Beatroute Magazine BC Print Edition - July 2017

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July ‘17
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INTERN
Emily Blatta
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Glenn Alderson
glenn@beatroute.ca
04
05
06
09
WORKING FOR THE
WEEKEND
∙ with Dani Vachon and Emily
Bach of Bonkers Games
THE DRUMS
SHE DEVILS
ALGIERS
PICKWICK
GENEVA JACUZZI
QUINTRIN & MISS PUSSYCAT
22 CITY
-Burcu’s Angels
-Folk Fest 40 Year Anniverary
-Tom Lee Music
-Welcome Parlour
-Skye Footwear
-The Flats
-Claude Monet’s Secret Garden
-Elad Lassry
26 BOOZE
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
MANAGING EDITOR
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PHOTOGRAPHERS &
ILLUSTRATORS
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11
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UPTIGHTS
SAM TUDOR
ROCKET FROM
RUSSIA FESTIVAL
SKINNY
-Melvins
-Revocation
-Everytime I Die
-Wednesday 13
BPM
-Pat Lok
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ASHLEIGH BALL +
LOCAL MUSIC SWIMSUIT
EDITION 2017
27 QUEER
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31
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28 COMEDY
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-Reviews
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REVIEWS
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the Phantoms, and the .
Vicious Cycles
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-Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
38 HOROSCOPES
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July 2017 3

with Dani Vachon and Emily Bach of Bonkers Games
Emily Blatta
Best buds and business collaborators Dani Vachon
and Emily Bach were once two strangers dabbling
in music, nerding-out over theatre and working
hard for a chance to design album covers for local
Vancouver musicians. Vachon got her start working
in music at Sam the Record Man back in the
day, but a serendipitous connection would eventually
inspire her to kick-start her own career in live
show and event planning. Vachon helped produce
the very first Arcade Fire shows in Vancouver while
working with Sealed With A Kiss productions,
and once sang backup for Broken Social Scene to
a sold out Commodore. In 2009, Vachon helped
open Guilt & Co. and now runs her own business,
Bonkers, an event and entertainment company
that provides jumbo-sized games for adult parties.
Imagine playing a giant game of Jenga at your office
Christmas party, or Twister at your sister’s stuffy
second wedding.
Vachon’s business partner in crime, Bach’s life
started out as a blur of sheet music and string
quartets, collecting vintage clothes and hanging
out with “freaks” at punk shows. She moved to
Vancouver almost a decade ago, where she now
jams sheet free with her instrumental rock band
Dirty Spells. One spontaneous whiskey-swilling
night in Bach’s apartment found her and Vachon’s
worlds collide when they landed on a passion project
centred on nostalgia, and connecting weirdos
through the love of parties.
Bonkers now offers Tickle Trunks, which are
rentable costume-party kits. According to Bach
they are designed to bring even the shyest of nerds
out of their shells. And for all you other weirdos,
if swilling whiskey as the sun comes up isn’t awesome
enough, we’re told that doing it in a blue wig
dressed as Colonel Mustard is even better. Vachon
and Bach swear by it anyway. We caught up with
the duo to find more about what makes Bonkers
bonkers.
BR: Each trunk has a theme, right? What sort of
themes are we talking about here?
EB: We have three trunks at this time. Who Dunnit:
A Clue Themed Tickle Trunk. This has complete
costumes for all of the main characters you'd
expect to see in a game of Clue. The costumes are
various sizes, but it's way funnier if it doesn't fit
properly.
Blast From the Past: A 60's & 70's Trunk. This trunk
has various vintage items from an era I would have
loved to be alive for. It's very mix and match, very
obsolete fabrics. We've even included a lava lamp
and a fibre optic lamp to set the vibe.
Tight and Bright Under Black Lights. Everything is
obnoxiously colourful, many things are stretchy,
and if you're going to a warehouse rave in 1995 this
is the kit for you. We're also building Spotify playlists
that work with the theme of each trunk!
BR: What kind of music do you two like to listen
to while you work?
DV: I love new music and I am a sucker for mellow
indie folk and/or electronic with sweet vocals. My
favourite Vancouver locals are Bob Moses, Dralms,
Brasstronaut, Eric Campbell & The Dirt, Youngblood,
and Dirty Spells.
EB: Instrumental, minimalist or classical.
BR: What is the most important thing to keep in
mind when planning a party?
DV: It depends on the size. If we're just talking a
small house party, then snacks, bevs, entertainment
and good tunes is all you need.
EB: For me, playlist. Definitely also go off-map, but
when everyone blanks on a great new record, it's
great to have a prepared playlist to defer to. Otherwise
you'll get stuck in a YouTube downward spiral.
BR: What is the most rewarding part about your
job?
DV: I love working on my own schedule. And it's
really rewarding to get to work with Emily and have
lots of laughs about silly costumes. And doing the
photo shoots and video shoots doesn't feel like
work at all.
EB: I love curating these trunks! Thrifting for
hours, and stumbling upon increasingly ridiculous
ideas (like combover wigs, or patent silver high
tops). My favourite moment was when I realized
that Mrs. White wears shorts.
BR: You’ve got Giant Jenga, Connect Four and
Yahtzee, what’s next for the Bonkers team?
DV: In game land, I must say I really want to get
a man-sized operation table. They're really, really
expensive though. And a huge battleship would
be amazing. As for Tickle Trunks... sky's the limit!
We have some future theme ideas including ’80s,
onesies, ugly Christmas sweaters and a sci-fi trunk.
EB: I want to try giant Twister!! Dani, can we have a
very serious business meeting where we play giant
Twister? And I want to start building cyborg limbs
for the sci-fi trunk (I know a guy).
For more information about Bonkers and
how to rent one of their giant games or
tickle trunks check out www.bonkersgames.com
BeatRoute: Where did you get the idea for Tickle
Trunks?
Emily Bach: I've collected vintage and weird
clothing since high school. The crowd that I hung
out with in those days were called "The Freaks"
(charming, right?). We wore thrift store clothes and
went to punk shows. Flash forward 20 years, I still
have a fondness for the strange and unusual. When
my former roommate Laurel's grandma gave her an
old, metal trunk, we piled all of our funny clothes
into one spot, and whenever we found ourselves
at home and drinking, dressing up became part of
the fun. Dani spent many a night knee-deep in our
tickle trunk, and she had the vision to bring this
hilarity to the masses.
Dani Vachon and Emily Bach have the secret ingredient for your party with Tickle Trunks and jumbo board games.
4
July 2017

MUSIC
THE DRUMS
ironically embracing all that is futile
SAFIYA HOPFE
The Drums’ beach-bum sound is classic.
The success of Portamento in 2011 secured
them as masters of blending the
modern and the nostalgic, the synthy
and the surfy, the freshness of the Beach
Boys with the grime of the Kinks. Now
they return — or, rather, Jonny Pierce
does — as the last man standing of the
seven-year-old project with something
distinctly edgy. A sometimes cacophonic
landscape of angst and self realization,
Abysmal Thoughts is Pierce’s emergence
as a fully individual artist.
Then again, Pierce states that The
Drums have always been a sort of solo
project for him, he was just never vocal
about it until now. Although the transition
after bandmate Jacob Graham’s
departure was somewhat of a relief to
Pierce, creatively speaking, the album
illustrates anything but constancy and
serenity. In Pierce’s words, the album
is about searching for hope and mostly
coming up empty.
“I had just come out of a serious relationship,
that I thought was going to
last forever. It crushed me that it fell
apart and I found myself spinning out
of control,” he says. “So yeah, I guess the
album is in a sense about longing. Longing
to feel a sense of hope again. Longing
to know who I am and what I want. It's
very introspective when you compare it
to my past works. When Jacob left the
band, I started to feel a small but subtle
strength start to rise in me. I felt like I
needed to make a new album and that
his leaving was not a burden, but rather
a gift. This was my chance to find my
voice and make it known. It was a huge
opportunity and I sunk my teeth into
it.”
As the title teases at, Abysmal
Thoughts is a wild cocktail of existential
anxiety and self-navigation. “Head of the
Horse,” for one, addresses the tumultuous
story of Pierce coming out to an
unaccepting father. Pierce openly states
overall that the childhood trauma he
has dealt with and watched bleed into
his adult life helped make the album
what it is. But the record isn't meant to
be tragic per say, or depict a fractured
and unsalvageable reality. Pierce breaks
down the worldview from which Abysmal
Thoughts grew.
“I guess I just always come back to
the ‘what's the point of it all?’ question. I
mean, we all came from single-celled organisms.
There was a time where we had
fins and gills and we lived underwater.
Through variations or defects in nature
over the course of of billions of years, we
have evolved into the humans that we
are now. To not believe in a divine creator
is courageous. It takes strength to
admit that we are just these primal animals
at the end of the day. We breathe,
eat, fuck and die. That can be really
scary. However, more and more I find
that it makes me feel more at peace.
Here is why: while the whole world is
spinning out of control and everyone is
fighting to get to the ‘top,’ I can sit back
and know that, yeah, Father John Misty
might end up ruling the world, but at
the end of the day he and I are both
gonna die and turn to dust.”
In other words, the tragedy of life
cancels itself out. More than anything,
ironically embracing all that is futile
and melancholy is the essence of what
Pierce has spent this pivotal time cooking
up. Abysmal Thoughts is colourful
not despite but because of its grim atmosphere,
and its maker is more than
ready to share it with the world.
The Drums perform July 18 at
Venue (Vancouver).
Newly solo, Jonny Pierce spreads his wings and makes the Drums all his own.
SHE-DEVILS
garage rock demons get the last laugh
She-Devils perfect an edgy but relatable sound on new album, The World Laughs.
EMILY BLATTA
There’s nothing really hellish about the Montreal
act She-Devils, but they certainly have been hot as
hell lately.
The musical duo comprised of Audrey Ann and
Kyle Jukka will be touring their third LP this summer,
The World Laughs, which features art-house
style sounds inspired by ’60s garage rock. Although
no longer working from the garage, the pair still
works with samples and track-loops as the necessary
tools to stoking the coals of their tracks.
Currently under the label Secretly Canadian, the
pair has been one of Montreal’s best-kept secrets,
existing mainly underground and through word
of mouth. Ann and Jukka first met as roommates
while living in the city’s Mile-End neighbourhood,
known for its prominent arts community and
music scene. During the band’s formative years,
exposure to those scenes and spaces was all that
was necessary to grab the attention of local fans—
which were simultaneously also friends—and the
She-Devils were able to survive primarily offline by
way of casual shows that were grungy, mysterious
and off the grid. But their following has quickly
grown-up in the few years they’ve been together,
and the pair is clear that they’re ready for something
new.
“The thing about Montreal is that everyone is
really poor, and artists are doing things with very
little means. It’s good to be resourceful in the beginning
for sure, but it’s definitely something I’d like
to grow from,” says Ann.
The young singer also emphasizes that, although
the She-Devils have been built on a neighbourhood
of struggling artists, their music isn’t for one specific
kind of person. In other words, retro-alternative
music doesn’t have to only serve those who
traditionally fit that mold, but should also include
people who transcend the underground aesthetic
altogether and emulate other, more diverse
things—awkward teens, nine-to-five dreamers and
anyone else repressed or misunderstood are all invited.
“When I think of myself as a teenager and the relationship
I had with music, I want this album to be
a safe place for people,” she adds. Ann makes room
for all of this while at the same time remaining
untouchable and in the past. Her and Lukka don’t
come out with themselves altogether, but work
hard to exist creatively in spaces that have already
been opened, and push to re-invent their meaning.
“We’d sample something and then kind of fuck
with it, layer sounds and that sort of thing. It’s kind
of like imitation I guess. That’s just the way I’ve
learned to make music,” says Lukka.
This approach to music-making hasn’t worked
for everyone, but it has for them. The World Laughs
is edgy and relatable, without being too easy to digest.
Having obvious notes of Serge Gainsbourg
and grey shades of Nico, the She-Devils succeed at
being pretentious, sensual and enigmatic in that
they seep in and out of eras to defy their context.
Some songs beg for you to run away with them and
others won’t let you come, but all will have you
feeling dizzy in the best way possible.
She-Devils perform July 10 with Beach Fossils
at the Biltmore.
July 2017 MUSIC
5

MUSIC
ALGIERS
a revolution one day at a time
WILLEM THOMAS
Algiers is a band very necessary for these strange times, creating music
so righteously furious, unique and forthright as to be deserving
of the term biblical. They heave everything onto the creative table,
crushing the listener with a phalanx of ideas, questions and powerful,
genre-defying sounds. Mixing elements of post-punk and afropunk,
southern gospel, industrial noise and soul in such a manner as to
make the insane-on-paper act look easy, Algiers manage to create an
album that challenges both itself and its audience, encapsulating the
thematic idea of an endless struggle. The band’s name is in reference
to anti-colonial efforts the world over, with the Algerian Revolution
of the 1950s being the namesake inspiration. They might just be the
band we all need right now.
Speaking to BeatRoute from Paris while on tour with Depeche
Mode, Algiers come across appreciative, thoughtful and still basking
in the glow of the relatively new lives they lead as professional musicians,
which involve their second LP The Underside of Power.
“Making a record and touring with a label like Matador isn't something
I ever thought would happen,” says guitarist Lee Tesche. “ We
never had delusions of grandeur that this band was anything more
than something necessary to us to make sense of the world.”
The band, now a London-based multinational unit with the addition
of drummer and ex-Bloc Party member Matt Tong, comes from
Atlanta, GA, where its original members—guitarist Tesche, vocalist/
guitarist Franklin James Fisher, and bassist Ryan Mahan—all grew up.
Music helped the group to heal from and process the political turmoil,
racism and economic disparity surrounding them growing up
in the American south during Bush's presidency.
Having released their first self-titled LP in 2015, the relatively
young Algiers has already made a sizeable impact culturally, at least
in Europe. They've encountered slightly less spirited reception in their
home country. “ Even though we're from Atlanta, sometimes it feels
like we're a European band trying to crack the States,” says Tesche. “
In American music culture there's a need to put everything ina specific
box for people to get it.”
“Because we combine so many influences that might not traditionally
go together, there can be a challenge to get the point across in
America,” Tong adds.
The Underside of Power was recorded over a year of drastic change.
From starting the recording process with Adrian Utley of Portishead
in Bristol, UK just after Brexit, to finishing it in New York at the height
of the US presidential campaign, the album was created in the middle
of opposition, and under currents of pressure and excitement.
“We turned in the masters of the LP during the inauguration,” says
Tesche with a laugh. The album plunges deeper into the territory they
explored on their first record, but the song-writing takes a more melodic,
focused turn. The second single “ Cleveland,” about Tamir Rice,
juxtaposes tragic subject matter with a triumphant tone, as if to rise
above in unity.
For Algiers, this tour has been a rewarding experience that’s helped
shine a light on the subject matter and music that influence them.
About the past few months, Tesche says “ From creating and getting
ready to release the record, to playing huge stadiums with a band like
Depeche Mode, right after having recorded with Massive Attack...
things are going okay right now.”
Algiers perform at the Cobalt on July 13.
Algiers latest album, The Underside Of Power, was created in the middle of opposition and under currents of pressure and excitement.
PICKWICK
providing a refuge in uncertain times
With its smooth tones and easy-listening vibes, Pickwick’s new album, Lovejoys, offers an escape for what ails you.
ADAM DEANE
Well, it’s happened. The three-way lovechild of
Freddy Mercury, Dan Auerbach and Stevie Wonder
has been unearthed – and where else but right
here in the Pacific Northwest.
I know what you’re thinking… That must be one
handsome child. You are correct, my friends. Not
only is Pickwick’s lead vocalist, Galen Disston a
looker; the soul leaches from his lips like that of the
speakers on your Grandpa’s old Crosley Fiver.
Disston and the band have been working day
6 MUSIC
and night to record what will become the record all
the hipsters, folksters, hip-hopsters and rocksters
will be grooving collectively to all Summer. Lovejoys,
Pickwick’s most recent creation will be available
for the public to devour as of July 7.
Of the new record, Disston stressed he would
love the songs to be an escape from uncertain
times both politically and beyond. Pickwick has
always been a band that takes risks to constantly
evolve in an ever-mutating Seattle music scene.
photo by Ellie Lillstrom
“I think we did feel a lot of pressure after our
first record, Can’t Talk Medicine, to make a good
commercial follow-up to please the fans, but honestly
I think because we went through so many incarnations
of the record, we had to sort of shed all
of those expectations and get to a place where we
found something that we enjoyed making. It was
something we needed to get out.”
Disston has that alarming, catch-you-off-guard
honesty and soft-disposition for the out-of-control
fire hose he is on stage. Admitting that the band is
still on the proverbial cusp that separates slap-youin-the-face-reality
and the idea of actually making
a career out of playing an instrument and pouring
your heart out to a crowd, Disston seems to find an
odd balance most of us are still searching for. Rather
than fighting the current, he draws inspiration
from his day job as a window-washer, his family-life
in the organic music capital of the world (Seattle)
and the harsh realities that exist in our world today.
Lovejoys was the product of an escape in and of
itself and the tracks are reminiscent of a simpler
time, one that involved more love, fewer problems
and lower gas-prices.
“It was a very different experience. It feels like a
destination. It felt that way while we were recording
it. While I listen to it, it’s almost like I can return
to that time and place. We’d written and recorded
a lot of it before things changed politically here,
but shit just seems crazy. It was an escape for us
to go down to the basement and write and record
music.”
You always hope that the tracks in which you
hand your conscious-self to give just as much pleasure
and comfort to the artists while producing
them. Lovejoys couldn’t be more appropriately
named. With its smooth tones, easy-listening vibes
and just a hint of maniacal genius, smiles are laced
throughout every track – you can’t help but to finish
and brag about it to any moving-body who’ll
listen.
Pickwick perform at the Rickshaw Theatre
on July 29.
July 2017

July 2017 7

8
July 2017

QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT
hitting the road for a summer vacation party
MORE BETTY
GENEVA JACUZZI
a weird and wonderful musical smorgasbord
MUSIC
photo by Gina Canavan
Judging by the announcements, it seems the New
Orleans based husband and wife duo, Quintron and
Miss Pussycat are indeed heading out for a summer
vacation. Not entirely sure about what their
suitcases might be packing as they leave that party
mecca. There is one sure fact, and yes, it is all-true,
once you’ve drank that Louisiana tap water, you just
can’t shake that swamp magic, but you can let it
shake you. Their unique audio-visual extravaganza
just oozes with tainted charm, even after fifteen
plus years. With a well-documented track record
of frenzied dates, proven to rattle the ordinary out
of any average day. Go ahead, blame it on the beat
(see Drum Buddy) or those hypnotizing maracas
(see Miss Pussycat) or something about the Hammond-Leslie
combination (see Quintron’s ride); and
yes, things may never be the same again, even after
just one live show.
Quintron, the audio-centric half, picks up the
phone as he prepares for rehearsals at Spellcaster
Lodge in NOLA. He kindly sets aside a few moments
to talk about their current tour plans with words
like “celebration” and “vacation” popping into the
conversation and explained that the heart of this
tour will revolve around select West Coast, Midwest
and Canadian dates. These are sandwiched
between two special festivals, one in Oakland at
the Burger Boogaloo, and then off to the National
Puppetry Festival in St. Paul Minnesota. As for new
news, Miss Pussycat, the visual half, will showcase
a puppet show that has not been seen on the west
coast. Hints? So sorry, no spoilers, you will just have
wait to see it!
For those who are not familiar with the liberating
nature of these live shows, to say the least it defies
a simple written descriptive. Again, you really have
to be there. The fun does straddle the infectious
dance grooves produced by the glorious noise of
Quintron’s Hammond and custom sound devices,
contrasted by Miss Pussycat’s cozy and artful
puppets. Those creatures have the capacity to manipulate
the audience into hysterical laughter one
moment and reduce them to a hush the next. There
is still another tangible magic at work here, and it’s
the juxtaposition of these two artists and how this
contrast feeds their collective process. “I’m dark and
stormy, she’s bright and sunny,” says Quintron, at
first thought as he begins to analyze the differences.
“I don’t walk through the world with my eyes, [and]
she does so much, exclusively. It’s amazing and frustrating,
because I really walk through the world with
my ears. I didn't really realize we had that match for
years.” Quintron describes how Miss Pussycat is so
visual and she “sees everything,” while he barely
pays attention to even what colour he is wearing.
“It’s beautiful. She has got skills. You can see it in her
puppet shows, in her clothes. She has strong opinions
of every colour you can name,” he adds. As with
her visual nature, he noted it was similar to his focus
for sound based elements. “We don’t argue because
we don’t have the same skill sets,” he explains. The
conclusion? Sounds like the perfect collaboration of
opposites.
If you have caught Quintron and Miss Pussycat’s
show before, consider this your advance notice! If
you are new to the experience, get set to dance like
you never have before and dress appropriate, they
just might be conjuring up your own mini summer
vacation! Remember, this one is an early evening
show so check your ticket times.
Quintron and Miss Pussycat will perform at
Fortune Sound Club Saturday July 8.
Quintron And Miss Pussycat take their unforgettable live show on the road again.
photo by Gary Lavourde
Geneva Jacuzzi embraces the weird from beginning to end while crossing boundaries into new media.
JAMIE GOYMAN
Think giant tentacles reaching out to the darkest
corners of the room while sound waves pulsate
through your eardrums urging you to dance. The
Los Angeles based avant-garde disco inspired
pop artist Geneva Jacuzzi is an amalgamation of
different aspects of the creative art world and
has been pushing the weird that's trapped inside
her creative mind for everyone to explore since
2008. A woman of many talents (lighting, video,
costume, performance, music) Geneva does it all;
that mad dash, sickening rush felt when all eyes
are on you for a good show, she loves and thrives
off of it.
"I have a weird thing about me where I agree to
do certain things without knowing how I'm going
to do them,” she says. “It's that insanity that
happens in the middle of that pressure where I
start to recognize those silly aspects of myself
and expand on them in the most ridiculous ways
I can. I like challenges; I get off on them. I'll say yes
to something that I know is going to destroy me
because I just want to see if I can do it."
Coming off preparation for her massive Warhol
inspired show she just did at The Broad museum,
Geneva talks with such excitement and life
behind her words it's hard not to be captivated
by her work and want to catch the whole package
live. "I build landscapes, an atmosphere or
sometimes I put on a play, there is just always
some sort of object I'm interacting with when it
comes to live shows," she says. "I do something
that is kind of neat that doesn't fit in any one
place, but also fits anywhere. I can play a festival
or a museum or in a gallery; it's a self contained
weird little beast that I create and I can go anywhere.
It incorporates music and visual arts. It's a
big fucking smorgasbord." We love all you can eat
art displays and her latest tour with Nite Jewel
promises to be a good one. Geneva’s last album,
2016's Technophelia (Medical Records LLC), gave
audiences tracks that create movement from
within, tracks like "Technophelia" which sums
up the abstract nature of her work, the danceable
and fun "Cannibal Babies" or "Squid Hunter"
each throw listeners into the world Geneva has
constructed while causing all bodies involved to
move. Intentional or not, your body will shake
with the world she creates. "What ends of happening
is weird shit comes out and nobody can
stop me."
The following months will see Geneva Jacuzzi
yet again push her personal boundaries by not
only making more music as the first plan of attack,
but also pushing into creating art - "residencies
and exhibitions," she tells. "I'm going to move
into different territories and push out."
Colliding worlds with her imaginative and intoxicating
form of expression, Geneva uses her
magic, or "gooey stuff" as she calls it, to reach out,
fills listeners up and sticks when the play button
is hit. "When you have an abstract situation it has
the ability to be interpreted beyond language
and clear definitions. It's a better form of connection
between the person viewing and the person
creating the work," she says. "Songs I pick have a
bit of that goo to them and then I organize them
into a weird journey from beginning to end. I find
the gooey songs - all that sludge found in the Jacuzzi."
Geneva Jacuzzi performs July 11 at the
Fox Cabaret.
July 2017 MUSIC
9

10 MUSIC
July 2017

UPTIGHTS
sensible rock and roll without a mould
MARK BUDD
Time and space — the essential forces on life’s path
towards sensibility. When we separate time and
space, we expose the self-doubt that colours life’s
perils.
Time+Space, the new album from Vancouver’s
Uptights, explores sensibility and self-doubt
through a flight of anthemic rock songs. “It’s a nod
to our own lives and the experience of making this
record,” states guitarist Jason Stevenson. Recording
the album took longer than expected after a bike
accident required organist Jesse Gander to take
time to heal. So Uptights slowed their pace and
recorded in pieces over the following months. Stevenson
points out that chipping away at the record
gave Gander space to produce, “Ultimately creating
a more nuanced recording.”
The nuances are in the crucial instrumental
balance — a distinctive distorted guitar jangle, a
swirling organ, the tasteful rhythm and bass duo of
Barry Higginson and Tyler Mounteney — that flies
alongside a rich vocal presence. Sing-a-long hooks
are peppered throughout Time+Space, and each
Uptight contributes lead and harmony vocals. It
gives the record a collaborative and consistent feel.
“We thought that suited the vibe of the way we
approach songwriting,” Stevenson explains. There is
a similar balance on Time+Space retained from last
year’s singles collection EP. Stevenson and Gander
SAM TUDOR
alt-folk king grows up and dreams big
MAT WILKINS
Sam Tudor’s new album Quotidian Dream is slated
to drop later this summer, and in the event that
this is the first you’ve heard of him, congratulations:
you’re just in time. In the wake of his debut album,
The Modern New Year, released three years ago, Tudor
has capitalized on the opportunity for an auditory
changeup with a deftness and creativity that
would make even a musical makeoverist like T-Pain
green with envy.
“I grew up in a community that really appreciated
acoustic instrumentation and earthy vibes,” says
Tudor of his pre-Vancouver days in William’s Lake,
BC. After moving to Vancouver, however, (with a
population almost 300 times as large) new influences
were plenty— if not a little incessant. Having
spent his childhood in Gavin Lake Forest Research
Centre where his father is camp manager, Tudor’s
relationship with things like music blogs and social
media naturally became intimate a smidge later
than most.
“I started getting caught up in contextualizing
my music; I tried placing it somewhere in relation to
what people thought about it, but I realized doing
that can be restrictive and stressful.”
Tudor’s relationship with his own creativity continued
going through changes during his three year
hiatus, eventually culminating in a full length album
that was written, recorded, yet never released. With
his sights set on artistic integrity, (and deciding to
The Uptights cure self-doubt with anthemic rock and roll that defies convention.
continue to share lead vocals equally. However, the
rhythm and bass duo each take a turn in front of the
microphone on songs like “Brinkmanship” and “In
the Park.” These songs temper the otherwise energetic
and up-tempo pace of the album.
The pace is expected. Uptights are a rock and
roll band that harbours power-pop and garage sensibilities.
Stevenson suggests, “None of us are so
committed to an aesthetic that we feel we need to
squeeze the songs into a mould.” And so the fourpiece
aptly guides the musical shape with lyrical
commentary on indecision and acceptance that
settle for nothing less than an authentic and masterful
record) the unnamed project was archived
and forgotten. This meticulousness shines through
in the album, a carefully considered collection of
music covering a breadth of emotion and insight
that will keep listeners captivated from start to finish.
The music of Quotidian Dream was influenced
by various scenes in Vancouver that Tudor experienced
first-hand, including genres like noise, psych
rock and jazz. But as a recent film graduate from
UBC, he claims to have found an unexpected but
considerable amount of influence in cult cinema of
all things. Describing the main inspiration for the
album’s concept as being like the opening scene
of Blue Velvet, Tudor says he often found himself
feeling uneasy and confused about the all-too-common
facade of perfection hovering over Vancouver,
as a collective while a chaotic unease oozes and
swirls beneath its shiny surface. Quotidian Dream is
an album that is lyrically insightful, beautifully selfaware
and sonically interesting, providing listeners
with an excellent collection of music that will tide
them over for years to come— but lets all hope
that’s not too far down the road!
Sam Tudor’s Quotidan Dream is available
online now via Bandcamp.
photo by Ryan Walter Wagner
gives vivid substance — like a cleaner sounding
Stiff Records band accented with the heartfelt honesty
of Reigning Sound.
Uptights have followed a sensible trajectory:
write songs, make records, play shows. With their
newest album, the four-piece remains right on target
to offering variety and spice in the world of rock
and roll.
Uptights play their album release for
Time+Space at The Biltmore Cabaret July 7
with Little Sprout and Brutal Poodle.
photo by Pat Valade
Sam Tudor’s new album is an absolute dream.
MUSIC
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July 2017 MUSIC
11

ROCKET FROM RUSSIA
Siberian radio personality celebrates Vancouver’s punk rock scene with two-day festival
JOHNNY PAPAN
Tim Bogdachev is the eccentric radio
personality who hosts the punk-rock
Rocket from Russia program on CiTR
101.1. Moving to Canada from the city
of Novosibirsk, Siberia in 2005, Bogdachev
was proactive in immersing
himself within Vancouver’s punk community.
“Me being me, before the trip I went
on the Russian dial-up Internet, found
some Vancouver punk rock forum and
started talking to people on there.” Bogdachev
explains. After connecting with
Tim Krysko who runs the Punk International
website, Bogdachev was soon
introduced to Eric Flexyourhead, who
hosted CiTR’s hardcore radio show Flex
Your Head from 1989-2007. “I ended up
as a guest and talked about the Russian
punk scene in broken English on Eric's
show. This is how I found out that CiTR
existed.”
Now, Bogdachev is the host of his
own CiTR program, Rocket to Russia,
which airs Thursdays at 10am. The
show features local and international
punk music, as well as artist interviews.
To date, Bogdachev has spoken with
high-profile acts such as Against Me!,
the Descendants, Anti-Flag, Lagwagon,
and Gogol Bordello, to name a few. Bogdachev
learned much of his interviewing
skills from Nardwuar, the Human
Serviette, who also runs a weekly CiTR
program. “His level of knowledge, research
and awareness always fascinated
me. To this day I learn things from him.
I'm a curious person as well, so I'm really
interested in bands which I like.”
Rocket to Russia Festival is set to be
one of the final shows to grace Vancouver’s
locally renowned Media Club,
which will be sadly shutting its doors in
August. This two-day event will feature
some of Vancouver’s best punk outfits,
including the Isotopes, You Big Idiot, the
Corps, Contra Code and Bogdachev’s
own band: Russian Tim and the Pavel
Bures.
“I've done many shows at this venue.
I really like the room, I do shows for 100-
150 people. I'm confident that a punk
show must have that energy of a full
room.” Bogdachev continues: “Media
Club is great because there is nothing
else to do, no pool, no pinball machines.
You have to watch the band. I like that
because I really think those bands are
great and people should watch them.”
When asked about the parallels between
the Canadian and Russian punk
rock communities, Bogdachev states:
“The similarity is that there is the same
passion for punk music, that rebellious
desire and DIY approach. That’s
what drives both scenes.” Bogdachev
continues: “In my opinion, to have a
strong scene you need to have quite a
few factors come together. At the same
geographical location you need to have
people who want to play punk rock music,
people who would listen to people
play punk rock and places for all that to
happen.”
“With the closure of Media Club I
would have to migrate to another location
to do our shows, so if any bar owner
wants to have five great local bands play
at their bar, we're open for a conversation.
You'll sell booze, we'll bring 150
people and drink your booze.“
Rocket to Russia Festival takes
place on July 21 and 22 at the Media
Club in Vancouver.
Tim Bogdachev brings one last local music hurrah to the Media Club.
art by Steve Kitchen
12 MUSIC
July 2017

MELVINS
godfathers of grunge take a walk with love and death
THE SKINNY
JOHNNY PAPAN
The Melvins don’t follow traditional form. They are not heavy metal
or alternative rock and their experimental approach to songwriting
has juxtaposed them into a genre-defying void of their own. It’s hard
to categorize what exactly the Melvins are stylistically. All you need to
know is they’re raw, distorted and sometimes unfamiliar.
Often credited for their direct influence on bands like Soundgarden
and Nirvana, the Melvins’ vastly noisy-to-mellow rock hybrid
would plant the seeds to the 90s punk-rock trend soon marketed as
“grunge.”
Dale Crover, the soft-spoken yet hard-hitting drummer of the band
touches on being lumped into the scene. “Sometimes we might get
pigeon holed into that, but people are figuring out Melvins are not
some old sound from a certain time period. We were something completely
different and separate, but somehow influenced that whole
thing.”
While in the Melvins, Crover also performed bass and drums on
the 1985 cassette-tape demo Illiteracy Will Prevail, the first known
original-music recordings of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Crover
also makes appearances on the Nirvana albums Bleach, Incesticide,
and the With the Lights Out. This only scratches the surface to his
expansive and diverse discography, which will soon feature his first
solo record The Fickle Finger of Fate.
“Our area was really isolated. Buzz [[Osborne]] was the one that
was into underground music and weird obscure stuff. Stuff that
wasn’t your normal pop music. Without him being into that, none of
us would be where we are. Not the Nirvana guys, not me.”
Buzz Osborne is the eccentric singer-songwriter of the Melvins,
who consistently explores the possibilities of creation. “I’m always
looking for something to kick me out of any kind of corner I may have
painted myself into,” Osborne explains.
The Melvins are set to release their whopping 26th studio release
A Walk With Love & Death, named after the John Huston film, on July
7. Split in two parts, Death, the first section of the album, is a more
REVOCATION
Boston metal powerhouse repents with fury
traditional Melvin’s song collection, though in its own right, still sets
itself apart from their past works. Love, on the other hand, is a noisy,
experimental soundtrack for the band’s upcoming short film, which
shares its title with the new album.
“Love was a completely different experience because we were writing
a soundtrack for a movie that doesn’t exist,” Osbourne states.
Unconventionally, the self-produced short-film, directed by Jesse
Nieminen, is being made to support the soundtrack, as opposed to
the other way around. “We always thought our stuff was perfect for
soundtracks. It wasn’t happening so we decided to do it ourselves.”
This isn’t the Melvin’s first venture into cinema. In 2015 they
self-produced and released Across the U.S.A. in 51 Days: The Movie!
This film documented their 2012 North American tour in which they
performed 51 shows in every U.S. state in 51 days. This documentary
is roughly 51 minutes, dedicating a minute to each location.
In terms of what their upcoming movie is about, Crover and Osborne
don’t say much. “It’s about a man in trouble,” Osborne expresses.
Crover chimes in: “I’ve seen little clips of it. It’s definitely strange.
Definitely.”
The band gave the director personal photographs and footage for
the piece. A surrealistic, almost lynchian trailer has been released and
is available on YouTube.
This is the first record to fully feature bassist Steven McDonald,
who recently made guest appearances on the Melvins’ last effort
Basses Loaded. A Walk With Love & Death also features some guest
performances, including guitarwork by Joey Santiago of the Pixies.
Creatively, Osborne doesn’t give too much away on the lyrical content
of the album. “I’m not really a lead someone down the garden
path kind of lyricist. I work really hard on the lyrics and a lot of people
say they mean nothing. I say your head has nothing in it if it means
nothing.”
“We are non traditional band, so people should not expect us to do
traditional types of things,” Osborne states. He credits the experimental
nature of the Melvins to a lack of classical training. “I don’t know
how to read music, I didn’t take guitar lessons. I learned on my own.”
Osborne concludes: “We focus on ways of writing music that are
not in the traditional form. Or we’ll take an untraditional way of doing
something and apply it to traditional song structure. It doesn’t
always work, but you have to wave through it all and see what comes
out on the other side.”
Melvins perform at Venue Nightclub (Vancouver) on July 14.
photo by Chris Casella
Melvins prepare to crush your summer with their massive two-part opus.
Heavy metal heavyweights Revocation bring dynamism to the Armstrong Metal Fest.
BRAYDEN TURENNE
This year’s Armstrong music festival is set to let
loose a plethora of diverse bands bursting up from
the underground. Crowning off the whole fest is
Boston’s Revocation, a band that has risen in popularity
at a pace almost as furious as the music
they produce. With a sound that dabbles in various
streams of musical influence, both metal and
otherwise, the band has found a way to execute a
dynamism and variety in their songs tends to defy
any particular sub genre within the scene.
“I think there's always room to expand our
sound, that being said I think it's important to
work with certain parameters to keep a specific
aesthetic,” notes band founder and frontman, Dave
Davidson. Despite the multifaceted nature of their
sound, each and every track across the band’s six
album discography is undoubtedly Revocation.
The band’s latest offering, Great Is Our Sin,
reaches higher in both quality and concept, with
lyrical themes examining the doomed nature of
man, which, especially in this modern era, is more
relevant than ever.
“The world around me definitely influences my
lyrics, but I also like to look back at history to gain
inspiration,” Davidson claims. “There are a lot of
themes that seem to repeat themselves over and
over again which is interesting because I think it
says a lot about humanity. Even as technology advances,
we still cling to old ways of thinking and
repeat similar mistakes. That notion was a driving
force behind the lyrics.”
Davidson’s lyrics have always had a wide spectrum
of influence. “It could be current events,
history [or] pure fiction. I draw a lot of inspiration
from the works of H.P. Lovecraft because he created
such a vast universe with his stories. I've always
been a fan of sci-fi horror, even when I was just a
young kid, so it's only natural that those types of
influences creep into the lyric writing process.”
Revocation have recently embraced a new
drummer in Ash Pearson, former member of Vancouver
legends, 3 Inches Of Blood. “Ash is able to
bring his own style to the band,” said Davidson, “I
think we're playing tighter than we ever have before.
We're all really locked in and Ash is a big part
of that. Drums are really the backbone of metal and
he's one of the most consistent drummers in the
business, he's killing it behind the kit every night.”
Revocation headlines Armstrong Metal
Fest which takes place July 14 and 15 in
Armstrong, BC.
July 2017 13
THE SKINNY

THE SKINNY
EVERY TIME I DIE
hardcore with a blue-collar mentality
HEATH FENTON
To make a go of it in the hardcore/metal/punk
scene it takes immense dedication.
Unfortunately, with the exception
of a few bands, this type of music has a
hard time gaining mainstream acceptance.
In today’s musical landscape,
constant touring and putting your life
into a band is what it takes for the underground
to surface. Buffalo’s Every
Time I Die has been punching the clock
for almost two decades now, sacrificing
family commitments, friendships, and
financial stability; all just to keep their
music career afloat.
You can’t confuse the cause and effect.
It’s not that we worked jobs until
the band became our job and then quit.
We quit our jobs and then made the
band our job. We gave up everything
to make the band work. That’s the only
way to do it, take dumb risks,” vocalist
Keith Buckley explains. “We’re too old
and broken to do anything else during
the day. For that one hour we’re on
stage, that is the only time in 24 hours
that our hearts are racing. We save every
ounce of energy for the stage. We
don't waste it on partying until 4 am or
playing golf before the show. We give it
everything we have, that is our purpose,
our reason for being. When people see
us, they're seeing us at our best every
night.”
Buckley formed the band with his
brother Jordan and childhood friend
Andy Williams, both guitarists, back in
1998. Since then there has been a carousel
of support members, but bassist
Stephen Micciche and drummer Daniel
Davison take up current residency.
1998 was a pivotal time in the extreme
music scene. The world was getting
sick of nu metal and bands like Dillinger
Escape Plan and Killswitch Engage
were starting a new, yet-to-be defined
scene that was steeped in hardcore and
Every Time I Die age gracefully and ride the tides of change with their eighth proper release, Low Teens.
punk, fused with metal. Every Time I Die
would fit right into this mold.
Every Time I Die’s 2003 record Hot
Damn is considered a groundbreaking
release. They have been stalwarts in a
scene that prides itself on the blue-collar
mentality necessary in an ever-changing
music scene. With music that spans grit
points such as math metal, classic rock
and gutter ball hardcore, Every Time I
Die are one of the bar setters in what
would become a diverse musical mentality
bent on attracting a wide variety
of fans. In 2016 came their latest slab of
glory, their 8th record, Low Teens. With
this, Every Time I Die has now outlasted
most of their contemporaries.
“Low Teens is absolutely not a departure
in sound by any means, but there
was a lot surrounding the writing/recording
that took us out of our comfort
zones. We didn’t resist change or doubt.
We explored it. What resulted is without
a doubt our best record. The only
photo by Josh Halling
constant for us is change,” states Buckley.
Now they take Teens to the road and
renter the grind.
“It’s always a challenge, but that is
what keep us on our toes. Always making
adjustments and tweaking things
and figuring out how to adapt. We’re
going to tour until the wheels fall off.”
Every Time I Die play the Rickshaw
Theatre on August 2 with openers
Neck Of The Woods, and Anchoress
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14 THE SKINNY
July 2017

photo by Jeremy Saffer
Not to be confused with WENDY 13, Wednesday 13 finds the horror in real life.
WEDNESDAY 13
horror-rock icon unleashes new album inspired by grim reality
JOHNNY PAPAN
On the Mount Rushmore of horror-rock, there is
no doubt Wednesday 13, born Joseph Poole, would
have his likeness carved in along the likes of Alice
Cooper, Rob Zombie and the Misfits. Developing
an underground following with Frankenstein Drag
Queens from Planet 13 in the early 90s, Poole’s
career was taken to the next level when receiving
contact from Slipknot’s Joey Jordison and joining
the cultivated horror-rock supergroup: Murderdolls.
Over a decade later, Wednesday 13 continues
making music as a solo artist. Though he is widely
known for writing about scary movies and their
characters, he decided to take things in a much
darker direction this time around, bringing light
to real-life horrors on his new album Condolences.
“I’ve been embracing different types of true
crime stories, I find them to be more and more
frightening these days.” Poole states. “Horror films
just don’t strike me the way they did than when
I was growing up. To be shocked I need to read
about something that’s really happened. I just start
going into the human mind, what makes them go
that way, and that’s what I write the songs about.“
Undoubtedly Poole’s heaviest and most mature
release to date, Condolences revolves around the
theme of death and lyrically, many songs on the
new album are inspired by the acts of serial killers.
The new track “You Breathe, I Kill” is about Richard
Ramirez who murdered 14 victims between 1984
and 1985 and was sentenced to death row.
The evils written in fiction and documented in
time aren’t Poole’s only source of inspiration. He
also draws influence from his personal life, usually
disguising his lyrics with monstrous metaphors.
“We had a song on our Calling All Corpses record
called ‘We All Die.’ When you listen to it, it sounds
like a zombie apocalypse but it was actually about
our experience being in Japan during the earthquake-tsunami
in 2011.” Poole was touring Japan
with Murderdolls during the Tōhoku 9.0 magnitude
undersea earthquake that tragically took over
15,000 lives. Touched by the event, Poole quickly
began doing charity work to support families affected.
The new record has already dawned four music
videos: “What the Night Brings,” “Blood Sick,”
“Cruel to You,” and the album’s title track: “Condolences.”
Poole is very involved with the creative
process behind these videos and plans to release
one for every song on the album.
In terms of Wednesday 13’s current tour, Poole
claims it’s the biggest and most elaborate he’s done
in his entire career. He hints at an almost classic Alice
Cooper-esque style performance.
“We have an amazing light show, an amazing
setlist and a theatrical show to go along with it.”
Pool concludes: “It’s like watching a movie, I feel
like we're doing something that not a lot of people
do anymore. If you wanna see something that's
entertaining, whether you like our music or not, I
think you'll walk away saying ‘wow that was an entertaining
show.’”
Wednesday 13 performs at the Rickshaw
Theatre (Vancouver) on July 22.

BPM
PAT LOK
finding the essence of holding on and letting go
HOLLIE MCGOWAN
“I’ve been here [in L.A.] for six weeks writing and playing
a few gigs, but I still live in Van,” the electronic music producer
and performer Pat Lok explains.
Over the past few years, Lok has gained a notable reputation
as one of Vancouver’s most prominent producers
both nationally and internationally. His recent achievements
of hitting over 2.5 million plays on Soundcloud and
appearing on major networks such as BBC Radio One has
helped to give not only the country, but the up-and-coming
West Coast city, a name for itself on the global stage.
“There are a lot of electronic music producers and artists
within the last decade that I’ve seen make their presence
known while letting their work speak for themselves,” says
Lok over Skype. “It’s cool because [where they’re from] is a
part of their story and a lot of people wear that Canadian
pride [without having to flaunt it].”
One of the major aspects of the Vancouver electronic
music scene, and many other Canadian music scenes for
that matter, is the multiplicity of influences found within
our country from East to West. “I think one of the benefits
that come with growing up in a place like Vancouver is
the exposure and diversity of cultures; it comes out in the
music that I like to make,” he says. “We’re not a country
founded on rebellion and we’re constantly evolving which
has made us very dynamic. That is our identity!”
With awareness of diversity in cultures comes an awareness
of diversity in people and their music tastes. Lok seeks
to write his music for a range of people and aims to bring
as many of them under his electronic music umbrella as
possible. “I try to write music for everyone from electronic
music nerds to people that didn’t even know that they may
like dance music,” he mentions. “If I can evoke something
out of myself with a finished track or song, I hope that it’s
also being communicated to others.”
On June 23, Lok released his debut album Hold On, Let
Go via the French record label Kitsune. The album itself, is
all about continuing your work as an artist while holding
on to the essence of what brought you there in the first
place: the music. “That’s what this whole process of writing
the record has been about,” Lok explains. “[The title
is] multifaceted and [references] my own personal growth
[as an artist]. It’s about knowing what things are truly important
and knowing what to let go of whether that’s your
songs, relationships, or your own hang-ups.’
“This record is a snapshot in time for me,” adds Lok. “I
wrote most of it on tour over the past half year, from Tokyo
to New York and from Los Angeles to Paris. Sonically it reflects
that up-and-down pace of the road and my effort to
find moments of peace amongst it. We are only the sum of
our experiences, but at the same time we can’t carry all of
it with us every day; so the real difficulty lies in choosing.”
Pat Lok performs at the Fox Cabaret on June 8.
Vancouver producer Pat Lok embraces dynamic identity on his album Hold On, Let Go.
BRASSTRACKS
life after Chance is sweet indeed
Producers Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne got no problems as they prepare to release a new project under Brasstracks.
ZOEI NIJJAR
Ivan Jackson and Conor Rayne are
living the Soundcloud bedroom producer’s
dream with their joint project,
Brasstracks. After three years of uploading
music to Soundcloud and one
Grammy win with Chance the Rapper,
Jackson and Rayne are playing festival
16 BPM
after festival and appearing on tracks
alongside Lil Wayne, 2 Chainz and
Schoolboy Q.
First meeting at the Manhattan
School of Music, their shared love of jazz
music was what initially brought them
to start a band. Their debut EP, Good
Love, was released in 2016 and features
artists such as Masego, Alexander Lewis,
Lido and more. As the name suggests,
Brasstracks heavily utilizes brass instruments
in their production paired with
fast paced percussion to produce their
signature high energy bangers. Their
incorporation of jazz and electronic
music elements combine to create feelgood,
genre breaking sound that make
you want to jump up and get down.
It’s no surprise that Jackson and Ryan
are the two talented producers behind
Chance the Rapper’s Grammy winning
track, “No Problem.” How the collaboration
initially came about, was all
because of Twitter. In 2015 Brasstracks
tweeted, “Lol we actually can't upload
a single song without someone saying
Chance the Rapper should be on it. not
mad.” And before they knew it, they
were collaborating in a LA studio with
Chance himself.
“I was frankly astonished and super
grateful to have had the opportunity to
work with Chance and to even have the
opportunity to attend the Grammys,”
Rayne shares. “That was one of the most
special moments of my life. I think the
most important part of the night was
my mom meeting Chance’s mom; that
was dope.”
“Seeing how happy my mom was in
that moment was probably the best
part of the Grammys,” chimes in Jackson.
In an era of musical abundance, the
duo partially credits their unique sound
to New York City praise the city for it’s
jazz scene. “There aren’t any brass musicians
[out there] that are touching
what’s happening in New York right
now, as far as I'm concerned, not even
New Orleans,” Jackson mentions, excitedly.
“There is not a better collection
of brass players anywhere in the world,
that’s factual. I think that what’s happening
in New York is a renaissance of
people around our age starting bands
based on the horns, popular music, hip
hop, R&B and a huge dose of nostalgia
that is inspired by the melting pot that
is New York.”
With a new EP on the horizon for the
Brooklyn based artists, the duo shared
that the record will be released in two
parts. “We started with a bunch of
[loose] tracks, some of them made pre
Good Love [but] most of them were
made after,” Jackson shares. “We weren't
able to weave a real story around all of
it, but we loved all of the songs so we
split i[them] up into a two part EP. We
looked at them as two separate bodies
of work and saw that stories could be
woven around those two juxtaposed
stories.”
Brasstacks performs at Faded in
the Park on July 7th.
July 2017

FVDED IN THE PARK
BeatRoute’s must see acts of Fvded in the Park 2017
VANESSA TAM
With both Squamish and Pemberton six feet under, Fvded in the Park has become one of the only major music festivals for
anyone stuck in the city this summer. Currently celebrating it’s third year in existence, Fvded transforms the tranquil landscape
of Holland Park at the end of the Expo Line into top tier festival grounds with an international calibre lineup to match.
Boasting a solid mix of EDM, house, rap, hip hop, and modern R&B, Fvded in the Park has it all. Throw your gear into a fanny
pack and check out our selection of six artists to check out at this year’s festival.
Fvded in the Park takes place July 7-8 at Holland Park in Surrey.
The Chainsmokers
Currently one of the biggest EDM-pop producers
in the world right now, every song
The Chainsmokers seem to touch, turns to
gold. Comprised of Andrew Taggart and
Alex Pall, the Grammy award winning duo
first started to gain global traction with
their hit single “#Selfie” released on Dim
Mak in 2014. Since then, it’s just mainstream
hit after hit with their latest being
“Closer” featuring Halsey and “Something
Just Like This” featuring Chris Martin from
Coldplay.
PartyNextDoor
OVO signee PartyNextDoor is a rapper,
singer and songwriter hailing from Mississauga,
Ontario. Born as Jahron Anthony
Brathwaite, the young artist often layers his
lyrics over stripped down trap instrumentals
to create a modern R&B vibe and can
often be found collaborating with fellow
artists Drake, Big Sean and Jeremih.
Badbadnotgood
Based in Toronto, Canada, Badbadnotgood is an
instrumental hip hop and jazz band consisting
of Matthew Tavares on keys, Chester Hansen on
bass, Leland Whitty on saxophone and Alexander
Sowinski on drums. Connecting on their mutual
love of hip hop, the band first started gaining attention
on the world stage after Tyler, The Creator
heard their cover of some of his music back in
2011. Since then, the band has gone on to release
five studio albums and collaborations with artists
like Ghostface Killah, Kaytranada and Charlotte
Day Wilson.
What So Not
Formerly a production team partnered
with Flume, What So Not is now comprised
of just Emoh Instead based in Sydney, Australia.
Popularized by his hits “Gemini,” “Jaguar”
and “High You Are,” Instead is known
for his experimental take on hip hop, trap
Yellow Claw
and bass music. Currently signed to OWS-
Incorporating elements of hardstyle, hip LA and Sweat It Out, Instead can commonly
be seen collaborating with fellow indus-
hop, trap, dubstep and moombahton into
their music, Yellow Claw is a DJ and production
duo that really knows how to get the
try leaders RL Grime and Skillex.
party started. Made up of Jim Taihuttu and
Nils Rondhuis, Yellow Claw initially started
out a club night hosted at Amsterdam’s
Jimmy Woo and has since evolved into the
international EDM powerhouse that it is
today.
Russ
Soulful rapper and singer Russ Vitale is a self
taught artist who’s known for writing, producing,
mixing, mastering and engineering
all of his work on his own. In May of this
year, Russ released his debut album There’s
Really a Wolf with Columbia and is most
often recognized by his emotive hit single
“Losin Control.”
photo by Brandon Artis
What if one day you picked up a magazine that gave you some practical advice
on how to have a good summer? Like wearing a lot of sunscreen means you
won’t get sunburnt. Or by drinking lots of water means you won’t pass out
halfway through the day. And if you go to see all the hip hop and electronic
music shows on this list, you’ll probably have the best summer of your life.
Junior Reid
July 6 @ The Waldorf Hotel
Growing up in the rough and tumble Waterhouse District of Kingston, Jamaica,
Junior Reid is one of the most prolific Reggae Dancehall artists of our time.
Most well known for his 1990 anthem “One Blood,” Reid recorded his first
song at the young age of 13 and has since gone on to work with legends of
the industry including Augustus Pablo, Sugar Minott and Barrington Levy, ot
name a few.
Khalid
July 13 @ Vancouver Forum
Recognized for his smooth and soulful delivery, Khalid Robinson is an American
singer and songwriter hailing from El Paso, Texas. Just going by the name
Khalid on stage, the young artist was first thrust into the spotlight with the
viral success of his debut single “Location” that was released during the summer
of 2016.
Darius
July 21 @ Celebrities Underground
Bridging the gap between funk and disco, producer Terence Nguyen brings
sexy new vibes to the French house genre under the name Darius. Often likened
to other French artists Cassius, Fred Falke and Daft Punk, the Parisian
artist is most recognized by his Romance EP released back in 2014.
Secret Circle
July 27 @ Fortune Sound Club
Without much documentation, very little is known about the underground
hip hop supergroup Secret Circle made up of rappers Antwon, WIKI and Lil
Ugly Mane. All we can say is this will be a truly rare appearance for our fair little
city and that curiosity will probably not kill the cat.
Lil Pump
July 28 @ The Vogue Theatre
CLUBLAND
your month measured in BPMs
VANESSA TAM
The latest in internet sensation hailing from Miami, Florida is 16 year old rapper
Lil Pump. Good friends with Lil Uzi Vert, Pump just started posting tracks
to his Soundcloud page last year and has already garnered over 50 million
plays. Fans of mumble rap or not, no one can deny that’s still one hell of an
achievement.
Lil Pump
July 2017 BPM
17

ASHLEIGH BALL
finding the gold in everyone
ALLIE GRAHAM
Ashleigh Ball has been at the helm of a Juno-nominated
band, touring around North America for the
last decade and it’s only this year that she’s started
to refer to herself as a musician. She’s always felt it
never quite fit, but since releasing her debut solo
EP, Gold In You, she’s been warming up to the title.
“It’s been a learning curve for me,” says Ball.
“With this album I was kind of doing it myself, and
it’s been emotional and taxing and tricky — I’m
glad that it’s finally out.”
Best known around Vancouver as the lead singer
of alternative pop-rock band, Hey Ocean, her shiny
seven-track EP has been two years in the making.
Hot on the heels of summer, the sultry synth-pop
ballads have proven to be worth the wait.
The EP is a leap for Ball lyrically and sonically.
Her songwriting for Hey Ocean, often drew on the
trio’s coastal surroundings, whereas Gold In You
is inspired by a whirlwind of new experiences and
growing pains prompted by her band’s unexpected
breakup in 2014.
“It’s sort of a direct narration of what I was sort
of going through,” says Ball. “My band, that’s sort of
been my identity for the last ten years...and I was
trying to figure out who I was supposed to be without
this thing.”
Though Gold In You is Ball’s first solo release,
it’s not her first solo album. Following Hey Ocean’s
temporary break up, she recorded an album, which
her bandmate David Vertesi helped produced, but
Ball ultimately decided not to release it.
“I just was sitting on it and it never felt quite
right, because all of the songs were Hey Ocean
songs,” says Ball. “It didn’t quite feel like the solo
thing I was really looking for, so I sort of shelved
them.”
For curious Hey Ocean fans, some of these
‘shelved’ songs will be featured on the band’s upcoming
album. Ball says in the past year, they’ve
recorded, mixed and mastered a full-length album,
which she expects they’ll release sometime in 2018.
“It’s funny, I was so ready for this solo adventure,”
says Ball of their decision to reunite. “I think we all
just needed a break. We all just needed to do our
solo thing—flex that muscle, prove it to ourselves.”
But for now, she plans to bask in the gold-tinted
glow of her new release.
“I’ve learned that it takes me a long time to do
anything—Oh, and that I can be an emotional
wreck,” says Ball. “I never want to take my band for
granted again!”
Gold In You gives us a glimpse into a determined,
joyful and badass Ashleigh Ball, as she candidly
confronts and names intimate doubts and challenges
with fervor and conviction, reckoning with
what she finds in herself. Thankfully, Ball strikes
gold—and we’re reaping the rewards.
Ashleigh Ball’s Gold In You is available now
on Spotify and Apple Music.
18
July 2017

Ashleigh Ball is
wearing green Sunja
link suit from Charlie
& Lee and her own
kimono from Duchess
vintage. “Heaven
Sent” ice cream from
Say Hello Sweets.
It’s 3 p.m. on an especially cloudy
Vancouver day in June and we’ve
only just got back from a beer run
when emcee Matt Brevner walks up to
our East Van photo studio wearing his
signature set of gold grills. The young
and rising rapper eagerly slips on a
pair of baby blue sashimi swim trunks
from Gastown’s The Block and takes
to the camera as if he were about to
perform at the club. Every year we
invite a mix of local talent to come
out and show off their best bodypositive
beach vibes. As artists show
up, our pristine collection of local and
vintage swimwear from local shops
gets pilfered, then blown apart.
Throughout the day, bodies are
being thrown at the camera and
sacrificed in the name of Apollo (by
the end of the day, we should at
least have some sun). Some artists
are down to get sexy and flirty, in
both the retro and ironic Sports
Illustrated kind of way. A few remain
pure and wholesome, like babies
at the beach, only if babies played
guitars and shredded keyboards in
their spare time. Others are animated
and vaguely Carnival looking, in a
glorious Cirque du Soleil meets the PNE
midway kind of way. And the lucky few
wearing Charlie & Lee’s silk kimonos?
They are indisputably untouchable in
their silky other-worldliness, because
even the sweatiest of beachgoers
look like a goddess in one of those.
When we finally wrap the shoot
at the end of the day, everyone
returns to their street attire with a
newfound pep and sunless glow,
like the best spray tans in town. To
get any of these fresh summer looks,
hit up these local Vancouver hot
spots before you hit the beach.
The Block
350 W Cordova St, Vancouver, BC
Still Life
2315 Main St, Vancouver, BC
Charlie & Lee
223 Union St, Vancouver, BC
Nettle’s Tale
1E8, 330 W Cordova St, Vancouver, BC
F as in Frank
2425 Main St, Vancouver, BC
by Emily Blatta
Photos by Shimon
July 2017 19

1 2 3 4
1. Karmen Poirier of Brutal Poodle
in black one piece from Still
Life. See Brutal Poodle live
at the Biltmore on July 7.
2. John Johnston of Brutal Poodle
wearing rose shorts from Block.
3. Karmen Poirier and John
Johnston of Brutal Poodle.
4. Steven Beddall & Missy Cross of
Wooden Horsemen in their own
outfi ts. See Wooden Horsemen
live at Khatsalano, July 8.
5. Skye Wallace in the Popupshop
panther one-piece from
Block. Skye Wallace performs
July 11 at the Heatley.
5
6
7
6. Alex Little in her own outfi t. See
Alex play at the Canada Day Block
Party at the Waldorf on July 1.
7. Geoff Millar from So Loki
wearing shirt and swim
trunks from F as in Frank.
8. Savannah Wellman and Meagan
Davidson of Tiny Kingdom
wearing their own suits and
kimonos. Jewellery is from RISH.
9. Gina Loes of the Ruffl ed
Feathers in the Misty Suit from
Nettle’s Tale and Strathcona
Stockings’ Navy Little Fishies silk
kimono from Charlie & Lee.
10. Sam Lucia of So Loki wearing
Bather’s shorts from Still Life,
Brookes Boswell Millinery sun
hat and black Ozma silk scarf
from Charlie & Lee. So Loki
will be performing at Fvded
in the Park on July 7.
8
9
10
11. Stefan Tosheff of Cloudhood
wearing Nettle’s Tale.
See Cloudhood at Stylus
Records on August 11.
20
July 2017

11 12
13
14
12. Isaiah Dobbs and Jacob
Schwinghammer from Funk
Schwey wearing their own
outfi ts. See Funk Schwey play
at the Canada Day Block Party
on July 1 at the Waldorf.
13. Allie Sheldan of Little Destroyer
wearing her own suit. See
Little Destroyer live at The
Imperial on September 15.
14. Emily Jayne of Pet Blessings in
her own swimsuit. Catch Pet
Blessings July 28 at SBC.
15. Hussein Elnamer aka Handsome
Tiger is outfi tted in Komono
sunglasses and Bather’s swim
trunks from Still Life. See Handsome
Tiger this summer at Bass Coast,
July 7 to 10 in Merritt, BC.
16. Matt Brevner in sushi shorts from
Block and glasses from Durant
Sessions. See Brevner perform
at the Red Room July 6.
15
16
17
17. James Green in Komono
sunglasses and Brixton Murphy
black chino shorts from Still
Life. James Green performs
solo at Arts on the Fly July 14-
15 in Horsefl y, BC and with The
Godspot on July 7 at The Cobalt.
18. Riyana Kazi of TULIP wearing
her own outfi t. See TULIP live
at Khatsalano, July 8.
19. Sarah Jickling wearing a suit
from Nettle’s Tale, Strathcona
Stockings’ Yellow Tulip silk
kimono from Charlie & Lee.
20. Harvey Merritt of Ponytails
wearing Patagonia shorts.
18
19
20
July 2017 21

BURCU’S ANGELS
finding a home amongst the misfits in Hastings Sunrise
photo by Glenn Alderson
Hastings Sunrise allows owner Burcu Ozdemir to fully be herself.
KATHRYN HELMORE
Hastings-Sunrise has a new addition. Located
amidst punk bars, sushi restaurants and coffee
houses sits a recently parked time machine. While
Burcu's Angels, a vintage clothing boutique on East
Hastings and Nanaimo, doesn’t literally warp physical
dimensions to travel through time, it will nevertheless
make fashion history junkies drool. The
space is home to a variety of fabulous, hard-to-find
vintage items including velvet opera gowns, luminescent
flared jeans and seductive silk gowns.
Those who visit the shop will meet the colourful
Turkish-born owner, Burcu Ozdemir. A veteran of
the vintage scene, Ozdemir is the kind of woman
who can size up your waist, style and personality
over a single cup of tea.
“I started my own vintage store 20 years ago,”
says Ozdemir. “Inspired by a vintage store on Main
called Whatever, I rented a space with one small
rack. Everything came together from there.”
Since the early days, Ozdemir has moved her
ever-expanding collection of vintage clothes across
the face of Vancouver. Ozdemir has rented spaces
at Eugene Choo and at Main near Broadway, resting
on 16th Avenue for nearly a decade.
Despite years on Main, the neighbourhood’s
recent upscale projection hasn’t sat well with
Ozdemir. While she still has one location on the
street, she moved a large collection of her clothes
to East Hastings this past April. “On the 29th of
April I woke up and realised I was slowly dying on
Main Street,” Ozdemir says. “When I walked down
the street and asked someone for the time, their
response was ‘I don’t have any change.’ I had become
a crazy, eccentric lady.” Her sudden decision
to open a location in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood
was catalysed by an innocent visit to the
area for a haircut. Within minutes she was sold — it
was reminiscent of the Main Street she had once
loved.
“When walking through East Hastings, I noticed
the queer and trans folk were part of the fabric,
they weren’t sticking out,” she explains. “They were
just themselves.”
Now that Burcu’s Angels has settled in it’s newest
location, it is becoming an intrinsic part of the
community — a fact exemplified by the small table
at the entranceway, which offers fresh fruit, dog
treats, and an ashtray to passersby.
“In our living room [a space at the opening of the
store] we have a free box for children,” adds Ozdemir.
“The children come and play here, learning
how to dress up and trade while mothers breastfeed
their babies.”
In even a brief amount of time spent at Burcu’s
Angels, one thing is made clear — This boutique
is a time machine not only because it sells vintage
clothes, but also because it embodies the good old
fashioned community values so often missing in
our modernizing city.
Burcu’s Angels is located at 2355 East Hastings
Street.
22 CITY
July 2017

VANCOUVER FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL
celebrating 40 years of tradition and diversity
CITY
SHANNON GRIFFITHS
Vancouver has always been a place of
diversity — a desired destination for
both tourists and immigrants around
the world, and a breeding ground for
environmental and social movements
that represent our geographical and
social multiplicities. The Vancouver
Folk Music Festival has thrived in such
a city, and, now in its 40th year, has
firmly established its role in celebrating
diversity and inclusivity.
“There are two distinct kinds of
music that end up sheltering together
under the umbrella of folk music,” says
VFMF co-founder Gary Cristall. “One of
them is purely traditional music; music
that goes back hundreds of years that
essentially comes from rural, pre-capitalist,
non-literate societies… and then
there’s a whole body of song writing
and popular music that doesn’t really
fit into the commercial music industry,
and that too became known as
folk music.” Folk music, which can be
defined as music for and of the people,
has the ability to connect people with
forgotten stories, heritage, and cultural
traditions.
Cristall started the VFMF in 1978 as
a way to “do something that gave people
music that celebrated diversity of
traditions…and music that was going
to change the world or have the ambition
of doing that. Music that was
provocative — music that was saying
something.” A not-for-profit charity
run by volunteers, the VFMF has always
been committed to providing a stage
for authentic and honest artistry — in
one of the most beautiful settings, Jericho
Beach Park, at that.
At first, some criticized the festival
for being too much of a nostalgic
throwback to the free-thinking, freelove
era. Cristall jokes that it seemed
as if the public presumed festivalgoers
to wear tie-dye shirts and Birkenstocks,
without appreciating the core
traditions of folk music itself. After all,
folk music is not to be confined within
current trend or fad — it is much more
substantial than that. But over the last
four decades, the VFMF’s vision has
remained the same: deeply rooted in
values of diversity, equality, inclusivity,
and peace. Cristall recalls artists
from past years who have represented
this well, like Ed Balchowsky — a
one-armed pianist who lost his right
hand in the Spanish Civil War and who
performed at the festival in 1982. The
VFMF, Cristall says, is “a place where
a number of dynamic, contemporary
artists, and different facets of music are
able to reach thousands of people.”
This year, the festival lineup includes
Haitian roots group, Chouk Bwa Libète;
Australian singer-songwriter and Indigenous
advocate Archie Roach, who
combines folk music with the stories
of his ancestors; experimental African
musicians Mbongwana Star, from the
Democratic Republic of Congo; Saskatchewan
singer-songwriter Andy
Shauf; Barenaked Ladies; Missouri-born,
BC-raised blues artist, Jim Byrnes.
These are all people from different
backgrounds, uniting together through
music, storytelling, and emotion to
share a greater experience of humanity.
It is this that demonstrates the
beautiful diversity that is intrinsic to
folk music — and, in the same way, the
Vancouver Folk Music Festival.
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
runs from July 13 – 16 at Jericho
Beach Park.
photo by Florent de La Tullaye
Chouk Bwa Libete
The popular Vancouver festival celebrates 40 years of music and cultural unity
TOM LEE MUSIC
new flagship store helps make musical instrument buying more accessible, dynamic
EMILY BLATTA
Since its inception in 1969, Tom Lee Music has worked to share their
love of music-making by highlighting the beauty of sound, and their
new location does this better now than ever before. The store opened
their new flagship location in June, which features impressive strides
forward in space, technology, and location.
Although just two blocks down from their heritage space on Granville
Street, which they occupied for over 30 years, Tom Lee Music’s
location across from Nordstrom represents a shift from entertainer
to retailer, and makes shopping for musical instruments more accessible.
“Many of our customers live or work downtown, and are much
closer to where we are now,” says Graham Blank, Vice President at
Tom Lee Music Canada. “Whereas our business used to be built
around the building, our new building has been built around our
business.”
With more freedom to work within, Tom Lee Music has managed
to not only modernize their space and brand, but has also succeeded
in creating a more dynamic shopping experience. Behind every detail
is a purpose and intention for how it should interact with shoppers.
Proof of this is their open-concept piano room, which features
state-of-the-art technology and acoustics to bring sound that is worthy
of the quality of their instruments, and, most notably, their collection
of Steinway pianos. Each instrument has its own place, where
it can be experienced full-force and on its own.
Tom Lee Music’s new flagship store is located at 728 Granville
Street. Visit www.tomlee.ca for a complete list of upcoming
workshops, events, and products.
Tom Lee perfects their indelible influence on the Vancouver scene with new location.
July 2017 CITY
23

WELCOME PARLOUR
personality, authenticity the main ingredients of small batch ice cream shop
photo by Rob Moroto
KATHRYN HELMORE
Appearing
in The Phillips Backyard...
FRIDAY, JULY 7
4:00PM GATES
4:30PM THE VELVETEINS
5:25PM POLYRHYTHMICS
6:25PM ODDISEE
7:30PM JUNIOR REID
8:45PM COMMON KINGS
SATURDAY, JULY 8
1:00PM GATES
1:30PM KERMODE
2:15PM ELECTRIC TIMBER CO.
3:15PM FORTUNE KILLERS
4:15PM LITTLE DESTROYER
5:15PM PPL MVR
6:30PM KARL DENSON'S
TINY UNIVERSE
8:30PM CAKE
SUNDAY, JULY 8
12:00PM GATES
1:00PM DISTANT GRAND
2:00PM THE BRASS
3:00PM VINCE VACCARO
4:15PM MARIACHI FLOR
DE TOLOACHE
5:30PM ALLEN STONE
7:30PM CURRENT SWELL
*all times are
subject to change
DAILY SCHEDULE, TICKETS
AND FULL INFORMATION AT...
24 CITY
Gone are the days of walking into
an ice cream parlour only to be
confronted with the ultimate
dairy-product dilemma. You want
Chocolate Oreo, Strawberry Berry
Berry Swirl, and Birthday Cake? Enter
ice cream float: you can enjoy one
with all three flavours and two more.
The float is one of the highlights
of Welcome Parlour, a newly opened
ice cream shop in North Vancouver.
But it’s not all they have going for
them. At the family-run and locally-sourced
parlour located off Lonsdale
in the 1912 heritage building,
“the Hodson Block,” personality and
authenticity are vital components of
this establishment.
“At Welcome Parlour, we’re trying
to make authentic small batch ice
cream,” says owner Ian Widgery. “We
try to create something that is very
real. There are no colorings or synthetic
flavorings, we use whole dairy
cream, and we source locally. There
is love and care that goes into every
bite.”
At any given time, there are a
maximum of 11 flavours of ice cream,
SKYE FOOTWEAR
kicks with a conscience
YASMINE SHEMESH
There is good reason that SKYE Footwear is named
for the big blue up above — the shoes the Vancouver-based
company create are so airy, wearing
them feels like you’re ascending towards the heavens.
Indeed, comfort is an integral part of both
the philosophy and the make-up of the athleisure
line. In fact, it was because of not being able to find
something stylish that would also soothe tired feet
that co-founder Gary Chang and designer Justin
Heinrichs decided they would fill the void themselves.
For two years, the team sought out the perfect
ingredients to achieve the delicate balance between
style and comfort. "We did tons of research
on different shapes of feet, different ergonomics,
how orthopedic insole designs [are],” Chang says,
speaking over the telephone. They discovered
how back pain and joint pain begin from the bottom
up and, with that in mind, engineered a shoe
that would be more than a fashion accessory — it
would provide relief physically and, in turn, mentally.
A cushiony, foam outsole absorbs shock.
The shoe’s exterior is made from a breathable,
microfiber fabric that stretches four ways and provides
a snug fit. The insole, specifically designed for
the shoe and anatomical support, is composed of
two oil-based gels: a deep gel heel cup that absorbs
impact and a springy gel that delivers that bouncein-your-step
feel. And it’s biodegradable.
"If you just leave [the insole] there for 10 years,
it actually will dissolve itself,” Chang says. "But with
that type of material, the interesting part is that
the more you wear it, the more flexible, the more
durable it will be. It’s like natural rubber — if you
carefully and deliberately picked by
Widgery and his team of artisans.
“We work with Eleanor Chow Waterfall
of Cadeaux Bakery in Gastown,”
Widgery says. “Together we come up
with original recipes. Every month
new flavors are offered.”
One of their most mouthwatering
concoctions is Apple Pie. Instead of
using synthetic flavourings, Chow
Waterfall bakes an entire apple pie
and then places it into a mixer, adding
in the remaining ingredients
required to create the impossibly
smooth apple pie ice cream.
Welcome Parlour, which takes its
name from a 1909 Lonsdale food
and general store, also puts a unique
twist on floats using kombucha and
ginger beer — products of Green
Leaf Brewing, located at Lonsdale
Quay Market. Touches like these are
quickly making the shop a staple in
Vancouver’s artisan ice cream movement.
For Widgery — who started
his career in the United Kingdom as
a music producer and has worked on
projects for artists like David Bowie
and U2 — it’s just about being inspired.
“I landed my first record deal at
17,” Widgery says. “So life started
very early for me. I quickly learnt
what was real and what wasn’t
real. I learnt what true authenticity
and creativity were. As such, these
don’t use it, it becomes hardened because of the
environment.”
This conscious component is another one of
SKYE’s core values. Fast fashion, Chang explains,
has a negative impact on our environment partly
due to fabric dyes and chemicals. The company intends
to do their part to reduce carbon footprints
and minimize pollution by working with sustainable
materials.
SKYE currently offers three styles: the Lons, the
Powll, and the Rbutus. The shoes take their names
from Vancouver streets (Lonsdale, Powell, and
Arbutus, respectively) and their designs are influenced
by the characteristics of those neighbourhoods.
The Lons, for example, is a marine-inspired
model suited to the North Shore. The urbanized
Powll is perfect for stomping around local cafés.
North Vancouver joint brings simplicity back to everyone’s favourite indulgence.
themes will always be the centre of
my life — whether I’m producing
music or selling ice cream.”
Welcome Parlour is located at
277 East 8th Street in North
Vancouver.
The sporty Rbutus, ideal for walking, hiking, or biking.
Looped bungee cables — inspired by stand-up
paddle boarding — act as laces for all styles.
"We want to design something that actually
can reflect who you are, and what you believe in,
and what you stand for — not just a product or
a showpiece,” Chang maintains. “We want something
more, that truly is different and unique."
For SKYE, it’s about accommodating busy west
coast lifestyles. Celebrating individuality. Crafting
a shoe that is comfortable, versatile, stylish, and
made mindfully.
Something to feel good in — and about.
SKYE Footwear is available for purchase at
skyefootwear.com.
Comfort, style, and sustainability make Vancouver-based shoe company rise above the rest.
July 2017

FESTIVAL D’ETE
DE QUEBEC
Quebec City summer festival celebrates 50 years
CLAUDE MONET’S SECRET GARDEN
seminal French painter blooms again in significant exhibition
KATHRYN HELMORE
CITY
GLENN ALDERSON
Quebec City is celebrating 50 years of Festival d'été
de Québec (FEQ) this year and with that comes one
of their biggest and most legendary lineups to date.
With acts like Metallica, Gorillaz, The Who and Kendrick
Lamar leading the charge, as always there is
something for everyone gracing stages all throughout
the city from July 6 to 16.
Each year over the course of ten days, the festival
consumes the city with its main stage events
sprawled across the historic Plains of Abraham, a
once legendary battleground where the English defeated
the French in the Seven Year War of 1759. This
year, the only battling will be between the sounds of
James Hetfield’s fully cranked distortion and the earbuds
of the expected 10,000+ people on the main
site when Metallica takes the stage Friday July 14.
With 135,000 passes sold at a reasonable price
($95/pass) so as not to leave anyone without an opportunity
to participate, the festival just announced
they are completely sold out of passes this year,
which should be of no surprise to anyone, considering
the positive relationship that the festival has
fostered and maintained with both tourists and the
people of Quebec City.
“The relationship between the festival and the
people from Québec is kind of unique,” says communications
director Luci Tremblay. “Québec citizens
have a strong feeling of belonging towards the
FEQ and they’re proud of it. They’ve been coming for
many years — with their parents when they were
younger, and now their kids and even their grandkids
are enjoying it!”
Festival d'été de Québec truly is a festival unlike
anything else with a good mix of Franco and Anglophone
culture, both locally and internationally acclaimed.
For more information about the lineup and
how you can bare witness to the endless
amount of entertainment that happens
each summer throughout beautiful Quebec
City, visit www.infofestival.com.
photo by Andre Olivier Lyra
FEQ celebrates 50 years with a legendary lineup of artists.
With Claude Monet’s Secret Garden, the Vancouver
Art Gallery is inviting the public to fall in
love again with the art that helped define modern
painting.
“Monet is one of the most important European
artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries,”
says senior curator Ian Thom. “His work has been
widely influential and allows us to see the world in
a novel manner, quite unlike the academic art of
the 19th century.”
Monet is known for being foremost in a party
of painters who fled the confined and dark
studio for the great outdoors. His work is more
concerned with light than subjects, and his brush
strokes aim to capture energy, not detail. Inspired
by a passion for the beauty of nature, Monet
does not bother with the trials and tribulations
of mankind.
The exhibition, which features 38 paintings
sourced from the Musée Marmottan Monet in
Paris, opens with “En promenade près d’Argenteuil”
— an 1875 painting that wistfully depicts
Monet’s wife and son walking through a field of
bloomed flowers. The exhibition concludes with
work inspired by Monet’s home and garden in
Giverny, France. His famous Water Lilies series are
part of this period.
“The ‘Nymphéas’ [Water Lilies] are my favourite
pieces,” says Thom. “I like the fact that the
image seems to hover between representation
and abstraction. I admire the boldness of his
ELAD LASSRY
artist’s work challenges perception, comfort
photo courtesy of 303 Gallery
Multi-faceted artist shows the displeasure in simplicity.
Vancouver Art Gallery exhibit celebrates seminal Monet works.
KATHRYN HELMORE
Elad Lassry. His artwork is like a bottle
of lukewarm water on a hot, dry day. It’s
like the first two seconds of your favourite
song, turned off before the rhythm
begins. In other words, the works of this
Los Angeles-based artist can be uncomfortable
and frustrating. But this is not an
insult. In fact, Lassry specializes in making
his audience feel dissatisfied, thirsty, and
subtly unsettled.
“Lassry has been called ‘a new kind of
conceptual photographer,’” says Mandy
Ginson, a curatorial assistant at the Vancouver
Art Gallery, where Tel Aviv-born
Lassry’s first major exhibition in North
America is being shown. “He is among a
generation of artists whose work is concerned
with how pictures communicate
and how we perceive different kinds of
images.”
Over the last decade, Lassry has produced
an extensive body of work in mediums
including photograph, film, and
sculpture. Yet to categorize Lassry is tricky.
He isn’t a photographer, a filmmaker, or a
master of sculpture. His small pieces, generally
8 by 11 inches, are carefully staged
photographs of average things, from people
to animals to household objects, such
as nail polish. He also frequently alters photos
sourced from magazines and archives.
photo by Bridgeman Giraudon
brush work; an apparently incoherent network
of brushstrokes coalesces into an encompassing
vista which daringly eschews conventions of composition.”
Organizing an exhibition of this prestige was an
undertaking and the event has been in the works
for over five years. “Part of the role of the Vancouver
Art Gallery is to bring great art to Vancouver,”
says Thom. “We are pleased to be able to show
Monet’s work in a scale and depth that has never
been seen in Western Canada before.”
Claude Monet’s Secret Garden runs at the
Vancouver Art Gallery until October 1.
“Lassry very purposefully uses types of
images that are simple and familiar, images
that might resemble fashion photography
or product shots for example,” says
Ginson. “He makes subtle changes, so that
they become strange and prompt us to go
back, look again, and maybe engage with
the image in a different way.”
“Untitled (Green)” embodies Lassry's
unique approach to photography. The
photograph is simple: a woman sitting
against a plain, green backdrop. Based on
her posture and her crocheted dress, she
looks like a vintage pin up girl. Who the
woman really is, we’ll never know — the
core components of identification, her
body and face, are blocked by a single vertical
strip of foil.
“What I like about ‘Untitled (Green)’
is how the gesture is so simple,” says Ginson.
“The single line drawn though the
middle of the image makes the piece and
our experience of viewing it compellingly
strange and complex.”
A survey of Elad Lassry’s work runs
at the Vancouver Art Gallery until
October 1.
July 2017 CITY
25

BOOZE
BOTTOMS UP
Winking Judge
JENNIE ORTON
The Winking Judge is a favourite hole in the wall
for grumpy old guys who have never stopped going
there and people stopping in for a pint before rotting
their brains across the street at the Scotiabank
Theatre at the latest comic book movie. Amongst
the friendly staff and the impromptu pool tourneys,
there is the teddy bear of the house: Camilo Miguel
Ramirez Martinez. Don’t let the tough exterior fool
you, Camilo has a softy gooey core and a heart of
gold that everyone at the bar appreciates. We spoke
to him about the biz and the joys of hitting up the
pawn shop on off hours.
BR: How did you start bartending?
CMRM: I was bouncing when I turned 18 at the
Drum in Calgary. They were short staffed and needed
a bar back and the rest is history.
BR: How long have you worked at the Winking
Judge?
CMRM: I moved from Calgary to Vancouver in
March 2014. My brother lived close to the Judge so
when I came to visit, the Judge would be my local. As
soon as I moved here I knew it was where I wanted
to be.
BR: Best thing about your job?
CMRM: My favourite part of working at the Judge
is my co-workers. They are pretty much my family.
BR: Favourite drink to make?
CMRM: Obviously beer based on sheer simplicity
(laughs). But I also love to make, and drink, Old Fashioneds.
BR: Go-to on a night off?
CMRM: Favourite place to go has to be the pawn
shop or Lucky Taco. I love me some tacos.
BR: Tell us about the greatest night you’ve ever had
at work:
CMRM: My greatest night I’ve worked is a tough one.
I love pool tourney nights at the Judge; I feel like it
brings a lot of great local customers around and it’s
always a good time.
BR: The worst?
CMRM: The worst night was when I was working
in Calgary and one of my favourite actors came in
and was a complete dickhead. Ran up a crazy bill and
then walked out. FML right?
Camilo Miguel Ramirez-Martinez
HEY Y’ALL!
everyone’s favourite dirty summer romance
JENNIE ORTON
••
With their anti-Trump marketing,
Nütrl finds a way to combat bad
taste by selling good taste
It has happened to the best of us;
the sun becomes a thing, the heat
starts to hit our bare shoulders,
summer starts happening and we
get a thirst we have very little control
over. A thirst for the unholiest
of poisons: the vodka cooler.
Though there have been many of
the years that have captured the
imagination and livers of summer
revelers everywhere, one locally
brewed treat in particular embodies
everything about the long hot lazy
days of summer and our collective
desire to squeeze every last drop
from them: Hey Y’all! Southern
Style Hard Iced Tea.
Made in Vancouver, Hey Y’all!
has become part of the BC experience,
particularly for anyone who
became of drinking age in the last
three years. It has become an indelible
presence in liquor stores and on
patios, but what sets it apart from
your Twisted Teas and your Palm
Bays?
“I found them to be perfect for
me because I tend to get a little
sleepy while drinking, so the caffeine
allows me to keep up,” says
longtime fan Taylor Hunter.
The caffeine comes from the
black tea used in the brewing and
it gives Hey Y’all! that pep it puts
in your step. The brand then is, by
definition, a high energy entity and
it shows in everything from their
marketing to the events that they
sponsor. Hey Y’all is served at Vancouver
Canadians games, at something
called the 5k Foam Fest, you’ll
even be able to grab one to sip under
your comically large hat at the
Hastings Racecourse. Cause who
doesn’t like a little hopped up sugar
when hobbing and knobbing?
Unlike any other drink of its kind,
Hey Y’all! has managed to harness a
baffling level of loyalty from a fairly
large cross section of Vancouver
area drinkers.
“Our consumers are 100% what
makes our brand entertaining. They
associate Hey Y’all! with fun times
and we respond, engage and get to
know our drinkers. The amount of
love we receive from our fans on social
media is what keeps us wanting
NUTRI VODKA
the best way to keep your palate clean and your opinion dirty
JENNIE ORTON
In what will helplessly become the
Era of Trump to those unearthing
evidence of our withered husk of
a civilization after inevitable nuclear
winter has subsided years
from now, there is ample material
for discourse, humor, and good ‘ol
fashioned trolling. Neutrality has
become a phantom term: one that
is slowly losing its meaning and appeal
in favor of flavours too strong
for half of a population to stomach.
But there is a local vodka, the
fastest growing vodka in Canada
no-less, that is taking that term and
defining it in a way I think we all can
agree on.
Nütrl Vodka, made in Delta, is
a lovingly crafted high-end spirit
that believes in one thing: neutral
on taste, not on opinion. The brand
lives as a fully functioning being on
its own, the makers preferring to
not dwell on themselves in any way
when talking about it.
A founder we will call Mr. P explains
that it is the local BC rye from
Hey Y’All has gone from cooler newbie to everyone’s favourite wacky behaviour pairing.
to do more and do better,” says Hey
Y’all! representative Caroline Ross.
She adds that the brand itself celebrates
“making good friends during
fun, relaxing, spontaneous, wild and
affordable experiences.”
And that is part of the appeal;
basic ingredients, affordability, and
the catharsis of being allowed to be
those annoying people having fun.
“The simplicity in that has always
been appealing,” admits Hunter.
“Hey Y’all's totally symbolize summer
beach days to me, and sunshine,
and happy times enjoying the
company of friends.”
It sounds basic but a legitimate
nerve has most certainly been
touched by this funny little hard
iced tea. It’s the insidious drug with
the loud packaging that many of
us started drinking ironically but
now find ourselves craving when
seated at a patio when we should
be ordering wine like all the other
grown-ups. And when we order
one, we share a knowing glance with
those at the next table and we raise
an obnoxiously bright can to each
other, to taking ourselves a little less
seriously, and to chasing that sweet
sweet buzz.
You can grab Hey Y’all at most
BC Liquor stores
the South Peace River Valley, the
absence of glycerin, and the 79-step
process through a 38-plate rectification
plate “Carl” copper still that
gives the vodka its smooth character
and sophisticated mouth feel.
But what gives Nütrl its audacity
is its nose-thumbing, bear-poking
marketing campaign.
During the election campaign,
early into the two-year-old distillery’s
life, Nütrl began poking fun at
the behemoth that would become
the Donald Trump phenomena. The
campaign grew and, though it inevitably
drew criticism from a few (not
to mention a Smirnoff copycat attempt),
it started a buzz that gathered
a large and rabid social media
fan base.
“This whole notion of opinions is
good,” says Mr. P. “So, our opinion
on him [Trump] is popular with
some and unpopular with others,
but it’s our opinion. If someone
disagrees with us, we’re totally
open-minded. We’re not this bleeding
heart…you know, snowflake.
This ‘more is more’ thing, which I
don’t really subscribe to. It’s winning
at all costs, it’s xenophobic, sexist,
racist stuff that keeps popping up.
Our opinion is that it’s wrong. Did
we point at him to be political? No.
Is there an overt amount of asshattery
going on? Yes.”
Though the intent was never to
have Nütrl be a political brand, the
climate offers ample opportunity to
not only promote your product’s
key goal of “neutral flavor” while
celebrating the cathartic freedom
of speech that lies within the social
media cesspool of opinion.
Or, as Mr. P puts it: “Poke a little
fun at this and try to deflect a little
stress.” And that kind of thing always
pairs best with a double shot
of vodka, neat.
Nütrl Vodka is available at BC
Liquor Stores. Follow them @
nutrlvodka on Facebook to
witness the campaign in action
26 BOOZE •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
July 2017

QUEER
SIENNA BLAZE
“The Hair Flipping Diva”
DAVID CUTTING
Sienna is known for her hair flips. They are always on
beat, each one smashing around to the rhythm of the
song. Her choices in songs are often huge diva numbers
evoking Vegas-style spectacle performances.
Sienna Blaze is the 45th elected Empress of Vancouver
under the Dogwood Monarchist Society. Her reign
in 2016 brought about more exposure for the Society
stemming from her passion for the organization. We sat
down with her to talk about her journey to greatness.
BR: Tell us about your drag journey?
SB: Well it all started when I was in a dance class when I
was about 5 years old where I put on my first dress! But
the first time as an adult was a dare... and obviously I'm
always down for a challenge so I was gamed; especially
coming from a background in hair and makeup and
stage performance it was an opportunity to be back on
stage so I went for it. Fast forward a few years I got asked
to do it again then got nominated for Entertainer of the
Year where I placed second then next thing you know I
started getting bookings all over and saw an opportunity
and ran with it. Fast forward again to a few years ago
I started to get heavily into the Dogwood Monarchist
Society which eventually brings me to being an Empress
of Vancouver!
BR: What do you love about drag?
SB: For me I basically grew up performing, and it was a
major creative outlet for myself personally. The fact that
I could blend together performance, hair and makeup
all in one... what other career or job can one personally
do to create a brand that encompasses all that? And
seeing how creative some people get when they get into
some form of drag is just awe inspiring!
BR: What is the biggest challenge in drag?
SB: Keeping current and always improving myself to
push myself further to keep up with the childrens! And
also keeping relevant to today's world and trying to
keep the Vancouver Drag history alive.
BR: What do you think the younger generations needs
to know?
SB: They should always know their Drag Herstory. Especially
what our own community leaders have done for
us so we can do what we do and be who we are. A lot
of people don't know what kind of rich history Vancouver's
Drag scene has done for our community. There's
opportunities like The Dogwood Monarchist Society
that have been around for 46+ years. Longer than the
Vancouver Pride Society and all LGBTQA2+ organization
in Vancouver. There is a lot you can learn from the...
"experienced" generations, so I would say listen.
BR: What’s the best advice you got?
SB: To always Be respectful, be thoughtful and be compassionate.
BR: What is the future of drag?
SB: Well I'm not a fortune teller contrary to beliefs but
I'm excited to see what the future holds. I would love
to see the art of drag take over and become something
that can change the world. No matter what it becomes
I just hope it keeps pushing me to become better at my
art.
BR: What is something people get wrong about you or
that they don't know?
SB: I come from a professional circus and dance background
which all those experiences helps me on the
stage. And if any word of advice that I give to someone
is always to help push someone to be their better self;
you're worth more than you think.
BR: What’s next for Sienna Blaze?
SB: To take over world! (laughs) Seriously though, I'm
currently working on a live singing / comedy set with a
producer that will hopefully be created as a show that
I can travel all over the world with. Let's bring Sienna
Blaze to a theatre near you!
photo by Chase Hansen
July 2017 QUEER
27

COMEDY
CAMERON MACLEOD
juiced up on an instrumental stand up album
OUR DEBUT ALBUM
stop Podcasting Yourself comedians get serious (sort of)
GRAEME WIGGINS
Inspiration often comes from the most spontaneous
of places. For local comedian Cameron MacLeod,
inspiration for his new instrumental sketch
comedy album hit in the middle of the night,
while brainstorming names for songs. Icon Of An
Orange Juice Container was created with the help
of his trusty Casio SA-1 Tonebank keyboard and
what would seem to be Mark Mothersbaugh's
absurdist influence. The album covers a range of
ground, including songs about Mountain Dew,
Point Break and a long-winded account of overcooked
steaks. Impressively, it never gets bogged
down by its jam-packed narrative.
As far as a precedent goes for this kind of project,
there isn’t much. However, he did turn to the
international alternative scene for guidance.
“I’d just finished a run of my one man show I
Had Sex Until My Heart Stopped at the Vancouver
Fringe, and I wanted to give myself a project
to do during the fall. Comedians like John Benjamin
and Eugene Mirman have done some weird
shit with alternative comedy albums over the past
couple years that reinvented what a comedy album
could be, like fake jazz or meditation albums,
and I liked what they were doing," says MacLeod
about taking notes from the community.
In terms of music making, MacLeod's first ever
project was a four-track album he made in his
parents' basement as a teen. He was also in a disco-punk
band called the Videogames and a Vancouver
rap group Too High Crew, which he calls
"all very fun, but it’s been awhile since I sat down
for breakfast with music."
Despite all of this input, the comedy-album is
minimalist, and without unnecessary references
or verbiage. There is literally nothing else quite like
Icon Of An Orange Juice Container, other than,
like any remotely good cultural product, it's imminently
quotable. Just in time for a summer full of
jokes between friends. We bet you'll be drinking
Mountain Dew, too.
Take a listen to Cameron MacLeod’s Icon
Of An Orange Juice Container at www.
boatdreamsfromthehill.com
photo by Ryan Walter Wagner
With his new album, Cameron MacLeod offers an impressionistic take on sketch comedy.
With Our Debut Album, veteran Vancouver podcasters take time sensitive creativity to the next level.
ALEX HUDSON
When Vancouver comedians Graham Clark and
Dave Shumka launched their chat show Stop Podcasting
Yourself in 2008, the podcasting scene
was still the Wild West: the medium was still new
enough that the novelty hadn’t yet worn off, and
you didn’t need a catchy gimmick to attract an audience.
“It's got a lot of listeners and it does well and
people love it, but it's not sexy,” Shumka says of
SPY. “It doesn't have a hook. It's just us talking.”
The same cannot be said of Clark and Shumka’s
latest podcast, Our Debut Album, which has
a memorable gimmick each episode: the pair has
just one hour to write a song. Once the hour is up,
they record the song with local producer Jay Arner
and post the results online. Clark and Shumka are
best known as comedians, but these aren’t novelty
songs. Rather, they’re earnest attempts to write
sincere songs.
“We thought it would be funny and scary to try
and write serious songs. A lot of the humour comes
from the fact that we're not trying to write a funny
song. We're just putting ourselves out there,” says
Shumka.
photo by Leigh Righton
As expected from an experimental project like
this, the results have been unpredictable, and
songs run the gamut of genres. Highlights of the
album are “Sharon Shockwave”, an unforgettable
power-pop gem about falling in love with an older
woman, “Party Lyin'”, a piano-anchored disco
banger and “Back Home (Grande Cache)”, a weird
collision of country and jock jams. Some of the
tunes are excellent, some are bizarre, and all are extremely
entertaining.
They launched the project last spring and, having
released approximately one episode per month,
the final episode of Our Debut Album is to arrive
in July, which will coincide with the arrival of the
12-song album. Now that it’s come to a close, they
both seem surprised at how naturally they took to
songwriting.
“To go from a thing that I never thought I would
do to having done the whole thing – there’s a satisfaction
there. Oh, that would be a good name
for a song!” says Clark. Shumka’s face lights up in
agreement.
Our Debut Album is available on Our-
DebutAlbum.com or wherever you get
your podcasts.
28 COMEDY
July 2017

TIM AND ERIC
10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY AWESOME TOUR
comedy oddballs dress up for the occasion
BETH D’AOUST
Never an idle moment persists at the production
offices of the ‘Tim and Eric’ universe, and as Eric
Wareheim chats about the duo’s upcoming 10
Year Anniversary Awesome Tour!. Tim Heidecker
struggles into a pair of ladies pantyhose across
the room. “We’re so excited to get back to that
Vaaaaan-town!” exclaims Wareheim. Glancing over
at his partner in crime, Eric explains that the duo
are in the middle of shooting Season 2 of Tim &
Eric’s Bedtime Stories, and “Tim is dressing up as a
woman for tomorrow. He’s looking good.”
Heavily influenced by the cheesy public access
television of their youth, Heidecker and Wareheim
began crafting their intentionally low production
value comedy content as early as 1994.
It was throughout the five season run of Tim and
Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! on Adult Swim,
however, that the two were able to fine-tune their
absurd brand of stomach-churning, side-splitting,
razor-sharp sketch comedy that rapidly garnered a
widespread cult following.
“We’re excited to come back to Canada, because
we’ve always just felt like we’ve had a connection
with you guys, because you guys are strange. And
we love that.” Wareheim continues, “we had such a
good time playing a couple years ago. […] We just
love the city. We’re going to be probably spending
the whole day in Stanley Park in the drum circle
and then we’ll just hop right on the stage and do
the best that we can do!” Still struggling with his
blouse, Heidecker moves closer to the speakerphone,
“You’re going to see some hints from the
TV show come to life. We’re very excited to dig
deep into some of those characters and just be silly
for once!”
A bit of a departure from their trademark brand
of bizarre, intentionally off-putting comedy, with
every bit pushed to the brink of absurdity, ‘Tim
and Eric’ have forged into new, yet similarly somber,
territory with their horror anthology series,
Tim & Eric’s Bedtime Stories. Despite the somewhat
dismal tone that underlies a body of work
founded on skewering the disintegration of our
twisted modern culture, the pair do not consider
themselves nihilists. “We do, I think, with Bedtime
Stories, lean a little bit towards the dark side with
the stories we tell,” Heidecker muses. “But we hope
that, ultimately, it becomes something that people
can watch and feel a little less alone and a little less
confused by the world, because there are other
people out there that sort of have the same feeling
of confusion, despair and disappointment. We’re
trying to make entertainment but we’re also trying
to reflect back upon our audience and the world
as we see it and I think that has a generally positive
impact.”
When asked to reflect on their influence in the
comedy sphere, Heidecker and Wareheim reveal
both an air of humility and an intensely discerning
taste. “ We don’t think about it too much,”
admits Heidecker. “We’re too busy thinking about
the next thing we’re going to do.” Wareheim adds,
“we’re always very flattered when people consider
us artists. Because in our minds were just two guys
from film school making funny videos.” “I’ll be honest,”
Heidecker continues, “without naming names,
there’s almost nothing in the current comedy
world that I have any interest in or appreciation
for.” Laughing, he concludes, “so if Eric and I collaborate
with someone, that’s our list. Or if Abso
Lutely has made it, that’s a good sign.”
Hand in hand with the highly specific taste and
aesthetic Heidecker and Wareheim have cultivated
with their work is the pastiche of outlandish, lovable,
unknown actors cast in their productions, for
whom it is consistently almost impossible to determine
whether they are in on, or simply the brunt of,
the joke. “I don’t even know if I’m in on the joke!”
exclaims Heidecker, when asked to comment on
the degree of self-awareness. “I feel like that’s part
of the fun,” adds Wareheim. “My favourite things
to watch are when you have a moment and it’s
like: ‘Is that real?’ When we came out to L.A., we
made a decision to not use trained comedians. We
use real, eccentric people. And that’s sort of how
we got this tone that we think is really interesting
and funny.“ “That said,” Heidecker continues, “the
relationship we have with these people and the
shooting experience and the aftermath and everything
is always super positive. And whether or not
they get the joke to the degree that maybe you get
the joke… You know, for them, they love it. And,
you know, a lot of people just want to be on TV.”
“Bringing this all the way back to the tour,” hints
Wareheim, “maybe you’ll see some of those characters
live. I know for sure, in Vancouver, we have
something fun in store for you!”
To see for yourself which lovable weirdos
Tim and Eric bring on the road for the 10
Year Anniversary Awesome Tour! celebrating
a decade of spoofs and goofs, come on
down to the Orpheum Theatre on August
4th at 8pm. Tickets available on Ticketmaster.ca.
photo by Rickett Sones
Loveable wackadoos Tim and Eric keep playing with comedy to make things they’d like to see
July 2017 COMEDY
29

FILM
The Bad Batch
THE BAD BATCH
a deflated stab at the post-apocalypse
MAXWELL ASPER
The Bad Batch opens strong but ultimately
fails to follow through. The drama-thriller
follows Arlen, a twenty-something criminal
relegated to “the Bad Batch” and forced
to wander through a post-apocalyptic
wasteland where she battles cannibals,
cults and what it means to be “bad”.
With a gory, cannibalistic intro, the film
sets up to be quite the thriller but there
reaches its peak making for an anticlimactic
story. Perhaps the film’s best aspect is
THE JOURNEY
a Car Ride Across the Irish Divide
PARIS SPENCE-LANG
Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin
Hate UberPOOL? Ian Paisley (Timothy
Spall) of the Democratic Unionist Party
and Martin McGuinness (Colm Meaney)
of Sinn Féin put your ride-share horror
stories to shame when they hitched a ride
together, resulting in a long conversation
and the 2006 peace agreement in Northern
Ireland.
The Journey is the dramatized retelling
of this ride, with the two men squaring
off in the back of a car for the duration
The Journey
its trippy post-apocalyptic visuals, wardrobe
and set pieces, which all blend nicely
to create an electro-punk wasteland
scored by electronic duo Darkside.
The Bad Batch delivers when it comes
to providing an original take on the trendy
post-apocalyptic genre, but the film’s plot
is bland and the movie opens with its
greatest trick.
The Bad Batch is in theaters now.
of the film. Unbeknownst to them, their
chauffeur is a British agent, and their
conversation is being transmission to the
British Prime Minister and the head of
MI5 (no, Daniel Craig does not make an
appearance).
The intense ride traverses the spectrum
of emotion, and while the film is
already spawning vitriol from the Irish,
its tale of humanity will leave you seeing
green—in a good way.
GLOW
female Wrestling Comedy Grapples
With Identity
GRAEME WIGGINS
Glow
Glow shines a light on the world
of 80s female wrestling. The show
follows Ruth (Alison Brie), an unemployed
actress who joins a new
female wrestling television show
run by Sam Sylvia (Mark Maron).
The show revolves around her quest
to find her place in things, both for
her character in the show and for
her life.
The show also seems to be trying
find it’s character. It’s a comedy that
deals with emotional heft and drama,
but can’t quite connect the two.
Maron shines as a vaguely nihilistic
director, and Ruth brings out the
contrast with Brie showing herself
capable of humour and dramatic
chops.
Ultimately the show is funny, and
smart. If Glow could just work on
sorting out exactly what they are
trying to achieve, it could be great.
Still, it’s definitely worth pulling up a
chair—just don’t hit anyone with it.
Glow is now on Netflix.
THIS MONTH IN FILM
HOGAN SHORT
Monterey Pop 50th Anniversary Edition
Two years before Woodstock cemented a counterculture legacy, the Monterey International
Pop Festival brought iconic figures like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and
Otis Redding into the limelight. Directed by D. A. Pennebaker (Ziggy Stardust and
the Spiders from Mars) this essential remastered recording gives us a taste of The
Who, Mamas and the Papas, Simon Garfunkel, and many more at the height of their
movement.
Catch a screening of this seminal concert doc at The Cinematheque
July 7-9 & 12th.
Indiana Jones and the Trilogy Marathon
Forget indie films—I’ll stick with Indy films. Our favourite archeologist is back with
Marion Ravenwood, Short Round, Sallah, and a whole suite of snakes. This is your
chance to catch Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade,
in one go for over six hours of whip-cracking, Nazi-punching, heart-burning
movie magic. And in the words of the Rio: “You read that right. ‘Trilogy.’ We’re pretending
that fourth installment never happened.”
Throw the idol July 14th at the Rio Theatre.
Upcoming Releases
City of Ghosts
“Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently” is a coalition of anonymous Syrian activists.
They fight ISIS in the only way they believe can win—through brutally honest
journalism. These men and women face constant threat of death—not just of
themselves, but of family members—even in the exile many of them endure. City
of Ghosts tells their story with stunning personal access, and is as hopeful as it is
hard-hitting. (In theaters July 7th)
A Ghost Story
Casey Affleck plays a ghost in this slow-burning drama, one that haunts his old
home with an unbearable melancholy while wearing a sheet with eyeholes. Through
these eyeholes, he witnesses the passing of time eternal, and understands what it
means to truly lose someone as he slips away from his wife’s memory. (In theaters
July 7th)
Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan tackles one of the world’s greatest close shaves in war epic
Dunkirk. Set on the beaches of France in 1940, hundreds of thousands of Allied
soldiers are awaiting evacuation as an impending Nazi force closes in. Tom Hardy
sweats it out with an unlikely bunkmate in Harry Styles, but this is sure to be one of
Nolan’s best yet. (In theaters July 21st)
A Ghost Story
Platinum Era (’96-’09)
HiP HOP + R&B
EVERY FRIDAY
10:30pm - 19+
2755 Prince Edward Street
biltmorecabaret.com
HOUSE JAMS FOR THE YOUNG,
RESTLESS & BORED
CAN I LIVE + GUESTS
EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT
10:30pm - 19+
30 FILM
July 2017

BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
Hug of Thunder
Arts & Crafts Records
Broken Social Scene is perhaps the most striking exemplar of the notion that there are only two categories
of music, live, and recorded. Not that the elaborate rock and roll soundscape of a track like “Halfway
Home” couldn’t be replicated on a big stage with enough Fender Jaguars and Micro Korgs, but rather that
a collection of musicians with this level of individual success are rarely seen at award shows, let alone in the
same band.
In its inception, Broken Social Scene was a microcosm of the Toronto indie rock scene. The band began
through the slow merging of two bands, Kevin Drew and Charles Spearin’s KC Accidental (which became
the title of one of Broken Social Scene’s best known songs), and Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning’s Broken
Social Scene. Both bands were decidedly post-rock, with paced moments of lowercase in between slow
guitar jams, glitch synth drones, and sound effects. An early KC Accidental track even features audio of
Charles Spearin flipping through his voicemail, a strong contrast to the indie rock anthems of the Broken
Social Scene of Hug of Thunder. But even in these early releases, soon-to-be-huge names started popping
up in the liner notes.
The mostly instrumental and reserved Feel Good Lost (2001) was the first full length release with the
BSS name, but the indie rock super group we see today truly emerged with You Forgot it in People (2002).
It’s a truly frenetic piece of work, with perfectly strange song titles (“Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the
Missionaries”), slippery post-rock grooves (“Pacific Theme”), and moments of incendiary rhythm (“Almost
Crimes”). Vocals are hardly the centre of the devoutly art-rock record, but alongside the streamlining of the
band into a rock format, frontman Kevin Drew could be heard on most of the tracks. What were formerly
backing singers became features, and thus the interplay between Drew and vocal leads from Amy Milan,
Emily Haines, and Leslie Feist started to define the band. This also marked the creation of Arts & Crafts
Record which go on to become an indie powerhouse.
Between You Forgot it in People (2002) and Broken Social Scene (2005) a lot would happen paratextually
with the band members. Amy Millan and Evan Cranley’s Stars would release the career defining Set Yourself
on Fire (2004), Emily Haines and James Shaw would record three records as Metric and release two of them
on Last Gang records, and Feist would begin to soundtrack every wedding since with the release of Let It
Die (2004), to say nothing of other tangential bands like Apostle of Hustle and Do Make Say Think. These
successes would compound from here, and all the disparate styles of each member began to seep into their
own projects and bands, even into solo work from Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew as Broken Social Scene
Presents.
By 2010’s Forgiveness Rock Record, the band was defined by its star-studded cast and its massive and
bombastic indie rock anthems. The live sets became a guessing game of who was available to tour in front
of a raucous horn section. Seven years later, Hug of Thunder feels like a musical high school reunion, and not
in the sassy Zac Effron kind of way.
It opens like most Broken Social Scene releases, with a tempered and drone-like build into an explosive
crescendo. “Halfway Home” is an inviting reminder of the biggest moments on Forgiveness Rock. This leads
cleanly into the Emily Haines lead “Protest Song,” which maintains a similar level of major key note density,
with several layers of roaring guitars played by Andrew Whiteman among others and synths by players like
Lisa Lobsinger. The cavernous acoustic opening of “Skyline” teases a change of pace, before drummer Justin
Peroff kicks the song back into the same rhythmic space as the opening two. The record occasionally slows
itself down in this way, but rarely turns down the volume for long. That’s not to say that every track is Forgiveness
Rock’s “Meet Me in the Basement,” but it doesn’t contain that much negative space. Every track
arcs strongly, and contains a truly dense mix, but with a strong bias towards traditional rock instrumentation.
Fewer woodwinds, less present horns. The vocals are often doubled and offset between left and right.
Thus, the mixes are hazier and less crisp than on previous releases. The headphone listening experience benefits
strongly from this, although the clarity of the vocals is less, and thus the impact of the canted lyricism
is mitigated somewhat. A track like the Feist-centred “Hug of Thunder” stands out in this regard, especially
in conversation with her new, intensely raw, solo release, Pleasure (2017). There are a few new faces here too,
most notably a transcendent vocal feature from AroarA’s Ariel Engle on “Gonna Get Better.”
What was once a compendium of disparate ideas has solidified into an identity: a respite for weary songwriters,
a chance to play big songs in a big band, singing in front of a cacophony of expert musicianship, for
audiences that might actually be smaller than they get from their day job bands. For us, it’s an extremely
large and impressive piece of indie rock canon, a high water mark for how beautiful and successful a musical
community can become, and how important it is that it stay together.
•Liam Prost
•illustration by Taryn Garret
July 2017 31
REVIEWS

88 Fingers Louie - Thank You For Beig a Friend
Boris - Dear
Cashmere Cat - 9
Ex Eye - Ex Eye
88 FINGERS LOUIE
Thank You for Being a Friend
Bird Attack Records
It’s been 19 years since Chicago-based punk rockers,
88 Fingers Louie have released a new album,
but the wait is finally over and our begging and
pleading has paid off.
While 88 Fingers' early career may have been short
lived, they quickly became a staple in the 90’s hardcore-punk
scene. Forming in 1993, they released a
couple full-length records during their quick stint.
Their last, Back on the Streets, was released on
Hopeless Records in 1998.
Fast forward 19 years and Thank You for Being a
Friend fits seamlessly into 88 Fingers’ small, but
stellar discography. Slightly more polished than
previous albums, Thank You showcases the band's
growth - something which is expected after 19
years - but it also refines the band's signature style
that fans adore. Hard-hitting bass lines, progressive,
catchy and up-tempo riffs and drums, and of
course, the heavy, melodic vocals of Denis Buckley.
“Meds,” the first track on Thank You, displays these
characteristics flawlessly. Songs like “Advice Column”
and “2810” will remind listeners of past 88 albums,
while “Our Tired Voices” and “Knock It Off”
are great examples of what the band has become.
Thank You for Being a Friend will not disappoint
fans or first-time listeners and will surely become
an album in your regular rotation. We might have
waited 19 years, but it was worth it.
•Sarah Mac
Boris
Dear
Sargent House
Dear was supposed to be, if not the end of Atsuo,
Takeshi and Wata’s 25-year career, then at least
the end of an era - a Dear John letter firing their
audience. Then, at some point in the recording
process, they changed their tripartite mind, reaffirmed
their commitment to all-caps ROCK and
made… a Boris record. Not as good as their breakthrough
Pink, maybe a little better than Noise; not
a self-conscious (or maybe not) pop pastiche like
New Album and Attention Please and also not a
four-part drone saga like The Thing Which Solomon
Overlooked. It is at times ethereal, at other
times like the final strung-out moments of The
Stooges’ “L.A Blues.” It’s post-everything all of the
time, but not totally inaccessible, and if you want
to jump onboard with one of the consistently least
annoying experimental rock bands then start here
and circle back to Pink.
•Gareth Watkins
Cashmere Cat
9
Interscope Records
Cashmere Cat (née Magnus Høiberg) is a Norwegian
producer who has specialized in weird sounds
in pop music. On his debut album, 9, Høiberg recruits
all his big name friends and collaborators
(MØ, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd). Only one track
is instrumental. Unlike most producer-billed output
though, 9 is not a curated showcase of pop
stars over the producer’s music. Instead, Cashmere
Cat succeeds in turning these Billboard Top 40
mainstays into instruments and extensions of his
own wonky soundscapes.
This is not the only he breaks away from the mold
with 9. He frequently baits his listener with tense
builds, of rapid fire beats and increasing key shifts,
leading the listener to expect a clichéd "drop". Instead,
he forgoes it and builds towards a soft cloud
of blissful melody and strange percussive sounds
you can rest your head on.
That relaxed atmosphere runs through the whole
record, and the few exceptions are abrasive rather
than poppy pandering.
9 is not an EDM album because you can’t dance to
it. It isn’t a pop album, its song structure, sounds
and style are too off kilter for that. It’s also not
experimental, as these are the same sounds Cashmere
Cat and his imitators have been playing
with since his Mirror Maru EP in 2012, just refined
through experience and the star quality of his collaborators.
What 9 is, is an excellent debut from a
producer who will continue to be at the centre of
pop and mainstream electronic’s future.
•Cole Parker
EX EYE
EX EYE
Relapse Records
I’m calling it: saxophones do not belong in metal
music. I know that somebody is going to jump right
into the comments section to defend John Zorn or
Candiria, but c’mon. Maybe a dozen musicians (all
of whom are now dead) can turn them into fonts
of transcendent brilliance, but mostly they’re shiny
tubes that make fart sounds.
EX EYE, are Colin Stetson, low-key indie rock’s
go-to guy for some sax; a guy from forgettable experimental
rock concern Secret Chiefs 3 and the
drummer from perennial hipster-metal punchline
Liturgy. If you’ve heard post-rock and post-metal
recently then you’ve heard this, but better or, in
Liturgy’s case, pretty much the same but with vocals
instead of an overgrown and overcomplicated
kazoo. Yes, Greg Fox is a skilled drummer, but skill
is not soul, and if you’re fucking with the sax, even
in the context of blackened post-metal you’re inviting
comparisons to John Coltrane, who had both.
•Gareth Watkins
The Guaranteed
The Guaranteed EP
Independent
As a fixture in the Edmonton roots scene for two
decades, Darrek Anderson of The Guaranteed has
been the pedal steel player of choice for some of
the city’s most influential underground acts. Having
spent time with Old Reliable, The Swiftys, The
City Streets, and Eamon McGrath, Anderson’s
steel playing has featured on countless releases and
tours. Now a member of The Dungarees, Anderson
has put together an excellent EP of alt-country
songs, his first release since 2007’s Places You Used
To Go.
The Guaranteed forgoes the currently common
expressive masculinity of modern country for a
more laid back feel, trekking to the higher emotional
ground of acts like Jason Isbell, expressively
honest in Anderson’s softly sung tenor with a
plaintive Jeff Tweedy feel. “Rest Easy” leads off with
a classic roadhouse guitar riff from Nathan Mc-
Murdo over a Waylon-phased rhythm guitar, and
rather than aim for explosive choruses, Anderson
and the band settle into an easy groove driven by
the chill touch of drummer Bradford Tebble that
suggests wizened confidence; more content to
sit back and play together than to show you any
or all of their cards at once. The steel and electric
guitar interplay on “Hear From You” is classy in its
understatement, and the harmony vocal on the
32 REVIEWS
July 2017

July 2017 33
REVIEWS

1
Lust for Life &
Beatroute present
BORN ON THE
FIRST OF JULY
Can Rock Covers
2
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
3
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
4
Jokes feat.
Keven Soldo
5
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
6
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights w.
Trilo Jay
7
The Railway
Stage presents
Pale Red
8
Unofficial Khats
After-Party
Peach Pit,
Jock Tears,
Jo-Passed & BB
9
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
10
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
11
Jokes feat.
Dan Quinn
12
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
13
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights w.
Jimmy “Duck”
Holmes
14
The Railway
Stage presents
Los Duendes
15
Lust for Life
special guests
The Psychic
Alliance &
Melted Mirror
16
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
17
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
18
Jokes feat.
Myles Anderson
19
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
20
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights w.
The New
Groovement
21
The Railway
Stage presents
Flow n’ Motion
w/ DJ Flipout
22
Lust for Life
special guests
JP Maurice &
Nuela Charles
& more
23
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
24
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
25
Jokes feat.
Kevin Banner
26
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
27
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights w.
Friends 6.0
28 29
The Railway
Stage presents
Malk
Lust for Life
special guests
Red Haven
30 31
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 3pm
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5 Beer til 5pm
Happy Hour
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3 Beer til 3pm
$
5 Beer til 5pm
34 REVIEWS
July 2017

H09909 - United States of Horror
In Hearts Wake - Ark
Melvins - A Walk With Love and Death
Jessica Moss - Pools of Light
Ron Samworth - Dogs Do Dream
hook is a high point of country melody
on the album. There’s a lengthy swell
over a well-placed “Duck” Dunn bass riff
from Tom Murray that begs for just a bit
more instrumental harmony, though it
would sound less like a live group with
that kitchen sink thrown in. Anderson
wisely resists the urge to inflect a vocal
drawl suggesting he’s from anywhere
but where he is, and the EP’s high water
mark for writing, “Sinew & Bone,” lays
back into Nebraska territory with only
Anderson’s acoustic and a hummed
melody line in a sympathetic harmony
with Dungarees mate James Murdoch.
The Guaranteed’s honesty is revealed
more through ambiguity than just a
black-and-white reading of heartache,
going for gravitas over grandeur. Its
spare production is the work of a confident
group of players who know exactly
what needs to be played, and that filling
every empty space often removes emphasis
from what needs to be heard.
•Mike Dunn
Ho99o9
United States of Horror
Caroline Records
Punk and hip-hop have a lot of similarities
in the ethos of their respective
subcultures. Anti-authority, and a DIY
attitude are central values to each, and
they’re both channeled by New Jersey
duo Ho99o9 (pronounced “Horror”) in
their mish-mash of the two genres.
On United States of Horror, their debut
album, members Eaddy and theOGM
package their influences together with
pure adrenaline. Their live show is infamous,
and the crackle and buzz of their
lo-fi recording process make it evident
they’re trying to bring some of that
energy into the studio. United States
of Horror sounds better played out of
blown out speakers in your basement
than it does out of audiophile headphones
and that’s not a bad thing.
For Ho99o9, the scale between their
hardcore and hip-hop influences isn’t
always entirely balanced. Siren backed
banger “Splash” tips very hard to the
hip-hop side, while “City Rejects”
smashes it back like something off a
Black Flag record. Both are highlights,
but this rapid flip-flop and the occasional
jeering high-fidelity intro or interlude
can take a listener out of Ho99o9’s carefully
cultivated carnival of chaos. The
over-the-top lyrical content can also
make a listener pause their head-banging
for a chuckle.
Despite its flaws, United States of
Ho99o9 mostly feels as raw as a fresh
wound in a garage show moshpit and
2017 needs more of that.
•Cole Parker
In Hearts Wake
Ark
Rise Records
Ark is the fourth studio release from
Aussie metalcore band, In Hearts Wake.
While this album is still a decent depiction
of what the band stands for —
Mother Earth and self-love — it isn’t a
great follow up to their previous release,
Skydancer.
It does however, follow a specific formula
coined by the Aussies, opening
and closing with a recording and with
one slower song in the middle. This album
is lacking musically, there aren’t
many riffs or beats that stick with the
listener, however, the lyrics compensate
by pushing along a message to believe
in yourself and the Earth you live on.
These boys usually have a pretty decent
balance of clean vocals, sung by Kyle
Erich, to screaming by Jake Taylor, but
Erich’s vocals aren’t showcased as well
as on their previous releases and Taylor’s
screams are lacking the raw power that
we know he has. This album is worth a
listen to at least once though, you may
find something you might enjoy.
•Bailey Barnson
Melvins
A Walk With Love and Death
Ipecac Recordings
This is a double album. Or it isn’t. But it
might be. Or it’s a Melvins album, their
twenty-fifth, that is packaged with their
twenth-sixth recording, the soundtrack
for the film A Walk With Love & Death.
They are not a band that make it easy
for you.
Their music, however, goes down
smooth: although they, literally, have
no peers in the avant-sludge-americana-punk
genre there is something
comfortingly American in their reverb-drenched
solos and guitar tones
so clear that they could be pianos. The
riffs are huge, particularly on early track
Euthanasia, and there’s darkness there,
but it’s accessible. AM rock-radio accessible
at times- until the second half of
the album swings into view and it’s all
howling electronics and kitschy samples,
all of which is unbearably annoying
and nowhere near what noise music can
be. So, not so much a double album as a
very decent Melvins release that comes
with a coffee coaster that looks an awful
lot like a CD.
•Gareth Watkins
Jessica Moss
Pools of Light
Constellation Records
Jessica Moss is the violinist and composer
that has been a member of the
Montreal post-rock behemoth Thee
Silver Mt. Zion Orchestra since their
second release, Born into Trouble as the
Sparks Fly Upwards, in 2001. Since the
band’s hiatus, she’s been working diligently
touring and writing her own solo
material. First, with Under Plastic Island,
an independant release in 2015 and now
with her label debut, Pools of Light.
For fans of Silver Mt. Zion, the violin-centred
Pools of Light will be a treat.
Moss’ knack for swelling orchestral layers
of sound persists in her solo work
but it is more strongly influenced by
drone and folk. Rather than aiming to
build emotion on top of itself, Pools of
Light instead focuses on crafting atmosphere.
It has the capability to teleport you into
its lush world. You can get lost in it, but
so too can Moss and the improvisational
tone of the record can sometimes leave
it to meander without clear direction.
Nonetheless, Pools of Light can leave
you drowning in its undercurrent of
dark neo-classical.
•Cole Parker
Ron Samworth
Dogs Do Dream
Drip Audio
Composer/guitarist Ron Samworth has
created something unique on his latest
release Dogs Do Dream. Inspired by
scientific studies indicating that some
mammals, namely dogs, do dream while
sleeping, the veteran jazz musician has
crafted a suite of imagined dog dreams.
Combining spoken word narration and
freeform jazz compositions, Dogs Do
Dream is a suitably bizarre listening
experience. The narration provided
by Barbara Adler is vivid and at points
uncompromising. The text covers a
range of sensations and experiences in
the life of a dog ranging from the affectionate
(chasing a frisbee) to the unseemly
(sniffing through garbage). The
largely improvised interplay between
Samworth and long time collaborators
including Peggy Lee (cello) and Dylan
van der Schyff (drums/marimba) is commendably
cohesive in terms of creating
a mood and atmosphere to accompany
the narration. Dogs Do Dream is a
willfully difficult album but its creative
premise is undeniably avant garde.
•James Olson
July 2017 35
REVIEWS

LA Vida Local
Homegrown Vancouver Music Releases
Cousin Arby
Cousin Arby
Independent
Cousin Arby are off to a good start with their debut seven-inch. The self-proclaimed “hottest
faux family country band in Vancouver” offer a trio of enjoyably silly tracks, each brimming with
charm and self-awareness. The title of the first track, “Sour Whiskey,” is fairly self-explanatory in
terms of its subject matter. The lyrical refrain “You make me feel alright / And give me loving
through the night / But you just don’t treat me like that sour whiskey,” serves as a delightfully
subversive ode to alcoholism. The accompanying two tracks take fantastical lyrical detours with
“The Resurrection,” addressing the ghostly presence of a dead lover. The final track “Spaceman”
is definitely the strongest of the three songs, the laid back forlorn ballad featuring pleasant keyboard
work, an emotional guitar solo and truly clever lyrics about losing your significant other
to an extraterrestrial. Cousin Arby’s tongue-in-cheek songwriting shows ample promise for a
solid full length in the future.
• James Olson
Dopey's Robe
Rock Steady New Mexico
Independent
Close your eyes little coyote and wake up in Rock Steady New Mexico, the silicone fresh EP from
those dreamy deadbeats living down on the street, Dopey's Robe. This one has all of the modern
psych swagger found on the band’s debut S/T with some added hi-fi sheen. First track "Fountain"
is a lucid ode to God knows what, packed with tribal-disco drums and psycho guitars. Next is
"Spit On The Wall" and it's looking like glitter, shot in 35mm, splattered in the rooms of the
Madonna Inn of San Luis Obispo; this one is for the danger birds to soar! Dig the sky mon ami
and then it's "Off With Your Head," a vomit inducing carousel ride with a cow-punk groove. Ever
been on a Ferris wheel greased in acid? Some B-Movie dialogue paired with bent-outta-shape
wah-wah guitar and we're out! The ritual is complete. All the slime-rock here you need to get
clean, sacrificial psych for your dirty pipe dream. Pick up a tape from your local Dopey.
• Creature
Peregrine Falls
Peregrine Falls
Drip Audio
The chemistry between multi-instrumentalists Gordon Grdina and Kenton Loewen is palpable
on their latest project Peregrine Falls. The debut record from long time collaborators sees the
pair playing off and complementing each other’s strengths to produce a collection of songs that
are at once chaotic, frenetic and dynamic. The opening track “Two Fish In A Bucket” begins with
a thunderous drumbeat, coupled with Grdina’s gritty guitar work before deftly shifting into free
flowing jazz passages. Peregrine Falls’ debut is brimming with moments of exciting spontaneity.
The psychedelic freak out in the middle of “The Machinist” and the spoken word passage over
a fuzzy, almost Melvins-esque instrumental on “Ornette” particularly stand out as instances of
jam-based artistry at work. If this debut LP offers any indication, Peregrine Falls have plenty to
offer fans in terms of challenging and exciting instrumental rock.
• James Olson
Sick Boss
Sick Boss
Drip Audio
Sick Boss’ debut album is a somewhat disjointed listening experience punctuated by moments
of true musical brilliance and emotional resonance. Edited down from a massive catalog of improvised
and composed material by a dozen musicians, this record is filled with contrasting
ideas colliding into one another. The first third of the album moves through three distinctly challenging
avant garde jazz pieces before detouring into the claustrophobic industrial pop track
“Bug Ya! (Pt.1)” featuring vocals by Debra-Jean Creelman. Sick Boss are certainly uninhibited by
genre boundaries, playing with psych rock on “Bad Buddhist” and even touches of post rock on
“They’ve Got Tombstones In Their Eyes.” The final number “Troubled” is easily the most beautiful
composition on the record; Creelman returns to provide gorgeous bilingual vocals over this
sweeping, romantic ballad. While Sick Boss’ debut might not be particularly cohesive, there is
certainly material to be enjoyed by a patient and open-minded listener.
• James Olson
Guitar Wolf, Isaac Rother and the
Phantoms, and the Vicious Cycles
The Cobalt
June 22, 2017
Guitar Wolf has been a rock and roll icon in Japan
since the late 1980s. Iword n 2016 the band put out
the album, T-Rex From A Tiny Space Yojouhan, a
fast and dirty thirty-minute LP. Guitar Wolf has
since been going on multiple tours to promote the
album.
The night began with the Vicious Cycles, a local
five-piece band influenced by 70s punk rock and
garage rock. While playing to a small audience, the
group had a good attitude and was able to get concertgoers
engaged in their first couple songs.
Isaac Rother & the Phantoms were next, incorporating
a fusion of garage rock, surf punk, and psychobilly
with horror themes infused into their lyrics
and appearance. The lead singer and guitarist, Isaac
Rother, with a voice comparable to the low grumble
of Muddy Waters, led his band through a series
of fast-paced songs and ballads to a very receptive
audience.
By far the most entertaining band of the night
was Guitar Wolf. The trio, two thirds of whom are
over the age of 50, casually walked on stage wearing
T-Rex masks over their heads and each sported
leather jackets and pants. After looking out into the
venue for a few seconds, lead singer and guitarist
Seiji pulled a beer out of his pocket and began to
pour the whole thing into his mask before whipping
it off and breaking into the first song of the night,
Jurassic 5
Commodore Ballroom
June 23, 2017
While mainstream and commercial rap continues
to dominate radio and the internet, Jurassic 5’s stop
in Vancouver certainly made a case for the enduring
love and relevance of backpack rap. Performing
the first of two sold out shows at the Commodore
Ballroom, the crowd showed up early and excited
for the Los Angeles rap collective’s first proper Vancouver
show since J5 reunited in 2013. By the time
the group took the stage just after 10:15pm, the
Commodore was completely packed and the well
liquored up crowd was ready to party.
Opening the set with the first of several playful
DJ battles, veterans DJs Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark
got the crowd hyped up with their technical antics
on the tables, followed by the MCs taking the stage
one-by-one. While the crowd seemed ready and the
group seemed eager, the show itself started off a bit
slow and lacked some vital energy through the first
few songs. However, after getting into the groove
and some crowd interaction, the crowd and the J5
Guitar Wolf
photo by Darrole Palmer
“T-Rex from a Tiny Space Yojouhan.” The members
of Guitar Wolf remained completely theatrical and
ridiculous the whole set, much to the audience’s
enthusiasm. At one point, Seiji handed his guitar to
someone in the audience and stage dived into the
crowd along with bassist U.G., leaving the fan to his
own devices to jam with drummer Toru. At times,
Seiji would put down his instrument, pause, and
flick what seemed like ounces of sweat off of his face
into the front row.
Guitar Wolf’s performance was exceptionally entertaining
and reiterated the message that music is
as much a statement as it is entertainment.
•Zak Johnson
finally found the right vibe together and the room
became electric.
Throughout the years, Jurassic 5’s sophisticated
and socially conscious brand of hip-hop has aged
well and each and every member of the group was
able to display their skill and proficiency in a crowd
pleasing manner. Cut Chemist and Nu-Mark squared
off numerous times, showing off their specific skillsets
as well as homemade equipment, including Cut
Chemist’s hilarious novelty turntable guitar. Zaakir
made the biggest impression, with a sharp voice and
a flow surpassing even his level recorded. Chali 2na
with his unmistakable baritone was clearly the fan
favourite, with Mr. Tuna Fish receiving the biggest
crowd reception and many in the audience knowing
his bars and verses word for word. Rounded out by
Marc 7 and Akil, even though Jurassic 5 is getting
up there in age, the sold out shows prove there is
still place for J5 in the modern hip-hop landscape.
Though the show started out slow, when everything
clicked it was fire, with the whole floor dancing and
singing/rapping along. Takin’ it back to the concrete
streets indeed.
•Joshua Erickson
Jurassic 5
36 REVIEWS
July 2017

Tool w. Crystal Method
Rogers Arena
June 15, 2017
Everyone’s favourite tease showed up at Rogers
to give us all a little tickle before vanishing again
into the night; and we were all FINE with it. Tool
has been dragging us all through a decade long
wait for new material all the while coyly dropping
breadcrumbs for us to sit and ration for weeks,
sometimes months. But despite the frustrations,
the fans showed up like a bloodthirsty hoard to
hear the old favourites on June 15th at a packed
Rogers Arena.
The progressive timing and flawless cohesiveness
within it sets this band apart from their
peers and from those attempting to wrassle the
mantle today. The now iconic details within these
multi-minute metal masterpieces take them from
being plain old angry opuses and turn them into
works of art. The first two guitar notes of “Parabol”
which put you right in the desert of your consciousness
while it writhes within the meat sack
that is your body. Justin Chancellor’s rumbling and
gurgling bass presence in “Schsim”, almost mimicking
the relentless churning of viscera inside someone
at odds with their existence. Those 7 indelible
Carey kicks in “Third Eye”. Jones’ talk box solo in
“Jambi”. Keenan’s “ long last vocal in “Jambi” which
tangle with endless reverb like Gandalf and the Balrog:
“stay out of my way!” Basically just everything
about “Jambi”, really. These details punctuate the
poetry like mushroom clouds.
A Tool concert is a respite from the angst of
waiting, from the strange random pulls of existence,
from the frustrations of powerlessness. Yeah
it was a greatest hits show, but with hits like these
who needs enemies? Was nice to gather, with no
expectation, and “celebrate this chance to be alive
and breathing”. And dat drum solo….
•Jennie Orton
Nick Cave
REVIEWS
photo by Galen Robinson
Tool
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
June 22, 2017
With an advertised start time of 8pm and no
opener, it was clear Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
intended to take the audience on a journey. After
a wave of acknowledgement, Cave grabbed a chair
and motioned to the audience to sit down as he
himself took a seat front and centre stage. The
band opened up with “Anthrocene,” a somber and
meditative cut off of Skeleton Key. Cave was not
constrained to the chair long, though. The pure
and raw emotional intensity of their songs has
become the calling card for Nick Cave & The Bad
Seeds, and this performance was nothing short of
astounding. [Text Wrapping Break]
As the show went on, the band and the energy
seemed to transform and mutate alongside
Cave. As a man of almost 60 years old, he has more
moves and urgency in his performance than nearly
anyone 1/3 his age. It is like Cave uses each song to
exorcize a particular demon – or maybe he lets the
demons inhabit him. But the way he harnesses the
band to elevate his performance while interacting
with the crowd is unparalleled. He is a wonder to
watch on stage. An emotionally fraught, performance
transcending, hip-shaking and dancing –
possibly demon inhabited – wonder
The culmination of the show, took place during
the encore. Beginning with “The Weeping Song,”
Cave crawled across the crowd gathered at the
front of the stage then climbed up 10 rows of seating
and sang in the middle of the crowd, giving an
incredibly spirited and passionate performance.
As the song ended, he ran back to the stage as the
band kicked into “Stagger Lee.” While crooning the
audience, Cave invited audience members onstage
one person at a time. With over 50 attendees beside
him, Cave went unhinged, grabbing people by
the collars and shoulders, singing/ yelling straight
into their face, letting all emotions fly unchecked
and giving a legendary performance all in attendance
will remember.
What else can you say about Nick Cave. He is
undoubtedly one of the best frontmen of all time,
backed by one of the most unique and impressive
bands in the world. He is a man of passion, intensity,
emotion and bares it all on stage for us to see.
We should be considered lucky to have him.
• Joshua Erickson
July 2017 37
REVIEWS

NEW MOON RISING: your monthly horoscope
Month of the Fire Sheep: Full Moon July 9, 2017
QUAN YIN DIVINATION
•illustration by Syd Danger
A hectic phase continues as the fire stem and branch of this month
burns continuously. Artistic, creative, and expressive, the Fire Sheep
is also clever, nurturing, and altruistic. It’s a perfect time to work on
anything in your life that has been spoiled, in relationships or personal
affairs — offering a chance to repair anything that may have gone awry
through neglect, disrepair, or disrespect.
Rabbit (Pisces): Enjoy life, family
comforts, and take time for leisure
and laughter. Finish up anything
outstanding so you can kick back
and do what matters to you most.
Dragon (Aries): Show off your talents
and take the recognition you
deserve. You're good at so many
things and people love your company.
Nurture others and they will
return the favour.
Snake (Taurus): Time management
gives you a chance for work/
life balance. Others may miss the
details, but stick to your plans to
optimize doing all you can. Get organized!
Horse (Gemini): Fatigue comes
with fame, unfortunately. Take short
breaks and show your integrity by
doing what needs to be done. Even at
your worst, you can still do your best.
Sheep (Cancer): Make more time
for the things you love to do. Hobbies,
music, and family time spent
with those whose hearts are true is
good for your health, which matters
most.
Monkey (Leo): This month comes
as a surprise to you as a highlight of
your year. You've done the groundwork,
so be decisive, cautious, and
economical to maximize your enjoyment.
Rooster (Virgo): Work on yourself.
Limits should be defined by yourself
and no-one else. Ignore the pressures
of others or cultural expectations
and just be yourself.
Dog (Libra): Your kindness can be
an asset, but don't allow others to
take advantage of your good nature.
Be brave and stand up for yourself!
Pig (Scorpio): Art, leisure, and study
foster a true academic lifestyle but
you may have to do some practical
chores at this time. Work together to
make it better.
Rat (Sagittarius): Wisdom comes
from our direct experience and your
greatest teacher lies within you. Look
for the lesson in each situation and
make time to feel and to heal.
Ox (Capricorn): Change is upon
you and you don't like it, but the
problem is an old one and it's time
to act on it. Spend three days in contemplation
and take care of number
one now.
Tiger (Aquarius): Lead the way by
example and watch other people fall
into step with you. Your superior
actions surround you with superior
people, and you are the company
you keep.
Susan Horning is a Feng Shui
Consultant and Bazi Astrologist
living and working in East Vancouver.
Find out more about
her at QuanYin.ca.
38
July 2017

July 2017 39

UPCOMING
SHOWS
JULY + AUGUST 2017
THURSDAY JULY 6
LA LUZ
The Biltmore Cabaret
WEDNESDAY JULY 12
BIRDTALKER
The Biltmore Cabaret
FRIDAY JULY 21
SPORTS
The Biltmore Cabaret
FRIDAY JULY 28
IN THE VALLEY
BELOW
The Biltmore Cabaret
SATURDAY JULY 29
NORTHLANE &
INTERVALS
The Vogue Theatre
MONDAY JULY 31
ALDOUS
HARDING
The Biltmore Cabaret
/MRGCONCERTS @MRGCONCERTS @MRGCONCERTSWEST
FOR MORE INFO & TICKETS
~
GO TO MRGCONCERTS.COM
~