BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition April 2019

VanCity People
wCity
Briefs
Exploits
IAN SCHRAM
FOR MUSICIANS,
BY MUSICIANS
Fulfilling a 20-year dream Rufus Guitar
and Drum Shop opens a second location
By YASMINE SHEMESH
Rufus Guitar and Drum Shop is
opening a new location this month,
in the old Wonderbucks Trading
Company building on the corner
of Commercial Drive and East 2nd
Ave. For Blaine McNamee and
Allan Harding — the owners of
RUFUS GUITAR AND
DRUM SHOP
1803 Commercial Drive
Mon-Fri 10-8, Saturday
10-6, Sunday 12-6
Rufus Guitar Shop and Rufus Drum Shop, respectively —
it’s a realization of something they’ve been steadily working
towards, and, indeed, dreaming about, for almost 20 years.
Rufus’ first location, the guitar shop on the edge of
Kitsilano on Alma Street, has been a massive success:
fully-booked music lessons, a stop where touring rockstars
marvel at the merchandise, and a local go-to for the best
sound advice around. Their drum shop is right around the
corner, on 10th and Alma. The sprawling new Commercial
Drive space will have nine lesson rooms – six for guitar and
three for drums. Across both locations, Rufus now employs
over 60 local musicians. It all comes back to a community-driven
ethos that McNamee and Harding abide by.
Ahead of Commercial’s grand opening, BeatRoute met
McNamee and Harding for coffee on the Drive. Before
sitting down to chat, Harding, after ordering his brew, took
a moment to look out the window at the building across the
street. “It just feels surreal,” he smiles.
You were saying this was your
dream 15 years ago. Tell me more
about that.
Blaine McNamee: I started working
at a guitar store when I was
15. My teacher at the time opened
his own guitar store. I went to go
work for him when I was 20 and I
realized I could open my own store.
And then I moved from Edmonton
when I was 24, because I felt like
Vancouver was a better opportunity,
and I started working for Rufus
Guitar Shop [Alma St.]. I bought
that store in 2014.
What’s been the coolest drum set
or guitar that you’ve had come
through so far?
BM: We sold a 58 Fender P bass to
Scott Shriner from Weezer. I love
Weezer, so that was very cool. We
went to meet him in Seattle and
got to see Weezer play. That was
an online sale. Tom Waits came
into the shop once and I sold him
a guitar.
Allan Harding: You really see the
difference between a big prairie
town and an international Olympic
city. Justin Timberlake was in town
– his drummer came in, Brian Frasier
Moore. Bob Seger was in town
and his drummer came in. And the
regular locals who pass through,
like Bryan Adams. It’s a real pro
vibe too, which is unique.
BM: I think that’s because we sell
so much vintage. We’ve got some
really crazy pieces, like Fenders
from the 60s, really old Gibsons.
Blaine McNamee (left) and Allan
Harding expand their musical vision
to Commercial Drive this month.
When people come to town, they
come see us for that stuff. I don’t
know what’s the coolest thing
we’ve had in. I usually take them
home. [laughs]
How do you feel right now,
looking at the new shop and
considering everything that
you’ve worked towards?
AH: When I moved here, Blaine
and I were doing a late night walk
up and down the Drive, having
some drinks, and Blaine said to
me, ‘That’s my dream location.’
He always said, ‘It’s going to
happen. We’re doing it.’ I don’t
know many people like Blaine. I
actually don’t know anyone like
Blaine – Blaine’s one of a kind.
BM: You’ve got put your hours in.
I worked for 13 bucks an hour for
a long time.
AH: It’s hard to see the forest
when you’re in the trees.
Everyone’s like, ‘You must be so
jacked!’ and it’s like, “I’m worried
about the freakin’ printer!’ It’s
hard to appreciate what we’ve
accomplished sometimes,
because we’re in the fire. But
the cool thing is stepping back.
I’m sure 15 years ago we’d be
freaking out if we saw into the
future. We wouldn’t even believe
it. I couldn’t even imagine. There
I am, sitting on Whyte Avenue,
Edmonton, running my tiny little
shop. It’s beyond words. It makes
me a little emotional, actually.
And we’re just getting going.
KELLI ANNE
k CONTINUED FROM PG. 8
Ponytails
Friday, April 12 at Fox Cabaret
The Vancouver surf-pop band are
still wrapping up the recording
of their full-length LP, but, in the
meantime, they’re celebrating
the release of a new single, “Just
Yours,” and an accompanying
music video.
Vancouver Tattoo
And Culture Show
April 19-21 at Canada Place
Celebrating their 11th year, the
Vancouver Tattoo and Culture
Show showcases the work of
talented local and international
tattoo artists and provides a
unique opportunity to meet them.
The festival also features a huge
array of unique vendors to peruse
for inspiration while you contemplate
that tramp stamp you keep
meaning to get.
WSSF:
LAST
CHANCE
TO KICK
OUT THE
JAMS
World Ski &
Snowboard Festival
gets big air with end
of season bash
By LAUREN EDWARDS
T
he World Ski and
Snowboard Festival
(WSSF) is the last big
bash of the ski-snowboard
season and
Whistler Blackcomb is
gearing up for another celebration
with a wide array of music, arts
and athleticism on the program.
Sporting categories like the
Slush Cup and Monster Boarderstyle
Championships, paired
with the WSSF After Dark programming
ensures the action
continues from morning to
night. Rounding out the music
component, the Outdoor Concert
Series is welcoming Snotty
Nose Rez Kids, Michael Franti
and Spearhead, Little Destroyer,
Old Soul Rebel and more to the
stage this year.
More than 17,000 spectators
migrated to Whistler last year and
Snotty Nose Rez Kids
this year is expected to
keep that momentum going
with their focus now
on the local talent that
makes their community
the vibrant place
that it is.
WORLD SKI &
SNOWBOARD
FESTIVAL
APRIL 10 TO 14
Whistler, BC
wssf.com
“We’re really focused on local
athletes, local artists, and
bringing everyone together
at the end of the season as a
big wrap up party,” says Megan
Wilson, one of the World
Ski & Snowboard Festival’s
organizers.
The Saudan Couloir Race
Extreme features both men’s
and women’s snowboard categories.
The 2500 ft. vertical drop
— one of the steepest races in the
world — becomes a “thigh-burning
slugfest,” describes Wilson. Spectators
can watch competitors from
a cliff-viewing area and from the
Rendezvous Lodge.
Returning to the festivities are
2018 winners, recent Olympians,
and athletes coming fresh off the X
Games — including female snowboarder
Laurie Blouin who won
Gold in Big Air at the X Games and
Silver in Slopestyle at the 2018 PyeongChang
Olympics.
This year also weaves in more
Indigenous culture, renaming the
Big Air competitions — a 60 ft.
jump — to Sp’akwus Ski Invitational
(from the Squamish nation) and
the Halaw Snowboard Invitational
(from the Lil’wat Nation). Both
“sp’akwus” and “halaw” translate
to “eagle,” and each nation will use
traditional imagery and folklore.
Medals won are engraved with
eagles, and the event’s opening
ceremonies include ambassadors
from the Lil’wat Nation, Squamish
Nation, and the Squamish Lil’wat
Culture Centre (SLCC).
“This festival is about the people
involved, and whether you’re
visiting or you’ve been here for
10 years, you’re with your chosen
family, coming together through
an activity,” says Wilson.
And just like any family, any beef
between skiers and snowboarders
is just “like brothers and sisters,”
says Wilson, a snowboarder
herself. “I was
pretty happy we got a
lot of snowboarders
in, because it’s different
to race on skis and
snowboards in terms
of strategy. What’s
easier, what’s harder, what’s faster…
it’s apples to apples, considering
when this event launched
[in 1996] it didn’t even have snowboarders.”
“It’s a true mountain culture
festival, not just about sports or
music,” Wilson explains. “It’s a mixture
of both local heroes and big
names competing together. It’s a
well-rounded event. If you’re young
and you’re here to party, you can ski
in the sun all day and party all night.”
With only so many days left in
the season, this is the best time to
soak it in, go all out, and make it
count. ,
12 BEATROUTE APRIL 2019
APRIL 2019 BEATROUTE 13