BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - June 2016

JUNE 2016
FREE
TWIN RIVER
COAST TO COAST //
Vancouver garage-pop ensemble
traces memories with melody
LEVITATION VANCOUVER • TEGAN AND SARA • SONNY & THE SUNSETS • DEERHOOF • BARD ON THE BEACH • EASTSIDE FLEA • VANPOOPER
June May 2016 1

TRIM SIZE: 10.25"W x 11.5" H, RIGHT HAND PAGE
JOHNFLUEVOGVANCOUVERGRANVILLEST··WATERST··FLUEVOGCOM
VANCOUVERTORONTONEWYORKLOSANGELESSANFRANCISCOCHICAGO
2
June May 2016

JUNE 20 16
BEATROUTE STAFF
PUBLISHER
BeatRoute Magazine
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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MANAGING EDITOR
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SENIOR EDITOR
Maya-Roisin Slater
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& PRODUCTION MANAGER
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rachelteresapark.com
WEB PRODUCER
Shane Flug
COPY EDITOR
Thomas Coles
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
CITY
Yasmine Shemesh
yasmine@beatroute.ca
COMEDY
Graeme Wiggins
graeme@beatroute.ca
FILM
Paris Spence-Lang
paris@beatroute.ca
THE SKINNY
Alex Molten
molten@beatroute.ca
LOCAL
Erin Jardine
erin@beatroute.ca
FRONT COVER PHOTO
Shimon
shimonphoto.com
DISTRIBUTION
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Gregory Adams • Victoria Banner
Eric Campbell • Reid Charmichael
David Cutting • Mike Dunn
Bryce Dunn • Heath Fenton
Colin Gallant • Jamie Goyman
Britt Hanly • Prachie Kamble
Cait Lepla • Fraser Marshall-Glew
Trina McDonald • Jamie McNamara
Devon Motz • Jennie Orton
Justin Penney • Liam Prost
Daniel Robichaud • Galen Robinson-Exo
Paul Rodgers • Katharine Sawchuk
Thalia Stopa • Susanne Tabata
Willem Thomas • Trent Warner • Wendy 13
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHERS &
ILLUSTRATORS
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Lindsay’s Diet • David & Emily Cooper
Asia Fairbanks • Chase Hansen
D.L. Fraser • Amy Ray
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Working for the Weekend with Jessica Vaira............................................................................................4
Deerhoof...............................................................................................................................................................................5
Sonny & The Sunsets............................................................................................................................................6
Low Levels...........................................................................................................................................................................6
COVER: Twin River..............................................................................................................................................9
Levitation Vancouver...........................................................................................................................10 - 11
Late Spring......................................................................................................................................................................12
THE SKINNY..............................................................................................................................................13 - 16
• Have A Good Laugh Fest
• Rocket From Russia
• Astrakhan
• The Mountain Man
• Studio Vostok
• Subculture
Terminal City Confidential........................................................................................................................17
Summer Festival Guide.....................................................................................................................18 - 19
ELECTRONICS DEPT.................................................................................................................21 - 23
• Blackalicious
• Kaylee Johnston
• Chambers
• UNIIQU3
CITY..........................................................................................................................................................................24 - 26
• Queen Of The Month
• East Side Flea
• Our Wild Abandon
• Juke
• Bard On The Beach
• The Good Spirit
COMEDY........................................................................................................................................................................27
• Deanne Smith
• Sirius XM Top Comic
FILM..................................................................................................................................................................................... 30
Album Reviews.................................................................................................................................................31-36
Live Reviews...................................................................................................................................................................37
Vanpooper......................................................................................................................................................................38
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Blackalicious, page 21
June 2016 3

WORKING FOR
THE WEEKEND
Founded in 2003, Twigg and Hottie is a boutique in
Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant that puts a premium
on ethical independent designers. Jessica Vaira, one
of the store’s three owners, grew up around the textile
arts, a formative experience that drew her to designing
and making her own clothes later in life. “Growing up
in a family of knitters, sewers, and crocheters, I often
saw the beauty of how textiles could be shaped to fit
whatever purpose needed. The idea that you could not
only sew anything you wanted, but that you could also
construct the material itself has always been a wonder
to me,” Vaira explains. Along with her two business
partners, Twigg and Hottie is home to an in-house
brand, We3 Designs, which focuses on sustainable
clothing made in Vancouver. Turning cloth to clothing
is not Vaira’s only passion, she is also a singer and
songwriter. Employing her very own blend of jazz, funk,
and soul, Vaira utilizes looping pedals and harmonies
to create a lush soundscape of groove-inspired folk.
Needles, thread, lungs, and verses are just some of
the tools Vaira has under her belt A seamstress and
singer with a knack for starting from scratch, Jessica
Vaira is a proprietor of honest art in all its forms.
BeatRoute: What does a day at the store look like
for you?
Jessica Vaira: A day in the store for me is a
balance between helping my customers find the
perfect thing to suit their needs, educating the
curious on why it is so important to support locally
and sustainably made goods and, chipping away at
the mountain of admin that always needs dong.
with Jessica Vaira
BR: What kind of music do you like to listen to
in the shop?
JV: Generally I love jazz, folk, soul, and r&b for
store hours. It needs to be upbeat enough to keep the
day flowing, but without feeling frenzied. It is all
about creating a comfortable and welcoming vibe.
BR: What are your favourite things to wear
onstage?
JV: I’ve been in a pretty serious long skirt phase
the past year. I have a particular one that I literally
have made four of in different colours because they
are just so comfortable. After performing, when
I’ve exuded so much emotion and am a sweaty
mess, I still feel like I have a modicum of poise.
BR: Can you explain your use of the loop pedal
in your work?
JV: Loop pedals are so interesting because they
can be really freeing and also quite constrictive
depending on how you use them. For me, harmony
has always been a focus in my music and I wanted
the ability to layer my vocals but still have variation
in my song structure so I strive to use the looper
in a more unconventional way. Instead of building
an entire song on a foundation of a few chords,
I use it for accents and features. Sometimes I
will loop entire choruses so that I can do the
harmonies over top the second time. Sometimes,
I create textural layers to flesh out a verse.
Sometimes I build and build and build to create an
outro. It just depends on what the song needs.
by Maya-Roisin Slater
photo by Sarah Whitlam
BR: As a maker of both, does your creation of
music and clothing have any sort of connective
relationship?
JV: You bet! Trying to make a living solely on
creative endeavours is darn difficult and like
most artists, I struggle on being creative on a
time line. Having two really different modalities
allows me the ability to explore whatever
inspiration I am feeling in that moment. If I don’t
feel like working on lyrics, I can draft a pattern.
Or if I don’t feel like sewing those alterations,
I can practice guitar. Textiles are gratifying
because there is a tangible end result and I can
physically see what I have accomplished. Music
is very spiritual and emotional for me and helps
me understand myself. Having a foot strongly
planted in both these worlds helps me feel
balanced and ultimately fuels more creativity.
BR: What do you hope to achieve in the next year?
JV: Finishing my album In A Line has been a huge
accomplishment and one that I had been working
towards for several years. This next phase for me
is about promoting all that hard work and getting
started on the next album and collaborations. I
always have new ideas and projects percolating and
am hoping to get some motion on some of those.
Jessica Vaira hosts an open mic night every
second Tuesday at Cartems Donuterie on Main
Street. She is also performing at the Revival
Festival in Squamish June 10 to 12.
4
June 2016

DEERHOOF
revealing the magic behind the experimental rockers
Over two decades later, Deerhoof continues
to cast their spell on The Magic.
Deerhoof has been together and
consistently making music awhile now, but
that hasn’t made it any easier to describe their
sound. Descriptions like “experimental” or “indie”
seem trite; “noise” is too niche and does a
disservice to singer Satomi Matsuzaki’s mostly
childish, sing-songy voice, whereas “rock” is
such a broad and conservative-sounding label
for a band that seems to exist outside of the
musical realm of their contemporaries.
Guitarist John Dieterich claims Deerhoof are content being unclassifiable.
Fortunately the band, with drummer and
original member Greg Saunier at its helm, has
put their finger on their sound for us with the
title of their new album, The Magic. The most
succinct way to summate Deerhoof, it seems,
may also be the most abstract. Guitarist John
Dieterich extrapolates, “What we [Deerhoof]
liked about the idea of just magic is that it hasn’t
been decoded yet or described yet. It’s something
that you don’t know what it is or where
it came from or what it means and you’re just
kind of letting it wash over you kind of.”
This concept is one common denominator
for a tracklist that Dieterich admits is “kind of
all over the place...a mixtape.” If you’re already a
Deerhoof fan, the 15-track hodge podge record
strikes lots of familiar notes - “Debut” and “Kafe
Mania” are good examples. But the biggest
surprise may be its three unbridled punk songs,
apparently perfect examples of the concept of
happenstance. A single weekend before the
deadline, some of Deerhoof’s band members
were asked to contribute a punk song for a
television show. Unbeknownst to the others a
few of them took on the challenge. “We live in
three different locations, sometimes four, and
so three of us wrote songs, recorded demos
including vocals and lyrics and sent them in
Monday,” Dieterich explains. Guitarist Ed Rodriguez’s
contribution, “That Ain’t No Life to Me” is
probably the purest example; it’s also the first
time Rodriguez has sung lead vocals.
Although The Magic isn’t a punk album, it
does maintain the high energy of one due to the
set of circumstances leading up to its recording.
On the heels of extensive touring, including a
lot of “rock-ish” shows, the band evaluated the
type of shows they had the most fun playing
and used that as inspiration.
Dietrich has no prescription for enjoying The
Magic but regales his story of a recently memorable
listening experience: “Yesterday for my
birthday we went on a little road trip. We took
our dog to a place called El Malpais Wilderness
which just means ‘badlands’ in Spanish but it’s
like this incredibly remote, just shockingly beautiful
sort of impossible to describe wilderness
that’s like an hour away from here...My friends
got me this compilation of Can music that had
been unreleased, called The Lost Tapes. They
gave it to me...like five years ago. And I had sort
of listened to it but it was like, I dunno, I don’t
give myself that much time to actually sit and listen
to music. I’m usually working on something,
whether it’s you know my own music or mixing
somebody else’s record...And so this was the
first time where I actually had two-and-a-half
hours to sit in the van and listen to music and it
was amazing. I instantly fell in love with it.”
Due out on June 24th via Polyvinyl Records,
Deerhoof’s latest release comes on the heels
of a collaboration album with the classical
composer Marcos Balter and Ensemble Dal
Niente, called Balter/Saunier. Deerhoof has 13
full-length original albums under their belt since
1997’s debut The Man, the King, the Girl - each
very unique but all unequivocally magical.
Deerhoof plays Fortune Sound
Club (Vancouver) on July 8.
MUSIC
by Thalia Stopa
June 2016 MUSIC
5

SONNY & THE SUNSETS
the future might not be so bright after all
It may be the most pertinent question of our
times: how to deal with living in a culture
where we are relentlessly inundated with
information? For San Francisco’s Sonny
Smith, the natural response was to make
a rock album about it with his band, the
Sunsets. Their sixth LP, Moods Baby Moods
(released May 27th) sounds groovy overall,
but some of the material sure is heavy. The
album’s funkier sound is a departure from the
Sunsets’ previous albums but an unsurprising
one considering they encapsulate a wide
range of genres from country to experimental.
The tracklist itself aptly swings from the
goofy “Well But Strangely Hung Man” to the
commentary on consumerism, “Needs.” When
asked what one lesson listeners should take
away, Smith’s response is simple: “Life is
screwy.”
“The world is going down like the Titanic:
Sonny & The Sunets are experiencing major mood swings on new album, Moods Baby Moods.
fires, deserts, diseases, wars, refugees, extinction,
world slavery, nations disappearing,
etc.,” Smith continues. “Who cares about rock
and roll, really, or any other genre, I hope
it dies and new forms begin. I’ll be making
some kind of shit till I die I’m sure, no idea
what it will be....”
Smith has more than a few creative outlets
which occasionally mutate into something
suited to Sonny & the Sunsets, the project
which is his first and foremost passion. However,
there’s very little calculation involved in
that process. “Death Cream” for instance is a
catchy narrative about an ominous substance
that began on 2009’s debut Tomorrow is
Alright. More recently, Smith was inspired
to continue the story in comic panels which
morphed into lyrics for the opening track on
Moods Baby Moods, “Death Cream Part 2
‘Watch Out for the Cream.’” The comic book
idea hasn’t been shelved entirely, but Smith
says that it will have to wait until the trilogy is
complete.
Along with a series of drawings of Caucasian
policemen on trial – an allusion to
the track “White Cops on Trial” - a vaguely
autobiographical cartoon character named
“Mr. Sensitive” recently popped up on Sonny
& the Sunsets’ Instagram feed. The idea came
about because the band’s rehearsal space
is situated in San Francisco’s Tenderloin
district. “We’re always just...complaining
about how disastrous it is. I mean it’s really
disgusting and sad and messed up...just people
with syringes hanging out of their arms,
human feces everywhere...It’s just one of the
most unhealthiest neighbourhoods I’ve ever
experienced and of course it’s, ya know, due
to some weird urban-planning and exploitation
of resources and stuff but ya know we’re
always kind of like, ‘Oh, Mr. Sensitive can’t
handle human shit on the ground,’” he laughs.
“Whatever. So it just kind of went from
there...”
From comics to lyrics, Smith is a prolific
writer who always has a notebook and pen
handy. “I just write in the gaps of my busy
life...I’m just one of those types...I always
have my notebook. If I’m early to pick up my
son at school I’ll just write in my notebook. If
I am at something boring I’ll just write in my
notebook, ya know? I just have my notebook
all the time and I always have.”
It’s doubtful that Smith will ever give up his
pen, but for Moods Baby Moods he did cede
his role as producer for the first time, instead
enlisting the Tune-Yards’ Merrill Garbus for
the role who he plans on working with in
the future...although with Smith’s predictions,
who knows what post-rock’n’roll or
post-apocalyptic form that will take.
Sonny & the Sunsets play FAR OUT at
the Biltmore (Vancouver) on June 15.
by Thalia Stopa
LOW LEVELS
veteran punks are smart, efficient, and givin’er
If you’ve ever seen Al Boyle perform
live, you know he does not do anything
half-assed. The veteran of the Vancouver
music scene has displayed his frenetic
guitar and vocal chops in Hard Feelings,
Shitty Neighbors, NEEDS, and played drums
in Chains of Love and The WPP. Boyle does
not sit still for long, and with more than 15
years of performing behind him, his sights
are firmly focused forward with his new
band Low Levels.
Emily Jayne (Devil Eyes, Learners)
and Byron Slack (Invasives) complete the
veteran lineup, and produce a sound that
is a cohesive distillation of the members’
collective influences and history. Boyle and
Jayne frequently trade off vocal duties, the
vocal juxtaposition providing rich texture to
the densely crafted songs.
Their collective years of experience has
the members of Low Levels approaching
this new project with a level of focus that is
often lacking when a new band gets together.
Despite their varying levels of personal
familiarity (Jayne had never met Slack until
their first practice), the band quickly reached
a consensus with regard to their objectives.
“Giv’er as much as possible without
quitting our jobs!” laughs Boyle. “Like we’re
going to tour, but we’re going to be smart
about it and not waste our time.” Efficiency
6 MUSIC
comes up frequently in the conversation, and
it’s obvious that the band is into getting the
most out of every show.
“We played a show in Edmonton and it was
one of the best ones we’ve ever played. The
promoter loved it and we were able to tell
them exactly when we’d be back,” explains
Boyle. Each member acknowledges that they
have better access to promoters through the
network they’ve built up over the years, so
while Low Levels might be a new name, they
are able to draw an appreciative audience
right out of the gate.
All three members are visibly excited
about making music together, perhaps none
as much as Slack. “I played in my last band
for sixteen years. With each new album,
people more or less knew what to expect.
This is the first time I’ve been in a new band
and it’s a lot of fun!” His enthusiasm is infectious,
and it’s impossible to miss the smiles
on Boyle and Jayne’s faces when he makes
the comment.
So what can people expect to hear? The
band is as efficient with their songwriting as
they are in matters of business. Most songs
on their self-titled EP clock in at under three
minutes, and each one packs in enough
riffs and ideas for a song twice as long. The
chord progressions and time signatures feel
intuitive, but new levels of complexity reveal
themselves with each listen.
While they shy away from labels like
“math rock,” the band members agree that
the technicality is no accident. “We want to
chase things that are difficult,” Slack explains.
“To chip away…and leave our mark by
making something challenging and different.”
The result is a collection of songs that are
melodic and deceptively dense. Boyle and
With several bands under their belts, Low Levels have high aspriations.
Jayne trade vocals and the whole package
is, in Jayne’s words, “Heavy and aggressive,
but not angry. People can still dance to it.”
The crowd will have to work up a serious
sweat if they want to keep up with Boyle’s
frenzied onstage persona.
Low Levels performs at Pat’s Pub on
June 10 and The Emerald on June 24.
by Justin Penney
June 2016

June May 2016 7

8
June May 2016

TWIN RIVER
finding depth downstream
Written by Gregory Adams
Photo by Shimon
There are plenty of artists involved in
the making of Vancouver-bred Twin
River’s sophomore full-length, Passing
Shade. Most of them congregated over
to Colin Stewart’s current Hive recording
facility on Vancouver Island over the
course of two recording sessions last year,
one in the summer and one the following
winter. One conspirator’s contribution to
the record’s first single, “Settle Down,” is
unexpected though, considering he’s long
dead. In fact, he’s been underground for
centuries. As band founder Courtney Ewan
explains, the divide between her academic
and creative worlds isn’t exactly cut and
dry, which is how a project translating the
work of Euripides, a tragedian of classical
Athens, managed to seep into Twin River.
“He wrote a play called Hecuba. Many
playwrights did, actually. That’s sort of
the way it went. It focuses on her [Hecuba]
experiences after the fall of Troy.
She’s just lost her whole family — all of
her children, her husband,” Ewan tells
BeatRoute, noting that she’d staged a production
of the mythological tale earlier this
year while studying in Montreal. “When
I wrote ‘Settle Down,’ it was at the same
time as I was translating the play. I never
really realized until I was typing out the
lyrics for the liner notes that I absolutely
ripped off Euripides. I was typing out a
line and I was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s
not my thought. That’s not my idea.’ I
felt absolutely sheepish for a second, but
that’s what [playwrights] do all the time.”
To say the least, Ewan’s got a handle
on the classics. Spending a blessedly
sunny Friday afternoon walking around
Vancouver’s idyllic Seawall, she’s
beaming with enthusiasm as she talks
about not only her group’s new record,
but starting up a PhD program at New
York University this coming fall. The
latter comes just as she’s wrapped up
her time-intensive studies at McGill.
In between school sessions, she writes,
records, and performs with Twin River.
“I’m trying to figure out if I’m a
social or anti-social person,” Ewan
explains. “I think I have strong tendencies
to be both, which I think allows
me to be an academic half of my
life and performer the other half.”
While a move to Quebec a couple
years ago might have discouraged other
bands, Ewan has managed to make it work
with the rest of Twin River. Founded as
the folk-dusted duo of vocalist/guitarist
Ewan and guitarist Andy Bishop before
expanding into a five-piece lineup for
2015’s pop and rock-exploring Should
the Light Go Out, the outfit’s schedule
can often be stunted by the distance
between Ewan and her West Coast-based
compatriots. And while her and Bishop
handle all the arrangements, the shape of
the rest of the group is in constant flux.
Looking over the liner notes to Passing
Shade, the songs were recorded with varying
lineups that could include bassist Franceso
Lyon (White Ash Falls), keyboardists
Rebecca Gray (Yukon Blonde), or Melissa
Gregerson and drummers Dustin Bromley
or Jordan MacKenzie (White Ash Falls).
Extra contributions come from album
producer Darcy Hancock and percussionist
Ryan Peters, both of Ladyhawk.
“If we could find a solid lineup, we’re
certainly not against that,” Ewan says
of the situation. “But we’ve acknowledged
the reality that everyone we’ve
played with all have a number of projects
on the go. It’s impossible to make
five people’s lives line up. If it doesn’t
work out, it’s no hard feelings.”
Despite the ever-shifting conditions,
Passing Shade is Twin River’s most
cohesive release to date. While last year’s
Should the Light Go Out jumped song
to song from banged-up pop-punk, to
thistle-chewing folk, to the cloud-soft
textures of dream pop, the new album
manages to mix these influences together
more naturally, often in the same cut.
“Hesperus,” another mythology-mining
piece, is a jam full of foggy synth and
bass sounds, though it hews to the band’s
folk roots via the light twang in Ewan’s
voice. “Settle Down” and “Natural State”
are likewise slathered in echo, but Bishop
balances this with some rail-riding lead
guitar work. The noisy, though emotionally
delicate “I Don’t Want to Be Alone”
re-imagines the Jesus and Mary Chain,
while “Knife” is a whammy bar-abusing
surf cut for the alt-country crowd.
“We didn’t sit around and say we
want it to be 70 per cent garage, 20 per
cent dream rock, 10 per cent folk. It just
became what we sounded like,” says Ewan
of the Passing Shade’s musical mash-up.
Unified throughout the album are lyrics
that hint at loneliness, the dissipation of
bonds between friends, and the end of romantic
relationships. Ewan admits that she
wanted to craft a “purposely autobiographical”
full-length, but it’s worth noting that
her academic career has likewise had her
analyzing how people cope with change.
“There’s a sociologist named Maurice
Halbwachs who did a big study
on memory, and he says that whenever
there’s a period of political change,
people strive to make sure that their own
personal legacies are safe. One of the
ways it shows itself in Rome, in particular,
is that all of a sudden the practice
of inscription has this huge boom.”
Though Ewan’s lyrics are more
personal than political, they nevertheless
reflect a shock to the system. Songs
like “Hesperus,” “I Don’t Want to Be
Alone,” and “Brooklyn Bowl” are all
tapping into a sense of abandonment.
“Baby” begins positively with a verse in
which Ewan praises the way a lover says
her name, but ultimately caps with “I
hate the way you leave me.” On the flip,
“Known to Run” is a song that suggests
she is tempted to split when the going
gets rough. In the past, she wouldn’t
have been as frank about her feelings.
“I’m a funny person, I think, because I
like to talk and talk and talk, but I have a
hard time talking about serious things,” she
says. “That’s the same for songwriting. I
can pump out a cheesy pop song, no problem.
I don’t have trouble putting one line
It’s harder for me to talk about things that are
real. I wanted to have a record that I could
pinpoint to specific memories and times in my life,
because this past year I’ve needed those anchors.
after the next, because I listen to a lot of
pop music and I know what the ‘B’ is that
follows the ‘A.’ It’s harder for me to talk
about things that are real. I wanted to have
a record that I could pinpoint to specific
memories and times in my life, because
this past year I’ve needed those anchors.”
There is a disjointedness to Ewan’s
life as she navigates school on one side
of the continent, a band on the other,
and all sorts of personal relationships
in between. Commemorating it all in
song has been a grounding experience,
though. It would seem that she might
not run from her problems after all.
“Sometimes I think that would be
a lot easier if I had those tendencies
in me, because I have a hard time letting
things go,” the musician adds. “It
would be easier to be like, ‘Ok, I’m
out!’ I hope that’s a good quality.”
Considering how she and Bishop have
managed to keep Twin River flowing,
it’s certainly not a bad one to have.
Twin River perform on
June 30 at The Cobalt.
May June 2016 MUSIC
9

highlights from the
second edition of the
psych worshiping festival
by Joshua Erickson, Daniel Robichaud, Galen Robinson-
Exo, Graeme Wiggins, Victoria Banner, Thalia Stopa
PSYCH!
With the success of last year’s inaugural event,
Levitation Vancouver is back for its second
year. Though it is billed as a “psych” festival,
the music you will find here is a far cry from
the sitars and acid washed jeans you may
be thinking of. With punk, metal, electronic,
indie, and more represented on the lineup,
what unites all the bands performing is the
love of experimentation and being open to new
experiences. After all, the term “psychedelic”
was never meant to describe a sound, but rather
an experience. So open up your mind and check
out some of BeatRoute’s picks of the fest!
THE ALLAH-LAS
LOS ANGELES, CA
Staples of modern garage rock, The Allah-las excel at
crafting low-fi tunes that embody a spirit of hazy nostalgia.
Their reverb-heavy brand of psychedelia is evocative of
long road trips down lonely California highways. This Los
Angeles-based four-piece are vanguards of 1960’s-era rock
sensibilities, faithfully carrying the torch. (GRE)
The Allah-las perform at the Malkin Bowl on June 18
FIDLAR
LOS ANGELES, CA
FIDLAR have matured since smashing us in the nose with
their self-titled 2013 debut. That was supposed to be a joke.
FIDLAR? Mature?! Never! Well, turns out these fun, drugloving
L.A. punks have matured… kind of. Their most recent
effort, TOO, finds Zac Carper musing on his hard lifestyle and
where it’s gotten him – all while flipping us off and washing
down pills with more cheap beer. Spiralling towards the
bottom has rarely been more fun. (DR)
FIDLAR performs at the Malkin Bowl on June 17
FLYING LOTUS
LOS ANGELES, CA
Entirely free of being bound by genre, Flying Lotus’s prolific
output is quickly becoming a thing of legend. In the last few
years alone he released his jazz-psych-electro-freakout
opus You’re Dead, produced Kendrick Lamar’s extraordinary
To Pimp A Butterfly, toured as Earl Sweatshirt’s DJ’s, and
has collaborated with the likes of Kamasi Washington,
Thundercat, Shabazz Palaces, George Clinton, and more.
Now Flying Lotus makes his return to Vancouver to headline
the final night of Levitation at the Malkin Bowl. Expect
nothing less than a transcendent performance. (JE)
Flying Lotus performs at the Malkin Bowl on June 18
RUSSIAN CIRCLES
CHICAGO, IL
Russian Circles headline this year’s Rickshaw launch party.
This tradition of kicking off the festival with arguably the
loudest, most devastating act is one of which BeatRoute
giddily approves. This Chicago post-metal trio walks the
border between the beautiful and the terrifying, often
marrying the two. The result of which is a heady, expansive,
foundation-shaking mix – a violent transcendence. It’s time
to let your squishy eyeballs roll back into your skull and stare
out your Third Eye. (DR)
Russian Circles perform at the Rickshaw on June 16
THEE OH SEES
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Proof that garage rock will never die. Formed over ten
years ago, Thee Oh Sees helped create the DIY blueprint
for a whole new generation of garage rockers and made the
future careers of Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin possible. It’s
hard to say whether they are known more for Jon Dwyer’s
songwriting or for their blistering live show that is known
photo: Nina Corcoran
SHABAZZ PALACES
SEATTLE, WA
Blurring genre lines is something Shabazz Palaces’s
front man Ishmael Butler has made something of a
career of. From the jazz soaked influence on his classic
albums as part of Digable Planets, to the future-sounds
oriented, high concept records with Shabazz Palaces,
Butler has made a career of pushing things forward.
While his latest record, Lese Majesty, could be
taken as an attack on the state of rap music, it’s not
about stagnation. As Butler argues, “I don’t think it’s
stagnant. I think it’s moving, that people are being
creative, but that it’s been narrowed. The movement
is in a direction that is away from essential things
and has more to do with superficial things, surface
stuff: a narrower view of what’s possible.”
That broader view allows Shabazz Palaces the
freedom to push their sound wherever it takes them.
Even live, they don’t feel confined to the songs. Butler
explains, “We do a lot of improvisational stuff on the
show. Most of the set is new stuff, that stuff that’s
only gonna be heard at that show. It’s pretty dynamic.
We are active in the making of the music, not just
playing the tracks and rapping. Tendai is playing
a lot of instruments and we’re doing a lot of vocal
stuff, making up things on the spot. We vibe off the
crowd and environment and speak to that.” (GW)
Shabazz Palaces perform at the Imperial on June 18
10 MUSIC
June 2016

to be one of the best around, blowing the roof off of venues
leaving crowds bruised, battered, and satisfied. (GW)
Thee Oh Sees perform at the Malkin Bowl on June 18
THUNDERCAT
LOS ANGELES, CA
There are not many famous bass players, let alone ones that
managed to be a part of three of the most critically lauded
albums of last year (His solo record The Beyond/Where the
Giants Roam, Kamasi Washington’s The Epic and Kendrick
Lamar’s universally adored To Pimp a Butterfly). With jazz
roots and experimental sensibilities, Thundercat’s crossgenre
blend is funky enough to fill the dancefloor and smart
enough to expand the mind. (GW)
Thundercat performs at the Imperial on June 18
TYCHO
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
An ambient music project led by San Francisco’s Scott
Harris, also known as IS050 in the visual art world. Tycho’s
music is characterized by warm, melodic tones and layered
samples, creating aural landscapes that exhibit both
melancholy and hope. His live show is known to effortlessly
mesh dancing, trippy visuals, and great vibes all together. You
won’t want to miss it. (GRE)
Tycho performs at the Malkin Bowl on June 17
WHITE LUNG
VANCOUVER, BC
Loud, vicious, and socially conscious, White Lung are one of
the most exciting punk bands operating right now. And they
are from right here, in Vancouver, BC! With each album, White
Lung has moved their sound in a progressive direction and
their newest record, Paradise, may be their most aggressive
and brash, while simultaneously being their most pop-y and
accessible yet. With a killer live show to boot, White Lung will
be the talk of the fest after their performance. (JE)
White Lung performs at the Malkin Bowl on June 17
SUUNS
MONTREAL, QC
Montreal electronic psych band SUUNS know how to
stay fresh. Which is ironic since their third album, Hold/
Still (released on Secretly Canadian, April 15), contains
previously unrecorded tracks they have been reworking
and playing live for up to eight years - almost as long
as the band, formed by vocalist/guitarist Ben Shemie
and guitarist/bassist Joseph Yarmush in 2007, has
been together. However, according to Shemie, SUUNS’
one pre-show ritual is writing out their set list. “It’s not
like we’re playing through this sequence that we get
used to,” Shemie says. Rather than a “choreographed”
performance, audiences are treated to a song progression
dependent on the moods and vibes leading up to the
show, likely determined backstage at the venue.
photo: Nick Helderman
Shemie admits that although he appreciates their social
aspect, the buffet-style of big festivals is less preferential
than club shows. The latter are more conducive to
SUUNS’ dark and intimate sound, which fluctuates
between the violent tension of fellow Canadians Crystal
Castles and the dronier trance-inducing tunes of the Black
Angels (they toured with both back in 2011). However,
SUUNS – including keyboardist/bassist Max Henry
and drummer Liam O’Neill – won’t compromise when
they play the Rickshaw on June 17 as part of Levitation
Vancouver’s night show series. Fans may even be privy
to still unreleased songs, if the band feels inspired to dip
into what Shemie calls their “reservoir of tunes.” (TS)
Sunns perform at the Rickshaw on June 17
THE GROWLERS
DANA POINT, CA
The Growlers are a vintage psychedelic/surf rock
sounding band from Pasadena California. If you ask lead
singer Brooks Nielsen about their sound, he’ll respond
with a flippant “I’m surprised we even made it out of
the garage.” They retain the sound of a garage band
that was called to greater things through the sheer
catchiness of every one of their songs. Their tunes have
an immediately recognizable signature sound with
low-fi instrumentals and poignantly modern lyrics.
Their personas are as fun as their sounds, as they
completely embody the laid back Cali surfer dudes
you would see in movies. Their laid back lifestyle is
directly responsible for their enjoyable sound. “I think
we’ll always stick with a lo-fi sound as none of us
possess a lot of musicianship,” Nielsen claims with
cheeky modesty. As for what they are bringing to
Levitation Vancouver, Nielsen says, “Well we’re actually
rehearsing lots which is a first for The Growlers, also
what can we get away with getting across the border?
We made some set pieces and have other… things.”
You should check them out at Levitation if you are
in the mood for a new favourite band. The Growlers
can hook immediately. Don’t believe us? Spotify the
Chinese Fountain album and join in on the edge-ofseat
waiting for their new album on the horizon. (VB)
The Growlers perform at the Malkin Bowl on June 18
June 2016 MUSIC
11

LATE SPRING
art, rock, and transformation
Do you ever wish a season could last
forever? Late Spring have just released
their second album, Invisible,
and it conjures all the melancholia of those
fleeting and beautiful days we want to hold
onto. And although it’s been the album that
best captures the band so far, their eternal
KC Wei has put everything she has into Late Spring’s sophomore album, Invisible.
creative spirit will surely see them change
with the season before long. It’s a swirly
and cinematic dream-pop affair, paired
with shoegaze guitars like “electric static
before the storm.” The Vancouver-based
band is fronted by KC Wei, an inspired
artist of many mediums with a penchant
photo: Lauren Ray
for rock ‘n’ roll, film (Late Spring takes its
name from her favorite Japanese film),
curating shows and, what she refers to
as, the “popular esoteric.” Although faced
with overhauling the rhythm section before
their album release this month, the band
chose not to slow down, but grow instead.
“This record is my baby. Everything I
am goes into it. It’s the thing I’m supposed
to do right now,” Wei states with a smile
and all the zeal in her eyes of an inventor
on the cusp of a destined breakthrough.
On the “thunderstorm” guitar is Nik Gauer,
who is a brilliant foil and arranger to Wei’s
initial song ideas. Gauer and Wei formed
the band back in art school when they
realized the “need for music in [their] lives”
after years of studying contemporary
art. Their chance meeting in this creative
climate is reflected in the music; the term
“art rock” is apt, given the detached cool
this band surely masters. You can picture
Andy Warhol having a blast projecting his
films atop of them.
The wall of guitars on Invisible are
often both towering and sweeping, yet at
the same time, clamorous and thoughtful.
Standout tracks such as the garage rock
tinged “Loser” and “Tough” begin with
a psychedelic serenity, though with the
burgeoning rumble of the band, it’s pure
by Eric Campbell
vertigo by the end. Plaintive lyrics repeat
until they become catastrophic ruminations
of daily life. “I got better things to do,” Wei
shrieks in one such vocal explosion. And
you’d be scared to death to argue with her.
Perhaps most confounding of all though
is the track “Sweet Thing.” Just when you
expect the guitars to surge into total 1980s
shoegaze outer space, it gently turns out
the light in the room. The sudden sense of
detachment juxtaposes the initial reassurance
of the gorgeous lullaby lyrics, “It happened
before and it can happen again.” A
potential theme that nothing is as simple as
it first appears comes to stunning fruition
throughout the ten songs.
This summer will be a fun one for Late
Spring, filled with festival shows (Music
Waste, Khatsahlano, Sled Island) and new
music to be recorded with producer Jesse
Gander. Wei’s closing remarks on the band
were focused on what they hope to convey
as artists: “Ya know, the fleeting beauty of
experience and life, but subtly through the
rock ‘n’ roll vernacular.”
Late Spring is fully panoramic on Invisible
and it deserves and demands all of
your attention.
Late Spring perform at Red Gate on June 3.
Invisible is out now on Agony Klub Records.
12 MUSIC
June 2016

HAVE A GOOD LAUGH FEST
a weekend of unwholesome fun
This June, punk will be descending upon
Vancouver. Expect a ton of studded
black leather, charged hair, doc martins,
bad attitudes, and most importantly, face
melting music. It will be Have a Good Laugh
Fest’s debut year and the ambitious four day
affair is stacked against you! So tighten your
bullet belts and patch your jackets punks, this
party may kill you.
The masterminds behind the fest are Cordie,
Jesse, and Eubey. The three are the founders
of Thought Decay, which along with putting on
Have a Good Laugh also releases records and
tapes, promote gigs, documents punk shows,
screen prints, and makes bad-ass studded gear.
Walking into their East Van home/headquarters
feels like walking into a punk rock factory; their
coffee table is covered in leather and studs
and Cordie is working on the construction of a
bootstrap.
“We had the Thought Decay idea by September,
we started planning the fest last June.
Thought Decay came about because we wanted
to make a bunch of punk shit, like we are
doing, as you can see,” says Cordie, gesturing
to the stud laden table.
“I think we were just talking shit about punk
in Vancouver,” laughs Jesse about the birth of
Thought Decay.
“I think we were just talking shit about
everything, basically. And so we decided to
start Thought Decay, we were all doing the fest
together anyway,” adds Cordie.
The fest is ambitious. Disorder as well as
Screaming Dead will be coming from the UK
and Paranoid is hailing from Sweden. A slew
of bands will be coming up from the states
including Narcoleptics from New York, Isotope
from California, Vacant Life from Seattle, and
Total Abuse from Texas to name a few. Tons of
local and BC bands, including Mass Grave, Six
Brew Bantha, Spectres, Oaf, AHNA, and Weed
will be playing with other bands coming from
across the country: Sex Face from Quebec,
Absolut from Ontario, Genex and Skeleton from
by Alex Molten
Manitoba, and Desgraciados from Alberta.
Despite the fest’s name, these guys aren’t
kidding around. For its first year they are
hitting the ground running. It is being held in six
locations and five venues with multiple shows
a day. Punks from as far as Mexico have been
buying tickets for the fest.
“This is our first year, the first year any of us
have put on a fest. We’ll see if it’s too much or
not. It don’t really think there is too much, but
I can see how your body might disagree with
your mind. We will definitely want more and
bigger headliners next year,” says Cordie about
Though Decay’s future ambitions.
“My personal hope is that by doing this fest
we will attract interest not only to the label but
[to the city so] other bands [will want] to come
here, whether through us or not. I guess what I
am trying to say is that I want punk to happen,
and I want local people too to be inspired to be
like ‘Oh maybe I’ll put on a fest, or put on gigs,
or start a band’. Whatever the fuck you want
to do! Just make punk happen. Perpetuate it.
That’s the main goal behind everything I do,”
says Cordie.
Have A Good Laugh Fest will be running from
June 9 to 12 at multiple venues. Thought
Decay came be found at thoughtdecay.com
ROCKET FROM RUSSIA
the most unconventional anniversary is the most appropriate
Disregarding convention has always been
a part of the punk rock attitude and
CITR’s Rocket from Russia radio host,
Tim Bogdachev, has decided to ignore tradition
when it come to celebrating the show’s
anniversary. Bogdachev, who is also known
as Russian Tim, decided that instead of celebrating
at a logical time, for example when he
started the show, he would be perverse about
the dates. Something a little like Christmas in
July.
“Technically the anniversary, I started doing
radio in January, Rocket from Russia came
on air in October, but last June from a band
from Fat Wreck Chords [who] are from San
Francisco and they messaged me and they
said ‘Hey we’re coming over to play a show,
can you help us set up a show?’. ‘Sure!’ So I
messaged a couple friends about shows and
booked the Cobalt and found some bands to
play but then the local promoter said ‘Hey
they’ve never played in Vancouver. How bout
we do an event out of it, not just a regular
show.’ ‘Yeah! Let’s do Rocket from Russia
anniversary!’ So this is the furthest possible
month from January and I like it,” laughs
Bogdachev.
Bogdachev started radio with CITR in
2006 when CITR radio-show host and friend
Marielle Kho invited him to be a guest co-host
her punk show We All Fall Down. It is safe to
say that it went well because a few weeks
later she invited him back to the show and
ultimately brought him on as a full-fledged cohost.
When she left to go to school, Bogdachev
took over the show. When faced with a change
for We All Fall Down’s time slot, he decided to
start fresh with a new show of his own.
“I like doing shows. I like organizing shows,
and I don’t do it for money because you make
a little bit but it’s obviously not the [main
reason], it’s usually spent that night on beers
for the band and stuff,” says Bogdachev about
his motivations for putting on his anniversary
show, “[Is it for] the fame aspect, promoting
Rockets from Russia? Not really. I do this
every week. That gives me enough promotion
for myself. The reason why I do it, I want
people to come out and check out five local
bands I really think are great and have a great
time. Have a listen to local music, hang out
with friends, have a good night and then wake
up the next morning, maybe even in somebody
else’s bed, maybe hung over, who knows, but
go ‘That was a good night!’ It doesn’t have to
be the best night of their life but it has to be a
good quality Saturday.”
Russian Tim is actually Russian. He moved
to Vancouver in 2006. Rocket From Russia
dedicates a bunch of the show to playing local
bands, new and old, small or large.
“I love it! It’s amazing. I am amazed,” says
Bogdachev about his new city’s punk scene,
“Sometimes I think is it because I moved from
Siberia where we didn’t really have a scene
and we had to create it ourselves, or maybe
because Vancouver really does have a strong
scene. I don’t have the answers because I
never lived in another Canadian city or North
American city, but at the same time I think it’s
unbelievable that there’s so many local scenes
and there’s so many great bands I can think
of!”
His enthusiasm for the local music scene
and for punk is loud and clear on the airwaves,
as well as in real life. He loves the
bands he plays, the people who listen to his
show, the musicians he interviews, and Rocket
to Russia itself. During his May 17 show he
interviewed Alicia from SBDC live on the radio
and premiered a new semi-regular feature
called “Punks Are Real People Too” where
he rapid fire questions on a wide variety of
subjects with hilarious results. The episode
is seriously worth checking out! And when
you go to the (sort of) ten year anniversary
show, make sure to say ‘Hello, hello, hello!” to
Russian Tim.
The Rocket From Russia Anniversary show
happens at the Media Club on June 25
and features The Greatest Sons, You Big
Idiot, Ellesmere, The Corps, Dried Out.
by Alex Molten
photo: Sara Baar
June 2016 THE SKINNY
13

ASTRAKHAN
finding purpose in the power of process
by Devon Motz
photo: Amy Ray
Somebody, somewhere, at some point
in time, probably said something
about stopping to smell the roses. The
boys in Vancouver metal outfit Astrakhan
couldn’t agree more. Sitting in a sunny
neighbourhood park, Dustan Toth (bass and
vocals) and Rob Zawistowski (guitar and
vocals) offered some insight into the themes
surrounding their upcoming offering, such
as Toth’s deep-rooted fear of computers
and what he so poignantly describes as
“loneliness, despair, regret… you know,
metal stuff.”
The aptly titled Reward In Purpose may
be Astrakhan’s debut full length, but these
melody makers are by no means newcomers
to the metal scene. After releasing
numerous EPs with Rain City Recorders’
Jesse Gander (who has worked with a
number of notable acts including White
Lung, Japandroids, and The Pack A.D.),
and having spent several years battling it
out in the trenches of Vancouver’s underground
music scene, the band has carved
out their own unique breed of heavy. With
towering riffs and trademark harmonies,
their preceding EP releases — The Pillarist
and A Tapestry of Scabs and Skin — are
both powerful examples of Astrakhan’s
ability to create chaotic and complex songs,
though Zawistowski feels they “Didn’t have
the same unity and cohesion” of the new
record. This is the first time the group have
had the chance to create a fully realized
body of work. Enter Reward In Purpose,
which feels and sounds like an accumulation
of years of work and sacrifices made.
The album shimmers and ripples under the
surface, effortlessly moving from swelling
ambience to distorted fury.
Drawing from the satisfaction they find
in process and the clarity that comes with
conviction, Reward In Purpose explores the
gauntlet of emotion that comes with realizing
what truly drives you. “We were going to
call it Purpose,” whispers Toth, after a brief
aside with Zawistowski, perhaps unsure
whether to divulge the dirt, “before Biebs
put out a record with the same name.” Who
wore it best?
Astrakhan will be bringing their own special
brand of metal across the Great White
North on a summer tour, kicking off with
their second appearance at Calgary’s Sled
Island Festival. Hopefully this time they can
beat their Vancouver brethren to the artist’s
lounge before the taps run dry.
Astrakhan perform at Art Signified’s
new venue Studio Vostok on June 10.
THE MOUNTAIN MAN
metal champs come out of the woodwork
“I
was in The Mountain Man before The
Mountain Man,” says guitarist Tyson
Tambellini when probed about musical
endeavors preceding the band that, seemingly
out of nowhere, tore onto the Vancouver metal
scene. “It was just me, Jordan [Orr] and Ryan
[McCreedy]. That was pre-Mountain Man.” Then
with the addition of Tevyn Pacey (bass), and
later Parker Lane (vocals), The Mountain Man
arrived at their current lineup. The very same
one that kicked ass and took names at the BC
edition of the Wacken Metal Battle, a battle of
the bands in which they secured a chance to
compete at a national level on June 11 in Toronto;
the grand prize being a slot at Germany’s world
renowned Wacken Open Air, one of the biggest
metal festivals in the world.
The Mountain Man has done an exceptional
job creating and maintaining their aesthetic,
embracing their Vancouver surroundings and
portraying themselves as the good outdoorsy
BC boys that they are.
Their sound can be described as groove
metal, drawing inspiration from The Black Dahlia
Murder, Lamb of God, Crowbar, and Gojira, to
name a few. They credit their unique sound to
varying individual music tastes. “We write cool
music that doesn’t put us in some sort of niche
category,” says Tambellini. “We pull from doom,
death metal, a smattering of black metal, everything.
There’s something for everybody.”
Keeping in line with the Pacific Northwest
motif, The Bloodlust EP has distinct grunge
undertones.
The Mountain Man cut their teeth in the
metal scene, playing shows in their hometown
of Maple Ridge and in the Fraser Valley. While
they enjoy playing gigs out in the suburbs,
they admit there’s a lack of opportunity and
viable venues which can make it difficult to
expand a following. Lane explained that they
decided to do the Wacken Metal Battle simply
for the opportunity to play for an audience at
the Red Room.
This summer is going to be a busy one for
The Mountain Man. As BeatRoute spoke with
the band, Lane was booking flights to Toronto
for the final. Win or lose, whatever is in store for
The Mountain Man, it’s certain to be one hell of
a ride.
The Mountain Man release The Bloodlust EP
at the Astoria on June 18 and perform at
Armstrong Metal Festival July 15 to 16.
by Britt Hanly
photo: Shimon Photo
STUDIO VOSTOK
Art Signified launches into an official space
by Cait Lepla
photo: Asia Fairbanks
There’s a new show space in Vancouver
and it’s out of this world. At least
its namesake was at one point. Studio
Vostok, named after the Russian Vostok
spacecraft, the word refers to “a first
venture, first man in space, and also to be
out East,” co-founder Mitch Ray explains.
“Taya Fraser and I run a kind-of promotion
company, for lack of a better description,
called Art Signified, and we’ve been doing
that for just over 3 years.” Throughout
that time Ray and Fraser have helped to
facilitate approximately 300 shows. It’s one
small step for Vostok, and one giant leap
for Vankind.
“Our goal from the start was to have a
local venue,” Ray says. “If you want to do
cool things with the setup, you can’t get in
the night before, because there are other
events, and you’re also paying room fees.”
Taya expands, “This gives us so much more
flexibility. We get the staff in we want, the
sound staff, the bar staff… The best people
we think we know!”
They are still navigating the possibilities of
what could exist, both feasibly and legally, but are
hoping to eventually keep it open throughout the
week as a constant creative hub, including gallery
exhibitions, pop-up shops, band merch sales and
perhaps even creating their own small company
to better facilitate fuller business hours. “We’ve
already booked a bunch of art shows for the next
few months.” The first will be June 11, featuring
April Lee Rivera Johnson, a close friend and
talented artist who can also be seen and heard
on drumming in the tightly wound post-punk duo,
Passive.
There will be approximately two alcohol-serving
shows per month, and the first is an album
launch for Astrakhan on June 10.
“They’re a pretty established local metal band,
starting to get more of a reputation. I went to
high school with one of the guitarists; I’ve known
him over 15 years,” says Ray. Also on the bill is
Mendozza, from Victoria. “It’s actually the first
time we’ve done a show with them, which is
crazy.” They had broken up briefly but are now
starting to play shows again. Members in this
band collaborate with Art Signified on organizing
Burger Fest, this year at Waldorf and Vancouver
Psych Fest.
We sit in a spacious gutted room, with bags of
broken tile lining the walls, and large windows
looking out at street level. When asked what the
space was before, Taya jokes to Mitch, “human
trafficking?” Only a couple weeks prior, it had
been a fully functional dollar and hardware
store. In the grimy Chinatown basement, there
is evidence of an old restaurant. The main level
will be public, with a wall mural and signage by
April, and window panels showcasing the work of
approximately 12 different artists.
To quote Elon Musk, “It’s a fixer-upper of a
planet, but we can make it work.” And with the
launch of Studio Vostok, it shows great prospects
for otherworldly creative orbits of the friendly
Vancouverite population.
Studio Vostok is located at 246 Keefer.
14 THE SKINNY
June 2016

SUBCULTURE
notes from the underground
As a person who has no desire to
consort with hordes of people, I
will improvise with information
to write a column on BeatRoute’s desired
subject matter for this issue — music
festivals. I can barely remember the last
time I was at one because I am always
ball and chained to running local shows
on weekends with my job. I suppose the
last music festival I was at was Naughty
Camp II in the early 2000s. That was the
time LeBlanc, Dave May and I
rented an RV camper as travel
and sleeping quarters after
the cowpie tent fiasco the
year before and, well that’s a
whole other story. I’ll just say
this, if you rent an RV, don’t
let anyone use the fucking
bathroom in it to take a shit.
That had to be the worst
commute from Pemberton
back to the city ever. Between
the gruelling hangover after
two days and the putrid odour
emanating from the bathroom, vomit wasn’t
far from projecting.
From the ancient ashes of NorthWest
Metal Fest, there are some killer people
undertaking metal festivals these days
in B.C. and Alberta, which is stellar.
I remember making a meme last
year which demonstrated how clean
metalhead’s camping skills are compared
to mainstreamers. I think it is a really cool
element that metalheads are perceived by
society as heathens, when they actually
are more environmentally friendly than the
general public that attends the trendy pop
events.
In my eyes a music festival is one that
requires camping in the wilderness, not a
multi-venue city event. Here are some of the
standout metal music festivals this summer.
Armstrong Metal Fest VIII – Jesse from
Odinfist is one of the co-founders. 30+
bands. July 15 to 17, Armstrong B.C. Info –
armstrongmetalfest.ca.
Metallion Festival 3 – The boys from
Deveined are involved with this. 25+
bands. August 12 to 14, west of Prince
George, B.C. at Brookside. Free camping!
Search on Facebook.
Loud as Hell Metal Festival – 30+
bands. Aug 29 – Sept 1, Drumheller, AB. Info
by Wendy13
– loudashell.com
I get that festivals are the most bang
for your buck for seeing plenty of bands
but that only happens if everything isn’t
cross-booked to shit, especially in the city
style ‘Festival’ atmosphere. So without
further ado here are some city events for
Vancouver.
Covenant festival II – Cvlt as fuck. June
16 to 18. Hindenburg. Only the grimmest
shit and a killer headliner. Wear black or
be mocked with crossed
arms and death stares. No
apparent website so search
on Facebook.
If punk is your thing check
out ‘Have a Good Laugh’
that is being thrown by the
crustier folks in Vancity.
Various venues with lots
of roadpopping, studded
vests and obscure punk
patches. June 9 to 12. Info –
thoughtdecay.com
Music Waste 2016 – June
2 – 5. A far cry from the vision Brian
Salmi had back in the day. If you’re indie
and trendy enough, don your sweater vest
or mom jeans and have a peep through
your over-sized glasses. Various Vancity
venues. Info – musicwaste.ca.
Tacofest II. - 20 bands. Tacos. Lots of
rock. Swangard stadium. Sat July 16. Info
–apocalypsesunrise.com.
Burgerfest VI – 18 bands. Burgers.
Heavy. Sat Aug 13. Waldorf. Johnny has
stepped aside on this one so contact the
folks at Art Signified for more info or
search on Facebook.
Overused word of the decade – Festival.
Finally, a word on Facebook etiquette: I
wouldn’t think about posting my shows at
Funky’s to the Rickshaw’s Facebook page.
I don’t understand why newbie promoters
or band guys would do that to my pages.
So I’ll just continue to delete them. The
point of a venue having a page or group
is to advertise their shows. Sure, some
of those same bands have played here
before but advertise your show on the
appropriate venue’s page. I didn’t create
these designated spaces so you can laze
your way as a promoter.
As always, lots of shit to do here in
Vancity. Carry on.
June 2016 THE SKINNY
15

COCAINE MOUSTACHE
party band hits the road with a little white line fever
Remember that time when a group of
local, misfit, extreme, metal musicians
decided to form a funk rock band after
a five day party? No? Then let me introduce
you to Cocaine Moustache, whose memory is
also a little hazy of the incident. What started
out as a side project for said musicians, the
Stache has morphed into a sexy, booze-fuelled
rock ‘n’ roll beast of a band that has
taken on a life of its own. This summer they
will embark on a take-all-prisoners tour
across Canada. So hide your drugs, the key
to your liquor cabinet, and your sister. Or
better yet, bring them all to the show. Cocaine
Moustache is a band that is notorious
for holding nothing back. If there is a race
for the official good-time party band in this
country, the Stache are leaders among all.
“At one time we were pretty close to
changing the name for the reason that it
constantly slams doors shut into our faces,”
vocalist and lead instigator Willie Sniffsum
explains. “But it is also kind of who we are.
It’s not like drinking and using drugs all the
time is who we are. We lead normal lives as
well. The band is good time energy. It’s not
about going on a binge and spending your
rent cheque on blow. It’s all about having a
good time. That is what we are going for.”
Joining Sniffsum on this hell-bent forever
mission is bassist Vinnie Railtrail, dual
guitar slingers Bill Rollins and Schnick Von
Schlutzzz, as well as drummer Johnny Rocket.
All come from what is mostly an extreme
metal based background. The Stache is a
complete one-eighty from that.
“It was a little difficult at first, until we
really leaned into it. We wanted to play the
blues but make it heavy. We listened to a
couple of Buddy Guy songs, went back into
the room and wrote our first song. It was
very thick and blues oriented,” Sniffsum
describes of the first jam session.
Heavy blues, laid down funk-stoner
grooves, and southern hospitality come together
in a genuine metal tinged way. It gets
the booty shaking with sing along choruses
about the good times gone by and the good
times about to come during and after every
single show they perform.
“We can fit into a lot of different genres.
We’ve played shows with death metal bands
with the guys at the back with folded arms.
Then by halfway through our set they are up
there dancing,” says Sniffsum, “Or at least
their girlfriends are!”
“We are a really high energy band. There
is a lot of dancing,” Railtrail interjects. “The
crowd gets right into it, singing and clapping
to all the parts.”
“It’s a fun show. You are not going to be
sitting around all grumpy. You’re supposed to
be up front having a good time and that is the
energy we try to bring,” sums up Sniffsum.
This will be the band’s first time going
right across the country. They have not been
further than Winnipeg before, so they are excited
to bring their gratifying atmosphere out
east. They will be playing some new songs
and all the classics from their 2010 raunchfest
record On The Mirror. In celebration of
this tour they will also be releasing a new
song, “Liquor Soaked Soul,” from their new
and yet-to-be titled upcoming album. So this
is your chance Canada. Summertime is for
the party and Cocaine Moustache will be
bringing it every single night.
“See you on the road. Bring your party
to the show. And I will say this,” Sniffsum
gleams. “Don’t ask us for any fucking coke.
You supply the blow. We don’t.”
There you have it. Get ready for a good
time Canada.
Cocaine Moustache perform July 1 at
Funky Winkerbeans with Process.
by Heath Fenton
16 THE SKINNY
June 2016

VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
A look back in time with co-founder Gary Cristall.
by Susanne Tabata
Presented by
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is in its
39th year. Success follows a format, but
for co-founder Gary Cristall, the earliest
festivals relied on gut instinct. In an homage
to the past, Cristall traces its roots, blending
politics, protest, and music.
“To some degree we didn’t know what we
were doing and to some degree we did,” says
Cristall, who co-founded the festival along with
Mitch Podolak.
The two drew on templates from their
predecessors, starting with the 1961 Mariposa
Festival in Orillia, ON, followed by Newport
Rhode Island Festival in 1969.
The two met in Toronto where Podolak was
running the now legendary 1960s, avant-garde
Bohemian Embassy Coffee Pot cafe. Both were
involved in far left politics; Vietnam had ended
May Day 1975. They were both fervently against
imperialist intervention in Central America.
Cristall had even studied Latin American
Courtesy of Vancouver Folk Music Festival
history at SFU and lived in Chili in 1972-73. His
secular Jewish background was tied to his love
of culture. His parents were communists and
the last generation to believe in the October
Revolution. This suited the times, the music,
and the Folk Festival.
Cristall credits Mitch Podolak for first doing
the Winnipeg Folk Festival, along with Colin
Gorrie. “He wanted to do one in Vancouver
and approached me. ‘I’ll book it and you run it.’
I thought he was bullshitting me. The easiest
way to deal with it was to say ‘sure.’ I was just
finishing a bachelor of arts and getting ready to
go to graduate school in Latin American history.
Mitch tracked me down at Stanford University
and said, ‘ok we’re on.’”
Ernie Fladdell was the social planner at the
City of Vancouver and had run the Habitat Festival
in 1977, which was a huge success.
“He meets with Mitch and Colin and buys the
idea of doing a children’s fest and Folk Fest.
The office was at the front of City Hall. There
we were. Today it would be impossible to do
what we did. Young kids running a couple of
festivals in City Hall. We went ahead with it. We
took a lot of things Mitch had taken from Mariposa
and invented a few of our own.”
The first year was held in Stanley Park. “Every
time we wanted to drive a tent peg we had
three engineers telling us that we were either
going to destroy the drainage tile for the cricket
club or blow up the gas line in the harbor.
The weather was terrible. After six hours of
rain they stood up and gave a standing ovation
to the artists on stage. We were on to something.
People were willing to pay good money
to sit in mud and listen to this music. And we
thought this was good and we got good reviews.
So we did it again and the first thing we
did was move the SOB to Jericho.”
Cristall continues, “We did 10K in the first
year and 16K in the second. The sun shone
the second year. The Sandinistas [Nicaraguan
Revolution] took power the weekend of
the second festival, July 19, 1979. While I was
running a festival I was also glued to the radio.
We presented many groups from Nicaragua, El
Salvador, Honduras, and other Latin American
artists.
“At that point we lost all of Ernie’s money and
he said ‘you guys have got to go independent.’
And Mitch went on to do other things. Ernie
said if you want it, it’s yours and if you don’t
that will be it. Then he went on to do the kids
fest and I ended up with the baby.
“I went out and traded some programming
for a little office at the Carnegie Centre. The
Chieftains – the Irish group – we had done a
show and their manager asked if we could do
the Western North American tour: ‘If you can
guarantee us 5K [sic] per night, you can take
the rest,’” Cristall recalls being told. “We made
a lot of money and were able to hire staff and
do the third fest. The first day it rained and I
thought that’s the end of this. The second day
was sunny and we sold so many tickets that
we had to turn people away at the gates. That’s
kind of how it began.”
Folk Music is a bit of an umbrella. On the
one hand real folk music can be described as
rural pre-literate music from a non-capitalist
society, passed on through the generations. On
the other hand, it can be contemporary songs
written outside of the music industry. This can
mean a lot of things.
“When I took over, Utah Philips — a great
American labor organizer, poet, and musician
— said two things to me: ‘Remember you stand
between the workers and their bread, [and]
never give the audience what it wants; give
them what you think they need.’ And that was
my programming. I was having fun. I was the
obnoxious asshole at the party who was playing
their records. There was a small group of
people internationally who knew each other and
were passionate about the music and we knew
each other. That’s also how it was booked.”
Cristall explains.
“My attitude used to be (and I think this is
true of any artistic director), ‘If you don’t like it,
go somewhere else.’ And if you like it, I get to
do it again. And I went on to do it for 15 years
and then I did other things.”
The Vancouver Folk Music
Festival runs July 15 to 17.
Courtesy of Vancouver Folk Music Festival
2nd Festival at Jericho Beach with Pied Pumpkin
Shari Ulrich, Rick Scott, Joe Mock
Hortensia Allende Widow of Salvador
Allende, right Gary Cristall
photo: Sharon Tamaro
June 2016 THE SKINNY
17

It’s been a rough year for our poor little Canadian
dollar. The ways of the world have been at work
crushing our funny colorful money into absolute
oblivion. Gone are the days of quick trips to Seattle
for cheap groceries, nowadays it seems as though a
dollar will only get you as far as fifty cents. Are small
businesses suffering? Sure. Did you have to cancel
that Spring Break trip to Austin? Probably. Is America
buying our country for half price? Well I guess
you could say that. But the greatest concern on the
minds of our nation’s policymakers and economists
is this: what will happen to the music festivals?! The
Live Nation behemoth Squamish Valley Music Festival
shut its doors, Pemberton has Pearl Jam headlining,
our worst fears are realized as BC’s commercial
music industry clamours to pull together an unmanicured
patch of dirt on which you can feign enjoyment
to a chorus of Pitchfork approved acts. But don’t let
yourself be paralyzed by the fear you’ll have to go an
entire summer without wearing branded sunglasses,
our summer festival guide is here to remind you that
BC is home to more than two festivals — we actually
have quite a few. Below are the granola gatherings,
hometown hoedowns, and multi-day raves you can
turn to now that our monopoly money has prevented
us from reeling in Kanye, LCD Soundsystem, or
Radiohead. Please wear sunscreen, please test your
drugs for fentanyl, please don’t sleep with your best
friend’s ex, try to behave, we love you, be safe, don’t
forget to brush your teeth. (Maya-Roisin Slater)
MUSIC WASTE
June 2 – 5 in Vancouver, BC
Seeking shelter from the annual barrage of
extravagant, bro-centric festivals sponsored by
purveyors of cars and cell phones? Perplexed
by the continued insistence that Muse are an
enjoyable headliner? Existing as the proud
antithesis of that, Vancouver’s Music Waste,
now in it’s 22nd year, is a DIY-focused Music,
Art, and Comedy festival boasting over 70
BC artists across 14 venues, primarily in East
Van. The lineup includes a plethora of beloved
locals such as Dada Plan, Jay Arner, and The
Courtneys/Peace side project Gum Country.
Slide over to your preferred record store to grab
a $15 festival pass and dive in. (Willem Thomas)
PRETTY GOOD NOT
BAD FESTIVAL
June 17 – 19 in Victoria, BC
Pretty Good Not Bad has crept into the Victoria,
BC, summer festival scene with a humble and
simple artistic allure that has the full package
experience of truly experimental musical
endeavours. Peachy fresh and at it with vigor the
organizers have personally curated and provided
platforms for artists from different mediums
to exhibit their works, as well as an immersive
atmosphere for attendees to lose themselves in
during the weekend of June 17 to 19. Music
and sound art, contemporary dance, video and
visual, and interactive multimedia are all on
the menu for this one. Some must see acts have
to be Friday night’s Laurel Halo, a Michigan
artist finding balance and atmosphere through
her experimentation with electronic music,
and Sunday’s Jean-Michel Blais, a Montreal
pianist whose fingers run feverishly through
the keys with tranquil, flawless delicacy.
With a mandate to “Reimagine our urban environment
as activated creative terrain, reframe our
collective concept of ‘a performance’ and lastly
stimulate and nurture our community’s appetite
for ‘the other,’” there isn’t much else festivalgoers
could ask for from Pretty Good Not Bad.
Didn’t snag a ticket? Don’t fret just yet, free
programming (along with all ages) will be
available each day of the festival. (Jamie Goyman)
VICTORIA SKA AND
REGGAE FESTIVAL
June 22 – 26 in Ship Point (Inner Harbour)
Now in its 17th year, the Victoria Ska and
Reggae Festival is a culturally rich part of the
musical fabric on Vancouver Island. The festival
fires up to full throttle on Wednesday, June 22
with pioneering Jamaican ska and reggae group
Toots and the Maytals headlining the main stage
at Ship Point in the Inner Harbour. The heat
will continue to build over five days, giving an
extra day to savour the spice of an increasingly
diverse range of free and ticketed offerings.
Formerly known as Ska Fest, the festival
now includes reggae in the title to increase
its reach. Founder and artistic director Dane
Roberts is educating and nurturing a strong
scene of Jamaican-rooted music enthusiasts.
This year’s offerings include international acts
such as the Black Seeds, Orquestra Brasileira de
Musica Jamaicana (OBMJ), Entangados, DubFx,
Mikey Dangerous, and Skarate Kid. The bill will
be rounded out by local favourites including,
The Party on High Street, The Leg-up Program,
Tequila Mocking Bird, and Marafani World Beat.
The festival also includes multimedia art
installations by the Rocksteady Collective,
burlesque dancing, and interactive workshops.
Since its humble beginnings as a one day event
featuring mostly local acts, Ska Fest has grown
up yet remains true to its roots in terms of both
music and community. “It’s not just about what’s
hot lately,” Roberts says. The success of the festival
is measured by the growing community of international
musicians and music lovers that come
together every year. “We create a strong independent
scene,” Roberts says. “People like the energy
behind it because it has soul.” (Trina McDonald)
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL
JAZZ FESTIVAL
June 24 – July 3 in Vancouver, BC
Once more our city comes alive to swing, bop,
and rock to the eclectic sounds of world-renowned
artists and rising local ensembles
for ten days in parks, cathedrals, and concert
halls across the Lower Mainland. This year’s
line-up is offering a mind-boggling mix of
gospel, blues, hip-hop, funk, and pop under
the all-encompassing umbrella of jazz music,
and will be sure to give even the most-seasoned
of festival attendees reason to not miss
a single minute of the action. Highlights
include former Fugees member Ms. Lauryn
Hill, British pop royalty Joe Jackson, masked
surf-instro guitar slingers Los Straitjackets,
Swedish noise group The Thing, and local
legends The Dan Brubeck Quartet. What’s
more, while some of the more high-profile
acts will set you back a pretty penny, there are
more than enough free events to choose from
for the more thrifty thrill-seekers among us
and who knows, you may just discover your
new favourite band in the process. (Bryce Dunn)
SHAKE! FEST 3
June 30 – July 2 in Victoria, BC
Third time’s the charm for this fledging garage/
punk/psych music meet-up in the Garden City.
Victoria has been steadily planting the seeds of
its music scene under our noses for some time
and the time is now for them to reap what they
have sown. When local synth punk vets Timing
X, mind-melters Psychosomatic Itch, and rock
‘n’ punk pros Durban Poison join forces with
Calgary power pop professionals The Mandates,
Van City’s baseball-loving bruisers The Isotopes,
and Sackville Nova Scotia’s party garbage
punks Astral Gunk, you’ve got no excuse not to
hop on the next ferry and get down to the bad
sounds these kids have to offer. (Bryce Dunn)
TALL TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL
June 30 – July 3 in Browns Mountain
(Port Renfrew, BC)
If you’ve ever wanted to get lost in nature
and experience a truly amazing event, Tall
Tree Music Festival is your jam. Three days
and nights of West Coast vibes set on top of
Browns Mountain in Port Renfrew BC, this
marks the festival’s seventh year. Tall Tree has
become a nationally acclaimed event, boasting
an incredible lineup on four stages with
weird and wonderful activities and world-class
camping. This year’s lineup includes a wide
array of indie acts like Mother Mother, Current
Swell, and The Dudes, plus electronic acts
like Mat The Alien, Smalltown DJS, Neighbor,
Woodhead, and more. Tickets have sold
out every year but can still be purchased if
you hurry from their website. (Emmalee Brunt)
FVDED IN THE PARK
July 3 – 4 in Holland Park (Surrey, BC)
As the ever-wise American electronic artist
Zhu’s 2014 hit once refrained, “Baby, I’m faded!”
In this context, hopefully you’ll be faded
too in Surrey’s Holland park, due to a serious
case of musical goodness. For the second
year in a row Blueprint Events is bringing its
electronic and hip-hop music festival, FVDED
In the Park, back to the lower mainland. Taking
place in early July, expect three stages packed
with 38 stellar electronic, hip-hop, and R&B
acts. Headlining this summer are Jack U, Zedd,
Bryson Tiller, Travis Scott, and Kaytranada.
The festival will also include food trucks, art
installations, and all-round first rate amenities.
The big international names will be sharing
18
June May 2016

the stage with exciting local acts such as Ekali
and Tommy Genesis. For Vancouver locals, a
hefty perk is the ability to return home after a
long day of dancing and prancing. With easy
skytrain accessibility, FVDED omits the horror
of falling asleep in a filthy dirt pile to a chorus
of thousands of strangers manically grinding
their teeth. If soaring real estate prices haven’t
forced you out of the city already, squish you
and your friends in a Car2Go and push that
tush to Surrey. Equal parts Supreme snapbacks
and fuzzy rave boots, FVDED in the
Park is a party for everyone. (Prachi Kamble)
BASSCOAST
July 8 – 11 in Merritt, BC
Although it’s still a relatively modest festival
(around 3,000 people), Basscoast has solidified
its status as a staple of the electronic
music scene over the past eight years. Held
in the Nicola Valley near Merritt, BC, the
festival hosts more than 100 artists, providing
both an opportunity for BC’s electronic
music aficionados to see their favorite artists
as well as a platform for up-and-coming acts to
reach an avid audience. This year’s extensive
lineup features Avalon Emerson, Todd Edwards,
Ivy Lab, Scratch DVA, KAhn Humans,
Greazus, Max Ulis, and much, much more.
Affording a more intimate experience than
its larger cohorts like Shambhala, Basscoast
features three stages replete with audio-visual
design by PK Sound, as well as workshops
and dozens of art installations. As an added
luxury, the event is situated on the banks of
the Nicola River, where festival-goers can
swim, bathe and even float down to a smaller
fourth stage. Anyone who’s been to a multiday
summer music festival for a few days will
attest that the benefits of this natural amenity
cannot be overstated. (Galen Robinson-Exo)
KHATSAHLANO
July 9 in Vancouver, BC
Combining the key elements of a block party, a
music festival, and a riot, Kitsilano’s Khatsahlano
(the non-anglicized name of Chief August
Jack Khatsahlano, whom the Vancouver neighbourhood
is named after) is a frenetic annual
street party that stretches ten blocks through the
main commercial section of West 4th Avenue.
Attendees of the free event can expect dozens of
bands, numerous art installations, hundreds of
MOTION NOTION
merchants and vendors, an overwhelming food
truck selection, and plenty of family-oriented
activities. Over 100,000 people find their way
to Khatsahlano each year, so leave the vehicle
at home (parking is sparse in the area), wear
supportive footwear, and psyche yourself up
for the inevitable farmer’s tan. (Willem Thomas)
VANCOUVER FOLK
MUSIC FESTIVAL
July 15 – 17 in Jericho Beach
Consistently one of the best utilizations of
what the city has to offer, the Vancouver Folk
Music Festival rolls out at Jericho Beach Park
to show the bounty of international artists what
a stellar stage we have in our own backyard.
This year the fest hosts local folk and indie
heroes like Bruce Cockburn and The New
Pornographers as well as international not-tobe-missed
acts like Melbourne’s mind bogglingly
charismatic Henry Wagons. Always a
well curated representation of folk and roots
music for a diverse audience, this year the fest
expands on its community based approach
by offering access to refugees who now call
Canada home with the Open Arms Initiative.
These special guests will get transport and
access to the fest as well as food and souvenirs
as a unique and inclusive welcome to their new
home. The VFMF continues to be a place for
everyone to be themselves and gather together
to celebrate genres of music that have always
revered exploration and truth. (Jennie Orton)
MOTION NOTION
July 21 to 25 in Beaverton Lodge (Golden, BC)
Festival season is looking better than ever
for electronic music this summer and Motion
Notion’s 2016 lineup is stacked with
a diverse roster of beat masters and groove
aficionados, all making the pilgrimage to
Beaverton Lodge near Golden, BC for another
successful romp in the Rockies.
MoNo is offering a multi-day boutique festival
experience and this year’s lineup is rounded
out by acts like Sander Klienenberg, Danny
Byrd, Krafty Kuts, Bear Grillz, Longwalkshortdock,
Coming Soon!!! and many more.
“We have some of the biggest changes and
additions we’ve ever done since moving to
BC,” says Festival Director Kevin Harper. “It
never ceases to amaze me how much creativity
Motion Notion brings together – it’s a
place with a lot of heart and soul, and I love
seeing the human spirit come alive every July
out there. I can’t wait to go home again!”
From onsite camping to workshops, vendors
and even yoga classes, prepare to get
lost and then find yourself all in one weekend.
Motion Notion provides a unique and
safe experience for all. (Glenn Alderson)
HIATUS MUSIC FESTIVAL
July 29 in The Waldorf (Vancouver, BC)
You’re technically going to be working hard all
summer, right? So why not take a break from all
that freaky stress and escape to the tropical mayhem
that is Hiatus Music Festival. Hosted at the
legendary Waldorf Hotel, this one-day multiarts
festival is more like a big kid party than a
festival but there’s plenty of festivity to be had.
“Hiatus is about getting away after a lot of
hard work, a mid summer hiatus from life to
relax and enjoy a full day of fun,” says festival
co-founder Jon Campbell. “There’s going to be
amazing installations by artists we’ve commissioned.
There’s lots of great things to eat and
food trucks there too, and some really interesting
interactive experiences. All these aspects
just go hand-in-hand together at the festival.”
With headlining acts such as Brooklyn-based
Bit Funk, Vancouver’s Bear Mountain,
Youngblood, Frankie, and Dirty Radio, this
is one hiatus you’re going to want to add to
your summer calendar of fun. (Andy Adams)
ARTSWELLS
July 29 – August 1 in Wells, BC
For both performers and attendees, ArtsWells
is heralded as one of the richest experiences
of music, art, and community among BC’s
festivals. The historic town which consist of
only a few hundred people is transformed into a
bohemian rhapsody of thousands as the streets
overflow with people taking in the various
opportunities at every corner. Art workshops,
film screenings, live theatre and, historic site
tours compliment the music, which boasts
over 100 performances and over 12 stages. It
has earned a sacred reputation as a cherished
place for all who attend. Once there, come
prepared to get lost in its grasp, as if you have
stepped back in time or to a parallel artistic
universe, all of his is partially attributed to
having no cell reception. For even the most
phone addicted city folk, it is worth every
unplugged moment, guaranteed. (Heather Adamson)
SHAMBHALA
August 5 – 8 in Salmo River Ranch
(Nelson, BC)
For anyone who has felt the Shambhalove, this
is an essential festival experience. Over the years
since its inception, Shambhala has become the
foremost community underground electronic
music experience. Many who attend do so while
volunteering at one of the vendors or stages. There
are even volunteers whose job it is to talk you
down from bad trips. This is a place of mutual
understanding and swells of music. Don’t miss
teenage Edmontonian phenoms Tennyson, the
nine tentacled party monster that is Vancouver’s
Five Alarm Funk, or the unhinged spectacle that
is Los Angeles’s The Gaslamp Killer. (Jennie Orton)
PONDEROSA ARTS &
MUSIC FESTIVAL
August 19 – 21 in Rock Creek, BC
While last-year’s wildfires ravaged this southeastern
BC settlement forcing the fest’s cancellation,
organizers Kris Hargrave and Kia Zahrabi vow
this year’s event will be a win-win situation for
all involved. Boasting such top-notch talent as
Black Mountain, The Pack A.D. and Youngblood,
swimming & tubing in the town’s namesake
waterway, pancake breakfasts and helicopter
rides are just some of the attractions waiting for
concertgoers this summer. In addition, proceeds
from ticket sales go toward Habitat For Humanity
SouthEast BC’s rebuilding efforts in making
Rock Creek a formidable cultural force and
travel destination for the concertgoer who seeks
a more unique music experience. (Bryce Dunn)
RIFFLANDIA
September 15 – 18 in Victoria, BC
A multi-venue festival with more than 100 performances
that take place over the course of four days
and nights, Rifflandia transforms the entire city of
Victoria into a rollocking gathering of music and
art. Having released only two waves of artist announcements
for the 2016 run thus far, Rifflandia
is already looking exciting with hot ticket items
like Jurassic 5, Wolf Parade, and Charles Bradley.
Last year the festival cemented a collaboration
with Rock the Shores, and now wristbands can be
purchased to both as a $225 bundle. Attending the
festival is a great way to experience what Victoria
has to offer in the venue and nightlife
capacity, when smalltown chill-out
vibes and big name artists meet, that’s
where the magic happens. (Jennie Orton)
TALL TREE MUSIC FESTIVAL
May June 2016 19

July 30–31
2016
40 th Annual
Celebrating Japanese Canadian
arts & culture
Sat & Sun: 11:30 am – 7 pm
Oppenheimer Park and venues
www.powellstreetfestival.com
#powellstfest
Lynda Nakashima
20
June May 2016

BLACKALICIOUS
contributing to the continuum with tongue twisting antics
After more than two decades of rock
solid beats and legendary rhymes,
there’s still a lot of momentum behind
Blackalicous and the hip-hop group’s two
members, Gift of Gab and Chief Xcel. This
year marks the 17th anniversary of their
EP, A2G, which hosts tracks like the insane
lyrical head-spinner “Alphabet Aerobics”
(“Detonate a dime of dank daily doing dough/
Demonstrations, Don Dada on the down low”
– and that’s just for the letter D.) They’re
Over 20 years into their career and Blackalicious are still changing the game.
also continuing to tour and receive praise for
their latest studio album, last year’s release,
Imani Vol. 1.
Xcel says there’s a tie-in between touring
and creating new music. In fact, the Blackalicious
DJ explains that collecting records
from around the world has contributed to the
foundation of their sound. “Those things that
we discovered, those are things we constantly
learn from,” he says. “You get to the point
where you revisit things you may not have
listened to for 10 to 15 years and learn something
new from it. There’s also the piece of it in
terms of just the craft, and that is being able to
learn from those things by examining them and
then going in and musically taking it to another
level of going in a new direction.”
If you speak to anyone who’s familiar with
Blackalicious, they would likely describe the
duo as ‘classic.’ Classic because of their dope,
playful beats, but also because of the journey
Gift of Gab’s tongue-twisting lyricism takes you
on. Xcel believes lyricism is something that’s
never really gone away from rap. “We’re at
the point now where certain artists can push
popular culture, and push the pendulum. So the
pendulum shifts back in the direction of great
lyricists,” he says. “Each generation has to
have its own vanguard. It takes a generation of
having its own vanguard to push the intention
of the art form or certain aspects of the art
form back into whether you want to call it the
mainstream, or the limelight or back into the
forefront of people’s consciousness. I think the
current generation of people like Kendrick Lamar,
Ab-Soul and Jay Rock - who are all very
lyrical - they help do that. Because you have to
realize it’s all a continuum, and each generations’
goal is to contribute to the continuum.”
As for their own continuum, Xcel says
ELECTRONICS DEPT.
there’s a lot to look out for, including their next
album, Imani Vol. 2, and a world tour with
stops in the UK and eventually Africa. Being
able to tour and perform for audiences around
the world is something Xcel takes pride in. He
says there’s an everlasting importance of being
able to knock out a live show.
“I think that’s a vital part. That’s the second
dimension of what we do, being able to make
the music literally come alive. It comes alive
from interaction, and it’s an interactive experience.
Once you’re able to perform and execute
live what we executed in the studio, then its’ all
full circle at that point.”
The duo has most certainly come full circle,
and throughout the course of this journey
amassed twenty-plus years of hip hop fans,
including rad dads.
“We had a show in San Francisco and in the
front row, there was a nine and ten-year-old.
They were there with their father, who was
probably mid-thirties. So we literally see every
age demographic. I mean, you’ll see from the
youngest of the young to seniors; we’ll see
people in their sixties. It’s really a cool thing,”
Xcel says.
Blackalicious perform at Fortune
Sound Club on June 11.
by Katharine Sawchuk
case/lang/veirs is a one-of-a-kind event from three phenomenal, self-driven artists:
avant-rock icon Neko Case, legendary musical nomad k.d. lang,
and indie folk star Laura Veirs.
OWN IT 06.17
Bruce Cockburn • Oysterband • Oh Pep! • Lord Huron
The new pornographers • The Wainwright Sisters
M. Ward • Mexican Institute of Sound • San Fermin
Little Scream • Jolie Holland and Samantha Parton
Shane Koyczan and the Short story long • Yemen Blues
Birds of Chicago • Jojo Abot • Land of Talk • Lucy Ward
Martin and Eliza Carthy • Élage Diouf • Lisa O’Neill
Nahko and Medicine for the People • The Americans
The weather Station • Hubby Jenkins • Cian Nugent
CW Stoneking • Sarah Jane Scouten • Chris Pureka
Terra Lightfoot • Mandolin Orange • Mike edel
Faris Amine
Ten Strings and a Goat Skin + MORE
thefestival.bc.ca
60+ ARTISTS FROM 18 COUNTRIES ON 7 BEACHFRONT STAGES!
June 2016 ELECTRONICS DEPT.
21

CHAMBERS
electronic collaboration echoes new dialogue in rhythm and sound
by Jamie Goyman
The pairing of Vancouver electronic music
producers Michael Red and Gabriel
Saloman was unplanned, but sometimes
a friendship and collaboration hits hard and
sudden.
Their latest project, Chambers, can be
described as both unexpected and expressive.
Sigma Flare II (Debacle Records), the second
instalment of their two-part series, inspires
wild, lustrous musical landscapes while exploring
and reflecting their growth as individual
artists.
“Michael and I have been making music for
a long time and I think our voices are fully
present in the music. I don’t know how anyone
else could make this music or who would. It
is the two of us in conversation, not speaking
over each other, but speaking back and forth.
Speaking and listening,” says Saloman. “An
appreciation for rhythm and sound was a big
part of our interest in collaborating. I think that
touchstone is much more obvious on the tracks
that show up on Sigma Flare I. The songs on
the new album reflect a transition towards
really discovering our own sound and way of
playing together. We both have a lot of overlap
in terms of music that we listen to and love but
by the time 151 and AEBB were recorded we
were trying to build the world - those audible
landscapes - that was particular to Chambers.”
Artistically these two unyielding in their
creative endeavours, wherever they may lead,
and their albums have this significance about
them that is hard to really place your finger on.
The music of Chambers falls into an area of audible
space depicting landscapes rendered in a
catching body of work that not only transports,
but travels alongside you.
What makes Chambers one of the better
team-ups out there is their complete dedication
to the craft and the camaraderie Red and
Saloman share. “The best part is playing music,
especially live through a solid system. The
music feels like a world that I get to visit only
through this collaboration. I’ve never gotten
bored playing this music and never played a
show without wishing it could continue on for
hours. Besides the playing, it’s the learning experience
of working with an artist like Michael.
He’s a craftsman who’s put in way more than
his ‘10,000 hours’ and it shows. Playing with
him has changed my own music making as a
solo artist, not stylistically so much as in terms
of my knowledge of sound, frequency and the
rigours of the post-production process,” says
Saloman.
For Red, “Those magical moments when
we’re improvising and find that zone and just
ride and enjoy it. I’ve said it before, but I very
much enjoy our differences — both musically
and personally — and how we’re both experienced
and grounded enough to very willingly
jump in and explore where those meeting
points exists. I learn a ton from Gabriel, and I
love to learn.”
Within the Vancouver electronic music scene
Red and Saloman are known for their abilities,
both live and in the studio. This Chambers collaboration
has come to be one of those huzzah
moments for the duo on their creative paths as
artists. “Being creative is a physical and spiritual
need for me, not a want,” Red says. “I need
to express and interpret and discover in order
to stay, or go back to being sane and grounded.
I’m very naturally motivated to go places other
people haven’t gone before and try to break
new ground, and also to express the parts of
me that haven’t been expressed yet. Chambers
is definitely in that category,” Red says.
For more from Chambers, check
out chambers-dub.net
Michael Red and Gabriel Saloman joined forces for a unique electronic music collaboration.
photo: D. L. Frazer
22 ELECTRONICS DEPT.
June 2016

KAYLEE JOHNSTON
finding empowerment in pop music
Sitting in a quaint juice shop in
Vancouver’s Gastown, Kaylee
Johnston exudes radiance. Her
aura is buzzing and she has the energy
of an artist who is about to burst into the
pop music scene in a big way. She has
worked hard to put herself where she is
and is both poised and excited for what’s
to come.
On the cusp of the release of her
debut EP, Johnston is ready to share
her heart with the world. Her music has
evolved over the years to a place where
Johnston feels that audiences and fans
alike will relate, using narratives that are
both familiar and meaningful.
“This album was totally inspired from
a chapter of my life where I was going
through a lot of changes, the biggest being
heartbreak. What I hope people hear
in the music is that it’s not just about
that, it’s about everything I learned from
my experience,” Johnston says. “I have
been writing music for many years, and
what I have noticed is that the really
good musical ideas stick, they never
leave. These are the ideas that I know
come from some place other than my
mind or my thoughts.”
UNIIQU3
Jersey club kween reigns supreme
Johnston’s music ruminates from the
soul, and this is what fuels the infectious
energy of her music. Her new
single, “Getting over you,” is a punchy
empowerment jam that is rooted in experiencing
the magic that happens when
a break up turns into an opportunity.
The song is a carefully written message
wherein she shares her true self.
“My music comes from a deep place
within my soul. Writing and singing
about my experiences helps me heal,
and I hope that this translates for my
audience,” says Johnston.
Johnston will be celebrating her
album release party this month at the
Biltmore Cabaret. She observes the role
of her fans and audience as it gets near.
“I want to be vulnerable with my audience
and fans. I want to give them as
much as they give me,” she says.
Her authenticity towards her music
and her place as an artist is refreshing.
It’s clear that music is where she
belongs. We will be keeping a close eye
on her as she flourishes.
Kaylee Johnston performs at the
Biltmore Cabaret on June 4.
Kaylee Johnston embraces the ch-ch-ch-changes in her life.
by David Cutting
by Jamie Goyman
really shy, but when it comes to performing, I literally just
say ‘fuck it’ and go in.”
“I’m
One boss ass performer who has been hitting it hard with
her style and stamina has to be one of New Jersey’s own, UNIIQU3.
Known to family and friends as Cherise Gary, she has been on this
path since the beginning. “I’ve always been creative,” Gary says.
“Ever since I was a child, this is just a way for me to express myself
and get some of these nonstop thoughts and ideas out my head.”
Since her formative years she has continuously been honing her
craft and it shows. The energy in each track she spins or remixes
puts her hyped up, yet low swing touch on is lit, with a flawless ability
to transcend any song into a bass driven, body writhing experience.
The live sets that come out of UNIIQU3 don’t disappoint either. The
ear she possesses for a beat is undeniable and easily displayed in
her remix “Deep Down Low” with TR!CK$ and her take on Skepta’s
“That’s Not Me.” Then there’s the heavy hitter “Yo (I’m Lit)” that came
from her work with Saint, a track that possesses a beat that just can’t
be ignored. That isn’t all for this one though, don’t try and pigeonhole
her, she is determined now more than ever to lay vocals out consistently
and keep progressing as an artist. Working with producers
Flawless on “Drop It Low” and Brenmar with “Hoola Hoop” has not
only shown what she’s working with, but also fanned the already
growing flame for UNIIQU3 to delve further and explore what sort of
platform vocals can continue to add to her future recordings, keeping
things fresh as always.
Catching Jersey Kween Uniiqu3’s set is a sure fire to make your
body work in ways you either forgot existed or never knew about in
the first place. Coming off her European tour, the energy for Vancouver
will be just at the right level for her sets that are prone to putting
the room in a furor.
“Prepare to get wild, sweat, dance, yell, the vibes will be on point.
Expect the unexpected because sometimes I don’t even know what to
expect,” Gary says.
A selection that’s always on one as a DJ, production that doesn’t
miss, vocals that hit the good spots, plus she raps. Damn, with that
kind of packed arsenal of talent UNIIQU3 is set for continued success.
Cherise Gary AKA UNIIQU3 has been ripping it up in the club scene in a big way.
UNIIQU3 performs June 10 Fortune Sound Club.
June 2016 ELECTRONICS DEPT.
23

CITY
KATY HAIRY
bearded beauty
Written by David Cutting, Photo by Chase Hansen
Sitting in the audience, you are face-to-face with a giant pink donut.
The decor is colourful and EVERYTHING is covered in glitter. When
the lights come up and the music comes on, everything makes
sense — Katy Hairy wiggles her ass on stage, revealing that the glitter
came from her makeup. Holding the microphone in one hand and twirling
her hair in the other, she greets her audience. From her first giggle and
tongue-pop of the evening, you’re high on this queen’s sugary sweet
persona.
Katy Hairy’s name comes from a debaucherous afternoon on Wreck
Beach, where a game of “what’s your drag name” became way too
serious and resulted in a personality that has left a sweet mark on the
scene. Her type of drag bends the idea of what drag is, from her beard to
the songs she performs. “I have a beard as a boy, it is my signature look,”
she says. “I was very firm when I started drag that I wouldn’t sacrifice
Aaron for Katy, so, I chose to be a bearded queen. I am an eclectic queen.
I reject genres, I reject stereotypes, and I fuck with gender norms. If what
I do makes you ask why, then that is why.”
Katy, who quite possibly is the love child of Cyndi Lauper and George
Michael, hosts a show called Sweet and Sticky the last Sunday of every
month at Displace Hashery. Her performances are larger than life, she
draws her inspiration from big divas, always dawns some giant hair, and
wiggles and shakes her way through numbers, creating a full sensory experience.
Katy is always very engaging with her audience and makes everyone
feel welcome. At one notable performance, she handed out candy
canes and dumped a bag of glitter around the 1181 Lounge while dressed
like Santa Claus (if he were dressed as Mrs. Claus) all while lip-syncing
her way through Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.”
Drag is a place where Katy can play out her relationship with some
long standing fears. “I suffered from bad anxiety and stage fright,” she
reveals. “One of the reasons I started doing drag was because I wanted
to face that fear. Doing drag has brought a calm into my life. Katy’s confidence
has helped me even as a boy. Those fears no longer hold me back.”
Katy continues, “I do drag to make people ask questions, to challenge
their ideas of gender and sexuality, and to help people think outside of
their drag boxes.” There can be a stigma at times to adhere to a certain
standard of femininity in drag, but Katy, along with other bearded queens,
are proving this is not necessary. Drag is bigger than that and Katy
proves it with perfect wigs, wisely chosen costumes, and a well-groomed
beard. This queen is so sweet, she will give you a cavity.
Katy Hairy hosts the Sweet and Sticky Show the last
Sunday of every month at Displace Hashery.
24 CITY
June 2016

EASTSIDE FLEA
oddity marketplace gets a roof over its head
Behind the discreet door a few
feet down from the entrance to
the Ivanhoe pub is a three level
celebration of all things artisan and
weird. Eastside Flea is the three-year
labour of love. Previously operating
out of various locations from the
Biltmore Cabaret to the UBC campus,
they have now finally found a permanent
home in the Ellis Building at
1024 Main Street.
The Eastside Flea team, alongside
Ezra Kish and Morgan Ellis (owners
of the new building, as well as The
Cobalt) have renovated and developed
the cavernous 10,000 square
foot space into a multi-level showcase
for local artists and collectors
to peddle their wares. The result
is a vibrant and inclusive spot to
support local artists who are trying
to develop a business model in a very
competitive and expensive city.
“We have people who are running
businesses and we also have people
whose closets are too full and they
want to come and unload some of
their amazing pieces,” says organizer
Alberta Randall. “A lot of our vendors
found out about us by coming to the
market and getting stoked on it.”
As you enter, a labyrinth of around
55 booths and artists are at your
disposal. It is the perfect mix of
lovingly curated pieces, which run
the gamut from gently pretentious to
astoundingly well made. But this isn’t
a movement you could just chalk up
to being a hipster gathering for hipster
delights — this is a new wave of
commerce promoting recycling and
trade of goods, as well as the support
of the community.
Randall sees the recent embracing
of such a model, particularly by
young patrons and artists, as boding
well for a future of a local and sustainable
marketplace. A place where,
for example, you can pick up a second
generation Darth Vader figurine
(Owen’s Oddities), a book of F. Scott
Fitzgerald’s pre-Gatsby work (Massy
Books), a muskrat skull (Salamander
Salt Curio), a long-sleeved Fubar
t-shirt (Dead Union Vintage), and a
jar of Mexican-style pickled onions
within steps of each other, all for the
bargain admission price of $3 (or $5
for a weekend pass).
Yes, that was my exact experience
and, yes, I plan to start an Instagram
account involving the Vader and the
skull.
Eastside Flea will take place the third
weekend of every month for the rest
of the summer. The next market
is held on June 17 to 19 at the Ellis
Building, located at 1024 Main Street
by Jennie Orton
photo: Lindsay’s Diet
With 55+ vendors and a new space on Main St., Eastside Flea is not just for hipsters.
OUR WILD ABANDON
two friends wander the earth together in search of adventure
Join Jill Mann and Kyla Trethewey’s adventures.
In the spring of 2013, Jill Mann and Kyla
Trethewey ended their respective longterm
relationships and impulsively drove to
Salt Lake City to watch the sunrise. Before
that, they were merely polite acquaintances
because their boyfriends were best friends.
Over the 24-hour drive, they realised they’d
both been harbouring the same dream: “Leaving
forever.”
“We came home, started selling our shit,
bought a trailer, quit our jobs, and left a few
months later,” says Mann. And that’s how their
travel blog was born. At Our Wild Abandon,
you’ll find magnificent photography alongside
poetic narratives. Browse through the
treasure trove of their posts and you’ll find a
prison rodeo in Louisiana, colourful walls in
Nicaragua, and shots of foggy Montana. From
Arizona, to Britain, to Italy — the list is long
with no end in sight.
An art history major at Langara, Trethewey
worked in real estate. “I spent all my time
helping people rent out really expensive
homes while knowing I’d never be making
enough money to buy something for myself,”
she jokes. Vancouver’s unaffordability
nurtured her dreams of wanderlust. Mann
dropped out of Emily Carr wanting to be a
photographer, but wasn’t sure how to make
a living off of her whimsical tastes. She was
working at Budgies Burritos before embarking
on the adventure.
Mann, inspired by photographer Ryan Mc-
Ginley (“the king of capturing the kids-on-therun
thing”) snaps most of the photos while
Trethewey, who digs “anything that captures
eternal youth or constant motion,” pens the
words. But, they equally influence each other.
“Sometimes when I look through our photos,
I can’t remember which one of us took them,”
Mann says. “A lot of the writing stems from
conversations between the two of us about
our shared experiences, too.”
When picking their destination, the girls
by Prachi Kamble
admit to always chasing something, “Often
the weather (sometimes boys) and always our
friends,” says Trethewey. “We plan our route
by connecting the dots between familiar faces
and drive routes we’ve never been down. A
lot of the decisions we make are influenced by
the photos we want to take or [have] seen.”
What’s next? Last winter they got into
an accident that destroyed their trailer, but
they’re fixing up a new one that’ll take them
on a two-year stint around the U.S. When
asked for travel tips, the experts provided
four: talk to locals, drive instead of fly, Airbnb
or camp rather than hotel, and plan around a
concert.
“For as long as I can remember I’ve been
trying to find a way to keep moving,” Mann
says. “Staying still makes us unsettled. Kyla
and I were born running.”
Keep track of the adventure at
ourwildabandon.com
June 2016 CITY
25

JUKE
fried chicken and ribs done right
26 CITY
by Fraser Marshall-Glew
In a city that’s well known for its unsustainable living standards,
it’s often hard to justify going out to some of Vancouver’s leading
restaurants. Fine dining in fancy restaurants usually requires
more time and more money to experience. Now, a lot of us will
make time and spend money for the experience because, well let’s
face it, it is a pleasure. It’s worth the time spent out of the hustle
and bustle of our usual lives to enjoy all the elements of a good
meal. It’s worth the money spent to eat something made passionately,
that isn’t just designed for the convenience of a busy and
demanding life style. However, the fact of the matter still remains
that most Vancouverites, the financially stable and unstable alike,
are always on the look out for unique providers of sustainable and
delicious eating.
All-star frontmen Justin Tisdall (Chambar), Bryan Satterford
(Hawksworth), and Cord Jarvie (Meat and Bread) lead in the
growing number of restaurants dedicated to passionate and personal
dining experiences at an accessible level. Named Juke, as an
ode to the old juke joints of yesteryears (informal places of music,
dance, and general good times), this restaurant will focus on
supplying uncompromisingly delicious food in a more casual and
affordable manner. While fried chicken and racks of ribs will be
staples of the menu, chef Satterford made it clear that the kitchen
will be “Neither southern nor BBQ,” emphasizing the importance
of unrestricted creativity, fun, and locality over the limitations of
specific categorization. Full salads and lighter dishes will also help
define a well balanced and seasonal menu if, for whatever strange
reason, the words “fried chicken” don’t immediately excite you.
Furthering the theme of accessibility, Juke will have an outdoor
patio for those hot summer days and even a take-out area that
runs 11 a.m. to midnight so that you can enjoy your food to go.
Located in the culinary hot pocket that currently hosts Bao Bei,
Keefer Bar, and up-and-comer Juniper, Juke is looking to become
a distinctive pillar in an already buzzing food network. “We’re
really excited about the project we’re doing, the location we’re in,
and the team we’ve assembled,” Tisdall says, adding that Juke will
be a place that customers will want to come and hang out in. “Did I
mention that the fried chicken will be gluten-free?”
Juke is located at 182 Keefer Street.
BARD ON THE BEACH
putting a refreshing twist on the classics
THE GOOD SPIRIT
getting metaphysical at Gastown’s spiritual hot spot
I’m great at reading my own mind.
Still, it’s better to leave that sort of
thing to the professionals, which is how
I find myself in The Good Spirit examining
a shelf full of sage, bath salts, and at least
a dozen different tarot decks. Savannah
Olsen, the proprietor of the metaphysical
emporium, is explaining each of the items
to me.
Some rocks are purposefully placed
on the front counter. “It’s a crystal grid,”
she says. “Each crystal has an energy.
So when you align them, they create an
energetic vibration.” Olsen’s daughter,
June, is sharing her slice of apple with
most of the items in the store. She takes
one of the crystals and runs away. I hope
it doesn’t upset the energy field.
But whether or not the crystals are activated,
I am here with a purpose: to get a
reading done. I’ve never done this before
and I’m excited to finally have answers
from the universe. Olsen introduces me
to Lorri Clark, the main reader, and Clark
and I sit down at a table by the sunny,
Gastown window. Far from the tacky
fortune-teller in Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure,
this is spirituality for the modern
yuppie. I’m just glad there’s no crystal
balls around.
After some humming and hawing,
Clark guesses I have girl troubles,
shuffles her oversized tarot deck, and
deals three cards: ten of wands, king of
Shakespeare on a summer’s day
by the water. For theatre lovers,
could it get any better? Bard
on the Beach has been entertaining
literature and performance art fans for
27 years and is notorious for changing
things up when it comes to genres
and eras. This season, the company is
staging Romeo and Juliet, The Merry
Wives of Windsor, Pericles, and Othello.
BeatRoute spoke to Christopher Gaze,
artistic director and founder of Bard,
and coaxed him to spill a few secrets
about the coming season.
Instead of England, The Merry Wives
of Windsor is set in 1960s Windsor,
Ontario. “We produced The Merry Wives
four years ago on the smaller Howard
Family stage and it was a meteoric
success,” Gaze reveals. “The director,
Johanna Wright, pitched me the idea
and I liked it immediately. It is a very
charming play, but very difficult to pull
off. Johanna’s context makes it accessible
and so much fun, as the 1960s
were.” The production features songs
from the stylish era like “Stand by Your
Man” and “These Boots Were Made for
Walking,” and the actors even play the
music themselves. The ‘60s come alive
further with elaborate costumes and set
designs.
Othello gets an equally intriguing
makeover, set in the midst of the
American Civil War. “It is a less known
but interesting fact that there were a
few black generals who fought in the
American Civil War,” Gaze notes. “That
element gives the play a much more
immediate context than its original.” For
fans of more classic Shakespearean
renderings, Kim Colliers’ Romeo and
Juliet will perhaps hit the spot the best.
But, Gaze warns us not to get too comfortable
with it either, because it might
“seem to fit the classic mould and then
suddenly it doesn’t!”
For Bard, these reinterpretations
were as fun to create as they are to
witness. “New interpretation is what we
do,” Gaze says. “If we just did traditional
productions, I think we’d become dinosaurs
and people would get bored.”
by Prachi Kamble
Director Lois Anderson similarly
reconfigures the more rarely put-on
Pericles. “Lois is exploring her talent as
a director,” Gaze says. “Her play is set in
the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
It will be magical, classical, and very
theatrical. It is like a travelogue. Pericles
travels from place to place, in various
crises, until he finds his family again
through miracles.”
With its sweeping Vanier Park location
as the backdrop for these fresh
re-imaginings, as well as special performances
from the Vancouver Symphony
and the Vancouver Opera, Bard on the
Beach, Gaze assures firmly, is the place
to be this summer.
Bard on the Beach is held at Vanier
Park from June 3 to September 24.
Romeo and Juliet and other classics get a makeover at this year’s Bard On The Beach.
wands, and two of cups. She gives me
an incredibly insightful breakdown of the
general state of my life: I’m too busy, but
if I focus, I can have good relationship.
That has cups in it. So far so good.
After dealing another dozen cards,
including death (“Don’t look at that! I saw
you look at that!”) Clark proceeds to give
me a thirty-minute lecture on what’s
happening in my life (down to the very
minute) and exactly what I need to do
about it. This includes preparing myself
for my empress — the last card flipped
up. “You have to squirrel your nuts away
by Paris Spence-Lang
in your cubby.” She stops. “You’re not
going to print that, are you?”
After a forty-minute intensive, I thank
Clark profusely and walk away feeling
like a million bucks. I know what I need to
do to get my empress and it turns out that
death only means I have to stop playing
so much video games.
I get a flat on the way home. Maybe
that’s the ten of swords talking. But I still
feel like I am walking on air.
The Good Spirit is located
at 309 Cambie Street
Lorri Clark holds all the answers to the universe in her trusty deck of tarot cards.
photo: David & Emily Cooper
photo: Sean Orr
June 2016

DEANNE SMITH
comedy’s current everyman is a hip chick
DeAnne Smith looks like a small, bowtie-clad,
manic pixie dream girl. But the
second she takes the stage she is a deadly,
polished, Canadian comedy award winning
stand-up comic. “There is something about me
that loves the feeling of being underestimated,”
Smith explains.
Her comedy takes on a life of its own as soon
as she speaks: a joyous celebration of lesbian,
feminist values laced with outrageous, dark
shock-comedy. Smith is fearless when it comes
to challenging the status quo and when it comes
to challenges in general. “In Toronto [where
Smith resides] there appear to be a lot of these
social justice themed shows cropping up which
I’m all for, but they seem more like rallies. I like
doing well on a show like a club show that could
be anything, where there is potential to fail”
Smith generously lends her talent and star
power to Toronto’s thriving, emerging indie women-in-comedy
scene. “I like it because jokes that
I had written ten years ago that didn’t work are
now getting applause breaks, it’s nice that we’ve
all arrived at this spot.” Her political affiliation
doesn’t prevent her from enjoying good comedy
from fellow comedians though. “I like listening
SIRIUS XM TOP COMIC
step right up and win a career
The Sirius XM Top Comic Competition
is back and better than ever. Now in
its seventh year, BeatRoute called up
comedian/radio host/programming director of
Canada Laughs, Ben Miner, to discuss what sets
this prestigious competition apart from the rest.
“The number one thing about the competition is
the way it’s designed to help established comics
and their careers. Every one of the offered
prizes gives them a massive leg up as a comic.
I’m a comedian myself and these are all things I
would want to win,” Miner explains proudly.
The contest not only offers comedians a
hefty $25,000 prize, but also a nationally
televised set for their portfolios, a spot at
every Just for Laughs festival that year, and
their contest set added into syndicated satellite
radio. The exposure alone is to die for, but the
money can pay for expensive international
performance visas that comics are often left
to fund themselves. “I always have to remind
people the competition is called Top Comic
and not Next Top Comic,” Miner says, firmly
suggesting that this is not as much an amateur
competition as it is a battleground for seasoned
comedic gladiators.
Some comedians count even participating
in the competition as a real shot in the arm,
as each year hundreds of comics from across
Canada submit videos for a chance to be invited
to compete. “Canada has so much talent, each
year I’m blown away even by the submissions
that didn’t make the cut.” Not shy to use the
corporate radio budget to make the XM Competition
as fair as possible, the contest forgoes
audience votes and is adjudicated by revered
industry professionals. Last year the competition
was judged by Sirius Radio’s higher ups,
the festival director of Just For Laughs, and
to Bill Burr’s podcast. He says some really outrageous
things. But he’s not afraid to examine a
situation and re-evaluate his stances. You can tell
just by listening to him that he has a good heart.”
A solid balance between alternative and
traditional stand-up ideals has accelerated her
into the Canadian comedy sweet spot where she
can headline clubs and festivals across North
America. Despite the continental free-reign,
Smith has been to Australia performing eight
times. “Australia has a thriving comedy scene,
it’s absolutely incredible, the only place in the
world where audiences will actually follow their
favourite indie comics like bands and come to
their shows year after year.”
Smith is a podcaster herself, you can and
should check out DeAnne Smith’s Questionable
At Best. In her podcast or on stage it’s very easy
to see that Smith’s dedication to being herself
over the last decade in comedy has created the
exact comedic experience that audiences in 2016
wish to see.
DeAnne Smith performs at the
Comedy Mix on June 16-18
beloved comic superstar Pete Holmes. Proving
that it isn’t a popularity contest/cash grab pays
off for Miner/Sirius XM, as every year Canada’s
deadliest headliners throw their hats in the ring
to perform in the prelims, which play out like a
festival-caliber comedy line-up.
Comedy is a subjective art form; the more
confident and talented a comedian is, the less
Ben Miner believes Canada has a wealth of talent that has yet to be… dug up.
COMEDY
by Victoria Banner
Deanne Smith loves the feeling of being underestimated.
by Victoria Banner
likely they are to bite for ranked competitive
approval. In music terms, the Sirius XM competition
is like a battle of the bands between
Mother Mother, Arcade Fire, and The Arkells if
it was judged by the Rolling Stones.
The Sirius XM Competition takes place June 12 at
Yuk Yuks and June 14 to 15 at the Comedy Mix.
RIO
THEATRE
1660 EAST BROADWAY
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HIGHLIGHTS
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PAUL ANTHONYʼS
TALENT TIME
Summer Trip 2!
HELD OVER!!!
Geekenders Theatrical Co. Presents
THE FORCE IS SHAKINʼ:
A SCI-FI BURLESQUE ADVENTURE
Also on Saturday, June 4
GOOD BURGER
Friday Late Night Movie
MAMORU HOSODAʼS
THE BOY AND THE BEAST
EAST VAN
SHORT FILM SHOWCASE
THE LOBSTER
A LEGACY OF WHINING
TOM HIDDLESTON, JEREMY IRONS,
SIENNA MILLER & LUKE EVANS
in
HIGH-RISE
HIGH-RISE
THE GENTLEMEN HECKLERS PRESENT
NICOLAS CAGE IN
THE WICKER MAN
So. Many. Bees.
DARIO ARGENTOʼS
SUSPIRIA
Friday Late Night Movie
CINEMA PARADISO
THE ROCKY HORROR
PICTURE SHOW
Michelangelo Antonioni Double Bill!
LʼAVVENTURA
BLOW-UP
The Fictionals Comedy Co. Presents
IMPROV AGAINST HUMANITY
#IAHATRIO
BURLESQUE DOCUMENTARY
TEMPEST STORM
TEMPEST STORM & FILMMAKERS
IN ATTENDANCE JUNE 19 - 20!
SEE WWW.RIOTHEATRE.COM FOR ADDITIONAL DATES
Russell Crowe & Ryan Gosling in
THE NICE GUYS
SEE WWW.RIOTHEATRE.COM FOR ADDITIONAL DATES
THE CRITICAL HIT SHOW
A #DNDLive Comedy Adventure
PRINCE DOUBLE BILL
Purple Rain
UNDER THE CHERRY MOON
MARTIN SCORSESEʼS
THE LAST WALTZ
THE TALKING HEADS
STOP MAKING SENSE
CHECK WWW.RIOTHEATRE.CA
FOR OUR COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS
June 2016 REVIEWS
27

A BIKING PLAYLIST
five local tracks to get your gears going
“Witching Hour” by Supermoon
Haunting harmonies, bubbly guitar,
crashing percussion. This little number
is a sunny jaunt in itself.
“Hospital” by Sightlines
The growling riff that drives this pop-punk gem
is perfect for climbing up those big hills and the
contagious melody that’s layered in will help you
feel good about the grind once you get to the top.
“Settle Down” by Twin River
Glitter-encrusted guitar and a searing solo
towards the end of the track makes this cut
from Twin River’s new album a dreamy
accompaniment to any sort of ride.
“Crystal Ball” by Jay Arner
If you’ve ever wanted to pretend you were
the star of an ‘80s glam rock music video,
put your Wayfarers on, pop “Crystal
Ball” into your cassette player, and feel the
wind in your hair as you pedal to glory.
“The Finest Kiss” by Did You Die
This cover of the Boo Radleys song is as
delightfully shoegazey as the original, with
an extra sprinkling of otherworldliness added
for idiosyncrasy. Let it whisk you away while
cruising home on the empty streets late at night.
5 FUN WAYS TO
CELEBRATE BIKE MONTH
LOGAN’S RUN SCAVENGER HUNT RIDE
Now in its third annual edition, Logan’s Run
Scavenger Hunt Ride is one of the most fun
cycling soirees of the summer. On June 11
at 12 p.m., ride over to the Patterson Skytrain
Station to pick up a task sheet. Then,
take off to various meeting points to participate
in bike-themed activities while accumulating
answers for the hunt as you go.
BICYCLE BEACH CRAWL
On June 15, take a leisurely ride along Vancouver’s
finest sandy beaches, like Spanish Banks
and Jericho, to play volleyball, throw horseshoes,
and toss the frisbee. The excitement begins at
Third Beach at 6:30 p.m. and be sure to stay late
— rumour has it, the crawl may turn into a rave.
CAR FREE DAY
Street festivals take over the city on both
June 18 and 19 for Car Free Day. Live music
performances, skateboarding jams, artisan
vendors, wellness gardens, and more will fill
the West End, Main Street, Commercial Drive,
and Kitsilano. Each locale celebrates in their
own unique way, so hop on your bike and
see what your community has to offer. Bike
valets are available to park your wheels.
SUMMER SOLSTICE RIDE
As the longest day of the year quickly approaches,
why not spend it riding around the
city with some cool people? Head over to
Pat’s Pub on June 18 at 5:00 p.m. and roll
though neighbourhoods like Gastown and
Olympic Village as you chase the sunset to
Spanish Banks with your new friends.
PINK FLOYD THE SEA WALL
Meet at the park next to Science World on
June 25 at 8:30 p.m. to say goodbye to the
blue sky. Then, roll around the seawall while
listening to Pink Floyd’s The Wall in full.
The happiest day of your life ends at Third
Beach, with drinks and more music.
BIKE MONTH 2016
RIDING FOR FUN, HEALTH, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Now that the heat of summer has
begun to rise, is there a better
time to hop on your bike and
go for a ride? Not really, especially as
June is Bike Month — a celebration of
all things cycling in Vancouver that both
promotes this great method of getting
around, and showcases the city’s commitment
to keeping things environmentally
friendly.
Advocating biking comes from
Vancouver’s want to provide quality
mobility choices to its residents, says
Dale Bracewell, manager of transportation
planning for the City of Vancouver,
“And to really help be a greener city, a
sustainable city, [while] encouraging
DETROIT BIKES
ZAK PASHAK PUTS A NEW SPIN ON TRANSPORTATION FROM MOTOR CITY
Bike sharing initiatives have become
fairly commonplace in cities
like Vancouver. For some, the
prospect of owning a car is an appealing
notion, especially when weighed against
sharing a cramped space on a crowded
bus or a metro that can’t always be
counted on to arrive on time. However,
when considering the obvious green
benefits of biking, the advantages are
wonderful and, above all, affordable.
The demand for the quick, the reliable,
and the cost effective has had an
immensely positive effect on Detroit
Bikes, a manufacturer based in the
Motor City. Canadians would recognize
the company’s owner and president
Zak Pashak for his contributions
to the music scene. Pashak is the brains
behind Calgary venue Broken City,
Vancouver’s Biltmore Cabaret, and
music festival Sled Island. Pashak was
candid about his new partnership with
Motivate, the largest bike sharing system
in North America, and the larger
implications that it’s had on the growth
of his factory.
people in both active transportation
modes and transit.” Plus, besides being
better for the planet than your gas-guzzler,
biking is an excellent excuse to
spend more time in our beautiful backyard
and get some exercise.
Whether you’re a seasoned rider or
more partial to renting twice a year,
Bike Month provides plenty of ways to
challenge yourself and explore how to
integrate biking into your life. Initiatives
like Bike to Work Week inspire
commuting alternatives, while activities
like beach crawls and scavenger hunts
suggest fun ways to hit the pavement. A
brand new public bike sharing program,
which will place 100 stations throughout
“For me, this business is a little different
than most other business because I
built a factory which was a big expense
upfront,” says Pashak. “We had this factory
that had a certain capacity of production
and business didn’t really make
sense until we sold a certain amount of
bikes per year...And in order to grow as
quickly as we needed to, just being that
there was such a cash intensive start up,
I needed big orders.”
Initially, Pashak received a large
order for 2,400 bikes, but kept looking
for bigger and better things. He contacted
Motivate and convinced them to
move their manufacturing to the United
States. “Motivate had been going
through a bit of a situation,” Pashak
continues. “They had been buying
bikes from a Canadian bike supplier
and they wanted to buy from a different
supplier and do a re-design…So
they wanted to insert us in that supply
chain to basically do quality control,
to oversee what they were doing and
how they were doing it, and to perform
by Yasmine Shemesh
the downtown core, also launches on
June 15. “That’s going to really open
up more opportunities for people to
discover the joy and the convenience of
being able to bike around our city,” says
Bracewell.
After all, Bike Month is about supporting
city-dwellers in experiencing
the benefits that cycling can offer. By
taking advantage of our greenways,
protected lanes, and bike-friendly spaces
like the seawall, Bracewell says, “I
think that more people would be happy
and healthy because of the choices that
they’re making.”
Ride on!
by Reid Carmichael
paint and final assembly on the bikes.
We’ve also taken over procurement for
them on the wheel side.”
Now, Detroit Bikes will assemble
3,000 bicycles for the sharing operator
and, along with expansion within the
factory, the contract has allowed them
to team up with other enterprises like
CycleHop. This summer, CycleHop will
plant 150 docking stations throughout
Vancouver to provide over 1,000 shortterm
use bikes to residents — an exciting
initiative called Mobi that makes
biking more accessible and convenient.
Simply pay a small fee at the kiosk to
unlock the bike. A helmet comes free.
So, there you have it. Bike sharing is
great for you, the environment, and Canadian
entrepreneurs. Take that, hybrid
owners.
Learn more about Detroit Bikes at
www.detroitbikes.com and the bike
sharing programs at www.cyclehop.com
28 CITY
June May 2016

June May 2016 29

FILM
RAIDERS! THE STORY OF THE GREATEST FAN FILM EVER MADE
Indiana Jones and the 35-year remake
by Paris Spence-Lang
I
love Indiana Jones. He is the greatest hero
ever made, above even Harrison Ford’s very
own Han Solo, and I will gladly watch any of
the original movies at the drop of a well-worn
fedora. But my love for the trilogy has rarely extended
past the movies. As for Chris Strompolos
and Eric Zala, their first meeting with Indy was
the catalyst for, in the eyes of many, the greatest
fan film ever made.
It started in 1981, when Steven Spielberg and
George Lucas teamed up to create Raiders of the
Lost Ark. The next year, 11-year-old Strompolos
Raiders! Is a story of fandom gone wild in the form of an Indiana Jones remake documentary.
asked 12-year-old Zala if he wanted to help him
remake the movie—the entire 115 minute, 20 million
USD movie—on, as Strompolos’s son would
later say, “his allowance.” Zala said yes.
Seven years later, the pair—along with a cast
of friends including special-effects whiz Jayson
Lamb—had created a shot-for-shot remake of
the entire movie, down to the live snakes, melting
faces, and giant rolling boulder. Well, all but the
plane scene—the one where Indy gets the tar
beaten out of him by the Steve Austin of Nazis,
who is then turned into an Aryan smoothie by the
propeller before the plane explodes in a phantasmagorical
fireball. That plane cost $700,000 to
build, making its absence understandable.
But, 30 years later, Strompolos and Zala
decided they had some unfinished business—
namely, blowing up that damn plane. Raiders!
The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made
Takes you through their film shoot, from Kickstarter,
to camel, to “Cut!” But as the documentary
progresses, it becomes less about the boys’
remake and more about the boys themselves. To
them, the project was a way to escape, a fantasy
world where they could hide from the challenges
of—in Strompolos’s case—separated parents and
an abusive alcoholic stepfather. The boys were
outsiders, and the remake became less about
adventure and more about acceptance.
The film is full of beautiful moments that
underpin its emotional journey. John Rhys-Davies,
who played Sallah in the original film, gives
wisdom and priceless anecdotes throughout.
Directors and film critics such as Eli Roth
(Hostel, Inglorious Basterds) explain how the
remake inspired them as film nerds. There’s
even as much (if not more) drama than the
original: romantic competition between the
boys, crippling addictions, and even uncut and
shocking violence that—when it appears—gives
the sobering realization of how close Strompolos
and crew came to serious injury or death time
and time again.
While Raiders! Has parts that go down like
bad dates—for example, the audio of SFX expert
Lamb, while talking about how he was all but
absent from any media recognition, is faded
out—the documentary flows well, and is surprisingly
deep and satisfying. The movie won’t melt
your faces, but it will give any fan of Indy plenty
of enjoyment—especially if you, like Strompolos
and Zala, are the kind of nerd who owns a whip.
But I swear, it’s not mine.
Raiders! opens at Cineplex International
Village on June 17th
THIS MONTH IN FILM
TAIWANESE FILM FESTIVAL
In Taiwan, the urban sprawl of cities like
Tainan and Taipei fights with the surrounding
jungle and mountains. Taiwanese
film is just as diverse, and VIFF puts the
best of it on display in the Taiwanese Film
Festival. Featuring eight films, the people
of Taiwan tell their stories through documentary
and drama alike, with violinists,
hit men, resort owners, and the Taiwanese
black kite eagles taking starring roles.
The festival includes The Moment, a
celebration of Taiwanese culture that
features footage from fifty-one films.
June 10-12
at Vancity Theatre
UPCOMING RELEASES
Skipping past Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles, we
find ourselves in Blizzard’s realm of Azeroth.
Yes, the film adaptation of Warcraft is out on
June 10th, which means we can finally play
video games without actually having to move at
all. But truth is stranger than fiction, as proven
by the film Tickled. A seemingly innocent
documentary about “competitive endurance
tickling,” the movie turns dark as we fall down
a rabbit hole of conspiracy, secret identities,
criminal activity, and feathers. But that’s not
the only way to get a laugh: our favourite fish
is back in Finding Dory. Fighting her amnesia,
Dory works with Marlin and Nemo—who was,
if you’ll remember, found—to learn about her
past. And where she learned to speak whale.
Finding Dory
by Paris Spence-Lang
JUNE 3 GOOD BURGER JUNE 10 SUSPIRIA JUNE 17 CRASH (1996) JUNE 24 THE CRAFT JULY 1 STOP MAKING SENSE
30 FILM
June 2016

ALBUM REVIEWS
Tegan and Sara
Love You To Death
Warner Music Canada
It’s been ten years since the Calgary-born Tegan
and Sara’s career-defining The Con (2007)
dropped. That album saw the talented fingers
of Kaki King, Chris Walla and Jason McGerr of
Death Cab for Cutie, among others help grease
the chains of Tegan and Sara’s raw indie rock.
Few songwriters can pen and perform such
shiver-inducing lyrics as “maybe I would have
been something you’d be good at,” from closing
track “Call it Off,” with as much vulnerability
and emotional resonance as Tegan and Sara.
Synths sirened through the dry acoustic guitars
of the title track while the two singers sang
percussively on top of each other, carefully
squeezing chamber-pop influences into their
bedroom pop recording aesthetic. Those same
synth leads hit hard on almost every track of
new record Love You To Death, but nine years
and ten buckets of glitter later, the duo’s music
is almost unrecognizable, for better or worse.
When Heartthrob’s (2013) single “Closer”
dropped, it signaled a confident move into polished
mainstream-ready pop music. The track
pops to life with massive synth chords while
the titular lyric bleeds out of pitch defiantly,
a quiet reminder of the duo’s indie origins.
The chorus features the triumphantly belted
“let’s make things physical” over a sharp drum
line. The expensive-sounding, detail-intensive
production lubricated the song for top 40 radio
consumption, while the charm and indelible
songwriting that typify Tegan and Sara grounded
the song in relatability. The record that
followed was polished at every corner, possibly
to a fault, but as a move into synth-pop, it came
across as authentically as it could have, and it
skewed towards sharper drums, dirtier synths,
and retained a few guitar tracks, all of which
are shelved entirely for Love You To Death.
Heartthrob propelled the duo into Taylor
Swift-opening glory, and as pop stars go, you
could do a lot worse than Tegan and Sara.
Their unique style and narrative, humble
origins, and characteristic doubling, demands
twice the stage. Nothing about Tegan and
Sara has ever felt written or manufactured.
Love You to Death is lovingly imagined, but
wholly sterile in ways that Tegan and Sara’s
music has never been, even with the added
sheen of Heartthrob. Lead single “Boyfriend”
opens with strangely familiar, effervescent
electronics. Not familiar in a nostalgic sense
however, but rather, reminiscent of other
currently successful pop acts, and of course,
the young producers whose music those acts
borrow from. It refrains from being an explicitly
tropical-house track or anything that
deliberative, but the production on “Boyfriend”
carries the ‘80s inflected pop song directly
into the currently musical moment in the least
climactic way possible. The boring arrangement
on this track is doubly disappointing because
it is so easy to envision a more interesting
instrumental, considering Tegan and Sara
have offered us so many in the past. “Boyfriend”
is, at its heart, a smartly written track
about the complications of dating someone
whose sexual aim and/or orientation is in flux,
or at least not perfectly centered. The song
is progressive, socially nuanced, and most
importantly for the genre, endlessly catchy.
That said, the hammy beat drops and floaty
vocals turn the song into an unwanted remix
of itself, and not in the cool “Ignition” sense.
Further, the explicitly themes of “Boyfriend”
offer a strong reminder of how Tegan and
Sara’s identities as gay women has been such
a quotable part of their musical mythos from
day one. The duo has never used either as a
gimmick or a crutch, but rather, the love songs
abound throughout their discography have
held a level of gendered ambiguity, and thus
moments where their sexuality comes out
explicitly, feel stronger in their infrequency.
Thankfully, this is also true on Love You to
Death. “Stop Desire” most notably uses its title
and chorus to confidently emote the undeniability
of both female, although more specifically,
lesbian, sexual and romantic desire.
Strong pop song-writing like this permeates
the entire record on tracks like the almost-heartbreaking
sparkle-piano ballad “100x,”
and the obvious album standout “U-Turn.” The
latter track emotes the confidence the project
is contingent on more strongly than elsewhere
on the record, and the more muted arrangement
suits the song’s lyrical reliance. The witty quip
“Make a change or this is gonna stall / Shape up
or you’ll drop me like a call” perfectly prefaces
the punchy chorus. “I wanna write a love
song / even though you never asked me for
one” carries both the confidence of the duo’s
newfound pop stardom, as well as a profound
sense of self-awareness. The charming contradiction
therein is that the song is about writing
a love song and not a love song. Moments
like these carry the legacy of wit and wonder
that Tegan and Sara that lose some of their
impact from the overly shiny arrangements.
“B/W/U” is the most reminiscent cut on
the record, offering a sparse electronic bed
with lo-fi drum machines and clean synth
arpeggios. The intro and post-chorus have a
slow and cute electric-piano lead that calls to
mind former producer Chris Walla’s influence,
although even this track feels all-too-perfectly
pitched and polished, a clear reminder
that T&S’ Chris Walla days are over.
It feels strange to suggest something so
cliché, but Love You to Death listens more like
what studio executives probably Tegan and
Sara should sound like than what has made
them such a tour-de-force. Such a sentiment
feels doubly strange considering they have been
major-label produced for almost ten years, thus
the new, overly glossy production is certainly a
stylistic choice by Tegan and Sara themselves.
As an exercise in pop song-writing, Tegan
and Sara offer a master class, but the arrangement
feels stuck in high school. Love You to
Death is a stall for Tegan and Sara, not necessarily
a misstep, not necessarily an all-time-low,
but not entirely free of disappointment either.
Written by Liam Prost
Illustration by Dylan Smith
June 2016 REVIEWS
31

Astrakhan - Reward in Purpose Classixx - Faraway Reach Drake - Views Islands - Should I Remain Here at Sea?/Taste
Astrakhan
Reward in Purpose
War on Music / Sunmask
Astrakhan arose towards the end of 2012 in
the midst of the rich ever-growing metal scene
that resides in Vancouver and its surrounding
area. Reward in Purpose follows an initial
steady stream of EPs and marks the first
full-length of a band that, in their first four
years together, has continually demonstrated
a resolute dedication to pursuing a well-defined
and captivating musical undertaking.
The ten-minute opening track “Omajod,” is
an appropriate introduction for the group’s
first full-length release. It begins gradually,
building momentum with a deep, resonating
psyche groove before giving way to a long,
grim scream that pierces the hazy atmosphere
and showcases a darker side of the band.
The bands numerous stylistic influences
shine forth throughout the album.
Generally straying to the heavier edge of
progressive metal, such as in the driving
“Microcosmic Design.” Their more sludgebased
and gloomy elements also remain.
Riff-driven tracks like “The Traveler”
maintain their attentiveness slow-burning
grooves, and also allow the vocalists
free range to illuminate their dynamic
range. Clean, symphonic lines are juxtaposed
by gripping, guttural screams.
Their ability to straddle greatly varied
inspirations allows listenability throughout
the record’s entirety, and therefore has the
potential to reach a vast array of listeners.
Fans of the grittier prog-rock of a band like
early Tool, avant-garde and melodic Norwegian
black metal like Arcturus, and definitely fans
of story-driven stoner rock like The Sword.
• Paul Rodgers
Classixx
Faraway Reach
Innovative Leisure
Classixx are one of the more intriguing production
teams in recent memory because of
their ability to make the album a worthwhile
experience in a singles driven music landscape.
Their 2013 debut Hanging Gardens
found a cohesiveness that is rarely found on
the dance music LP, opting for a more leisurely
style indebted to disco, new wave, and
funk. That said, that album also suffered from
a sameness and a decent amount of bloat.
The duo, consisting of Los Angeles natives
Tyler Blake and Michael David, return
with their sophomore long-player Faraway
Reach, which boasts an intriguing collection
of guests, but often suffers from
the same issues as it’s predecessor.
Despite a few missteps, Faraway Reach
is often a joy to listen to, balancing Balearic
grooves and LA synth-pop perfectly. Songs
like “Just Let Go” find Classixx in a highly
collaborative mood, using guest vocalist
How to Dress Well to perfect effect.
Elsewhere, stand out single “Whatever I
Want” features T-Pain in a combo that works
much better on record than it does on paper.
T-Pain’s auto-tuned crooning is more subdued
than his more boisterous pop rap hooks,
perfectly complementing the mid-tempo bliss
that Classixx have crafted underneath him.
• Jamie McNamara
Drake
Views
Cash Money Records
Early into the daunting, 120-minute runtime
of Drake’s recent opus Views, the Toronto
rapper insists “Views already a classic.” Of
course, to declare an album a classic before
it comes out is an absurd gamble, but if any
artist making music in 2016 were to stake the
claim, it could only reasonably be Drake.
Views is an interesting record because of
its place in Drake’s career. The album’s original
announcement over two years ago felt like a
much-deserved victory lap for one of the biggest
rappers of all time. Of course, that announcement
took place before just about every ubiquitous
cultural moment that Drake seemed to find
himself at the centre of in the following years.
It seems that Drake’s own success is his own
undoing, of course he’ll tell you that himself in
most of his songs, but it has never felt more
true than on Views. The massive releases of
If You’re Reading This… and What a Time to
Be Alive found Drake owning the rap industry
simply by playing by his own rules. Traditional
release methods make Views feel like a step
back for the rapper that always seems to have a
finger on the pulse. Still, it’s not just the release
methods that make Views feel like a step back.
Sonically, the album shares more in common
with Take Care than it does with Drake’s more
boisterous oeuvre. Views is contemplative
Drake, for better or worse. The rapper is often
examining what it means to be a global superstar,
but the album is also a love letter to the city
that Drake loves so fiercely. All together, Views
functions better when Drake focuses on the
latter. The album is pastiche of styles that have
found success in a massively diverse Toronto.
Afrobeat and Caribbean influence crop up
often, with genres like grime and New Orleans
bounce also lending themselves to the mix.
Drake’s contemplations can’t help but feel
stale, especially because he’s retreading wellworn
ground. We know about Drake’s issues
with relationships, but what was acceptable for
a 24-year-old on Take Care is often groan-inducing
for a man almost in his thirties. Drake’s
ruminations on past relationships are often
emotionally stunted, the petty product of a
mildly narcissistic manchild that avoids nuance
in favour of unwarranted braggadocio.
As always, Drake’s music is his saving grace.
Songs like the newly Popcaan-free “Controlla” and
the Rihanna-featuring “Too Good” are both song
of the summer contenders because they show
the side of Drake that isn’t brooding for once.
• Jamie McNamara
Islands
Should I Remain Here at Sea?/Taste
Manque Music
When a band releases two records in quick
succession, one of two things can happen. Either
both records can sound largely the same, leading
32 REVIEWS
June 2016

June May 2016 33

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June May 2016

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Nonagon Infinity Layten Kramer - For the Sun Kristin Kontrol - X-Communicate Dan Lissvik - Midnight
one of the two to be dismissed outright (see
Beach House’s latest releases), or, they can be
stylistically counterposed (such as Bright Eyes’
rootsy I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning and dominantly
electronic Digital Ash in a Digital Urn).
By putting out two records so close together,
Islands does themselves, and us, a disservice
by forcing the records to read in relation to
each other, which is especially unfair given
how balanced and well-constructed both
records are, despite not markedly different.
Given the name if nothing else, Should I Remain
Here at Sea? is easily readable as a comment
on Islands career since their debut Return to
the Sea. The latter was a gloriously unpolished
record, seeping syrupy pop hooks from every
corner, very much a tie-in to Nick Diamond’s
previous band The Unicorns. The operative
assumption of SIRHAS? however, is that the
band still is, in fact, at sea. Six releases later,
Islands’ pop-rock aesthetic has been polished
to death, such that the suggestion that Islands is
the same band that produced Return ring false.
Taste is mostly synth and electronics driven,
which is the strongest contrast to SIRHAS?’s
stripped down, guitar pop style. The former
record is also more political than personal,
with nods to male privilege and police brutality.
Both records are strong in their own right, and
it feels wrong to condemn a release strategy,
but there is simply too much music in the world
to give them both the time they deserve.
• Liam Prost
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard
Nonagon Infinity
ATO Records
Australia must have the best acid. The country
is home to a massive resurgence of psychedelic
rock that runs much more ragged than
its American counterpart. But while Kevin
Parker and co. in Tame Impala have ventured
further and further from their psychedelic
roots, fellow Australians King Gizzard and the
Lizard Wizard have picked up the slack with a
prolific output of mind-bending garage-rock.
Nonagon Infinity is the Melbourne septet’s seventh
album in six years and it’s the latest experiment
from a band that refuses to sit still. The album
was made to function as an unbroken loop, the end
of the final song serves as an intro to the first. It’s a
strong dose of gimmick, but KGTLW never rest on
it. Instead, the album rips from front to back with
impeccable garage-rock swagger and confidence.
Nonagon Infinity is interesting solely because
it seems so far removed from its contemporaries.
The tracks on the album blend seamlessly,
often to the point that it’s hard to tell where
one track ends and the next begins. Couple
this with the band returning to various lyrical
and melodic motifs throughout the album and
the result is a disorienting album that is utterly
captivating, but impossible to pick apart.
The album does suffer from being stuck
in fifth gear. The band roars through songs
with a blinding tempo, voraciously consuming
riffs with delirious efficiency. Rarely does the
music slow down, and the similarities between
songs mean that a listener could feasibly listen
to the album one and a half times before realising
they are back where they started.
• Jamie McNamara
Layten Kramer
For The Sun
Independent
While the term “folk music” has recently
grown incalculably to include the
cross pollination of several intermingling
styles, at its heart is still the ability of
a singer-songwriter to write and perform
compelling songs without the aid
of a symphony. Though For The Sun, the
debut LP from Canmore songwriter Layten
Kramer, certainly brings the house in
regards to production and instrumentation,
his songs remain the focal point, as
easily imagined played around a crackling
campfire as they are with the lush and
energetic treatment they’re given here.
Kicking off with an eerie synth entanglement
leading into the delicately fingerpicked
title track, Kramer brings a sense
of immediacy with his first line, “Have you
had enough of this life? Are you growing
tired of the lies?” The rhythm section
picks up a steady heartbeat, moving
quickly to the chorus, which drops amid
Beatles-like grandeur and the welcome
harmony of horns and synth lines. The
second song, “Thin White Lines”, helps
the album settle in to what becomes its
sonic signature: uptempo folk-pop with
stuttery-yet-danceable beats, augmented
by synths, and the always hummable lines
of a songwriter who knows that having
people listen to your words is contingent
on connecting to your melody.
For The Sun only touches on its folk
elements, certainly on the cantina melancholia
of “Shadows”, and on the closer
“Time Is Here To Stay.” “Gold and The
Sea” is a standout, with dramatic builds, a
soaring, harmonized chorus, and a guitar
break that understands that a single note
played in desperation and conviction adds
a lot more than a hundred empty tones.
• Mike Dunn
Kristin Kontrol
X-Communicate
Sub Pop
There comes a time in many bands lives when
the lead singer strikes out on their own. It’s a
huge risk, but it can pay off a lå Beyoncé or flop
like Debbie Harry’s Koo Koo (1981). Now, it’s the
Dum Dum Girls’ Kristin “Dee Dee” Welchez’s
turn. X-Communicate provides its listener
a retro dance party, mixed in with enough
torch songs to really let everything sink in.
If the Dum Dum Girls referenced ‘60s
girl groups, then for her first solo soiree,
Welchez has time travelled into the future
with a pit stop in the ‘80s.The polished synth
line of standout track “X-Communicate” is
reminiscent of new wave acts like Blondie,
but with a modernity that distinguishes
Welchez from being a kitschy ‘80s revivalist.
The song “White Street” is a stream of
consciousness narrative describing heading
out to a party with the heart ache of
Robyn alone on the dance floor: “If you catch
my eye I just might take you up tonight.”
Overall, Kristin Kontrol has created
a solid first album that asserts her
risk in going solo was worth it.
• Trent Warner
Dan Lissvik
Midnight
Smalltown Supersound
As one half of influential Swedish duo Studio,
Dan Lissvik was responsible for bringing
Balearic brilliance to the often bleak Gothenburg.
Since Studio’s dissolution, Lissvik has
worked as producer for artists like Montreal’s
Young Galaxy, while also working on
solo works for the first time in his career.
June 2016 REVIEWS
35

of his past writing. The move is refreshing to hear
from Taylor, but his style is largely unchanged from
past work, and it’s debatable whether or not his
nasally croon can carry an album on its own.
Indeed, the main detractor from Piano is the fact
that it’s an LP and not an EP.
Lead off track “I’m Ready” is a song about
the creative process, a song that seems fitting
on an album that feels more like a creative
exercise than a cohesive vision.
• Jamie McNamara
Royal Tusk - Dealbreaker Alexis Taylor - Piano Weaves - Weaves
The solo works culminated in last years three
track Shuvit! EP, an EP that showed that Lissvik’s
ability to make dubbed out music is still in tact, but
it never felt as effortless as his work with Studio.
Now, the new father returns with his debut fulllength
Midnight, a record that shows that Lissvik
still has a take on dance music that is utterly
populist while still remaining absolutely unique.
The gentle, meandering feel of Studio’s essential
West Coast returns on Midnight. The propulsive,
post-ABBA drum work and listless guitars are
straight off of “Life’s a Beach,” but that’s not to say
that Lissvik’s style hasn’t evolved since his days in
Studio. Songs like the hypnotic “D” pick up where
West Coast left off, dropping the listener into a
haze of dubbed out drums and plucky synths that
would feel right at home on a Todd Terje record.
• Jamie McNamara
Royal Tusk
Dealbreaker
Cadence Music
On their first full-length album, DealBreaker, Edmonton’s
Royal Tusk have crafted a catchy piece of
modern rock, relying on melodic hooks and catchy,
crunchy guitar riffs. Unlike many of their contemporaries,
Royal Tusk’s commitment to songwriting
is evident in the use of lyrics in their hooks,
rather than rely on the trusty “whoa whoa whoa”
laziness so often present in today’s radio rock.
DealBreaker is radio-ready, but in a way that
seems content to be further outside most programming
lists. It’s clever modern- ock, with some interesting
left turns, like the head-shop-jazz-while-whistling-down-the-road
feel at the end of the title track.
There’s some cool Slash-y guitar work on the Wurlitzer-driven
closing ballad “So Long The Buildup.”
The dance rock harmonized verse melody
on “Above Ground” takes away from the smart
chorus, but when it’s sung solo in the breakdown,
the lines have more weight in anticipation of the
big finale chorus. Royal Tusk has a sound that
should set them apart from the radio pack.
• Mike Dunn
Alexis Taylor
Piano
Moshi Moshi
Alexis Taylor is no stranger to the ballad. As
frontman of synthpop group Hot Chip, Taylor has
been known to slow the tempo to croon wistfully,
but it always felt like a brief aside before the party
started again. For his third solo LP Piano, the British
musician focuses solely on ballads sung with only
piano accompaniment. Some of the songs are
covers, like Elvis’ “Crying in the Chapel,” but most
are either new works from Taylor or reworkings
Weaves
Weaves
Kanine Records
You can’t really blame this Toronto foursome
for wanting to cover all their bases with their
genre-defying debut. In a super-saturated musical
blogosphere of what’s cool according to culturally
“hip” types, the appeal of sounding like you’re the
missing link between the Karen O-isms of art-punk,
tUnE-yArDs’ electro-beat collages and the fringes
of Eleanor Friedberger’s goofball pop past will
probably land you some affirmative head-nodding
and a 7.5 from Pitchfork. Sure enough, tracks like
“Candy,” “Tick” and “One More” bob and weave
(pun intended) with a bombastic punch to the gut,
while “Eagle” flies high with intricate sonic interplay
between guitarist Morgan Waters and the rhythm
section of Zach Bines and Spencer Cole. “Coo Coo”
self-medicates a calmer Jasmyn Burke espousing
the object of her affection, but she returns to
freak-flag form on the seething “Shithole.” With the
music scene in the Six branching out and taking
risks with groups like Dilly Dally, The Highest
Order and Darlene Shrugg, Weaves stand to make
waves amongst their peers and then some.
• Bryce Dunn
36 REVIEWS
June 2016

LIVE REVIEWS
Charles Bradley
The Commodore Ballroom
May 20, 2016
While the story of Charles Bradley (his years of toiling
as James Brown impersonator Black Velvet until
his discovery by Daptone Records founder Gabriel
Roth and subsequent collaboration with musician
Tom Brenneck) might make up some of the reason
his live show was an unparalleled experience of
magic, that only cracks the surface of what went on
at his recent gig at The Commodore.
Part of the magic stems from the raw emotion
on display. Bradley’s songs are unfiltered and his
scream is piercing. Whether it’s expressing anguish
about the state of the world as in the highlight “The
World (Is Going Up in Flames),” the smouldering
warnings of “Ain’t it a Sin,” or the crushing feelings
of loss conjured by his cover of Black Sabbath’s
“Changes,” by the end there was nary a dry eye in
the house.
Another part of the magic is created by his theatricality.
For 67 years old, Bradley still has got himself
some moves, with frequent mic stand kicks, the robot,
his “screaming eagle” pose, heart symbols, and hip
gyrations that would make a boy band blush. His face,
wizened through the years with deep lines, expresses
emotion with a clarity and pathos that is inimitable.
He made “love” the centrepiece of the show and
ended his set by hugging multiple concert-goers in
what seemed like an authentic display of cathartic
release, telling one crowd member that he was
special and he loved him “like my own son.” A short
encore ended with an extended parable about the
colour of roses, with two groups of black and red
roses brought to the stage and passed to the crowd
by what appeared to be a moved Bradley.
• Graeme Wiggins
photo: Galen Robinson Exo
photo: Bev Davies
Brian Jonestown Massacre
The Commodore Ballroom
May 23, 2016
There are two types of people who go to a
Brian Jonestown Massacre show — those who
have read storied accounts of lead singer and
mastermind Anton Newcombe having headline
bait meltdowns on stage, and those who have
always known about the band’s otherworldly
skills at gripping psych jams. The second group
was given exactly what they were after when
BJM melted our brains all over the Commodore
Ballroom at the tail end of the May long weekend.
Playing a great assortment of tunes from
their back catalogue, Newcombe and his crew
of weary but loyal comrades also gave us big
meaty tastes of 2015’s Mini Album Thingy Wingy.
The throbbing, psychedelic “mini” masterpiece
was served well on a live stage, leaving room
for long solos and the kind of overlapping guitar
you can follow into the bright orange stage lights
and fog, like you are watching them drive down
the well-worn paths in the desert of your mind.
“Here Comes the Waiting for the Sun” in particular
plays very well live; its ridiculously high
stakes, lonely roving lead, relentless rhythm,
and the always indelible tambourine courtesy
of fan favorite Joel Gion make it into a road trip
you feel like you’ve been personally invited along
on. BJM (also known as the band you love to
hate and the band you hate to love) has come a
long way, through many minefields of creativity
and personal strife, but one thing has always
remained and was well on display this evening:
this band is dangerously intriguing and really
good at what they do.
• Jennie Orton
June 2016 REVIEWS
37

ating the best (and worst) of Vancouver’s public toilets
by Michelle Hanley
Vancouver General Hospital The Fox Cabaret Aberdeen Mall
I recently had to make an emergency visit to the hospital to deal
with an incredibly infected big toe. It was bad. Everyday of my life is a
terrible and hilarious nightmare. The waiting room at the ER is a very
high anxiety place, and when I’m anxious it makes me poop. Luckily
the bathroom was just around the corner and it was a lovely and
pleasant experience. This was easily the cleanest bathroom I’ve ever
been in. I could have stayed there all day if it wasn’t for the lady yelling
at me to hurry up so she could give a urine sample.
The Fox used to be a porno theatre. A place to watch porns with
other people!? Gross! That obviously closed down because the internet
happened and now it is a really great bar. On my most recent visit
to The Fox, I paid a visit to the very crowded bathroom. There are
only three stalls in this tiny bathroom so there is always a long line
of nice people to make friends with. It is consistently clean and well
stocked, despite how busy it is. But that also makes for a less than ideal
bathroom for reapplying makeup or taking mirror selfies.
This Richmond mall is a truly magical place. Everything you need is
here! It is home to some amazing shops and an incredible Asian food
court. Also this one time I saw Steven Seagal at Daiso, Aberdeen’s
incredible Japanese import dollar store. It was really weird. The
bathrooms at The Aberdeen Mall are terrific. They are beautiful and
modern. It was also very clean and well maintained. The huge windows
provide beautiful natural light so it’s perfect for applying the new
lipstick you just bought from the Korean beauty store.
38
June 2016

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June May 2016 39

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June May 2016