BeatRoute Magazine BC Print Edition February 2018

TRIM SIZE: 10.25"W x 11.5" H, RIGHT HAND PAGE

february‘18
PUBLISHER
BeatRoute Magazine
LAYOUT
& PRODUCTION MANAGER
Naomi Zhang
FRONT COVER
ILLUSTRATION
Jarett Sitter
FRONT COVER DESIGN
Randy Gibson
LIVE EDITOR
Darrole Palmer
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Lauren Donnelly
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Andrew Bardsley • Sarah Bauer • Alex
Biron • Luiza Brenner • Beth D’Aoust
• Adam Deane • Lauren Donnelly •
Bryce Dunn • Mike Dunn • Chris Dzaka
• Slone Fox • Amber Harper-Young •
Sarah Jamieson • Ana Krunic • Brendan
Lee • Paul McAleer • Jamie McNamara
• Pat Mullen • Cole Parker • Liam Prost
• Mitch Ray • Brendan Reid • Frankie
Ryott • Alastair Spriggs • Max Szentveri •
Willem Thomas • Erin Ward
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHERS &
ILLUSTRATORS
Robert Anderson • Nedda Asfari •
Peter Battistoni • Bryce Hunnersen
• Bill Crisafi • Elissa Crowe • Tj Dawe
• Itai Erdal • Cody Fennell • Greg
Gallinger • Maria Jose • Dahila Katz
• Anita Lewis • Connor Mccracken •
Nelson Mouellic • Darrole Palmer • Jaik
Puppyteeth • Daniel Rampulla • Rachel
Robinson • Shimon Karmel • Raymund
Shum • Landon Speers • Jake Stark •
Steven Taylor • Matthew Zinke
Editor-In-Chief
Glenn Alderson
glenn@beatroute.ca
City
Yasmine Shemesh
yasmine@beatroute.ca
BPM
Alan Ranta
alan@beatroute.ca
Comedy
Graeme Wiggins
graeme@beatroute.ca
Managing Editor
Jordan Yeager
jordan@beatroute.ca
Local Music
James Olson
james.olson@beatroute.ca
The Skinny
Johnny Papan
johnny@beatroute.ca
Film
Hogan Short
hogan@beatroute.ca
04 HI, HOW ARE YOU? 17
05
06
09
10
12
14
- With Lesley McHale of
Womyn’s Ware
PULSE - CITY BRIEFS!
CITY
- Takashi Murakami
- Coastal First Nations
Dance Festival
MARIA BAMFORD
JFL NORTHWEST
- Todd Barry
- Cameron Esposito &
Rhea Butcher
- Jim Norton
- Sasheer Zamata
- Beth Stelling
SKI/SNOW
- Landline
FOOD
- Di Beppi
23
24
26
27
33
34
MUSIC
- Destroyer
- Bahamas
- KIgaku Moyu
- Tinsley Ellis
- Bully
THE SKINNY
- Black Label Society
- Enslaved
BPM
- Noble Oak
- 1800 Haight Street
FILM
- Entaglement
- This Month in Film
MUSIC REVIEW
- Frigs
- Born Ruffians
- Cecil Frena
LIVE REVIEW
HOROSCOPES
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES
Photo by Marcelo Krasilcic
Glenn Alderson
glenn@beatroute.ca
778-888-1120
DISTRIBUTION
Gold Distribution (Vancouver)
Mark Goodwin Farfields (Victoria)
Web
Jashua Grafstein
jash@beatroute.ca
Social Media
Mat Wilkins
mat@beatroute.ca
BEATROUTE MAGAZINE
202-2405 Hastings St. E
Vancouver BC Canada
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editor@beatroute.ca • beatroute.ca
©BEATROUTE Magazine 2018. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of the contents is strictly prohibited.
Page 19 - The Magnetic Fields - Looking back at 69 Love Songs
Photo by Matt Barnes
February 2018 3

WITH LESLEY MCHALE OF WOMYN’S WARE
JORDAN YEAGER
Winter is universally known as the best time of
year to get your freak on. Ever heard of cuffing
season? When the weather outside is frightful,
there’s nothing more delightful than finding
someone you vibe with and locking yourselves
away until temperatures once again rise to the
double digits. A community staple since 1995,
Womyn’s Ware is well-versed in spicing up the
love lives of those both single and in committed
relationships; with Valentine’s Day around the
corner, there’s no better time to expand your mind
(and your toybox). Owner Lesley McHale took the
time to woo us with some knowledge from behind
the scenes of her sex shop.
What does your core client base look like?
The best way to describe our core client base is all
ages, genders, and orientations. Predominantly,
folks who are aligned with our business values:
celebrating sex and desire to parallel sexual health
with sexual pleasure.
Do you have regulars?
Our store has been open since 1995 and we have
customers who have been shopping with us since
day one. We have regular local shoppers and
shoppers who travel from a distance a few times
a year to pick up their staples and to pick up the
latest and greatest.
How does your clientele change around
Valentine’s Day? Are there more couples
coming in together? More single people
wanting to explore self-love?
Our clientele doesn’t necessarily change around
Valentine’s Day, but we do sometimes see a spike
in first time and slightly shy shoppers. We see a
good combination of both [couples and single
people]. Some folks who haven’t used toys before
use Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to introduce
toys into their sexy time play.
At which times throughout the year
do you really see a spike in the sex toy
market? Any slow seasons?
Our store experiences a lot of volume for most
of the year. Christmas, New Year’s celebrations,
Valentine’s Day, and tourists in the summer are
when we see spikes in business.
Based on your observations, are there
fetish trends? Or have people always kinda
been into the same things?
We find that many folks are becoming more
open to either learning more, or exploring the
opportunity to experience fetish play.
What’s the most approachable toy for a
beginner to the sex toy game?
When a person who is new to sex toys comes into
the store, we like to provide a safe opportunity for
each person to tell us about their expectations of
what they would like to experience. Consequently,
a first time buyer may choose anything from
something that has an abstract appearance
and does not have the “look” of a sex toy, to a
rechargeable, submersible, blue tooth enabled
multi-purpose toy. That’s the amazing thing about
people: given the opportunity, they will often allow
themselves to explore what it is they truly desire.
Helping people come to the realization that
they can feel empowered sexually is an amazing
way to spend the day!
Ann and I have the best job in the world!!
Womyn’s Ware is located at 896 Commercial Drive.
Photo by Darrole Palmer
Business partners Ann Boone and Lesley McHale aim to help people on their quest for sexual empowerment.
4
February 2018

CITY BRIEFS!
CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL TYPHOON CONSTRUCTED ABSTRACTION BLACK HISTORY MONTH
BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT VIFF
February 5-29 at Vancouver International Film
Festival
This year, VIFF’s annual Black History Month film
series places an emphasis on inspirational women
amongst recurring themes of politics, protest,
and music. Along with new works from Canadian
filmmakers (Black Cop, Brown Girl Begins),
Senegal’s Félicité — about a single mother in the
Congo — is a highlight.
MY FUNNY VALENTINE
February 7-18 at Scotiabank Dance Centre
In 2008, Lawrence King was shot and killed by his
classmate after asking him to be his valentine. In
a number of monologues written by Vancouver
playwright Dave Deveau, actor Conor Wylie gives
voice to seven different people affected by the
aftermath of a horrific hate crime.
SLEEP OUT
February 15 at Covenant House
Taking place throughout the year, this movement
raises both funds and awareness for homeless
youth. This particular iteration is aimed at young
professionals, who are overcoming obstacles
(completing education, applying for jobs) that
many young homeless individuals might be facing.
CHUTZPAH! FESTIVAL
February 15-March 15 at various locations
The annual festival of Jewish performing arts
celebrates its 18th year, with international
performances in dance, comedy, theatre, and
music. Highlights this season include Vancouver
musician/poet Barbara Adler, humorist Jonathan
Goldstein and Perla Batalla — a longtime touring
band member of Leonard Cohen, who will perform
a tribute.
CELEBRATE CRAFT BEER!
February 8 at Performance Works
This charitable fundraiser lives up to its name:
celebrating seasonals from 10 different BC craft
beer breweries including Granville Island, Luppolo,
R&B, and Strange Fellows. Tickets include four
tastings and jurors will pick the winner.
CONSTRUCTED ABSTRACTION
February 8-March 10 at Deer Lake Art Gallery
The multidisciplinary work of local artist
Monique Motut-Firth is featured in this exhibition
that explores an intersection of urban space,
industrialization, natural elements, and identity by
way of prints and collage.
ROMEO + JULIET
February 21-24 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Ballet BC presents the iconic Shakespearean
tragedy about two star-crossed lovers, adapted by
famed choreographer Medhi Walerski and set to
Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s original score.
TYPHOON
February 24 at Rickshaw Theatre
The Portland, Oregon band is on tour in support
of their new album, Offerings — a 14-track
conceptual record partly inspired by filmmakers
David Lynch and Federico Fellini that explores the
spiralling stages of losing one’s mind.
MEN’S ACCOUNTABILITY CONFERENCE
March 3 at RayCam Community Centre
In the wake of #MeToo, this session will include
workshops on pro-feminism and accountability.
All male-identifying individuals are welcome.
February 2018 5

CITY
TAKASHI MURAKAMI: THE OCTOPUS EATS ITS OWN LEG
ICONIC ARTIST’S FIRST RETROSPECTIVE IN CANADA COMES TO VANCOUVER
LUIZA BRENNER
Photo by Maria Ponce Berre
Takashi Murakami has collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, and Louis Vuitton.
It might still be rainy season in Vancouver, but
the Vancouver Art Gallery is already blooming.
Starting on February 3, the gallery will welcome
Takashi Murakami’s first major retrospective in
Canada. Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its
Own Leg showcases over 50 works spanning three
decades of the artist’s career.
The touring exhibition, first conceived
and presented by Michael Darling, the James
W. Alsdorf Chief Curator at the Museum of
Contemporary Art Chicago, “offers unique and
dynamic insight into the visual world of Takashi
Murakami,” describes Diana Freundl, Associate
Curator, Asian Art at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
“One that mines the cultures of folklore, comics,
anime, manga, fashion as well as both Japanese
and Euro/American art histories.”
Even if you’re not an art aficionado, you’re
probably familiar with Murakami’s work outside
the museum realm. The artist’s cartoon-like
flowers and monsters are printed in Louis Vuitton
bags, on Kanye West’s 2005 Celebration album
art, and on Supreme skate decks, to name a few.
“Both he [and his work]effectively blur boundaries
between vernacular and fine art,” says Freundl. For
that, Murakami’s work seems to be more relatable
and democratic than most contemporary
artworks.
Visitors can expect massive sculptures,
paintings from his earliest mature work to his
recent large-scale projects, including a newly
created five-metre-tall sculpture and three
multi-panel paintings designed exclusively for
the Vancouver Art Gallery exhibition. In talking
about the hardships of installing a show of this
magnitude, Freundl says that the “energy and
effort required to finish one artwork should be
considered when mounting it, and hopefully that
gets translated when visitors walk through the
exhibition.”
A range of events will also accompany the
show. There will be a now sold-out lecture with
Murakami, and a much anticipated Murakami’s
Birthday Bash on February 2. Celebrating both
the artist’s birthday (on February 1) and the
opening of his exhibition, the evening will begin
at the Vancouver Art Gallery, with an exclusive
exhibition preview with the artist, followed by a
seated dinner and after party at the Commodore
Ballroom.
Grab your bag, blast Kanye on your
headphones, hop on your skateboard, and head to
the Vancouver Art Gallery, because this show will
be an epic one!
Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg
runs at the Vancouver Art Gallery from February
3-May 6.
COASTAL FIRST NATIONS DANCE FESTIVAL
FLYING GWITCH’IN FIDDLER TELLS TALES OF THE YUKON
ERIN WARD
Boyd Benjamin picked up the fiddle for the
first time at 14-years-old. With the melody
of a song played at an old-time dance in Old
Crow still running through his head, he sat
down to try and recreate what he’d heard. That
experience — sitting with the fiddle, learning
to play a song that was played nowhere else —
launched a life-long passion for fiddle music
and for sharing the story of his home.
“It’s a unique way for me to express myself
because that’s sort of who I am,” he explains.
“It’s my upbringing and where I come from.
I was taught that our culture up North is
precious and [playing fiddle music] is a way to
keep that going.”
Known as the Flying Gwitch’in Fiddler,
Benjamin, along with singer/songwriter Kevin
Barr, has performed his music across the
country. This March will be the first time the
duo has performed as part of the Coastal First
Nations Dance Festival at the UBC Museum of
Anthropology. The festival, which runs from
February 27 to March 4, will celebrate the
songs, dances, and stories of the Indigenous
peoples of the Northwest Coast of North
America.
Benjamin explains that Old Crow, a small
6
community just below the Beaufort Sea in
Northern Yukon, is known for its fiddle music.
Continuing this tradition, he says, is a way to
keep the culture of his community alive and
vibrant.
“Some of the music we play is only heard
in Old Crow, and some of the dances we
do only happen in Old Crow,” he says. “We
speak Gwitch’in, and the language is fading,
so my contribution to that part of culture
is the music that I play. I’m contributing to
our culture in a way so as to keep that alive
musically.”
With his music, Benjamin is telling the story
of the cultural tradition of fiddle music in Old
Crow, of the dances and songs unique to his
community. In telling that story, and in sharing
his fiddle music, he keeps those traditions alive
— not just by playing some of the old-time
songs he’s heard since childhood, but also
by making new ones to continue that legacy
of bringing community together over fiddle
music.
The Coastal First Nations Dance Festival runs
at the Museum of Anthropology from February
24-March 4.
Boyd Benjamin keeps his heritage alive through the cultural tradition of fiddle music.
Photo by Gary Bremner Photography
February 2018

Yoko Ono
March 1 to March 31, 2018
MEND PIECE, Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York City version, (1966/2015) | ceramic, glue, tape, scissors and twine | dimensions variable
Rennie Museum | 51 East Pender St | Vancouver

Maria
Photo by Bruce Smith
Bamford
F
unny, fearless comedian Maria Bamford shares her
experiences with self perception, relationship dynamic
and mental health on stage. She makes people laugh
by looking back at her sometimes tragic journey with
insightfulness. And by being so open she’s communicated to
anyone suffering from depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts,
bipolar disorder and/or OCD that they’re not alone! She’s a
modern day saint and has been a pioneer in dissolving the stigma
surrounding mental illness, through comedy, throughout her
career. Bamford masterfully acts out carefully crafted character
scenarios with ease. Her stand-up is honest, original, vulnerable
and hilarious.
Maria Elizabeth Sheldon Bamford was born to Marilyn and Joel
in Port Hueneme, California but was raised in Duluth, Minnesota,
alongside her sister Sarah. Before she had her life direction it
crossed her mind to do something other than perform. She
says, “My dad was a doctor, so I thought about that, you know
thinking it’s sort of a monk-like aesthetic, a sad answer to what
life could be. I thought (goes into a tired/slow voice) ‘maybe I’ll
be a physician and ahhh, and I’ll help people’ in a very depressed
vision of the future. But I did think about doing that. I was
generally terrified of what life had to offer. I didn’t have any hope
for myself beyond just gratitude that I could go to college, so that
I could have some place to go.”
During her university years Bamford fought to find her path,
she struggled with depression and unwanted thoughts syndrome
(a type of OCD) and on top of all that had difficulty finding the
right school. Her second school, the University of Edinburgh,
however introduced her to performing improv, which she
enjoyed, along with being a part of other student productions.
In her senior year she also experimented with doing stand-up at
some open mics while attending the University of Minnesota,
where she received her Bachelor of Arts in creative writing.
It wasn’t until she worked through the infamous book, The
Artist’s Way, though that she knew what road she would travel.
Recommended to her by her then mentor Frank Conniff (TV’s
Frank from Mystery Science Theatre 3000), Bamford says, “I did
that whole book and I was like ‘oh this is what I want to be. I want
to be a comedian.’ Then I started kinda doing one person shows
and yeah it really helped me gain more confidence in a direction.”
Bamford then moved to LA and worked as a temp to support
herself and her dream. She also got paid minimum wage to be
an audience member at shows and went against the grain of
her introverted instincts and served tables. She remembers,
“Waitressing was a nightmare for me, I did it for three years and
I just never got better at it. I always tip over 20 per cent cause I
just feel like if you got the food to the table than you have done
more than I did. There’s something about the social anxiety of
looking into the faces of hungry people, who have specific needs
and they’re all different and then being kinda easy going in your
service (confident/laid back voice) ‘Oh here’s a glass of water and
a basket of chips’... I could never seem to pull it off, I was always
shakily theatrical about everything.”
Ten years after figuring out what she wanted to do and dealing
with complications of her brain’s predisposition, Bamford was
invited to perform on the Tonight Show. And since then she’s
been on every late night show you can name. Stephen Colbert has
called her one of his favourites. She was the first female ever to
lock down not one but two Comedy Central Presents. In 2003 she
released her debut album, The Burning Bridges Tour. Then in 2005
she starred alongside Zach Galifianakis, Brian Posehn and Patton
Oswalt in Comedians of Comedy: The Movie. In 2007 she put out
a second album, How to Win, in 2009 she released Unwanted
Thoughts Syndrome, then shortly after that was Maria Bamford’s:
Plan B (2010). Then there was The Special Special Special put out
unto the universe in 2012 and now on Netflix. And Bamford’s
next album, Ask Me About My New God was released in 2013.
After all that the American Comedy Awards presented her with
the Best Club Comic 2014, she had been honing her craft for
about 22 years.
Bamford has also had success in front of the camera and
received numerous credits for her skilled voiceover work. She’s
done voices for the Emmy Winning series Word Girl, Bojack
Horseman, Kung Fu Panda and Bob’s Burgers to name only a
few. She’s had recurring acting roles on Arrested Development,
ABC’s Fresh off the Boat and USA’s Benched. Most recently
though Bamford has blessed us with audio album 20% and her
special entitled, Old Baby that’s currently available on Netflix.
Additionally this past year Bamford’s show, Lady Dynamite
(created by Mitchell Hurwitz and Pam Brady), released its final
season. The quirky autobiographical dramedy starred Bamford
and is on the same famous binge watching portal. Rolling Stone
and Variety Magazine dubbed the series a ”Must-See Show”
after the first season but unfortunately it was cancelled after its
second.
Now at 47-years-old, Bamford is looking to blaze a new kind of
trail in entertainment. She says “I would like to know about new
comics especially from a diversity point of view. I feel like as an
older white lady who is relatively lazy, I don’t always meet people
who have different experiences than I do. I am really grateful
that there’s more space being created. You know I’d love to help
somebody else have their voice be heard. That sounds good to
me. I’ve had plenty of chance to be seen and heard, so that’s what
I would like to do is to be a job creator.”
Bamford is also happily tapped out of mental material and
believes that on top of the professional support, talking about
her illness in joke form has helped her to heal. “You hear people
laugh about it and you go ‘oh, I’m not alone,’ like it feels good. The
hilarious part is that I’ve felt so good for the past six years and I’m
on such great medication regimens that I don’t have any material.
I’ve kinda burned through all my experiences and now I’m just
writing jokes about animals,” she says. “If you work through
material and get health care then you can move back into the
bland, generic material you’ve always wanted to do. No, life is
very interesting. It felt very meaningful and fun to talk about. It’s
awesome and it’s just only been positive. It’s wonderful, you find
your audience and it’s great.”
And so it seems she may have become a doctor of sorts in
the end, healing others with her candidness and hilarity. While
helping to heal herself by bravely reaching out for the support
through her material and living her truth, the artist’s way!
Maria Bamford performs at the Vogue Theatre (Vancouver) March
3 as a part of the Just For Laughs NorthWest Comedy Festival.
February 2018 9

Todd Barry: Icky comic keeps things unscripted
By Johnny Papan
TODD BARRY
“I did a one-man show years ago about a woman who insulted
me on a Conan O’Brien message board. She said I was the
worst guest of the week, and that I had no charm, no wit and a
personality that could only be described as ‘icky.’ I called that
one-man show Icky.”
Though Todd Barry’s deadpan style of comedy may not be
for everyone, as is the case with every comedic styling, he’s
certainly captured the attention and respect of many since the
start of his 30-year career. In honour of this tenured course,
Barry is doing his signature Crowd Work tour, an unscripted
standup performance that plays with the audience.
“I look for people who are intriguing,” Barry explains. “Not
everyone looks intriguing, so [sometimes] I just have to start
picking people at random. I just look out at the sea of bearded
dudes and start talking to one. Sometimes the people who
seem the most timid have the best stories.”
After Barry picks his victim, he will ask the audience
member a series of simple questions that can take bizarrely
hilarious turns when infused with unexpected answers and the
comedian’s sniper-shot wit.
“I guess I’ve always been a smartass, but only right up to the
point of actually getting in trouble. I usually know when to
stop and I’m not interested in actually insulting someone.”
This experimental trek was so successful that Barry released
a special entitled: Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour in 2014.
Last year Barry released his Netflix exclusive, the interestingly
titled: Spicy Honey.
Barry began his career in 1980s Florida while working a day
job as a substitute teacher. Even as a comedian, he still has
knowledge to bestow on the scene’s newcomers.
“My advice for young comics is to stay focused on what’s
important: jokes and stage time. The biggest weapon you can
have as a comic is being good. Don’t get caught up in money
or getting an agent or manager. Just write and go on stage as
much as possible. Also be patient and don’t annoy people. I
didn’t follow all these rules when I started, but you should!”
Todd Barry performs at the Biltmore Cabaret on March 10.
RHEA BUTCHER
CAMERON ESPOSITO
Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher: wives take centre stage, please
Among the abundance of talented comics participating in this
year’s Just For Laughs NorthWest comedy festival happen to be
two of Variety’s 10 people to watch award winners, Cameron
Esposito and Rhea Butcher. “Rhea and I are the only couple to
win Variety’s 10 people to watch back to back. I won in 2016
and Rhea in 2017,” Esposito says. Butcher humbly adds “It was
really cool because you are surrounded by your peers so to
have it happen to me and then watch Cameron go though it
was awesome. It’s basically one more step of us taking over the
world,” she proclaims with a sarcastic confidence.
Esposito and Butcher are riding a runaway train of success,
coming off a cross-country American tour: “Back to Back.”
“The style of the show is we do thirty minutes together
and thirty minutes each individually. As far as I know this is
the only show like this, especially being a couple,” Butcher
recounts. They recently finished filming the second season
of their hit series Take My Wife. The first season was well
received by audiences and critics alike and was an intelligent,
witty scripted account of life in a same-sex marriage successful
movie and comedy careers. Along with fans and with the help
of the #takemywife hashtag, the twosome is in search of a new
home for the show because Seeso, the NBC streaming site they
called home, recently folded.
By Chris Dzaka
As comics, turning the tragedy into something to laugh
about is key for the duo. “In choosing to be a comic I had to
talk about how I am as a person. All of stand-up has taken
a turn to the more personal,” Esposito says with a laugh. “I
looked around and saw some comics didn’t have equivalent
experiences. I wasn’t seeing myself anywhere. But if it wasn’t
me it would be someone else telling me what it’s like to be
gay, still, in a positive way. After a while, hearing gay marriage
jokes from straight guys became exhausting, even if they are
on the right side of the issue that affects you so personally. So
I found myself running toward it. I don’t know, is it less serious
than that? We are stand up comics.” Rhea enters as if on cue,
also giggling, ”I agree with Cameron but where there’s people,
there is conversation. Every step we take of understanding
opens up interesting people. It’s not that our differences will
become invisible. Our differences will become interesting. It’s
not about making individuality invisible as it is about making
fear invisible.” These women are using comedy as a weapon for
their greater good. Uniting the diversity in humanity with a
laugh, a wink, and of course, a smile.
Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher perform “Back to Back” at
the Rio Theatre on March 9.
Jim Norton: making failure funny
By Alex Biron
JIM NORTON
Although the legendary Opie & Anthony show ended years
ago, there are still tons of YouTube videos dedicated to
preserving the fans’ favourite moments. One of the most
popular is a video titled “Carpet Bombing,” where the show’s
third mic, Jim Norton, shows up to work particularly tired
and proceeds to tell one terrible joke after another. This video
demonstrates one of Norton’s biggest strengths as a comic, his
ability to make anything funny, even (or perhaps especially)
failure. BeatRoute chatted with him ahead of his Vancouver
debut at JFL Northwest to talk about his many projects, and he
spoke with lightning quick wit and total honesty.
“I’ve got a lot going on right now,” Norton says. “I’m doing
an MMA podcast for the UFC, a radio show with Sam Roberts,
stand-up, and The Chip Chipperson Podacast.” Yes, “podacast”
is spelled wrong on purpose. It’s a show starring one of
Norton’s many characters, the offensive and socially inept
Chip. “I created him while annoying my girlfriend,” Norton
reveals. “I’d whisper things in their ear that ruined the moment
and then I eventually started doing the voice on the radio.
Doing Chip is really fun and people seem to love it.”
Radio is what helped Norton gain his huge following and
he’s still doing a regular show on SiriusXM, something he
believes has made him a better comedian. “You have to stay
topical,” he says. “That’s what I miss most about the O&A
show, just getting to be there everyday live, and also the sense
of camaraderie, working with so many legendary comics.”
When asked about what audiences could expect from his
new (Kneeling Room Only) tour, he replies “It’s kind of an
update on my life. It’s a different hour. You have to switch it
up from year to year otherwise people get very bored. With
YouTube and Facebook people see your material quickly now.
Once it’s been out for a few months, you have to assume your
fans have seen it.” When told that the Vogue was one of the
most haunted places in Vancouver, and some performers have
reported seeing ghosts in the crowd, Norton was thrilled. “I
don’t care what they have to do to fill that place up,”, he jokes.
“Get some dead people in there if that’s what it takes.”
Jim Norton performs March 2 at the Vogue Theatre.
10
February 2018

SASHEER ZAMATA: exploring the psyche and sense of self post-SNL
By Jordan Yeager
The universe has a way of working itself out; Sasheer Zamata’s
professional trajectory is proof. Growing up, she was a shy
child who sang in choir, eventually transitioning to musicals
and plays while studying at the University of Virginia. No one
who knew her in childhood would have predicted Zamata
would be headlining shows as a comedian, touring with Just
for Laughs, and graduating from an almost four-year run with
Saturday Night Live. But quiet kids make the best comedians
– while you think they’re reading in the corner, they’re actually
quietly observing your every move, gathering material.
“Because I started doing choir so young, I was able to feel
comfortable onstage, so it was easier to do everything else,”
says Zamata. “I moved to New York thinking I was going to
do theatre and audition for plays, but at the same time, I was
always watching improv at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB)
Theatre. Eventually I took some classes, started doing standup,
and then I was on improv teams and sketch teams and
booking shows. It was like, oh, I think you can actually make a
career out of this.”
“It really was just for fun,” she continues. “I didn’t know how
improv was going to play into my life. When I was younger,
I wanted to be on SNL or MADtv – I thought it would be so
cool to do that, but I had no idea how anybody went about it.
When I was performing, I started to see that I was actually on
the path that was getting me to that goal anyway.”
In 2014, Zamata’s vision of being cast on SNL was realized
when she became the first black female cast member since
Maya Rudolph’s departure seven years earlier. The show’s lack
of diversity gave Zamata ample opportunity to fine-tune her
impressions; over the course of her run, she portrayed the likes
of Beyoncé, Michelle Obama, and Rihanna. But she was never
given enough screen time to truly show off the skillset she’d
been honing for years with UCB. At the end of season 42, she
departed SNL with neither announcement nor ceremony.
“It was time to start focusing on my own creative pursuits,”
says Zamata. “I like being the boss of whatever I’m doing. It’s
nice to be able to express myself and show different sides of
me that audiences maybe wouldn’t have been able to see
before.”
“I was [with SNL] for three and a half years, and part of me
feels like I was there for so long, but part of me also feels like I
was there for 30 seconds,” she laughs. “It was a great training
ground for all things entertainment. You had to write and
rewrite so quickly, you couldn’t be attached to your work
– you had to be able to kill your darlings. I’m so grateful for
the experience. Everything I do after SNL is a piece of cake in
comparison, because that place is really like a boot camp. It’s
an education you can’t pay for.”
Breaking away from sketch comedy means Zamata is no
longer delegated to portrayals of other icons and can focus
instead on introspection, self-discovery, and being vulnerable
with her audience.
“Most of the stuff I’m talking about comes from a very
personal place,” says Zamata. “I want to be able to connect to
people in the audience through what I’m going through, and
hope that they’re able to absorb this and take these thoughts
into their lives, too.”
Her set at JFL NorthWest is sure to be a glimpse into
the psyche. But leave your manners at the door – in her
experience, Canadian audiences are “too nice.”
“It really is a symbiotic relationship – I feed off the energy
the crowd is giving me,” she says. “If the audience is just nice,
I’m going to give a nice performance. If you’re having fun and
enjoying it, I’m going to do that too. I don’t want to generalize
every Canadian audience I’ve seen, but I have been like, ‘Oh, I
think maybe people are just really nice and sweet here.’ I mean,
it could be worse – I’d rather that than people yelling and
throwing things.”
Sasheer Zamata performs at the Biltmore Cabaret on March 2.
SASHEER ZAMATA
Beth Stelling: busy comic motivated by joy and gratitude
By Beth d’Aoust
“Sweet Beth” Stelling is bringing her delightful comedic stylings
to the Biltmore Cabaret as part of JFL NorthWest, and if
history repeats, perhaps she’ll even drop in for a guest spot at
one of the annual comedy festival’s lower profile rooms. When
asked whether she prefers performing in cozy, underground,
hole-in-the-wall venues or lofty, prestigious, sold-out theatres,
Stelling admits “It’s just fun to get invited by local comics in
whatever city I’m in to perform at their show. It usually means
they like you. And that’s the only reason I do this: to be liked.”
Throughout Stelling’s wide range of subject matter runs
a common thread of gentle razzing. From playfully roasting
those who insist on introducing her as a “female comedian,”
to lambasting her own regrettable tattoo choices, her dietary
dilemmas, and her absolutely precious relationship with her
adorable, Midwestern, music-teaching mother, Stelling delivers
material that is both exceptionally well-constructed and
genuinely pleasant to behold.
These abilities clearly have not gone unnoticed by her peers,
as well-established fixtures in the LA comedy community
have begun to vie for her sharp, refreshing voice in the writer’s
room. Last year, Stelling begun flexing her screenwriting skills
on seasons one and two of Judd Apatow’s Crashing, starring
Pete Holmes, and season three of Riki Lindhome and Natasha
Leggero’s Another Period.
“Writing for other people is most fun when you believe in,
care about, and are inspired by the person,” Stelling insists.
The ambition doesn’t stop there, however, as she divulges, “I’m
currently developing my own show. It just keeps developing. I
can’t stop it.”
In a mere 31 laps around the sun, Stelling has achieved
remarkable acclaim for her uniquely charming brand of
comedy, due perhaps in part to her ability to prioritize genuine
joy for the work above the bright lights of super stardom. The
joy in Stelling’s voice is palpable as she gushes about her craft:
“I’m doing it! It’s amazing to me. I’m patient and want to really
enjoy what I’m doing. More importantly, I want to do it very
well. I’ve found that even if I’ve watched other comedians get
things before me, I’m thankful I was forced to wait because
it makes my work better. I’m grateful for where I am in my
comedy career, while simultaneously reminding myself I’ve
been working toward it for 10 years. I just want to create
quality material that finds the right people.”
Beth Stelling performs at the Biltmore Cabaret on March 1.
BETH STELLING
February 2018 11

SKI/SNOW
LANDLINE
FIRST SNOWBOARD FILM BY VANS SHOWCASES THE TRUE HEART OF SNOWBOARDING CULTURE
ALASTAIR SPRIGGS
Directed by Tanner Pendleton, LANDLINE. is shot primarily on 16mm film.
Photo by Alastair Spriggs
On the third stop of the Vans Global Premiere Tour
for LANDLINE., the brand’s first-ever full length
snowboard film, the Vans snowboard team visited
Imperial Vancouver on January 17 for the official
Canadian premiere. Hours before the show, hundreds
lined the streets outside the event hall; to no one’s
surprise, the Vancouver snowboard scene showed up
for this highly anticipated event.
“The past two European premieres have gone really
well,” says Vans boarder Jake Kuzyk. “But the whole
crew has been excited for this night in particular, since
we have so many friends here. We’re at home. I’m really
stoked.”
The video captures the hard-hitting Vans snowboard
team over the past two years as they travel the world
in search of the deepest powder, gnarliest rails, and
steepest terrain. Shot almost entirely on Kodak 16mm
film, director Tanner Pendleton and the filming team
deliver an authentic experience shaped by the natural
ability and expression of each rider.
“There are things about every rider on the team that
I connect with and really look up to,” says Pendleton.
“Each part came from the riders’ minds, like painting a
picture. I’m lucky to have had the opportunity to show
the world how well they all snowboard.”
When the video began rolling, the anxious
Vancouver crowd came to a near silence. The
hammers, bails, and original lifestyle shots in the
opening scenes set the tone for the masterpiece
to come. LANDLINE. opens with a well-rounded,
street-heavy scene from Sam Taxwood. Though each
trick was worthy of praise, his backlip same-way on a
Michigan down-flat rail sparked roars throughout the
crowd.
From start to finish, LANDLINE. delivered mindblowing
parts. Although most sectional snowboard
videos tend to feature the heaviest riding in the
opening and closing segments (here, Taxwood and
Kuzyk), LANDLINE. was filled with equally impressive
riding, editing, and filming throughout. Whether it be
poked-out methods by pioneer Bryan Iguchi, big-city
rail charging by Dillon Ojo, or tuck-kneed backcountry
trickery from Blake Paul, this video has something for
everyone.
Though it took Vans almost 25 years to release their
first-ever full-length snowboard film, the video’s release
couldn’t have come at a better time. While modern
day snowboarding is gradually trending towards triple
corks, Olympic results, and mainstream sponsorship,
LANDLINE. manifests the culture, energy, and artistic
expression that drives boarders to spend days trying to
land a single trick, or to spend an evening with friends
at a local resort.
LANDLINE. is available for download on iTunes and
Vimeo.
12
February 2018

GROWING ROOM: A FEMINIST LITERARY FESTIVAL
SECOND EDITION EXPANDS ON EXPERIENCE
SARAH JAMIESON
Writer Farzana Doctor will be speaking at the festival.
COME ON, VOGUE
COLLECTIVE CELEBRATES, SUPPORTS VANCOUVER’S CREATIVE WOMEN IN MUSIC
SARAH JAMIESON
When Madonna accepted the Lifetime
Achievement Award at the Billboard Awards
in 2016, Laura Smith knew what she had to
do.
Madonna’s speech spoke of terrible things
women were expected to do as artists, how
they had to weaponize their sexuality to
survive. Smith knew right then that she
needed to create a community where women
could support each other in music. She had
friends and family who were female musicians,
so she seized the opportunity to add a sense
of belonging — one she says has been missing
from Vancouver for far too long.
“You can be a bit isolated (gender-wise)
because there’s a lot of men,” she says. “The
group [Come on, Vogue] really struck a chord
with people. Vancouver can be a weirdly
lonely city. Having a sense of community is
important to people’s well-being.”
Smith started Come on, Vogue in
December 2016 with casual meetup groups
after she realized a lot of younger women
were interested in collaborating within the
music industry. Female performers, producers,
and sound engineers all came together.
After a triumphant first year, Room Magazine’s
literary festival, Growing Room, returns for a
second volume full of feminism.
The festival will feature more than 40 authors,
16 events, and nine workshops, including
authors Amber Dawn, Caroline Adderson,
Carleigh Baker, and Jen Sookfong Lee. While
there are less events and authors than last year,
the organizers have doubled the number of
workshops.
“We decided to double [the workshops]
because they were so popular,” says Room
Managing Editor Chelene Knight, adding that
this year the festival narrowed its scope to
maximize impact. This meant fewer events and
more hands-on experiences.
This year, burgeoning writers can run their
own work past a team of writing mentors and
editors, including Knight, Anna Ling Kaye, and
Adèle Barclay. The literary consultations cost a
fraction of the usual price for a half-hour with
an editor.
Workshops include new offerings by Farzana
Doctor, Molly Billows, Jillian Christmas, Maggie
de Vries, Jónína Kirton, and Sharon Jinkerson-
Brass. Jen Currin and Barbara Findlay will also
return by popular demand.
Panels and readings include topics on
white feminism, trauma and self-care, and the
complexities and responsibilities of writing
Although Come on, Vogue is womencentred,
the community welcomes trans,
female identifying, non-binary, 2spirit, and
friends. Smith wants to foster a safe and
inclusive space for creative inspiration.
They run workshops and panels for
industry professionals, as well as performances
and information access for artists. Entry to
the workshops and panels is free, and any
donations go to WISH. The WISH Drop-In
Centre is an overnight refuge for self-identified
women who are involved in the survival sex
trade. Bi-monthly concerts are hosted at Café
Deux Soleils and the Fox Cabaret, and are
open to the public. The next showcase is at
Café Deux Soleils on February 2.
“We’re trying to showcase a variety
of everything,” Smith says, adding that
performances range from classical, sunshine
rock, country, and synth pop to punk, metal,
and rap. “We’re thinking big things for 2018.
We’re getting our feet on the ground. We have
lots of ideas and excitement.”
Learn more about Come On, Vogue at
comeonvoguecwim.squarespace.com.
February 2018 13
CITY
about family and other loved ones.
“Personally, I’m excited about the Indigenous
Brilliance panel,” Knight says, “and the Hidden
Intersections event will be pretty educational.”
Although the festival is branded as feminist,
events are open to anyone with a passion for
literature. There’s something for everyone, even
if you’re not a writer or familiar with the scene.
A live recording of Room’s new podcast, Fainting
Couch Feminists, will be fun to see even if you’re
not a literary nut, and many events mix spoken
word with music.
For free, festival attendees can attend the
live podcast, a panel, or visit a brewery for a
musical performance and get involved in the
conversation. All events at Growing Room —
with the exception the Opening Night Party,
manuscript consultations, and workshops — are
pay-what-you-can donation.
“After you attended, donate how much you
think this was worth. It’s a ratings system for
us, and it removes the financial barrier,” Knight
adds.
Growing Room’s opening night party is
March 1 at the Fox Cabaret. The event will
feature music by Too Attached.
Growing Room: A Feminist Literary Festival runs
from March 1-4 at various locations in Mount
Pleasant.
Come On, Vogue celebrates community in the music industry.
RIO
THEATRE
1660 EAST BROADWAY
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CITY
BOTTOMS UP
WITH CAM BROWN AT CLOUGH CLUB
GLENN ALDERSON
Cam Brown shakes things up as head bartender at Clough Club.
HOW DID YOU START
BARTENDING?
I fell into it as most do. I had just moved
back to Kelowna from Vancouver to start
college. I was freshly 19 and hadn’t spent
much time in any bars and wasn’t really
interested in it. I had a friend who was
working at a nightclub as a bar back and
they needed more people. He knew I
needed a job and kept bugging me to join
him. I eventually did and really enjoyed
it. I kept working in nightclubs and a
lounge called Avenue for four years while I
finished college. After graduating I moved
to Vancouver and started working for the
Donnelly Group.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED
AT THE CLOUGH CLUB?
I’ve been full time at Clough Club for
about three months now. I’ve done a
couple guest shifts and events over the
last couple years.
BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB?
I love hosting people and being creative.
This industry is really unique where you
get to host a party every night and get
the joy of making your guests’ night,
every night. This could be with a great
drink, good conversation or just the
vibe we create in our venue. I went to
school for 3D animation so I’ve always
enjoyed being creative. There are so many
unique flavours and techniques it really
is never ending what you can do behind
the bar. Also this job allows me to travel
around the world. Almost every two
months at least I’m off somewhere for an
event, competition or convention.
14
FAVOURITE DRINK TO MAKE?
My favourite drink to make would be
whatever my guest is in the mood for. It’s
always a conversation and then I go from
there. I don’t go to work to make drinks
for myself. If it’s a beer and a shot or a
unique cocktail it really doesn’t matter to
me. It’s more about being hospitable and
creating experiences, which can vary guest
to guest. That said, we do have some really
interesting cocktails on our menu such as
the “it’s not you it’s me,” which is like a gin,
cucumber, mint smoothie using a blender
to cheat dilution and garnished with
lemon zest, mint and rose flower water.
GO-TO ON A NIGHT OFF?
On a night off I’m usually at Keefer Bar.
Great team, atmosphere and usually have
something exciting and new in the way of
cocktails.
My go-to drink is usually a pint of
Guinness or a light beer depending
where I am. I also like seeing what other
bartenders are excited about so I do drink
a lot of dealer’s choice cocktails.
TELL US ABOUT THE GREATEST
NIGHT YOU’VE EVER HAD AT
WORK.
The best nights are any nights you have
a good room of friends, family and great
guests drinking and having a good time.
THE WORST?
The worst nights are the ones where you
are not prepared and things get chaotic
instead of smooth, the way they should be.
Clough Club is located at 212 Abbott St.
DI BEPPE
VETERAN RESTAURATEURS STRIKE GOLD WITH AUTHENTIC CAFÉ-RESTAURANT
WILLEM THOMAS
Sometimes, a miscalculation can actually be of benefit.
For the Kitchen Table Restaurant Group (of Ask For
Luigi and Pourhouse fame), their venture on the corner
of Cordova and Carrall, Joe’s Pizza, didn’t quite meet
their expectations. While its Roman-style pizza was
well-received, its counter service and cafeteria-like
atmosphere never quite felt right in the large, unique
character space. So a rework was needed. By saving Joe’s
Pizza with a logical move out to UBC and its ravenous
students, they were ready to elevate their Gastown
address into something special.
Enter Di Beppe, which essentially translates to “Joe’s”
from Italian. Di Beppe isn’t your average Italian eatery.
The space has been split into two distinct halves – a café
and a restaurant – creating a particularly welcoming
blend of casual and quasi-upscale dining. The restaurant
side avoids any off-putting attributes of fine-dining, like
vexing price points, but still gives guests the same level
of quality in food and overall experience. Di Beppe’s café
side feels like another establishment altogether, with a
totally different design and separate offerings on the
menu. Both sides work in conjunction smoothly due to
the central bar that passes through each room. Guests
enter through the café on Cordova, which operates
through the day and into night service, and after 5 p.m.,
seating in the restaurant begins.
Whether your knowledge of Italian food extends
only so far as The Godfather Part II’s closing scene or
you’re visiting Vancouver from Italy itself, Di Beppe
should be able to accommodate and surprise you. As is
to be expected if you’ve visited any of the group’s other
establishments, proper care has been implemented,
with highly knowledgeable staff members able to
properly explain and recommend fare on both sides of
the room. Their dedicated Italian coffee program, led by
Chris Giannakos (who has worked with Revolver Coffee)
exemplifies this care.
“Every drink here should feel like you went to your
Italian uncle’s house, and we take huge pride in making
our coffee the proper way,” he says. “Most places in
Vancouver can’t do a true Italian cappuccino. That’s one
of main things we’re doing differently here.”
Both sides of the establishment already seemed to be
operating in a well-rehearsed capacity when BeatRoute
visited, despite only having opened a week prior. Not
papering up and hiding from view, passers-by could
peek in the large windows and see as Di Beppe took
shape. What emerged is a wholly original, authentic
Italian restaurant that will most likely be jam-packed
into the new year. Make sure to try a corretto – “The
ultimate 5 o’clock pick-me-up,” says GM Matthew
Morgenstern – while waiting for your table.
Di Beppe is located at 8 West Cordova Street.
The Kitchen Table Restaurant Group elevate their Gastown presence with Di Beppi.
Photo by Chris Giannakos
February 2018

TABOO NAUGHTY BUT NICE SEX SHOW SKIN DEEP
SEX-POSITIVE ATTITUDES CONTINUE TO BREAK BARRIERS IN SHOW’S 17TH YEAR
WITH NINA CHWELOS, STICKS AND STONES
YASMINE SHEMESH
HOGAN SHORT
CITY
Since it began in 2001, the Taboo
Naughty But Nice Sex Show has been
continuously breaking down social
and societal barriers that exist around
human sexuality.
“The main objectives have
always been to entertain, educate,
promote the importance of sexpositive
attitudes and connect
adult consumers with all different
types of adult companies and
the products they sell,” says show
director Kevin Blackburn. “When
people have sex-positive attitudes,
they are open-minded which allows
them to build an extensive healthy
understanding of human sexuality in
general. That understanding builds
self-confidence and acceptance of
others. At the Taboo Show, we don’t
discriminate. There is something there
for everyone. It is primarily why the
Show was started and what makes it
unique from any other Show in North
America.”
With an ever-growing number
of both exhibitors and attendees
over the past 17 years of Taboo’s run
in Vancouver in mind, Blackburn
describes the city’s alternative sex
scene as very diverse. “Vancouver is
a very sexually open city. You have
everything in Vancouver and nobody
is afraid to show it.”
Taboo prides itself on always being
a step ahead of the trend and, this year,
the Show’s highlights include male
strippers, sensual parties that feature
naked yoga, educational seminars
covering every sexual topic imaginable
(sexologist speaker Dr. Jess O’Reilly
is a headliner), and an extensive area
for exploring kink. The highlights
are simply a reflection of today’s
Sex positive, body positive — There is something for everyone at the Taboo Show.
growing sex trends, Blackburn says,
even attributing some of them — and
some more relaxed approaches — to a
certain popular film.
“People are just generally more
open to trying new things nowadays.
Ever since the movie 50 Shades of Grey
came out and became mainstream, it’s
really kick-started people’s ability to be
receptive to new ideas.”
The Taboo Naughty But Nice Sex
Show runs from February 2-4 at the
Vancouver Convention Centre.
How many years have you been
tattooing?
I was 16 when I did my first stick ‘n
poke, so if we’re counting that, six years.
But professionally, I’ve been tattooing
for two years.
Why did you start tattooing?
I always wanted to be heavily tattooed
and I always drew. I couldn’t afford
to get tattooed, and when I could, I
didn’t have very positive experiences
as a young woman getting tattooed,
so I bought my first kit when I was 18. I
tattooed my legs and my arms and my
friends out of my house.
How do you view the culture of
tatooing in Vancouver?
I think we have a wonderfully diverse
and amazing tattoo community in
Vancouver. Although it may not be very
connected, clients in Vancouver have
a wide range of very talented artists to
choose from.
Can you tell us about other
projects of yours?
I’m in full time design and illustration
school at Capilano University, so
starting to learn inDesign in September
spawned my desire to start a magazine.
SCRATCH on issuu.com is an annual
print publication that acts as a platform
for self-taught (and otherwise) artists
to showcase their work, with a focus on
queer and marginalized artists.
If you could get tattooed by
anybody in the world, who would
it be?
Tamara Santibanez is an idol in the
queer tattoo community living and
working in Brooklyn, New York. She’s
ridiculously talented, steadfast, and
deserves all the acclaim and respect she
has received. I think what makes her so
fascinating to me is her wonderful fine
art practices that break down cultural
barriers and explore her identity.
FRIDAY LATE NIGHT MOVIES!
19+
VALID ID FOR
BAR SERVICE
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FEB 2
GROUNDHOG DAY
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February 2018 15

1
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights
2
The Railway
Stage presents
Rock N’ Roll
Winter Classics
3
Blues Brunch 1-4
Saturday Sessions
4:30-7:30
Modern Day Poets
9-late
4
Super Bowl LII
5
The Take Back
DJs Khingz,
Mic Flont
& Guests
6
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 5pm
7
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 5pm
8
Live Acts
Canada & Live
Agency present
Walter The 17th
ep release show
9
The Live
Agency presents
Aviator Shades
w. guests
10
Blues Brunch 1-4
Saturday Sessions
4:30-7:30
Stella Soul w. guests
9-late
11
Open Mic Night
12
The Take Back
DJs Khingz,
Mic Flont
& Guests
13
Cookies
hosted by Dust
& Karmella w.
guest Merrie
Cherrie
14
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 5pm
15
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights
16
Live Agency
& Live Acts
Canada present
The Segues
w. guests
17
Blues Brunch 1-4
Saturday Sessions
4:30-7:30
The Fallaways
9-late
18
Live Agency &
Live Acts Canada
present
Wil
19
The Take Back
DJs Khingz,
Mic Flont
& Guests
20
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 5pm
21
Live Agency
presents
Whitney Rose
22
Mr. Boom Bap
presents
Boogie Nights
23
Toddcast Podcast
presents
La Chinga
w. We Hunt Buffalo
& The Thick Of It
24
Blues Brunch 1-4
Saturday Sessions
4:30-7:30
Emily In The
Headlights 9-late
25
Live Agency &
Live Acts Canada
present
Phenix Warren
w. guests
26
The Take Back
DJs Khingz,
Mic Flont
& Guests
27 28
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 5pm
Happy Hour
$
3 Beer til 5pm

DESTROYER
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEPRESSIVE AND MELANCHOLIC
SARAH BAUER
Dan Bejar continues working on the new Oliver Twist with his latest saga, ken.
BAHAMAS
MAKING MODERN SONGS FROM THE EARTH
FRANKIE RYOTT
It’s only taken Dan Bejar 12 records and 20 some-odd years of
playing music as Destroyer to make something his 17-year-old
self would approve of. ken (Merge Records) is gloomy, synthheady
and short in play time, just like the stuff Bejar devoured
in the late eighties, “the era when I got really crazy about
music,” he says from the streets of Chicago on his call with
BeatRoute.
To make ken (which takes its name from the working title
of the Suede ballad “The Wild Ones”), Bejar had to get
uncomfortable, working within the prison of writing songs on
guitar, which is something he hadn’t attempted in over ten
years.
“There’s something about the tightness of the craft [of
writing on guitar] that hadn’t really been interesting to me
on the previous two records [Kaputt and Poison Season], and
probably is something I won’t do again for a while,” Bejar says.
From the confines of guitar chords came 11 depressive ditties
taking stock of derangement, malaise and overconsumption in
a too-close-for-comfort physical landscape. The lyrical aura on
ken is pointed yet elusive, relatable but not quite topical. Bejar
brought Destroyer drummer and Black Mountain member
Joshua Wells on as producer, to a stunningly accurate effect for
evoking his chosen decade. Songs like “Rome” and “Tinseltown
Swimming in Blood” groove with the body-pulsing movement
of an imagined dance scene out of Casino or Heat, with
drenched percussion and deep, driving synth.
“It’s been really fun to lay into these songs,” Bejar says,
having been on tour for ken for a couple of weeks at the time
MUSIC
the interview was recorded. “I wasn’t really sure how the band
would take to them and attack them because they’re kind of
robotic in their way and icier than what we’re used to doing
onstage.”
Instead, Destroyer makes it “really noisy and really loud,”
punctuating the crisp and close-up lyrics on high-drama
doozies like “Le Regle Du Jeu” (yes, that’s a Renoir film
reference), and “Ivory Coast”.
Phoneys, corrupters and “dear young revolutionary
capitalists,” (“Sky’s Grey”) saturate Bejar’s macabre landscape
on ken, so the odd moment of optimism renders its listener
deranged in desperation for more. “Sometimes in the world
you’re very alive,” Bejar intones on “Sometimes in the World”,
emphasizing, “You’re nuts and bolts and electrocutions. You’re
antidotes, you’re solutions.” Even manufactured goodness is
a bitter laugh on ken, which Bejar describes as “depressive”
in comparison to the otherwise “melancholic” themes he’s
explored as Destroyer otherwise.
Wherever it comes from, depressive or melancholic, it’s
not always something Bejar recognizes in himself. “I never sit
down and pick up a pen and go, ‘OK, it’s time for me to write
a song now,’” says Bejar. The imagery and “shreds of a melody,”
descends without warning, leaving Bejar to his devices to report
it in music. To some that might seem scary, but not to Bejar.
“That’s how I get my kicks,” he says. We’ve all got to get our
kicks somehow.
Destroyer plays the Commodore Ballroom February 9.
After a demanding few years touring the world
and sharing his light, Afie Jurvanen, aka Bahamas, is
back in beige and ready to share his fourth album,
Earthtones, with the world.
The Toronto-based singer-songwriter last
appeared on the musical radar in 2014 with
his critically acclaimed LP “Bahamas is Afie,” an
album that not only took home Juno awards
for songwriter of the year and alternative adult
album of the year, but also solidified Bahamas’
momentous presence in the indie-folk realm.
Despite this success, Jurvanen struggled to find
which direction to head in next, until long-term
manager and confidante Robbie Lackritz suggested
he collaborate with contemporary RnB icon
D’Angelo’s rhythm section: Pino Palladino (bass)
and James Gadson (drums). This partnership
reignited Jurvanen’s creative flames, pushing the
indie-folk heavyweight towards creating an album
that truly represents what Bahamas is all about.
“This album is heavy. I think it is the most direct
and to-the-point album I have made so far, both
lyrically and musically. There’s no studio trickery.
The songs are a performance, the vocals are loud
and I’m not trying to hide behind anything. I’m
singing about my brother, my wife, my kids, my
life and the world I live in. I wanted to make
something modern, contemporary and relevant to
2018 and the time we live in,” Jurvanen explains.
This desire to make modern songs “from the earth
for the earth” came from Jurvanen’s appreciation
of the fluidity and creative diversity hip-hop and
RnB artists have within their albums.
“Rnb and hip-hop artists are able to sing about
the modern world; they can create dance songs,
sing, and rap. You can listen to a Drake or Kanye
West album and there are all different kinds of
music on there that can change each day you
listen to it. I like the idea of that, that we can do
anything we want because, at the end of the day,
music is art before it is a product to sell. D’angelo’s
records have that quality, and when working with
Pino and James I never wanted to talk about what
we were doing, I just wanted to allow them to be
themselves, to enjoy our musical conversation and
see what we could come up with. I think it’s a lot
more interesting to make music together when
you’re on the edge of your seat waiting to hear
what the other is going to do next, that produces
something more exciting,” says Jurvanen.
There is no doubt that Earthtones is something
to be excited about. The eleven-track album
provides listeners with a compilation of delicate
but diverse tracks balanced with Jurvanen’s
signature vocals. Earthtones is bluesy, melodic,
well crafted, and expertly intricate in all the right
moments. From the wading guitar riffs of “Alone”
to the tropical twists of “Way with Words,” the
combination of D’Angelo’s rhythm section and
his own road band has allowed Jurvanen to create
an album that dives into a dimension of its own;
one without definition and the constraint of genre
boundaries and this is just his beginning.
“I was playing music long before anybody cared
about my music. And I’ll be playing music long
afterwards. The cool thing is my musical mind
is with me wherever I go. For instance I wrote
‘Bad Boys Need Love Too’ tapping my steering
wheel sitting in traffic. I think it’s important to
have no expectations, because when you have no
expectations, well, anything is possible and you
can go beyond what you think is possible. That
was definitely a revelation to me on this album and
I’m excited for all the music that’s to come from
here on out.”
Bahamas performs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre
on March 1.
After a four-year hiatus, Bahamas is back with his fourth album, Earthtones.
February 2018 17

MUSIC
KIKAGAKU MOYO
REDEFININING PSYCHEDELIA FROM ACROSS THE OCEAN
MAT WILKINS
TINSLEY ELLIS
ROOTS ROCK, SOUTHERN BLUES AND WINNING HANDS
ADAM DEANE
For someone who has performed in every single
state, both Western and Eastern Europe, and
toured South America and Australia, somehow
Tinsley Ellis has not only kept a level head, but
a rapid-fire wit and the heart of a comedian as
well. BeatRoute had the opportunity to catch
up with the Atlanta-based blues-guitarist.
Ellis brought a certain type of warmth to the
exchange that was unexpected, but certainly
welcome, sort of like talking to your uncle if
your uncle had held space with The Allman
Brothers, Leon Russell and Stevie Ray Vaughan,
to name a few.
Having reconnected with Chicago-based label
Alligator Records after releasing his first album
with them in 1988, Ellis seems to have found
more than just a voice in the industry: he’s also
collected massive amounts of fans, respect, and
a compilation of road stories and jokes over
the years. These certainly provide fodder for
his most recent release, Winning Hand, which
dropped January 12, ahead of a massive 63-show
tour across the nation, to which Ellis jokes,
“Show business is 10 per cent inspiration and
90 per cent perspiration. We’ll have ended up
driving our van up to 18 hours in a day to cities
like Vancouver – that’s how much we like what
we do. Pretty crazy for this 60-year-old.”
Professing that this is the most guitar-driven
album he’s released in quite some time, Ellis
explained why he’s stuck with it for more than
40 years and made the move back to Alligator,
parting ways with his entrepreneurial side of
releasing music under his own label, Heartfixers,
for the past few years.
“Having been on the road since 1979, there
is just no way I could do a tour like this and run
a record company at the same time,” he laughs.
“This was a great move for me, and it is nice to
be back with Alligator. If I wasn’t playing music,
I’d probably be in jail.”
Ellis has made the return to a heavy guitardriven
sound and brings his character rootsrock,
southern blues style along with him on his
latest tour where he will play fresh tracks from
Winning Hand and a handful of his many other
hits.
Tinsley Ellis performs at the Rio Theatre
(Vancouver) on February 18.
Photo by Flournoy Holmes
Kikagaku Moyo formed almost by accident, but have released seven albums since.
Photo by Jamie Wdziekonski
Tokyo’s Kikagaku Moyo (Japanese for “geometric
patterns”) goes above and beyond the typical
trappings of the everyday psych outfit. They are a
group with a penchant for sonic assembly, carefully
constructing ethereal soundscapes and melodious
riffs alike— that are expertly bound together with
the glue of their own unmistakable style. According
to drummer and vocalist Go Kurosawa, this band’s
distinctive sound is a result of more than just a
smattering of band practices.
“Yui Kimijima has recorded all of our studio
albums so far… He’s not afraid to experiment or try
a different approach, which we like,” says Kurosawa.
Stone Garden is the most recent testament
to Kimijima’s behind-the-scenes tinkering; the
five-song EP is a whirlwind of aural sensation,
taking listeners on a journey through abrasive
distortion, on to toe-tapping vocal melodies, and
then back again. Other recent albums — House in
the Tall Grass or Forest of Lost Children — contain
diverse collections of infectious tunes, complete
with fuzzed-out guitar and sitar leads, drawn-out,
meandering instrumentals, and creative vocal
harmonies (drenched in reverb, of course). Sonic
evidence of the band’s relationship with Kimijima
is palpable not only on Stone Garden, but right
through to the beginning of their entire sevenalbum
discography.
18
“It’s kind of miraculous how we got together. It’s
amazing how we can sustain the same energy we
had when we started the band after five years of
playing together,” mentions Kurosawa.
Having began as a two-piece between Kurosawa
and vocalist/guitarist Tomo Katsurada, Kikagaku
Moyo began picking up additional members almost
by coincidence. First came Daoud Popal on the
guitar, who Katsurada met when out for a smoke
at his university. Then came bass player Kotsu Guy,
who was found on the street recording vending
machine noises for a drone project. Finally, after
returning from sitar training in India Kurosawa’s
brother Ryu joined.
With some members now living in Europe,
the band’s writing process has become a result
of “[sharing] musical ideas [while Go Kurosawa]
comes up with the song structure.” Despite
distance’s traditional role as band-killer, Kurosawa
shows little if any concern over their new creative
workaround to living abroad. Though, as a band
that likes to “play N64 or take naps” when they’re
not rehearsing or performing together, we shouldn’t
expect them to be terribly prone to many of life’s
classic stressors.
Kikagaku Moyo performs at the Fox Cabaret
(Vancouver) on February 26.
With a career that’s spanned decades, Tinsley Ellis feels the blues in his bones.
February 2018

BULLY
REDEFINING DIY PUNK WITH AN ENGINEER’S PRECISION
ADAM DEANE
69 LOVE SONGS
REVISITING THE ROMANCE OF THE MAGNETIC FIELDS
ALEX BIRON
MUSIC
Alicia Bognanno, frontwoman of Bully, started her career as an audio engineer.
After a year like 2017, the needle on the collective
emotional pressure-gauge has reached the red
zone. More and more humans are desperately
searching for a voice to call home, a safe asylum,
a place to shake off the proverbial dust of all
the everyday realities and stresses we breathe.
Alicia Bognanno is no stranger to this feeling.
She is human after all. Though, with a voice
like hers and a brain capable of concocting and
constructing the framework of the Nashville punk
band Bully, she just may have the answer to the
worries and woes of yesteryear, hidden within
their Sophomore release, Losing.
Given a brief window to pick at Bognanno’s
brain, we did just that. We found her and her dog
at home in Nashville, which Bognanno assured us
has a yard, a sidewalk and space for her van and
trailer.
“I’ve been in Tennessee for almost 10 years
now. I grow to like it more all the time. I’ll
come back from tour and just realize I was not
appreciating the simple pleasures of living here. I
have sidewalks on my street and I can go and run
with my dog whenever I want. There’s always a
lot going on. Nashville is somewhat central and
it’s easy to tour out of, which is a plus for playing
music.”
Bognanno has got one of those sounds that
resonates with every cell. You know, the kind
that keeps you up at night because you’ve
unintentionally mopped up every lyric — and
there are a lot. With songs that touch on matters
of depression, anger, relationships, resentments
and regrets; no one can really relate. Makes you
wonder if she creates anything else you can inject,
inhale, ingest?
Photo by Alysse Gafkjen
“I recently started just writing to write. It’s
weird because I get really self-conscious about it
and I’m not sure why. I write lyrics knowing that
someone will be reading them. I’m trying to write
a lot more to help work things out emotionally.
There’s poetry I like but when I try and write it I
just can’t take myself seriously enough to do it.”
With backing vocals, bass, and drums thrown
into the mix and Bognanno producing and
engineering her own sound, Bully is an irrefutable,
incomparable force to be reckoned with. Having
studied under the infamous producer Steve
Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, The Cribs) for years as an
audio engineer, Bognanno not only found her
niche, but ran with it.
“I always wanted to get into music. My first way
in was through audio-engineering, which I started
in high school. I ended up going to college for it.
I picked up electric guitar while I was in college
and eventually started Bully. I was playing piano
before and I just couldn’t stand it. I felt stuck and
felt like I couldn’t express myself. Then I picked up
electric and was like ‘oh I found it!’”
With blistering punk-esque vibes,
unapologetically confident howls, feedback that
could take down a bear and a little pop thrown
in for good measure, Bully’s sophomore release,
Losing, will most certainly keep you coming back
for another handful. Bognanno’s Bully appears
to be precisely what we need in uncertain
times such as these, a bloody fist bashing its
way through a crowd of bullshit to address the
feelings everyone has, yet seldom voice.
Bully performs at the Biltmore Cabaret
(Vancouver) on February 26.
Whether you’re heartbroken, starting a new
romance or just a plain cynic when it comes to
love, 69 Love Songs is the record for all shapes
and sizes. Since its release in 1999, the sprawling
conceptual indie album released via Merge
Records has become legendary. 19 years after
writing it in New York, the album is still just as
relevant and poignant today no matter your
mood, gender or sexual orientation. Looking
back on the album just in time for Valentine’s
Day, Stephin Merritt was kind enough to reflect
with us and answer some of our questions about
the L-word. And since he refused to answer any
questions containing the word favourite, it made
our interview fairly short and sweet — just like
most of the songs on the album.
BeatRoute: Hi Stephin! Thanks for taking the
time to talk to us for this feature.
Stephin Merritt: Thanks for having me. As is
my policy, I have ignored the questions about
favourite things..
BR: This year marks the 19th anniversary of
69 Love Songs, which means it’s finally legal in
Canada!
SM: In the US we are taught that practically
nothing is legal anywhere but the US, which is the
land of the free...all of them. Everywhere else is
North Korea.
BR: Music has changed so much since the late
‘90s. How do you think 69 Love Songs would be
received if it was released today?
SM: Really? I don’t think pop music has changed
at all since the late ’90s. There’s rock, disco and
country, slowly merging. Since no one listens to
music anymore — why would you? — And since
nothing ever happens, 69 Love Songs couldn’t
be released at all today. If it were, no one would
notice.
BR: 69 Love Songs has undoubtedly helped a lot
of broken hearts through breakups. Do you hear
from a lot of these people?
SM: My manager Claudia does. She reads the fan
mail. I had to stop reading the mail decades ago
when I got a love letter from a lunatic, enclosing
a photograph of himself that he had cut into tiny
triangles.
BR: You wrote 69 Love Songs in New York. What’s
the best place to take someone on a date in the
Big Apple?
SM: A bar. If they don’t show up, you can just get
drunk.
BR: In your experience, what’s the secret to a
happy relationship?
SM: Brevity!
BR: Do you think animals fall in love?
SM: Oh yes, I just saw some stupid clickbait
article about a dog pining away with love for the
neighbour’s cat. Essentially the same chemicals
are sloshing around in their and our little brains.
Love doesn’t require language skills.
BR: If you had to make another album of songs
about an emotion other than love, what would
it be?
SM: Love is much, much more than an emotion,
and I would never make a whole album about
only one emotion. The only one feasible would be
boredom, right? A zen album. I’d happily listen to
it, if only once, but I sure wouldn’t want to make
it.
BR: When are you more creative — during times
of happiness or heartbreak?
SM: Neither! If I’m happy I don’t want to work
(fortunately this is rare), and if I’m heartbroken I
can’t. I like to work when I’m tipsy and otherwise
a little bored, so I write mostly in bars.
BR: How do you plan to spend Valentine’s Day
2018?
SM: I think I’d like to blow something up. I gather
there is a sexual fetish for that, and it just sounds
like a lot of fun. Maybe at the Eagle, which is the
only remaining leather bar in New York, and has a
nice big roof deck.
BR: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. All
the best in 2018 and beyond!
SM: Ta.
Photo by Marcelo Krasilcic
69 Love Songs is the sixth album by The Magnetic Fields and was released in three volumes in 1999.
February 2018 19

MUSIC
DAN AUERBACH
BLACK KEYS FRONTMAN GOES NASHVILLE AND SOARS
MAX SZENTVERI
Dan Auerbach believes it’s not work if it’s what he’s passionate about.
Dan Auerbach’s lengthy résumé reads as that of a workaholic.
Starting in 2011, he and Black Keys bandmate Patrick Carney
embarked on a five-year grind of worldwide tours supporting
three separate records, after working more-or-less non-stop
since 2001. So when the Keys finally took a hiatus in the
summer of 2016, you may have assumed the musician would
pause to relax. Instead, Auerbach has produced seven albums,
launched a record label, begun hosting his own radio program
(The Easy Hour, on SiriusXM) and is now preparing to tour
in support of the solo album he released last June, entitled
Waiting on a Song.
But Auerbach’s ethos is the old adage that if you do what
you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. “It’s not work
really, it’s what I’m passionate about,” he explains. “I’m very
lucky I get to do it, so I do it as much as I can.” After moving to
Nashville eight years ago, the Ohio native built his own studio,
Easy Eye, and gradually began assembling an inner circle of
distinguished local musicians with whom to collaborate on
Waiting on a Song. The record’s roster is stacked with titans of
20th century American music, such as hall of fame singersongwriter
John Prine and legendary rockabilly guitarist Duane
Eddy—even Mark Knopfler lends his signature finger-picking
to standout track “Shine on Me.”
Despite the potentially comical juxtaposition of one of
rock hipsterdom’s leading front men working with a band
of grey-haired old hands, Auerbach felt like he had met
kindred spirits—people who shared “the same disease,” as he
puts it, a near-addiction to music-making. “Somebody like
[iconic session keyboardist] Bobby Wood—who’s in his midseventies—he’ll
be texting me at, like, two in the morning with
song ideas, just excited about a riff or something.”
This chemistry was exhilarating for Auerbach. “I just got
really hooked on writing,” he says. “And I’ve been doing it ever
since.” Indeed, he soon became a craftsman-style musician
in the classic Nashville vein, punching in early in the morning
and diligently writing all day Monday to Wednesday, then
recording Thursday through Saturday. By the time the album
was released, Auerbach and Co. had recorded a staggering
200-plus songs, of which 10 made the final cut. The result is a
sunny, radio-ready collection of catchy, retro-prismed tunes
that sounds unlike anything Auerbach has released before.
Auerbach opens his 22-date tour February 10 at Vancouver’s
Vogue Theatre, and is audibly excited about the more intimate
scale of these shows compared to the Black Keys’ stadium gigs:
“I do love playing these sized venues—places like the Fillmore
[in San Francisco], the Ryman in Nashville—they are really
great rooms. The kind of places where people who really love
music go to.” After 17 years fronting the Black Keys, Auerbach’s
passion for making music remains as strong as that of the old
industry veterans he now calls friends. “Honestly,” he says, “I’ve
never had more fun.”
Dan Auerbach performs February 10 at the Vogue Theatre
(Vancouver).
20
February 2018

BLACK WIZARD
HEAVY METAL HOMIES GET HEAVIER AND HAZIER
ANA KRUNIC
The lower mainland’s heavy music scene wouldn’t be complete
without our homegrown road warriors, Black Wizard. Their brand
of metal with a heavy lean towards rock n’ roll definitely sounds
like it was cultivated here, tinged with the Vancouver haze we
know so well. Their new record, Livin’ Oblivion, slated for release
on February 16, brings us a heavier and faster ‘Wiz. Founding
members Eugene Parkomenko and Adam Grant say it was an
intuitive progression.
“It was kind of natural, honestly,” says Grant. “Even though it’s
our fourth record, this is the first time we’ve had the same lineup
following the last one. So it really helps, having that consistency
as well as [guitarist] Daniel Stokes, who’s a genius and also a death
metal boy. He definitely had a big influence on writing of some of
the newer songs.”
The album ebbs and flows, as Black Wizard records have always
done, with some slow-burners to break it up a bit.
“’Feast or Famine’ is a faster one, but the rest of the record
still follows our classic ‘Wiz formula, but on the next level,” says
Parkomenko. “We spent a lot more time on tones and sounds this
time, making it big and in-your-face.”
The guys have always considered engineer Michael Kraushaar
the fifth member of their band, as he’s worked with them from the
start and has had a big impact on their work.
“Having worked with Mike on all of our records, he’s just so
fucking good at what he does, and he only gets better year by year,”
Grant explains. “It’s become effortless now that we’ve worked with
him so often. It’s great to feel comfortable doing what you’re doing,
and having a guy that contributes valuable things. We’re definitely
super happy with how the new record sounds.”
As for future plans, Grant says it’s their mission to tour with
Judas Priest.
“Rob Halford actually left a comment on one of our photos
one time,” Grant laughs. “It was a devil horns emoji, a microphone
emoji and a little flame emoji. So hopefully that means we get to
tour with them someday.”
“Naturally, we have an eternal tour question that we ask bands
we’re on the road with: would you let Rob Halford suck your dick
if he offered?” adds Parkomenko. “Whoever says no is probably
a homophobic dickbag. Because if I can get it up, the answer is
always YES.”
Black Wizard’s album release show is on February 16 at the Rickshaw
Theatre with Mean Jeans, WAINGRO and Killer Deal.
Livin’ Oblivion is Black Wizard’s fourth magical offering.
February 2018 21

ASKING ALEXANDRIA
ALTERNATIVE METAL GROUP THROW THEIR OLD SELVES INTO THE FIRE
SLONE FOX
Asking Alexandria has undoubtedly had their
share of twists and turns during their decade
as a band, perhaps the most notable being the
departure of vocalist Danny Worsnop in 2015.
Their previous album, The Black, saw singer Denis
Stoff as frontman, but his reign was short-lived –
Worsnop inevitably reclaimed his throne in 2017,
just in time for the band’s powerful new self-titled
album.
The hard rock quintet offers a new style this
time around, but old fans shouldn’t stress. The
rowdiness that has come to be synonymous with
Asking Alexandria still has its permanent place
on the record. Energy falls out of every song, just
as one would expect from a reunion album of
this magnitude, yet the record is also laced with a
unique kind of softness, if Asking Alexandria could
ever be considered soft.
According to lead guitarist Ben Bruce, the
change in sound is obvious: the music has changed
because they have changed.
“Sometimes people want more music like our
old stuff, but the old stuff is still there,” Bruce
points out. “If that’s what you want to listen to,
listen to it. I think everyone would get very bored
if we just kept playing the same kind of thing over
and over again.”
To accompany their hard-hitting new album,
Asking Alexandria also released an equally raucous
music video for their opening track, “Into The
Fire.” The Sin City-esque video features a series
of cheerful scenes, such as Wors turning his back
on his bandmates as they burn to death in a car
wreck, bleed out on the road, get hit by cars and
so on, all at the hands of Worsnop and his various
unsafe road practices. The symbolism there is
glaring.
One would think filming such heavy scenes
would have an emotional toll on the band, but
Bruce insists that the hardest part of it was all
physical.
“There’s these harnesses, and they’re just lifting
you around all day,” he says. “Emotionally though,
I mean, it was mostly just production people
yelling ‘CRY!’ Which I can do, by the way. I can
cry on demand. I cry all the time. I cry when I
watch movies, when I wake up, when I eat, when I
ejaculate. I’m very good at it.”
Even though the music video might look
somber, Bruce says having Worsnop back has been
nothing but positive. After a four-year absence
from Vancouver, fans can expect to see some
changes in the band since their last show here, but
only for the best.
“Just as people, we’ve all grown a lot. Cam and
I were talking about it today, how four or five
Asking Alexandria have evolved since reuniting with their original vocalist.
years ago, we all would have been just hammered
around this time, but the other day we did meet
and greets and afterwards we just, like, went to
bed.”
The well-rested rock group kicked off the aptly
named Resurrection Tour in January 2018. With
such an extensive list of tour dates spanning over
Photo by Sanjay Parikh
continents, Asking Alexandria has returned to the
scene and hit the ground running. We can only
hope that this time around, it’s permanent.
Asking Alexandria co-headlines the Vogue Theatre
with Black Veil Brides and Crown the Empire on
February 25.
22
February 2018

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
A WYLDE AND UNEXPECTED CONVERSATION WITH ICONIC METAL AXEMAN
JOHNNY PAPAN
Zakk Wylde is considered one of the most influential guitarists
in the history of modern music. His heavy tones mixed with
unimaginable lead solos earned him guitar duties for metal-icon
Ozzy Osbourne in 1988, during the Ozzman’s prime. Wylde is the
axeman behind some of metal’s most memorable riffs, marking his
debut on Ozzy’s No Rest for the Wicked at the young age of 21.
Now 51, Wylde has been the frontman for Black Label Society over
the last two decades.
“Hellooo thereee,” a withering voice elongates upon answering
the phone. Wylde has disguised his vocal tonality to match that of
the type of creepy old man who would try to lead you from a dark
alleyway into his van for candy, similar to Herbert from Family Guy.
After a brief, confused pause, I ask Wylde how his day was going. I
was not prepared for Wylde’s inner jokester.
“Very good!” he responds. “We’re doing the South Carolina
chapter of the almighty Black Label tour. Getting ready for a big, fat
Festivus miracle tonight! I am very excited. I just finished shaving
my legs and my anal bleach appointment is coming up in about an
hour and a half. The first one was already done and it was perfect,
so I said ‘let’s just do it again!’ Second anal bleach of the day, I’m just
that kind of guy.”
Black Label Society is touring in support of their newest release,
Grimmest Hits, which was dropped earlier this year. Though the title
may seem as such, this is not a greatest hits record. The album was
recorded over 20 days in Wylde’s home studio, the Black Vatican.
“The record company was like, ‘Are there any hits on this record?’”
he says. “I said ‘No. It’s rather bleak and rather grim.’ That’s why I
went with Grimmest Hits. You see, in order to have greatest hits
album you need to have one special ingredient: good songs. We
don’t have any of those.”
Grimmest Hits, despite Wylde’s exaggerated claims, contains all
the classic stylings that brought him to the pit: thrashy riffs, ripping
solos, and heavy tones, with a couple piano-laden mellow tunes
sprinkled in. Wylde admits that he wasn’t trying to explore anything
new on the record, opting to continue thematic trends from
throughout his career, much of which was also spent drinking booze
and partying. As of 2009, Wylde is no longer on the liquor.
“It’s not that I’m completely sober,” Wylde chuckles. “I shifted
from alcohol and moved on to paint kits and glue. Glue and paint
kits are less filling; they aren’t that high in calories. They’re good for
the abs and the vascularity.”
Many of Wylde’s craziest road stories are featured in his book
Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker’s Guide to
World Tour Domination.
“If you ask anyone in a band or who’s been a part of the music
business, they’ll tell you the comedy that comes along with it is a
gift that keeps on giving,” he says. “You figure that when you get out
of high school, you don’t have to deal with this crap anymore. But
then you realize that life is one giant version of high school, except
more silly and ridiculous. You either laugh at it or you’ll just be
crying profusely. Then you write a book about it.”
Black Label Society headlines the Commodore Ballroom on February
14. Zakk Wylde Gives Us More Than His Grimmest Hits.
Photo by Justin Reich
ENSLAVED
CYCLING BETWEEN HEAVINESS AND HARMONY
BRENDAN REID
Photo by Christian Misje
Enslaved know transformation is a huge part of one’s man journey.
Enslaved has never been a band to shy away from esoteric
concepts. On E, their latest work, the group delves deeper
than ever into themes of arcane lore, the bonds we have with
nature, and our identities.
Each song on E is part of a grand narrative, an
interpretation of the human experience that can only be
described in varying, ever-changing forms, much like the
music itself. The melding of heavier moments with haunting
and beautiful melodies is a reflection of our natural essence.
Lead songwriter Ivar Bjørnson penned the compositions in an
appropriately organic fashion.
“A lot of the songwriting has to do with feeling,” Bjørnson
explains. “They are interpretations of dreams and stories that
don’t necessarily fit together in a narrative way.”
“Storm Son,” the album’s opening track, demonstrates this
structure. Bjørnson describes the song as a tableau of man’s
relationship with the natural world. As you listen, it floats
between mythical ideas and our simple struggle to survive in
a harsh, unyielding environment. The lyrics focus heavily on
the runic character “Hagalaz,” which stands for “hailstone” or
“severe weather.” It’s a call to overcome the challenges that life
throws our way.
“People often forget that nature is a dangerous place,” offers
Bjørnson. “There are predators at night and the forest floor is
lined with death. But it is this death and decay that allows for
the growth of beautiful things.”
We are a part of the flow of nature, no matter how much
we try and overcome it. Bjørnson laments the way we destroy
nature, along with the fear and discomfort this unconsciously
brings us. Despite the pessimism in the air, Bjørnson sees
hope on the horizon. Much like the themes of life, death,
destruction, and rebirth explored through the track “Axis
Of The Worlds,” he believes our disconnection from natural
reverence is just one part of an ever-changing cycle.
“Shifts are always occurring. We have taken a step away
from the mythological, but you can feel that things are
beginning to swing the other way.”
Transformation is a huge part of man’s journey, and the
emotions of this universal experience are captured most
poignantly in “Sacred Horse.” The track examines man’s
taming of horses while telling the story of Sleipnir, Odin’s
eight-legged horse. This act embodies E, or the Ehwaz rune,
which is emblematic of trust, harmony, and loyalty, and
celebrates our ability to work with nature and evolve. It
reminds us that even though nature can be terrifying and
challenging, we still need it to survive, both physically and
mentally.
“Through the horse, we were able to commune and
connect with nature on a much more personal level,” says
Bjørnson. “That feeling resides within us still.”
Enslaved will be playing the Rickshaw Theatre on March 5.
February 2018 23

BPM
NOBLE OAK
TAKING THE RHODES LESS TRAVELLED
ALAN RANTA
CLUBLAND
GO OUT AND GET SOME
ALAN RANTA
Patrick Fiore is bringing Collapsing Together home.
Oak is a word that is synonymous with enduring quality and
integrity. Put “noble” in front of it, and you’ve got yourself
something even greater, Canadian synth-pop producer and
multi-instrumentalist Patrick Fiore. Literally speaking, Noble Oak
is a rough translation of his real name; Patrick represents noble in
Ireland while Fiore is Italian for flower.
Born in Vancouver, Fiore ended up making the obligatory move
to Toronto for financial reasons. He would end up spending two
and a half years there, working for a company that no longer exists,
before returning to the inspirationally mountainous and oceanic
visual stimuli of British Columbia.
“It was pretty good,” Fiore remembers of Toronto. “I obviously
missed a lot of my friends back home, but it allowed me to enter
into a different mind-state to write different music. I missed the
West Coast a lot, the inspiration I get here, which is very different
than the inspiration I got there. It’s part of the environment that
you’re in and the places you get to visit really push songs out of a
person.”
Fiore has been riding high on the hype machine for past few
years, on the back of a handful of EPs building through his 2015
debut album, Past Life, to his most recent full-length opus, 2017’s
Collapsing Together, earning favorable comparisons to the likes of
Tycho and Ulrich Schnauss along the way, but his journey started
long ago. While Fiore had studied piano since the age of seven,
going on to churn out a solid decade of experience writing solo
piano and symphonic pieces, the lineage of the Noble Oak project
can be more or less traced back to the serendipitous moment that
a friend lent him a Fender Rhodes electric piano.
“Not only did I get [the Rhodes] for a long time for free,
eventually I bought it off him, but it was a sound I’d only ever heard
synthesized before,” recalls Fiore. “To finally have access to one that
was the real deal, it sounded so warm and vibrant that I just had to
do something with it. It was calling out… It inspired a whole range
of sounds I’d never even thought of before.”
24
While the Rhodes was a heavy focus on early Noble Oak
recordings, it only appears in the fringes of Collapsing Together.
On this record, it plays more of a textural role alongside the piano,
acoustic guitar, Telecaster, and synthesizers, in particular the OB-6,
a six-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer that was beautifully
designed by Dave Smith and Tom Oberheim in a rare collaboration.
As a result, the body of his downtempo synth-pop tracks have
become thicker and more robust, while cosmically feeding off of
personal influences both new and old, informed by everything
from Steely Dan, Enya, Bee Gees, Ravel and Enigma to Nosaj Thing,
Boards of Canada, Horizon Fire and Vondelpark.
“Enya was the first artist I really liked as a kid,” Fiore reminisces.
“Some people say that’s a strange choice, but the layeredness of the
vocals really left an impression on me, and it’s something that I go
back to very often.”
Noble Oak is always pushing forward, though. If he’s not out
skiing, what he refers to as a form of therapy, music is Fiore’s
primary priority. He dedicates the great majority of his non-dayjob
time to perfecting his worthy craft, composing music and
practicing the piano to get back into tip-top game shape. With a
renewed live band, a heaping helping of new songs to play, and
freshly designed visuals to display on a big screen, Fiore is stoked to
bring it all down to one of his favorite hometown venues, the Fox
Cabaret.
“I love that it’s a really large, high ceiling space, and the sound
system they’ve managed to acquire for it is extremely robust,”
praises Fiore. “The cavernousness of the room is offset by a few
of the baffles, so it’s boomy but it’s not too echoey. It’s perfect
for performing; it’s not too low of a ceiling so that the sound gets
compressed and people get uncomfortable, but it’s also not too
concrete of an echo chamber that it’s hard to hear the music. It’s a
nice balance of the two.”
Noble Oak floats into the Fox Cabaret (Vancouver) on February 16.
Valentine’s Day? Are you shitting me? I can’t afford chocolate
and flowers. I’m a music writer living in Vancouver. I shouldn’t
even exist. Soon, I probably won’t. However, if you are one of
the few upper-lower class BeatRoute readers out there with
the means to splurge on such meaningless Hallmark holidays,
perhaps you might consider throwing some concert tickets in
your bouquet.
Trippy Turtle
Feb. 09 @ Fortune
Celebrate VD early with Norwegian producer Peder Losnegård.
He wouldn’t let the likes of Crazy Frog and Hampton the
Hampster go unchallenged, so he cosmically dosed a testudines
reptile with electro-house for your amusement. (FYI: no animals
were harmed in the writing of this blurb.)
Zion I + Gift of Gab
Feb. 24 @ Biltmore
In one corner is Gift of Gab, the immeasurably talented,
larger-than-life, cerebral word slinger of Blackalicious fame. In
the other is Zion I, long-time independent hip-hop duo and
frequent collaborators with The Grouch, among others. Put
them on a bill together, and treat your mind, body and soul.
Bradley Zero
Feb. 24 @ Beaumont Studios
Where so many producers are motivated by sex, drugs and
money, UK producer and record digger Bradley Zero Phillip
gets his primary payoff from delivering catharsis through dance.
As a Boiler Room original and smoothness selecta for many a
different frequency, he always makes it happen.
BROCKHAMPTON
Feb. 26 @ Vogue
Formerly known as AliveSinceForever, California-based
alternative R&B/hip-hop collective BROCKHAMPTON is
renowned as the Internet’s first boy band… or so the Internet
would have you believe.
Black Loops
Mar. 03 @ Open Studios
Under the name of Black Loops, Italian producer Riccardo
Paffetti puts a funky twist on German techno and Italian house.
It’s pure ear candy. Plus, local legend Max Ulis is opening for
him, and he never disappoints.
Bradley Zero
February 2018

BPM
1800HAIGHTSTREET
DIGGING DEEP TO BRING IT LIVE
MITCH RAY
The Vancouver-based duo has put out 10 hours of music in the last year alone.
“You have to dig,” says Zach Treble, who,
along with friend and collaborator Hunter
Cheveldave, comprise the Vancouver-based
techno outfit 1800HaightStreet. He may
be referring to one’s ability to find the
gems when listening to a particular genre
of music, but it’s a line that’s indicative of
the duo’s mentality, one that displays an
uncompromising standard of quality control
and an obsessive work ethic that brings it to
life. It’s this approach that has enabled them
to create 10 hours of music within the last
year (and that’s the finished product, not
including all that’s been left on the cutting
room floor). They’re also equipped with a
two-hour live set of new original material,
none of which has been featured on any of
their previous six releases.
“I’d like to put out 10 records a year, if I
could,” claims Treble. However, as is the plight
of many a modern musician, time is at a
relative premium due to job commitments
and other obligations. Still, they’ve managed
to benefit from the dynamic of being a
duo rather than an ensemble band, which
is a background they both share as former
members of various bands in Vancouver.
Unburdened by the individual motivations
and moods of a big bunch of people,
their greater grasp of creative control and
accountability, along with the ability to get
their music down quicker, has helped them
achieve their prolific output.
There seems to be no qualms between
Treble and Cheveldave. Playing in bands
together along with their electronic project,
they have been digging for six years now.
With a respectful nod to their predecessors,
the duo is set on doing their own thing, while
continuing to build on their stellar reputation
and the positive press that has come with it.
Although they do value a good review, Treble
insists they “put the most stock on seeing
how things go off” in a live setting.
“I just make the music I want to hear,”
Treble says, and it seems that more and more
people are starting to dig for it too.
1800HaightStreet play Vancouver Art and
Leisure 494 Railway St. on February 17, along
with Lobster Theremin labelmates D.Dan and
Minimal Violence.
February 2018 25

FILM
ENTANGLEMENT
ON FILM AND VINYL: A CONVERSATION WITH FILMMAKER JASON JAMES
PAT MULLEN
THIS MONTH IN FILM
BRENDAN LEE
A Fantastic Woman – February 2
When young waitress Marina falls in love with the much older
Orlando, nothing matters but their love for one another. But with
Orlando’s sudden passing, Marina is treated with vulgarity, forced
to fight for her place in this world as a transgender woman. A
Fantastic Woman is the Chilean entry for Best Foreign Film at the
2018 Academy Awards.
Early Man – February 16
A caveman named Dug is forced to unite his tribe as they stand
their historical ground against the incoming Bronze Age. Early
Man is the newest Claymation comedy from visionary Nick Park
(Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run). Voiced by Eddie Redmayne,
Maisie Williams, and Tom Hiddleston, the film promises to be
Park’s most cracking contraption yet.
Local filmmaker Jason James is willing to flip the script to honour the story in his latest outing, Entanglement.
Nostalgia – February 16
“Objects, memories, items that are tangible. These are our artifacts,
our scars.” This drama from Mark Pellington tells a web of stories
connected over time through love, loss and the objects we share
with one another. If one thing’s clear from the trailer, it’s this: tears
will be shed.
“I’m a total research nerd,” admits Jason James. The Vancouver
filmmaker explains the process of exploring the worlds of his
movies, like the new dramedy Entanglement, which opens in
theatres this February. James often begins his research on Tumblr,
creating micro-blogs filled with videos, songs, and images that
inspire him. “It’s like a moving, shifting scrapbook where I throw
thoughts and ideas,” he says. “When I’m trying to get an actor on
board, I’ll write them a warm, fuzzy email and send a link to the
Tumblr site.” This practice of finding nuggets of art and culture
brings the characters to life and gives Entanglement a world that
is offbeat and humorous, but painfully real.
Entanglement stars BC native Thomas Middleditch (Silicon
Valley) as Ben, a lonely and depressed man who learns he nearly
had a sister, but that his birth complicated the adoption process
for his parents. When Ben finds this spiritual-sibling, Hanna (The
Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby’s Jess Weixler), their relationship
inspires him to see the many lives with which he’s intimately
connected. James notes that he began to understand Ben after
consulting his friend, psychologist Dr. Maia Love, who diagnosed
the character with schizoaffective bipolar disorder. Identifying
Ben’s mental illness helps ground Entanglement in reality and
contrasts the offbeat magical realism of the film.
James likes to get inside the heads of prospective actors during
casting.
“I watch interviews with actors on late night TV and at film
festivals to see who they innately are as people,” he says. “I
remember watching this interview with Thomas at the Sundance
Film Festival and they asked him, ‘What’s your favourite song?’
He started talking about Neutral Milk Hotel’s ‘The King of Carrot
Flowers,’ and he just started bawling. To me, that was Ben. He’s on
the verge of a breakdown. He’s this raw, emotional dude.”
Music, and our relationship with it, also inspires the aesthetic
of Entanglement. “When I first read the film and created that
Tumblr site,” says James, “the first word that came to mind was
‘vinyl.’ I wanted the film to feel hand-made, hand-drawn, and a
little bit messy.”
Entanglement’s visual design flows with underwater sequences
and dreamy images that let viewers swim in Ben’s sea of selfdoubts
and desires. One scene offers a trippy blink-and-you’llmiss-it
effect in a bowling alley where Hanna snaps her fingers
and the wall behind her, a galaxy mural of sparkling stars, ripples
like a hypnotic vision. It’s the first signal for a twist that reveals
26
the extent of Ben’s illness.
James turned to local crews for visual effects, since his previous
films, like the rom-com That Burning Feeling, didn’t call for many.
However, the crews skilled in creating visuals like spaceships and
explosions for Hollywood tent-poles are like digital to vinyl’s
analogue.
“Their job is to make the unreal real,” James observes. “I wanted
the visual effects to feel unreal and bump up against reality. I
wanted them to feel childish or handmade and to create this
collective consciousness of images and ideas coming out of
Ben’s head.” For example, James cites some cartoon deer that
Ben and Hanna spy during a drug-induced trip that recall the
classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer cartoon, while fireworks
resemble Windows 95 screensaver fireworks: “Cheap, weird, and a
little bit off-putting,” he laughs.
Researching the story world extends to the city itself. James
doesn’t hire location scouts and instead drives around listening
to playlists inspired by the script.
“Sometimes the locations will inform the story, like the
bowling alley,” says James. “It really suited the film, so we rewrote
a scene that was originally at a park bench into this location and
then the visual effects moment came from that.”
Langley dive Lee’s Chicken offers another element of local
character. The fried chicken joint isn’t in the original script, but
enjoys a prominent role as Ben’s go-to greasy spoon. He even
takes Hanna there for a date where menu offerings of chickenfried
steak bewilder her.
“Jason [Filiatrault] had written this fancy hipster hot dog
restaurant in Calgary into the script,” says James, who visited
locations that inspired the screenplay. “It felt a bit sad, lonely,
and left behind, and that spoke to what Ben was going through.
We rewrote the script. We couldn’t change the sign, so we had to
change some of the dialogue, like the chicken-fried steak. It was
something that I found in the real world to inform the creative.”
Having juggled producer, writer, and director roles on different
projects, James appreciates that filmmaking is a malleable
process.
“When you’re making a film, you have three different scripts:
the film you write, the film you shoot, and the film you edit,” he
says. “And you’re constantly reworking the material along the
way. The idea of finding things in the real world that inspire the
process is something I love about filmmaking.”
Annihilation – February 23
Alex Garland returns with his highly anticipated follow-up to
2015’s Ex Machina. Based off the novel of the same name (the
first in a trilogy), a kaleidoscopic “shimmer” envelops a town’s
surrounding forest, and a group of volunteer scientists journey
within to search for the source of all this real-world surrealism.
Annihilation stars Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac.
Hannah – February 23
Charlotte Rampling embodies Hannah, a woman coping with
a newfound life of loneliness and struggle when faced with her
husband’s imprisonment. What’s sure to be a paralyzing character
study of an older woman crushed by denial, this TIFF + Venice Film
Festival selection may very well give us Rampling at her absolute,
soul-crushing best.
Annihilation
February 2018

MUSIC REVIEWS
FRIGS
Basic Behaviour
Arts & Crafts
Even when they were still Dirty Frigs, Toronto
quartet FRIGS stood out amongst a crowded field
of chorus-pedal-loving, grunge-indebted post punk
bands from the nation’s biggest city.
Led by frontwoman Bria Salmena, the band built
their name off a raucous live show and two solid EPs
(a self-titled EP Dirty Frigs and 2016’s Slush EP after
changing their name).
Now, after signing with the stalwart indie label
Arts & Crafts, the band return with their proper
debut Basic Behaviour. Like their previous EPs,
the album was produced over a 16-month period
in the band’s home studio, with supplementary
production at Union Sound Company in Toronto.
The result is an album that has flourishes of
experimentalism without losing any of its urgency.
On songs like the opener “Doghead,” brittle guitar
tones chime with chorus while effects washes and
drones swell underneath. Even on the most straightforward
tracks, something in the background is
always lurking in the swampy exterior.
Much of Basic Behaviour is slow-tempo,
shambling along in its gothic atmospheres,
but when the band speeds up it’s all the more
noticeable. “Talking Pictures,” for instance, is a
motorik dirge that encapsulates much of what
makes FRIGS so compelling: skronky, tightly-wound
guitars, propulsive drums and a vocal performance
from Salmena that oscillates between quiet speaksinging
and blood-curdling wails.
Here, and on much of the album, Salmena
reminds of Kim Gordon. Her poetic delivery is rarely
melodic, instead serving as a gravel texture that
anchors the rest of the band. This is especially true
on “Solid State,” a song that could serve as the sister
record to Sonic Youth’s “Tunic (Song for Karen),”
complete with a droning guitar outro that feels
pulled directly out of the band’s late-‘80s heyday.
The comparisons to Sonic Youth don’t just stop
at the band’s sonic identity, but in their ability to
craft a singular mood throughout the album. Basic
Behaviour is a bleak, distressing listen for most of
its runtime, but that doesn’t mean it’s ever a slog.
Songs never overstay their welcome and as much
of the album feels dour and minor-key, songs like
“Gemini” offer brief moments of relative levity. It’s
a synth-heavy ballad that wouldn’t feel completely
out of place on Angel Olsen’s recent output.
Of course, “Gemini” is followed up by the album’s
centrepiece “I” and “II,” the two tracks that find the
band at their most outright post punk. The latter
song sounds like a Savages track with Johnny Marr
filling in on guitar. It’s a possessed stomp that sees
the band at their least optimistic. “This is shit /
Just admit it / Just admit it / This is shit,” Salmena
repeats in her most dissatisfied on the album.
“Trashyard,” a song that’s been floating around
the internet since 2016, feels like a ‘60s psychedelic
tune sent through a Oujia board and come back
through the other side. Like much else on the
album, it’s been reworked and perfected into a
meticulous, seven-minute trudge through murky
atmospheres. It feels like a Preoccupations song in a
benzo haze, ending with Salmena reaching her vocal
apex, no longer annunciating anything, instead
offering full-throated guttural shouts.
As the last song on the album, it’s as if FRIGS
have finally arrived at the destination they’ve been
working towards the past five years. As with the rest
of Basic Behaviour, it’s a well-earned victory lap that
builds off the band’s previous output to arrive with a
compelling conclusion.
• Jamie McNamara
• Illustration by Sofia Elidrissi
February 2018 27

Born Ruffians - Uncle, Duke & the Chief Cecil Frena - The Gridlock Scallops Hotel - Sovereign nose of (y)our arrogant face
Born Ruffians
Uncle, Duke & the Chief
Paper Bag Records
Born Ruffians are one of many indie rock bands that bubbled up in
the mid 2000s. Hailing from small-town, Toronto-adjacent Midland,
Ontario, the group draws heavy inspiration from bands like Modest
Mouse and Arcade Fire.
The band went through a bit of a change a few years ago with their
2013 album Birthmarks when they parted ways with their original
drummer Steve Hamelin and added a second guitarist. It led to a
cleaner sound, one that was a little less rough around the edges.
With their fifth studio album Uncle, Duke & The Chief, Hamelin
returns and the band shifts back to their grittier sound, recording as
a trio.
Born Ruffians seem to produce their best material when that
frantic nature comes out in their songwriting. Moments on Uncle,
Duke & The Chief sound like drunken eulogizing, with lead vocalist
Luke Lalonde rapidly shifting from desperate yelps to sing-along
celebratory anthemic shouting.
Catchy choruses, jubilant guitars and an intense earnestness all
shine through on the band’s new output, something that’s been
lacking from the band’s output since their debut in 2008. The album’s
songwriting is strong, strong enough to buoy it above the ocean of
albums out there like it.
• Cole Parker
Cecil Frena
The Gridlock
Hovercraft/Kissability
Cecil Frena has been around for awhile. The mastermind behind
Edmonton weird pop acts Gobble Gobble and Born Gold, he’s also
worked with other lauded acts from that scene like Purity Ring,
Grimes and Chairlift. The Gridlock is his debut under his birth name,
his first full release since 2013 and a noticeable shift towards a
different sound.
A lot of care is placed into the sonics of the record. Layered synths
and vocals, wildly varied guitars, and Frena’s experience with glitchy
pop music is channeled into furious growls of feedback and noise
that feel so, so good.
“Nerves Grow Rust” and “All of My Heroes” open the album with
some great synth-singed pop rock before you hear the chugging of
a car engine, a count, and a stellar drum fill that leads you into the
hardcore track “Unknow Yourself.”
The Gridlock feels like an artist deconstructing his identity,
musical and otherwise, and letting us watch as he pulls the pieces
back together, with lyrical content to match. A bank robber speaks
aloud the existential crisis brought on by L.A. property prices, Frena
reluctantly confesses love, and asserts that dancing on an airplane
might treat some of his nihilistic woes.
The Gridlock is a horribly fun rebirth of an artist who’s still actively
finding the best version of themselves.
• Cole Parker
Sidney Gish
No Dogs Allowed
Independent
Boston’s Sidney Gish is a distinctly 2018 kind of songwriter. The
20-year-old has quietly been developing a voice for absurdist, memeas-music
songs through YouTube and BandCamp since 2015, but No
Dogs Allowed, her sophomore album, is an internet breakthrough.
Like Clairo, early Frankie Cosmos or Car Seat Headrest, Gish’s
career exists almost solely on the internet, but gone are the days
that would be a knock. With its MS Paint cover aesthetic, No Dogs
Allowed is deceptively clever bedroom pop that puts Gish’s neuroses
front and center.
On standout track “Sin Triangle,” Gish’s lyricism and deft skill of
self-roasting is on full display. “Two-faced bitches never lie / And
therefore I never lie,” she sings overtop a laptop lounge rock joint
that feels effortlessly cool.
Every nook and cranny of No Dogs Allowed is filled with
earworms and it’s not hard to fall in love with it.
• Jamie McNamara
The Go! Team
SEMICIRCLE
Memphis Industries
The Go! Team has made some seriously bombastic music over the
years, but has always maintained a level of obscurity that keeps
any of their tracks from being too sugary to rock out to. From
bubblegum pop, to grimey hip-hop, to indie rock, it’s always been big
melodies for people who abhor contemporary pop production.
SEMICIRCLE is no exception, a huge record full of compelling
vocal melodies, driving rhythms, and badass instrumental
arrangements. The downside is that the whole record sounds like it’s
being performed from the bottom of a well. This production style,
which pushes the vocals back in the mix and compresses much of
the instrumentation to a similar level, creates an almost marching
band like listening experience. Every instrument sounds like it’s in
the same room, possibly a high school gymnasium. It’s impressive
that a band that has at moments been a rock ensemble can still
sound like themselves with so many horns, xylophones and flutes,
but the fuzzy production keeps any of the real bangers on the record,
like the single “Semicircle Song,” from being that successful. The
most effective tracks on the record are the more contained ones,
especially the tracks that let Ninja stand out with her gorgeous vocal
performance like “Plans Are Like a Dream U Organize.”
It’s hard not to smile your way through SEMICIRCLE, it’s just so
much fun, but it doesn’t necessarily reward close listening.
• Liam Prost
Scallops Hotel
Sovereign nose of (y)our arrogant face
Ruby Yacht
As Scallops Hotel, Wisconsin rapper and producer Milo creates
tranquil atmospheres like an alchemist who found the philosophers
stone. He knows when to let the beat rise and bubble before
splashing in his conversational flow, which is reminiscent of Earl
Sweatshirt in style and skill. Sovereign nose of (y)our arrogant face
is the second entry in a trilogy that began last year with Over the
Carnage Rose a Voice Prophetic.
The production is minimal and piano-heavy, meshing perfectly
with Milo’s poetic and often hilarious versus touching on topics like
socioeconomic shifts and Mortal Kombat references. Fittingly, on
“Rank, Title, Pressures,” Scallops Hotel mentions Mugen, a character
from the stylish and hip-hop-inspired anime Samurai Champloo,
which used to air on Adult Swim. The network is known for its
impeccable music between shows, favouring sounds on the Flying
Lotus spectrum. In this sense, the 25-year-old rapper is embracing
the influences of his youth as Scallops Hotel, carrying the fluttering
torch to enlighten a new generation. Whether his next release is
labelled as Scallops Hotel or Milo, Rory Ferreira proves time and time
again he can turn his old influences into modern gold.
• Paul McAleer
The Sumner Brothers
To Elliot - In Remembrance Of Wolf
Independent
Through a career notable for sonic twists, Vancouver’s Sumner
Brothers follow up the dark, energetic tone of their 2015 release,
The Hell In Your Mind, with the reflective and gentle To Elliot - In
Remembrance Of Wolf. The album is a collection of instrumentally
spare covers by a who’s who of roots songwriters, including Billy Joe
Shaver, Warren Zevon, and Bruce Springsteen.
Brothers Bob and Brian Sumner keep the arrangements light
and tight to the originals on To Elliot. Brian’s plaintive drawl on
Springsteen’s “The Ghost Of Tom Joad” and Zevon’s “Carmelita,”
allows the melody and lyrics to shine through, the latter getting a
relaxed electric guitar and subtle female harmony to go along with
the mellow cantina vibe. Bob’s baritone is haunting on his take of
The Tragically Hip’s classic album cut “Scared,” and on Jolie Holland’s
“Damn Shame.” For those aware of Zachary Lucky or Colter Wall,
28
February 2018

Friday, March 23, 7:30pm
Bill Copeland Sports Centre,
Burnaby
ROCKERS
Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo)
Dallas Smith
Chad Brownlee
Craig Northey (Odds)
Devin Cuddy
Grant Lawrence
Many more players to
be announced!
NHL GREATS
Cliff Ronning
Dave Babych
Jyrki Lumme
Kirk McLean
Troy Crowder
Brad Dalgarno
PRESENTS
HOSTED BY
JANN ARDEN &
BOB ROCK
SUNDAY, MARCH 25
AT NOON
ORPHEUM
+ MORE ARTISTS TO
BE ANNOUNCED
junoawards.ca #JUNOS
SPACE PROVIDED BY
PROCEEDS BENEFITING

The Go! Team - SEMICIRCLE The Sumner Brothers - To Elliot - In Remembrance Of Wolf Tune-Yards - I can feel you creep into my private life
Bob’s timbre will sound immediately familiar, its tenderness belied by
a gruff, aged tone, the kind of vocal people often call that of “an old
soul.”
The Sumner Brothers are one of Western Canada’s best
underground roots acts, and their taste in quality songs is evident on
To Elliot - In Remembrance Of Wolf. It’s easy enough to play covers
everyone has heard; when an artist digs a little deeper and shows
their audience something farther removed from expectation, the
listener gets to experience a piece of the artist’s inspiration.
• Mike Dunn
Tune-Yards
I can feel you creep into my private life
4AD
It’s abrupt how little abruptness there is in the latest release from
Tune-Yards. The rhythmic attack and staccato catch-and-release
structure of the weird-pop outfits previous releases were career
defining. I can feel you creep into my private life brings enormous
simplicity to the rhythms, but the off-kilter melodies and nasal
delivery from frontwoman Merrill Garbus become even more
prescient to the project as a result. Most tracks are anchored by
simple four-beats and structured like electronic music, specifically
techno, but occasionally even features drop-like movements that
echo dance music. This is most notable in the singles like “Look at
Your Hands.”
Other tracks feature a more deliberate instrumental build up
that resembles LCD Soundsystem. The effectiveness of the record
is mostly due to the sheer textural variety, combined with the huge
personality of Garbus’ voice and lyrics. Garbus writes a lot about her
social position on the record, both in her vulnerability as a woman
in the public eye, which is echoed in the title of the record (and
is spoken aloud several times during the record), and also in her
self-consciousness about her white privilege. This is spoken to most
directly in the first-person-sung “Colonizer.”
Garbus’ own political self-awareness is a testament to the tonal
variety that has defined her career. Tune-Yards routinely uses
ethnically tinged instrumentation, but no song or even musical
movement is distinctly drawn from any particular culture to even
consider it appropriative. I can feel you creep into my private life is a
weird, woke, and ultimately wonderful piece of work.
• Liam Prost
Typhoon
Offerings
Roll Call Records
With the release of Offerings, Portland based Typhoon once again
attracts listeners to delve into the emotion and passion of front man
Kyle Morton. Offerings is the fourth studio album for the band and
the sound differs significantly from White Lighter, the last studio
album by indie symphonic collective. A much more distorted and
frantic sound, Offerings fails to capture the listener’s full attention
throughout and seems disjointed in the story it is meant to tell. The
albums structure seems off, starting with “Wake,” a frantic song that
is off-putting to the listener; however, it is followed by “Rorschach,”
which for fans of Typhoon will be a welcome return to form. The
album ends with the nearly 13-minute epic “Sleep” which draws
comparisons to the 2009 release of Hospice by Brooklyn-based
band The Antlers. This epic is the strongest song on the album and
showcases Morton’s storytelling as well as the larger orchestral
quality that is Typhoon.
• Andrew Bardsley
U.S. Girls
In A Poem Unlimited
4AD
Often described as idiosyncratic, Meg Remy of U.S. Girls has now
made a decade of creative work and used fuel from her 2016 Juno
Nomination for Alternative Album of the Year to build an inquisitive,
well-produced and bizarre portrait of a disenchanted yet disarming
reality in In a Poem Unlimited.
Never without hook and never without its draws from pop to
magnet listeners in, Remy twists expectation on itself to create
completely danceable and somewhat perplexing disco-loaded
schemes. Remy’s blunt use of repetition, computerized undertones,
and sometimes breathy, sometimes undulating pitched vocals,
never quite suit the traditional confines of pop and add to an inner
richness that frames something illusive.
Remy uses quaking siren-like guitar and saxophone lines that are
catchy and captivating; breathing a modern air into their reverb and
fully capitalizing on their strength in songs like “Velvet For Sale” and
“Rage of Plastics.” What Remy does excessively well, it seems, is splice
discordant, no-wave reactionary elements with more reliable basics
of pop and disco. The album elaborates but doesn’t overcomplicate
some intoxicating boogie while keeping with real emotion.
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+
February 2018 31

HUMANS
plus INKY
FRI, FEB 9
CAPITAL BALLROOM
Typhoon - Offerings
LA VIDA LOCAL
HOMEGROWN VANCOUVER MUSIC RELEASES
U.S. Girls - In A Poem Unlimited
Including a short clip of her decimated voice stating the
obvious, Remy follows this with the most harmonious and
easy going, alpha wave infused “Rosebud,” and curtails this
immediately with the wailing “Incidental Boogie” — opened
up by words on abandonment. The groove never lets up,
and Remy’s natural lean towards reinterpretation and
repetition is exploited in great combination with varying
rhythms and constantly engaging material.
Closing with “Time,” Remy picks up some massive speed
for her final piece. “There is no time” she repeats as she
delves into over seven-minutes of guitar and sax solos. She
eases in and out but never slows down, and things quickly
get jumbled together, layers pile onto a solid groove. The
instruments seemingly improvise their own end while the
albums’ many elements ring on and shake it off.
• Arielle Lessard
JENN GRANT
plus MICK FLANNERY
SAT, FEB 10
CAPITAL BALLROOM
BELLE GAME
plus GUESTS
SAT, FEB 10 | LUCKY
SONREAL
plus GUESTS
SAT, FEB 17
CAPITAL BALLROOM
Autogramm
Jessica Don’t Like Rock ‘N’ Roll
Party Product Records
Call me crazy, but I’m pretty sure the A-side from this new trio of newwave
mojo workers is about a girl I knew back in the rock’n’roll hey-day of
the Pic Pub party scene - a feminine force of nature who exuded energy
at every show that was outrageous and contagious all at once. When the
scene died away, I’m sure many were left wondering what happened to
“the spandex and creeper queen”? Well apparently, “she still thinks the
clothes are cool, but must have better things to do,” laments our lead
vocalist as the silky synths, throbbing bass and “so-dead-on-you’d-thinkthey-were-digital”
drums set the AM radio tone of growing older and
leaving your past (perhaps regrettably) behind. If you miss bands like
Redd Planet and the like, then you’ll need to pick up this single.
• Bryce Dunn
Elan Noon
Have a Spirit Filled
Field Mates Records
Indulge in a Wes Anderson inspired daydream with Victoria-based
Elan Noon’s newest release. Have a Spirit Filled is a captivating lo-fi pop
album with experimental touches and intricate lyrics. “Blue” is a Simon
and Garfunkel and Nick Drake hybrid with acoustic finger picking and
ambient electric guitar licks. From the perkier “False Idols (ft. Suz)” with
its punchy beats, to the reflective instrumental “Please Hold,” each song is
its own experience. Have a Spirit Filled is consistently engrossing.
• Lauren Donnelly
Colour Tongues
EP
Independent
Math rock – often held in derision by some music critics and detractors,
but loved dearly by its converts. On their debut EP, Vancouver fourpiece
Colour Tongues navigate an earnest, pleasant technical route
that methodically touches most of the bases associated with the
genre. Prominent mathy indie bands such as Minus The Bear and This
Town Needs Guns make for clear influences across the four tracks. The
instrumentation, catchy and upbeat, boasts the requisite playing ability
and the songwriting is consistent throughout. While the production on
the EP occasionally doesn’t do the band’s tight, lush melodies full justice,
the release itself is a quick, wholly enjoyable listen.
• Willem Thomas
Corner Boys
Just Don’t Care
Drunken Sailor Records
The Corner Boys are a good-time gang you wanna get with on their
gate-crashing debut. First off, unabashed Undertones riffs tangle with the
tough turf-sound of 53rd & 3rd on “Just Don’t Care”. Next, they offer a
Jilted John-esque ode to Patrick McGoohan’s secret agent-thriller-turnedsurrealist
drama The Prisoner on “Be Seeing You” and then finish off with
“Joke (Of The Neighbourhood)” that is anything but, hitting the sweet
spot between the Real Kids and the Rich Kids - all ringing chords, snappy
bass and driving drums to get the toes tapping and hands clapping. More
of this please and make it quick.
• Bryce Dunn
Matt Stern
Magic
Independent
Montreal transplant Matt Stern is bringing his musical “Je ne sais quoi”
to the West Coast with his new album Magic. The celebratory pop sound
is a good fit for Stern. Exuberant horns pair with understated vocals and
dance-worthy beats on tracks “You’re Magic” and “Chance to Live.”
“You’re an Animal,” “Keeps Me Awake,” and “Taking Us Over” slow
things down. They’re delicately sexy with driving rhythms and sweet
lyrical quirk. The orchestral touches are the album’s strength. Stern is
finding his stride as an artist and it makes for a celebratory sound that’s
magnifique.
• Lauren Donnelly
32
February 2018

LIVE
August Burns Red w/ Ocean Grove, Erra, Born of Osiris
Vogue Theatre
January 19, 2018
7PM at the Vogue on a Friday, with the line-up curled around the corner
of Granville and Smithe, the sky split open like a circle-pit. Drenched
hoodies and black umbrellas augmented the texture of a night that
started melodic and culminated in an onslaught of top-tier metalcore.
Aussie blokes, Ocean Grove, broke the stage in around 7:30 and won
over a small crowd with most still stuck in lines at merch-tables. Erra
materialized next in a haze of smokey blue and effortlessly drifted through
a set equal parts melody, equal-parts steel-splitting heaviness. Born of
Osiris followed with a 40-minute set that never slowed, never found a
comfortable spot and stayed there.
Yung Leang
Vogue Theatre
January 24, 2018
Photo by Zee Khan
Moments before August Burns Red arrived, the pit inhaled, became
the eye of the downpour at the doorstep, and with bodies already
traumatized we momentarily rehabilitated, then erupted in flame for an
hour-long interminable mosh-pit. ABR moved through an instrumentally
unmatched setlist with black-bearded, black-toqued, Jake Luhrs, at the
helm hitting each catapulting scream. Though predominantly Phantom
Anthem-inspired, the set seemed a heartfelt culmination of everything
the band has achieved in the last 15 years while, at the same time,
evidencing their storm has only just begun.
• Brendan Lee
Photo by Timothy Nguyen
There was something different about the redhaired
kid, bathed in white light, pouring out his
soul at the Vogue Theatre during Yung Lean’s latest
Vancouver appearance. In a genre saturated with a
thousand Lil’ “everything’s” obsessed with money,
drugs, and champagne on airplanes, Stockholm
Sweden’s Yung Lean stood out with a set of songs
that grew all over you, felt constantly propelled
by the positivity in his body language and an
electronic ambience that filled every inch of the
place.
Lean’s music falls under strange subgenres like
‘Cloudrap’ and ‘Sad Rap,’ and the ambiguity of his
style feels spot on. Although, at times, Lean’s beats
had the floor more trap-trampoline than concrete,
the set had an overall mellowness at its center, the
type of music you lean way back, close tired eyes
and bob heads to.
Again, as the final few songs blurred in and
out of each other, it was clear the crowd was
witnessing something different. That feeling may
have stemmed from the rebirth of a polluted genre
injected with life again. May have been indefinable.
Whatever that something might have been, if you
were there that night, whatever the reason, you
wouldn’t dare look away.
• Brendan Lee
Photo by Aishath Boskma
Meshuggah
The Commodore Ballroom
January 23, 2018
It’s been nearly six years since Meshuggah last played Vancouver. And judging
by the huge amount of fans wandering around outside of the Commodore
before the show, it was long overdue. Being their first date of a short run (the
“Not Much of a Tour 2018” up and down the west coast), the band was in full
force as they launched off their set with the dissonant “Clockworks,” drummer
Tomas Haake’s hectic polyrhythms kicking off the set like a starting gun. A
notable absence was that of guitarist Fredrik Thordendal who is currently
on hiatus, replaced during this tour by Scar Symmetry’s Per Nillson. Despite
generally coming from different stylistic background, Nillson is an incredibly
skilled guitarist in his own right.
Meshuggah powered through their set, keeping the energy high with “Born
in Dissonance,” another track from their most recent album, The Violent Sleep
of Reason. Jens Kidman’s vocals reached new heights on “Do Not Look Down,”
while lighting tech Edvard Hansson showed off why he’s considered the band’s
sixth member with his manually triggered light show. The band segued into
the slowly-melting riffs of “Straws Pulled at Random,” followed by fan-favorite
“Bleed” - the song that introduced a lot of younger fans to Meshuggah and socalled
math metal.
The lights went out, but Meshuggah came back quickly to finish off with
the high-octane “Demiurge,” rounding off the setlist. It’s a complete brainscrambling
experience seeing a band like Meshuggah live, but that just so
happens to be the perfect equation for the ultimate math metal experience.
• Ana Krunic
February 2018 33

NEW MOON RISING
YOUR MONTHLY HOROSCOPE
QUAN YIN DIVINATION
Month of the Wood Tiger
This month’s wood moon heralds an
early spring: warmer weather coast
to coast brings a fresh burst of new
growth. The element of wood, also
represented by wind, is associated
with change. This naturally rising
force can stir up the sky like booming
thunder with the qualities of ambition,
creativity, and optimism. The Tiger
loves community affairs as well as
public appearances and, with clear
communication, we can now pave
the way for better relationships with
others, adherence to a higher vision,
as well as fostering good old fashioned
team-work. Watch your temper —
wood, when out of balance, can cause
irritability, righteousness, and pride. The
element of wood also represents our
arms, legs and trunk — good time for
some bodywork, perhaps? Take to the
forest for strength and enjoy a peaceful
moment to honour our good friends,
the trees.
Rabbit (Pisces): A hectic time is only
just beginning. Clear boundaries and
organization skills keep you on task.
Keep it kind, calm, and tasteful, but do
let people know what you think in an
open, honest way.
Dragon (Aries): Shiny and new, this
month with start your year off with a
bang. Water under a bridge starts to rise
up over your shiny new shoes. Better to
meet it now while there’s still time to
save what you can.
Snake (Taurus): Complaining will turn
people off and may not be appreciated
now, so keep your head clear, your eyes
and ears open, and your mouth closed.
Meditation and contemplation teach
the wisdom of non-action.
Horse (Gemini): Give yourself the time
you would generously offer others and
this month could be a good one for
health, wealth and relationships. Your
dance card is open so you can now
choose who you take to the floor –
enjoy moving to the music!
Sheep (Cancer): Everyone needs a little
guidance once and a while, and when
you are at a crossroads, it’s okay to ask
others for support and advice. They
might know something you don’t. Seek
mentors that share your values and who
empathize with your situation.
Monkey (Leo): Pressures of the
moment rise as you take up new
opportunities to generate more wealth,
reputation, and increased status. Keep
track of small details and fine print –
keep up and you will be kept up.
Rooster (Virgo): Quiet solitude might
be what you need, but it could be
challenging to find as the pace of this
month will pull you in many directions.
Don’t give up but have the discipline
to take space from partners and friends
when duty calls.
Dog (Libra): Take this month to
consider the ways in which you are
contributing to the solution – or the
problem. What is it in yourself that
needs to change in order to bring about
the progress that you’re seeking? Look
inward now.
Pig (Scorpio): This month’s moon
brings death and rebirth for you,
humble boar. Life is not always fair,
but if you look around you, you might
find that nature has a way of bringing
some kind of balance in all situations.
Compromise and eat your pride!
Rat (Sagittarius): Busy times may
exhaust your energy – get a boost by
going to the gym, a yoga or tai chi
class, get some exercise and build your
strength. Optimism, determination, and
focus inspire new ideas and optimism
about your future.
Ox (Capricorn): Come out of
hibernation a little early this year,
Ox. Stand strong and let the winds of
change blow of any stagnant, stuck, or
negative energy off you. Secret allies
surround you, so don’t forget you are
never alone.
Tiger (Aquarius): The key to great
friendship comes from the quality of
your own friendliness toward others.
Make the first move and set an example
to others of your commitment to
the highest good. Your good deed or
sacrifice today brings great success
tomorrow.
Susan Horning is a Feng Shui Consultant
and Bazi Astrologist living and working
in East Vancouver. Find out more about
her at QuanYin.ca.
34
February 2018

UPCOMING SHOWS
CANADA’S LARGEST INDEPENDENT CONCERT PROMOTER
February 27 - Rickshaw Theatre
STARSET
w/ PALISADES, GRABBITZ,
AND YEAR OF THE LOCUST
February 10 - The Cobalt
February 11 - The Cobalt
February 17 - The Biltmore Cabaret
DIET CIG w/ GREAT GRANDPA AND THE
SPOOK SCHOOL
DENT MAY w/ MOON KING
THE CORONAS
February 18 - Rickshaw Theatre February 23 - Vogue Theatre February 24 - The Biltmore Cabaret
MATISYAHU w/ EMINENCE ENSEMBLE
February 28 - Rickshaw Theatre
NECK DEEP w/ SEAWAY, CREEPER, AND
SPEAK LOW IF YOU SPEAK LOVE
March 1 - Vogue Theatre
ZION I w/ THE GIFT OF GAB
March 3 - Imperial Vancouver
SUPERCHUNK w/ BAT FANGS
March 6 - The Commodore Ballroom
ARCHITECTS w/ STICK TO YOUR GUNS
AND COUNTERPARTS
March 11 - The Biltmore Cabaret
THE WHITE BUFFALO
March 13 - Fox Cabaret
MACHINE HEAD
THE RUBENS
TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT MRGCONCERTS.COM
KIM CHURCHILL w/ CHRISTIAN HUDSUN