaurant— Evil Dave's. They have great vegetarian options (Typhoon noodles for me), and carnivorous ones, too (Diabolical Tenderloin for Shannon). Either way, we got the protein we needed to energize our tired muscles as we sat beneath a fireplace and felt our cheeks glow red from the wind and the wine. It felt great to ponder the past— our childhood ski trips with mom, amazement at how she lugged two young children to the mountains from Edmonton for the sole love of skiing, and how we were now instilling that same mountain love in our kids, like an inter-generational passing of the torch. Back at the hill, scrolling down the knob (a charlift that filters out into
5
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; JAN 8, 2014
SNOW ZONE HART GOLBECK // HART@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Canadian skiers reaching their peaks just before Sochi In their time, the Crazy Canucks were the most feared Canadian ski team ever, but now Erik Guay has quietly started to pass the team's records. Two weekends ago Guay won the downhill at Val Gardena, Italy, and last weekend he took the downhill bronze in Bormio, Italy. That thirdplace finish had him standing on the podium for the twenty-first time in his quiet yet illustrious career, passing Steve Podborski, a member of the Crazy Canucks. A competition in Garmisch, Germany is only a few weeks away and that's been a track where Guay has won twice before, so there's a good chance he'll be stretching his lead. Further to the east in San Candido, Italy, Canadian ski-cross racers were rocking the podium as well. Dave Duncan from London, ON won his second ski-cross event in as many days, vaulting to the top of the standings while Marielle Thompson of Whistler, BC finished second which kept her in the overall lead. Despite competing on the tour for five years, Duncan had not won an event, but now he's the man to beat. It looks like it's all
starting to come together at the right time. More white stuff for Marmot Steady nightly snowfalls have pushed Marmot Basin's snow pack above the 60 centimetre mark. That's a good pack to start building on for the upcoming onslaught of snow enthusiast heading up for the annual Jasper in January festival. With continued forecasted snow by environment Canada for the foreseeable future, Marmot's 50th anniversary celebrations are a wild and exciting ride. Banff Snow Days The Big Bear terrain park meets street party event will kick off Banff Snow Days on January 10. Professional riders will show off their skills on ramps, rails and jumps right in the middle of Banff Street. Tickets are $10 and music will be rocking from 6 pm until 9 pm. Following the event, tickets from Snow Days will get you into the after party at the Aurora Nightclub. Juno Award-winning bands the Sheepdogs and Arkells will be performing at a downtown block party the following day.
ARTS
ARTS EDITOR : PAUL BLINOV PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM
BEST OF 2013 // DANCE
NAVEL GAZING The dance community reflects on 2013 T
welve months have come and gone on Edmonton's stages, so we polled the city's dance sphere to share their favourite moments as both watchers and performers. There was incredible response (thank you #yegdance!), and though we weren't able to fit them all in, these were some of our favourites, too: Richard Lee Three favourite moments for me: the long, silent exchange of glances among a circle of sitting dancers in Tania Alvarado's Hereafter; watching Jacques Poulin-Denis smear Nutella all over Brianna Lombardo as she improvised a beautiful, lyrical solo in Junkyard/ Paradise—hilarious and horrifying; and one of my favourite annual traditions, the Nextfest closing night b-boy battle with actors-who-dance versus actual street dancers. It never fails to entertain, and I never fail to almost wreck myself trying to keep up with the real b-boys/b-girls. Lynn Mandel In 2012, Edmonton's Citie Ballet performed a giant leap to abandon its
semi-professional status. Stephen and I have been active supporters of the group since its inception. The October 5 performance of Hereafter was absolute perfection in every way. Gerry Morita Highlights for me included performing with Andrew Harwood in CAGE'd, the outdoor site-specific pieces we did for Make Something Edmonton (“Dances in Unused Spaces"), and performing Spatial Pull with 12 pick-up dancers on a staircase in Ottawa. Salena Kitteringham My favourite production: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens' Sleeping Beauty. Inventive. Smart. Brilliantly executed. I loved this sassy adult fairy tale that imagines the prick of a heroin needle as the impetus for Beauty's slumber. It was also pretty special this year to share The Nutcracker with my six-yearold son for the first time. He liked how the giant mouse got stabbed. Hayna Gutierrez My favourite moment in dance in 2013 was when I performed my first show of
Madame Butterfly as the lead role. It was a wonderful experience to have had the challenge to interpret a character that made me change to another personality. Kate Stashko A memorable moment of 2013 was when Sasha Ivanochko came to town to teach a series of professional contemporary technique classes. In my tiny contemporary dance world, Sasha is a big deal. Having her share her wisdom, experience and ferocity with us was a huge honour, which I will remember for a long time. Ainsley Hillyard My favourite dance moment of 2013 was Nextfest. Not a moment really but the whole festival. It was the first year Good Women came on board as curators of Dancefest, and one of the most satisfying experiences I've had as an artist. Good Women started out at Nextfest in 2009 and have seemingly grown up through the festival. To have the opportunity to take charge of the dance component, to program and mentor emerging artists with the same drive and eagerness that we had was
such a gift, and feels very full circle for the company. Amber Borotsik Sometimes what I most love is to see dance in its rawest form. Helen Husak lead an extended workshop process at the Expanse Festival which culminated in an open showing. Rather than doing a cut-and-dried showing, Helen opened a window into the process that led to the creation of 11 small solo works. It was totally thrilling to watch the dancers work with Helen. The choreography was honest, organic and sitting right on the edge of memory and invention. It quietly exploded my afternoon. Murray Utas Denise Clarke is a force. I cannot take my eyes from her when she is moving and speaking. She is mesmerizing. My favourite moment came when 16 women emerged from the Expanse audience to take their place on stage with her, put on ballroom gowns and start their choreography. It was one of the most magical experiences of my life.
FAWNDA MITHRUSH
FAWNDA@VUEWEEKLY.COM
BEST OF 2013 // THEATRE
Between the seasons The theatrical trends of 2013
L
ooking back on a year in theatre always seems a bit of an awkward exercise: the Gregorian calendar year always straddles the latter half of one season and the first half of another, so it feels somewhat baseless to try and frame it in terms of "bests of the year" when we're really dealing with two halves of two different wholes. That said, there are some trends you can map out between the two—so, in lieu of any sort of "best in show" list, here are a few of the most intriguing directions Edmonton artists set out on in 2013.
And then I see a darkness You could be forgiven for thinking a large number of Edmonton's theatretypes had all started a Baudelaire book club, or something: it's been a year dotted with bleak, morbid or otherwise difficult productions, right from the Citadel's biggest stages (Long Day's Journey Into Night) down to the indie (Surreal SoReal's existentialist Sartre's Shorts). Dark were the (theatre) nights, but rarely did even bleakest premise rely solely on its moroseness: for starters, Theatre Network's Let The Light of Day Through channeled every parent's worst nightmare in a script (by our own Collin Doyle) that started off with bona-fide hilarity and ended with a beautiful, heart-wrenching reveal. Back in February, Theatre Network also delivered Where The Blood Mixes, a co-production that toured Canada, dealing with a group of aboriginal adults struggling to live some semblance of a life while embattled by the demons of a residential school past. Elsewhere, Workshop West premièred Brad Fraser's Kill Me Now, which used humour to probe deep, uncomfortable questions about love and care; NLT's Dust sifted through the concept of love in a place devoid of it
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
(that place being Guantanamo Bay). Even the brightest, tone-wise, of the bleak bunch, Citadel's Ride The Cyclone (on tour from Victoria's Atomic Vaudeville) gave us a multifaceted musical—but presented by a teenage choir from Saskatchewan, giving their final performance from beyond the grave. These shows asked a lot of their audiences, but the above definitely gave far more back in terms of work that was vivid and layered as much as it was challenging. Indie keeps eclectic The youngest up-and-comers tackling stages in town weren't conforming to any particular moulds—same goes for the established indies. Broken Toys Theatre, a company in the midst of its debut season, offered up a pair of opposing productions. In September, it premièred a Scottish love story, Midsummer [A Play With Songs] staged as a duo over one fleeting weekend; just a few months later, they came back with a surprisingly lively take on Chekhov's The Three Sisters. It had a 14-strong cast, including some of Edmonton's finest, all clearly revelling the chance to tear into the meat of a classic. Elsewhere, the Maggie Tree tackled The Age of Arousal, about the shifting
sexual politics of 1885 London. And, looming in the season's background, was a workshop presentation of The Genius Code, an immersive, individualized theatrical experience to be that's the shared brainchild of Surreal SoReal and Catalyst Theatre. Watch for it in 2014. Taking to the streets (and elevators, and cafes, and vans ... ) Some of the year's most curious theatrical experiences revamped the idea of where, exactly, an audience goes to see art. Theatre Yes's National Elevator Project turned eight downtown elevators into stages, each containing five-to-10-minute works happening within arm's length from you, amplifying the emotions of each through sheer proximity to action (a second cycle of elevator plays will be part of the Canoe Theatre festival in a few weeks). A new young collective, Thou Art Here, has been periodically staging Shakespeare scenes in bars and cafés around town; and in its second year, Common Ground Arts Society's Found Festival set up shop in alleyways, parks, a van and a mini mountain of snow—in the middle of June, no less. If that's not theatrical magic, I don't know what is.
PAUL BLINOV
PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM
ARTS 11
ARTS BEST IN 2013 // BOOKS
Skimming through the year A quintet of titles for our best books list
I
ended 2013 the same way I end every year: all-too aware of just how many worthy new books I still haven't read. But this deficit in no way prevents me from compiling a quintet of stellar titles for this, my personal list of the best books of the year. Which happens to contain one novel, one essay, one story collection, one work of investigative journalism and one reissue of a long out-of-print classic. Whatever traits my five best is missing, it appears that diversity of literary form isn't among them. The Flamethrowers Rachel Kushner's wildly tious second novel
ambi-
opens on a World War I battlefield before describing a young woman's journey to Utah to participate in the land-speed trials on the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Flamethrowers is set mainly in the 1970s and mainly in New York, with that young woman diving headlong into a world of high art and motorcycles and becoming the lover of a much older man with a precarious familial legacy, but it also unfolds in various moments throughout the preceding decades in other countries and with other characters. The connections are tenuous and compelling. Kushner is a restless storyteller and her heroine's process of self-actualization, accelerated by her gift for association and love of sheer velocity, create opportunities to connect stories from all over space and time. The Faraway Nearby A hybrid of history, autobiography, cultural criticism and philosophical essay, Rebecca Solnit's The Faraway Nearby speaks in a singular voice yet is about so many things. Mysterious illnesses and aging parents, explorers and revolutionaries, Frankenstein and US foreign policy, volcanoes and ice: what ultimately
weaves such disparate subjects together is Solnit's fierce curiosity, her interest in the nature of storytelling, her wide-open heart, and her persuasive conviction that those who evade self-knowledge are doomed. Tenth of December George Saunders possesses some weird kind of genius. His stories frequently incorporate brilliant science fiction propositions without ever reading like sci-fi. He uses firstperson narration to acknowledge the pathos and ridiculousness of most of our inner lives—he is one of the funniest writers of vernacular and modern anxiety working in English— while generating tremendous empathy for his flawed, familiar protagonists. Tenth of December is among his finest collections. Sample "The Semplica Girl Diaries" for a strong taste of his incisive, entropic, humanist prose. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lawrence Wright (The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11) hurled himself into the hoary task of trying to chronicle both L Ron Hubbard's heavily shrouded, utterly bizarre life and troubled legacy—a task which found Wright's efforts continually derailed by Hubbard's infamously litigious Church of Scientology, whose bullying no doubt prompted Random House Canada's refusal to publish the book. (I ordered my copy from the US) Even with footnotes on every other page reminding us that the Church denies anything that might be remotely slanderous, Going Clear is an appalling, insightful and endlessly fascinating read, an essential text on
the distinctly American hunger for self-made religion and the pivotal role that celebrity, money and mythmaking play in feeding it. Speedboat Lastly, a new old book. For years I knew Renata Adler's 1976 debut novel only by reputation—it's one of these books that amazing writers are routinely amazed by. NYRB Classics' resurrection of Speedboat was thus a major event. But what is Speedboat? First-person, and very personal (autobiographical?),
yet distracted always by culture as some colossal force. (DeLillo fans take note.) Fragmentary confessions slip out of assessments of politics, movements and events. The prose is dazzling and hard-edged as diamonds, but doomy and funny too, like aphorisms that lead only to punchlines. Every sentence thrills— it's kind of exhausting! It's everything I hoped it would be and impossible to describe in a paragraph. Please read.
JOSEF BRAUN
JOSEF@VUEWEEKLY.COM
PREVUE // NEW YEAR'S
Salute to Vienna I
n Europe, the Neujahrskonzert— case for Attila Glatz: Glatz and his the Venetian New Year's con- wife, a Venetian, would listen on to cert—is so popular, it's basically the concert on radio or watch it on lightning that's been successfully TV, but tickets were scarce, and imbottled every possibly expensive anyway. year since 1939. To wit: to see Sun, Jan 5 (2:30 pm) The way Glatz it live in Vienna Winspear Centre, $49.50 – $89.50 finally man(where it origiaged to see the nated), one has show was, ultito register a year in advance to qual- mately, to recreate the damn thing ify for the raffle to have the chance himself here in Canada. to access tickets—which are then "We could never go to the concert, really expensive. Pre-registered because the tickets are expensive seats are family heirlooms passed if you find any," he recalls. "So we down through the generations by figured, why don't we create a New those fortunate enough to possess Year's Concert in Toronto?" them. But it was the former-most They erred on the side of cau-
12 ARTS
tion, booking a smaller, thousandseat concert hall, but shouldn't have bothered. To Glatz's surprise, every ticket sold—"people were actually fighting for tickets!" he chuckles—and they had to upgrade to Roy Thomson Hall (seating: 2630) for year two. That was 19 years ago: since then, Glatz's Salute to Vienna's proven almost as popular in North America as its European blueprint is there. Far beyond Toronto, it's a massive, concurrent concert series that dots the continent: blending dance with orchestral score, nine casts of performers—ranging from So You
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Think You Can Dance?-style ballroom to principals from the Kiev Ukrainian Ballet, which we'll see here in Edmonton, alongside Alberta-born German star soprano Anna Maria Kaufmann—and 13 orchestras will perform in more than 22 North American cities. All of the salutes occur between the last Sunday of the old year, and the first of the new, he notes. To Glatz, there's little mystery to either the original Neujahrskonzert or his Salute's successes. "People just love this: they come out of this concert, and they're like, 'Wow,'" he says. "They're throwing down a glass of Champagne, [think-
ing] everything is going to be lovely this year; we can achieve what we want. Of course, the second of January may not be the case," he laughs. "But on the first, when they come out of the concert ... we have so many beautiful comments from people coming back year after year." And for himself, was finally seeing the concert worth the wait? "I was sitting there with my wife in the concert, holding hands, and couldn't believe the reaction to what was on stage," he says, of attending the very first Salute. "We were both crying."
PAUL BLINOV PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM
ARTS WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM FAX: 780.426.2889 DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3 PM
DANCE CLARA’S DREAM: A UKRAINIAN FOLK BALLET • Jubilee Auditorium • clarasdream.ca • A Ukrainian Folk Ballet based on Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, presented by Shumka, with Ukrainian Shumka Dancers, Virsky, the Ukrainian State Folk Dance Company, and the Kyiv Ballet • Jan 10-11 • Tickets available at Ticketmaster
EBDA BAllroom DAncE • Lions Senior Recreational Centre, 11113-111 Ave • 780.893.6828 • ebda.ca • Jan 4, 8pm
SUGAR FOOT SWING DANCE • Sugar Swing, 10545-81 Ave • 587.786.6554 • sugarswing. com • Swing Dance Social every Sat; beginner lesson starts at 8pm. All ages and levels welcome. Occasional live music–check web • $10, $2 lesson with entry
SUGAR FOOT BALLROOM • 10545-81 Ave • 587.786.6554 • sugarswing.com • Friday Night Stomp!: Swing and party music dance social every Fri; beginner lesson starts at 8pm. All ages and levels welcome. Occasional live music–check web • $10, $2 (lesson with entry); first event this year is on Jan 17
ZUMBA BASHFIERY FRIDAYS • Central Senior Lions Centre, 11113-113 St • Shake your body to the Latin beat, and freestyle dance to live DJ music. Featuring Tamico Russell, Ike Henry, DJ Rocko and Zumba instructors Dru D, Manuella F-St, Michelle M, Sabrina D. and Cuban Salsa instructor Leo Gonzales • 3rd Fri each month • 7pm • $20 (online)/$25 (door)
GALLERIES + MUSEUMS ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL OF SPRUCE GROVE • Spruce Grove Art Gallery, Spruce Grove Library, 35-5 Ave, Spruce Grove • 780.962.0664 • alliedartscouncil.com • MINI SHOW: Members show; through to Jan
ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY • 10186-106 St • 780.488.6611 • albertacraft.ab.ca • Feature Gallery: PAYCE: Celebrating Greg Payce's 2013 Saidye Bronfman Award for Excellence in Fine Craft ; Jan 11-Mar 29; artist reception: Sat, Mar 22, 2-4pm • Discovery Gallery: HANJI: Alberta artists creating new work with traditional Korean paper; until Feb 8; artist reception: Jan 11, 2-4pm
ART GALLERY OF ALBERTA (AGA) • 2 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.422.6223 • youraga. ca • LADY SPIDER HOUSE: Until Jan 12, 2014 • ANGAKKUQ: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS; until Feb 16 • DAPHNIS & CHLOÉ: Chagall; until Feb 16, 2014 • BMO World of Creativity: CABINETS OF CURIOSITY: Lyndal Osborne's curious collection; until Jun 30, 2014 • OF HEAVEN AND EARTH: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museums; organized by the American Federation for the Arts; until Mar 9 • SUSPEND: Brenda Draney: until Mar 9 • Lecture: The Of Heaven and Earth, Francesco Freddolini; Sat, Jan 25 • The AGA Presents: Lyndal Osborne; Fri, Jan 31• Bring Your Own Party: BYOP: 3rd Wed each month, 5-9pm; 5-9pm; free with admission • Art for lunch: Ledcor Theatre Foyer: 3rd Thu each month, 12:10-12:50pm; free: Jan 16: Glasgow Museums: 150 Masterpieces with Devon Beggs, in conjuction with Of Heaven and Earth • Drop-in Open Studio: Adult Drop-In Workshops: Wed 7-9pm; $15/$12 (member); Jan 8: Construct: Improvised Installations; Jan 15: Glaze: Layer Painting; Jan 22: Transform: Silkscreen & Block Print; Jan 29: Film: Stop-Motion Paper Sculpture
ART GALLERY OF ST ALBERT (AGSA) • 19 Perron St, St Albert • 780.460.4310 • artgalleryofstalbert.ca • FRUITS OFF THE LOOMS: Nina Haggerty Collective • BEYOND TRADITIONS: Hand hooked tapestries by Rachelle LeBlanc • Until Feb 1 • Ageless Art: For mature adults; Woven Wall Hanging: Thur, Jan 16, 1-3pm; $12/410 (member)
ART SOCIETY OF STRATHCONA COUNTY
CROOKED POT GALLERY–Stony Plain •
and sale • Until Jan 15
EMPRESS ALE HOUSE • 9912 Whyte Ave •
4912-51 Ave, Stony Plain • 780.963.9573 • A TASTE OF HOME: Featuring the select work of gallery potters. Functional wheel thrown, altered and hand built pottery for the winter table; Jan 10-Feb 28
NINA HAGGERTY CENTRE FOR THE ARTS
olivereadingseries.wordpress.com • The Olive Reading Series: 2nd Tue each month, Sep-Apr
DAFFODIL GALLERY • 10412-124 St • 780.760.1278 • LIFE'S TREASURES: Works by Saeed Hojjati • Jan 9-21 • Opening: Thu, Jan 16, 5-8pm EDMONTON GALLERY WALK • Gallery Walk Galleries: Daffodil Gallery, Scott Gallery, Bearclaw, Bugera Matheson, Front, West End, Peter Robertson Gallery, SNAP • First Thursday Event: The art galleries will be open late after work, for an informal gathering of culture lovers the First Thursday of every month, year round • Jan 2, 5-7pm • Edmonton Gallery Walk Galleries: Daffodil Gallery 10412-124 Street, Scott Gallery, 10411-124 Street, Bearclaw Gallery, 10403-124 Street, Bugera Matheson Gallery, 10345 – 124 Street, The Front Gallery, 12312 Jasper Avenue, West End Gallery, 12308 Jasper Avenue, Peter Robertson Gallery 12304 Jasper Avenue, SNAP Gallery 10123-121 St
FAB GALLERY • 1-1 Fine Arts Bldg, 89 Ave, 112 St • 780.492.2081 • ENOUGH IS AS GOOD AS A FEAST: Joe Doherty (MFA Painting); FUR STORIES [YOU ARE NOT WILD ENOUGH FOR ME]: Alexandra Emberly (MFA Printmaking) • Jan 2-11 GALLERIE PAVA • 9524-87 St, 780.461.3427 • THE TWO CONTRARY STATES OF THE HUMAN SOUL: Works by Father Douglas • Until Feb 3 GALLERY 7 • Bookstore on Perron, 7 Perron St, St Albert • MY FAVOURITE PLACES: Paintings by Liz Meetsma • Until Jan 27
GALLERY AT MILNER • Stanley A. Milner Library Main Fl, Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.944.5383 • epl.ca/art-gallery • Edmonton Calligraphic Society: Selected works from the Edmonton Calligraphic Society membership on the gallery walls and in all of the display cases • Until Jan 31
HAPPY HARBOR COMICS V1 • 10729-104 Ave • happyharborcomics.com • COMIC JAM: Improv comic art making every 1st and 3rd Thu each month, 7pm • OPEN DOOR: Collective of independent comic creators meet the 2nd & 4th Thu each month; 7pm
HARCOURT HOUSE GALLERY • 3 Fl, 10215112 St • Main Gallery: THE QUIET REBUILD: Alexis Marie Chute • Front Room: GEORGE BOTCHETT: CURTAIN CALL: A retrospective exhibition of the work of George Botchett; until Jan 17• Main Gallery: JILL HO-YOU: reverberation IV, graphite on mylar; until Jan 17 HUB ON ROSS–Red Deer • LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER: Photos by Kimberley Porter • Reception: Fri, Jan 3, 4-6pm • First Friday Red Deer: Jan 3 JURASSIC FOREST/LEARNING CENTRE • 15 mins N of Edmonton off Hwy 28A, Township Rd 564 • Education-rich entertainment facility for all ages
KIWANIS GALLERY–Red Deer • Red Deer Public Library • THE BEST OF THE WEST TRAVELLING SAQA TRUNK SHOW: Works by the SAQA group (Studio Art Quilts Associates) • Until Mar 2 • First Friday Reception: Fri, Jan 3, 6:3-8:30pm
LANDO GALLERY • 103, 10310-124 St • 780.990.1161 • landogallery.com • IT'S WARM INSIDE!!: A selling exhibition of gallery artists and secondary market works • Jan 3-Feb 18
LATITUDE 53 • 10242-106 St • 780.423.5353 • Main Space: WE: Laura Aldridge, Jonathan Owen, James McLardy, Rachel Duckhouse, Ciara Philips and Daisy Richardson (Glasgow), and Andrea Williamson, Hannah Doerksen, Kent Merrimen Jr, Steven Cottingham, Tyler Los Jones, and Stephen Nachtigall (Calgary); curated by Matthew Bourree & Yvonne Mullock; Jan 10-Feb 15; opening: Jan 10, 7pm • ProjEx Room: THIS IS OUR LAND: TARZAN & ARAB: Curated by Kelty Pelechytik; featuring Paul Fischer's documentary film Tarzan and Arab; Jan 10-Feb 15; opening: Jan 10, 7pm
MARJORIE WOOD GALLERY–Red Deer • UNFILTERED: Waskasoo Park Through A Photographer’s Lens (group exhibition) • First Friday Reception: Fri, Jan 3, 5-7pm MCMULLEN GALLERY • U of A Hospital, 8440-112 St • 780.407.7152 • HOUSES, HOMES: Drawings of houses in the Garneau neighbourhood by Wendy Gervais • Jan 11-Mar 16
MULTICULTURAL CENTRE PUBLIC ART GALLERY (MCPAG)–Stony Plain • 5411-51
• Loft Gallery/AJ Ottewell Gallery, 590 Broadmoor Blvd, Sherwood Park • 790.559.4443 • artstrathcona.com • Dvd Lecture: The World’s Greatest Paintings. Tour more that 60 of the world's greatest paintings. Excellent visuals and presenter; gives information about famous works of art and what makes them great • Sun, Jan 12, 1-4pm • $5
St, Stony Plain • 780.963.9935 • multicentre.org • Drawings by Erin Schwab; until Jan 14
BLOCK 1912 10361-82 Ave • EXPLORING THE
• 780.432.0240 • paintspot.ca • MEMORIES AND LIGHT: Paintings by Alison Service; Jan 6-Feb 15 • Artisan Nook: SMALL TEMPTATIONS: Group show
ROCKIES: Landscape paintings by Donna Miller • Until Jan 15
MUSÉE HÉRITAGE MUSEUM–St Albert • 5 St Anne St, St Albert • 780.459.1528 • TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT: Youth Digital Photo exhibition • Until Jan 12
NAESS GALLERY • Paint Spot, 10032-81 Ave
• 9225-118 Ave • CHIMERIUM: HYBRIDS FROM NINA'S STUDIOS: Works by the NHCA Collective; curated by Sherri Chaba; until Jan 4 • FIFTY SHADES OF BROWN: A survey of the visual narratives of Leona Clawson, curated by Harold Pearse; Jan 7-30
KOFFEE CAFÉ • 6120-28 Ave • 780.863.4522 • Glass Door Coffee House Reading Series: Monthly readings with new headliner • Last Thu each month, 7-9pm
PETER ROBERTSON GALLERY • 12304 Jasper Ave • 780.455.7479 • probertsongallery.com • WINTER GROUP SHOWS: New work by gallery artists • Until Feb 8
ROUGE LOUNGE • 10111-117 St • 780.902.5900
PROPAGANDA HAIR SALON • 10808-124 St • The Comrades: 11 new paintings by outro • Until Jan 31
T.A.L.E.S.–Strathcona • Strathcona Library, Willow Rm, 401 Festival Lane, Sherwood Park • 780.400.3547 • Monthly Tellaround: 4th Wed, 7pm, each month, Sep-Apr • Free
PROVINCIAL ARCHIVES OF ALBERTA • 8555
• Spoken Word Tuesdays: Weekly spoken word night presented by the Breath In Poetry Collective (BIP); info: E: breathinpoetry@gmail.com
Roper Rd • 780.427.1750 • culture.alberta.ca/paa • VICTORY ON THE FIELD EXHIBIT: Exploring the effects of the First and Second World Wars on sports in Alberta; until Jan 31 • Free
U OF A CAMPUS • Telus Centre Room 150
ROYAL ALBERTA MUSEUM • 12845-102
UPPER CRUST CAFÉ • 10909-86 Ave •
Ave • 780.453.9100 • royalalbertamuseum.ca • CHOP SUEY ON THE PRAIRIES: Until Apr 27, 2014 • Feature Gallery: PATTERN WIZARDRY: until Mar 9 • Orientation Gallery: SPECIES AT RISK: until Mar 9 • Spotlight Gallery: SEEDS IN DISGUISE: The Biology and Lore of Ornamental Seeds; until Feb 23
SNAP GALLERY • Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists, 10123-121 St • 780.423.1492 • snapartists.com • Main Gallery: POMPEII MMXII: Print works by Dominique Petrin • Community Gallery: THE ASSASSINATION OF THINKITEM: By The Coward Adriean Koleric • Jan 16-Mar 1 • Opening: Jan 16, 7-9pm
STRATHCONA COUNTY MUSEUM ARCHIVES
(corner of 87 Ave and 111 St) • Undoing Border Imperialism: Book launch and discussion with author and activist Harsha Walia • Thu, Jan 16, 7pm
An Improvised Musical • Every Fri through until Jan 10, 11pm
CHIMPROV • Zeidler Hall, Citadel Theatre, 9828-101A Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Rapid Fire Theatre’s longform comedy show: improv formats, intricate narratives, and one-act plays • Every Sat, 10pm, until Jul • $12 (door or buy in adv at TIX on the Square) • Until Jun, 2014
DIE-NASTY • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • varsconatheatre.com • Live improvised soap opera • Runs Every Mon, 7:30pm Until May 26, 2014 ELVIS AND THE LAS VEGAS HANGOVER • Jubilations Dinner Theatre • The annual Elvis festival in sunny Las Vegas featuring hit songs by Elvis Presley, and more • Until Feb 14
THE HISTORY OF ROCK ‘N ROLL STARS & STRIPES • Mayfield Dinner Theatre, 16615-109
780.422.8174 • strollofpoets.com • The Poets’ Haven Reading Series: presented by the Stroll of Poets Society: Workshop • Mon, Jan 13, 7-8:45pm
Ave • 780.483.4051 • mayfieldtheatre.ca • A musical evening all-American music review of the origins of rock ‘n roll from its infancy highlighting Chuck Berry, Elvis, the Doo-Wop groups of the '50s, the Beach Boys, and R&B groups of the '60s • Until Feb 2
THE WORKS GALLERY • 10635-95 St • BUNCH OF KIDS AND SOME FLOWERS: Photos by Eleanor Lazare, Grace Law, Giulliano Palladino, Borys Tarasenko; preview for a mural to be installed at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre) • Until Jan 31
THE IRRELEVANT SHOW • Festival Place, 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park • festivalplace.ab.ca • CBC's The Irrelevant Show, an evening of sketch comedy–an irreverent take on pop culture • Jan 10, 7:30pm • $32 (table)/$30 (box)/$28 (theatre) at Festival Place box office
THEATRE
THEATRESPORTS • Zeidler Hall, Citadel
THE 11 O'CLOCK NUMBER • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • varsconatheatre.com •
Theatre, 9828-101A Ave • rapidfiretheatre.com • Improv • Every Fri, 7:30pm and 10pm • Until June • $12/$10 (member) at TIX on the Square
• 913 Ash St, Sherwood Park • 780.467.8189 • strathconacountymuseum.ca • DEAR SANTA... 2013 CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EXHIBIT: Featuring 'Dear Santa' letters from local schoolchildren • Until Jan 10 • Closed until Jan 3
STRATHCONA COUNTY ART GALLERY@501 • 501 Festival Ave, Sherwood Park • BEATNIK GENERATION: Artworks created in the 1950s and 1960s by Frank Stella, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Jules Olitski, Toni Onley, Marion Nicoll, Ted Godwin, and others; Jan 10-Feb 16 • Beatnik café/poetry reading space with a 1950s feel. Music by P.J. Perry Quartet, Jan 24 • THE BEAT GENERATION & BEATNIK CAFÉ: Jan 10-Feb 16 • Reception: Featuring the Jim Findlay Band and guests; Jan 30, 7pm; this is a jam session, so bring your instruments, poems and tunes. Everyone is welcome
STRATHCONA COUNTY MUSEUM ARCHIVES • 913 Ash St, Sherwood Park • strathconacountymuseum.ca • CHRISTMAS IN THE MUSEUM: until Jan 15, 2014
TELUS WORLD OF SCIENCE • 11211-142 St • telusworldofscienceedmonton.com • HARRY POTTER: THE EXHIBITION: Peer into the wizard’s world in an interactive exhibit featuring hundreds of authentic props and costumes from the Harry Potter films; until Mar 9; tickets start: $14 • Feature Exhibition: How to Make a Monster–The Art and Technology of Animatronics • Adults Only Night (18+): Explore the science centre without the kids; Thu, Jan 16, 7-10pm U OF A MUSEUMS • museums.ualberta.ca • Human Ecology Gallery: Main Fl, 116 St, 89 Ave:
THE RE-BIRTH OF VENUS: Fashion & The Venus Kallipygos: Explores the influence of art on fashion through the study of Venus Kallipygos, and its pervasive influence on dress • Until Mar 2, 2014
VAAA GALLERY • 3rd Fl, 10215-112 St • 780.421.1731 • Gallery A: #ICONICCANUCK: Artworks by Brandy Saturley • GALLERY B: INSTITUTE OF MORPHOID RESEARCH: Works by Jennifer Akkermans • Until Jan 25 VASA GALLERY • 25 Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert • 780.460.5990 • vasa.ca • WET PAINT: VASA Members Show hold over through January
VELVET OLIVE LOUNGE–Red Deer • Untitled works by Emily Thomson • Until Jan 30 • No First Friday information
LITERARY BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ • 9624-76 Ave • 780.989.2861 • Story Slam 2nd Wed each month @ the Chair: Share your story, sign-up at 7pm • Jan 8, 7-10pm • $5 (suggested, donations go to winners) BOHEMIA • 10217-97 St • edmontonstoryslam. com • Edmonton Story Slam • 3rd Wed ea month • Wed, Jan 15, 7:30pm (7pm sign-up) • $5 (donatation) CARROT COFFEEHOUSE • 9351-118 Ave • vzenari@gmail.com • Prose Creative Writing Group • Every Tue, 7-9pm
EDMONTON STORY SLAM • Bohemia, 1021797 St • Competitive story telling event. Up to 10 tellers have 5 minutes to tell their story. 5 audience judges pick the winner. Winner takes home the donations from the audience. 3rd Wed each month • Wed, 7:30pm • $5 Donation to winner
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
ARTS 13
BEST OF 2013 // FILM
FILM
FILM EDITOR : PAUL BLINOV PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM
A cinematic flow Time, water and the year's best films
B
y the time you read this 2013 will all be water under the bridge. A corny expression, I guess, but an apt one to consider while looking back on the year in movies—so many of 2013's most remarkable works concern both time (what it is, how it accumulates or vanishes, how its passage registers in the faces and places captured by filmmakers) and water (what it is, how it accumulates or vanishes, how its presence and movement make for breath-taking cinema). My shortlist was long, and I concede that some significant landmarks (Gravity, 12 Years a Slave) did not make my final 10—let's take this abundance as cause to celebrate. I would heartily defend the greatness of any of the films below, but a certain inherent subjectivity ultimately rules the formation of any top 10 list. These are the movies that struck me as most meaningful, thrilling, beautiful, diverting, moving, surprising, funny, strange, haunting. Something in the Air; Inside Llewyn Davis Olivier Assayas (Irma Vep, Summer Hours) grew up in Paris in the 1970s, which means that his adolescence transpired in the immediate wake of May 1968 and the political upheaval that marked that watershed moment. (The film's French title is Après Mai.) This evocative, partly autobiographical cinematic bildungsroman traces its protagonist's struggle to balance the dictates of the era's radical leftist ideologies with those of his own complicated creative ambitions. Part of Something's specialness arises from its lack of emphasis: there is no single "a-ha" moment; rather, the film drifts through heady experiences and immerses us in the period's sundry "scenes," all with a heightened alertness to the air of potential transformation that circulates each passing moment when you're young and seemingly taking the whole world in. The Coen Brothers' latest takes us back a decade or so before the period covered in Something in the Air. It's the winter of 1961, and the New York folk revival is well underway. Llewyn Davis is there, plying his trade as an interpreter of traditional songs in Village basket houses when not busy trying to secure a paycheque, a couch to sleep on or a doctor who will terminate a friend's pregnancy. This character/milieu double-study is, like nearly every Coen picture, immaculately crafted, brutish, sad, inventive and very funny. Buoyed by sublime music and Oscar Isaac's soulful lead performance, Inside Llewyn Davis is also the most tender thing the Coens have ever made. The End of Time Swiss-Canadian filmmaker Peter Mettler's latest essay film is a hypnogogic object of meditation and a spectacu-
14 FILM
lar thematic exploration. The End of Time takes us to the Hadron Collider particle accelerator; to Hawaii, where Jack Thompson knowingly lives within the annihilating lava path of an active
Bastards
seum Hours is the story of a friendship. Writer/director Jem Cohen lets the chance connection between these two not-young characters blossom in its own good time. The relationship at the heart of Before Midnight
Frances Ha
moments so resonant as to be painful—this is not a date movie—but there is consolation, wisdom and humour in recognition. Frances Ha Blue is the Warmest Colour was 2013's most memorable tale of young love, but Frances Ha, co-written by director Frances Ha Noah Baumbach and actress Greta Gerwig, pulled off something a little trickier: a tale of young folly. Gerwig is un-ingratiating and yet kind of irresistible as the bumbling, solipsistic titular heroine in this witty comic character study about all the things an educated, aimless 27-year-old in a big city with no money and no experience of actual struggle can do to tread water and, if she's lucky, discover some sense of purpose in life. The Act of Killing Joshua Oppenheimer's highly unorthodox
Before Midnight
Inside Llewyn Davis
The End of Time
volcano; to Detroit, where the ravages of time can be read in nature's reclaiming of civilization; to India, where religious ritual promises escape from time's enslavement; to some liminal space made of flickering visions generated by Mettler's own image-mixing software. Film as journey: we're transported, bedazzled, perplexed, enlightened, and safely returned, all in under two hours. Museum Hours; Before Midnight The woman is from Canada, here to hold vigil over her cousin, who is in hospital, comatose, slowly dying. The man is here because he's always here, at Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum, where he works as a guard, a tranquil sentinel holding vigil over centuries of art. The woman visits the museum and, later, the man will accompany her to the hospital—Mu-
has been blossoming for 18 Something in the Air
years—18 actual years, captured previously in Before Sunrise and Before Sunset. An unprecedented collaboration between writer/director Richard Linklater and writer/actors Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy, the Before project grants us the opportunity to track its characters (and actors) and their messy, decidedly un-movie-like lives in nine-year intervals. This latest installment reveals them to have become married parents, though how much longer their now-domesticated love story—founded in chance and youthful adventure, fortified by protracted longing—can be sustained is a question left unanswered. There are
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
documentary regards the massacres that followed the 1965 overthrow of Indonesian President Sukarno through the reminiscences of a handful of key players in the mass murders, all of whom have not only gone unpunished for their crimes but are actually revered public figures. Oppenheimer sought out these men and offered to facilitate their writing, directing and acting in reenactments of their ostensible glory days. The Act of Killing surveys the process of casting and re-staging atrocities as appalling propaganda, and on the very gradual, psychologically destabilizing effect that this process has on one man in
particular: Anwar Congo, who in one scene will seem a cuddly grandfather and in the next brags about how he was more sadistic than the Nazis. A deeply troubling must-see. Bastards; A Touch of Sin The closest thing to a genre picture in the largely uncategorizable oeuvre of Claire Denis, Bastards tears some pages from William Faulkner's Sanctuary to construct a nasty, eerily sensual, totally absorbing neo-noir about a naval captain who gives up his errant seaman's life to return to Paris and plot revenge on the nefarious corporate titan he believes responsible for the death of his brother-in-law, the brutal defiling of his niece and the collapse of his family's shoe enterprise. The overlap between Bastards' sordid story and certain real-life scandals that recently rocked France makes for a supplementary layer of extratextuality, but the scathing social commentary in A Touch of Sin is integral to the film's conception. Already established as contemporary China's most artful and aggressive cinematic indictor, Jia Zhang-ke (Platform, Still Life) has made his most accessible and overtly damning film with this interweaving of four tales of violence and desperation, each based on true stories. A Touch of Sin's bloody, tawdry, tabloid-like allure grabs your attention, but its Jia's piercing portraits of a society turning itself inside out to gain a toe-hold in the global economy that will keep you thinking long after. Leviathan This last selection could easily have been a three-way tie. The one-man survival film All is Lost surveys the weathered visage of a silent Robert Redford struggling to stay afloat in the Indian Ocean. Jennifer Baichwal and Ed Burtynsky's globe-treading Watermark invites us to wonder and worry over the ubiquity of water and our fraught attempts to control it. But I want to single out Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel's Leviathan, the most flawed but also the boldest of these three watery titles. We can call it documentary— Castaing-Taylor and Paravel indeed document several Atlantic fishing boat journeys—but what really matters are Leviathan's esthetic, experiential aspects. Fastening tiny GoPro cameras to seemingly every object available, this was 2013's most formally innovative, gloriously disorienting work of cinema: waves, sky, gulls, fish, men and machines fill the frames and transport us to the real world of working at sea. Visceral, arresting, gorgeous, Leviathan reminds us that the movies are far from exhausted when it comes to exploring the world as only movies can. Sail on.
JOSEF BRAUN
JOSEF@VUEWEEKLY.COM
BEST OF 2013 // FILM
A cut above the cutting floor The cinematic highs of the past year
S
o, dear Vuers, after 365 days of seeing more than 50 mediocreor-worse movies, 20-plus fine flicks, and a dozen very honourable mentions, here's my final tally—the best feature films* of 2013, a lucky number if you're a cinema-lover—because this year had more than enough firstrate films. (*Not including documentaries—see our separate list.)
In Mud, Jeff Nichols guns it, revving through a Huck Finn-like boys' adventure that motors deeper into the swamp of a white underclass in rural Arkansas. Just the right notes of myth and tragedy are struck in a story where Ellis' (Tye Sheridan) need to believe in romance lands him in a snake-pit of bounty-hunting, vengeful men.
Under the gaydar Steven Soderbergh's swan song, Behind the Candelabra offers a creepy-camp trip down the rabbit-hole of entertainment superstardom. Michael Douglas is exemplary as Liberace, but it's the preening pianist's gaudy world of cartoonish, cocooned celebrity that fascinates. It's Citizen Kane if directed by that other OW—Oscar Wilde. And its genius is the suggestion that a Hollywood- or Vegas-style high life is beyond queer— it's closeted-off from the world and sadly, pathetically super-narcissistic. A film where "love has no gender," Abdellatif Kechiche's Blue Is The Warmest Colour is a voracious delight, drinking up every pained, sloppy or exuberant moment of late teen Adèle's coming-ofage. The camera's constantly on Adèle Exarchopoulos, especially her lips and eyes; she gives these breathlessly intense close-ups a magnificent performance. From her affair with blue-haired Emma (including sex scenes so private and inward, yet explicitly intense, they're neither erotic nor prurient) to her anguish over their break-up, Adèle's life starts, stumbles and unreels with stunning force on the big screen.
Bodies count The micro-budget Sun Don't Shine is a ripe, seamy, urgently expressionist thriller. Amy Seimetz wrote and directed this cling-film of panic—Badlands meets Flannery O'Connor and Poe—in which an often churlish, often desperate young woman (a scorching Kate Lyn Sheil) drives with a young man to St Petersburg—with a body in the trunk. It's all shot on the run, but with one eye towards a too-bright, sometimes tacky Floridian beauty. From its agitation and near-hallucinatory frenzies to raggedly poetic shots, the film slips into the woman's delusional romance, then back out to her coarse, claustrophobic reality. Shane Carruth, an executive producer of Seimetz's film, brought a bizarre love triangle of ThoreauMalick-Cronenberg. Upstream Color is subcutaneous; this metaphysical body-horror thriller slips under your subconscious, coursing from heistfilm into hallucinatory romance into eco-fable. A tad overelaborate and overelaborated, but the writer, director (and co-star, along with Seimetz) still cascades the narrative into a rippling pool of images.
Southern scars Steve McQueen's 12 Years A Slave marries art-film visuals with historical reflection for a matter-of-economic-fact look at the rotten heart of US blackwhite relations. Long takes let, say, a Louisiana sunset sink in as a black man dangles from a noose, barely alive—the surrounding beauty shocks and sickens all the more by contrast. This basest, most brutal system of private-property has scarred the American landscape, the film reminds us, over and over and over. And not a white face here can be trusted—so "we, the people" become like generations of black men and women in the 1800s, who must have rightly associated whiteness with deceitful, abusive power. That's the twisted, whipping recoil of racism.
All systems going, going . . . Cristian Mungiu offers another offbalance, too-intense friendship between two young women—this time more inward and broiling as a secular, pseudo-sexual love is set against a love of God. In Beyond the Hills, needy Alina returns to visit Voichiţa in the convent where she now lives. There are fatherfigures (doctor, priest), orphans (the two friends), and surrogate families. The pair are let down by Romania's faltering systems—medical, religious and legal (police) establishments pass the buck, or easy judgments, or both. Mungiu austerely frames scenes like religious tableaux, but they crackle with personal urgency—the convent's belief is never as extreme, or unfathomable, as Alina's seething emotions.
As gonzo as Mungiu's film is restrained, Martin Scorsese's bedroomceiling-mirror of high finance's gleeful excess and sneering bloat, The Wolf of Wall Street, is The Great Gatsby for the post-Reagan era. Its shit-talking king, Jordan Belfort, hard-sells the high life's superficial attraction but his contempt, self-abuse and self-justification keep shining through. At 2:45, it echoes and echoes its anti-hero's overlong, narrowminded capitalist-evangelism (with wealth-warrior mantras) and infantile addiction to drugs and sex; its apparent one-noteness mock-mimics this broker's obsession with the g-note, the Q-pill (Quaaludes) and the g-string. The year's most bravura scene—a Quaalude meltdown—is an epic-slapstickepitome of this man's, and his culture's, regression into a drooling, crawling, simple-minded child, desperately clinging to its gluttonous, choking suckle on the American Dream.
involved in particularly American gun tragedies: Ryan Coogler's Fruitvale Station and Alexandre Moors' Blue Caprice; the bruising blues of Belgium's The Broken Circle Breakdown (Felix Van Groeningen); art reframing life for prisoners performing Shakespeare in the Taviani brothers' Caesar Must Die; the audio-horror of Peter Strickland's Berberian Sound Studio.
BRIAN GIBSON
BRIAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Blue is the Warmest Colour
The Wolf of Wall Street
Love-like-ness Another maestro in the twilight of his career, Iran's Abbas Kiarostami takes his masterful car scenes, circling conversations, and discreetly distanced shots and framing to the land of the rising sun, for the story of a translator befriending Akiko, a young student working as a prostitute. But Like Someone in Love is truly a tale of three different men—one of whom thinks he loves Akiko—"protecting" her in sharply different ways, until the flimsy barrier between two of them shatters in the film's final shot. Next Best: Jem Cohen's musing Museum Hours, a Bruegel-like study of art, life and death; Asghar Farhadi's The Past, knotted with half-truths, repressed guilt and lingering doubts; Pablo Larrain's No, when advertising, democracy and capitalist-choice battled for Chile; Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig's Frances Ha, a modern-day Annie Hall who delightfully and daffily doesn't need men; Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity (for its visuals, tight blockbuster-ness and sense of people as mere things in a void); the slow-building white-heat of privilege behind What Richard Did (Lenny Abrahamson); Haifaa Al-Mansour's Wadjda, where consumerism, religious strictures and social mobility ride together; snowballing studies of very different young black men
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
FILM 15
FILM ASPECT RATIO
BRIAN GIBSON // BRIAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Upon later revue
A film critic finally catches up on some older works
Alpha Papa
S
trange, I know, but to sound off this piece about some fine films I caught up with at last, I've got to talk about a comedy scheduled to land here next year. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa was released five months ago in the UK and is now out there on disc. It's the first feature-film for Steve Coogan's famous comic character, full of blithe self-regard. Coogan happens to be the English comic actor of my generation—basically, the Peter Sellers of the post-Thatcher era—and he (plus co-conspirator Andrew Iannucci and, here, Peter Baynham and Neil and Rob Gibbons) started it all with Partridge. He's a preeningly egotistical broadcaster, pathetically orbiting in the outer
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
reaches—think Larry Sanders meets Basil Fawlty. Now at North Norfolk Digital, hosting "Mid-Morning Matters" with such questions for listeners as "What's the best monger: rumour, fish, iron or war?," Partridge finds himself trying to chat free the prisoners in a hostage-situation after a fellow radio host gets fired but returns to the station for revenge. There's a selfexposing slapstick-sequence my inner Chaplin still laughs at every time I think of it. Only the dialogue comes fast and furious in this non-action non-hero's adventure. Coogan testified at the recent Leveson inquiry into News International's phonehacking, ripping into fourth-estate irresponsibility; in this hilarious merger of Dog Day Afternoon and Pump Up The Volume, his pettily pompous Partridge media-persona, always talking in stereo-on-ego-feedback, successfully cranks up the white-noise hilarity for the big screen. On a more serious wavelength is Chang-dong Lee's 2007 film Secret Sunshine, unreleased in North America until Criterion issued it as part of their collection in late 2011. A perfect predecessor to Lee's Poetry, it also features a female performance of extraordinary power, with Do-yeon Jeon cast into a parent's sudden nightmare soon after
moving to the town of Minyang with her son. It's a film I'll have to watch again, soon, and I may still write an Aspect Ratio column about it. The Arbor (2011) is mostly a toughminded exploration of the ways in which the personal worst in an artist—Andrea Dunbar, a promising playwright by 18 but also the mother of three children by three different fathers—affected her kids. She continued living on the housingestate where she set her plays; Clio Barnard restages scenes in the midst of the estate today and has actors lip-synching interviews with Dunbar's scarred daughters. The effect's an eerie, profound echoing of past traumas, deprivations and artistic-reflections of an under-class existence. Sweetgrass, which came out in 2009, is a fly-on-the-wall work documentary, eight years in the making, job-shadowing sheep ranchers on one of their last long treks through Montana's mountains, taking their flock to pasture. It also features perhaps the greatest "I'm having a fucking shitty day at work!" scene ever, with one rancher railing against his job, via cellphone, atop a high bluff. You just might never feel quite so bad about your own peculiar 9-to-5 grind again. V
EDUCATION // DROPOUTS
Studies have shown that high school dropouts have much higher rates of incarceration
This should be of particular importance in Edmonton where our school boards, despite improvement in recent years, continue to report some of the highest dropout rates in the country.
The end of the road? // Creative Commons
A
lthough a high school diploma can’t be used as a “Get out of jail free” card, obtaining one might be the best defence against ever needing one, particularly for racialized (visible minority) youth. When federal Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers tabled his Annual Report in parliament just before the Christmas break, he sounded the alarm about increasingly dispropor-
tionate numbers of First Nations and other visible minority groups incarcerated within the federal justice system. In the 10-year period between March 2003 and March 2013, the number of inmates in federal institutions grew by approximately 2100 people, an overall increase of 16.5 percent. During the same time period, the number of aboriginal inmates increased by 46.4 percent
while those belonging to visible minority groups (black, Hispanic, Asian, East Indian and other ethnicities) increased by almost 75 percent with the number of black inmates growing by nearly 90 percent. In his report, Sapers wrote, “Disproportionate rates of incarceration of some minority groups, including black and aboriginal Canadians, reflect gaps in our social fabric and raise concerns
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
about social inclusion, participation and equality of opportunity.” Education has long been an important factor in these areas and the lack of school completion appears to be an important indicator relative to the potential of incarceration. According to Statistics Canada, a high school diploma lowers the likelihood of incarceration everywhere in the country, and if you live in Saskatchewan or Alberta
and happen to be aboriginal, the absence of a high school diploma exacerbates that likelihood considerably. In Saskatchewan, the incarceration rate among aboriginal young adults with a high school education but without a job was approximately four times lower than the rate among those with a job but without a high school diploma. In CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 >>
EDUCATION 17
EDUCATION REACH
<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17
Alberta, the rate among those with a high school diploma but without a job was almost three times lower than the rate among those with a job but without a high school diploma. According to a 2009 study by the Canadian Council on Learning, lack of education is the second best predictor of incarceration, with previous incarceration being the first. According to that study, costs to the criminal justice system are estimated at more than $200 for each school dropout, equal to more than $350 million per year. The costs are high for society and for the individual as well. A 2011 report by the CD Howe Institute indicates that the probability of someone between with ages of 25 and 64 without a high school diploma reporting income below the Low Income Cutoff (LICO) is nearly one in three. This is double the rate for those with trade certificates and nearly three times the rate for those with a university degree. This should be of particular importance in Edmonton where our school boards, despite improvement in recent years, continue to report some of the highest dropout rates in the country, with First Nations, Metis and Inuit (FNMI) students failing to complete school at a much higher rate than their non-aboriginal counterparts. In its annual report filed in December, Edmonton Public Schools reported a decrease in its dropout rate for FNMI students to 9.4 percent, down from a three-year average of 11.8 percent, which sounds good until it is compared to the overall dropout rate for any student, which is just 3.6 percent. While 69.8 percent of all Edmonton Public students obtain their Grade 12 diploma, just one-fifth of FNMI students graduate. Things are slightly better at Edmonton Catholic, where the completion rate for FNMI students climbed to 48.8 percent in 2013, up from a three-year average of 29.8 percent. Again, this suffers from a comparison with non-ab-
MacEwan.ca/ArtsConEd 18 EDUCATION
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
original students, of which 81.4 percent graduate. As at the public board, FNMI students drop out from Edmonton Catholic at a disproportionate rate: 7.6 percent compared to just 2.4 percent for non-aboriginal students. These numbers are fairly consistent across the country. According to the Assembly of First Nations’ Chiefs Assembly on Education held in the fall of 2012, just 35 percent of FNMI students complete school to graduation, compared to 72 percent among the general population. The Assembly reported that 61 percent of FNMI young adults (aged 20 to 24) have not completed high school, compared to 13 percent among non-FNMI people. Although neither Edmonton board provides a breakdown of the dropout rates of students from other visible minority groups, anecdotal evidence offered by educators and administrators suggest it is high, particularly among boys. According to Edmonton Public, more than 30 percent of students within the district’s schools now self-identify as “the other.” This number includes FNMI students, along with English Language Learners (ELL); refugee and newcomers; students in need of specialized supports and services; and sexual and gender minorities. Edmonton Catholic also reports increased diversity, with the number of ELL students in the district growing 47.5 percent over the past five years, making newcomers to Canada the fastest-growing population attending Edmonton Catholic schools. Both school boards offer storefront options for students to complete their diplomas when the traditional classroom setting doesn’t meet their needs. Through its Fresh Start and Partners for Youth programs, Edmonton Catholic operates six outreach high schools for students who are not attending a regular high school and may benefit from a smaller site with more flexible scheduling and self-directed delivery. Similarly, Edmonton Public offers five locations of The Learning Store, the Transitions program at the downtown YMCA and two New Directions programs that are accessible to students throughout the city. While both boards are making efforts to ensure students are provided with the extra supports they need to achieve success in school, a number of community organizations work independently and with the school boards to meet the needs of youth who are at risk of abandoning their education and those who already have. Support to keep at risk youth in school can range from traditional homework clubs like the one at the Africa Centre to Terra, a program for parenting teens which operates out of Braemar School, to some of the really innovative programming offered at agencies like iHuman and YOUCAN Youth Services. The Verto Project (Latin for “turn around” or “change”) brings at-risk youth together at YOUCAN for a unique 15-week group-based employability skills program where youth receive remuneration and a completion bonus. Funded by both the provincial and federal governments, the Verto Project gives youth aged 16 to 21 years the skills they need to transition from whatever
current circumstances are preventing them from succeeding and back into school or into the labour market. According to Richard Flank, the project manager for Verto, the program has strong demand, with the organization vetting about 100 applicants for the 19 youth they can accommodate each session. He estimates approximately 60 to 70 percent of the youth they serve are FNMI and between five and 10 percent are from other visible minority groups. His agency also employs Relentless Youth Outreach Workers, who work in specially trained, mobile teams which travel to community hot spots where at-risk youth gather. “No youth is turned away,” Flank explains, whether or not they sign on to one of YOUCAN’s programs. “We’ll help them get ID, open a bank account and, if necessary, get them in touch with health-care providers.” Flank notes that if YOUCAN can’t help a particular youth, there’s a good chance they know someone who can. “We have an extensive network of other agencies to which we can refer youth, depending on their needs,” he adds. For those students still in school and at risk of leaving early, YOUCAN has the “Step Up and Step In” program, an initiative focusing on youth engagement, leadership and empowerment and geared toward the prevention of youth violence and criminal activity. It operates out of nine public junior and senior high schools and has shown impressive results both with respect to keeping students in school and keeping
them out of the criminal justice system. YOUCAN is also a collaborator (with REACH Edmonton, The Africa Centre, Edmonton John Howard Society, Edmonton Police Services and Native Counselling Services of Alberta) in the recently announced WRAPed crime prevention initiative, a federally-funded effort targeting youth between the ages of 12 and 17 years who are most at risk of involvement with gangs. Sapers’ report indicates that the face of Canadian corrections is changing and it is true that we live in an increasingly diverse, multi-ethnic and pluralistic society. But the diversity we are seeing in the corrections system is disproportionate; the numbers of First Nations and other visible minorities are growing much more quickly inside the walls of our prisons than they are outside. The increased diversity in corrections is not merely a reflection of larger demographic trends in Canadian society. Research conducted by the Centre for Race and Culture indicates that FNMI and visible minorities (racialized people) do not commit more crime than non-racialized Canadians with similar life circumstances. With the link between educational attainment and likelihood of being drawn to criminal activity clearly established, every effort to improve high school completion rates for at-risk youth deserves our full and unconditional support. MIMI WILLIAMS
MIMI@VUEWEEKLY.COM
S I T É M Y R A D N O C E S T S O P G N I D FUN
Métis Training To Employment Services can provide support to Métis students entering:
Métis Scholar Awards are also available to students at a » The final two semesters of a university number of post-secondary institutions across Alberta. Contact To Employment Services, or your school for degree, a college diploma or a technical Métis Training more information on awards at:
institute program; » The second year of technical training in a Registered Apprenticeship Trade; » A certificate program of one year or less; » The financial contribution for eligible clients may include tuition, mandatory books and supplies and income support.
Métis Post Secondary Funding 2013 - VUE ½ Page.indd 1
» » » » » »
MacEwan University NorQuest College Portage College University of Alberta NAIT Athabasca University
» » » » »
University of Calgary Mount Royal University Grande Prairie Regional College Lethbridge College University of Lethbridge Funded in part by the Government of Canada.
For more information, contact: Métis Training to Employment Services 1-888-48-MÉTIS (1-888-486-3847) www.metisemployment.ca
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Rupertsland Institute Métis Centre of Excellence 12-16-13 11:12
EDUCATION 19
WINTER/ SPRING
CONTINUING STUDIES | PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | LIFELONG LEARNING
20 EDUCATION
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
2014
Management Certificate Programs Organizations today count on people to excel at decision-making, problem-solving, motivation methods, and strategic planning. Learn from instructors who know their business -–people who have faced the challenges you face to excel in their fields. This is quality classroom time packed with insider information, practical advice and excellent instruction. • • • • •
Human Resources Management Certificate Information Technology Management Certificate Management Development Certificate Management Development Certificate for Police Services Management Development Certificate for Professional Engineers and Geoscientists
We also offer courses recognized through partnerships with professional associations: • Purchasing Management • Risk and Insurance Management
Citation Programs Business Analysis Professional Citation This program is for Business and Project Managers who seek solutions for process improvement and organizational changes as well as Systems Analysts who need to bridge the gap between business processes and technical requirements. Citation in Entrepreneurship Examine the entrepreneurial process and the important factors to consider when starting your own business in this compact but comprehensive program. Citation in Social Media Strategic Marketing Learn to create a strategic and effective social media plan that will enhance the brand, reputation and customer relationships of an organization. Citation in Social Media Communications Learn how to communicate effectively in the social media age, deriving the most from the increasing number of different social media platforms, and understand the new rules of this multi-dimensional communication model. Supervisory Development Citation Provides up-to-date information and advice you need to be an effective leader in your work environment.
Management Seminars Equipping participants with specific and relevant skills to empower them as they respond to rapid changes in the business world, most seminars are between 7 and 14 classroom hours.
Master of Arts in Communications and Technology What are the knowledge and skills needed to communicate in the new digital workplace? The University of Alberta’s innovative Master of Arts in Communications & Technology is the answer to that question: a part-time, online graduate program designed for working professionals. Don’t give up your busy career to get the leading-edge training you need for success in the new economy. Combine the benefits of classroom interaction with online convenience.
Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) Certificate The CACE program is designed to meet the growing need for formal education and training by developing and enriching the knowledge and level of competence of those practicing in the field of adult education.
Visual Arts Certificate Develop a solid foundation in the fundamentals of art through our Visual Arts Certificate. Offering studio instruction, constructive critique, and practical experience, our courses, taught by professional artists, will help you build a portfolio reflective of your artistic vision and mastery. Courses can be taken for general interest or for certificate credit.
Residential Interiors Certificate Unique in Western Canada, the Residential Interiors Certificate is recognized as an excellent university level program incorporating the principles of fine arts, architecture and business. Offering theory, practice and industry-specific instruction, this program will enhance your current practice or help you pursue a new career in residential interior decorating.
English Language Program (ESL)
Writing and Editing
Discover a whole new world by studying English at the University of Alberta, from English basics to pronunciation enhancement to university-level English. Small class size means you get lots of opportunity to practice with students from around the world. Both intensive day and part-time evening courses are offered year-round.
Explore the clear expression of ideas, create interesting characters that amuse, write poetry that has meaning to others, or move from pen to print or the Internet. Guided by professional writers, many of whom have won awards, our writing courses will help you transform your thoughts into effective and inspired writing.
Government Studies Local Government Certificate Integrate theory and practice to better understand local government administration. Distance delivery with online components offers flexibility as well as personal contact with the instructor and other students. Applied Land Use Planning Certificate (ALUP) gives you a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the Alberta planning environment, including legislation, policy and technical issues. Information Access and Protection of Privacy Certificate (IAPP) focuses on the ideas, structures and processes that define appropriate administration of access and privacy legislation at a municipal, provincial and federal level in Canada. The program aims to develop and enhance managerial leadership in the access and privacy field.
Construction Administration Certificate Become an effective administrator of construction projects in a wide range of sectors in the economy. Whether you work in construction, design, project management, manufacturing and supply, development or real estate, you will benefit from this application of administrative and technical concepts, principles and practices to your role in the construction field.
ELLA Spring Classes for Adults 50+
Environmental Resource Management Certificate This program explores the critical ideas and developments that affect your organization’s environmental performance. The ERM program examines several areas, including air, water and soil processes, environmental monitoring, biotechnology, instrumentation, and experimental design.
Languages Spanish Language Certificate Whether you plan to vacation or to do business in Spanishspeaking countries, our Spanish Language Certificate opens up a world of opportunities. Learn Spanish in intimate classes formatted in short modules that let you begin at whatever level suits your skills. We also offer: Arabic • Chinese (Mandarin) • French • German • Italian • Japanese • Portuguese
Occupational Health and Safety Certificate Health and safety is a growing field in the workplace. Learn the competencies needed to plan, implement, and evaluate occupational health and safety programs and systems in a wide variety of workplace settings and on-the-job situations.
April 28 - May 16, 2014 Join the Edmonton Lifelong Learners Association (ELLA) today and have fun enjoying university without papers, exams or homework. Meet new friends and share fresh ideas. Registration begins in February 2014. To become a member, call: ELLA Office: 780.492.5055
Register now for Winter/Spring 2014 Classes Visit our website to view the Course Guide online, find class descriptions, dates, times and locations, or to request your free print publications by mail.
www.extension.ualberta.ca To register: 780.492.3109 or 780.492.3116
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
EDUCATION 21
EDUCATION EDUCATION // RAP GENIUS
If you can't beat 'em, annotate 'em Social media woes in the classroom ...
erty this work was loomed large. The tone of the site (an approved annotation is greeted with the word "Ballin'!") is not exactly standard academic English. Some hip-hop artists, meanwhile, think the whole enterprise of educated, mostly white people "explaining" a mostly black art form is condescending at best, racist at worst. (The rapper Victor Vasquez from Das Racist called Rap Genius "white devil sophistry" in 2011). The accusation that Rap Genius is white-washing hip hop has led the site to create "verified" accounts where rappers themselves have the ultimate authority to explain their lyrics (the rapper Nas is a frequent contributor). But in the end, we discovered a vaccine of sorts for the zombie invasion of the Internet in academia. Let a little bit of the anarchy in the classroom and students suddenly see the value of scholarly investigation. In my little corner of Latin American cultural studies, the wisdom of the crowd beat back the zombie invasion.
The lyrics say it all // Creative Commons
S
ometimes higher education feels like a zombie-movie cliché. You know that scene where the hordes of the undead are about to break into the protected zone? The arrival of the MOOCs (massive open online courses) in 2012, coupled with proliferation of social media in the classroom, seemed like the beginning of the zombie apocalypse. Two years later and the zombies have circled the premises, knocking down the ivory tower and "flipping" some of the classrooms, so that lectures are delivered to the masses via YouTube. Our students are all infected, constantly texting and tweeting under their desks. Many of the survivors, though, are still calling for the same futile techniques of resistance: quarantine the MOOCs, isolate Facebook and Twitter from the classroom, and put a bullet in the head of Wikipedia. For years, I ranted to students about not trusting the Internet. Every assignment came with the all-caps statement: NO WIKIPEDIA ALLOWED. I didn't want the virus to
22 EDUCATION
spread to my classroom. But then, after a chance meeting with the education czar of the website RapGenius.com last summer, I started rethinking my position. Jeremy Dean—his real title is Chief of Education at Rap Genius—is an old friend from my graduate-school days and an evangelist for the power of crowd-sourced knowledge in higher education. Rap Genius is a user-driven website that annotates and interprets song lyrics and other primary source documents. It was begun in 2009 by a trio of Yale graduates and hip-hop aficionados as a fun—albeit nerdy fun— way to deconstruct rap lyrics. It uses a wiki platform to build on the knowledge of the crowd. But unlike, say, Wikipedia, Rap Genius allows for a polyphony of voices, some scholarly, some profane. It gets rowdy on the site: one annotation of Kanye West's song "New Slaves" makes a compelling case for viewing the entire Yeezus album as a modern-day Nietzschean parable of the Anti-Christ, while another describes
a Kanye-inspired video "really just some bullshit." Since changing its name from Rap Exegesis to Rap Genius and landing $15 million in venture capital a year ago, the website's traffic now exceeds that of The Economist, with around half a million unique views per day. Dean told me that much of the venture capital investment was going towards initiatives in education, and he wanted me to try out the site at the University of Alberta. I was skeptical at first, but Dean won me over. Instead of thinking of Rap Genius as yet another Internet timesuck, why not think of it as a new way of doing old-school hermeneutics? He had a case: scholars have been writing marginalia in books for millennia. In a way, Rap Genius wasn't that different from Talmudic scholarship; it was an exercise based on close reading and historical contextualization. My class on Popular Music in Latin America began compiling lyrics from classic songs in Spanish and Portuguese, translating and annotating
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
them on Rap Genius or its sister site, Rock Genius. It got messy: was the Mexican folk song "La Cucaracha" really about a marijuana-smoking dictator? Did an Enrique Iglesias song have a coded fascist message? How could you "prove" it? Other Rap Genius users from across the globe started poking holes in the hermetically sealed classroom. One of my students found a niche annotating the work of the Brazilian samba-funk pioneer Jorge Ben. Her work was brilliant, making connections between the lyrics and music that I had never considered. Another user from Brazil started getting interested in my students' work and started suggesting alternative interpretations of his songs. At first, I worried about users who I didn't know influencing my students' work, but then I saw that collaborative work made the annotations more concise and more factually correct. The students learned to use their university-level information literacy skills to go back and verify facts with references from primary sources. It was the ultimate teaching moment for the importance of scholarly research. By the end of the term, we had built an archive of popular Latin American songs that were annotated from reliable sources. Editors from the site promoted some of my students to become editors in their own right, with the power to verify or flag other users' annotations. There were problems, of course. The question of whose intellectual prop-
MOOCs, meanwhile, haven't lived up to the initial high expectations. San Jose State University signed a deal with MOOC pioneer Udacity to overhaul the university's entire curriculum last January by offering for-credit, low-cost online courses. Now the CEO of Udacity, Sebastian Thrun, says Udacity's courses were a "lousy product." After discovering evidence of high drop-out rates and sub-par performance with MOOCs, San Jose State has put the partnership on ice. Evidence suggests that free or low-cost MOOCs have higher failure rates than more expensive ones. Closer to home, the U of A's MOOC course Dino 101 has been more successful in luring and keeping students enrolled over the long haul. Learning about dinosaurs or popular music online, however, might be a different ballgame than deep research on astrophysics or appreciating the nuances of Shakespeare. Declining enrollments and tight budgets in the humanities have made the invasion of online learning platforms a vexed question among the professoriate. All too often, MOOCs, Twitter, Wikipedia, etc are seen as harbingers of the end of higher education as we know it. But, as any literary scholar will tell you, there's a difference between form and content. Online platforms are, as the name implies, "form." Content—whether it be Latin American rap, dinosaurs or Milton—will always be there. RUSSELL COBB
RUSSELL@VUEWEEKLY.COM
Russell Cobb is an assistant professor in the department of Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Alberta.
BFA: Native American Art program
Where have you been hiding Urban Legend Series by Joel No Runner
This fall, the Faculty of Fine Arts launched the BFA: Native American Art program (NAA), one of only three such programs in Canada, and the only program of its kind to exist in western Canada. Combining courses in Native American Studies, Art History/Museum Studies and Art Studio, this program paves the way for students to succeed and participate in the complex and evolving global dialogue of indigenous art history and contemporary art practices.
Studies, professors Tanya Harnett, Anne Dymond and Jamie Warn directed the program’s implementation. Driven to design a challenging and dynamic program for both Native American Studies and Fine Arts candidates, their contributions have led to a defining and groundbreaking focus of study within national and international contexts.
“The NAA program is designed to engage with and broaden our Canadian identity and history,” says Tanya Harnett. “Our With strong support from the University students are not only on the cutting edge ad.5x7_Layout 1 11/10/13 3:25 PM Page 1 important study, they’ll be making of this of Lethbridge and collaboration of the departments of Art and Native American the edge.”
University of Lethbridge
YOUR DESTINATION
THEATRE PRODUCTION
Technical Theatre Design
THEATRE PERFORMANCE
Theatre Creation Directing Acting
finearts.admissions@uleth.ca uleth.ca/finearts/drama 403 380 1864
Offering two streams, Art Studio and Art History/Museum Studies, students develop a professional portfolio, incorporating strong theoretical and practical components enriched with courses taught from a First Nations perspective by the Department of Native American Studies. “First Nations artists, curators, and art historians are provided the skillset and advantage to give them opportunities in the future,” Harnett says. “We recognize the high demand for qualified, educated professionals with these skills, and we know our students will be sought after.”
Studio applicants are required to submit a portfolio showcasing their work for admission to the program. Admissions and Portfolio Advisor, Erin Kennett, is providing opportunity for portfolio feedback and critique before final submission, for interested applicants, over the next few months. “Through these workshops, candidates will receive one-on-one feedback for their portfolios, and we will discuss the elements that are successful and those that need further focus and improvement,” explains Kennett. “It’s a great way for those who are interested in receiving feedback to make necessary changes to their portfolio, specifically for potential entrance to the program.”
Appointments for individual portfolio workshops are bookable online, lethbridgeportfolioworkshop.eventbrite.com, and any questions may be sent to finearts. admissions@uleth.ca. Portfolio workshops are available to all Fine Arts applicants with portfolio requirements: BFA (Art), BFA (New Media), BFA (Theatre and Dramatic Arts) and B. Mus (Digital Audio Arts). Applicants are reminded that the deadline to apply for the Fall 2014 semester is June 1, and the deadline for portfolio submission is June 15. For the surrounding Southern Alberta community and for the greater national communities and peoples, the BFA (NAA) program is poised to make significant contributions through its faculty and students. “We are excited to see the program grow, and to see the U of L continue to take the lead in this important field of study,” Harnett adds. CONTENT PROVIDED BY LETHBRIDGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
The U of L Department of Theatre and Dramatic Arts produces a robust season of mainstage shows and a dynamic array of student generated works, supported by outstanding faculty, theatre facilities, shops and studios.
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING? VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Refrabricated Indian by Camina Manychief
EDUCATION 23
TO LEARNING NAIT now offers more opportunities for lifelong learning in 2014 ACADEMIC UPGRADING
Intro to Finance
Designed for adults of all ages and academic backgrounds, the Academic Upgrading program offers flexible options for students to gain the entrance requirements for a post-secondary program.
Intro to Marketing
Courses are offered in English, Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biography, Math and Computer skills.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Improve your English language skills with NAIT’s evening and weekend 4 and 5 week English as a Second Language courses. Enhance your writing, grammar and speaking skills, or prepare for the ELP Assessment Exam. NAIT ESL courses are the first step in preparing you for any number of academic programs. Evening Speaking & Listening Course [NESL 602]
[FNCE1125] [MARK1130]
Organizational Behavior [ORGB1135]
[SMTL702]
Payroll Compliance Practitioner Certificate Program [CPAY450]
ELP Intensive Prep Course
[BFND215]
[NESL 616]
Delegating/Assigning Tasks [BFND175]
Time/Stress Management [BFND240]
Introduction to Event Management [EVMT600]
Plumber Job Readiness [PLMR702]
Insulator Job Readiness [INSU702]
Sheet Metal Job Readiness Hydronic Designer/Installer Core 1 [HDRO510]
Wood Working Skills Wood Working for Women [CAMB151] [IRON410]
Intro to Basic Machining Skills
NAIT’s Computer Training Centre offers hands-on, technology based training, essential to serving the needs of business and industry. Whether you’re looking to develop new skills and advance your career in your profession or just learn something new, the Computer Training Centre delivers part-time IT programs that are easily transferable to the workplace. Programs include: Oracle Primavera Training Process Analyst Certificate Business Intelligence and Information Management Certificate
[MACH150]
Machine Shop I [MACH101]
WordPress Developer Certificate
Finishing Your Basement – Framing [HOME110]
Concrete Countertops [BILD330]
Custom Airbrushing
ELECTRICAL TRADES
Web Design Certificate Visual Design Certificate Network Infrastructure Analyst Certificate Windows Server Network Administrator Certificate Geographic Information System (GIS) Technology Certificate
DIPLOMA PROGRAMS
Electrician Practical Assessment
Optical Sciences – Eyeglasses Diploma Year One
Electrical Trade Basic Skills [ELTR115]
PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT SERVICES
Optical Sciences – Advance Practice Contact Lenses
Electrical – Master Certification
Quality Management Certificate
[ELTR510]
Emergency Management Diploma – Prepare yourself for one of the fastestgrowing fields in North America. Offered exclusively online, NAIT’s Emergency Management program provides the relevant knowledge and leadership skills to effectively manage events or disasters.
[ELTR700]
[QMGT]
Electrical Code Update [ELTR705]
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certificate [LSSC]
HOSPITALITY & CULINARY ARTS
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
FILM ASPECT RATIO
JOSEF BRAUN // JOSEF@VUEWEEKLY.COM
A different aspect
A collection of the harder-to-find films we discovered over 2013 The launch of this column in early 2013 was for my colleagues and me a great opportunity—one we're still figuring out how best to fulfil. Honestly, if it were up to me we'd be watching just about everything in well-maintained movie houses, but Aspect Ratio offers those of us who cover film for Vue a way to address some of the countless worthwhile works of motion picture (be they movies, television shows or what have you) that never hit Edmonton's big screens. Aspect Ratio is about other screens, other places, alternatives. We try to focus on works you can track down, but even in the digital age such a thing as rarity still exists. It's not so bad, having to seek, having to wait. Anticipation and imagination are key aspects of desire—the core subject of so much cinema. So I apologize in advance if some of the 11 works discussed in this, my A/R year in review, are a little more elusive than others. Widely available DVDs and Blu-rays of older, usually classic films (from Criterion most especially—and deservedly) get plenty of ink throughout the rest of the year. For this year-end look back, I want to tell you about things I've come upon a little further off the beaten path. Most are available on home video or some web-delivery format. Others, well, I'm crossing my fingers that they may find some route to your eyes and ears soon. The Oxbow Cure; Post Tenebras Lux This list gets far-flung fast, so let's start close to home: the best Canadian film of 2013 that I've seen and you probably haven't is a mysterious work of chamber sci-fi. The Oxbow Cure is the second feature from the resourceful Toronto directing duo Calvin Thomas and Yonah Lewis. A woman (author Claudia Dey) retreats to an isolated cabin to recover from an unspecified ailment. She seems alone—until she spots a creature in the wintry woods whose gait suggests that it shares the same affliction. Spooky, pretty, and all kinds of weird, elegantly handled. Heading south, the most recent work from Mexico's Carlos Reygadas (Battle in Heaven, Silent Light) also features a house in the country and an otherworldly creature distinguished by a peculiar way of walking. And horns. And a toolbox. It might be the Devil. In any case, it's a memorable cameo in a beguiling film whose unapologetically personal overtones reflect Andrei Tarkovsky's Mirror. A little girl wanders a vast pasture as a storm brews; a couple visits a sex club; there is a rural Alcoholics Anonymous meeting presided over by a man named R2D2. Post Tenebras Lux seems a diary of sorts, though one with fantastical, dream-like interludes. It's available on DVD and Bluray from Strand.
Manila in the Claws of Light; Touki Bouki Lino Brocka's 1975 melodrama, widely considered the greatest Filipino film of all time, is an archetypal tale of a love-struck country boy losing his way in the big city, but its stunning imagery and darkly picaresque storytelling techniques are anything but cozily familiar. Restored by the World Cinema Foundation, it's no wonder Manila in the Claws of Light would appeal to WCF frontman Martin Scorsese—it is in its way a third-world Taxi Driver, tracing the way innocence is consumed by corruption and frustration until it morphs into madness and violence. The late Senegalese filmmaker Djibril Diop Mambéty's 1973 masterpiece Touki Bouki is likewise a work of monumental importance to African cinema, combining a seemingly straightforward plot—two lovers attempting to raise money to leave Dakar for Paris—with a dense palimpsest of exotic narrative elements, images drawn equally from animist regional mythology and brutal social realism—like Manila, it is partly about the things we do for money. It's also been restored by the WCF and is now available on Criterion's new box set entitled Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project. (I tried to keep Criterion out of this. What can I say?) I had the great fortune of seeing the restored Touki Bouki presented by French director Claire Denis, who made it her 'Carte Blanche' selection during a recent retrospective of her work. Once Upon a Time Was I, Verônica; Neighbouring Sounds Not unlike Denis' 35 Rhums, Marcelo Gomes' sensual character study, set in his hometown of Recife, Brazil, concerns the very particular sort of bond shared by a father and his adult daughter who still live together. Once Upon a Time Was I, Verônica slips between its titular heroine's internal psychic struggles, her professional challenges—she's a recent med school grad who lands a gig treating patients with odd psychosomatic issues—and, most memorably, her erotic adventures. Kleber Mendonça Filho's Neighbouring Sounds, available on DVD and Blu-ray from Cinema Guild, is also set in Recife (and also features WJ Solha in its cast) but could not strike a more different tone. A portrait of a gated community prompted by varied criminal activities to hire a battalion of full-time security guards, this dryly comic, at times inexplicably unsettling film builds a sinister air of paranoia and fraught class and familial relations. Confident and controlled, yet open-ended, it's hard to believe this is Mendonça Filho's first fiction feature. (But take note: like a number of great filmmakers, he used to be a critic!)
Elena; The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear Petra Costa also hails from Brazil. Her first-person feature-length debut concerns two women, one an elusive ghost, the other (Costa) trying to contact this ghost—and very much in danger of becoming her. Elena, Costa's big sister, wanted to act and sing, to live only for art, and moved to New York to realize this. But her promise was thwarted by her own paralyzing despair. Elena is drenched in sadness, but it also flows with tremendous beauty. In Georgian director Tinatin Gurchiani's fascinating feature debut we see several subjects from her hometown stand before her camera in a sort of elegantly rendered screen-test. They're often shy and uncertain, yet so articulate about their lives in this infamously fraught former Soviet region that, within moments, we feel immersed in their world. Following these quasi-auditions, Gurchiani selects events from her subjects' lives and stages them for her camera. These stories blend into a lyrical panorama of contemporary Georgia. The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear is available on DVD from Icarus. Viola; The Strange Little Cat; A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness Matías Piñeiro's Viola invites us to a Buenos Aires' all-female theatre company's rehearsals for Twelfth Night. Taut, intimate and heavy on arresting close-ups, context is forgone in favour of a singular approach guided by a profound affection for rooms, chemistry, actors and the magic of uttering timeless texts. From a family of thespians to actual blood relations: Ramon Zürcher's The Strange Little Cat limits its scope to the preparation and execution of a simple Swiss family dinner, yet is full of clamorous life, everything seemingly normal until some cryptic comment or event intrudes before slipping away again. As weirdly enchanting as it is hard to describe. One, make that two, last variations on family: the commune and the rock group. Ben Rivers and Ben Russell's Spell examines life at a rural Estonian commune, then follows musician Robert A A Lowe as he finds tranquility in the Finnish wilderness, then enters a small club where Lowe's heavily madeup Finnish black metal outfit takes the stage. The camera movement is as sinewy and lovely as the music is crushing and, at times, a little silly. It ends with Lowe leaving the stage, wiping off his white make-up, putting on his coat and going out the back door, re-entering a world where it's arguably harder than ever to get a band heard—or a challenging movie seen. Thankfully, such odds don't seem to discourage numerous bold international filmmakers from getting behind the mule and making cinema magic. Here's to a new year of image, sound and opportunity. V
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Once Upon a Time Was I, Verônica
The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear
The Strange Little Cat
FILM 25
FILM BEST OF 2013 // DOCUMENTARIES
What's up, doc?
A look at the best non-fiction of the past year The Act of Killing Exposing the terrible reality and surrealism of victors editing history, this is the best non-fiction film of the year and already one of the best this decade. Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn and an anonymous co-director watch the camera turned into a flattering mirror by massmurderers, who happily indict themselves—because they remain free and in power. Anwar Congo, who killed hundreds of Communists in North Sumatra in 1966, re-enacts some of his murders for a movie (encouraged by Oppenheimer). Acting seems like modern-day, consumerist Indonesia's way of being: acting like its capitalist present is unrelated to a brutal, thuggish past; gangsters repeating the li(n)e that "gangsters" means "free men;" rehearsing a political campaign steeped in bribery and corruption; a TV-show host congratulating Congo on his killing; Congo's movie, mostly horror-kitsch, eliciting sudden, genuine emotion from an actor whose stepfather was killed in 1966.
FILM
WEEKLY
Fri, Jan 3-Thu, Jan 9, 2014 CHABA THEATRE–JASPER
6094 Connaught Dr Jasper, 780.852.4749 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
DUGGAN CINEMA–CAMROSE 6601-48 Ave Camrose, 780.608.2144
the secret life of walter MittY (PG) No passes dailY 7:00, 9:20; sat-sun 2:00
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug (PG
How To Survive A Plague An in-the-trenches look at impassioned, eloquent activism. From hundreds of hours of meeting footage, demonstration news coverage and even home videos, David France quilts a chronicle of ACT UP's fight for better, more patient-driven HIV drug research in the late '80s and early '90s. What lingers, even beyond the images of emaciated, dying gay men, are the images of angry New Yorkers fighting a political culture of disinterest and disorganization. (And for a very good doc on a very different activist campaign in NYC, see Michael Galinsky and Suki Hawley's Battle for Brooklyn.) The Gatekeepers Soberingly matter-of-fact, with sharp moments of self-criticism. Six former Israeli internal-security service commanders recall high and low points in their tenures. The central visual motif—a microfilm reader-printer's fri-sun, tue 12:00, 4:00, 8:00; Mon, wed-thu 4:00, 8:00
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug (PG
violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo, Stadium Seating fri-sun, tue 12:10; 3d : Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital dailY 3:45, 7:45
anchorMan 2: the legend continues (14A
language may offend, crude content) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun, tue 12:15, 3:15, 7:15, 10:15; Mon, wed-thu 3:15, 7:15, 10:15
inside llewYn daVis (14A coarse language)
target turned into a rifle or missile scope—combines with stark archival footage and the ex-commanders' bottom-line view of Israeli politics (no interest in tackling the "Palestinian problem") to reframe the Jewish state as an armoured tank, always taking aim. The caption font's the same as in Homeland, but Dror Moreh's film puts paid to any 24-style series' dramatization of terrorism-fighting. Leviathan A surging, seething, spraying turquoise splashes across the canvas-like screen in this part-Polaroid-like, part-painterly sensory poem. People are busily working creatures, unloading, hacking and slicing aboard a New Bedford fishing vessel, scudding through the North Atlantic. Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, with small, clip-able waterproof cameras, capture the trade's roil and toil. Fish guts slop about; starfish drift in the deep. The sea and its offerDolby Stereo Digital
aMerican hustle (14A coarse language)
(PG not rec for young children, violence) dailY 9:00 CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12
dailY 1:00, 3:10, 5:15, 7:20, 9:25
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) dailY 1:15, 4:25, 7:55
anchorMan 2: the legend continues (14A language may offend, crude content) Digital fri-sun 11:40, 3:00, 6:30, 9:15; Mon, wed-thu 5:00, 7:40; tue 2:10, 5:00, 7:40
anchorMan 2: the legend continues (14A
froZen (G) Digital fri-sun 4:00, 9:40; Mon-thu 5:10;
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:30, 4:00, 6:50, 9:35; Mon-thu 6:50, 9:35
grudge Match (14A)
47 ronin (PG violence, frightening scenes)
5074-130 Ave 780.472.9779 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH 14231-137 Ave 780.732.2236 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH 1525-99 St 780.436.8585 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
CINEPLEX ODEON WINDERMERE CINEMAS Cineplex Odeon Windermere, Vip Cinemas, 6151 Currents Dr, 780.822.4250 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
LANDMARK CINEMAS 9 CITY CENTRE 10200-102 Ave, 780.421.7018
the wolf of wall street (18A substance
abuse, sexual content) Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo
26 FILM
abuse, sexual content) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:00, 3:50, 7:40; Mon-thu 7:40
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo fri-sun, tue 12:20, 3:50, 6:50, 9:50; Mon, wed-thu 3:50, 6:50, 9:50
froZen (G)
saVing Mr. banks (PG mature subject matter)
47 ronin 3d (PG violence, frightening scenes)
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo fri-sun, tue 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Mon, wed-thu 3:30, 6:30, 9:30
47 ronin (PG violence, frightening scenes) Closed Captioned, Digital 3d, DTS Stereo
dailY 3:20; 3d : Digital Presentation fri-sun, tue 12:25,
7:00, 10:00; Mon, wed-thu 7:00, 10:00 LANDMARK CINEMAS 10 CLAREVIEWW 4211-139 Ave, 780.472.7600
froZen 3d (G)
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 3:55 Closed Captioned, Digital 3d, Digital Presentation fri-sun 12:45, 7:10, 10:05; Mon-thu 7:10, 10:05
violence, not rec for young children)
language may offend, crude content) dailY 1:45, 4:15, 7:00, 9:20
the secret life of walter MittY (PG) dailY 1:30, 3:55, 6:55, 9:15
METRO CINEMA AT THE GARNEAU Metro at the Garneau: 8712-109 St 780.425.9212
the PerVert's guide to ideologY (STC) fri 6:45; sat 9:30; sun 1:30, 6:45; tue 9:30
cbgb (STC)
fri 9:30; sat 4:30; sun 9:30; Mon 7:00; thu 9:30
the rooM (14A nudity, sexual content) fri 11:30
the grandMaster (PG violence, not rec for young children) Subtitled sat 2:00, 7:00; sun 4:15, Mon 9:00
3d : Reald 3d: fri-sun 12:30, 6:50; Mon, wed-thu 7:50; tue
2:30, 7:50 PRINCESS 10337-82 Ave, 780.433.0728
PhiloMena (PG language may offend) fri 7:00; sat-sun 1:00, 7:00; Mon-thu 7:00
dallas buYers club (18A)
fri 9:00; sat-sun 3:00, 9:00; Mon-thu 9:00
Mandela: long walk to freedoM (PG violence, mature subject matter) fri 6:45, 9:30; sat-sun 2:00, 6:45, 9:30; Mon-thu 6:46, 9:30 SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM WEM 8882-170 St 780.444.2400 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
NEW FORT CINEMA
the sound of Music (PG) Edmonton Opera
froZen 2d (G) dailY 6:50; sat-sun, tue 2:00
grudge Match (14A)
Metro shorts (STC) Mostly Water
language may offend, crude content) dailY 9:00
thu 7:00
Justin bieber's belieVe (G)
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug 3d
lone surViVor (14A gory brutal violence, coarse
anchorMan 2: the legend continues (14A
dailY 12:55, 2:55, 4:50
stone roses: Made of stone (STC) Music Docs
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital dailY 9:00
language may offend, crude content) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation,
walking with dinosaurs (PG)
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:40
Closed Captioned, Digital 3d, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:55, 6:35; Mon-thu 6:35 (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No Passes, Closed Captioned, Digital 3d, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 4:10, 7:50; Mon-thu 7:50
8:00; Tue 2:40, 8:00
(14A, frightening scenes, coarse language) Digital fri-sun 1:10, 3:45, 7:00, 9:45; Mon, wed-thu 5:30, 8:10; tue 3:00, 5:30, 8:10
the wolf of wall street (18A substance
the hunger gaMes: catching fire
Grandin Mall Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert, 780.458.9822
froZen (G)
grudge Match (14A)
dailY 6:30; sat-sun 1:30
3d : Reald 3d: fri-sun 11:50, 6:20, 9:10; Mon, wed-thu
GRANDIN THEATRE–ST ALBERT
the secret life of walter MittY (PG)
anchorMan 2 (14A language may offend, crude
froZen (G)
fri-sun 3:10; Mon-thu 5:20;
ParanorMal actiVitY: the Marked ones
the secret life of walter MittY (PG)
aMerican hustle (14A coarse language)
BRIAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
dailY 6:20, 9:00
No Passes, Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 4:15
(14A frightening scenes, coarse language) dailY 7:15, 9:30; sat-sun 2:15
BRIAN GIBSON
the hunger gaMes: catching fire (PG
Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo fri-sun, tue 12:50, 4:15, 7:10, 10:10; Mon, wed-thu 4:15, 7:10, 10:10
ParanorMal actiVitY: the Marked ones
• Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
Best Canadian doc I saw this year: The Manor (dir. Shawney Cohen and Mike Gallay).
No Passes, Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:25, 3:20, 6:30, 9:30; Mon-thu 6:30, 9:30
saVing Mr. banks (PG mature subject matter)
6:40, 9:40
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo fri-sun, tue 1:00, 4:20, 7:30, 10:25; Mon, wed-thu 4:20, 7:30, 10:25
Mistaken For Strangers An amusing, then poignant take on
the music-doc. The brother of Matt Berninger, lead singer for the National, seems a hilarious Wayne's World dope—he asks him, "How famous do you think you are?" or yells "Hey, Moby!" at his house across the LA hills. But this metal fan's just chafing at his task—a documentary of the indie-rock band. Tom Berninger's film becomes a brothers-drama and self-portrait of sibling frustration as this would-be artist drifts away from his ambitions and past aspirations. It's also a stirring chronicle of the struggle to shape what we're witnessing the finished version of. The near-silent partner is Carin Besser, Matt's wife, as co-editor and one of three producers. (Second-best musicdoc this year? Jukka Kärkkäinen and J-P Passi's The Punk Syndrome.)
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Digital fri-sun 11:30; 3d : Reald 3d : Fri-Sun 2:45, 6:10, 9:30; Mon, wed-thu 6:45; Tue 2:00, 6:45
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:15, 3:25, 6:35, 9:50; Mon-thu 6:35, 9:50
violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) dailY 7:30; sat-sun 1:00 content) No passes dailY 6:45, 9:10; sat-sun 1:45
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God A systematic trace-test of the poisoning of the Catholic Church by pedophilia. Alex Gibney's documentary seeps out from one Milwaukee priest, Father Lawrence Murphy, who abused students at his School for the Deaf. The Archdiocese then denied and covered up, later tricking a victim into ending his legal fight, even as reports of the abuse had long been in their records. Far worse than any shadowy "conspiracy" here, one critic notes, is the church's actual "policy." With one appalling turn of the back and shake of the head after another, this is a damning indictment of an institution creating hell on earth for children; along with Amy Berg's Deliver Us From Evil (2006), must-see holy horror.
fri-sun 12:35, 3:40, 7:20, 10:10; Mon-thu 7:20, 10:10
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, Dolby Stereo Digital fri-sun 12:10, 3:15, 7:00, 9:55; Mon-thu 7:00, 9:55
Closed Captioned, Digital Presentation, DTS Stereo
fri-sun, tue 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; Mon, wed-thu 3:40,
ings seem what they are—unearthly.
language) thu 9:55
ParanorMal actiVitY: the Marked ones (14A frightening scenes, coarse language) fri-sun 1:10, 3:30, 6:40, 9:45; Mon-thu 6:40, 9:45 GALAXY–SHERWOOD PARK 2020 Sherwood Dr Sherwood Park 780.416.0150
tue 7:00
wed 7:00; Free Admission
thu 7:00
LANDMARK 7–SPRUCE GROVE 130 Century Crossing, Spruce Grove 780.962.2332
the secret life of walter MittY (PG) Digital fri-sun 1:00, 3:30, 6:40, 9:20; Mon, wed-thu 5:05, 7:45; tue 2:20, 5:05, 7:45
anchorMan 2: the legend continues (14A
the hobbit: the desolation of sMaug (PG violence, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) dailY 7:30; sat-sun, tue 1:30 ParanorMal actiVitY the Marked ones (14A frightening scenes, coarse language) dailY 7:00 and 8:50; sat-sun, tue 2:30
walking with dinosaurs (PG) Digital
LEDUC CINEMAS
5:15
• Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
Justin bieber's belieVe (G) Digital
WETASKIWIN CINEMAS
fri-sun 12:00, 3:20, 6:00; Mon, wed-thu 5:15; tue 2:50,
fri-sun 8:30; Mon-thu 7:30
47 ronin (PG violence, frightening scenes) Digital
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
9922-100 St, Fort Saskatchewan, 780.992.1707; Office: 780.992.1878
4702-50 St Leduc, 780.986-2728
Wetaskiwin 780.352.3922 • Please check Vue's website for uPdated listings
MUSIC
MUSIC EDITOR : EDEN MUNRO EDEN@VUEWEEKLY.COM
BEST OF 2013 // MUSIC
And the beat goes on The music that got us moving in 2013
As we roll into another year we’ve asked some of our contributors to look back upon the year that was and offer up lists of their favourite music from 2013. Here are their picks ...
JORDYN MARCELLUS // JORDYN@VUEWEEKLY.COM 1 Wax Idols, Disicipline and Desire Hether Fortune won’t shut up, and music fans are lucky she won’t— Disciple and Desire is dark and textured but still full of hook-laden songs like “Formulae” and “Dethrone” that also double as a call to arms against the mediocrity in our lives and the music industry.
4 Terry Malts, Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere (Slumberland) Terry Malts continue to make simply amazing records, and Nobody Realizes This Is Nowhere is another one all about the alienation of the modern condition—with buzzsaw riffs and sing-along choruses to make the bland pain of existence a little better.
2 Strange Attractor, Back to the Cruel World (Mammoth Cave) A 19-minute blast of punk-rock isolation and alienation, this is the first Canadian release from Sudbury’s Strange Attractor—one of Canada’s, sadly, best-kept secrets.
5 Gold, Losing Your Hair EP (Mammoth Cave) Calgary’s Gold broke up during the release of this EP, which is a shame because songs like “Losing Your Hair” show a band crafting highly engaging pop music that promised so much more.
Belle and Sebastian in the middle of a bender. 7 Mozart’s Sister, Hello EP (Merok) Montréal’s Caila Thompson-Hannant’s four-track EP is a slightly off-kilter take on laptop pop, but what Thompson-Hannant does with her voice and vocal loops creates lush sonic landscapes that set her apart from the crowd. 8 The Lad Mags, Halloween EP (Independent) Edmonton’s own the Lad Mags released two great seven-inch singles this year, but the band’s free Halloween EP shows the group at its best creating a spooky and soulful rock ‘n’ roll freak out. 9 Ketamines, You Can’t Serve Two Masters (Mammoth Cave) Paul Lawton shook up the Canadian rock establishment twice this year: once by slagging off the Canadian music industry and another with this excellent LP of skronky psychedelic garage rock.
3 Janelle Monae, The Electric Lady (Bad Boy) Monae’s seven-suite sci-fi epic enters into its final stages with The Electric Lady, a brilliant collection of songs united by some oddball sketches and Monae’s grand Metropolis mythology.
6 Joanna Gruesome, Weird Sister (Slumberland) Joanna Gruesome threw 30 years of British rock and pop into a blender and crafted an album that sounds like a paranoid, coked-up
J The Courtneys, The Courtneys (Hockey Dad) The Courtneys’ self-titled debut is a perfect summer album, with bright hooks and enough musical complexity to reward multiple listens.
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
MUSIC 27
MUSIC SAT JAN 4
TRANSMISSION
F@$% NEW YEARS - CUSTOMER APPRECIATION PARTY & MONTHLY ALTERNATIVE DANCE PARTY
FRI JAN 10
GIBSON BLOCK EP RELEASE W/ CANYON ROSE OUTFIT, DEATH BY ROBOT & THE NULLS SAT JAN 11
COLLECTIONS
W/ GUESTS RIOT IN PARADISE, OF ARTICULATE DESIGN, SUBMERGE & ETERNAL PROPHECY
FRI JAN 17
FUNKANOMICS
*GERMANY* GHETTO FUNK, MANMADE PRESENTED BY .. SOUL’D OUT ENTERTAINMENT & WOLFCASTLE
SCOTT LINGLEY // SCOTT@VUEWEEKLY.COM U Gorguts, Colored Sands (Season of Mist) The first album in 12 years from Quebec’s legendary avante-death metallists that just happens to be a concept album about Tibet proclaims classically trained band visionary Luc Lemay as a genre unto himself and crushes your head into paste for good measure. U KEN Mode, Entrench (New Damage) Winnipeg’s angriest sons distilled their unsettling, uncompromising intensity of focus into another scathing, cathartic blast of metaledged noise rock, then passed through town twice to ram “No: I’m in Control,” “Your Heartwarming Story Makes Me Sick,” et al down our earholes.
Ghost on Ghost follows through beautifully—a radiant burst of soulful, sophisticated and deftly eclectic pop, immaculately arranged and produced. U Neko Case, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You (Anti-) Everyone fell in love with Case’s captivating pipes a long time ago, but we keep coming back for her unbroken streak of passionate, personal albums stuffed with indelible melodies, images and supporting performances. And wow, that voice.
SAT JAN 18 SNAK THE RIPPER
W/ BROTHERS GRIMM & SUICIDE KINGS FAILED YOUTH CLOTHING OFFICIAL LAUNCH PARTY FOR TICKETS- PLEASE VISIT WWW.YEGLIVE.CA
U Iron & Wine, Ghost on Ghost (Nonesuch) The previous I&W album sold me on the genius of Sam Beam, and
U Phosphorescent, Muchacho (Dead Oceans) The latest by sleepy-sounding savant Matthew Houck is one of those stealth-gems, an unassuming set of reverb-y, layered indiefolk that burrows its way into your
soul with sly hooks and wry lyrics, and makes itself at home. U Profound Lore Records For the past few years, this New Hamburg, Ontario-based indie has been racking up two or three spots in my year-end top 10 with some of the most exciting, frankly weird metal and metal-related sonic wares around, so they deserve singling out, as do such 2013 releases as: Vexovoid, by inscrutable Australian blackened death metal enormity Portal; Teethed Glory and Injury, the swansong from Northern Ireland’s Altar of Plagues, who go out in a blaze of black-metal effects, glitchy electronics and existential dread; the self-titled shredder from subterranean supergroup Vhöl; the perplexing yet propulsive post-metal abstraction of Castevet’s Obsian; Vaura’s hummably new-wave inflected dark rock on The Missing; and the reissue of Yob’s early doom opus Catharsis. U Honourable mentions: Chance the Rapper, Acid Rap (independent); East of the Wall, Redaction Artifacts (Translation Loss); Intronaut, Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words with Tones) (Century Media); Mouth of the Architect, Dawning (Translation Loss)
JOSEF BRAUN // JOSEF@VUEWEEKLY.COM U Bill Callahan, Dream River (Drag City) Mortal joy, love as aviation, names painted on boats, Donald Sutherland making amends on a truck radio: accented by flute, fiddle and feedback, Callahan, his voice everdeepening, produces poignant, idiosyncratic songs about rivers, trains, animals and beer, complicated connections, and that feeling of travelling forever. U Yo La Tengo, Fade (Matador) The Hoboken trio’s best record in over a decade balances transcendental guitar sprawl with breezy pop compression; not a fresh start exactly, but preparation for new excursions. Building to fanfare of strings and brass, “Before We Run” takes us out on a wave of awe. U Low, The Invisible Way (Subpop) Produced by Jeff Tweedy, these sparely arranged, often hushed songs of faith, regeneration and panic seem designed to get you through a nervous breakdown— the insistent, desperate, sticky “Just Make It Stop” most especially. U Various artists, Kenya Spe-
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VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
cial: Selected East African Recordings From the 1970s & ‘80s (Soundway) The master preservationists at Soundway give Kenya the special treatment previously bestowed upon Nigeria and Ghana, offering a rhythmically intoxicating compilation infused with elements of rhumba, benga and R&B. U Phosphorescent, Muchacho (Dead Oceans) Pitched somewhere between soaring spirituals and wasted declarations of wounded ardour, most of Matthew Houck’s songs sound like they started before we came in and continue long after the fade-out. This part-swirling/partstomping record is about heartbroken perseverance, buoyed by alcohol, women and some lost Mexican weekend(s). U Willis Earl Beal, Nobody (XL) I saw Beal upstage Cat Power last year with lingerie-clad mannequins, a reel-to-reel and some insanely hypnotic hybrid of Tom Waits and hip-hop. His sophomore release is more polished but no less inventive, spellbinding and insular than his lo-fi debut.
U Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away (Anti-) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Live From KCRW (Anti-) Largely eschewing narrative in favour of ribbons of fecund imagery, Cave & the Seeds’ latest studio work is a quiet revelation of ticking, rumbles and pulses, nearly pushing the band away as a collective force so as to draw out beautifully accented atmospheres— some songs are so skeletal they consist of only a single chord. The strikingly intimate Live at KCRW takes a similar tack to tracks from all over the catalogue, audaciously opening with Push’s eerie, smokelike show-stopper “Higgs Boson Blues.”
U Neko Case, The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You (Anti-) Mothers, daughters, men, listen up: Case nearly matches Middle Cyclone—that’s saying a lot—careening between “Honolulu” and “Nowhere,” between dizzy, busy,
clever pop fury and stark, unnervingly naked a cappella. Plus: Neko covers Nico! U Untitled mix CD from a friend Some of us still do this in 2013, take the time to make an object: something to carry, listen to, look at, remember someone by and
cherish. My friend filled my ears with Hoagy Carmichael, Townes Van Zandt, Stars, Laura Nyro, Peggy Lee, CocoRosie and Penny & the Quarters. She also turned me onto Sharon Van Etten, who kind of haunts me now in the best way. Thanks, A. xo
PAUL BLINOV // PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM Trying to scrape out my favourite 10 albums of 2013 proved fruitless labour: when I really reflected back on the year in music, my standouts were evident, and just didn’t break into double digits. Lots of good music, but here’s what I thought was great: commanded by stripping the sound down to basics and getting really, really loud: a two-man, amped up, world-wizened take on rock ‘n’ roll.
1 Daniel Romano, Come Cry With Me (Normaltown) On his third solo album, Daniel Romano reclaims the open-sky heartbreak of classic country music, but makes the tear-in-my-beer emotion is palpable; genre pieces rarely feel this vivid or relevant. 2 Greg MacPherson, Fireball (Disintegration) MacPherson’s sixth solo album further ignited the emotional blaze he’s always
3 Mikey Maybe, Honey + Bread (Old Ugly) Local rhyme-maker maps out the arc of 20-something existence with an excellent balance of clever wit and deeper sentiment. Dude’s pretty funny, but this album’s no joke. 4 Best Coast, Fade Away (Jewel City) Seven songs of curling surf guitars, bedside longings and nearperfect dream-pop. 5 The Uncluded, Hokey Fright (Rhymesayers) The weirdo communion between a puzzle-box rapper and a childlike reflector, Hokey Fright stakes
a strange, entrancing claim on the moments where innocence crests into experience. 6 Shotgun Jimmie, Everything, Everything (You’ve Changed) This fucking guy—Jim Kilpatrick, quietly one of Canada’s most enduring songwriters—could write a song about anything and make it feel romantic and electrifying and necessary; here, he does just that about Skype dates, tractor beams, memories of good gigs and getting back on the road again. 7 The Ketamines, You Can’t Serve Two Masters (Southpaw / Mammoth Cave) Like throwing a pack of Mentos into a vat of cola, You Can’t Serve Two Masters makes a frothy, unpredictable, endlessly listenable mess of psych, rock, pop and punk.
Raymond’s album Paper Nickels.
AMIE WEYMES
3 Rita Hosking, Little Boat (Independent) Gorgeous Appalachian tinged folk tunes highlighted by one of the best songs of the year, “Where Time is Reigning.” 4 The Replacements, Songs For Slim EP (New West) Mostly because of their loose version of Gordon Lightfoot’s “I’m Not Sayin’.” 5 Corin Raymond, Ol’ Fort Mac (Local Rascals) Written by Winnipegger Rob Vaarmeyer, the song has the feel of an instant standard; can be found on
JANUARY 10 & 11
8 Himiko, DethNoizzz (D-Trash) Screaming digital hardcore, where no track makes it over two minutes and a few clock in at under one. 9 Sendo Senshi, OST soundtrack to a fake ‘70s ploitation film, done up as to early Grindhouse and B-movies.
2 Zebra Pulse, Heh, Vay BaeBays (Independent) Madcap, weirdo experimental improv of the highest order.
ANDREW SCOTT JANUARY 3 & 4
TOM MURRAY // TOM@VUEWEEKLY.COM 1 Shooting Guns, Brotherhood of the Ram (Independent) Saskatoon psych-stoner metal whose musical credo can probably best be summed up by the nineand-a-half minute “Motherfuckers Never Learn.”
JAN. 2 - 4 • DERINA HARVEY SUNDAY CELTIC MUSIC 5 - 8PM JAN. 6 • JESSE D WEDNESDAY • OPEN STAGE W/ DUFF ROBISON
In Sutton Place Hotel #195, 10235 101 Street, SHERLOCKSHOSPITALITY.COM
A real Whitexhomage samurai
DOWNTOWN
Jan 3 & 4 STAN GALLANT Jan 7 - Jan 11 DERINA HARVEY
WEM
6 Betrayers, Let the Good Times Die (Independent) Primal psych-garage hinged on two drummers, Farfisa organ and more pop-smarts then band leader Travis Sargent will ever admit to. 7 Charles Bradley, Victim of Love (Daptone) Bradley has always been a great soul-funk performer, but his past albums have never quite caught the magic; Victim of Love is where it all finally comes together.
Jan 2 - Jan 4 JOANNE JANZEN Jan 7 - Jan 9 JOANNE JANZEN SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE
NOW OPEN J The Lad Mags, Lover (Independent) Released last spring, the first shot across the bow from these reverb drenched garage-rockers.
CAMPUS
Jan 3 & 4 STU BENDALL Jan 8 - Jan 11 ROB TAYLOR
SHERLOCKSHOSPITALITY.COM
Colleen’s Amber Ale now available at all pub locations. $0.50 from each pint sold will be donated to Ovarian Cancer Research in memory of Colleen Tomchuk.
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
MUSIC 29
CURTIS WRIGHT // CURTIS@VUEWEEKLY.COM and full-of-hubris thing is the part where you dream of being a millionaire with Jay-Z and Beyoncé on FaceTime. 3 Atoms for Peace, Amok (XL) There’s a lot of moving and shaking here—lost in the twitches is somewhere between a groovy Radiohead Bside and an Afrobeat spasm. 1 Vampire Weekend, Modern Vampires of the City (XL) A very modern and urban rock album about getting older and rocking younger. 2 Drake, Nothing Was the Same (OVO Sound / Young Money / Cash Money / Republic) If New Year’s Eve was had a soundtrack, this smooth, brash
until Leo became Gatsby. You might just love this album. 6 White Buffalo, Shadows, Greys and Evil Ways (Unison Music Group) The best, alt-country act you should have heard of by now. You’re welcome.
4 Daft Punk, Random Access Memories (Daft Life / Columbia) Quite random, yet incredibly inspired (and long awaited) album that is just as much from the ‘70s as it is from today. 5 Bryan Ferry, The Jazz Age (BMG) This ‘20s-inspired jazz album didn’t gain proper recognition
7 Queens of the Stone Age, ... Like Clockwork (Matador)
Steering (kind of) clear of a straight- ahead rock album, Josh Homme and friends have created a fuzzy exclamation mark.
9 The National, Trouble Will Find Me (4AD) A diverse, wondrous sixth album from these Swing-Staters. Very likely its best, most punctuated effort.
8 Phosphorescent, Muchacho (Dead Oceans) A wonderful, slow-ringer of an album with perhaps the best, most repeatable song you’ll hear in a while.
J The Head & the Heart, Let’s Be Still (Sup Pop) Showing more creativity (and star potential) than their first, The Head & The Heart shine when they let the passion fly.
6 Sigur Rós, Kveikur (XL) Harshly fierce and abrasive yet exquisitely delicate and mystical in the same moments of turbulent unrest.
shatters windows in an uncomfortably intimate affair.
CHRIS GEE // CHRIS@VUEWEEKLY.COM bre until the volatile beauty hits you—it’s the perfect soundtrack for getting sloppy drunk on wine. 2 My Bloody Valentine, m b v (m b v) The sensation of eardrum annihilation from 20 years of dormant feedback and distortion never felt so good.
1 The National, Trouble Will Find Me (4AD) Tender, contemplative, and som-
VUECARES
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
3 Unknown Mortal Orchestra, II (Jagjaguwar) Scratchy coos and phosphorescent noodling channel to the back of your mind, echoing through space
SAMANTHA POWER //
and time. 4 Waxahatchee, Cerulean Salt (Don Giovanni) Without any unnecessary flashiness, the simplistic, transparent delivery of private reflection is incredibly poignant. 5 Kurt Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze (Matador) Float away on a pillow in an inviting haze of past and present memories powered by erratic riffing and spiritual lullabies.
8 Majical Cloudz, Impersonator (Matador) Minimal tones engulf a dark, empty space and a lone, naked voice
J Suuns, Images Du Futur (Secretly Canadian) Paranoia slowly dripping into a pool of murky anxiety—it’s a nightmare in a bleak, grey world of uneasy textures.
ly different: the banjo! This collaboration is a great demonstration of Martin’s talent on the instrument he’s been playing for decades, but the combination with the beautifully constructed lyrics of Brickell create a homey overall tone that will lead you to just let the album play over and over again.
U Kurt Vile, Wakin on a Pretty Daze (Matador) While Vile’s brand of ethereal grunge became well-known on Smoke Ring For My Halo, his newest album moves that dreamy guitar work forward and exudes a confidence and comfort in telling a story the way only he can.
U Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Push the Sky Away (Anti-) It may not be surprising to put him on a best-of list, but this most recent effort is immediately engaging and demonstrates that dark beauty he’s known for on tracks like “Wide Lovely Eyes,” but also renews itself by reveling in twisted lyrics and subject matter on tracks like the dream-induced “Jubilee Street.”
U The National, Trouble Will Find Me (4AD) This well-established band could rely on Matt Berninger’s delivery of complexly engaging vocals, but instead creates an album of dark mystery that builds in intensity and still somehow delivers a feeling of uplift through the misery.
SAMANTHA@VUEWEEKLY.COM
U Shooting Guns, Brotherhood of the Ram (Independent) Saskatoon’s Shooting Guns continues to revive stoner rock with Brotherhood of the Ram. Shooting Guns takes the contemplative magical journey of the Polaris long-listed Born to Deal in Magic 1952 – 1979 and proves it can deliver the forceful building drive that keeps you wanting more from a track like “Motherfuckers Never Learn” clocking in at over nine minutes. Take this album on a road trip.
imagery and Sabbath-like sound is pushed to a much tighter, and yet more rollicking ride through a mystical ‘70s vista. Blood Ceremony have built on the era of psych to harness it as its own. U Russian Circles, Memorial (Sargeant House) The Chicago three-piece instrumental metal/rock band reclaims the power of its epically layered and expansive instrumentals, but also manages to build new element of narrative cohesiveness.
U Death Toll Rising, Infection Legacy (Independent) Edmonton-based metal band Death Toll Rising’s sophomore effort demonstrates the technically solid and engaging talent the band is capable of. It’s a testament to proving death metal is not just speed drums and growled vocals, but at its best is technically precise and demonstrative of great creativity. U Blood Ceremony, The Eldritch Dark (Metal Blade Records) The Toronto metal band’s established combination of pagan lyrical
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7 Baths, Obsidian (Anticon) Lock yourself in your room and get ready to bawl your eyes out to the beat of perverse throbs earmarked by keyboard flourishes.
9 Royal Canoe, Today We’re Believers (Nevado / Roll Call) Instruments of all flavours are cooked in a colourful soup, balancing the right amount of oddball spicyness and retro warmth.
U Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Love Has Come For You (Rounder) And now for something complete-
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
U Yo La Tengo, Fade (Matador) Shorter is better is an unexpected lesson from a band that’s been around for decades, but Fade demonstrates that an album can contain lyrical heft and intensity while also creating a feeling of movement and uplift. It’s the perfect album for one in the midst of creative transition.
U Switches, Switches EP (Independent) Edmonton band Switches puts out the best elements of punk-infused rock in the fun freedom of lyrics focused on laser-ray power and alternating instrumentals that move from swaying rock to grungy punk. It’s a tight four-song EP that reminds you why you became addicted to local shows in sweaty venues in the first place.
hosted by Lorne Burnstick; 8pm-12am
(vintage rock ‘n’ roll), friends, 9:30pm, no minors, no cover
blues Live music TBA
sherlock holMes– weM Joanne Janzen
liZard lounge Rock
‘n’ roll open mic every Fri; 8:30pm; no cover
Hair of the Dog (live acoustic music every Sat); 4-6pm; no cover
Blues every Thur: rotating guests; 7-11pm
new west hotel Boots
blues on whYte Every
taVern on whYte
oVertiMe sherwood
Sat afternoon: Jam with Back Door Dan; Evening: Cassie Taylor
Park Dueling Pianos, all
“b” street bar Rockin
sMokehouse bbQ Live
THU JAN 2 accent euroPean lounge Live Music
every Thu
Open stage with Micheal Gress (fr Self Evolution); every Thu; 9pm-2am
blues on whYte Cassie
DJs
Taylor
the bower Thu: Back to Mine: Hip hop, funk, soul, rare groove, disco and more with Junior Brown and DJ Mumps brixx Hosted by Christian
and Justin of the Canyon Rose Outfit: The Ultimate open stage, open jam, open turntables E: kevin@starliteroom.ca for info
black dog freehouse Main Floor: wtft w djwtf–
rock ‘n’ roll, blues, indie; Wooftop: Dig It! Thursdays. Electronic, roots and rare groove with DJ’s Rootbeard, Raebot, Wijit and guests
centurY rooM Lucky
7: Retro ‘80s with house DJ every Thu; 7pm-close
Thu; 7pm
the coMMon The Common Uncommon Thursday: Rotating Guests each week!
carrot coffeehouse
druid irish Pub DJ
café haVen Music every
Zoomers Thu afternoon open mic; 1-4pm
cha island tea co
every Thu; 9pm
electric rodeo– spruce grove DJ every
and Boogie Live (rock); 9pm
request live; 9pm-2am every Fri and Sat; no cover
rose and crown Pub
carrot coffeehouse
fluid lounge R&B, hip hop and dancehall with DJ Aiden Jamali; every Sat
sherlock holMes– downtown Stan Gallant
coral cuba
sherlock holMes– downtown Derina Harvey
Sat: Moreno Chembele; no cover for ladies before 11pm; coraldecuba.com; aceitrecords.com
sherlock holMes– weM Joanne Janzen
sherlock holMes–u of a Rob Taylor
Afternoon Concerts: This week: Upsidedowntown, A Hundred Years; 4pm
wunderbar Sylvia’s Mistake, the Sweathearts
krush ultra lounge
black dog freehouse
Open stage; 7pm; no cover
druid irish Pub DJ
luckY 13 Industry Night every Fri
and alternative with Dusty Grooves, Fraser Olsen, Taz, and Josh Johnson
on the rocks Salsa
chicago Joes Colossal
Nights; no cover
fandango’s Rock out Thu Rock Jam
fiddler’s roost
Thursday Nights acoustic circle jam; only acoustic instruments; 7:30pm; $3 cover
outlaws roadhouse Wild Life Thursdays
rendeZVous Metal night every Thu
union hall 3 Four All
Jam Thu; 9pm
Thursdays: rock, dance, retro, top 40 with DJ Johnny Infamous
JaVa exPress–stonY Plain Acoustic/singer
FRI JAN 3
J r bar and grill Live
songwriter the 1st and 3rd Thu each month, 7-10pm; no cover
kellY’s Pub Jameoke
Night with the Nervous Flirts; every Thu, 9pm-1am; no cover
l.b.’s Pub Thu open
stage: the New Big Time with Rocko Vaugeois, friends; 8-12
naked cYbercafé Thu open stage; 8pm; all ages (15+)
new west hotel Boots
and Boogie Live (rock); 9pm
north glenora hall
Jam by Wild Rose Old Time Fiddlers every Thu; contact John Malka 780.447.5111
oVertiMe sherwood Park Jesse Peters (R&B, blues, jazz, Top 40); 9pm2am every Thu; no cover Pawn shoP Transmission:
Featuring Blue Jay with Eddie Lunchpail; customer appreciation party
Flows: Live Hip Hop and open mic every Fri with DJs Xaolin, Dirty Needlz, guests; 8:30pm-2am; no cover
the coMMon Good
Fridays: nu disco, hip hop, indie, electro, dance with weekly local and visiting DJs on rotation plus residents Echo and Justin Foosh
druid irish Pub DJ every Fri; 9pm
electric rodeo– spruce grove DJ every
Fri
fandango’s DJs night
blues on whYte Cassie
every Fri and Sat with DJ Stouffer
brixx Silence Be
fluid lounge R&B, hip hop and dancehall with DJ Aiden Jamali; every Fri
Damned: Goth/Industrial with DJs Siborg, Nightroad; 9pm
café tiraMisu Live music every Fri
carrot coffeehouse Live music every Fri; all ages; 7pm; $5 (door)
central senior lions centre
Zumba Bash Fiery Fri: Latin beat, live DJ music with Tamico Russell, Ike Henry, DJ Rocko; 7pm; 3rd Friday each month; $20 (online)/$25 (door); info E: abodyfit@mail. com; https://www. facebook.com/pages/ Any-Body-Fitness-Edmonton/154626271378575
luckY 13 Every Fri and
Sat with resident DJ Chad Cook
filthY McnastY’s Free
gas PuMP Saturday Homemade Jam: Mike Chenoweth
Collective Saturdays underground: House and Techno
sugar foot
oVertiMe sherwood Park Dueling Pianos, all request live; 9pm-2am every Fri and Sat; no cover red Piano bar
Hottest dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Sat; 9pm-2am
rendeZVous Pub
Farmageddon fundraiser: Mongol, Skyriam, guest; 8pm (door), 10pm (show)
riVer cree–the Venue
indie, rock, funk, soul, hip hop with DJ Gatto, DJ Mega Wattson; every Fri
starlite rooM KLUB
rose and crown Pub
OMFG
Andrew Scott
sou kawaii Zen lounge Amplified Fridays:
sherlock holMes– downtown Stan Gallant sherlock holMes– weM Joanne Janzen sherlock holMes–u of a Stuart Bendall
ric’s grill Peter Belec
J+h Pub Early show:
Acoustic Open mic every Fri, 10-15 mins to perform; 5:30-8:30pm, no cover; Late show: Every Friday: Headwind
SAT JAN 4
Sessions: Alt Rock/Electro/ Trash with Miss Mannered; Wooftop: Sound It Up!: classic hip-hop and reggae with DJ Sonny Grimezz; Underdog: Dr Erick
big al’s house of
the bower For Those
Y afterhours Foundation Fridays
I
K
SEE MAG: Jan 3, 1c x 2”/ 28 AG RB: BLACKBYRD MYOOZIK SALES:Samantha H S01367
Saturdays with Lolcatz, Yaznil, Badman Crooks, Ootz
union hall Celebrity Saturdays: every Sat hosted by DJ Johnny Infamous
Y afterhours Release
Saturdays
SUN JAN 5 blackJack’s roadhouse–nisku Open mic every Sun hosted by Tim Lovett
blue chair café
Sunday brunch: Jim Findlay’s Trio (jazz standards and original tunes); donations
duggan’s irish Pub
Atomik Alice
Z
teMPle Step’d Up
black dog freehouse
band
O
Soul, Motown, Funk, R&B and more with DJs Ben and Mitch; every Sat; 9pm-2am
Open mic with March Music Inc; Every Sun 7pm
Main Floor: The Menace
Y
w w w. b l a c k b y r d . c a
taVern on whYte
DJs
every Fri
M
retro, old school, top 40 beats with DJ Lazy, guests
teMPle Rapture–Goth/
dV8 Goodmorning Groove,
O
K
suite 69 Stella Saturday:
restaurant Every
richard’s Pub W.O.W
I
Party: Sugar Swing Dance Club every Sat, 8-12; no experience or partner needed, beginner lesson followed by social dance; sugarswing.com
coral cuba
Ind/alt; every Fri 9pm
Z
ballrooM Swing Dance
wunderbar Public Animal, the Get Down, Whitey Houston; 9pm
union hall Ladies Night
O
sou kawaii Zen
new west hotel
every Sat, 3-7pm; DJ every Sat, 9:30pm
O
Saturdays: global sound and Cosmopolitan Style Lounging with DJ Mkhai
lounge Your Famous Saturday with Crewshtopher, Tyler M
o’bYrne’s Live band
Y
w w w . b l a c k b y r d . c a
Saturdays: Indie rock, new wave, classic punk with DJ Blue Jay and Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm (door); free (before 10pm)/$5 (after 10pm); 1st Sat each month
Suchy Sister Saturdays: Amber, Renee or Stephanie with accompaniment; 9:30-11:30pm; no cover Country jam every Sat; 3-6pm; Evening: Boots and Boogie Live (rock); 9pm
M
Pawn shoP Transmission
rouge lounge Rouge
louisiana Purchase
blackbyrd
Sat with resident DJ Chad Cook
leaf bar and grill
Sat jam with Terry Evans, and featured guests; host Mark Ammar
blackbyrd
luckY 13 Every Fri and
hilltoP Pub Open Stage, Jam every Sat; 3:30-7pm
red star Movin’ on Up:
suite 69 Release Your
leVel 2 lounge
red star Indie rock, hip hop, and electro every Sat with DJ Hot Philly and guests
Rocking Charity Yule Ball; 7pm-12; $60 (incl music and food), fundraiser for YESS
Dubstep, house, trance, electro, hip hop breaks with DJ Aeiou, DJ Loose Beats, DJ Poindexter; 9:30pm (door)
every Fri and Sat with DJ Stouffer
Inner Beast: Retro and Top 40 beats with DJ Suco; every Fri
red Piano Every Thu: Dueling pianos at 8pm
the rig Every Thu Jam
the bower Zukunft: Indie
blues Live music TBA
Fri: Learn Salsa, Rumba; 8pm-2m
(jazz); most Thursdays; 7-10pm
Every Friday DJs on all three levels
big al’s house of
Taylor
dV8 Sweathearts, Action
News Team, Micelli
Thu: Country, Rock Anthems and Top 40 Classics with Mourning Wood
Rocks: every Thu; dance lessons at 8pm; Cuban Salsa DJ to follow
restaurant Every
sherlock holMes–u of a Stuart Bendall
cook countY Pony Up
earlY stage saloon– stony Plain Open Jam
Sat Open mic; 7pm; $2
CD/ 12”
BURIAL RIVAL DEALER
every Sat; 9pm
fandango’s DJs night
Andrew Scott
10442 whyte ave 439.1273 10442 whyte ave 439.1273
druid irish Pub DJ
bourbon rooM Live Music every Saturday Night: The Dryland Band Live; 8pm
DJs
every Thu at 9pm
It’s Saturday Night: House and disco and everything in between with resident Dane
dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Fri; 9pm-2am
red Piano bar Hottest
Taking Back Thursdays
Bunker Thursdays
the coMMon Get Down
encore–weM Every Sat: Sound and Light show; We are Saturdays: Kindergarten
Thu
leVel 2 lounge Funk
Who Know...: House and disco with Junior Brown, David Stone, Austin, and guests
Big Blues and Roots Open Jam: Every Sat afternoon, 2-6pm
Bring Your Own Vinyl Night: Every Thu; 8pm-late; Edmonton Couchsurfing Meetup: Every Thu; 8pm
filthY McnastY’s
black dog freehouse
cha island tea co
Celtic Music with Duggan’s House Band 5-8pm
fandango’s Sun Industry Night: House mix with DJ JEZ LF; Show and Shine/open stage every Sun: hosted by Marshall Lawrence; 6-11pm
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
MUSIC 31
hog’s den Pub Rockin’ the Hog Jam: Hosted by Tony Ruffo; every Sun, 3:30-7pm
GUESTS VIET CONG JAN/24 METZ W/ (EX MEMBERS OF WOMEN) JAN/26 KASTLE СМЕРТИ FEB/1 ПОБЕДИТЕЛЬ LOVE & LIGHT | SERIAL KILLAZ | MRG PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
UBK, NIGHT VISION AND SOUNDSCAPES PRESENT
richard’s Pub Sun
fiddler’s roost
Jam hosted by Andrew White and the Joint Chiefs; 4-8pm
the rig Every Sun Jam
G JONES | CMC & SILENTA
sMokehouse bbQ
AND GUESTS
THE UNION PRESENTS
AND THE MOHRS AND GUESTS
MAR/17 THE WONDER YEARS DEFEATER, REAL FRIENDS, CITIZEN & MODERN BASEBALL
MAR/27 THE MOUNTIES MAR/29 ACT A FOOL
Hair of the Dog acoustic Sun Jam with Bonedog and Bearcat; every Sun; 2-6pm
Classical holY trinitY anglican church Emerging
Artists Series: Edmonton Recital Society with Nola Shantz (soprano), Alexandra Munn (piano); 2pm; admission by donation
winsPear centre
THE UNION PRESENTS
W/
THE UNION PRESENTS
W/ GUESTS
UBK PRESENTS
APR/4 BOY AND BEAR APR/8 STEVEN J MASKUS THE UNION PRESENTS
AND GUESTS
MRG PROSUCTIONS PRESENTS
APR/28 THE 1975 THE UNION PRESENTS
Salute To Vienna: Neujahrskonzert 2014: Attila Glatz Concert Productions returns its New Year’s celebration, Salute to Vienna, featuring the Strauss Symphony of Canada, Imre Kollár (Hungarian conductor), Anna Maria Kaufmann (soprano), Eduardo Aladrén (tenor), International Champion Ballroom Dancers, the Kiev-Aniko Ballet; 2:30pm; $49.50-$89.50 at the Winspear Centre box office, 780.428.141, winspearcentre.com
DJs black dog freehouse Main Floor:
FOR RENOVATIONS JAN 1 - 14 CLOSED HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND WE’LL SEE YOU SOON... SUICIDE, DELEITE, DEREK LONDON, JAN/17 POLYESTER PAMELA DROVER AND KEVIN FREY OUT CITY, INNERTWINE, JAN/24 MAKE DESOUSA DRIVE AND JESSICA DENISE SKY JAN/25 MONARCH JOE SOLO AND FICTION OF FATE JAN/31 UNBALANCED W/ GUESTS TBA FEB/8 THE ELECTRIC REVIVAL FEB/15 ABERDEEN MAR/1 THE RIVER AND THE ROAD MAR/15 BLACKBERRY WOOD W/ GUESTS W/ GUESTS W/ GUESTS W/ GUESTS
EVERY RUBY TUESDAY TUESDAY
LIKE RUBY TUESDAY ON FACEBOOK FOR DETAILS
EVERY EATS AND BEATS WEDNESDAY EVERY WEDNESDAY, $0.35 WINGS
EVERY THE ULTIMATE OPEN STAGE THURSDAY EVERY THURSDAY, OPEN TURNTABLES, OPEN STAGE
ATTENTION ALL LOCAL ACTS: STARLITE ROOM IS HUNTING FOR NEW TALENT FOR 2014 EMAIL YOUR EPK TO ART@STARLITEROOM.CA TO GET YOUR SHOT IN ONE OF THE BEST ROOMS IN THE CITY!
32 MUSIC
duggan’s irish Pub
o’bYrne’s Open mic every Sun; 9:30pm-1am
hosted by Steve and Bob; 5-9pm
FEB/5 SOULFLY FEB/15 SEPTEMBER STONE, ELECTRIC RELIGIOUS MAR/7 WAKE OWL W/ LYON MAR/15 ELECTRIC SIX
Krystle Dos Santos
Singer/songwriter open stage every Mon; 8pm; host changes weekly
UBK & ZODIAC SERIES PRESENT (AGE OF AQUARIUS) FEATURING
STARLITE ROOM PROUDLY PRESENTS THE RETURN OF WITH GUESTS - TICKETS ONSALE JAN 2ND THROUGH TICKETFLY.COM
blues on whYte
Soul Sundays: A fantastic voyage through ‘60s and ‘70s funk, soul and R&B with DJ Zyppy
leVel 2 lounge
Stylus Industry Sundays: Invinceable, Tnt, Rocky, Rocko, Akademic, weekly guest DJs; 9pm-3am
MON JAN 6 black dog freehouse Sleeman Mon: live music monthly; no cover
Monday Nights Open stage hosted by Norm Sliter’s Capital City Jammers; all styles and skill levels welcome; 7:30pm; $3 cover
oVertiMe–sherwood Park Monday Open Stage PleasantView coMMunitY hall
Acoustic instrumental old time fiddle jam every Mon; hosted by the Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Society; 7pm; contact Vi Kallio 780.456.8510
rouge resto-lounge Open Mic Night with Darrek Anderson from the Guaranteed; every Mon; 9pm
DJs black dog freehouse Main Floor: Blue Jay’s Messy Nest: mod, brit pop, new wave, British rock with DJ Blue Jay
mic night every Tue hosted by Lorin Lynne; Everyone will have 10-15 minutes to play
l.b.’s Pub Tue Variety Night Open stage with Darrell Barr; 7-11pm
o’bYrne’s Celtic jam
blues on whYte
every Tue; with Shannon Johnson and friends; 9:30pm
Park The Campfire Heros
duggan’s irish Pub
(acoustic rock, country, top 40); 9pm-2am every Tue; no cover
richards Pub Bars ‘n’
bands open stage hosted by Mark Ammar; every Tue; 7:30-11:30pm
Krystle Dos Santos
druid irish Pub
Jamhouse Tues hosted by Chris Wynters, guest FIDDLER’S ROOST
Tuesday Nights fiddle circle jam; all levels of musicians welcome; 7:30pm; $3 cover
J+h Pub Acoustic open
Open mic every Wed (unless there’s an Oilers game); no cover
sherlock holMes– downtown Derina Harvey
fiddler’s roost
sherlock holMes– weM Joanne Janzen
DJs black dog freehouse Main Floor:
red star Experimental
blues on whYte
elePhant and castle–whyte ave
fandango’s Wed open
with the Nervous Flirts: Sing with the band; 8pm12am; no cover
big al’s house of with Moses Gregg (bass), and Grant Stovel (CKUA/ CJSR, drums), with special guest
Wed open mic with host Duff Robison
red Piano Jamoeke
TUE JAN 7 blues Tue night Jam:
brittanY’s lounge PJ
oVertiMe sherwood
dV8 Creepy Tombsday: Psychobilly, Hallowe’en horrorpunk, deathrock with Abigail Asphixia and Mr Cadaver; every Tue
Classic Hip hop with DJ Creeazn every Mon; 9pm-2am
Krystle Dos Santos
Perry every Wed; 8-11pm; $10
taVern on whYte
Roots industrial,Classic Punk, Rock, Electronic with Hair of the Dave
freehouse Main Floor:
Glitter Gulch: live music once a month; On the Patio: Funk and Soul with Doktor Erick every Wed; 9pm
alternative retro and notso-retro, electronic and Euro with Eddie Lunchpail; Wooftop: The Night with No Name featuring DJs Rootbeard, Raebot, Wijit and guests playing tasteful, eclectic selections
dV8 T.F.W.O. Mondays:
black dog
Indie rock, hip hop, electro with DJ Hot Philly; every Tue
suite 69 Rockstar
Tuesdays: Mash up and Electro with DJ Tyco, DJ Omes with weekly guest DJs
WED JAN 8 alberta beach hotel Open stage Wed with Trace Jordan; 8pm-12
big al’s house of blues Bill Bourne and his Trio with a new guest
stage hosted by Michael Gress and Cody Noula; Original artist showcase at 9pm
Wednesday Nights Folk and Roots Open Stage: amateur and professional musicians welcome; 7:30pm; $3
J+h Pub Acoustic open
mic night hosted by Lorin Lynne
leaf bar and grill
Wed variety night: with guitarist, Gord Matthews; every Wed, 8pm
MercurY rooM Little Flower Open Stage every Wed with Brian Gregg; 8pm-12
Wed hosted by Will Cole; 8pm -12am
sherlock holMes– downtown Derina Harvey
sherlock holMes– weM Joanne Janzen sherlock holMes–u of a Rob Taylor Zen lounge Jazz
Wednesdays: Kori Wray and Jeff Hendrick; every Wed; 7:30-10pm; no cover
DJs black dog freehouse Main Floor: RetroActive Radio: Alternative ‘80s and ‘90s, post punk, new wave, garage, Brit, mod, rock and roll with LL Cool Joe
brixx bar Really
Good... Eats and Beats: every Wed with DJ Degree and Friends
the coMMon The Wed Experience: Classics on Vinyl with Dane
nikki diaMonds Punk and ‘80s metal every Wed red star Guest DJs every Wed
teMPle Wild Style Wed: Hip hop open mic hosted by Kaz and Orv; $5
new west hotel Free
classic country dance lessons every Wed, 7-9pm
oVertiMe sherwood Park Jason Greeley (acoustic rock, country, Top 40); 9pm-2am every Wed; no cover PleasantView coMMunitY hall
Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society; every Wed, 6:3011pm; $2 (member)/$4 (non-member)
red Piano bar Wed Night Live: hosted by dueling piano players; 8pm-1am; $5 the rig Open jam every
VENUEGUIDE ACCENT EUROPEAN LOUNGE 8223-104 St, 780.431.0179 ALE YARD TAP 13310-137 Ave ARTERY 9535 Jasper Ave AVENUE THEATRE 9030118 Ave, 780.477.2149 "B" STREET BAR 11818111 St BIG AL'S HOUSE OF BLUES 12402-118 Ave, 780.482.0202 BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE 10425-82 Ave, 780.439.1082 BLACKJACK'S ROADHOUSE–Nisku 2110 Sparrow Dr, Nisku, 780.986.8522 BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ 9624-76 Ave, 780.989.2861 BLUES ON WHYTE 1032982 Ave, 780.439.3981 BOHEMIA 10217-97 St BOURBON ROOM 205 Carnegie Dr, St Albert THE BOWER 10538 Jasper Ave, 780.423.425; info@ thebower.ca BRITTANY'S LOUNGE 10225-97 St, 780.497.0011 BRIXX BAR 10030-102 St (downstairs), 780.428.1099 BUDDY’S 11725B Jasper Ave, 780.488.6636 CAFÉ HAVEN 9 Sioux Rd, Sherwood Park, 780.417.5523, cafehaven.ca CAFÉ TIRAMISU 10750-
124 St CARROT COFFEEHOUSE 9351-118 Ave, 780.471.1580 CASINO EDMONTON 7055 Argylll Rd, 780.463.9467 CASINO YELLOWHEAD 12464-153 St, 780.424 9467 CENTRAL SENIOR LIONS CENTRE 11113-113 St CENTURY CASINO 13103 Fort Rd, 780.643.4000 CHA ISLAND TEA CO 10332-81 Ave, 780.757.2482 CHICAGO JOES 9604 -111 Ave COMMON 9910-109 St CORAL CUBA RESTAURANT 4990-92 Ave, 780.468.2888 DUGGAN'S IRISH PUB 9013-88 Ave, 780.465.4834 DRUID 11606 Jasper Ave, 780.454.9928 DUSTER’S PUB 6402-118 Ave, 780.474.5554 DV8 8130 Gateway Blvd EARLY STAGE SALOON– Stony Plain 4911-52 Ave, Stony Plain ELECTRIC RODEO–Spruce Grove 121-1 Ave, Spruce Grove, 780.962.1411 ELEPHANT AND CASTLE– Whyte Ave 10314 Whyte Ave ENCORE–WEM 2687, 8882-170 St FANDANGO'S 12912-50 St, fandangoslive.com FESTIVAL PLACE 100
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Festival Way, Sherwood Park, 780.449.3378 FIDDLER'S ROOST 730876 Ave FILTHY MCNASTY’S 10511-82 Ave, 780.916.1557 FLUID LOUNGE 10888 Jasper Ave, 780.429.0700 HILLTOP PUB 8220 106 Ave HOGS DEN PUB Yellow Head Tr, 142 St HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH 10037-84 Ave ISBE EDMONTON 9529 Jasper Ave, 587.521.7788; isbeedmonton.com J+H PUB 1919-105 St J AND R 4003-106 St, 780.436.4403 JAVA XPRESS 110, 4300 South Park Dr, Stony Plain, 780.968.1860 JEFFREY’S CAFÉ 9640 142 St, 780.451.8890 KELLY'S PUB 10156-104 St L.B.’S PUB 23 Akins Dr, St Albert, 780.460.9100 LEAF BAR AND GRILL 9016-132 Ave, 780.757.2121 LEGENDS SPORTS BAR AND TAP HOUSE 9221-34 Ave, 780.988.2599 LEVEL 2 LOUNGE 11607 Jasper Ave, 2nd Fl, 780.447.4495 LIT ITALIAN WINE BAR 10132-104 St LIZARD LOUNGE 13160-
118 Ave MERCURY ROOM 10575114 St NAKED CYBERCAFÉ 10303108 St, 780.425.9730 NEW WEST HOTEL 15025 111 AVE, 780.489.2511 NOORISH CAFÉ 8440-109 St NORTH GLENORA HALL 13535-109A Ave O’BYRNE’S 10616-82 Ave, 780.414.6766 ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767 O2'S–West 11066-156 St, 780.448.2255 OVERTIME SHERWOOD PARK 100 Granada Blvd, Sherwood Park, 790.570.5588 PAWN SHOP 10551-82 Ave, Upstairs, 780.432.0814 PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL 1086057 Ave RED PIANO BAR 1638 Bourbon St, WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.486.7722 RED STAR 10538 Jasper Ave, 780.428.0825 RENDEZVOUS 10108-149 St RICHARD'S PUB 12150-161 Ave, 780.457.3118 RIC’S GRILL 24 Perron Street, St Albert, 780.460.6602 THE RIG 15203 Stony Plain Rd, 780.756.0869 ROSEBOWL/ROUGE
LOUNGE 10111-117 St, 780.482.5253 ROSE AND CROWN 10235101 St SET NIGHTCLUB Next to Bourban St, 8882-170 St, WEM, Ph III, setnightclub.ca SMOKEHOUSE BBQ 10810124 St, 587.521.6328 SOU KAWAII ZEN LOUNGE 12923-97 St, 780.758.5924 STARLITE ROOM 10030102 St, 780.428.1099 SUGAR FOOT BALLROOM 10545-81 Ave SUITE 69 2 Fl, 8232 Gateway Blvd, 780.439.6969 TAVERN ON WHYTE 1050782 Ave, 780.521.4404 VEE LOUNGE, APEX CASINO–St Albert 24 Boudreau Rd, St Albert, 780.460.8092, 780.590.1128 WINSPEAR CENTRE 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square; 780.28.1414 WUNDERBAR 8120-101 St, 780.436.2286 Y AFTERHOURS 10028-102 St, 780.994.3256 YARDBIRD SUITE 11 Tommy Banks Way, 780.432.0428 YESTERDAYS PUB 112, 205 Carnegie Dr, St Albert, 780.459.0295 ZEN LOUNGE 12923-97 St
EVENTS WEEKLY EMAIL YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO: LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM FAX: 780.426.2889 DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM
COMEDY black dog freehouse • Underdog Comedy show: Alternating hosts • Every Thu, 8-11pm • No cover centurY casino • 13103 Fort Rd •
780.481.9857 • Open Mic Night: Every Thu; 7:30-9pm
coMedY factorY • Gateway Entertain-
ment Centre, 34 Ave, Calgary Tr • Thu: 8:30pm; Fri: 8:30pm; Sat: 8pm and 10:30pm • Chris Heward; Jan 3-4 • Tom Liske; Jan 10-11 • Danny Acappella; Jan 16-18 • Brian Work; Jan 23-25
coMic striP • Bourbon St, WEM •
780.483.5999 • Wed-Fri, Sun 8pm; Fri-Sat 10:30pm • Hit or Miss Mondays: Amateurs and Professionals every Mon, 7:30pm • Battle to the Funny Bone; last Tue each month, 7:30pm • Als Fundraiser; Jan 2 • Ralph Harris; Jan 3-5 • Jay Pharoah Special Presentation; Jan 9-11 • Hannibal Buress Special; Jan 16-18 • Jake Johannsen; Jan 22-26 • Ben Gleib; Jan 29-Feb 2
druid • 11606 Jasper Ave • 780.710.2119
• Comedy night open stage hosted by Lars Callieou • Every Sun, 9pm
filthY McnastY's • 10511-82 Ave •
780.996.1778 • Stand Up Sundays: Stand-up comedy night every Sun with a different headliner every week; 9-11pm; no cover
oVertiMe Pub • 4211-106 St • Open mic comedy anchored by a professional MC, new headliner each week • Every Tue • Free
rouge lounge • 10111-117 St • Sterling
Scott every Wed, 9pm
ruMors ultra lounge • 8230 Gateway Blvd • Every Thu Neon Lights and Laughter with host Sterling Scott and five comedians and live DJ TNT; 8:30pm Vault Pub • 8214-175 St • Comedy with Liam Creswick and Steve Schulte • Every Thu, at 9:30pm
Zen lounge • 12923-97 St • The Ca$h Prize comedy contest hosted by Matt Alaeddine and Andrew Iwanyk • Every Tue, 8pm • No cover
GROUPS/CLUBS/MEETINGS aikikai aikido club • 10139-87 Ave, Old Strathcona Community League • Japanese Martial Art of Aikido • Every Tue 7:30-9:30pm; Thu 6-8pm aMnestY international edMonton
• 8307-109 St • edmontonamnesty.org • Meet the 4th Tue each month, 7:30pm (no meetings in Jul, Aug) E: amnesty@edmontonamnesty.org for more info • Free
argentine tango dance at foot notes studio • Foot Notes Dance Studio
(South side), 9708-45 Ave • 780.438.3207 • virenzi@shaw.ca • Argentine Tango with Tango Divino: beginners: 7-8pm; intermediate: 8-9pm; Tango Social Dance (Milonga): 9pm-12 • Every Fri, 7pm-midnight • $15
brain tuMour Peer suPPort grouP • Mount Zion Lutheran Church, 11533-135 St NW • braintumour.ca • 1.800.265.5106 ext. 234 • Support group for brain tumour survivors and their families and caregivers. Must be 18 or over • 3rd Mon every month; 7-8:45pm • Free
canadian inJured workers association of alberta (ciwaa) •
Augustana Lutheran Church, 107 St, 99 Ave • canadianinjuredworkers.com • Meeting every 3rd Sat, 1-4pm • Injured Workers in Pursuit of Justice denied by WCB
edMonton needlecraft guild •
Avonmore United Church Basement, 82 Ave, 79 St • edmNeedlecraftGuild.org • Classes/ workshops, exhibitions, guest speakers, stitching groups for those interested in textile arts • Meet the 2nd Tue each month, 7:30pm
edMonton ukulele circle • Bogani
Café, 2023-111 St • 780.440.3528 • 3rd Sun each month; 2:30-4pm • $5
(carpool); $20 (annual membership)
food addicts • St Luke's Anglican
Church, 8424-95 Ave • 780.465.2019, 780.634.5526 • Food Addicts in Recovery Anonymous (FA), free 12-Step recovery program for anyone suffering from food obsession, overeating, under-eating, and bulimia • Meetings every Thu, 7pm
waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonalds, 14920-87 Ave • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike from Laurier Park to Government House with hike leader Helen 780.468.4331 • Jan 19, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership)
lotus Qigong • 780.477.0683 • Down-
waskahegan trail hike •
town • Practice group meets every Thu
Madeleine sanaM foundation • Faculté St Jean, Rm 3-18 • 780.490.7332 • madeleine-sanam.org/en • Program for HIV-AID’S prevention, treatment and harm reduction in French, English and other African languages • 3rd and 4th Sat, 9am-5pm each month • Free (member)/$10 (membership); pre-register
waskahegan trail hike •
waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonalds, Argyll Rd, 81 St • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike the Fort Sakatchewan city trails with hike leader Bev 780 469-7948 • Jan 26, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership)
wild rose antiQue collectors societY • Delwood Community Hall, 7515
songwriters grouP • The Carrot, 9351-118 Ave • 780.973.5311 • nashvillesongwriters.com • NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) meet the 2nd Mon each month, 7-9pm
Delwood Rd • wildroseantiquecollectors. ca • Collecting and researching items from various periods in the history of Edmonton. Presentations after club business. Visitors welcome • Meets the 4th Mon of every month (except Jul & Dec), 7:30pm
northern alberta wood carVers association • Duggan Community Hall,
woMen in black • In Front of the Old
3728-106 St • 780.435.0845 • nawca.ca • Meet every Wed, 6:30pm
Strathcona Farmers' Market • Silent vigil the 1st and 3rd Sat, 10-11am, each month, stand in silence for a world without violence
organiZation for biPolar affectiVe disorder (obad) • Grey
Yoga Meditation-fitness • Rosslyn
Nuns Hospital, Rm 0651, 780.451.1755; Group meets every Thu, 7-9pm • Free
sawa 12-steP suPPort grouP • Braeside Presbyterian Church bsmt, N. door, 6 Bernard Dr, St Albert • For adult children of alcoholic and dysfunctional families • Every Mon, 7:30pm seVenties foreVer Music societY • Call 587.520.3833 for location • deepsoul. ca • Combining music, garage sales, nature, common sense, and kindred karma to revitalize the inward persona • Every Wed, 7-8:30pm sherwood Park walking grouP + 50 • Meet inside Millennium Place,
Sherwood Place • Weekly outdoor walking group; starts with a 10-min discussion, followed by a 30 to 40-min walk through Centennial Park, a cool down and stretch • Every Tue, 8:30am • $2/session (goes to the Alzheimer’s Society of Alberta)
societY of edMonton atheists •
Community Centre, 11015-134 Ave • New year! New you! Free meditation-Yoga-Fitness; all levels welcome. Drop-in • Wed, Jan 8, 6-7:30pm • Info: FitSteenfitsYou@gmail.com
LECTURES/PRESENTATIONS oPera and the christian faith– nathan berg • Tegler Centre, Concordia
University College of Alberta (CUCA) Auditorium • An Evening with Nathan Berg, FaithLife lecture • Tue, Jan 7, 7pm
great exPeditions • St Luke’s Anglican
Church, 8424-95 Ave • 780.469.3270 • 1st Mon every month, • Christmas In Hawaii (2012) presented by Al Cosh • Jan 6, 7:30pm • Suggested donation of $2
seeing is aboVe all • Acacia Hall, 10433-83 Ave, upstairs • 780.554.6133 • Free instruction into the meditation on the Inner Light • Every Sun, 5pm undoing border iMPerialisM–harsha walia • Telus Centre, Room 150
Stanley A. Milner Library, Centennial Rm (bsmt); edmontonatheists.ca; E: info@ edmontonatheists.ca; Monthly roundtable 1st Tue each month
(corner of 87 Ave and 111 St), U of A • Book launch and discussion with author and activist Harsha Walia • Thu, Jan 16, 7pm
sugar foot swing dance • Sugar
QUEER
Swing, 10545-81 Ave • 587.786.6554 • sugarswing.com • Swing Dance Social every Sat; beginner lesson starts at 8pm. All ages and levels welcome. Occasional live music– check the Sugar Swing website for info • $10, $2 lesson with entry
affirM sunnYbrook–red deer • Sunnybrook United Church, Red Deer • 403.347.6073 • Affirm welcome LGBTQ people and their friends, family, and allies meet the 2nd Tue, 7pm, each month
sugar foot ballrooM • 10545-81 Ave • 587.786.6554 • sugarswing.com • Friday Night Stomp!: Swing and party music dance social every Fri; beginner lesson starts at 8pm. All ages and levels welcome. Occasional live music–check web • $10, $2 (lesson with entry); first event this year is on Jan 17
beers for Queers • Empress Ale House,
take off Pounds sensiblY (toPs) •
buddYs nite club • 11725 Jasper Ave • 780.488.6636 • Tue with DJ Arrow Chaser, free pool all night; 9pm (door); no cover • Wed with DJ Dust’n Time; 9pm (door); no cover • Thu: Men’s Wet Underwear Contest, win prizes, hosted by Drag Queen DJ Phon3 Hom3; 9pm (door); no cover before 10pm • Fri Dance Party with DJ Arrow Chaser; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm • Sat: Feel the rhythm with DJ Phon3 Hom3; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm
Grace United Church annex, 6215-104 Ave • Low-cost, fun and friendly weight loss group • Every Mon, 6:30pm • Info: call Bob 780.479.5519
toastMasters
• Fabulous Facilitators
2nd Fl, Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Ave; 780.467.6013, l.witzke@shaw.ca; fabulousfacilitators. toastmastersclubs.org; Meet every Tue, 12:05-1pm • Y Toastmasters Club: Queen Alexandra Community League, 10425 University Ave (N door, stairs to the left); Meet every Tue, 7-9pm except last Tue ea month; Contact: Antonio Balce, 780.463.5331 Toastmasters Club:
waskahegan trail hike •
waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: McDonald's Capilano • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; in the Sherwood Park area with hike leader Michele 780.417.6928 • Jan 5, 9:45am-3pm • $5 (carpool); $20 (annual membership)
waskahegan trail hike •
waskahegantrail.ca • Meet: Capilano McDonalds, 9857-50 St • 10 km guided hike on a portion of the 309 km Waskahegan Trail; hike through the Kennedale Ravine to Sunridge with hike leader Sandra 780.467.9572 • Jan 12, 9:45am-3pm • $5
9912 Whyte Ave • Meet the last Thu each month
bisexual woMen's coffee grouP • A social group for bi-curious and bisexual women every 2nd Tue each month, 8pm • groups.yahoo.com/group/bwedmonton
ePlc fellowshiP Pagan studY grouP • Pride Centre of Edmonton, 10608-
105 Ave • 780.488.3234 • eplc.webs.com • Free year long course; Family circle 3rd Sat each month • Everyone welcome
eVolution wonderlounge • 10220103 St • 780.424.0077 • yourgaybar.com • Community Tue: partner with various local GLBT groups for different events; see online for details • Happy Hour Wed-Fri: 4-8pm • Wed Karaoke: with the Mystery Song Contest; 7pm-2am • Fri: DJ Evictor • Sat: DJ Jazzy • Sun: Beer Bash g.l.b.t. sPorts and recreation
• teamedmonton.ca • Blazin' Bootcamp: Garneau Elementary School Gym, 10925-87 Ave; Every Mon and Thu, 7pm; $30/$15 (low income/student); E: bootcamp@teamedmon-
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
ton.ca • Mindful Meditation: Pride Centre: Every Thu, 6pm; free weekly drop-in • Swimming–Making Waves: NAIT pool, 11762-106 St; E: swimming@teamedmonton.c; makingwavesswimclub.ca • Bowling: Bonnie Doon Bowling Lanes: Every Tue, 6:30pm; until Apr 1, 2014; $15/week • Volleyball: St Matthew Elementary School (NE): Tue, until Mar 11, 8-10pm; Stratford Junior-Senior High School (west end): every Tue, Mar 18-Apr 29, 7-9pm, $65 (season), $35 (Half season), $5 (drop-in) • Curling: Granite Curling Club: Every Tue, until Mar 25, 7pm • Martial Arts–Kung Fu and Kick Boxing: Every Tue and Thu, 6-7pm; GLBTQ inclusive adult classes at Sil-Lum Kung Fu; kungfu@teamedmonton.ca, kickboxing@teamedmonton.ca, sillum.ca
g.l.b.t.Q seniors grouP • S.A.G.E Bldg, Craftroom, 15 Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.474.8240 • Meeting for gay seniors, and for any seniors who have gay family members and would like some guidance • Every Thu, 1-4pm • Info: E: tuff @shaw.ca illusions social club • Pride Centre, 10608-105 Ave • 780.387.3343 • edmontonillusions.ca • Crossdressers meet 2nd Fri each month, 7:30-9pm inside/out • U of A Campus • Campus-
based organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified and queer (LGBTQ) faculty, graduate student, academic, straight allies and support staff • 3rd Thu each month (fall/ winter terms): Speakers Series. E: kwells@ ualberta.ca
780.530.1283 for location • Classic Covers Shindig Fundraiser • Every Sun: Sunday Jams with no Stan (CCR to Metallica), starring Chuck Prins on Les Paul Standard guitars: upcoming Century Casino show as well; Twilight Zone Razamanaz Tour; all ages • Fundraising for local Canadian Disaster Relief, the hungry (world-wide through the Canadian Food Grains Bank)
deeP freeZe festiVal • Alberta Avenue Area, along 118 Ave, 90 St to 94 St • deepfreezefest.ca • The Vikings are coming: free activities, including live music, cuisine, dance, wagon rides, ice skating, storytelling, fireworks, an artisan market and gallery sale, and much more • Jan 11-12 • Free family event
ice on whYte festiVal • End Of Steel Park, Gateway Blvd, 103 St, Tommy Banks Way • 780.758.5878 • iceonwhyte.ca • International Ice Carving Competition kicks off the festival from Jan 24-26 • All 10 festival days are filled with outdoor fun. Enjoy the ice and snow carving exhibits, the interactive children's play area, the famous giant ice slide, games, ice carving lessons and much more. Every day new ice and snow carvings will be created by the Artists in Residence and special guest artists • Jan 24-Feb 2 • $5 (adult)/$2.50 (child) under 2 free
liVing PositiVe • 404, 10408-
124 St • edmlivingpositive.ca • 1.877.975.9448/780.488.5768 • Confidential peer support to people living with HIV • Tue, 7-9pm: Support group • Daily drop-in, peer counselling
Making waVes swiMMing club •
geocities.com/makingwaves_edm • Recreational/competitive swimming. Socializing after practices • Every Tue/Thu
Pride centre of edMonton • Pride
Centre of Edmonton, 10608-105 Ave • 780.488.3234 • A safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental drop-in space, support programs and resources offered for members of the GLBTQ community, their families and friends • Daily: Community drop-in; support and resources. Queer library: borrowing privileges: Tue-Fri 12-9pm, Sat 2-6:30pm, closed Sun-Mon; Queer HangOUT (a.k.a. QH) youth drop-in: Tue-Fri 3-8pm, Sat 2-6:30pm, youth@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Counselling: Free, short-term by registered counsellors every Wed, 5:30-8:30pm, info/bookings: 780.488.3234 • Knotty Knitters: Knit and socialize in safe, accepting environment, all skill levels welcome; every Wed 6-8pm • QH Game Night: Meet people through board game fun; every Thu 6-8pm • QH Craft Night: every Wed, 6-8pm • QH Anime Night: Watch anime; every Fri, 6-8pm • Movie Night: Open to everyone; 2nd and 4th Fri each month, 6-9pm • Women’s Social Circle: Social support group for female-identified persons +18 years in the GLBT community; new members welcome; 2nd and 4th Thu, 7-9pm each month; andrea@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Men Talking with Pride: Support and social group for gay and bisexual men to discuss current issues; every Sun 7-9pm; robwells780@hotmail.com • TTIQ: a support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family/ supporters; 3rd Mon, 7-9pm, each month • HIV Support Group: Support and discussion group for gay men; 2nd Mon, 7-9pm, each month; huges@shaw.ca
PriMetiMers/sage gaMes • Unitarian
Church, 10804-119 St • 780.474.8240 • Every 2nd and last Fri each Month, 7-10:30pm
st Paul's united church • 11526-76 Ave • 780.436.1555 • People of all sexual orientations are welcome • Every Sun (10am worship) woMonsPace • 780.482.1794 • womonspace.ca, womonspace@gmail.com • A Non-profit lesbian social organization for Edmonton and surrounding area. Monthly activities, newsletter, reduced rates included with membership. Confidentiality assured woodYs Video bar • 11723 Jasper Ave • 780.488.6557 • Mon: Amateur Strip Contest; prizes with Shawana • Tue: Kitchen 3-11pm • Wed: Karaoke with Tizzy 7pm-1am; Kitchen 3-11pm • Thu: Free pool all night; kitchen 3-11pm • Fri: Mocho Nacho Fri: 3pm (door), kitchen open 3-11pm
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2013 Palaeo Arts Contest at the Royal Tyrrell Museum, Drumheller, AB.
To place an ad PHONE: 780.426.1996 / FAX: 780.426.2889 EMAIL: classifieds@vueweekly.com 1600.
Volunteers Wanted
Are You Looking for a Great Volunteer Experience? Habitat for Humanity’s On-Tap volunteer program allows busy people to get out and volunteer when they can ON-TAP VOLUNTEERS This is a new volunteer program designed for busy volunteers who need to schedule shifts with very short notice. If you would like to volunteer but struggle to commit to a shift until the last minute because your schedule is so hectic, contact us to get more information about the On-Tap program. angela@hfh.org or 780-451-3416 ext 223. HFH.org
Become a Master Composter Recycler Master Composter Recyclers are Edmonton’s community leaders in waste reduction. -complete a free, 40-hour course -learn about garbage, composting, recycling -volunteer at least 35 hours -teach friends what you learned -share your passion for sustainability Apply online. Visit edmonton.ca/mcrp Application deadline: February 20, 2013 Help someone in crisis take those first steps towards a solution. The Support Network`s Crisis Support Centre is looking for volunteers for Edmonton`s 24-Hour Distress Line. Interested or want to learn more? Contact Lindsay at 780-732-6648 or visit our website: www.TheSupportNetwork.com
1005.
Help Wanted
1600.
Volunteers Wanted
Can You Read This? Help someone Who can’t! Volunteer 2 hours a week and help someone improve their Reading, Writing, Math or English Speaking Skills. Call Valerie at P.A.L.S 780-424-5514 or email palsvol@shaw.ca Growing Facilitators Volunteer Opportunity Sustainable Food Edmonton offers a Little Green Thumbs indoor gardening program to schools and childcare agencies and we are looking for volunteers. A green thumb is not a pre-requisite. However, gardening experience and a passion for children and youth are an asset. For info and volunteer application form: www.sustainablefoodedmonton.o rg
Habitat for Humanity is building at Neufeld Landing! We are actively scheduling individuals and groups of volunteers for Canada’s largest project located in South Edmonton’s Rutherford area. To get involved, go to www.hfh.org and register as a volunteer. Questions? Contact Kim. Beginners to trades people welcome. We provide all tools, equipment and lunch. All volunteers participate in onsite safety orientation/training. No minimum number of shifts required. Contact for more info about the event: Kim Sherwood 780-451-3416 ksherwood@hfh.org Habitat for Humanity requires volunteers for our ReStores We are recruiting customer service volunteers to help us at least one shift per week at store locations in north, south or west Edmonton. Customer service volunteers at our new and used building supplies stores help customers, load vehicles, clean items, stock shelves and many other tasks. Help our community to recycle everything from furniture to building supplies! Contact for more info about the event: Evan Hammer 780-451-3416 ehammer@hfh.org Habitat for Humanity requires volunteers for our prefab shop. We are now booking 10 – 15 volunteers per day Beginners to trades people welcome to help us build walls for our build projects. We provide all tools and equipment. All volunteers participate in onsite safety orientation/training. No minimum number of shifts required. Contact for more info about the event: Kim Sherwood 780-451-3416 ksherwood@hfh.org Help the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation create a future without breast cancer through volunteerism. Contact 1-866-302-2223 or ivolunteer@cbcf.org for current volunteer opportunities
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1600.
Volunteers Wanted
Needed for our Long Term Care residence, daytime volunteers for various activities or just for a friendly visit! Please contact Janice at Extendicare Eaux Claires for more details jgraff@extendicare.com (780) 472 - 1106 Room to Read is changing children’s lives in Asia and Africa through literacy programs and gender equality. Join our Edmonton team and help us plan events to support our work, and spread the word about our amazing results. Edmonton@roomtoread.org www.roomtoread.org Volunteer for I-Week 2014 (January 27 - February 1, 2014) Many volunteers are needed to help make International Week possible. We always have a need for people to help with our publicity campaigns on and off campus during January, plus introduce guest speakers, and make sure the I-Week events run smoothly. We also look for good writers who are interested in global issues to contribute to the I-Week blog. If interested contact: felicia.liang@ualberta.ca Volunteering - Does your employer have a Day of Caring program? We invite you to come and spend some time with us at Habitat for Humanity! It’s easy to sign up a group of volunteers to work on one of our builds. Volunteers from beginners to garage “putterers”, to trades people come out and help us to build homes for families in our community. We provide all tools, equipment, safety gear and lunch. Volunteers work in small crews under the direction of our site supervisors. Our primary focus is safety and we have a fun, welcoming environment that’s great for an employee group to experience giving back to community together. For more information, go to our website at www.hfh.org or contact Kim at 780-451-3416 ext 232. Volunteering - Improve the Lives of Children in the Developing World Room to Read is changing the lives of children in Asia and Africa through literacy programs and gender equality. Join our Edmonton team and help us plan events to support our programs, and spread the word about the fantastic results we are achieving. Skills in event planning, PR, marketing, graphic design are needed, but not essential. We welcome all volunteers. If this sounds interesting, email us at Edmonton@roomtoread.org
2005.
Artist to Artist
Artist to Artist
ARTIST requires agent/manager to assist in selling ART. Commission is generous percentage % . Contact BDC at monkeywrench@live.ca Paintings done especially for sale, its a type of pop art and they’re female. 26 to choose from, 16” x 16”. Triangle Lips Mr. Jim Willans 780-438-1969
This year, our scientists have selected a Stygimoloch skull to discover and interpret through art. Our annual Palaeo Arts Contest is open to all grade levels, has prizes for every winner, including two $500 draw prizes that are awarded to schools, and offers the chance to have students’ winning artwork displayed at the Museum. For more information, including topics for each grade level, visit: http://www.tyrrellmuseum.com/ Palaeo_Arts_Contest.htm.
2005.
The Paint Spot, Edmonton would like to extend an invitation to your organization, club, society, school or association to make use of the many exhibition opportunities we offer to members of the Alberta art community. We encourage individuals and curators, particularly those who are emerging, as well as groups, to make exhibition proposals to our galleries: Naess, Gallery, Artisan Nook, and the Vertical Space. For further information on these three show spaces, please visit our website, www.paintspot.ca
Submissions are adjudicated by a panel of visual art professionals who represent a spectrum of expertise in the visual arts. The artists chosen to exhibit receive CARFAC fees. Deadline for submissions: Saturday, March 1, 2014, 5 pm For more information: Jenny Willson-McGrath, Exhibition Curator 780.651.5741 I jennyw@artsheritage.ca
2005.
Artist to Artist
ART SOCIETY OF STRATHCONA COUNTY WORKSHOPS HDR Photograph, Jan 17/18 (Deadline for Reg. Jan 5) Ron Wigglesworth, Drawing, Feb 8/9 (Deadline for Reg Jan 29) Joyce Boyer, Oils, Feb 10-Mar 17 (Deadline for Reg Feb 1) Leslie Degner, Photography, Feb28/Mar1 (Deadline for Reg Feb 12) Gregg Johnson, Watercolors Mar 15/16 (Deadline for Reg Mar 1) Visit www.artstrathcona.com for DVD workshops and DVD Paint Along Days, and more information and upcoming workshops!
3100. Appliances/Furniture 2010.
Art Gallery of St Albert (AGSA), a contemporary public art gallery, seeks submissions from artists working in all styles and mediums for exhibition in the 2015 calendar year.
Artist to Artist
Musicians Available
Old shuffle blues drummer available for gigs. Influences: B.B. King, Freddy King, etc. 780-462-6291
2020.
Musicians Wanted
Experienced drummer wanted Double-kick, influences Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Rehearsal space a possibility as well. Call Randy at 780-479-8766
Botanical Artists of Canada (BAC) – Juried Exhibition, The Four Seasons, March 26 – April 6, 2014, Paper Mill Gallery, Toronto. Entry deadline: Friday, January 10, 2014. Open to all BAC members in good standing; non-members may join prior to entering exhibition
www.botanicalartistsofcanada.org/ join.
Submission fee $45 for up to three works. Awards: Best in show – $350 and three other awards – $150 each. To download the call for entries: http://www.botanicalartistsofca nada.org/exhibitions/calls-forentries For more information or questions, email exhibition coordinator Gerry Jenkison, gerry@jenkisonnetwork.com
Call for Submissions : FAVA FEST FILM AND VIDEO ARTS FESTIVAL MARCH 25 – 29, 2014 FAVA FEST exposes the larger community to the artistic work of membership, stimulates new work, rewards past success and just generally makes a bigger noise about FAVA. Hosting a media art gear expo and BBQ, screen 30-40 films directed by Northern Alberta filmmakers, hold an Artist Talk or Panel ( 2013-brought in noted Art Director Todd Cherniawsky) and give away $20,000 worth of awards at FAVA GALA – a celebration of excellence in media arts and FAVA’s big fundraiser for the year. Festival details and schedule to come in early 2014.
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Old Appliance Removal Removal of unwanted appliances. Must be outside or in your garage. Rates start as low as $30. Call James @780.231.7511 for details
8005.
Services
ARTIST Wanting to donate artwork to ANY CHARITY. 8” x 10” prints of pencil drawings. 100% of proceeds go to charity. Contact BDC for more info: monkeywrench@live.ca
WE’RE HITTIN’ THE BIG TIME AND PUTTING OUR CLASSIFIEDS ONLINE @ VUEWEEKLY.COM/CLASSIFIED/ BOOK YOUR CLASSIFIED AD TODAY! CALL ANDY 780.426.1996
CLASSIFIEDS
2005.
ALBERTA-WIDE CLASSIFIEDS •• AUCTIONS •• NEED TO ADVERTISE? Province wide classifieds. Reach over 1 million readers weekly. Only $269. + GST (based on 25 words or less). Call this newspaper NOW for details or call 1-800-282-6903 ext. 228. WARD’S AUCTIONS Antiques/ Estate Auction. Jan. 5 and 6, 11802 - 145 St., Edmonton. 780-451-4549. Taking consignments now for Feb. 8 Firearms and related auction. Online bidding and pictures at www. WardsAuctions.com.
•• AUTO pArTS •• WRECKING AUTO-TRUCKS. Parts to fit over 500 trucks. Lots of Dodge, GMC, Ford, imports. We ship anywhere. Lots of Dodge, diesel, 4x4 stuff. Trucks up to 3 tons. North-East Recyclers 780875-0270 (Lloydminster).
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JOURNALISTS, Graphic Artists, Marketing and more. Alberta’s weekly newspapers are looking for people like you. Post your resume online. Free. Visit: www. awna.com/resumes_add.php. JOURNEYMAN AUTOMOTIVE Service Technician(s) in Hanna Alberta. Hanna Chrysler Ltd. offers competitive wages, relocation allowance, negotiable depending on experience. Bright, modern shop. Full-time permanent with benefits. Friendly town just 2 hours from major urban centres. More info at: hannachrysler. ca. Fax 403-854-2845; Email: chrysler@telusplanet.net. THE FORT MCMURRAY Connect weekly independent newspaper is seeking a fulltime, experienced & friendly graphic designer. Email your resume & work samples to: editorial@macmedia.ca.
•• fOr SAle •• METAL ROOFING & SIDING. Very competitive prices! Largest colour selection in Western Canada. Available at over 25 Alberta Distribution Locations. 40 Year Warranty. Call 1-888-263-8254. RESTLESS LEG SYNDROME & leg cramps? Fast relief in one hour. Sleep at night. Proven for over 32 years; www.allcalm.com. Mon-Fri, 8-4 EST. 1-800-765-8660.
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•• ServICeS •• DO YOU NEED to borrow money - Now? If you own a home or real estate, Alpine Credits will lend you money - It’s that simple. 1-877-486-2161. CRIMINAL RECORD? Think: Canadian pardon. U.S. travel waiver. (24 hour record check). Divorce? Simple. Fast. Inexpensive. Debt recovery? Alberta collection to $25,000. Calgary 403-228-1300/1-800-347-2540; www.accesslegalresearch.com. FAST AND EASY LOANS! Bad credit accepted! Get up to $25,000 on your vehicle, mobile-home, land or equipment. 1st and 2nd mortgages. www. bhmcash.com. 403-879-9929.
ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19): Deep bronzes and smoky cinnamons and dark chocolates will be your lucky colours in 2014. Mellow mahoganies and resonant russets will work well for you, too. They will all be part of life's conspiracy to get you to slow down, deepen your perspective and slip into the sweetest groove ever. In this spirit, I urge you to nestle and cuddle and caress more than usual in the coming months. If you aren't totally clear on where home is, either in the external world or inside your heart, devote yourself to finding it. Hone your emotional intelligence. Explore your roots. On a regular basis, remember your reasons for loving life. Stay in close touch with the sources that feed your wild soul.
LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22): "In games there are rules," writes science fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson, "but in life the rules keep changing." This is always true, of course, but I think it will be an especially poignant truth for you between now and your next birthday. During the coming months, you may sometimes feel as if every last law and formula and corollary is mutating. In some cases, the new rules coming into play will be so different from the old rules you've been used to, they may at first be hard to figure out. But now here's the happy ending: it may take a while, but you will eventually see that these new rules have an unexpected logic and beauty that will serve your future well.
TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20): For years, French painter Édouard Manet and French poet Stéphane Mallarmé hung out with each other every day. Mallarmé referred to their relationship as "the most complete friendship." They influenced each other to become better artists and human beings. I'm guessing that in the coming months, Taurus, you'll thrive on that kind of stimulating companionship. Having such regular contact with a like-minded ally might even be an important factor in ripening your intelligence. At the very least, I predict that soulful friendship will be a crucial theme in 2014. You will attract blessings and generate luck for yourself by deepening your ability to cultivate synergistic bonds.
VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22): I predict that you will commit no major acts of self-sabotage in 2014. Congrats! I also foresee that you will be exceptionally careful not to hurt or damage yourself. Hooray! More good news: you won't be as critical of yourself as you have sometimes been in the past. The judgmental little voice in the back of your head won't be nearly as active. Yay! Even your negative emotions will diminish in frequency and intensity. Hallelujah! Whoopee! Abracadabra!
GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20): St Peter's Basilica is a very old church in Vatican City. It contains a life-size bronze statue of St Peter that is at least 700 years old. Over the centuries, countless visitors have paid their respects by kissing and touching the feet of the idol. The metal composing the right foot has been so thoroughly worn down by these gestures that the individual toes have disappeared, leaving a smooth surface. You will have a similar kind of power in 2014, Gemini. Little by little, with your steady affection and relentless devotion, you can transform what's rigid and hard. CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22): Big rivers don't travel in straight lines. Their paths are curvy and complicated, with periodic turns and bends. In some places they flow faster and in others they're slower. Their depth and width may vary along the way, too. Your own destiny is like one of those big rivers, Cancerian. In some years, it meanders for long stretches, slowing down as it wanders along a crooked course. It may even get shallower and narrower for a while. But I expect that in 2014, you will be moving more rapidly than usual. You will be travelling a more direct route and you will be both wide and deep.
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22): The citizens of Iceland love literature, but many are not content to simply read. One out of every 10 Icelanders writes and publishes a book at some time in his or her life. I know it's unrealistic, but I would love to see at least one in 10 of all my Libra readers do the same in 2014. I think you're ready to make a big statement—to express yourself in a more complete and dramatic way than ever before. If you're not ready to write a book, I hope you will attempt an equivalent accomplishment. SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21): I'm hoping you will find a new teacher or two in 2014, maybe even a mentor. Not a guru who tells you what to do. Not an exploitative "expert" who claims to know what's right for you or a charismatic narcissist who collects adoration. What I wish for you, Scorpio, is that you will connect with wise and humble sources of inspiration ... with life-long learners who listen well and stimulate you to ask good questions ... with curious guides who open your eyes to resources you don't realize you need. In the coming months, you are primed to launch a quest that will keep you busy and excited for years; I'd love to see you get excellent help in framing that quest. SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21): In 2014, it's possible you will be given a cabbage farm or a petting zoo or some bequest that's not exactly in close alignment
with your life's purpose. But it's more likely that the legacies and dispensations you receive will be quite useful. The general trend is that allies will make available to you a steady flow of useful things. Your ability to attract what you need will be high. In the coming months, I may even have good reason to name you an honourary Scorpio. You might match those Great Manipulators' proficiency at extracting the essence of what you want from every situation. CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19): Would you be interested in a motto that will help set the tone for you in 2014? I've got a suggestion that's in alignment with the astrological omens. It's from a poem by Margaret Atwood. Try saying this and see if it works for you: "Last year I abstained / this year I devour / without guilt / which is also an art." If you choose to make this affirmation your own, be sure you don't forget about the fact that devouring without guilt is an art—a skill that requires craft and sensitivity. You can't afford to get blindly instinctual and greedy in 2014; you shouldn't compulsively overcompensate for 2013's deprivations. Be cagey and discerning as you satisfy your voracious hunger. AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18): The coming months will be a good time to meditate on the concepts of happy accidents and benevolent trouble. Go ahead and throw constructive mischief into the mix, too, and maybe even a dose of graceful chaos. Are you game for playing around with so much paradox? Are you willing to entertain the possibility that fate has generous plans for you that are too unexpected to anticipate? There's only one requirement that you have to meet in order to receive your odd gifts in the spirit in which they'll be offered: you've got to be open-minded, eager to learn and flexible. PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20): I think we humans need some new emotions. It's true that old standards like sadness, anger, jealousy and fear are as popular as ever. But I would personally love to be able to choose from a greater variety, especially if at least 51 percent of the new crop of emotions were positive or inspiring. Now it so happens that in 2014 you Pisceans will be primed to be pioneers. Your emotional intelligence should be operating at peak levels. Your imagination will be even more fertile than usual. So how about it? Are you ready to generate revolutionary innovations in the art of feeling unique and interesting feelings? To get started, consider these: 1) amused reverence; 2) poignant excitement; 3) tricky sincerity; 4) boisterous empathy. V
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DAN SAVAGE SAVAGELOVE@VUEWEEKLY.COM
JONESIN' CROSSWORD
MATT JONES JONESINCROSSWORDS@VUEWEEKLY.COM
"Upstarts"—watch that first step. LET IT GO
I'm a 34-year-old straight female. I am morbidly obese and have been for most of my life. I have never dated. I've been on a couple of dates, and only when I asked the guy out. From reading your columns and books, I am aware that some men are attracted to fat women. But since I never received any real sexual attention as a teen/twentysomething, I don't know how to deal with men in a sexual way or in a way that would develop into a relationship. I also think my (lack of) experience has caused me to become bitter toward men. How do I stop being bitter and learn how to develop a romantic relationship? Fat And Bitter
about being inexperienced. That will attract some guys and scare some others off. Good riddance to the ones it scares off, FAB, but don't assume that guys who are interested are necessarily nice guys. Some will be, of course, but some might be manipulators who want to take advantage of your inexperience or your perceived desperation. To help you sort the good ones from the bad ones, FAB, convene a small panel of friends to serve as your bullshit detectors. Your own bullshit detectors aren't gonna be good—they also don't develop until you start dating—so ask your panel to point out any red flags that you've missed. Good luck!
is inside a very small uterus that is in the lower pelvis," says Dr. Torres. "But when someone is pregnant (!), I would recommend no belly punching—not under any circumstances!"
TOSSED AROUND
I'm a gay man of about 30, in a relationship with a great guy. But he seems to be "feminizing" me, and I hate it! I've spent the last decade in grad school. I stayed in shape— above average!—but there was no time for significant exercise. I've started working out hard, but the going is slow. I weigh about 20 pounds less than my boyfriend. I find that I simply can't match his level of aggression in bed. He has even joked a couple times about me being more "the woman" in our relationship—and I don't like that. However, quite frankly, it's not like I can toss him into bed and have my way with him. I want him to see me as another man in bed. It'll be another year or two before I really reach his level of athleticism. Any ideas in the meantime? Not One To Feel Entirely Masculine
Romantic and/or sexual relationships GUT FEELING are something you learn by doing, I'm a 30ish woman in a lovely GGG FAB, so you'll have to start doing relationship with a man about my them—you'll have to start doing age. I'm submissive and masochistic; men—to learn how they're done. he's dominant and willing to inflict There are men out there who are some pain. Neither of us has tons into BBW, aka big beautiful women, of BDSM experience, but we're enbut folks on Twitter recommended joying each other. My question: my staying away from BBW-focused boyfriend is into belly punching. I'm websites (which tend to be over- happy to indulge him and have startrun by fetishists) and go with main- ed to enjoy it. He likes it when I relax stream sites like OKCupid instead. my abdominal muscles. Is this safe? Just one, NOTFEM: get over yourself. But maybe dating sites aren't the What precautions should we take? Watching a man wring his hands place to start. about his frag"More imporile manliness— But when someone is pregnant, I would tant than worrywatching a recommend no belly punching—not under ing about finding man dissolve people to date into a puddle any circumstances! who love your of insecurity— size is making hardly makes sure YOU love him seem more your size," says Jolene Parton, a fat Does the fact that I have an IUD fac- masculine. (And it doesn't make dancer, sex worker and activist. "Self- tor in? And if I ever get pregnant, him seem more feminine. It just love can be the hardest thing in the should we stop for the duration? makes him look ridiculous.) And world for a fat woman, but it's the Belly Erects Long Lovely Youknow20 pounds of muscle do not best way to inspire others to love what "make the man," any more than you and your body, FAB. Getting being the tosser as opposed to plugged into a fat-positive com- "There certainly are consensual the tossee does. Being comfortmunity might help you find friends boundaries that only the person able in your own skin makes you a and lovers who love the whole you. and their partner can know how man. No, scratch that. Being comNAAFA.org and Nolose.org are both to navigate," says Dr Leah Torres, fortable in your own skin makes great places to start." an obstetrician/gynecologist with you a person—a decent, toleraSo let's say you've learned to love a special focus on family plan- ble, secure and attractive person. your body and you're ready to date. ning, "but I encourage safety first (And a man who's passive in bed is still a man! Christ!) What to do about the bitterness? Let always." If your boyfriend says something it go. Resolve not to punish a man And Torres sees danger in what who expresses an interest in you you're doing, BELLY. "Abdominal that annoys you ("You're the womnow for failing to kick down your muscles protect and hold our in- an!"), tell him to knock it off. But door a decade ago. And, yes, men testines, liver, spleen, pancreas, your boyfriend could be "joking" suck, we really do. But you know etc in place, and there can be risk about you being the passive one what? Women can be sucky and involved in blunt trauma such as because he prefers it that way. shallow and judge people on appear- punches in the abdomen, especial- If he would rather be the tosser, ances alone, too. (Ask any short guy.) ly if the muscles are 'relaxed' and NOTFEM, you'll need to either But it might help you keep things in therefore not protective," Torres find a different boyfriend or stop perspective—and let go of the bit- says. "For example, if someone has grounding your sense of masculinterness—if you bear this in mind: we an infection like cytomegalovirus ity in something so arbitrary as a all have to make ourselves vulnera- ('mono'), the spleen can be more game of who-tossed-who-farther ble to people we're attracted to, and susceptible to injury. Blunt trauma and who-can-bench-press-what. sometimes those people respond by could cause splenic rupture and shitting all over us. Straight women internal bleeding that could be Jolene Parton burns up Twitter @ shit on straight men, straight men life threatening. While that is un- jolenestarshine. Dr Leah Torres regushit on straight women, gay men shit common, it is an example of how larly posts about women's health on each other, lesbians shit on each something that appears 'not dan- issues and smacks down antichoice other, bisexuals shit on everybody. gerous' could become so given the trolls on Twitter @LeahNTorres and blogs at Leahtorres.com. All of us have had our hearts bro- right circumstances." One precaution you could take? ken or, even worse, ignored, and every last one of us has cause to walk Stop relaxing your abdominal mus- Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekaround feeling bitter about men, cles and use them—use your tensed, ly podcast) every Tuesday at savawomen or both. Most people let it flexed abdominal muscles—to pro- gelovecast.com. V tect your internal organs. go, FAB, and you can, too. "There is no risk to the IUD, as it @fakedansavage on Twitter One other bit of advice: be open
38 IN THE BACK
VUEWEEKLY JAN 2 – JAN 8, 2014
Across 1 NASDAQ purchase 4 Thanksgiving turkey carver, maybe 7 ___-M-Aid (candy renamed Fun Dip) 10 Before 13 “Tic ___ Dough” (game show) 14 Last-minute shopper’s day 15 Let loose 17 “The greatest” boxer 18 Cinematographer’s concern 20 “The Twelve Days of Christmas” musician 22 Enjoy Mt. Hood, say 23 Animal on Wyoming’s flag 24 Get a move on 26 Roll with the punches 28 Aries, astrologically 30 Unreliable people 34 Garfield’s foil 36 College town north of San Francisco 38 Computer key 39 “Filthy” dough 41 Jailbird 42 Hockey great Cam 44 Subject of Indiana Jones’s quest 45 Big guy in Molokai 48 First Nations tribe 49 Seven Sisters college 51 Major stress factor, it’s said 53 Send a short message 55 Opticians’ products 58 “I, Robot” author Asimov 61 Confound 63 Wild West “justice” 64 Person who believes Haile Selassie was the Messiah 67 Org. where Edward Snowden once did contracting 68 Stranded, in a way 69 “Bill ___, the Science Guy” 70 Chick 71 Jamaican music 72 Spider-Man creator Stan 73 Home of Kraftwerk and bratwurst: abbr. 74 Part of PBS Down 1 Bacterial infection, for short 2 “Rocky” actress Shire 3 Game that’s sort of an ancestor of Jenga
4 Court order 5 Sinatra ex Gardner 6 GOP’s opposition 7 Like tabloid headlines 8 Needle ___ haystack 9 What to try if things aren’t working 10 Halloween vandal’s projectiles 11 Change of address, to a realtor 12 Forbidden fruit locale 16 “Sweet Love” singer Baker 19 Place to buy a few compacts 21 Old knockout fumes 25 Carrier’s org. 27 To the back of a boat 29 Foot curve 31 Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” and Hall & Oates’s “She’s Gone,” for two 32 “Allure” shelfmate 33 Eye problem 34 Royal Norwegian name 35 ___ mater (brain covering) 37 Rice from Louisiana 40 Reality check 43 ___ Lodge 46 “___ you for real?” 47 Hole-poking tool 50 Singles, RBI and triple-doubles 52 Bruce who keeps up with the Kardashians 54 Keep away from 56 Piece of Bacon? 57 Navy commandos 58 States of anger 59 Did well at Battleship 60 Massive landmass 62 “PED ___” (street sign) 65 Charge card charge 66 “All in favor” word © 2014 Jonesin’ Crosswords
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IN THE BACK 39
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