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VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

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CHRIS MILLAR: The Untimely Transmogrification of the Problem Opens Saturday, January 28

Conversation with the Artist: Chris Millar with guest-curator Nancy Tousley Friday, January 27, 5 pm RBC New Works Gallery, Art Gallery of Alberta Free with Gallery Admission

The RBC New Works Gallery features new artworks by Alberta artists. Initiated in 1998 and named the RBC New Works Gallery in 2008, this gallery space continues the Art Gallery of Alberta’s tradition of supporting Alberta artists.

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370H55V (detail), 2011, Mixed media. Collection of the artist. Photo credit: Heather Saitz

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

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LISTINGS: EVENTS /9 FILM /13 ARTS /18 MUSIC /32 CLASSIFIEDS: GENERAL /35 ADULT /36 IssuE: 849 JAN 26 – FEB 1, 2012

Blind Date "I just put on a red nose and a sexy dress, and went out and started improvising."

16

COVER PHOTO Greg Tjepkema

7 10 25 37

"It isn't often that Noam align on something.

Chomsky and Ezra Levant

"I don't mind dying, but I just want it to be

pleasant.

"It was nice to have a full year away from the whirlwind of touring and get our focus back as a group.

"We fight injustice as nuns do, we minister to the needy as nuns do, we build our communities as nuns do. Nuns take vows of celibacy and we ... fight injustice."

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VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

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UP FRONT

VUEPOINT

Samantha Power

GRASDAL'S VUE

// samantha@vueweekly.com

Business as usual The Wildrose Party continues to uncover new public bodies that have illegally donated to the Progressive Conservative party. The groups range from the University of Lethbridge to arms of Alberta Health Services and even smaller groups such as the Students' Union at the University of Lethbridge. The money is in small amounts—a few thousand, a couple hundred—mostly going toward the premier's fundraising dinners. And it seems Albertans don't care. A recent poll by Leger Marketing shows that 37 percent of people who know about the illegal donations don't care and will still vote PC. But if Albertans don't care, the people responsible for their illegal donations seem to care even less and are downright confused as to what they've done wrong. The Medicine Hat Catholic School Board stated they didn't know it was wrong to donate.

It's perhaps confusing since the events are titled in an ambiguous fashion. Attending something called "Premier's Fundraiser" and then not understanding that it is actually a partisan event is perhaps understandable. But that lack of distinction runs deeper than an event name.

The governing party and the government melded into one entity somewhere between their second and third decade in power. The premier and the leader of the Progressive Conservatives have for so long been the same person that Albertans of-

ten think the only way to influence who that person is is to join the party and vote in its elections rather than waiting for the general election. We don't see a distinction.

Members of these boards and public bodies have stated that they attend these events to fulfill their mandate of networking and advocacy on behalf of their members. But when public money goes toward those endeavours it makes it appear as though attendance at government, and the governing party's, events is mandatory—a part of everyday business rather than the explicit choice of an individual to attend a function and meet people.

That's why the distinction is made. It only serves to advance the idea that the act of advocacy and governing happens outside the boardroom and in small gatherings of the unelected and elite—those who can pay $200 for a dinner. The chair of the Medicine Hat Catholic School Board said he was never pressured or even formally invited to an event: they were advertised so board members attended. That is how business is conducted.

These actions are completely unsurprising—public bodies attempting to buy favour with government with public money.

It sounds outrageous, but in Alberta it has become business as usual. The only surprising element is that we're still talking about it three weeks after the first allegations came out. V

NewsRoundup

SAMANTHA POWER // samantha@vueweekly.com

SHELTERS In danger The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters has issued concern about the lack of funding for on-reserve women's shelters and the further damage additional budget cuts will create. "These shelters' ability to deliver even basic core services is being seriously compromised right now," says ACWS provincial coordinator Jan Reimer. Citing the increase in tragedies on Alberta reserves the past few years Reimer worries about

BUDGET CUTS CREATE JOB LOSSES shelters capacity to assist if there are future cuts yet to come.

Despite a federal government 2011 report "Moving Forward! Planning for Self-Determination!" which details the lack of funding for on-reserve shelters INAC warned on reserve shelters would face funding cuts in 2012.

"We're not sure what else we can do," says the Director of the Ermineskin Women's Shelter Society of Ermine-

skin Cree Nation, Sandra G Ermineskin.

"How many more people need to die on our reserve before our shelters are treated equitably?"

Despite an agreement between Canada and Alberta that on-reserve shelters receive comparable services to all Alberta citizens, it's estimated on-reserve shelters in Alberta are underfunded by 2.2 million annually and have not received a funding increase since 2009.

alition showed up at Premier Redford’s Cabinet Tour when it hit Lethbridge on January 24. The businesses attempted to show Redford that the plan to log in a protected zone goes against the government's own attempts to draw tourism to the Rocky Mountains.

"Alberta taxpayers will shortly be paying to pave the main access road in the Castle, including through to the privately owned Castle Mountain Resort, only to have that road now go through clearcut logging," says Alan Brice of Alberta Fly Fishing Adventures. "The Pass's iconic

Crowsnest Mountain, the designated protected area at the Castle, the West Bragg Creek recreation area, what's SRD going to insist on logging next—the Whaleback parks or where the same kind of forests exist next door in Waterton?"

Two dozen businesses in the Lethbridge and Calgary area had requested a meeting with Premier Redford in October of last year to present on the business case of ensuring the protection of the Castle area.

Spray lakes sawmills has been approved to harvest 120 hectares in the Castle special management area by the end of April.

RAIDING THE CASTLE As the protest at Castle Special Management Area continues numerous business and tourism agencies are adding their voice against the clearcut logging of the area. Spray Lakes Sawmills has been approved by Sustainable Resources Developmet to clearcut log in the Castle area southwest of Beaver Mines. Protesters have been occupying an area just inside the Castle forest reserve for the past two weeks.

Local business owners and tourism agencies joined in a coalition this week to protest the proposed logging. The co-

6 UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives estimates federal spending cuts will result in over 60 000 jobs lost. Cuts to the federal 2010 and 2011 federal budget will be largest if focused on the federal public service.

CCPA senior economist David MacDonald has created three scenarios in a new study, "the cuts behind the curtain." The 2010 personnel budget freeze and the 2011 strategic and operating review add up to $6 billion in cuts. Since the details of federal budget cuts have not been released MacDonald evaluates how proposed cuts to departmental operating budgets and cuts to government transfers to non-profits and crown corporations. MacDonald's scenarios estimate job

losses to be between 60 100 and 68 300 across Canada. "But if the cuts are spread more broadly, it will mean that the federal government is passing the buck—to nonprofit agencies, Crown corporations, and private sector firms who do business with the government," says MacDonald.

MacDonald's study also points to serious transparency issues about where cuts will occur, which makes it difficult for Canadians to determine if they believe these cuts are appropriate. "It remains an open question as to whether Canadians, if given the choice, would cut Aboriginal health care, housing and government safety inspectors to pay for more prisons and border security. Canadians need to know exactly what they stand to lose," says Macdonald.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We had hoped there would be an acknowledgment that these are our lands and that we have a right to benefit in jobs and training and economic benefits and job creation. Also, there is no real mention of how you are going to deal with the immediate challenges like housing.”

—Ontario’s Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beard after the Crown First Nation meeting Jan 24, 2012 aptn.ca

NEWS // HUMAN RIGHTS

A right to offend

New federal legislation will change restrictions on free speech

A

s the house prepares for its first 2012 sitting, Bill C-304 is coming back for second reading.

The private members bill—brought forward by Conservative MP Brian Storseth with a substantial level of support within the party and the cabinet—deals with the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA), a citizen-based cousin to the Charter of Rights of Freedoms. The CHRA broadly acts under the principle that, "all individuals should have an opportunity equal with other individuals ..." and that they are free from discrimination of any kind. In short, while the charter is a force on government, the CHRA is designed to ensure discriminatory practices are confronted through means other than the court system.

Bill C-304, An Act to Amend the Canadian Human Rights Act (Protecting Freedom), asks Parliament to amend several sections of the CHRA including section 4, 53 and 57 and seeks to repeal section 13 and 54.

It's section 13 of the CHRA that has caused a lot of controversy. It explicitly deals with discrimination or "hate speech" conveyed through electronic mediums—phones, media and the Internet. While hate speech

is not flooding the roster of the commission's cases and only accounted for two percent of complaints to the commission, the cases that do come forward are often high profile and controversial.

This has instigated a renewed debate about the limits on freedom of expression and the basic charter right as stated in section 2b. Many people have come out against this particular section of the CHRA representing a broad spectrum of political ideologies—it isn't often that Noam Chomsky and Ezra Levant align on something. Of course, there are also a great number of those who have come out in support of section 13, including several prominent human rights lawyers and various members of editorial boards.

The commission itself has also cast doubt upon its ability to judge cases based on section 13. Specifically in a 2009 case, Warman vs Lamire, the tribunal ruled "section 13 of the CHRA violated freedom of expression as guaranteed by section 2(b) of the charter, and could not be justified as a reasonable limit under section 1 of the charter." A commissioned report in 2008, The Moon Report also recommended the section be repealed and left in the

hands of the Criminal Code.

Removing the section from the CHRA, and placing hate speech in the hands of the legal system demands a higher burden of proof from those who are making complaints based on discrimination. Hate speech is tricky for many reasons. It is vague in its meaning and is almost entirely dependent on the norms accepted or "reasonable limits" deemed appropriate by society. While Canadi-

13 deal with hate speech, but it is section 13 that explicitly outlines discrimination through electronic media. MP Storseth, when speaking of the bill to the media or in parliament, does little to outline this key separation.

Speaking in the house on November 22, 2011, Storseth makes it clear that section 13 is an affront to "freedom of expression," part of the fundamental freedoms Canadians are

Many people have come out against this particular section of the CHRA representing a broad spectrum of political ideologies—it isn't often that Noam Chomsky and Ezra Levant align on something.

ans agree that an unprovoked physical attack on a person based on their religion, race, sex, or sexual orientation is a hate crime, it is still unclear what constitutes hate speech as opposed to simply an offense and so the controversy exists within our federal system, our provinces and our communities.

Importantly, Bill C-304 does not entirely take hate speech out of the CHRA. Both section 12 and section

guaranteed under the charter, "Section 13 ... has instead been used to address differing values or opinions and impedes one of the most basic civil liberties that we hold dear to our hearts, the freedom of expression." Storeseth has yet to make it clear why section 13 is of particular interest to him. Section 12 of the CHRA carries the same message: displays and propaganda considered discriminatory are not acceptable and considered an offence. There are

also provisions in provincial human rights acts that use similar language and more often than not a complaint would go through a provincial commission before a federal.

This bill is not as simple as it appears upon first glance. It does one thing while saying it will do so much more, which leaves the question as to why? The only answer given so far by Storseth is that section 13 contravenes our fundamental freedom of expression. Retracting section 13 does bow to what many have recommended in the past—but their recommendations did not come under "freedom of expression" but primarily that hate speech is a crime and a crime should be dealt with under the criminal code. But as the legal system is not fairly and freely accessible it may not be a realistic endeavour.

If nothing else, this bill provides Canadians an opportunity to have a discussion about what freedom of expression means to us and, further, what it is we as a society consider "hate speech." As Parliament reconvenes on January 30, Bill C-304 is expected to move to second and final reading this spring.

Jenn Prosser

// Jenn@vueweekly.com

COMMENT >> NUCLEAR THREATS

The risk of Islamist coups

Nuclear threats exist in Bangladesh and Pakistan if unstable governments emerge The eastern half of what used to majorities. That Pakistan only lastbe Pakistan narrowly escaped ed 24 years, and broke apart a military coup last month. amid much bloodshed in Brigadier Masud Razzak, 1971. the spokesman of the Since then, the two sucom eekly.c w Bangladeshi army, ancessor states have taken e u v e@ gwynn e n nounced on January 19 different paths. Banglan y Gw r that "A band of fanatic ofdesh has no major disputes e y D ficers has been trying to oust with its giant Indian neighbour, the politically established govand spends relatively little on its ernment. Their attempt has been military. The part that is still called foiled."

Pakistan, on the other side of India, They had "extreme religious has a huge territorial dispute with views," he said, and revealed that India over Kashmir, a history of wars some of the 16 conspirators, all with its neighbour, and very serious of them current or former military armed forces. It also has a history of officers, will soon appear before a coups. And Islamist fanatics in the military court. For a country with officer corps. And nuclear weapons. a dismal history of military coups, There are reasons to hope that some of them very violent, it was a the worst days are past in both heartening outcome. But it was also countries. The military relinquished a reminder of where the real dansupreme power in Bangladesh 20 ger lies in the subcontinent. years ago, and the country is a funcIf the country called Pakistan that tioning (but very turbulent) democgot its independence from Britain racy. Pakistan also has a democratic in 1947 were still a single state, it government now—the army offiwould be the fourth biggest nacially left power in 2001, although tion on the planet, with over 300 a general went on running the govmillion people. However, its two ernment until 2008—but the army halves were separated by 1500 km still overshadows it. of Indian territory, and had little in But it is not generals seizing powcommon apart from having Muslim er in Pakistan that worries foreign

governments. It is the fear that middle-ranking Islamist fanatics in the army might stage a successful coup and get their hands on those nuclear weapons. They would be people quite similar in their beliefs to the officers whose coup has just been foiled in Bangladesh—but Bangladesh doesn't have nuclear weapons.

A coup by Islamist officers in Bangladesh would be seen by most foreigners as deeply regrettable but mostly of only local interest. A coup

by Islamist officers in Pakistan would unleash the Mother of All Panics.

An Indian strategist once told me, off the record, what he thought would happen about six hours after news of an Islamist coup in Pakistan reached the rest of the world.

There would be a huge "traffic jam" over Kahuta and other major Pakistani nuclear weapons facilities as the Indian, Iranian, American and Israeli air forces all tried to keep the nuclear weapons out of the hands of the fanatics by destroying them.

It wouldn't succeed, because Pakistan already has more than 50 nuclear weapons, and it keeps them dispersed precisely to thwart that kind of attack. The Israeli air force

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

R DYEIG HT

STRA

couldn't really reach Pakistan (although Pakistan has missiles that could reach Israel). A few other details in the strategist's scenario also ring false—but it is basically credible.

So how likely is an Islamist military coup in Pakistan? About as likely as it is in Bangladesh, which is to say unlikely, but not unimaginable. In this one thing, the two armies are alike— and quite different from those of most other Muslim countries.

In almost all other Muslim countries, the armies take great care to ensure that Islamist officers do not rise very high in rank: they may make captain, but they won’t make colonel. This is because the generals know that they can't be trusted.

The generals themselves are mostly faithful Muslims, but they must protect the integrity of the military institution they serve, and that means no Islamists in positions of real power.

Islamists, by definition, cannot give their full loyalty to the army or the state. Ultimately, they serve an imagined Islamic caliphate that would sweep away even the country they are supposed to serve. Their lesser loyalties are purely tactical

and transitory. So the armies have never let them near real power— except in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

In both cases, this anomaly was created by military dictators who made pragmatic alliances with religious extremists as part of their strategy for holding on to power.

General Zia ul-Haq in Pakistan and General Ziaur Rahman in Bangladesh allowed Islamists to be promoted into the higher ranks in their respective armies, and although they are now long gone that policy continues, especially in Pakistan.

All previous military interventions in politics in Pakistan have been done by the army as an institution, acting in obedience to its lawful commanders. That kind of thing would not radically change Pakistan's policies towards the rest of the world. But if middle-ranking Islamist officers were to break the chain of command and seize power, like their comrades in Bangladesh intended to do, then all bets would be off. V Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. His column appears each week in Vue Weekly.

UP FRONT 7

PREVUE // DEMOCRACY'S FUTURE

Stuck in a rut

Democracies need a new way of doing things Thu, Feb 2 (7:30pm) Four glimpses of democracy's future University of Alberta Tory Lecture B-1 Free Established democracies appear to be stuck in a rut. As oppressed populations across the world look to achieve the ability to choose their governments, Western populations are attempting to discover new ways to improve citizen participation and engagement with a democratic process that has lost the confidence of its participants. With 41 percent of Albertans turning out to the last provincial election and 56.4 percent to the last federal election, half of the population is just not showing up. And it's more than voter turnout that makes a democracy: in the years between elections opportunities exist for citizens to change the way government policy is created.

Formal government consultations, local town halls, even community league meetings, exist for citizens to have their input in a process that can be too easy to ignore.

"What we think of as electoral democracy has lower standards if you will. All that is required is that

youhave free and fair elections," says John Gastil, a professor in the department of communication at the University of Washington and author of the recent book The Jury and Democracy: How jury deliberation promotes civic engagement and political participation. "We hope that within that system voters go through a reasonable process of making choices and that representatives go through a process of making reasonable process."

Gastil believes delibrative democracy, though difficult, is a process that could greatly improve citizens' direct participation in decision-making. "Delibrative democracy requires people think about the choices they have and think of alternative points of view; that they come to understand the arguments on both sides," says Gastil. The process would have to accommodate a greater degree of public debate, while also empowering those with marginalized viewpoints to express their ideas.

While some think this sounds like an idealized version of democracy, Gastil believes it's not as unachievable as some may think. "We use deliberative processes all the time in our jury process," he says. "The

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jury system asks for exactly these things. We work the trial to bring forth arguments from both sides, we have rules of decorum and we turn it over to a group of random citizens who are asked to deliberate.

"When a jury is hung, the judge advises, 'Look I want you to look harder into this, but I want to say to those who are in the minority you

gagement has gathered. "There's a lot of sense that there is voting decline, lack of transparency," says Cavanaugh. "That's one of the main issues: that there is skepticism or that there aren't a lot of peopl engaged in the process."

But Gastil believes there are recent examples of democracies integrating new approaches to genuine

Delibrative democracy requires people think about the choices they have and think of alternative points of view; that they come to understand the arguments on both sides. have a responsibility to go along with your own independent judgement,'" Gastil continues. "It's an important argument because we have to encourage those with an extreme point of view to bring their view forward."

Gastil is in town courtesy of the Centre for Public Involvement—a joint inititiative by the City of Edmonton and the University of Alberta to create an independent organization studying best practices for public engagement.

"Citizens are looking for new ways to be inolved, decision makers are looking for new ways to involve citizens," says Fiona Cavanaugh, project manager at the Centre. "The public is looking for better and different ways to be involved. Governments are wanting to not have just the usual suspects to show up and to engage different technology to bring people in."

Part of the problem in democratic governments today is overcoming the negative perception public en-

citizen engagement rather than simply consultation.

The Citizens' Initiative Review is a panel of randomly selected but demographically reflective citizens gathered to evaluate the merits of questions on state-wide ballots.

Each new measure that is brought forward requires a new round of citizens to gather and discuss the initiative. The citizens hear from both sides of the campaign, as well as policy experts, and then their evaluations are included in the ballot package as information for consideration when Oregonians vote.

"They attempted to put deliberation in the process," says Gastil. "What's exciting to the average voter is that you can go to that page and get a fair analysis instead of the millions of dollars in advertising from one side of the campaign. You get to hear what your average citizen analyzed."

Started in 2009, the CIR was a pilot initiative in 2010 and legislators in a bi-partisan house are working to make the initiative a permanent part

of Oregon elections.

Gastil also points to BC citizens who gathered to change the way elections function in their province with the Citizens' Assembly for Electoral Reform. "Ultimately it failed because they made the approval rate 60 percent," says Gastil. "But they established the precendent that a group of strangers can come up with a reasonable recommendation over a weekend that can be voted on."

Initiatives in Brazil and India focus on the ability of citizens to functionally contribute to the formation of the budget. "Local communities have smaller meetings and then send delegates up to the next level," says Gastil. "And they have real power so they can veto the municpial budget."

Gastil believes it's truly exciting that these initiatives have been initiated across party lines. "In Brazil, what caused all this to happen was constitutional change. People interpreted the constitution to mean you must have participatory budgeting.

In India it was a left-wing political party. In BC it was a right-of-centre government; Oregon it was a perfectly divided legislature."

Gastil and Cavanaugh believe these initiatives are growing in popularity as well. "It's a really exciting international field," says Cavanaugh.

The Centre for Public Involvement has been in the works for the past two years and will launch once formally approved by the City and the University administration. "It's really exciting that the city and the university want to work together; there's no other example of this."

SAMANTHA POWER

// SAMANTHA@vueweekly.com

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8 UP FRONT

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VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

COMMENT >> HOCKEY

Emotional rescue

Oilers fans could definitely use one right now Here's a recap of the past week's Thoughts too long for the Twitter • I'm enjoying Jordan Eberle's bank Oiler games, adjusted for emotioncommercials. Time to develop this al value (kind of like an emotional character; maybe a Man With No Wind Chill). The Oilers lost 1-0 to St Name thing where he rolls into Louis. A loss to the Blues feels a seedy town and cleans like just a regular loss. Then house or a wacky sidekick the Oilers lost 6-2 at home like Magnus Paajarvi. to Calgary. Losing to the ly.com eweek ox@vu b • There's a good chance our Flames at home, no mate th in oung & Dave Y s Jordan Eberle will get the car ter how commonplace it e tl Bir Bryan in the All Star Draft for being has become, feels like at least picked last. He's from Edmonton three-and-a-half losses. The Batand was a late addition to the fold. I tle of Alberta debacle was followed hope Eberle does get picked last; look up by a 2-1 Oiler win over the Sharks. what that did for Phil Kessel.

Considering how few wins the Oilers • NOT seen and overheard at the have managed of late, any win feels Obama State of the Union Address: like two wins. A 3-2 shootout loss "My Administration had a plan and to Vancouver followed the San Jose a vision. But Tim Thomas showed win. Losing to the Canucks always us the error of our ways. Things will feels like crap.

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Nuns Hospital, Rm 0651, 780.451.1755; Group meets every Thu 7-9pm • Free

Arden Theatre–St Albert • Circus

Re-Occupy Edmonton 2012 • Ezio Faraone Park, 97 Ave, 110 St (NW High Level Bridge) • Rally • Sat, Feb 4, 12pm

Brixx Bar • 10030-102 St • 780.428.1099 •

Sherwood Park Walking Group + 50 • Meet inside Millennium Place,

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Ceili's • 10338-109 St • 780.426.5555 • Comedy

Night: every Tue, 9:30pm • No cover

Century Casino • 13103 Fort Rd • 780.481.9857 • Open amateur night every Thu, 7:30pm COMEDY FACTORY • Gateway Entertain-

ment Centre, 34 Ave, Calgary Tr • Jamie Hutchinson; Jan 26-28 • Marty Hanenberg; Feb 2-4

Comic Strip • Bourbon St, WEM •

780.483.5999 • Wed-Fri, Sun 8pm; Fri-Sat 10:30pm • Jay Pharoah Special; Jan 26-28 • Jerrod Carmichael; Feb 1-5

DRUID • 11606 Jasper Ave • 780.710.2119 •

Comedy night open stage hosted by Lars Callieou • Every Sun, 9pm

Festival Place • Wayne Lee • Thu, Feb 2 Filthy McNasty's • 10511-82 •

780.996.1778 • Stand Up Sundays: Stand-up comedy night every Sun with a different headliner every week; 9pm; no cover

Horizon Stage • 1001 Calahoo Rd, Spruce

Grove • 780.962.8995 • horizonstage.com • Family 2 Matinée: Circus Incognitus (One man circus comedy); Sat, Feb 4, 2pm; $15 all ages

laugh shop–Sherwood Park • 4

Blackfoot Road, Sherwood Park • 780.417.9777 • laughinthepark.ca • Open Wed-Sat • Chris Gordon; Jan 26-28 • Mike Dambra; Feb 2-4

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

AWA 12-STEP SUPPORT GROUP •

Braeside Presbyterian Church bsmt, N. door, 6 Bernard Dr, Bishop St, Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert • For adult children of alcoholic and dysfunctional families • Every Mon 7:30pm

Cha Island Tea Co • 10332-81 Ave •

Games Night: Board games and card games • Every Mon, 7pm

Edmonton Bike Art Nights • Bike-

Works, 10047-80 Ave, back alley entrance • Art Nights • Every Wed, 6-9pm

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

Home–Energizing Spiritual Community for Passionate Living • Garneau/Ashbourne Assisted Living Place, 11148-84 Ave • Home: Blends music, drama, creativity and reflection

Sherwood Place • Weekly outdoor walking group; starts with a 10 min discussion, followed by a 30-40 minute walk through Centennial Park, a cool down and stretch • Every Tue, 8:30am • $2/session (goes to the Alzheimer’s Society of Alberta)

Sugarswing Dance Club • Orange

Hall, 10335-84 Ave or Pleasantview Hall, 10860-57 Ave • 780.604.7572 • Swing Dance at Sugar Foot Stomp: beginner lesson followed by dance every Sat, 8pm (door) at Orange Hall or Pleasantview Hall

WOMEN IN BLACK • In Front of the Old

Strathcona Farmers' Market • Silent vigil the 1st and 3rd Sat, 10-11am, each month, stand in silence for a world without violence

LECTURES/Presentations Curatorial Lecture Series • Royal

Alberta Museum Theatre • 780.453.9100, 0 • Chop Suey on the Prairies: Reflections on Chinese restaurants in Alberta: presented by K. Linda Tzang, Curator, Cultural Communities • Feb 1, 7pm

Edmonton Permaculture • Riverdale

Hall, 9231-100 Ave • 780.434.7752 • Monthly speaker series and pot luck featuring a talk with Michael Victoria Moore on the International Permaculture Conference and Convergence held in Amman Jordan September 2011 • Jan 30, 6pm

Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall • Winspear •

Complimentary pre-concert info sessions in the Studio (unless otherwise noted), open to the public, light refreshments provided. Enter through Winspear Stage Door (back of bldg) • Jan 27, 6-7pm (before Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto) • Jan 28, 6:30-7:30pm (before Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto)

MEÆT 1.5 • atmeaet.com • DIYalouge forums bringing local creatives and new philanthropists together for an evening of short proposals followed by a shared meal. At the end of the meal, diners vote on which proposal receives the pot of funds to move forward with their project • Pre-register atmeaet.com • $10 (minimum donation for diners)

PECHA KUCHA: METROPOLIS • Me-

tropolis, Sir Winston Churchill Sq • Pecha Kucha presentations on Jan 26, 6:30pm (door), 7:30pm • Best Of presentations from the past 11 installments plus fresh idea; Jan 27, 6:30pm

Pecha Kucha Night 12 • Metro Cinema,

Garneau, 8712-109 St • edmontonnextgen.ca • PKN12 Presentations by Edmonton’s NextGen and live music lby Kevin Marsh and Jill Roszell • Feb 2, 6:30pm (Door), 7:30pm (presentations) • $9 (student)/$11 (adult) at TIX on the Square

change." (Tears up notes and throws them to the ground; walks off in disgust) • For standing up for his beliefs and refusing to visit the White House, Bruins goalie Tim Thomas is like a modern-day Muhammad Ali, minus the integrity, courage, hardship and sacrifice and with more entitlement.

He gets a half point for taking a stand, even if I'm not quite sure what he stands for.

• Is Andy Sutton a much more graceful skater than a man his size should be? He's made some slick dekes in the past few weeks.

• I can't wait until Ryan Whitney actually gets back from injury. Whoever is wearing #6 and the "A" is not Ryan Whitney. You might as well put some zombie makeup on him and work on a Walking Dead sponsorship until he's really back to form. It's like watching a career degrade in front of us. DY

Everywhere a sign

PERCOLATE • Matrix Hotel, 10640-100 Ave • Liquid Culture: How the Digital Revolution is Transforming the Arts presented by Douglas McLennan • Feb 6 • Free tickets at TIX on the Square

G.L.B.T.Q Sage bowling club • 780.474.8240, E: Tuff@shaw.ca • Every Wed, 1:30-3:30pm

PUBLIC SPEAKING: What does your audience ‘SPEKT’ from you? • CKUA Library, 10526 Jasper Ave •

cwc-afc.com • Interactive presentation with Michelle Devlin giving 5 key public speaking and communication skills • Thu, Jan 26, 11:30am-1:30pm • $25 (member)/$35 (nonmember)/$25 (student); Pre-register

Retrofitting Suburbia • Kule Lecture Theatre, Grant MacEwan City Centre, Robbins Health Learning Centre, 109 St, 104 Ave • 780.492.9957 • crsc@ualberta.ca • Urban Design Solutions for Redesigning Suburbs: Ellen DunhamJones will present urban design strategies for re-inhabiting underperforming suburban-style properties • Jan 26, 7pm • Free Royal Alberta Museum • Museum

Theatre, 12845-102 Ave • 780.453.9100 • Curatorial Lecture Series • Feb 1-Apr 11, 7pm; • Free • Questions and Collections II: Research at the Museum: Chop Suey on the Prairies: Reflections on Chinese restaurants in Alberta: K. Linda Tzang, Curator, Cultural Communities: Visit any town in Alberta, large or small, and you'll find a Chinese restaurant. They're part of the prairie landscape. But how much do we know about the restaurant and the people who worked and ate there? What makes a Chinese restaurant special?

And what makes it ‘Chinese'? • Feb 1, 7pm

Sustainability’s Speaker Series • Telus Centre, Rm 150, U of A • 780.492.2808 • sustainability.ualberta.ca/speaker • Just Sustainabilities: Re-imagining (E)quality, Living Within Limits: Julian Agyeman will speak about the integration of social/spatial justice and sustainability; Jan 27, 5-7pm; free; reserve at InfoLink booths (HUB, SUB, CAB, ETLC) Sustainability’s Speaker Series • Telus Centre, Rm 150, U of A • 780.492.2808 • sustainability.ualberta.ca/speaker • Environmental Justice from a Native Perspective: Lecture by Winona LaDuke, Anishinaabe author, orator and activist • Jan 30, 7:30-9:30pm • Free Why’s and How-To’s of A Raw Food Diet • Earth's General Store, 9605-82

Ave • A demo/sample of a smoothie and other simple dishes • Feb 6, 7:15-9pm • $15; preregister at Earth’s General Store by Feb 3

QUEER BUDDYS NITE CLUB • 11725B 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

FLASH Night Club • 10018-105 St •

780.969.9965 • Thu Goth + Industrial Night: Indust:real Assembly with DJ Nanuck; 10pm (door); no cover • Triple Threat Fridays: DJ Thunder, Femcee DJ Eden Lixx • DJ Suco beats every Sat • E: vip@flashnightclub.com

G.L.B.T.Q. (gay) African Group DropIn) • Pride Centre, moving • 780.488.3234 •

Group for gay refugees from all around the World, friends, and families • 1st and Last Sun every month • Info: E: fred@pridecentreofedmonton.org, jeff@pridecentreofedmonton.org

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

Other than concussions, the worst development of the contemporary NHL is the marketing of every spare inch of space or free second of airtime. Board ads gave way to on-ice ads, branded stadiums, rink-encircling LEDs flashing adverts and branded in-game segments. Even the shovels used by the rink rats to clear the ice are branded.

On the broadcast side, things get even worse. Every power play, penalty kill, camera angle, interview segment is part ad—on one network, a terribly distracting computer-generated advert appears behind each net, hovering on the glass. Advertising has become the aural and visual clutter of hockey.

Where once the point was the world's most graceful game, now it's become secondary to moneymaking. (Vue Weekly is no innocent

GLBT sports and recreation •

teamedmonton.ca • Badminton, Women's Drop-In Recreational: St Vincent School, 10530-138 St; E: badminton.women@ teamedmonton.ca, every Wed 6-7:30pm, until Apr 25; $7 (drop-in fee) • Co-ed Bellydancing: bellydancing@teamedmonton.ca • Bootcamp: Garneau Elementary, 10925-87 Ave. at 7pm; bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca • Bowling: Ed's Rec Centre, West Edmonton Mall, Tue 6:45pm; bowling@teamedmonton.ca • Curling: Granite Curling Club; 780.463.5942 • Running: Kinsmen; running@teamedmonton.ca • Spinning: MacEwan Centre, 109 Street and 104 Ave; spin@teamedmonton.ca • Swimming: NAIT pool, 11762-106 St; swimming@teamedmonton.ca • Volleyball: every Tue, 7-9pm; St. Catherine School, 10915-110 St; every Thu, 7:30-9:30pm at Amiskiwiciy Academy, 101 Airport Rd

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, 1-4:30pm • Info: T: Jeff Bovee 780.488.3234, E: tuff @shaw.ca the junction bar • 10242-106 St

• 780.756.5667 • Free pool daily 4-8pm; Taco Tue: 5-9pm; Wing Wed: 5-9pm; Wed karaoke: 9pm-12; Thu 2-4-1 burgers: 5-9pm; Fri steak night: 5-9pm; DJs Fri and Sat at 10pm

LIVING POSITIVE • 404, 10408124 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 • Mov-

ing • 780.488.3234 • Daily: YouthSpace (Youth Drop-in): Tue-Fri: 3-7pm; Sat: 2-6:30pm; jess@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Men Talking with Pride: Support group for gay, bisexual and transgendered men to discuss current issues; Sun: 7-9pm; robwells780@ hotmail.com • Community Potluck: For members of the LGBTQ community; last Tue each month, 6-9pm; tuff@shaw.ca • Counselling: Free, short-term, solutionfocused counselling, provided by professionally trained counsellors; every Wed, 6-9pm; admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org • STD Testing: Last Thu every month, 3-6pm; free; admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org • Youth Movie: Every Thu, 6:30-8:30pm; jess@pridecentreofedmonton.org

PrimeTimers/sage Games • Unitar-

ian Church, 10804-119 St • 780.474.8240 • Every 2nd and last Fri each Month, 7-10:30pm

St Paul's United Church • 11526-

in all this—In the Box was formerly sponsored by a bar.)

In Europe, teams play with ads right on their sweaters, and whole teams can even be bought—witness the "Stena Line Belfast Giants," formerly the "Harp Lager Belfast Giants."

With its ceaseless drive for revenue streams, how long before the NHL follows suit? How long before we cheer for the Edmonton Pepsi?

The game's composite parts are being cut up, packaged and sold off to the highest bidder: for a game considered a religion throughout most of the country, we sure don't treat hockey with much reverence. BB Oilers Player of the week

Taylor Hall: A skate to the head can't slow this guy down. DY Devan Dubnyk: I'm not saying, but Doobie has looked like the goalie of the future the last two games. BB 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

SPECIAL EVENTS Dancing Under the Winter Stars • McCauley Rink, 107A Ave, 96 St • All Ages Skating Party to the sounds of DJs D Pro, Karen Campos, Alistair Henning; part of Frostival • Sat, Jan 28, 5-10pm

Fork Fest • Restaurants: A Cappella Cater-

ing, Accent Lounge, Blue Pear, Blue Plate Diner, Chateau Louis Hotel's Royal Coach Dining Room, d’Lish, Jack’s Grill, Parkallen, Sabor Divino, Wild Tangerine • Showcasing the best of local cuisine, 10 days of multicourse menu options at 10 participating restaurants • Until Jan 26

Illuminations • 780.760.2229 •

winterlight.ca • A fiery circus spectacle for the Year of the Dragon • Feb 10-11 (Louise McKinney Park)

Metropolis • Churchill Square and the

surrounding streets • Edmonton International Winter Festival: Featuring six free-standing, heated temporary structures made from Aluma Systems construction scaffolding covered with white shrink wrap, entertainment and fireworks at midnight • Until Feb 20 (Churchill Square)

ONE! LOVE • Mirage Banquet Hall, 306, 8170-50 St • one-international.com • One! International Poverty Relief Presents fundraising gala • Sat, Jan 28 • Tickets at tickets@oneinternational.com or call Paragi, 780.449.0468 Renovation Show • Edmonton Expo Centre, Northlands Park, 78 St, 115 Ave • New products, ideas, with top professionals to talk to. Meet Hillary Farr (Love It or List It), Andrew Downward (Divine Design), John Sillaots (kitchen and bath specialist) • Jan 27-29 Roller Derby • Oil City Grindhouse, 14420-112 St • OCDG Tank'er Girls take on the B52 Bella's from Calgary • Sat, Jan 28, 6pm (door) • $10 (adv)/$15 (door)/free child 10 and under United ColoUrs of Soul–Black History Month • AGA, Art Gallery of Alberta’s

Ledcor Theatre • A musical gala featuring musicians and spoken-word poets • Gala tickets: $30 at TIX on the Square

Wild Wild West • German-Canadian Cultural Centre, 8310 Roper Rd • 780.466.4000 • blauenfunken-edmonton.com • Mardi Gras Costume Party and floor show presented by the Blauen Funken Mardi Gras Association • Sat, Feb 4, 7:11pm • $17.50 Winter Charity Ball • 780.243.3781

• kindnessinaction.ca • Hosted by the University of Alberta Dental Students’ Association (DSA) • Sat, Feb 4 • Proceeds to Kindness in Action

76 Ave • 780.436.1555 • People of all sexual orientations are welcome • Every Sun (10am worship)

WINTER LIGHT–ILLUMINATIONS • Lou-

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

WINTER LIGHT–MILL CREEK ADVENTURE WALK • Mill Creek Park: starts north

ise McKinney Park • A fiery circus spectacle for the Year of the Dragon • Feb 10-11

of Mill Creek Pool (82 Ave, 95A St), continues north a 1 kilometer loop • Aurora’s Light: Story walk: Warming fires, heritage tents, roving characters and music along the trail for all ages • Jan 27-28, 7-11pm

UP FRONT 9

FILM

Film // IF BERGMAN MADE ACTION FILMS ...

Of downed flights and fist bumps

Joe Carnahan and Frank Grillo about The Grey, Liam Neeson and manliness Opens Friday Directed by Joe Carnahan



A

plane crashes in Alaska. The survivors are left to fend against merciless cold, hunger and unusually hostile wildlife. This is a story of manly men in a manly place, bearded men without women, fire-lit bloody faces sticky with snow and maneating wolves. Resourcefulness, persistence and solidarity are their only hope for survival. But survival itself seems unlikely.

After many years of torture-laden horror films that encourage audience delight in their characters' mortal terror, there's something refreshingly noble in The Grey's insistence on depicting the ways in which fear works on the psyche with a certain rugged empathy. It's a bracing film of fast violence and existential angst, from that initial plane crash to the first wolf attack, from the crossing of a gorge along a flimsy improvised cable to the final alpha-on-alpha showdown.

Filming in Smithers, BC, director/ co-writer Joe Carnahan, finally making good on the promise of his 2002 film Narc, immerses us in the frigid milieu and ramps up tension through the pulling in and out of sound and disorienting shifts between tight and wide shots. Carnahan may prove to be that rare thing in contemporary movies: a devoted genre filmmaker, inventive but not ironic.

Carnahan's enthusiasm for his work in certainly infectious. I spoke with both he and actor Frank Grillo last week about the film's themes, their process, and working with Liam Neeson, The Grey's smartly cast star. Carnahan and Grillo are old friends. They finish each other's sentences. Honestly, I didn't have to do much. Mostly I just sat back and enjoyed the wine they kindly offered.

VUE WEEKLY: From the outset The Grey works nicely as a visceral thriller. Then there came a point where I realized that this entire movie is going to be about facing death, preparing for death.

JOE CARNAHAN: When did that occur to you?

VW: Maybe it was that campfire scene where the guys are huddled round, talking about faith. I thought that if Ingmar Bergman made action films without any women in them they might look something like this.

[Carnahan gets up] JC: Brother, that's one of the highest compliments anybody's ever paid me.

[Knuckle taps all around]

10 FILM

Manly men in a manly place

VW: [to Grillo] This also has much to do with the way your character develops. As we get to know these guys we see how each deals with fear differently. And gradually we start to understand that Diaz's gut response to the terrifying situation he's in is to act like an asshole.

FRANK GRILLO: Right. Angry. Very angry. It's the way that I dealt with fear for a long time. Bluster, you know? As men, these are issues that we deal with on a daily basis. I've said this before and people laugh, but it's tough to be a man in this world. We grow up with that phrase: "Be a man."

But what does that mean? I'm afraid.

Who do I tell?

JC: From a very early age we're meant to stifle that. But you know what? So much of life scares the shit out of me, and it's reflected in this movie. What these guys are dealing with is real.

FG: Death.

JC: Neeson says it in that campfire scene: "What's wrong with being afraid? I'm scared shitless."

FG: And I say to him, "That's 'cause you're a punk." I went and stayed in some prisons in New York to prepare for the movie. I felt like Diaz was a guy who had his own creed, this thing that he lived by. The prison thing, where it's about respect.

If you're afraid in jail, you're a punk.

And you're going to get punked. It's a survival mechanism.

VW: It's tempting to place The Grey in the tradition of Howard Hawks, but in Hawks' films guys don't really lose their cool. In The Grey just about everybody loses their cool.

JC: It's more like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, except that the characters are simply clinging to life. But, brother, evoking Hawks in any way with regards to this movie, I mean, put that on the fuckin' poster!

FG: It's interesting to consider this in light of this terrible tragedy that just happened with the Mediterranean cruise ship. Not just the captain, but all the officers jumped ship! They were afraid to die. They didn't care about who was still on the ship. So I'm thinking to myself, 'Wow, those storybook endings about heroic men—it doesn't always happen that way.'

JC: And it's not like these guys were stranded in the middle of the North Atlantic. They could see the shore!

That's a level of cowardice that, well, God help me if I ever experience that.

FG: But, you know what? You don't know. You just don't know.

JC: In retrospect we're all heroic geniuses.

FG: We're more afraid to be killed than we are to die. Dying doesn't seem so bad. Being killed is awful.

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

JC: There's some part of us that eventually makes peace with the fact that we're not going to be here forever. To be killed is to have death imposed on you.

VW: But it's also easier, right? If someone kills you then you don't have time to come to terms.

JC: Right. You're not left with your final thoughts. That's why I wanted to put that first death scene in The Grey, the guy bleeding to death, the one Liam presides over. Because a lot of people are killed in movies, but not a lot of people die.

FG: You're watching him die. In combat, in serious situations like that, friends have to watch other friends die. I thought that actor, James Badge Dale, did a beautiful job of dying, of conveying that, that ...

JC: Something just slipping away.

FG: Yeah.

VW: Frank, you were signed on long before production, right?

FG: Joe just called me and said "Don't take a job in January. I don't care what your agents say, you're doing this job."

Which is risky. I'm a working guy, a blue collar actor. But the advance notice afforded me time to work things out very thoroughly. I was a pain in the ass, constantly emailing and calling Joe with ideas.

JC: But also, what are you right now, brother, like, 170?

FG: 165.

JC: He was up to almost 200 pounds.

He built himself up, preparing himself for this film. That's the level of engagement I knew I'd get from Frank.

FG: But I could barely keep up with Liam Neeson. 58 years old, this guy never stopped.

VW: And he looks like a wolf.

JC: He looks like a wolf!

FG: Doesn't he look like a wolf?

VW: After doing this project do you guys feel a little closer to knowing how to meet your maker gracefully?

JC: I think so, brother. If there's any kind of pacification that can arise from an experience like this it's hopefully the presence of mind to believe that whatever you hold in your heart, that's what's going to shepherd you through.

FG: I have three sons. I don't mind dying, but I just want it to be pleasant. I want to know my boys are OK. I don't want to be taken from the Earth in an instant and not have the time to do it in a way that would be beautiful.

JC: That's great, brother, because as we sit back and admire this horrific plane crash we just put on screen we both got to get on a fuckin' plane tomorrow! [Both laugh] Josef Braun

// josef@vueweekly.com

REVUE // QUALITY CANADIAN FILM

Monsieur Lazhar

“The best ‘Underworld’ yet” - Evan Dickson, BlooDy-DisgUsTing.com

A man of many lessons

Opens Friday Directed by Philippe Falardeau



A

Montréal elementary school teacher suicides during recess.

Two of her pupils, a boy and a girl, see the body hanging from the rafters. Everybody's torn up. There are disagreements between staff and parents about how to deal, or in some cases not deal, with the trauma. Before the fresh coat of paint slapped on the dead teacher's classroom walls is dry a stranger swoops in looking to fill her position. He gives the principal the hard sell. Yet he seems very respectful, charming, highly qualified and candid about the fact that he needs the work. Can he start right away?

Monsieur Lazhar is front-loaded with such obviously topical sources of conflict—Bashir Lazhar, the new teacher, is an Algerian immigrant who may or may not actually be entitled to work in Canada and has some violence in his past he's not talking about—one could be forgiven for assuming this film, much of which is confined to school property, to be didactic or self-important. But, as di-

rected by Hull-born cineaste Philippe Falardeau (La moitié gauche du frigo, Congorama), this adaptation of Évelyne de la Chenelière's one-man play forces very little. Falardeau's approach is naturalistic, unfussy and patient. His focus is resolutely on the characters, virtually all of whom have backstory to be mined, even the kids. The esthetic feels much closer to the French cinema than that of French Canada (and Lazhar seems something of a Francophile himself—he tries in vain to get little kids to translate Balzac), which tends to be far more eager to strut style (see Café de flore). Perhaps that's part of the reason why it snagged the Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film, just the most recent in a series of accolades that include Best Canadian Feature at TIFF, placement in Canada's Top Ten, a Genie nomination for Best Picture and the Best Canadian Film Award from the Toronto Film Critics Association.

That's a lot of hype to live up to, and Monsieur Lazhar is far too modest a picture to please certain viewers who'll see it demanding to have their minds blown and probably just

looking for another opportunity to dismiss Canadian cinema. That's a compliment. The sort of Canadian works working hard to blow our minds tend to be pathetic imitations of Hollywood movies anyway.

Monsieur Lazhar is content to go about its business with dignity and simplicity, courting an international audience instead of pandering to a national one. The film navigates its way through its inherent social commentary quite deftly—there's a sharpened polemic surrounding the stifling inability of teachers to touch kids, even just to offer gestures of comfort, in this age of knee-jerk litigation. And Mohamed Saïd Fellag is very good as Lazhar, only lightly eccentric and just the right amount of cagey. He earns our sympathy by openly expressing his desire to get the kids to talk about their grief and confusion, yet he won't share his own. So the mystery at the heart of Monsieur Lazhar is born of a very complex question concerning what one needs to go through to get on with life, whether in the middle of it or at the very beginning.

“k ate is back in black and bad as ever!”

- grEg rUssEll, ThE moviE show PlUs

“Unbelievably cool...”

- mark s. allEn, kmaX-Tv

“ofaslickly visual feast stylized 3D action!”

- ajay Fry, sPacE

Josef Braun

// josef@vueweekly.com

AND

GORY VIOLENCE

NOW PLAYING

Check Theatre Directory or SonyPicturesReleasing.ca for Locations and Showtimes

SEE IT ON A BIG SCREEN!

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

MST12000_RV_SONY_GWDT.0126.VUE · EDMONTON VUE · 1/4 PAGE · THUR JAN. 26

FILM 11

REVUE // EMOTION WRINGER

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Now playing Directed by Stephen Daldry



E

Book to film: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

REVUE // NEVER MADE IT OFF THE GROUND

Red Tails Now playing Directed by Anthony Hemingway



T

ake the hot air of a bad PBS documentary about racial segregation in the US Army, add the cold look of F/X re-creations of Second World War skyfights from a mediocre History Channel special, and there's Red Tails. In the opening, a confusing battle involving pilots never seen again—save the one sneering Nazi baddie (redundancy alert!)—and leaden, statethe-obvious exposition ground the flick as it's trying to take off.

The 332nd Fighter Group—comprising many of the all-black Tuskegee Airmen—are reduced to warmovie stereotypes, propelled by swelling music and firing off character clichés ("Ray was the best soldier I ever met"), historical lectures, or go-get-'em speeches with anach-

ronisms ("Man up"). One escapes from a POW camp in record time (two scenes); the actual 66 men killed-in-action are misrepresented here by just one man dead (the only one likely to cut the heartstrings of our parachuting emotions).

Racism in the US Army's defeated by the men's unquestioning commitment to national honour, while in rural-idyll Italy (ever-so recently ruled by fascists, veramente), no one blinks at a black American dating a local white woman. And to think, meanwhile, back on the homefront in Tuskegee, local black men were being inoculated with syphilis as part of a government experiment, while told only they were being treated for "bad blood." Huh. But turning over any awful historical complexities and contradictions in your head isn't part of Red Tails.

Brian Gibson

// brian@vueweekly.com

xtremely Loud and Incredibly Close (adapted from Jonathan Safran Foer's novel) is this year's Exhibit A frontrunner for books becoming badly literalized on screen.

On the page, well-written prose can make the voice of an autistic boy, on a Quixotic odyssey through NYC to deal with his father's 9/11 death, not just endurable but insightful. In this movie, the POV of Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn), trying to unlock the mystery of a key found among his

dad's belongings, becomes irritatingly self-involved and self-tormenting.

It doesn't help that Oskar's dad (Tom Hanks) remains a near-saint, or that one of the movie's soul-singing revelations is that of patient, all-knowing maternal love (personified here by Sandra Bullock). The only non-cliché is an intriguing point, undeveloped— out here, so many of us have been autism-ized (overwhelmed) by grief or loss.

The movie's organization seems the problem—frequent circling-back to the towers' collapse seems almost sadistic so long as the reason for Oskar's seemingly selfish coverup of a

memento mori is delayed. There's a game-playing with grief here, indulging in Oskar's quest, until the movie finally has it both ways—noting Oskar's denial but still solving a puzzlemessage from dad to him. Whenever true feeling (a viciously frank fight between Oskar and his mom) and thoughtful adults (played by Max von Sydow and Jeffrey Wright) appear, it's a relief from the movie's roving, Lord-of-the-Wrings-Emotions quest. In honour of Oskar's honesty, call this one Painfully Well-Intentioned and Artfully Cloying.

Brian Gibson

// brian@vueweekly.com

PREVUE // THE COMING YEAR OF FILM

Fall films, and beyond A final preview of 2012's cinematic schedule

M

ichael Haneke's Amour gazes at the relationship between an older couple and their daughter (Isabelle Huppert) after the mother suffers a stroke. Walter Salles goes On The Road with Jack Kerouac's Beat-Generation novel, starring Sam Riley, Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart and Kirsten Dunst. Salman Rushdie helped with the screenplay for his seemingly unfilmable magnum opus Midnight's Children, co-written and directed by Deepa Mehta (Water).

And not only Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) but the Wachowski brothers are piloting the big-screen version of David Mitchell's six-era, nested-story novel Cloud Atlas.

The third film from Rian Johnson (Brick) is the sci-fi Looper, where a hitman (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) from our present, killing people in the future, recognizes one target as his older self. Alfonso Cuarón (Children of Men) launches himself into sci-fi, and 3D, with Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock as two astronauts fighting to get back down home from their destroyed space station. After the cosmic wondering of Terrence Malick's Tree of Life, the super-auteur unearths a film still

untitled—a story probably set in Oklahoma and possibly deconstructing an architect's love triangle. From Twylight Zones comes Sopranos creator David Chase's debut, a '60s New Jersey rock-band film, with James Gandolfini.

December brings Ang Lee's Life of Pi, adapting Yann Martel's famous tale of a zookeeper's son adrift on a lifeboat with a hyena, Bengal tiger, orangutan and zebra. David Cronenberg's take on Don DeLillo's New York City-crossing limo odyssey Cosmopolis (shot in Toronto) is due late in the year.

There are some films without clear release dates yet, but they should see light of disc or screen in 2012. Sarah Polley's Take This Waltz twirls about in Toronto's Annex neighbourhood, where Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen are a couple drifting apart.

Xavier Dolan's Laurence Anyways is a tale of impossible love, post-sex change. Guy Maddin's Keyhole is the odyssey of a gangster's homecoming, one room at a time.

Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) slakes his bloodlust with the horror story Stoker, about a girl (Mia Wasikowska)

strangely drawn to her mysterious uncle. Wong Kar-wai (In The Mood For Love) turns to martial-arts with his look at Bruce Lee's teacher, The Grandmasters, while a young American maestro, Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood), has finished post-production on his picture about '50s new-religion leader, The Master.

Yorgos Lanthimos follows Dogtooth with Alps, a deadpan drama wherein a company arrives with stand-ins for your dearly departed. The Dardenne brothers send The Kid with a Bike, about a fierce-willed boy (Thomas Doret) rejected by his father but taken in by a hairdresser (Cécile de France).

Jafar Panahi, forbidden from making films for years by the Iranian regime, smuggled his latest, This Is Not A Film, out of the country last year. Michael Winterbottom's film about UK prisons, Seven Days, has been shot a few weeks at a time over the past five years; also released this year is Trishna, Winterbottom's set-in-modernIndia take on Thomas Hardy's Tess of the d'Urbervilles, about a woman (played by Freida Pinto) imprisoned by the social values of her time.

Brian Gibson

// brian@vueweekly.com

REVUE // THE SKY IS FALLING

Surviving Progress Opens Friday Directed by Mathieu Roy, Harold Crooks



L

ike Chicken Little, Surviving Progress understands that the sky is falling, but doesn't exactly know where to go from there. The film does a good job of connecting the dots of overpopulation, environmental degradation and economic skullduggery but offers no solutions, nor does it go much deeper

12 FILM

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

than repeating the same messages over and over.

It's a mile wide but only an inch deep. The fact that we're in trouble is oft-repeated, with more and more reasons heaped upon the evidence over the course of the film, but at no point does Surviving Progress get down into the muck of hard facts, historical examples of what got us here. There are a lot of generalizations: "economics" turned the rainforest into a commodity, "technol-

ogy" is ruining the Earth, but unlike Ronald Wright's book A Short History of Progress—upon which the film is based—there's no nitty gritty.

Visually, however, the movie is striking. Travelling from Canada to America to Brazil to China, its footage is incredible and edited together gloriously. It's just too bad it couldn't have been in service of a more potent message.

Bryan Birtles

// bryan@vueweekly.com

REVUE // CHARACTER STUDY

Carancho Fri, Jan 27 – Tue, Jan 31 Directed by Pablo Trapero Metro Cinema at the Garneau



H

ere's a screwball pairing you probably never imagined: ambulance chaser meets ambulance driver. He's an older, weary looking type who lost his license and now works for a firm that rips off accident victims. She's a young, prettybut-numb-looking type who works as a paramedic to supplement her income as a doctor and buoy her burgeoning drug habit. These two inhabit a contemporary Buenos Aires where corruption surrounding insurance companies has reached an appalling low and crack-ups are staged. It's a grimy labyrinth of a city

FILM WEEKLY Fri, JAN 27 - THU, FEB 1, 2012

CHABA THEATRE–JASPER 6094 Connaught Dr Jasper 780.852.4749

THE IRON LADY (PG violence) Fri-Sat 7:00 , 9:10; Sun-Wed 8:00 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Fri-Sat 7:00, 9:10; Sun-Thu 8:00 THE ARTIST (PG) Film Club Night: Thu 7:30 DUGGAN CINEMA–CAMROSE 6601-48 Ave Camrose 780.608.2144

The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Daily 6:50 9:10; Sat-Sun 2:10 WAR HORSE (PG violence not recommended for young children) Daily 7:30; Sat-Sun 2:00 Underworld Awakening (18A gory violence) Daily 7:10 9:05; Sat-Sun 2:20 Red Tails (14A) Daily 7:35; Sat-Sun 2:05 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) Daily 7:00 9:15; Sat-Sun 2:15 CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12 5074-130 Ave 780.472.9779

HAPPY FEET TWO (G) Daily 1:00 Happy Feet Two 3d (G) Daily 3:30, 7:00, 9:25 Puss In Boots (G) Daily 1:45 Puss In Boots 3d (G) Daily 4:05, 6:45, 9:00 ARTHUR CHRISTMAS (G) Daily 1:40 Real Steel (PG violence) Daily 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:35 Immortals (18A gory brutal violence) Daily 1:05, 3:50, 7:15, 9:55 THE SITTER (14A coarse language sexual content) Daily 1:55, 4:30, 7:40, 10:05 NEW YEAR'S EVE (PG coarse language) Daily 1:35, 4:20, 7:10, 9:45 WE BOUGHT A ZOO (PG) Daily 1:20, 4:15, 7:00, 9:50 JACK AND JILL (PG) Daily 4:10, 7:30, 9:40 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 1 (PG disturbing content not recommended for young children) Daily 1:25, 4:25, 7:05, 9:50 JOYFUL NOISE (PG) Daily 1:15, 3:55, 6:55, 9:30 TOWER HEIST (PG coarse language) Daily 1:30, 4:40, 7:20, 10:00 Agneepath (STC) Punjabi W/E.S.T. Daily 12:50 3:45 6:45 9:45 CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH 14231-137 Ave 780.732.2236

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Ultraavx Daily 1:30, 3:50, 6:10, 8:20, 10:40 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Cinema Daily 12:40 THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET 3D (PG violence) Digital 3d Daily 1:40, 4:40, 7:30, 10:00 HUGO 3D (PG) Digital Cinema Daily 12:50, 3:40, 6:40, 9:30 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (14A) Digital Cinema Daily 12:45, 4:00, 7:20, 10:15 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat, Mon-Wed 1:20, 4:20, 7:10, 10:10; Sun 4:20, 7:10, 10:10; Thu 1:20, 4:20, 10:10 THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18A brutal violence sexual violence) Digital Cinema Daily 2:50, 6:20, 9:45 ONE FOR THE MONEY (PG language may offend) Digital Cinema Fri-Tue, Thu 1:10, 3:30, 6:00, 8:15, 10:35; Wed 3:30, 6:00, 8:15, 10:35; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) Digital Cinema Daily 1:50, 4:50, 7:40, 10:20 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) Digital Cinema Daily 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:30 HAYWIRE (14A) Digital Cinema Daily 2:10, 5:00, 7:50, 10:05 THE IRON LADY (PG violence) Digital Cinema

Look at this vulture

and these two lonely, grime-covered people are desperate to survive it with some splinter of integrity left intact. He gets the shit kicked out

of him more than once. She has to deal with patients who wake up on gurneys in the ER and start beating the shit out of each other. Both

Daily 12:35, 3:10, 6:30, 9:00 Bolshoi Ballet Presents Sleeping Beauty Encore (Classification not available) Sun 1:00 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG mature subject matter) Digital Cinema Fri-Tue, Thu 12:55, 3:45, 6:50, 9:40; Wed 3:45, 6:50, 9:40; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Digital Cinema Daily 1:00, 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (G) Digital Cinema Daily 2:00, 4:30, 6:45, 8:50

2:00, 4:45, 8:05, 10:50; Sun 1:15, 4:05, 7:10, 9:55; Mon-Thu 1:30, 4:10, 7:05, 10:10 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (G) Digital Cinema Fri-Sun 12:40, 3:00, 5:20, 7:40; Mon-Thu 12:40, 3:00, 5:20, 7:50 BACK TO THE SEA (G) Digital 3d Fri-Sat 12:15, 2:45, 5:10; Sun 12:00, 2:25, 4:50; Mon-Thu 1:40, 4:30 Wwe Royal Rumble–2012 (Classification not available) Sun 6:00

CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH 1525-99 St 780.436.8585

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Ultraavx Fri 1:20, 3:40, 6:00, 8:20, 10:55; Sat 1:20, 3:40, 6:00, 8:30, 10:55; Sun 1:20, 4:25, 7:00, 9:50; Mon-Thu 1:20, 4:25, 7:15, 9:50 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Cinema Fri 12:40, 3:00, 5:25, 7:45; Sat 12:35, 3:00, 5:25, 7:45; Sun 12:25, 2:50, 5:25, 7:45; Mon-Thu 2:50, 5:25, 7:40 THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET 3D (PG violence) Digital 3d Fri 1:10, 4:00, 6:45, 9:45; Sat 1:05, 4:00, 6:45, 9:45; Sun-Thu 1:05, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40 HUGO 3D (PG) Digital 3d Fri-Sat 7:50, 10:40; Sun 7:15, 10:20; Mon-Thu 7:10, 10:00 WAR HORSE (PG violence not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema Fri, Sun-Thu 10:15; Sat 10:20 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (14A) Digital Cinema Fri 12:30, 3:30, 7:30, 10:30; Sat 12:15, 3:30, 7:30, 10:30; Sun 3:15, 7:30, 10:30; Mon-Thu 12:30, 3:40, 6:40, 9:50 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence not recommended for young children) Digital Cinema Fri 12:45, 3:45, 7:15, 10:15; Sat 3:45, 7:15, 10:15; Sun 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 10:05; Mon-Wed 12:45, 3:50, 7:00, 10:05; Thu 12:45, 3:50 THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18A brutal violence sexual violence) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 11:30, 2:50, 6:30, 10:00; Sun 11:45, 10:00; Mon-Thu 1:45, 6:30, 10:00 ONE FOR THE MONEY (PG language may offend) Digital Cinema Fri 12:20, 2:55, 5:35, 8:00, 10:40; Sat-Sun 12:20, 2:55, 5:35, 7:55, 10:35; Mon-Wed 1:10, 4:15, 7:30, 9:55; Thu 4:15, 7:30, 9:55; Star & Strollers Screening Thu 1:00 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) Digital Cinema Fri 2:35, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45; Sat 12:45, 5:15, 8:00, 10:45; Sun 1:45, 4:45, 7:20, 10:25; Mon-Thu 1:50, 4:45, 7:25, 10:25 THE DEVIL INSIDE (14A violence coarse language disturbing content) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 10:25; Sun 10:40; Mon-Thu 10:15 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) Digital Cinema Fri 12:30, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10, 10:45; Sat 12:30, 3:10, 5:40, 8:25, 11:00; Sun 12:15, 3:10, 5:40, 8:10, 9:45; Mon-Thu 12:40, 3:10, 6:45, 9:30 HAYWIRE (14A) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 12:50, 3:20, 5:45, 8:10, 10:40; Sun 12:50, 3:20, 5:45, 8:15, 10:40; Mon-Thu 12:50, 4:05, 7:15, 10:30 The Metropolitan Opera: Rodelinda Encore (Classification not available) Sat 10:30 THE IRON LADY (PG violence) Digital Cinema Fri 11:45, 2:25, 5:00, 7:35, 10:10; Sat-Sun 1:40, 4:20, 7:35, 10:10; Mon-Wed 1:00, 3:55, 6:55, 9:35; Thu 3:55, 6:55, 9:35; Star & Strollers Screening Thu 1:00 Kevin Smith: Live From Behind (Classification not available) Thu 7:30 Bolshoi Ballet Presents Sleeping Beauty Encore (Classification not available) Sun 1:00 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG mature subject matter) Digital Cinema Fri 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30; Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:30, 7:25, 10:30; Mon-Thu 12:35, 3:30, 6:35, 9:45 RED TAILS (14A) Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 1:45, 4:45, 8:00, 10:50; Sun 12:30, 3:45, 7:05, 10:20; Mon-Thu 12:30, 3:45, 7:20, 10:20 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Digital Cinema Fri 2:00, 5:00, 8:05, 10:50; Sat

CITY CENTRE 9 10200-102 Ave 780.421.7020

THE IRON LADY (PG violence) Digital presentation, dolby stereo digital, Daily 1:00, 4:10, 6:50, 10:00 TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY (14A coarse language gory scenes) Digital presentation, dolby stereo digital Daily 1:15, 4:15, 7:10, 10:10 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) closed captioned, digital presentation, DTS digital Daily 1:20, 4:20, 7:15, 10:15 UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Closed captioned, digital 3d, digital presentation, dolby stereo digital, Daily 1:30, 4:30, 7:20, 10:20 RED TAILS (14A) Closed captioned, digital presentation, dolby stereo digital, stadium seating Daily 12:30, 3:50, 6:45 THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18A brutal violence sexual violence) Closed captioned, digital, dolby stereo digital daily 9:40 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG mature subject matter) Closed captioned, digital presentation, dolby stereo digital, no passes fritue 12:40, 3:40, 6:55, 9:55; wed 12:40, 3:40, 6:55, 9:55; Thu 12:40, 3:40, 9:55 THE ARTIST (PG) Digital presentation, dolby stereo digital, stadium seating fri-wed 12:45, 4:00, 6:30, 9:45; Thu 12:45, 4:00, 6:30 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Closed captioned, digital presentation, dolby stereo digital Daily 12:50, 3:55, 7:00, 9:50 monsieur lazhar (PG mature subject matter) Digital presentation, dolby stereo digital, french version, sub-titled Daily 1:25, 4:45, 7:30, 10:25 CLAREVIEW 10 4211-139 Ave 780.472.7600

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital presentation sat-sun 1:50, 4:15 THE DEVIL INSIDE (14A violence coarse language disturbing content) Digital presentation fri 7:05, 9:15; sat-sun 2:00, 4:25, 7:05, 9:15; mon-Thu 5:45, 8:00 THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (G) Digital 3d fri 6:45, 9:10; sat-sun 1:10, 3:40, 6:45, 9:10; mon-Thu 5:00, 7:30 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) Digital presentation fri 6:50, 9:30; sat-sun 1:30, 4:10, 6:50, 9:30; mon-Thu 5:30, 8:10 RED TAILS (14A) Digital presentation fri-sun 6:35, 9:25; mon-Thu 4:50, 7:45 HAYWIRE (14A) Digital presentation fri 7:10, 9:45; sat-sun 1:40, 4:20, 7:10, 9:45; mon-Thu 5:40, 8:05 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG mature subject matter) Digital presentation, no passes fri 6:30, 9:20; digital presentation, no passes sat-sun 12:40, 3:35, 6:30, 9:20; digital presentation mon-Thu 4:50, 7:50 UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Digital 3d fri 7:15, 9:35; sat-sun 1:50, 4:20, 7:15, 9:35; mon-Thu 5:20, 8:15 ONE FOR THE MONEY (PG language may offend) Digital presentation fri 6:45, 9:20; satsun 1:20, 3:45, 6:45, 9:20; mon-Thu 5:35, 8:20 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) Digital presentation fri 7:00, 9:40; satsun 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:40; mon-Thu 5:00, 8:15 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Digital presentation fri 6:40, 9:25; sat-sun 12:50, 3:50, 6:40, 9:25; mon-Thu 5:10, 8:00 GALAXY–SHERWOOD PARK

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

look like they could really use some sleep. They're not going to get much.

Carancho, the latest film from Pablo Trapero, is very much a neo-noir.

Sosa, the sleazy lawyer ("carancho" is Spanish for vulture), is played by Ricardo Darín, rumpled star of such globally popular Argentine pictures as The Secret in Their Eyes, The Aura, Nine Queens and The Son of the Bride. Luján, the junkie doctor with the somnambulistic bedside manner, is played by Martina Gusman, Trapero's wife and star of his previous films Lion's Den and Born and Bred.

Both give engrossingly detailed performances, highlighted in Carancho's early scenes, which are composed almost exclusively of unnervingly tight close-ups (the first wide turns up somewhere after the eight-minute

mark). Trapero puts the study back in character study. At times his attention to nuance comes at the expense of the bigger picture—tone is masterfully invoked but momentum becomes an issue. I confess that this is the first I've seen of Trapero's work since Crane World, his knockout 1999 debut, and one of my favourite films of the last 15 years or so. Oddly enough, as different as the slick, formalist, genre-friendly Carancho is from the episodic, shaggy, very funny, black and white Crane World, they share an enormously appealing emphasis on work, on how people go about their daily business. Trapero is clearly a filmmaker deserving of more attention—including mine.

2020 Sherwood Dr Sherwood Park 780.416.0150

Red Tails (14A) Daily 7:15; Sat-Sun Tue 1:30 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (PG mature subject matter) Daily 7:30; Sat-Sun Tue 2:00 Underworld Awakening (18A gory violence) Daily 7:10, 9:00; Sat-Sun Tue 1:10 3:05 War Horse (PG violence not recommended for young children) Daily 7:20; Sat-Sun Tue 1:40 contraband (14A violence coarse language) Daily 7:00 9:10; Sat-Sun Tue 1:00, 3:10; Movies For Mommies: Tue 1:00 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) Daily 7:00; SAT-Sun Tue 1:15 3:15

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Digital 3d Fri 4:50, 7:40, 10:20; Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:50, 7:40, 10:20; Mon-Thu 7:40, 10:00 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Fri 4:20, 6:45; Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:20, 6:45; MonThu 6:45 WAR HORSE (PG violence not recommended for young children) Daily 9:10 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (14A) Fri 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Sat-Sun 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:30; Mon-Thu 6:30, 9:30 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence not recommended for young children) Fri 3:45, 6:40, 9:40; Sat-Sun 12:40, 3:45, 6:40, 9:40; Mon-Thu 6:40, 9:35 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) Fri 4:00, 7:15, 10:00; Sat-Sun 1:10, 4:00, 7:15, 10:00; Mon-Thu 7:15, 9:55 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) Fri 4:40, 7:30, 10:10; Sat-Sun 1:50, 4:40, 7:30, 10:10; Mon-Thu 7:30, 10:00 HAYWIRE (14A) Fri 4:30, 7:20, 10:15; Sat-Sun 1:40, 4:30, 7:20, 10:15; Mon-Thu 7:20, 9:50 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG mature subject matter) Digital Cinema Fri 3:50, 6:50, 9:45; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:50, 6:50, 9:45; MonThu 6:50, 9:40 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Fri 3:40, 7:00, 9:50; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:40, 7:00, 9:50; Mon-Thu 7:00, 9:45 THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (G) Digital Cinema Fri 4:10, 7:10, 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:20, 4:10, 7:10, 9:25; Mon-Thu 7:10, 9:20 GRANDIN THEATRE–St Albert Grandin Mall Sir Winston Churchill Ave St Albert 780.458.9822

ONE FOR THE MONEY (PG language may offend) No passes Daily 1:20, 3:20, 5:20, 7:20, 9:20 HUGO (PG) Daily 3:45, 8:50 THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET 3D (PG violence) Daily 1:35, 6:45 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (G) Daily 1:05, 2:55, 4:45, 6:30 THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (18A brutal violence sexual violence) Daily 8:15 UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Daily 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:25 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) No passes Daily 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:10 The Way (PG substance abuse) “Reel” Monday movie series presented by the Friends of The Library: Mon 7:00 LEDUC CINEMAS Leduc 780.352.3922

MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) DAILY 6:50, 9:20; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:20 Underworld Awakening (18A gory violence) Daily 7:00 9:30; Sat-Sun 1:00 3:30 Back to the sea (G) Daily 6:55; Sat-Sun 12:55, 3:35 War Horse (PG violence not recommended for young children) Daily 9:20 JOYFUL NOISE (PG) Daily 7:05, 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:05 , 3:25 METRO CINEMA at the Garneau Metro at the Garneau: 8712-109 St 780.425.9212

Pipe Dreams (STC) Sun 12:00 Cult Cinema: The Killing (STC) Sun 4:00 Surviving Progress (PG) Fri, Sat, Tue 7:00; Sat-Sun 2:00; Sun 9:00 Carancho (STC) Fri, Sat, Tue 9:00; Sat 4:00; Sun 7:00 Topsy-Turvy (STC) Mon 6:40 Metro Bizarro: Mad Max (STC) Fri 11:00 PARKLAND CINEMA 7 130 Century Crossing Spruce Grove 780.972.2332

The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Daily 6:55 & 9:15; Sat-Sun, Tue 2:30 THE DEVIL INSIDE (14A violence coarse language disturbing content) Daily 8:50

Josef Braun

// josef@vueweekly.com

PRINCESS 10337-82 Ave 780.433.0728

A Dangerous Method (14A sexual content mature subject matter) Fri, Mon-Thu 7:00, 9:00 ; Sat -Sun 2:30, 7:00, 9:00 The Descendants (14A) Fri, Mon-Thu 6:50, 9:10; Sat-Sun 2:00, 6:50, 9:10 SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM WEM 8882-170 St 780.444.2400

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING (18A gory violence) Daily 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, 10:45 ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (G) Digital Cinema Daily 12:45, 3:20 THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: THE SECRET 3D (PG violence) Digital 3d Daily 12:30, 3:30, 6:30, 9:20 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL (14A) Closed Captioned Daily 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, 10:30 SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (PG violence not recommended for young children) Closed Captioned Fri-Tue, Thu 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:50; Wed 12:50, 3:55, 9:50 CONTRABAND (14A violence coarse language) Closed Captioned Daily 1:40, 4:40, 7:40, 10:40 THE DEVIL INSIDE (14A violence coarse language disturbing content) Closed Captioned Fri-Sat, Tue 2:00, 4:45, 7:45, 10:45; Sun 12:30, 2:45, 10:45; Mon, Wed 2:00, 4:15, 10:45; Thu 10:45 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) Closed Captioned Fri-Tue 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 10:15; Wed 4:20, 7:20, 10:15; Thu 1:20, 4:20; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00; Digital Cinema Thu 7:20, 10:15 HAYWIRE (14A) Digital Cinema Daily 1:50, 4:50, 7:50, 10:20 Kevin Smith: Live From Behind (Classification not available) Thu 7:30 EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE (PG mature subject matter) Closed Captioned Fri-Tue, Thu 12:40, 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; Wed 3:40, 6:40, 9:40; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00 RED TAILS (14A) Closed Captioned Daily 7:15, 10:15 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE–GHOST PROTOCOL: The Imax Experience (14A) Fri-Sun 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 The Godfather (14A language may offend, brutal violence) Digital Cinema Mon 6:30 The Grey (14A course language, gory scenes) Ultraavx Daily 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 10:10 THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (G) Daily 1:15, 4:15, 6:45, 9:30 Wwe Royal Rumble - 2012 (Classification not available) Sun 6:00 Chemical Brothers: Don't Think (Classification not available) Wed 7:00 WETASKIWIN CINEMAS Wetaskiwin 780.352.3922

Underworld Awakening (18A gory violence) Daily 7:00 9:30; Sat-Sun 1:00 3:30 MAN ON A LEDGE (PG coarse language, violence) DAILY 6:50, 9:20; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:20 ONE FOR THE MONEY (PG language may offend) Daily 7:10, 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:25 Back to the sea (G) Daily 6:55; Sat-Sun 12:55, 3:35 War Horse (PG violence not recommended for young children) Daily 9:20

FILM 13

ARTS

PREVUE // A REALLY LONG WAY DOWN

The Highest Step in the World

NASHVILLE NORTH featuring James Murdoch and Jay Sparrow Friday, February 3 at 7:30 PM • $32

Heeeeeeeeeeeeeelp Meeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Fri, Jan 27 & Sat, Jan 28 (7:30 pm) Directed by Eric Rose Arden Theatre, $25

O

Be a part of their Nashville experience as they record a live album from the Arden stage.

Call

14 ARTS

780.459.1542

or

n August 16, 1960, a career American military officer named Joseph Kittinger stepped into a highaltitude weather balloon and let it climb the sky to the very edge of Earth's atmosphere. Then, from 33 kilometres above the ground, Kittinger jumped out.

He fell for four mintues and 36 seconds, reaching speeds that neared 1000 km per hour before pulling an experimental parachute—the mission's actual objective was to test this equipment—and floating back down to Earth. It was a very literal leap of faith that caught the attention of Ghost River Theatre's co-artistic director David Van Belle when he came across Kittinger's story on late-night television.

"I saw this documentary and I thought, 'Why haven't I heard this story before?'" he explains in a Skype call alongside Ghost River's other artistic director, Eric Rose. "'It's so fantastic and almost unbelievable that this guy rode in a balloon up to the edge of space—some people make the argument that he was the first man in space before Yuri Gagarin, he went up a year before Yuri Gagarin

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

did—and then he skydived from this balloon."

He brought the idea to Rose—"I'm a big NASA nerd; so is Eric. We all love this space stuff," Van Belle admits—and they began to develop what's now become The Highest Step in the World, a one-man, multi-media examination of Kittinger's story, and in a deeper way, the very concept of risk, of what would give a man the sheer cajones to leap into deep sky from then unimagined heights. It's a story that lends itself quite well to

Van Belle performs The Highest Step alone, on a blank-white stage, though it quickly illuminates with projections, including some projected onto Van Belle himself. He takes to the sky, too, in a harness; Rose and Van Belle together note that in the show's initial developmental stages, they had multiple workshops of simply playing around with technology, toying with the idea of taking the concept of "down" away from the audience.

"I think for us, as a company, for

There's something about that idea, of going up as one person, and then coming down as another.

Almost instantly, you have a dramaturgical structure.

dramatic form, Rose notes.

"All the astronauts talk, quite spiriwhite logo on black background tually, actually, about how going up above the Earth, and being able to see the Earth—and the guys that landed on the moon, being able to block the Earth out with their thumb—changed the way that they saw life," he says. "And there's something about that idea, of going up as one person, and then coming down as another. Almost instantly, you have a dramaturgical structure."

Ghost River, one of the things that we feel is unique about the way that we approach our work is that form is equal in weight to content," Eric says. "And that means the story is one aspect of what we do. But the way that we tell that story is of equal importance, and so often when we discuss new projects we talk about the story in relationship to how we want to tell it."

PAUL BLINOV

// PAUL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

2012Classic Edmonton’s Premiere Ballroom & Latin Dance Competition

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VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

ARTS 15

COVER // DATE!

Sat, Jan 28 – Sun, Feb 19 Blind Date Created and performed by Rebecca Northan Citadel Theatre, $40.95 – $67.20 t seems safe to surmise that, out of all the comic archetypes that exist out there—well-known and beloved, long-reviled and forgotten—the sexy clown is not one we're exactly familiar with.

Maybe there's a reason for that, but more likely it's because few comedians have given the idea a proper venture: most people write clowns off for their creepy undertones, which is something that Rebecca Northan, who's fused romance and red nose together, certainly understands.

"A lot of clowns are creepy," she states over the phone from Des Moines, Iowa.

"Birthday clowns give me the heebie jeebies, for sure. But then, on the other end of that spectrum, I think Mump and Smoot are super sexy. That's not their goal; I think a really good clown done really well is like anything done really well: it's totally attractive."

Northan's created the attractiveclown anomaly in Mimi, a red-nosed clown in a matching crimson dress and french accent who pulls a man out from the audience to be her gentleman caller in Blind Date. Yes, that man could very well be you; in a mix of improv, comedy and voyeuristic intrigue, Mimi and her volunteer explore all the elements of a date together, including, if it goes there, some of the more intimate moments. (girlfriends and wives in the audience, take note: you can call for a time out).

Northan had zero clowning experience when she created Mimi, and Blind Date started out as a 10-minute bit as part of a burlesque show, she says. Northan had watched the other parts of the show, and together they struck her as "a very sexy circus," but in that regard, the missing element was a circus clown.

"I'd just become intrigued with the combination of sexy-funny, and why not?" she adds. "Why not try it? Everybody likes to laugh, everybody likes sexy, why not put them together?"

Northan did have plenty of improv experience, though, having honed her make-'em-ups at Calgary's Loose Moose theatre under the tutelage of improv guru Keith Johnstone. So early on she leaned heavily on those skills.

"I was a jackass," she laughs. "I just put on a red nose and a sexy dress, and went out and started improvising."

Even without clown training, the short was a hit, and Northan started to wonder about the idea's larger possibilities. After some actual lessons in clowning—with Mike Kennard and John Turner, better known as Mump and Smoot, including a stint at Turner's fabled clown farm in Ontario—she workshopped her idea in Calgary at

16 ARTS

// Greg Tjepkema

I

Looking for love in clowny places

the Loose Moose theatre, expanding it into what's now become the current, 90-minute version. Blind Date's already proven itself a curio success in Calgary, Toronto and, impressively, New York, a testament to Northan's ability to handle whatever gets tossed her way on stage; her stint down in Iowa is seeing packed houses, and through the course of it she's learned a lot about the idea of masculinity.

"Growing up an improviser, I've always hung out with guys," she says, "because the improv world is a guy world in a lot of ways. Especially when you start as a young improviser, there's usually 15 guys and one girl, right? It tends to even out as you get older, but ... so I've always been really comfortable hanging out with men, but Blind Date has really helped me to discover how amazing men are. And also how hard life can be for them.

And yes, we hear tons of arguments

about, like, men get paid more, and it's a male-dominated society, et cetera et cetera. But within that structure, there's a ton of pressure on men to act like they've got their shit together all the time. And no one does," Northan laughs. "So to sit onstage with a guy who's even minutely brave enough to

crowd to introduce herself and to suss out potential volunteers.

"We want it to feel like you've shown up to a fantastic cocktail party, and there's guys in suits mingling around, and I mingle," Northan explains. "I just want to get to know everybody. And because we create this party atmosphere,

laugh at himself, if that comes up, is like so refreshing and inspiring."

I'm really just looking for someone that, if you were at a party, that you'd want to keep having a conversation with."

Mimi's only been turned down once, Northan notes (in Toronto!), and that fellow came up to her afterwards and told her that, after seeing the show, he regretted rejecting her. Everyone else

There is, of course, a carefully honed structure in place: to get a vibe for who is out in the audience, the show starts with a cocktail party in the lobby, so Northan can make her way around the

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

has said yes, and run through the date's possibilities with her: depending on the fellow, it can go far in a different couple of ways, and perhaps take some leaps in time to see glimmers of a future together. But most important, Northan notes, is simply getting her date to open up and be themselves in front of an audience. She recalls an early version of the show that had her trying to leap through an entire lifetime with the person, right up to old age. But that sort of forced imaginging felt untrue.

"What I realized is that [leaping through time] put way too much pressure on the audience member to be creative, and make stuff up that wasn't true," she says. "So we just honed it in on looking for ways to activate that guy as the hero as the story, because, oh my God, he is the hero. As soon as you pull someone up from the audience, he is the hero representative of everybody sitting in the dark. Which is why they're rooting for him.

"My experience is that 99 percent of the time, the audience is absolutely for that guy. Like, totally. They fall in love with him."

Northan's a performer who seems to thrive on that sort of direct connection with her audience. Her partner, Bruce Horak, performs the acclaimed fringe hit This is Cancer, playing the feared disease and talking directly to its audiences (it ends with an audience member beating up cancer with a pool noodle); Northan directed the show.

"The spontaneity of dealing with an audience is completely addictive," she notes about interactive theatre. "That's for sure. And I would say that in both of the shows—in This is Cancer and in Blind Date—part of the joy comes from just letting people be exactly who they are, and say and do the things they wanna say, and saying, 'That's awesome.'

You, being yourself, and telling us your stories from your childhood, I could never write anything as fuckin' cool, or as interesting, as what's happened in any one person's life."

That honesty is what's at the heart of Blind Date: every show really is different, after all, seeing a new stranger open up before an audience of peers.

And in that sort of shared experience, we all walk away with a bit more insight than we had before.

"I think a great piece of theatre should unite the whole audience in that way, so that at the end of it we've had this experience where we've gone into a dark room with a bunch of strangers, but we come out knowing each other a little bit. And that's kind of cool, 'cause then we have a sense of community ... a sense of witnessing something special and unique on that given night—again, which is work that's always appealed to Bruce and I, which we put in both of the shows: asking real questions, and waiting for real answers."

Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

PREVUE // FITTING IN?

Lig & Bittle Fri, Jan 27 (7 pm) & Sat, Jan 28 (11 am & 2 pm) Directed by Tracy Carroll Westbury Theatre, Transalta Arts Barns, $12.50 – $18

this magical place called Perfeckt Phitt through a magical speck of dust that floats down, which almost provides them with a bit of an advertisement," explains Welch. "So there is a little bit of a commentary about how our media can tend to influence our opinions."

t six feet, six inches tall, actor Paul Welch knows what it feels like to not fit in with a crowd—and standing next to his diminutive, fivefoot co-actor Ming Hudson, that difference couldn't be more obvious. This sentiment forms the primary drive behind their two characters in Concrete Theatre's upcoming production of children's play Lig & Bittle.

"It uses the opportunity to show the audience that even though we may look different, we're all the same: we have the same wants and needs and desires, and the same dream," explains Welch.

// Ian Jackson, Epic Photography

A

There's a bittle bit of lig in everyone

Lig & Bittle presents its message through a classic fairy tale story: both Lig (Welch) and Bittle (Hudson) are frustrated with their differences and

decide to journey to the land of Perfeckt Phitt, a place where everyone fits in.

"Both Lig and Bittle receive news of

While he did not perform in the original productions of this show, Welch has plenty of experience performing in theatre for young audiences, having been involved with numerous productions with Calgary-based Evergreen Theatre. He also studied under Lig & Bittle playwright Elyne Quan, and knew that the staging in this newest incarnation has changed significantly.

"They originally presented it in a proscenium staging, and this time around we're presenting it in an alleyway configuration," says Welch. "We have audi-

ences on both sides of the stage area, so not only do we have to play to two sides of the stage, but we also have a situation where the children are gonna be able to see each other across the stage.

"The story is really about acknowledging that people are different and that it's OK to be different," he continues. "To be able to actually look across the stage, the playing area, and see other students, I think it will on some level reinforce that idea, because they're gonna be able to see each other enjoying it, see each other follow the story, and also be reminded on a subconscious level that they are different from each other, but they are all experiencing this moment of time, this journey, together."

MEL PRIESTLEY

// MEL@VUEWEEKLY.COM

by e r i k a h e n n e b u ry & ruth madoc-jones february 10 - 18, 2012 at Studio b - tranSalta artS barnS tix on the Square 780-420-1757 & nlt 780-471-1586

www.northernlighttheatre.com

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

ARTS 17

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

Dance Northern Lights Classic Ballroom Dance Competition • Central Lions Seniors

Rec Centre, 11113-113 St • Latin dance competition • Feb 4-5, 9am • $55+ (weekend pass available)

FILM Campus St Jean Auditorium • Pavillon McMahon, 8406 rue Marie-Anne Gaboury • 780.465.8615 • Bibliothèque Saint-Jean presents the NFB film, A Drummer’s Dream (in English with French subtitles) • Feb 1, 7pm • Free Edmonton Opera • Garneau Theatre, 8712-

109 St • Screening of Topsy-Turvy, depicting the relationship of Sullivan and Gilbert and how they duo struggled to work together until a visit to a Japanese exhibit in London inspired one of their greatest successes, The Mikado • Jan 30, 6:40 • $10 (adult)/$8 (student); encore@edmontonopera.com

FAVA • 9722-102 St • 780.429.1671 • Main Course: Intermediate production • Until Apr 28; every Sat, 10am-2pm From Books to Film series • Stanley

A. Milner Library, Main Fl, Audio Visual Rm • 780.944.5383 • Screenings of films adapted from books, presented by the Centre for Reading and the Arts • Planet of the Apes (2001) PG, Tim Burton’s remake; Jan 27, 2pm

GALLERIES + MUSEUMS ALBERTA CRAFT COUNCIL GALLERY •

10186-106 St • 780.488.6611 • The Recipients: 2011 Alberta Craft Award Recipients; until Feb 18 • THINKING BIG: Unveiling public art projects; until Apr • Gallery Shop's monthly artist spotlight: Retrospective of Margie Davidson's quilted landscapes; until Jan 31 • Artist Spotlight Talk: with Margie Davidson; Jan 26, 6-8pm

Art Gallery of Alberta (AGA) • 2 Sir

Winston Churchill Sq • 780.422.6223 • BMO World of Creativity: Drawn Outside: especially for kids; until Jan 29 • 19th Century French Photographs: until Jan 29 • Prairie Life: Settlement and the Last Best West, 19301955: until Jan 29 • A Passion for Nature:

Landscape Painting from 19th Century France: until Feb 20 • State of Nature: until Feb 20 • Rearview Mirror: Contemporary Art from East and Central Europe; Jan 28-Apr 29 • RBC New Works Gallery: The Untimely Transmogrification of the Problem: Chris Millar; Jan 28Apr 29 • 5 Artists, 1 Love – A Retrospective: Black History Month art show curated by Darren Jordan; Feb 4-Mar 3; reception: Feb 4, 4-7pm

Art Gallery Of St Albert (AGSA) • 19 Perron St, St Albert • 780.460.4310 • Lost and Found: Photos by Paul Burwell; drawings and sculptures by Cynthia Fuhrer; until Jan 28 • On Location: Paintings by Mike Dendy, Christine Elmgren and Tom Yurko; Feb 2-25; reception: Feb 2, 7-9pm Bruce Peel Special Collections Library • Rutherford Library, U of A • I'm No Superman: The comic collection of Gilbert Bouchard: Until Feb 28

CENTRE D’ARTS VISUELS DE L’ALBERTA •

9103-95 Ave • 780.461.3427 • Group show • Until Feb 28

Crooked Pot Gallery–Stony Plain • 491251 Ave, Stony Plain • 780.963.9573 • Northern Lights: In celebration of the Alberta Winter Games-winter themed pottery and giftware • Until Feb 29 • Open House: Feb 4 Daffodil Gallery • 10412-124 St, 780.4822854 • Gallery artists • Through Jan

780.426.4180 • Main Gallery: discards: Works

by Griffith Aaron Baker • Front Room: Getting Anxious: Works by Margaret Witschl • Jan 26-Feb 25 • Reception: Jan 26, 8-10pm; artist talk: Griffith Aaron Baker at 7:15pm

TELUS World of Science • 11211-142 St • Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition: human stories told through artifacts recovered from the wreck site of the Titanic and extensive room recreations; until Feb 20 • Discoveryland

Latitude 53 • 10248-106 St • 780.423.5353 •

VAAA Gallery • 3rd Fl, 10215-112 St • 780.421.1731 • Gallery A: Travelling Within Dreams: Paintings by Ricardo Copado • Gallery B: Body/Language: Large drawings by Daniel Evans; Jan 26-Feb 25; reception: Jan 26, 7-9:30pm

Main Gallery: Striking a Pose: Videos by Emmanel Licha, chronicles the exploits of the “War Tourist,” a character in search of compelling situations in conflict spots around the world; until Feb 11 • ProjEx Room: Pollination Proposition: Artworks

by Nicole Rayburn; until Feb 11 • Jan 29: 12-4pm Ice Sculptures in McCauley. 5-10pm; all ages skating party in McCauley's outdoor rink

McMULLEN GALLERY • U of A Hospital,

8440-112 St • 780.407.7152 • Nature: Paintings inspired by poet Chon Sang-Pyon’s poem, Back to Heaven; artworks by Kyung Hee Hogg • Until Feb 5

Michif Cultural and Métis Resource Institute • 9 Mission Ave, St Albert •

780.651.8176 • Aboriginal Veterans Display • Gift Shop • Finger weaving and sash display by Celina Loyer • Ongoing

Mildwood Gallery • 426, 6655-178 St • Mel Heath, Joan Healey, Fran Heath, Larraine Oberg, Terry Kehoe, Darlene Adams, Sandy Cross and Victoria, Pottery by Naboro Kubo and Victor Harrison • Ongoing

Expressionz Café • 9938-70 Ave •

Misericordia Community Hospital • 16940-87 Ave • Year End Show and Sale: Artworks by members of the Edmonton Art Club • Until Jan 28

FAB Gallery • U of A Art and Design, Rm 3-98

Multicultural Centre Public Art Gallery (MCPAG)–Stony Plain • 5411-51 St,

780.437.3667 • Group show, admission by donation • Through Jan, Mon-Sat, 11am-5pm Fine Arts Bldg • 780.492.2081 • amass: Artworks

by Andrea (visual presentation for the degree of Master of Design, painting) • bearings: Artworks

by Annie King (visual presentation for the degree of Master of Design, Drawing and Intermedia) • Jan 24-Feb 18 • Reception: Jan 26, 7-10pm

Gallery at Milner • Stanley A. Milner Library

Main Fl, Sir Winston Churchill Sq • 780.944.5383 • The Light of the Lakeland: Watercolour landscapes by Patricia Coulter • Steel Bridges: Works by James Gaa • Until Jan 31

Gallerie Pava • 9524-87 St, 780.461.3427 • Le Rapprochement: Photos by Suzanne Bourdon, Paul Brindamour, Robert Fréchette and Iva Zimova–a collective of four photographers from Québec • Until Feb 22 HAPPY HARBOR COMICS v1 • 10729-104

Ave • Comics Artist-in-Residence: Paul Lavelleed available every Fri (12-6pm), Sat (12-5pm) until Apr 21 • Comic Jam: Improv comic art making the 1st and 3rd Thu each month, 7pm • Open Door: a collective of independent comic creators, meet on the 2nd and 4th Thu each month, 7pm

Harcourt House • 3rd Fl, 10215-112 St •

Stony Plain • 780.963.9935 • A Soldier's Story: Paintings by Judy Martin • Until Feb 8

Musée Héritage Museum–St Albert •

5 St Anne St, St Albert • 780.459.1528 • St Albert History Gallery: Artifacts dating back 5,000 years • Take Your Best Shot: Photos by youth (8-18 yrs old) • Until Feb 5

Naess Gallery • Paint Spot, 10032-81 Ave • 780.432.0240 • So What Happens Now?: Artworks by Jan Melissa Soleski • Until Jan 29 Peter Robertson Gallery • 12304 Jasper Ave • 780.455.7479 • Winter Group Show: New artworks by gallery artists • Until Feb 4 Royal Alberta Museum • 12845-102 Ave • 780.453.9100 • A River Runs Through It: Until Feb 5 • Narrative Quest: Until Apr 29

Strathcona County Gallery@501 •

501 Festival Ave, Sherwood Park • 780.410.8585 • Blair Brennnan, Richard Boulet and Patrick Reed; until Feb 26

SNAP Gallery • Society Of Northern Alberta Print­-Artists, 10123-121 St • 780.423.1492 • Artworks by Mark Franchino • Until Feb 11

THEATRE Blind Date • Citadel Rice Theatre, 9828-101 A Ave • 780.428.2117 • Created and performed by, produced by Kevin McCollum • Jan 28-Feb 19 Chimprov • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • Rapid Fire Theatre’s longform comedy show • First three Sat every month, 11pm, until Jul • $10/$5 (high school student)/$8 (RFT member, door only)

VASA Gallery • (Studio Gallery) 11 Perron St, St Albert • 780.460.5993 • Fibre of Silk: Series by Samantha Williams-Chapelsky • Feb 4-25 • Reception: Feb 4, 2-4pm; artist in attendance

DIE-NASTY • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83 Ave • 780.433.3399 • Improvised soap opera • Every Mon, until May, 7:30pm • Tickets at the box office

Visual Arts Studio Association of St Albert • Grandin Park Plaza, 22 Sir Winston

Theatre, 5 St. Anne Street, St. Albert • Ghost River Theatre’s amazing aerial spectacle by David van Belle and Eric Rose • Jan 27-28, 7:30pm

THE HIGHEST STEP IN THE WORLD • Arden

Churchill Ave • 780.460.5993 • Postcards from Paris: Artworks by Julie Kaldenhoven • Tribute: Paintings by Victoria Armstrong • Until Jan 31

Jump for Glee • Jubilations Dinner, 2690, 8882170 St, Phase II WEM Upper Level • 780.484.2424 • Jan 27-Apr 1

LITERARY Canadian Authors Association • Cam-

pus Saint-Jean, Pavilion Lacerte, Rm 3-04, 8406 Marie-Ann-Gaboury St (91 St) • Greg MacArthur presents The Playwright • Jan 27-28 • Fri Evening Presentations: 8pm; free for members and firsttime guests/$10 (returning guests) • Sat workshops: 9:30am-4pm; $40 (member)/$70 (non-member) lunch included

From Books to Film series • Stanley

A. Milner Library, Main Fl, Audio Visual Rm • 780.944.5383 • Planet of the Apes, 119 minutes (2001) PG, Tim Burton’s 2001 remake; Jan 27, 2pm

Lig and Bittle • TransAlta Arts Barns Westbury Theatre, 10330-84 Ave • 780.439.3905 • Concrete Theatre: By Elyne Quan and Jared Matsunaga-Turnbull, starring Ming Hudson and Paul Welch • Jan 27-28 • $18 (adult)/$15 (student/senior )/$12.50 (child) My Backyard • Arden Theatre, 5 St Anne St, St Albert • 780.459.1542 • Noisy Theatre: Family show • Feb 1, 11am • Tickets at Arden box office OH SUSANNA! • Varscona Theatre • 10329-83

Ave • 780.433.3399 • Last Sat each month, until Jul, 11pm

Seussical™ • Citadel Shoctor Theatre, 9828101A Ave • 780.428.2117 • Music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens • Until Jan 29

Greenwoods Books • Ross Block, 10309 Whyte Ave • 780.439.2005 • Reading and signing of Thomas Wharton's The Fathomless Fire • Feb 1, 7pm

SKY LIFE • Metropolis Community Centre, Churchill Sq • Metropolis and Firefly Theatre and Circus • A Circus Journey Through Winter’s Night Skies directed

by Annie Dugan • Feb 3-5, 8pm; 4pm; Feb 4-5

Rouge Lounge • 10111-117 St • 780.902.5900 •

TheatreSports • Varscona Theatre, 10329-83

Poetry every Tue with Edmonton's local poets

Ave • Improv runs every Fri, until Jul, 11pm • $10/$8 (member)

Strathcona County Library • 401 Festi-

val Lane, Sherwood Park • 780.410.8600 • The History Of The Book: lecture with Sarah Mead-Willis (Rare Book cataloguer, U of A) • Feb 5, 2-4pm • $10 at the check-out desk

Waiting for Godot • TransAlta Arts Barns PCL Studio • Wishbone Theatre; by Samuel Beckett; directed by Chris Bullough • Two friends alone on a road, wait for someone • Feb 2-11, 8pm (no show Feb 6); 2pm Sat pay-what-you-can; preview: Feb 1 • $23 (adult)/$19 (student/senior/Equity) at Fringe Theatre box office, 780.409.1910

T.A.L.E.S. STORY CAFÉ SERIES • Rosie’s Bar,

10475-80 Ave • 780.932.4409 • 1st Thu each month, open mic opportunity • Until Jun, 7-9pm • $6 (min) • Muddling Through Marriage; open mic opportunity • Feb 2, 7-9pm • $6 minimum cover

THE WEDDING SINGER • Mayfield Dinner Thea-

Upper Crust Café • 10909-86 Ave •

tre, 16615-109 Ave • 780.483.4051 • Musical, with a brand-new score that pays homage to pop songs of the 1980's • Until Feb 5

WunderBar on Whyte • 8120-101 St •

Will Stroet • Arden Theatre, St Albert • Noisy Theatre's “no-shushing” musical date, Will Stroet performs bilingual interactive, upbeat songs • Feb 1: with music from My Backyard • Feb 1, 11am • $5 (child)/$10 (adult)

780.422.8174 • The Poets’ Haven Weekly Reading Series: every Mon, 7pm presented by the Stroll of Poets Society 780.436.2286 • The poets of Nothing, For Now: poetry workshop and jam every Sun • No minors

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PROFILE // I CAN'T BELIEVE I ATE THE HOLE THING

Pioneer spirit

// Eden Munro

Driving Prairie Bistro's culinary triumphs

Julianna Mimande and Shaun Hicks are Prairie Bistro's driving forces

Prairie Bistro The Enjoy Centre 101 Riel Dr, St Albert 780.399.8707

T

he Enjoy Centre in St Albert comprises a thoughtful selection of independent businesses that range from grocery stores to gift shops and garden supplies. The brightly lit and capacious building also houses Prairie Bistro, which rapidly gained prominence and stature as a proponent of locally-produced food that is treated with proper care and served in manners most creative, be they simple dishes like sandwiches and freshlysqueezed fruit juices or complex entrees like roasted squash cassoulet and duck leg confit. General manager Julianna Mimande and executive chef Shaun Hicks are two driving forces behind Prairie Bistro's remarkable culinary and philosophical triumphs.

The shared history of Mimande and Hicks predates their involvement at Prairie Bistro. Mimande, a cookbook author and experienced restaurateur, explains, "We knew each other through mutual friends. I was working at [now defunct restaurant] Bacon; it was fun and we were successful, but I eventually had to move on. The people at Prairie Bistro tracked me down and I contacted Shaun because I knew it would be magical if he came and worked here. He did, and it is."

NAIT-trained Hicks's enviable resume spans a number of Edmonton landmarks, including the Sugar Bowl, Hardware Grill and Union Bank Inn. He worked at the Jasper Park Lodge and helped launch Muse in Calgary before relocating to the Canadian culinary hubs of Montréal and, subsequently, Vancouver. "Vancouver became my home," he recollects, "and I did everything there from shucking oysters to working for a coffee machine distribu-

tor. Julianna contacted me about the Prairie Bistro opportunity but I wasn't sure I was ready to come back to my hometown of Edmonton. I mean, I could walk down my street and pick a pear in Vancouver!"

Mimande instantly recognized Hicks's impending sacrifice, for a Vancouver to St Albert move would be a stark departure from the richly layered food scene of the West Coast.

"But ultimately I made the move," affirms Hicks. He was greeted with a revitalized and upstart culinary culture in the Capital Region, which was a distinct and heartening change from the city he remembered. "I found a new group of people in Edmonton that were learning to make local food again," he confirms.

Indeed, a passion for local food is the cornerstone of Prairie Bistro. Mimande explains that, although it is a lofty goal, 100 percent usage of local food is unfeasible. "We're trying to be realistic about using local food. It's hard sometimes for farmers to make deliveries and pricing can be outrageous." She notes, though, that the vast majority of Prairie Bistro's meat, eggs and grain products are locally 10. r 20 mbe produced.

"It's legit," she states, "and pte n Se esig go D sign Lo l a s Fin r by De awg C the farmers are conscious of how they leve icy D Ju ’ Big ‘N operate and what they do." Hicks relates that the Hole family has their

own farm and that the family remains actively involved in produce procurement. "Val and Bill Hole pick the produce in their garden and are really behind the concept of growing as much as they can," says Hicks. He adds that, given the seasonal and capricious nature of fruit and veg, the garden's offerings are often a surprise. "It's like a 'black box' where you are constantly surprised," says Hicks.

Prairie Bistro and The Enjoy Centre have experienced significant traffic since they opened in the spring of 2011. Mimande explains, with respect to the attention and interest garnered by the Centre, as well as about life in general, that, "It's easy to get caught up in the daily hubbub, but at Prairie Bistro we have a unique opportunity to educate everyone who passes through here."

Hicks adds, "Hopefully we inspire people to enjoy things that they might not think they like, like Brussels sprouts. My mentality with all those foods is to just leave them—you don't need to do much to them for their natural flavours to shine."

Mimande concurs and notes that the support and vision of the Hole family made Prairie Bistro a reality. "We must bring it back to the Holes. They are a phenomenal family."

LS Vors

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DISH 19

WINE

Grapely creative What to do with leftover wine

Although I rarely have leftover wine, saucepan or sauté pan after cooking the problem does afflict some. You and removing the meat, the wine adds know the problem: wines that are tremendous flavour and complexity past their two- or three-day prime, to a sauce. Try sautéing onions and don't quite smell as fresh, or have garlic in some olive oil, add some been sitting on the counter so wine, and let it boil out until VIDI long you forget when you it's achieved a sticky, unctuVENI, opened them. ous consistency. Add this kly.com e As soon as you open a bote to vinaigrettes for salads to w e vu taylor@ tle, oxygen goes to work on intensify their flavour. r o Tayl n the juice. A little bit improves Like homebrews, homeo s Ea the wine, but a whole bunch made vinegar can be seen skulkwill create a vapid mess. If the wine's ing in garages across the country, been exposed to air longer than three birthed from a bubbling, fermenting days and less than say, a week, you goo called a "Mother." Although I've have options: marinate, make sauces never made it, I scoured the Internet or create vinegar. When marinating, and got some reasonably trustworthe wine's acidity tenderizes meat thy scoop. Wine often spontaneously and fish flesh, but also adds flavour. makes itself into vinegar after several A combination of oil and wine creates months with the right airborne yeasts, an effective mechanism to penetrate but if you're looking to produce rea particularly fibrous cut of beef, like liable, stable vinegar, you need to London broil, flank or skirt steak. The control the situation. Check your lomarinade can be left in contact with cal wine-making store for a vinegar the meat for several hours or overcrock that resembles a ceramic thernight, depending on your time frame. mos with a spout at the bottom, and However, fish and shellfish, when a stock of bacteria that starts the left in contact too long with a wine vinegar fermentation process. After marinade (white wine only please — two months, you'll have a tart conpurple shrimp looks kinda funny), can coction that reportedly tastes better actually become tougher, so leave it than the bottled stuff. There's good in contact two hours or less. advice at gangofpour.com/diversions/ A red or white wine sauce can be vinegar. Much luck ... and ship me heaven. Best when added to the some if it's good. V

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Risk taking and a reality check

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"There's pushback from the agricultural and industrial community, so of course politics always comes into play," Brookes suggests, noting that the ASA is an advocate for mandatory helmet use for all motorized sport.

"It's just common sense, we think."

When you buy a snowmobile, do you get the matching outfit for free?

I

n the winter sport family, snowmobiling is thought of as the dumb, backwater cousin. Many snowmobilers even refer to themselves as slednecks. The machines are noisy and smelly and their drivers do dangerous, stupid, careless things that wreck the environment and put themselves and others at risk. That, at least, is the opinion many seem to tote around.

In fact the sentiment is so common it is often perpetuated in mainstream media, deliberately or not. None other than Maclean's magazine recently cited $1.5 million in funding for Quebec snowmobile clubs as number two of the "99 Stupid Things The Government Did With Your Money" (January 16) in 2011.

In defending the sport of mixed martial art against charges of barbarism, Alberta MMA referee Ralph Bergman said, "It's a lot safer than any motor-

ized sport in Alberta, for instance."

(MMA making strides in GP, Grande Prairie Daily Herald-Tribune) Well, ain't that a kick to the head?

Then there's the commentary whenever a snowmobile tragedy occurs. In a column on the Boulder Mountain incident for the Calgary Sun, Mindy Jacobs labelled it "a tragedy triggered by irresponsible behaviour" (March 17, 2010). She also quoted Don Voaklander, director of the Alberta Centre for Injury Control and Research, who called for penalties for reckless sledding behaviour, saying "These people do these high risk activities and then we have to pick up the tab."

Boy, talk about your slippery slopes.

If the snowmobiling community has an uphill battle to fight, clearing the sport's name in the court of public opinion may be it. The irre-

sponsible actions of a few sledders have tarred the sport's image, argues Chris Brookes, director of the Alberta Snowmobile Association (ASA), but it's the same story of a few bad apples. And the media takes care of the rest.

Whether it's sledding culture as a whole or just a few renegades who are irresponsible is beside the point.

We are all occasionally guilty of being reckless. Who hasn't taken a dumb risk at some point in their life and looked back on it later and thought, boy, it was lucky I survived? As for high-risk activities where the public picks up the tab, let's not get started.

When a sporting culture is irresponsible, that's when government, industry and enthusiasts must come together and address the problem, as they did after the Boulder and Sparwood accidents. Though response was

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

initially slow, eventually the Canadian Avalanche Association was able to spur action by the International Snowmobile Manufacturers' Association and national snowmobile groups to push safety awareness. (In the east, where snowmobiling is more popular, drowning is a higher priority than avalanches, says Brookes, explaining the industry's foot dragging.)

On the other hand, the Alberta government has been missing in action on the issue of helmet use for snowmobilers, despite recent tragic examples within our province. A spokesperson for Alberta Transportation indicated that at present there are no plans to review helmet legislation for motorized sport in Alberta. And yet, since 2001 there has been a law in Alberta mandating the use of bicycle helmets for all riders aged 18 or younger.

Where's the logic there?

In the long view, perhaps, these are simply growing pains of a burgeoning sport. As more people take up snowmobiling, proportionally there are bound to be more incidents. More incidents, more sensationalistic media coverage.

Meantime, Brookes and the ASA are focused on expanding the province's current snowmobile system and growing the community. The ASA and local snowmobile groups are pushing to expand the Trans Canadian Snowmobile Trail, with the hopes of connecting the trail from Fox Creek into BC. Developing connector trails between snowmobiling loops and between nearby communities is another priority.

Alberta has a long way to go if it is to match up to what happens elsewhere, Brookes says. "We are nowhere near the maturity of our eastern cousins," he adds. "Their trail systems are marked very much like a highway ... there are hotels and gas stations built along the snowmobile trails just for the snowmobiles, so it's very much ingrained in the popular culture in eastern Canada."

Whether Alberta should become the next Quebec or New Brunswick, as a snowmobile destination, is still worth debating. But it's a debate that has to happen now, not in five years. After taking a quantum leap forward in the past decade and a half, the sport of snowmobiling is rushing to keep up with itself and, like it or not, Alberta is along for the ride.

JEREMY DERKSEN // JEREMY@VUEWEEKLY.COM

"Risk taking and a reality check" is the last in a three-part series by Jeremy Derksen on sled sport in Alberta. To read parts one and two, visit vueweekly.com.

SNOW ZONE 21

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// Craig Janzen

Stunning costumes? Check. Dazzling light installations? Check. Roving characters and open-air storytelling? You got it. This year's adventure walk tells the story of "Aurora's Light." Go to winter light.ca for more info.

22 SNOW ZONE

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

ON NOW AT YOUR ALBERTA BUICK GMC DEALERS. Albertagmc.com 1-800-GM-DRIVE. GMC is a brand of General Motors of Canada. ^/ ‡‡/††/*Offers apply to the purchase of a 2012 Terrain FWD (R7A), 2012 Acadia FWD (R7C) equipped as described. Freight included ($1,495). License, insurance, registration, PPSA, administration fees and taxes not included. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Offer available to retail customers in Canada. See Dealer for details. Limited time offers which may not be combined with other offers, and are subject to change without notice. Offers apply to qualified retail customers in Alberta Buick GMC Dealer Marketing Association area only. Dealer order or trade may be required. GMCL, Ally Credit or TD Financing Services may modify, Crewend or terminate this offer in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. See GMC dealer for details. ♦$4,700 manufacturer to dealer delivery credit available on 2012 Acadia FWD (tax exclusive) for retail customers only. Other cash credits available on most models. See your GM dealer for details. ††0% purchase financing offered on approved credit by Ally Credit for 60 months on new or demonstrator 2012 Terrain FWD. Rates from other lenders will vary. Down payment, trade and/or security deposit may be required. Monthly payment and cost of borrowing will vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Example: $10,000 at 0% APR, the monthly payment is $166.67 for 60 months. Cost of borrowing is $0, total obligation is $10,000.00. Offer is unconditionally interest-free. Freight ($1,495) included. License, insurance, registration, PPSA, applicable taxes and fees not included. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Offers apply to qualified retail customers only. Limited time offer which may not be combined with certain other offers. GMCL may modify, Crewend or terminate offers in whole or in part at any time without notice. Conditions and limitations apply. See dealer for details. ¥†Variable rate financing for 84 months on 2012 Acadia FWD on approve credit. Bi-Weekly payment and variable rate shown based on current Ally Credit prime rate and is subject to fluctuation; actual payment amounts will vary with rate fluctuations. Example: $10,000 at 3% for 84 months, the monthly payment is $132 Cost of borrowing is $1,099, total obligation is $11,099. Down payment and/or trade may be required. Monthly payments and cost of borrowing will also vary depending on amount borrowed and down payment/trade. Biweekly payments based on a purchase price of $34,995 with $2,599 down on 2012 Acadia FWD, equipped as described. ^Credit valid towards the purchase or lease of an eligible new 2011 or 2012 model year Chevrolet, GMC, Buick or Cadillac vehicle, excluding Chevrolet Volt, delivered between January 6th 2012 and April 2nd 2012. Customers must present this authorization letter at the time of purchase or lease.

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Canadian Freestyle Team back on form after tragedy TA N N E R H A L L / F R E E D O M

Only one week after the tragic death of her friend and teammate Sarah Burke, Canadian freestyle skier Kaya Turski paid tribute with an amazing win in a slopestyle event in Killington, Vermont on Sunday. With a "Believe in Sarah Forever" sticker firmly affixed to her skis, Kaya effortlessly nailed three jumps and three rails, including a beautiful Cab 7 (backwards 720) to finish her run. The rest of the Canadian ladies and gents had good performances, but none that got them to the podium. But there's no rest for the halfpipe and slopestyle teams because they're now competing at the ever-demanding X Games in Aspen, Colorado.

Meanwhile in Lake Placid, NY, the amazing season continues for Canadian mogul skier Mikael Kingsbury, who won his fourth event in a row. An incredible accomplishment considering the field is so deep. Canadian skiers were really prepared for this event, taking four of the top six spots. As a result, their luggage will be considerably heavier with medals as they head to Canada Olympic Park in Calgary for the Freestyle Grand Prix this weekend.

I will give mention as well to Canada's aerial skiers, who have posted good early finishes and are now off to Calgary for some hometown atmosphere.

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Local hills are freestylin' The Alberta Winter Games are coming to two of our local hills, with the first bout starting tomorrow at Tawatinaw Valley. The freestyle and snowboard competitions will be held there tomorrow and Saturday, with the Alpine events to be contested at Rabbit Hill on February 10 – 12. For those of you who have never been to Tawatinaw, head north on St Albert Trail for about an hour and follow the signs.

Snow Valley will be hosting its second annual Pump Up The Jam 12-and-under ski and board mini park competition this Sunday. This is a junior event where helmets are mandatory and inverts are not allowed. It doesn't matter if you are a competitor's parent or just along for the show, this could be a great event to spot the next Kaya Turski.

Finally, the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival is just around the corner. Taking place at the Cooking Lake Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area just east of Edmonton, this cross-country ski adventure can test your limits or just provide an opportunity to have a whole lot of fun. This year, organizers are trying to break a Guinness World Record by creating the worlds longest ski line. Go to canadianbirkie.com for all the details.

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24 SNOW ZONE

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Coming In Waves

Trivium's latest came after a rediscovery process

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WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE DAY OF THE WEEK? SATURDAY & SUNDAY, BREAKFAST UNTIL 4PM SUNDAY, CELTIC MUSIC MONDAY, SINGER SONG WRITER TUESDAY, WING NIGHT WEDNESDAY, OPEN STAGE, PIZZA w/ JUG NIGHT THURSDAY, CHEAP JUG NIGHT

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Fri, Jan 27 (7 pm) Trivium With In Flames, Veil of Maya, Kyng Edmonton Event Centre, $43.75

T

rivium's latest album, In Waves, came as a palate cleanser of sorts for the band: foregoing the sevenstring guitars of the past couple albums, In Waves returns Trivium to the drop-d tunings and uncluttered riffs of previous work. The album is also the first to feature new member Nick Augusto on drums. Bassist Paolo Gregolleto gave Vue Weekly the lowdown on the album's genesis.

How long did it take to make In Waves from the initial songwriting through to the end of the recording?

Paolo Gregolleto: We started writing new material just after Shogun was released. It gave us about two years to compile tons of ideas and riffs. There is hardly a day that goes by on tour where one of us isn't writing new material.

Vue Weekly:

VW: When you were writing the songs,

did you come at them in a particular way? Lyrics first? Music first?

PG: We usually have the music sorted out before vocals are put on them, but I am sure that Matt [Heafy, vocalist] had a lot of lyrics beforehand. I always try to sing along to songs I am writing just to make sure that vocals will fit well over the riffs. That's prob-

ably the biggest lesson I have learned over time with writing.

What were the recording sessions like for this album? Did you record live off the floor or track by track? Why? PG: The recording session was probably the most fun we have had making an album ever.

There was no real stress, no internal band problems, and it was a very creative environment.

When we record we always go track by track, starting with drums first. I love when bands do live recordings, but I don't think it would fit the way we want our albums to sound. Tuning wise it saves time and headaches to track things like rhythm guitars before bass and solos.

VW:

Were there any other songs written that were left off the album?

PG: We had about five or six songs we decided weren't the right vibe to record. They were all about 70 – 80 percent finished and some didn't have vocals at all. The biggest growth for Trivium from a writing perspective is definitely the ability to look at our music objectively and know when something isn't right.

VW:

How did you decide which songs to include on the album? Did you have an idea of what you wanted In Waves to be when you started, or did the finished shape emerge as the writing and recording went along?

VW:

PG: We didn't have a very clear cut idea about what we wanted In Waves to be when we started writing. It sort of fell into place after months and months of jamming in the warehouse.

The writing process for In Waves was sort of a rediscovering of who we were as a band, especially since this was Nick's first album with us. It was nice to have a full year away from the whirlwind of touring and get our focus back as a group.

You tapped Colin Richardson to produce the album. What drew you to him and what did he bring to the process?

PG: We had worked with Colin as a mixer, but the timing was never right to work with him. When we started to discuss the potential people to work with, Colin quickly made his way to the top of the list. Our goal was to make an album that sonically matched the energy we wanted in all of the songs. He was very meticulous in getting every tone perfect, sometimes tuning the drums more then twice before a take was even done.

He probably has one of the best ears for getting tones, and his mixes are second to none.

VW:

If you were to trace the musical map that led you to In Waves, what would it look like?

PG: If you mix the heaviness and brutality of modern metal with the melodic sensibility of classic metal songwriting, throw in that "x" factor of all the other influences each one of us brings to the table and you get In Waves.

DOWNTOWN

Jan. 26-28, DERINA HARVEY • Jan. 31-Feb 4, AMY HEFFERNAN FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK

WEM

Jan. 26-28, AJ • Jan. 31-Feb. 4, DERINA HARVEY SUNDAY NIGHT KARAOKE • EDMONTONPUBS.COM

VW:

Bryan Birtles

// bryan@vueweekly.com

JAN 27 & 28

Mark McGoo

FEB 3 & 4

Andrew Scott

In Sutton Place Hotel #195, 10235 101 Street, EDMONTONPUBS.COM

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

MUSIC 25

PREVUE // FOLK-POP

Greener pastures

Edmonton expat Daniel Moir finds inspiration on the coast

Living the green life

Wed, Jan 27 (9pm) Daniel Moir With Joe Nolan, Lou Wreath Wunderbar, $10

T

hough Daniel Moir calls Vancouver home these days, you can't hold leaving the Edmonton city limits for quite-literally greener pastures against him. The coastal city's ocean air and greener vibe seems far better-suited to Moir's own easy-going disposition.

"I'm a nature guy, which is one big reason why I moved here," he says, on the phone from Vancouver. "So it's kind of like heaven for me, with all the nature things to do all the time."

The shift in location's had an effect on his songwriting, too—previously seen to be well-matured pop folk musings on Moir's albums Road and The Country and The Sea— though he isn't fully certain of its full effects yet.

"For each record, there's usually an underlying theme," he notes. "Like with Road, the last record I put out, it was talking about spirituality— not in a religious spirituality sense, but talking about adversity in life.

That was a big underlying theme: hardship, but maintining a positive perspecitve, and growing from that hardship. Theme of change, through the seasons was definitely here too.

There's a little bit of that in the record before that, The Country and the Sea, too, with the adversity, and maintaining a positive perspective and growing from things. That's something that's been the last couple of albums.

"I don't really know what the theme is until the album is almost done," he continues, so I'm still waiting to see what the theme's going to be with the newest record."

That in-progress album is still in its germination stage—"I haven't really planned to be going into the studio right away, but it's definitely coming within the next year, I'd say"— and though Moir is a little uncertain of its underlying depths as of yet, his upcoming return to Edmonton should give a sizeable hint as to the direction his writing is headed, as he debuts new material alone onstage.

"The band I play with in Edmonton usually is going to be in France when I'm in Edmonton, so, a solo show ... That's OK though, 'cause I like doing the solo gigs as well. I like to switch it up."

Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

26 MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

FIRSTS, LASTS, AND FAVOURITES

Chic Gamine

BRYAN BIRTLES // BRYAN@vueweekly.com

First album

Last album

Billie Holiday. I had heard "Gimme a Pig Foot (and a Bottle of Beer)" when I was about 10 or 11 and went straight to the record store to buy The Billie Holiday Story.

K-Mac and Howick's Punk Blues Funhouse.

First concert

My father ran a music festival in Winnipeg called Festival du Voyageur when I was little. Some of the first concerts I remember seeing are Hadley Castille (Louisiana), Folle Avoine and Winston Wuttunee.

Favourite album

Fri, Jan 27 (7 pm) Full Moon Folk Club, $18

Last concert

Musical guilty pleasure

Juno award-winning vocal quintet Chic Gamine has been vocalizing in front of audiences since 2007. Using only voices—and one solo percussionist—the quintet creates lush tapestries of soul, doo-wop, jazz, chanson, bossa nova and much more. Chic Gamine member Andrina Turenne gave us some insights into her musical history

Surprise ticket to Prince just before Christmas. What a show! Maceo Parker and Larry Graham were in the band, Prince was awesome, I danced under canons shooting purple and gold glitter ... Unforgettable!

I have a penchant for old random records like the Dick McLish Quintet and Hammond Organ Gets Romantic.

They're the best.

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

You're kidding right?! Just one? There are so many favorite albums, depends how I feel that day. A few faves are The Blues

by Nina Simone, Birth of the Cool by Miles Davis, After the Goldrush by Neil Young, Music of My Mind by Stevie Wonder ...

MUSIC 27

SOUNDTRACK

Shane Philip

BRYAN BIRTLES // BRYAN@VUEWEEKLY.COM

Sun, Jan 29 (9 pm) On the Rocks, $10 A one-man musical force, Shane Philip plays drums, guitar, digeridoo and many others while ensconced inside the musical cave he performs in, surrounded by his instruments, feet and hands veering wildly. Supporting his latest album, Life Love Music, Philip will be inside his cave in Edmonton.

Ahead of the show, Philip soundtracked his life at home and on the road.

AT HOME Brett Dennen, "Blessed" To start the day positive.

Ben Harper, "With My Own Two Hands" To keep the momentum.

John Butler, "Groovin' Slowly" To set the mood for relaxation.

28 MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

ON THE ROAD MORNING

Walk off the Earth Because anything is possible.

Bob Marley, "High Tide, Low Tide"

NOON

NIGHT

Jake Morley, "Feet Don't Fail Me Now" Just because it's such a quirky song.

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

MUSIC 29

NEWSOUNDS Guided By Voices Let's Go Eat The Factory (Guided by Voices Inc) 

The Department of Music presents S A T U R D A Y, J A N

28

8pm in Convocation Hall University of Alberta

Joseph Lambert Massart & his time

S U N D A Y, J A N

29

Craig Finn Clear Heart Full Eyes (Vagrant) 

3pm Winspear Centre for the Arts

Trial by Fire University Symphony Orchestra

featuring

featuring

Guillaume Tardif, violin Roger Admiral, piano

works by Beethoven, Dvorak, Stravinsky & Schumann

$10 Students | $15 Seniors | $20 Adults | $60 Season Flex Pass Tickets available at the door on the day of the performance

www.music.ualberta.ca

After chasing a mainstream breakthrough for years, after officially disbanding Guided By Voices in 2004—even recording a "final" concert film, The Electrifying Conclusion—and after a few years of solo albums, Robert Pollard's put the classic GBV line-up back together and released Let's Go Eat the Factory. Classic it is, at least in format and in eclectic results: Factory marks out the same wide, sloppy, every-idea-goes territory as acclaimed albums Alien Lanes and Bee Thousand. It barrels through 21 songs in 42 minutes, and it doesn't all stick but sifting through yields a satisfying number of damaged pop gems: the spacey-gospel of "Old Bones" is a standout, as is "Spiderfighter"'s slow slide from '90s indie rock to pining piano ballad. The nonsense wanking of "The Big Hat and Toy Show"? Not so much. Still, Factory seems a pretty healthy retread of GBV's classic form, with all the thorns and finds that that implies. It hints that Pollard's creative spark isn't nearly diminished yet. Just be prepared, as always, to have to dig for your treasure.

Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

Venturing into solo album territory offers no shortage of both rocks and hard places to get caught between, and when you're known for fronting a band as idiosyncratic as The Hold Steady, as Craig Finn is, well, the squeeze seems even tighter. Finn's sharply particular storytelling—usually of bored or desperate wayward souls hung up on drugs, religion, or both—seems integrally balanced by the Steady's classic-rock form, meshing together into a sort of thinkingbeerchugger's-band, party muscle and poet brain working together in perfect tandem. It's a unique mix of skills, and given that, it's hard to imagine Finn being backed by anything but those big rock dramatics.

On Clear Heart Full Eyes, his first solo outing, Finn doesn't try to replicate his dayband's sound. Instead, he simplifys things, boiling his backing down to an uncluttered mix of peddle-to-themiddle americana: acoustic and electric guitars in tandem, desert highway vibes and the occasional washtub bass

LOONIEBIN

rhythm. This is afternoon bar band, rather than the evening one, and while, truthfully, it doesn't really even approach that same cathartic highs that the full Hold Steady is capable of, Full Eyes still manages to be a solid endeavour.

Arrangements of songs like "Apollo Bay" leave more room for mood to linger and develop, rather than being forced into a song: A slowly plucked guitar line and faint glimmers of pedal steel give lines like "going downtown makes me restless / all this small talk makes me nervous" a slightly sinister undertone.

"New Friend Jesus" puts a satirical, born again spin on americana from the perspective of the converted; "Rented Room" plays out like the saddlest evening reflection of a day gone wrong.

And it mostly goes on that way: laid back rock backing darker stories of Finn's high calibre. You can't help but miss the full-band punch, as Clear Heart Full Eyes prefers to be a meeker, and more introspective. But working with less musical muscle than his usual, Finn's still done a fine job of carving out a subtler, slower record for himself.

Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

PAUL BLINOV // PAUL@vueweekly.com

Juliet, "My First Hardcore Song" It's written by Australian producer Rob Sharpe and sung by an eight-year-old child I can only assume is Sharpe's own daughter or that of a family friend, and likely has already peaked in its viral video buzz— of Juliet performing such child-friendly hardcore moves as moshing with some stuffed animals on a trampoline—but the production here (chugging buzzsaw guitars, relentless drums) lands in all the right ways, and having a kid run through the genre's motions as channeled through her own worldview is both adorable and hilarious. Juliet shouting "Let's open up this pit!" after talking about how much she loves her dog Robert and her fishes (though, she notes importantly, they stink) gives me hope for the future.

Leonard Cohen, "Darkness" Over smokey, 12-bar blues, Cohen croons of his impending mortality with both wisdom and wit: "I thought the past would last me / But the darkness got there too." His voice has aged like fine wine, and his sense of lyric is still sharp, even as he approaches the inevitable.V

30 MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

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VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

MUSIC 31

MUSIC WEEKLY

Dominelli, Andrew Glover; 7pm (door), 8pm (music); $20 (cash, door)

DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 3PM

Thu

FAX YOUR FREE LISTINGS TO 780.426.2889 OR EMAIL LISTINGS@VUEWEEKLY.COM

DJs 180 Degrees DJ every Blackdog Freehouse

THU JAN 26 Accent European Lounge Liam

Trimble, Jom Comyn (indie-folk); 9:30pm11:30pm; no minors; no cover

Blue Chair Café EYE

on Music (Edmonton Youth Emerging on Music): hosted by Luke and Tess Pretty with Adam and Alison Caulfield; 7pm; $5

Blues on Whyte

Donald Ray Johnson Brittanys Lounge

Kenny Hillaby hosts a jazz session night every Thu with Shadow Dancers, Maura and Jeanelle; no cover CARROT Café

Zoomers Thu afternoon open mic; 1-4pm Cha Island Tea Co Live on the

Island: Rhea March hosts open mic and Songwriter's stage; starts with a jam session; 7pm

Brixx Radio Brixx Century Room Lucky

7: Retro '80s with house DJ every Thu; 7pmclose Chrome Lounge 123

Ko every Thu

THE Common We Like

Music Vol. 3; 9pm

Crown Pub Break

Down Thu at the Crown: D&B with DJ Kaplmplx, DJ Atomik with guests Druid Irish Pub DJ

every Thu; 9pm

electric rodeo– Spruce Grove DJ every

Thu

FILTHY McNASTY’S

Druid Irish Pub DJ

Something Diffrent every Thursday with DJ Ryan Kill

Haven Social Club

FLASH Night Club

every Thu at 9pm

David Myles (blues/ folk), Kim Wempe; 8pm; $15 (adv) at Blackbyrd

J R Bar and Grill Live

Jam Thu; 9pm

Jeffrey's Café

An Evening of Jim Serediak Songs with Jamie Philp and John Towill; 8-10pm Jubilee Auditorium

City and Colour, The Low Anthem; 8pm; tickets at Unionevents. com L.B.'s Pub Open jam

with Kenny Skoreyko, Fred LaRose and Gordy Mathews (Shaved Posse) every Thu; 9pm-1am

Lit Italian Wine Bar

Lindsey Nagy; 8pm; free

Marybeth's Coffee House–Beaumont

Open mic every Thu; 7pm New City Legion

Bingo is Back every Thu starting 9pm; followed by Behind The Red Door at 10:30pm; no minors; no cover New West Hotel

Boots and Boogie

Indust:real Assembly: Goth and Industrial Night with DJ Nanuck; no minors; 10pm (door); no cover

Harvey

Sherlock Holmes– WEM A.J. Wild Bill’s–Red Deer

TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close Wunderbar Souvs,

the Electra Complex and guests; 8:30pm; $5

Yardbird Suite Dan

Sinasac (CD release), Jack Semple, Sandro

Rednex–Morinville DJ Gravy from the Source 98.5 every Fri

CASINO EDMONTON

EdJe; 8pm (door), 9pm (show) $16 (member)/$20 (guest)

CASINO YELLOWHEAD

Classical

Suite 33 (pop/rock)

Mojave Iguanas (pop/ rock)

Coast to Coast Open

stage every Fri; 9:30pm

Devaney's Irish pub

Amy Heffernan

DV8 The Blame-Its,

Nervous Wreck, Dweeb, Better Than Heroes; 9pm; $10

Convocation Hall

Contempo New Music Ensemble; 7-9pm Winspear

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto: ESO, Gregory Vajda (conductor), Alexander Korsantia (piano); 7:30pm; $20-$75

Early Stage Saloon

Dave Lang and the Black Squirrels

Edmonton Event Centre In Flames,

Trivium, Veil of Maya, Kyng (hard rock/metal); all ages; 7pm; $40 Festival Place

Hanson; 7:30pm; Sold Out FRESH START BISTRO

DJs 180 Degrees DJ every

Fri

Avenue Theatre David

every Fri; 8pm; no cover

Jeffrey's Café Marco

Claveria (Latin); $15

Jekyll and Hyde Pub

spins every Fri

Suite 69 Every Fri Sat

with DJ Randall-A

Treasury In Style Fri:

DJ Tyco and Ernest Ledi; no line no cover for ladies all night long

Connected Las Vegas Fridays

Papi and DJ Latin Sensation every Fri

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Irish Club Jam session

Suede Lounge Juicy DJ

AZUCAR PICANTE DJ

Good Neighbor Pub

Brocade (pop rock), Mayday and the Beatcreeps, Dan Smith; 8pm; $10

Lounge Fuzzion Friday: with Crewshtopher, Tyler M, guests; no cover

Union Hall Ladies Night every Fri

BAR-B-BAR DJ James;

Haven Social Club

Sou Kawaii Zen

James, Thanatoss, Rynox, Alicedee; 8:30pm; $10 (door)

Darrell Barr; 7-10pm; $10 T.K. and the Honey Badgers every friday; 8:30-midnight; no cover

RED STAR Movin’ on Up: indie, rock, funk, soul, hip hop with DJ Gatto, DJ Mega Wattson; every Fri

every Fri; no cover

Every Friday DJs spin on the main floor, Underdog and the Wooftop

Blacksheep Pub Bash:

Vinyl Dance Lounge

Y AFTERHOURS

Foundation Fridays: The Bedroom: Ryan Wade, Seelo Mondo, Tyler Collins, Big Daddy; The Bassment: DJ Bree, Sean Champagne; The Underground: DJ Nv, DJ Ohms; 11:30pm-8am

DJ spinning retro to rock classics to current

SAT JAN 28

bohemia D3VIANT

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

(electro/house): with Obsessive Compulsive DJs also featuring music of Epico, Type Cast, Chainlink, and DJ Xcubitor; 9pm; $7 (door)

ALBERTA BEACH HOTEL

Atlantic trap and gill Duff Robison Avenue Theatre

Theory of a Deadman; 7:30pm (show); $27.50, $37.50

BRIXX BAR Options with

Black Dog Freehouse

HALO Fo Sho: every Thu with Allout DJs DJ Degree, Junior Brown

L.B.'s PUB I-95 with Real Fagnan, Paul Van Ramshorst, Randy Forsberg, Jeff Liske; 9:30-2am

BUDDY’S DJ Arrow Chaser every Fri; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm

Blackjacks Roadhouse Kick-off

HILLTOP PUB The Sinder

Lizard Lounge Rock

Buffalo Underground R U

'n' roll open mic every Fri; 8:30pm; no cover

Aware Friday: Featuring Neon Nights

KAS BAR Urban House:

Level 2 lounge Funk Bunker Thursdays

NEW CITY Zero Cool, Action News Team, The Patterns, Lucky And Stoned; $8 (door); no minors

CHROME LOUNGE Slim vs. Fluffy, Pamputtae Live, Invinceable, TNT, Spyce, Rocky; $15 (adv only)

Lucky 13 Sin Thu with DJ Mike Tomas

New West Hotel Boots

THE Common Boom

and Boogie

FLUID LOUNGE Take

Over Thursdays: Industry Night; 9pm

FUNKY BUDDHA–Whyte Ave Requests every Thu

with DJ Damian

Sparks Show; every Thu and Fri; 9:30pm-close

every Thu with DJ Mark Stevens; 9pm

On The Rocks

Salsaholic: every Thu; dance lessons at 8pm; salsa DJ to follow Overtime–Downtown

Thursdays at Eleven: Electronic Techno and Dub Step rendezvous Metal

night every Thu

Taphouse–St Albert

Eclectic mix every Thu with DJ Dusty Grooves

Wild Bill’s–Red Deer

Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Derina

Yardbird Suite Second

Demon Republic (metal), AMNW, Night at the Chelsea; 8:30pm; $10 (adv)/$15 (door)

NORTH GLENORA HALL

Ric’s Grill Peter Belec ( jazz); most Thursdays; 7-10pm

Fridays at Eleven: Rock hip hop, country, top forty, techno

The Rock Mash-up: DJ NAK spins videos every Fri; 9pm; no cover

show: Marco Claveria, 7-9pm

Jam by Wild Rose Old Time Fiddlers every Thu

CARROT Live music every Fri: Jay Willis; all ages; 7pm; $5 (door)

Wunderbar Daniel Moir, Joe Nolan, Lou Wreath; 8:30pm; $10

Boneyard Ale House

Union Hall 3 Four All Thursdays: rock, dance, retro, top 40 with DJ Johnny Infamous

NOLA Creole Kitchen & Music House Early

32 MUSIC

Underdog: Underdog Sound Revue: garage, soul, blues with Stu Chel; Main Floor: Soul/reggae/punk/ funk/junk with DJ Jaime Del Norte; Wooftop Lounge: Various musical flavas including funk, indie dance/nu disco, breaks, drum and bass and house with DJ Gundam

followed at 10pm by Options

Headwind (classic pop/ rock); every Fri; 9pm; no cover Jubilee Auditorium

NOLA Creole Kitchen & Music House Early

show: ABtrio, 6-9pm; Late show: The Fab Tiff Hall, 9:30pm On the Rocks Bonafide PAWN SHOP Sonic Band

of the Month: From Love to Forfeit, Forester, Knibb High Football Rules, Nature Of; 8pm (door); $10 (adv at Blackbyrd Myoozik

Red Piano Bar Hottest

Kyler Schogen Band; 8pm

Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Derina

Harvey

Blues on Whyte

Punch Productions: Raw Deal and guest

Brixx bar Early Show:

The Bolt Actions, Jet Pack Attack, 7pm; Late show:

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

Shake yo ass every Fri with DJ SAWG

Grant MacEwan– Robbins Learning Centre 109 St Bldg

Sherlock Holmes– WEM A.J.

Donald Ray Johnson

Fri

FILTHY McNASTY'S

St. Basil’s Cultural CentRE Full Moon Folk

Blue Chair Café Joël

Lavoie and Darren Maltais, Jason Kodie; 8:30pm; $10

electric rodeo– Spruce Grove DJ every

retro with DJ Damian; every Fri

Club: Chic Gamine (soul, R&B, doo-wop); 7pm (door), 8pm (show); $18 (adv at Acoustic Music, TIX on the Square)/$22 (door)

Blackjack's Roadhouse–Nisku

DJ every Fri; 9pm

Rose and Crown Mark

FRI JAN 27 9pm

The Druid Irish Pub

FLUID LOUNGE Hip hop

McGoo

B-Street Big Crush;

The Box: every Fri; nu disco, hip hop, indie, electro, dance with weekly local and visiting DJs on rotation plus residents Echo and Shortround; $5

dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Fri; 9pm2am

TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close

Atlantic trap and gill Duff Robison

Greg Gory and Eddie Lunchpail; every Fri

and dancehall; every Fri

Funky Buddha–Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock,

Grant MacEwan– Robbins Learning Centre Freezing Point:

Hair of the Dog: Doug Hoyer (live acoustic music every Sat); 4-6pm; no cover to Leduc blues: The Blind Dog Blues Band, The Gin Pills, Nathan Cunningham, The Fabulous Gary Martin "Blues and More" Band; 6:30pm (door), 7pm (music); $15 at Blackjacks Roadhouse, Kosmos Restaurant, Murphy's Pub, Permanent Records

Blues on Whyte Every

Sat afternoon: Jam with Back Door Dan; Evening: Donald Ray Johnson

bohemia art+muzak: The Opposite of Winter: Melodies in the Greenwood, Modern Mystics, Bikini Island Radio; art by Shea Manweiler, Jeri Connell, Laura Demas, Poor Boy, Melissa PierceySmith, Miss Teeny Wonderful; 9pm; no minors; no cover with donation for the food bank Brixx Bar Beneath the

Remains, The Lucifer project, Treeburning; 9pm

CASINO EDMONTON

Suite 33 (pop/rock)

CASINO YELLOWHEAD

DJ Skratch Bastid, DJ Wristpect; 8 (door); $15 at Foosh, Blackbyrd, door

Mojave Iguanas (pop/ rock)

HILLTOP PUB The Sinder

Coast to Coast Live

Sparks Show; every Thu and Fri; 9:30pm-close

Century Casino Neil

McCoy; $39.95

bands every Sat; 9:30pm

Crown Pub Acoustic

studio music foundation Throat

junction bar and eatery LGBT Community:

blues open stage with Marshall Lawrence, every Sat, 2-6pm; every Sat, 12-2am

Wild Bill’s–Red Deer

Newcastle Pub House, dance mix every Fri with DJ Donovan

THE DISH NEK Trio

TJ the DJ every Thu and Fri; 10pm-close

Rotating DJs Fri and Sat; 10pm

Overtime–Downtown

( jazz); every Sat, 6pm

Devaney's Irish pub

Amy Heffernan Dow Centennial Centre–Shell Theatre– Fort Saskatchewan

Billie-Jo Micki-Lee Smith; $15 (adult)/$10 (senior/youth)/$5 (eyeGO) DV8 Pop Punk

Explosion, The Mange, Zero Cool, Freshman Years

Eddie Shorts Saucy

Wenches every Sat

Edmonton Event Centre Excision (The

X-Tour), Subvert, Phatcat (dance/electronic); 9pm; $29 (adv 1), $34 (adv 2) at UnionEvents.com

Expressionz Café

Open stage for original songs, hosted by Karyn Sterling and Randall Walsh; 2-5pm; admission by donation Festival Place Rita

Chiarelli (blues); 7:30pm; $36 (table)/$34 (box)/$30 (theatre) at Festival Place box office

Jimmy and the Sleepers, "Breezy" Brian Gregg (Memphis Bound fundraiser/CD release); 8:30pm; $25 (adv, incl CD C'est la vie) at Newcastle Pub, Sound Connection, Myhre's Music NEW CITY River Valley

Search Party, Our Sound Machine (Reggae), People Call It Home, guest; $8 (door); no minors

New West Hotel

Country jam every Sat; 3-6pm; Late show: Boots and Boogie NOLA Creole Kitchen & Music House Early

show: ABtrio, 6-9pm; Late show: The Fab Tiff Hall, 9:30pm

O’byrne’s Live band

Hooliganz Live music

every Sat

Iron Boar Pub Jazz in

Wetaskiwin featuring jazz trios the 1st Sat each month; $10

Jeffrey's Café Marco

Claveria (Latin); $15

l.b.'s pub Sat afternoon Jam with Gator and Friends; 5-9pm Newcastle Pub

Years (psychedelic grung); 9pm; no cover

Wunderbar

Stalwart Sons, Flint, Scrapbooker, Catgut, If I Look Strong You Look Strong, Black Dracula; 8:30pm Yardbird Suite

International Jazz Series: Ori Dakari Quartet (Israel); 8pm (door), 9pm (show); $22 (member)/$26 (guest)

Joseph Lambert Massart and his Time: Guillaume Tardif (violin), Roger Admiral (piano); 8-10pm

Bonafide

Pawn Shop Early

HillTop Pub Sat

afternoon roots jam with Pascal, Simon and Dan, 3:30-6:30pm; evening

The Vault A Hundred

On the Rocks

Red Piano Bar Hottest dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players every Sat; 9pm2am

Drive the Day, Dead Cat Bounce, TTA, guests; 8pm; $10 at Blackbyrd

Banditos, Preying Saints, Tramp Stamper

Classical

Haven Social Club

Whiskeywagon, Gorgon Horde; 4pm; no cover

studio music foundation Scortched

every Sat, 3-7pm; DJ every Sat, 9:30pm

Show: Whitemud (rock), Mindweiser, Collidicide; 6pm (door); $8 (adv at Blackbyrd) followed by Transmission Saturdays

Filthy McNasty's

Up and All Blown Up: Love and Light with DJ Degree and Jake Robertz, Jams and Mittz; 9pm

Rendezvous PUB

Convocation Hall

Winspear

Rachmaninoff ’s Third Piano Concerto: ESO, Gregory Vajda (conductor), Alexander Korsantia (piano); 8pm; $20-$75

DJs 180 Degrees Street

Amazaria, Empire Assasins, Betty Machete (rock); 8pm (door); $10

VIBS: Reggae night every Sat

Rose and Crown Mark

McGoo

Touch It, hosted by DJ Papi; every Sat

Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Derina

BLACK DOG

Harvey

Sherlock Holmes– WEM A.J. Sideliners Pub Sat open stage; 3-7pm Sneaky Petes The

Dead Jacksons (mod rock); 10pm no cover Starlite Room Step'd

AZUCAR PICANTE DJ

FREEHOUSE Saturday

Blacksheep Pub DJ

every Sat

Boneyard Ale House

DJ Sinistra Saturdays: 9pm

BUDDY'S Feel the rhythm every Sat with DJ Phon3 Hom3; 8pm (door); no cover before 10pm Buffalo Underground Head

Mashed In Saturday: Mashup Night THE COMMON

GoodLife Saturdays: Dane, Kenzie Clarke and Echo; $5 (door) Druid Irish Pub DJ

every Sat; 9pm

electric rodeo– Spruce Grove DJ every

Sat

FILTHY McNASTY'S

Fire up your night every Saturday with DJ SAWG Fluid Lounge Scene Saturday's Relaunch: Party; hip-hop, R&B and Dancehall with DJ Aiden Jamali FUNKY BUDDHA–Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock,

retro every Sat with DJ Damian HALO For Those Who

Know: house every Sat with DJ Junior Brown, Luke Morrison, Nestor Delano, Ari Rhodes junction bar and eatery LGBT

Community: Rotating DJs Fri and Sat; 10pm Level 2 Launch

Party of House Underground Saturdaze with J Phlip, Marzetti, Groovy Cuvy vs. Mr Wedge, Damien Moor vs. Grizzlee Dubs

evenings feature DJs on three levels; Main Floor: The Menace Sessions: Alt rock/ Electro/Trash with Miss Mannered; Wooftop: Sound It Up!: classic hip-hop and reggae with DJ Sonny Grimezz

Newcastle Pub Top 40

HALO 10538 Jasper Ave, 780.423.HALO haven social club 15120A (basement), Stony Plain Rd, 780.756.6010 HillTop Pub 8220-106 Ave, 780.490.7359 Hogs Den Pub 9, 14220 Yellowhead Tr HOOLIGANZ 10704-124 St, 780.995.7110 Hydeaway 10209-100 Ave, 780.426.5381 Iron Boar Pub 4911-51st St, Wetaskiwin JAMMERS PUB 11948-127 Ave, 780.451.8779 J AND R 4003-106 St, 780.436.4403 jeffrey’s café 9640 142 St, 780.451.8890 JEKYLL AND HYDE 10209100 Ave, 780.426.5381 junction bar and eatery 10242-106 St, 780.756.5667 KAS BAR 10444-82 Ave, 780.433.6768 L.B.’s Pub 23 Akins Dr, St Albert, 780.460.9100 LEGENDS PUB 6104-172 St, 780.481.2786 LEVEL 2 LOUNGE 11607 Jasper Ave, 2nd Fl, 780.447.4495 Lit Italian Wine Bar 10132-104 St Lizard Lounge 13160118 Ave Maclab Centre for the Arts–Leduc 4308 - 50 St, 780.980.1866; maclabcentre. com; mg3.ca Marybeth's Coffee House–Beaumont 5001-30 Ave, Beaumont, 780.929.2203 McDougall United Church 10025-101 St Muttart Hall Alberta College, 10050 Macdonald Dr Myer Horowitz Theatre U of A Campus

Newcastle PuB 6108-90 Ave, 780.490.1999 New City Legion 8130 Gateway Boulevard (Red Door) Nisku Inn 1101-4 St NOLA Creole Kitchen & Music House 11802124 St, 780.451.1390, experiencenola.com NORTH GLENORA HALL 13535-109A Ave O’BYRNE’S 10616-82 Ave, 780.414.6766 ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767 Orlando's 1 15163-121 St Overtime–Downtown 10304-111 St, 780.465.6800 Overtime Whitemud Crossing, 4211-106 St, 780.485.1717 PAWN SHOP 10551-82 Ave, Upstairs, 780.432.0814 Playback Pub 594 Hermitage Rd, 130 Ave, 40 St Pleasantview Community Hall 1086057 Ave Pourhouse Bier Bistro 10354 Whyte Ave, pourhouseonwhyte.ca REDNEX BAR–Morinville 10413-100 Ave, Morinville, 780.939.6955 Red Piano Bar 1638 Bourbon St, WEM, 8882170 St, 780.486.7722 RED STAR 10538 Jasper Ave, 780.428.0825 Rendezvous 10108149 St Ric’s Grill 24 Perron Street, St Albert, 780.460.6602 ROSEBOWL/ROUGE LOUNGE 10111-117 St, 780.482.5253 Robertson-Wesley United Church 10209-123 St, 780.980.7120 Rose and Crown 10235101 St R Pub 16753-100 St, 780.457.1266

requests every Sat with DJ Sheri

New City Legion

Polished Chrome: every Sat with DJs Blue Jay, The Gothfather, Dervish, Anonymouse; no minors; free (58pm)/$5 (ladies)/$8 (gents after 8pm) Overtime–Downtown

Saturdays at Eleven: R'n'B, hip hop, reggae, Old School

Palace Casino Show Lounge DJ every Sat PAWN SHOP

Transmission Saturdays: Indie rock, new wave, classic punk with DJ Blue Jay and Eddie Lunchpail; 9pm (door); free (before 10pm)/$5 (after 10pm) RED STAR Indie rock, hip hop, and electro every Sat with DJ Hot Philly and guests ROUGE LOUNGE Rouge Saturdays: global sound and Cosmopolitan Style Lounging with DJ Rezzo, DJ Mkhai Sou Kawaii Zen Lounge Your Famous

Saturday with Crewshtopher, Tyler M

Suede Lounge DJ Nic-E spins every Sat Suite 69 Every Fri Sat with DJ Randall-A TEMPLE Oh Snap! Oh

Snap with Degree, Cool Beans, Specialist, Spenny B and Mr. Nice Guy and Ten 0; every Sat 9pm

Union Hall Celebrity Saturdays: every Sat hosted by DJ Johnny Infamous Vinyl Dance Lounge

Signature Saturdays Y AFTERHOURS

Release Saturdays: The BedroomErin Eden, Tony Donohue, B-ILL, S.T.X; The Bassment: Peep n'Tom, DJ Chad, DJ Dezire; The Underground: Moe Lowe, Raebot

VENUE GUIDE 180 Degrees 10730-107 St, 780.414.0233 Accent European Lounge 8223-104 St, 780.431.0179 All Saints' Cathedral 10035-103 St ARTery 9535 Jasper Ave Avenue Theatre 9030118 Ave, 780.477.2149 Avonmore UNited Church 7909-82 Ave B-Street 11818-111 Ave BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE 10425-82 Ave, 780.439.1082 Blackjack's Roadhouse–Nisku 2110 Sparrow Drive, Nisku, 780.986.8522 Blacksheep Pub 11026 Jasper Ave, 780.420.0448 BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ 9624-76 Ave, 780.989.2861 Blue Pear Restaurant 10643-123 St, 780.482.7178 BLUES ON WHYTE 1032982 Ave, 780.439.3981 Bohemia 10217-97 St Boneyard Ale House 9216-34 Ave, 780.437.2663 Brittanys Lounge 10225-97 St (behind Winspear stage door) Brixx Bar 10030-102 St (downstairs), 780.428.1099 BUDDY’S 11725B Jasper Ave, 780.488.6636 Carrot Café 9351-118 Ave, 780.471.1580 Casino Edmonton 7055 Argylll Rd, 780.463.9467 Casino Yellowhead 12464-153 St, 780 424 9467 Century grill 3975 Calgary Tr NW, 780.431.0303 Cha Island Tea Co 10332-81 Ave, 780.757.2482 CHROME LOUNGE 132 Ave, Victoria Trail Coast to Coast 5552 Calgary Tr, 780.439.8675 Common Lounge 10124124 St Convocation Hall Arts

Bldg, U of A, 780.492.3611 Crown and Anchor 15277 Castledowns Rd, 780.472.7696 Crown Pub 10709-109 St, 780.428.5618 Diesel Ultra Lounge 11845 Wayne Gretzky Drive, 780.704.CLUB Devaney’s Irish Pub 9013-88 Ave, 780.465.4834 THE DISH 12417 Stony Plain Rd, 780.488.6641 Dow–Shell Theatre– Fort Saskatchewan 8700-84 St, Fort Saskatchewan, 780.992.6400 DRUID 11606 Jasper Ave, 780.454.9928 DUSTER’S PUB 6402-118 Ave, 780.474.5554 DV8 8307-99 St Early Stage Saloon 4911-52 Ave, Stony Plain Eddie Shorts 10713-124 St, 780.453.3663 EDMONTON EVENTS CENTRE WEM Phase III, 780.489.SHOW ‎ Electric Rodeo–Spruce Grove 121-1 Ave, Spruce Grove, 780.962.1411 Elephant and Castle– Whyte Ave 10314 Whyte Ave Expressionz Café 993870 Ave, 780.437.3667 FIDDLER’S ROOST 890699 St FILTHY MCNASTY’S 10511-82 Ave, 780.916.1557 FLASH Night Club 10018105 St, 780.996.1778 FLOW Lounge 11815 Wayne Gretzky Dr, 780.604.

CLUB Fluid Lounge 10888 Jasper Ave, 780.429.0700 FUNKY BUDDHA 10341-82 Ave, 780.433.9676 Good Earth Coffee House and Bakery 9942-108 St Good Neighbor Pub 11824-103 St

St Basil’s Cultural CentRE 10819-71 Ave Second Cup–89 Ave 8906-149 St Second Cup– Sherwood Park 4005 Cloverbar Rd, Sherwood Park, 780.988.1929 • Summerwood Summerwood Centre, Sherwood Park, 780.988.1929 Sideliners Pub 11018127 St, 780.453.6006 Sneaky Petes 12315-118 Ave Sou Kawaii Zen Lounge 12923-97 St, 780.758.5924 Sportsman's Lounge 8170-50 St STARLITE ROOM 10030102 St, 780.428.1099 STEEPS TEA LOUNGE– Whyte Ave 11116-82 Ave Suede Lounge 11806 Jasper Ave, 780.482.0707 Suite 69 2 Fl, 8232 Gateway Blvd, 780.439.6969 Taphouse 9020 McKenney Ave, St Albert, 780.458.0860 Treasury 10004 Jasper Ave, 7870.990.1255, thetreasurey.ca The Vault 8214-175 St Vinyl Dance Lounge 10740 Jasper Ave, 780.428.8655, vinylretrolounge.com Wild Bill’s–Red Deer Quality Inn North Hill, 7150-50 Ave, Red Deer, 403.343.8800 Winspear Centre 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square; 780.28.1414 WUNDERBAR 8120-101 St, 780.436.2286 Y AFTERHOURS 10028102 St, 780.994.3256, yafterhours.com Yellowhead Brewery 10229-105 St, 780.423.3333 Yesterdays Pub 112, 205 Carnegie Dr, St Albert, 780.459.0295

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

MUSIC 33

SUN JAN 29 Beer Hunter–St Albert

Open stage/jam every Sun; 2-6pm Blackjack's Roadhouse–Nisku

Open mic every Sun hosted by Tim Lovett Blue Chair Café Sunday

Brunch: Jim Findlay Trio (jazz); 10:30am-2:30pm; donations

(student)/$60 (season flex pass) at Dept of Music U of A, door

BACKSTAGE TAP AND GRILL Industry Night:

Second Cup– Summerwood Open

every Sun with Atomic Improv, Jameoki and DJ Tim BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB

FLOW Lounge Stylus

Double D's Open jam every Sun; 3-8pm Eddie Shorts Acoustic

jam every Sun; 9pm

Festival Place Savoy

Sun

SAVOY MARTINI LOUNGE

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

MON JAN 30

Brown (blues); 7:30pm; $40 (table)/$38 (box)/$36 (theatre)

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

FILTHY McNASTY'S Rock

Blues on Whyte Todd

and Soul Sundays with DJ Sadeeq

Hogs Den Pub Dirty Jam:

hosted by Tye Jones; open jam every Sun, all styles welcome; 4-8pm

Newcastle Pub Sun Soul Service (acoustic jam): Willy James and Crawdad Cantera; 3-6:30pm

Sleeman Mon: sKiN; no cover Wolfe

Devaney's Irish Pub

Singer/songwriter open stage every Mon; 8pm; Amy Heffernan New West Hotel

Ghost Riders

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

Sunday Afternoons: 4pm (door), 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm (bands)

Acoustic instrumental old time fiddle jam every Mon; hosted by the Wild Rose Old Tyme Fiddlers Society; 7pm

Nola Solo performer TBA, 1-5pm

Rose Bowl/Rouge Lounge Acoustic open

NEW CITY LEGION DIY

O’BYRNE’S Open mic

every Sun; 9:30pm-1am

On the Rocks Shane

Philip with the Whytes and Russ Dawson; 10:45pm; $10

ORLANDO'S 2 PUB Open stage jam every Sun; 4pm Pourhouse Bier Bistro Singer-

songwriter open stage with Jay Gilday; every Sun, 9pm-close

Wunderbar The Tip of

the Iceberg after party: Bonspiel!, Mikey Maybe; 10pm; no cover

Yellowhead Brewery

Open Stage: Every Sun, 8pm

Classical Robertson-Wesley United Church

Les Voix de Grhent: Concordia School of Music Hymnfest; 3pm; $12 (adult)/$10 (student/ senior) at TIX on the Square, door All Saints' Cathedral

Horn and tuba recital: Ross McLean (natural horn and valve horn), Paul Buckingham (Tuba); 7:30pm (show); $ 10 (door) Maclab Centre for the Arts–Leduc Family

Series: TorQ (percussion quartet); 2pm; $10 available at TIX on the Square, the Leduc Recreation Centre

Myer Horowitz Theatre Celtic

Connections: Metropolitan Chorus, Keri Lynn Zwicker, Lizzy Hoyt; 3pm; $15 (adult adv)/$20 (adult door)/$12 (senior/ student adv)/$17 (senior/student door)/$6 (child 12 and under adv) /$10 (child 12 and under door); adv tickets at TIX on the Square Winspear Centre

Music at Winspear: Trial by Fire: University Symphony Orchestra; 3-5pm; $20 (adult)/$15 (senior)/$10

34 MUSIC

HOOLIGANZ Open stage every Wed with host Cody Nouta; 9pm

DJs

Jazz on the Side Sun: Audrey Ochoa; 6pm; $25 if not dining Celtic open stage every Sun with Keri-Lynne Zwicker; 5:30pm; no cover

8:30pm, free

R Pub Open stage

jam every Tue; hosted

by Gary and the Facemakers; 8pm

Main Floor: Soul Sundays: A fantastic voyage through '60s and '70s funk, soul and R&B with DJ Zyppy.

Dance parties have been known to erupt

Blue Pear Restaurant

10:30pm

stage every Mon; 9pm

Wunderbar Sarah

Macdougall, guests; 8:30pm

Classical Convocation Hall

Monday Noon Music: Organ and Early Music, featuring the new Krapf Memorial Portative Organ; 12-1pm

stage/open mic every Tue; 7:30pm; no cover

Sherlock Holmes– WEM Derina Harvey

Playback Pub Open Stage every Wed hosted

by JTB; 9pm-1am

Heffernan

Yardbird Suite Tue

Night Sessions: Prequal; 7:30pm (door), 8pm (show); $5

Wunderbar Reuben

Bullock, Lab Coast, Sugarglider; 8:30pm; $5

Classical Avonmore UNited Church Gateway

Chorus (open house, performances and lesson); 7:30pm (door); gatewavchorus.org

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Main Floor: alternative retro and not-so-retro, electronic and Euro with Eddie Lunchpail; Wooftop: One Too Many Tuesdays with Rootbeard Brixx Bar Ruby Tuesdays guest with host Mark Feduk; Ben Disaster, Campus thieves; $5 after 8pm Buddys DJ Arrow

Chaser every

CRown Pub Live Hip Hop Tue: freestyle hip hop with DJ Xaolin And Mc Touch DV8 Creepy Tombsday:

Psychobilly, Hallowe'en horrorpunk, deathrock with Abigail Asphixia and Mr Cadaver; every Tue

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

RED STAR Experimental

Crown Pub

WED FEB 1

FILTHY McNASTY'S

Metal Mondays with DJ Tyson Lucky 13 Industry Night

every Mon with DJ Chad Cook

NEW CITY LEGION

Madhouse Mon: Punk/ metal/etc with DJ Smart Alex

TUE JAN 31 Blues on Whyte Todd

Wolfe

Crown Pub The

D.A.M.M Jam: Open stage original plugged in jam with Dan, Miguel and friends every Wed Druid Irish Pub Open stage every Tue; with Chris Wynters; Micael Roste; 9pm L.B.’s Tue Blues Jam

with Ammar; 9pm-1am New West Hotel

Ghost Riders

NOLA Swing Kids

Dance Club; 6-9pm

Indie Rock, Hip Hop, Electro with DJ Hot Philly; every Tue

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Main Floor: Glitter Gulch: live music once a month

Blue Chair Café Belle

Red Piano Bar Wed

Night Live: hosted by dueling piano players; 8pm-1am; $5

Second Cup–89 Ave

Open stage with Alex Boudreau; 7:30pm Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Amy

Heffernan

Sherlock Holmes– WEM Derina Harvey

Classical McDougall United Church Schoen Duo

(flute and violin); 12:1012:50pm; free

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; Wooftop: Soul/Breaks with Dr. Erick Brixx Bar Really Good... Eats and Beats: every Wed with DJ Degree and Friends BUDDY'S DJ Dust 'n'

Time every Wed; 9pm (door); no cover

The Common

Treehouse Wednesdays Diesel Ultra Lounge

Urban Artist Showcase 2012: Muta Moraine, Voodoo Child, Khaled and Swaggs; 10-12 FILTHY McNASTY'S Pint Night Wednesdays with DJ SAWG FUNKY BUDDHA–Whyte Ave Latin and Salsa

music every Wed; dance lessons 8-10pm

Blues on Whyte Todd

NEW CITY LEGION Wed Pints 4 Punks: with DJ Nick; no minors; 4pm3am; no cover

Cha Island Tea Co

Whyte Noise Drum Circle: Join local drummers for a few hours of beats and fun; 6pm Crown Pub The

D.A.M.M Jam: Open stage original plugged in jam with Dan, Miguel and friends every Wed Devaney's Irish pub

Duff Robinson

eddie shorts Acoustic

jam every Wed, 9pm; no cover

Elephant and Castle– Whyte Ave Open mic

every Wed (unless there's an Oilers game); no cover

Fiddler's Roost Little Flower Open Stage every Wed with Brian Gregg; 8pm-12; guest host Pascal Lecours Good Earth Coffee House and Bakery

Padmanadi Open stage

HAVEN SOCIAL Club

Breezy Brian Gregg; every Wed; 12-1pm

Open stage every Wed with Jonny Mac,

"Puh-leeze!"— you've got to e-nun-ci-ate

Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society; 6:30-11pm; $2 (member)/$4 (nonmember)

LEGENDS PUB Hip hop/ R&B with DJ Spincycle

Wolfe

MATT JONES // JONESINCROSSWORDS@vueweekly.com

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

Plaine and band; 7:309:30pm

O’BYRNE’S Celtic jam every Tue; with Shannon Johnson and friends; 9:30pm

every Tue; with Mark Davis; all ages; 7:30-

Nisku Inn Troubadours

Sherlock Holmes– Downtown Amy

DJs

Mixmashitup Mon Industry Night: with DJ Fuzze, J Plunder (invite for DJs to bring their music and mix mash it up)

Ghost Riders

and Tales: 1st Wed every month; with Tim Harwill, guests; 8-10pm; guest Jamie Flynn

NEW CITY LEGION High Anxiety Variety Society Bingo vs. karaoke with Ben Disaster, Anonymouse every Tue; no minors; 4pm-3am; no cover

Main Floor: Blue Jay’s Messy: mod, brit pop, new wave, British rock with DJ Blue Jay

New West Hotel

JONESIN'CROSSWORD

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

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Main Floor: Blue Jay’s Messy Nest: mod, brit pop, new wave, British rock with DJ Blue Jay Crown Pub

MixMashItUp Mondays: with GOMPs "" Feat/ DJFuuze, guest, Open Decks; 8pm FILTHY McNASTY'S

Metal Mondays with DJ Tyson Lucky 13 Industry Night

every Mon with DJ Chad Cook

NEW CITY LEGION

Madhouse Mon: Punk/ metal/etc with DJ Smart Alex

Across 1 King with a golden touch 6 Place to get a mocha and a paper 15 Lofty poet 16 Travel website with longtime spokesman William Shatner 17 Make those clumsy fools earn their living?

19 Send a quick message 20 The Band Perry's "If ___ Young" 21 Weapon at Hogwarts 23 Genesis name 27 Missouri River tributary 28 Jacob's twin 29 "On the Road" protagonist ___ Paradise 30 Portioned (out) 31 Redundantly named undergarment?

35 Response: abbr.

36 Florida city home to the headquarters of Telemundo 37 Behavior modification?

40 Hug in the shower?

45 "That's a tough ___ follow..."

47 Dig in 48 Finito 49 Take a knee on the field 50 Three-person card game 52 Money on the line 53 Rent-___ 54 Dutch ___ 56 Practice for being forced into something?

64 Too forward, as behavior 65 Dating game show of the 1990s 66 Rings out 67 On film Down 1 Get the yard done 2 Words exchanged at the altar 3 What the dead take, in a macabre phrase 4 Invited to one's apartment 5 Group that sang the line "I'm Kilroy!"

6 Computer's "brain," for short 7 He won the NHL's top rookie award while still a teenager 8 Newton fruit 9 It's also called the "Lincoln Law" (found in GOLF CART) 10 Swirly swimmer

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

11 Girl who lives in the Plaza Hotel 12 Personal information, literally 13 Immune system booster 14 Does the field again 18 Fifth qtrs.

21 "Rushmore" director Anderson 22 Home of the Sun Devils: abbr.

24 Palatial homes 25 Unseen disaster waiting to happen 26 Canada's first province, alphabetically 27 Home of a mail order steak business 32 "I was not expecting it to be that good" 33 Small inlet 34 Ric-___ (wavy fabric) 37 Bullring hero 38 "It Was a Good Day" rapper 39 Island stop on a Caribbean cruise 41 "Killing Me Softly with His Song" singer Flack 42 Ties 43 Fully prepared 44 The elderly, for short 46 Bullring hero, again 51 Temperature tester 55 Ginormous 57 It's the hottest thing around 58 Org. that gives out 9-digit IDs 59 Upstate N.Y. school 60 The night before 61 Guys 62 Ending for lemon or Power 63 Trippy tab ©2011 Jonesin' Crosswords

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

CLASSIFIEDS To place an ad Phone: 780.426.1996 / Fax: 780.426.2889 / Email: classifieds@vueweekly.com 130.

Coming Events

EIGHT MINUTE DATE Speed Dating at the The Edmonton Valley Zoo - Friday, February 10th and Saturday, February 11th, 2012 $40/ Ticket Call 780-457-8535 or www.eightminutedate.ca

1005.

Help Wanted

For movie - documentary including about the 99%. Maybe pay if we get grant. Need camera holder, film editor, interviewers, inspirers, etc.

Contact: macwalker@shaw.ca

1600.

Volunteers Wanted

The Spirit Keeper Youth Society is in need of two adult volunteers for a March 2012 conference.

Positions available include gathering auction and art items, and gathering information for a resource manual (content management and contact info).

For more info please contact 780-428-9299

2001.

Acting Classes

FILM AND TV ACTING Learn from the pros how to act in Film and TV Full Time Training 1-866-231-8232 www.vadastudios.com

2005.

Artist to Artist

Expressionz Cafe Art Gallery Show your work with us!

Call 780-437-3667

2005.

Artist to Artist

VISUALEYEZ Canada's Annual Performance Art Festival -Call for ProposalsThe Thirteenth annual Visualeyez festival of performance art happens from September 10 16, 2012, exploring on the curatorial theme of loneliness.

Deadline for submissions is April 27, 2012 For submission details please visit: www.visualeyez.org

Volunteers Wanted

P.A.L.S. Project Adult Literacy Society needs volunteers to work with adult students in: Literacy, English As A Second Language and Math Literacy. For more information please contact (780)424-5514 or email palsvolunteers2003@yahoo.ca The Leading Edge Physiotherapy RunWild Marathon on May 6, 2012 is looking for volunteers.

Course Marshals, water station crew, kids fun zone attendants, start/finish line crew, set up crew, clean up crew, food tent servers etc.

Visit www.runwild.ca to sign up and for more info!

The Silver Skate Festival is looking for volunteers to help get Edmontonians skating, skiing, sliding, sledding, swigging and sculpting February 17 - 20 in Hawrelak Park.

Call (780) 488 -1960, visit www.silverskatefestival.org or email volunteer@silverskatefestival.org to get involved

1005.

1600.

Help Wanted

2010.

Musicians Available

Drummer looking to join an already formed metal or hard rock band. Double kick, 12 yrs exp, 8 yrs in Edm indie band, 7 albums, 250 live shows, good stage presence, dedicated, catch on quick, no kids, hard drug free.

780.916.2155 Experienced bass player looking to play with established band.

Between the ages of 35 and 55.

No heavy metal or punk but willing play 80's power metal Call Tony 780-484-6806.

Pro-level professional front man/ guitarist available for working band.

Serious calls only 587-986-0657

2020.

BEBE THE DIFFERENCE! THE DIFFERENCE! The Fort St John Association for Community Living requires Support Workers.

The Fort St John Association for Community Living requires Support Workers.

Are you a positive energetic like a career empowering the Are you a positive energetic personperson and wouldand like awould career empowering the lives of individuals withindividuals development disabilities?

Are you interested in working in theAre Peace Riverinterested area in beautiful lives of with development disabilities? you in workBC? ing in the Peace River area in beautiful BC? Fort St John Association for Community Living Phone: 1- 250-787-9262 for more information PleaseVisit apply to:site: Fort St John Association for our web www.fsjacl.com E-mail: info@fsjacl.com.

Community Living, Phone: 1- 250-787-9262 for more information or Mail resumes to: web site: www.fsjacl.com, E-mail: info@fsjacl.com.

10251 100th Ave. or BC Mail resumes to: Fort St. John 1Y8 Ave., Fort St. John BC V1J 1Y8 10251 V1J 100th

Musicians Wanted

Guitarists, bassists, vocalists, pianists and drummers needed for good paying teaching jobs.

Please call 780-901-7677

2020.

Musicians Wanted

If you would like to showcase your band on the Northside and have your fans come out to see you for free, please contact TK & The Honey Badgers at 780-752-0969 or 780-904-4644 for interview. Fan minimum is 20 people.

2100.

Auditions

Auditions for PAYES Foundation's 3rd Annual Parkland's Got Talent Open to all performers ages 25 and under as of March 24, 2012.

March 2 4:00 - 8:30 pm & March 3 11:00 - 4:40 pm at Westland Market Mall, 106 Macleod Avenue, Spruce Grove.

All performers MUST PREREGISTER and obtain an audition number and time by going online to www.payes.org/events or contacting Shonna at 780-963-5941

1 . 8 8 8 . 5 3 9 . G P R C

Job Training provided.

Applicants must 19 years Job Training isisprovided.

Applicants must be 19 years of age.be An attractive benefitof age. An package is available upon completion of an eligibility period. Valid Driver’s License is attractive benefit package is available upon completion of an eligibility required. period. Valid Driver’s License is required.

For more information about Fort St. John,St. British Columbia you can browse: For more information about Fort John, British Columbia you can browse: www.fsjchamber.com www.fsjchamber.com www.fortstjohn.ca www.fortstjohn.ca

Auditions

AVENUE Q AUDITIONS! Hello.

The auditions have been set for February 10, 11 and 12, 2012.

Book your spot today.

For more info please visit: twoonewaytickets.com/avenueq auditions.htm

2200.

Massage Therapy

RELAX AND LET GO Therapeutic massage.

Appointments only.

Deena 780-999-7510

3220.

Misc. Wanted

PAYES Foundation Presents: 3rd Annual Parkland's Got Talent March 24, 2012, 2:00 - 5:30 pm Horizon Theatre, 1001 Calahoo Rd, Spruce Grove Celebrity Judges include: John Lindsay, Linsay Willier, James Jones, Orville Green & Dori Whyte Tickets ($30) are available at www.payes.org/events or by calling (780) 963 - 5941

w w w . g p r c . a b . c a

Please apply to:

Visit our

2100.

sTART

( 4 7 7 2 )

YOUR

CAREER IN THE

VISUAL ARTS program starts Sept/2012

APPLY TODAY

NO PORTFOLIO

REQU

IRED

COLLECTOR POSITIONS JOIN AN EXCITING TEAM & LEARN NEW SKILLS!

- Full-Time Base - Competitive Salary + Commission Group Medical - Dental Benefitsand - Pension Plan

Suite 600, 10109 – 106th St. NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 3L7

portfolio building on campus

Apply online: www.ncogroup.com/careers Ref. Job #: 110006346 Email a resume to: career.edmonton@ncogroup.com

A Comprehensive Community College with campuses in Grande Prairie and Fairview

M/F/H/V/EOE/AA

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19): The coming week is likely to be abnormally free of worries and frustrations. I'm afraid that means you're not going to have as much right to complain as you usually do.

Just in case, I've compiled a list of fake annoyances for you to draw on: "My iPhone won’t light my cigarette." "The next tissue in my tissue box doesn't magically poke out when I take one." "I ran out of bottled water and now I have to drink from the tap." "My cat's Facebook profile gets more friend requests than me." "When people tell me I should

feel grateful for all I have instead of complaining all the time, I feel guilty."

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20): The state of California was named after a storybook land described in a 16th-century Spanish novel. The mythical paradise was ruled by Queen Calafia. Gold was so plentiful that the people who lived there made weapons out of it and even adorned their animals with it. Did the real California turn out to be anything like that fictional realm? Well, 300 years after it got its name, the California

ROB BREZSNY // FREEWILL@vueweekly.com

Gold Rush attracted 300 000 visitors who mined a fortune in the precious metal. Your assignment: Think of the myths you believed in when you were young and the fantasies that have played at the edges of your imagination for years. Have any of them come true, even a little? I suspect that one may do just that in the coming weeks and months.

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20): In Bill Moyers' DVD The Language of Life, poet Naomi Shihab Nye is shown giv-

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

ing advice to aspiring young poets. She urges them to keep an open mind about where their creative urges might take them. Sometimes when you start a poem, she says, you think you want to go to church, but where you end up is at the dog races. I'll make that same point to you, Gemini. As you tune in to the looming call to adventure, don't be too sure you know what destination it has in mind for you. You might be inclined to assume it'll lead you toward a local bar for drinks when in fact it's nudging you in the direction of a wild frontier for

a divine brouhaha.

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22): Renowned comic book writer Grant Morrison claims he performed a magic ritual in which he conjured the spirit of John Lennon, who appeared and bestowed on him the gift of a new song. I've heard Morrison sing the tune, and it does sound rather Lennon-esque. The coming week would be a good time for you to go in quest of a comparable boon: a useCONTINUED ON PAGE 36 >>

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ful and beautiful blessing bequeathed to you by the departed spirit of someone you love or admire.

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22): "There are works which wait, and which one does not understand for a long time," said Oscar Wilde. "The reason is that they bring answers to questions which have not yet been raised; for the question often arrives a terribly long time after the answer." I predict that sometime soon, Leo, you will prove that wisdom true. You will finally learn the brilliant question whose crucial answer you got years ago.

When it arrives, you will comprehend a mystery that has been churning in the semi-darkness all this time.

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22): Shedding is healthy—not just for cats and dogs and other animals but also for us humans.

Did you know that you shed thousands of particles of dead skin every hour?

And just as our bodies need to shed, so

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do our psyches. You are in an unusually favorable phase to do a whole lot of psychic shedding. Time to shed old ideas that don't serve you any more, habits that undermine your ability to pursue your dreams, resentment against people who did you wrong a long time ago and anything else you carry with you that keeps you from being fully alive and radiant. To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, the price of freedom and aliveness is eternal shedding.

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22): According to research published in the journal Psychological Science, many people are virtually allergic to creative ideas.

When asked to consider a novel proposal, they're quite likely to reject it in favor of an approach that's well-known to them. This could be a problem for you in the coming weeks since one of your strengths will be your ability to come up with innovations. So it won't be enough for you to offer your brilliant notions and original departures from the way things have always been done; you will also have to be persuasive and

diplomatic. Think you can handle that dual assignment?

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21): "A single sunbeam is enough to drive away shadows," said St Francis of Assisi. I'm afraid that's an overly optimistic assessment.

One ray of light is often not sufficient to dispel encroaching haze. Luckily for you there will be quite an assortment of sunbeams appearing in your sphere during the coming weeks. Here's the complication: They won't all be showing up at once, and they'll be arriving in disparate locations. So your task will be to gather them all up and unite them so they can add to each other's strength. If you do that successfully, you'll have more than enough illumination to chase away any darkness that might be creeping around.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21): Poet Elizabeth Alexander says that in order to create a novel, a writer needs a lot of uninterrupted time alone. Poems, on the other hand, can be snared in the midst of the jumbled rhythms of everyday chaos—between hurried appoint-

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

ments or while riding the subway or at the kitchen table waiting for the coffee to brew. Alexander says that inspiration can sprout like grass poking up out of the sidewalk cracks. Whether or not you're a writer I see your coming weeks as being more akin to snagging poems than cooking up a novel.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19): "A true poet does not bother to be poetical," said the poet Jean Cocteau. "Nor does a nursery gardener perfume his roses."

It’s wise counsel for you in the coming weeks. It's important that you do what you do best without any embellishment, or pretentiousness. Don't you dare try too hard or think too much or twist yourself like a contortionist to meet impossible-to-satisfy expectations. Trust the thrust of your simple urges.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18): Collectors prefer wild orchids, says William Langley, writing in the UK's Telegraph.

Orchids grown in nurseries, which comprise 99.5 percent of the total, are tarnished with "the stigma of perfec-

tion." Their colours are generic and their petal patterns are boringly regular. Far more appealing are the exotic varieties untouched by human intervention, with their "downy, smooth petals and moistened lips pouting in the direction of tautly curved shafts and heavily veined pouches." Whatever your sphere or specialty is I suggest you model yourself after the wild orchid collectors in the coming days. Shun the stigma of perfection.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20): While doing a film a few years ago, actress Sandra Bullock stumbled upon a stunning secret: Rubbing hemorrhoid cream on her face helped shrink her wrinkles and improve her complexion. I predict that at least one and possibly more comparable discoveries will soon grace your life. You will find unexpected uses for things that were supposedly not meant to be used in those ways. Here's a corollary, courtesy of scientist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, that describes a related talent you'll have at your disposal: "Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought." V

COMMENT >> ALT SEX

On a mission

Sisters on a Mission adopts religious imagery to open conversation So many of us would like to make a Sisters on a Mission has grown to an difference in our communities but too order of six people within a few months often we become paralyzed into inacand has big plans. "We hope to achieve tion, not knowing where to start. Not a community where the numbers of so with Sister Sissy Fister. I met people contracting HIV/AIDS is Sissy last week at an event at down to zero because of eduHIV Edmonton. I was greetcation and practice and that ed at the door by a vision in people living with HIV/AIDS m o eekly.c @vuew brenda a red dress, stiletto boots, are no longer relegated to the Brendear margins of society; where no full clown make-up and a Kerb flowing white Nun's habit. Sissy one goes to bed hungry; where is not your regular sister. She's a sister transgendered people can be liberated on a mission. from the prisons of their own bodies The Sisters on a Mission began to and find the transformation they know "manifest," as Sissy says, just a few is right for them. We hope to achieve a months ago. "I had tried my hand at community that is just and joyful!" drag and fell in love with the magic of aspecting my own inner goddess but How does the group plan to do this?

The Sisters decide on their particular was left feeling unfulfilled with a few "ministries" based on local needs and lip-synched notes and a couple of shimconsensus by the group. At this point mies to the left. I wanted to marry the in time, the group is committed to a magic of gender-bending with making number of activities including providing a powerful difference in my commufree yoga classes for clients at HIV Ednity." She was inspired by the Sisters monton, condom communions in which of Perpetual Indulgence who formed members show up at various events and in San Francisco in the late 1970s with bars around the city and distribute free the goal of promulgating universal joy, condoms, and raising money to help expiating stigmatic guilt and serving the trans-identified young men and women community. "These sisters have a 30who are planning sex reassignment suryear history of doing powerful work geries cover their medical costs. by way of social and political activism The group and its goals are laudable for using irreverent wit and I was drawn to sure, but I questioned the religious imagthem like a moth to a flame," says Sissy.

LUST E LIF

FOR

ery, dressing up like nuns and using common chalices and religious language. "We wear habits because we are nuns," Sissy told me. "We fight injustice as nuns do, we minister to the needy as nuns do, we build our communities as nuns do. Nuns take vows of celibacy and we ... fight injustice." She says the use of communion chalices for distributing condoms is both a protest against the church's archaic view of contraception and an observance and celebration of sex as a sacred thing that should be enjoyed safely.

Asked whether she thought the religious overtones would offend anyone, Sissy says, "It's not our intention! We are creating a vocation for people to bring their own magick to the surface and heal the world in their own way. Everyone can do something and this magickal queer work is our something." If you think it might be your something too, the Sisters are looking for more to join them.

"Our order is open to men and womyn, gay and straight. We just ask that people identify with queer as an attitude ... deviant, eccentric, fabulous!" V Brenda Kerber is a sexual health educator who has worked with local not-forprofits since 1995. She is the owner of the Edmonton-based, sex-positive adult toy boutique the Traveling Tickle Trunk.

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

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COMMENT >> SEX

Bookends

Dan starts off with a gross problem and finishes with a big dick Have boyfriend. Several months.

I'm a 23-year-old gay guy. I've been Love sex. First time we sixty-nine, talking to a nice guy who will posI notice he has a little turtlehead sibly become my first boyfriend. The sticking out. You get me? Second little quibble I'm having is ... I'm a virtime, he has bits of toilet paper gin. It's not that big a deal to me—it stuck in that area. CAN I ADDRESS just hasn't happened yet—but I was THIS? And how do I do it without wondering if I should mention giving him a permanently E it to this guy. He made an flaccid penis? I love this aside about virginity (unSAVAG man to pieces and know prompted by me) during kly.com one of our chats: "No, I'm e this is a humiliating topic. e w e vu love@ savage Please help! not a virgin, that's nothDan e MIRED IN THE MUD ing that you should worry g a v Sa about with me." That was Got you. Wish didn't. But did. probably my opportunity to tell him, If you don't have the nerve to but I didn't. Should I have told him? speak up when someone is grinding What if I tell him during sex? Could shitbuds and dingleberries in the that make it hot? vicinity of your nostrils, MITM, I'm Thank you for what you do. I found the not sure there's anything I can say courage to come out because of you.

READY AND WILLING that's gonna help. But for what it's worth ...

If you found the courage to come YES, YOU ADDRESS IT! IMMEDIout to family and friends about beATELY! ing gay—which you found inside When someone pushes your face yourself, RAW, but thanks for the into a dirty asscrack—or allows you nice compliment—you can come to place your face in the general viout to this boy about being a virgin. cinity of a dirty asscrack—you say Don't tell him during sex, RAW, and something along the lines of "What don't tell him in a way that makes the fuck, dude, go take a dump and this relevant information about jump in the shower! Christ!" His your sexual history—you don't have ego, to say nothing of his future one—seem like a character flaw, a erections, should be your least cancer diagnosis or a request for an concern at a moment like that. So open marriage six years after you you say it without hesitation, withbegan an adulterous affair with a out concern for his feelings, and congressional staffer. You're just you say it as you leap out of bed a 23-year-old virgin, RAW, there's and reach for your shirt, pants, car nothing wrong with you; it's not like keys and phone. You don't just lie you're one of Elizabeth Santorum's there pretending that his buttrasta idiotic gay friends or a cast member isn't dangling over your nose. Even of The A-List: Dallas. The next time if he's never able to get another you see this boy, initiate a casual, erection with you, MITM, he'll low-stakes, getting-to-know-you know to spot-check for cleanlimake-out session at a time when ness—are there no washcloths in you can't transition to full-on, noGilead?—before he crawls on top holes-barred gay sex. Relax, kiss the of anyone else.

LOVE

boy, be chill. Then pause and inform him that you're not very sexually experienced—in fact, you've never been with anyone. Reassure him that you're not a duckling—you're not going to imprint on the first dick you see—but that you wanted him to know.

How are you supposed to react to the discovery—entirely accidental—that your youngest brother has a "femdom" relationship with his wife? I stumbled over my brother's "anonymous" sex blog. It goes into detail about the "domestic discipline" she subjects him to: humiliation, spanking, "ruined orgasms" (whatever that is!), cuckolding.

There are no names, but there are pictures. Their faces are blurred out, but I recognize their living room, their bedroom, the necklace my sister-in-law wears, my brother's chin and hair. If I recognized them, other family members might. What do I say?

BIGGEST BIG BRO

Besides "Hey, bro, I'm kinky, too!"?

(You "stumbled over" your brother's kinky sex blog? How'd that happen?

Did he leave it sitting in your driveway?) If you can't bring yourself to say that, BBB, you say nothing and trust that more-distant, less-kinky family members are unlikely to "stumble over" your brother's anonymous femdom blog anytime soon.

And even if they do, they're probably not familiar enough with your brother and sister-in-law's home, jewelry, chins, etc, to recognize him.

Congrats, Dan. It looks like you've got your first high-profile "monogamish" public figure: Newt Gingrich.

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You must be so proud.

SAVAGE CAN'T UNDERSTAND MONOGAMY

For anyone who spent last week under a rock: Newt Gingrich, brave defender of traditional marriage, was still married to his second wife— and still fucking the consecrated host out of his "devout Catholic" mistress—when he asked his second wife to agree to an open marriage. Newt had been fucking Callista, his devoutly Catholic mistress, for six years when he made the big ask. Newt's second wife wouldn't agree to an open marriage, according to Newt's second wife, which is how she became Newt's second exwife and Newt's mistress—the devoutly Catholic Callista—became Newt's third wife.

That's not monogamish, SCUM. That's CPOSish. And lumping honest nonmonogamists—people who don't lie or cheat—in with the likes of the Gingriches and Schwarzeneggers of the world, which whiny and insecure monogamists (who are not to be confused with reasonable and secure monogamists) are always doing, is simply unfair. Newt, like Arnold before him, didn't succeed at nonmonogamy, he failed at monogamy.

Zooming out for a moment, the Gingrich campaign has presented the wholesome story of Newt and Callista's courtship as a redemption narrative: Newt is a better man today thanks to Callista, he's better suited to be president thanks to Callista, and he's better prepared to defend traditional marriage thanks to Callista. She's been described as a "devout Catholic" in every profile written about her—so devout that her love brought Newt to the one,

holy, Catholic, apostolic, and evermore-rabidly anti-gay church. So it seems to me that it's fair to ask if Callista knew in advance that Newt was proposing an open marriage to his then-wife and approved of the arrangement. (It might be more accurate to say that Newt informed his second wife that she was already in an open marriage and asked if she wanted to remain in it.) Did Callista know about Newt's open marriage proposal? Did Newt bounce the idea off his devoutly Catholic mistress first? Maybe right after he finished bouncing himself off his devoutly Catholic mistress?

Would the devout Catholic still be Newt's mistress today if the second Mrs Gingrich had agreed to remain in the marriage that Newt had already opened?

This news alters the redemption narrative that the Gingrich camp set before the voters. So questioning Callista about the open marriage proposal—what did the mistress know and when did she know it?—seems like an entirely legit line of inquiry to me.

Callista Gingrich, like her vile husband, doesn't believe that gays and lesbians should be equal under the law because, as a good Catholic, she believes that homosexuality is a sin and that homosexuals should remain celibate. Well, the Catholic Church considers adultery, divorce and birth control sinful, too. Someone in the liberal media really ought to ask Callista to explain why her faith should place limits on my sexual expression but not her own. V Find the Savage Lovecast (my weekly podcast) every Tuesday at thestranger.com/savage.

backwords

chelsea boos // chelsea@vueweekly.com // Courtesy ICON Venue Group

BOB THE ANGRY FLOWER

The Emperor's new clothes I haven't said much about the downtown arena mainly because I wanted to give this project the benefit of the doubt. In my eternal optimism, I was hoping for something that proved they really care about revitalizing the neighbourhood; something that could build on the interesting things already happening in our urban core, instead of sucking the life out of it.

Judging by the renderings released last week, ICON Venue Group (who was hand-picked by the Katz group without a public competition) has paid zero attention to how one of the largest pieces of architecture in the city will add beauty to the built environment or engage with the street-level activity of Edmonton. Plus, from examples of previous projects ICON has done in other cities, there is no indication that the exterior will look like anything other than an oversized shopping mall. Why would we spend $88 million on an art gallery and $350 million on a new museum to create a "world-class" city with

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

distinctive architecture, only to spend $450 million on a bland concrete-and-glass monster? The images, as seen on the Edmonton Oilers website, only depict the generic interior of an arena that falls far short of its potential.

"Despite all this rushing to sign design contracts without formal public tenders, Rick Daviss [a senior manager at the City of Edmonton] promises there will still be opportunities for public input on the way the arena looks. By June, says Daviss, [360 Architecture] will have images of the proposed exterior ready for public viewing and discussion. Any final plans must still be approved by city council and the Edmonton Design Committee," wrote Paula Simons last week in a piece for the Edmonton Journal. I hope they show a lot more vision than this. V Chelsea Boos is a multidisciplinary visual artist and flâneur. Back words is a discussion of her dérives and a photographic diary of the local visual culture.

BACK 39

New Art from Central & Eastern Europe Organized by the Art Gallery of Alberta and The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery Curated by Christopher Eamon

Curator’s Introduction REARVIEW MIRROR with Christopher Eamon Friday, January 27, 6 pm Ledcor Theatre, Art Gallery of Alberta $15 / $10 AGA Members

Opens Saturday, January 28 Presented in Edmonton by

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Anetta Mona Chișa & Lucia Tkáčová, MANIFESTO OF FUTURIST WOMAN (LET’S CONCLUDE), 2008. Color video with sound, 11:13 min. Produced by Neuer Berliner Kunstverein, 2008. Courtesy of galerie Christine König Vienna. Photo credits: Anetta Mona Chișa

40 BACK

VUEWEEKLY JAN 26 – FEB 2, 2012

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