Vue Weekly Issue 750 Mar 4 - 10 2010 by Vue Weekly

EDUCATION 2010: SEASON SOLUTIONS // 19

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION // 20

ITUNES U // 23

INSIDE

COVER

#750 • Mar 4 – Mar 10, 2010

UP FRONT // 4/ 4 5 5 6 8 9 9

Vuepoint Issues Media links Dyer Straight ZeitGeist In the Box Bob the Angry Flower

DISH // 12/ 13 To the pint

ARTS // 31/ 33 Prairie Artster

FILM // 35 38 DVD Detective

MUSIC // 39/ 42 Enter Sandor 50 New Sounds 51 Old Sounds 51 Quickspins

BACK // 52

Megadeth takes its 1990 masterpiece Rust in Peace out on tour

ARTS

FILM

52 Free Will Astrology 54 Queermonton 55 Alt.Sex.Column

EVENTS LISTINGS 34 Arts 37 Film 40 Music 53 Events

The Expanse festival keeps on, uhh, expanding

New Wave's old master: A quartet of Francois Truffaut films reveals his obsessions

VUEWEEKLY.COM VUETUBE // One-state solution

MUSIC

Slide show: Corb Lund, Ridley Bent, Library Voices The Classical Score: highlights of the week's classical performances FILM // SIDEVUE

Oschers: Just in time for the Oscars, Brian Gibson salutes the great women directors out there ARTS // REVUE

Find reviews of past theatre, dance and visual arts shows online DISH // DISHWEEKLY.CA

Restaurant reviews, features, searchable and easy to use. dishweekly.ca Ali Abunimah explains a one-state solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict

2 // UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

UP FRONT // 3

EDITORIAL

// samantha@vueweekly.com

sraeli Apartheid Week has roused conservative reaction across Canada. The Ontario Legislature unanimously condemned Israeli Apartheid Weeks across the province as hate speech and “denouncing Canadian values.” While Michael Ignatieff, who once described the Palestinian settlements of the West Bank as Bantustans “pseudo-states created in the dying years of apartheid to keep the African population under control," this past week condemned Israeli Apartheid Week, and called for an end to the global boycott and divestment campaign against Israel. Canada does not recognize a situation of apartheid in Israel. At least not as we currently define apartheid. Today no one would argue that what happened in Rwanda was genocide, but in 1994 that word was not uttered by the international community. In fact, direct orders were given from the US state department not to use that word. Because the world had uttered “never again,” the state department knew if it named genocide for what it was it would have to act. So media and government reported civil unrest, political

murders and ethnic cleansing. At the time genocide was associated and defined according to its international naming—the Holocaust. It was the highest crime. Recalling the situation in Rwanda, Romeo Dallaire remembers thinking that the world could not be confronted with so severe a state as genocide. Genocide was the Holocaust. But those who used the term early on recognized intent, not numbers. Apartheid is the segregation of racial groups. It's called a crime against humanity according to existing international law. Today when we think of Apartheid, the only situation the world has confronted and named is South Africa, so if it doesn't look like South Africa it is not Apartheid. We will not allow our definition to fit. Unfortunately, the world is not so clear-cut as our definitions allow. Apartheid is defined as the segregation on grounds of race. The African National Congress calls for its recognition on the basis of systematic, persistent and massive violation of human rights. Today in Palestine if human rights are being oppressed and a nation is being denied their full liberties, why are we stuck on a word? V

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ZeitGeist

Bob the Angry Flower

Roundup W

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COVER PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS Distribution

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NEWS

Back at work

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Issues

GRASDAL'S VUE

Vuepoint In a word samantha power

INSIDE // FRONT

UP FRONT

ith the federal budget being announced this week numerous groups are putting forward their ideas on what it should contain and economic stimulus tops the recommendations. The Canadian Labour Congress would like to see an investment in green industries which would increase the need for manufacturing jobs while also meeting environmental goals. The CLC, along with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, call for greater attention to the Employment Insurance program. The CCPA points to the thousands who will soon be getting off EI without a job to go to and the CLC recommends higher weekly benefits and an extension of benefits to 50 weeks. Meanwhile, as the release of the budget signals a return to work for MPs, the Council of Canadians makes its recommendations to legislators on an environmental level. With the threats on an environmental and trade basis the Council is calling for a national water strategy as well as greater attention to a Buy Canadian

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

strategy that would require renegotiations of international trade deals currently short changing Canada's resources and economy. Rock the vote

tudents believe the Alberta government ignored important recommendations when it recently announced changes to the Alberta elections act. When the government announced it would be looking into implementing some of former Chief Electoral Officer Lorne Gibson's recommendations, students put forward seven changes that would make voting more accessible to the often transient student population. With a voter turnout in the 2008 election of only 40 percent, the Council of Alberta University Students proposed certain barriers could be removed to make it easier for students to vote. Students studying away from home are often told they can only vote at the polling station of their family home and are turned away from the polling station on their campus residence. One of the more interesting recommen-

dations was to place multiple polling stations for campuses located within the boundaries of different constituencies. Of the seven recommendations none were adopted— students were told the recommendations came too late in the process to be enacted. Drink plenty of water

ubbed the "hangover budget" the Liberal government of British Columbia tabled a $1.7 billion deficit budget. Reductions in the civil service are expected while spending on health and education are forecasted to hold steady. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives BC office believes there is little in the way of planning for the future, with no attention to child poverty. While the BC Federation of Labour points to reductions in student aid and lacking strategy for forestry and manufacturing jobs. Despite the critiques Finance Minister Colin Hansen believes the budget builds on the momentum of the Olympics. samantha power

// samantha@vueweekly.com

COMMENT >> WOMEN IN ALBERTA

Issues

Issues is a forum for individuals and organizations to comment on current events and broader issues of importance to the community. Their commentary is not necessarily the opinion of the organizations they represent or of Vue Weekly.

Face the facts

Women in Alberta short-changed by decades of funding cuts SHANNON PHILLIPS // SHANNON@SHANNONPHILLIPS.COM

University of Alberta President Indira Samarasekera got herself in a bit of trouble last year when she told the Edmonton Journal that the low number of male students at Canadian universities was a crisis meriting her personal attention. "I am going to be an advocate for young, white males. Because I can be. No one will question me." Well, no one at the Edmonton Journal, anyway. If Samarasekera's claim that "in 20 years, we won't have any men as the heads of companies" had been fact checked, readers would have learned that women went from 55 percent of undergraduate population in 1993 to 58 percent in 2007. But the number of Alberta women in management jobs (forget CEOs) in Alberta dropped by one percent, from 35 percent to 34 percent, at the same time. As for CEOs, a study of women heading large Canadian companies shows the number of women CEOs went from four percent to six percent in five years. At that pace, Samarasekera's "crisis" of 100 percent female CEOs will come in about 97 years. It would seem the President of the U of A can hold the histrionics for at least a few decades.

In fact, Alberta women live in the most unequal province in Canada. Women who work full-time, full-year in Alberta earn a median 63 percent of what men earn, the largest earnings gap in Canada. That's not because of all the welders and pipefitters making huge bucks in the oilpatch. Alberta female university graduates earned a median 67 percent of what male university grads earned in 2007—the same ratio as in 1986. We have the worst family leave policies in Canada, and among the highest child care fees for the fewest number of regulated spots. Alberta is also the only province in Canada that doesn't have a women's secretariat or department dedicated to gender equality. Despite the facts, you can't swing a cat without hitting someone who insists women are doing better than ever. Pointing to high-profile women like Indira Samarasekera or Danielle Smith, Albertans seem to be convinced there's no longer any need for women's advocacy. But the economy seems to be saying something different. Everyone's incomes increased during the 2001 – 2007 oil boom. Women's median earnings in full-time, full-year jobs increased by 13 percent and men's earnings increased 13.6 percent. Until 2007, Alberta women's median earn-

ings were higher than women in the rest of Canada. The story of women's full-time, fullyear earnings should be put in context of over a decade of earnings decreases for women. During the 1993 – 1997 budget-cutting Klein years, women's median full-time, full-year earnings dropped 3.6 percent, while men's median earnings grew 5.1 percent in the same period. Women's earnings continued to stagnate after 1997. Between 1993 and 2003, Alberta women's earnings remained precisely the same, at $33 300. Over the course of the same decade, men's earnings increased by 11 percent. Women's wage stagnation shows that when governments cut, women's incomes suffer. It also shows that women's earnings are affected differently by Alberta's oil fuelled boombust economy. The story is different for single moms who work. Female-headed lone parent families saw their median market income drop over the course of the boom, from $36 000 in 2001 to $34 800 in 2007. Employed single moms are more likely to live in poverty in Alberta (24 percent) than in the rest of the country (16 percent). They also pay higher taxes than in British Columbia and Ontario.

In 2008, UNICEF ranked 27 industrialized countries on their child care policies and outcomes. Canada ranked last. And Alberta ranks last in Canada on a number of indicators. In other words, Alberta families access one of the worst early childhood systems in the industrialized world. Alberta doesn't fund child care centres, and instead gives lower-income families subsidies. Our approach is easily discredited by the results: Alberta's number of regulated child care spaces hasn't grown since 1992, despite huge growth in population and the economy. Alberta has among the fewest spots for children zero to five, and some of the highest fees. By contrast, the province of Quebec does not provide subsidies, but instead funds child-care centres directly. Fees are lower for parents and more quality spaces are available. The Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) is a club of industrialized countries; they are not wild-eyed radicals. The OECD does research that, in general, helps policy makers in the rich countries keep capitalism fairly civilized. Comparing over 30 countries, the OECD has demonstrated a direct link between women's economic equality and government-funded child care and early learning services. The pay gap be-

tween women and men is smallest in countries that invest in early childhood (France and the Nordic countries) and highest in places that don't (Canada, USA, Japan). Boosting women's wages by providing quality child care is cheaper, argues the OECD, for both governments and employers. Governments save on the social costs of poverty and employers retain skilled female workers. The OECD says family-friendly policies have a direct impact on economic growth, arguing countries should undertake better family leave and workfamily balance initiatives. Alberta does none of this, as we have the least amount of family leave, no provincial child benefit and no labour code provisions for flex-time and other workplace changes. But Canada as a whole is barely any better. Of the 30 countries examined by the OECD, Canada is 25th in government spending on family benefits, tied with Mexico and Turkey. Again, Alberta families are accessing one of the worst systems in the industrialized world. V Shannon Phillips is the author of an upcoming report on women's economic inequality in Alberta, co-sponsored by the Parkland Institute and Womanspace Resource Centre in Lethbridge.

COMMENT >> MEDIA

Is Canada a mobile laggard? There is something uniquely powerful cess rather than listen to lobbyists beabout everyday people having access hind closed doors while parliament is to the Internet from tiny devices in prorogued. We need to craft a vision their pocket. That ubiquitous access to and plan for our digital economy. This each other creates possibilities is our future, so we're all stakethat are worth fighting for and holders, and we all need to saving. The mobile and wirebe invited into the process. lessly accessed Internet, Giving up on our capacity combined with emerging ia.ca to meet this challenge and d e m c rati democ open web and open data apinstead relying primarily on steve@ plications, has the potential foreign investment schemes Steve on is not the answer. Such an apto usher in a new era of conAnders nectedness, and with it dramatic proach would, at best, miss the changes to social practices and instilessons learned from the countries tutions. If we get digital public policy that are leading in broadband speed, right, Canada could become a leader access and cost. in mobile communications, leading to Addressing Canada's "digital divides"— empowerment, job creation and new those based on geography (rural, reforms of entrepreneurialism, expres- mote, inner-city), ability (cognitive, sion and social change. physical), class, age, gender and ethTo harness this opportunity politi- nicity—is particularly difficult to close cians and policy makers will need to given the composition of the Canadian develop a digital strategy for Canada cell phone market. The market is highly with a central focus on mobile com- concentrated with more than 95 permunications and Canada's broadband cent belonging to Rogers Communicainfrastructure. To be successful in the tions Inc., Bell Canada Inc. and Telus long-term we'll need a "made in Can- Corp. These companies operate in the ada" strategy that captures the imagi- most proﬁtable wireless market in the nation, vision and ingenuity of people developed world, with a profit margin from across Canada. of 45.9 percent, or 12.8 percent higher than average. Despite this extraordiWe're All Stakeholders nary level of profitability, Canada is To be successful our government falling behind on usage, ranking last for needs to engage citizens in this pro- cell phone users per capita—in part be-

MEDIA

LINKS

cause these users pay the third-highest rates among developed countries. New policy in the public interest concerning wireless access to the Internet is perhaps the most promising opportunity to close our digital divides and spur innovation. Yet the CRTC's new media hearing in 2009 marked another occasion when the Commission could have, but refused to, deal with the problem. While the CRTC’s ruling on new media essentially delayed and side-stepped many of the key issues raised at the hearing, its inaction also set the stage for a high-profile debate over Canada’s national digital strategy. Strategy Hangs in the Balance With pressure building, in June 2009 Industry Minister Tony Clement hosted a Digital Economy Conference to discuss the possibility of a national digital strategy. In 2010 and beyond, the policy-making process concerning Canada’s digital strategy promises to be a crucial and highly contested space, where the decisions that are made will have a deep and long-lasting impact on Canadian media and communications. A recent Harvard study makes the situation yet more salient, concluding: "Canada continues to see itself as a high performer in broadband, as it was early in the decade, but current benchmarks

suggest that this is no longer a realistic picture of its comparative performance on several relevant measures." Canadians face high prices, poor service and highly constricted choice. This is a reality that most Canadians are aware of: more than half of respondents (53 percent) in a 2009 Angus Reid Public Opinion poll reported that they believe Canada is one of the most expensive countries in which to use a cell phone. If this public opinion can be harnessed to an intervention in the government's digital strategy policy, Canada's wireless market could take a 180-degree turn. We are at a communications crossroads in Canada. Better media means better policies, and that requires engaging all Canadians in the discussion. The formation of Canada's digital strategy policy provides a historic opportunity for us to once again become a leader in cultural production and communications access, speed and innovation, and to close digital divides that prevent people from expressing themselves and connecting to each other. V Steve Anderson is the national coordinator for OpenMedia.ca. Media Links is a syndicated column supported by CommonGround, TheTyee, Rabble.ca, and Vue Weekly

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

UP FRONT // 5

ALBERTA // WOMEN'S EQUALITY

Barriers to equality

Access to abortion remains a key barrier to full equality in Alberta Laura collison // laura@vueweekly.com

arch 8 is the United Nations International Women's Day and this year's theme is "Equal rights, equal opportunities: Progress for all." The World Health Organization has repeatedly identified women's ability to control their reproductive health, including their ability to time pregnancies and limit family size, as essential to their equality. Autonomy over their reproductive health has allowed women in Canada to exercise their equal rights and embrace equal opportunities. And statistics have shown countries with widespread access to contraception, like the Netherlands and Germany, have low rates of unwanted pregnancies and abortions. Here in Alberta the provincial government took a positive step towards women's equality when it allowed the over-the-counter sale of emergency contraception in 2008. But the question of

access still presents a problem for the province's women today. Abortion is, officially, like any other health care service. "In Canada, there is no obstacle that exists in terms of law," Taryn Hancock, of the University of Alberta's pro-choice collective, Voices for Choices, explains. "The Canada Health Act says that it should be a safe, legal and funded service." There are three clinics in the province, two in Calgary and one in Edmonton, and the service is performed in hospitals in Grande Prairie and Peace River. Hancock notes that access to abortion services is better in Alberta than in places like PEI, which has no services anywhere in the province, and New Brunswick, where the provincial government refuses to fund procedures performed in clinics. But with only a few access points across the province, the lack of widespread service means that for most women in Alberta the ability to access abortion is limited to women who can afford it.

Hancock is concerned about what this lack of access means for women in Alberta. "In these instances not only will women be pushed farther along in their pregnancy, making it a more dangerous procedure, but there's also not a lot of choice in the matter. Women who have a lower socio-economic status can't travel to Edmonton to be able to get an abortion. So it becomes the case that different women, depending on how much money they have, have different accessibility and that's certainly not right." The Alberta NDP recently toured the province speaking to Albertans about health care. Of the number of issues raised around women's health, access to abortion services was one of the most significant, said Rachel Notley, MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona. "It's funded under the Canada Health Act, but when you're looking to having to travel six hours, say you're in living in Fort McMurray, to get CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 >>

COMMENT >> AFGHANISTAN

Afghanistan in 16 characters "By May 1928 the basic principles of guerilla warfare ... had already been evolved; that is, the 16-character formula: the enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack; the enemy retreats, we pursue." Mao Tse-tung, 1936

victory for the guerillas. The Jewish war against British occupation in Palestine in the 1940s; the war against the French in Algeria in the 1950s; the Vietnam war in the 1960s; the Rhodesian war in the 1970s; the victory of the Afghan "mujahedeen" against the Soviet army in the 1980s: in these and sevNot many of the Taliban guerileral dozen other wars, Western las in Afghanistan have read armies with all their massive Mao on guerilla warfare, but firepower eventually lost to then, they knew how to do the lightly armed nationalists. om eekly.c it anyway. The current crop By contrast, the number of @vuew e n n y gw of officers in the Western times when they won can be e n n y Gw armies that are fighting them counted on the fingers of one Dyer badly mutilated hand. By the don't seem to have read their Mao either, which is a more serious 1970s, Western armies had figured omission. The generation before them out why they always lost, and began to certainly did. avoid such struggles—but now, they seem Mao Tse-tung didn't invent guerilla war- to have forgotten again. fare, but he did write the book on it. The The guerrillas always won, in that era, "sixteen-character formula" sums it up: because the Western armies were fightnever stand and fight, just stay in busiing to retain direct control of Third-World ness and wear the enemy down. "The countries or impose some puppet regime ability to run away is the essence of the on them, at a time when the people of guerilla," as Mao put it—and that is why those countries had already awakened to the much-ballyhooed "battle" for Marjah nationalism. All the guerrillas had to do and Nad Ali, two small towns in Afghani- was observe the sixteen-character formula stan's Helmand province, is irrelevant to and stay in business. the outcome of the war. They could accept a loss ratio of dozens Breathless reports of the "battle" by em- or hundreds dead for each foreign soldier bedded journalists have filled the Amerikilled, because they had an endless supcan and European media for the past two ply of local 18-year-olds eager to join the weeks, as if winning it might make a differ- fight. Whereas the Western armies could ence. The truth is that some of the local not take many casualties or go on fighting Taliban fighters have been left to sell their for many years, because popular support lives as dearly as possible, while most have at home was always fragile. been pulled back or sent home to await reIn the end, the Western army could call. "The enemy advances; we retreat." always quit and go home without sufferMao didn't invent guerilla warfare; he ing any especially terrible consequences. was merely a very successful practitioner The locals did not have that option, since who tried to codify the rules. Afghans they were already home, so they always don't really need instruction in it, since had more staying power. Eventually, presthat has been the hill-tribes' style of warsure at home forced the foreigners to give fare since time immemorial. The only new up and leave—and the Taliban's leaders element in the equation, since the 1940s, know that. They watched the Russians is that these wars have almost all ended in leave only 20 years ago.

R DYEIG HT

STRA

6 // UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

The current generation of Western officers are in denial, as if the past half-century didn't happen. They parrot some of the slogans of the era of guerilla wars, like the need to win the "hearts and minds" of the population, but it's just empty words. The phrase dates from the Vietnam War, but the tactic didn't work there and it isn't working in Afghanistan. The plan, in this "offensive" in Helmand province, is to capture the towns ("clear and hold"), and then saturate the area with Afghan troops and police and win the locals' hearts and minds by providing better security and public services. It might work if all the people involved on both sides were bland, interchangeable characters from The Sims, but they are not. The people of Helmand province are Pashtuns, and the Taliban are almost exclusively a Pashtun organisation. The people that the Western armies are fighting are local men: few Taliban fighters die more than a day's walk from home. Whereas almost none of the "Afghan" troops and police who are supposed to win local minds and hearts are Pashtuns. They are mostly Tajiks from the north who speak Dari, not Pashto. (Very few Pashtuns join the Kabul regime's army and police.) Even if these particular Afghan police are better trained and less prone to steal money, do drugs and rape young men at checkpoints than their colleagues elsewhere, they are unwelcome outsiders in Helmand. This is just another post-imperial guerrilla war, and it will almost certainly end in the same way as all the others. Twenty years ago, any Western military officer could have told you that, but large organisations often forget their own history. V Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles are published in 45 countries. His column appears each week in Vue Weekly.

WOMEN'S EQUALITY

<< CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

this procedure the barrier becomes almost insurmountable because there's a cost. There's a cost to the travel, there's a cost to staying in Edmonton." Financial concerns are not the only barriers some women face. Notley explains that for some women, travel is not an option for another reason. "We heard from some people from the women's re-

source centre in Lethbridge who talked about, if a woman was in an abusive relationship and she wanted to terminate her pregnancy, the distance and the cost associated with it made it very difficult for her to actually have that happen, so it was effectively inaccessible. That's the bottom line." One of the reasons for a lack of abortion services is the shortage of doctors who know how to perform the procedure. "If there is no one to perform an abortion then the fact that the Canada

Health Act states that abortion should be provided is no longer actually applicable," says Hancock. One of the NDP's recommendations for improving access to abortion services is for doctors to be educated in the procedure, with the ability to opt-out, as a standard part of their training. "We'd rather see a greater focus on it in terms of education," says Notley, "I'm not suggesting that we're going to force every doctor to learn how to perform an abortion if they are objecting on religious grounds. But

right now it's an option that they have to choose and what should happen is they should have to choose not to." The NDP would also like to see the government take a more pro-active stance on the matter. Notley says this lack of abortion services for Albertans is "a way in which our healthcare system is failing just women" and calls for "more pressure and direction from the Ministry of Health. We fund those hospitals to have the facilities to perform these procedures, so it should be done.

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

And if they don't have the facilities, that's fine, but if they do, why aren't they providing them?" Both Notley and Hancock want to ensure access to safe abortion so women in Alberta do not have to face the health risks involved with unsafe abortions and are able to achieve full equality. As Albertans celebrate the progress of women on International Women's Day, for many women in the province, this progress is limited by unequal access to health services. V

UP FRONT // 7

COMMENT >> INTERNET LAW

Setting an agenda

Canada's digital laws could progress with a four-step plan Parliament resumes this week following the unex- Senate hearings earlier this year. Having received pectedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and unexpectedly contentiousâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;decision all-party support and extensive study, the legislaby Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reset the leg- tion should be placed on a rocket docket with a islative agenda through prorogation. commitment to passing the bill before the summer The House of Commons may have been quiet recess. but the calls for a national digital strategy have Two other long-awaited bills should be part of the grown louder in recent months. Last week, the short-term digital strategy. With the national copyInternational Telecommunications Union issued right consultation complete, a digital copyright bill its annual global measurement of the information consistent with Clement's commitment to a forwardsociety, which served again to highlight Canada's looking, technology neutral approach should be introsinking global technology ranking. Canada duced within the next 100 days. So, too, should a ranked 21st (down from 18th in 2007) privacy reform bill, which Clement identified in its ICT Development Index, which as a priority at the start of 2010. groups 11 indices including access, use and technology skills. Beyond new legislation, the govern.com Canada's sliding global ranking reflects ment can use the next 100 days to lead weekly e u v mgeist@ 10 years of policy neglect. Other counby example. A new data.gc.ca website el Micha tries prioritized digital issues while leadwith open government datasets like t s Gei ers here from all parties have been conthose found in the United States and the tent to rest on the laurels of the late 1990s, United Kingdom should be easy to achieve. only to wake up to a new, less-competitive reality The government also could follow the Australian in 2010. approach to solve the crown copyright problem Industry Minister Tony Clement has spoken fre- that restricts use of government documents by quently about the need for a national digital strate- adopting open licences that grant permission to gy, but concrete policies have been slow in coming. use documents without formal approval (or the The parliamentary restart presents another oppor- need for a new law). tunity for action. Given the failure to date to arThe government can use the next 100 days to ticulate a comprehensive digital strategy, perhaps step up its digital enforcement agenda. This ina different approach might work. cludes ensuring Internet providers are compliant Following the Speech from the Throne and the with net neutrality requirements and that telemarbudget, there will be about 100 days until the sum- keters abide by do-not-call legislation. mer break. Clement could set a series of realizable Finally, longer-term digital agenda issues must targets during those 100 days. Such targets would be put on the policy front burner. These include not solve ongoing concerns regarding the competi- discussions on spectrum allocation, digital teletiveness of Canada's wireless sector or the findings vision transition, removal of Canadian control that Canadians pay higher prices for slower Inter- requirements in the telecom sector and new net speeds than consumers in many other coun- media issues. tries, but some momentum could be gained and None of these initiatives will mark an immediate resome quick wins achieved. surgence in Canada's digital ranking. But after years A 100-day digital agenda could have four compo- of missteps, perhaps some baby steps now would nents: new laws, new initiatives, new enforcement put the nation's digital agenda back on track. V and new policy development. On the legislative front, Clement should rein- Michael Geist holds the Canada Research Chair in troduce the Electronic Commerce Protection Act, Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of the anti-spam bill that passed through the House Ottawa, Faculty of Law. He can reached at mgeist@ of Commons and was to have been the subject of uottawa.ca or online at michaelgeist.ca.

ZEIT

GEIST

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One-state solution FOR Israel-Palestine conflict: Ali Abunimah explains why ON vueweekly.com.

8 // UP FRONT

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010

BOB THE ANGRY FLOWER

COMMENT >> HOCKEY

Back to boredom

Post-Olympic Oiler report: The Oilers sput- team in need of some quiet leadership. tered back to action with a 4-3 loss in NashFernando Pisani is gone. We get a late ville. Insult to injury? Freshly traded former round pick. His health makes him less tradeOiler Denis Grebeshkov managed to stick it to able. His work ethic makes him a spare part the Oilers with a goal and an assist against for another team. Edmonton in his new Predators jersey. Oiler Director of Player Development Crashing back to Earth I spent a little Mike Sillinger, out of habit, packs up his time Tuesday night watching the Oilers/ belongings and flies to another NHL city, Predators game but it really felt like realthinking he was traded. (For those not in ity set in—and hard. The Olympic on the joke, Sillinger was traded nine Hockey Tournament alone was times in his NHL career; many of a reminder to me how long it those on deadline day). has been since I’ve watched I liked the Denis Grebeshkov a hockey game and actually .com trade on Monday, however. I ly k e e ew ox@vu gave a damn about the result. can't believe some Internet intheb Since the 2006 playoff run, posters and armchair GMs honDave Oiler games have been meanestly believe an underachieving $3 Young ingless and almost entirely free of million player could produce more emotion. Man, was it fun to sit on the than a second round draft pick in return. edge of the seat and feel the adrenalin Trading salary away and getting draft picks when Canada scored a clutch goal or the back is exactly what the Oilers need to do disappointment when a Canadian oppo- right now. It was the right deal. This is not a nent scored or nearly scored. team that has bargaining clout. A hockey game without that rush and urgency is quite stale and unfulfilling. Back to Another prediction There isn't really a lot reality, hockey fans. to keep Oiler fans interested and excited. Last place seems a certainty and the next What a shot! Sidney Crosby's overtime goal notable date on the calendar is the upcomin the gold medal final has unseated Petr ing draft and draft lottery. Last year's draft Klima's triple-overtime goal against Boston lottery was televised and will be the only in the 1990 Cup final as the most exciting thing resembling edge-of-your-seat excitehockey goal I've witnessed. Other than being ment. Then the draft itself should be a treat. a dramatic overtime goal in the Olympics on So what can the Oilers brass do to throw a Canadian soil, this goal gains added nostalgia little bone to the fans? points as I did NOT follow it up with far too Bring hotshot World Junior hero Jordan much Sambuca as I did after Klima scored in Eberle to town. 1990. I still can't even smell that stuff withThe team can pick up the popular youngout feeling ill. ster and use him for no more than nine NHL games without eating up a year of his Trades!? Can't tell you. I'd love to break rookie contract. If they do so, it will give down and analyse the March 3 trade deadline local fans something to cheer that's better moves but this column is submitted Tuesday than this death watch. nights. What you are reading is unfortunately If they do so, my prediction is we'll see free of factual trade-deadline talk. Eberle play with the Oilers on March 19. That Here’s my pre-March 3 wish list, locked in would be the first of four home games in a for posterity: row. That way Edmonton fans have at least The Ethan Moreau era is over. We get an- one little reason to show up at Rexall. Eberle other second rounder back. would be free of his commitments to his The Shawn Horcoff era is over. If GM WHL team (whose season would be over— Steve Tambellini actually manages to bro- the Regina Pats will not be in the playoffs) ker that deal with Horc's inflated salary and by then.. Seeing Eberle in an Oiler jersey may cap hit he's a real GM and we should keep sell a handful of extra Pay-Per-View activahim. Good luck to him. tions at a time that fans would be quite unSteve Staios goes to a Cup contending willing to shell out the ducats otherwise. V

IN THE

BOX

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

UP FRONT // 9

SNOW ZONE SKI // KICKING HORSE

Cuts both ways

Taking the blades, and shovels, to Kicking Horse Kirk Zembal // kirk@vueweekly.com

hen it comes to skiing, I'm a bit of a purist. Not that I look upon snowboards or telemarks or tourers with disdain; I fully appreciate that each one has its own place on the mountain. But snow blades? Really? They're like the mushroom cut of skis—short all around, rounded at the edges and hilarious on a grown man in 2010. Nowadays the only time you really see them is when someone is riding one of those ski-bikes that look like an oversized GT SnoRacer but probably came without the complimentary Brett Hull poster. While the champions of the snowblading community insist on calling the sport "skiboarding" to me it'll always be known as snowblading; or alternatively by one of the more laughable monikers, "foot-skiing." So I was filled with joy when I was in-

formed that for an upcoming trip to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort one of our gang had decided to "demo" a set of snowblades for the weekend. Joy, of course, at the thought of a weekend full of one-liners, subtle cuts and digs and generally merriment at the expense of the snowblader's sense of self-worth. Also making a trip out to Golden BC, just days earlier, were both the Olympic Torch and BC Premier Gordon Campbell. The Torch meandering its way towards Vancouver; the Premier to announce the provincial government's approval of Kicking Horse's 40-year Master Development Agreement. A development plan that—at least in the next 40 years—calls for a total of 11 lifts, a new golf course, 20 000 beds on-hill and 4188 acres of skiable terrain. The very welcome news comes mere days after reports of 1.5-hour lift line waits the previous weekend owing to a closing of the Trans-Canada Highway through Rogers Pass west of Golden

and diversion of skier traffic destined for Revelstoke and resorts further westward. According to the new MDA, Kicking Horse has indicated that they are aware that on peak days the gondola is running at maximum capacity and that a second lift or lifts to service the upper mountain from the base are needing following years of essentially no new development on the hill since it opened in 2000. That year, when the skiing community was abuzz with talk of this new verticallyendowed ski hill, was also the height of the snowblading fad and the last time I skied with anyone wearing snowblades. In the ski world, a decade can seem like a generation, so I was curious to see how both held up to the burgeoning light of the 2010s. We pulled into Golden on the wrong side of midnight after a road trip that left me—if such a word exists—prenostalgic. I can already foresee a time when we'll look back on the days before smart phones with fondness. I guess the novelty of being able to screen Youtube videos and lookup Wikipedia from a cell phone as you traverse a mountain pass hasn't worn off yet. But that coupled with satellite radio/MP3 players removing the static-y dead spots as you pass out of a radio station's broadcast area makes for quite a different road trip than in the days of not-so-long ago. So after getting called on my bullshit again and having my old monochromescreened cell phone mocked one last time I welcomed the few hours of shuteye before the lifts opened. We woke to clear skies, sunshine and a "packed powder" snow report. Perfect conditions for a day of snowblading. Seriously though, the wide light and soft snow sent us up the gondola with bated breath to take a look at two of Kicking Horse's upgraded features for the 2009/2010 ski season: Hidden Gems and the new glading to skier's left off the gondola. It's hard not to be a fan of glading (cutting down trees to create spaces to ski between), especially when it hasn't snowed in a few days. Tree-skiing can get a little hairy without a safety blanket of tree-well snow to slow you down. With increased glading you can avoid heading down a tracked-out treed run where your only options are "ski good or eat wood." Cutting through trees like we were on a groomer, snowblader started to get the speed wobbles. With no tips or tails to really speak of, the snow blades couldn't hold the line that its longer cousins could. Normally that would slow a guy down, but not with battered pride on the mend and a very dangerous iPhone app that measures top speed using the built-in GPS chip. A few speed cruisers later we found

10 // SNOW ZONE

BLADE RUNNER >> Kicking Horse is evolving past the awkward adolescent phase. Some skiers aren't // Kirk Zembal Hidden Gems which aims to blend freestyle kickers and features into existing runs. Normally the takeoff and landings off jumps in a terrain park are built the way they are for a reason—and scouted out beforehand. But the mini-wanderlust of exploring a run and throwing yourself with speed at anything you hope will toss you into the air with some semblance of stability is intoxicating. First runs offered mixed results—a few short landings, a few long. First runs from the snowblader in comparison offered raucous laughter— one endo (end-over-end) and one, um, reverse endo off a launch. Turns out that with less than 100 centimetres underfoot you've got to be very conscious of weight positioning. Down into the moguls at the conclusion of Hidden Gems is where Mr. Snowblader finally found some redemption. Most everyone will agree that Kicking Horse is steep. And mogully. On a powder day, this offers a rolling, bouncy, soft cruise from top to bottom, a 1245 metre vertical drop. On a notso-powder day, this means you start exploring for powder packs or start traversing the ridges. Today, this means the snowblader blades circles around us down seemingly endless mogul runs. Where the longer skis and boards bounce off the sides of moguls and the operators of said skis and boards jump-turn and churn their way down, the snowblader quite easily steps around mogul heads and rides the troughs with grace. With nothing but a few half-hearted barbs to throw at the snowblader to soothe our aching thighs, I reckoned I had to give the short skis a try. Obvious first stop—the small but serviceable terrain park fed by the Catamount chair. As of now, the fixed-grip Catamount is the de facto bunny hill chair with discounted lift tickets if you want to stick to it alone, but the newly approved MDA calls for a replacement detached, high

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

speed Catamount feeding into a new chair opening up the southern side of the mountain. The Pioneer will become the new bunny lift and a new lift will be positioned from mid-hill to drop skiers into the bowl north of Rudi's Bowl. These are the lifts most likely at the top of the rotation in terms of resort wants/ needs but word on the gondola is that first on the docket will be a new ski in/ ski out hotel being built on the site of the existing car park. Although some locals remain skeptical—this new Master Development Agreement essentially supersedes the existing Agreement which died a death of stagnation—most remain obviously thrilled at the prospect of new lifts and new terrain. Back in the terrain park, I adjusted the bindings for my boots, strapped in, ditched the poles and snaked my way through the gates and into the park. Now, rails and boxes scare me—I'm always falling off them. I end up jamming a ski into the ground or twisting something. With snowblades though, it's like your skis go into rail/box mode and the fear dissipates. A few rails and a butterbox into it and I'm already feeling like a park kid. I was kinda disappointed to leave, which was a peculiar feeling for this confirmed freerider. So I guess snowblades have a place on the hill after all—they are a breeze through moguls and they make the terrain park accessible for even the more timid of skiers. After a decade without a first hand look at them, they are a refreshing change of pace. The same holds true for Kicking Horse Mountain Resort; the anticipation of something new to play with fuels excitement in Goldenites and visitors even today. But while Kicking Horse awaits its adolescent phase of development, it can stand strong on its existing setup; whereas snowblades must rely solely on the novelty factor—because they nonetheless still look ridiculous on a grown man. V

ALPINE >> NEWS Star light, star bright will help you get started. If you're arriving This weekend on Saturday, March 6, in the dark, upon entering the parking lot, Winterlight 2010 is hosting an incredible keep your lights down and please rememstar-gazing experience at Elk Island Na- ber to stay away from any bison. tional Park. All you need to do is pack some warm winter-active clothing A true Canadian snowboarder and head out to the park, where I've been writing about the festivities are scheduled to Canadian Rocket, Jasey-Jay begin at 4 pm. Bring the kids Anderson in these Fall Lines early-family friendly activities for 12 years. It is with great om .c ly k e vuewe include sky viewing, Aborigipleasure that I get to write hart@ Hart k nal storytelling, constellation once again on his latest and c crafts, snow mountain, solar greatest accomplishment at Golbe system snow play—plus the the Olympics last weekend. brand new Star Party zipfy hill! Anderson's debut was back in Nagano Upon arriving, look for the Welcome in 1998 when snowboarding made its Tent—the home for information, hot inaugural entry onto the Olympic scene. chocolate and a warm fire. As night falls At this point he'd already won numerous and the sky illuminates with stars, there'll events and there was much hope for him be dozens of telescopes set up and ready to carry it into the games but he finished to go courtesy of volunteer astronomers. 16th in the giant slalom. In the following Special guests will give presentations and Olympics he didn't fare much better. Aftalks on celestial subjects. There is music ter disappointment in 2006 he vowed to and media in the Golf Club Star Lounge. give it one more shot. If you love taking pictures, bring your In his snowboarding career Anderson's camera and practise your night/star pho- tried all of the disciplines including halftography in a workshop where an expert pipe, boardercross and giant slalom, but

FALL

LINES

in the end he found a home in parallel giant slalom (PGS). After 59 career podium finishes all that was missing was an Olympic medal. On Saturday all that changed. His first qualification run was slow and it looked like the 34-year-old would once again go home empty handed. But the savvy veteran adjusted his PGS gear and smoked the second run, easily qualifying for the final 16 dual knockout stage. One by one Anderson knocked them off and in the end there were only two boarders left: Anderson and the current World Cup leader, Austrian Benjamin Karl. Karl won the first run by .76 seconds but in the second run Jasey-Jay turned it up one last time and he rode his board through rain and fog to an amazing gold-medal victory. His wife and two little daughters were there to see him win and when barraged by reporters at the finish line this humble boarder was left speechless. In the off season, Anderson is a blueberry farmer. He can now focus on that craft knowing his snowboarding mantle is complete. V

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

SNOW ZONE // 11

INSIDE // DISH

DISH

Online at vueweekly.com >>DISH

Restaurant Reviews

Sweet Mango

Check out our comprehensive online database of Vue Weekly’s restaurant reviews, searchable by location, price and type.

REVUE // HEALTH FARE

Delicious and nutritious Health Fare's transparency and food are refreshing

CALM AND DELICIOUS >> Health Fare's decor and food are a mid-afternoon treat L.S. Vors // vors@vueweekly.com

he calorie. Surely there is not a more heavily burdened word in the realm of cuisine. Its very mention may evoke fear or glee, longing or shame, or any other swath of complicated emotions that exemplify humanity's relationship with this unit. Caloric content of restaurant food is typically a closely-guarded secret. Although many fast food restaurants post nutritional information, the print is so small as to require a magnifying glass (or binoculars, if the nutritional info poster is behind the counter) to glean any sort of useful numbers to guide a dining decision. How different would our fast food decisions be if we knew a particular cheeseburger was an entire day's recommended caloric intake? Conversely, what if nutritional information was readily accessible and the food offerings were delicious? Health Fare, an Edmonton-based franchise that recently opened a café on Jasper Avenue, aims to be the latter in this conundrum. Each item on its concise menu is accompanied by its

// Renee Poirier

total caloric value—in plain sight. The honesty is refreshing. Mains include sandwiches, such as the clubhouse, tuna with Canadian cheddar, and charred Mediterranean veggies with goat cheese. Meal-sized salads and rice bowls round out the mains while smaller salads, such as broccoli and sesame, asparagus and dill, function as side dishes. An assortment of organic fruit juices, fair-trade coffee and tea are the principal beverages. It's lunch time, and Health Fare is bustling with business-types and random shoppers. A white and green mural of plant silhouettes faces floor-to-ceiling windows, maximizing the natural light that manages to sneak past the high-rises and parkades nearby. All food preparation is in full view behind a gracefully arched glass counter, where chefs call out the names of diners whose meals are ready. In that sense, it is part café and part cafeteria, as one picks up their own meal on a rectangular, black plastic tray. The potential exists for this spot to be one of serenity, but poorly-chosen background music mars the scene. Frenetic, pulsating and hyperactive punk rock assaults my

12 // DISH

eardrums, detracting from the peaceful mural and delicious-looking lunches. Ignoring the aural onslaught, I pick up my Health Fare club ($8.99) with a side of quinoa salad ($3.99). A crusty, multigrain bun cradles mixed greens, slices of

foil for these elements. The charred veggies with goat cheese ($8.99) presents the same bun stuffed with roasted strips of red and yellow peppers, eggplant and zucchini anointed with tangy, herbed goat cheese. The veggies and goat cheese are a natural

All food preparation is in full view behind a gracefully arched glass counter, where chefs call out the names of diners whose meals are ready. oven-roasted turkey, rounds of crimson tomato, wedges of succulent avocado and crisp strips of turkey bacon. Alas, my request for no mayonnaise has been ignored, so I swap buns with my friend, who has ordered the charred Mediterranean veggies with goat cheese. I slowly take a bite, allowing each ingredient to introduce itself: first, the earthiness of the mixed greens, the mild smokiness of the turkey, followed by a zip of acidity from the tomatoes, and crowned by the dual pleasures of luxuriant avocado and bacon. The sturdy bun is an ideal

combination of sweet and salty. The bun, as tasty as it is, is too crusty for the vegetables on their own. Buns have such a low crust-to-fluffy insides ratio that they require a high degree of moisture from their sandwich fillings to balance out the crust. Thus, the charred veggie-wich would benefit from a touch of virgin olive oil or even hummus to impart some much-needed moisture. Our sides, asparagus with dill ($3.99) and quinoa salad, are instant hits. The asparagus is blanched, then served with snippets of fresh dill and a drizzle

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

of olive oil. Each crisp bite evokes gardens and warm summer days. Quinoa, which are the seeds of a South American shrubby plant, are tiny bubbles of flavour, each bursting with subtle nuttiness. Red kidney beans, golden kernels of corn, shreds of tomato and cranberries dot this mound of miniature, translucent pearls. Dressed in fresh lemon juice, it is an enviable composition. I am well aware of my meal's caloric content—approximately 600—and am pleased that each of these units comprised fresh baking and produce, plus lean protein. To how many French fries would this be equivalent? I implore Heath Fare to rethink their background music, but commend them for bolstering downtown with healthful options— especially quinoa. Calories, after all, have one more definition (with credit to Garfield the cat): they are units of measurement for delectability. V Mon – Fri (6:30 am – 8 pm) Sat (9 am – 7 pm); Sun (10 am – 5 pm) Health Fare 10279 Jasper Ave, 780.990.1231

BEER

Out of the ordinary Howe Sound Brewing keeps it interesting Rail Ale Nut Brown

Howe Sound Brewing, Squamish, BC $9.99 for a one-litre bottle Chances are you have heard of Squamish. Maybe even passed through it on your way to Whistler or to take the old scely.com nic route to the interior. If you eweek int@vu tothep are of such nature, you might Jason even know something of its imFoster portance in Canadian railway history. If you're not from around there, however, chances are that that's about all you know about Squamish, the quiet highway town of 15Â 000 midway between Vancouver and Whistler. Well, friends, I am here to teach you one more, very delicious, piece of knowledge about that town. If you have reason to stay in Squamish, you might stumble across a small inn with, unexpectedly, its own brewery attached. Howe Sound Inn has been open since 1996, serving its clients with a bed to sleep in and a beer to tuck in with. However, it is more than that. The hotel uses the brewery to distribute bottles to select locations and for most of its history it served the lower mainland only. Then last year Howe Sound Brewing began shipping to Alberta. STRAIGHT OUTTA SQUAMISH >> The first thing you will notice about Howe Bigger bottles, better flavour // File Sound beers is the bottle: a huge, one-litre swing-top bottle which also has a tradition- fee flavours up front, along with some al cap. The brewery calls the bottle a "pot- raisin, plum, molasses and licorice notes. stopper," inspired by re-usable beer jugs This first impression interplays with roast, from the early part of the 20th century. It's which lingers after the swallow. I also dean imposing presence on a beer shelf. tect some low levels of spiciness to add There are a few Howe Sound beers in Al- complexity to the beer. berta now, including their very topical BailThe beer has more flavour than expected out Bitter. For my first sampling, however, at first. It is quite an assertive interpretation I picked up a bottle (with both hands) of of the style, seeming almost more akin to the Rail Ale Nut Brown. In the glass it pres- a porter to my palate. In a country where ents a deep mahogany brown with a thick, brown ales tend toward the timid end, tight, off-white head. The aroma gives off Howe Sound produces a full throttle verburnt chocolate and some roasted nut sion without going overboard. character. There is malt sweetness, but it I certainly learned something today about is the soft roast aromas that catch my at- Squamish. They make good beer there. tention the most. I must try some of Howe Sounds' other In the sip, it has assertive nut and tof- beers soon. V

TO TH

PINT

MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

DISH // 13

REVUE // SWEET MANGO

Try the wontons

Sweet Mango's appetizers the biggest draw

SWEET DECOR >> As colourful as the fruit the restaurant is named for Pete Desrochers // desrochers@vueweekly.com

weet Mango is an unpretentious little restaurant, tucked away in a nearly unnoticeable strip mall, with plastic outdoor-type lawn chairs, very plain tables and almost no décor worth mentioning.

// Renee Poirier

Fortunately, it has two things working in its favour. The first is a large sign, so that you don’t miss it if you happen to blink as you drive by. The second is some darn good Asian food. Sweet Mango offers Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese selections and has its menu sectioned accordingly.

14 // DISH

ger, they were deep fried just enough to give them a golden color and a light, crunchy texture with no grease whatsoever. Without a doubt, Sweet Mango’s crispy wontons are among the best wontons I’ve had anywhere. They, alone, are worth the visit. The other appetizer of note is Sweet Mango’s coconut soup ($14.95). This more exotic choice has crab, shrimp, scallops, squid and other seafood—it’s reminiscent of a bouillabaisse. Although I am personally not a fan of coconut, there is no denying quality. This is clearly their signature dish. About 1/3 of the customers there seemed to be ordering the coconut soup and thoroughly enjoying it. So we weren’t alone. For our main course, we kept it simple. I chose the beef and vegetables in black bean sauce ($12.95), and my wife selected curry ginger chicken ($12.95). There was nothing fancy in our choices, other than it is easy to compare quality of known entities. Most items are pretty much traditional fare, regardless of what section of the menu you happen to be perusing. The appetizers, however, offer the biggest diversity. My wife and I started our meal with crispy wontons ($8.45). Filled with ground pork, ground shrimp, minced onion, a hint of garlic and a little gin-

There were plenty of thinly cut beef slivers amid the usual array of broccoli, onions and red peppers. To the restaurant’s credit, I found not a single piece of beef with any fat. One of my pet peeves is to order a beef dish of this nature and find fat around the edges, or lined through the meat, so I was very pleased to note they used quality slices.

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

My wife’s curry ginger chicken was fine. Chunks of chicken were served with carrots, zucchini and mushroom. The sweetness of the ginger nicely balanced the strength of the curry. Both dishes went well with our side order of coconut rice. My wife just loves coconut rice and was the true critic here. It was piping hot, fluffy and flavourful—which is the way you want rice to be served. We were far too full for dessert, which is often less of a factor in Asian cuisine. Instead, we chose to sip on some more green tea and casually leave at our convenience. With everything we had, our bill was still under $50. Neither my wife nor I can honestly say that this was an extraordinary dining experience, or that Sweet Mango is the best place we’ve ever dined at, but we can say, unequivocally, that Sweet Mango is a good Asian restaurant with good food at reasonable prices and a few very pleasant surprises like the coconut soup and those fantastic crispy wontons. If you like Asian food, it is definitely worth a try. Oh, did I mention the crispy wontons? V Mon – Thu (11 am – 9 pm); Fri – Sat (11 am – 10 pm); Sun (12 pm – 9 pm) Sweet Mango 9120 - 82 Ave, 780.462.8929

PROVENANCE

History of maple syrup When you imagine the making of maple syrup, perhaps you picture a man and his sons riding a wagon, or even a sleigh in the peaceful winter forest, as horses slog through the snow from maple tree to maple tree, each laden with sap. Maybe you envision the sons emptying buckets of sap that have been hanging from the trunks of these trees into a larger container at the back of the wagon or sleigh. And finally, you might think of Mom, boiling down the sweet sap over a fire in a little wooden shack with a chimney emitting a plume of aromatic smoke. If you did, you’d be right. Aside from Mom in the little log cabin turning to industrialsized processes, the method essentially hasn’t changed in over 300 years. There are many legends as to how maple sap was discovered. One is that an Indian Chief threw a tomahawk into a big tree that started oozing sap. He noticed the sweet taste of the sap and had his wife boil venison in it. Another is simply that an aboriginal stumbled on sap running from a broken maple branch. Canadian and North-Eastern America jointly share the credit for turning maple sap into maple syrup. What is known for sure is that, from the 17th century onward, regional dairy farmers were responsible for launching the maple syrup industry. Some wanted to supplement their income from milk. Others needed a source of sweetener that was better and cheaper than sugar or molasses. As maple syrup

OLD SCHOOL >> Though new methods exist, some sap is still collected in buckets became increasingly popular, more uses were found for it as a topping, a cooking ingredient and, of course, for making sugar candy. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make a single gallon of maple syrup, due to the high water content in the sap itself. Although modern science has developed networks of tubing for collecting sap from maple trees, the system can still have problems in cold temperatures, and the traditional wagon or sleigh is not an uncommon sight. Rock maple, hard maple and the bestknown sugar maple are the three sources of the sap that can be converted to maple syrup. Under both Canadian and US laws, any maple tree with a trunk diameter of less than 12 inches cannot be tapped for

// File

making syrup. It takes 30 years for a maple tree to grow to that size. V Pete Desrochers

// DESROCHERS@vueweekly.com

RECIPE Cabane à sucre is a traditional, French Canadian springtime festivity. In addition to a feast, freshly made syrup is heated to about 234° F and poured, while hot, over clean snow. The syrup suddenly turns waxy and is eaten like candy, along with plain doughnuts or dinner rolls. The doughnuts and dinner rolls mitigate the strong sweetness of the candy. V

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

DISH // 15

16 // DISH

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

EDUCATION // 17

18 // EDUCATION

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

EDUCATION // SEASONED SOLUTIONS

What's in your food?

If you don't know, Gail Hall's Seasoned Solutions can show you Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

dmonton culinary queen Gail Hall has found the perfect marriage of cooking and learning. In the comfort of her cozy loft overlooking the 104 Street Farmers' Market, she hosts four-hour cooking classes through her company Seasoned Solutions that will inspire and educate you at the same time. Given Edmonton's up-and-coming local food scene, the idea seemed like a nobrainer once she realized how successful it could be. "I ran the idea past a friend and said, 'Do you think I could do cooking classes where we shop the market first and then come back up to the loft and cook?' be-

you shop locally? And what does that mean? All of that's addressed in these classes. And when we shop at the market before we do the class, they get to develop a relationship with the vendor, which you can't do at the grocery store. "Now when I go shopping in the national chains, I want to know where my apples came from. I want to make a choice, I want to have a choice into what I buy and where my dollars go. So I get to put all of that into a cooking class, and people get to cook and drink a little wine. "And at the end of the class, people don't want to leave; they realize how wonderful cooking and eating in a social environment is. It's a whole socialcultural event that is part of being hu-

That then translates to cooking with food they're buying, because they realize they have more control over what they're eating. So more and more people are asking, 'What's in my food? Who made it? Is it good for me?' cause I'd gone on culinary tours where we'd done that, and I thought we should do it right here. It was amazingly successful from the beginning. People love shopping the farmers' market, then coming back to the loft for wine and cooking." The combination of market-meetsclassroom not only offers cooking pointers while enjoying a glass of wine in a laid-back environment, but also educates guests about the benefits of shopping and eating local, something Hall takes great pride in. "We've seen an interesting growth in farmers' markets in the last 10 years. It's growing exponentially because people want to become more aware of where their food is coming from. And that then translates to cooking with food they're buying, because they realize they have more control over what they're eating. So more and more people are asking, 'What's in my food? Who made it? Is it good for me?'" Aside from simply learning to cook, guests learn to ask where the ingredients come from, which highlights the implication of buying locally, versus globally vis-à-vis national chain stores. To put it simply, how you choose to spend your dollars can have an impact economically, politically and socially. "I'm educating people, I'm getting them back into cooking, and back into asking questions about what's in their food: are you shopping locally? Should

man. We're meant to eat together, not in the car or the drive-thru." Hall is a firm believer in coming together to share a meal—an idea that is often lost in the fast pace of today's lifestyle. Another element that's attracting people to her classes is the popularity of celebrity chefs and cooking shows. "The loft classes are so popular, I can't do enough of them, because now with the Food Network, cooking is sexy, and it doesn't look that difficult," she laughs. "The classes have a range of people with a range of skills, which is good. What separates a good cook from others is practise. When you watch the Food Network, everyone that's cooking has been cooking professionally, and that can be intimidating. You don't have to be an aspiring chef or authority in order to do this. Once you have the basics down—and you don't need spend a ton of money on equipment, just a couple of good knives—it's just a matter of time and commitment to do it. "It's ironic that food has come to that, because eating really should be second nature," Hall adds about the intimidation level in preparing a meal. "We should be eating food that's good for us. We know what bad food is doing to us. The food industry has taken that away from us by making food convenient. My classes help people make that connection, to realize you can control what

EATING LOCAL >> Gail Hall can show you how you eat, and how you feel." The other popular aspect of Seasoned Solutions is the culinary tours that Hall leads twice a year. The tours are one to two weeks in length, and include accommodations, cooking classes and transportation. In the past, the tours have explored New York, France, Greece and Turkey, Chicago and New Zealand, just to name a few. This year sees Hall taking groups, usually between 14 and 25 people, to Sicily and San Francisco.

// Supplied

Once on the ground, culinary tourists see the connection between where food comes from and the joy of experiencing other food cultures. This is the highest part of Hall's cooking philosophy. "I'll never forget meeting a farmer in Parma, Italy, showing us where Parmesan cheese comes from. That whole experience gives people a better appreciation of where their food comes from, and if we can see that in Europe, we can see it here too," she explains excitedly.

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

"The next step is organizing culinary tours of Edmonton and area. The tours give people the ultimate experience as part of a culture and a people. You get a real understanding of it; you look at a plate and say, 'Yeah, this makes sense to me now.'" V Visit seasonedsolutions.ca for more information on Gail Hall's culinary tours and loft cooking classes

EDUCATION // 19

EDUCATION // CLIMATE CHANGE

Environmental education

Alberta needs to educate students on the complexity of climate change samantha power // samantha@vueweekly.com

t's a question I've asked myself a lot. What do we do with this future?" Keely Kidner, an MA student at the University of Alberta poses the question she faces as she heads into the final months of her degree in Applied Linguistics—a question the international community has only started to come to accept as needing an answer. Kidner has recently returned from a trip to Alberta's tar sands. "I wanted to see it for myself. Not many people get a chance to see it." Kidner has been involved in environmental issues on campus since starting her degree, and recently helped coordinate a visit to the tar sands for Alberta's student leaders. First-hand experience with the world's largest and most destructive energy project is rare, even for student leaders in Alberta. For Kidner, the experience exposed the complexity of the issue, not the black and white climate discussion that can evolve in discussing topics as polarizing as the tar sands. Alberta is at the eye of the climate change storm, but there has only recently been a move to include the facts and arguments surrounding the exploitation of the tar sands in the post-secondary

education experience. Gareth Thomson of the Alberta Council for Environmental Education describes that education in the classrooms of Alberta has not gone much beyond the basics. "There is a conspicuous lack in most classrooms of real action projects— to participate and practice what is learned and actually make a difference." Often, environmental education focuses on personal action, such as composting, waste management or eco-conscious consumption. Climate change might be forcing all that to change. "It's a very challenging issue. It happens slowly, it's not visible and it's global and all of those [factors] make it harder for students to feel like they've made a difference. It's not like cleaning a stream—the stream's cleaner, our action project worked. Climate change is not like that," Thomson explains. "We need a fundamental redesign of the curriculum." Unfortunately, that redesign won't be found in the recent announcement by Alberta Energy to increase funding for teaching about Alberta's oil sands. The Department of Energy, in Alberta's recent budget update,

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will now run programs targeting Alberta school children, disseminating information about Alberta's "energy industry, its importance and future." The program will also advertise unproved, untested carbon capture and storage technology as an "important contribution to greenhouse gas mitigation objectives." And while most can agree Alberta students need more knowledge of the interplay between the energy industry and the environment, the debate should be on a level playing field. In Alberta, that might be the crux of the education issue. The University of Alberta is home to one of the largest and most in-demand engineering schools, housed in buildings named after Shell, Encana and Syncrude. This makes the environment for university-level learning and action around climate change more complex, to say the least. "This is the reality in which we live, a lot of money in this province is oilrelated," says Sara Dorow, Director of the Community Service Learning program at the University of Alberta. "We do have a range of voices at this University, and the reality that money is tied to disciplines and industry, at the same time I'm seeing increasingly a kind of social pressure, or represen-

tational pressure, to demonstrate that [the university] is supporting educational and social projects." Much of the demand is coming from students. As Kidner explains, "I think you see the increase in student groups. We've got Stand with Fort Chip, and Friends of the Lubicon, those people deal directly with these issues. Even if it's not happening with course content, it's happening with student groups." Kidner, along with representatives of the Energy Club on campus, Aboriginal Students' Council, the campus Conservative club, Greenpeace on Campus and members of the solidarity group Stand With Fort Chip, recently travelled together to Fort

tise. It's a great way for people in a context like this one to better grasp what's around them." Dorow has run an experiential learning class at the University every spring since 2007. The course, originally titled "Oil and Community: the Art and Science of Sustainability" examines the social and cultural impacts the economic boom has had on Alberta and Fort McMurray. By bringing students to Fort McMurray, Dorow believes the course has a greater impact on the learning experience and understanding of the complexity of the issues at stake. "When you're in the middle of the oil sands and you find that there are multiple narra-

We do have a range of voices at this University, and the reality that money is tied to disciplines and industry, at the same time I'm seeing increasingly a kind of social pressure, or representational pressure, to demonstrate that [the university] is supporting educational and social projects. McMurray to see the Oil sands Discovery Centre, see the tailings ponds for themselves and learn about energy development iin the region. Logan McIntosh, a student with Greenpeace on Campus, described his participation in the trip as being motivated by the importance of bringing back something to the campus community. "Instead of only taking people who were already interested in the issues in Fort McMurray, we were talking about taking students who were leaders in their own areas and then we were taking them so they could incorporate that experience in the work they were already doing." The group worked hard to ensure all areas of campus were engaged in the group. "There's often a disconnect between the two sides on campus. The diversity of the group was great, but it would be nice to encourage more of that cross-dialogue between [all sides]." Dorow agrees there needs to be more dialogue on campus, and that there's a growing space for it, but that it's the action and experience that needs greater emphasis in education. "There's an enhanced learning we know comes from students working between theory and prac-

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

tives that you have to sift through, to say, 'Where the heck is the so-called truth' and the truth is there are multiple narratives. A university is wellpositioned to say, 'Let's have those range of voices.'" With the University starting the School of Energy and Environment in 2006, the Community Service Learning program running spring immersion courses since 2007 and a recent Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant, the situation of opening and connecting dialogue on campus may be improving. However, many believe the education system in Alberta can be doing more. As Dorow explains, "I've heard more and more about people doing projects, but we haven't really gelled to say this is something we do at the university." Activity at the post-secondary level also doesn't touch on the needs of elementary and high school students. Environmental educator Gareth Thomson says environmental education needs to include an active component, teaching students to be active citizens with a grasp of policy and government options. "It needs to include a variety of perspectives, understanding the science, the social science and how you influence and affect policy. What skills do you need to change the world for the better?" With a front-row view of the interplay between environment and economy, Dorow believes Alberta has an opportunity to lead the way in how climate change is taught and understood at various levels of education. "I think the University could do more to position ourselves to ask a whole range of questions and in an interdisciplinary way. That's what universities should do. And that's one of the hardest things in this economy: what is does it mean to be informed?" V

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

EDUCATION // 21

EDUCATION // THE URBAN FARMER

Concrete jungle no more

Eating fresh is right outside your door—no matter where you live

THE URBAN FARMER >> Seen here in his natural habitat Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

ith Spring just around the corner, most green thumbs are already planning their gardens and starting seeds indoors. Many folks dream of eating from a beautiful garden, but shy away from doing so because of the many obstacles, especially in the city: not enough room, time or energy to tackle such a task. But Ron Berezan, aka the Urban Farmer, wants to show you how you can have just the right-sized garden here in the city, whether it's in the corner of your backyard or on your apartment balcony. "There's this separation we've evolved in the last half century where we think of 'urban' and 'rural' as very fixed, distinct boundaries," he explains, "which isn't the case in other parts of the world, where lots of food is grown within urban centres." Edmonton's evolving local-food culture has certainly fostered the need for self-taught experts like Berezan, and with Urban Farmer, he offers several courses on how to get the most out of your property. "It's been exciting to watch Edmonton evolve in that respect. Even six years ago, it was unusual to see people doing something different in their front yard

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besides flowers and lawns. Now you're a trendsetter when you've transformed your front yard into a native plant garden or growing food, and there are many front yards where you see people doing that. There's this whole recognition of connecting where our food comes from, getting our hands in the soil. Being a part of that cycle is a worthwhile thing to do." Reconnecting is a central focus for Berezan and like-minded citizens, who see the socio-economic impact that simply planting a garden can have for your quality of life. "I live in an inner city neighbourhood, and for immigrant families like my grandparents, it was expected you'd be growing food in your front yard. Since then we've entered the age of an industrialized, globalized food system, but before that, food was very bio-regionally based—you ate what grew in your area. "Now we're coming full-circle but for different reasons. We're still flooded with food from around the world, but there's a recognition that there's a fragility in that system: inefficiency, waste and energy consumption. There's a hunger for a closer relationship with what we eat and who grows it." In addressing these issues, Berezan finds an exciting opportunity to transform people and their community.

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"Food is one of the those really fascinating places where so many issues intersect: economics, environment and ecology, culture, even spirituality and religion have something to say about food. I find it fascinating to be able to engage people in a process of learning about food production and how they can grow some of their own food." You don't require a large space to start growing your own food either, he states. The courses he offers range from simple plot gardens to larger projects like backyard permaculture and edible landscapes. "It really ranges, from people who want to have a few pots on their balcony with fresh herbs to people that want to completely redo their large lot or acreage to grow as much food as they possibly can." With the growing awareness of food politics and eating local, the demand for urban farming is on the rise. Berezan recognizes the obvious challenges, and his courses are designed to help make simple suggestions to help you on your way. "For the generation or two that have moved away from growing food, I find people's desire to grow food interesting, but I find there are two things that get in the way: one is lack of knowledge because they didn't grow up with

it and are learning from scratch. There is skill involved, but it's not rocket science. There is a knowledge gap—there are people who don't know that potatoes grow underground," he explains with a chuckle. "What I find exciting is there's a lot of seniors who are still avid gardeners, who've been growing food all their lives, who have the skills and love to share them. And then, we have a 20-something generation who are environmentally and politically motivated to grow their own food, but don't have the experience. I've had opportunities to connect these two groups, and it's really quite magical to see how mutual that can be. "The second problem is time, but any kind of sustainable lifestyle takes a little bit longer. It's a bit of a challenge, but what I try to do is coach people on time-saving, lower-maintenance approaches to growing food, like no-till gardening and perennial food systems ... that make ecological sense, and that are self-supporting." One other interesting service that Berezan offers is tours to other countries to examine how food is grown. This year he's taking a group of people to Cuba to study and understand sustainable, urban permaculture and agriculture projects. But you mustn't be an expert in local farming to join, Berezan

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

adds. And he says the results can be life transforming. "I get people from all ends of the spectrum. People are astounded that we can grow grapes in Edmonton, or that you can have a garden that you don't have to dig. There are lots of surprising things that people don't know about, and I think it's a sense of empowerment. "I think we're more aware of how we can participate in the politics of food in a constructive way. We all eat, so we immediately have a connection to this issue," he explains passionately. "It's also one of the things we know we can exert some measure of control over ... It makes a difference to the quality of food I'm eating, it helps to support a local economy, it reduces my carbon footprint, etc. It can be fairly simple acts that have broader implications. "For most people, it's enjoyable and it's meaningful," he extols. "There's a sense of satisfaction when you start something from seed, you nurture it along somewhat and then you have it on your plate. You walk outside your door and you harvest it. There's nothing like that sort of fresh food." V Visit theurbanfarmer.ca for more information on the courses and workshops that Ron Berezan offers

EDUCATION // ITUNES U

Drop in, not out

ITunes U offers chance to sit in on university without the fees Bryan Birtles // bryan@vueweekly.com

or those interested in learning a thing or two while walking or driving around the city, iTunes U, a new feature on technology giant Apple's iTunes, may be just the thing. A storehouse of podcasts with an educational bent, iTunes U offers everything from language instruction to philosophy, economics to social sciences, at no charge. What started as a way for colleges and universities to get information to students has recently gone public; about half of the 600 participating institutions using iTunes U have public content granting access to post-secondary content such as labs, lectures and campus tours to anyone with broadband. Operating exactly like podcasts, users have the opportunity to listen to just one episode or subscribe and receive a whole semester's worth of material. Below are some of the best examples of educational podcasts available through iTunes U: UCLA: Sociology of Mass Communications Taught by Gabriel Rossman, UCLA's Sociology of Mass Communications covers the inputs and outputs in the mass media, which includes pop music, radio,

television and newspapers, but doesn't go into the effects of the mass media. Concentrating instead on the way social structure creates media content, the podcasts cover various theories of the interconnections that produce the content available for mas consumption. The best part is that the slides used by Rossman are included. Open University: Ethics Bites Exactly as the title implies, Ethics Bites are bit-sized podcasts—typically between 15 and 20 minutes—which deal with an ethical quandary each week such as free speech, art and censorship, and human use of animals. The podcast is hosted by philosopher and author Nigel Warburton, who asks questions of a new guest each week, each of whom is considered an expert in the field being explored. University of British Columbia: UBC Podcasts The University of British Columbia's podcasts don't cover a full year's worth of one course the way many of the other iTunes U podcasts do, but they do give anyone interested a look into what's going on on campus. Consisting of mostly public lectures delivered by various guests at UBC, the podcasts cover a wide range of topics from the mountain pine beetle and the

100-mile diet to former president George W. Bush's "war on the rule of law" and a financial perspective on the loonie. Yale University: Introduction to Political Philosophy Not everyone has the smarts or the bank account to attend Yale, so the next best thing could be to listen in on this series of lectures on political philosophy given by Professor Steven B. Smith. Covering political philosophy from Socrates through the likes of Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau, the series of podcasts provides a sound foundation for anyone interested in the make-up of political thought in our own democracy and around the world. Open University: Language Podcasts Not just one podcast on languages, the Open University provides a number of excellent podcasts in a plethora of languages which are aimed at providing an introduction to learning to speak them for yourself. French, German and Spanish instruction from beginner through to more advanced studies are all available through the Open University's iTunes U portal and while they are connected to other content offered through the Open University, there's no reason you can't utilize them on their own to help you learn. V

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

EDUCATION // 23

EDUCATION // ART WORKOUT WEDNESDAYS

Art smarts

Lunch-hour workout flexes the brain MARIA Kotovych // maria@vueweekly.com

bout 20 people stand in a circle, singing a chant-like tune. One person at a time sings out his or her name. Some people giggle and blush when their turn to sing comes; others just let it rip. People looking to work out during their lunch hour, but who don't want a traditional workout, can try something a bit different—an art workout. The University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension now offers Art Workout Wednesdays, taking place at noon on alternating Wednesdays in Enterprise Square. Today, I'm attending a workout session called "Voice Appeal." For the next 45 minutes, singing instructor Alice Harkness leads us through different singing

exercises, ranging from harmonizing with each other to giving improvisation a whirl while everyone else keeps up the harmonic line. The art workouts started in the fall, the inspiration behind the concept coming from the lunch-hour fitness workouts that many gyms offer, explains Virginia Stephen, executive director of liberal studies at the Faculty of Extension. "Why couldn't we have a mental/creative workout that got us revved up and ready for the afternoon?" Stephen asks. "The idea behind it was to give people an experience of some of the things that happen when we start using our creative minds." Stephen says that the fall sessions drew up to 50 people, with attendees ranging from people in the nearby office towers

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and staff in the Extension building to people coming from the Main Campus and seniors who live downtown. With a beginner-friendly atmosphere, the sessions offer a little moment of mental engagement and refreshment for anyone at any level of experience, Stephen continues. "We tend to think that arts activities require this innate talent that would spill out and it's just for the arts people," she notes. "The arts are really a complex mental activity that help us engage all kinds of things—our intuition, our creativity, our imagination—both sides of our brain. "There are some analytic parts of it, and there are the more ambiguous parts which are all the things that most of us have been trained to be uncomfortable with," she laughs. "That's our rightbrained side, and that's all those things that don't have a definite answer and require a little bit of risk-taking." Stephen taught a 40-minute drawing workout in the fall, so I ask her what

40 minutes can do for someone like me, who doesn't know how to draw, but wants to learn. "It gets you warmed up to looking," she explains. "The main focus is really about looking. When people start to realize that it's not so much about their hands, but about their eyes and what they're seeing, it's this big 'aha!' moment!" As drawing can change the way a person looks at an object, it can also affect a person's approach to problem solving, Stephen adds. "A lot of these activities I've used in creativity and leadership. They're activities that I've done with executives and oil-field workers to get them to broaden the way that they look at a problem and opening them to more creative and critical thinking." At this singing workout, the other participants and I observe the activity's effect on us. For starters, the people I talk to afterwards all say that they had fun, and so did I. I also noted that the more we sang, the

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

more confident we became to break out into solos. People who seemed embarrassed to sing out their names in the introduction appeared more self-confident to go solo—accompanied by our background harmonizing—by the session's end. "It's a singing meditation," one participant notes of the continual beat of the harmony. "Almost like chanting." Others agree that the experience has been relaxing. Another participant tells me that she felt a sense of community and connection to the others while we were singing together. "It does refresh and it does open our minds to a productive afternoon," Stephen says of participation in art. "Almost like coffee!" V Art Workout The next workout is on Wed, Mar 17 (12:10 – 12:55 pm), and The topic will be Green Design. Enterprise Square Atrium (10230 Jasper Ave) free extension.ualberta.ca/liberalstudies

EDUCATION // CULTURAL CROSSROADS WORKPLACE TRAINING

Diff'rent strokes

Courses teach how to utilize diversity in the workplace Kristina De Guzman // kristina@vueweekly.com

hile cultural diversity can bring fresh, new ideas to Canadian workplaces, it also brings along challenges— for instance, communication barriers— that some employers may find too daunting to tackle. The inability to deal with the challenges has led to various problems including high unemployment rates amongst highly-skilled-immigrant workers and animosity between staff within organizations that already have diverse workforces. To narrow the cultural gap between employers and newcomer employees and to better welcome and retain immigrant workers in Alberta, the Centre for Race and Culture (CRC), with the support of Alberta Employment and Immigration, Foreign Qualifications Unit, will be offering subsidized diversity training workshops under its Cultural Crossroads Workplace Training program. The customized professional development workshops are specifically tailored to address the issues of a particular organization and are delivered at the worksites themselves. "For a lot of [employers], they know that they have to do something, but they don't know even how to start ... so we need to then use a bit of a shotgun approach in terms of asking questions that will just get them to think about it," explains Ricardo Carlos, manager of Cultural Crossroads. In order to figure out the requirements of a particular organization, a Cultural Crossroads facilitator first conducts an in-depth needs analysis with each organization asking questions ranging from the corporate culture of the organization to human resource practices including whether or not interview formats take into consideration interviewees who are not proficient in English. Depending on the outcome of the needs analysis, workshop activities are varied and may contain discussions, case scenarios that have actually occurred within the organization, videos and ice breakers. The workshops are, in Carlos's own words, "Very experimental, very interactive, very engaging." Carlos recalls one organization which had been successful at attracting people from different cultures but not with keeping them. "So we will go in and try to do a bit of an analysis of why that is happening and then try to offer solutions to them." In addition to increasing efficiency and productivity in the workplace, the reason Safeway Canada participated in the diversity training workshop was to improve intercultural communication, explains Stephanie Duncan, human resources district employment specialist with the company "There's communication barriers between new Canadians and native-born Canadians," Duncan acknowledges. "One barrier that we found a lot was that, in one of our departments—say, our deli department—we may have someone from Germany working in that department and someone from China." Duncan points out that, culturally speaking, Germans tend to be more

straightforward while the Chinese are less direct. "Having those two cultures work together can sometimes be challenging because one's thinking the other one's rude and the other one's thinking they're just being too nice about it," notes Duncan. With about 46 countries and 23 languages represented within its staff, Jo Heggerud, educator at St. Michael's Health Care Group, found that her organization also faced similar communication problems to Safeway's. "People will speak in their foreign tongues to their coworker which will offend other people in the group, because they obviously think that they're talking about you or whatever," says Heggerud. Carlos explains that misconceptions in the form of stereotypes are behind most complications in intercultural communication. One workshop activity may show participants a cultural iceberg, a graphic that indicates the visible aspects of culture which Carlos calls "the DDD": dress, diet and dance. "But there is way more underneath that is affected by culture," Carlos points out. "Some generalizations do have elements of truth, but at the end of the day, our message is that ... you should not judge people based on some of those generalizations that you might have heard, or even experienced, but that you should really get to know your employees and co-workers on an individual basis." Carlos adds that stereotypes can lead employers to dismiss potentially good candidates. One example he brings up is the lack of interview callbacks for applicants with "ethnic" names. "It's not that these [employers] were mean people not liking immigrants but unintentionally, people might look at a name and say, 'Well, gee, Ricardo Carlos—oh, that sounds too Spanish, so maybe his English may not be up to par, maybe he doesn't really know how workplaces operate, or he has done this position in Mexico, but it's different here. It will mean—for us—costs on getting to know whether or not he has the skills or not, maybe we'll need to provide him with English training—you know what? Let's just take him out,'" Carlos roleplays. However, the reality is that education level amongst immigrants is often much higher compared to those who are Canadian-born, Carlos points out. "Another issue would be that [someone with an 'ethnic' name] could be a second-, a third-generation Canadian with perfect English and educated here," notes Carlos. "Our job is to make employers aware that they could be unintentionally biased— and by being so, they are really missing out on good talent that's out there."

anybody inside driving those initiatives for work, then it is more difficult to create those welcoming and equitable workplaces, because there isn't going to be anybody who knows the dynamics of their organizations and who could really make sure that whatever was introduced in the sessions becomes a reality." Cultural Crossroads also offers more general workshops that offer participants an introduction to cultural competency. These workshops are open to the public. "[The open to the public workshop] is awareness more than anything" informs Carlos. "We'll give [participants] some tools to first find out what their own personal culture is, be aware of it, and how that is affecting the way that they relate to others." Carlos is hopeful that organizations

will see the value in diversity training. He remembers a colleague who pointed out how Canada's need for a knowledgebased economy over the years has sought out people with high levels of education. "I think Canada has done a very good job in attracting immigrants with those qualifications, but unfortunately, my fellow immigrants, some of them are driving cabs and parking our vehicles and serving us coffee," Ricardo observes. "So I think that the reason why [organizations should take cultural diversity training] is to really tap into that knowledge. Don't deny yourself from accessing that knowledge because a person might have an ethnic name or a person might have a little bit of an accent." Carlos adds that using internationally trained professionals to make connections with potential markets overseas is good business sense for businesses that work on an international scale. "If you don't do it, your competitor might be doing it." V

Cultural Crossroads Workplace Training Customized Professional Development Workshops (Edmonton & Calgary) $500 (1 – 10 participants); $1000 (11 – 30 participants) Diversity workshops open to the public: Wed, Mar 31 (9 am – 4 pm) Centre for Race and Culture's Training Room 10871 - 96 St, $50 Champion Series Workshops Thu, Mar 18 & Thu, Apr 15 (9 am – 4 pm) Centre for Race and Culture's Training Room 10871 - 96 St, $200 per workshop For more information, please contact: Ricardo Carlos Manager, Cultural Crossroads 780.425.4644 ext 5 ricardo@cfrac.com

Cultural Crossroads encourages organizations to not only learn about the benefits of cultural diversity in the workplace, but to implement change as well. To support this, it offers the Cultural Crossroads Champions Series, a train-the-trainer program which is specialized for organizational leaders who will, ideally, be driving change from within, explains Carlos. "You can come in as an outsider and deliver the workshop and it will be good learning," Carlos notes, "but if there isn't

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

EDUCATION // 25

EDUCATION // INTERNATIONAL SOMMELIER GUILD

Snobs not needed

A sommelier course can help uncork the mystery of wine Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

f you enjoy drinking wine, you've probably caught yourself on occasion scheming of how you might be able to do it for a living. With the International Sommelier Guild, now you can. With its standardized, internationally recognized course—offered through NAIT's culinary arts program—you can become a certified wine expert. Started in 2002 in Mississauga, ISG seeks to teach you everything there is to know about wine. Edmonton instructor William Bincoletto had just returned from a world culinary summit in Chile when I caught up with him, where he'd been invited as a wine-pairing consultant. The rest of his time is spent consulting for a local wine boutique, teaching, acting as sommelier in residence at NAIT, as well as working as a freelance wine writer and presenter—all thanks to the growing interest and demand for wine experts like himself. "Why is there such an explosion?" he explains of the growing interest in the course. "Wine is a fun thing. People enjoy wines more and more, so people want to find out, 'Why is it that I enjoy it?'" There are three levels to becoming a sommelier, the first two being introductory courses that cover the fundamentals before jumping headlong into the third, more intensive diploma course. "Level one is generally for the public, it's very simple. It's a 24-hour course over eight weeks, three hours in the evenings. It's an easy course to take because its focus is on characteristics of grape origins. "Level two is a 16-week course, or 48 hours, and is a lot more serious. We become a lot more focused and committed to the program," he explains. "And the people who come to the program come from every walk of life: the hotel and restaurant industry, liquor industry agents and importers, wine

POURIN' AND LEARNIN' >> International Sommelier Guild's course teaches your palate // Supplied shop retailers and even those with chemistry backgrounds—people who are thinking of career changes down the road, who want something in their back pocket." As wine drinking becomes more and more popular and commonplace, it's also losing a lot of the intimidating stigmas it used to hold—namely, that to enjoy wine means adhering to count-

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less insider rules. Bincoletto, who grew up in Europe and learned about wine "from the old school," sees a refreshing change in attitudes surrounding wine that's fueled mostly from the consumer. "It's nice to see that there's an appeal and attraction, but also an eagerness to enjoy this area that used to be extremely closed, and intimidated a lot of people. "Between Calgary and Edmonton,

we're putting through 15 – 20 students a year," he points out. "Now the generation of sommeliers and retail stores are there to help the consumer make the right choice, and to listen to them. This is the whole aspect: making sure that people who walk into the restaurant walk out smiling. That's the role of the sommelier—not to tell you what to have and what to think, but to make customers feel that they can experiment as much as possible," he grins. "I've worked in the old world, and nowadays it's like 'Hey, just have fun!'" This changing attitude in the wine world comes from the growing popularity of wine, thanks due in large part to its visibility in the cooking shows that are overtaking television. "The world is getting smaller. People are travelling a lot more. More importantly, the Food Network has really helped out food and wine because people are experimenting more with what they see. They want to try it out, and the same thing with wine. "Wine is an extension of food, so the whole process is logical. We're seeing chefs becoming sommeliers, and sommeliers becoming chefs, which is a good fusion. Experimentation is the new name of the game." But you needn't be a world-class chef on TV to justify interest in the course. "People who are taking the courses today are interested in wine because they want to feel comfortable with that knowledge," Bincoletto explains. "People don't want to feel stupid and uncomfortable. It's nice to see that shine in their eyes when they say, 'I get it!' Now when we talk about Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, they turn around and say, 'I get it. It took me eight weeks, but I get it.' And they want to go to the level two. "But we have to learn to walk before we can run, as I like to say. There's nothing wrong with certain students feeling less advanced than other stu-

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

dents who might get it faster." ISG isn't the only wine certification on the block, either. WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) is a similar certification program geared more towards the global marketing of wine with an emphasis on the retail and marketing. "They still give the basic information, but at ISG we're geared toward the hospitality industry. We create sommeliers to work in the hospitality field, and some of my students have taken both. "There are strengths on both sides, and the more information you have, the better." Class size is capped at 24, which is an ideal number for cost and time with the instructor. "More importantly, we want to see our students succeed," Bincoletto emphasizes. "We want to commit ourselves to pay attention to every student through the program." Once students have completed the two introductory courses, they are ready for the diploma course. "The third level, the actual diploma, is very intensive. It runs for six months, one eight-hour day a week," he warns. "The diploma course covers everything, from the planting of grapes through to the bottling. We gear students toward the focus on viticulture, vinification, the life cycle of the grape and the vineyard, what it takes to plant vines, soil and climate conditions, how wine is made, and then the grape varietals themselves." The best news is there's never been a better time to find work as a wine expert. "Now, more and more restaurants are looking for a certified sommelier," he says encouragingly. So think about it—maybe you can just drink wine for a living after all. V International Sommelier Guild courses are offered through NAIT's culinary arts program. Visit nait.ca for more information.

EDUCATION // CONTEMPORARY ART 101

Why is that art?

The AGA's new lecture series 'demystifies' contemporary art Paul Blinov // paul@vueweekly.com

efining art is a tricky task for anyone willing to attempt it. Mention the term "visual art" to most people, and they'll picture old, traditional mediums: paintings, drawings, sculptures. You know: art. They're right, of course, but art, especially today, can't be defined as just easels, acrylics and clay. The 20th century brought forth a slew of new mediums that artists have incorporated into their work. Video projections, walkaround installations and even computer software are used to present art these days, with receptions from gallery-goers as mixed as the mediums they're crafted in. "No one questions whether a painting's a work of art," says Catherine Crowston, deputy director and chief curator of the Art Gallery of Alberta. What they do question, she notes, are these newer formats, which is partly the reason she's been put in charge of an upcoming lecture series entitled Contemporary Art 101, focused on "Demystifying" contemporary artâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;"or something like that," she laughs. "We have a great interpretive and education team, and we were just talking about some of the questions that people ask CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 >>

ART CLASS >> The Ledcor Theatre hosts contemporary art 101

// Eden Munro

MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

EDUCATION // 27

CONTEMPORARY ART 101 << CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

when they come to see exhibitions," she says, of the course's inception. "It seems that people accept certain kinds of artmaking readily as art without question, whereas others tend to raise questions and make people wonder." The purpose of the course isn't to explicitly define why these new mediums count as art ("we won't be answering that"), or to make people enjoy them. Instead, the focus is on showing how and why contemporary art has taken the forms it has. The link between art and technology, Crowston notes, is particularly strong. "Some people think that contemporary artists are using new technologies in a way that hasn't been done before," she explains. "But I think the interesting thing is that, in fact, the history of art is the history of technology, in many ways. Oil painting is a technology that was invented that changed the course of art history. As is bronze casting, for instance. So artists have always been, in many ways, interested in and effected by changes in technology. She also notes conceptual art, born in the 1960s, had a huge influence on today's art, lessening the need for any physical medium whatsoever. "[Conceptual] art-making was not necessarily a material-based or a hand-based kind of practice, but it was a thought process. And so that's another thing the lecture series will be exploring, how art and creativity don't necessarily have to be something that you make by hand. It can be a thought, or a sentence, or a word. The effect of language on art is a really important change in the 20th century."

30 // EDUCATION

TEACH ME! >> There's a wealth of art education to be learned at the new AGA Divided into three lectures, the course will break down the history of the contemporary mediums, explore their roots and how they came to be accepted and inducted into the visual arts community. Crowston thinks they'll begin in the early 20th century, around the beginning of surrealism, and follow the influences of techniques, like the found object, through to present day. Alongside the AGA's increased educational focus, programs like this one can try to keep the public up to date with

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010

// Eden Munro

shifting mediums, even as artists discover newer ones to work within. "Artists actually sometimes create technologies they need in order to make work that they want to make," Crowston says. "I think that we see that a lot nowadays, in terms of artists creating software, or there's an artist in town, Giuseppe Albi, for instance, who's working with a paint company to actually create an acryllic paint that it does what he wants it to do. So I think that there's always been this play back and forth between artists and

technology; artists creating technologies that they need to make the work they want, but also artists then using and adapting technologies in ways that perhaps weren't intended." V Wed, Apr 7, Wed, Apr 14, Wed, Apr 21 (6:30 pm) Contemporary Art 101 Ledcor Theatre, Art Gallery of Alberta (2 Sir Winston Churchill Square) $90 / $60 ( AGA Members)

INSIDE // ARTS

ARTS

Courageous

Hope at the Epicentre

Prairie Artsters

Online at vueweekly.com >>ARTS

Arts Reviews Find reviews of past theatre, dance and visual arts shows on our website.

DANCE // EXPANSE MOVEMENT ARTS FESTIVAL

Continued expansion The Expanse Festival just keeps on growing

LET THERE BE DANCE >> The Expanse festival moves on to its sixth year Fawnda Mithrush // Fawnda@vueweekly.com

hen Amber Borotsik and Murray Utas picked the name for Expanse six years ago, they might have thought it was more funny than anything—a bit of a joke on the Azimuth Theatre's teeny space. What's funnier now is how the name turned out to be a predictor of what would happen to the fledgling dance festival, which keeps on, well, expanding. Since the original "dance for small

// Supplied

spaces" concept took off at the 55-seat Living Room Playhouse in 2004, Expanse has exploded into an international movement celebration, now housed at the significantly larger Roxy Theatre. This year artists from across the country are coming to Edmonton to perform, including Montreal's dancetheatre hybridizer Martin Bélanger and Vancouverite EDAM improvisors Stacey Murchison and James Gnam. Then there's femme magician Billy Kidd journeying all the way from the UK. "I remember when I first started, I said

I wanted to create our dreams in our city. In Edmonton we assume we have to go outside of where we are, but this year is the one time where I feel like this is where I want to be right now," explains Borotsik, who has worn the Festival Director's hat since the beginning. "Some of the most exciting work in dance and body-based performance, dance theatre and all these crazy hybrids is actually happening right now in Edmonton." Knowing that Expanse started during the fallout of the cancellation of

Grant MacEwan's contemporary dance program, it is pretty cool to be in that same city years later, where Kidd Pivot, Wen Wei Dance, Martin Bélanger and a dance festival in its own right are all on the billet within two weeks of each other. "Things are getting good, that's how it feels," says Borotsik. "I know that Edmonton has a small, tight contemporary dance community: we've got Feats and Nextfest and Orchesis Dance, and places where there's presenting opportunity, but there's something very special, something very dear to my heart about Expanse," says Linda Turnbull, who has teamed up with Tania Alvarado to present one of this year's full-length programs, Crash—the other full-lengther being Bélanger's Spoken word/body, which has toured the world extensively since it premiered in 2002. Turnbull notes that her duet with Alvarado, which is about a pair of dancers in a room full of clutter, in some way reflects the nature of her long-term relationship to Expanse. "It's funny that we're talking about hoarding and junk, because I remember the very first festival I had my dad's Grand Caravan filled with bottles and cans that I was taking to the bottle depot to help raise money for the festival. So I've got a history with the fest and also with collecting things," she laughs. Also appearing as part of the Meridian mixed program is Kathy MetzgerCorriveau, who returns from a six-year performing hiatus, during which she was busy making babies. Her piece, aptly titled Creating A Body, explores a journey through a mother's internal process of creating a child. New to this year's line-up is Saturday's Muscle, a late-night party dubbed a "celebration of machismo and femme-

chismo." That's where you'll see Billy Kidd, plus a special guest performance by David Raymond (who's going to be hopping over to the Roxy after he finishes up with Wen Wei's ensemble at the Timms Centre). "We've got body builders and we're working on some pyro," says Borotsik, noting that it will all, of course, finish up with a DJ dance party in the Roxy lobby. Richard Lee also returns this year from his riotous appearance last year in ManDance with two new works, one a solo called Destrudo, which explores the selfdestructive tendencies of sex, drugs, drinking—and so many others things that bring joy—and another piece in collaboration with David MacInnis and Cole Humeny titled The Greatest Novel Ever Wr ... , which involves the trio of actors as grey-faced pseudo-mimes. There will also be dance around the Roxy—quite literally. Using the back alley and narrow side passages surrounding the theatre, Borotsik and Kelsey Acton will be presenting pieces conceived in the great, March outdoors. If the expansion of Expanse wasn't apparent enough, now they've outgrown the walls of the Roxy, too. What next, world domination? A new outlook on dance in Edmonton, perhaps? "I feel a different energy," Borotsik says of how the scene has changed over the years. "And I hope that Expanse has had some impact on that." V Thu, Mar 4 – Sun, Mar 7 Expanse Movement Arts Festival Rox y The atre (10708-124 St.) Single performance ticke ts $16, festival passes available at the Roxy box office full line-up info available at www.azimuththeatre.com

PREVUE // COCK-PIT

The awkward years

Wen Wei Wang explores the formative time spent at a Chinese dance academy in Cock-Pit Fawnda Mithrush // Fawnda@vueweekly.com

magine growing up as a male dance student during the Cultural Revolution in China: everyday you dance for Chairman Mao, you dance for the government, you dance for Communism. You are whisked away from your family at 13 years old and roomed with a cast of other boys, all in the same confused boat as you. Then, you hit puberty. This is when, Wen Wei Wang says, he and his comrades at school started feeling that something was wrong with their experience at the Army Dance School in Langzhou. "The first hairs that grew on our faces

we didn't know what to do with—we would just pull them out, you know boys," the choreographer laughs. Wang is known for his ruminations on traditional Chinese culture in his dance pieces, like the practice of footbinding studied in Unbound, and CockPit is no different—taking cues from his awkward, isolated formatory years at the boarding school, Wang cast four male dancers to emulate the relationships and trials of young men facing puberty, being away from their mothers and trying to understand just what the heck was happening under their zippers. "We shared everything, we were like brothers," Wangs says. "And our fights were like animals. As young boys you

always fight each other, you are like little chickens." Hence Wang's prominent use of the pheasant feather, known in Chinese as Ling, in Cock-Pit. The five-foot long feathers are traditionally used in Beijing operas as warlords' headpieces. "I didn't want to use them as traditionally as the Beijing Opera, I wanted to use them as part of our bodies. In Avatar they use their longs tails when they connect, as part of their body, their energy and emotions. So the feather becomes live in a sense, it becomes part of our emotion and our sexuality," Wang says. "One dancer, he only wanted this one feather—even in performance. He said he could only use this one special

feather, if he doesn't have that feather he says he can't perform. It becomes like a very private thing." As for the obvious sexual connotations the dance has—especially when the feathers are strapped to the dancers' waists—Wang says it really comes from a place of innocence. "When they put the feather on their waists, I said, 'Face each other and start playing with the feathers.' At first they said 'Really? You want us to do this?' And as soon as the feathers first contacted, they started laughing," he says. "When you see it, though, it brings you back to that youth and purity, and it's without being sexual. When you're young you don't know. It's not until you get older that you think there's

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

something wrong. But in that time it's pure, in a way it's funny and innocent." he explains. "I think our dance has become about difference, because you grow past that point sexually, and you become friends—you're not afraid, it's not because we touch hands and we become gay, or because we touch each other. I think sometimes we think too much. I think that the piece really shows the purity and innocence of those friendships." V Fri, Mar 5, Sat, Mar 6 (8 pm) Cock-Pit Presented by Wen Wei Dance Timms Centre for the Arts (86 ave & 111 St), $19.75 – $29.75

ARTS // 31

REVUE // COURAGEOUS

Sharp comedy

Michael Healey inserts intelligent commentary into the breezy, witty comedy of Courageous philosophical ideas as he is the messy emotional ground of love and friendship, and he adroitly shows just how much personal issues can affect our public convictions.

David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

n a play about courage, playwright Michael Healey has taken the first step simply by admitting that life is complexly difficult. That's maybe a sentiment that we're often told, but it's still rarely internalized, and in Courageous Healey gives us a play that is resolutely so: a thoroughly hilarious comedy willing to take on big ideas about our culture. More importantly, though, the world of his play is like ours, a hazardous, nebulous place where the biggest trouble comes to those who try to make it too simple. That manifests itself in a variety of ways in the loosely connected stories presented here. Act one follows what happens when a gay, Catholic justice of the peace refuses to marry a gay couple on the basis of his faith. Act two follows a frightfully young, recently married man as he tries to navigate his newly adult life while dealing with his depressed wife and their refugee neighbour. Though the second half is carried well by Brandon McGibbon in a sharply comic take on a kind of clueless young hoser forced to deal with issues beyond his understanding, in it Healey takes on a slightly more simple subject in a more oblique way, and it's peanuts compared

Healey deserves extra praise for his willingness to avoid taking sides. Tom's beliefs are expressed as eloquently and thoughtfully as Brian's in their debate, and the take-away message isn't a political one: it's human. Though he also makes great points about the necessities of rights and order, Healey very slyly shows that ideals break down in the messy human world, and if anything only argues for more compassion and understanding: as Arthur so eloquently puts it, when the damage inflicted is so grossly disproportionate to the slight endured, there must be principles involved. That Healey's able to do this in the middle of a breezy and witty comedy is all the more impressive. V WE DO! >> Courageous doesn't take sides on politics, but presents them fairly to the meatier first. Though the situation itself is a little contrived, Healey doesn't waste an inch of the set-up, and the bundle of contradictions that is his conflicted JP is only really a half-step above the tangled moral and ethical web that is all the characters in this play. Brian (Ari Cohen) and Martin (Healey)

// Supplied

simply want to get married, but a snafu has them in the office of Tom (Patrick McManus), whose beliefs simply won't allow him to go through with it. The aftermath is explored in a pre-Human Rights Council meeting between Brian and Tom, and a coffee shop discussion between Martin and Arthur (Maurice

Dean Wint), Tom's partner. These are, on one level, highfalutin discussions on the nature of rights and what happens when they bump up against each other, but they are firmly grounded in the tangled relationships of these characters: Healey is the rare playwright who is equally adept at sorting through

Until Sun, March 14 Courageous Directed by Richard Rose Written by Michael Healey Starring Ari Cohen, Healey, Melissa MacPherson, Brandon McGibbon, Maurice Dean Wint Citadel Theatre (9828 - 101A Ave)

PREVUE // HOPE AT THE EPICENTRE

Artists without borders

Artists from across Canada to auction off works for Haiti Paul Blinov // paul@vueweekly.com

hen Carmen Douville saw the post-earthquake images of destruction in Haiti, the Edmonton-based designer was affected, perhaps more than most of us. Her initial instinct to help had her looking at travelling to the damaged country and working handson with an aid organization. "I was looking at Unicef and Red Cross and trying to figure out ways how I

profits going directly to a pair of aid groups currently working in Haiti: Doctors Without Borders and Architecture for Humanity. Getting other artists involved didn't take much prompting. Douvilles sent out her call over email and Facebook, and received 70-odd positive responses from artists and designers eager to be part of the auction: donations started coming in from all corners of the country. "Finally, over the last week, I have just been turning people away, because I'm

And the thing that sucked about Haiti is it's already a country that really has nothing. They have nothing, and then this happens. I just wanted to figure out any way I could make some sort of difference. could actually physically go down and work. But everyone had to be very, very specialized in some sort of area or another," she says over the phone. So in lieu of in-person aid, Douville found another method of helping Haiti. She put out a call to artists and designers of all types to donate art for the cause, and the resulting Hope At The Epicentre looks to sell all of that artistic goodwill for the cause. It's a silent auction with

32 // ARTS

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010

really starting to get concerned about space, essentially," she says. The works available to be bid on go from fine art and design to "grass-roots ceramics and jewelry," and notable designers like Bocci (who crafted Vancouver's olympic medals), Toronto-based Katherine Morley and plenty more, including a few items by Douville's own design group, Loyal Loot, going up for

grabs. The particularly varied blend of styles of works available, Douville notes, go beyond a usual art show's variety, particularly when it comes to design. "It's really a mixture of everything, which I'm personally really excited about," she explains. "Because being a designer, there's not always a lot of design shows in Edmonton, so I'm really excited to bring that even just to Edmonton in general, on top of the fact of it being a benefit for Haiti." The group collectively decided on what charities they would donate to, though they all seemed to be on the same page anyway, when it came to helping Haiti. "Honestly, I think it was impossible to not look at images and ... know I was crying looking at images and watching videos. The destruction was so overwhelming," she says. "And the thing that sucked about Haiti is it's already a country that really has nothing. They have nothing, and then this happens. I just wanted to figure out any way I could make some sort of difference." V Thu, Mar 4 (7 pm) Hope at the Epicentre: A Silent art and design Auction for Haiti Enterprise Square (The old AGA gallery space), (10230 - Jasper Ave), $10

PRAIRIE ARTSTERS >> FORT MCMURRAY

Where the highway ends

Fort McMurray boasts well-produced theatre, but an abandoned visual arts program The first thing I noticed as I arrived in Fort McMurray is just how thick the trees grew together. Nestled within a valley and existing amongst the trees, this is the real Northern Alberta—five hours north of Edmonton, which if you looked on a world map, is already pretty far north and removed. As a quick survey: there are no sidewalks to follow. A series of parking lots with more pick up trucks than I could keep count of connected back onto the m highway. Brand names and ekly.co vuewe smells I have only ever assoamy@ ciated with Canadian airports Amy lined the town, and small indeFung pendent businesses and grocers from around the world dotted the LOCKED UP >> It wasn't always rows of strip malls. I would be told it’s though // Amy Fung beautiful in May, but by mid-summer, the june bugs are large and aggressive. Same down several years ago—but not due to goes for the ravens. By my third day, the the lack of activity. Roaming the halls of air quality offset an allergic reaction I the college and glancing up at a series never even knew I had, and this is after of posters lining both walls, there had having lived in the smog of Hong Kong been an active lecture/residency series for a number of years. There’s no doubt between 1995 and 2005 featuring visual in my mind that it’s actually the bush out artists from Monica Tapp, Alex Janvier, here, and while the aerial viewpoints of Peter von Tiesenhausen and many U of A the open tar pits and tailing ponds is an art professors. After asking around, the image burned in many a mind, being in general consensus was that the program the actual town of Fort McMurray where and gallery have been shut down partly people live a day-to-day existence is a far due to the lack of personnel to adminismore peculiar situation. ter the space (which translates to lack If you remember a few years back, Syn- of interest in hiring for the position), crude pulled their funding out of all arts and partly due to the lack of visible (i.e. organizations in Alberta with the inten- quantifiable) value for the community. tion to direct their philanthropy to im- The gallery, which in and of itself was prove the quality of life for the people already a small space, now simply sits (and their employees) in Fort McMurray. empty save for the odd occasion it is Focusing on health and wellness, there used as coat check. As an empty space are now several new fitness complexes in a town riddled with the lack of space, paid for by various oil and gas compa- the value of having a visual art gallery nies, including one which housed a brand is unfortunately undervalued, as the new library, gym and soon-to-be indoor theatre, which is also able to generate waterpark. As for culture, if you will it, revenue, remains heavily programmed there are definitely resources available, with an artistic director. as the theatre inside Keyano college has Spending a morning with Garry Berteig, the budget to bring in the Moscow Bal- who laid the foundation for most of let to perform in their deluxe auditorium Keyano’s visual art department some theatre with some of the most advanced 20 years ago, I walked away with the sound and lighting technology available. sense of how isolation affects how we Invited up to view the premiere produc- live, but also how we maintain inspiration of High School Musical, I too was tion. Having lived and traveled around wowed by the production values avail- the world from Toronto to Greenland, able. The material, which is basically Berteig is somewhat of an anomaly, an updated version of Grease, may not maintaining a friendship with Bill Viola necessarily be up my alley, but I cannot and increasingly turning more inwards deny that this production went above as he investigates the environment as and beyond the genre of musical theatre an expression to our inner conditions. and provided an evening of sensational Having to give up his studio when the entertainment. Theatre often fails for last boom forced rent to double, the me in the clashing of egos outshining Saskatchewan-born artist has had to one another and actors simply going return at least one major grant due to through the motions, but under the di- the lack of studio space to complete the rection and choreography of Julie Funk, project. Running the lecture series until each and every single performer in the it ended, Berteig is well aware of the 20-plus ensemble moved, and I mean re- potential for the visual arts department, ally moved together under a sweeping but also after 20 years, I don’t get the singular vision. sense that he believes things are going to change anytime soon. V And while the only theatre was full on its first night of a week-long run, the Amy Fung is the author of only art gallery sat empty below, shut PrairieArtsters.com

IE PRASITRERS

ART

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ARTS // 33

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34 // ARTS

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VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

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INSIDE // FILM

FILM

Online at vueweekly.com >> FILM

Oschers Film Capsules

by Brian Gibson Just in time for the Oscars, Brian Gibson salutes the great women directors out there

FILM // THE FILMS OF FRANCOIS TRUFFAUNT

New wave's old master

A quartet of Francois Truffaut films reveal his obsessions and techniques It begins with a little girl coming out of a store proclaiming that she is in the centre of France, the implication being that these scenes from a childhood are in some respects the key moments of our lives, or at least a kind of central fact of our lives, experiences to which we can all relate.

David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

he four films that make up Metro's retrospective of Francois Truffaut—which is becoming almost an annual affair, what with them showing the iconic The 400 Blows and Jules and Jim in December of 2008—do not necessarily make up the apex of the French New Wave director's career. However, keeping with the auteur theory that Truffaut himself invented, they reveal some of the obsessions and techniques that would mark him as one of premiere directors of the influential movement, and anyway are some damn fine—and funny—films on their own merits. The four films on offer here could loosely be separated into two main themes, with Shoot the Piano Player (Tirez sur le pianiste) and Mississippi Mermaid (La sirène du Mississippi) representing his—and much of the New Wave's—obsession with American pop culture generally and film noir specifically, while Small Change (L'argent de poche) and The Wild Child (L'enfant sauvage) tap very specifically into his sympathies with children and the messy and confusing process of growing up. Mississippi Mermaid was, regrettably, unavailable for viewing—being lesserknown has a way of keeping things out of print, and at least part of the appeal of this weekend is getting a chance to see these things up on the big screen— so forgive if most of the talk here focuses instead on children instead of film noir. Not that Shoot the Piano Player doesn't offer a lot to chew on. Starring Charles Aznavour as a former classical pianist reduced to hiding his once-famous name and pounding out dance ditties at a jazz bar, it has the the tension and speed of a more classic crime film, though with a more heavily neurotic overtone and a pretty generous helping of comedy. The former, and a bit of the latter, comes from Aznavour's voiceovers—which, like much of the film, were not exactly improvised per se, but nevertheless weren't in the script to begin with. Either way, they are master-

DO THE NEW WAVE >> The kids are all right in the films of Francois Truffaunt pieces of self-reproaching frustration and self-obsessed melancholy, popping up mostly when the pianist is forced to interact with Lena (Marie Dubois), the attractive waitress who strikes his fancy at the bar. That's just one of the signs that Shoot the Piano Player is more of a comedic homage than anything. The plot follows what happens to Aznavour after one of his ruffian brothers gets in trouble with a couple crooks and they come looking to collect, though the crooks aren't terribly menacing beyond their guns: most of their scenes involve a kind of dimwit banter bouncing between them as they drive their latest kidnapping

// Supplied

victim about the city, covering topics as diverse as a faux-metal scarf and their thoughts on ogling women. There is, of course, a suitably tense climax, but this is more than anything Truffaut having some pleasant fun with a genre he obviously loves. Very little of that playfulness is evident in The Wild Child, inspired by a true story of a feral child found in the French countryside in 1798 and taken to the city to be civilized. In a lot of ways, this is simply a standard biopic, though its elevated by some remarkably personal touches, not the least of which is Truffaut himself playing the role of Itard, the doctor who takes it upon himself

to teach the boy. It makes it basically impossible to separate Itard's very understanding and humanist approach to training a child most others dismissed as an "idiot," in their words, from Truffaut's own feelings towards children and the slow and frequently painful socialization they all must go through, though this doesn't dampen any of the film's effect. It's that socialization that is the basic subject of Small Change, probably the best of the three films I was able to see. There isn't really any overarching story, the film instead taking a kind of episodic view of a class of children's lives as they approach their summer vacation.

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

It is Truffaut's underlying sympathy towards children, his understanding of the often-forgotten complexities of childhood, that really makes Small Change so beautiful and endearing. It runs the gamut from moments of outright cuteness—a smiling moppet smashes some cookies with a hammer, or two boys make a breakfast of chocolate milk—to the darker side of childhood—the revelation that one of the children is abused leads to an impassioned (and tremendously wise) speech from a teacher about the particular heinousness of injustice to children—but none of these moments feel forced or heavy-handed, and instead are weaved elegantly into an overarching mood. Things get particularly good when it comes time for adolescent awkwardness. A double-date at the cinema—an episode no doubt close to Truffaut's heart, as is the bit where one kid teaches another the proper way to sneak into the theatre—is just utterly painful, one couple making out before the news reel is even finished while the other just kind of looks on sheepishly, wondering if they're missing out on something or whether they even want to start kissing. It's the kind of scene that is funny only in retrospect, and only out of deepest sympathy. There's also an incredibly harrowing scene featuring a baby on a windowsill, a moment of sheer tense terror in what is otherwise a light but still penetrating film on childhood. V Fri, Mar 5 – Wed, Mar 10 The Films of Francois Truffaut Featuring Shoot the Piano Player, Small Change, The Wild Child, Mississippi Mermaid Metro Cinema (9828 - 101A Ave)

FILM // 35

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Directed by Kevin Smith Written by Robb Cullen, Mark Cullen Starring Bruce Willis, Tracy Morgan



Movie Police Report #60606. Suspect: Cop Out; alias: A Couple of Dicks, the planned title, which the victim asserts is both far funnier and more truthful than anything in the actual "movie." The suspect has been charged with: First-degree murder (of plot): The suspect claimed to be a buddy-cop-comedy, complete with tinny score by Harold Faltermyer (Beverly Hills Cop), yet its "story" involved a cop, Jimmy Monroe (Bruce Willis), who gets his valuable baseball card stolen as he is about to sell it to pay for his daughter's $48 000 wedding, so he and his partner make a deal with

36 // FILM

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

a drug kingpin to get it back. The situation was ludicrous, the two cops were pathetic child-men and $48 000 for a wedding seemed as moronic as racing a Toyota down an Olympic luge course. Deaths were casually dropped among the "comedy" like dramatic salt-andpepper, meant to flavour the story with realism. Dragging someone behind a cop car was intended, apparently, to tickle the funnybone. Mugging (comic): The suspect began its shameless mugging early and would not let up. Tracy Morgan, as Jimmy's partner Paul, pointlessly imitated movie cops while interrogating a suspect, then fell back on his dopey schtick-head persona as though a comic symphony can be played by bashing one note on a cymbal. Mr. Willis appeared to be an unwilling accomplice, as he seemed reluctant to take part in the movie. His "performance" consisted of looking tough, holding guns and threatening suspects—that is, flailing through the motions of Die Hard. Other muggings included jokes about bowel movements and a character repeating others' words. There were countless efforts to make this Grade One material seem adult with interjections of "shit" or "fuck." The general effect was that of a bad stand-up routine stretching on for 100 minutes in an empty nightclub. The victim reported sleepiness, uncontrollable flinches and bruising around his skull from the mugging, though he conceded after further questioning that these may have been self-inflicted. Assault by caricature, two counts: Hispanics, the victim noted when his eyes flickered open, were trotted out as sadistic drug dealers and glaring gang members who killed people in church or, worse, used a crucifix to hide a flash drive, suggesting that Christ died so our sins could be easily stored in one small handy, portable device that holds up to 256 GB of unholy transgressions. Women, the victim observed after being rudely woken up by the popcorn-muncher next to him, were treated as trashtalking men's possessions. Suspected of cheating, made the butts of pornographic jokes, or ogled as the sexy Latina even though she'd just been bound and

gagged in a car for two days, they only resembled women in that they had long hair and cleavage. Impersonation of a director: The victim swears that the director is one Kevin Smith, past perpetrator of guilt-free pleasures Clerks and Mallrats. Yet the incredibly high level of non-funniness here, registering 7.6 on a yawn-alyzer, suggests that Mr. Smith is being impersonated by a talentless gun-for-hire trying to pass for someone who can make people laugh. A search party is looking for the remains, if any, of the real Mr. Smith. Hope, however, is fading. Brian Gibson

// Brian@vueweekly.com

Opening at the Metro Last Train Home

Thu, Mar 4 (7 pm) Directed by Lixin Fan Metro Cinema (9829 - 101A Ave)



Take the buzz seriously—Canadian documentaries are rising up. Boasting a newschool style borne out of global-mindedness fairly central to CBC and National Film Board productions, festival hits like Manufactured Landscapes, Up the Yangtze and now, Lixin Fan's careful and meditative Last Train Home are turning heads and nabbing honours worldwide. Chinese-born Fan follows a struggling family literally divided by the workplace in Beijing—two parents take factory jobs in the city, leaving their two children on a farm with their grandparents, and are granted an emotionally torn reunion during the Chinese New Year. Part of the grand effect that Last Train Home has from the beginning is an exquisite tie-in of the colorful visual aesthetic to its portrayal of the issue—the landscapes, factory interiors and crowded train stations deliver a mood so quickly, the film seems stylized, and in turn, unreal. The rawness of its subject, however, is hard to deny, especially as Fan treats the setting so otherworldly to many Canadians with a workably abstract distance. The family's experience is not the tool for an explicit political argument, but rather a contemplation of survival and the different forms it must take. The short but reknown period of Canadian cinema that continue to emerge see our filmmakers working with and more importantly, respecting, potent ideas

FILM REVIEWS

Film Capsules

FILM WEEKLY

TO SAVE A LIFE (PG, substance abuse, mature subject matter) Daily 12:50, 4:20, 7:15, 10:20

FRI, MAR 5– THU, MAR 11, 2010

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

content, not recommended for children) Daily 11:50, 3:15, 6:40, 10:00

EDMONTON FILM SOCIETY

that can be easily taken for granted. Witnessing the development of this sophisticated creativity on our home turf is as exciting as it might be for other countries to discover it.

Royal Alberta Museum, 102 Ave, 128 St, 780.439.5284

Jonathan Busch

// jonathan@vueweekly.com

Daily 1:20, 4:10, 7:10, 9:55

Mon 8:00

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recom-

CINEMA AT THE CENTRE Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre, 7 Sir Winston Churchill Sq, 780.496.7070

SUGAR (14A, coarse language)

Wed 6:30

Look for an extended review and interview with Director Lixin Fan in the March 18 edition of Vue Weekly.

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

TORRID ZONE (STC)

CHABA THEATRE�JASPER

6094 Connaught Dr, Jasper, 780.852.4749

TOOTH FAIRY (G)

CINEMA CITY MOVIES 12

Finding Farley

Wed, Mar 10 (7 pm) Directed by Leanne Allison Metro Cinema (9829 - 101A Ave), Free



Though somewhat controversial when it came down to the hard facts, the books of Farley Mowat captured something idealized about the immense Canadian wilderness: something wild and untamed, but with a strange, magnetic pull to all who bore witnessed to it. It's a feeling that the Heuer-Allison family try to find for themselves as they begin a five-month canoe trek across Canada in Finding Farley, passing along the places that Mowat lived, learned and wrote, on their way to meet the author himself in his Nova Scotia summer home. An inviting documentary, the hourlong story manages to capture much the same sort of immensity as its titluar inspiration. Farley's finest moments linger on what Mowat always did: the environment itself. Long, unmoving shots of the family canoe crossing crystal rivers under immense blue skies, green all around are entrancing reminders that this is the second biggest country in the world, with most of that space uninhabited and untamed, like the bears, wolves and caribou that frequently wander across the screen. As for the trek itself, the family themselves seem to do well enough roughing it in the bush. Husband Karsten, his wife Leanne, their adorable child Zev and pet dog Willow frame the documentary with their simple little narrative, supplemented with letter correspondence to Mowat himself, now pushing 90, vicariously reliving his travels through their letters. They don't shy away from showing the inconvenient realities of canoeing across Canada: in the toughest leg of the trip, heading past the prairies upward to Hudson's Bay, they spend weeks doing brutal portaging and battling endless swarms of flies in a state of general misery. There's also a few stunning moments: Karseten Heuer's voiceover explaining that each male loon's song is unique, but when that bird dies, whichever new loon takes its place takes on an identical song, not from having heard it before, but from the land itself, set while one of the birds flutters across a calm lake is a stunning slice of nature revealed. And while they do delve into the controversy surrounding Mowat's work— claims of falsifying facts and making up stories get brought up and questioned, albeit lightly—they firmly settle on the side of the author: maybe Mowat's travels weren't quite as he said, but as Heuer writes him in a letter, "You captured the essence of this place." Finding Farley manages to do the same. Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

Daily 1:10, 4:05, 6:35

CRAZY HEART (14A, coarse language, substance abuse)

5074-130 Ave, 780.472.9779

KARTHIK CALLING KARTHIK (PG, disturbing content) Hindi W/E.S.T. Daily 1:00, 4:00, 6:45, 9:35

Daily 9:15

SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG, violence, not recommended

MY NAME IS KHAN (PG, mature subject matter, violence)

for young children) Fri, Mon-Thu 12:00, 3:45, 6:55, 10:15; Sat-Sun 3:45, 6:55, 10:15

Hindi W/E.S.T. Fri-Sat 1:05, 4:25, 7:45, 11:10; Sun-Thu 1:05, 4:25, 7:45

THE LOVELY BONES (PG, mature subject matter, violence)

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young

LEAP YEAR (PG)

children) Digital 3d Fri-Sun 11:30, 3:10, 6:45, 10:30; Mon-Thu 2:00, 6:30, 10:00

IT'S COMPLICATED (14A) Fri-Sat 1:25, 4:35, 7:05, 9:40, 12:00; Sun-Thu 1:25, 4:35, 7:05, 9:40

Sat 11:00

Daily 1:05, 4:05, 6:55, 9:45

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: DER ROSENKAVA� LIER ENCORE (Classification not available)

Daily 9:50

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010�Live Action & Animation Double Feature (STC)

ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL

(G) Fri-Sat 1:20, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15, 11:20; Sun-Thu 1:20, 4:30, 7:00, 9:15

Sun 12:00

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not

DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS? (PG)

recommended for young children) Star & Strollers Screening, No passes Thu 1:00

Fri-Sat 9:55, 12:10; Sun-Thu 9:55

PRINCESS AND THE FROG (G)

CITY CENTRE 9

Digital Cinema Fri-Sat 1:30, 4:10, 7:10, 9:20, 11:25; Sun-Thu 1:30, 4:10, 7:10, 9:20

10200-102 Ave, 780.421.7020

INVICTUS (PG, coarse language)

Fri-Sat 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40, 12:15; Sun-Thu 1:10, 4:00, 6:50, 9:40

OLD DOGS (G)

Fri-Sat 1:40, 4:40, 7:20, 9:30, 11:35; Sun-Thu 1:40, 4:40, 7:20, 9:30

PLANET 51 (G)

Daily 1:45, 4:45, 7:25

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (PG, violence)

Daily 1:15, 4:15, 7:15

2012 (PG, not recommended for young children, frightening scenes) Fri-Sat 1:10, 4:20, 7:35, 11:15; Sun-Thu 1:10, 4:20, 7:35

AN EDUCATION (PG, mature subject matter)

Fri-Sat 1:35, 4:20, 6:50, 9:25, 11:40; Sun-Thu 1:35, 4:20, 6:50, 9:25

CINEPLEX ODEON NORTH 14231-137 Ave, 780.732.2236

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

content, not recommended for children) Dolby Stereo Digital, Stadium Seating Daily 12:10, 3:20, 6:30, 9:40

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes, Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Fri, Sun-Thu 12:00, 12:30, 2:35, 3:30, 5:10, 6:45, 7:45, 9:20, 10:25; Sat 12:30, 2:35, 3:30, 5:10, 6:45, 7:45, 9:20, 10:25 COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

DTS Digital, Stadium Seating, No passes Daily 12:40, 3:10, 7:00, 10:10

BROOKLYN'S FINEST (18A)

Daily 12:10, 3:20, 7:10, 10:15

Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Daily 12:20, 2:50, 6:55, 9:55

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Daily 12:15, 2:50, 5:20, 7:50, 10:35

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Digital 3d, Stadium Seating Daily 1:00, 5:00, 9:00

content, not recommended for children) Daily 12:40, 3:50, 7:05, 10:30

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) Daily 2:00, 5:00, 7:30, 10:10

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Daily 12:50, 3:45, 6:45, 9:40

Stadium Seating, DTS Digital Daily 12:05, 2:40, 5:15, 7:50, 10:20

CLAREVIEW 10 4211-139 Ave, 780.472.7600

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recom-

TOOTH FAIRY (G)

Daily 12:00, 2:30, 4:50, 7:20

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for young

children) Digital 3d Daily 11:40, 3:10, 6:35, 10:05

THE BLIND SIDE (PG, mature subject matter)

Fri-Tue, Thu 12:20, 3:40, 6:40, 9:35; Wed 3:40, 9:35; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Star & Strollers Screening, No passes Wed 1:00

CINEPLEX ODEON SOUTH 1525-99 St, 780.436.8585

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not

recommended for young children) No passes Fri-Wed 1:15, 4:00, 6:45, 9:30; Thu 4:00, 6:45, 9:30; Digital 3d: Daily 11:45, 12:45, 2:30, 3:30, 5:10, 7:00, 7:50, 10:00, 10:30

BROOKLYN'S FINEST (18A)

Fri, Sun-Thu 12:15, 4:00, 7:20, 10:30; Sat 12:15, 4:25, 7:20, 10:30

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Daily 1:30, 4:40, 7:45, 10:40

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

Fri-Sat, Mon-Thu 12:30, 3:40, 7:30, 10:15; Sun 12:30, 4:40, 7:30, 10:15

2020 Sherwood Dr, 780.416.0150 Sherwood Park 780-416-0150

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes Fri-Sun 12:30, 3:30, 6:45, 9:30; Mon-Thu 6:45, 9:30; Digital 3d: Fri-Sun 11:30, 2:00, 4:45, 7:30, 10:15; Mon-Thu 7:30, 10:15 BROOKLYN'S FINEST (18A) Fri-Sun 12:15, 3:40, 7:00, 10:10; Mon-Thu 7:00, 10:10 THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

Fri-Sun 1:30, 4:20, 7:40, 10:30; Mon-Thu 7:40, 10:30

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

Fri-Sun 1:15, 4:30, 7:20, 10:00; Mon-Thu 7:20, 10:00

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Fri-Sun 12:45, 3:50, 7:10, 10:20; Mon-Thu 7:10, 10:20 PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Fri-Sun 11:45, 3:20, 6:30, 9:10; Mon-Thu 6:30, 9:10

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Fri-Sun 1:20, 4:10, 6:55, 9:45; Mon-Thu 6:55, 9:45

DEAR JOHN (PG)

young children) Fri-Sun 12:00, 4:00, 8:00; Mon-Thu 8:00

GRANDIN THEATRE�ST ALBERT Grandin Mall, Sir Winston Churchill Ave, St Albert, 780.458.9822

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Daily 1:15, 4:00, 6:45, 9:10 COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content) Daily 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30, 9:35

TOOTH FAIRY (G) PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Daily 12:40, 2:55, 5:10, 7:20, 9:30

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 4:40, 7:00, 9:25

LEDUC CINEMAS Leduc, 780.352.3922

No passes Fri 4:15, 7:10, 9:55; No passes Sat-Sun 1:20, 4:15, 7:10, 9:55; Mon-Thu 5:40, 8:35

AVATAR (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Fri 4:20, 8:00; Sat-Sun 12:40, 4:20, 8:00; Mon-Thu 4:30, 8:00 ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Digital 3d, On 2 Screens, No passes Fri 4:00, 4:30, 6:40, 7:15, 9:20, 9:50; Sat-Sun 1:10, 1:50, 4:00, 4:30, 6:40, 7:15, 9:20, 9:50; Mon-Thu 5:00, 5:30, 8:10, 8:40 BROOKLYN'S FINEST (18A)

Fri 3:45, 6:45, 9:40; Sat-Sun 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:40; Mon-Thu 5:20, 8:15

DUGGAN CINEMA�CAMROSE 6601-48 Ave, Camrose, 780.608.2144

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes,

not recommended for young children) Daily 7:05 9:15; Sat-Sun 2:05; Movies for Mommies:

Daily 6:50, 9:10; Sat-Sun 2:00

PRINCESS 10337-82 Ave, 780.433.0728

CRAZY HEART (14A, coarse language, substance abuse) Daily 6:45, 9:15; Sat, Sun 2:00

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS (PG, coarse language, frightening scenes) Daily 9:10; Sat, Sun 3:30

PRECIOUS (14A, sexual violence, coarse language, disturbing content) Daily 6:50; Sat, Sun 1:00

SCOTIABANK THEATRE WEM WEM, 8882-170 St, 780.444.2400

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes,

not recommended for young children) No passes Daily 12:00, 2:40, 5:20, 8:15, 11:00; Digital 3d: Fri-Sat 11:15, 2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 10:10; Sun-Thu 12:30, 3:15, 6:45, 9:30

BROOKLYN'S FINEST (18A) Daily 12:10, 3:20, 7:00, 10:30 ALICE IN WONDERLAND: AN IMAX 3D EXPERI�

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content) Daily 1:40, 4:20, 7:30, 10:15 SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Daily 12:20, 3:40, 7:15, 10:40 THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

Fri-Tue, Thu 1:30, 4:30, 7:40, 10:20; Wed 1:30, 4:30, 10:20

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Fri-Tue, Thu 12:30, 3:30, 6:45, 9:45; Wed 3:40, 6:45, 9:45; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 12:50, 3:45, 6:50, 9:50

DEAR JOHN (PG)

Fri-Sun, Tue, Thu 12:15, 3:10, 6:40, 9:20; Mon 12:15, 3:10, 9:40; Wed 3:40, 6:40, 9:20; Star & Strollers Screening: Wed 1:00

WHEN IN ROME (PG) Fri, Mon-Thu 1:20, 7:10; Sat-Sun 7:10 SHERLOCK HOLMES (PG, violence, not recommended for young children) Fri, Sun-Thu 4:10, 9:40; Sat 4:20, 9:40

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Digital 3D Daily 7:00, 9:30; Fri, Sat, Sun 1:00, 3:30

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 7:05; Fri, Sat, Sun 1:05

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA: DER ROSEN� KAVALIER ENCORE (Classification not available)

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Daily 6:50, 9:35; Fri, Sat, Sun 12:50, 3:35

OSCAR NOMINATED SHORT FILMS 2010�Live Action & Animation Double Feature (STC)

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE (14A, violence, coarse

Daily 7:10, 9:25; Fri, Sat, Sun 1:10, 3:25

METRO CINEMA

9828-101A Ave, Citadel Theatre, 780.425.9212

SMALL CHANGE (STC)

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

8712-109 St, 780.433.0728

THE LAST STATION (14A)

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Daily 11:45, 2:20, 4:50, 7:50, 10:45

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

Fri 4:10, 7:00, 9:30; Sat-Sun 1:30, 4:10, 7:00, 9:30; Mon-Thu 5:45, 8:50

GARNEAU

AVATAR 3D (PG, violence, not recommended for

MISSISSIPPI MERMAID (STC)

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

Daily 6:55, 9:00; Sat, Sun Tue 12:55, 3:00

TOOTH FAIRY (G)

Fri-Sun 1:00, 3:45

Fri 3:50, 6:50, 9:45; Sat-Sun 12:50, 3:50, 6:50, 9:45; Mon-Thu 5:15, 8:30 content, not recommended for children) Fri 3:35, 6:35, 9:35; Sat-Sun 12:35, 3:35, 6:35, 9:35; Mon-Thu 5:10, 8:20

Daily 9:15

ENCE (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes Fri-Sat 10:30, 1:10, 3:50, 6:30, 9:10, 11:45; Sun-Thu 11:30, 2:15, 4:50, 7:30, 10:10

Daily 6:40, 9:20

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

Daily 9:45

GALAXY�SHERWOOD PARK

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence)

DEAR JOHN (PG)

WHEN IN ROME (PG)

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

language) Daily 9:20; Fri, Sat, Sun 3:40

Fri 4:50, 7:30, 10:00; Sat-Sun 2:00, 4:50, 7:30, 10:00; Mon-Thu 5:50, 8:45

Daily 1:10, 4:10, 6:50, 9:30

TOOTH FAIRY (G)

mended for young children) Fri 3:40, 6:30, 9:15; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:40, 6:30, 9:15; Mon-Thu 5:35, 8:25

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:55

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

Daily 12:50, 2:45

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

recommended for young children) Daily 6:45, 9:05; Sat, Sun Tue 12:45, 3:05

DEAR JOHN (PG)

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) DTS Digital, Stadium Seating Daily 1:10, 4:00, 7:10

Daily 6:50; Sat, Sun Tue 12:50, 3:15

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence) Daily 7:25 9:25; Fri, Sat, Sun 2:25

THE WOLFMAN (18, gory violence) DTS Digital, No passes, Stadium Seating Daily 10:00

Dolby Stereo Digital, Digital Fri-Tue 12:50, 3:40, 6:40, 9:35; Wed-Thu 12:50, 3:40, 9:35

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

Daily 9:20

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes Daily 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:05, 9:15

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) No passes Fri-Tue, Thu 1:30, 4:30, 7:15, 10:00; Wed 4:30, 7:15, 10:00; Digital 3d: Daily 11:45, 12:30, 2:30, 3:30, 5:10, 6:30, 8:00, 9:15, 10:40

Daily 1:40, 4:40, 7:40, 10:20

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

content, not recommended for children) Daily 6:45, 9:20; Fri, Sat, Sun 1:45

Fri-Wed 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:40, 10:10; Thu 5:00, 10:10; Star & Strollers Screening: Thu 1:00

Fri-Sat 7:00, 9:00; Sun-Thu 8:00

recommended for young children) Daily 7:10; Fri, Sat, Sun 2:10

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 12:10, 3:20, 6:30, 9:30

WHEN IN ROME (PG)

DEAR JOHN (PG)

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend)

Daily 7:00 9:10; Sat-Sun 2:00

Daily 12:40, 3:50, 6:50, 9:40

Fri Sat 7:00, 9:00; Sun-Thu 8:00

Daily 6:45, 9:30; Sat, Sun Tue 12:45, 3:30

mended for young children) Daily 1:00, 4:00, 7:10, 9:50

DEAR JOHN (PG)

CRAZY HEART (14A, coarse language, substance abuse)

Mar 5: 1:00

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not

Sat, Sun 9:00

Fri 9:00; Sun, Mon 7:00

TAXI DRIVER (STC) Tue 7:00

WILD CHILD (STC) Sat 7:00; Tue 9:00 NFB & MEC PRESENT: FINDING FARLEY (STC) Wed 7:00

SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER (STC) Fri 7:00; Mon, Wed 9:00

FAVA FRESHWORKS: STRANGE ENCOUNTERS (STC) Thu 7:00

PARKLAND CINEMA 7 130 Century Crossing, Spruce Grove, 780.972.2332 (Spruce Grove, Stony Plain; Parkland County)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Not presented in 3D; Daily 7:00, 9:25; Sat, Sun Tue 1:00, 3:25; Movies for Mommies: Mar 9: 1:00 COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

Daily 7:10, 9:20; Sat, Sun Tue 1:10, 3:20

THE CRAZIES (18A, gory violence)

Daily 7:05, 9:10; Sat, Sun Tue 1:05, 3:10

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children)

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

young children) Digital 3d Daily 11:30, 3:00, 6:30, 10:00

Sat 11:00

Sun 12:00

WESTMOUNT CENTRE 111 Ave, Groat Rd, 780.455.8726

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing

content, not recommended for children) Dolby Stereo Digital Fri 6:25, 9:40; Sat-Sun 12:00, 3:10, 6:25, 9:40; Mon-Thu 5:00, 8:00

CRAZY HEART (14A, coarse language, substance

abuse) Dolby Stereo Digital Fri 6:50, 9:50; Sat-Sun 12:45, 3:40, 6:50, 9:50; Mon-Thu 5:20, 8:30

THE BLIND SIDE (PG, mature subject matter) DTS Digital Fri 6:35, 9:30; Sat-Sun 12:15, 3:20, 6:35, 9:30; Mon-Thu 5:10, 8:10 TO SAVE A LIFE (PG, substance abuse, mature subject matter) DTS Digital Fri 7:00, 10:00; Sat-Sun 12:30, 3:30, 7:00, 10:00; Mon-Thu 5:30, 8:20

WETASKIWIN CINEMAS

Wetaskiwin, 780.352.3922

SHUTTER ISLAND (14A, coarse language, disturbing content, not recommended for children) Daily 6:50, 9:30; Fri, Sat, Sun 12:50, 3:30 PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Daily 6:55; Sat-Sun 1:05

VALENTINE'S DAY (PG, language may offend) Daily 9:20; Sat-Sun 3:20

COP OUT (14A, coarse language, crude content)

Daily 7:10, 9:35; Sat-Sun 1:10, 3:35

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (PG, frightening scenes, not recommended for young children) Daily 7:00 pm and 9:25; Sat-Sun 1:00, 3:25

FILM // 37

DVD DETECTIVE >> TREELESS MOUNTAIN

TELEVISION // OLYMPIC QUOTES

Olympians say the darndest things ... Choice quotes from the Vancouver Olympics Brian Gibson // brian@vueweekly.com

omehow, after two weeks of winter sporting and athletic cavorting, after the studio anchors' heartstringing, interviewers' tearjerking and commercials' bling-bragging, the media-clouded skies cleared, some hard truths melted, and a few honest words trickled on down from the Olympians to we mere mortals through television or other media. Lo and behold: Ski Funnys: From Three's Not Company to Buy The Podium "We call them the Camel Bumps but suddenly they're three and camels don't have three bumps so I really don't know where that third one came from but I certainly hit it."—Chemmy Alcott, from Britain, recalls a tough, mis-named part of the women's downhill course. "My legs were feeling like someone injected them with gravy."—skier Bode Miller, USA, recalling his state of body before the slalom. "Of course she's happy. She just made it across the finish line with all body parts attached."—a voice on the PA system after one skier at the bottom of the course smiled at the camera. "It's like living in an airport. Controls here, controls there. They even look under the bus to see if there isn't anybody hiding there."—Sandrine Aubert, slalom skier from France, on negotiating the security-gated Olympic village in Whistler. "Yep, no medal again; maybe I will pop down to the shops and see if I can buy one." —Marco Buechel, downhill skier

from Liechtenstein, on his fifth Olympics with no medal. Rock-king the House, Blowing It All, and Third-Person Snowboarding "I would never have dreamed of just hanging out with the king and wearing the same pants, and, you know, say, 'Hey, you look cool, king'"—curling skip Thomas Ulsrud, of Norway, on the thought of meeting his country's King of Norway and giving him a pair of the team's red-and-white diamond-print pants. "It's a total farce. It wasn't worth getting up this morning. We'd have done better to stay in bed and buy a lottery ticket."—Nicolas Michaud, head of France's Nordic Combined team, on the judges' decision to let the individual hill ski jumping part of the event continue despite high winds. "A few laps from the end I knew it was all wrong. I saw my girlfriend in the stands, her hands over her face and I thought 'shit, this is big shit'"—Sven Kramer on being disqualified for a lane infringement in the 10 000 metres after his coach erred. "Being Shaun White is not easy sometimes but it's definitely fun a lot of the times. It's cool. Being me is a strange thing sometimes and I'm trying to get a grasp on it even now."—Shaun White, talking about himself, after winning back-to-back Olympic halfpipe titles. Talking Fierce at Figure-Skating "I'm not intimidated, not by anything. Not by flowing blond hair. Not by a tanned face. I'm not intimidated by anything, except maybe PETA standing outside with a bucket of blood."—John-

ny Weir, from the USA, on competitors Yevgeny Plushenko and Evan Lysacek; Weir's been targeted in the past by the animal-rights group for wearing fur. "If the Olympic champion doesn't know how to jump a quad, I don't know ... [then] it's not men's figure skating, it's dancing."—Plushenko snipes at Lysacek after the American won the men's title without doing a quad "Nobody knows me. ... I think masculinity is what you believe it to be."— Weir responding to homophobic remarks about him by two commentators on RDS, the French- language sports channel in Quebec. Hockey Daze in Canada "Same thing like if it was the Canadians. It's a disaster. It's the end of the world."—Ilya Bryzgalov, goalie for Russia, on the certain reaction back home after losing 7-3 to Canada in the quarter-finals. "Hockey is not a sport in Canada. It's a cult."—Brian Burke, general manager of Team USA. "He was yelling, 'Here, Iggy, Iggy.' He was yelling pretty urgently so I knew he had a step. There's different pitches of yell. You could tell he had a step and I was just trying to lay it in and he jumped on it. I was hoping I wasn't too late ... I saw everyone cheering and I couldn't believe it. It was done. I didn't see where he put it. I just saw him jumping around. It was awesome."—Jarome Iginla, recalling his pass to Sidney Crosby for the gold-winning goal at 7:40 of overtime in the final event of the 21st Winter Olympics. And The Gold Goes To ... "My name is Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset. I skied the second lap and I fucked up today. I think I have seen too much porn in the last 14 days. I have the room next to Petter Northug and every day there is noise in there. So I think that is the reason I fucked up. By the way Tiger Woods is a really good man."—Norwegian cross-country skier Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset on finishing second in the men's cross-country relay. V

38 // FILM

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

Child's eye view Treeless Mountain a lesson in the resilience of children

Moving from city to village to country- ters as they single-mindedly try to perside, from a wearied mother to a ne- form a simple task. You could argue that glectful aunt to an elderly grandparent, the relatively early fulfillment of this Jin and Bin (Hee Yeon Kim, Song Hee task—the girls manage to fill the piggy Kim) cultivate an impressive itinbank a good half-hour before the erary for a couple of sisters end—is a major flaw in the aged six and four respecmovie's construction, letting tively. Having already been the air out of the whole thing abandoned by one parent, ly.com so that it just sort of drifts eweek u v @ e Jin and Bin are uprooted dvddetectiv toward finale. But the lack of from their Seoul home and dramatic escalation is one of Josef taken to live with their "Big the things that actually make Braun Auntie" so that their mother can Treeless Mountain absorbing. The search for their errant father. When narrative is as unanchored as its characnot drunk or absent, Big Auntie can be ters. The shape of the movie feels right found extorting money from neighbours for the content. And there's never really or occasionally throwing together a not a dull moment. Hee Yong and Song Hee very nutritious looking meal. The sisters take to roasting grasshoppers alive and Their journey selling them on the street, the money features passages earned intended not for filling their so desperate as to rumbling bellies but rather the piggy bank given to them by mom just before make your head spin, her departure. By the time it's filled, she yet by the end of tells them, I'll be back. The girls take this Treeless Mountain promise at face value and receive their first lesson in how our parents bullshit we're left not with us. Their journey features passages so a sense of despair desperate as to make your head spin, over the cruelty and yet by the end of Treeless Mountain indifference of the we're left not with a sense of despair over the cruelty and indifference of the world but rather one world but rather one of confidence in of confidence in the the inherent resilience of children. inherent resilience of This gradual sense of consolation arises partially from Korean-American writer/ children. director So Yong Kim's carefully modulated script, and partially, and perhaps more significantly, from her willingness are extremely cute and also captivating to let her child actors frequently take in their train of discoveries, and their the lead. Kim's second feature opens director's judicious use of Ozu-like inwith a series of close-ups of Jin, listen- termediary scenes—a sky bisected by ing to her teacher at school, going home power lines becomes a motif—endow to retrieve Bin from a neighbour, having the whole with a sense of even pacing supper, being scolded by her mother. and a unified aesthetic. As Kim explains during an interview Oscilloscope's disc is handsomely featured on Oscilloscope's new DVD, packaged though some of the extras are close-ups became the master shots insubstantial. The audio commentary while making Treeless Mountain, so that from Kim and producer Bradley Rust scene after scene had to be constructed Gray feels unprepared for, with the pair to an unusual degree from images of prompting each other to say something the children's faces fully immersed in to fill the gaps. Better is the Q&A prethe act of trying to understand what's sided over by Kim after a screening at going on. If you know something about New York's Film Forum. She discusses how movies are made such a strategy the casting—Hee Yong was found at might seem like a gamble, but it plays her elementary school, Song Hee at an out here as a very sound approach to orphanage—and her technique to worktelling a story centering on kids. The ing with them. Despite the uniformity of camera stays close so as to register last names the writer/director and her the slightest transition, and it typically actors are none related to the other, yet does so from the height of the kids there is a sense here of an artist's refathemselves. Just as the movie doesn't miliarizing herself with her roots. Having concern itself with plot points the kids been transplanted to the United States wouldn't have access to, so does it at the age of 12, Kim lives in Brooklyn evoke something of their perspective. and made Treeless Mountain under the This surrendering to the experience of auspices of the Sundance Institute. But its characters and the untutored conthe village where much of the movie tributions of its actors is what makes was shot was the same one where Kim Treeless Mountain memorable. grew up, and, having spent so much of her life abroad, her Korean is actually Kim's willingness to observe rather less proficient that that of Hee Yong's. than impose is also in keeping with the So perhaps the conditions under which tenants of neorealism, and Treeless the movie was made formed a sort of Mountain can certainly be regarded as equalizer—language has a great way of a noble entry into the genre. It not only demolishing hierarchy. In any case it's features kids in trouble—a neorealist always a pleasure to see a movie about staple—but also spends a good third of kids where the adults filming them its running time monitoring its characaren't always looking down. V

DVCD TIVE

DETE

INSIDE // MUSIC

MUSIC

Chris Page

Online at vueweekly.com >>MUSIC Slide show: Corb Lund, Ridley Bent

Katherine Wheatley

Slide show: Library Voices

Maurice

The Classical Score: highlights of the week's classical performances

COVER // MEGADETH

Shake off the Rust

Megadeth welcomes bassist back, celebrates seminal album Eden Munro // eden@vueweekly.com

t was basically a challenge," Dave Mustaine laughs over the phone as he explains the genesis of Megadeth's tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band's seminal album Rust in Peace. "My manager said, 'Do you think you could still do it?' and I said, 'Of course I could still do it,' and I guess kind of the gauntlet was thrown down." It's apt that the idea of playing the full album on stage originated as a gauntlet of sorts: that's not entirely unlike the atmosphere upon the album's original release. After splitting from Metallica prior to the recording of that band's full-length debut, Mustaine had formed Megadeth, recording three albums of his own. Despite solid songwriting from Mustaine and aggressive recordings, between the band's 1985 debut and the end of the tour supporting its 1988 release, So Far, So Good ... So What!, the band's lineup never solidified, with Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson the only constants, the group seeming from the outside to be in a nearly constant state of flux and always struggling to find its footing. Though Megadeth was included in the so-called Big Four of thrash bands— rounded out by Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer—and Mustaine's intricate songs and punk-influenced assault gave the band a unique edge amongst its contemporaries, there was a perception that Megadeth was always running just behind Mustaine's old band in some sort of imaginary race. But then the lineup shifted once again, with Shrapnel Records shredder Marty Friedman joining on guitar and Nick Menza taking over the drum stool, and Mustaine (with some help from Ellefson) conjured up nine new songs loaded with thrashing riffs and apocalyptic vocals. The resulting album cracked hard and found Megadeth staking its own claim on metal, with gui-

MEGADETH TODAY >> From left: Shawn Drover, David Ellefson, Dave Mustaine, Chris Broderick tars, bass, drums and vocals all melding into one pummeling whole: when Rust in Peace landed, there was no doubt that Megadeth was playing for keeps. The tumultuous times didn't end there, though, with more membership changes and an arm injury leading to Mustaine breaking the band up for several years. During his time off the frontman found Christianity, remastered Megadeth's catalogue and then finally resurrected the group, playing and recording without Ellefson for the first time, leading to Mustaine lobbing acrimonious words at his old band mate in the press and

Ellefson filing an unsuccessful lawsuit against Mustaine.

shredders, and I'd known about Marty Friedman from him playing with Jason Becker [co-guitarist in Cacophony], and so Rust in Peace was definitely the CD that brought me into the Megadeth fold. That's the CD that I absolutely love the most.

I get to internalize it and grow from his phrasing. And secondly, I think the fans really deserve that because they grew up with [the album]. A lot of them, it speaks their language.

While his troubled days of alcohol, drugs and discontent have been welldocumented over the years, today Mustaine comes across as a happy man, comfortable at last in his own skin and with the lineup he shares the stage with: drummer Shawn Drover, guitarist Chris Broderick and his old friend Ellefson, once again on bass. "I think this is a really great story with a happy ending, where we're at right now, what's happened in my personal

// Stephanie Cabral

life. You know, people make fun of me because of my becoming a Christian, and I'm thinking, 'God, man, if anybody needed to have their life changed it was me.' But I didn't get soft; I certainly didn't stop shredding on guitar," he says, pausing before reflecting on his past turmoil. "When Countdown to Extinction came out [in 1992] and we had the number two record in the United States, that was pretty inebriating, but I was still in that place where I didn't want to be number two. I wanted to be number one, and 'Achy Breaky Heart' was the number one record and I was pissed.

"Since then I've learned that you've got to pick your battles—you've got to decide what you're going to get emotional over, and I get more pleasure out of helping people," he adds. "I just got a letter back from the children's hospital here in San Diego about all the toys we donated over Christmas and it showed this little girl that was two that has cancer and, man, I tell you, talk about making you want to cry when you see that stuff and making you grateful." In the here and now, Mustaine has come a long way from his younger self, time bringing him around to a place where he directs his anger into the music while doing his best to live a good life off the stage. Part of that change has him accepting that he may have left a trail of hurt in his wake while he was steering the good ship Megadeth, and that applies to his recent reunion with Ellefson. "We've got a lot of stuff that we need to talk about, and obviously the time will present itself. I made a promise to myself to try to be the absolute best band leader that I can possibly be and that's going to entail me several times having to have the past recalled, and it's not always pleasant to have someone hold up a mirror in front of you," he admits. "I guess the most important thing is willingness: am I willing to look at my part in any of the things that might have led to us not being best friends again? Because I don't always know how the things that I say and do affect people. Sometimes I'm doing or saying stuff to be funny and everybody laughs in the room, but you never really hear under all the laughter the guy muttering under his breath, 'I'm gonna kill you, Dave.'" V Sun, Mar 7 (6 pm) Megadeth With Testament, Exodus Shaw conference Centre $39.50

SIX STRINGS OF 'DETH Guitarist Chris Broderick joined Megadeth in early 2008, and in that time he's recorded 2009's Endgame and toured with the band. Broderick spoke to Vue Weekly recently about playing the entire Rust in Peace album on tour and David Ellefson's return to the band after nearly a decade away. Here are some of the highlights of the conversation. VUE WEEKLY: How familiar were you with Rust in Peace before joining Megadeth? CHRIS BRODERICK: Rust in Peace was really the CD that kind of brought me into Megadeth, because I was always into the Shrapnel [Records] guys, the

VW: How do you approach the songs that were recorded before you were in the band? CB: Definitely note-for-note. First, it helps me personally because I get the benefit of all of the phrasing and the concepts that the original artist intended when they were writing it, so in this case a lot of what Marty Friedman did,

VW: A typical setlist is constructed with a different flow than an album, with more of a focus on a wide selection of songs that fans know from throughout the catalogue. How does it feel to just start up at one end of Rust in Peace and blast straight through to the other? CB: I've never been one to really get into the process of selecting a set for the night, but I do know that you want

to try to build up. One of the big considerations in the first part of the show is making sure the soundman gets the sound right, so it's choosing the right songs for that—too fast and too chaotic and it would be hard for the soundman to get the sound dialed in quickly, so you want to kind of ease into it and then pick the show up from there, so there are intentional climaxes in a good setlist. Now with this, it's just running the CD from beginning to end, and I love that because that's the way I listen to the CD. I know a lot of people will just download a specific song these days, but for me a CD is kind of like a slice in time that kind of tells you what

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

those people were thinking overall, so I always listen to the whole CD, and performing it is kind of the same thing. VW: David Ellefson returned to the band a few weeks ago. As a guitar player, does it make a big difference to you who's playing bass? CB: Yes, absolutely, but at the same time, I'm always so focused on what I'm trying to accomplish, especially this early on during the rehearsals, I'm more focused on what I'm trying to accomplish than being able to really listen to what Ellefson's doing and Shawn and Dave, for that matter. I'm trying to make sure that I have my stuff down. V

MUSIC // 39

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Drive, 780.704.CLUB

DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB 9013-88 Ave, 780.465.4834

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE 11607 Jasper Ave, 2nd Fl,

MARYBETH'S COFFEE HOUSE�Beaumont 500130 Ave, Beaumont

SPORTSWORLD 13710-104 St

STOLLI’S 2nd Fl, 10368-82 Ave, 780.437.2293 TAPHOUSE 9020 McKenney Ave, St Albert,

DRUID 11606 Jasper Ave, 780.454.9928

MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH 10025-101 St

DUSTER’S PUB 6402-118 Ave, 780.474.5554

MORANGO’S TEK CAFÉ 10118-79 St

DV8 TAVERN 8307-99 St, DV8TAVERN.com

NAKED CYBERCAFÉ 10354 Jasper Ave

EARLY STAGE SALOON 4911-52 Ave, Stony Plain

NEWCASTLE PUB 6108-90 Ave, 780.490.1999

451.5506

EDMONTON EVENTS CENTRE WEM Phase III,

NEW CITY 10081 Jasper Ave, 780.989.5066

WILD WEST SALOON 12912-50 St, 780.476.3388

NIKKI DIAMONDS 8130 Gateway Blvd, 780.439.8006

WUNDERBAR 8120-101 St, 780.436.2286

NORTH GLENORA HALL 13535-109A Ave

Y AFTERHOURS 10028-102 St, 780.994.3256,

780.489.SHOW

ELECTRIC RODEO�Spruce Grove 121-1 Ave, Spruce

Grove, 780.962.1411

40 // MUSIC

FESTIVAL PLACE 100 Festival Way, Sherwood Park, 780.449.3378, 780.464.2852

ENCORE CLUB 957 Fir St, Sherwood Park,

NORWOOD LEGION 11150-82 St

780.417.0111

O’BYRNE’S 10616-82 Ave, 780.414.6766

EXPRESSIONZ CAFÉ 9938-70 Ave

ON THE ROCKS 11730 Jasper Ave, 780.482.4767

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

780.458.0860

THE UKRAINIAN CENTRE 11018-97 St WHISTLESTOP LOUNGE 12416-132 Ave, 780.

yafterhours.com

YESTERDAYS PUB 112, 205 Carnegie Dr, St Albert,

780.459.0295

Lynn Zwicker and Third Reel (Celtic); 7pm (door), 8pm (show); $25 at TIX on the Square

new wave, electro; Underdog: Perverted Fridays: Punk and Ska from the ‘60s ‘70s and ‘80s with Fathead

IVORY CLUB Duelling piano show with Jesse, Shane, Tiffany and Erik and guests

dance

JEFFREY'S Hawaiian TIKI

BUDDY’S DJ Arrow Chaser;

BOOTS Retro Disco: retro

Party: Terry and the Tiki Boys featuring Jamie "Hula" Philp, Dan "Kaimala" Skakun, Thom "Aloha" Golub, "Tiki" Terry McDade (harp, guitar) with Jeremiah McDade (sax); 9pm-12; $15

8pm; no cover before 10pm

JEKYLL AND HYDE PUB

Every Friday: Headwind (classic pop/rock); 9pm; no cover

EMPIRE BALLROOM Rock, hip hop, house, mash up; no minors

JOJO'S CAFÉ The Low Flying

ESMERELDA'S Ezzies Freakin

Planes (folk); 9pm

JULIAN'S�Chateau Louis Graham Lawrence (jazz Piano); 8pm

LEVA CAPPUCCINO BAR Live music every Friday

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE Pizzarhea, Eminent, Reprisal, Fleeting Arms, Slippy Fist

NEW CITY SUBURBS I Love '80s Danceparty: with Nazz Nomad and Blue Jay

NORWOOD LEGION Uptown Folk Club: Wendell Ferguson and Katherine Wheatley (triple CD release party); $15 (door)/$12 (adv) at TIX on the Square, Myhre's Music, Acoustic Music ON THE ROCKS Rocket Sauce with DJ Crazy Dave; 9pm

PAWN SHOP Audio/Rocketry

(CD release); Feast or Famine, Fire Next Time, Rusty, Whiskey Wagon; 8pm (door), 9pm (show); $10

RED PIANO BAR Hottest

dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players; 9pm2am

ST BASIL'S CULTURAL CENTRE Full Moon Folk Club: Katy Moffatt with Andrew Hardin, Andrea House; 8pm (show); tickets at door, TIX on the Square

CENTURY ROOM

Underground House every Friday with DJ Nic-E

CHROME LOUNGE Platinum

VIP Fridays

TOUCH OF CLASS�Chateau Louis Christine Horne (pop/ rock); 8:30pm

THE UKRAINIAN CENTRE

Love Is Love Is Love: punk/ hardcore benefit for the Pride Centre Of Edmonton featuring Cope (record release show), Goose, No Problem, Lost Cat and more; all ages; 7pm, $7 (the door)

WILD WEST SALOON DLO YARDBIRD SUITE Dino

Dominelli Sextet (’Faith In You’ CD release); 8pm (door)/9pm (show); $12 (member)/$16 (guest) at TicketMaster

Classical WINSPEAR CENTRE Classic Landmarks Masters–Mozart Treasures: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth Faulkner (flute), Lidia Khaner (oboe), Charles Pilon (viola), Colin Ryan (cello), Bill Eddins (conductor); 7:30pm; $20-$69; $20 (student/senior rush) 2 hours prior to performance at Winspear box office; Friday Afterthoughts: Post-concert discussion with Bill Eddins and D.T. Baker

DJs AZUCAR PICANTE Every

Friday: DJ Papi and DJ Latin Sensation

BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

Connected Fridays: 91.7 The Bounce, Nestor Delano, Luke Morrison

DJ Damian

GAS PUMP Top 40/dance with DJ Christian GINGUR Flossin’ Fridays: with Bomb Squad, DJ Solja, weekly guest DJs

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Formula

Fridays: with rotating residents DJ's Groovy Cuvy, Touretto, David Stone, DJ Neebz and Tianna J; 9:30pm (door); 780.447.4495 for guestlist

NEWCASTLE PUB Fridays

House, dance mix with DJ Donovan

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE DJ Anarchy Adam (Punk)

(rock and roll)

ELECTRIC RODEO�Spruce Grove Mustard Smile EMPRESS ALE HOUSE Chris EXPRESSIONZ CAFÉ Open FESTIVAL PLACE

International Women's Day: Chic Gamine (a cappella pop/ rock); 7:30pm; $30 (dinner)/$3036 (show)/$50 (dinner, show); Chic Gamine, 7:30pm, $36 (table)/$34 (box)/$30 (theatre) at Festival Place box office, TicketMaster

HAVEN SOCIAL CLUB

Armchair Cynics, Maurice, Red Ram; 7:30pm; 9pm (show); $10 (door)

HILLTOP FPUB Open stage

Saturday hosted by Sally's Krackers Sean Brewer at 3-5:30pm; The Kyler Schogen Band (evening)

REDNEX DJ Gravy from the

IRON BOAR PUB Jazz in

Source 98.5

RED STAR Movin’ on Up

Fridays: indie, rock, funk, soul, hip hop with DJ Gatto, DJ Mega Wattson

ROUGE LOUNGE Solice Fridays

Skating Disco Friday Nights; 7-10:30pm; sports-world.ca with People’s DJ

STONEHOUSE PUB Top 40

with DJ Tysin

TEMPLE T.G.I Psydays; 9pm WUNDERBAR Fridays with

HYDEAWAY�Jekyll and Hyde's Quietus, Fear of City, Unity Through Tragedy, 8pm

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

IVORY CLUB Duelling piano show with Jesse, Shane, Tiffany and Erik and guests JAMMERS PUB Saturday open jam, 3-7:30pm; country/ rock band 9pm-2am JEFFREY'S Hawaiian TIKI Party: Terry and the Tiki Boys featuring Jamie "Hula" Philp, Dan "Kaimala" Skakun, Thom "Aloha" Golub, "Tiki" Terry McDade (harp, guitar) with Jeremiah McDade (sax); 9pm-12; $15

the Pony Girls, DJ Avinder and DJ Toma; no cover

JOJO'S CAFÉ The Low Flying Planes (folk); 9pm

Y AFTERHOURS Foundation

JULIAN'S�Chateau Louis

Fridays

Petro Polujin (classical guitar); 5pm

SATURDAY

L.B.’S PUB Molsons Saturday

180 DEGREES Dancehall and

Reggae night every Saturday

ALBERTA BEACH HOTEL

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

afternoon open stage hosted by Lenny and The Cats; 5pm

MORANGO'S TEK CAFÉ

Saturday open stage: hosted by Dr. Oxide; 7-10pm

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE

Battle of The Bassline with 12th Planet, Eskmo; 9pm (door); $15 (door)

TOUCH OF CLASS�Chateau Louis Christine Horne (pop/ rock); 8:30pm

WILD WEST SALOON DLO YARDBIRD SUITE Gerry

Hébert Quartet; 8pm (door) /9pm (show); $14 (member)/$18 (guest) at TicketMaster

Classical WINSPEAR CENTRE Classic Landmarks Masters–Mozart Treasures: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Elizabeth Faulkner (flute), Lidia Khaner (oboe), Charles Pilon (viola), Colin Ryan (cello), Bill Eddins (conductor); 8pm; $20-$69; $20 (student/senior rush) 2 hours prior to performance at Winspear box office; Saturday's Symphony Prelude: with Resident Conductor Lucas Waldin; 7:15pm in the Upper Circle

DJs AZUCAR PICANTE Every

Saturday: DJ Touch It, hosted by DJ Papi

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Saturday DJs on three levels. Main Floor: Menace Sessions: alt rock/electro/trash with Miss Mannered

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Sunday

Brunch: Jim Findlay Trio, 10am2:30pm, donations; Sunday Dinner: Jan Randall (piano), 6:30-9pm

BLUE PEAR RESTAURANT Jazz on the Side Sundays: Jim Brenan

BLUES ON WHYTE The Madcaps

B�STREET BAR Acoustic-

based open stage hosted by Mike Shufflehound Chenoweth; every Sunday evening

CROWN PUB Latin/world

fusion jam hosted by Marko Cerda; musicians from other musical backgrounds are invited to jam; 7pm-closing

DEVANEY’S IRISH PUB Celtic Music Session, hosted by KeriLynne Zwicker, 4-7pm

EDDIE SHORTS Sunday

acoustic oriented open stage hosted by Uncle Jimmy; all gear provided; 9pm-1am

HYDEAWAY�Jekyll and Hyde's Sunday Night

Songwriter's Stage: hosted by Rhea March

J AND R BAR Open jam/stage every Sunday hosted by Me Next and the Have-Nots; 3-7pm NEWCASTLE PUB Sunday Soul Service (acoustic jam): Willy James and Crawdad Cantera; 3-6:30pm

BUDDY'S DJ Earth Shiver 'n'

NEW CITY Open Mic Sunday hosted by Ben Disaster; 9pm (sign-up); no cover

CENTURY ROOM

O’BYRNE’S Open mic Sunday with Robb Angus (Wheat Pool); 9:30pm-1am

EMPIRE BALLROOM Rock,

ON THE ROCKS Battle Of

Quake; 8pm; no cover before 10pm

Underground House every Saturday with DJ Nic-E hip hop, house, mash up

ENCORE CLUB So Sweeeeet Saturdays

ESMERALDA’S Super Parties: Every Saturday a different theme

FLUID LOUNGE Saturdays Gone Gold Mash-Up: with Harmen B and DJ Kwake FUNKY BUDDHA�Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock, retro with

DJ Damian

GINGUR SKY Soulout

Saturdays

HALO For Those Who Know: house every Saturday with DJ Junior Brown, Luke Morrison, Nestor Delano, Ari Rhodes LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Signature

The Bands at 8pm; 7 Strings Sundays: with Fire Next Time, The Flash Jam, Jezibelle at 9pm

ORLANDO'S 2 PUB Sundays Open Stage Jam hosted by The Vindicators (blues/rock); 3-8pm ROYAL COACH�Chateau Louis Petro Polujin (classical

guitar); 5pm

SECOND CUP�Mountain Equipment Co-op Live music every Sunday; 2-4pm

SHAW CONFERENCE CENTRE Megadeth, Testament, Exodus; all ages; 6pm; $39.50 at unionevents.com, TicketMaster

SHELL THEATRE�Fort Saskatchewan J.S. Roy

and M. Gaudet with Nikita Eglinski; 2pm

Sound Saturdays: with DJ's Travis Mateeson, Big Daddy, Tweek and Mr Wedge; 9:30pm (door); $3; 780.447.4495 for guestlist

Louis Christine Horne (pop/ rock); 8:30pm

NEWCASTLE PUB Saturdays: Top 40, requests with DJ Sheri

YARDBIRD SUITE Kent

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE Punk Rawk Saturdays with Todd and Alex

NEW CITY SUBURBS Black

TOUCH OF CLASS�Chateau WILD WEST SALOON DLO Sangster's (Obsession Octet); 3pm amd 7:30pm; $25 at TicketMaster, door ($2 off for students/seniors)

ARDEN THEATRE Fishing in

Chongo Kill, Guilty Party, Danny and the Orange Trees

Polished Chrome Saturdays: industrial, Electro and alt with Dervish, Anonymouse, Blue Jay

Classical

AVENUE THEATRE The

O’BYRNE’S Live Band

PAWN SHOP SONiC Presents

Creek Colliery Band; 3pm; $18/$14 (student/senior) at door, TIX on the Square

America; 2pm

Ultimate Showdown Punk vs. Metal: Farewell Apollo vs. Cleanse Kill, Stallord, Panda Jerk, Daedalus, The Tyranny; all ages; 6:30pm (door); $10

AXIS CAFÉ Craig Cardiff at 7:55pm; Celtic Music Month with ALBA at 8pm

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Hair of the Dog: live acoustic music every Saturday afternoon; this week Jody Shenkarek; 4-6pm; no cover

BLUE CHAIR CAFÉ Mark

Davis, Lorrie Matheson, Chris Page; 8pm; $12

BLUES ON WHYTE Saturday

Afternoon Jam; Carson Downey (evening)

BRIXX BAR TV Heart Attack, Vis Major, Lady Electric; 9pm (door); $12 (door)

CARROT Open mic Saturdays,

7:30-10pm, free; Kids Take Over: For young artists at 11am-3pm

CASINO EDMONTON The

BAR WILD Bar Wild Fridays

Suite 33 (pop/rock)

Friday DJs spin Wooftop and Main Floor: Eclectic jams with Nevine–indie, soul, motown,

EDDIE SHORTS Blue Lemon

HOOLIGANZ PUB Bastard Son, The Intensives, Zero Cool, The Fools; no minors; $5 (door)

Emeralds (pop/rock)

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Music

PLAY NIGHTCLUB The first bar for the queer community to open in a decade with DJ's Alexx Brown and Eddie Toonflash; 9pm (door); $5 www. playnightclub.ca

BAR�B�BAR DJ James; no cover

EARLY STAGE SALOON� Stony Plain Saturday Live

stage every Sat, 12-6pm

STOLLI’S Top 40, R&B, house

Overdrive, Keep 6, Drypht, Call Before You Dig; 8pm (show); $10 (door)

Panthers, No Problem, Slippyfist (punk); 9pm; $6

FUNKY BUDDHA�Whyte Ave Top tracks, rock, retro with

STARLITE ROOM Savannah,

TAPHOUSE Bullets In

DV8 TAVERN Spastic

Page; 4pm

SPORTSWORLD Roller

Order of Chaos, This Is War, Silent Line, Last Horizon; 9pm (door); $10 (adv)/$12 (door)

Stage during the day/Electric Open Stage at night with Marshall Lawrence, 1:30pm (sign-up), every Saturday, 2-5pm; evening: hosted by Dan and Miguel; 9:30pm-12:30am

Frenzy Fridays: Playing the best in country

SHELL THEATRE�Fort Saskatchewan The Good

Lovelies

CROWN PUB Acoustic Open

CASINO YELLOWHEAD

Saturday 3-7pm; DJ 9:30pm

ON THE ROCKS Rocket Sauce with DJ Crazy Dave; 9pm

OVERTIME Jamaoke: karaoke with a live band featuring Maple Tea

PAWN SHOP The

Consonance, Madhatters (Pre/Post Cd Release); 9pm (door); $10 (adv at Blackbyrd, Megatunes)/$12 (door)

PLANET INDIGO�Jasper Ave Suggestive Saturdays: breaks electro house with PI residents

RED STAR Saturdays indie

rock, hip hop, and electro with DJ Hot Philly and guests

RENDEZVOUS Survival metal

QUEEN ALEXANDRA HALL

night

RED PIANO BAR Hottest

Skating Disco Saturdays; 1pm-4:30pm and 7-10:30pm; sports-world.ca

Lynn Miles; $18 (adv)/$22 (door) dueling piano show featuring the Red Piano Players; 9pm2am

RENDEZVOUS PUB Demon Republic, Sig Trigger; 8pm (door); $8

SPORTSWORLD Roller

STOLLI’S ON WHYTE Top 40, R&B, house with People’s DJ

TEMPLE Oh Snap!: Every

RIVER CREE�The Venue

Saturday, Cobra Commander and guests with Degree, Cobra Commander and Battery; 9pm (door); $5 (door)

STARLITE ROOM Time

WUNDERBAR Featured DJ

Merle Haggard; 7pm (sold out); 5pm (show added) Warp: Lascivious Burlesque, The Frolics, guests; 9pm (door); $10 (adv group)/$12 (door)

bands every Saturday; 9:30pm

TAPHOUSE Submerge the Sky, Randy Graves, Mars and Venue, Throttle; 8pm (show)/$10 (door)

CROWN AND ANCHOR PUB Doug Stroud

Alarma and Renegade Bass:

COAST TO COAST Live

Live On Site! Anti-Club Saturdays: rock, indie, punk, rock, dance, retro rock; 8pm (door)

TEMPLE Oh Snap, Party

and local bands

Y AFTERHOURS Release

Saturday

SUNDAY BEER HUNTER�St Albert

Open stage/jam every Sunday; 2-6pm

MCDOUGALL UNITED CHURCH Spiritual Brass: Mill

SABOR DIVINO RESTAULOVE RANT Opera

NUOVA’s Cabaret Series: Brian McIntosh and Elizabeth Turnbull; $80 (incl performance and meal) at 780.487.4844

DJs BACKSTAGE TAP AND GRILL Industry Night: with

Atomic Improv, Jameoki and DJ Tim

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Sunday Afternoons: Phil, 2-7pm; Soul Sundays: with DJ Zyppy

BUDDY'S DJ Bobby Beatz;

9pm; Drag Queen Performance; no cover before 10pm

FLOW LOUNGE Stylus

Sundays

GINGUR Ladies Industry Sundays

NEW CITY SUBURBS

Get Down Sundays with Neighbourhood Rats

SAVOY MARTINI LOUNGE Reggae on Whyte: RnR Sundays with DJ IceMan; no minors; 9pm; no cover

SPORTSWORLD Roller Skating Disco Sundays;

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 41

COMMENT >> MUSIC FOR SALE

Sell outs

Bands look for investors, fail miserably I have seen a heck of a lot of new ideas to give a rat's ass about the artist, help brought into the recording industry over someone that doesn't really offer a heck the last five years, as record companies of a return? Nirvana were poor punks divorce themselves from the practices of who went on to make millions. Bands big advances and recording budgets. like that happen once a generation. But one of the strangest was And, if unproven bands are on SellaBand, the Dutch company the site looking for hundreds that would try and marry of thousands of dollars, aren't bands with investors. Just like they skipping a step or 10? m an episode of Dragon's Den, Aren't those early albums ekly.co e w e u @v a band could sell a piece of supposed to be labours of steven its business to an angel invesSteveonr love recorded on the cheap? tor in exchange for a portion of What kind of band needs hunSand the profits down the road. Public dreds of thousands for debut reEnemy, the legendary rap band, was cords. Heck, if you need to try and get actually trying to raise money using the someone to pay for a record, you're not SellaBand model. ready to spend the kind of money to Instead of trying to impress A&R people make another The Dark Side of the Moon and getting signed to a label which tries or Loveless. to nurture and promote your band, you try and impress investors that your reSo, it wasn't such a shock to find out cording project will, at some time, make that SellaBand had begun bankruptcy a lot of money down the road—enough procedures in the Netherlands last week. that they won't only recoup their investGo to the company website, and you will ment, but make money as well. find this note from CEO Johan Vosmeijer: Now, this sounds like a weird idea— "On Friday, February 19th, SellaBand after all, most of the bands that would AG requested provisional suspension of need something like SellaBand likely payments (moratorium). This was grantaren't pop stars who are ready to sell ed by the Court in Amsterdam on the a million records or go on tour to play same day. Yesterday, Monday, February in front of millions of people. So, why 22nd, this moratorium was changed into would an investor, who really isn't going bankruptcy, with appointment of Mr.

ENTER

SAND

1-4:30pm; sports-world.ca

Mixer

WUNDERBAR Sundays DJ

LUCKY 13 Industry Night

Gallatea and XS, guests; no cover

MONDAY BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Sleeman Mondays: live music monthly; Dub Vulture; no cover

BLUES ON WHYTE Keith

Hallett

DEVANEY'S IRISH PUB

Classical

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE Daniel and Fowler

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Under the Singing

(eclectic tunes)

TUESDAY BLUES ON WHYTE Keith

Hallett

CROWN PUB Underground At The Crown: underground, hip hop with DJ Xaolin and Jae Maze; open mic; every Tuesday; 10pm; $3

NEW CITY This Will Hurt

THE DRUID IRISH PUB

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

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

PROHIBITION Chicka-Dee-

Jay Monday Night: Soul, R&B, British Invasion, Ska, Rocksteady, and more with Michael Rault

ROSE BOWL/ROUGE LOUNGE The Legendary

Rose Bowl Monday Jam: hosted by Sean Brewer; 9pm

Classical CONVOCATION HALL

Session: The Fusionauts; 7:30pm (door), 8pm (show); $5

with DJ Chad Cook every Monday

Open stage Mondays with Ido Vander Laan and Scott Cook; 8-12 you Mondays: Johnny Neck and his Job present mystery musical guests

Open stage with Chris Wynters; 9pm

L.B.’S PUB Ammar’s Moosehead Tuesday night open stage; 9pm-1am; featuring guests; hosted by Mark Ammar and Noel (Big Cat) Mackenzie NEW CITY LIQWID LOUNGE Every Tuesday

Skies: Richard Eaton Singers, Vancouver Chamber Choir; 8pm; $25 (adult)/$20 (student/ senior) at TIX on the Square

DJs BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE Main Floor: CJSR’s Eddie Lunchpail; Wooftop: with DJ Gundam

BUDDY'S DJ Arrow Chaser;

9pm

ESMERALDA’S Retro every Tuesday; no cover with student ID

FUNKY BUDDHA�Whyte Ave Latin and Salsa music,

dance lessons 8-10pm

GINGUR SKY Bashment Tuesdays: Reggae music; no cover

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE ‘abilly, Ghoul-rock,

Night

OVERTIME Tuesday acoustic

RED STAR Tuesdays:

SECOND CUP�124 Street

Experimental Indie Rock, Hip Hop, Electro with DJ Hot Philly

SECOND CUP�Stanley

WEDNESDAY

jam hosted by Robb Angus Open mic every Tuesday; 8-10pm

STARLITE The Beatnuts

FILTHY MCNASTY'S Metal Mondays: with DJ S.W.A.G.

FLUID LOUNGE Mondays

with Jonny Mac; 8:30pm; no cover

JEFFREY'S Alfie Zappacosta;

$35

LEVEL 2 LOUNGE Open

mic

NEW CITY Circ-O-RamaLicious: Gypsy and circus fusion spectaculars; last Wednesday every month

OVERTIME Dueling pianos

featuring The Ivory Club

PLEASANTVIEW COMMUNITY HALL

Acoustic Bluegrass jam presented by the Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society every Wednesday evening

PROHIBITION Wednesdays RED PIANO BAR Jazz and

Shannon Johnson and friends

BRIXX Really Good… Eats and Beats: DJ Degree every Wed, Edmonton’s Bassline Community; 6pm (music); no cover

9pm

HAVEN SOCIAL Open stage

with Roland Pemberton III

Hallett

BUDDY'S DJ Dust 'n' Time;

Little Flower Open Stage Wednesdays with Brian Gregg; 8pm-12

PROHIBITION Tuesday Punk

SPORTSMAN'S LOUNGE

Main Floor: Eclectic Nonsense, Confederacy of Dunces, Dad Rock, TJ Hookah and Rear Admiral Saunders

FIDDLER'S ROOST

spooky with DJ Vylan Cadaver

DJs

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

EDDIE SHORTS Wednesday open stweage, band oriented, hosted by Chuck Rainville; 9pm-1am

O’BYRNE’S Celtic Jam with

Milner Library Open mic every Tuesday; 7-9pm

Mondays: Service Industry Night; no minors; 9pm-2am

Steven Sandor is a former editor-in-chief of Vue Weekly, now an editor and author living in Toronto.

open stage: Hosted by Ben Disaster; 8-12

Chamber Music Society: Jordi Savall (viola da gamba); 8pm; $30 (adult)/$20 (senior)/$10 (student) at door, TIX on the Square, Gramophone

BAR WILD Bar Gone Wild

42 // MUSIC

Paul Schaink, an Amsterdam lawyer, as trustee. The trustee wishes to inform the 'Sellaband community' that, apart from a few technicalities, the completion of a transaction with a potential buyer of the business, is to be expected soon, in order to make a fresh start, safeguarding both the rights of Believers and Artists. More news will follow shortly." Yes, back in the Middle Ages, artists were often sponsored by the rich. But these were patrons. Basically, they would pay the artists' living expenses in exchange for some favours, maybe a redesign of a castle or a fresco here and there. Michelangelo did this for a series of Popes. And, if some bands could find modern patrons—basically, get paid to make music, maybe in exchange to play the rich kid's birthday party—well, that would be history repeating itself. But for a band to try and sell itself as a commercial commodity, well, that makes my head spin. And, judging by the lack of success Public Enemy had raising funds for itself—and the fact that SellaBand has a big "bankrupt" sign in its front window—I'm not the only one. V

SIDELINERS PUB Tuesday All Star Jam with Alicia Tait and Rickey Sidecar; 8pm

Open Stage hosted by Paul McGowan and Gina Cormier; every Tuesday, 8pm-midnight; no cover 20th Anniversary Tour, Politic Live, The Joe; 8pm (door); $20 (adv) at TicketMaster, Foosh, Blackbyrd, Soular

STEEPS�Old Glenora

Every Tuesday Open Mic; 7:30-9:30pm

TAPHOUSE Open Jam; 8pm YARDBIRD SUITE Tuesday

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Main Floor: Glitter Gulch Wednesdays: live music once a month

BLUES ON WHYTE Keith

COPPERPOT RESTAURANT Live jazz

every Wednesday night: Don Berner; 6-9pm

CROWN PUB Creative

original Jam Wednesdays (no covers): hosted by Dan and Miguel; 9:30pm-12:30am

Shiraz Wednesdays featuring Dave Babcock and his Jump Trio

RIVER CREE Wednesdays Live Rock Band hosted by Yukon Jack; 7:30-9pm SECOND CUP�Mountain Equipment Open Mic every Wednesday, 8-10pm

STEEPS TEA LOUNGE� College Plaza Open mic

every Wednesday; hosted by Ernie Tersigni; 8pm

STEEPS TEA LOUNGE� Whyte Ave Open mic every Wednesday; 8pm

TEMPLE Wyld Style Wednesday: Live hip hop; $5

Classical MCDOUGALL UNITED

CHURCH Music Wednesdays at Noon: Alicia Au, Julie Amundsen, Jana Olson (violin, cello, piano); 12:10-12:50pm; free WINSPEAR CENTRE Piano

Spectacular: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; William Eddins (conductor, piano) Angela Cheng (piano), Jon Kimura Parker (piano), Michael Massey (piano), Lucas Waldin (conductor); 7:30pm

DJs BANK ULTRA LOUNGE

Wednesday Nights: with DJ Harley

BLACK DOG FREEHOUSE

Main Floor: Blue Jay’s Messy Nest Wednesday Night: Brit pop, new wave, punk, rock ‘n’ roll with LL Cool Joe

BUDDY'S DJ Dust 'n' Time; 9pm; no cover before 10pm DIESEL ULTRA LOUNGE

Wind-up Wednesdays: R&B, hiphop, reggae, old skool, reggaeton with InVinceable, Touch It, weekly guest DJs

FLUID LOUNGE

Wednesdays Rock This

IVORY CLUB DJ ongoing every Wednesday; open DJ night; 9pm-close; all DJs welcome to spin a short set LEGENDS PUB Hip

hop/R&B with DJ Spincycle

NEW CITY LIKWID LOUNGE DJ Roxxi Slade

(indie, punk and metal)

NEW CITY SUBURBS Shake It: with Greg Gory and Eddie Lunchpail; no minors; 9pm (door) NIKKI DIAMONDS Punk and ‘80s metal every Wednesday

RED STAR Guest DJs every

Wednesday

STARLITE ROOM Wild Style Wednesdays: Hip-Hop; 9pm STOLLI'S Beatparty

Wednesdays: House, progressive and electronica with Rudy Electro, DJ Rystar, Space Age and weekly guests; 9pm-2am; www.beatparty.net

WUNDERBAR Wednesdays with new DJ; no cover Y AFTERHOURS Y Not

Wednesday

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 43

44 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

PREVUE // PRE/POST

Think of the children Pre/Post gets inspiration from troubled teens David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

nspiration can be a tricky thing, but one always-solid piece of advice is to write what you know. For Pre/Post's Mat Halton, that happens to be the lives of troubled youth. A social worker with disadvantaged, urban youth by day, the stories of the teens that he spends his days helping have found their way into his songwriting. "I find the stories incredibly compelling, so when I sit down to write a song, over the last few years, that's kind of just what ended up coming out. It's a reflection of their stories, challenges that they've had, ways that they've changed, things they've found they can do well," Halton explains, pointing out that even

the name of the band refers to a concept of social work, a process that ensures the youths are leaving the care of the worker in better shape then when they came in. "It comes out of the context of, ultimately, for myself, wanting to be an effective advocate." These stories dominate the subject matter of Pre/Post's first EP, Strangers in the City, an album of atmospheric, looping soul-pop that fits its themes of isolation and yearning. For Halton, though, getting these stories out does not simply end with the band. He's recently begun the Pre/Post Project, a more advocacy-focused endeavour that brings youth's stories, in the form both of Halton's songs and more direct discussion, to various groups around the city.

He is careful, however, to keep the two projects relatively separate. Central as the youth experience is to the music, Halton understands that there are different appeals to the approaches, and actually finds that music might be the best way to help people understand what these youth go through. "Music has its own power. It connects with people on a more basic, almost brainstem level," he explains. "There's that immediate connection, and then we can also get people thinking about things." V Sat, Mar 6 (9 pm) Pre/Post With The Consonance, Madhatters Pawn Shop, $10

MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 45

PREVUE // CHRIS PAGE

Turn the Page

Ottawa songwriter breaks Camp for a solo record David Berry // david@vueweekly.com

t's been six years since Chris Page released his last album, but that doesn't mean the Ottawa-based singer-songwriter has been lying down on the job. He's just spent more time keeping his melodic but ragged, Billy Bragg-inspired solo work on the backburner, focusing instead on his work with Ottawa veterans Camp Radio. But it's time to break the silence: A Date With a Smoke Machine, just released on Kelp Records, is a return to his more intimate, stripped-down side, a dozen songs born of subtle regrets, pregnant moments and stretched-out summers. Not that there was really any intention on Page's part to go this long. It's just that, when you're the primary songwriter for two different projects, it can sometimes be hard to sneak a song away into private. "I just know—it's just a gut feeling," Page says of the decision to take the song to a band or do it himself. "But it has happened where the guys in Camp Radio will say, 'Oh, I really want to do that song, it should be a Camp Radio song.' Dave Draves, who produced my solo record, he's also in Camp Radio, so he kind of hears what's going on and will push for a song. The drummer, Scott [Terry], is the same way: we jam together a lot, and whenever he hears one he thinks would work, it's like, 'Hey, we should do that one.'" Nothing against the rest of the boys, but it's a shame they've been pulling Page away from his own work so long. Page has a knack for getting that little detail that makes a song hit home, and those observations seem especially poignant coming from a lone guy, his isolation a mirror for what's running through his head. There's a nice kind of nervous neuroticism in a line like "The echoes on the water keep me nauseous and

46 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

ONE FOR YOU, ONE FOR ME >> Chris Page splits his songs between his solo project and his band Camp Radio // Supplied amused," off "Coax the Ending Day," that suits a smaller approach. "I've had songs that I've been writing for years that I still haven't let go," Page admits. "That seems kind of weird to say, but it has to feel right. I like to labour over lyrics, because that's as important to me as a listener as it is as a performer." Important as they are, for Smoke Machine, Page has actually taken the slightly unique tack—at least for a singer-songwriter—of not including lyrics. Instead, each song gets a little streamof-conscious explanation of what it brings to mind for him. He's hoping it gives the audience some insight—but hopefully not too much. "I thought it would help them decide what they feel is going on, but I

don't want to give too much away," he explains. "I think of the bands I really like, like Superchunk or something like that, and I think of the songs I love and cherish, and honestly, I wouldn't want to hear what Mac [McCaughan] was thinking of when he wrote those songs. I don't want to know. He might just go like, 'Oh, it's about clothes on a clothesline,' and that would ruin it for me." V Chris Page Sat, Mar 6 (4 pm) Empress Ale House, free Sat, Mar 6 (8 pm) With Mark Davis, Lorrie Matheson Blue Chair Café, $12

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 47

PREVUE // KATHERINE WHEATLEY

Everything counts

Folk singer perfected every word on latest Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

hemes of landscape are nothing new in Canadian art, but for Guelph singer-songwriter Katherine Wheatley, she comes by the approach honestly: as a former geologist, she spent years in a tent in northern Ontario, mapping landscapes for science. And in listening to her songs, her career move seems as natural as her musical upbringing. "I grew up listening to Bruce Cockburn and Gordon Lightfoot, and I used to marvel at how they would express emotional ideas using nature imagery. I loved that, it's so poetic the way they used nature to reflect the human condition," she offers. "People wonder how you go from geology to songwriting, but it's a pretty easy transition, in terms of process. Being a geolo-

48 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010

gist, you'd observe, then keep a record of what you observed, and over time these ideas of the geological history of the area would evolve. It's the same with songwriting: first you observe, and then you form songs." Taking an approach similar to the study of geology, a songwriter gathers songs over timeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;layers of experience that slowly build to the present. Wheatley's most recent CD, Landed, was 10 years in the making, an unthinkable length in this day in age. But the album reveals itself for what it is: a fragile, difficult album, marked by personal loss. But as vulnerable as she may have felt making it, Wheatley surrounded herself with other songwriters she trusted in order to give the songs the treatments they deserved. "It's quite a personal CD, and I felt more

vulnerable making it, so it felt great going in to the studio with songwriters who could say 'that line's not working,'" she explains. "I took the songs in pretty much finished, but I wanted to finish them that much more, for them to say what I wanted them to say. So the songs [on Landed] are more precious than the other cds are. "I was totally open, and that's something that's new for me in the past five or six years. Sometimes I'd be almost finished a song and would just feel like I wasn't quite there, maybe there were a few words or a melody that wasn't quite as good as it could be, and within an hour we'd have it to a whole new level," she reveals of the process. "Sometimes it would just be one word. When it's a song, one word counts. Or a melody, just one note's difference can make all the difference in the world." V Fri, Mar 5 (8 pm) Katherine Wheatley With Wendell Ferguson Uptown Folk Club, $12

PREVUE // AUDIO/ROCKETRY

Firing on all cylinders E-town punks blast a little folk into the mix Mike Angus // mikeangus@vueweekly.com

or local punk-folk band Audio/ Rocketry, reverence is the sincerest form of flattery. Joe Vickers and Matt Murphy came together as mutual fans of a compilation of acoustic punk music by the same name, but they also share a love of folk and bluegrass for their equally addictive energy and speed. "Matt and I were big fans of the Lawrence Arms, and the compilation Experiments in Audio Rocketry was the first time I was introduced to punk rock played on the acoustic guitar," Vickers points out. "That was a major influence on me. It was one of those very inspiring CDs that came out that was like, 'This is what I want to do.' It got me excited and engaged in music again, because since then I've been able to tap into folk and bluegrass." The band's second album, Eastward & Onward, is a strong collection of perfectly blended bluegrass and punk sensibilities. Recorded with Calgary's Casey Lewis, Vickers and Murphy bring punk and traditional music together with ease and tastefulness, in the vein of Billy Bragg or even Great Big Sea with a bone to pick. Having both grown up in punk bands, Vickers and Murphy have since grown

into fans of traditional music for its energy, do-it-yourself work ethic and the way that it reflects their own aspirations as young musicians. "Old-time music is the most relevant source for inspiration," Vickers touts. "I wrote most of the songs when I went across Canada with my friend Rusty. I had this desire to follow that 'rambling' mentality. If you look at people like Woody Guthrie who lived that life to a T ... I had this itching that I really needed to do that. Vickers says it's the balls-to-the-wall, high-energy elements that bridge that gap between the two genres; Murphy, the soft-spoken, self-described "straight-up punk-rock" influence in the band who grew up in

small-town Alberta listening to punk bands, agrees. "It's that energy, that style that got me interested in playing in this band," he offers. "I got that same feeling [hearing Joe play] that I did when I'd listened to punk bands." The key to Eastward & Onward, then, is not only blending punk and folk, but also balancing the group's live energy in the confines of the studio. "I'm proud of this record, because we stuck to the format of live-off-thefloor, but ... when you do record something in the studio, as much as you try to capture the live [element], you can't, because it's a different medium all together," Vickers explains. "The songs I'd written for this record were troubadour songs, just acoustic guitar and

SCIENTIFIC TYPES >> Joe Vickers (left) and Matt Murphy (right) of Audio/Rocketry harmonica. But after sharing the songs with Matt, and hearing his interpretation of them, it provided more depth to the songs," he adds warmly. "It's an Audio/Rocketry record. We've found our element, we know what we're doing and I think we've achieved what we

// Daniel McKechnie

were striving for." V Fri, Mar 5 (8 pm) Audio/Rocketry With Feast or Famine, Fire Next Time, Rusty Pawn Shop, $10

SLIDESHOW

SLIDE SHOW: Corb Lund ON VUEWEEKLY.COM. JPROCKTOR / JPROCTOR.COM

MAR 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 49

ALBUM REVIEWS

New Sounds

Jason Collett Rat A Tat Tat (Arts & Crafts) 

Mary Christa O'Keefe // marychrista@vueweekly.com

here's nothing retrograde in Jason Collett's music, but he certainly walks with the songcrafting firebrands who lit up the late-'60s to mid-'70s— Neil Young, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Kris Kristofferson. These and other auteurs of music emerged as beacons in turbulent times because their ideas and preoccupations not only illuminated the extreme emotions churning through the culture, but dovetailed with the maturation of the modern music industry and coalescence of sophisticated studio and performance amplification technology. The rise of the studio album and concert experience expressed an underlying theme of the era: there'd been a profound shift in humanity's collective sense of scale. It had multiple causal threads, from the onset of the Nuclear Age and the unmasking of its stockpiled terrors to the rise of the televised image, from the hangover after post-war euphoria to bodybags returning from "small" conflicts in postcard locales, from civil rights movements to their opponents, and many more. It was as if the past, stuffed beyond breaking, had suddenly disgorged its entirety, and its partiallydigested remains augured the breadth of

futures open to us, from peaceable bliss to the horror of annihilation. Emboldened by their new tools, exceptional artists could capture a kaleidoscopic range of moods. Music grew expansive and experiments abounded. In modern studios, musicians explored a rich sonic palette, one that could swell titanically or wrap a listener in intimacy, even within the same track. Sound could be spare or ornate, rough or glossy, warm or cool. An aural architecture emerged: a sense of space. If the world offered a cacophony of possibilities, popular music would accommodate them all. But the undercurrent of universality collapsed as music splintered into myriad genres and subgenres, listeners got increasingly tribal and "mainstream" became synonymous with "manufactured." The aesthetics got narrower for each tribe, and while many of the classic music-makers of the big album era are still productive, and facets of their styles are constantly appropriated by newcomers depending on the vogue, it's rare to find an artist working with the idiom who is not nostalgic or derivative, but actually progressive. Collett hinted at this direction on 2005's Idols of Exile, but it wasn't until 2008's Here's To Being Here that his allegiance to classic record-making was fully obvious. Rat A Tat Tat again flies that flag, but with a different feel: it's slightly carnvalesque and sculptural, densely woven and gilded in an amiable carnality, and more audacious in its arrangements and instrumentation. What makes it really work, though, is the absolute ease of the album: it's full of virtuosity made almost invisible by the supreme relaxed confidence Collett and his collaborators exhibit throughout. Rat A Tat Tat is initially arresting, but becomes more fascinating as you notice the labour. That's especially true in regards to the lyrics, which are more tightly embedded in the music than in the past two records—which is fine, because you just have to listen harder as Collett thoughtfully takes in many Canadian landscapes and wonders about our possible futures. V

Erica Viegas Where My Heart Goes (Independent)  First albums are full of hope and promise, and Erica Viegas's is no exception, both sonically and lyrically. But her EP Where My Heart Goes is also full of ease. After spending years flexing her creative muscles with other people's music (even a couple of summers as Klondike Kate), Viega knows exactly what she is doing with her voice. Here, it is comfortably couched in perfect arrangements of guitar, piano and banjo. Opening with "Pictures," the local musician sings with a sense of urgency over five songs to the closer, "Thank You." She isn't just singing for herself; she is singing to add her voice to the world's choir. Carolyn Nikodym

// carolyn@vueweekly.com

Erica Viegas is officially launching her debut EP at the Blue Chair Café on March 5.

Gigi Maitenant (Tomlab)  A collection of bittersweet cocktailbasted love songs comprised by songwriter Nick Krgovich (of Vancouver's No Kids) and producer Colin Stewart hark back to the ultra-chic 1960s era of bouffant bangs and foregrounded cymbal percussion. Each track, featuring a different guest vocal (including indie stars Owen Pallet and Mira), is finely orchestrated but also feels a little late in the running—the flourishing throwback trend could stand to be challenged here instead of purely mimicked. In the end, Maitenant layers up enough familiar indulgence to paint less of a portrait of swinging London than the change rooms at Urban Outfitters. Jonathan Busch

// jonathan@vueweekly.com

The Pinecones Sage (Just Friends)  A quick look at the cover art of the Pinecones' new album Sage says much about the album: unabashedly harkening back to the psychedelic-rock and flower power sounds of the '60s and '70s, there is an undeniable innocent charm to this Beatles-esque journey into the land of moonbeams and tea parties. Still, despite the numerous toe-tapping rhythms, groovy guitars and clever imagery, in the end, it's just not that satisfying. The listening experience of Sage is like buying a bag of cotton candy at the country fair: the first few bites are unbelievably delicious and fun, but eventually you regretfully realize you just ate a bag full of nothing but sugar and air. Jim Dean

// jim@vueweekly.com

50 // MUSIC

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

ALBUM REVIEWS

Toro y Moi Causers Of This (Car Park)  The so-called "chillwave" movement is predicated on computers and intuitive sampling. This is an art-damaged thing though, piped back through four-track in an effort to subvert technology in the service of flawed, gauzy pieces. In my opinion, South Carolinian Toro y Moi (nee Chaz Bundick) is the first of this new breed to humanize the machinery. His prolific output has spanned filter house records, acoustic guitar oneman-band folk and the aforementioned frosty stuff, yet Causers Of This, his most complete effort, is almost purely indie R&B. "Talamak" and "Thanks Vision" are Michael Jackson "what-if ?" records worthy of that 3-D movie. Bundick never really stretches out in fear of breaking his decidedly limited range, but the measured, subtle vocals are a perfect match for his undulating, cut-up sample collage. Like Stevie Wonder covered by the Human League, I'm glad the hybrid music that those futuristic movies have been suggesting to me finally exists. Roland Pemberton

// roland@vueweekly.com

Various artists Berlin Songs Volume 3 (Fächerwurm)  Berlin Songs Volume 3, a 27-song compilation of Berlin's burgeoning "antifolk" scene reveals a surprisingly varied group of lo-fi musicians crafting fine, acoustically anchored music on the other side of the globe. Lone Canuck act the Burning Hell provides its usual quirky lyric/ sincere melody mixture with "The Berlin Conference," but it's the little curiosities in each track—the sweet wistfulness and galloping six-string of Martha Rose's "In The End," the spacey, echoed calm of Sarsaparilla's "Earthling" and how the Sufjan Stevens horns spice the bass groove on Turner Cody's "Back in the Land of the Living"— that make listening to the lot of them varied and worthwhile. There are a lot of songs to get through, but it's an undiminishing well of returns; the deeper you listen, the better Berlin Songs gets. Paul Blinov

// paul@vueweekly.com

All Time Low MTV Unplugged (Hopeless) 

these guys?

MTV Unplugged. Still around, huh? This is likely the most appropriate band name ever for this series. Didn't we unplug

Eden Munro

Klaus Nomi Klaus Nomi (RCA)

OULNDDS

them in a way that was both reverent and deconstructionist. But what really makes it Originally released: 1981 all odd is his sincerity: there m is very little sense of irony ekly.co e w e u v david@ Perhaps all you need to know or distance in Nomi's work— Davidy about Klaus Nomi is that, even although a very strong one of Berr in late-'70s New York, the birththeatre and showmanship— place of American punk and New which gives it that extra je ne sais Wave, the centre quoi that all the of a burgeontruly weird ones ing gay art and possess. social scene, a That's disproving ground tilled best into for post-Warhol his pop covers. avant garde art His self-titled and kind of a debut contains scummy shitthree: "Lightning hole to boot, he Strikes," "The was considered Twist" and "You particularly odd. Don't Own Me." In the excellent The first is kind documentary of a synth-lounge The Nomi Song take punctured by Andrew Horn, by Nomi's abthere's one parsolutely incredWEIRD >> Really, really, really weird ticularly revealible voice, his ing anecdote where a young girl seems soaring falsetto calling to the heavens particularly smitten with him because for the chorus; the second is a slowedshe thinks he's a Martian. down and ghostly version of the Chubby Certainly part of the appeal of Nomi Checker classic that manages to both reis that there just aren't all that many veal how ridiculous it is and lay plain just people like him, even today. The apprehow oddly sexy the song was; the last is ciation of esotericism has grown considmaybe the best, a slight tweak that both erably, especially in pop music—there celebrates his sheer uniqueness and was the anti-rockstardom of grunge plays like a slightly sinister gay anthem. and now the indie appreciation of bookThey make a pretty direct statement ish nerds and outright outcasts (Joanna about how Nomi fits in with his adopted Newsom's new album is finally out, by culture, but they don't lose any of their the by)—though in Nomi's time that was effect for it. still in its somewhat nascent stages. DaIndependent of his persona, though, vid Bowie, who called on Nomi for one his absolute best work is "Total Eclipse," of his SNL performances, opened the written by Kristian Hoffman and the door for a little more weirdness, and it's undeniable centerpiece here. It's just hard to picture Nomi breaking out of his a damn fine New Wave ditty about imperformance-art roots and onto a major pending nuclear holocaust—although label without both the template and the it could be pretty easily be transferred endorsement. to an environmental context, for today's But anyway, the man: a statuesque, audience—that trades mostly off Nomi's gay, German countertenor, Nomi genervocal acrobatics and bass line worthy of ally sported a white pallor with black, the funkiest '70s soul. Though just for bee-stung lips and an oversized plastic good measure, there's some Fear of Mutuxedo, with hair that looked like he sic polyrhythms in there and some clever first stuck his finger in a socket, then lines about the impending consumerism styled it around the results. He freely of the Me Decade, too. It's pretty much indulged both his operatic roots and the best song from the '80s that you've American pop, occasionally mixing never heard. V

HAIKU Opus Road Opus Road (Warrior Artist) Band needed, must love: Pearl Jam, grade eight poetry And also... Pearl Jam

QUICK

SPINS

quic

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vuew kspins@

Whiteoyn Houst

Lil Wayne Rebirth (Cash Money)

Sorta like Grapenuts He's not actually nuts but Is quite delicious

Guitar Shorty Bare Knuckle (Alligator)

Metawon Choplifter (Neferui)

Modern rockin' blues How do we know it's modern? Stimulus plan song

Old school hip hop meets Old school jazzy samples and Old video games?

Mnemic Sons of the System (Nuclear Blast)

Archie Bronson Outfit Coconut (Domino)

Massive and crushing Like the giant testicles These guys drag around

Fierce reverb-tank rock This album is amazing A glorious romp

// eden@vueweekly.com

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

MUSIC // 51

PREVUE // MAURICE

A long time coming

Official release of debut is finally around the corner in Canada. Although Young People With Faces' official release is March 2, Maurice has been selling the CD at shows since the summer. "For me personally, that was the biggest relief," Maurice says. "It was just so hard playing shows and trying to tour and people saying, 'Hey, do you guys have an album? I liked your set,' and we would be, like, 'No sorry; we don't have an album,' and trying to explain why we didn't have an album. Everyone has an album now. It's so easy to make an album and put it out yourself."

CAROLYN NIKODYM // CAROLYN@vueweekly.com

t's not hard to imagine the beer bottles clinking with cheers or the jokes going around the table about hooking up in Hollywood when Victoria pop quartet Maurice got tapped for a record deal by David Foster, the legendary producer who's worked with everyone from Roger Daltry to Gordon Lightfoot. With that kind of backing, after all, it wouldn't be long before the band was on the cover of the Rolling Stone. It didn't take Maurice long to figure out that signing a deal was one thing, but getting an album out was quite another. Even though its debut Young People With Faces was shelved without a release, singer-guitarist Jean Paul Maurice doesn't see Warner as the "big bad label." "They're in the business to sell records and at a time when records—at that level—aren't selling the way that they want," Maurice says. "They need to be really sure they know it's going to sell." With the help of Piers Henwood and Nick Blasko (who manage the likes of Tegan and Sara and Buck 65), Maurice managed to reach a tentative agreement to self-release the album

The delayed official release works perfectly with the band's cross-country tour that includes a showcase at Canadian Music Week in Toronto in a couple of weeks. It will be the first time Maurice—rounded out by Simon Margetts on keys, Connor Waddell on drums and Mark Lavoie on bass—will perform in the Big Smoke as a band, but it certainly won't be the most difficult showcasing experience. At least they'll get to play in a bar, to a crowd that includes regular folks. "We showcased for Warner Brothers and David Foster in Burbank right in Warner Brothers Records, which is kind of this ski lodge-y looking two-

storey building where we played in this rec-room in the bottom," Maurice says. "Playing for those record execs at two in the afternoon—we'd play a song and they'd all just kind of stare at us blankly and no one would clap or anything. It was pretty much the worst audience to play for." It could be the singer's positive attitude, but it seems like the whole experience with the label has brought the band to a confident and considered place. Although the album's year-and-a-half delay means that the Maurice has a lot of material on the back burner, waiting for a studio date, the band is quite content to take it slow and give its debut a solid whirl on the dancefloor. "We want to see this process through," he says. "We're proud of the songs and the material, and I think that finally we're getting a national tour to support the album, so we're OK to play songs off the record. We'd have to tour the album a lot more heavy to get tired of playing the music." V Sat, Mar 6 (7:30 pm) Maurice With Armchair Cynics, Red Ram Haven Social club, $10

HOROSCOPE ARIES (Mar 21 – Apr 19)

your imagination of its endless tape loops, To place yourself in smooth alignment awakening you to the power you have to with planetary rhythms, do conscientious create your own destiny. But reliance on work on the foundations of your life. horoscopes can also have downsides. If Take extra care of the people who you're superstitious, it might make take care of you. Make sure you you even more so. If you're prone have a good supply of the variY to be passive, believing that life ous resources that keep you OLOG m is something that happens to R T S .co strong and steady. Check to A you, it might further diminish weekly l@vue freewil see if maybe you need to rev your willpower. That's why, as Rob y much as I love astrology, I'm wary up your emotional connection n s z Bre with the traditions you hold dear. of its potential to deceive and lead But that's only half your horoscope, astray. Is there anything comparable Aries. Here's the rest: invite your most ram- in your world, Gemini? Something that feeds bunctious playmates over for a raucous and inspires you, but only if you're discerning home-blessing ceremony. about it? This is a good time to ratchet up your discernment.

FREEW

TAURUS (Apr 20 – May 20)

ILL

Two-thirds of people surveyed said they would rather look good than feel good. I hope you're not one of them. The ironic fact of the matter is that if you put the emphasis on looking good in the coming week— creating favourable impressions, acting dishonest in order to curry favour, wearing uncomfortable but attractive clothes—you will end up feeling sub-par and looking mediocre. On the other hand, if you put the priority on feeling good—seeking out encounters that nurture your secret self and hanging out in environments that encourage you to relax—you will look good and feel good.

CANCER (Jun 21 – Jul 22)

GEMINI (May 21 – Jun 20)

LEO (Jul 23 – Aug 22)

If you're bogged down in the trance of the humdrum routine, astrology can open your mind and illuminate fascinating patterns that have been invisible to you. It can reveal the big picture of your life story, sweeping away the narrow ideas and shrunken expectations you have about yourself. And it can purge

I don't care whether you call it uncanny intuition or plain old telepathy: In the next three weeks, you will have unusually abundant access to that way of knowing. So please use it. It could steer you away from twisty wastes of time that don't serve your highest good. It might also allow you to ferret out disguised or hiding opportunities. There's one catch: if you don't believe in them, your psychic powers won't work as well as they can. So I suggest you set aside any dogmatic skepticism you might have about them and proceed on the hypothesis that they are very real. Let's poke around to see if we can stir up some good trouble, Leo. The time is right. You're in need of a friendly disruption or two. Fortunately, I'm sensing there's a forbidden temptation that isn't so forbidden any longer ... as well as a strange attractor you might find inspiring and a volatile

52 // BACK

teaching that would turn you inside-out in a good way. Are you willing to wander into a previously off-limits area? Hey, look. There's one of those mystery spots I was hinting about. I wonder what would happen if you pressed that green button. Go ahead. Don't be ... Gaaaahhhhh! Unnhhh! Wha?! I mean WOW! That was very interesting. Try it again!

VIRGO (Aug 23 – Sep 22)

You may be prone to overreaction. You could be on the verge of uncorking an excessive response to a modest prompt. On a regular basis, you should ask yourself: "Are the feelings rising up in me truly appropriate for what's happening now? Or are they mostly the eruption of material that I repressed in the past?" I also encourage you to consider Hoare's Law of Large Problems, which says that inside every large problem is a small problem scrambling to get out. Be alert for the possibility that minor adjustments will work better than epic struggles.

LIBRA (Sep 23 – Oct 22)

Temple Grandin is a successful autistic person. Diagnosed at an early age, she nevertheless went on to earn a PhD in Animal Science and became a best-selling author whose work has led to notable improvements in the humane treatment of livestock. Although she acknowledges that her autism has caused her problems, she also believes it gives her abilities that nonautistic people don't have. For example, her extreme sensitivity and extraordinary visual memory are at the root of her unique insights into the needs of animals. If there were an instant cure for her autism, she says, she wouldn't take it. She's an advocate of neurodiversity. Now here's my question

for you, Libra: Do you have a supposed weakness or disability that's actually an inherent part of one of your special talents? Celebrate and cultivate it this week.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 – Nov 21)

Self-help author Barbara De Angelis wrote a book that offers to help us learn "how to make love all the time." Maybe I'll read it someday, but right now I'm more interested in your take on the subject. How would you make love—not have sex, but make love— with your sandwich, with the music you listen to, with a vase of flowers, with the familiar strangers sitting in the cafe, with everything? Your expertise in this art is now at a peak.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 – Dec 21)

It's not a good time to treat yourself like a beast of burden or to swamp yourself with dark, heavy thoughts. You're extra sensitive, Sagittarius—as delicate and impressionable as a young poet in love with a dream of paradise. You need heaping doses of sweetness and unreasonable amounts of fluidic peace, smart listening and radical empathy. If you can't get people to buoy your spirits and slip you delightful presents, do those things for yourself.

CAPRICORN (Dec 22 – Jan 19)

In some of the newspapers that publish my horoscope column, my carefully wrought text is buried in the back pages amidst a jabbering hubbub of obscene advertisements for quasi-legal sexual services. For readers with refined sensibilities, that's a problem. They do their best to avert their eyes, narrowing their focus down to a tight window. I think you'll be wise to adopt a similar approach in the coming week, Capricorn. Only

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

a small percentage of information coming your way will be truly useful to you, and it may often be embedded in a sparkly mess of distracting noise. Concentrate hard on getting just the essentials that you want so you won't be misinformed and worn out by the rest.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 – Feb 18)

Do your own stunts, Aquarius. Don't commandeer a stunt double to do them for you. Accept blame and claim credit that rightfully belong to you. Don't scare up scapegoats or tolerate plagiarists. It will also be a good idea to deliver your own messages and sing your own songs and kick your own butt. There's just no way, you see, for you to get to where you need to go by having a substitute do the traveling for you. Your only hope of claiming the reward that will be crucial for the next chapter of your life story will be to do the work yourself.

PISCES (Feb 19 – Mar 20)

One of the best new bands of 2009 was Girls. Spin Magazine selected their debut CD Album as the fifth best album of the year. After touring for months and selling scads of records, the band came back home to San Francisco in February to do a soldout show at the Great American Music Hall. For his on-stage apparel, lead singer Christopher Owens wore baggy orange flannel pajama bottoms and a rumpled green flannel shirt, proving that his new-found fame had not rendered him self-important or excessively dignified. I nominate Owens as your role model this week, Pisces. I'd like to see you move on up toward the next level in your chosen field of endeavor, even as you remain perfectly comfortable, full of casual grace, and at home in your excellence. V

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MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

BACK // 53

COMMENT >> LBGT

Lady Gay Gay

Lady Gaga pushes to make sexual diversity the norm It's time. I give in. I have to write a piece off questions of gender, sells T-shirts with about Lady Gaga. The Lady is not just a the moniker "Lady Gay Gay" and, hell, she musician, she is a performance artist. And was named after a Queen song. she just might be the queerest thing to hit Most casual fans may be unaware that pop culture in my lifetime so far. With the 23-year-old proudly identifies as strap-ons and magnificent stage bisexual. She's stated that the song shows, Gaga is bringing gay to "Poker Face" is about her sexuality the mainstream one kermitand that past boyfriends had a the-frog dress at a time. I have hard time handling her attraction om eekly.c drunk the Kool-Aid and it tastto both men and women. Or, you w e u v tam@ ed like glitter and sex. know, "bluffin' with her muffin." a r a m a T Admittedly, I'm in it for the Stefani Germanotta, the earthly ka Gorzal gay. Without her vocal interest body that houses Lady Gaga, got her in LGBT equality and forceful expresstart in New York's alternative and queer sion of queer sensibility, Lady Gaga would rock scene. She's stated, "The turning point be just another good dance artist. How- for me was the gay community. I've got so ever, from appearances at activist events to many gay fans and they're so loyal to me and thanking her gay fans every chance she gets, they really lifted me up. They'll always stand Gaga seems to have made a strong decision by me and I'll always stand by them." to radiate homo energy. She speaks out Gaga has tirelessly promoted the homos against homophobia at every turn, laughs wherever possible, thanking them in her

EERN Q UN TO MO

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Performing Artists ready to tour Alberta? Get professional feedback on your suitability at ONSTAGE. Edmonton March 13, Calgary March 20, More at www.artstouring.com or 780.644.4840

54 // BACK

Participate in 2010 at The Works Street Stage; deadline Mar 15. Application at theworks.ab.ca Open juried Photography exhibition: to all Alberta

The Paint Spot presents the Annual Whyte Avenue Art Walk; July 16-18, registration starts Sat, Mar 6 at The Paint Spot, 10032-81 Ave

BETA

PERFORMING ARTS

Influx Jewellery Gallery, 2nd Fl, Art Central; T: 403.266.7527; E: info@influxgallery.com; Deadline: Apr 6

Vimy Ridge Academy Professional Dance Program Audition: Sat, Mar 13, 5pm. Info at 780.440.2100/450.2100, admin@esbdance.com

MUSIC STUDIOS STUDIOS & RECORDING RENTALS HTTP://BETASOUND.CA

ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ʸ ARTIST/NON PROFIT CLASSIFIEDS Need a volunteer? Forming an acting troupe? Want someone to jam with? Place up to 20 words FREE, providing the ad is non-profit. Ads of more than 20 words subject to regular price or cruel editing. Free ads must be submitted in writing, in person or by fax. Free ads will run for four weeks, if you want to renew or cancel please phone Glenys at 780.426.1996/fax 780.426.2889/e-m office@ vueweekly.com or drop it off at 10303-108 St. Deadline is noon the Tuesday before publication. Placement will depend upon available space Pro Coro auditions for 2010-2011: Mar 27, 10am3:30; Mar 29, 5-8pm; Mar 30, 5-8pm. Singers, book audition at thechoir@procoro.ab.ca or 780.420.1247

MODAL MUSIC INC. 780.221.3116 Quality music instruction since 1981. Guitarist. Educator. Graduate of GMCC music program

Learn to Act for the Camera with the Best! L.A. Director Tom Logan. In Edmonton May 7, 8, & 9 Call to register (780) 975-7022 www.tomlogan.com

Musicalmania! is looking for strong, preferably older, tenor for production at Arden Theatre in Apr. Paid position. 780.460.2937

ARTIST TO ARTIST

The Cutting Room is looking for Assistants and Stylists Please drop off your resume at 10536-124 Street

FILM AND TV ACTING Learn from pro's how to act in Film and TV Full-time training. 1-866-231-8232 www.vadastudios.com

The Alberta Association of Motion Picture and Television Unions (AAMPTU) seek submissions of feature film scripts from Alberta based screenwriters. Nicholas Mather 780.422.817r4/ writersguild.ab.ca; Deadline: Mar 15

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Obviously not afraid to speak her mind, Gaga struck out against homophobia in the music industry in an interview with Fuse, "When I hear one of the most famous rappers in the world say something homophobic on the radio, I want people to yell at him. I don't have to say who because they know who they are. It's not just hip hop, it's everywhere. It's wrong. I'm not trying to create and generate more hatred in the world. I just want to generate awareness. It's always wrong to hate but it's never wrong to love." The Lady is a philanthropist, too. In No-

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liner notes, playing pride events and namechecking them in countless acceptance speeches. Nothing was quite as moving as her talk to the National Equality March in Washington, which she called the most important moment of her career. At the event she performed John Lennon's "Imagine," changing the lyrics to describe Matthew Shepard's murder 12 years ago. One of the odder stories in the saga of Gaga is the infamous intersex rumour. Internet gossip made the rounds last year that she had a tiny penis in addition to her girlybits. Gaga, to her enormous credit, ignored the rumours and laughed off the story if it came up in an interview. It says something about our society that the public seemed to easily buy into what seemed like a pretty ridiculous report. The revealing outfits she's been wearing since her debut make it perfectly clear that there

is no wee dick hiding in Gaga's leotard. But the rumour won't die. Someone just last week told me about how "Lady Gaga is a hermaphrodite!" Though she waited almost a year to do it, Gaga responded to the story in a rather unique way. She appeared on the cover of Q Magazine last month, wearing a strap-on. Explaining her idea, she said, "I want to wear a dick strapped to my vagina. We all know one of the biggest talking points of the year was that I have a dick, so why not give them what they want?"

McMullen Gallery seeking proposals for May 2011-Apr 2012. Deadline: Mar 31, 4pm; info: Diana Young Kennedy 780.407.7152; diana.youngkennedy@albertahealthservices.ca Male and females actors sought for fringe play macwalker@shaw.ca Freedom Challenge: EPL is issuing a challenge to all Edmontonians–Tell us in a photo, poem, song, short story, video, painting…any way you want. Email submission to freedom@epl.ca or drop it off at your local EPL branch. Submissions will be posted anonymously on Freedom to Read: epl.ca/freedom

Donations of Infant Snowsuits needed (size 0-24); Basically Babies Snowsuit Stack-up on Mar 4-21. Donations at Capilano Mall, Sherwood Park Mall, Southgate Centre, Londonderry Mall, Mill Woods Town Centre, Kingsway Mall, Sweet Momma Day Spa, Basically Babies office

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010

vember she encouraged fans to volunteer at homeless youth agencies in exchange for concert tickets. And she donated over $500 000 from sales to Haiti relief. She also just teamed with Cyndi Lauper and MAC to offer a lipstick for their VIVA Glam campaign. The cosmetics lines donates 100 percent of their proceeds to treating people who are HIV positive. With so much pressure on her, crowned queen of the freak parade, I wonder how Our Lady of the Gaga will fair in the coming years. She already had to cancel a show earlier this winter due to exhaustion. It must be tiring to be the leader of the outcasts. In a sweet interview with Ellen Degeneres, Gaga explained her message: "This is really who I am and it took a long time to be OK with that. Maybe in high school you, Ellen, you feel discriminated against—like you don't fit in and you want to be like everyone else, but not really, on the inside you want to be like Boy George—well, I did anyway. I want my fans to know that it's OK. Sometimes in life you don't always feel like a winner, but that doesn't mean you're not a winner ... you want to be like yourself. I want my fans to know it's OK." V artists; deadline: Mar 15; info at 780.421.1731 Artist Volunteers needed at the Today Family Violence Centre to develop murals in their new facility to help create a positive environment for clients. Patrick Dillon at 780.455.6880

MUSICIANS

Alien Shape Shifters looking for an alien singer; experience strongly preferred for rock and beyond. Call 780.995.6660

Rhythm and blues band seeks piano/organ player for originals, recording and live shows. Infl: Animals, Spencer Davis Group, MGs, The Band. 780.760.7284

ADVICE >> SEX

I'd like to make a withdrawal Dear Andrea: I've taken this one on at intervals, for The question of pre-cum and sperm con- years, but needing a fresh fact-infusion I tent seems to be in a debate. One arheaded to PubMed, as one should. There ticle says research says there is I found that an andrology lab at no sperm in pre-cum, another Ben Gurion University in Israel article says that the previous seems to be doing all the inresearchers' fluid-collection teresting work. They collected methods were faulty. pre-ejaculatory fluid from their kly.com e e w e vu So, is there sperm in pre-cum, premature ejaculation patients, altsex@ or is that just another sex-negAndresaon another group referred to them ative scare tactic? for "excessive fluid secretion durNemer Love, Which Is It? ing foreplay" and a control group of regular guys. None had any sperm at all in Dear It: the pre-ejaculatory samples. None. And no The question of whether, or rather, the as- matter how many times those scare-tacsertion that pre-cum does contain sperm, ticters warn credulous teens about it only certainly has been used as a sex-negative taking one—true, but that One's chances scare tactic, specifically as a weapon in of making it through the vaginal gantthe chastity wars. I wouldn't go so far as let and the Chamber Of Cervical Horrors to write the question itself off as pure to emerge victorious are almost as small propaganda tool, though. It's a legitimate as the sperm itself. Even they can't make subject for scientific inquiry, and we are all a claim that "it only takes none." None is about those. none. None is good.

ALT.

SEX

MUSICIANS

Uptown Folk Club: Wendell Ferguson and Katherine Wheatley duo's 2 hr Comedy, Song Writing and Guitar Styles presentation, Sat, Mar 6, 10am at the Norwood Legion Singer-guitarist with several dates open available for freelance work, either local or road gigs. Can double on bass or electronic keyboard. Hundreds of MIDI files if needed. Country, old R&R, have played almost anything but Rap and Metal. No bad habits. For more info, call 780.634.9713 Metalcore band seeks serious vocalist and bass player, an open mind, commitment and proper gear (100+ watts) is a must. Contact Aaron at 780.974.8804

Now as to the competing claims that researchers have found sperm in the precum, I couldn't find them except by inference, as in this summary from the Journal of Andrology: "Sperm is not usually found in any of the accessory sex glands; however, investigators have long debated the presence of sperm in pre-ejaculatory fluid. Researchers have observed the presence of spermatozoa in pre-ejaculatory fluid and have advocated against the use of coitus interruptus as a safe means of contraception (Zukerman et al, 2003). Other authors favouring coitus interruptus argue against the presence of sperm in the expressed secretions, citing faulty methodology for fluid collection and ascribing reported pregnancies to late withdrawal (Rogow and Sonya, 1995)." Which drew the ire of the Zukerman team, and for good reason. Here is the very Zukerman, refuting: "We read with interest the Androlog Sum-

mary by Chudnovsky and Niederberger on "Copious Pre-ejaculation: Small Glands— Major Headaches" (J Androl, 2007; 374– 3755). In this article, they cited our study (Zukerman et al, 2003) and stated that we 'observed the presence of spermatozoa in pre-ejaculatory fluid and have advocated against the use of coitus interruptus as a safe means of contraception.' Ironically, our findings and conclusions were actually the opposite. ... Whereas all patients had sperm in routine sperm analyses, none of the pre-ejaculatory samples contained sperm. We therefore concluded that because pre-ejaculatory fluid secreted at the tip of the urethra from the Cowper gland during sexual stimulation did not contain sperm, the failure of coitus interruptus as a contraceptive method is probably due to late withdrawal (after emission and onset of ejaculation)." So not only did the journal mis-ascribe the findings, if you read carefully you will see that it is actually the other guys' methodology which has been called into question. The Israeli team emerges from the pre-cum wars un, uh, besmirched. Except

perhaps by the misuse of "ironically" in the rebuttal letter. For shame. So, we do have some science. We do have samples studied and found utterly devoid of sperm. We also have, of course, innumerable pregnancies blamed on those sneaky gland-lurking sperm. And what are we to make of those? Some claimants are lying. Some failed to flush out the urethra with a nice healthy pee after the first ejaculation, which could certainly result in some loiterers being carried along by the next stream of pre-cum that happens by. And some are the result of "oopsies!" of various sorts, including undetected or unstoppable mini-ejaculations before the main event. None of this has ever succeeded in convincing me that withdrawal is unsafe or stupid or worse than nothing, as some of that scare-based literature would have it. It is, in fact, the precise opposite of "worse than nothing"—it is in every way better than nothing. Kids who are taught that condoms leak and pills fail and withdrawal is worse than nothing end up using ... nothing. And that, my friend, is worse than anything. V

cmha-edmonton.ab.ca

VOLUNTEER

S.C.A.R.S.–Second Chance Animal Rescue Society Come and meet some of our wonderful adoptable animals! Sat, Mar 6, 12pm at Tail Blazers, 7520 Gateway Blvd

S.C.A.R.S.: Second Chance Animal Rescue Society. Our dogs are TV stars! Watch Global TV every Sat at 9:45 AM where new, wonderful dogs will be profiled. scarscare.org

Provocative, unique, innovative volunteers needed for Northern Light Theatre's upcoming events. Ellen Chorley, 780.471.1586; nlt.publicity@ telusplanet.net

CNIB's Friendly Visitor Program needs volunteers to help and be a sighted guide with a friendly voice. If you can help someone with vision loss visit cnib.ca or call 780. 453.8304

Volunteer at ElderCare Edmonton: help out with day programs with things like crafts, card games and socializing. Call Renée for info at 780.434.4747 Ext 4

Bicycle Mechanic Volunteers for Bissell Centre community homeless or near homeless members on Mon, Wed, Fri, 9am-12pm. Contact Linda 780.423.2285 ext 134

WANTED: JAMMERS for open public monthly jam on the 2nd Sun of the month at 9119128A Ave. Rock, country & old time music. Ph. 780.973.5593, randyglen@JumpUpDj.com

NINA HAGGERTY CENTRE FOR THE ARTS is looking for artists to provide mentorship to our artists with developmental disabilities. Share your talents and passion while gaining work experience. For info contact Anna at volunteer@ ninahaggertyart.ca

The Works Street Stage: call to artists from experimental, rap, hip-hop, to folk, bluegrass, country, blues, jazz and rock–all genres. theworks.ab.ca/ societyfolder/calls/calls.html; E: Dawn Saunders Dahl dawn@theworks.ab.ca Deadline: Mar 19

Meals on WheelsºNgdmfl]]jk f]]\]\ Lg deliver nutritious meals (vehicle required) O]]c\Yqk )(2,-Ye%)he Lg Ykkakl af l`] cal[`]f O]]c\Yqk .Ye Yf\ *he3 k`a^l lae]k Yj] È]paZd] 780.429.2020

Had Enough? Cocaine Anonymous 780.425.2715

Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut: Take a few hours this Feb and join our team of Heart Month volunteers. Visitheartandstroke.ca/help; 1.888.HSF.INFO

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK

Canadian Mental Health Association/Board Recruiting 2009 Learn about our community work:

ADULT

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Have you been affected by another person's sexual behaviour? S-Anon is a 12-Step fellowship for the family members and friends of sex addicts. Call 780.988.4411 for Edmonton area meeting locations and information, or visit sanon.org

MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010 // VUEWEEKLY

BACK // 55

56 // BACK

VUEWEEKLY // MAR 4 – MAR 10, 2010