BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition September 2018

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SEPTEMBER 2018
BLOOD ORANGE
DEV HYNES BRINGS HIS SWAN SONG TO WESTWARD FESTIVAL
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VIFF VANCOUVER FRINGE FESTIVAL DJ KOOKUM IDLES CHVRCHES ANDREW W.K. MOSHE KASHER

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September‘18
PUBLISHER
BeatRoute Magazine
LAYOUT
& PRODUCTION MANAGER
Naomi Zhang
FRONT COVER PHOTO
Nick Harwood
FRONT COVER DESIGN
Randy Gibson
INTERN
Carlos Oen
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Managing Editor
Jordan Yeager
jordan@beatroute.ca
Editor-In-Chief
Glenn Alderson
glenn@beatroute.ca
City
Yasmine Shemesh
yasmine@beatroute.ca
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HI, HOW ARE YOU?
- With DJ Kookum
PULSE - CITY BRIEFS!
CITY
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FRINGE FESTIVAL
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BLOOD ORANGE
MUSIC
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GRASSIFIEDS
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FOOD
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BPM
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September 2018 3

WITH DJ KOOKUM
Written by Lyndon Chiang
Cheyanna Kootenhayoo, or better
known as DJ Kookum, is a Vancouverbased
DJ and filmmaker, paving the
way for Indigenous representation
in music. DJ Kookum has worked
with some of Canada’s biggest acts
in Indigenous Hip-hop, including
Mob Bounce, Drezus, and Snotty
Nose Rez Kids, to name a few. As a
resident DJ at the Biltmore Cabaret,
DJ Kookum mixes a diverse blend
of Trap, Hip-hop, R&B, and EDM. In
preparation for her big weekend at
Skookum Festival, we caught up with
Kootenhayoo to find out more about
Indigenous Hip-hop, her upcoming
performances and her community
work with at-risk youth.
What kind of music did
you grow up listening to
that shaped you the most?
Was there one group or
artist you can attribute
to leading you down that
path towards becoming a DJ/
producer?
I basically went from listening to
the Spice Girls to 2pac, then to
techno and house. I remember being
obsessed with Spice Girls and Alanis
Morissette. Then I started going to an
all native school and bought my first
2pac CD. I think when “Flat Beat” by
Mr Oizo came out I started listening
to techno, trance and house artists
like DJ Alligator, Benny Benassi, Tiesto,
and Marco V to name a few.
What are the origins of
your stage name DJ Kookum?
Kokum means grandmother and is
a word from the Cree tribes along
Alberta/Saskatchewan/Manitoba.
My friends and family back home
started calling me kokum when I
was 13, probably because I was wise
AF? At the time I didn’t like being
called ‘grandma’ and tried to stop it
but they got the whole Rez (Indian
reservation) calling me kokum.
Back when I was DJ Annshay doing
some of my first ever Hip-hop shows,
I was rocking with LightningCloud.
I told them my nickname story
they were convinced I had to be DJ
Kokum because the First Nations
communities will dig it and because
it had a better story behind it. So I
went for it and added an extra ‘O’ to
Kokum because I am not an actual
kokum, let alone a parent yet. And
now I love it, I own it.
You grew up a member of the
Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation
and Cold Lake First Nations
communities, do you feel a
responsibility to represent
or uphold your heritage
through your music and
art?
Photo by George Lawson
DJ Kookum is raising awareness on Indigenous issues through her art.
It’s important to rep where I came
from. I’ve had a lot of support in
my career from both communities
and I’m grateful for that. Every film
project I’m involved with is either
raising awareness on Indigenous
issues or sharing our culture and
history. A lot of the hip-hop artists
I perform with are doing the same
through the lyrics. It’s important to
share our culture and history with the
world so people know the truth. We
are also breaking stereotypes through
art. There are so many amazing First
Nations people out there, I can’t
believe some people still think we’re
all just homeless, drunk or in jail.
I love to share my peoples’ music.
I put out a mix featuring all First
Nations hip-hop artists called
‘Limitless Indigenous Hip-Hop Mix.’
You can find it on my Soundcloud
(Soundcloud.com/DJkookum). I am
going to put out more ASAP because
there are so many amazing artists.
Who are some must-listen
artists in your music circles,
and who should people
watch out for?
Horsepowa, Tchu_chu, Holy Sock
Gang, Yellowsky, Mob Bounce, So
Loki, DJ Shub, the Sorority, Missy D,
Joey Stylez, Mamarudegyal, Status
Krew, Dani & Lizzy, Emotions, JB
the First Lady, Beaatz, Boogey the
Beat, T-rhyme, Ekkwol, Kimmortal,
LightningCloud, Drezus. I’m probably
forgetting a whole bunch.
You started out in film. How
did you make the transition
from filmmaking to DJ’ing?
Are you still actively
filming?
I was influenced by my mother
to work in film. We were film
orphans as kids because our single
mom was so busy making movies.
Once I graduated high school in
Edmonton, I moved to Vancouver
to take the Indigenous Independent
Digital Filmmaking program at
Capilano University and became a
videographer. I was actively working
in the independent film industry right
out of film school. I was crushing my
goals. Then I realized if I can achieve
those goals, I probably could become
a DJ. So I taught myself how to DJ and
became confident enough to play
in front of people. I told all my film
people that I was a DJ now and next
thing you know I was DJ’ing at film
screenings and film festivals. (Shout
out Ostwelve and the VIMAF crew,
those were some of my first gigs like
six years ago).
I still work in film on and off, doing a
lot of video editing and coordinating.
What’s the most memorable
show you’ve performed at?
I recently played a hip-hop show
with SNRK at the Darwin Festival in
Australia. Then I played a set at the
festival’s Club Awi later that evening.
Traveling to the other side of the
world to do my thing was the coolest.
Looks like you’ve got quite
a jam-packed schedule at
Skookum, performing with
Mob Bounce, Snotty Nose
Rez Kids, and the afterparty
at the Imperial. What
makes this festival different
from others?
The amount of diversity of this
festival makes it different. From big
name bands to local artists.
Can you tell us a bit about
the Whitefish Lake Youth
Conference, and what youth
empowerment means to you?
Whitefish Lake hosted a fiveday
youth conference on their
reservation in August. Artists from
all different backgrounds traveled to
the community four hours north of
Edmonton to participate, facilitate
workshops, and perform. I facilitated
a DJ workshop during the day.
Youth empowerment is important
especially in Indigenous communities
where there are high rates of suicide
and addiction. I use to be an at risk
youth so I can relate. And I just really
want all the youth to know that as
much as nothing seems possible,
everything is possible.
Catch DJ Kookum Thursdays at
Granville Room, Fridays at the
Biltmore Cabaret and at Skookum Fest
After Dark at the Imperial Sept 8.
4
September 2018

CITY BRIEFS!
Vancouver Aids Walk Book of Mormon Fran Lebowitz Telepresence The Radicals
SKOOKUM AFTER DARK
September 7 at Rickshaw Theatre
The after party of Stanley Park’s
inaugural music festival celebrates local
music with late night live performances
at downtown music venues. This one
features performances from Little
Destroyer, Matt Mays, and Bad Animal
at the Rickshaw.
TELEPRESENCE
September 28 at Integrated Motion
Studio, Emily Carr University
Part of ‘the possible-impossible-thingof-sound’
— an installation series
created by artists Nancy Lee and Kiran
Bhumber, with trumpeter JP Carter,
that explores both real and imaginary
sounds — Telepresence is a virtual
reality experience relayed through a
live performance and an octophonic
speaker system.
ON THE TABLE
September 13 at 2405 East Hastings
BeatRoute is hosting its own On the
Table talk right here in our office.
Come, listen, and weigh in on a
discussion about community and local
music, from a publishing perspective.
Our editors will be on site, talking
about how you can engage in your
music community in a huge variety
of ways, even if you don’t play music
yourself.
THE RADICALS
September 20 at Museum of
Vancouver
This inspiring documentary follows
a group of snowboarders and surfers
who become immersed in a journey of
activism and resistance as they travel
across BC’s west coast.
VANCOUVER AIDS WALK
September 23 at Sunset Beach
This annual 2.5 kilometre walk, which
first began in 1994, benefits Positive
Living BC in their support of people
living with HIV/AIDS. This year’s walk
also marks the return of Joe Average,
the longtime and beloved face of the
event.
CLARKWALK
September 29 on Clark Dive
Inspired by Clark Drive, this DIY art
project asks participants to walk along
Clark Drive from 6th Ave to Powell
Street, take photographs, and listen
to a curated playlist of local music,
and document it with the hashtag
#ClarkWalk. Then, on September 29,
the crossroads will feature an exhibition
and live music performance.
FRAN LEBOWITZ
September 27-28 at BlueShore
Financial Centre for the Performing
Arts
The iconic writer, social commentator,
and humourist is the first guest at
Capilano University’s new speaker
series that celebrates their 50th
anniversary. Lebowitz has often been
named a modern-day Dorothy Parker
for her smart and satirical views on
contemporary culture.
TOM HSU
Until September 22 at Burrard Arts
Foundation
Tom Hsu’s photography exhibition
– Here, under our tongue – focuses
on what remains in the camera frame
after a picture has been taken. Intimate,
unexpected, strange, and beautiful.
BOOK OF MORMON
September 25-30 at Queen Elizabeth
Theatre
The hit musical by South Park creators
Trey Parker and Matt Stone is back in
town for another run. The multi awardwinning
comedy follows an odd couple
of missionaries as they travel across
the world to preach the message of
Mormonism.
GREATER VANCOUVER FOOD
TRUCK FESTIVAL
September 16 at Concord Pacific
Featuring more than 20 different
food trucks, the Greater Vancouver
Food Truck Festival’s focus this year
is bringing a diverse assortment of
cuisines. Don’t miss out on local
favourites like Tacofino, Rocky Point Ice
Cream, and Big Red’s Poutine.
September 2018 5

CITY
FEATURED CONCERTS
VICTORIA, BC
GREAT LAKE SWIMMERS
PLUS GUESTS
CAPITAL BALLROOM // THURSDAY, SEPT 20
AMY SHARK
PLUS GUESTS
CAPITAL BALLROOM // WEDNESDAY, SEPT 26
FLIPOUT
VANCOUVER PINBALL EXPO SCORES HIGH IN NOSTALGIA
ADAM DEANE
Vancouver’s FlipOut is the largest annual pinball competition in the country.
We’ve all been asked what we want
to be when we grow up at least 20
times throughout the course of our
young lives. Astronauts, doctors,
lawyers, professional athletes; the list
is generally the same and, the older
you get, the more you may drift away
THE THINGERY
LENDING LIBRARY GIVES ITSELF TO EVEN MORE LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOODS
DAYNA MAHANNAH
from those young dreams, it would
seem. This isn’t the case for one man
in the Fraser Valley who kept his heart
young and his dreams close. His name
is Tommy Floyd. Yes, the same Tommy
Floyd of “Pretty Boy Floyd” fame and
other various BC rock groups. You
may recognize the names of his bands,
but what many don’t know is that
Floyd is an extreme pinhead.
Having successfully run the Fraser
Valley pinball club, Flipper Freaks,
and the infamous storefront Nitro
Amusements for the last seven years,
Floyd founded the Vancouver FlipOut
Pinball Expo in 2016. Now in its third
year, FlipOut carries the title of the
largest annual pinball competition
in the country. Though, it’s not all
competition. Floyd filled BeatRoute
in as to what we can expect from this
year’s fest.
“We’ll have over 100 pinball
machines this year, a beer garden,
food trucks — it’s the perfect layout
for them out back,” he says. “We have
a lot of VIPs from some of the major
pinball companies — guys from all
over the world. It’s going to be great,
we’re very excited. It’s a full three
days.”
Floyd made sure to drive home the
point that there will be much more
than just pinball at the expo: really,
something for everyone. “There’s
going to be arcade games, speakers,
people talking about how they make
games, artists talking about their art.
It’s a family event.”
We had to find out, so of course
we asked Floyd just how much of a
pinhead he is.
“You know what, I used to have
40 machines at our house, but once
we started running Nitro full-time,
we migrated them over here. I think
I still have a couple at the house, but
nothing like I had. They were in every
room, they were in the garage — I
moved my wife’s car out. It was out of
control,” he laughs.
Vancouver FlipOut Pinball Expo runs
from September 7-9 at the Roundhouse
Community Arts Centre.
BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH
PLUS ASHLEIGH BALL
CAPITAL BALLROOM // THURSDAY, SEPT 27
Z-TRIP
PLUS GUESTS
CAPITAL BALLROOM // THURSDAY, OCT 4
FOR FULL CONCERT LISTINGS & TO PURCHASE
TICKETS, PLEASE VISIT:
WWW.ATOMIQUEPRODUCTIONS.COM
FACEBOOK /ATOMIQUEPRODUCTIONS TWITTER @ATOMIQUEEVENTS
A lending library of things – that’s
what a Thingery is, and it could be
just around the corner (from where
you live).
A non-profit co-operative
functioning from a modified shipping
container, The Thingery is like the
neighbour who has everything:
camping gear, tools, a power washer,
even snowshoes. This model of
shared resources aims to provide
communities a tailored way to borrow
“things.”
Chris Diplock, who co-founded The
Tool Library in 2011, sought to expand
on the idea of community-based
sharing, and subsequently developed
The Thingery. With a far more diverse
arsenal of “things” beyond solely tools,
the co-op is owned by members of
the community, whose input narrates
what equipment and recreational
items are stocked and available for
rental.
“Through research with The Sharing
Project and my experience with The
Tool Library,” Diplock says, speaking
to BeatRoute near his home in East
Vancouver, “[it became clear] that
centralized sharing models like our
public libraries and tool libraries work
really well because someone is looking
after the stuff. There is this consistency
and reliability.”
Run by solar power, The Thingery
has two active locations in the
Grandview-Woodland and Sunrise-
Hastings neighbourhoods, with a third
set to open at the Arbutus Greenway
in Kitsilano this fall.
“When I moved here, every once
in a while I’d get invited on a trip,”
Diplock recalls. “I would try to get
outdoor stuff… It’s a lot of money.
[I would] just want to borrow one
[piece] for a little bit.” This sentiment
underlies The Thingery’s intent to
resonate with people who just moved
into the neighbourhood and need
to set up their new home. “When
you engage in a project and you do it
yourself, you develop a sense of pride
and it’s very empowering,” Diplock
adds. “I think that’s what it brings out
in people.”
The future possibilities of the
lending library are infinite. To
further connect the community and
demonstrate the value of what the
Thingery has to offer, regular events
will be organized – bike tune-ups,
park clean-ups, movie nights –
utilizing the equipment on hand.
The co-op model is something
new for many neighbourhoods. An
initial membership fee gives people
lifetime access to The Thingery
and is an investment in owning a
share of the lending library site. But
Diplock recognizes a lasting value in
moving towards de-centralized public
infrastructure.
“It identifies that the community
wants to have a say in how public
space is used,” he says. “That’s
inspiring.”
For more information or to become a
member, visit thethingery.com or call at
1-866-418-0933.
The Thingery is revolutionizing product and business ownership.
6
September 2018

SMOOTH & APPROACHABLE

Robert Beck The Flowers of Upheaval (Apart from the Whole), (2006) 10 chromogenic prints, satin, mat board, wood, plexiglass
53 1/4 x 68 5/8 x 2 5/8 in (135.3 x 174.3 x 6.7 cm)
Rennie Museum | 51 East Pender St | Vancouver

WORD VANCOUVER
NOT JUST FOR THE LITERATE
DAYNA MAHANNAH
Word puts an emphasis on creating a sense of community in literary circles of all kinds.
Novel readers and comic-book skimmers, zine
collectors and poetry lovers, writers of all kinds:
Word Vancouver is the place to rub shoulders
with anyone interested in the written word. Held
from September 26-30 around Vancouver, Western
Canada’s largest literary festival will coax 25,000
people to its curation of events, workshops, readings,
and industry panels – entirely free of charge.
Now in its 24th year, Word is still a burgeoning
festival. Bonnie Nish, who first experienced Word in
2001 and has since been involved as a reader, host,
CHRYSALIS SOCIETY
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF RECOVERY AND CARE
MAGGIE MCPHEE
Photo by Monica Miller
volunteer, and collaborator, stepped in as Interim
Festival Manager on July 12. It’s been a bustling
summer for Nish, coordinating the program after
an unexpected resignation from the newly hired
executive director at the end of June. Not to be
derailed by time constraints, the festival has grown
to be ever more inclusive.
“We have community groups bringing in readers
so they can get exposure to the public as well,” Nish
says.
In the four days leading up to the festival, satellite
events will pop up around the city. Workshops on
self-publishing, performing your work (with literary
vet Hal Wake), writing as therapy, and journal
writing all build up to the main event on Sunday —
an explosion of Vancouver’s diverse, creative, and
word-obsessed. Poet laureates George McWhirter,
Brad Cran, and Evelyn Lau grace the opening stage.
Dozens of vendors and exhibitors will showcase
everything book-related and offer their skills in the
literary field, accompanied by a slew of pros covering
topics ranging from graphic novel writing to the
magazine industry to nuanced topics, like complex
women in YA fiction (Eileen Cook). “One panel I’m
excited for is about engaging in digital media and
how it affects your writing,” Nish adds.
She emphasizes that the sense of community
Word creates is important for people involved in the
literary world in any capacity. “As a writer, it can be
very isolating. To be able to go out and talk to other
people who are doing the same thing, it makes you
feel less alone. Other people are doing this. And it’s
possible to do it. I think the greatest thing is that we
all realize that what we say matters. And it can affect
people.”
Word Vancouver runs from September 26-30 at
various locations.
CITY
In 2017, 80 per cent of Vancouver
street drugs tested positive for
fentanyl, resulting in a record 1,420
deaths by overdose in the city. The
Canadian government responded by
investing in front-line harm-reduction
initiatives, but has done little to
address the systemic issues that cause
addiction and leave women especially
vulnerable.
Chrysalis Society, BC’s only
gender-specific, long-term residential
addiction and mental health care
facility for women, tries to meet this
complex crisis with a proportionately
holistic and integrated solution.
This September, they celebrate
30 years of serving more than 3,000
women. BeatRoute spoke with
executive director Shannon Skilton
about the broader socio-political
problems – systemic oppression,
sexism, gendered violence, an
irresponsible medical system – and
Chrysalis’s role in combating these
problems to assist the 80 or so women
who secure a spot in one of their three
homes every year.
“There are real barriers within our
system of healthcare for persons with
addiction issues,” Skilton explains.
“The majority of women who access
[our] services have had challenges
with prescription drug use because
doctors readily prescribe women
benzodiazepines.” At walk-in clinics,
patients can only address a single
issue, and doctors prioritize quick
fixes over the big picture, prescribing
medication to symptoms that are
actually side effects from other
medication. “We’ve had women come
in on 16 different medications. Our
house doctor works to stabilize the
woman, so she no longer feels like she’s
in a chemical straitjacket.”
Sexism prevails at every point in a
woman’s route to recovery, whether
it’s the smaller number of recovery
beds allotted to her, or the gendered
violence she is statistically more likely
to have experienced in her lifetime.
This year, 96 per cent of the women
who entered Chrysalis reported
histories of violence.
“There are very few resources
for women that are feminist based,
meaning the lens is anti-oppressive,”
Skilton says. “We see things
intersectionally – it’s not one thing
that has created any one situation for
a woman. Addiction doesn’t happen in
a vacuum and neither does recovery.
That holistic, broad lens is really
important.”
Chrysalis works with each woman
to build up an individualized recovery
plan, respecting her autonomy in her
healing. The women are supported
to “identify what is and is not healthy
and then determine whether they
want to continue to live with some
of that,” Skilton says. “We do not tell
them one way or the other.” But the
house is a safe space for the women to
rediscover their independence.
Chrysalis’s programs provide
women opportunity to create and
sustain community with each other,
while they are in residence and
afterwards. Half the staff are alumni
of the programs, and anyone who has
ever resided in Chrysalis’s homes for
any length of time is respected as an
alumnus, regardless of her process or
outcomes. Rather than vilify, Chrysalis
normalizes and supports relapse, for
harm reduction purposes.
“We do not penalize women for
choosing to leave when they choose to
leave,” Skilton says. “We are just seed
planters.”
If Chrysalis are seed planters, they
are planting in infertile soil, and each
flower that blooms is a miracle.
The Chrysalis Society celebrates its
30th anniversary on September 16 at
Heritage Hall.
Chrysalis provides a strong support network for women in need.
September 2018 9

Photo by Julie Heather
FEMINIST FRINGE
NEW WORKS BY DIVERSE WOMEN
Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women is an
annual showcase of dramatic readings from femaleidentifying
Canadian playwrights. It’s a stage set for
both diversity and equality. Studies have shown that
women make up less than a third of directors and
writers in professional Canadian theatre. This year’s
productions are moving, nuanced pieces of work not
to miss.
BEATROUTE’S INBOX FAVS
written by Leah Siegel
Gametes
Two young women navigate through love, pregnancy,
and self-fulfillment. Written by Rébecca Déraspe and
translated/directed by Leanna Brodie, this play delves
deeply into the complexities of female friendship. (YS)
September 10 at 1:30 p.m.
Rubble
Playwright Suvendrini Lena takes us to war-torn
Gaza, where we see a portrait of family life amid daily
violence. Inspired by the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish
and Lena Khalaf. (LS) September 12 at 1:30pm.
While You Sleep
Six individuals receive death threats online and struggle
to cope in this play about facing one’s fears. Told in a
combination of poetry, monologues, and scenes. (LS)
September 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Photo by Rae MacEachern-Eastwood
Every year when the Vancouver Fringe Fest rolls
around we get a lot of random press releases in
our inboxes. It makes sense because the Fringe
Fest is pretty random. Rather than trying to
sift through the 99 productions that are being
showcased, pretending like we know which ones
are going to be “the best,” we took the lazy route
and just summarized the most exciting ones that
we found in our inbox. Prepare to get fringed up
Vancouver.
Big Queer Filipino Karaoke Night
In case the title wasn’t clear enough for you,
here’s what you can expect: drag, optional
imbibing, musings on queerness and identity
from writer-performer Davey Calderon, and
a rollicking good time. You might want to
brush up on your karaoke skills in advance: the
audience participates, too. XYYVR.
Who We Care For
A family finds itself on the frontline of the opioid
epidemic when one of their own is hospitalized.
In this new play that tackles issues such as
addiction and mental health, we follow a family
in crisis, attempting to stay afloat. Havana
Theatre.
Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos
Saved My Life
Upon hearing that me might die from cancer,
former CEO Keith Alessi gave it all up to pursue
his dream of playing the banjo. In this epicallytitled
piece (who doesn’t love the image of
assassin tomatoes?), Keith will perform new
songs while reflecting on his own journey.
Carousel Theatre for Young People.
Flute Loops: A Subatomic Opera
Who said science and the arts don’t mix? From
the mind of Devon More of Hang Lucy comes
“Flute Loops: A Subatomic Opera.” This musical
foray into the science of the infinitesimally
small received four stars from the CBC and the
Winnipeg Free Press, and would make Stephen
Hawking and Brian Greene proud. The Cultch.
Poly Queer Love Ballad
It’s your typical girl-meets-girl love story. One’s
a polyamorous bisexual poet, the other’s a
monogamous lesbian songwriter. Together, they
put on a slam poetry musical that navigates
the vicissitudes of sexuality and gender. (Okay,
maybe not so typical.) Winner of the Playwright
Theatre Centre’s Fringe New Play Prize. Review
Stage.
TrudeauMania
Ever watch a Ken Burns documentary and
wished there were more choreographed dance
numbers? Enter stage left TrudeauMania, a new
musical covering the life and times of former PM
Pierre Trudeau. Politics, John Lennon, and Pierre
Trudeau reciting jazzy poetry: what more could
you want? Firehall Arts Centre.
Awkward Hug
It’s the summer of 2009, and 19-year-old Cory
Thibert is trying to understand a lot of things.
Sex, for instance, adulthood in general, and the
cerebral palsy that both of his parents have.
Fringe vet Thibert’s first solo show is notable for
its light-hearted depiction of a disability that
is rarely represented in the theatre world. The
Cultch.
Photo by Abbey Road
Rabbit Hole
A happy family sees their world shattered by
the loss of a child in this Pulitzer Prize-winning
play that has had a run on Broadway and a film
adaptation. Presented by the Frolicking Divas as
part of the Fringe’s Dramatics Works Series. The
Cultch.
Self-ish
Comedy and tragedy meet in this new onewoman
show starring Diana Bang (The Interview,
Bates Motel). Esther is a 30-something Korean-
Canadian who, after an encounter with death,
reflects on life, death, the nature of grieving, and
her relationships with loved ones. The Revue
Stage.
Weirdo
Robbie T knows what it’s like to feel out of
place: he’s a magician. For this magic showmeets-memoir-meets-comedy
routine, expect
fun tricks, actual diary entries, and plenty of
audience participation. Come for the magic, stay
for the celebration of weirdness. Performance
Works.
Traveltheatrics
Keara Barnes mounts an ambitious new solo
show inspired by her own international travel.
By playing 18 different characters, Barnes weaves
stories of ghosts, tigers, and love. A successful
run at the Winnipeg Fringe has earned Barnes
critical acclaim for her storytelling abilities.
Havana Theatre.
Check out www.vancouverfringe.com for show
times.
Speed Dating for Sperm Donors
They got hitched and settled down in Calgary. Now all
that’s left for Paige and Helen to do is find a suitable
biological father for their future child. Simple, right? (LS)
September 14 at 1:30 p.m.
The Ones We Leave Behind
Abby Chung is assigned to find the next-of-kin for
an elderly woman who has just passed. While she
works, she also uncovers details about her own father’s
disappearance. (LS) September 11 at 1:30 p.m.
New Works By Diverse Women takes place at the False
Creek Gym. Tickets are pay-what-you-can and available
at the door.
Written by Yasmine Shemesh & Leah Siegel
While you sleep
10
September 2018

COMEDY
MOSHE KASHER
GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE
GRAEME WIGGINS
Photo by Art Streiber
Comedian Moshe Kasher doesn’t ascribe to other people’s ideas.
Comedy exists in a precarious space in the
public forum. On one hand, it relies on the
transgression of norms, but on the other, in
today’s political climate transgression can be
strongly frowned upon. Moshe Kasher is a
comedian who’s made his name on walking
that fine line, unafraid to move in areas that
demand controversy. His old podcast, The
Champs, that he hosted with Neal Brennan,
talked about issues of race, while his
newer podcast Hound Tall looks at various
controversial topics in a town hall format.
His short lived Comedy Central show,
Problematic, as the name implies, dropped
the viewer into charged conversations about
hot button issues from novel perspectives.
Kasher’s stand up material tends to shy
away from the explicitly political, focusing
more on the task of just being funny. Being
controversial for controversy’s sake is not
something he works towards.
“That’s one of the early pitfalls for a
comedian,” he explains. “Now that comedy
has gotten so weird and politicized, these are
some of the easy traps that young comedians
fall into. It’s almost the same thing with a
different melody but it’s the same song they
play. One is to be politically woke without
being funny, but you still get a reaction.
You get what they call clapter; you make a
political point, and people are like ‘Yeah I
agree with that, YAY!’ Where ‘yay’ is kind of
similar to ‘haha.’ On the other side of the
comedic spectrum you have people who are
like, ‘I know what I’ll do, I’ll just say the most
offensive thing, also without being funny.’
You know, like ‘BOKO HARAM, ISIS, AIDS,
9-11.’ The crowd is like ‘I don’t like those
things,’ and they react with ‘OOOOH!’ And
‘ooooh’ is similar enough to ‘haha’. My thing
is all I ever want to be is funny. Obviously
funny is subjective, but objectively speaking
I am funny.”
While he doesn’t write jokes with
the express intent to offend, no one is
going to be pleased with everything. He
remains unafraid to wade into potentially
problematic waters. He couldn’t do it
any other way: “There’s this big charge,
particularly among left leaning people (I am
one) but they will go, ‘Just write different
stuff.’ Let’s say the charge is ‘Don’t write
offensive material.’ I think that’s a stupid and
reductive one. What I think is that people
underestimate how difficult writing stand
up is.”
He uses an analogy to make the point
clearer: “Take ‘You shouldn’t be dirty.’ I
don’t believe that Dave Attell could be like ‘I
accept that argument, I’m going to write an
hour of Brian Regan material.’ Just as Brian
Regan isn’t holding himself back from a
40-minute pussy eating chunk that he knows
he can write; it’s just not his brand. You
kind of discover who you are as a comedian.
It’s not a choice-based thing. I don’t make
a choice about the things I observe in the
world that I find funny. I just look at the
world and write as much stuff in my voice
as I can.”
It’s clear Kasher has given a lot of thought
to his comedic sensibility. But he wants to
make sure people coming to the show don’t
have the wrong idea.
“I feel like I was overly intellectual in this
interview, but my comedy is extremely
immature and very vulgar. Some of that
classic stuff that Brian Regan will talk about.
I want people to come see me with low
expectations of the sophistication they can
expect to receive.”
Catch Moshe Kasher live at Yuk Yuk’s on
September 28.
September 2018 11

DANCE
KATIE DUCK
EXPLORING HUMANITY THROUGH MOVEMENT IN CAGE
DANIELLE WENSLEY
Artist Katie Duck will rattle your cultural core with CAGE.
Photo by Jason Ma
Katie Duck is a pioneer of improvisation.
The improvisational dancer,
choreographer and teacher started
gaining momentum from the moment
she emerged on the European dance
scene in the early ’70s. Duck fled from
America in her twenties, feeling a
disconnection from this culture as
a woman, and is about to return to
Vancouver for the first time in 30 years. “I
am European,” she proclaims, “without a
since or a need to return.”
Through working with musicians,
Duck began to identify an interest in
composition and improvisation as a
means to express her research. The
improvisational scores that she creates
facilitate spaces for music, dance and text
to emerge and intervene with audiences
and each other. Duck describes her
process as “tight research towards loose
performance,” resulting in a clear and
functional architecture for spontaneous
discovery to occur within.
She is set to rattle Vancouver’s cultural
core from September 23 to 30, offering
an array of workshops and performances
set within some of Vancouver’s most
eclectic venues. These sites—Gold Saucer
Studios, China Cloud, Roundhouse
Community Centre and Scotiabank
Dance Centre— are indicative of the
impact of Duck’s oeuvre, emphasizing a
constellation made up of points in music,
dance, community arts and education.
Duck dawns from Amsterdam and her
presence in the city is bound to bring
together an array of Vancouver’s most
acutely creative minds.
On September 28 at the Scotiabank
Dance Centre, Duck’s CAGE will take
place. This complex work has been
presented worldwide and is meant to
be adapted in collaboration with local
artists. In Vancouver she will be joined by
musicians Ben Brown, Roxanne Nesbitt
and James Meager. Brown has been
studying with Duck throughout the past
four years in Amsterdam and admits, “I
have probably learned as many valuable
lessons about music from Katie as all
my music school years combined.” He is
the reason for Duck’s visit to Vancouver
and will be one of the first male artists to
engage with CAGE.
“Katie’s work is not exclusive or
alienating, it’s unabashedly human, and
this draws people in because we can all
relate to the beauty and absurdity of
being human if we’re receptive to the
experience.” CAGE is meant to evoke
the myriad ways through which we are
caged as humans, laying out four distinct
themes—the institutionalization of
everything, the loss of love, the need to
face the anatomic perfection of what the
vagina actually is, and the use of death
as a tactic for fear—to be considered,
embodied, confronted or ignored.
Let your intrigue guide you into the
improvisational spaces that Duck will
facilitate while she is in Vancouver.
Catch Katie Duck September 23 with
All Bodies Dance at the Roundhouse
Community Centre, September 25
performing with Sawdust Collector at Gold
Saucer Studios, September 26 performing
with Invisible Taste at China Cloud and on
September 28 for CAGE at the Scotiabank
Dance Centre.
THE JIM GREEN
INVITATIONAL
12
September 2018

MAKING CANNABIS CLASSY
TERPENE INFUSED CANA-POPS CHANGE FLAVOUR GAME
JAMILA POMEROY
Cannabis in food is still uncharted territory.
Contrasting the stereotype of grungy stoners
in unkempt apparel, Diner En Blanc alongside
Synr.G, made cannabis classy this year with
terpene infused cana-pops. The all white
pop-up dinner party originated in Paris 30
years ago and has since become a worldwide
epicurean phenomenon. 2018 marked
Vancouver’s seventh year in participation, the
backdrop this year being the gorgeous Van
Dusen Gardens. Nearing the end of dinner,
representatives from a company called Syner.G
offered guests Blueberry Kush and Grapefruit
Haze popsicles. While the frozen treats
contained only terpenes and no THC, they
sparked an important conversation about high
class cannabis goods.
“Is this going to get me high?” someone
nearby asked. In fact, terpenes just encompass
the flavour profiles of the plant, omitting
the psychoactive properties. For the less
cana-curious, terpenes are the unsaturated
hydrocarbons found in the essential oils of
plants. While they have been often introduced
to oils intended for inhalation, terpenes can
be added to food, like herbs and spices, to add
depth. The majority of guests were delighted
to try something new, even those who don’t
generally consume cannabis products.
“I thought it was going to taste all skunky
and gross, but was pleasantly surprised. There
was just an added herbal quality, almost like
mint,” says dinner atendee Helen (last name
Grassifieds
ommited). “I smoked weed when I was in high
school in the ’70s, but haven’t touched the
stuff since. I guess this just goes to show that it
has value outside of that.”
When asked if she would be open to
the addition of cannabis in a restaurant
experience, she expressed that after this
introduction, “why not, it’s delicious.”
There has been ample attention to the
prospective medical and pharmaceutical
markets of the cannabis industry, but little has
been said about what cannabis legalization
means for the food industry. While the
Blueberry Kush and Grapefruit Haze popsicles
were a special treat exclusive to Diner En Blanc,
companies such as Farm & Florist are setting
a new precedent for high-class cannabis
food products; the company sells boutique
cannabis honey, maple syrup, coconut oil and
olive oil, among many other infused products.
Regardless of the lack of legal talk in regards
to the cannabis industry, in relation to the
food and beverage industry, it’s easy to see
how the general consensus of cannabis outside
of stereotypical stoner culture can in fact be
classy.
STRAIN-OF-THE-MONTH
White Widow
White Widow is among the most elite of strains
worldwide. The strain is a hybrid, and cross between a
Brazilian Sativa Landrace and a resin-heavy South Indian
Indica. Its buds are white with crystal resin- glistening like
forbidden jewels. White Widow genetics have given rise to
strain legends like White Russian, White Rhino, and Blue
Widow- making it a strain destined for excellence. The
strain is known to be uplifting, happy and euphoric, with
flavour notes grounded in earthy florals; with medicinal
properties combating stress and fatigue.
*Disclaimer* cannabis is not yet legal for recreational use
Written by Jamila Pomeroy
THREE GENERATIONS OF POT SMOKING PARENTS
DIFFERENT SMOKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS
JOEY LOPEZ
With legalization on our doorstep, parents are getting ready to have “the talk” with their kids.
As we inch closer to official legalization in
October, parents across Canada are preparing
themselves for “the talk.” Not, that talk, but
one concerning our government legalizing
Cannabis for recreational use where, like
alcohol, it will be available to everyone over
the age of 19. Naturally, these recreational
smokers will have kids, so how will they bring
up the subject of what was once so taboo to
explain that it’s as a normal as Dad cracking a
beer after a hard day’s work.
“I’ve been smoking pot since my late
husband introduced it to me in 1969. Our first
daughter was born four years later and our
second the year after. We kept smoking and
my husband even grew it in the basement,
so it was always there.” says Rosie, long time
pot smoker and grandmother of five. “Since
it was always there we were naturally inclined
to be open about it. The girls knew what we
were doing. Back then, we didn’t have the
information on what pot could do like we
do now but we had an idea of the pros and
cons and told our kids what we used it for —
Relaxation and socially for fun at parties. Sit
with some close friends and it leads to some
interesting conversation.”
As someone who experienced Vancouver’s
popular pot culture from the beginning, Rosie
has seen the growth and change in how we
react to cannabis in all its forms. Even her
daughter Nic, who is a mother herself, has
become more open about it over the years.
“Honestly, I was super uptight about it for a
long time, even though it was around me my
entire life. I never thought in my life I would
allow my own daughter to smoke it and even
less be aware that we smoke it ourselves.
We wanted to keep it from her until she was
old enough, but when she was diagnosed
with depression in her early teens her doctor
suggested weed as something to help her
mood, so we realized being open with it would
benefit all of us in the long run. She’s always
been a rebellious kid and we figured we’d
been more comfortable if she was smoking it
around us rather than in some random park in
the middle of the night.”
As for those new parents who’ve grown
up in Vancouver’s incredibly open culture
surrounding Cannabis as it was becoming the
weed capital of the world have some ideas of
their own.
“I’m just going to tell her,” laughs Ernesto,
brand new father to a seven-month-year-old
girl. “I don’t see why not and I feel like the
more transparent I am the less likely she’ll
be to go off and smoke it before she’s old
enough.”
September 2018 13

FOOD
NOUS MANGEONS À VANCOUVER
A TASTE OF LOCAL INTERNATIONAL CUISINE
CRAIG SINCLAIR
What is “French” food? Snails and
frog legs? Well, sure, but there’s more
to French food than cooking things
you might find near a swamp. I mean,
there’s soufflé too, right?
French food doesn’t have to be
about the clichés, it can be about
comfort food, rustic and accessible, and
that is what you’ll find at Vancouver
restaurant, Les Faux Bourgeois
— though you can also get escargots
there. I talked to Alex, one of the
owners, about what it meant to be a
French restaurant in Vancouver. “It’s
been a great adventure,” he says. He
came to Canada from France a little
more than a decade ago and has been
going hard ever since. “Our goal is to
offer good food for a good price.” At
Les Faux Bourgeois you can get a stellar
duck confit made by a France born chef
in a restaurant that specializes in French
cuisine, with top reviews, and multiple
awards for being the best French
restaurant in Vancouver, for $23. This is
14
nothing short of incredible.
So how do they do it? “We have a
strong kitchen that’s been working
perfectly for us. And we do volume as
well.” It’s late afternoon and I’ve been
talking to Alex for maybe 10 minutes
and the phone hasn’t stopped ringing
the entire time. He says it’s always like
this — “We have 300 calls a day. It’s
insane.”
I’ve eaten at Les Faux Bourgeois
before and been impressed with the
service, the quality of the food, and
the price. This didn’t stop Alex from
treating me to one of the features
on the menu that day. He promised
to email me the details about what
I was about to eat, but he forgot. I
believe what he gave me was a Foie
Gras mousse served in a small tumbler
with cornichons, mustard, some fruit
preserves, and toasted baguette. It
sounds delicate but is actually served
in a quantity that generously feeds two
people. It’s a good thing to enjoy the
Photos by Caige Sinclair
(Clockwise from top): Les Faux Bourgeois, Frenchie’s Poutine, and Bistro Wagon Rouge’s head sommelier, Jesse Walters.
food prepared for you with some sense
of gluttony rather than delicately ration
it out and be left wanting for more.
But I did want more, and there is
more to French cuisine in Vancouver
than Les Faux Bourgious. There is
also relative newcomer St. Lawrence,
which opened about a year ago just
east of Main Street on the fringes of
the Downtown East Side. I talked to
Michael Zaff, Directeur Général of
St. Lawrence, about their restaurant.
“We opened the weekend of Jean
Baptiste, which is auspicious because
it’s Quebec’s national holiday, and
being Quebecious and French, it made
sense.” What he means is St. Lawrence
is the “other” French; French Canadian.
Michael continues, “Chef is from
Quebec, he takes traditional Quebec
dishes and makes them his own. We
treat Quebec like a region of France.” It
sounds great, and I was keen to try their
wares, so I went to the internet to book
a table but there wasn’t a reservation
to be had for over a week. Merde. St.
Lawrence must be doing something
right then, but I’ll never know, and
they didn’t offer to let me try anything
when I was there. That’s completely fair,
but it makes it difficult to talk about a
restaurant.
With no idea what their food
tasted like, I asked them about setting
up in the Downtown East Side.
“Gentrification” is a heavy word, and
St. Lawrence attempts to acknowledge
where their restaurant is located. “We’re
very aware of the community that
exists here. For us it’s letting people
know we’re a part of the community
even though our prices certainly exceed
most people’s budgets.” Michael seems
to acknowledge the optics of another
high end restaurant moving into this
neighborhood and he sounds like he’s
trying to justify it. He suggests, “We’re
all East Siders ourselves in some way.”
I had to trust Michael’s descriptions
of what they offer. “Chef is very much
about simplicity in his dishes.” “People
know French cuisine more than they
know Quebec cuisine in Canada, so
there’s some work introducing them
to some very classic Quebecois items.”
“Some people think poutine is the
beginning and end of Quebec cuisine.”
Oh yeah; poutine. What better way
to contemplate French cuisine than
over a bowl of that delicious deep fried
potato, gravy, and cheese curds? So off
to Frenchies poutine restaurant for a
sampling of their menu; no reservations
required. Frenchies offers a mix of
things that don’t sound like they should
be on fries. Is it even possible to have
“Italian” poutine? I tried a few styles
from traditional, to quirky, and finished
the night with a recommendation from
the owner; “Get the steak and onions
poutine. It’s the best.” It was delicious,
washed down with a French Canadian
beer from Unibrou, La Fin du Monde.
“St. Hubert gravy,” says the owner
when asked what the secret to good
poutine is. I’m not sure I’m supposed
to share that detail, but he didn’t say
I couldn’t. And while St. Lawrence’s
Michael may argue poutine isn’t the
beginning and end of Quebec cuisine,
it is certainly a big, fat, melted cheesy
chapter in the middle of it all.
Armed with these experiences
I finally felt prepared for a proper,
informed opinion on yet another
French restaurant in Vancouver; Bistro
Wagon Rouge, the French cuisine
inspired little brother to the popular
Red Wagon diner on Hastings Street.
They’ve been open for about five years,
and I talked with Jesse Walters, head
sommelier at Bistro Wagon Rouge,
about what it means to be a French
restaurant in Vancouver. It wasn’t an
easy question for him to answer, maybe
because it’s hard to define what Bistro
Wagon Rouge does.
One thing that sets Wagon Rouge
apart is Jesse’s focus on “natural” wine,
wines made with very few chemicals
and little technology, not to be
confused with “organic” wine, which
is produced by a different process.
The majority of the wine they sell is
French, but about 15% is local and
chosen because of how it pairs with
the current menu. Natural wine, Jesse
explains, is about growing the vines
naturally, considering lunar cycles
as they affect the sap in the vines,
and viewing the vineyard as a closed
unit with biodiversity in crops and
livestock to produce natural fertilizers;
processes that work towards keeping
the land healthy without chemical or
mechanical interruption. While this all
seems a responsible way to do things,
Jesse points out, “the wines are better
when you do it this way.” And “better”
is what drives the decisions at Bistro
Wagon Rouge.
The staff curated our dinner and
paired each course with a carefully
selected wine. The experience could be
summed up with, “zut! tres bien. Five
stars.” Little things like the bread with
its crisp crust and gossamer crumb,
served warm with unsalted butter. The
Celebration Salad starter has twenty
five different greens, edible flowers,
shaved radish, crystalized salt, and
more. If you do the math on this, you
could eat this salad daily for the rest
of your life and never get the same
mouthful twice.
Then there was a chicken liver
parfait. Similar to Les Faux Bourgeois’
foie gras mousse, the parfait was served
in a glass jar, topped with ramp butter,
honey on the side, and was to be eaten
in generous portions atop toasted
baguette. Jesse paired this with a Chic
Fille Joie rosé made in BC, which has the
appearance of melted Jolly Ranchers.
The chicken liver made the wine sing,
or vice versa. This skill is what makes a
good restaurant.
By the end of the meal we had
experienced a brilliant trio of tartines,
a glorious Haida Gwaii halibut with
morels, asparagus, potatoes, and
accented with a beurre blanc, and a
magnificent Rouge Burger of a cooked
perfectly rare chopped beef patty and
crispy French fries with mayo. And the
wine, oh the wine, perfectly paired
along the way.
September 2018

DANIEL CAESAR • JESSIE REYEZ • ADVENTURE CLUB
CURRENT SWELL & FRIENDS • BISHOP BRIGGS • LIGHTS
CLOZEE • MIX MASTER MIKE • FUCKED UP • SONREAL
THE JB’S (THE ORIGINAL JAMES BROWN BAND) • THE ZOLAS • BÜLOW
BLITZEN TRAPPER • ANDY SHAUF • BEARDYMAN • STICKYBUDS
MILK & BONE • CHAD VANGAALEN • ISKWÉ • METZ
THE HARPOONIST & THE AXE MURDERER • NEON STEVE
THE SORORITY • RAMRIDDLZ • JOHNNY BALIK • HEY OCEAN! • SO LOKI
nêhiyawak • SODOWN • SUGARBEATS • MEGAN HAMILTON • DRIVETRAIN
KHANVICT • YOUNG BOMBS • DESI SUB CULTURE
528HZ • ABRAHAM • ALEXANDRIA MAILLOT • ALEX MAHER • ALUMA SOUND • APPLECAT
ART D’ECCO • AUDIOWRX • BAD HOO • BEL • BOOTY EP • BOUSADA • BRAUE • BRIDAL PARTY
THE CARLINES • CASE OF THE MONDAYS • CHANCE LOVETT & THE BROKEN HEARTED
THE CHOIR • THE CHORUS • CMDWN • COMMON DEER • COMMON HOLLY
COSY FATHER • COTIS • THE COUNTY LINE • A DAY AS WOLVES • DAYSORMAY
DEBBY FRIDAY • DEF3 & BRYX • DIAMOND CAFE • DIANA BOSS • DIRTY MOUNTAIN
DISTANT GRAND • DOPRAH SPINFREE • DUNKS • DYLAN STONE BAND • ELDER SISTER PLUM
ELECTRIC SEX PANTHER • ELECTRIC TIMBER CO. • EVAN CHEADLE • FALLBRIGADE
FEVER FEEL • FNKSTLL • DJ FROTHBOT • GENTLE MIND • HALEY BLAIS • HANDSOME TIGER
DJ HARK & FRIENDS • HEAVY J • HIGH NOON TO MIDNIGHT • HIMALAYAN BEAR
HONEY ROSE • HORSEPOWAR • INKSTER • J.F.KILLAH • JADE MACPHAIL • JENNAY BADGER
JOHNNY GR4VES • JUNGE • KALLITECHNIS • KELLY FRASER • KIMMORTAL • KIRSTEN LUDWIG
LAYTEN KRAMER • LIINKS • LITO FORD • LOOELLE • LOVECOAST • LO WAIGHT • LUCA FOGALE
LYSSA • MANTA • MARK WOODYARD • MATT HOYLES • MIESHA & THE SPANKS • MIKE EDEL
MISSY D • MR. MOE B2B THOM BANKS • MURGE & THE GOLDEN ERA • MYSTERY LOVER • NALLA
NATHAN JONSON • THE NEW SOULS • NO LIARS • NO TYPE • OCIE ELLIOTT • OK CHARLIE
THE OUTLIER (NICK MIDDLETON MUSIC) • OUTSIDER • PAINT THE TOWN RED • THE PASSENGER
PEACH PYRAMID • PSYCHIC POLLUTION (LIVE PA) • QUARTERBACK • QUOIA • RENNIE FOSTER
RUMPUS • RYAN EVANS AND THE TUMBLIN’ DICE • SCOTTY HILLS • SHRKY • SHYLOW
SISTER SAYS • THE SKY LIT UP • SLIM SANDY & THE HILLBILLY BOPPERS • SLIM MEDIA PLAYER
SOPHIA DANAI • STEL • SMASH BOOM POW • SUSANNAH ADAMS • SUSSY
TAKAHASHI • TASSNATA & TONA • TEENAGE VIOLETS • TIGRESS • TOUGH AGE
VELVET FEAT. KUBA OMS • VIC HIGH R&B BAND • WHOLESALE HOT WINGS

BPM
HANDSOME TIGER
FINDING HIS STRIDE IN THE ELECTRONIC JUNGLE
PAUL RODGERS
Photo by Fraser Ploss
Hussein Elnamer is juggling his talents with ease in Vancouver’s bass scene.
Considering Hussein Elnamer, a.k.a. Handsome Tiger only started
DJing and producing electronic music three years ago, his progress
has been considerable to say the least. Last summer he did two
festivals, Shambhala and Bass Coast, and this year he was back at
both of them, in addition to a heap of other noteworthy parties.
“This summer’s been crazy,” says Elnamer. “Quite the step up.
I’ve almost tripled my bookings so I’m pretty happy about that.”
This summer also saw him perform at Diversity and Blessed Coast
Festivals, on top of shows in Seattle, a Rifflandia showcase in
Victoria and an appearance at Michael Red’s Few Norms party.
Though he is relatively new to the world of electronic music,
Elnamer has been singing and playing guitar for 17 years. He used
to play in a band called A Name Unheard and credits the time
he spent learning to play and performing in a band with helping
him pick up producing so fast, in terms of arranging and creating
beats.
“The technology has been the hurdle,” he says. “Because I
was never someone who was into using recording programs
or anything like that, so the last three years have been quite
exploratory for me and a lot of fun.”
Elnamer moved to Vancouver from the Northern BC town
of Dawson Creek around nine years ago. While he had been
interested in bass music for quite some time, he wasn’t well versed
in it until some friends from home told him to check out things
like Bass Coast, Michael Red, The Librarian and Lighta!
Elnamer quickly started producing and, shortly after, was
asked to play his first show. His DJ sets encompass a wide range
of influence, predominantly from the UK sound, from dubstep,
grime or dancehall, to rap and, particularly, “badass female rap.”
When it comes to his productions, Elnamer says that with his
latest release, the Juggling EP, he has finally hit his stride. He says
that with his previous work, particularly the track he did with
Nigerian pidgin rapper Magugu, he was starting to get there but
now he has “hit the nail a little bit more on the head.”
“I feel like I’m finally tapping into that and starting to make
sense of what I want Handsome Tiger to sound like. It’s becoming
a little bit more cohesive to me.”
The new release has a substantially fuller sound, and certainly
encompasses the sonic tapestry of what he set out to achieve —
grooves that are deep and dark, while still being hyphy and sexy.
This initial success is remarkable, but is by no means accidental
and Elnamer says there are two main things every fledgling
producer should keep in mind:
“Try to make time every day for your stuff, for whatever you’re
working on. Don’t get down on yourself if you don’t work on
your music every day, just always try to do one cool thing. And
then definitely just be the easiest person to work with, every
opportunity you get to work with someone or when you meet
someone new just try your best to be the best you can be and be
a good person and contribute to the scene.”
Catch Handsome Tiger around BC on September 17 at Rifflandia,
September 22 in Powell River and September 29 at the Arcade in
Kelowna.
16
September 2018

Written by Jordan Yeager
BLOOD
ORANGE
Photo by Nick Harwood
Devonté Hynes weaves tapestries; each song
he writes is a thread, a piece of something bigger
than itself. Hailing from London and residing in
New York City, Hynes is more artist than musician.
And now he’s back after a two-year break with the
release of his fourth studio album under the Blood
Orange moniker, Negro Swan, exploring themes of
belonging and the repercussions of trauma, both
past and present.
The steps to success are well-trodden and
simple. Essentially they boil down to setting a goal,
committing energy to it, and persevering until
you’ve accomplished it. Not many people simply
fall into a career in music, headlining festivals
and amassing millions of streams on Spotify. But
somehow, that’s kind of what happened for Hynes.
“[Making music] has always been something I
just do,” says Hynes. “I think it forced its way to the
front. I didn’t intentionally force it – it very naturally
rose to the top of what I do. But I never actively
sought anything out. I’ve worked really hard, but
the situations have always just happened. [Music]
is what I think about the most, which is why I never
thought about it.”
Though music isn’t something Hynes consciously
strove towards, it’s provided a backbone of support
throughout his entire life. Professionally, he got his
start as part of the indie rock/hardcore band Test
Icicles before branching into a solo career under
the name Lightspeed Champion. The results of this
project were albums Falling Off the Lavender Bridge
and Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You, released in
2008 and 2010, respectively. Just a year later, Coastal
Grooves was released, his first record as Blood
Orange.
“I’m very project-based,” he says. “I could explain
visual ideas for every single project I’ve ever done.
And it changes like that – it’s not particularly like
Lightspeed and then Blood Orange. For example,
the second Lightspeed album and the first Blood
Orange album were written and recorded at the
exact same time. I just separated them because I
understand how it works, in that people can’t take
things like that.”
Hynes is set apart by his ability to see the bigger
picture. He knows what he wants to create, and has
that distinct end goal in mind throughout the whole
creative process.
“One thing that’s kind of weird is that everything
is kind of happening at the same time,” says Hynes.
“All these songs were pretty much being worked on
at the same time, almost like a huge tapestry, rather
than song by song. I tend to bounce between them
all, all at the same time. There’s people I show stuff
to while I’m making it, but they have to somewhat
understand me. It’s hard for me to just play a song
for someone because it probably won’t make sense
and it most certainly won’t be the finished version
of the song. I tend to finish everything at the same
time. And I’m so big on track listings, and I really
want the track list to make sense. Every decision
track list wise is thought out like 50 times. [This
order] just made sense. It’s hard to explain, but it
just like… made sense.”
Negro Swan, like his others, is a concept album.
Hynes is a storyteller, weaving ideas together from
song to song in order to form a coherent whole.
Here, he’s helped by Janet Mock, who serves as
a sort-of narrator throughout the album, giving
voice to Hynes’s internal monologue and providing
grounds for the track list to “make sense.” If you’re
paying attention, you can trace back this pattern of
purpose throughout his whole career.
According to Hynes, “everything is super
intentional.” So although Life is Sweet! Nice to
Meet You and Coastal Grooves were produced at
the same time, there must have been motivation
behind the decision to release them under separate
pseudonyms, as different versions of himself.
“I changed my name because I was heavily aware
of connotation,” he explains. “I’ve actively tried to
remove myself from what I make, in a way that I
don’t want people to have this image of a person
while listening to what I do. So I wanted to kill off,
at that moment, that idea. That’s not necessarily
something I would do now, but in that period of
time, that’s something I was really thinking about.
It was more of a hatred for English press than
anything. That was actually the last time I ever
read anything that reviewed my music. None of it
matters, you know? If a stranger walks up to you
and says they hate your shoes, it doesn’t mean
anything, but you’ll think about it next time you put
those shoes on. It might make you not wear them,
or it might make you buy another pair. But it will
effectively change everything. Same go if someone
says ‘Your shoes are incredible and I’ve never seen
shoes like that before in my life, and how could you
ever wear another pair of shoes?’ That would also
fuck you up.”
By shedding his name and adopting a new one,
Hynes enabled himself to speak his truth without
ascribing that truth to his sense of self. Of course, his
writing draws from his own lived experiences, but
the goal is to write from such a personal place that
“anyone who wants to take something from it is
able to do that.” Negro Swan has a recurring theme
of existing within a space, whether that’s showing
all the way up or shrinking parts of oneself to fit
in, and it stems from a place of trauma – as a child,
Hynes was bullied relentlessly. He wasn’t allowed to
fit in. Only decades later is he examining the residual
effects of those experiences left over in his psyche.
“I definitely would rather not, if I’m honest,” he
laughs. “But it happened naturally and, for me, it’s
a means to something that makes sense. I’m 32,
and I think our childhood traumas effectively can
muck up the rest of our lives and be somewhat
detrimental, so I think all of those things led me to
look deeper into my childhood than I had before.
Probably mainly because I’m far enough away now
that I can look at things in a way that is critical. I can
look at the scars a bit more clearly now.”
For Hynes, some of those scars run deep. He lives
with a lingering sense of displacement, and it laces
itself throughout this album’s tracks.
“There were some pretty intense fucking
moments. I was put in hospital a few times from
bullying. That’s something I was definitely looking at
a lot [on Negro Swan].”
Having worked with such notable names as
Solange, Florence and the Machine, A$AP Rocky,
and Blondie, it would be easy for Hynes to become
a radio-hit maker. Clearly, he’s well-versed in what
it takes to write a catchy single. Instead, what he
creates is introspective and existential, laced with
intention and often with sadness. Hynes writes
from a place of deep awareness, both of self and
of society; his music serves simultaneously as a
diary entry and as a commentary on the world
around him. But despite the hardships Negro Swan
examines, the album is underscored by something
brighter; within darkness, there is always hope.
Blood Orange performs as part of Westward Festival
at the Orpheum on September 14.
September 2018 17

United Skates
Dyana Winkler, Tina Brown – USA
Proudly presented by
Jonathan
Bill Oliver – USA
Proudly presented by
Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes
Sophie Huber – Switzerland/USA
America’s roller rinks have long been strongholds of regional
African-American culture. But gentrification--rink owners (usually
white) selling to developers--is killing the scene. Dyana Winkler
and Tina Brown’s charming documentary provides access to a
world of style, slang, dance and music while profiling some of the
skaters and owners who refuse to quit. “This kaleidoscopically
vibrant, essential-viewing survey plunges audiences into a
dazzling underground scene.”--Variety
When we first meet Jonathan, his life seems pretty mundane.
In fact, he’s keeping--or rather sharing--a deep secret. This film
about identity, brotherhood and betrayal features Ansel Elgort
doing a fantastic job, and the film’s central premise, once revealed,
makes for fascinating and moving psychological drama. First-time
feature director Bill Oliver is a name to mark down; he’s made a
character study you won’t soon forget. “[I]ntelligent, absorbing...
[a] quietly involving drama...”--Variety
One can’t overstate the influence of Blue Note Records, the jazz
record label founded in New York in 1939 by German refugees
Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff. Coltrane, Davis, Monk, Powell--
the list of stars who recorded for the label is astounding. Sophie
Huber’s musical celebration of Blue Note’s history includes
interviews with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones and
others, as well as a recording session with current star Robert
Glasper and a consideration of the label’s stunning cover art.
Clara
Akash Sherman – Canada
A brilliant astronomer (Suits’ Patrick J. Adams) obsessively scours
the cosmos for signs of life while growing increasingly detached
from the real world. When a new assistant (Troian Bellisario)
provides unexpected inspiration, they’re sent hurtling on a
collision course with a reality altering discovery. A master class
in restrained and rigorously intelligent sci-fi tinged drama, Clara
builds to a jaw-dropping climax and announces the arrival of a
major new talent in the form of director Akash Sherman.
Garry Winogrand:
All Things are Photographable
Sasha Waters Freyer – USA
The quintessential New York street photographer, who raised his
métier to the level of art, Gary Winogrand gets the biographical
treatment he deserves in Sasha Waters Freyer’s compelling and
intelligent documentary. Winogrand shot over a million photos
in his career (many on display here) and suffered critical disdain
at times, but he was of his time and place, as noted in interviews
with Mad Men’s Matthew Weiner, writer Geoff Dyer, artist Laurie
Simmons and others. “Fascinating.”--Hollywood Reporter
Studio 54
Matt Tyrnauer – USA
Studio 54 was the pulsating epicentre of 1970s hedonism, a disco
hothouse of celebrities, drugs and sex that earned it the sobriquet
“the greatest club of all time.” With co-founder Ian Schrager as his
guide, director Matt Tyrnauer unearths fabulous archival footage;
he also coaxes the 72-year-old Schrager into revealing the club’s
history as it’s never been heard before. “Tyrnauer’s thrilling and
definitive documentary captures the delirium--and the dark side--
of the legendary New York disco.”--Variety

Supported by the Province of British Columbia
RZA: Live from the 36th
Chamber of Shaolin
OCT 9, 8:15 PM, ORPHEUM THEATRE
Co-presented with
RZA brings the ruckus! The award-winning musician, film
director and leader of rap group Wu-Tang Clan comes to livescore
the Kung-fu flick that’s been one of his biggest influences:
Lau Kar-leung’s The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Using a Wu-Tang
catalog over two decades deep , he drops beats from opening
scene to closing credits, amplifying the action of Lau’s martial
arts classic. Hip-hop heads, Kung-fu film fans and anybody who
wants to see some electrifying innovation, this is for you.
Kid Koala presents: Satellite
OCT. 5, 6, 7, ANNEX
In Kid Koala’s latest live experience, the master DJ empowers
his audience. This is participatory music on a high level,
with an interactive turntable orchestra in which the listeners
become the composers. The audience sits at stations
equipped with a turntable, an effects box and a small crate of
colour-coded vinyl records. The crowd is an integral part of
the show, accompanying Kid Koala; together they create an
“ambient vinyl orchestra” and meld their personal choices
into a body of sound.
Finding Big Country
Kathleen S. Jayme –Canada/USA
The Vancouver Grizzlies’ inglorious six-year history may’ve lacked
for highlights but it undeniably had a poster boy: Bryant “Big
Country” Reeves, whose less-than-sculpted man-mountain frame
made him an easy target for criticism. Documentarian Kathleen
S. Jayme sets out to track down her hard luck hero who was
forced into early retirement by injuries. Fueled by nostalgia and
punctuated by endearing revelations, this quest ultimately allows
us to reevaluate one of the city’s most maligned sports figures.
BC Music Showcase
OCT. 3
VIFF LIVE expands the spotlight from festival cinema to live
music, and gives BC artists the opportunity to perform at
the 2018 Vancouver International Film Festival. VIFF LIVE
performers will have a rare opportunity to showcase their
creativity and talent.
Music BC’s SOUNDOFF
OCT. 4
Presented by
World-class music supervisors discuss the ups and downs
and challenges of music supervision. What’s working? What
isn’t? Live music performances by local songwriters highlight
this interactive night that will provide insight into placing your
music in TV, film, games, ads and media.
VIFF AMP
OCT. 3 + 4
Presented by
The VIFF AMP is a two-day summit dedicated to music in film
and TV and invites music supervisors, composers, filmmakers
and industry leaders from across North America. The summit
includes panels, networking opportunities and workshops
with music supervisors, composers, labels, content creators
and post-production experts as well as other key industry
leaders. With conference delegates attending from London,
Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago and other cities across North
America, this promises to be an informative, inspiring and
transformative event.
Matangi/Maya/M.I.A.
Stephen Loveridge – USA/SRI LANKA/UK
Freaks
Adam Stein, Zach Lipovsky – Canada
Box Office
VIFF Passes + Ticket Packs at viff.org
from noon on Aug. 23
SINGLE TICKETS
Online: viff.org from Sept. 6
In-person: from Sept. 13
Vancity Theatre
1181 Seymour Street, at Davie
(Mon-Sat: Noon - 7pm, Sun: 2pm – 7pm)
A decade after “Paper Planes” launched M.I.A. into the charts’
upper stratosphere, Stephen Loveridge’s all-access documentary
offers sharp insights into the pop-culture firebrand whose creativity
and charisma are rivalled by her combativeness and appetite
for controversy. Decades of personal footage reveal a conflicted
artist--torn between her Tamil resistance fighter heritage, her desire
for superstardom and her capacity for acts of self-sabotage
(which include her infamous Super Bowl performance).
Kept under lock and key by her paranoid father (Emile Hirsch),
seven-year-old Chloe (Lexy Kolker, a revelation) yearns to
experience the simple pleasures of childhood. But when she
finally ventures outside, she quickly realizes that she’s no ordinary
girl and that the world beyond the dead bolt is stranger still. In turn,
Zach Lipovsky and Adam Stein’s skewed sci-fi thriller ratchets up
the go-for-broke audacity as it laces the family drama of Room
with genre confections indebted to vintage Spielberg.
Premier Partner
Premier Supporters

MUSIC
BIG THIEF
THE ROADSIDE ANCESTRY OF BROOKLYN’S BIG THIEF
SARAH BAUER
Big Thief are a family on the road and have got travelling together down to a science.
Big Thief sounds like family. It’s in singer/
guitarist Adrianne Lenker’s lyrics, recounted in
memories from childhood. It ripples through
raw, intrepid arrangements on their critically
enormous albums (released less than a year
apart on Saddle Creek Records), Masterpiece
and Capacity. Family noises also occupy the
Big Thief tour bus, where Lenker, guitarist
Buck Meek, bass player Max Oleartchik and
drummer James Krivchenia have spent the
bulk of their days since 2016, miles away from
their home in Brooklyn (where none currently
have a permanent address). In conversation
20
with Krivchenia from a Norwegian airport
where he’s moments away from boarding
for a show in Portugal, the focus turns to
cooperation strategies for close quarters.
Lesson one: living out of a suitcase
for months on end with the same three
individuals will inevitably force you to address
your baggage. “You can’t hide anything from
the people you’re travelling with,” Krivchenia
says.
Lesson two: it’s not all about you. With
constant, cross-continent touring, some
shows are bound to feel less amazing than
JAPANESE BREAKFAST
SWIMMING IN THE DARKEST DEPTHS
JORDAN YEAGER
Photo by Ebru Yildiz
Michelle Zauner isn’t afraid of the dark side.
Swirling synths and deliberate drum beats
support vocals that, upon first listen, sound
airy and light, easy on the ears. But beneath the
ethereal surface lurks something deeper and
darker – much of the music Michelle Zauner has
produced as Japanese Breakfast examines loss,
mourning, and the aftermath of trauma. Her first
release, Psychopomp, was written just months
after the untimely loss of her mother, and offered
Zauner an outlet through which to sift through
the intricacies of an event that no one can
ever be truly prepared for. Just over a year later,
she released her follow-up: Soft Sounds from
Another Planet.
Zauner has been writing music since she was
15 years old. She spent much of her young adult
years on the road with bands Post Post and Little
Big League, alternating between touring and
working (and subsequently getting fired from)
service industry jobs to support her musical
habit.
“I was in a band and I always just thought
that’s how you did it,” says Zauner. “I did that for
three years, and my mom got sick, so I moved
to Oregon, and then she died, so I wrote a
record by myself. I thought I was going to press
500 copies of Psychopomp and sell them over
others. Krivchenia recognizes that a “bad”
performance for him is, “probably great for a
lot of people and even for the people in the
band.” Take comfort in the joy of others.
Lesson three: establishing trust isn’t easy,
but it pays off. “We would not be able to
tour together if we didn’t have that line of
communication,” says Krivchenia. “We’ve had
ups and downs and we’ve put a ton of work
into really being able to talk to each other
about how we’re feeling and what’s bothering
us.”
Capacity is a chapter in permanence and
union for the Big Thief family, evidenced
on songs like “Coma” and “Mary”, which
are explosive despite sounding gentle, with
sections that bloom like flowers in a dust
storm, fighting to the last petal. From the
chilling arc on “Mythological Beauty” to the
dizzying monologue on “Black Diamonds,”
there is a sense of expedient precision.
Relentless travelling means they’ve had
to get a lot more honest about what books
[they’ll] actually read and what shirts [they’ll]
actually wear on the road. As Krivchenia says,
“We share some stuff like that now, and we
pass around each others’ books and clothes.”
Lesson four: take what you need and share
in the rest. It’s gonna be alright.
Big Thief perform at the Imperial (Vancouver)
on September 20.
the next 10 years out of my apartment. I have
definitely reached the point where this project
has exceeded all of my expectations.”
In the wake of Psychopomp and Soft Sounds,
Zauner’s success is a far cry from a makeshift
apartment-based CD store. “Just give up and
then it’ll happen for you,” she jokes.
If Soft Sounds comes across as otherworldly,
it’s for good reason: Zauner originally intended
to write a “super heavy-handed sci-fi concept
record” about a girl who enlists in Mars One
after a failed love affair with a robot. The concept
was a far cry from the emotional roiling of
Psychopomp, intended to give her a clean break
from her own mind and imagine worlds outside
our own.
“I was like, ‘Psychopomp is my mourning
record, and Soft Sounds has to be something
different,’” she says. “I quickly realized it was
unrealistic to not write about something that
had just happened. Emotionally, I felt out to
lunch, out in space. But I realized [the sci-fi
concept] wasn’t what I needed to be writing and
reverted back to writing about my life and the
differences in grief I was experiencing.”
Japanese Breakfast plays at Imperial on Sept. 26.
CHVRCHES
EMBRACING THE SUBTLE ART OF GIVING A SHIT
ADAM DEANE
As far as Scottish synth-rock goes, Lauren Mayberry and
her well-respected trio Chvrches have had their genre on
lockdown for the last five years — 2018 being no different.
With the release of their third album, Love Is Dead, earlier this
year, the band has been hard at work touring, playing late night
television programs and speaking out on important topics that
affect everyone’s lives — you know, the usual.
When she isn’t advocating for women’s rights, writing
smash-hits or blurring the proverbial lines between indie,
synth-rock and dream-pop, you’ll more than likely find
Mayberry on her tour bus, in the driver’s seat (although the
bus wasn’t on) speaking with publications such as BeatRoute.
Now five years after her infamous piece that she published
in the Guardian, well before the #MeToo movement took
shape, an article titled “I will not accept online misogyny,” she
clued us into the motivations behind her words, looking back.
“The conversation is different now. What frustrated me
when we were talking to people about it, so many people were
just saying it was part of the job. We were trying to reclaim
the power in a situation where we were being made to feel
quite powerless. It’s been really positive. It’s become part of
the narrative and identity of the band. That matters in the
terrifying times we are living in. It matters to give a shit at this
point.”
Agreed.
Love Is Dead can be explained in much the same way as a
badass coffee in that it features a few of the usual soothingly
dreamy, yet bold and distinct tracks like “Graffiti” and
“Miracle” where Mayberry’s prismatic voice grabs you, gently
carries you through to the hook and then slams you on your
back hard enough to enjoy the coda in an oddly pleasant,
euphoric daze. She’s even got a duet-track, “My Enemy,” which
she performs with the National’s Matt Berninger.
Wrapping up the interview, Mayberry gushed about a few
of her not-so-guilty pleasures to get her through those tougher
tour days.
“I spend a lot of time watching Netflix and not going out.
Martin and I have both been watching the Bold Type. I cried
at the end; poignant comedy. Mostly good fun. But, I cry if the
wind blows the wrong way too quickly. I’ve learned to surf the
waves of my emotions. You can’t get the good stuff without
the bad.”
Cvrches perform at the Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver) on
September 27 and 28.
Photo by Danny Clinch
Chvrches keep their emotions in check on Love Is Dead.
September 2018

MUSIC
YUKON BLONDE
CRITICAL COMMUNICATION IN DIGITAL AGE
LESLIE KEN CHU
Photo by Vanessa Heins
Intensely personal and witty at the same time, Yukon Blonde get critical on their latest release.
Yukon Blonde’s upcoming fourth album Critical
Hit is more than the story of a relationship’s
lifespan. “If there was anything to really tie it
together, ‘communication breakdown’ was a term
we actually used a lot,” singer Jeffrey Innes says.
“It’s something that’s on everyone’s minds, like,
how do we take a step back and listen to each
other in the world right now?”
The digital age boasts abundant platforms
on which people can connect. “There’s so much
content out there. People are on the internet
all day,” Innes says. “But do people retain any of
that? Do people actually have lasting bonds with
people? We’re not really paying attention to each
other. Everybody’s just talking and showing their
peacock feathers.”
Yukon Blonde have shown off many rock
guises throughout their lifespan — anthemic folk,
shimmering pop, riff-heavy vintage. On Critical
Hit though, they’ve dived into synthesizers,
an instrument he’s always been attracted to.
His high school music collection included Air,
Broadcast, Nine Inch Nails and Boards of Canada.
Unsurprisingly, these artists inspired him to
compose electronic scores for his student films.
Like a film, Critical Hit is divided into a
beginning, middle, and end. The album starts
with the joy of discovering new love in a new
city in a new country. Innes wrote in real-time as
his relationship, which led him to live between
Galiano Island and Madrid, progressed – and
subsequently dissolved. Some songs fall out of the
record’s general narrative though, like “Love the
Way You Are”. Here, he expresses his appreciation
of a creative friend who felt objectified and
mistreated for being a woman.
Critical Hit is intensely personal but sarcastic
and witty at the same time. “I’ve never been able
to write an earnest lyric in my life,” he says with a
laugh. “It’s really hard to say how you feel directly.”
Seriousness might turn off some audiences, but
humour can entertain while provoking thought.
“I think satire is one of our stronger suits.
Ironically, it’s sort of driven out of fear, but it ends
up being our calling card.”
Some songs don’t fit Critical Hit’s narrative
because the album is the band’s most
collaborative offering yet. Members James
Younger and Brandon Scott in particular have
been writing more for their own projects. They’ve
also been recording more at home. Naturally, they
began contributing more to Yukon Blonde. The
band ended up with so much material that they
originally wanted to do a double album.
This ambition is a far cry from the burnout
Yukon Blonde faced after 2012’s Tiger Talk. “Like,
we stopped doing the band,” Innes says. They
rebounded with On Blonde three years later. But
despite their renewed interest in pursuing music
together, they faced a bit if a business crisis. “We
lost our manager. We owed a whole bunch of
money. We worked so hard over the course of
that record and we ended up so broke, and I was
like, ‘How the hell is this possible?’” confesses
Innes.
Eager to avoid their past mistakes, Yukon
Blonde have been focusing less on business
moves – what they’re supposed to say on social
media, whom they’re supposed to tour with –
and more on “living life, being creative, having
fun, [and] enjoying each other’s company.” Now,
“We’re making music that’s closer to the music
that we want to make more than ever.”
Not only has Innes found an affordable space
to live, write, and record on Galiano Island (unlike
in Vancouver), he has found scenic views, right
from his beachside apartment. “Whoa, man!
Sorry, I got really distracted,” he exclaims midthought.
“I saw a whale!” Like his band, his island
dwelling is something he’ll work to hold on to for
as long as he can.
Yukon Blonde perform at Skookum Festival
(Vancouver) on September 9.
September 2018 21

MUSIC
SORE POINTS
CHANNELING RAW POWER
MADDY CRISTALL
The only thing that’s timeless is authenticity. So when a
band like Sore Points comes along you take notice. The sheer
volatility of their music, the raw power in the vocals and their
brash attitude harken back to the punk explosion of the ’80s.
Sore Points’ self-titled debut album, the follow up to last
year’s Don’t Want To seven-inch, is the hallmark of a band on
the fast track to earning their place in Vancouver’s legendary
punk history. According to drummer Trevor Racz, the writing
of the album’s 12 songs was completely collaborative.
“All of the songs we’ve written, no one has brought in a
song and says ‘this is how it goes,’” he says.
Frontman and bassist Shane Grass is marinated in rock
‘n’ roll. He loves collecting old VHS tapes and has clearly
experienced life. This is apparent in his various stories that
include travel, being in a diverse array of bands and his
affinity for music — all music. Grass has the ideal voice for
a punk band and belts out their contentious lyrics with
excellent control.
Sore Points stand tall in the face of adversity and
unrelenting amounts of volume. Guitarist Mitch Allen shares
that their music scene, as it were, is “inclusive and nonjudgmental,
which is the backbone of punk itself.
An album release is always a special occasion but this
one is extra special for Sore Points who share the stage with
personal heroes of theirs, Pointed Sticks. A Sore Points show
will shock your system and charge you with fuel.
Sore Points perform September 8 at the Astoria.
Sore Points recall the heyday of punk rock on debut LP.
22
AUTOGRAMM
ALL ABOUT THAT WORKING VACATION
LAUREN DONNELLY
Proto punk power trio Autogramm stay true to themselves with debut LP on Nevado Records.
Serendipity is more than an underrated movie
starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale.
It’s also a real phenomenon; local power trio
Autogramm is proof.
It all started when local music heavy-hitters
Jiffy Marx, C.C. Voltage, and The Silo decided
to create a vacation band. A vacation band
is a musical group without lofty goals, but
with “sunny destination gigs preferred” in
their rider. With that, Autogramm was born.
After recording an album, their first order
of business was to play some shows. It was
January in Vancouver, so they booked a flight
CHASE THE BEAR
FINDING THEIR PLACE IN THE WILDERNESS
KEIR NICOLL
All five members of Chase the Bear are
squeezed into the tiny green room at the
Railway Stage and Beer Café sitting around
a little circular table talking about their
musical influences, past shows and previous
adventures into the wild world of rock ‘n’ roll.
The band consists of Connor Charles Brooks
(drummer), Braedan Royer (bassist), Jordan
Tanawha Phillips (guitarist), Leo Gilmore
(guitarist) and Troy Anthony Gilmore (singer).
Together the band reminisced some of their
past experiences and future plans that consist
of trying not to relax so much.
Chase The Bear started out as a busking
band in Victoria, where they were trying to
decide between Hug the Bear and Cry Wolf
for their band name. They decided on Chase
the Bear and instantly gained 200 likes. “We
were like, people actually do want to hear us,”
laughs Gilmore.
The band is quick to cite some of their hard
rock influences, such as Led Zeppelin, “It goes
way back. We have this thing going, where
we’re like a vintage rock band. We’re not a
throwback band. We’re not a revivalist band.
We just have this vintage sound, because we
have old guitars and old amps,” Gilmore says.
The band certainly plays off an old and new
metal/rock dichotomy. They also include in
their influences, more deeply even, Howlin’
Wolf, Queens of the Stone Age, Elvis, the Kinks,
the Beatles (obviously), Cage the Elephant,
the Strokes, the Kinks, the Artic Monkeys, the
Strokes, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and even
Adele, where they even delve into the pop
world and hip-hop.
Gilmore says, “When we pick up a guitar,
they often write something that sounds like
the Black Keys riff but then we can’t keep it
because we’re not the Black Keys.” “Besides,”
to L.A.
“So we went down there and played,” says
drummer The Silo over the phone from his
Vancouver studio. “Afterwards, we bumped
into this really drunk guy. He was like, ‘Hey,
I really like your brand.’ And we kind of
dismissed him as a drunk guy, but he got our
contact info and then was like, ‘Yeah, I run a
label, I’d like to put out your record.’”
The fellow that Autogramm ran into
that fateful night turned out to be Nick
Bernal, president of Nevado Records, who
will be distributing the band’s soon-to-bereleased
debut album What R U Waiting 4
as an international release. It’s an impressive
beginning for a band that was formed as
a fresh start for seasoned musicians who
wanted to jam together. The bandmates share
a common love for early synth-leaden proto
punk akin to bands like The Cars, The Go-Go’s,
and The Screamers.
“[This band] is about starting over and
doing something different,” says The Silo.
“Right at the outset we decided it wasn’t going
to be that serious. We were just going to try
and do fun trips whenever we could. We never
intended for any of this shit to happen.”
Autogramm’s early success makes a strong
case for just doing what you like. They’ve
already got Canadian and U.S. tour dates
lined up into November. Their songs update
nostalgia in all the right ways – most notably
in the way that they don’t give a shit about
being trendy. They’re themselves – they like
what they like, and if the world likes it too, the
more the merrier.
“It’s meant to be fun, really,” says The Silo.
“That’s about it when it comes down to our
band. We’re a vacation band. We just want to
have fun, we want people to have fun at our
gigs, and we want to go swimming more than
any of those things.”
Autogramm perform Sept. 13 at the Fox
Cabaret as part of Westward Festival.
Brooks chimes in, “there’s already a million
Black Keys bands out there now.”
Chase The Bear recently won Battle of the
Bands in Vancouver and now have plans to
record a three-song EP. They’ve played their
favourite venue, the Biltmore Cabaret, and
backyard parties in Williams Lake and their
next stop is the infamous Roxy on Granville
Street. Make sure you catch this young band
on the rise in a small and intimate venue while
you can.
Chase The Bear perform at the Roxy on
September 6.
Chase The Bear are a relatively young band with a vintage sound that both rocks and rolls.
Photo by Raunie Mae Baker
September 2018

DEAD END DRIVE-IN
CRUSHING EXISTENTIAL CRISIS WITH THREE GUITARS
SCOTT POSTULO
With the release of Mea Culpa this month, Dead End Drive-In put their apathy aside.
Dead End Drive-In are a Vancouver punk
band consisting of Joel Planas on drums, Sam
Hawkins on bass, and Matt Earle, Angus Lee
and Brandon Speight all on guitar. Three
guitarists; you can count ‘em up. They’ve been
playing locally for the last five years, quietly
penning should-have-been pop-punk anthems
such as “These Late Nights” from their 2014 EP,
B Movies, as well as the odd seven-minute artpunk
epic, but for the most part going sadly
unnoticed. After a recent series of high profile
shows and a shining endorsement from local
punk promoter “Russian Tim” Bogdachev,
things are looking up for the group. The band
will be going on a two-week tour down the
West Coast this October, as well as releasing
their debut full-length on September 22.
BeatRoute got a chance to talk to lead singer/
guitarist Matt Earle.
The new album is called Mea Culpa,
which translates into a Latin phrase meaning
“though my fault.” “It’s an acknowledgement
of fucking up,” Earle explains. “In one way
or another, every song looks at how people
are reluctant to address their faults, but how
much power there is in doing so.” The band
draws a lot of inspiration from bands like the
Replacements and Titus Andronicus, and
the influence is apparent in Earle’s existential
Photo by Alice Hong
approach to his lyrics. A standout track on
the album, “Apathy Kills Again,” (also a nod
to their earlier song “Apathy Kills” from B
Movies) displays that approach as good
as any other track on the album, with his
sneering vocals lamenting the uselessness of
putting effort into anything. “In the past, I’ve
approached lyrics with a ‘meh, good enough’
mentality,” Earle ironically admits. “But this
time I tried to discipline myself and think
‘okay, what is it I’m trying to say with this
song? What’s the message?’ then do my best
to articulate that.”
Musically, the album is business as usual for
the band, but with a boost in production and
some impressive guitar arrangements. There
are almost Thin Lizzy levels of dangerous at
play. On the opening track, “The Music I Can’t
Hear,” the band gives a prime example of the
fret board prowess that continues throughout
the album. Earle credits the production
and arrangements to a combination of
recording with JJ Heath at Rain City Recorders,
whose “recording process was much more
meticulous than it had been in the past, which
makes for the tighter and more grand sound.”
Dead End Drive-In perform at SBC Restaurant
on September 22.
DROWN IN ASHES
EXPRESSING THEIR PERSONAL RUINATIONS
JOHNNY PAPAN
“This EP is definitely inspired by some very dark
personal experiences and observations,” says bassist
and frontman Jay Townsend. “Hardly anyone is
immune from depression, addiction, anger, and
self-loathing; neither are we. The heavy music that
Drown in Ashes creates together deserves words that
can reach people who may be struggling, or are also
frustrated with the way the world seems to be going.”
Vancouver’s Drown in Ashes are on the brink of
releasing their newest cut, Ruination, the follow-up
to 2017’s Social Collapse. Their macabre sound blends
elements of thrash, hardcore, and groove-metal,
constructing a merciless wallop for the self-identified
social degenerate. The new record is expected to be
their darkest yet, touching on elements of modern
day turmoil and ghosts of the past.
“All of the songs on Ruination possess significant
meaning, but if asked to choose one, it would be
‘Less Than Human,’” says Townsend. “It speaks to a
childhood that lacked significant attachment and
communication, which created a young person who
had very low self-esteem and was, in many ways, lost.
The older the child got, the more of an outcast he
became to his friends and family. Life for this man
became about self-medicating, regret, and selfdestruction
as a means to cope with his alienated
and lonely childhood. It’s a really heavy and personal
song, as are all of the songs on this album. However,
the music is not strictly focused on the negative – it
also possesses hope and the realization that change is
possible. At 10 years clean and sober, I am extremely
grateful to have the opportunity to write songs with
Owen [Lewis, drummer] and Valek [Morke, guitarist];
looking back and unpacking some of what I went
through as a young man who was entrenched in a
lifestyle that hurt and destroyed me, and everyone
around me.”
The album cover of Ruination, designed by Stefano
Mattioni, features an image of a fist that is literally
pulling a face into itself. It feels like a message of
grizzly introspection, a sort of self-annihilation in
which the body wants to self-destruct.
“The name speaks to being overcome or choked
by our mistakes, regrets, failures, traumas, fears,
pasts, as well as the external forces of which we have
no control. More importantly it is how we face life’s
adversity, moving forward; overcoming the struggle,
anguish, agony, and pain in our lives; rising from the
ashes to fight another day in a world that is evolving
at an unprecedented rate. We feel fortunate to
have the opportunity to write and perform music
together that will hopefully resonate with people and
potentially help someone through their own pain
and suffering. We believe there is realness to what
we are doing with our art, and we are only getting
started.”
Drown in Ashes perform at Pub 340 on September 28.
Themes of addiction, depression and self loathing are amongst Ruination’s various darkened themes.
September 2018 23

ANTI-FLAG
IDENTIFYING KEY FACTORS IN THE AMERICAN FALL
JOHNNY PAPAN
Punk rock rebels Anti-Flag don’t trust their political leaders and comment on a brainwashed nation.
Since releasing their debut record, Die for the
Government, in 1996, Anti-Flag has been an active
figure in modern punk-rock political commentary.
Their lightning-fast anthems fire like an AK-47, each
bullet inscribed with messages of anti-homophobia,
anti-racism, anti-war, and anti-government. It’s hard
to say if Anti-Flag frontman Justin Sane has ever
had even a glimmer of trust in his country’s political
leaders. If he has, it’s been a damn long time.
In 2017, Anti-Flag released their tenth studio
album, American Fall. The album’s artwork features
a muted, hazy rendition of the White House Oval
Office. Inside are large stacks of cash forming the
shape of a skull, indicating government greed and
their exploitive stance towards the profitability of
death.
“It’s really interesting when you look at Donald
Trump, because when he ran [for president] one
of the things he would brag about was how rich he
was,” says Sane. “The inherent message is that being
wealthy is something we should hold up as a value.
But Donald Trump is not a good person. There’s no
excusing locking up children in cages and separating
them from their parents. Right there, Donald Trump
should have been impeached.”
Anti-Flag dropped a non-album single, “Mr.
Motherfucker,” earlier this year. The artwork features
a brutalized rendition of Trump, as if he’s been
severely beaten. When asked how he thinks Trump
stacks up against the likes of George W. Bush and
Richard Nixon, Sane says:
“They were all horrible for different reasons, and
I would include Obama in there. Obama put into
place a lot of the mechanisms Trump is using now.
That said, Nixon was conducting a secret war, killing
thousands of people, and Bush is responsible for the
deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in Iraq
and beyond. Trump hasn’t gone that far yet, but he
has stepped up Obama’s drone programs, which
the military knows take countless innocent lives
24
Photo by Jake Stark
everyday.”
Operating drones could be considered a sort of
“sanitized” warfare. You aren’t up close and personal,
you’re not seeing body parts, being bathed in blood,
or hearing agonizing screams. It’s believed that
because of this, drone pilots are more immune to
experiencing war-induced PTSD. American Fall’s
seventh track, “Digital Blackout,” states this is not
the case.
“Our bass player and I were reading an article
about a new form of PTSD being experienced by
drone pilots. It was believed that drone pilots were
immune to that side of warfare, but it’s not true.
This particular article was about pilots who have
surveillance drones that just hang around to see
the aftermath. What often happens is they blow
up a house and, hours later, family members start
showing up, and it wasn’t a military target in the end,
it was just somebody’s home. You see people totally
distraught, trying to dig out their family members’
dead bodies. The military refers to it as ‘collateral
damage,’ but drone operators are realizing these are
real people.”
But not all is lost in the eyes of Anti-Flag. Despite
the fact that the world is a totally fucked up place,
there is still beauty within it. And the amount of
beauty you see comes down to you and your choice
of perspective.
“What I realize is that, especially whenever
you’re up against the corporate militaristic
imperialistic day we live in, it is very difficult to make
progressive change. Most politicians are bought
off by corporations. But if you just roll over and
give up, nothing positive ever changes. We have a
lot of setbacks, but we win a lot of battles too. It’s
important to realize change doesn’t come over night,
but it does come.”
Anti Flag play alongside Rise Against and AFI at the
PNE Forum (Vancouver) on September 23.
IDLES
CONJURING BEAUTY FROM TRAGEDY
EMILY CORLEY
In March 2017, Idles’ debut album Brutalism
well and truly spat them out into the thick of
the UK punk scene with a uniquely British tale
of disenfranchisement and despair. Backed up
by ferocious live sets and a savagely honest
mix of music and activism, the band have been
riding this momentum right up to the release of
their second album, Joy as an Act of Resistance,
released August 31.
But this time around, the focus has shifted.
Frontman Joe Talbot has been through a lot
since Idles’ last release and, for him, the new
approach is all about making the political
personal.
“My whole fascination with lyricism now
is about what I see fit as a humanist, which is
that all political debates and issues should be
boiled down to the human individual; their
welfare and safety.” Joy as an Act of Resistance
is the sound of an open wound – tracks such
as June, which features the refrain “Stillborn
but still born, I am a father,” are raw and tender
testimonies to Talbot’s personal experience
of grief and loss. “I had to embrace the
responsibility of saying things that are deeply
personal but not indulgent. I could just say how
I feel about losing my daughter to a few people,
I don’t have to say it to a group of 2000 people
in a room in London. It’s about encouraging
audiences to listen to themselves and love
themselves and giving them the confidence
to just think a bit more compassionately and
conscientiously.”
Supported by family and friends, Talbot has
come through a tumultuous six-month journey
of self-discovery – giving up alcohol and
opening up emotionally to the people around
him. “The album is a reflection on that process.
But now, talking in interviews and seeing the
songs brought to life, it’s a new state of catharsis
where I’m actually reflecting more and learning
more about myself as each day goes on. It’s
allowed me to love myself and accept and
celebrate my faults and vices. I’m not saying
that I’m faultless because of my situation – I’m
not. I was a real fucking piece of shit at times.
But I’ve learned to forgive myself and I will
always remember my mistakes and learn from
them, and I will be a better person, a better
father and a better partner, continuously.” Idles’
mission statement for this latest release and
their accompanying world tour is to encourage
the same self-reflection in their audience.
The first release from Joy as an Act of
Resistance was the fervently anthemic
“Danny Nedelko.” Talbot reveals that Danny
Nedelko is in fact a real person and a friend
of the band: “’Danny Nedelko’ started off as
a promise to Danny Nedelko! I promised him
I’d write him a song and he promised me he’d
write me a song.” This is a track that truly
encapsulates the band’s approach to making
the political personal – an allegorical love
story about immigration and the true value of
multiculturalism. “Danny Nedelko is really an
example of what I love about Britain, which
is that someone came over to our country,
started a new life, contributes – not just
logistically – but as a person. As a personality.
As a human being. As an individual who makes
my life more colourful and interesting.”
Idles are a band who write music to be
played live, and their three-month ‘tour of joy’
is an integral part of the therapeutic process for
Talbot.
“I’m excited, in love, happy, invigorated,
enthusiastic, unperturbed. The exhilaration and
absolute beauty of being vulnerable in front
of a huge crowd - them allowing you that ear,
that audience, as a compassionate thing - is life
affirming. And it’s encouraged me to remember
that beyond the torrid arsehole of the internet,
there is a world of beautiful people out there
with open minds and open hearts.”
Idles perform at the Rickshaw Theatre on Oct. 4.
Idles keep their dialogue of disenfranchisement going on Joy As An Act Of Resistance.
Photo by Lindsay Melbourne
September 2018

ANDREW W.K.
YOU’RE NEVER ALONE WHEN IT COMES TO THE NATURE OF PARTYING
GRAEME WIGGINS
Photo by Nina Ottolino
Andrew W.K.’s, Your Not Alone, is full of life-affirming optimism.
Noted philosophers LMFAO once proclaimed
that they were “Sorry for Party Rocking.” While
that may have been an ironic statement, few
have sincerely rebuffed those apologies like
singer Andrew W.K., whose entire career is
a statement embracing the transcendental
nature of partying. From his debut, the rocking
I Get Wet, which exhorted that “when it’s
time to party, we will party hard” and that one
should “party ‘til you puke,” all the way to his
latest album, You’re Not Alone. His newest
cut seemingly broadens the scope of what we
mean when we say “party,” as no one has raised
the banner quite like him.
With I Get Wet, the idea of partying was
expressed fairly straightforwardly. It seemed
kind of dangerous and exciting, possibly
alcohol-fueled. As time has passed and his
career has progressed, both musically and
through his work as an aspirational speaker, the
scope of what it means to party seems to have
changed more into a euphoric feeling. W.K.
suggests that it’s never changed.
“For me, personally, it remains the same,” he
says. “I’ve just tried to get better at articulating
it. I’ve tried to get better at expressing this
particular feeling, this mental and physical
sensation that I’m trying desperately to get
across to the listener, to myself, to the world
at large.”
His desire to express this sentiment comes
from his own internal goal to live in that party
feeling.
“Just that celebratory euphoria, irrational
life-affirming optimism that I desperately want
to feel myself,” he explains. “I have a perpetual
need to have encounters with it for my own
sake and my own life. Hopefully, as a result of
that, others will as well. They might not be in
a state of emotional deficit like I have been,
but that’s always been my motivating force,
not feeling the way I want to feel. Trying to
do things, and focus on things, that change
that feeling into something more worthy of
a human being. Partying, and this particular
partying mission, has at least allowed me to
have a fighting chance of getting to that place.”
His partying philosophy is pretty well selfcontained.
While he’s influenced by all of life,
and those close to him, he has no party gurus.
“The spirit of partying itself is the guru,”
says W.K. “It’s that feeling. The feeling is so
specific and so comprehensive that it becomes
a being. It becomes an entity of some sort. You
can have a relationship with this spirit. It’s a
spirit that we all possess, that is also beyond
us. We find ways to access it, or to amplify it,
or to conjure it up, but it always seems sort of
elusive and out of reach, which is why we have
to push. You have to go past your limits to
some extent to see it more clearly and then it
will draw away again.”
Ideally, this party sensation will be felt in his
upcoming performance, one he feels he and his
band are better equipped than ever before to
articulate.
“You hope that after 18 years of partying
and partying practice that it pays off. But I do
think this is the best the band has ever been,
that we have as much or more to offer than
ever before. We’re hitting the bull’s-eye the
best we ever have.”
Andrew W.K. plays the Imperial (Vancouver) on
September 9.
September 2018 25

Bergman: A Year in a Life
In conversation with director Jane Magnuson
By Joey Lopez
Ingmar Bergman, known as one of the greatest
directors to live, was and still is an icon of the
film world. With a storied career of masterpieces
such as The Seventh Seal, Wild Strawberries, and
Persona, Bergman told stories unlike anyone else.
During his life, he was a rock star known the world
over, but before 1957 Bergman was making films
that were mostly under the radar. By the end of
that year, arguably his most prolific, he would earn
all of the titles that precede his name.
“I was on this island in Bergman’s film library
of over 1,700 films that were in his collection, it
was everything from Blues Brothers to Hiri Kiri,”
says Jane Magnuson, director of Bergman: A Year
in a Life, from her home in Sweden. “I’ve never
been a Bergman scholar, but I couldn’t help but
notice the collection of his films that came out in
1957 and thought ‘Goodness, The Seventh Seal
and Wild Strawberries came out in the same year.
Someone should make a film about that year,
because how was that all possible?’”
V
“I was asked by the producers of this project to
make the Bergman Centennial film and thought if
I was going to do it, it had to be about this year,”
she continues. “At first I thought I couldn’t pull it
off, but as I kept doing research it just kept getting
crazier and crazier. What I thought would be a
difficult project ended up being easier because
every day something new would pop up like
‘Oh, he did another project!’ At the time, he was
married, had an affair, made four plays, a television
movie, and wrote, directed, and released Wild
Strawberries. It was insane.”
At the end of his life, Bergman was seen as this
grumpy old man worn down by years of hard
work, but during 1957 he was at his prime. He
worked tirelessly, unable sleep at night due to an
untreated stomach ulcer brought on by the stress
of being consumed by his plethora of productions.
He was motivated and he was obsessed.
“He was making films for 13 years, and a lot
of them were bad. He has one that Sweden has
banned that we weren’t even allowed to see, but
he wanted to be the best. He worked so hard
in 1957 because he wanted to be the greatest
director of all time.”
F
Garry Winogrand: All Things are
Photographable
Paying homage to NYC Through The Lens Of An
Artist
By Maggie Mcphee
New York native Sasha Waters Freyer pays
tribute to her hometown in her documentary
Garry Winogrand: All Things are Photographable,
while reviving an artist whose work depended
as much on his appetite for life as New York’s
plentitude of it. The biography uses more than
400 of Winogrand’s photographs to anchor an
exploration of the pioneering photographer’s
personal world. Interviews with curators,
photographers, and critics represent the diversity
of relationships and reactions to Winogrand’s
work.
As a photography undergraduate, Waters
Freyer gravitated towards female photographers
like Laurie Simmons, whose interview in the film
tackles the sexism of the ‘70s and Winogrand’s
machismo. But Winogrand stuck out to her
because of their New York connection and the
chaos she saw in his work.
25 years later, Waters Freyer discovered his
photographs still had a hold on her. “I thought,
that’s weird, he’s this amazing guy – why isn’t there
a documentary about him? So I made one so I
could see one.”
The film, edited by Waters Freyer, unveils
Winogrand’s life in chronological order but
remains rooted in philosophical ideas. “I tried to
edit from a place organized thematically and then
moved these puzzle pieces around.”
Winogrand was a man haunted by questions,
never felt satisfied with his investigations, and he
left a legacy of more than one million photographs.
Garry Winogrand: All Things Are Photographable
screens at VIFF, where Sasha Waters Freyer will be
hosting a Q&A.
I
RZA: Live from the 36th Chamber of Shaolin
By Brendan Lee
Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, otherwise known as RZA and a
founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, pays tribute to
the kung fu revelation that shaped the legend he grew
into. On October 9, RZA brings his unique, live score to
The Orpheum Theatre for a once-in-a-lifetime screening
of the classic, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Don’t panic,
but it could be cause for a riot.
Imagine the heavy-hitting Wu-Tang catalogue echoing
off The Orpheum walls, trailing up and over the balcony
amidst the glint, glow, and flash of the silver screen. 36th
Chamber is known for its influential place in the kung fu
genre and epic, choreographed fight sequences that set
the bar for all that followed. And RZA? Well, his music
practically defined modern hip-hop, spanning three
decades and blazing the trail for an unknowable number
of generations.
In conjunction with the live performance, you can
catch RZA at the Rio Theatre earlier in the night for
an hour-long live talk and what’s sure to be a revealing
insight into the creator of so much beautiful madness.
Live from the 36th Chamber of Shaolin will be at the
Orpheum Theatre on October 9.
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September 2018

United Skates
Roller Skating Isn’t Dead, It Just Went Underground
By Joey Lopez
F
The United States is and always has been a melting pot of
culture and through that a paradise of subcultures, most of
which act as a conduit of artistic and self-expression. One
of these subcultures, hidden away from the public eye and
long thought extinct, is the massive roller skating scene. The
idea of rolling skating probably conjures images of ‘70s roller
rinks – white people with high socks, short shorts and massive
headphones – but in reality the thing that keeps roller skating
alive is a large African-American community.
“This was quite an unlikely partnership between us and
the community, but ultimately a really beautiful one,” laughs
Dyana Winkler, co-director and writer of roller skating
documentary United Skates. “We were living in New York City
and filming a different piece on what we thought was the end
of the era of rolling skating. While we were filming that, we
met these younger skaters that basically said, ‘Skating’s not
dead, it just went underground!’ So we went with them down
to Virginia, walked into a rink at midnight and stepped into
this world.”
The world they found was one that has been deeply rooted
into a culture that has existed for generations and attracted
people from all over. Whether they were from Los Angeles,
Chicago, Atlanta, or New York, they were all there for one
thing.
Through these individual stories, a little-known history
of the importance of roller skating rinks rises to the surface.
The beginnings of west-coast hip-hop had its start in these
places; artists such as Queen Latifah and Dr. Dre had their first
performances here, and DJs played the songs of these future
stars. On the flip side, a darker history reveals itself: one of
racism and segregation.
“At first when we fell into the world it was celebratory and
Minute Bodies
Re-imagining The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith
By Joey Lopez
British naturalist and documentarian F. Percy Smith
saw the natural world through a lens of passionate
fascination. During the beginning of the 20th Century,
he documented the inner workings of the world at our
feet and, using experimental film techniques, was able
to capture the mysterious beauty of the unconscious
dance of life that covers nearly every inch of this
planet. In Minute Bodies, Stuart A. Staples (of the
band Tindersticks) has re-imagined Smith’s work into
a beautifully haunting montage of surrealist images by
way of David Lynch. Tinderstick’s score, removing the
original footage’s narration, aims to transform Smith’s
visions into a revealing ballet of the world too small for
us to see.
so beautiful we were in awe, but we wondered if we could
really sustain a feature length film just on beautiful skating.
It was actually when we began to be invited by the skaters to
their home rinks that we kept hearing them say ‘Come to our
night,’ and were wondering what they meant by their night.
That’s when we realized that, in all of these cities, rinks still
had a white night and a black night. The rinks were still so
segregated, and that was the tipping point that as storytellers
we realized there was something deeper here.”
BeatRoute is proud to sponsor the screenings of United Skates at
VIFF 2018. For more info visit www.viff.org.
THIS MONTH IN FILM
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL CINEMA
BRENDAN LEE
2018
Freaks
Kingsway (dir. Bruce Sweeney, Canada)
A sure-fire local favourite set amidst the streets of Vancouver, Kingsway
tackles the awkward yet all too relatable nature of love and relationships.
With an authentic score from a variety of local independent musicians, Bruce
Sweeney crafts a tale that’s sure to set emotions spinning.
Freaks (dirs. Adam Stein, Zach Lipovsky, Canada)
If Stranger Things met Room, you very well might end up with something
along the lines of Stein and Lipovsky’s Freaks. This psychological sci-fi thriller
follows seven-year-old Chloe as she explores the world outside her front door
for the first time, and finds things more inexplicable than she’d ever dreamed.
Edge of the Knife (dirs. Gwaai Edenshaw, Helen Haig-
Brown, Canada)
An ode to a culture as intertwined with storytelling as it has rapidly
threatened to disappear, Edge of the Knife breaks brand new ground. Entirely
shot on BC’s pristine Haida Gwaii, and the first feature film created entirely in
the Haida language, this epic story, set in the 1800s, clearly has a piece to say.
When the Storm Fades (dir. Sean Devlin, Canada/
Philippines)
This is what it’s like to shelter, survive, rebuild. Sean Devlin’s docudrama
showcases rare authenticity, shot with vibrant colour on location in Tacloban,
Philippines, three years after Typhoon Haiyan. The film takes a real-life look
at what it’s like for a family to start again, all through the framed lens of the
camera.
Mouthpiece (dir. Patricia Rozema, Canada)
An adaptation of the award-winning play written by the film’s co-stars,
Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava. The two actresses play the singular
part of Cassandra, and portray her duplicitous nature as she wades through
preparations for her mother’s funeral.
September 2018 27

Free live music every night of the Fringe Festival!
September 6-16, 2018
Mon – Fri 6:00pm-late
Sat & Sun 1:00pm-late
Ocean Art Works
1531 Johnston Street,
Granville Island
FRANKIIE
Kitty and the Rooster
Kimmortal
Leisure Club
Sept 6-16, 2018
On and around
Granville Island
& East Vancouver
Theatre for Everyone!
Tickets on Sale Now
Dawn Pemberton
Parlour Panther
And many more! Visit
VancouverFringe.com/fringe-bar
for a full lineup and schedule.
plus: Karaoke + Food Trucks + DJs
VancouverFringe.com

MUSIC REVIEWS
IDLES
Joy as an Act of Resistance
Partisan Records
In an interview with the Guardian, Idles frontman
Toe Talbot clearly declared he’s “not the next fucking
Billy Bragg.” In a lot of ways, he’s absolutely right —
he won’t tell you who to vote for or which colour to
champion, but he’ll certainly tell you when you’re
being an ass. At the same time, the Bristol-made
punk outfit is sewn to politics at the hip, albeit
thrashing to break free. Joined by Adam Devonshire,
Mark Bowen, Lee Kiernan and Jon Beavis, Talbot and
Idles have a lot to scream at you about the world we
share while you lose your kicks in the mosh pit. And
much like their pub-rattling 2017 debut, Brutalism,,
their latest riffabout is a diatribe against the dayto-day
saturation of identity politics and society’s
penchant for letting idiocracy take the reigns.
Thirteen fully-realized tracks culminate into a
certified staple of punk rock canon in Joy as an Act
of Resistance. Considering the critical and popular
success of Brutalism, it’s doubtful a singly pissy
review would have surfaced, even if Idles decided to
double down on the debut’s formula of relentlessly
noisy post-punk supported by a foundation of
tinnitus-inducing repetition. But, sonically, Joy as
an Act of Resistance features an Idles looking to
light any critic’s genre labels on fire with a shitty
Bic lighter. Each track is a distinct composition
showcasing a well-kept library of influences and
array of emotions without ever losing a biting edge.
“Colossus” opens the record with a microcosm of the
variation to follow as distant percussion rim-shots
build under a low-tempo tone of messy distortion.
Talbot’s vocals cry out in harsh vibrato somewhere
between Thurston Moore and Lee Ving, while an
anxiety-inducing crescendo tears into a harcore
barrage that seemlessly manifests as anthemic
barstool-punk in the blink of an ‘Oi!’ “Never Fight
A Man With A Perm” immediately follows as a
digitally-poppy post punk jam that sounds designed
for a Guy Ritchie soundtrack in a retro-futuristic
dystopia. But while the instrumentation scratches
every itch in your record collection, Talbot’s nobullshit
lyricism is always front and centre, callingout
every possible corner of public discourse that
melted your brain the last time you opened Twitter.
“I’m Scum” is a traditional punk offering straight
out of the anarchy era, focusing on the use of
identity politics as a personality substitute and
the hills where fellow folk fall dead for the sake of
ideology. “Danny Nedelko” centres on immigration,
and further, hammers home the clear message that
people are people regardless of whatever falls out
of a bigot’s rotten brain — complete with a chorus
destined to be belted with abandon, shoulder-toshoulder
with friends. A dark and stressful tone gives
“June” the feeling of a dreadful daydream through
progressive instrumentation and an unmistakably
post-rock attitude. “Samaritans” takes aim at
destructive masculinity and its conditioning and
normalization, before “Television” laments the
crippling effect of physical standards caused by popculture
and social media. Its chorus is a hypnotic
injection of a simple modern rebellion: “I go outside
and feel so free, because I smash mirrors and fuck
TV.”
“Great” is another tightly composed bite of chaos
with a clear message, delivered with palpablyannoyed
snark lyrics like, “Blighty wants his country
back, 50-inch screen in his cul-de-sac.”
While every song wastes zero time getting to the
punch, waving bloodied fists at all the pissoffs that
come with being remotely aware of planet earth,
Joy as an Act of Resistance is far from a collection of
poetry. Talbot’s polemics are simple, obvious and as
subtle as a declaration of war — but that also makes
them swiftly relatable and immediately understood.
Idles aren’t trying to make you think, they’re just
smacking you on the back of the head with an open
hand if you happen to be one of the reasons these
songs exist. The record is a technical improvement
on the strong foundation laid by Brutalism,
branching into a wealth of punk evolution and never
using speed as a crutch. More than anything else,
it’s anthemic protest punk for the old soul in a new
world.
• Matty Hume
• Illustration by Cole Degenstein
September 2018 29

THE KILLERS • FLORENCE + THE MACHINE
IN COLLABORATION WITH

Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog Alkailine Trio - Is This Thing Cursed? Art d’Ecco - Trespasser Exploded View - Obey
ADRIANNE LENKER
abysskiss
Saddle Creek
Adrianne Lenker returns with abysskiss, her third
solo record. Lenker and her dreamy voice have
been captivating listeners with a show of emotion
almost unrivalled in modern indie music. Lenker,
who fronts Brooklyn based indie big-shots Big
Thief shows a penchant for the deep songs that
hit you in your soul. With the recently released
single “cradle,” abysskiss presents a more mature
and confident Lenker — sure of her own ability
as a songwriter and more determined in her story
telling.
While abysskiss has a significantly more upbeat
feeling than Lenker’s previous solo work, it is
reflective of both Big Thief and Lenker’s growth in
the scene over the past several years. Lenker and
abysskiss not only showcases maturation — it also
remains a haunting reminder of how gifted Lenker
is as a singer/songwriter.
• Andrew Bardsley
Art d’Ecco
Trespasser
Paper Bag Records
Whatever your taste, you’re at risk of getting
caught up in the strobing circus of Art d’Ecco’s
Trespasser; one that is equally moody and emotive
as it is dangerous and catchy.
There are shades of d’Ecco’s debut, Day Fevers,
such as the playful Orbison-tinged “Mary” and
the malt shop melancholy of “Lady Next Door,”
but the evolution is in the expanse of Trespasser.
There is a playfulness, an almost frustrated energy
of rebellion mixed with bedroom eyes nihilism, at
play on every track.
The non-ironic use of saxophone on “Never
Tell,” alongside dramatic tumultuous crescendos of
keys, adds storm clouds to its deceptively catchy
melodies. The desert guitar in “Joy,” alongside the
lilting tease of d’Ecco’s flirtatious and ethereal
vocals give rise to the wanton frustrations of a
fallen angel, further amplified by bratty guitar and
choral backing vocals. The slitheringly Mercurial
“Who is it Now?” and the relentlessly surging
thrust of “Dark Days (revisited)” bekon Bowie
in his Aladdin Sane phase, where he turned
blurred lines into power but was also unable to
belie the loneliness inherent backstage where
the makeup starts to flake. Trespasser is a dance
floor flooded by the smoke machine where you
can almost pretend you’re the only one there but
everyone knows an Art d’Ecco party is never a solo
endeavour.
• Jennie Orton
ALKALINE TRIO
Is This Thing Cursed?
Epitaph
Ever have one of those days where you’re late for
work, spill coffee all over your desk and forget
to pick up milk on the way home, making you
shake your fists at life itself and ask, “Is this thing
cursed?!”
Chicago’s Alkaline Trio feels your pain. Ditching
the goth subtleties of the past, the band’s ninth
studio album delivers another batch of tight,
catchy and straightforward distorted rock tunes.
At times, the record thrashes and whips with the
best of ‘em, especially in songs like “Blackbird,”
“Heart Attacks,” and “Throw Me to the Lions.”
Alkaline Trio proves they’re capable of more
than they’re given credit for among pop-punk
colleagues like Green Day, NOFX or lead singer
Matt Skiba’s most recent side hustle, Blink-182.
To be fair, not everything on the disc stands
out. A few of its 13 tracks are either clearly too
short or too generic to have much of an impact (or
sometimes both). Is This Thing Cursed? isn’t the
home run of the summer, but at least it will help
you get through that ridiculous Friday evening jam
on Deerfoot Trail — again!
• Trevor Morelli
ALICE IN CHAINS
Rainier Fog
BMG
Sludge and mid-paced tempos have always
anchored Alice in Chains’ distinct sound, but the
icons of hard rock are clearly ready to pick up the
pace on their sixth album, Rainier Fog.
Cuts like the title track and “So Far Under” turn
up the volume and the tempo, giving the record
a much-needed injection of NOS compared to
the band’s deep catalogue. Guitar snarls from
legendary axe-man Jerry Cantrell are front and
center — as they should be — supplying the
monstrous riffs that fuel standouts like “Drone”
and “Deaf Ears Blind Eyes.” Lead singer William
DuVall continues to hold his own, doing his best
Layne Staley impressions and shining brightly on
the more emotional tracks “Maybe” and “All I Am.”
With their legacy in the fables of rock already
firmly in place, some may wonder why Alice in
Chains is still around at all. And honestly, it’s
because there’s no harm in having veterans like
them to deliver meaty offerings like Rainier Fog,
reminding us that the noise of the pre-aughts is far
chained in the dungeons of the past.
• Trevor Morelli
EXPLODED VIEW
Obey
Sacred Bones Records
The Mexican/UK trio returns for a sophomore
LP that further explores the “far out” reaches of
experimental and atmospheric Krautrock, a style
which originated in ‘60s Germany.
Layers of folk-ish instrumentation and
soundscapes create the ominously sinister vibes of
a psychedelic dream sequence. And like a cherry
on top, leading you along the journey are hypnotic,
lullaby-esk vocals reminiscent of a female Neil
Young.
“Dark Stains” has an almost chilling retro video
game feel followed by “Gone Tomorrow,” which
skips along in sorrow about lost loves and regrets.
The title track has a droning and traditional
eastern-folk aesthetic, with sounds of ocean waves
below the lyrics, “Do what you’re told and you’ll
get out alive,” spiralling in and out of your mind.
Soon you hear “Raven Raven,” and are transported
to a smokey apocalyptic lounge where you’re
sipping nuka-cola cocktails.
When you press play, you enter a land of both
of shadow and substance. If a trip on something
completely different is what you dig — climb
aboard.
• Patrick Saulnier
FACE TO FACE
Hold Fast (Acoustic Sessions)
Fat Wreck Chords
Face to Face have returned with the brand-new
summer face-smasher Hold Fast — and as the title
implies, you’re darn right it’s an acoustic album.
Face to Face are veterans on the punk scene with
almost 30 years together with 10 studio albums to
date.
Featured on Hold Fast are songs like
“Disconnected” from their debut record and
“Don’t Turn Away” and “Velocity” from their
sophomore album, Big Choice. Both contrast
drastically from the original recordings — the
melodies are present but the heavy, quick-tempo
riffs are smoothed over at a relaxed pace, giving
each of these classic tunes new life. Songs like
“Blind” off their 1996 self-titled have a familiar
sound but have developed a more honestly
emotional feel. “Keep Your Chin Up” from their
2016 album Protection receives also receives a
more digestible approach.
Hold Fast is Face to Face’s first attempt at an
acoustic album, and frankly, they’ve succeeded in
offering a different sound and feel on a wide range
of songs. Well done, boys!
• Sarah Mac
FOUNTAIN
Acid Bath from the Jaded Jungle
Self-Released
Achieving some kind of an altered state is
recommended before slipping into Acid Bath
from the Jaded Jungle, the third full-length from
Montreal’s quirky post-punk crew, Fountain.
There’s an overtly sleek quality to the 12-track LP,
dismantled in moments on songs like “Crack Up,”
with off-kilter funky guitars and hollowed out
chants from vocalist Evan Jeffery.
Acid Bath upholds the kooky sci-fi vibe the
quartet has worked to achieve through their
earlier work, but has slightly toned-down some of
the fun from previous efforts like Fountain 2, with
more diminished guitars and mastering that is
discernibly more polished.
Recorded at Office Space in Seattle, the album
offers hints of refinement without losing the
feeling that it was conceptualized in a surely dank
basement. Frenetic and slightly sideways, Acid
Bath from the Jaded Jungle is an uncomplicated
listen, ripe with the weirdness one would expect
from an art-punk band from Montreal.
• Brittany Rudyck
HOOPSNAKE
Snowmanmoth
Independent
Feel free to judge this one by its cover, because
the Squamish-based Hoopsnake’s Snowmanmoth
is just as much fun the massive cryptid of
Rocky Mountain destruction that gives the
30-minute blast of sludgy black metal its name.
“Snowmanmoth the Abominable” introduces
the the dual, distinct-tone vocals that give the
beast its darkness, and puts forward doom-level
distortion with a laid-back tempo. The melody is
never overbearingly grim or minor and transitions
seem to bounce along with little friction, giving it a
sludgy base with an angsty skate-punk feel.
“Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers” strays from
the dark formula in a different way, featuring an
September 2018 31

Foutain - Acid Bath from the Jaded Jungle Mirah - Understanding Monstrosity - The Passage of Existence Oh Sees - Smote Reverser
almost classic rock-style solo with an undoubtedly
good-times-only mood, leaving a wicked and
warped smile on your face. A plethora of other
stylistic influences are evident in Snowmanmoth
on tracks like “Skate And Die” and “Scorpion,”
hinting at everything from death metal to blues
rock without ever losing the underlying power of
blackened-doom.
Like the Snowmanmoth itself that graces the
cover, this blast of a record draws from so many
parts that the whole is as original as can be. This
one’s fun as hell.
• Matty Hume
MIRAH
Understanding
Absolute Magnitude Recordings
Understanding is an ambitious goal in a society
that feels increasingly disconnected, despite, or
perhaps because of, advances in technology and a
constant barrage of information.
On her sixth solo album, Mirah attempts to
deepen her understanding of others and inspire
listeners to do the same.
She also isn’t afraid to keep taking the kind of
musical risks that have characterized her previous
work. From the sounds of synthesizers to fuzzy
reverb to out-of-the-box vocal layering, each
track showcases her ability to play with sound in
interesting and unconventional ways.
Some tracks, like “Ordinary Day,” have a dreamy,
relaxed feel — both underscored and contrasted
by synthetic beats and electronic influences.
The album’s second track, “Information,”
examines the state of the U.S. under the current
administration, while “Love Jetty” is a carefree
summer anthem. The Brooklyn-based singersongwriter
masterfully displays her lyricism on
subjects both prosaic and sentimental.
• Emilie Charette
MONSTROSITY
The Passage of Existence
Metal Blade Records
After 11 years away from the scene, Monstrosity
obviously wanted to come back strong and hard,
and they waste no time cranking up the distortion
and blasting away. There’s no intro, no acoustics
and absolutely no nonsense — just straight to
the point death metal. The Passage of Existence is
perfect for fans of ‘90s Deicide, Immortal and even
some early Decapitated.
While there are some melodic moments and
plenty of dynamics, the main drive of The Passage
of Existence is bludgeoning, thrashy and brutal
heaviness with a steady dose of groove.
While stating how horribly cliché it is to say ‘Play it
Loud,’ drummer Lee Harrison says that the Florida
five-piece made this album for doing just that. The
riffs are windmill worthy, the double kick assault
never gives your subs a breath and the vocals,
although not as diverse as some, are kick ass and
relentless. Adding tracks “Dark Matter Invocation”
and “Radiated” to your playlist will leave no
regrets, but maybe a little whiplash.
• Patrick Saulnier
NOFX
Ribbed - Live In A Dive
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords’ Live In A Dive series has
returned after a 13-year hiatus with a NOFX’s
classic — Ribbed.
Originally released in 1991, Ribbed was NOFX’s
third studio album. For Live In A Dive, it’s the
eighth installment in the series.
With 14 tracks total, Ribbed contains a lot of
vintage gems. Songs like “The Moron Brothers,”
“Together in the Sand” and “Cheese/Where’s my
Slice?” just to name a few fan favourites. And
because it’s a live rendition after all, you get to
hear a stack of tracks you probably wouldn’t hear
live. Naturally, with any NOFX show, there’s a fair
amount of banter. A few songs are performed
almost flawlessly, while in others, Fat Mike forgets
the words entirely. But hell, it’s a NOFX show.
Overall, a rare opportunity to hear Ribbed live in
its entirety and NOFX sucks just as much as they
always do. So, to be fair, it’s just what we wanted!
• Sarah Mac
OH SEES
Smote Reverser
Castle Face Records
John Dwyer’s latest bizarro offering, Smote
Reverser — this time released as Oh Sees, or
whatever he wants to be called these days — is as
strange, wild and fun as you’d expect from such an
eclectic artist.
What begins as a trip guided by fairly standard
garage-rock vibes on “Enrique El Cobrador”
soon ventures into a curious psychedelia of
Steppenwolf-like keyboards, wah-wah guitars and
Mellotron wolf sounds. It’s everything from raging
punk to destructive prog-metal to off-beat space
jazz and earns a big trippy thumbs-up.
“Abysmal Urn” jumps out like an At-the-Drive-In
freak out, complete with lightning fast avant-garde
arpeggio cymbal solos. Soul grooves pop up on
“Nail House Needle Boys” and soon blend into a
hazy stoner chill-out on “Flies Bump Against the
Glass.”
There’s a lot going on, but it all makes for a
splendidly brain-stimulating listen. If you weren’t
turned on to ‘Thee Oh Sees’ before, then Oh Sees’
Smote Reverser is a decent place to start.
• Trevor Morelli
PILCROW
Fever Dreams
Self-Released
Toronto’s Pilcrow should be at the top of your
must-see-shows list as the days get shorter and
our marbles get lost. The proof is in the 16-minute
barrage of experimental punk on Fever Dreams, a
five-track frenzy of a well-executed bad trip.
Self-described as acid punk, Pilcrow generates
the jarring franticness of noisy hardcore with the
technical structure of melodic metal. “Doves”
is a display of your favourite head-spinning
licks delivered with the ferocity of brutal power
punks performing in a church basement. Pure,
raw emotion is palpable in the belting vocals on
“Lungs,” which make the almost mathy intro and
transition into “Shapeshifter” a satisfying change
of pace.
Fever Dreams is fast, brutal, melancholy and
technically impressive. It’s only drawback is that it’s
over faster than you can snap out of a dream, cold
sweat and all.
• Matty Hume
THE WOOLEN MEN
Post
Dogs Table
The latest album from Portland indie-punks The
Woolen Men, Post, has a complicated concept for
such a straightforward album.
“Brick Horizon” kicks it all off with simple,
energetic drumbeats and a thrumming bass riff
reminiscent of ‘80s new wave. It has an upbeat
sound for a song that’s nevertheless filled with the
feeling of searching for some sort of meaning in a
world that’s lost it.
A few songs in, “The Movie Goer” tones things
down a little with a simple, folky guitar intro,
leading into a ballad with references to Greek
mythology while “What Do You Want Me To Be”
explores themes of identity over steady bass and
nostalgic guitar.
Overall, the album is packed with solid indie
songs to softly please the ear. However, it does beg
the question: in a “post-everything” world, what’s
left?
• Emilie Charette
WILD NOTHING
Indigo
Captured Tracks
Do you ever feel like putting on a pair of bright
red track shorts and kicking back in a pair of white
Nikes? No? Well, maybe you’re starring in your own
‘80s style music video where you’re skipping rope
in slow motion — getting all sweaty while looking
longingly at your cutie crush waiting at the bus
stop across the street. This is what comes to mind
as I listen to Wild Nothing’s newest album, Indigo.
The album itself has just the right amount
of angst to keep listeners coming back. The
tracks naturally make for an easy listen with the
perfect mixture of groove and trance. The song
“Dollhouse” made me stop and reflect on what the
album taught me so far, and afterwards, the track
“Canyon on Fire” dragged me back down to Earth.
Overall, Indigo is a stellar album with a lot of
mysterious qualities. It’ll take at least a second
listen all the way through to grasp its depth, so
smash that repeat button.
• Logan Peters
YG
Stay Dangerous
Def Jam Recordings
My Krazy Life and Still Brazy are stone cold,
watershed moments in West-coast gangsterism,
not to mention two of the tightest conceptual
albums in the greater gangsta rap oeuvre. Both
transported the listener deep into YG’s cold
psyche, allowing them to witness Compton’s
secrets through his eyes and understand the
circumstances of surviving another day in one of
the most notoriously dangerous neighborhood
in North America. In a violently hectic manner,
they affirmed YG as one of the most complete
auteurs of his generation. With that in mind,
Stay Dangerous feels like a step backwards. It’s a
perfectly serviceable album and choice cuts are
guaranteed to be heard rattling car windows for
the remainder of the summer. But the cohesion
that made his first two albums so enthralling is
no longer there. In reuniting with DJ Mustard,
YG largely conceded the adventurousness that
illuminated the darkest folds of his grey matter for
a manufactured consistency.
• Thomas Johnson
32
September 2018

LIVE
Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals
Safe & Sound Music Fest (Westminster Pier Park)
August 25, 2018
Yes Lawd! Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals
wowed the crowd with an electric headlining set at
Safe & Sound Music Fest.
Hands in the air, voices singing along to every
word, it’s safe to say the audience was glowed up. It’s
been nearly three years since .Paak released Malibu,
but the songs aren’t getting old.
The young artist certainly lives up to the hype. He’s
an energetic force onstage and his band is stacked
with solid musicians.
The set was Malibu heavy, the same material
as their September 2016 show at the Vogue, but
arrangements have evolved and the performances
have developed over the years.
.Paak delivered an electric performance, taking to
Photo by Darrole Palmer
the stage in matching banana print shirt and shorts
with some groovy dance moves. He started off with
the bouncy, bassy “Come Down,” urging his fans, “y’all
gotta get down.” He followed it with “The Waters,”
and “Glowed Up,” his Kaytranada collaboration.
Then he took to the drums for his newest song,
“Bubblin.” .Paak’s skillset truly shines when he
showcases his ability to drum while delivering solid
vocal performances. A highlight of the night was
“The Season / Carry Me” with .Paak’s high energy and
enthusiastic singing from the audience.
The Free Nationals are stellar musicians, but Ron
Tnava Avant on keys stands out with his energy,
impressively diverse solos and vocoder stylings.
The audience’s enthusiasm was rewarded with an
encore that included “The Bird” and “The Dreamer.”
It was an astounding performance that ended the
second annual Safe & Sound Festival on a high note.
• Lauren Donnelly
Insane Clown Posse
Venue Nightclub
August 16, 2018
Venue nightclub was filled with a concoction
of juggalos and juggalettes caked in white and
black makeup. Grins stretched from ear to ear
as they chanted “ICP” within the smokey blue
haze. There was a great anticipation in the air as
everyone waited for Insane Clown Posse to hit
the stage. It wasn’t long though before everyone
was united in an all-out freakshow.
The black tarp fell, introducing a Carnivalesque
backdrop. ICP members Violent J and
Shaggy 2 Drop hit the stage, opening with
classics “Great Milenko,” and “Hokus Pokus.”
The grooves were funky and the vibes were on
point. Within minutes, the plastic coverings
made sense, as ICP shook and popped two-litre
bottles of Faygo, an American soft-drink, onto
the dancing crowd. We aren’t talking one or
two bottles, they seemed to have an unlimited
stock and fired them off like a machine-gun
massacre, slathering the crowd in a sugary,
cream-soda scented sticky. Every-time a bottle
was used, one of ICP’s monstrous stageservants
would restock the soda cart from their
seemingly bottomless pit.
Being called the Milenko & Friends Tour, ICP
played songs from their 1997 album, The Great
Milenko, including: “Southwest Voodoo,” “Halls
of Illusions.” They also performed Bizzar’s “Let’s
Go All the Way” which blew the roof off the
venue in addition to a mix of new tracks.
Overall, the show was a live experience
far different from your average live music
experience. Fans left the show sweaty, sticky,
and locked with an unlockable grin after being
hazed in funkalicious grooves.
• Johnny Papan
Photo by Zachary Schroeder
Photo by Darrole Palmer
Queens of the Stone Age
Commodore Ballroom
August 4, 2018
Corporate sponsored shows don’t usually make for cool events. You
expect mostly industry types hoping to network and not many real fans
make it into the show. Luckily, this was not one of those situations. Queens
of the Stone Age at a venue as intimate as the Commodore Ballroom is
probably not going to happen again anytime soon in the future, so as
soon as Aurora (one of Canada’s fastest growing marijuana companies)
announced the secret show, it became the hottest ticket in town.
At around 10:10, just after a big Van Halen crowd singalong, the lights
went dark, joints were lit, and Queens of the Stone Age appeared on stage.
Opening with a crushing rendition of “A Song For the Deaf,” Josh Homme
and the rest of band showed they weren’t messing around.
Since this show was not part of a tour and the band are off the promo
circuit, Queens played a career spanning set that included at least one
song off every album (except the self-titled). To many fans’ delight, the
band chose to play a mainly deep cuts set which included Rated R’s “In The
Fade” and “The Lost Art of Keeping A Secret” and Song for the Deaf’s “Do
It Again” and “Hanging Tree.” Along with some of the bands new material,
they kept the momentum and excitement up the whole show.
After ending the set with their hit “Little Sister,” Queens left the stage
but the crowd wanted more. A few minutes later they came back with
“A Song for the Dead,” possibly the band’s heaviest song, and the entire
crowd erupted. The next six minutes was frantic chaos and when the song
stopped, the crowd knew the show was over. There was nothing the band
could play after that. Josh Homme lit up a joint and thanked the crowd
with a huge smile on his face.
• Joshua Erickson
September 2018 33

NEW MOON RISING
YOUR MONTHLY HOROSCOPE
QUAN YIN DIVINATION
Month of the Metal Rooster
Roosters are known to be meticulously
clean and tidy, so make sure you’ve
got your closets organized and your
pantry stocked this month. The Metal
Rooster is known in the Chinese Zodiac
as the teacher’s pet, with perfectionist
ambitions and razor sharp wit. They
mean what they say and say what they
mean without concern for courteous
cultural norms or boring small talk.
This can bring arguments, but all for
the sake of getting straight to the truth
of any matter. This month’s full moon
combines happily with the annual
Dog Year, especially the fun-loving
Monkey, who is favoured now. This is an
especially good month for the visionary
Snake and the dutiful Ox.
Rabbit (Pisces): Time away from your
routine may give you a break to build
strength, along with a gentle shift in
your attitude. Fear not: new paths
and potentials are open to you now
if you are brave enough to take a step
forward.
Dragon (Aries): Extreme highs
and deep lows make this month a
rollercoaster for you, Dragons. It’s okay
because that’s how you roll and you
wouldn’t have it any other way, so make
hay while the sun shines, and lay low
when you might be in over your head.
Snake (Taurus): Investing in a few
fashion accessories might give you a
classy edge this month, and since you
are being noticed now, it’s a great time
to complement your image with a
classy upgrade or new avant-garde style.
Horse (Gemini): Life moves pretty fast.
If you don’t stop and look around once
in awhile, you could miss it! Watch for
the signs and symptoms of change that
are happening beneath the surface and
re-evaluate any assumptions you have
about others.
Sheep (Cancer): Money matters tie
you down and it’s likely you’ve been
working toward this situation for some
time. It’s up to you to make changes
you need, and your strength now
guarantees success. Make your move to
higher ground confidently.
Monkey (Leo): Knowing what you
want makes it easier for you to get it.
Keep your eye on the target, and you
can reach almost any goal you set. The
path of least resistance guides your
way without the need for argument or
struggle.
Rooster (Virgo): Handling multiple
objectives concurrently may bring out
your fighting spirit this month. Slow
down and make your responses from a
place of calm rationale. It’s totally okay
to say no, and sometimes you have no
choice but to take what life hands you.
Dog (Libra): Discontent is unavoidable
from time to time, and the root of
displeasure lies in your ability to adapt
to changing circumstances. Use your
will power to put energy where it’s
needed, and to conserve when you can
to see real progress emerge.
Pig (Scorpio): Joining a sports team,
signing up for an educational program,
or taking a few night school courses
could be just what you need to make
some new social alliances and meet
the people who can enhance your
enjoyment of life. Get out there!
Rat (Sagittarius): In a great storm, a
wise bird returns to his nest and waits.
Chances are your decisions feel heavy
and weighted right now, and this could
mean that you’re about to set foot on a
new adventure – with or without your
current company.
Ox (Capricorn): Not everything you
know needs to be shared. Take a
quiet moment to discern who needs
to be acquainted with your deeper
personality and personal development
struggles. Although many share your
perspective, there are a few people who
just don’t get it.
Tiger (Aquarius): Volunteering or
putting in a bit of extra time and effort
in your workplace distinguishes you for
the ordinary crowd. You know what
needs to be done and, with a bit of
teamwork, this could be a month where
productivity takes precedence over love
or frivolity.
Susan Horning is a Feng Shui Consultant
and Bazi Astrologist living and working
in East Vancouver. Find out more about
her at QuanYin.ca.
60+ Bands
10 Venues
3 Nights of Music from
1 Wristband
ON SALE NOW!
BREAKOUTWEST.CA
KICK OFF CONCERT
FEATURING…
THE WILD!
This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters.
Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.
34
September 2018