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

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EAST VAN BAZAAR The Bazaar is coming to East Vancouver. This traveling market of arts and crafts, which has been setting up shop in various locations around the city since 2014, has found its latest home at The Hall just off Commercial Drive. The Bazaar first formed after the closing of Studio East, the muchloved alternative live events space and gallery, sparking a “go big or go home” mentality in founders Luke Summers and Stephanie Mc- Carty. Thrifty shoppers may be familiar with other popular communal markets under the pair’s helm, including the East Van Ham. Providing artists and dedicated people of craft with an outlet to the public, the Bazaar offers a large range of all things handmade and there are no boundaries placed on the assortment of wears being sold, provided that the products are of the “made in house” variety. There are over 40 vendors, the roster constantly changing according to location in a reflection of its community. Given Commercial Drive’s predisposition for the strange and artsy, the market’s stay in East Van looks to be worth checking out. Keep your eyes peeled for Marta Burnay’s beaded jewelry, insect and reptilian curios from Odditorium, and sweet treats (including Nutella macarons) made by Sharon Sun. March 5 marks the Bazaar’s first date at The Hall and it’s a perfect time to get into the spring weather and check out what your favourite local artists have been up to during the rainy season. Finding weird knick-knacks to adorn your house in and stocking up on farmer’s market foods are just a couple added bonuses — I even got word of potentially seeing some breweries getting on board in the future. If you are of those introverted artistic types and spend all your time making things in the house with the blinds drawn, this could be a great way to get out and meet your community. $75 gets you the space and basic equipment needed to open your own little shop and applying is easy as looking them up online. Or, you can just spend a couple hours getting lost perusing some locally-made treasures. Either way, vendor or vagrant market-goer, this Bazaar has more than enough to fill up your shopping cart. East Van Bazaar will be held at The Hall (1739 Venables St.) on March 5 THE TUCK SHOPPE your friendly neighbourhood market by Fraser Marshall-Glew sandwiches — a love story by Paris Spence-Lang Farmer’s Market veggies, knick-knacks, and more! If you’re a cyclist like me, you’ll notice a strange sensation as you blow down Union Street, past good old Gore. It’ll pull you off the road and, before you realize what you’ve done, you’ll have locked up your fixie (because you are riding a fixie, aren’t you, you trendy peddler). The sensation leads you to a storefront you’ve never seen before: The Tuck Shoppe. Why haven’t you noticed it? Because it’s new? Maybe, but probably because you were too busy feeling big in the city and it’s only now that the Tuck Shoppe has found you ready — ready to slow down, ready to lay into your life again, ready to eat a crafty sandwich and drink a goddamn pint. There’s a vintage Sears canoe on the ceiling. I find the paddle in the bathroom, along with a poster of Veronica saying she loves Canada. I find the proprietors, Adam Merpaw and Zach Buckman, engaging with their clientele. Introverts beware. Borne from the idea that businesses can be enjoyed, Merpaw and Buckman built this place with no pressure in mind. “The store’s full of indulgences,” they tell me, whether you’re being indulged by the kitchen or the taps (I’m drinking a first-run cider from the guys at Bestie, bone-dry). “It’s stuff you can get excited about. It’s somewhere you can go to get a sneaky pint in on your lunch break.” Though it’s hard to be sneaky in the Tuck Shoppe — everyone knows each other. And it’s Low pressure, localized eatery is bound to grab your attention. not just the people: fresh ingredients grown and baked within walking distance are the foundation here. The guy from Union Street Cycle is finding a bike for the hostess while he waits for his sandwich. I start with the celery root soup. Scratch stock, fennel, and pork belly lardon, and I think we develop an emotional connection. For the sandwich, from a distinctive menu of six options, I chose the French onion dip with brisket, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, fresh horseradish, and a side of onion jus, broiled on the cashmere of baguettes and served with Hardbite chips and an unbelievable store-made pickle spear. Look, I don’t care if your brisket was bred in Alabama, this brisket kicks your brisket’s cattle-branded ass. Marinated for 24 hours, cooked sous-vide for another 24, I welled up with this food in my mouth. I well up. Churches need to stop with their wafers and start serving French onion dip, because I’m pretty sure Jesus’s heart pumped onion jus. “What did you think?” Ha. Stupid question — not even the great poets could describe love. They give me a home-made fruit roll-up as a parting gift and I go to leave. But next time you notice a strange sensation as you blow down Union… The Tuck Shoppe is located at 237 Union St and is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. 22 MARCH 2016 • city
COMEDY SIMON KING finding consistency in change by Victoria Banner Sometimes a change of scenery can provide a new context and the result can be exciting to witness. BeatRoute recently took the time to catch up with Vancouver’s loudest export, Simon King, before his triumphant return to the Comedy Mix. King was a decade-plus fixture of the Vancouver (and Canadian) comedy scene before moving to the UK in the spring of last year. He moved to the UK after doing all the things there were to do in Canada (JFL, Halifax/ Winnipeg Comedy Fest, hour long comedy special) and the states (recording his Unfamous album). Independent comedians don’t have international touring record deals the same way musicians do, so the only way to progress is to tackle one country at a time. The first thing you want to know about is, what is comedy like outside of the centre of the universe: Los Angeles, California? “I’ve learned so much but one on the most important things is how universal comedy can be,” Says King on his new surroundings, “it’s surprising how much material is completely transferable. It’s a window into the similarities of people all over, not just Europe and The Americas. I’ve taken material to the Middle East and Asia that I was worried wouldn’t translate and it’s made the leap no problem. Every politician who wants to start a war with a country should go be a comedian there for a bit, you’d be surprised just how much alike we all are.” King is lucky in the way that his strong, smart political writing is backed up with an almost Robin Williams-esque level of high-energy showmanship. His fast paced loud delivery lubes smart progressive ideas into the tightest of buttholes. He has successfully navigated the social justice climate of the internet age while keeping a firm grasp on the truth, all with the entertainment value of someone who eats solely off of being funny. He compares himself to punk music: political, silly, and loud. He carries those ideals in his artistic choices. He’s self produced two subsequent comedy specials - one at The Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver and one at Vern’s in Calgary (That’s a deep cut for all the rockstars reading this). Kings’s styling has created many fans over the years allowing him to do/sell out epic takeovers of cheap-as-free dive bar stages; the ONLY place to see him. He’s packing the ever-classy Comedy Mix this time round but if you follow him on Twitter @unfamous you could probably coerce him out to the drive for some bourbon. All across Canada Mr. King has been known to be wildly friendly and seems to be having luck with our stiff upper lipped friends in the UK “I’ve made some wonderful new friends overseas. In no small part because I’m a happy drunk. Plus who doesn’t love Canadians?” Simon King performs at the Comedy Mix March 17-19 Being Unfamous hasn’t stopped Simon King from taking the crown of comedy. JAMES KENNEDY rising star stays on his hustle James Kennedy started from the bottom, now he’s here. “In the words of Jay-Z, ‘hustle hard in any hustle that you pick.’” That was a post from comedian James Kennedy’s Facebook page the day he was scheduled to chat comedy with Beatroute. This changes the conversation from “wAs ThE FiRst TimE YoU dId CoMeDY ScARY derrp?” to “TELL US YOUR WAYS HUSTLE WIZARD.” Tell us he did and hustle he does. Vancouver’s newest comedy golden boy arrives to chat in a black jeep covered in skateboard and Wu-tang stickers. A skater himself, Kennedy is undeniably…cool? Old school comics would love to tell you that stand-up comedy is a sanctuary for losers: get on stage and talk about how your wife won’t touch you because your dick doesn’t work and the audience has a good long laugh at your troubles. Everything James Kennedy has done in the past two years is a slap in the face to long held Canadian comedy industry beliefs, just as comics are *supposed* to be losers it’s also supposed to take 5-10 years before you could be considered a headliner. “I don’t consider myself a headliner” says Kennedy, who headlined the coveted Yuk Yuks New-Years show. “Right now I’m just keeping my nose down and focusing on getting good at comedy. That is why I don’t have much content: no website, no clips on Youtube. I don’t want that until I’m good,” says the man who won two major Vancouver comedy competitions in two days apart within months of first taking the stage. Obviously Kennedy has a different definition of “good” than the average comedy newbie who’s got some real earth-shattering insight on Jared from Subway. With the bar for quality set as high as his aspirations, Kennedy’s starting point (weekends at the comedy club) is most comedians end goal, but he is far from done. “I want to be able to work in the States as quick as I can.” (Another comedy goal that takes 10+ years.) “I want to buy a van and tour the whole country with my girlfriend.” A touring musician and DJ for most of his 20s, Kennedy is not one to shy away from the rock and roll dream. Now thirty-one, his late start in the comedy game, usually a career killer, has only ignited his trajectory combining years of hands on indie production knowledge and deadly natural talent. “I started producing comedy shows out in Port Moody, near where I grew up, I just kept putting the best guys on it.” His current weekly show (Kings Head Comedy every Tuesday @ 9pm) keeps by Victoria Banner that level of quality while taking chances on promising local hustlers. “You can see who is putting in the work and who just wants it with no effort.” His commitment to integrity comes off as either an inspiration to or a thorn in the side of many local acts. He draws his inspiration from his aggressively outspoken love of rap music and the heroes he’s picked within the genre. He easily quotes Kanye West “Lock yourself in a room doing five beats a day for three summers. I deserve to do these numbers.” Kennedy is out on the Vancouver scene working on new material every night so you’ve probably seen him around, but if by some miracle you haven’t- follow him on Twitter @jimmykcomedy, find out where he’s playing and treat yourself to some serious next level effort. “Two years ago today I drove to Kelowna to perform for free with no accommodations more than willingly because I wanted to do my first 25 minute set. This week I’ll be doing 25 minute sets opening for Tim Meadows as part of Just for Laughs Northwest,” says Kennedy. Spoken like a true hustler. James Kennedy performs at Yuk Yuk’s on March 10-12 COMEDY • MARCH 2016 23
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Page 5 and 6: MUSIC PROTOMARTYR the bender before
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Page 12 and 13: DAUGHTER dispair leads way to hope
Page 14 and 15: MORGAN PAGE actively seeking evolut
Page 16 and 17: BREVNER forever hungry and fixated
Page 18 and 19: THE REAL MCKENZIES a quarter centur
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Page 24 and 25: IF I HAD 15 MILLION DOLLARS a vague
Page 26 and 27: THE VIDIOT irreverently reporting o
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Page 33 and 34: livereviews Propagandhi The Ricksha
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